TIMES TODAY LOVE GOD LOVE NEIGHBOURTHY
CONTENTS My Pulpit message notes: | Keep His commands | 3-5 My Devotional: The importance of loyalty | 7 My Business | Three ways a strong dollar impacts emerging markets | 8 My Inspiration: Run to your giants | 9 My Entrepreneur: 3 relationships you need to invest in (if you want to flourish) | 10 My Health: How eliminating certain foods can help ease eczema symptoms for some people |11 - 12 My Kitchen: Classic Nigerian Jollof Rice |13 My Sports: How Formula One Hamilton enjoyed his holiday in Kenya |14
My Pulpit Message Notes are extracted from the sermon preached at the Nairobi Baptist Church (NBC) Ngong Road on Sunday 14th August 2022.
2. The process of Christian growth / maturity 1 John 2:12-14
Keep
1. The place of love 1 John 2:1-11
4 points
This primarily means the priority of love in the life of a Christian. Love is one of those themes throughout most of the writing of John. Whether it is in the gospel of in the epistles, love is a recurring theme. John draws our attention to three things: a. The origin of that love verse one tob.sevenThe operation of that love. Verse seven to eight. c. The opposite of that Thelove. New Testament (N.T) which was primarily written in Greek has three words for love. One is the love of an attraction of the opposite gen der. Another is the love for family members, but there is one beyond that and it is the Agape love and that is what John is talking about here.
3. The pitfall of this world 1 John 2:15-17
How I pray that the church of Jesus Christ across this land, that the body of Jesus Christ in Kenya today will express that love in a time that is politically charged. It is true that I may not change the entire Kenya, as an individual, but if I change the person that is next to me, and they change the person next to them, then it continues and before we know it the entire country will have been affected, but that can only happen when we obey and honour the command of God. “Love the Lord our God with all our hearts, with all our souls and with all our minds and with all our strenth and to love our neighbours as we love ourselves.
Pulpit Message Notes
The place of love. 1 John 2:1-11
We need to be in a place where what we know and what we believe in God is actually seen in our actions. We need to be in a place that what we believe about out God, is not just head knowledge. It moves from the head and goes to our heart, then it influences every single thing that we do so that it is not just an abstract out there, but is a concrete message that transforms our lives. God’s Command
The priority is that this love should take the centre stage of a Chris tian’s life. Agape love is what Jesus Christ displayed on the cross for us as He took our place for the sin. The origin of love - verse one That origin we see in verse one and seven, “My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.”
Agape love is a love of choice. Not out of attraction, or obligation, but is a choice that someone makes and it primarily comes because we have known Jesus Christ as our personal Saviour. That is the love of God, because Agape love is not just choice, but is also sacrificial because Jesus Christ came to die for you and I and that is the Agape love we are talking about.
4. The practice of a believer 1 John 2:18-29
It is said that when John was writing this he was fairly senior in age. His commands
TT 163 | August 2nd - 8th | 2022
The essence of God’s command is love. To love God and to love one an other. When Jesus Christ was asked by the Pharisees, “What is the great est commandment in the law?” they asked Him and Jesus answered, “The greatest commandment it to love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind”, others versions will have the rendering “and with all your strength”. And then He said, “And second is like it, “To love your neighbour like you love yourself.” There are times that, this needs to be stressed even more. There are certain times that comes and that is like a litmus test and that is perhaps what we are experiencing today. Living in a fallen world like we do, we not only confronted by, but are often in the company of some times people who say one thing and that becomes an abstract and not the concrete. People who sometimes say they love God and yet the actions are different.Ipray that the testimony of our nation, whereby the grace of God we talk about 80 to 85 percent being Christians be seen especially in times when we are coming from a hotly contested elections like today. This is nothing new. It was certainly the case in the early church and particularly the churches to whom John was writing this letter. It is for his reason that John when to great lengths to speak to this issue of honouring and obeying God’s command of how we can know and live they way God wants us to live. Remember John was writing to help the early Christian church to confront the gnostics. Gnosticism was primarily the belief that Jesus Christ could not have come as a human being because on one hand, flesh is totally evil. So the thrust of their message was that you need to have some kind of special knowledge. So John is writing and saying, forget all those things. Everything that we need to do is to honour and to obey the commands of God. Much to the contrary, John says, true Christianity is not much of what we know as it is to who we know. It is not just head knowledge, but is knowledge that has moved from our heads to our hearts and therefore that knowledge influences every single thing that we do. True Christianity is not evidenced by a knowledgeable head, but rather by a changed heart. Chapter 2 John makes the point that to know that we know God is to obey God and His commands. We know that we know Him because we have His love. John tells us that if we love Him we will grow to be more like Him and that our love for Him must be undivided.
Preacher: Reverend Majid Ochieng, NBC Deputy Senior Pastor. Scripture: 1 John 2 Topic: Keep His commands
The true test of our growth / faith is that which we love.
“I am writing to you, dear children, because your sins have been for given on account of his name. 13 I am writing to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil 14one.I write to you, dear children, because you know the Father. I write to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God lives in you, and you have overcome the evil one.
The process of Christian growth / maturity 1 John 2:12-14 Here John addresses three different groups of people in the church. First he says, ‘the children’ , those who are primarily young in faith. Secondly, he addresses ‘the fathers’, those who have been believers for a little longer. Then he address, ‘the young men’, those who presently carry, sometime the responsibility for the fur therance of the gospel.
Then John writes to the young men, those who perhaps are still very active in the church. To the leaders in the church, who per haps we may refer to as the core of the leadership. These are the peo ple who do much of what gets done. He says, ‘I am writing to you because you have overcome the evil and because you are strong and the word of God abides in you. Continue walking in that way. So that we are continuing to grow. In every healthy church there should be all these three groups, but the bottomline is this, we should not be in a place we are stagnat ing. We should be growing in the things of God.
When you / I was walk / talk that love is seen. When you and I write a message, the love is seen especially in the times when it is difficult. In our WhatsApp messages, that love is seen. That is the command we have. The opposite of love - verse nine to eleven Anyone who claims to be in the light, who is not operating in that love, who says that I know Jesus, but hates a brother or sister is still in the darkness. In other words, that love is not operational in their lives.
Notice that with each of these stages of spiritual growth, or maturity, each group of people there is a specific concern that John wants to address to each of them. For example to the children, those who are perhaps young in faith, have just known Jesus Christ as their Saviour. Those who are early in their walk as believers, he simply states they know their sins are forgiven and that they know they Father. Because when we come to faith, the few early days are those early days, what sticks in our mind is where God has brought us from. The sins that He has saved us from.When he comes to the fathers, John points out that they have known from the beginning, he wants to remind the rest of the church that there are those who have been faithfully walking with Jesus Christ. So he says continue in that journey. Know that you have faithfully walked with God all these years to see the living testimony of your witness gives the many younger members confidence so that all God says is true. You are living testimonies to God’s faithfulness.
Remember John is writing to confront the teachings of gnos ticism. If we stop growing then we are likely to be taken up by all the philosophies that come and sometimes do not bring glory and hon our to IGod.pray that we will be found in a place of growth like the Sun day service, like Home Group Fellowships, that what we are learning we are passing on to others in service. Peter writing in his second letter says, “Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.”
Whereas we are told to love God and one another, here we are strongly warned against loving the world and the things of the world. When John warns us not to love the world nor the things of the world, he is speaking about the materialistic world in which we live in.John wants us to be so alert that we are in the world, but not of the world. The world will always have a way in which they want philosophies and other things to go. We need to be alert so that we are not responding in the ways of the world. So John says do not love or anything in the world for the Father is not in them. If anyone loves the world, love of the Father is not in them.
We know that we have come to know Him if we keep His com mands, and by Jesus Christ coming that was the place where it began. The origin of Agape love starts with God and God expressing it not just in the creation of the world and man in His own image, but even when man walked away from Him, He continues to pursue us by sending His one and only Son to come and die on the cross for us. The origin of this love is God himself. That is why in the beginning in the O.T. God’s desire was that we would love Him and love others. The quotation of Jesus Christ, for the Jews this was the most basic confession of faith. Known as the shema, they were very devoted in repeating that text Deuteronomy 6:4-5 at least twice a day, to love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your mind and strength. The operation of love - verse seven “7 Dear friends, I am not writing you a new command but an old one, which you have had since the beginning. This old command is the message you have heard. 8 Yet I am writing you a new command; its truth is seen in him and in you, because the darkness is passing and the true light is already shining.”
Pulpit Message Notes TT 164 | August 16th - 22nd | 2022
When we stop growing, then when we are in situations like we are in, without knowing you find that you have sent a message that is likely to offend the other and does not reflect that we are the children of the living God. The pitfall of the world. 1 John 2:15-17
We are in this world as the light so that we are the ones who should be setting the standard. We are in this world as the salt of the earth, to cure, to preserve and yet we need to know that as we are in this world, we are not of the world. John says “For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. 17 The world and its desires pass away, but who ever does the will of God lives forever.”
How I pray that the church of Jesus Christ across this land, that the body of Jesus Christ in Kenya today will express that love in a time that is politically charged. It is true that I may not change the entire Kenya, as an individual, but if I change the person that is next to me, and they change the person next to them, then it continues and before we know it the entire country will have been affected, but that can only happen when we obey and honour the command of God. “Love the Lord our God with all our hearts, with all our souls and with all our minds and with all our strenth and to love our neighbours as we love ourselves.
Remember it is first the love of God and then the love of those that are around me.
- Then John adds, “But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth.[e] 21 I do not write to you because you do not know the truth, but because you do know it and because no lie comes from the truth. 22 Who is the liar? It is whoever denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a person is the antichrist—denying the Father and the Son. 23 No one who denies the Son has the Father; whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also.”
- John says in such a scenario, perhaps they were not fully belonging to Jesus Christ. - That is why I am saying, the practice of a child of God / believer is to remain consistent, to remain in the Word of God no matter what happens, no matter the challenges we face in the world so that our practice will be very consistent, living the truth, living the Word of God in our lives.
The one who walks in the light, the one who is growing in their spiritual maturity, the one who walks in the light and has fellowship with God and with God’s people is not preoccupied by the love of the world. Rather they are preoccupied by the love of God. Rather they are preoccupied with the temporal things of this world. They have positioned themselves to seek first the kingdom of God and the righteousness of God and by the grace of God all these things shall be added unto us. After all as Jesus asks in Matthew 6:26, “What will it benefit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his life, or what will a man give in exchange for his life?” Where is your/my love?
John is saying that as the children of God we remain in that truth. It is okay to say, ‘Bwana asifiwe / praise the Lord’ but say it when you mean it.
Pulpit
Message Notes
Verse 28 “And now, dear children, continue in him, so that when he appears we may be confident and unashamed before him at his coming. 29 If you know that he is righteous, you know that everyone who does what is right has been born of him.”
The life of a believer is of consistency.
Verse 24 “As for you, see that what you have heard from the beginning remains in you. If it does, you also will remain in the Son and in the Father. 25 And this is what he promised us—eternal life.”
John is saying the days are evil and there is an aspect that the antichrist will come, but he is talking f many other antichrists and that looks like anyone that is opposed to the things of God. So be ware, they are all around us. It is written all over. There are some small theories, teachings, philosophies that are directly opposed to the ways of God. This happened in the context of a warning, “22 Who is the liar? It is whoever denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a person is the antichrist—denying the Father and the Son.” - Verse 19, “ They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us; but their going showed that none of them belonged to us.”
This talks about a life of consistency saying live what you be lieve. Live the truth. John brings this out in the context of a warning. “Dear chil dren, this is the last hour; and as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come.”
My prayer is that it will not just be something that we confess with our mouths, but also something seen in our lives. The longer we come to church, the longer we have friends who are Christians, we have the Christian jargon, ‘praise the Lord brother/sister’.
When put to test, are we obeying this Word of God? Are we doing what defines us? The practice of a believer. 1 John 2:18-29
John immediately categorises some of the things that when you see them you will not even need to think twice, you will see that this is something of the world. For example, the lust of the flesh i.e. the immorality of man, the cravings of flesh. That is why you find in the world today, immorality has been glorified. That is the pattern of this world.John says, beware of the pitfalls of this world. The other is the lust of the eyes - materialism. We continually gather and that is what leads to greed and to a large extent that is also what gives birth to corruption.Thenext is the boastful pride of life. When we want to show that we are somebody. This is what I have achieved. John says those are the standards of this world. It is okay to have the achievements, but if that is what is defining us, that when I walk into a place it must be noticed, John says watch out. John says, the world and its desires will pass away. But the one who lives according to the truth of the word of God, that person will Iive forever. There always have been and will be those even within the church whose loyalties are divided, whose hearts are not com pletely sold out to God. That is why when Paul writing to young Tim othy says, ‘For Demus has deserted me because he loves this present love.’
Those that are around me, since we are in a political season, may not have voted they way I voted, but the love of God. Those that are around me, we may disagree in one or two ways, but the love of God, so that even when there is a disagreement it is done in a God honouring and God fearing way.
John 3:16 (NASB) My response that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in
Romanssalvation.10:9-10(NASB)
TT 164 | August 16th - 22nd | 2022
My prayer Lord God Almighty, thank You for Your love for me. Thank You that You sent Your Son Jesus Christ to die for my sins. Please forgive me for all the sins I have committed against You. I believe that Jesus Christ is Lord and that He died on the cross and You raised Him from the dead on the third day. Please write my name in the Lamb’s book of life. Help me to live a life that is holy and pleasing unto You. In Jesus’ Name I pray and believe. Amen
“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life.
How to get saved and spend eternity with God His Love
My Life
Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the LORD deal with me, be it ever so severely, if even death sep arates you and me” (Ruth 1:16-17).
The Importance Of Loyalty
By Bill Kent, Pastor of Memorial Baptist Church, Sylvania, Georgia www.sportsspectrum.com courtesy:userlike.com
My Devotional TT 164 | August 16th - 22nd | 2022
When Naomi tried to release Ruth from her responsibilities, Ruth refused. “Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God.
Though the apostle Paul was an incredible missionary, he needed reliable helpers. Priscilla and Aquila worked along side Paul as tentmakers. More importantly, this married couple helped start churches in several places. They opened their home as a meeting place for churches and also assisted financially in keeping churches strong. Therefore, Paul was grateful to them. “Greet Priscilla and Aquila, my co-workers in Christ Jesus. They risked their lives for me. Not only I but all the churches of the Gentiles are grateful to them. Greet also the church that meets at their house” (Romans 16:3-5).
“But Ruth replied, ‘Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God.’” — Ruth 1:16
Loyalty is the glue that holds teams together when injuries mount and bench players suddenly see more playing time and go through growing pains. On other occasions, frustra tions often boil over when losses outnumber wins. During those times, it’s easy to point fingers and assign blame to someone else. If the team is united, then individuals pull together and support each other, rather than turning their backs on one another when things are not going well.
Even though Jesus’ disciples disappointed Him several times, Jesus stood by them until His last breath. When Jesus agonized on the cross, the disciples struggled with doubts and fears, but Jesus remained strong. “It was just before the Passover Festival. Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end” (John 13:1). Jesus stands by all believers forever. He will always be by our side.
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When Ruth’s husband died in the Bible, she hurt deeply but didn’t only think about herself. She reached out to her moth er-in-law, Naomi. Ruth’s dedication extended Naomi’s life.
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First, why is the dollar appreciating? The dollar is strengthening primarily because there is strong demand for dollars. The economic outlook for most economies points towards a major slowdown. Meanwhile, the war in Ukraine has created massive geopolitical risk and vola tility in markets. On top of that, historic inflation has prompted the US Federal Reserve to aggressively hike rates. These factors, among others, are prompting a flight to safety, wherein investors are exiting positions in Europe, EMs, and elsewhere and looking for safe harbor in US-denominated assets – which, obviously, require dollars to buy. This is not a new phenomenon. The invasion of the Ukraine has triggered an initial appreciation of the U.S. dollar against EM currencies that was larger than appreciations related to the 2013 taper tantrum and previous conflict-related events involving oil exporters. The market continues to expect rapid Fed rate increases. In similar situations of rapid rate increases in the past, EMs have faced crises. This was the case in the 1980s in Latin America with the “Lost Decade,” and in the 1990s “Tequila” crisis in Mexico (which then extended to Russia and East Asia). If you’re interested in the debt risks associated with stagflation, check out the latest World Bank Development Podcast. Debt Worries So, building on that, expect to see more stress in the sovereign debt space which is already troubled. Many countries – especially the poorest – cannot borrow in their own currency in the amount or the maturities they desire. Lenders are unwilling to assume the risk of being paid back in these borrowers’ volatile currencies. Instead, these countries usually borrow in dollars, promising to repay their debts in dollars – no matter the exchange rate. Thus, as the dollar becomes stronger relative to other currencies, these repayments become much more expensive in terms of domestic currency. This is what - in public debt lingo - is called the “original sin”. So, who is better off? The share of dollar-denominated debt is relatively low among East Asian countries, and Brazil has fared pretty well in recent months. The latter has benefitted from the central bank’s large dollar holdings, the fact that the private sector seems to have insulated itself well against currency fluc tuations, and that it is a net commodity exporter.
Three ways a strong dollar impacts emerging markets
Marcello Estavao | https://blogs.worldbank.org/ TT 164 | August 16th - 22nd | 2022 My Business
The US dollar is on a tear, strengthening around 11% since the start of the year and – for the first time in two decades – reaching parity with the Euro. Indeed, an overwhelming number of major currencies have depreciated against the dollar, with big implications for the developing world. Given the slew of headlines, I wanted to outline some of the key impacts that a strong dollar has on emerging markets (EMs).
The Financial Times, citing data from the Institute of International Finance, re cently reported that, “foreign investors have pulled funds out of emerging mar kets for five straight months in the longest streak of withdrawals on record.” This is crucial investment capital that is flying out of EMs towards safety.
Yes, imports are more expensive amid a strong dollar, but exports are relatively cheaper for foreign buyers. Export-led economies may be able to benefit as in creased exports boost GDP growth and foreign reserves, which helps to alleviate many of the issues detailed here.
Growth Concerns
This presents a conundrum. On one hand, a central bank obviously wants to protect foreign investment in the domestic economy. But, on the other hand, rate hikes increase the cost of domestic borrowing and have a dampening effect on growth as well.
Finally, a domestic slowdown will, in time, hit government revenues and could thus exacerbate aforementioned debt problems.
Unfortunately, countries have few options to address these problems in the short term. These issues are best dealt with pre-emptively rather than reactively.
To prevent the next crisis, countries should act now to shore up their fiscal po sition and engage in sustainable borrowing. Even in challenging times, poli cymakers can find opportunities to encourage investment and spur economic growth while reducing fiscal pressures. For its part, the international communi ty must do more to speed up debt restructuring. Doing so will go a long way to put countries back on a more sustainable fiscal path.
As the US Federal Reserve hikes interest rates, other central banks must raise their own rates to remain competitive and defend their currency. In other words, investors must be given a reason (higher returns) to invest in an EM rather than move their money into less-risky US assets.
In the short term, a strong dollar can also weigh on trade. The greenback dom inates international transactions. Firms operating in non-dollar economies use it to quote and settle trades. Just look at key commodities like oil, which are bought and sold in dollars.
Trade Troubles
In addition, many developing economies are price-takers (their policies and ac tions don’t impact global markets) and are largely dependent on global trade; a strong dollar can have major impacts on them, domestically, including spiking Asinflation.thedollar strengthens imports become expensive (in domestic currency terms), thus forcing firms to reduce their investments or spend more on crucial Theimports.long-term trade picture is rosier for some, but overall it’s an uneven picture.
Easing the Pain
It’s easy to avoid things in life that we should be dealing with. Instead of forgiving people who have done us wrong and mov ing on, we push the hurt down. Or maybe we need to apologize. Perhaps a new door opens and we know it’s a God-given oppor tunity but we’re afraid and feel unqualified.
Run to your giants
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TT 164 | August 16th - 22nd | 2022
Face those giants. Confront what you’ve been ignoring. On the other side of that giant is a new level. As with David, when God sees you make a move to start running toward what’s hindering you, to deal with what you’ve been ignoring, God will breathe on your life and it won’t be as difficult as you think. By William King Email: kingwilliam189@gmail.com image courtesy: psychologicalscience.org
David knew that if he didn’t confront this giant, face his fear, he would miss his destiny. He was uncomfortable, his emotions weren’t supporting him. He slung the rock and defeated Goliath. When you run to your giants, God will make things happen that you couldn’t make happen. When you run to what you need to confront, you’re running to your purpose. Don’t take the easy way out and spend your life running from your past mistakes, people who did you wrong. God is saying that it’s time to stop running.
My Inspiration
Instead of confronting our fear, we run from it. Some people spend their whole life running - from dealing with their temper, getting back in shape, call of God on their life. As long as you’re running away, you are going to miss the greatness God put in you. You can’t conquer what you don’t confront. Too often we’re comforting what we should be confronting.
We’re making lists of excuses, but you can’t run from everything that’s uncomfortable. You can’t ignore issues, sweep them under the rug and think they’ll go away. When you get honest with yourself, confront what you know you need to deal with, it may be uncomfortable, but God gives you the grace, strength to do what you can’t do on your own. When David saw Goliath on the battlefield, everything in his mind told him, “He’s too big. You better run.” The Scripture says, “David ran quickly to attack Goliath” (1Samuel 17:48).
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I’m married now with three children and we’re super busy. After working all day, we come home to our personal riptide of cooking, cleaning, spending time with kids, keeping kids from killing each other, getting kids ready for bed, and then (early and exhausted) “crashing” into bed our But,selves.I wouldn’t trade it for anything. I’m building something. I’m building my family and my family is building me. I don’t invest in my family because of my workplace benefits. I invest in them because they’re worth it. And, investing in my family has brought a tremendous amount of professional benefit. Stability and encouragement from home help propel me into larger endeavors. Instead of working to fill a hole created by an empty home life, I’m able to build on the founda tion of a stable home life. Here’s what I’ve found: The people I know who are successful, happy, or satisfied are people who prioritized their families. And, even though less was given to work, paradoxically, they often accomplished more. If you have a family, prioritize it. Build it. Nurture it. It will give you “whole-life” benefits. Peers and friends
Coaching is usually more structured and is almost always a paid service. Where mentoring tends to be “responsive” to the needs and questions of the “mentee,” coaching is more driven by the coach. The coach provides a more active structure that helps someone grow, navigate a chal lenge, or take advantage of an opportunity.
I’ve been fortunate to have mentors in my life since I was a teenager. But, it wasn’t until my 30’s that I learned how to intentionally pursue mentoring relationships. I’ve discovered great value in hiring Mentoringcoaches.andcoaching are similar; but let’s define terms: In most cases mentoring is an affini ty-based, fairly informal relationship where the mentor gives permission for the mentee to seek them out for input and advice. Some people pay for mentoring; however, most often, it’s organic.
2. Don’t use the word “mentor.” It can be overwhelming.
What is one area of your life, personally or professionally, you’d like to ensure growth in, in the next six months? What would it mean to experience a breakthrough or progress in that area? Who will you contact to mentor or coach you? Investing in these three relationships allows a leader to have a strong foundation in life. In fact, I find that the leaders who invest the most in these three areas are often those who expe rience the quickest, and most sustained, success in business. However, even if they don’t—they’re happy people.
3 relationships you need to invest in (if you want to flourish) I work with many successful and powerful people. At first, it’s easy to assume that, because they’ve accomplished the level of success they have, they’re happy. But, many are not. Does it really have to be lonely at the top? It’s lonely at the top for many leaders. I’ve observed this among leaders in the corporate, non-prof it, faith, and political sectors. Leaders often live people-filled, yet isolated, lives. Many “successful” leaders have sacrificed their families to get to the top. It’s common for leaders to distance themselves from meaningful, transparent, authentic friendships. Most no longer be lieve they need others to help them grow and flourish, professionally and personally. That’s a version of success I don’t want. If you agree, keep reading. Family I didn’t grow up around grandfathers. One died when I was young, the other lived far away. Once while visiting my grandparents, we had a big, Catholic family get-together. Being welcomed into this large group of people, many of whom I didn’t know well, felt like real wealth. I remember thinking that, when I’m 80, it’ll matter what I’ve accomplished in life. However, it will matter exponentially more whether I’m surrounded by people I love or whether I’m alone.
At a recent lunch with a high-profile leader in our community, we were catching up and the conversation turned personal. I asked him who he spent time with and who his friends were. He replied that he spent time with family, but didn’t have friends that he spent time with. All of his non-family relationships were characterized by his role as giver, leader, or influencer. And, while that seems noble or self-sacrificial, it isn’t. It’s a way to hide. True friends and peer relationships are a blessing; because we can be open without fear of judg ment. They support us through challenges. They can be the “iron that sharpens iron.” Leaders frequently fall victim to the illusion: “I need to have it together.” Or, “I can’t trust anyone.” “Everyone wants something from me.” And, “I can’t afford to show weakness or uncertainty.”
1. Call someone you admire. Ask them a specific question and offer to buy them lunch.
How do you build friendships? People become friends with friendly people. People offer trust to people who extend trust. People become vulnerable when others are vulnerable.
These ideas are based on the fear that others cannot be trusted to have our best interests in mind. Interestingly, the more we are vulnerable and open up to others, the more likely we’ll discover we can trust others. And this experience actually makes us more empathetic, emotionally intelligent Sure,leaders.there’s competition out there. Some grow jealous. Some are needy. And some can’t be trust ed. But we rob ourselves, do others a disservice, and no longer engage in a clear-eyed picture of the world when we believe honest friendships are no longer possible for us.
Who are people whom you respect that you might build a friendship with? What are some easy ways that you can begin to spend time together? What are some small ways that you can begin building trust? What challenges are you facing that you might be able to share? Mentors and coaches Being involved in athletics and fitness my whole life, I’ve observed there are two types of people that hire coaches or trainers: severely out-of-shape people who need the investment to motivate them to work out, and high-level competitors who work out; but want superior results. People content in the middle don’t hire trainers. And so it is with leadership mentoring and coaching.
3. If the lunch conversation goes well, ask to meet again.
Entrepreneur Every Good Gift Sells
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Gaining a mentor is actually easy to do. Follow these steps:
By Christian Muntean — President, Vantage Consulting Group |www.biblicalleadership.com | image credit: istock
It’s a Machiavellian law of power that suggests a leader needs to isolate and maintain distance in relationships. And that law comes with a high maintenance bill. It’s costly.
4. Call them again, three to six months later, with another great question and another lunch Done!invitation.Congratulations! You have a mentor. Look for a good coach who has successfully coached others facing similar situations or chal Asklenges.your friends, look online, or contact me. Interview several coaches. Many good coaches offer phone or video conference services. Be clear on what you want to achieve and what makes that important to you. Prospective coach es should ask you about this upfront. You should sense that this is important to them, as well. If not, keep looking. “Cut and paste” coaching programs are fine only if they’re coaching to a specific skill set. All other leadership coaching should be able to be tailored to you. If your prospective coach can’t adjust to your needs, you might want to look around. I get so much value out of coaching that, in any given year, I work with two to three different coaches. Each targets different areas of my life, professionally or personally. Some teach me new things. Some help me grow in areas I find to be challenging. Some encourage and some kick my butt. I’m growing in areas where I couldn’t before.
My Health
Eczema or atopic dermatitis is an inflammatory skin disease affecting about 3% of adults and 20% of children around the Pastworld.research shows certain foods, such as cow’s milk dairy, can trigger eczema symptoms. Researchers from McMaster University found eliminating po tentially problematic foods may not be enough to alleviate dis ease Atopicsymptoms.dermatitis — also known as eczema — affects up to 3% of adults and 20% of children globally. Different al lergens and irritants in the environ ment can trig ger the body’s immune sys tem, certainalsoPastevengrances,pollen,talenvironmencanTheseeczemacausingflares.triggersincludepollutants,fraandstress.researchshowsfoodscan
Eczema and food allergies
“As a result, some patients found current approaches to discuss ing dietary concerns with their care providers unhelpful, which in turn led to frequent unsupervised and potentially harmful dietary eliminations,” he added.
For example, Chu stated people may suspect any kind of food as contributing to their atopic dermatitis. One food associated in the past as a potential trigger for eczema is dairy products made from cow’s milkTrusted Source.
How eliminating certain foods can help ease eczema symptoms for some people
According to Dr. Derek Chu, an assistant professor of medicine at McMaster University and lead author of the new study, the influence of diet on atopic dermatitis is complex and the use of dietary elimination as a treatment has historically conflicting “Patientsviews. and caregivers commonly report strong suspicion and historical teaching among clinicians provided a great er emphasis on the role of food allergy as a driver of atop ic dermatitis,” he explained to Med ical News Today (MNT). “Howev er, many clinicians now cast doubt and consternation out of concern for con founding from oth er triggers or atopic dermatitis flare in dependent of ex ternal factors and avoiding harms that can occur with dieting practices.”
www.medicalnewstoday.com |
Written by Corrie Pelc on August 9, 2022 — Fact checked by Hannah Flynn | image courtesy: netmeds.com
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Their new study was recently published in The Journal of Aller gy and Clinical Immunology: In Practice.
trigger eczema symptoms, particularly in peo ple with a particular gene variant. These foods include wheat, nuts, eggs, and dairy. Now, scientists from McMaster University in Canada have add ed to the collective research regarding eczema and food triggers. They report that people with mild to moderate eczema may re duce symptoms when eliminating certain foods, including dairy However,products.
they note just making dietary changes alone may not be enough — people may still need to continue medical treat ments as well.
“Our findings are consistent with both historical patient and cli nician perspectives having valid aspects,” Chu said. “Some pa tients may experience and value a slight improvement in eczema severity, pruritus, and sleeplessness.”
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However, Chu said, no treatment or intervention is without the potential to harm rather than help. “Many fully informed patients and caregivers may not consider worthwhile a slight improvement in eczema control against the potential harms of developing an IgE-mediated (anaphylactic type) food allergy — particularly the case in infants and young children — the impact of dietary restrictions on the quality of life, nutrition and growth, and/or opportunity cost of more ef fective treatments better aligned with managing the underlying disease,” he explained. “Thus, the health benefits, harms, and practical implications of dietary elimination should be carefully weighed.”
The team also found that 41% of participants improved their atopic dermatitis symptoms strictly by continuing their stan dard treatment without changing their diet.
MNT also spoke to Dr. Angela J. Lamb, an associate professor of dermatology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York, about this study. She said these research findings will allow doctors to give pa tients some perspective while referencing a large major study.
Offering additional guidelines for clinicians
Chu said these findings will be used as part of the upcoming 2022 Atopic Dermatitis Guidelines for practitioners. “Our findings… will encourage understanding patient values and preferences in a shared-decision making model for optimal care of those individuals considering a diet, and other treat ments, for atopic dermatitis,” he explained.
For their study, Chu and his team reviewed data from about 600 people participating in 10 randomized patient trials. Research ers also consulted directly with both participants and their care givers. The study pool included both adults and children.
Additionally, Chu said the study data shows the important need for new and robust randomized controlled trials to further im prove the evidence regarding all benefits and harms of diets for atopic “Almostdermatitis.allpatients
“It confirms what we have known for some time — that elimi nation diets are not overwhelmingly helpful for treating ecze ma,” Lamb explained. “It is difficult because, for that one person who is helped with an elimination diet, it can be a major break through; but for the vast majority of patients who are suffering, elimination diets are not helpful. We hope to see studies that en able us to tell, based on someone’s genetics, whether food elimi nation might work for them.”
Through their analysis, researchers found about 50% of people with eczema improved their symptoms when both eliminating certain foods, including dairy products, eggs, and wheat, and continuing standard treatments for the condition.
“Milk is among the most commonly suspected allergens in in fants and children,” he explained. “Dairy, in general, is a common food across all ages, both of which likely contribute to patients and caregivers associating it with flares of atopic dermatitis.”
A study in 2002 found children who drank cow’s milk increased their risk of developing additional food allergies and persistent atopic However,dermatitis.otherresearch shows lower levels of vitamin D — which is found in cow’s milk products — may lead to increased atopic dermatitis symptoms. Is food elimination worth it?
going through eczema will consider a di etary strategy and they now have some hard evidence to hang their hat on,” he continued. “Our data show that going on a diet will not be game-changing for eczema; it may modestly improve it but diets also have important downsides that should be con sidered before pursuing a diet.”
My Health
1/3Ingredientscupoil (vegetable/canola/coconut, not olive oil) 6 medium-sized fresh plum/Roma tomatoes, chopped, OR a 400-gram tin of tomatoes 6 fresh, red poblano peppers (or 4 large red bell peppers), seeds discarded 3 medium-sized red onions (1 sliced thinly, 2 roughly chopped), divided 1/2 to 1 hot pep per, or to taste (yellow Scotch bonnets are my 3favourite)tablespoons tomato paste
https://food52.com/recipes/61557-classic-nigerian-jollof-rice | image
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My Kitchen
Classic Nigerian Jollof Rice
2 teaspoons (Caribbean/Jamaican-style) cur ry powder 1 teaspoon dried thyme 2 dried bay leaves 5 to 6 cups stock (vegetable, chicken, or beef) or water, divided 2 teaspoons unsalted butter (optional), di 4videdcups uncooked converted long-grain rice or golden sella basmati, rinsed Salt, to taste Black and white pepper, to taste Extra: sliced onions, tomatoes
InDirectionsablender, combine tomatoes, red pobla no (or bell) peppers, chopped onions, and Scotch bonnets with 2 cups of stock, blend till smooth, about a minute or two. You should have roughly 6 cups of blended mix. Pour into a large pot/ pan and bring to the boil then turn down and let simmer, partly covered for 10 - 12 minutes In a large pan, heat oil and add the sliced onions. Season with a pinch of salt, stir-fry for 2 to 3 minutes, then add the bay leaves, curry powder and dried thyme and a pinch of black pepper for 3 - 4 minutes on medi um heat. Then add the tomato paste - stir for another 2 minutes. Add the reduced toma to-pepper-Scotch bonnet mixture, stir, and set on medium heat for 10 to 12 minutes till reduced by half, with the lid partly on. This is the stew that will define the pot. Add 4 cups of the stock to the cooked tomato sauce and bring it to boil for 1 - 2 minutes. Add the rinsed rice and butter, stir, cover with a double piece of foil/baking or parch ment paper and put a lid on the pan—this will seal in the steam and lock in the flavor. Turn down the heat and cook on the lowest possible heat for 30 minutes, stirring half way through. Stir rice—taste and adjust as required. If rice isn’t soft enough/ needs additional cook ing, add 1/4 to 1/2 cup of stock or water, stir through and continue to steam, on low till cooked through. If you like, add sliced onions, fresh toma toes and the 2nd teaspoon of butter and stir through. Let rest, covered for 5 to 6 minutes. To make Party Rice, you’ll need one more step. Now Party Rice is essentially Smoky Jollof Rice, traditionally cooked over an open fire. However, you can achieve the same re sults on the stove top. Here’s how: Once the rice is cooked, turn up the heat with the lid on and leave to “burn” for 3 to 5 minutes. You’ll hear the rice crackle and snap and it will smell toasted. Turn off the heat and leave with the lid on to “rest” till ready to serve. The longer the lid stays on, the smokier. Let the party begin! courtesy: realfood.tesco.com
“This was a truly centring experience, one that reinforces that we all share this planet. We’re not above animals, we’re with them. More often, we’re guests in their homes. Every day the mother land is more beautiful than the last. I love Kenya.”
My Sports The Times Today is a publication of Elizabeth Omondi Consultancy. P.O. Box 833-00100 GPO Nairobi. Tel: 0722 927792. www.elizabethomondiconsultancy.com
Hamilton while carrying a goat at the MaraTwitter
The British Satr is said to have arrived in Kenya last Sunday and toured a number of areas in the country including the Maasai Mara Reserve to witness this year’s Great Wildebeest Migration. He was also in Rwanda where apart from meeting people, he got a close-up with gorillas.
Pictured alongside a young Elephant at the sanctuary, Hamil ton said his experience at the place was fulfilling, and the world should draw inspiration from the work of the community to take care of the orphaned animals.
Reteti is a Samburu community-owned elephant sanctuary in TheKenyaSanctuary takes in orphaned and abandoned elephant calves with an aim to release them back into the wild herds adjoining “ThankReteti. you to the wonderful people at the Reteti Animal Sanc tuary for not only hosting us but more importantly, dedicating their time to rescue, research and conservation,” Hamilton wrote in the Instagram post.
British Formula One superstar Lewis Hamilton revealed on Sunday he loved his short holiday in Kenya.
“They’re the first indigenous community owned and run sanc tuary in Africa and the work they do for these animals should be an inspiration to us all. They take in orphaned animals who likely wouldn’t make it on their own and release them back into the wild when they’re strong enough.”
How Formula One Hamilton enjoyed his holiday in Kenya
TT 164 | August 16th - 22nd | 2022 | https://www.standardmedia.co.ke |By
| Aug 14,
Hamilton joins a host of stars who have recently toured Kenya including PSG’s Mauricio Icardi, Samwel Etoo and Manchester City’s new signing Kevin Philips. Charles Odero 2022
The seven-time Formula One World champion took to his so cial media account on Instagram to praise Reteti Elephant Ani mal Sanctuary community which was one of the many places he visited during his tour around East Africa.
