Making: Plans. I’m a planner to the dot and I love it.
Eating: nothing special in particular.
Drinking: lots of rosemary tea.
Reading: Travelers by Helon Habila .Ps. He will be at Writivism from August,15th-August,18th at the National theatre.
Wanting: to scream and a gateaway .
Playing: music and sermons all day. My earphones have been loyal.😂😂
Wasting:no time on negative people in my life & social timelines.
Creating: time to read.
Wishing: for quick results in everything
Enjoying : books and more books. I have read 7 books this month👏👏👏
Wondering: why my sort of personality won’t allow me to be quiet in a corner when I get into a place. 😂😂😥😥
Loving: spiritual things.
Hoping:for a shift
Marveling: at spiritual things.
Smelling: mum’s body spray -cherry blossom
Wearing:my natural hair out
Following: Rabbi Daniel Malinga. His fellowship happens every Friday at 6:00pm at Silver Springs hotel, Bugolobi. He is a teacher of the word and I’m happy to learn from him always.
Noticing:how my natural hair is loving the Nissi hair products.
Knowing: that you can’t criticize what you’re not doing. Period.
Bookmarking: a particular quote from a friend, “Trust God with people and their processes. ”
Making: more time for prayer. Yes, I love to pray. I have found myself running to my Father more. I find peace,love ,joy,comfort ,wisdom for the next hour.
Eating: muesli. I ensure my breakfast is lit and healthy.
Drinking:Lots of mukwano tea. Every time is tea time. My workplace has a steady supply of tea.As a tea lover, I am grateful.
Reading:Dreams of my father by Barack Obama. I feel like a boss lady flipping the pages; being inspired by the First black president of the United States.
Wanting:To travel to Rwanda and Tanzania. I just want to get away and be in a foreign country,walk in the woods, smile at strangers,eat foreign food. I just want to be away. Anybody feeling this way??
Wasting:no time in making power moves. I am excited to be conquering my fears each day.
Creating:content for my blog and a few social media pages I manage. This has set me on a creative path beyond my wildest dreams. I am enjoying it everyday.
Wishing:I had all the money in the world to solve my friend`s problems as well as my own. If you had all the money in the world what would you do with it?
Enjoying:Reading and creating content. My creative juices are flowing and its exciting.
Wondering:What`s next for Uganda with Hon. Kyagulanyi giving the president and government at large sleepless nights.
Loving:My new job. Yes,I am currently working with African Writers Trust. I am loving everything about new my job.
Hoping:for opportunities to make wealth. I must manifest the wealth and abundance of my Father in Heaven.
Marvelling:at how God strategically places us .He is a mighty God.A God of strategy and tactic.
Smelling:Fresh air. My workplace is in a serene environment and the air is fresh and the atmosphere is perfect for work,reading,creating .What more could I ask for?
Wearing:my natural hair in a protective style. I don’t know what it’s called,but my sister Ronnet created it(not sure from where) and the other sister,Joy executed😂😂.I am just glad I don’t have to think about my hair for a week or two.
Following:Amina Abdi Rabar (https://www.instagram.com/amina_kenya/) on instagram. She is a mum, wife,singer,TV host on the trend and /Radio host on capital FM Kenya,MC. She is literally on every stage right now hosting this and that. I am inspired by her power moves.
Noticing:two things .(1).the signs of rain God is sending my way. I am literally excited for the downpour.Can you see the signs of rain in your situation right now? (2).There is space for each one of us in the world,go ahead and be great.
Knowing: Anyone can get back up from anything,be it scandal,loss of a parent,job,marriage. Ask Tiger Woods.
Bookmarking:Pearls for her,Uganda( https://www.pearlsforherug.com/). This site has amazing content that is real and so Ugandan yet at the same time,international. Makes sense?hehe.
Opening:up to the idea of having a photo shoot. I am toying with the idea. I am also open to the idea of adding a professional flair to my blog,turn it into a rachealkizza.com or No Ordinary Scribbles.com(Whatchu think?Help me decide on this)
Giggling: at Bebe Cool. This guy is interesting.He seems unruffled by the public lash he is getting for supporting the president. He is standing for something at least,right? What are you standing for?Who are you standing with?
Feeling:Fed up with how we treat church as a social club. It’s a place where the lost get found.The sick meet the physician.The broken are covered not exposed. The wounded are healed and restored. Purpose flourishes and LOVE conquers all things,believes all things.
Ever had people crushing over at your place for a few days,weeks,a month or two,years?
I have been hosted before by friends and I have learnt a couple of things about hosting people. There are hosting Dynamics and today Rachel and I share tips on how to be a good host.These tips are in no particular order.
+Always know your people.What do they like to eat,what are they allergic to.This helps to plan better for their stay.
+Plan!plan ahead for their coming.Stock whatever you need to stock for their stay.
+Don’t change your menu for your guests.Make adjustments depending on who likes what but don’t do a 360 on your menu.This might be costly and draining as well on your pocket,house help if you have one or yourself too.
+Take/accept the help.The more people in the house, there is multiplication of house chores.Incase a guest asks to help out ,let them help.
+Ask for help.Remember some of these guests,like to work and if African ,they have been trained to work and might be uncomfortable sitting all day.Ask them for help.This helps you bond and you could learn something new about each other.
+You are bound to meet people of various cultures.don’t be alarmed.
+For guests who stay for long;months or years, purposefully involve them in the house chores and activities.If you go by a rota include them that way they appreciate and are part of the family and it also lifts the burden off of you to do everything. Everyone has to have some form of responsibility.
+It is important to know how long a guest is staying, especially if you are in a family setting, that way there is no uncertainty and family members are well prepared. Guests who stay for Ununspecified days can easily feel like a burden and there could be the anxiety of how long is the person staying.To avoid such discomfort and uncertainity,it is good to know the length of the stay.
+Be ready to be vulnerable.This comes with letting someone in your space.Be yourself and don’t adjust your lives completely. Let the guest adjust to your system (this can be added to the menu as well)
+It is great to learn from your guests as well, as much as it is your house, your rules, try to involve some of their ways especially if they are from a different culture. You could ask them to cook a common dish of theirs or show you how they do their things. This way the guest feels appreciated and is able to involve a part of them in the family
+When a guest does something wrong or off, it is OK and right to tell them directly and in a kind and polite way. It is so easy to find yourselves discussing the guest behind their back with other family members yet the issue would have easily been resolved by speaking to them. This can also breed contempt and ruin the whole experience.
+Always consult with your family members before agreeing to host someone, that way they are prepared cause even if you are the one taking care of most of the things, they have a right to know and agree as their space will be invaded/interrupted
+Considering all the above, it is actually OK to say no to hosting someone, it doesn’t make you a bad person, it does take grace and quite some work, so be willing to give 100% rather than say yes and your heart is not in it. Whatsoever you do,do it with all diligence as unto the Lord and not man.
This post was co-authored by Racheal Atieno-my Kenyan sister,who has hosted me and so many other people at her home in Nairobi over the years. It is right to say her home is international 😂😂.
No Ordinary Scribbles 