For those who love apples and blackberries

Sounds like some of my blog posts!

Christmas 2.0

(HT: Z)

If a Larger Population meant more Land, this is what the World Map would look like...

And where would Australia, for example, be?!

(HT: 22 Words)

What You Celebrate as a Church Is Just as Important as What You Believe

This is so true, and so important.

Trevin Wax writes:

"What your congregation celebrates corporately is just as important as what your church affirms doctrinally. Celebrate the gospel, and cross-cultural ministry will bubble up in surprising ways. Celebrate your church’s preferential distinctions, and your congregation will become an insular group of like-minded individuals."

Do click over to his blog to read examples of what he means, and his justification for this statement.

Some more Quotes to think about

1. "To preach instead over people’s heads, is to forget who they are. As Spurgeon once commented, ‘Christ said, “Feed my sheep … Feed my lambs.” Some preachers, however, put the food so high that neither lambs nor sheep can reach it. They seem to have read the text, “Feed my giraffes” "

John Stott Between Two Worlds

(HT: Doug Wolter)


(Doug Wolter has also written another article worth thinking about : 7 reasons why Pastors should teach a Preschool Class





2. "I have read in Plato and Cicero sayings that are very wise and very beautiful; but I never read in either of them “Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden.” – Augustine

(HT: It's a Beautiful Gospel)

3.
"Of all hypocrites, grant that I may not be
an evangelical hypocrite,
who sins more safely because grace abounds,
who tells his lusts that Christ's blood
cleanseth them,
who reasons that God cannot cast him into hell,
for he is saved,
who loves evangelical preaching, churches,
Christians, but lives unholily.

A Puritan prayer from the book Valley of Vision.

(HT: Josh Harris)

How to speak Christianese

(HT: 22 Words)

Namrata's first birthday

It was such a joy to celebrate Namrata's birthday in Kerala, surrounded by the 24RR family. Arpita had taken a cake from Vellore.









We love you, so much, little girl! Though it has been such a short time, it feels like we have known you forever! You have added so much life and fun to our home. We are so glad God has given you to us.

(PS: more pictures from our Kerala trip can be found at Flickr)

Dad-da!

These are some of the most exhilarating and satisfying moments of the day....when Namrata tries to catch my attention with a loud "Dad-da!"

I think she enjoys it as much as I do!

I will put up a birthday post soon.....

Wow! She's WALKING!

For quite some time now, Namrata has been standing without support. However, she seemed scared to try and take her first steps. If she wanted to get from one place to the other, she would think about it for awhile.......then drop to all fours, and crawl!

Occasionally, if distracted by something in her hands, she would take the first couple of steps, and then, as soon as she realised what was happening, drop onto fours, as before.

A few days ago, she decided she had had enough, and then, all of a sudden, began trying to walk. It was hilarious.

However, she has already become a lot more confident and steady on her feet.

The next phase begins.........!

Advent Traditions

This season leading up to Christmas, we have been trying out a number of traditions.

Every Sunday, we have been trying to follow a free Advent book we found online Born a Child and Yet a King

We have been lighting Advent Candles, (and adding another candle every week up to Christmas) , and singing some amazing hymns. Today, we sang "Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus", an amazingly beautiful hymn, full of rich meaning, and found that two of the verses were written as recently as 1978 by Mark Hunt (the other two verses were written in 1744 by Charles Wesley). It is difficult to find the complete lyrics on the internet (due to copyright issues), but you can find them in the Advent book I have mentioned earlier.

Everyday, we have been following Ann Voskamp's Jesse Tree Advent devotional book. Anand enjoys pinning up the picture for the day on his own home-made Jesse Tree.

Every night, before sleeping, inspired by Molly Piper's story, Arpita has been reading Luke chapter 2 aloud to Anand. He enjoys it. Yesterday, we were listening to a Gaither Vocal Band Christmas CD Still the Greatest Story Ever Told while eating, when Anand suddenly stopped eating, sat up straight, pointed to the CD player, and said, "Look, he's reading from Chapter Two!"

As we get closer to Christmas, we will take out our figurines and re-construct our nativity scene as we did last year.

I'm interested in knowing what traditions you are following.........

Anand's third birthday

Some photos from Anand's third birthday on November 23rd. Its so hard to believe our little boy is now three!

We had a great time of celebration over the weekend. Prashanth, Jo, Tammy and Dad drove down from Bangalore, and we had invited some other families over for dinner. Jo had baked the yummiest cake in the shape of a teddy bear, along with a whole set of cookies, and Arpita, as usual, managed to put together a rich spread for dinner.

Anand thoroughly enjoyed himself, and especially enjoyed unwrapping and discovering the various gifts he received. A week ago, he had invited his grandmother in Bangalore to come for his birthday party, and then told her, "Don't forget to bring me a gift!"

And yes, he did receive some amazing gifts!







Thank you all for your love and affection.Many of you have sent such sweet messages of love and blessing. We feel so blessed. Do continue to support us as a family in prayer.

Anand's dump-truck, and Namrata's opinion of it !

Anand's excitement after 'baking pie-cakes'

Namrata waves 'Tata' and blows a flying kiss.

Some more photos

Some more photos on Flickr

Praying before sleeping




Stained glass painting



The million dollar smile

Trip to Delhi

Here are some snaps from our recent trip to Delhi.Thank you all for praying for us. We had a great time, and it was wonderful to meet up with most of the family (we missed Juliana and the kids). It was especially such a joy to see Yuval. We are now looking forward to the next family reunion in Kerala for Pritica's wedding.

On the way to Delhi



Family Dinner at the Islamic Institute



The formal family snap.....almost!



You can view more pictures at  Flickr.

(I will be putting up more photos over the next few days)

(BTW, does Flickr work well for you? Is it convenient to view photos we put up from time to time, or should I be doing something differently?)

What Kindergarten should be about.....

Here's a fun topic for discussion.

Our neighbor sent me this article she had read. We've been discussing preschools and the public school options for our children (since public schools are our only real option. Private schools run around $12,000 - $20,000 a year/child and public schools are completely free). I'm pasting the article she sent and then my mom's reaction to it. My mom started her professional career as a public school teacher, so she was a natural starting point for me to get good solid advice from.

http://www.bethesdamagazine.com/magazine/2010-09-10/surviving-kindegarten.shtml

Here's my mom's reaction:

Kindergarten should be fun, learning through play--as should much of 1st grade.

...no homework unless it's having the parents read to them--which is already done in my grandbaby-girls' home.

Much of kindergarten & first grade, besides the learning through play is learning how to stand in line, engage in multi-individual activities, learning social norms like not hitting or biting and eating "fun" nutritional foods on a schedule and in groups, showing & developing "group table manners," and dressing felt girls & boys in appropriate clothing for the weather, learning the calander day of the week & month...

Exposure to poetry, music and all other wonderful leisures in life should be just that, leisurely activities (or play), like for instance, "acting out a poem," and maybe learning some lines because they're catchy and it makes their mouth feel good when they say the words, or given long streaming nylon or silk scarves and instructed to fly their scarves to the music (then listening becomes a whole body/sensory experience).

Intellectual learning does take place in both kindergarten & first grade, but k & 1st grade are really years of solidifying all their learning to date, plus the social memes.  K & 1st demonstrate a child's learning in their first few years of life and expose them to the learning of their peers and the beginnings of reading.

Learning letter sounds, initial sounds, ending sounds, middle sounds is as academic I would require of kindergarteners. 

Kindergarten is a time when kids get to "show" how much they know!!! 'so 'they'll hopefully become comfortable in a classroom setting so that when, in latter 1st grand & 2nd grades when something is hard for them, they'll be comfortable enough to raise their hand and ask for help, knowing they'll figure it out with help of a good teacher.

2nd grade is when children really begin to tackle new skills, reading, math, penmanship, big things like the world, art, etc. (even though these skills are started in k & 1st).  These are big skills to learn and the brain has to be ready. 

So, in my opinion Kindergarten & the 1st 1/2 of 1st grade are Prep for reading, writing, math and the performance thereof.

Stressing a little person out when so you and still in need of a lot of nurture is taking it a little far in my mind. 

 **************

It's probably that I'm my mother's daughter, but I tend to have a similar philosophy on academics. Our girls are incredibly bright. They both are. We can already see strengths that each one of them have and we'll encourage each one of our girls in the way they need to be encouraged. And, we will cherish these things in our hearts our whole lives.

I was recently reading a book on parenting that talked about brain development in children at 18 months, 5 years and then the age of a third grader. And, it was also talking about how some children have the abilities to learn to read at three or four years old, but that is not necessarily ideal thing for their overall growth and development. The book, I'm referencing is titled: "Nurture Shock". It's a great read for anyone interested.

I also realize that there are likely significant cultural differences involved when talking about education in India and America and Europe and China, etc. Nevertheless, I would be interested to hear any thoughts or insights you may have as you too have a stake in our girls!

Love,
juliana

Things that make me cry….outdated blogposts!

While in Delhi, I found a box of children’s books that Father is collecting, (I assume) to entertain visiting grandkids. I heard him read Anand a story about an owl thinking of sad things, so that he could cry and collect his tears for salt water tea. Teaspoons fallen behind kitchen cabinets, stories that are incomplete because of missing pages, songs that couldn’t be sung because of forgotten words… the list goes on and is heart breaking. Made me think of another item on the list ....outdated/unpublished blog posts…. I wrote this a long time ago (I didn’t have 24/7 connectivity!), became irrelevant as time went on… but was crying to see the light of day!

Written in May 2010, while still in Bangalore as ‘replies to posts’ accumulated over a few months…..
Here’s something I read recently that made me think of relationships, communication, dialogue, and this blog….
“A Dialogue is always an adventure, because we never know where it is going to take us. Through dialogue a relationship comes into being and continues to constitute itself. Dialogue is its life-blood. Dialogue is a dance of self expression where experiences and concerns are shared, where ideas and values are explored, and where feelings and meanings are identified. Dialogue holds the tension of common critical reflection and mutual questions that serve to spark new insights. True communication always includes the continuous excitement of learning. As I listen to other persons, I participate in the mystery of their becoming. As I reveal who I am to the other, I discover myself in a new way. Dialogue is a two-way flow of energy, a giving and a receiving.” Stephens Sims (Seeking the way of love)

I’ve nearly reached the end of my time here in Asha Niketan Bangalore. Two years ago, Anugrah told me, ‘write a blog’. I had no idea what a blog was, and certainly no inclination to write one. As the above quote describes, and if this blog is a form of dialogue, I realize it’s hard for me to give of myself. Acknowledging and accepting my weakness, here, I write, though I’d rather not!

Was good to have Father in the community. Yesterday Kanna spoke of ‘Tu tu tu’s APPA. So father, your presence was felt! (Tu tu tu is kanna’s name for me) Also used his internet card which was fun. I read some of the old posts and felt bad that I never got round to responding or even writing my own post.

Pradeep, when I was in Hyderabad last month we all enjoyed seeing Anand’s mountain climbing and Easter celebration photos. The stick and string man Jesus looked beautiful. Two years ago, Sheila Puliyel sent me a link to African paintings of the Stations of the Cross. Around the same time I met the artist, who did the Stations of the Cross in St. Stephen’s chapel. Both helped me reflect on Christ of the Indian Road, or African Steppe…. Here, on Good Friday, we do our own Stations of the Cross, and last year, Arun Kumar (a young man with Down’s Syndrome) played Jesus. It hit me really hard seeing him enact Jesus on the cross…. The reading from Isaiah – he was despised, rejected, scorned of men, came to me with a new meaning and I thought how comfortably Jesus would have fitted in among my broken brothers and sisters.
This year….what I carry with me is Anand’s Jesus of the sticks and string….

Juliana, I’ve never heard of hibiscus tea… the flower and leaf is used in hair oil and as conditioner. But, in the last 2 years it has become to me a very familiar flower - something I associate with prayer and God’s presence. As part of the routine in the house, we meet for prayer morning and evening. We get the mats & prayer corner ready (decorate with flowers, make sure there is oil and wicks for the lamp, incense and karpoora i.e. camphor for the aarati, and enough kumkum). When I first encountered these symbols, I found it difficult to accept. I have since begun to make sense of some of them. Lighting the lamp represents inviting God’s presence into our time of prayer, decorating the lamp before that with flowers represents an offering of ourselves – fragile and fleeting as the flower that blooms for a day, yet precious to God. The aarati, which is taking the light from the lamp to each person at the end of prayer, is our way of individually receiving and carrying forth God’s presence. And the Kumkum, (I’m still uncomfortable with that) signifies the perspective of God… BE THOU MY VISION! Some food for thought for those of you who have in the past or may in the future join us for prayer. For now, here is a beautiful verse from Tagore’s ‘Geetanjali’ which I think of every time I see a hibiscus blossom. Since it blooms year round in our garden its the most common flower used to decorate the lamp –

“Pluck this little flower and take it.
Delay not! I fear lest it droop and drop into the dust.
It may not find a place in thy garland, but honour it with a touch of pain from thy hand and pluck it. I fear lest the day end before I am aware , and the time of offering go by.
Though its colour be not deep and its smell be faint, use this flower in thy service and pluck it while there is time.”

As I prayer with the others here, whether it’s the jumbled, discordant bhajans of Shyam, Srinivasa’s prayerful intonations, Kanna’s offering of dead and decaying flowers, Babu’s laugh or Theresa’s tears, I recognize in each of these a reaching out to God. One thing that I’m going to really miss at prayers, is Albert’ songs. He taught us a lot of Tamil songs. Some of you knew him, a 20 year old assistant from Tiruvanamalai, TN? He was diagnosed with advanced Kidney failure a year ago. He wasn’t well most of last 2 months and on 30th April he died. It’s hard to accept that he is actually gone. He was so full of life. And hope... there was so much more he wanted to experience. The hardest part of his illness, for me was acknowledging my inability to do anything, and learn to just be with another in their suffering. It was a further glimpse on how life really is for the poor and how close to death, pain and suffering, and yet how full of joy. Although it was painful, sharing this year with him, he has taught me a little more about living life in all its fullness!

Anugrah, thanks for the news articles…Howard Zinn’s death, Oscar Romero’s death anniversary… I would never have known, most of my news is a quick glance at the newspapers, before Kanna neatly tears them up into strips, keeps them under his pillow for the night and thrashes them the next morning. That is called devouring the news!!! Reading Zinn’s people’s history of the USA, was interesting, It talks of history through the perspective of the marginalized – native Americans, women fight for voting right, blacks, workers etc. I wonder what a similar book on Indian history will look like. There are so many margins and so many perspectives. A book that doe come to mind is "Turning the pot, tilling the land " by Kancha Ilaiah. http://navayana.org/?p=139

By July end, I leave Asha Niketan. Travel in August; Delhi in September for a glimpse of the new baby; and come October it’s the MITRA school in Kachapaju, Orissa. Looking forward to the next few months…..The knowledge that I’m leaving enables me to enjoy relationships in a deeper way –been using my days off to do stuff I’ve always wanted to do with people here. It’s really good to live each day thinking that’s all we’ve got. Knowing that reality for Albert the last few months, made me more aware of it myself.

Am also learning not to fear but embrace the uncertainty and the unknown in the months ahead.

Thanks for reading this….and by doing so being part of my ‘becoming’ : )

A Prayer for Today

Almighty and everlasting God,
who art always more ready to hear than we to pray,
and art wont to give more
than either we desire or deserve,
pour down upon us the abundance of thy mercy,
forgiving us those things
whereof our conscience is afraid
and giving unto us
that which our prayer dare not presume to ask;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

From The Book of Common Prayer

(HT: Trevin Wax)

Some pearls from Tullian Tchividjian

1. Here's one that had me thinking all through today, as I realised how much importance I place on what people think of me. I am elated when I know people appreciate me, and depressed when they criticise me, or think or speak badly of me.

"Only the gospel can liberate us from our enslaving thirst to control what others think about us."

That is so true. When I realise I am loved as I am, perfectly accepted by one who knows all the truth about me, and values me nevertheless, I am liberated from being enslaved to the opinions of others.

Here are some others....

2. A quote from Martin Luther: Very few Christians take advantage of their position.

3. And another pearl: "Knowing that Jesus has covered my past and secured my future, I am now free to give away my present."

Standing Without Support

I wonder if Namrata will start walking in Delhi.....

Peek-a-Boo!

 I like the way she tries to wake Anand up to play with her.

"The Best Marriage Advice Ever"

To carry on from the previous post, Moment by Moment Approach to Marriage, here's Shaun Groves writing about some of the best marriage advice he has ever received, in a post provocatively titled A Full Day of Foreplay

"Foreplay for a man, he said, starts a few minutes (or seconds) before…well, you know what, and my mom and dad are reading so I’m not spelling it out.

But, he said, foreplay for a woman begins when her husband takes out the trash."

The Joy of Creating

I wonder what conclusions Child Psychologists might reach from this video.....

I really like this video, but unfortunately, the quality of the video on the blog is not that great, and you really cannot see what he has drawn as well as in the original video on our computer. Do remind me to show you the original video the next time you visit us...!

9 more photos have been uploaded on Flickr

Trip to Delhi

Later today, we will be starting on a long train journey to Delhi. God willing, we should be back in Vellore by the 30th night.

Please pray for us:
-This is the longest continuous journey we have made after the children arrived. On our previous trips to Delhi, we broke journey at Hyderabad. This time, we are unable to do that.
-Arpita has conjunctivitis in both eyes. Anand has fever.
-The logistics of arranging food for the children, especially Namrata, is turning out to be quite interesting!

Does Walking Prevent Cognitive Decline?

via Journal Watch

Neurology article

"Older adults who walk frequently have lower risk for cognitive decline years later, according to an observational study in Neurology.

Some 300 adults aged 65 or older reported how much they walked per week, and then had MRI scans 9 years later. Those who walked at least 72 blocks (6–9 miles) a week had greater gray matter volume on later MRI, compared with those who walked less. In turn, those with more gray matter volume were less likely to have cognitive impairment 4 years after the MRI, relative to those with less gray matter volume.

The authors say their findings "are in line with data that aerobic activity induces a host of cellular cascades that could conceivably increase [gray matter] volume." Still, they caution that their study does not prove a causal link between walking and better cognition."

Two quotes:

The Time Traveller...

1. A New Identity (The Truth about our Past)

“The gospel is the best news we could ever hear. The gospel is about Jesus Christ and his power to transform our lives and relationships, communities, and ultimately, the nations. Through this gospel, we are freely given a new identity — an identity not based on race, social class, gender, a theological system, or a system of rules and regulations. Rather it is a new and perfect identity based solely on faith in Jesus — an identity that defines every aspect of our lives. We are now forgiven, righteous, adopted, accepted, free, and heirs to everything that belongs to Christ. So even our sin, weakness, and failures do not define who we are. Because of this good news, we no longer have to hide from our sin and pretend that we have it all together, for God knows and loves us as we are, not as we pretend to be.”

- Neil H. Williams, Gospel Transformation, 2nd ed. (Jenkintown, Pa.; World Harvest Mission, 2006)

(HT: OFI)


2. Suppose... (The Truth about our Future)


“Now suppose both death and hell were utterly defeated. Suppose the fight was fixed. Suppose God took you on a crystal ball trip into your future and you saw with indubitable certainty that despite everything — your sin, your smallness, your stupidity — you could have free for the asking your whole crazy heart’s deepest desire: heaven, eternal joy. Would you not return fearless and singing? What can earth do to you if you are guaranteed heaven? To fear the worst earthly loss would be like a millionaire fearing the loss of a penny — less, a scratch on a penny.”

Peter Kreeft, Heaven (San Francisco, 1989), page 183.

(HT: Ray Ortlund)

Moment by Moment Approach to Marriage

(via Z)

Paul Tripp:

If you are going to have a marriage that lives in unity, understanding, and love, you must have a little-moment approach to your marriage. God has crafted a life for us that does not careen from huge, consequential moment to huge, consequential moment. You can probably name only two or three life-changing situations you have lived through. Every day we lay little bricks on the foundation of what our life will be. The bricks of words said, actions taken, little decisions, little thoughts, and small-moment desires all work together to form the functional edifice that is your marriage.

So, you have to view yourself as a marital mason. You are daily on the job adding another layer of bricks that will determine the shape of your marriage for days, weeks, and years to come. Things in a marriage go bad progressively. Things become sweet and beautiful progressively. The problem is that we simply don’t pay attention, and because of this we allow ourselves to think, desire, say, and do things that we shouldn’t.

Here are a handful of helpful questions to consider:

Do you fight for your own way in little things or see them as an opportunity to serve?
Do you allow yourself to go to bed irritated after a little disagreement?
Do you leave for work day after day without a moment of tenderness?
Do you allow yourself to do little rude things you would never have done in courtship?
Do you still ask for forgiveness in the little moments of wrong?
Do you complain about how the other does little things, when it really doesn’t make a difference?
Do you make decisions without consultation?
Do you invest in the friendship intimacy of your marriage?
Do you complain about the others weaknesses? Or do you see these as opportunities to encourage?
Do you search for little avenues to express love?
Do you keep records of wrongs?
Do you regularly express appreciation and respect?
Do you swallow little hurts that you once would’ve discussed?
Do you turn little requests into regular demands?

Read the rest of this post from the Crossway blog.

Arpita's effect on Anand

(overheard yesterday)
Anand (singing softly to himself): "What shall we do with the drunken sailor?"

He stops suddenly, almost in mid-sentence, and asks himself solemnly, "Does this honor God?"

Today's Links 13/10/2010

1. Why Parenting may be your Highest Calling..

Elrena Evans writes that "psychologists are considering a shift to famed psychologist Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs

Long a fixture in the training of educators and workforce managers, Maslow’s pyramid argues that humans’ basic needs (food, water, air, sleep) must be met before they can begin to seek other, “higher” fulfillments. It makes sense: bereft of basic needs, people can’t concentrate on bigger goals. I saw this pyramid again and again when in college, minoring in education, used to stress that a child who feels hungry, tired, and unsafe is really not going to care about learning algebra, and with good reason.

Now, though, a team of four researchers headed by Arizona State University social psychology professor Douglas T. Kenrick is challenging the top tier of Maslow’s pyramid. They write in a paper recently published in Perspectives on Psychological Science that Maslow’s ultimate goal, the pinnacle of human achievement, is not “self-actualization” or the accomplishment of such higher-order functions as creativity, problem-solving, and morality. It is — wait for it — parenting.

It goes without saying that the switch has stirred up some reaction."

(read more...)

For those who are interested, here's the suggested new pyramid:

2. I wonder if you have heard of Francis Chan. You can read a bit of his story on Wikipedia. Recently, he announced that he was leaving the church that he had founded in 1994, and sold his house to obey God's call to follow Him. Considering that he had started this church with only 30 people, and was now pastoring 1600, and that he said he had no idea where God was taking him, but wanted to be free to be obedient when God's will became clearer, you can guess that this was big news.

You can find an interview with him here.









3. The ECCU: An interesting Christian banking organization in the US that believes in socially responsible banking, and says that "both individuals and ministries who invest with them can have the added assurance that their deposits are always used to support evangelical ministries and missionary members worldwide, never for causes contrary to Scripture."

Do you know of anything similar to this in India? It sounds like a great idea.




4. Restaurant High Chairs Carry More Bacteria Than Toilet Seats :


"According to swabs taken at 30 different restaurants, the amount of bacteria found on high chairs was significantly greater than the amounts found on public toilets. Toilets had an average of eight bacteria per square centimeter. High chairs had 147."

(HT: Challies)

5. In the light of that previous statistic, it's probably good that the Eastern toilet is so popular in India. In case you have become Western enough to have forgotten how to use the Eastern latrine, here's a refresher video that will help you increase your 'cultural intelligence'.

What is Truth?

Pilate's famous question.(John 18:38)

We have come up with an interesting perspective over the past week.

I am referring, of course, to the Ayodhya verdict.

While I think the verdict is pragmatic, and perhaps offers a solution that may be finally acceptable to all parties, as the least dangerous option, and the one most likely to work, I am afraid the verdict seems to have been based on a suspect interpretation of 'Truth'.

I heard a BJP leader ask rhetorically on TV before the verdict, "What greater proof can be presented to show that Ram was born at this spot in Ayodhya than the fact that millions of Hindus believe this happened?".

Read these two opinions from The Hindu, and the South Asian Observer. Apparently, the court decided "that the Hindu plaintiffs in the case have a claim to the disputed site because “as per [the] faith and belief of the Hindus” the place under the central dome of the Babri Masjid where the idols of Ram Lalla were placed surreptitiously in 1949 is indeed the “birthplace” of Lord Ram." even though the weight of evidence is that it is highly unlikely a temple ever existed at that site.

I am concerned.

"Truth" is absolute. There is only one "Truth" about any question. "Truth" does not change depending on what the majority think, even if the majority is millions of people.

Take an example:
Imagine if a court in the time of the ancient Greeks ruled, "The fact that millions of people believe the earth is flat is the greatest proof that the world is indeed flat. We rule in favour of the majority: The Earth is flat."

That would not have changed the "Truth". "Truth" is absolute. The earth is not flat, even though that was the faith and belief of the majority at the time.

Majorities have been famously wrong. The majority thought Jesus deserved to die. The majority believed the sun revolves around the earth and Galileo was found 'vehemently suspect of heresy' and kept under house arrest . The majority in Germany believed Hitler was right. Peer Pressure often results in people doing something wrong

I would like to see this dispute peacefully settled, but I would also like to see that absolutes exist.......and therein lies my difficulty: What can the court decide if the "faith and beliefs" of the majority is wrong, and they have made historical mistakes, and are willing to resort to violence to forcefully take what they wrongly believe is theirs? Simple adherence to the "Truth" will result in violence and bloodshed, and hence the country is arm-twisted into a political and pragmatic solution. Not ideal, but is there any other option?

Today's Links 1/10/10

1. Following on a previous post, which talked about how a majority of teens-of-Christian-origin today have inherited a religion called "moralistic therapeutic deism", here is another article that talks of how atheists and agnostics seem to know more about religion than many Christians, and about how many people know very little about their own religion. The 'Christians' who knew the most about 'Christianity' were (hold your breath!) the Mormons!

I think the study may have been poorly designed. For example, there may, in fact, be many 'good' Protestant Christians who do not know who Martin Luther was (to the shock of those who thought this was crucial, and included this question in the study). I, myself, do not think that is a 'most basic tenet'. However, it does make an important point.

(HT: Pure Church)

2. An interesting semi-autobiographical article written by  Lila Rose, a 22-year old who has courageously and heroically taken on the abortion industry with a number of undercover video exposes over the past 4 years.

(HT: Z)

I think she is a hero, and more proof that we should expect more from our young people, instead of dumbing them down. That is the basic premise behind The Rebelution

Showing, Hiding, and the Sermon on the Mount

(HT: Dane Ortlund)

'. . . let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works . . .' --Matthew 5:16

'Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them . . .' --Matthew 6:1

How do the two fit together?

John Stott quotes A. B. Bruce from 100 years ago:

Bruce sums it up well when he writes that we are to 'show when tempted to hide' and 'hide when tempted to show.'

--A. B. Bruce, Commentary on the Synoptic Gospels (London: Hodder, 1897), 116; quoted in John Stott, The Sermon on the Mount (Downers Grove: InterVarsity, 2000), 69

The problem with Low Expectations

So, you want to date my daughter?

Do click over to read Daddy's Rules for dating his daughters.



 

They are hilarious. Here's a sample:

"Do not lie to me. I may appear to be a potbellied, balding, middle-aged, dimwitted has-been. But on issues relating to my daughter, I am the all-knowing, merciless god of your universe. If I ask you where you are going and with whom, you have one chance to tell me the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. I have a shotgun, a shovel, and five acres behind the house."

In the same vein, read An Application for Dating My Daughter . Here's a sample:

8.  Do you own a van? _______ A truck with oversized tires?______ Do you have an earring, nose ring, or belly button ring? _______ Do you have a tattoo?_________ (if yes to any of #8, discontinue application and leave the premises)

Today's Links 28/9/2010

1. Introverts in the Church

"Unfortunately, owing to a few antisocial types as well as to a general extroverted bias in our culture, introverts get a bad rap. Mainstream American culture values gregarious, aggressive people who are skilled in networking and who can quickly turn strangers into friends. Often we identify leaders as those people who speak up the most and the fastest, whether or not their ideas are the best.

As a result, introverts are often defined by what we're not rather than by what we are. We're labeled as standoffish or misanthropic or timid or passive. But the truth is that we are people who are energized in solitude, rather than among people. We may be comfortable and articulate in social situations and we may enjoy people, but our time in the outer worlds drains us and we must retreat into solitude to be recharged. We also process silently before we speak, rather than speaking in order to think, as extroverts do. We generally listen a little more than we talk, observe for a while before we engage, and have a rich inner life that brings us great stimulation and satisfaction."

(read more...)

2.Introducing The Maverick....the world's first flying car, and, interestingly,  designed by Steve Saint, the son of Nate Saint (one of the five missionaries martyred by the 'Aucas'). The "flying car zooms up to 90 mph on paved roads. Off road, it handles ruts like a Land Rover. Yet in six minutes, a pilot can unfurl its fixed parachute wing and take off into the wild blue yonder—at up to 40 mph. "The Maverick" aims to revolutionize transportation "where the road ends," helping indigenous preacher-pilots sustain the church in the remotest rainforests and other uncharted areas."

3. Finally, the truth about the sinking of the Titanic
(HT: Trevin Wax)

Anand's catch

This is a cat that Anand picked up and brought home.





He was totally crazy about the cat. He gave it his food, and quickly began making the necessary arrangements.

"I'll sleep in my bed, and then the cat can sleep with you..."

and, then

"The cat can sleep in Namrata's crib"

After an intense, and very emotional, discussion, it was decided that it would be in the best interests of everybody, (the cat, included) for the cat to be returned to its mama.

Anand and I ventured out to find the cat's mama, and finally left the puss at a spot we mutually agreed would be the best, and the most likely for it to find its mama.

We had another tearful farewell.....("I am crying because I am sleepy")

When we got back home, Anand and his mama began praying that God would give us a bigger home, so that we would be able to keep pets (yes, plural! Anand's mom has plans to keep a goat, a few chickens, and a cow, as well).

With that sort of firepower on our side, what chance does the CMC administration have?

Life is wonderful!

The train in the sitting room

Learning hand signs from Anand

The "HI!" sign adapted by Namrata

The "BYE!" sign (Namrata style)

Some more pictures have been uploaded onto Flickr

Anand in court

This last week, we had to be present in the family court in Bangalore. Stuffy sort of place, as you can imagine.

The high point, of course, was Anand getting into the witness stand with Arpita, and asking, (in a voice loud enough to be heard clearly), "Mama, can I jump from here?"

Yuval

"The Gospel Implies That We Do Crazy Things"

Two blog posts we read today from the world of adoption......

1. The story of this courageous family who have just adopted triplets, with one of the children having major medical needs. In addition to their courage, notice their 'foolhardiness' and willingness to take risks for love. Notice, also, how the system of adoption in the US is so different, and so similar, to the system in place in India.

2. News from our own friend, Ruby Nakka and his attempts to locate the families of three children who were lost

Romans 7

A beautiful poem/hymn by John Newton, the former slave-trader, who had now fallen in love with Jesus and wanted to "rather die than sin". Brutally honest, it captures the essence of Romans 7, and our own everyday struggles.


Sin, when viewed by scripture light,
Is a horrid, hateful sight;
But when seen in Satan’s glass,
Then it wears a pleasing face.


When the gospel trumpet sounds,
When I think how grace abounds,
When I feel sweet peace within,
Then I’d rather die than sin.


When the cross I view by faith,
Sin is madness, poison, death;
Tempt me not, ‘tis all in vain,
Sure I ne’er can yield again.


Satan, for awhile debarred,
When he finds me off my guard,
Puts his glass before my eyes,
Quickly other thoughts arise



What before excited fears,
Rather pleasing now appears;
If a sin, it seems so small,
Or, perhaps, no sin at all.


Often thus, through sin’s deceit,
Grief, and shame, and loss I meet,
Like a fish, my soul mistook,
Saw the bait, but not the hook.


O my Lord, what shall I say?
How can I presume to pray?
Not a word have I to plead,
Sins, like mine, are black indeed!


Made, by past experience, wise,
Let me learn thy word to prize;
Taught by what I’ve felt before,
Let me Satan’s glass abhor.


(HT: Challies)

Work and Calling

This was actually supposed to be a part of my other 'Links' post.....but, then I figured this was important enough a topic to warrant a stand-alone post.

I have been reading an article by Gene Veith on Work and Calling. It has made me think. I think I saw some things about vocation and work that I have never understood before, and in that sense, this article has been, for me, at least, paradigm-changing.

Do take the time to read the whole article.

Here are some excerpts:

"God “assigns” different kinds and places of service for each Christian and then “calls” each Christian to that assignment. The Reformation theologians fleshed out this concept with other biblical teachings about God’s workings in society and the Christian’s life in the world (e.g., Ephesians 5-6, Romans 12-13, 1 Corinthians 7).

The great theologian of vocation was Martin Luther, who developed the teaching in his battles with monasticism—the view that the spiritual life requires withdrawal from secular life—and in defining “the priesthood of all believers.”

For Luther, vocation, like justification, is ultimately God’s work. God gives us our daily bread through the vocations of the farmer, the miller, and the baker. God creates new human beings through the vocations of fathers and mothers. God protects us through lawful magistrates.

Vocation is, first of all, about how God works through human beings. In His providential care and governing of His creation, God chooses to distribute His gifts by means of ordinary people exercising their talents, which themselves are gifts of God.

Thus, God heals by means of doctors, nurses, and other medical vocations. He makes our lives easier by means of inventors, scientists, and engineers. He creates beauty by means of artists, authors, and musicians. He gives us clothing, shelter, and other things we need by means of factory workers, construction contractors, and others who work with their hands. He cleans up after us by means of janitors and garbage collectors.

God thus looms behind everyone who provides us with the goods or services that we need. In one of Luther’s many memorable lines, God milks the cows through the hands of the milkmaid. This means that all work and all workers deserve honor. Whereas the world might look down on milkmaids and garbage collectors, they actually bear the sacred presence of God, who works in and through them.

God created us to be dependent on others—meat processors, manufacturers, journalists, lawyers, bankers, teachers, parents—and, through them, we are ultimately dependent upon God Himself.

Just as God is working through the vocation of others to bless us, He is working through us to bless others. In our vocations, we work side-by-side with God, as it were, taking part in His ceaseless creative activity and laboring with Him as He providentially cares for His creation."

x-----------------------------------------------------------------x
"God doesn’t need our good works, Luther said, but our neighbor does. Our relationship with Him is based completely on His work for us in the life, death, and resurrection of Christ. But just as God is hidden in vocation, Christ is hidden in our neighbors. “As you did it to one of the least of these my brothers”—feeding the hungry, welcoming the stranger, visiting the sick and imprisoned—”you did it to Me” (Matthew 25:40). We love and serve God in our vocations by loving and serving the actual human beings He places into our lives."
x-----------------------------------------------------------------x

I'd like to hear from you on this one.....

Today's Links 12/9/2010

1. Once long ago, I was invited to speak to a group of 'Christian' young people.They were born "Christian" because their parents were "Christian", and one of the talks I gave was on the dangers of being a 'second-generation' "Christian" who has merely inherited the religion of his parents, without having had an encounter with Jesus, that has changed his life.

Turns out somebody has done some research into this, and my assumptions were not too far off. This article in CNN reports that More Teens Are Becoming Fake Christians.

Some excerpts....
(The researcher Kenda Creasy) "Dean says more American teenagers are embracing what she calls "moralistic therapeutic deism." Translation: It's a watered-down faith that portrays God as a "divine therapist" whose chief goal is to boost people's self-esteem.

(She) argues that many parents and pastors are unwittingly passing on this self-serving strain of Christianity.

The study included Christians of all stripes -- from Catholics to Protestants of both conservative and liberal denominations. Though three out of four American teenagers claim to be Christian, fewer than half practice their faith, only half deem it important, and most can't talk coherently about their beliefs, the study found.
Many teenagers thought that God simply wanted them to feel good and do good -- what the study's researchers called "moralistic therapeutic deism."

Please go over to the article to read the interesting discussion.

Dean's recommendations?

"What can a parent do then?

Get "radical," Dean says.

She says parents who perform one act of radical faith in front of their children convey more than a multitude of sermons and mission trips.

A parent's radical act of faith could involve something as simple as spending a summer in Bolivia working on an agricultural renewal project or turning down a more lucrative job offer to stay at a struggling church, Dean says.

But it's not enough to be radical -- parents must explain "this is how Christians live," she says.

"If you don't say you're doing it because of your faith, kids are going to say my parents are really nice people," Dean says. "It doesn't register that faith is supposed to make you live differently unless parents help their kids connect the dots.""

(HT: Z)



2. Teenager Repellant

(HT: Veith)

The story of a device called "The Mosquito" that emits a high-pitched, headache-inducing sound that only the young people can hear, and that was installed recently outside the Chinatown entrance to the Gallery Place Metro station to ward off loiterers.




3. Advice from CS Lewis on Writing Well.

1. Always try to use the language so as to make quite clear what you mean and make sure your sentence couldn’t mean anything else.
2. Always prefer the plain direct word to the long, vague one. Don’t implement promises, but keep them.
3. Never use abstract nouns when concrete ones will do. If you mean “More people died” don’t say “Mortality rose.”
4. In writing. Don’t use adjectives which merely tell us how you want us to feel about the things you are describing. I mean, instead of telling us the thing is “terrible,” describe it so that we’ll be terrified. Don’t say it was “delightful”; make us say “delightful” when we’ve read the description. You see, all those words (horrifying, wonderful, hideous, exquisite) are only like saying to your readers “Please, will you do my job for me.”
5. Don’t use words too big for the subject. Don’t say “infinitely” when you mean “very”; otherwise you’ll have no word left when you want to talk about something really infinite.

(From a letter Lewis wrote in response to an American girl named Joan with advice on writing.)

(HT: Between Two Worlds)




4. Another Quote for young men:

"Have a horror of sinking into a tattling, twaddling, trivial sort of man, talking much and achieving nothing. Steer clear of a young man's rock, self-importance. Walk humbly with God."
--Thomas Collins, 18th century Methodist preacher, in his personal resolutions; quoted in Iain Murray, Wesley and the Men Who Followed (Banner of Truth 2003), 212

(HT:Dane Ortlund)




5. Arpit's blog, which is turning out to be one of the most interesting Indian blogs I know, has a nice writeup on the Shillong Chamber Choir, and the inspiring story of its origin. Here's the video from "our local news channel of the choir with the Vienna Chamber Orchestra, showcasing first the Khasi opera composed by Neil Nogkynrih and then, their 16 year old star, Ibarisha Lyngdoh. Watch for her solo at the end - it is said to be one of the most difficult pieces of music to sing."







6. Attention Grabbers:
A collection of "headlines that grab the attention for one reason or another." like the ones below....

(HT:Between Two Worlds)




7. Bill Gates' speech at a high school on the Eleven Rules of Life (via Renu John on Facebook)

Rule 1: Life is not fair - get used to it!

Rule 2: The world doesn't care about your self-esteem. The world will expect you to accomplish something BEFORE you feel good about yourself.

Rule 3: You will NOT make $60,000 a year right out of high school. You won't be a vice-president with a car phone until you earn both.

Rule 4: If you think your teacher is tough, wait till you get a boss.

Rule 5: Flipping burgers is not beneath your dignity. Your Grandparents had a different word for burger flipping: they called it opportunity.

Rule 6: If you mess up, it's not your parents' fault, so don't whine about your mistakes, learn from them.

Rule 7: Before you were born, your parents weren't as boring as they are now. They got that way from paying your bills, cleaning your clothes and listening to you talk about how cool you thought you were. So before you save the rain forest from the parasites of your parent's generation, try delousing the closet in your own room.

Rule 8: Your school may have done away with winners and losers, but life HAS NOT. In some schools, they have abolished failing grades and they'll give you as MANY TIMES as you want to get the right answer. This doesn't bear the slightest resemblance to ANYTHING in real life.

Rule 9: Life is not divided into semesters. You don't get summers off and very few employers are interested in helping you FIND YOURSELF. Do that on your own time.

Rule 10: Television is NOT real life. In real life people actually have to leave the coffee shop and go to jobs.

Rule 11: Be nice to nerds. Chances are you'll end up working for one.

8. A solemn, powerful prayer for humility

O Jesus meek and humble of heart, Hear me.
From the desire of being esteemed, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being loved, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being extolled, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being honored, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being praised, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being preferred to others, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being consulted, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being approved, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being humiliated, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being despised, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of suffering rebukes, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being forgotten, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being ridiculed, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being wronged, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being suspected, Deliver me, Jesus.

That others may be loved more than I,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be esteemed more than I,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That in the opinion of the world, others may increase, and I may decrease,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be chosen and I set aside,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be praised and I unnoticed,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be preferred to me in everything,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may become holier than I, provided that I become as holy as I should,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.

Written by Rafael Cardinal Merry del Val.

(HT: Trevin Wax)

Happy Birthday!

A Great video to remember my birthday and all it signifies.Do watch it, and celebrate with me another journey around the sun.

(HT: Arpit)



Thanks for all the calls, and your love which has been lavished on me again and again. I feel so blessed!

Putting the Big Rocks in First

(HT: What's Best Next)

"The following illustration is fairly well known. But it represents one of the fundamental concepts of effectively managing yourself. So for those who haven’t heard it, here it is as told in Stephen Covey’s First Things First:

One of our associates shared this experience:

I attended a seminar once where the instructor was lecturing on time. At one point, he said, “Okay, it’s time for a quiz.” He reached under the table and pulled out a wide-mouth gallon jar. He set it on the table next to a platter with some fist-sized rocks on it. “How many of these rocks do you think we can get in the jar?” he asked.

After we made our guess, he said, “Okay. Let’s find out.” He set one rock in the jar . . . then another . . . then another. I don’t remember how many he got in, but he got the jar full. Then he asked, “Is that jar full?”

Everybody looked at the rocks and said, “Yes.”

Then he said, “Ahhh.” He reached under the table and pulled out a bucket of gravel. Then he dumped some gravel in and shook the jar and the gravel went in all the little spaces left by the big rocks. Then he grinned and said once more, “Is the jar full?”

By this time we were on to him. “Probably not,” we said.

“Good!” he replied. And he reached under the table and brought out a bucket of sand. He started dumping the sand in and it went in all the little spaces left by the rocks and the gravel. Once more he looked at us and said,”Is the jar full?”

“No!” we all roared.

He said, “Good!” and he grabbed a pitcher of water and began to pour it in. He got something like a quart of water in that jar. Then he said, “Well, what’s the point?”

Somebody said, “Well, there are gaps, and if you really work at it, you can always fit more into your life.”

“No,” he said, “that’s not the point. The point is this: if you hadn’t put these big rocks in first, would you ever have gotten any of them in?”

The point is: You have to put the big rocks — your most important tasks — in first, or you won’t be able to do them at all. The point is not to do more in less time, but rather to focus on doing what is most important. Covey continues:

With the “more is better” paradigm, we’re always trying to fit more activities into the time we have. But what does it matter how much we do if what we’re doing isn’t what matters most?

Our Quadrant II goals [important, but not urgent] are like the “big rocks.” If we put other activities — the water, sand, and gravel — in first, and then try to fit the big rocks in, not only will they not fit, we’ll end up making a pretty big mess in the process.

But if we know what the big rocks are and put them in first, it’s amazing how many of them we can put in — and how much of the sand, gravel, and water fits in between the spaces. Regardless of what else actually does fit in, the key point is that the big rocks — our Quadrant II goals — are in first.

Missing What's Important

Putting First Things First

Playing the Piano without Arms

I wonder whether you have seen this video yet, from the China's Got Talent show.

(HT: Vit Z)




I had two immediate reactions to this video.
1. I liked Liu Wei's attitude. He explained that he had only two options: to die quickly, or to live wonderfully.

On the other hand, often we tend to get bogged down by much smaller problems, rather than thinking of them as an opportunity to 'live wonderfully'.

2. My second reaction was a new appreciation of all we can gain from the disabled. (Even as I typed that last statement, I stopped to collect my thoughts. Let me emphasise that we do not gain only from the disabled who have learnt to cope and 'live wonderfully.' I do not want it to sound like those who are unable to live independent, productive lives are therefore living wasted lives)

The flawed thinking widely accepted today is that people with disabilities are also a nuisance, and that we (the 'normal' people) have no obligation to permit them to live.

That might sound like I am being too harsh, but isn't that what is accepted every time a woman undergoes an ultrasound to pick up anomalies in the fetus she is carrying, with an intention to undergo an abortion if the child is flawed in any way. It seems that 91-93% of pregnancies in UK and Europe with a diagnosis of Down's Syndrome were terminated in 2006. And Down's syndrome is one of the milder disabilities....many of the children I meet are the sweetest, most good-natured, friendly kids in the wards. Thousands of children are killed everyday for the most innocuous deformities. (One of  the most deadly deformities that has killed millions of children is the fatal flaw of being a girl child!)

(In an aside, to Anugrah and Cheryl, when I mentioned the antenatal ultrasound findings to one of the neonatologists here, he said, "Why wasn't this picked up earlier? Then something could have been done about it...." He meant, of course, what is euphemistically referred to in India as Medical Termination of Pregnancy)

So read this article, No Wasted Lives, which also contains this great question....“Why would God make a life and not do anything with it?”.

Some great quotes that make me think.....

1. “If you want God’s grace, all you need is need, all you need is nothing. But that kind of spiritual humility is hard to muster.”

- Timothy Keller, Counterfeit Gods (New York, NY: Dutton, 2009), 88.

(HT: Of First Importance)

2. "Sometimes God’s children must see the world’s emptiness to be acquainted with Christ’s fullness."

Thomas Watson, The Lord’s Prayer, pp. 19-21; cited in Richard Rushing (ed.), Voices from the Past: Puritan Devotional Readings (Banner), p. 229.

(HT: Pure Church)

The Efficient Small Group