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.

Cooling Off

Today I started my small air convector room coolerIt a relief in the afternoon heat.

I am not running the cooler in the evenings though

to try get used to the heat

and it gets in the way also.

We will fix the window desert water cooler

later on which is more powerful.

Can 't imagine we were shivering in the cold just two and a half months ago.

Today we' ve had intermitent power cuts apart from the routine 3 hours.

The electricity dept. is sending us a veiled SMS -

Be prepared for the heat , dust and darkness. LOL

Just before she left Namrita, my sister got
henna (tattoos) on her hands.
It is a rare thing in the state where she lives,
so it was a special thing to 'take ' back from home.
This is real henna paste.
Its leaves a red / orange mark.
Many women dye their hair with henna.
It is a very good hair conditioner when mixed with
egg white and lemon juice.
You can add methi (fenugreek) paste to it .
I have also used it many times.
Henna has an over all cooling effect on the skin.
Its good for the summer.



Henna tattoos fade after a few days but
there is an engraving that can never fade away.
The names of God 's children
engraved on His hands.

15 "Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you!
16 See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands;

Isaiah 49 (Old Testament)

What an awesome reality!

My name

is tattooed on God' s palm.

Its OK if the Queen,

Bill Gates or

Barak Obama doesn 't know who I am.

Walk the Talk

God is not a distant impersonal force

disinterested in the affairs of men.

He converses with us through His creation,

His recorded Word - The Holy Bible,

His Spirit speaking to us ,

His people,

and I believe God speaks to us through

the various circumstances of our lives.

I found this "Interview With God" on the web.

Herein is valuable wisdom

I dreamt I had an interview with God. "Come in," God said. "So, you would like to interview Me?"
"If you have the time," I said.
God smiled and said: "My time is eternity and is enough to do everything; what questions do you have in mind to ask me?"
"What surprises you most about mankind?"
God answered:
"That they get bored of being children, are in a rush to grow up, and then long to be children again.
That they lose their health to make money and then lose their money to restore their health.
That by thinking anxiously about the future, they forget the present, such that they live neither for the present nor the future.
That they live as if they will never die, and they die as if they had never lived…"
God’s hands took mine and we were silent for a while and then I asked…"As a parent, what are some of life’s lessons you want your children to learn?"
God replied with a smile:
"To learn that they cannot make anyone love them. What they can do is to let themselves be loved.
To learn that what is most valuable is not what they have in their lives, but who they have in their lives.
To learn that it is not good to compare themselves to others. All will be judged individually on their own merits, not as a group on a comparison basis!
To learn that a rich person is not the one who has the most, but is one who needs the least.
To learn that it only takes a few seconds to open profound wounds in persons we love, and that it takes many years to heal them.
To learn to forgive by practicing forgiveness.
To learn that there are persons that love them dearly, but simply do not know how to express or show their feelings.
To learn that money can buy everything but happiness.
To learn that two people can look at the same thing and see it totally differently.
To learn that a true friend is someone who knows everything about them…and likes them anyway.
To learn that it is not always enough that they be forgiven by others, but that they have to forgive themselves."
I sat there for a while enjoying the moment. I thanked Him for his time and for all that He has done for me and my family, and He replied, "Anytime. I’m here 24 hours a day. All you have to do is ask for me, and I’ll answer."
People will forget what you said.People will forget what you did,but people will never forget how you made them feel.
~ Source Unknown ~

I found the thoughts in there really awesome specially the sentence

"a rich person is not the one who has the most,

but the one who needs the least".

Never looked at it this way.

I need to practice it more in my life

I find myself desiring much more than I really need.

Yesterday afternoon my Pastor 's wife Sunila had a Ladies Fellowship

prayer meeting at her place.

She is pursuing Bachelor of Theology at the Seminary,

the ladies were her fellow students and teachers.

Auntie Clara gave the message.She is also fondly called Bishop Auntie
as she is the Bishop 's wife.
She taught at the seminary for several years
and even after retirement she is involved in women 's ministry.
She took us through various passages in the New Testament
in which women came to Jesus with their
physical and spiritual problem s and how He responded.
She began by talking about our Indian tradition of touching
the feet of elders as a mark of respect
and submission. In return the elders
lay a hand on the person 's head and pronounce a blessing.
Similarly when we submit ourselves at Jesus ' feet
we are not denied a blessing.


Some of the sisters.
The woman on the right is married.
I could tell that by the mangal stutra (marriage necklace)
she was wearing.

Anuradha on the left is a new convert awaiting her baptism
with her husband.They have a 5 year old daughter.
Please pray for her, she lost two 4 month old
pregnancies in the past one year.
She has to take extra care.
Anu radha is a housewife. They come to our church.


Reading the scripture

Praying for each other.

A sister from Germany on the right.

She was the leader.

After the meeting we were served tea

with potato patties.

(In the west they are known as turn overs,

stuffed pastry triangles)

and kheer - sweet rice pudding.

You can see the patties here.

Mrs S, from South India.

She teaches Old Testament.

There were about 50 people.

So no leftovers after tea.

Tomorrow is our Friday church prayer meeting

and on Saturday morning there

is a ladies outreach meeting at the seminary.