In the arms of the Father

Matt Maher-one of my favourite gospel singers I should say.Listened to one of his songs recently and I’ve been in love with it ever since.The lyrics ,the music – there’s definitely something about it,something special which kept me listening to the song time and time again.I found the song in youtube where it was coupled with a beautiful collection of pictures which made it even more special.I will include the video at the end of this post so that you could benefit from it too!

There’s this line in the song which is my favourite-”In the arms of the Father,as the wayward child comes home”..These words are toooo beautiful!!!! In the arms of the Father-wow!! isn’t that a great feeling,to hide safely in the hollow of the hands of Jesus!! Just like the line says,we are wayward children most of the time,wandering away from God’s grace,forgetting His love and all the good things He has done for us.But we always have a place to come back to-the arms of the Father,and when we truly experience the warmth of such a feeling,we would never want to wander away.Yes,sometimes things go out of control and we become too frustrated to take hope anymore or we get too tempted to can’t resist giving in.I believe during such times this song will be a BIG help.

After listening to this song,everytime I feel sad or tempted or disturbed,I tell myself “In the arms of the Father!!”,and it gives me so much comfort to know that I actually fit in somewhere,that there’s someone always looking out for me! I wouldn’t say this song will change you just like that in one second,whoosh!! no…it takes time for a wayward child to realise that he’s actually gone astray.So,maybe next yime you feel like you’ve lost your way,these humble words and His numerous comforting words from the Bible will lead you home-to His arms!!

Why don’t you write??

Sometimes bad things bring the best out of us.

Friends call me the “bottling up” kind.Yes,I am.I don’t usually share my worries or problems with friends.I mostly keep it to myself or put it in prayer.But a few years back,I discovered I could write to get away from  them.I don’t have to necessarily write about my problems,I can write about some happy things which will help me forget the short-lived problems of life.Writing is a perfect getaway.

A few months back,when I was having a little chat with my friend,I was talking about how college changes a lot of people and how college demands a lot of changes from us and that I was not adopting very well to it.And my friend suggested,”Hey,why not write about something??We’ll come up with some topics.”I smiled.I know writing can lift up my spirit,then why didn’t I do it?Sometimes we all need a little reminder.

I write a lot of stuff.I write articles,poems.I’ve also attempted writing fairy tales with some degree of success And now I’ve started blogging too.Blogging is more like “typing”,but still I would put it in the writing category.It all started from a bad incident.Yes,you read it right.I wrote my first poem a month after my grandma passed away.Well,I’ve written a few when I was a kid but this one was the first spontaneous one.When my grandma passed away,I was shattered.I felt a big void in my life.I remember crying on the inside  for hours.Even today when I think about her,I miss her even more.So when I was battling with such feelings back then,God helped me come out of it and take strength,based on which ,I penned my first poem.That’s when I discovered I had the gift of writing.

Six months after my grandma passed away,my grandpa left us too.It was another fatal blow.My grandparents loved to have plants,and even after my grandma went through surgeries,she used to walk to her garden and water the plants.And now as I was sitting by the window,looking at the garden which they tended beautifully,I was put to tears,as a result of which I wrote another poem.I used to spend all my summer vacations at my grandparents’ place,so they are very close to my heart.After they passed away,most of my vacations were spent in loneliness,when I penned even more poems.So that’s why I said sometimes bad things bring the best out of us.

So here I am writing a post about “writing” Least I could do for the activity I love the most.So what I’m trying to say is,you don’t have to be pulled down by not so good circumstances in life.Maybe they just present themselves to help us discover our gifts.Not just writing,you can sing,play an instrument or just read.Discover the talents you have been blessed with and stick to it.God speaks to you through them.You just have to be ready to listen.

He knows my pace

I am the kind of person who is constantly thinking about something,especially while travelling,travelling by foot or travelling in a vehicle(definitely not while driving one )…A few weeks back,unfortunately,I got my left foot fractured.Since I had my exams,I was not able to rest and had to walk to my exam hall everyday.Climbing steps was also involved.Obviously,with my fractured foot I wasn’t able to walk in my usual pace.So now,that gave me even more time to think.

Most of the time,when I’m walking to the hall,my friends accompany me.They find it difficult to walk that slow but they try.Sometimes without their knowledge they walk too fast only to realise after a few seconds that I’m lagging behind.Sometimes they’re too cautious not to walk faster than me that they end up walking slower than me.At the end of the day,we laugh upon all such incidents.So no one actually understands my pace.

In everyday life too,people fail to understand our pace.Sometimes they push us too hard to keep up with somebody else’s pace.But He knows our pace.Yes,Jesus knows our pace.Eventhough we keep changing our pace every once in a while,He knows exactly when our next step will be.He never goes ahead of us or behind us but beside us.That’s a great consolation to every human being coz most of us yearn to be understood.And to know that there’s actually someone who understands us perfectly,now that’s a blessing.

God knows how much time we need to recover from our fall,to change our ways,to make a decision,to accomplish a task,so He is so patient with us.He gives us the time we need.Ever since this thought struck me,I’ve learnt to smile when I struggle to walk with my fractured foot,knowing that He knows my pace.

Keeping it alive

It’s Christmas!! I bet everyone’s happy! So am I! I was thinking that I should do atleast one useful thing this season..How about taking resolutions??? Everyone takes them on New Year’s day,I just wanted to be different.After all,Christ’s birthday can also be considered the New Year’s day for we are stepping one year closer to His second coming on earth.

As I thought of the many resolutions,I thought why not bring the dead alive??? Yeah ,I mean it,bringing the dead traditions alive.Even as a child,I loved writing letters.It was a part of our curriculum at school.But in reality,I’ve never actually written any letter and posted it.Ofcourse,I’ve written a few letters to my friends,but always gave it to them in person..But now,who writes letters??? With advanced technology,nobody would even think of doing so.Another long forgotten tradition is sending greeting cards.I still remember how my grandparents attached so much importance to sending cards with a personal note with it.I used to help them write the “To” address

So,I decided.That’s what I’m going to do.Keep the art alive.I arrived at this decision only a few days ago,which made it impossible for me to execute this plan to a great extent.But come on,it’s just a start.and I’m happy I did it.Even better is seeing the happiness of the person at the receiving end! I was able to send only one card to my friends at church,who happen to be sisters.They sure were surprised.I also surprised a couple of my friends at college with greeting cards..Not a bad beginning at all…

Finally,I don’t want this to become one of my many long forgotten resolutions..I wanna stick to it and keep spreading the joy! Hopefully ,I will..MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!!!

With Sunday comes pure joy

Most of us,irrespective of how old we are,look forward to Sundays.Some wait for Sundays just because it’s a holiday and they can do all the fun things they want to do.For students and office-goers it’s a day of freedom! I’m no exception,my favourite day of the week is SUNDAY!!!..But for a different reason.For Lord’s people Sunday is probably the busiest day of the week but we only love it all the more!

When I was a little kid,Sunday was all about attending Sunday service,Sunday school,coming home and having a good Sunday lunch But now it means much more.Sunday keeps me outdoors most of the time,and I totally love it.Those who know me well,know that I’m not the type of girl who loves spending time outdoors,but it doesn’t apply on Sundays!Attending church is more than just a ritual now.Youth gatherings are not just a time of praising God,it’s about realising oneself and where we are.Every Sunday is a learning experience.Every song is more than just lyrics and music.

And of course youth gatherings and Sunday services give us a wonderful getting together experience which no other day or occasion can give.That’s when nobody’s a stranger.Everyone’s exchanging smiles and greetings.It’s just too good.We get to pray for the ones we hardly know but still, hearing the wonderful testimonies of how God heard the group prayer only leaves us yearning for more such time together.

There’s this gathering called YWorship in our place which unites students and youth from different states and even different countries who have come here to pursue their education.It’s a whole new experience attending those meets for it gives me the opportunity to meet different people and to learn of everyone’s love for God and how graciously God has touched everyone’s life. To put it in a nutshell,Sunday fellowships are the best and when each Sunday comes to an end,I look forward to the next!

Looking back

Birthdays!!! It’s during this time of the year we look back and reflect on everything that’s happened in our life.This birthday is really special to me.This is the first time I feel like I’m a “grown up”,since I’ll no longer be a teenager after a year.

I wouldn’t call this birthday a pompous one,it had no pomp,no show but was beautiful in a unique way,a simple way.

I woke up with thanksgiving to the Lord,it was just too emotional for me…God has been so good to me and the fact that He loves me so much made me cry..Love so pure! How blessed we are.And I’ve been blessed with some really good relatives and friends,for which I’ll be ever grateful.My relatives started calling me right from 6 :30 am and I was touched by their care and affection for their prayers and wishes mean a lot to me! So did some of my friends.Some sent messages at 12:00 am sharp! So that’s how my day begun.Wishes pouring in from loved ones And at college,there wasn’t much of a celebration..my school friends who are with me in college too,showered their wishes and got a beautiful gift too Few others sent me messages in fb,posted on my wall some beautiful messages and birthday posters.

And yes,as always,some really close ones forgot my birthday too but there were others who totally surprised me with their calls!In every wish,I could really see the true affection from everyone.I’ve never felt this way on any other birthday.Part of growing up,I guess.

And this is the verse through which God talked to me : 2 Thessalonians 3:3 “But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one.” It was so comforting to read this verse on this day.I find the words really powerful! God’s giving us strength and He’s faithful to us,even us!!! That’s just beautiful,don’t you think??? And He “protects” us too.In this busy world,we’re in the snare of the evil one even before we know!! So to know that we’re under His protection gives us more than enough reasons to be fearless!

So now when I look back,I see all those “not so straight” paths,those days of trials and tests.When I was facing them,I thought I would never get through and sometimes even thought all that made no sense.But from where I am now,everything makes perfect sense.I realise why I had to go through everything I had gone through and that the stones and rough paths were kept there for a reason.Maybe if I had known that it would end perfectly,I wouldn’t have complained.But then,I saw only my present but didn’t think about my future.But my God saw my future and made me ready for that.From where I am now,the race continues,but this time with even more confidence and faith knowing that the Lord sees my future and guides my present.

It’s about quality,not quantity!

Last week was simply a beautiful week of my life.My cousins,uncle and aunt visited us and I had an awesome time with them,especially the kids.Exams,written work and hectic schedules had taken a toll on me and I was drowning coz of the stress.So the gathering couldn’t have come at a better time,it sure did save me from the monotony.

They weren’t at our home all the time.They had other places to visit too.And I had exams coming up for which I had to prepare.So I wasn’t able to spend much time with them or join with them when they visited the tourist spots in and around.But the little time I had with the kids was simply wonderful.Everyday my little brother would wake up in the morning and sit with me just to talk to me.Those are the loveliest moments I could ever get.My cousin has a great fascination for cars,trains and the like.So he would talk to me about them with such expertise.Most of the time,I would get lost in admiration.He also asks a lot about college life which he will be experiencing in another 8 years.Then there’s my little sister,I bet you,you can’t resist cuddling her. And my cousins had the CD of Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang which I loved watching.I don’t know why but it has become my close-to-the-heart film.It just injected so much positiveness into me.You might be thinking it’s some puerile film to watch,but seriously I hold it dear.

We had the most fun on the last day of their stay.We settled in the veranda,played cricket,had a good laugh over a lot of things.The kid inside everyone was just popping out-absolutely no inhibitions! It was good to witness the lively side of everyone.

Just as it was time for them to leave,my lil brother got so sad.He almost cried.I was touched by his affection and by his love for all of us.I know,he wanted so badly to stay.As they got onto the car and left,he almost launched his entire body outside the window just to say goodbye..We kept waving waving and waving till the car turned the corner.

As the day ended,I realised how much blessed I am to have got a loving family.Ours is a big family,especially my mom’s side,and I totally love all those family gatherings ,be it for a few minutes or for many days.It’s not about the quantity of time we spend together but about the quality of time and about how much love and care we put into it!

PS:Due to certain administrative reasons,exams have been postponed and we have been given a long vacation!!! Had I known it earlier,I would have enjoyed every minute of those 5 days…Never mind,I’m off to Chennai to meet my cousins!

Burden

There’s so much burden associated with our life on earth.But that’s not the burden I’m talking about.”Burden” can not only mean “burden of this world” but also “burden for this world“.

We usually tend to pray more sincerely for ourselves and for our loved ones than for others who are not so close to us but are in need of our prayer anyway.I was just thinking how quickly the phrase “I’ll pray for you” comes out of our mouth..We keep our word but do we do it sincerely? My family gives so much importance for prayer and I’ve been brought up in that way too.But to be honest,sometimes my prayer is just a “mouth prayer” and not a “heart one”.Most of us fall into this category,I guess.When I attend prayer gatherings,I’ve seen prayer leaders pray from the bottom of their hearts.They pray with so much love and affection for him/her that most of the times,they are filled with tears.I wonder why I never have this prayer burden for the people of the world,people I hardly know.But I discovered that God has sown the burden within all of us but we don’t just cultivate it!

A few days before,a classmate of mine,who’s from a different state was caught using his cellphone during class hours.Our professor got so angry that he lashed out at him.The boy had no idea how to react and most of us laughed seeing his reaction.He attended the rest of the classes for the day ,so we assumed he hadn’t taken it seriously.But he absented himself from class from the next day.We are not sure why he hasn’t attended classes since then but some speculated that he was upset about what happened the other day.

I don’t even know how to spell or pronounce this guy’s name correctly but as I was sitting in my room today,I felt as if someone was asking me to pray for him.I didn’t get down to my knees or anything.I just closed my eyes to pray.For one second,I put myself in his place and imagined how I would have felt if those words were aimed at me,how alienated I would feel when I’m several miles away and among people who don’t even know my language..Tears started rolling down my cheeks.For a few minutes I didn’t understand why I was crying but then realised that God was giving me a prayer burden for that guy and for other students from his area.

Now,I know what it is to “really” pray for a person with burden.It’s within all of us but while praying, we never put ourselves in the place of someone else who is suffering.All we have to do is pray,pray again,and pray more.

How long?

We always forget the obvious fact that waiting takes time!! “Good things come to those who wait“…But one question which always crops up in my mind is ,how long should I wait to get to know what God has for me??? I never arrive at an answer but pondering upon this made me realise what makes waiting so tough…Especially when you’re waiting for God’s promises to be fulfilled.

I’m afraid    No matter how many times God assures us of His promises through His words in the Bible,we just can’t stop worrying.I’m such a fearful person,that’s what everyone tells about me,including my family.And I don’t deny it either.I can get fear so easily and every time it creeps in,it’s so extreme,be it for a small thing or a big one.But most of the times,I just don’t dwell on it.God helps me defeat it through prayer.It’s true,you have to experience that to know! I even wrote a poem “Conquest of Fear” about this great realisation.

What if??? :(    I think the easiest way Satan can attack us is through our thoughts.When we are waiting and praying for something badly,we are more likely to encounter negative thoughts.Thoughts which project just the opposite of our wishes.Such thoughts attack me especially when I’m praying.I get so distracted,frustrated and upset.What we have to do is get over that.Defeat that,in other words.As is said in 2 Corinthians 10:5 ,“we should take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” Not easy at all,but not impossible either.

But she said so!!     Stay strong in your faith and belief.When we are doubtful about something in our life,we tend to talk and ask the suggestions of many around us.Some really give us valuable advice and encouraging words ,but in most cases, the predictions are bad.We forget that miracles are unimaginable things actually happening.So worldly things and possibilities don’t matter at all.All we require is complete submission and constant prayer.And hey,trust me!! The more you wait,the more you are surprised with God’s work.And even if His answers are different from the ones we expected,it’s always for the best.

So,how long will I wait??? As long as my Lord wants me to!!

M-o-S-q-U-i-T-o

Some of my past “encounters” have been with the members of the insect family…Again,my  post , Housefly Vs Sedative was about an annoying housefly..And this time it’s a totally different and funny tragedy.Maybe most of us have gone through the same

Singing is my passion And I experiment singing new and high notes when I’m home alone Amazingly,one day I accomplished singing a note which I’ve never tried before.Happiness overflowing,I thought I should test how long I can sustain the note.I took a deep breath and went for it.I sustained the note for a good few seconds.As you know,after singing a long note,obviously we take  in air with a greater speed.A mosquito which was flying by around my sphere of influence ,was pushed along with the flow of air into my mouth!!!

Since it accelerated straight into my throat,I couldn’t spit it either…I started choking and tears rolled down my eyes.Larger things have travelled down my foodpipe( I mean food,mind u!!! ) but the fact that it was a mosquito kept me trying to force it out. Well,if you think I failed doing so,you guessed it right.

So now my only choice was to swallow this poor little guy!!!I drank water and started putting any eatable I could find into my mouth(What was I thinking?? That it would somehow become a mosquito sandwich???!!!??) The mosquito must have travelled to my stomach by then,probably in parts coz of  my many efforts to bring it back up!! But still I had the felling of something stuck in my throat for a very long time…..

If you are not afraid of mosquitoes going through your foodpipe,do try this method to get rid of the mosquito population in your house!