A Year In Review: Book Reading List 2023

We finally crossed the year 2023 over to 2024. Last year was an intense year for me on many fronts and I am glad to have survived it. As I have done each year, I have continued my regular weekly Bible studies with the Living Word Association (LWA) which is an inter-denominational association which strive at understanding the Bible and practice its precepts. This year marked an important shift in our bible study protocol. A new study method was introduced that has enriched everybody's learning curve. The method is coined, C.O.C.A. This acronym stands for Context, Observation, Comprehension, Application. Yes, it is easy to remember and even easier to apply. This method was introduced into our local scenery by Father Raphael Manikiza, the Dominican Vicar Provincial of the Provincial Vicariate of Rwanda and Burundi. 

This method, COCA, was initially introduced in our monthly Bible Study at the Dominican Chapel where I have been honoured to work alongside with Father Raphael and the lay theologian Tigana Birasa as we offered our reflection on the Gospel of Matthew for the Liturgical Year-A to the Community. For 2024, we will continue our study and focus on the Gospel of Mark.

Half a dozen year ago, I went into a quest to better understand my Christian faith as a Catholic and I have come enriched and better for it. After completing the reading of the Bible and the Catechism of the Catholic Church, I turned to the official teaching documents of Vatican II. I have made a slow inroad this last year, after reading the 4 Dogmatic constitutions (Lumen Gentium, Dei Verbum, Sacrosanctum Concilium and Gaudium et Spes) and read the 3 Declarations of the council Vatican II:

1. Gravissimum Educationis, it is the Declaration on Christian Education
2. Dignitatis Humanae, it is the Declaration on Religious Freedom
3. Nostra Aetate*, it is the Declaration on the Relation of the Church to Non-Christian Religions (this one was read the year prior*).

I also started reading the list of Vatican II Decrees. So far, I have read two of them and I am slowly going through the rest:

1. Apostolicam Actuositatem, it is a Decree on the Apostolate of the Laity
2. Ad Gentes, it is a Decree on the Mission Activity of the Church

As I said in my last review, "reading what the Church says in its own words is so refreshing and so encouraging and it sounds at time quite different from what people out there says about the Church teaching", I would now add, it is also so different from what some Catholic clergies have said about the Church teaching, 100% different. I remember in the year 2000 and 2001 when I had first read my whole bible systematically from Genesis to Revelation, I was in shock. The initial shock was not what I found but what I didn't found in it. Things I have heard so many times in popular platform, TVs, Radio, Conferences, etc., about what "the bible say's" but were nowhere to be found in the Bible. Neither did I find them in my second reading, nor the third time I read it. It became clear there are many things' people passes for biblical teaching which can't be found in the Bible itself. It is the same with the official Church teachings. I will dare, even challenge, anyone who has an issue with the Catholic Church teachings to first stop and ask themselves, where did I get these views about the Catholic Church teachings? And then after such honest introspection, I invite you to read the Church OFFICIAL teachings for yourself, either doctrinal or moral or social and find out the truth for yourself. You ought it to yourself!

For example, in Gaudium et Spes, I was gladly surprised, two years ago, to see that the Church takes her evangelistic mission seriously to the point of including it into one of its 4 Constitutions. And this aren't a unique occurrence, similar texts can be read in its Declarations and Decrees:

"It is necessary never to lose sight of the fact that the objective of the Church is to evangelize, not to civilize. If it civilizes, it is for the sake of evangelization." - Footnote Part II, Chapter II, No.7. 

In the same effort to strengthen my understanding of Christianity, I completed a Certification course with Harvard Divinity School on "Christianity through Its Scriptures". There are many reasons I pursued such endeavour, and one of them was to get a neutral view about my faith and to be challenged, and it was challenging to say the least. In our introduction, the professor clearly let us know that we would be studying the Christian sacred scriptures from a standpoint of Academia and not from a Devotional starting point. The message was clear, and we found out soon enough that not only we studied the Canonical texts found in our Bibles, but the Academic view of the Christian scriptures included also other early writings not found in the Bible such as the Gnostic writings of the earlier Centuries. We read them and made dissertations about them. Overall, it was a stimulating intellectual experience, and inadvertently despite the exposure to other competing writings presented to us as Scriptures, I came out of it more convinced of the Christian faith as it is articulated in its orthodoxy.

There is one important item that I should add to my list of memorable activities, namely 'The Strength of Witnesses' conference. It was a 3-day Charismatic Conference organized and hosted at the St. Dominique Parish ahead of the Feast of Pentecost and it was animated by our guests, Dr. Thierry Luhandjula, Sister Olivia Jani and Brother Nesbert Muzamba. This was followed by The Philip Course, a 3-day retreat in October 2023 at the Convent of the Dominican Sister, this retreat delved deeper into the meaning of the Christian Life. It was animated by Brother Nesbert Muzamba and Brother Giovanni Valerio Svegliati. These two events have left participants with no voice and deeply moved both emotionally, spiritually and in some cases bodily. We have come out of these events, better Christians, and more committed as Christians. It is hard to properly describe what transpired without causing misunderstanding so I would simply recommend for a better understanding of what was experienced by participants, both Catholic and non-Catholic Christians, please do refer to Encounter Ministries which is the Catholic apostolate which was our inspiration in the design of this charismatic event.

I will end with my yearly tradition which consist in sharing the list of books I read during the previous year. Each book comes with a scoring metric. This scoring doesn't necessarily mean that the book was either perfect or poor. It simply reflects my enthusiasm at the moment of reading it based on the book content and the appeal of the writing style. These are the books that I read in 2023: 

Religious Books

Catholic Authors

1. "Hostile Witnesses: How the Historic Enemies of the Church Prove Christianity" by Gary Michuta (5/5)
2. "Introduction to Spiritual Life: Walking the Path of Prayer with Jesus" by Brant Pitre (4/5)
3. "Supernal Saints: A School of Ministry from the Saints" by Patrick Reis (4.5/5)

Protestant Authors

1. "Why I Am Still Surprised by the Voice of God: How God Speaks Today through Prophecies, Dreams, and Visions" by Jack Deere (4/5)
2. "Why I Am Still Surprised by the Power of the Spirit: Discovering How God Speaks and Heal Today" by Jack Deere (4/5)
3. "Are Miraculous Gifts for Today? - Four Views" - Edited by Stanley N. Gundry and Wayne A. Grudem (4/5)
4. "The Case for Miracles: A Journalist Investigates Evidence for the Supernatural" by Lee Strobel (5/5)
5. "Investigating the Resurrection of Jesus Christ: A New Transdisciplinary Approach" by Andrew Loke (4.5/5)

Non-Religious Books

1. "Global Pentecostal and Charismatic Healing" by Candy Gunther (Oxford University Press) (5/5)
2. "Reconciliation Is My Lifestyle: A Life's Lesson on Forgiving and Loving Those Who Have Hated You" by Antoine Rutayisire (5/5)
3. "Even in Our Darkness: A Story of Beauty in a Broken Life" by Jack Deere (5/5)

Note: These last 3 books can hardly be labelled as religious books even though their authors may be known for their religious convictions.

...

The year 2023 was an intense year both in my workplace and in my family with its share of challenges. My family has known series of illnesses with different degrees of intensity, from major surgery for my boy earlier in the year to a medical trip at the end of the year. Sickness and Illness became a permanent feature of our household from the beginning of the year to the end. So much so that my wife once told me with an aggravated tone that pharmacists in our neighbourhood now know who we are. It is a miracle that with all these health constraints and intense workload in my job, I was able to read this much and done so much in my community. I guess it comes with the territory, I aggressively attacked the kingdom of darkness, and it expectedly struck back. 

Nevertheless, in all these, I praise the Lord that my wife and I never went through this fire alone. The Lord was always there comforting my family during those long sleepless night with kids fighting with uncontrollable fevers, bizarre diseases and those long hours at the hospitals' queues. 

"Therefore, my beloved brethren, stand firm and immovable, devoting yourselves completely to the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain." - 1 Corinthians15:58

A Year In Review: Book Reading List 2022

The year 2022 is behind us. A new year has now dawned on us. The year 2022 has been filled with joy and pain, but in all these we express our gratitude to God for having been right there with us. Last year also marked a distinctive rite of passage for me to adulthood as I turned 40. I suppose in some way, I still looked at myself as a Young-Adult but I guess there is now no more reason to add any prefix to the word adult.

I have had the continuous opportunity to have my regular weekly Bible studies with the Living Word Association (LWA) which is an inter-denominational association which strive at understanding the Bible and practice its precepts. Since the advent of COVID, we have never been able to transit back to an in-persons gathering, we are still meeting virtually. This format has its share of challenges. But on the up side, we e-meet with people joining us from different regions including someone from a different continent. 

In my quest to better understand my faith, after completing the reading of the Bible and the Catechism of the Catholic Church, I turned to the official teaching documents of Vatican II. This came at the right time as the Church was celebrating in 2022 the 60th anniversary of the council Vatican II. One milestone I was able to achieve was the reading of the Four Constitutions of Vatican II, namely:

1. Lumen Gentium which means 'Light of Nations'. It is the Dogmatic Constitution on the Church. 
2. Dei Verbum which means 'The Word of God'. It is the Dogmatic Constitution of Divine Revelation.
3. Sacrosanctum Concilium which means 'The Sacred Council'. It is the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy.
4. Gaudium et Spes which means 'Joy and Hope'. It is the Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World.

Now that I completed the reading of the constitution, I have the foundational understanding by which I will be reading the remaining Vatican II documents for this year which include: 3 Decrees and 9 Declarations. I have already read one declaration, Nostra Aetate, and I will be bulldozing through the remaining ones in due time, God willing. Reading what the Church says in its own words is so refreshing and so encouraging and it sounds at time quite different from what people out there says about the Church teaching. For example in Gaudium et Spes, I was gladly surprise to see the focus that the Church has of its own mission on earth while waiting for the return of our blessed Lord Jesus Christ:

"It is necessary never to lose sight of the fact that the objective of the Church is to evangelize, not to civilize. If it civilizes, it is for the sake of evangelization." - Footnote Part II, Chapter II, No.7. 

Now, back to the purpose of this post. As I do each year, I will be sharing the list of books I read in the year 2022. I have unfortunately been a bit undisciplined in my reading hence I read less book than in previous years, but there is also a human reason to it, I have been quite busy, in-ordinarily busy this year and It took me a bit by surprise. I will do better this year in organizing myself with the help of the Lord and be better focus this time in my priorities. Each book comes with a scoring metric. This scoring doesn't necessarily mean that the book was either perfect or poor. It simply reflects my enthusiasm at the moment of reading it based on the book content and the appeal of the writing style. These are the books that I read in 2022: 

Religious Books

Catholic Authors

1. "The Early Church Was the Catholic Church: The Catholic Witness of the Fathers in Christianity's First Two Centuries" by Joe Heschmeyer - (5/5)

2. "A Mighty Current of Grace: The Story of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal" by Alan Schrek - (5/5)

3. "Overcome By The Spirit: The Extraordinary Phenomenon That Is Happening To Ordinary People" by Francis MacNutt - (5/5)

4. "Deliverance from Evil Spirits: A Practical Manual" by Francis MacNutt - (5/5)

5. "The Healing Reawakening: Reclaiming Our Lost Inheritance" by Francis MacNutt - (4.5/5)

6. "The Practice of Healing Prayer: A How-To Guide For Catholics" by Francis MacNutt - (4/5)

7. "Pope Peter: Defending the Church's Most Distinctive Doctrine in a Time of Crisis" by Joe Heschmeyer - (4/5)

8. "Four More Witnesses In The Early Church: Further Testimony from Christians before Constantine" by Rod Bennet - (3.5/5)

Protestant Authors

9. "Bearing False Witness: Debunking Centuries of Anti-Catholic History" by Rodney Stark - (5/5)

10. "Preparing for the Glory: Getting Ready for the Next Wave of the Holy Spirit Outpouring" by John & Carol Arnott - (4.5/5)

11. "A Study of Effects of Christian Prayer on Pain or Mobility Restrictions from Surgeries involving Implanted Materials" by Randy Clark - (4/5)

12. "Strangers to Fire: When Tradition Trumps Scriptures" by Robert W. Graves - (3.5/5)

13. "Two Paradigms for Divine Healing: Fred F. Bosworth, Kenneth E. Hagin, Agnes Sanford and Francis MacNutt in Dialogue" by Pavel Hejzlar - (3/5)

Non-Religious Book

14. "Tearing Us Apart: How Abortion Harms Everything and Solves Nothing" by Ryan T. Anderson & Alexandra DeSanctis - (5/5)

....

Overall, the year 2022 was a good year, though not without its share of challenges. See you for the next list in one year time, God willing.

Endurance: A Year In Review (2019)

The year 2019 was an unexpectedly difficult year for me and my loved ones (family and friends). My family went through a heart-wrenching experience with the quasi-sudden death of my beloved Mother. How sudden you may wonder? Well, in the month of March 2019 we were discussing an important document to present to an interested third party investor who had confirmed to meet with us during the month of July 2019. The very first week of July, she had passed away from this life into the Eternal City, and we never had that planned meeting. Her sickness was a traumatic short-lived illness to all who were close to her. The wound left behind by her sudden departure hasn't been healed. It is too soon. And yet, the faith I have learned from her has carried me through this difficult past year, and I still cling to it to carry me throughout the year 2020. My Mother's death has put many of my personal projects on a halt and slowed down others. Despite the deep sadness experienced when She passed away to eternity, my family was comforted by the birth of two awesome and cute little Boys (Noah B. and Josh G.). The timing couldn't be more awkward but we received them as divine signs, as a rumor from another World which reached out to our hearts to appease our sorrows and anoint our hurting wounds!

Much more had happened in 2019 but this is no place nor the right time to speak about them. Nevertheless, I'd like to make an exception by pointing out one particular thing though. Something that I have learned from my parents, especially from my late Mother - the habit to learn through reading. She loved reading, especially Her Bible. Her favorite book of the Bible was the book of Psalm. I have developed a similar reading habit from my beloved Mother and I read the Bible and study it on a weekly basis with a group of dear friends from the Living Word Association (LWA).

To my regular bible reading, I also do some additional readings. Last year, I gave my 2018 reading list of books that shaped my mind and invigorated my spiritual commitment to the Lord. I want to follow on that new tradition and list the 2019 list of books that have reinforced my understanding of Christianity. The year 2019 also introduced me to a series of online debates with atheists and agnostic(s)? on different aspects of science, ethics, spirituality, politics, and other themes that intersected with religion. The debates have been spirited and at time pleasant, saved for some unavoidable toxic exchanges which are expected from the most virulent and militant atheists. These unexpected encounters led me to diversify some of the reading materials I was exposing my mind to. Below is the list of books I read and which I would also recommend with different degrees of enthusiasm. The rating simply reflects the way the book contents moved me at the time I read them. It is not an indictment of the quality of its content, but simply a reflection of my emotional response to the way it intrigued me.

Catholic authors:
1. "Evangelical Exodus: Evangelical Seminarians and Their Paths to Rome" by Douglas M. Beaumont (5/5)
2. "Diabolical" by Milo Yiannopolous (3.5/5)
3. "Christian Initiation & Baptism in the Holy Spirit: Evidence from the First Eight Centuries" by Kilian McDonnell & George T. Montague (4/5)
4. "Bad Shepherds: The Dark Years in which the Faithful thrived while Bishops did the Devil's work" by Rod Bennett (4/5)
5. "Jesus the Bridegroom: The Greatest Love Story Ever Told" by Brant Pitre (4/5)
6. "Born Fundamentalist, Born Again Catholic" by David B. Currie (5/5)
7. "Teaching with Authority: How to Cut through Doctrinal Confusion and Understand what the Church really says" by Jimmy Akin (3.5/5)
8. "Making Sense of Mary" by Gary G. Michuta (4/5)
9. "Salvation: What Every Catholic Should Know" by Michael Patrick Barber (4.5/5)
10. "The Salvation Controversy" by Jimmy Akin (3/5)
11. "Answering Atheism: How to Make the Case for God with Logic and Charity" by Trent Horn (3.5/5)
12. "The Myth of Religious Violence: Secular Ideology and the Roots of Modern Conflicts" by William T. Cavanaugh (4/5)

Protestant authors:
13. "Against Calvinism: Rescuing God's Reputation from Radical Reformed Theology" by Roger E. Olson (5/5)
14. "Stealing From God: Why Atheists Need God to Make Their Case" by Frank Turek (4/5)

Non-Christian author:
15. "Did Jesus Exist? The Historical Argument for Jesus of Nazareth" by Bart D. Ehrman (4/5)

As I look back to the year 2019, I am full of gratitude to all who have contacted me (international calls), wrote to me and visited me during my beloved Mother's funeral. God has shown His goodness toward me through family and friends. God had given me a fantastic support system that I didn't even know existed until tragedy struck home!

Thank you to all from the bottom of my heart for your love, friendship, words of affirmation and comforts, spiritual counsel and heartfelt prayers during those terrible moments. When my heart will be a little bit lighter and the wounds a little bit painless, I will write some more about my Mother and give Her a fuller tribute! Until then, God Speed!

My Mother was a Heroine of faith, and now She surrounds us with all the other Heros of faith. Though She is gone to Her Lord, I know by God's grace She is also still with us, surrounding us and witnessing my race and the good fight I continue to fight in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ whether in favorable or unfavorable time (Jeremiah 42.6)!

Hebrews 12:1-3;

"1 Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart."

Thanksgiving 2016

Happy Thanksgiving to all. There is much to thank the Lord for. It has been quite an eventful year. Some of the things I am grateful for are as follow:

• Early this year 2016, I finally go my driving license. I have been after this one since 2005 when I was still a student in Pretoria. I frankly never thought I will ever see the day when I finally get it. I accepted it and even found a way around it by hiring a personal driver. Thanks to God, my wife wasn't willing to let these crippling experiences stop me. I went for my 'last' driving test warning her that if this failed as the others, I was done with it and she will have to accept it and live with it. That was end 2015. My last test turned out to be great. My execution was flawless. I got my Driving license finally! I still can't believe at time that I've got it. Now I understand why people in Rwanda celebrate as much when they get their driving licence as they do when they graduate from University.

• Talking about graduation .... since I graduated I have longed to go back to school but I was pretty unsuccessful to get an admission that fitted my career path and interest. I then finally got the opportunity to get my admission to one of our elite graduate Business Schools. The entry was competitive and the seat limited. Thanks to God I made it through the entry exams and secured for myself a spot. This was early 2014. Early this year I finally graduated, and got my MBA.

• I am grateful for the way God used this MBA to open for me financial doors since then. In one year, I got into two consultancy related Jobs that went a long way to cover all my outstanding tuition fees in less than a year. Not bad for a first Job. 

• I thank God for allowing me to put my spiritual gifting in the service of the Master for the progress of the Kingdom of God. I have been given opportunities to preach at church settings, christian ministries and christian associations. I have also been involved in Christian apologetic through prolonged debates online (Facebook and What's App). It is always a refreshing moment when the Lord grants me the opportunity to serve him. And for that I am eternally grateful to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

• I thank God for all the opportunities for learning, self-discovery and book readings. I thank God for the good materials that I came across throughout this year and for all the meaningful books and audio-books that were shared with me by good friends.

• How can I end my thanks without mentioning the U.S. Election. I thank the Lord for President-Elect Donald Trump. My friends and families know very well why I am grateful for it, they thought I would never shut up about Trump since I started talking about him in July 2015. It has been a long and tough full year for all Trump supporters, American and otherwise. The finish line on November 8th, 2016 made it worth it and it was unforgettable. I am not about to forget this year any time soon. It was a year of vindication.

I end this post by Thanking my wife, my kid, my friends and my family living in Rwanda and abroad for their love and graciousness. Thank God for all of you, for your good health and I pray that the coming year 2017 be a great and blessed year for you and your loved ones. I wish you all much prosperity and good tidings. God bless you all!

ThanksGiving 2014

Today marks again the memorable event of Thanksgiving Day. Some have preferred to call it Turkey Day probably because they assume everybody will have the means to afford a Turkey at their dining table for the family celebration but the financial crisis has redefined people culinary choice. Some are simply happy with a simple meal while keeping the meaning of the event. The word 'Turkey day' is pushed by others since it doesn't have a connotation to the Christian faith but this is a mistake since even a Turkey is still part of God's creation.

Michael Ramsden made the remark that some people feel empty because they do not express gratitude. He continued, 'It is not that people do not have a reason to be grateful for, but rather they have no one to be grateful to.' This is quite an insightful comment, and i hope that despite the difficulty and hardship this year may have brought to your life, you still have a good reason to be grateful for.

Despite the many limitation i have met in my life during this year and the many things I wished i could have had this year but i didn't have, I am nevertheless grateful to God for His many blessings among which are these ones that stands out:

1. I have been unfortunately working in what could simply be labeled as non-satisfactory jobs from as long as December 2009, but this year  i was able to make a successfully transition to an amazing Job. It has all the right culture and environment for a young professional, i couldn't wish better. This in itself would justify the validity of this whole post. But there is more.

2. Since last Thanksgiving Day, something special happened to me, I have changed my social status moving from being a single man to becoming a married man. I have a pleasant and a fun to live with type of wife. Even though her integrity and intellect attracted me more on the early days when we dated, it is her absolute devotion to God and her vibrant faith that rejoices me the more. Many of my recent testimonies can be traced back directly to her endeavors, her encouragement and her relentless prayers and acts of faith. I really love this woman.

This wedding event would have never happen without the thorough involvement of my whole Family (Those in Rwanda and those outside the country) and my friends - specially those from the Living Word Association (LWA) and the Full Gospel Business Men Fellowship International (FGBMFI). Thank you all from the depth of my heart i really have a grateful heart because of you.

3. Soon after I was able to afford my car, i was still wondering how am I going  to handle this since i didn't have a driving license. My wife drive for almost 10 years now but i didn't have as much chance as her. My Learner's driving license has always been elusive to my repeated effort to acquire it. Even though i tried it repeatedly since 2010, i have repeatedly failed to get it. I really got discouraged that i dropped the whole affair. I made peace with myself, saying that driving wasn't for me. Not so with my wife. She didn't accept this defeatist mentality of mine. She kept pushing me in many ways than i can tell, and this has often resulted into repeating tension between us. She didn't want to give up. Two time i missed to do my test this year.

The first time i was told that the registration was over for a week even though i had already paid. The second time i came earlier to the registration office this time and i was told that the registration was over just the day before. I started to feel like a conspiracy was really striving to keep me away from this Learner's driving licence test. The third time i successfully registered. But i had the wrong day for the test. However, on the day of the test, i felt in me that something was wrong. Reaching my office, i checked the internet but couldn't get a confirmation on the date. So i took the liberty to drop an email to the Rwandan police through their website asking about the exact date of the test. In less than an hour, i received a call from the Police informing me that that day was the day for the test and that the others were already at the stadium for test. I was asked to hurry. Needless to tell you what happened later. It was hilarious now that i look at it in retrospective. I got my boss to let me go, then jumped onto the first motorcyclist i was able to find on the street and went to the place of the collective test. Two weeks later, i was informed that i finally got this elusive learner's driving license. I thank God for his support even when i initially felt discouraged and didn't believe that i would get it. Matter of fact, after the test I went my way and paid and registered for the following learner's driving license test since i assumed that I naturally failed this one as it was my custom for the past 4 years. This still makes my wife chuckle, i can hear her say, 'Oh ye of little faith'.

4. I am grateful to God that I was finally able to continue my academic training. This later one seemed hermetically closed to me since 2008. I failed in my so many attempts to get a master degree in my field of interests from respected universities around the world. This year, i was finally able to get in and start my Master program.

5. With regards to books,

a) i was featured into an important book about Rwanda by Ms. Sonia Myers, 'The new Rwanda, Tome II' published by the University of Scraton. My contribution essay is entitled -'Success and Challenge'. Thank You Nicole K. for the networking opportunity.

 b) i got Dr. Stephan Meyer's book 'Darwin's Doubt' from a friend living in the U.S on New Year Eve. It was a fantastic gift, since i am a great fan of Stephen C. Meyer's work. Thank you Mireille I.

c) I was also offered by a good friend of mine living in South Africa the impressive book, 'The Resurrection of Jesus' by Dr. Mike Licona  based on his doctoral research at the University of Pretoria, South Africa. I have been looking for this book for so long and now I have it. Thank you Armel N.

So many things could be said but these ones will stand for the rest and it will show the extend of my my gratitude to God for the blessed year He has granted me in His Son Jesus the Christ.

Thank you to all my readers for keeping this blog alive. You have been visiting it from more than ten countries and many other Islands. All continents represented, with my biggest readership coming straight from the USA.

Happy Thanksgiving 2014 in Jesus' name.

Thanks Giving Day 2013

This year has started rather slow for me. I spent my New Year night alone battling sickness and wondering about what the new year would have in store for me. Having now reached the end of the year, and looking back i can't help but smile at the unexpected itinerary my life has taken. As a friend told me recently about what Steve Job said once, that it was impossible to connect the dot when you are looking forward (the future). But the dots makes more sense when you look at the past. In the same spirit as he did, i look backward and i can't stop smiling. I am grateful to God for:

• I thank God for granting me the many financial opportunities since January up to August.
• I am also grateful for the current consulting work that I am doing with the entrepreneurs. This one came quite unexpectedly.
• I am grateful for my friend Armel Nouatin who has offered me the definitive Jesus' collection in the tome like Book: "The Resurrection of Jesus: A Historiographical Approach" by Dr. Michael Licona. 
• How can i not be grateful to Michel Mbonyinkebe who share with me his debate-like-book on "Divine Foreknowledge: Four Views" - William L. Craig vs Gregory Boyd, et al. What an impressively clarifying book on the subject. I understood better Molinism and the Open view knowledge of God.
• This list of books will be incomplete without mentioning the my compulsive reading of "Outliers". For this, i am grateful to Foyo who introduced me to the work of Malcolm Galdwell.
• And though life is demanding and stressful, I cannot not be grateful  to my friend Nicole who through her network has manage once again to make me use my writing gifts in more ways than one. One particularly come to mind that surpass the others - if everything goes well according to plan, an essay that i wrote will be incorporated in a book soon to be released about Rwanda. Stay tuned for that! Will make the announcement when time comes! ;)
• This year seems to have reserved the best for last - my soon to be wedding! I am quite excited about it. I am grateful for the woman who has accepted to share her life with me. Thank you Mia!
• Thank you Ndatira for being the best ever coordinator. Thumbs up!
• UPDATE: I am also so glad for all my friends and brothers who have been able to start living their dreams. :)

I am sure that regardless of how well or bad the year has been for all of us, we all have something to be grateful about. It just makes more sense to be grateful when you have someone toward whom to be grateful, and my greatest thanks goes to God who have purposed all those blessings along my way!

Happy Thanks-Giving to All in Jesus' name.

HAPPY THANKS-GIVING 2012 TO ALL!

This is thanksgiving day, and we all know that the world that surround us is dark. Financial difficulties, wars and rumors of wars keep murmuring ominously our end around us. Troubling thought of uncertain future never stop to creep in our minds. However, in all these things, we can still look at the Lord Jesus and have hope.

I still have a reason to be grateful to God. I am grateful for His salvation  that i have kept by the Holy Spirit for the past two decades, for my family which i have kept enjoying their toxic laughter and contagious joy, for my friends who keep encouraging me and provoking me to good works and for my relative success over this year. Twice i took honorific places in two Governmental competition: First, by holding the Silver Medal of the 2nd best Business Plan with BDC - 5th cohort (in August 2012) and second, by being selected among the Top 3 Young Entrepreneur of Rwanda 2012 at the BPR Award (November 2012). I am definitively grateful to God for these two relatively small blessings.

The year is dragging to its end, i am unaware of the future but i advance toward it with confidence and hope and still fixing my eyes on Jesus - the author and the perfecter of my faith.

Thank you to all my readers for keeping this blog alive. You have been visiting it from more than ten countries and many other Islands. All continents represented.

Happy Thanksgiving 2012 in Jesus' name.

"Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus" - 1 Thessalonians 5:18

P.S: Don't forget to check out my book - Help Me Understand Jesus. Check My Book by clicking here or more here.

AFLEWO 2012 - PRAISING WITH PURPOSE

There has never been a better time to worship God and celebrate his gift of life and salvation as this Friday night 23rd November 2012 at CLA (Christian life Assembly). This is not a denominational gathering. It is a inter-denominational Christian gathering, where all Christians regardless of their personal ecclesiastical doctrine preferences are invited to share the brotherly and divine love through singing and dancing in the presence of the Lord. People are coming from different countries to join us in this Night of Worship. 

IF YOU MISS IT - YOU'LL MISS OUT!

What are you going to miss? More than mere songs and dances. Singing and dancing are mere expressions of a deeper spiritual truth. It is more than what meets the eyes. What happen when we praise is abundantly more powerful than most of our little plans of victories over the prince of darkness.

“Yes,” replied Jesus, “have you never read, “‘From the lips of children and infants you, Lord, have called forth your praise’?” Matthew 21:16 - NIV

"Through the praise of children and infants, you have established a stronghold against your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger." Psalm 8:2 - NIV

God's strategy is to bring praises out of His children mouth - because those praises are what defeats the enemies (foe and avenger). Thus, do not miss out of this great night of victory for YOUR LIFE!!!

P.S: Don't forget to check out my book - Help Me Understand Jesus. Check My Book by clicking here or more here.

THANKSGIVING - THE GENESIS

Today is Thanksgiving Day. This American celebration of life has started to also interest some Rwandan folks like myself. I have been celebrating it for the past four years. On this season of financial hardship for many around the world, i believe that there are still things in our life that we are grateful for and I hope that our pain and dissatisfaction whatever great they maybe doesn't cloud our vision in recognizing the good things that we still have. As the legendary saying goes, 'learn to count your blessings'. Today is an appropriate time to do so. This reminds me last year thanksgiving comment I read at Voxpopoli:

Even in the present difficulties, even given the way the American nation has moved away from God and abandoned its historical liberties, we still have much for which to be thankful today. It is better to thank God for the abundance of what we have than to bemoan that which has been lost. Have a Happy Thanksgiving. And I encourage you to be grateful. It may be a long time before humanity again knows such a period of relative wealth and ease. - Vox Day

Life has been rather tough on me this year. Nevertheless among my many trials I'd like to at least to be thankful to the Lord Jesus for allowing me to publish my book this year - Help Me Understand Jesus. Yesterday I spoke with one of my friends, I noticed that he wasn't conversant with the genesis of this celebration. I suspect some folks here may also wonder about the origin of this celebration called Thanksgiving. I hence decided to post the official wordings that begot this day known as THANKSGIVING.

 ...

Whereas it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favor-- and whereas both Houses of Congress have by their joint Committee requested me to recommend to the People of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness.

Now therefore I do recommend and assign Thursday the 26th day of November next to be devoted by the People of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being, who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be-- That we may then all unite in rendering unto him our sincere and humble thanks--for his kind care and protection of the People of this Country previous to their becoming a Nation--for the signal and manifold mercies, and the favorable interpositions of his Providence which we experienced in the course and conclusion of the late war--for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty, which we have since enjoyed--for the peaceable and rational manner, in which we have been enabled to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national One now lately instituted--for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed; and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and in general for all the great and various favors which he hath been pleased to confer upon us.

And also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and  supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech him to pardon our national and other transgressions-- to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually--to render our national government a blessing to all the people, by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed--to protect and guide all Sovereigns and Nations (especially such as have shewn kindness unto us) and to bless them with good government, peace, and concord--To promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the increase of science among them and us--and generally to grant unto all Mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as he alone knows to be best.

Given under my hand at the City of New York the third day of October in the year of our Lord 1789.
- George Washington