For your Weekend Enjoyment!

Calvin and the Snowmen:
http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif
(HT: Trevin Wax)

















(Click on the Images to see a bigger version: Or, just click on the link above to see them on Trevin Wax's blog)

Thou art coming to a King! Wow!

John Newton

Come, my soul, thy case prepare
Jesus loves to answer prayer
He Himself has bid thee pray
Therefore will not say thee nay

Thou art coming to a King
Large petitions with thee bring
For His grace and power are such
None can ever ask too much

(HT: Dane Ortlund)

Our latest family photo (22/8/2011)

We are now planning to photoshop out the background, and get this printed

Enough to Feel Guilty, But Not Enough to Be Happy

Ray Ortlund, Sr. to his son, Ray Ortlund, Jr.:

“Listen, son.  Half-hearted Christians are the most miserable people of all.  They know enough to feel guilty, but they haven’t gone far enough with Christ to be happy.  Be wholehearted for him!”

(HT: Pure Church)

Five Ways to Make God Known at Work

John Piper in 1988:

I have in mind at least five things—five ways to make God known through your secular job and all of them are important. When one of them is missing, the witness to the truth of Christ suffers.

1. The excellence of the products or services you render in your job shows the excellence and greatness of God.

2. The standards of integrity you follow at your job show the integrity and holiness of God.

3. The love you show to people in your job shows the love of God.

4. The stewardship of the money you make from your job shows the value of God compared to other things.

5. The verbal testimony you give to the reality of Christ shows the doorway to all these things in your life and their possibility in the lives of others.

Excerpted from "Tentmakers" in Minneapolis.

(HT: Desiring God)

Less Like Scars, More Like Character

It's been a hard year
But I'm climbing out of the rubble
These lessons are hard
Healing changes are subtle
But every day it's

Less like tearing, more like building
Less like captive, more like willing
Less like breakdown, more like surrender
Less like haunting, more like remember


Less like a prison, more like my room
It's less like a casket, more like a womb
Less like dying, more like transcending
Less like fear, less like an ending

And I feel you here
And you're picking up the pieces
Forever faithful
It seemed out of my hands, a bad situation
But you are able
And in your hands the pain and hurt
Look less like scars and more like
Character

By Sara Groves from the album All Right Here

(HT:Josh Harris)

I'm Back!

It has been quite a while since I did any serious blogging. As you all know, I have been very busy with work for the past three months. In addition, I had an exam on August 1st.

But, I must say, the main deterrent to blogging has been the depression of having lost all our photos and videos when our computer crashed. I had saved the photos taken before December 2010 on a disk, but had not gotten around to saving the photos taken subsequently. This has been a terrible loss.

I have begun saving the photos and videos taken after May 2011. I have also uploaded a number of photos on a new Flickr page. Some of the older photos can be seen on the older Flickr page. 

Here is one beautiful photo taken by a student at CMC, that has survived.

I have made an important change at the blog, and would like to know what you think about it.

I have now set things up so that a copy of every post and comment on this blog will be delivered to our gmail inboxes. I am doing this in the hope that each of us will be aware of all that is being posted and be able to particpate more in this blog.

At the rate things are going, I don't think our inboxes are likely to be flooded, but do let me know if you feel that is a concern. I, personally, would love to have my inbox flooded with stuff from each of you!

I am looking forward to blogging more over the next few days while at Delhi.

My thoughts during this vacation!

A path worn by the feet of many pilgrims

“Thousands and tens of thousands have sought for pardon at the mercy-seat of Christ, and not one has ever returned to say that he sought in vain. Sinners of every name and nation—sinners of every sort and description—have knocked at the door of the fold, and none have ever been refused admission.

If the way which the Gospel sets before us were a new and untraveled way—we might well feel faint-hearted. But it is not so. It is an old path. It is a path worn by the feet of many pilgrims, and a path in which the footsteps are all one way. The treasury of Christ’s mercies has never been found empty. The well of living waters has never proved dry.”
— J.C. Ryle
"Forgiveness"

(HT: Of First Importance)

Precision marching

(HT: 22words)

Speak, Lord, and give me understanding

Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.
I am your servant.
Give me understanding that I may know your ordinances.
Incline my heart to your commands.
Let your speech distill as the dew.

The children of Israel once said to Moses:
“Speak to us and we will hear you. Don’t let the Lord speak to us, lest we die.”

Not so, Lord, not so do I pray.
Rather with Samuel the prophet I entreat humbly and earnestly:
“Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.”

Do not let Moses or any of the prophets speak to me;
but you speak, O Lord God, who inspired and enlightened all the prophets;
for you alone, without them, can instruct me perfectly,
whereas they, without you, can do nothing.
They, indeed, utter fine words,
but they cannot impart the spirit.
They do indeed speak beautifully,
but if you remain silent they cannot inflame the heart.
They deliver the message;
you lay bare the sense.
They place before us mysteries,
but you unlock their meaning.
They proclaim commandments;
you help us to keep them.
They point out the way;
you give strength for the journey.
They work only outwardly;
you instruct and enlighten our hearts.
They water on the outside;
you give the increase.
They cry out words;
You give understanding to the hearer.

- Thomas a Kempis, The Imitation of Christ (adapted)

(HT: Trevin Wax)

Jesu, Joy of Man's Desire like you've never seen it before

Is this for real or is this a prank as well?

(HT: Denny Burk)

A neat prank

(HT: Challies)

Instead of a show....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JrY1-gPM0KY

This is a pretty shocking and convicting article on tithing.

http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2008/december/10.24.html?start=1

cute picture of Ashish with the girls....

The girls love the computer!

They are growing so fast and are so delightful. I just find so much joy and fulfillment in my days thanks to them. God has been so good to us; we are so thankful!

Love,
juliana for all of us

The Kimyal people receice the New Testament

A powerful video of the Kimyal People Group in Indonesia receiving the New Testament for the first time in their language. Watching their excitement and joy moved me to tears as I reflected on how little I value the Bible myself

(HT: Z)

Today's assassination

I don't know if you've heard about Pakistan's Minority Affairs Minister who was assassinated today. It seems he was a Christian, and was killed because he opposed the infamous blasphemy law. BBC has an interview with him from 4 months ago, when he talks about his faith, and his willingness to die for his convictions.

The Manslater

(HT: Josh Harris)

Try this out!

Scroll to the bottom of your Facebook page where it says in little blue letters, "English (UK)" or "US", or whatever you selected. Click on it. When the language box pops up, click on the arrow next to "English (US) and select "English (Pirate)."

Kindness

Here's a recent recording of a song that was written by our former pastor and sung by Steve Bell, a Canadian contemporary singer.

http://stevebell.com/wp-content/jld_ecards_files/02-Kindness.mp3

It's a beautiful song.

You can also check out the whole album of Bell's, here:

http://stevebell.com/kindness/about/

Love,
juliana

Sick Bay

It has been Sick Season at our home these last weeks.

First affected was Namrata. She developed cholera. We still do not know how or where she managed to pick this bug up, but with her uncanny ability to zero in on anything 'interesting' and put it straight in the mouth, this was a disaster waiting to happen.

We watched as her intake of fluids became progressively inadequate to compensate for the amount of fluid she was losing, and she became dehydrated, dull and drowsy. We knew that if she was not able to drink enough fluid, we would perhaps have to admit her for IV fluids, but we also knew the trauma associated with repeated pokes to get an IV access in a small, dehydrated child, and the further difficulty in trying to keep this line going. Invariably, she would have been kept restrained and yet, an IV line would have had to be restarted in a few hours....all in all, an unhappy option.

And so, we decided to rehydrate her by passing a fine naso-gastric tube directly into her stomach (you can hardly see the tube in the picture!) through which we fed her about 30 ml of Oral rehydrating solution (ORS) every half an hour through the night, while she slept.

I'm happy to tell you that by morning she was well hydrated, passing enough urine, and generally more cheerful. By evening, her diarrhoea had settled, and she has now completely recovered.

(Important disclaimer: Arpita and I can afford to do this sort of thing, and take these 'apparent' risks because
1. We are doctors and know how the system works, what to look for, and signs of danger developing
2. We are surrounded by other doctors, and have other safeguards in place to ensure we are not doing something abjectly stupid. Vinod (my cousin, a paediatrician) dropped in from time to time to see her, and we also spoke on the phone with Dr Puliyel in Delhi
3. The hospital is always only 2 minutes away.
Even so, I will confess that I was very scared, and a lot of prayer went up that night for this little helpless baby girl.
Please do not try doing something like this unsupervised!)

Next down was Anand. His peculiar sickness was a single episode of fever (about 101F) that lasted about an hour, before coming down and lingering for some more time. However, during this fever (about 3am to 4am) he was wide awake, happy, exuberant, bursting with creativity, and, wait for it, talking in rhyme! We were amused and yet wondered whether this was some vague manifestation of delirium, or something else! By the next day he was perfectly well.

And then it has been my turn. Since Monday I have been having high fever and severe body aches. From Wednesday onwards, I have been on sick leave, and I feel totally drained and run down. From Thursday, I began vomiting. Yesterday, briefly, my temperatures reached normal, but were up again by night. Today, finally, I have started feeling better. All in all, it looks like a severe viral infection, though I am being treated for typhoid.

But let me say, it has been such a privilege to stay at home, and be entertained by the three cutest people you could imagine! I wish I could record the various things that keep going on all through the day.

Please do pray for Arpita. With all the stress she is under, she cannot afford to fall sick. And continue to pray for the rest of us as well.

an interesting discussion on Summer/Winter Christians:

This helps me as I seek to try and apply 1 Philippians 2:1 - ...

http://preachermike.com/2011/01/11/summer-christians-winter-christians-and-the-narrative-of-injury

I can identify with both types but also not totally with either. So, this article was also helpful for me.

http://experimentaltheology.blogspot.com/2007/04/summer-and-winter-christians.html

I would consider myself a Winter/Autumn. How about you?

Juju to Mubarak

Some priceless advice to President Mubarak of Egypt from an eight year old girl Juju in Saudi Arabia

A Clever Analysis of a Typical Facebook Argument

(HT: 22Words)

Another Martin Luther King quote

(via Between Two Worlds)

From MLK’s sermon “Loving Your Enemies,” delivered on November 17, 1957, at Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama:

To our most bitter opponents we say:

“We shall match your capacity to inflict suffering by our capacity to endure suffering.

We shall meet your physical force with soul force.

Do to us what you will, and we shall continue to love you.

We cannot in all good conscience obey your unjust laws because noncooperation with evil is as much a moral obligation as is cooperation with good.

Throw us in jail and we shall still love you.

Bomb our homes and threaten our children, and we shall still love you.

Send your hooded perpetrators of violence into our community at the midnight hour and beat us and leave us half dead, and we shall still love you.

But be ye assured that we will wear you down by our capacity to suffer.

One day we shall win freedom but not only for ourselves.

We shall so appeal to your heart and conscience that we shall win you in the process and our victory will be a double victory.”

Happy Martin Luther King Day!

Listen to his "I have a Dream" speech...



and his last speech



(HT: JT and Z)

An inspiring video

Well worth 18 minutes of your time....



(HT: The Rebelution)

Nab Barsh ke Shubh Kamanaye

Spent New Year’s Eve on a train…from Madhepura, Bihar to Sealdah, Kolkata. Was visiting a hospital to help out with designs. As always, Kolkata, has this ability to overwhelm…. The noise, the bustle, the crowds, the very visible poverty….But my recent visits to the city have been balanced by hours spent in Asha Niketan. On a plot adjacent to the Missionaries of Charity in Tangra, it is a haven of peace and the minutes spent with Madhu da or Bulani da or little Kusum help me see the humanness in everyone and remind me to search for it even in the masses of Kolkata. I leave in a bit to Howrah station to catch another train back to Orissa. From my many rambling thoughts, I leave you with this prayer that I have been pondering over as a blessing for the new year!
Oh and a new year greeting for you that I received from an elderly Bihari gentleman on the train "Nab Barsh Mangal me rahe!" (May you be blessed/happy in the new year)

A Four-fold Franciscan Blessing

May God bless you with a restless discomfort about easy answers, half-truths and superficial relationships, so that you may seek truth boldly and love deep within your heart.
May God bless you with holy anger at injustice, oppression, and exploitation of people, so that you may tirelessly work for justice, freedom, and peace among all people.
May God bless you with the gift of tears to shed with those who suffer from pain, rejection, starvation, or the loss of all that they cherish, so that you may reach out your hand to comfort them and transform their pain into joy.
May God bless you with enough foolishness to believe that you really CAN make a difference in this world, so that you are able, with God's grace, to do what others claim cannot be done.
And the blessing of God the Supreme Majesty and our Creator,
Jesus Christ the Incarnate Word who is our brother and Saviour,
and the Holy Spirit, our Advocate and Guide,
be with you and remain with you, this day and forevermore.
AMEN

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