True Meaning Of Christmas

The answer may just surprise you.

For many, Christmas is the time to think of Jesus Christ as a baby in a manger. While the birth of Christ is a special and miraculous event, it isn't the primary focus. The central truth of the Christmas story is this: the Child of Christmas is God.

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God in a Manger

Christmas is not about the Savior's infancy; it is about His deity. The humble birth of Jesus Christ was never intended to conceal the reality that God was being born into the world.

But the modern world's version of Christmas does just that. And consequently for the greater part of humanity, Christmas has no legitimate meaning at all.

I don't suppose anyone can ever fathom what it means for God to be born in a manger. How does one explain the Almighty stooping to become a tiny infant? Our minds cannot begin to understand what was involved in God's becoming man.

Nor can anyone explain how God could become a baby. Yet He did. Without forsaking His divine nature or diminishing His deity, He was born into our world as a tiny infant.

He was fully human, with all the needs and emotions that are common to us all. Yet He was also fully God--all wise and all powerful.

For nearly 2,000 years, debate has been raging about who Jesus really is. Cults and skeptics have offered various explanations. They'll say He is one of many gods, a created being, a high angel, a good teacher, a prophet, and so on. The common thread of all such theories is that they make Jesus less than God. But the biblical evidence is overwhelming that this child in the manger was the incarnation of God.

One passage in particular, written by the apostle Paul, captures the essence of Jesus' divine nature and underscores the truths that make Christmas truly wonderful.

Colossians 1:15-20 says,

He is the image of the invisible God, the first born of all creation. For. . . all things have been created by Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the first born from the dead; so that He Himself might come to have first place in everything. For it was the Father's good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross. 

A Ghostly Illusion?

Paul was writing to the Christians at Colossae. The city was under the influence of what came to be known as gnosticism. Its adherents fancied themselves the only ones who had access to the truth, which they believed was so complex that common people couldn't know it. Among other things, they taught philosophical dualism--the idea that matter is evil and spirit is good. They believed that because God is spirit, He is good, but He could never touch matter, which is evil.

Therefore they also concluded that God couldn't be the creator of the physical universe, because if God made matter, He would be responsible for evil. And they taught that God could never become a man, because as a man He would have to dwell in a body made of evil matter.

Those pre-gnostics explained away the incarnation by saying that Jesus was a good angel whose body was only an illusion. That teaching and others like it pervaded the early church; many of the New Testament epistles specifically refute pre-gnostic ideas. In fact, the apostle John attacked the foundation of gnostic teaching when he wrote "By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God; and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God" (1 John 4:2).

The apostle Paul refuted that same heresy when he wrote, "By Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities--all things have been created by Him and for Him" (1:16). He specifically affirmed that Jesus is God in the flesh--the Creator of everything.

Like Father, Like Son

Ironically, some of the cults that deny Jesus' deity try to use Colossians 1:15 20 to support their view. They suggest, for example, that the phrase "the image of the invisible God" (v. 15) hints that Jesus was merely a created being who bore the image of God in the same sense as all humanity. But the truth is though we were created in God's likeness, we only resemble Him. Jesus, on the other hand, is God's exact image.

The Greek word translated "image" means a perfect replica, a precise copy, a duplicate. Paul was saying that God Himself is fully manifest in the Person of His Son, who is none other than Jesus Christ. He is the exact image of God. Jesus Himself said, "He who has seen Me has seen the Father" (John 14:9).

Hebrews 1 parallels Colossians 1:15-20 at a number of key points. Regarding the statement that Christ is the image of God, for example, Hebrews 1:3 makes an identical affirmation: "He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature." Christ is to God as the warm brilliance of light is to the sun. He brings God from a cosmic location to the very hearts of men and women. He gives light and life. He reveals God's very essence. They cannot be divided, and neither has ever existed without the other--they are one (John 10:30).

Scripture repeatedly says that God is invisible (John 1:18; 5:37; 1 Timothy 1:17; and Colossians 1:15). But through Christ the invisible God has been made visible. God's full likeness is revealed in Him. Colossians 1:19 takes the truth a step further: "It was the Father's good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him." He is not just an outline of God; He is fully God. Colossians 2:9 is even more explicit: "In Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form." Nothing is lacking. No attribute is absent. He is God in the fullest possible sense, the perfect image.

The Rightful Heir

In Colossians 1:15 Paul says Jesus is "the first born of all creation." Those who reject the deity of Christ have made much of that phrase, assuming it means Jesus was a created being. But the word translated "first born" describes Jesus' rank, not His origin. The first-born in a Hebrew family was the heir, the ranking one, the one who had the right of inheritance. And in a royal family, he had the right to rule.

So Christ is the One who inherits all creation and the right to rule over it. It doesn't mean He was born first in order, for He wasn't.

In Psalm 89:27 God says of David, "I also shall make him My first born, the highest of the kings of the earth." There the meaning of "first born" is given in plain language: "the highest of the kings of the earth." That's what first-born means--Christ is "King of kings and Lord of lords" (Revelation 17:16).

Hebrews 1 again has a parallel statement. Verse two says God has appointed His Son "heir of all things." He is the primary One, the Son who has the right to the inheritance, the ranking Person, the Lord of all, heir of all creation.

Creator and King

The claim that "first born" means Christ is a created being completely ignores the context of Colossians 1:15. Remember, you've already seen verses 16 17 explicitly name Him as Creator of everything. Christ is not part of creation; He is the Creator, the very arm of God, active from the beginning in calling the universe and all creatures into existence. John 1:3 says, "All things came into being by Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being." That could not be true if He were Himself a created being.

Hebrews 1:2 also identifies Christ as the Creator. Christ was the Person of the Trinity through whom the world was made and for whom it was fashioned.

The size of the universe is incomprehensible.

Who made all that? Some scientists say there was this big explosion that eventually formed a primordial swamp, and ... Science cannot explain it. God created it all.

Who?

The babe in Bethlehem. He made everything.

#iAmKlassik

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SETTLING ACCOUNTS

To pay for his education, a poor boy used to sell goods from door to door. One day, the young boy found he was really hungry but had no money to buy any food. He decided to ask for something to eat when he knocked on the front door of the next house.

A beautiful young woman opened the door, and the boy lost his nerve. He simply asked for a drink of water, too embarrassed to ask for food. The young woman brought him a glass of milk, which the boy greedily drank.

The boy asked her how much he owed, but she simply smiled and said her mother had taught her to be kind to others and never expect anything in return. The young boy left the woman’s home with a full tummy and a heart full of renewed strength to push on with his education and continue working hard. Just when he was ready to quit, the woman had instilled in him newfound faith and fortitude.

Years later, in a big city, renowned surgeon Dr. Howard Kelly was called to consult on a woman who was suffering from a rare disease. When the woman told him the name of the small town where she lived, Dr. Kelly felt a faint memory arise in his mind, and then suddenly recognition dawned on him. She was the woman who had given him the glass of milk many years ago.

The doctor went on to provide the woman with the very best care and made sure she received special attention. In fact, it was his skills as a doctor that saved her life. After a long and difficult hospitalization, the woman was finally ready for discharge home. The woman was worried it would take her years to settle her account with the hospital. Her serious illness and long hospital stay had produced a substantial bill. However, when she received the bill, she found that Dr. Kelly had paid the entire bill himself and written a small note for her.

The note simply stated: Paid in full with a glass of milk.

FULL OF SELF

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 29

ESTHER 6:6b

PSALM 10:1-11

“He must increase,

but I must decrease.”

The Bible said that Haman “thought in his heart,” revealing to us what went on in his heart and mind. Haman could not imagine that there would be any other person whom the king would want to honour more than himself. After all the king chose to promote him above everyone else in the kingdom. “Who else can the king be thinking about to give tribute to now at this early hour? Who else is more important to the king? The king must surely be thinking of honouring me.”

Sometimes we can be truly full of self. We think that the world revolves around us. We imagine that others must be considering us all the time. And whatever is being discussed is to be about us and for us because “I am the most important person around” after all. We may even boldly “hint” to others what they should do for us. Have you met people who always turn the conversation to themselves? Whatever the topic, it will invariably be about how they know better, their opinions are better, and their likes and dislikes. You share about your experiences and they want to talk about theirs as well. It is as if they are thinking: “Who else could be more interesting, more important, and deserve more attention than me?”

It is unpleasant to deal with people who are full of self. Somehow, they need and expect to always be the centre of attention. Check ourselves and what goes on in our hearts. So, each time we want to cut into a conversation, we should learn to contain ourselves and not think that everyone else is and must be interested in us only.

Remember, pride was the first sin in the universe and continues to plague every human heart till today. What the world vaunts about self-esteem and ego is merely a sugar-coated picture of the first sin.

THOUGHT: Am I overbearingly full of self?

PRAYER: Lord, may I be careful about my thoughts about myself.

MOULD YOUR CHILD TO BE RESPONSIBLE

One young man went to apply for a managerial position in a big company. 

He passed the initial interview, and now would meet the director for the final interview.

The director discovered from his CV that the youth's academic achievements were excellent.

He asked, Did you obtain any scholarships in school?

The youth answered "NO".

Who paid your school fees?

"My Parents ", he replied.

"Where do they work?"

"They worked as clothes cleaners.”

The director requested the youth to show his hands. 

The youth showed a pair of hands that were smooth and perfect.

"Have you ever helped your parents to wash the clothes?"

"Never, my parents always wanted me to study and read more books. Besides, my parents can wash clothes faster than me.

The director said, "I have a request. "When you go home today, go and clean your parents hands, and then see me tomorrow morning."

The youth felt dejected. 

When he got back home, he asked his parents to let him clean their hands. 

His parents felt strange, and happy. With mixed feelings, 

they showed their hands to their son.

The youth cleaned their hands slowly. His shed tears  as he did that. It was the first time he noticed that his parents hands were much wrinkled, and there were so many bruises on their hands.

Some bruises were so painful that they winced when he touched them. 

This was the first time the youth realized that it was these pairs of hands that washed the clothes everyday to enable him to pay the school fees. 

The bruises in the hands were the price that the parents had to pay for his education, his school activities and his future.

After cleaning his parents hands, the youth quietly washed all the remaining clothes for  them. 

That night, parents and son talked for a very long time.

Next morning, the youth went to the director's office.

The Director noticed the tears in the youth's eyes, when he asked: 

"Can you tell me what you did and learned yesterday in your house?"

The youth answered, I cleaned my parents hand, and also washed all the remaining clothes'! "I now know what appreciation is. 

Without my parents, I would not be who I am today".

By helping my parents yesterday, I realized how difficult and tough it would have been for me to get through school on my own. I have come to appreciate the importance and value of helping one’s family.

The director said, "This is what I am looking for in a manager. 

I want to recruit a person who can appreciate the help of others, a person who knows the sufferings of others to get things done, and a person who would not put money as his only goal in life.”

“You are hired.”

A child, who has been protected and habitually given whatever he wanted, would develop an "entitlement mentality" and would always put himself first. He would be ignorant of his parent's efforts. 

If we are this kind of protective parents, are we really showing love or are we destroying our children instead?

You can let your child live in a big house, eat a good meal,  watch on a big screen TV. But when you are cutting grass, please let them partake in it. 

After a meal, let them wash their plates and bowls together with their brothers and sisters. 

It is not  because you do not have money to hire a maid, but it is because you want to love them in the right way.

Let them understand, that no matter how rich their parents are, one day their hair will grow grey, same as the parents of that young man. 

The most important thing is for your child to learn how to appreciate the efforts of others, and experience the difficulties of hard labor, and learn the ability to work with others to get things done.

Pls forward this story to as many as possible. This may change somebody's life/attitude. I was touched by this and hope every one I forward this to will also be moved.as read this and get your children also to read it. 

One young man went to apply for a managerial position in a big company. 

He passed the initial interview, and now would meet the director for the final interview.

The director discovered from his CV that the youth's academic achievements were excellent.

He asked, Did you obtain any scholarships in school?

The youth answered "NO".

Who paid your school fees?

"My Parents ", he replied.

"Where do they work?"

"They worked as clothes cleaners.”

The director requested the youth to show his hands. 

The youth showed a pair of hands that were smooth and perfect.

"Have you ever helped your parents to wash the clothes?"

"Never, my parents always wanted me to study and read more books. Besides, my parents can wash clothes faster than me.

The director said, "I have a request. "When you go home today, go and clean your parents hands, and then see me tomorrow morning."

The youth felt dejected. 

When he got back home, he asked his parents to let him clean their hands. 

His parents felt strange, and happy. With mixed feelings, 

they showed their hands to their son.

The youth cleaned their hands slowly. His shed tears  as he did that. It was the first time he noticed that his parents hands were much wrinkled, and there were so many bruises on their hands.

Some bruises were so painful that they winced when he touched them. 

This was the first time the youth realized that it was these pairs of hands that washed the clothes everyday to enable him to pay the school fees. 

The bruises in the hands were the price that the parents had to pay for his education, his school activities and his future.

After cleaning his parents hands, the youth quietly washed all the remaining clothes for  them. 

That night, parents and son talked for a very long time.

Next morning, the youth went to the director's office.

The Director noticed the tears in the youth's eyes, when he asked: 

"Can you tell me what you did and learned yesterday in your house?"

The youth answered, I cleaned my parents hand, and also washed all the remaining clothes'! "I now know what appreciation is. 

Without my parents, I would not be who I am today".

By helping my parents yesterday, I realized how difficult and tough it would have been for me to get through school on my own. I have come to appreciate the importance and value of helping one’s family.

The director said, "This is what I am looking for in a manager. 

I want to recruit a person who can appreciate the help of others, a person who knows the sufferings of others to get things done, and a person who would not put money as his only goal in life.”

“You are hired.”

A child, who has been protected and habitually given whatever he wanted, would develop an "entitlement mentality" and would always put himself first. He would be ignorant of his parent's efforts. 

If we are this kind of protective parents, are we really showing love or are we destroying our children instead?

You can let your child live in a big house, eat a good meal,  watch on a big screen TV. But when you are cutting grass, please let them partake in it. 

After a meal, let them wash their plates and bowls together with their brothers and sisters. 

It is not  because you do not have money to hire a maid, but it is because you want to love them in the right way.

Let them understand, that no matter how rich their parents are, one day their hair will grow grey, same as the parents of that young man. 

The most important thing is for your child to learn how to appreciate the efforts of others, and experience the difficulties of hard labor, and learn the ability to work with others to get things done.

Pls forward this story to as many as possible. This may change somebody's life/attitude. I was touched by this and hope every one I forward this to will also be moved.

#iAmKlassik

#KalpopMusic

15 Klassik Things You Can Do Daily To Become Highly Successful

Have you ever wondered what the secret to success is? For most people, it’s not one specific thing. Rather, it’s the result of many daily habits that are repeated over and over. Here are 15 small things you can do every day to ensure that you’re being intentional with your time and spending it on your priorities. Incorporate these tips into your daily routine and watch your success soar!

1. Define your priorities.

What are your main three priorities in your life? What three things do you do with the majority of your time? Do your priorities match up with where you’re spending your time? If so, awesome. If not, you’ll need to work extra hard to be intentional about spending more time on your priorities, and getting rid of the junk that prevents you from doing what’s important to you. Really think about how you want to spend your life – you will likely only feel successful if you spend your time on what matters most to you.

2. Set a schedule for the following day.

Time is our most precious resource, and it’s irreplaceable. If you really want to be successful, you’ll need to plan how you’re spending your time.

One way to do this is to take time each evening to write out a schedule for the next day. Writing out your schedule helps for three main reasons: It helps you maximize every hour you are awake; it helps you set aside time to focus on your priorities every day; and it helps you discover if you waste a lot of time. I recently read that the average American spends 5 hours a day watching TV. Setting a schedule will help you avoid the trap of time-suckers like TV.

3. Eat the frog.

“Eat a live frog first thing every morning, and nothing worse will happen to you the rest of the day.” – Mark Twain

If you’re like most people, there is a task every day you procrastinate because it scares or overwhelms you. This task is your frog, and according to Mark Twain, you should eat it right away in the morning.The problem with procrastinating eating your frog is that it’s hard to concentrate on getting other things done; you’re too busy thinking about the frog you need to eat later. Also, putting it off makes it seem even more overwhelming because you have time to imagine every possible thing that could go wrong with the task.

Eating the frog early in the day gives you a sense of accomplishment, and it’s great to start the day feeling successful. Finishing your dreaded task immediately can give you the momentum you need to get other tasks done throughout your day. Plus, they’ll all seem easy compared to the frog you started with.

4. Be honest with the person in the mirror.

Now that we’ve talked about eating the frog, I want to encourage you to be honest with yourself. Just because there’s a frog to eat at the beginning of your day doesn’t mean it’s a good idea to get up way earlier than you normally do to start eating it.

Some people do their best work before sunrise, and others are incredibly productive late in the evening. If you love starting your day at 5 a.m., wonderful – go ahead and eat your frog in the early hours of the morning. If you prefer to sleep in, that’s fine too – go ahead and eat your frog early in YOUR day.

Successful people are honest with themselves. They know that setting a goal of working out every morning at 4:30 a.m. isn’t the best idea if they’ve never been a morning person. They set their goals based on their most productive times.

5. Give yourself deadlines.

Take advantage of a major productivity hack: Parkinson’s Law. Parkinson’s Law states that work will expand to fill the time available for its completion. If you have less time to complete a task, you’ll likely increase your effort. Think about how clean you can make your house when someone calls and says they’ll stop by in 20 minutes, and how intensely you can focus when you have a an assignment due the next morning. Your effort significantly increases when time is limited.

Giving yourself deadlines to accomplish tasks can help you achieve your goals. As you set your daily schedule, it can help to use Parkinson’s Law to your advantage. One way to do this is by using time blocks. Give yourself 55 minutes to accomplish a goal, and then take a planned 5 minute break. Knowing you have limited time will help maximize your productivity during the 55 minute work session. Also, the mini mental breaks from your hard work every hour can re-energize you.

6. Minimize distractions.

Get rid of as many distractions as possible while you work. If the internet distracts you, set your computer so it’s locked from certain sites during set times of the day. Shut off your phone. Your messages will be there when you’re done with your to-do list.

7. Pause.

Plan time every day to take care of yourself. Set aside time in your schedule for you to give yourself the gift of exercise, quiet time, or ideally both.

8. Plan backward.

One way to move forward toward your big goals is to plan backward when setting goals.

For example, say you want to lose 26 pounds. After you set an initial long-term goal of losing 26 pounds by one year from now, start planning backward and breaking the goal down into doable chunks. If you want to lose 26 pounds in one year, you’ll need to lose 0.5 pounds (1750 calories) each week. This is 250 calories per day. Many people have 3 meals and 2 snacks per day, which means you can decrease your intake by 50 calories every time you eat. That’s a totally doable goal! You’ve now taken a large, overwhelming aspiration and you broke it into very small, achievable daily goals.

Planning backward to move forward works for all kinds of big goals. I have a financial goal I want to meet this year, and I know exactly how many dollars and cents I need to earn each day to hit my mark.

9. Write it down.

Research shows that just by writing your goals down, your chance of achieving them increases significantly! Write down your goals, post them somewhere easily visible, refer to them frequently, and you have a much higher chance of success.

10. Find an accountability partner.

Accountability partners are great; they encourage and support us as we work toward achieving our goals. Maybe you’ve always wanted to write a book, exercise regularly, or start a home-based business. Tell someone who will help keep you accountable and check in with you weekly to review your progress. It works great to have an accountability partner who has some similar goals.

11. Compare yourself to others only to fuel your determination.

You really want to feel good about your life? Quit comparing yourself to everyone else if it makes you feel bad. Being envious of others can quickly decrease your happiness and make you feel unsuccessful.

That being said, comparing can be helpful if you’re doing it out of admiration instead of jealousy. If your friend is constantly getting promoted at work, study his habits at the office. Does he always arrive early and stay late, and offer to take on extra projects? Emulating his work ethic may help you get the raise you desire. Is your coworker the picture of perfect health? Comparing your habits to hers may make you realize she takes a walk every day over the lunch hour while you munch on snacks at your desk. Join her for a walk if you aspire to improve your fitness.

‘When we compare in a healthy way (they have that, I’d like it, how can I learn from them to get it?), it can fuel our determination to become more successful.

12. Seek out a mentor.

If there’s a specific area in your life you are passionate about, choose a successful mentor to help you grow in that area. You may find that you have different mentors for different areas in your life – I know I do. Consider hiring a coach; the right coach can make a world of difference in your life by giving you the inspiration and tools needed to reach high levels of success.

13. Delegate.

“If you want to do a few small things right, do them yourself. If you want to do great things and make a big impact, learn to delegate.” – John C. Maxwell

As difficult as it can be, it’s important to give up some control and delegate certain tasks. After all, there are only 24 hours in the day, and if you really want to focus on your priorities and become wildly successful, you’ll need to trust others to take care of the things that are less important to you.

A few years ago, I wrote out my weekly tasks, and realized there were 56 tasks that I completed each week. No wonder I felt overwhelmed at times! I began evaluating the importance of each of those tasks and decided to delegate the tasks that weren’t imperative for me to perform, yet still needed to get done. Now I have more time to focus on my priorities. When we delegate some tasks to others, we are able to focus on what’s important to us – a key to becoming successful.

14. Choose your company wisely.

Aside from having one specific accountability partner, choose your entire tribe with care.

According to businessman Jim Rohn, “You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.”

Are you hanging out with people who are encouraging, positive, and supportive? Or, do you spend most of your time with people who are toxic? Choose to spend your time with people who inspire you to be your best.

15. Read.

Want to be highly successful? Read. Read frequently. Reading invigorates us and opens our minds. Read material that inspires you and lights your fire. Delve into self-development. Absorb as much information as you possibly can. There’s always more to learn.

Do these things every day and you will quickly be on the path to wild success!
#iAmKlassik
#KalpopMusic

KEEP THE FAITH

Don’t wait for things to get better before you start talking like they’re better. Faith is believing it before you see it. 👁👁

Whenever you see a successful person, I guarantee he or she took risks and made courageous decisions. 👔

Success favours the bold.  The world is a book where those who do not take risks read only one page. 📓

It doesn't matter that people don't notice the good that you do. What matters is that God notice it. 👤

Those who walk with God reach their destination. 🏃🏻

Good Morning. 🙏🏼✍

#iAmKlassik 

#KalpopMusic

#JujuRemix

EVERY HUMAN MATTERS

Jesus (to whom I swear my allegiance) said, the poor will always be among you. Poverty is relative. You might be the richest person in your region, and yet poor compared to others. We are all beggars at some point.  You are either begging someone, the government or God.  The rich too beg shamelessly, trust me. 

Why begging? You may ask. 

Today, I want to highlight the plight of the 'lowest' in our society's success chain. The beggars in our streets. These people choose requesting you for something small over stealing. I haven't met any of them who uses force. Maybe a little persistence which is a key to success. 

Now, why all these? I have witnessed or overheard some folks (who are obviously believers) gramble that these constituent of beggars make alot of money, or most of them ain't genuine and so on, and so forth. Their argument is, they should not be assisted. They are something worse than con-persons. Really? How true this is, I do not know. All I know is, if they were millionaires, they wouldn't be embarrassing themselves on the streets. They would probably have invested their monies and so enjoying life in a beach somewhere. I know someone is like, "... but what about the fake cripples? " Hehehe. Yes, that in itself is not right. However, if they came to you asking for something to eat or anything, standing on their two legs, would you help them? Would you not tell them to go husstle? And how many of you have papers and yet have no jobs?  Why can't you apply what you learnt in school and create employment instead of complaining about lack of jobs? Mhh.

Is it any different? 

Are, we not living in the same world? 

Is poverty not humiliation enough? 

Hypocrisy will kill us. 

Do we know that for you to be employed even as a cleaner or a househelp you need an ID card that those street folks don't have?  Mhhhhh. The truth is, they die poor and without identity. 'Wanaishi kwa kudra za Mwenyezi Mungu.' No one cares for them. Not even the government of the people by the people. Maybe we don't consider them as human beings. 

In Kenya we say,  'Kutoa ni moyo,  utajiri ni usambe." Help without expecting anything in return. Look at those street children as our brothers and sisters who deserve love and affection. If you don't have something to offer, shut up and walk away. 

#iAmKlassik
#EveryHumanMatters

A PRAYER FOR SOUTH SUDAN

Oh God in heaven, I come before You in the Name of Jesus on behalf of the leaders of South Sudan. First of all in accordance with 1Timothy 2:1-2, I intercede and give thanks for kings and all in authority and expect to live a quiet and peaceable life. I pray for the Word of God to be given free course and Your people to be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men (2 Thessalonians 3:1-2). The heart of the king is in Your hand and You will turn it whichever way You choose (Proverbs 21:1). I ask You to direct the heart and mind of President Salva Kiir Mayardit and Dr. Riek Machar to make decisions that will lead the country in Your ways and according to Your Word.

I thank You, Lord, for bringing change to the politics of South Sudan. Thank You for changing the voices of influence to speak in agreement with Your Word. I ask You to send laborers filled with the spirit of wisdom and might, to surround the leaders of South Sudan with godly counsel and insight. I also ask You to remove from positions of authority those who stubbornly oppose righteousness, and replace them with men and women who will follow You and Your appointed course for our beloved South Sudan.

As we enter the final hours of the last days, I ask for the spirit of faith, the workings of miracles, for signs, wonders, gifts and demonstrations of the Holy Spirit and power to be in strong operation. Let believers in South Sudan and in every land be unified to stand strong by faith in Jesus, the Anointed One and His Anointing, that Your glory may be revealed in all the earth.

Thank You, Lord, that these requests come to pass. I believe I receive. Amen.

#iAmKlassik

#Kenya4SouthSudan

16 Things That Can Earn You A Slap From Your Parents

1. Losing all home training and talking back at your parents.

2. Chooking mouth in matters that don’t concern you.

3. Frowning when your parents beat you.

4. Making the mistake of coming home 1 minute after 6pm.

5. Sharing good news with your village people.

6. Showing your Dad you have a very big mouth.

7. Forming I too know for your Mum in front of her visitors.

8. Doing longthroat and eating the biggest piece of meat in the pot.

9. Forgetting to remove the meat from the freezer.

10. Calling older people by their names.

11. Not rolling on the floor to greet the visitors in your house.

12. Telling your parents you want to follow your dreams.

13. Blocking your mum’s slaps when she’s beating you.

14. Having the liver to watch TV after you’ve failing your exams.

15. Doing oversabi and using your mum’s special plates to eat.

16. Giving your parents anything with your left hand.

GIRL AND THE RATTLESNAKE

A young girl walking along a mountain path to her grandmother's house heard a rustle at her feet. Looking down, she saw a snake, but before she could react, the snake spoke to her.

"I am about to die," he said. "It's too cold for me up here, and I am freezing. There is no food in these mountains, and I am starving. Please put me under your coat and take me with you."

"No," the girl replied. "I know your kind. You are a rattlesnake. And if I pick you up, you will bite me and your bite is poisonous."

"No, no," the snake said. "If you help me, you will be my best friend. I will treat YOU differently."

The young girl sat down on a rock for a moment to rest and think things over. She looked at the beautiful markings on the snake and she had to admit he was the most beautiful snake she had ever seen.

Suddenly, she said, "I believe you. I will save you. All living things deserve to be treated with kindness."

She then reached over, put the snake gently under her coat and continued toward her grandmother's house.

Within a moment, she felt a sharp pain in her side. The snake had bitten her!

"How could you do this to me?" she cried. "You promised that you would not bite me, and I trusted you!"

"You knew what I was when you picked me up," he hissed as he slithered away

MORAL LESSONS:

A snake bites you because s/he is a "snake" by nature — and a beautiful liar to charm and manipulate you — until 1) you either open your eyes and ears, wise up and leave, or 2) s/he moves on to the next victim.

The snake doesn't have a conscience or morals like decent, God-fearing people, and any moment of regret s/he may feel, if any, will be quickly forgotten — that's how these kinds of predators operate, it's in their DNA.

You cannot change them.

For any queries, comments and feedback,  write to me using the hashtag #Talk2Santo:

Email: askdonsanto@gmail.com

Twitter: @DonSantoTBG

Facebook: DonSantoKe

#iAmKlassik

Feel free to go to the "Download" section to listen to and or buy my music. 

#iAmKlassik

Social Media Marketing Statistics for today's world

1. Online adults aged 18-34 are most likely follow a brand via social networking (95%). (Source: MarketingSherpa) Think about your audience and see where they are most likely to follow your brand.

2. 71% of consumers who have had a good social media service experience with a brand are likely to recommend it to others. (Source: Ambassador) Use social media as an effective customer service tool to increase brand engagement and win new customers.

3. There are 1.65 billion active mobile social accounts globally with 1 million new active mobile social users added every day. (Source: We Are Social) Make sure to optimize your mobile social media campaigns and since mobile ads are relatively cheap and easy to produce, test multiple versions to see what works the best.

4. 96% of the people that discuss brands online do not follow those brands’ owned profiles. (Source: Brandwatch) Companies need to go beyond their own channels and monitor those unbranded conversations in order to gain valuable insights and manage brand health.

5. Visual content is more than 40 times more likely to get shared on social media than other types of content. (Source: HubSpot) Flying Point Digital has a great post on how to create an innovative content strategy on social media.

6. In 2015 Facebook influenced 52 per cent of consumers’ online and offline purchases, up from 36 per cent in 2014. (Source: The Drum) This shows the importance for retailers to manage their social media channels which will have a direct impact on purchase behaviour.

7. There are 40 million active small business pages in Facebook but only 2 million of those businesses pay for advertising. (Source: Brandwatch) Therefore, small-sized companies should consider paying for Facebook ads in order to gain visibility and surpass competitors relatively easily.

8. There were over 4.4 million videos uploaded directly to Facebook in February 2016, generating over 199 billion views. (Source: ReelSEO) Video marketing is a powerful tool that personalizes your brand and increases conversions.

9. Only 20% of Facebook posts generate an emotional response while no ads did. (Source: AdEspresso) Instead of using Facebook as an emotional medium, delivering dynamic and tailored messaging to people in specific stages of at key times can yield much better results.

10. The best time to post on Facebook is 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday. Other optimal times include 12:00–1:00 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays and 1:00–4:00 p.m. on Thursdays and Fridays.  (Source: HubSpot) Try using tools like Buffer or Timely to auto schedule your posts.

11. Link clicks account for 92% of all user interaction with tweets. (Source: HubSpot) Link clicks are the your easiest and strongest chance of gaining views and shares for your content.

12. 78% of people who complain to a brand via Twitter expect a response within an hour. (Source: Lithium)  Customers are turning to social media outlets to unleash their frustration or questions. Make sure you are actively engaged on your social networks.

13. There is a total of 1.3 billion accounts, but only 320 million are active. (Source: Business Insider) According to Content Marketing Institute predictions for 2016, as Twitter’s sign-up growth has slowed down, it will boost its stock price by making ads more prominent, so be ready to start paying for visibility.

Twitter has fallen behind Reddit in the Top 10 Social Networking Sites by Market Share of Visits. This has also left a mark on Twitter’s stock price that has been moving steadily downwards during the last year or so.

14. Latest study by Locowise found that adding hashtags had no effect on engagement rates. In fact, tweets without hashtags outperformed tweets with hashtags. (Source: Adweek) Therefore, it is better to focus on the quality of your original content instead of overly relying on hashtags for increasing engagement.

15. Top brands on Instagram are seeing a per-follower engagement rate of 4.21% which is 58 times higher than on Facebook and 120 times higher than on Twitter (Source: Hootsuite) Instagram has become a powerful platform for marketers and its potential cannot be overlooked any longer.

16. Media brands are the most active whereas business services, financial services, and fast moving consumer goods have the lowest percentage of brands represented on Instagram. (Source: Simply Measured) Also, the increase in business activity on Instagram the brand posting frequency is becoming more normalized and standardised to highlight the increase in a more measurable approach.

17. 90% of Instagram users are younger than 35 (Source: ScienceDaily) Instagram has become the social media network for targeting millennials.

18. Products were the top content types for the top 200 global brands in terms of engagement, at 60% in 2015 beating lifestyle category by over 20%. (Source: Hootsuite) This is great news for marketers since people who follow brands on Instagram are aware and accept the fact that they’re going to be exposed to products.

19. Posts tagged with another user (56%) or location (79%) have significantly higher engagement rates (Source: Simply Measured) So don’t forget to add ‘with whom’ and ‘where’ to your Instagram posts.

20. In 2015 YouTube posted the figure of 40 billion all-time views for branded content. (Source: ReelSEO) That means video marketing has gone from nice-to-have to must-have, one that will set the pace for the foreseeable future.

21. More than half of YouTube views come from mobile devices and the average mobile viewing session lasts more than 40 minutes. (Source: YouTube) As mobile captures consumers’ full attention, at home or on the go, brands now have the opportunity to reach people anywhere.

For any queries, comments and feedback,  write to me using the hashtag #Talk2Santo:

Email: askdonsanto@gmail.com

Twitter: @DonSantoTBG

Facebook: DonSantoKe

#iAmKlassik

Feel free to go to the "Download" section to listen to and or buy my music. 

#iAmKlassik

11 TRAITS A KLASSIK MAN WANTS IN A WIFE

What attracts a man to his future wife? This is a paradox every woman would want to uncover and a riddle some me would love they possed.  Being an award winning artist, producer and an entrepreneur,  you would understand the number and women am expsed to. Life is cool and yet you need someone to complete your life. You hustle had to líve good be happy. This is what every human being, man or woman,  hopes for. The only difference is, whereas a single woman husttles to ensure she looks good, a single man hustles for a family he hopes for. No wonder i always say,  a man's role is to provide, protect and pray. That is the reason God made them men. He must make sure all is well with his inner and extended family. Now which kind of woman woukd he look for? Mhhhhh,  lets find out.  

11. Understanding

Men struggle with visual temptation. This means the vast majority of men respond to visual images when it comes to women. And, this doesn't just mean the guys with wandering eyes. Even the most godly husband cannot avoid noticing a woman who dresses in a way that draws attention to her body. Even if it is just a glance, these visual images are stored away in the male brain as a sort of "visual rolodex"; that will reappear without any warning. Men can choose whether to dwell on these images and memories or dismiss them, but they can't control when these images appear. How much can you take as woman.  That is the streghth of your character. 

True, many men appear to be unromantic clods, but it doesn't mean that they want to be that way! Men want to be romantic, but they just doubt their ability to pull it off. They are plagued by internal hesitations, perceiving the risk of humiliation and failure as too high. Wives can do a great deal to increase their husbands' confidence in their romantic skills through encouragement and redefining what romance looks like. For example, a wife may balk when her husband asks her to go along to the hardware store, but it's likely that he's asking because he sees it as a time they can get away as a couple and hang out together. What's not romantic about that?

10: Ambition and Industriousness

Despite the pervasive stereotype that men are intimidated by ambitious women, men rank this trait ahead of others like refinement, being a good cook and having similar religious backgrounds. While it’s not high on our list it is clear that men find a woman’s drive, determination and energy attractive qualities in a life partner. You don't want to be a woman who always complain about fare when he has bigger stuff to sought out. He wants to see a woman who puts effort because she is his next of kin. 

9: Desire for Home and Children

A woman’s desire for home and children has become less attractive to men over time. As women have increasingly achieved similar levels of education and career status, men may have begun to perceive them as more equal partners. How to divide the labour of home and work isn’t as obvious as it was to their grandparents’ generation.

8: Good Looks

Women’s looks have become increasingly important to men over the years. Looks aren't on the list of what women want in a husband, but it has become more important to them over time. Perhaps because modern marriages are more likely based on love and attraction rather than practicalities (like wealth or status), physical attractiveness is more desirable. 

7: Good Health

Men look for good health in a potential wife, but it is slightly less important to them today than it was in the past. In the 1930s and again in the 1970s, they ranked a woman’s health at No. 5. They are smart to rank it fairly high on their marriage-material list. Both sexes are living well into their 70s, and often older, making good health a predictor of a long-lasting marriage. 

No. 6: Sociability

Both men and women rank sociability at No. 6 on their lists of mate preferences. And for both sexes, it has been steadily moving up the list from around No. 12 in 1939. Because today’s married couples are more likely to be friends and have mutual circles of friends, it makes sense that this has become a more attractive characteristic.

5: Pleasing Disposition

Men place a potential wife’s pleasing disposition at No. 5 and have included it in their top-five traits since the 1930s. On the other hand, women in recent years are less likely to prioritize a man’s pleasing disposition. We are just men. 

No. 4: Education and Intelligence

A woman’s education and intelligence are more attractive to men than ever before. This characteristic has been steadily climbing the ranks of men’ desires for decades. Now that women are receiving 60% of college degrees and are half of the workforce, men are looking for women who are both intelligent and educated–or in other words, more accomplished and interesting than ever.

3: Emotional Stability and Maturity

Both men and women consistently cite emotional stability and maturity as one of the most attractive traits in a potential spouse. While men often fall victim to the stereotype of prioritizing physical attraction, when it comes to a potential wife, we want a woman who is grounded and secure in herself. 

2: Dependable Character

Throughout the 20th century a woman’s dependable character has been a top priority for men. Like women, men want a life partner who will be trustworthy, faithful and reliable. They want a wife who will stand by their side and, considering divorce rates, it’s no surprise that dependability would continue to be attractive.

1.  Love, Trust and Respect

Above all those traits a woman has to love, trust and respect his man and vice versa.  If this is nurtured, moulded and consumed,  the results would be amazing. I will be writing more on this  trait. 

Unfortunately if this is not portrayed in the cause of your marriage is when you will start experiencing mother in-law interference even including being her son's next of kin. Hahaha. 

For any queries, comments and feedback,  write to me using the hashtag #Talk2Santo:

Email: askdonsanto@gmail.com

Twitter: @DonSantoTBG

Facebook: DonSantoKe

#iAmKlassik

Feel free to go to the "Download" section to listen to and or buy my music.