Thrive daily

  How an Annoying Roommate Taught Me Patience and Kindness Life is full of unexpected lessons, and some of the most profound come during moments of struggle. After my surgery, I found myself learning a powerful lesson about patience, kindness, and compassion, all thanks to an unlikely teacher: my hospital roommate. The Challenge of Recovery After undergoing surgery, I was transferred to the gastroenterology ward to recover. The pain was sharp and unrelenting, making it hard to rest. My body was weak, and my spirit was low. As I lay in my hospital bed, I tried to focus on healing, but my mind often wandered. I wasn’t alone in the room. I had two other roommates with me. We had all had surgery but the other might have had it a couple of days before me as it seemed they were recovering much faster. She was lively and cheerful—qualities I would have admired if they hadn’t made her so noisy. She talked loudly, moved around without much care for quiet, and spent what felt like an ete...

  A powerful story of a mother's resilience, faith, and victory over injustice in her child's education journey. Inspired by the biblical story of Rizpah. There’s a woman in the Bible named Rizpah. When her sons were wrongfully executed, she did something extraordinary: she sat beside their exposed bodies, keeping away vultures by day and wild animals by night, until they were buried with dignity. Her story is often overlooked, but it’s a testimony of deep love and relentless resilience. I know that story because I’ve lived my own version of it. When the Classroom Became a Battlefield My son Bryan began school bright-eyed and full of promise. But soon, trouble started. His teacher accused him and his English-speaking friends of forming a “gang.” I thought it was just a misunderstanding, but it only got worse. The warm environment I hoped for became cold. Bryan started getting sick often. He became withdrawn and quiet. One day, the school nurse said something that shook me: “Som...

 From Trials to Triumph: My Journey of Faith, Gratitude, and Victory As I finished my makeup, the uplifting lyrics of a victory song still echoed on my lips. I paused for a moment, taking in my reflection. The smile radiating from my face wasn’t just for show, it was a genuine testament to God’s unwavering faithfulness. Today was no ordinary day; it was a milestone of glorious triumph over life’s toughest trials. With a joyful twirl, I sang aloud, This is a victory song! Jesus glorified, Jehovah has done it again too! Today, I wasn’t just celebrating graduation but rejoicing in the fulfillment of God’s promises and a story of beauty rising from ashes. When I began my studies in 2021, I was full of hope and excitement. Like many embarking on new journeys, I had big dreams and high expectations. Little did I know the path would lead me through valleys of tears and trials. Early on, my family faced a storm, my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer. Simultaneously, I left my job an...

It was a chilly autumn morning as I walked through the park, the crisp air filling my lungs. I had been feeling overwhelmed lately, burdened by thoughts of my responsibilities, goals, and the uncertainty of what the future might hold. Despite my faith, the weight of life’s demands sometimes clouded my heart with doubt. I  found a quiet bench near a lake with ducks swimming in it. I scrolled through my bible on the phone. My fingers instinctively opened to Matthew 6:25-26, words I had read countless times but now seemed to leap off the page: "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?" I looked down at the flock of ducklings swimming and pecking at crumbs scattered by passersby. Their...

Lessons from the Slow Lane: Trusting God's Timing Have you ever been stuck behind that one driver who seems determined to stick to the speed limit when you’re in a hurry? Last week, I experienced this firsthand. On my way to work, every minute felt like an hour as I trailed behind a slow-moving car. Frustration mounted as time slipped through my fingers, and I couldn’t help but wonder, “Why can’t this driver just hurry up?” As I sat there, inching along at a snail’s pace, a thought struck me: isn’t this how life feels sometimes? We encounter seasons where progress seems stalled, where everything around us feels stuck. In these moments, it’s tempting to cry out, “Why, Lord? Why now? What am I supposed to learn from this? Finding Purpose in the Waiting That moment behind the wheel became a revelation. I realized that even in life’s waiting periods, there is something to look forward to. Just as the car ahead wasn’t a hindrance but a lesson in patience, life’s delays teach us to trust...

The Bible says, “By His stripes, we are healed.”  As I sat in the genetic doctor’s office, these words echoed in my heart. Her voice was calm but carried the weight of the news she had to share: I have the BRCA2 mutated gene. As she spoke, I felt the words hit me like a storm, and tears streamed down my face. The doctor explained the implications and strongly advised me to undergo a hysterectomy. Fear and uncertainty gripped me. I didn’t know what to do or where to turn. My heart was burdened beyond words, and I asked, “Does Jesus care when my heart is pained too deeply for mirth and song?” But then, like a gentle whisper, the answer came: “Oh yes, He cares.” I took a leap of faith and underwent the surgery last year. It was not an easy journey, but God saw me through it. His hand was steady and present, even in the darkest moments. This year brought new challenges—a diagnosis of gallstones. These tiny stones caused so much pain and discomfort, affecting my daily life. Yet, ...