Am back after a long gap

Abhishek has been not keeping well - fever, seizure, wheezing and all. we got thru all that by the grace of God and prayers of saints. A believer's life was never promised to be all rosy and problem-free. But sometimes I really wish if it was so. i mean when we r born again, if we were all made into spiritual beings, the flesh literally dieing then there wouldnt be anything to worry/struggle about. But sadly that is not so. And I believe our God Who has wonderful truths and purposes hidden behind everything wants us to really grow in Him by knowing Him closely, trusting Him, loving Him and then when we are with Him in eternity, all the songs of gratitude and adoration will have a new meaning which even the angels can never decipher or experience!!

Back after a long time

Been a long time since i entered anything in here.

A few things the Lord taught me over the years:

Obedience out of love is so much better than obedience out of fear. Think about it.

Maturity (christian) never comes from grey hair, bass voice or having a whole lot of experience about everything under the sun. Maturity is when you know that you know nothing, when your dependency on God increases everyday, when you give space for others, speak less and listen more, love more than being loved, have hope even when all seems dark, ready to encourage humble beginnings...and all that comes only when we are close to the Lord.

Life Beyond Words

Words, words and words...this is what our life is made of these days.
The other day Charles Price, a very revered man of God said a similar thing, christian life often reduces itself to the language, the right words, the lingo, which if used properly can take you to the right places (in people's eyes, that is). How so true. And since it is so easy to say things and never actually do it, many of us fall into that pattern of being people of many words and no actions. But these days the Lord is reminding me to change my ways and all those who are reading this, if you are ever in my place take heed to what Jesus is telling you right now. For when Jesus spoke, He also showed it in action. The twelve who followed Him day and night saw their master perform not only miracles but also saw Him to be a doer of the Word. He didnt say " I am waiting in prayer" as an excuse in a confusing situation and then walked away completely indifferent to the will of God, but they saw Him knelt down in prayer in the wee hours of the night. He never said, "Your will be done" to the Father and did His own thing, they saw Him travail in prayer and meekly obey His Father. He had real compassion on the misery of people, He was full of zeal for the house of God, He had a tender heart for children, He showed servanthood by washing His disciple's feet, He heard the needs of the blind, the lame, the hungry and even the bereaved. Jesus had lowered Himself to our level, leaving all His majesty, so He could be the ransom for our souls. But He never flaunted the title about when He was on earth, never made Himself aloof from people. Just as it is written, He (God) truly loved the world that He was ready to die for the redemption of it. And as He urged, to be perfect as the Father is perfect, we need to be people of few words and more action. We neednt scream out of the roof top about the love of God if we could just show it in our life. Jesus said let people see the goodworks we do and glorify the Father in heaven.
There is a life beyond empty words...

The Namesake, Just for

The heat was quite oppressive and I just wished we would be home soon. We had already closed the windows and had the air conditioner in full blast, yet I was sweating and so was Kia, my baby. My son, Abhishek too kept reminding my husband that he was thirsty and needed more juice. Then came the traffic intersection, the signal had just turned red and we sat fidgeting in the car waiting for the blasted thing to turn green. Out of the corner of my eyes i spotted her, a sickly, ragged girl or woman, I could never be sure. She was short, flat chested with very thin hands. Many celebrities would have given a limb to be that thin, I thought witha hint of guilt. Her eyes were expressionless (sounds cliched but I cant describe it any better). She had a rag of a cloth on her head, a very futile attempt on her part to protect herself from the sun. She had a bundle of something tied up in front of her. As she came closer, I realised it was a baby, could be the same age as my daughter, I thought shuddering (again cliched, I guess, but cant help it). The baby never stirred, seemed to be peacefully asleep amidst the all the noise from cars, trucks around it. Could be drugged, as I remembred an article I had read not too long ago. Could be rented out by its mother to this girl/woman for her livelihood. 'How cruel', i thought, "But was there another option?" I asked myself. And fell silent. She had her hand stretched out and tried to convince me of her need. I shrugged, looked at the signal, still red and few more seconds to go. I nudged my husband and showed him the waiting girl. He sighed and dug in his pocket brought out a coin and gave it to me. I opened the window just a little, not to let the hot air blow in and gave her the coin. She gave a salaam and walked on to the next car and I was quite quick to close the window. I noticed with a another shock that she was barefoot. And then I thought all those'religeous' buffs/devotees competing each other to walk over smouldering coals. "Ooh what an adventure! what a way to please some idols. Was this woman not pleasing enough? I wondered. Finally the signal turned green and we moved on, thankfully. I didnt have the heart to loook back at the woman but a thought still lingered...Why was I not in her place? Then I thnaked God (selfishly) for where He had placed me and brought me up...A light breeze of sympathy which would soon die out and gve place to a faded memory cropped up within me for that forlorn creation of God.

At Home for eons!! - What God taught me thru chicken pox!!

I have been bedridden with chickenpox for more than a week now. its really really boring, frustrating,braineating (or brain dissolving)...besides this, my son was with this the previous week and also my baby. My brother also caught this one and I am so tired of this that i hate to even hear the word 'chicken'...Ughh...makes my skin crawl. And now am just waiting for all those red spots to disappear and get back to life.
One thing good that happened during this time: wow!! i saw the true colors of everybody who claims to be helpful people around here. Mom-in-law ran away from my place mumbling inaudibly about her 'higher' calling in religeous studies (BTW she was immune to this, ok?). and all the poeple i knew never turned up or called!!! Except for my husband, who stayed back home and in every word and deed showed self-less love. Thank you Lord God for opening up my eyes. This one lesson I will never forget ever in my life....not to depend on people but on God alone.

The Latchers

Hey, I am not claiming to be an expert on human behaviour but would like to give a few useful info on the so called group, 'Latchers'. You know that all of us are dependent on each other, some on many, others on a few around them for their existence. Come on you can not live as an islander because we need constant recognition, appreciation, love, acceptance, encouragement and ofcourse correction and guidance in decision making...thats what life is all about, living as a commnunity helping each other out...sounds pretty good. And for those who believe in the existence of God, who believe in Jesus, there is an extra advantage of having the Creator by their side for anything and everything (ofcourse that is what God expects us to do becos He knows no humanbeing can open a 24X7 helpline to anybody all by himself/herself).

Now coming to the Latchers again...they are sort of people who are overly dependent on one person for...usually...life. They are sometimes created by people who love them dearly, who wouldnt want any harm upon them and sometimes Latchers are created by situations.
The Latchers, atleast some of them, do know God, could be saved and claim Jesus as their Lord and Saviour but yet wouldnt want to leave their mentor/friend ever. When things get out of control for them (which promptly, regularly and usually does) their SOS goes not to God first but to whom they are 'latched' on to.
Now a word about the people who really create these latchers.
Who wouldnt want atleast a person totally devoted/committed/submitted/depended on themselves. Who wouldnt want people to approach them for advice, guidance, suggestions,opinions for crucial things in life. So a mother would never let her son/daughter to leave from her eyesight, best friend wouldnt want his/her friend even talk to others amongst their peers, fiance would want his beau to forsake all friends and realtions and have all eyes on him/her alone. Thus are created a weak-willed, personality-distorted, spirit- snuffed group - the Latchers.
The intial joy of leading this group will soon give way to frustration and pure hatred toward them when we see our own time being eaten up and our life sucked out by these 'leeches'.
So a good parent/friend/spouse would never stop a person from growing up and being an individual. True love never doubts or fears the growth of a person to be so independent that he/she would even forget the benefactor.
Allow people around you to take your help but never let them be leaning on you for too long. God is there to do that for them and so do hand such people over to Him and I am sure He can do a better job. i am not saying that you should never help anybody but gradually, consciously let go of them, pointing to Jesus.
Let God be the '911' for people and not you, forever.

The Tomb Story

Here comes the next arrow right at the heart of our faith with the 'discovery' of the 'tombs' of Jesus and Mary and Mary Magdalene and child and brother of Jesus (all alleged but proclaimed as authentic), Oh wow! a whole family's burial ground with name tags et al.

What do we do now? Do we panic, run helter skelter trying to defend our faith, disprove all the claims by the media or just do a protest march complete with slogans and placards and effigies of James Cameron and the crew burnt in public places? I don't think so...

From the day Jesus was born (and even before this) there has been allegations against Him, His birth, posterity, His claims and so on.
But we do know that He is the Son of God, born in the flesh, dwelt among us, went through many temptations but emerged victorious each time and then died on the cross as the most holy sacrifice, only to rise again to liberate us from the clutches of death and the power of the grave. That He is coming again to judge everyone according to their deeds (us included) and to establish His eternal kingdom.
This is the foundation of our faith which is not logical (according to human standards) as many ask this that why would God (if He is) show so much love as to die for man and to reconcile him back to God.
Leaving our point of view from a different perspective I want to ask a few questions based on the new discovery to the people alien to what we believe:

1. Why in the first place would they put the the very body they would have wanted to hide forever, in a named tomb?
2.How could they claim that He raised a family right in front of the very people among whom he preached?
3. How did He get away with this thing of dying and rising again when the people in authority had already guessed what His discples might attempt and had sealed the tomb and had guards posted there?
3. Were the disciples blind to have died (some were crucified, others stoned to death, some boiled in oil and others put to swrod) for a cause whose very source is now mortal and was living an ordinary life with wife and children?
4.How could Pharisees, Sadducees, the Romans be silent if the person whom they punished and killed was walking around?
5. Behind every controversy there is a desire of gain. But in this particular situation, who is benefited? Do the family of Jesus hold a patent to all the funds raised? is any individual getting all the money/power transferred in to his account for the sake of keeping this secret?
i think the ones gaining fame and money are none other than those who stir up such controversies!

So let them continue their campaign against the most Holy One, our job is to continue preaching the Christ who was crucified and who is resurrected. We do not talk about Jesus for any benefit of ours (atleast not material gain on earth); for our hope is not from this world but the unseen and eternal.

The great and mighty EGO

(Strictly not for those who have alter egos, who pretend to be sleeping and to those who deny the very existence of God)

If there is one thing that can slow down our progress in anything good in this planet, I feel, is our own ego. Ego that prevents us from being real, that distances us from people so they wont know what we are, ego which never lets us look in the eye of the person who has hurt us or whom we have hurt (knowingly) and the best of friends turn out to be enemies, where realtionships turn cold and sour, where we either refuse to admit our mistakes or refuse to accept the one with mistakes and faces are set hard against each other. Ego which delays our communion with God, prevents us from accepting His presence in the first place and deceives us in thinking everything is under control. Ego causes us to be forever trying to be 'super people' we will never be and turn out to be 'super complainers' of anything and everything around us.

But Jesus knew this so well that He said to deny ourselves and then follow Him, everyday. But we have tricked ourselves in retaining ego and deceive ourselves in 'thinking'/imagining that we have denied everything for God's sake but in actuality we are enjoying our own feat like a saddist! Some of us who serve God do it to stroke and comfort and satisfy our ego that we are doing 'something' for God better than someone else. Thats why it becomes so easy for us to compare and judge others.
Its like what somebody said, that it is when you feel that you are humble that you are really very proud. We seem to be wallowing in our own vomit expecting others to pick us up and clean us when God wants us to get out of it once for all.
Seems really a vicious cycle down here...

I dont have any suggestions or solutions for this because I am worse than you...

But Jesus has the answer for this...

When everything under the sun becomes vanity... everything that comes under the Son, becomes true and valid and clear.

For none of us lives to himself alone and none of us dies to himself alone. If we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life so that he might be the Lord of both the dead and the living. You, then, why do you judge your brother? Or why do you look down on your brother? For we will all stand before God's judgment seat. It is written: " 'As surely as I live,' says the Lord, 'every knee will bow before me; every tongue will confess to God.' " So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God. Romans 14:7-12


"If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters—yes, even his own life—he cannot be my disciple. And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple." Luke 14 26,27

"In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple." Luke 14:33

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. Galatians 2:20

Can we judge anybody?

Oh! Wow! what a question! 'Dont you know moron that we are not supposed to judge anybody? ' could be ringing in your ears as you read this but wait a minute. i dont know about you but I have had this constant urge to judge others, honestly I have tried not to but it comes in different ways and my, my what a relief when we have someone as a subject for our 'judgmental skills' to be put into practice. You feel the 'most righteous' person in the whole world correcting others but after we do it, the guilt sets in. Then we realise...uh-oh i have broken the Lord's command - 'Judge not, condemn not'!
Well the bible says if any of our brothers/sisters sin, we are to approach them, tell them in love that what they are doing is wrong (and not go around the world 'sharing' this big issue among everbody else except the one concerned) and tell them to stay off it. If they dont heed you, then call two witnesses and do it. God never promotes one person to go and correct everybody else because He knows for sure all of us have flaws and He alone, the most Holy and upright One can do this job thoroughly.

"Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." Luke 6:37,38

"Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, 'Brother, let me take the speck out of your eye,' when you yourself fail to see the plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye." Luke 6: 41,42

But I did find a sort of 'loop hole', you know, to judge! I mean, I did find out somebody whom we can judge freely without any restraint. oh, who is it? is it my noisy, irritably loud neighbour? My unbeleiving husband/wife? or is it that drinking/smoking friend of mine who is prone to 'fall' in sin again and again? Or my christian 'brother' who never seems to be punctual in attending all those meetings...inspite of my hour long sermons especially made for him? Nah...none of them...
It is US (not United States...ha ha ha...we can leave that to HIM for sure...but I meant WE ourselves)!!
Please read :

Therefore, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself. That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep. But if we judged ourselves, we would not come under judgment. When we are judged by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be condemned with the world. 1 Cor 11:27-32

My desire

This is my heartfelt desire - to be true to myself, God and others

I know I am not truthful to even myself (this happens often to me anyway), I think we all go through that when we try to be someone what we actually are not
we 'act' out a lot, even to God but the Word says everthing is laid bare before Him.
We cannot hide ourselves from our Creator Who knows the very intent and motives of our heart.
Every thought and the reason behind every one of our actions are known to Him.
But yet we seem to forget this truth so easily and fall into a mould where our faith becomes a 'religion' where, all we do gets more ritualisitic each day and we try to satisfy our ego of being the 'faithfullest' by the 'proper doing' of things with no heart in it.
But God is Spirit and when we worship Him, we ought to do it in spirit and truth, yes we know that too but when we sing to Him and worship Him, do we really mean every word we say? or do we say it out of an emotional high and then forget it for good? One thing I have understood is that though we forget what we tell God, He always remembers every word of it. (Most of us know that too but we slip away from this right? I do, amybe you dont). So we better be careful when talking to Him, especially when we tell Him things like, 'Lord I love you, I will serve you, and use me and break me..."
Ok and I think a whole lot of our attitude toward God reflects in our attitude to people. If we r not true to God, how can we be true to people, who cant read our thoughts. So we lie to them in our words, actions...we become flatterers (not real encouragers), men pleasers, bitter inside but sickeningly sweet outside, very pious outside but rotten inside, gossipers and accusers with real insecurity problems...I could just go on
But what I want to point out is the mask which we wear day in and out. I really want to just rip those masks (social, intellectual, emotional,religious...) which I am wearing and be myself as God created me to be...yes with failures, mistakes, problems but a genuine desire to change for the better.

Maranatha!!

i can hear my own voice, talking to me, noone to hear me speak,noone to speak to me,noone really interested,
But i know my Lord is ever lending His ear to me but sometimes i can't assure of this myself...

In this world where outer beauty counts most
where power and charisma is a necessity and a loud voice matter a lot
where achievements and laurels haul you up the ladder of success
where realtionships are conditional,
when people tell each other, as long as you are healthy and pleasing to look at, I am with you
but when you are down and out, noone really cares if you are dead or alive
when the closest betrays and the trusted forsakes...
i cry out frm within, with all the strength that is in me
"I cant take it any more Lord,
Maranatha Lord, Maranatha!"

The Dead Church

A new Pastor in a small Oklahoma town spent the first four days making personal visits to each of the
members, inviting them to come to his first services.

The following Sunday the church was all but empty. Accordingly, the Pastor placed a notice in the local
newspapers, stating that, because the church was dead, it was everyone's duty to give it a decent
Christian burial. The funeral would be held the following Sunday afternoon, the notice said.

Morbidly curious, a large crowd turned out for the "funeral." In front of the pulpit, they saw a closed
coffin, smothered in flowers. After the Pastor delivered the eulogy, he opened the coffin and invited his
congregation to come forward and pay their final respects to their dead church.

Filled with curiosity as to what would represent the corpse of a "dead church," all the people eagerly
lined up to look in the coffin. Each "mourner" peeped into the coffin then quickly turned away with a
guilty, sheepish look.

In the coffin, tilted at the correct angle, was a large mirror.

Author is Unknown

source : http://www.christian-jokes.org

Is God my crutch or my wheelchair?

I consider myself an invalid without God. When I say God, it becomes a sort of generality. To be specific, I am nothing without Jesus. So I need Him as a crutch always and then at times He becomes my wheelchair when I am too weary to walk and a stretcher when I fall.

My weakness : Pride, anger,jealousy, envy,lust,bitterness,impulse,hate, depression,unrest,gossip,greed...

My strength: Jesus whose love has been stronger than death to me

Sieves - From David Jeremiah

If a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted.
Galatians 6:1

Have you criticized anyone recently? Complained about another's actions, attitudes, or words? Amy Carmichael suggests filtering our words through three sieves: Is it true? Is it kind? Is it necessary? "All of us who have tried to remember these three sieves, and have used them, know what a help they are. We are sorry when we ever forget them."

Paul's advice in Galatians 6:1 goes even further. Instead of simply refraining from criticism, we should seek to restore the person; and Paul, too, gives us three sieves: Are we spiritual? (You who are spiritual…) Are we gentle? (in a spirit of gentleness…) Are we careful? (consider yourself lest you also are tempted.)

Suppose a friend at church has done something unwise. Rather than spreading the news, why not prayerfully ask God to speak to him. If you feel led, then approach that person with concern and gentleness. If you're harsh, you'll drive them away; but gentleness is like salve on a wound.

James promised: "He who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins" (James 5:20).

My Lord, my Savior, pour Thy love through me.
Amy Carmichael

The 'Prosperity Theory' dissected

Well, the new teaching doing the rounds seems to be:
Jesus became 'poor' so we will be 'rich'; (take the literal sense)
Jesus wore expensive clothes that the soldiers fought to own;
God will answer all that we ask Him, just name it and claim it;
There shouldnt be any sickness among God's people, if you are, its because of your sins;
You are sons and daughters of the King, so you need to 'look' like one;
Faith is there to get things from God;
God is after you to meet all your needs/wants(read demands);
Your words now has 'power' and you confess the right things for the right things to happen to you;
In short life is a bed of roses for a christian.

Let us just look at what the Lord Himself has to say:
Jesus said, "My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jews. But now my kingdom is from another place." John 18:36

Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. James 1:2,3,4

"These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world." John 16:33

Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; Matthew 6:18,20

To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. - Paul from 1 Cor 12: 7,8,9

This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him. 1 John 5:14,15

"If anyone teaches false doctrines and does not agree to the sound instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ and to godly teaching, he is conceited and understands nothing. He has an unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels about words that result in envy, strife, malicious talk, evil suspicions and constant friction between men of corrupt mind, who have been robbed of the truth and who think that godliness is a means to financial gain.

But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs." 1 Tim 6:3-10

As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" "Neither this man nor his parents sinned," said Jesus, "but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life... John 11:1-3

Then the LORD answered Job out of the storm. He said: Who is this that darkens my counsel with words without knowledge? Job 38 :1

"As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." Isaiah 55:9

A few good books (christian)

Yes ofcourse The Holy Bible (The Good Book)

Then there is
More than a Carpenter - Josh McDowell
Holding on to your faith even When God Doesnt Make Sense - Dr. James Dobson
Biographies on Amy Carmichael and Samuel Morris
I dared to call Him Father - Bilquis Sheikh
The Purpose Driven life - Rick Warren
Tortured for Christ - Richard Wurmbrand
The kneeling Christian - Author unknown


...and...
People of THE WAY - by yours truly (ahem yet to be pubished) ;-)

Musings

When I am tired when I am depressed
When I am alone and when I am burdened
I wish with all my heart that
I could be a child again
Then I would be free from life's difficulties
Free from the pain that is caused by love
and seperation
From hurts and envy that often follows every mind
From anger and bitterness which has dogged me so many times
Then I would be running free with the wind,
Or lay myself down on a patch of grass
Looking up at the sky with a thousand stars
without being conscious of being watched
Climb trees, swing my legs and eat what i liked
Be loved by all and hugged by all
Would hold my thatha's (grandpa in kannada) hands as I picked every pebble and interesting looking stone
And inspected every hole in the ground
While he went on with stories of his childhood.
Wish I had listened more intently to what he said
Then I could have recalled all of it in his absence now
But it didnt matter then what he spoke
His presence was all I needed which it seemed was there forever
And then there was Ajji (grandmother) who would fold her legs like a cradle
And make me curl up there
That was the most comfortable place for me ever after my mother's womb
Then she would stroke my hair as she sang a lullaby
Thatha's hands always smelled of nose powder,
He wouldnt put the powder deep inside his nose, just at the tip
And then wipe it off and sneeze twice or thrice
That was his style statement! And Ajji smelt of coffee
and curd and turmeric and sandal wood (now that was because of the Mysore sandal soap which she used)
Oh I wish I could be a child again
But i know it is not possible in this world again
Cos only one life we have here to live
But when I die and and be taken up to be with my Father
I know I will be a child again
Where my heart will be light and my mind clear as crystal
I will be free of everything that had me bound on earth as a mortal
But one hurt would still remain with me forever
That I will never see my thatha and Ajji again
For they never knew The Way...

too busy

mom-in-law at home

From Crossswalk.com

The following advertisement appeared in a physical culture magazine:

"Here's a good test for stomach muscles. Clasp your hands over your head and place your feet together on the floor. Now bend to the right at the waist as you sit down to the left of your feet. Now by sheer muscular control, haul yourself up, bend to the left and sit down on the floor to the right of your feet. Keep this up and let us know of the result."

The first letter received by the magazine said "HERNIA"

Does God need help to boost His 'image'?

Sounds ridiculous right? Well it is a ridiculous idea but many of us have gotten this idea somehow into our heads. Atleast that is what I gathered whenever I hear rather exaggerated 'testimonies' and the so-called 'miracles'. I dont care if people misunderstand me but I want to bring this thing clear. The Creator of the Universe created us for HIS pleasure my dear and not for ours. And He has the sovereign will to decide things in our lives. And mind you, He does not need any publicist out here (down here) trying to convince people that He can work miracles and sort out things in the lives of scores of His creations. Ofcourse, you can and you must testify what God has done in your lives truthfully and be assured the Truth will set people free and not some half baked truths.
eg: no: 1- "I did not apply for any job, was just praying but I got a call from this company from US/UK!!!" and you think "was I asleep? Did I miss anything?" Why do people hesitate from giving the whole truth? What is wrong with that? You applied and God opened the door, its as simple as that and see if that doesnt encourage our fellow brothers and sisters.
eg: no.2- "I am living purely by faith and God puts 100 rupees everyday in my pocket!!" The truth could be that you have such wonderful parents (God gave them to you and we need to be thankful to Him for them) who are God-fearing and want to help you out as you launch out on your own. Believe me, not everyone is a William Carrey.
eg: no.3 - And then there are people who lie that their sickness is healed after prayer fearing that they will bring disgrace to God by telling the truth. Actually God has the soverein will to heal or not to heal your sickness. Then, just like Paul we might have to depend on His grace alone which is more than sufficient for us.
I mean there are scores of such examples but I dont want to be critical but just want to urge that please do not exaggerate, God does not want us to do that. Just tell the truth and that will bring glory to Him.

"Forgiveness is the fragrance the violet sheds on the heel that has crushed it."-Mark Twain


"Swallowing your pride seldom leads to indigestion." - Unknown


"When flatterers meet, the devil goes to dinner." - Unknown

How long is long?

Years back, a young boy with long hair was confronted with a question about his hair. Long hair was considered quite a taboo then and our protagonist had his hanging down his shoulder. He asked back, “How long is long?” Well, I am not trying to be a pro or anti long hair but I had another question pop up in mind, “How civilized is civilized?” as we all consider ourselves more civilized, developed, refined than our ancestors. I know of people who pride in their great Indian culture and traditions, be it gastronomic inclinations, musical heredity or personal hygiene, despising others as less dignified and savage. I am aware of yet another group who consider themselves more civilized owing to their higher education, enviable lifestyles, and ‘broader’ mental perspectives. And when someone arrives on this land from the ‘civilized’ west, he or she finds India a place of ‘weird’ customs and costumes quite alien to theirs and immediately feel ecstatic being at the centre of uncouth and crude conglomeration of barbarians. Is being civilized mean the state where you find yourselves higher than the rest of the populace isolated and self-centered, obsessed with the betterment of the self? Or is it the state of mind regardless of the surrounding conditions when you can tolerate weaknesses and clumsiness of others around you, where you see yourself as weak as others but is keen to be a blessing for them with the limited resources you are provided with? Isn’t being civilized a glorious state where one can overlook a few mistakes, look beyond the exterior into the beautiful hearts and forgive people around? Think about, I will exactly that.

Love

If there is one word on our planet that is being used, misused and reused, it could be the word Love. Every body, man, woman, child needs and responds to love as we are provided with a heart to love and to be loved. No wonder love became the most talked after and sort after term. The moment a baby is born, it feels out of place in the chaotic environment compared to the quiet, dark and safe womb of its mother, until it feels the warmth and expressions of love from the mother herself. Love is the support or the more intellectual may call it the ‘crutch’ on which we humans lean on as we take on life’s challenges. Have you noticed the variations or shades of love around? Is a mother’s love the same as the love you have for your friends? Is it the same love that you share with your friends that you share with your life partner? Will you love your neighbour the same way as your brother or sister? Yes, love, affection, fondness, adoration, liking do carry with them different hues. There is the love that we love humanity as a whole which is quite general and often mingled with sympathy and there is the love which you feel toward a person of opposite sex looking first at the outward which gradually intensifies at the likeness of thoughts and dreams that you share. And there is yet another love that causes you to sacrifice all you possess for the better of that one person who matters most in your life. But there is one love which surpasses all this, the love that stands above circumstances, that never wavers but is the same no matter what. It is unconditional and has no strings attached. It is the love of God. It is He who causes the sun to rise on the good and the bad, causes good to triumph over evil and inspires us to love each other. His love cannot be measured as it is beyond our comprehension, limited as we are with our mortal bodies bound in time and space, yet He has shown His love by giving His life in place of our own as a perfect ransom for our liberty from the sinful world. So, let us always remember, God is love.

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails." - The Bible

Personal Significance

There is this song that goes, “I want to be a history maker, I want to be a world shaker…” Before you smile and ignore it let us just pause and think about it. Don’t we all wish, desire to be people of significance? Don’t we all dream that one day we would make it big in the wide world? I know about me, when I was in my teens I always wanted to be heard by all which seldom happened. There were better speakers, singers and charming story tellers than me out there, who could keep an audience of 10 – 20 in rapt silence for hours as they related their experiences and exploits of life. Is it wrong to wish that I need to make a mark in the world? No it is not. Is it possible for me? Yes it is. Every one of us can make a positive influence in the society. But how? We need to know our strengths and weaknesses, our motives and our intentions. Anybody who is confident of oneself and least cares of outside opinions can make an influence. But we need to be careful whether it would be a positive or negative one. Greed, selfish ambition can lead people to achieve goals at the expense of other’s lives but dependence on God, a desire to give than to receive, driven by selfless love can make a whole lot of difference in our love-starved world. When this happens it is no longer us that we think about but the people around us and our own personal significance takes a back seat in our life’s journey.

Purpose

Lack of purpose is the doorway to life’s destruction. This can be said in a more popular way as an “idle mind is the devil’s workshop”. What is life all about? What on earth am I here for? What is the point of living? Have you had these thoughts crop up within you? It is a sure sign of something within you that wants to seek the truth, the purpose of our lives on this earth. Every man and woman lives each day with a goal set before them, it could be a short term or a long term one. Often for many, the main purpose of life is to secure a good, well paying job, get married, bring up a new generation and then one day retire and spend their autumn of their lives under the care of their children and grandchildren. Is it wrong to have such goals? No, there is nothing wrong. But is that all life all about? Where, we think, sleep, eat for ourselves, where men become groups and clusters and islands who do no benefit to humanity around, doesnt matter if your neighbor starves through out the day and their children are orphaned? We can make a difference in this world and that’s exactly what we are here for. It was no accident that you are born in this nation in such circumstance as yours. God wants each of us to be a blessing where ever we are. We needn’t be sages or mighty holy men and women to do this. Think about this, search for your purpose, have wider vision for your life in a larger canvas that has the whole wide world as the backdrop…

A Poem

Her Story Nov 14 2002

Her eyes wandered into the dark sky

As if searching an answer to her cry,

Her face shone with tears flowing

As she looked into the emptiness looming.

The waters below shimmered,

As the moon quietly appeared

She held on the railing, her hands still shivered,

With unsure thoughts that emerged…

A solace was all she wanted

In her dull and grey life,

She had found this in her new friend

Who promised her a happy life without end.

They sat at length

And shared their thoughts,

Walked hand in hand and

Listened to the music band

She met more friends of his-

All in search of endless bliss.

They met faithfully

At their ‘den’ for a ‘shot’ daily

It seemed heaven when friends

Sat and shared their finds.

The smoke carried them often

To a land of fantasy and awe

Where reason seemed to blur

Giving way to visions to err.

‘Being pure is not the fashion

Trying all out is the new passion,’

Sang the friends in loud chorus

And danced in their world of chaos.

She laughed at the new found liberty;

And at the binding society

That often kept her chained

And left her dreams maimed.

Yet she heard a voice, or didn’t she?

A faint cry, was it a ‘No’?

She shut her ears and eyes

And followed her friends advice…

She woke up as the sun’s rays

Touched and warmed her face

Familiar faces surrounded her

With worried looks they pondered

What caused a girl so bright

To lose all health and end in this plight?

Mother and father teary faced

Came close to her and embraced.

The doctor arrived with a grim face,

And gave the details of the case –

The girl has AIDS, it can’t be denied

Her unborn child too is destined to die.

And then she felt deserted

The truth left her shattered

Her parents too now stood away

Too scared to touch her, no way!

Alone on the bridge she stood,

Weighing her thoughts for good.

A resting place was all she longed for

To put her soul at peace, nothing more.

“Come to me all who are tired

And I will give you rest,” said

A voice still and small,

But quite distinct from all.

She had heard this before

But could not place it where

Now she knew the Way

Of hope and life without pay.

With eyes that shone bright

With an answer that was right,

She walked away from the bridge

As the night grew light

The rays of the sun warmed the earth

And a new dawned on her.

It is time Nov 8 2002

The streets teem
With lives without a dream;
Mother and daughter take cover,
From the prying eyes and lurking shadows.
Thousands die on the pavements-
Just making room for new tenants!
Hungry eyes in the dark search
For leftovers and crumbs;
Cherubic faces with innocence lost
Throng the streets for the time opportune,
Dirty hands extended they jeer-
Making me think, “Am I a liar?”

We are the light of this world,
But yet they are in darkness
We are the salt of the earth,
But they are fed up with life
We have the living water within
And still they are thirsty
We have the good news
Still they are sad
We are blessed and full
Why should they then starve?

This is the nation that we live in-
The land we pray for day and night.

It is time that we thought back,
To see what our lives lack.
It is time that we stopped our debates
And got started with hearts compassionate;
It is time we took His word
As a command to ‘go into the world’
It is time that we stepped out-
To the streets and the lands in drought,
With his love being the source
Of every smile and hug.
It is time to cover the naked
It is time to feed the hungry
It is time to bind their wounds
It is time to tell there is hope
It is time to show them
The Saviour we know,
That He lives in us
And He loves them all.
It is time…It is time…
It is time…

My Light Oct 1999

“There is no use, you’ve lost it all”
- thus the enemy cries out on my fall.
I lie down low,
With my face pressed down on the floor.
Grief and shame make me blind
Guilt does seem to fill my mind
And in despair I cry out,
“O Lord, all I see is fear and doubt
Surely I’ve put you down,
Never can I make it on my own.
Now I look up to my Maker-
Who can help me through my failure.”
And then I heard the lord say,
“I’m forever with you to stay
For your weakness that you face
All you need is My grace.”
Surely God is my stronghold
And by His power I’m bold
He is Strong to lift me up
In front of my enemies I sup
And so out of joy I shout,
To the powers of darkness about
“Never rejoice over me, my enemy
For though I fall I will rise,
Never will I fear in the darkest night
For the lord my God is my light.”

God in Everything

I know the Bible says that in everything we need to thank God. But I found it really difficult to understand that God allowed even bad things to happen and that we ought to thank Him for that too. The other day I was going through a book by Catherine Marshall called "Something more". In that she too expressed the same problem.But as I was reading through I came across a vision someone had shared which sort of cleared out few things for me. It said , the lady in her vision saw darkness all around her, which is the filth,sin of the world and then a light approached her that surroundng her like a thick blanket and everything around her including the miseries, sickness, death, sin, and the viles. And it seemed to say "This is the presence of God". So she concluded that the presence of God surrounds everything around us and ofcourse ourselves and unless He decides to move out a bit, nothing can change its course or come near us. That was bit comforting for me becuase lot of unpleasant things happened in my life that caused me to question God and feel bitter inside of me. Now this sort of explains that He really was in all this. And God causes all things to work together for good for those who love Him and are called according to His purposes.