Prepare Ye The Way

Our  city  is busy  repairing  roads  in  preparation

the  the world 's  largest  religious  fair  called  the  Maha  Kumbh, a

month  long  Hindu  festival which  will  be  held on  the  banks  of

the  Ganges  River. Pilgrims  from  all  over  India and  the world

will  start arriving in  December  and  many  will  stay  on  till   February  2013.

During  the Advent  season let  us  prepare  the  road  for  Jesus

to be  present  in  all  our  celebration. I   am  sharing  an  article  I  liked.

from  www.leadlikejesus.com

Building Roads for Christmas

By Steve Cartin in on November 29, 2012

Prepare the way of the Lord; Make straight in the desert A highway for our God. Every valley shall be exaltedAnd every mountain and hill brought low; The crooked places shall be made straightAnd the rough places smooth (Isaiah 40:3b-4)

Twenty-six days until we celebrate the birth of our Savior. So much to be done. Shopping lists stare us in the face. Holiday gatherings quickly fill our calendars. Such a busy time of the year, busy with opportunities for sharing the joy of Christ in unique ways.

Isaiah prophesied the Messiah’s coming, hundreds of years before the humble birth in Bethlehem. His words told not only of a coming event – they urged personal preparation: The Messiah’s coming must be prepare for in order to receive in its fullness.

All around us are opportunities to prepare the way of the Lord, opportunities to carve out highways in a desert of souls for the coming King of Kings. In Lead Like Jesus we use the progressive framework of the Transformational Journey: (1) Personal Leadership, (2) One-on-One Leadership, (3) Team/Family Leadership, and (4)
Organizational/Community Leadership. Praying through the Transformational Journey model helps us identify opportunities for creating inroads for the gospel in this Christmas season.

On the Personal level, where are the deserts in your own soul, the dry spots in your spiritual experience?

In the One-on-One arena, with whom are you working to build trust through the patient, kind, humble, other-serving/other-seeking love of 1 Cor 13? How is that going?

As you work with Teams in ministry or other settings or with Family, how well are you honoring their diversity and the power of teamwork?

At the Organizational or Community level, are you pointing those you lead to the higher purpose for which you have gathered together?

The desert of our days requires new energy for building roads upon which feet who bring good news can travel. Like points on a compass, the four stops on the Transformation Journey can guide us to go into all of our world as we prayerfully seek where the Lord is leading us this Christmas season.

 

The Percentage of Thankfulness

Not me its the other guy

I AM . ..       THE OTHER GUY IS


TOLERANT -   LACKING CONVICTION



FRUGAL -        STINGY



CARING -        A GOSSIP



HONEST  -       INSENSITIVE



HOPEFUL -      NAÏVE



A REALIST       TOO NEGATIVE



SENSITIVE       LACKING COURAGE



FORGETFUL    INSINCERE



JUST                    UNFORGIVING



NUANCED          INCONSISTENT



HONESTLY MISTAKEN -      DECEIVED



GENEROUS-    A SPENDTHRIFT



A PEACE MAKER - A COMPROMISER



HARD WORKING -  A BROWN-NOSER



EASY GOING  -      LAZY



DISCIPLINED-  WOUND TOO TIGHT



DISCERNING  -  JUDGMENTAL



HUMAN -     AN IDIOT



LOVING -    SENTIMENTAL



A DISCIPLINARIAN - HARSH



COMMITTED     - RIGID



MERCIFUL   - WISHY-WASHY



VERY SOCIAL - A GADABOUT



UNDERSTANDING - SPINELESS



DELIBERATIVE - INDECISIVE



BOLD     - RISKY



RELIABLE  -  INFLEXIBLE



DECISIVE-  SHORT-SIGHTED



SOPHISTICATED- A SNOB



PRINCIPLED - A RELIGIOUS LEGALIST



DETAIL  ORIENTED - OBSESSIVE



ORDERED  - CONTROLLING

1.The essence of all religion, including Christian religion, is to excuse ourselves and accuse others.

2.Without the resurrection power of the new creation at work in our lives, every virtue will eventually become a vice. The essence of the manifested life of Christ is not the acquisition of moral virtues. Fundamentalist moralism of all sorts is a counterfeit gospel.

3.Only the Holy Spirit, in and through us, can effectively administer the right grace, for the right need, in the right way, at the right time, for the right person, for the right reason. Virtue exercised outside of His administration, is no virtue at all.

Marvel not that you all must be born again – John 3:7

Be constantly being filled with the Spirit – Ephesians 5:18

(Dr  Stephen   Crosby)
www.swordofthekingdom.com

Rock Of Ages

People  are  quick  to  despise  and  condemn  a broken person,  but  not  God.
Psalm 51;17  says
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; A broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise.

In fact God  accepts  my  broken  spirit  as  a  sacrifice . He  welcomes  me  in  my crushed  broken  state. Isn 't  that  awesome - a  real  self  esteem   booster.

This  old  hymn is  echoing  in  my  hear  this  afternoon as I  present  my  broken  spirit  as  a sacrifice  to  God.

Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
let me hide myself in thee;
let the water and the blood,
from thy wounded side which flowed,
be of sin the double cure;
save from wrath and make me pure.


2. Not the labours of my hands
can fulfil thy law's commands;
could my zeal no respite know,
could my tears forever flow,
all for sin could not atone;
thou must save, and thou alone.


3. Nothing in my hand I bring,
simply to the cross I cling;
naked, come to thee for dress;
helpless, look to thee for grace;
foul, I to the fountain fly;
wash me, Savior, or I die.


4. While I draw this fleeting breath,
when mine eyes shall close in death,
when I soar to worlds unknown,
see thee on thy judgement throne,
Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
let me hide myself in thee.

The  above  photos   are  from rock  formations   found  in  Spain
El Torcal de Antequera is a nature reserve in the Sierra del Torcal mountain range located south of the city of Antequera, in Spain. It is known for its unusual limestone formations and magnificent geology formed over millions of years. El Torcal de Antequera Nature Reserve has one of the most impressive landscapes in Europe. It’s not very far from human habitation either. The reserve can be reached via the village of Villanueva de la Concepción, just 10 kilometres from the town of Antequera, and 20 kilometres north of Málaga.

Lord of the Sheep

Once  there  were  many  sheep in my

garden

Now  only  one  is  left.

I  miss  the  times  when  this  house  was  full

of people. There  were 3  to 4  generations

living together sharing  our  joys  and  sorrows,

struggles  and  triumphs,

making  concessions for  one  another,

overlooking  faults  and  failures,

lifting  one another up

and  most  of  all trying to

show  Christ  to  the  world.

Now  I  live alone  here 

but 

 the Good Shepherd  comforts me

in  times  of  confusion

and  restlessness.

When  I  need  counsel and  an

encouraging  good  word ,

which  is  ever  so often,

He sends that too.

When  I  am  wounded  and  bleeding

He  applies  the  balm  of  Gilead

on  the  hurt.

The  challenges  of  my  life

are  great, but  God

will  not  let  me  down.

John 10

So Jesus said to them again, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. 8 All who came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. 9 I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.





11 “ I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep. 12 He who is a hired hand, and not a shepherd, who is not the owner of the sheep, sees the wolf coming, and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. 13 He flees because he is a hired hand and is not concerned about the sheep. 14 I am the good shepherd, and I know My own and My own know Me, 15 even as the Father knows Me and I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. 16 I have other sheep, which are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will hear My voice; and they will become one flock with one shepherd. 17 For this reason the Father loves Me, because I lay down My life so that I may take it again. 18 No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down on My own initiative. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This commandment I received from My Father
(THE BIBLE)

The  photos  show  the  movie  set  of  The  Lord  of  the Rings  which  has  been turned  into  a  sheep  farm.

Invisible People

I  am  a  single  person  and  I  have  many  friends, but  at  my   age  most  of   them  are  married  and  busy at  work or  home. The  only   single  people  I  know  are  either  older  than  me  or  younger. My  married  frinds  and their  families  are  very  good but  still  sometimes  I  feel invisible  in  a  crowd - noone   to  kinda  hang  out   with.

My  new  pastor 's  wife ,who  teaches   mathematics  in  a College is  very  gracious and  I  feel  free  to  be in  her  company  in  a large  crowd. Ladies   whose husbands  are  busy   leading  or organizing  a service  or  event sorta   come  together , so  we  can  chat  and  socialize  together  and   meet  friends.

People  think  single  people  have  a  lot  of  freedom and  no  responsibilities. But  that ' s not   altogether  true. I  am  a  care giver  at  heart. After   my   mom  passed  away I  find  it  hard  to  just   take  care  of  myself   only . I  like  cooking for  others,  but  cooking  for  myself  alone  does 't appeal  to  me  very  much. 

Indian  society  is  basically family  oriented.  Single  woemn are   pressurized, patronized   or  pitied. Very few are there to  stand  by  us. On  top  of   that its  a  male  dominated  society  too,  so  its   double  whammy  for  us.

I read  a post  by  Karen Power  on  Her  Blog which  I  found  speaks  for   singes.

Would you pray for your single friends?



 by karenpower

I was made aware of this need this morning at church. Special prayer was given for married couples and the needs of their families. That’s great! Much needed! Yet, I can’t recall one time that there has been prayer for the single adults.

If you’re a single adult, do you sometimes feel invisible?

Seems that others think single adults live the life of luxury. They don’t realize that single adults make up 43% of Americans who are 18 and older (2009). They may not also realize that single’s shoulder ALL the weight and responsibility, if they live alone, of the finances, running daily activities of keeping house, all the details of their lives (groceries, laundry, maintenance, health, other issues) without the benefit of a spouse to help to some degree. They may not realize that if a single adult is sick, no one is there to care for them. Or, if they are stressed, no one is there to for them to lean on or cheer them up … often they may not even have family living close by.

As I sat in the congregation this morning, listening to the prayers for marriages, I wondered just how many in the audience were single. Or how many would love to have someone pray for their specific issues that single adults face daily?

So I’m asking … if you are not single, if you are a pastor or on a church’s staff, would you stop for just a few minutes and think about the single adults in your life and/or church? Would you say a prayer for them?

Sunday Blessings-The Merton Prayer

Bird  on  the  papaya  tree

We  have pruned  our  rose  bushes

and   fertilized  them.

================

MY LORD GOD, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end. Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so. But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you. And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing. I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire. And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road, though I may know nothing about it. Therefore I will trust you always though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death. I will not fear, for you are ever with me, and you will never leave me to face my perils alone.

- Thomas Merton, "Thoughts in Solitude"
© Abbey of Gethsemani

What Kind of Patient Am I?

Photos   from  a  gift  shop  in   the  old  city.

I  am  recovering  from  my  cold,  but  last   night  i  had  a  bad  fall.  I  slipped  on   some  water   on  the  porch  (in   the  dark) and  had   to  struggle  real  hard  to  get  up. My  Sheeba  tried  to  encourage  me   by  wagging   her  tail.  I  did  not  disturb  or  alarm  Mum  and  Aunt, they  were  a  few  feet  away.

Anyway,  my  left  elbow  and  knee  are  quite  painful.  Painkillers   are  doing   for  me.

Let   me  share   this  essay about  patience which  puts  it  in  a  new  light.

  Is Patience Dangerous?


Ed Welch

We can’t work on everything at once so we prioritize. Do you have any particular spiritual priorities right now? Are you focused on anything specific?

Is patience high on your list of priorities?
Is it in the top two or three?
If so—you are in danger. Yes, danger.

“Love is patient, love is kind” (1 Corinthians 13:4). I believe that. Patience covers a good bit of love’s terrain. But consider how it might be dangerous when it becomes our primary agenda.

Patience can be self-righteous
Patience, at least the way we apply it, can mean this: “You are messed up. I’m not. But, being the generous type, I will wait until you finally get it and reach my level.” Too often, patience is actually no agenda at all. The real agenda is for the dolts around us who need to change.

Patience without humility is self-righteousness. It leaves underlying resentment and anger unattended.

Patience can be passive
If we know anything about ourselves, we know that we are not perfect. We expect to have a long agenda for growth and change. Patience, however, tends to just sit around and wait. It has a keener vision for other people’s sins than it does for one’s own sin and weaknesses. This makes it a hopeless goal because it lacks furvor for daily growth. Instead, it waits to be “tried” by people or events.

Patience can be silent
Along with the smug self-righteousness that can seep into patience, another problem is that patience offers no compelling reason to speak with the other person. Patience tends to be silent, and, especially in close relationships, the last thing you want to do is be silent when the other person is being sinful or even irritating. If we are bothered by something that has happened in a relationship, our kingdom instincts should be to speak about the matter in a way that is humble and edifying. From this perspective, I would be so sad if my wife or friends were “patient” with me.

Patience without a willingness to speak openly and in the best interests of the relationship is cowardice, even hatred.

Patience is best when paired with kindness
Yes, patience is a fruit of the Spirit, in which case it works best when it rests on a godly explanation:

The Lord is so patient with me—so patient. And other people have to be patient with me every day. Therefore, it is my honor to be able to extend that patience to others. Usually patience will speak to the other person, sometimes it won’t.

This version is less dangerous. But it could still use an addition. To be safe, we should remember Paul’s words (above) and add kindness. While patience is willing to cover minor offenses, kindness is busy strategizing ways to do good. Patience-kindness is less prone to sitting around and waiting for change in others, and it avoids the arrogance and cowardice that can lie hidden under motives that can be more deceptive than we realize.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Edward T. Welch, M.Div., Ph.D., is a counselor and faculty member at CCEF and holds a Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology with a neuro-psychology specialty from the University of Utah as well as a Master of Divinity degree from Biblical Theological Seminary. Ed has been counseling for over twenty-six years and has written many books and articles on biblical counseling.

Trembling Earth and Heaving Waters

Getting   the  news  about  the  massive  earthquake 

and  tsunami  in  Japan this  afternoon was  so  shocking and  stunning

There  are   tsunami  warnings all across  the  globe.

In 1991  I experienced  an earthquake in

the Himalayas and  although  it

was  of  a lower  magnitude than today's

I  just  cannot  forget  it.

It  took  me  a long  time  to  recover from  it

My  deepest  sympathies are  for  the  people  of  Japan

and  everyone  who  is  under this  untimely  threat.

May  they  experience God 's  protection and  comfort.

They  say  hundreds  have lost their  lives -

apart  from loss of  property.

My  dear  mother  had  a  strange dream early  this  morning.

It  was hours  before the  disaster struck  Japan.

While watching the  news  she  recalled her  dream.

It  was  early  morning  and  there was an earthquake

in  our city.  My  mother  shook me awake 

and  asked  me to gather  all the  important documents

and make an  exit from the  house.

She  also asked  me to take a  blanket for  her

as she would feel  cold in the outdoors.

Mama said  the  dream was very  real.

Maybe  it  was  a   supernatural warning.

God speaks  to  us  through dreams.

The  Bible says

The  name  of the  Lord  is  like  a

strong  tower,

the  righteous run  to it

and  are safe.

We  are  living in perilous  times

as  if  on  the  edge  of  a precipice.

Our lives and times are in the 

hands of  the Lord  God.

How to Hide Jesus -Steve Turner

Photos of  Ashish and Megan  at  the  All  Saint 's  Cathedral. Its  a  landmark heritage  site  of our  city.  This  church  was  built  about  200  years ago  during   the  British Raj.

Both Ashish  and Megan   are  back in Canada. Today (March  10th)  is  Megan 's  birthday. Happy  birthday  Megan.

This  poem  made  me  think  deeply

How to hide Jesus -Steve  Turner

There are people after Jesus.
They have seen the signs.
Quick Lets  hide  Jesus
Let’s think; carpenter,
fishermen’s friend,
disturber of religious comfort.

Let’s award Him a degree in theology,
a purple cassock
and a position of respect.
They’ll never think of looking here.

Let’s think;
His dialect may betray Him,
His tongue is of the masses.
Let’s teach Him Latin
and seventeenth century English,
they’ll never think of listening in.

Let’s think;
humble,
Man of Sorrows,
nowhere to lay His head.
We’ll build a house for Him,
somewhere away from the poor.
We’ll fill it with brass and silence.
It’s sure to throw them off.


There are people after Jesus.
Quick, let’s hide Him.


Poet Steve Turner imagines Jesus being born today “in a downtown motel marked by a helicopter’s flashing bulb…” Steve, rock biographer and journalist, has been writing poetry since the 1970s. He selected 12 of the poems he has written between then and now which are about Jesus. They range from the “animals, stables, stars and babies” of Christmas to the “mattress of stone” on Easter morning.

Taken  from  rejesus,co.uk

Do  visit  this inspiring  website.

May  the  love, passion  and  suffering   of  Christ become  more  real  to us  this  Lent  season

A Telegram From God

It is indeed strange how God speaks to us -
His message can come like a telegram from across the miles- riding over ocean waves -
rolling down snow draped mountains
spiralling over bland desert sands
and echoing into monsoon forests

My friend Sita from Canada sent me a James MacDonald devotional - which I inhaled as life giving oxygen.

I asked for prayer in my last post and have been comforted by the knowledge that many of you are praying for us.
But when one enters
uncharted waters
one can feel nervous and tense.
I 've been on a roller coaster -
feeling strong and brave at one time
and weak and vulnerable at another.
I needed a shot in the arm to boost my feeble faith.
When I opened my Inbox the title of Sita 's email hit me between the eyes -FEAR IS NOT FROM GOD.
It came as a red letter message from God.
Thank you Sita

Thank you God for sending me Your Word.

Here is the precious reminder from James MacDonald. My dear friends continue to pray for us


Stir it Up!

"For this reason, I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands, for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control." - 2 Timothy 1:6-7


I've mentioned in the past about my love for messing around with fire. And when a fire dies down, that's my favorite part - kick it and blow on it and stir it up a little bit.


You have faith! How's that faith going? You say, "Well, it's getting a little dormant." Stir it up! Stir it up! Let's get it going. Let's fire that thing up again. You're like, "Well, James, if I really fire it up for the Lord, I've got to tell you, when I think about doing that, there is stuff that comes into my mind. Like, but what if... And How is that going to affect me at work? How is that going to affect..." Fill in the blank.


We all have times like that. Timothy was feeling that.
Listen up. You have nothing to fear. These verses in 2 Timothy really gripped me. You have nothing to fear circumstantially because God has given you power. Do you see it in the text? You have power!


A Christian has nothing to fear. Nothing. If you struggle with fear, if you are fearful about some things, this will help. That feeling of fear is not from God, it's just not.


God did NOT give you a spirit of fear.
God did NOT give you an attitude of fear.
God did NOT give you a problem with fear.
He gave you something else - POWER.


God gave you power.


The idea is that you have nothing to fear—not circumstances, not anything.

The word "power" is dunamis, from which we get our word dynamite.
It means to act and accomplish. Most often in the New Testament, it is used in close connection to the Holy Spirit. The Spirit of God controlling you produces an attitude that is powerful. Here is the apostle Paul facing momentary execution. He has maybe hours or minutes to live and what does he want to do? He wants to write a letter to Timothy to encourage him.
Who does that? Someone with a spirit of power. There is nothing that can happen to you that you can't - with God's help - get on top of. I am telling you the truth. Paul faced it. Timothy was facing it. I have faced it. And in God's power, you can, too.
You have nothing to fear.

Your Father

One day a poor bedraggled black slave fleeing for his life limped up to a rich cultivator 's house.Weak with hunger and thirst he knocked at the door.

The lady of the house dressed in fine clothes opened the door and looked at him questioningly.

The man twisted his battered hat nervously in his hand and said, ' Mam, I have not eaten for two days, please can you give me something to put into my aching belly."

The woman sighed deeply as she examined his shabby smelly form. "Meet me at the back door," she said and disappeared into the house.

The man waited politely on the back porch while the lady fetched him a bowl of soup and a few slices of bread. Handing him the food she gazed at him with her piercing blue eyes." You know the Lord' s prayer - Out Father which art in heaven, say it before you begin to eat.Tell God how grateful you are for this food." she commanded.

The hapless man hesitated, beads of perspiration shining on his ebony forehead. Holding the bowl in his trembling hands, he lifted his eyes towards heaven started to pray,"Your Father which art in heaven." "Stop,' barked the lady, her face red with irritation," What are you praying? Don' t you know the prayer begins with Our Father not Your Father. Say it the right way."

The black man sadly shook his head and put down the food on the ground near the lady 's well shod feet. Then putting his hat back on his head he said, 'No Mistress, if he was our father , you would have invited me into your house and fed me on your front porch at least, " With that he turned around and walked away from the silent house.

The days of slavery are over but prejudices and divides exist all over the world. In my country there are walls of class, caste, religion , language, economy etc. We have to demolish these barriers for the sake of Christ and humanity.

19Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God's people and members of God's household, 20built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. 21In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. 22And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.
Ephesians 2 (New Testament)

1My brothers, as believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, don't show favoritism. 2Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in shabby clothes also comes in. 3If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, "Here's a good seat for you," but say to the poor man, "You stand there" or "Sit on the floor by my feet," 4have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?
5Listen, my dear brothers: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him?.

James 2 (New Testament)

Choices

Sometimes God prepares us for what is coming later on in the day by a godly word. I received the following devotional in my email which calmed my spirit and made me put on the whole armour of God (Eph 6) when my mother and I came under heavy spiritual attack tonight.The Lord helped us to hold up the shield of faith to deflect the flaming arrows of the enemy.When the enemy comes like a Tsunami wave my anchor holds fast.
Thank you to THE SOLID ROCK.



I choose love . . .No occasion justifies hatred; no injustice warrants bitterness. I choose love. Today I will love God and what God loves.



I choose joy . . .I will invite my God to be the God of circumstance. I will refuse the temptation to be cynical . . . the tool of the lazy thinker. I will refuse to see people as anything less than human beings, created by God. I will refuse to see any problem as anything less than an opportunity to see God.



I choose peace . . .I will live forgiven. I will forgive so that I may live.

I choose patience . . .I will overlook the inconveniences of the world. Instead of cursing the one who takes my place, I’ll invite him to do so. Rather than complain that the wait is too long, I will thank God for a moment to pray. Instead of clinching my fist at new assignments, I will face them with joy and courage.



I choose kindness . . .I will be kind to the poor, for they are alone. Kind to the rich, for they are afraid. And kind to the unkind, for such is how God has treated me.



I choose goodness . . .I will go without a dollar before I take a dishonest one. I will be overlooked before I will boast. I will confess before I will accuse. I choose goodness.



I choose faithfulness . . .Today I will keep my promises. My debtors will not regret their trust. My associates will not question my word. My wife will not question my love. And my children will never fear that their father will not come home.



I choose gentleness . . .Nothing is won by force. I choose to be gentle. If I raise my voice may it be only in praise. If I clench my fist, may it be only in prayer. If I make a demand, may it be only of myself.

I choose self-control . . .I am a spiritual being. After this body is dead, my spirit will soar. I refuse to let what will rot, rule the eternal.
I choose self-control.
I will be drunk only by joy. I will be impassioned only by my faith. I will be influenced only by God. I will be taught only by Christ. I choose self control.



Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. To these I commit my day. If I succeed, I will give thanks. If I fail, I will seek his grace. And then, when this day is done, I will place my head on my pillow and rest.



From When God Whispers Your Name Copyright (Thomas Nelson, 1999) Max Lucado

Aunt Virginia was moved out of Intensive care today and hopefully she will be discharged from hospital day after tomorrow.

But please keep on praying, she is being very difficult and creating problems for everyone involved in looking after her including us.

Please pray for my mother and me as we face spiritual attacks.

Keeping Cool

To protect themselves from the blazing sun people venture out covered from head to foot.

Not I . I carry an umbrella.That 's enough for me.

Here is a girl all cocooned and wearing gloves. Tickles me to see the whole of India

going about dressed like bandits and Bedouins (exaggeration) LOL.

Cooling off at MacDonald 's. People putting in their orders.

A group of college girls having fun.

A young family sharing food together. I couldn' t help noticing they shared small burger (maybe veg) and a few french fries and one coke between them. Eating out is not cheap and everyone likes to do it once in a while.

I asked the little girl what her name was. Her name is Pari (Purry) which means fairy.

She looked like a little fairy. She was dressed in breezy summer clothes so cute.

Milka and Abner having ice cream.

Abner and an ice lolly in the children' s park.

CONFESSION

Please don 't misunderstand me but being a single, disabled, unemployed woman I sometimes feel very weak, anaemic,insecure and vulnerable. I need to strengthen my feeble knees as the Bible says. I need to grasp the Vine (Jesus) with whatever strength I have.

I am thinking of Romans 7

18I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature.[c] For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. 20Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.
21So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22For in my inner being I delight in God's law; 23but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. 24What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? 25Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God's law, but in the sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.

But I will go on to Romans 8 and grasp at the rays of hope and promise.

12Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation—but it is not to the sinful nature, to live according to it. 13For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live, 14because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. 15For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship.[g] And by him we cry, "Abba,[h] Father." 16The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. 17Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.
Future Glory 18I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. 19The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. 20For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope 21that[i] the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God.

Oh the joy of sweet deliverance...liberation!

I am deeply indebted to my family, friends, saints of God for your prayers and support.

Without you I would be like a bowl of runny Jello.

Search Your Calcutta

I read Mary Poplin 's 'Finding Calcutta ' recently and it triggered

a mini revival in my heart.

I strongly recommend this book to all my readers

because I know all of you want

to make a difference with your life.

I have read a lot about Mother Teresa and have visited the local Missionaries of

Charity Malnutrition Center, but was never

shown this panorama of her life and work.

The book made me think about my own commitment to

serving Christ and my willingness to

suffer for Him.

And look at people around me through the eyes of Jesus.

About the Book
"Find the sick, the suffering and the lonely right there where you are. . . . You can find Calcutta all over the world, if you have the eyes to see." --Mother Teresa
Lifelong educator Mary Poplin, after experiencing a new found awakening to faith, sent a letter to Calcutta asking if she could visit Mother Teresa and volunteer with the Missionaries of Charity. She received a response saying, "You are welcome to share in our works of love for the poorest of the poor." So in the spring of 1996, Poplin spent two months in Calcutta as a volunteer. There she observed Mother Teresa's life of work and service to the poor, participating in the community's commitments to simplicity and mercy. Mother Teresa's unabashedly religious work stands in counter cultural contrast to the limitations of our secular age.
Poplin's journey gives us an inside glimpse into one of the most influential lives of the twentieth century and the lessons Mother Teresa continues to offer. Upon Poplin's return, she soon discovered that God was calling her to serve the university world with the same kind of holistic service with which Mother Teresa served Calcutta.
Not everyone can go to Calcutta. But all of us can find our own meaningful work and service. Come and answer the call to find your Calcutta!

(All the above photos have been taken from the Internet)

Here are some reviews

Having been the spiritual director of the Missionaries of Charity in Asia for many years, I read Mary Poplin’s book with keen interest and fond memories of these remarkable women. Finding Calcutta is a love story between God and two women, Mother Teresa and the author. In describing her encounter and the lessons learned with ‘God’s pencil,’ Mary Poplin has penned ’something beautiful for God.’ This book not only captures the spirituality of Mother Teresa and her sisters but also reminds us of an important principle in spiritual formation that God taught its author: our own Calcutta is most often right smack where we are.” — –Albert Haase, O.F.M., director, School of Spirituality at Mayslake Ministries, and author of Coming Home to Your True Self: Leaving the Emptiness of False Attractions

“If you’ve ever wondered what it would be like to be a worldly California academic curious enough to volunteer in Mother Teresa’s Calcutta Mission, prepare to be surprised. After struggling to translate her experience there for a secular audience, Dr. Poplin has ended by translating her readers into Mother Teresa’s own unfamiliar, spiritual dimension. Watch out–you will not be able to keep from meditating.” — –C. John Sommerville, author of The Decline of the Secular University

“In this poignant, elegant, humble memoir, Poplin gives us far more than Mother Teresa or even another Mother Teresa story. She gives us instead the Jesus and the Christianity that operated through Mother Teresa. Poplin’s experience of finding Calcutta irrevocably changed her soul. It will change yours as well.” — –Phyllis Tickle, former religion editor, Publishers Weekly, and compiler of The Divine Hours

“Mary Poplin seeks to integrate her experience with Mother Teresa into her work and life and to come together with others who hunger and thirst. This book can be a platform to gather those of us so disposed so that the flame is not lost and will continue to produce abundant fruit, fruits of eternal life.” — –Father Angelo Devananda Scolozzi, U.F.W., Centro de Espiritualidad Madre Teresa, Chihuahua, Mexico

“Mary Poplin takes us on a pilgrimage toward clarity about who we are and what our life amounts to. The pilgrimage is simultaneously through Calcutta and through the heart of the ’sophisticated’ dynamics of university life in America. As it proceeds we gain a better understanding of the social forces that govern the university in the name of intellect–but falsely so. It will be of special help to those engaged in academic life, at whatever level. They will find here a guide who has been grasped by God and enabled to see that life and the surrounding cultural world for what they really are, and what under God they could be.” — –Dallas Willard, professor of philosophy, University of Southern California, and author of The Divine Conspiracy and Hearing God

Not everyone can go to Calcutta (now renamed Kolkata). But all of us can find our own place of service. Come let us find our Calcutta.