Troublesome 3

What do I/we think about, on any given moment? Either about what happened, or what is going to happen. Past and future. I live my present, thinking on the past and planning for the future.

But there is a trap involved. REGRET of the past- results in guilt, discouragement and FEAR of the future- results in anxiety and depressing mood. The resuly is WORRY of the present! Troublesome three, aren't they? From small issues to big.

But the fun part is I don't have any control over both the past and the future! :P And the present goes for a toss!

The cure? Well, thanking and praising God for whatever ( good or bad ) I think of the past and thanking and praising for all His promises for my future, makes me live an abundant life everyday! For the focus shifts from me to Him.

Isaiah 43:18 "Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past"
Jeremiah 29:11"For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."
John 10:10B '..I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly. '

Unless you become like...

I walked into our living room after a good afternoon nap. My eyes popped out. The room was in absolute mess! The newspaper was strewn all over the room. Books, wires, balls, toys, the chairs toppled over and in the opposite corners. It looked like a whirlwind had swept right across the room.
I turned around to see a bundle of dynamite running toward me. Yep, it is our 15mth old superman, Adam. Everything reachable to his height, and more were in danger. He can climb chairs, and pull mixee, laptop, telephone, books, bottles. Anything accessible. I stopped rearranging things after 2 minutes, realising it was a futile effort. I fell into our couch completely drained after running around for 10 minutes with him. He looked at me with a look that could be intepreted 'You got tired?? ' Huh! where does he get that much energy?

There's my other 'terror' nephew, Kevin, a 4 year old, and hyperactive kid. He's tall for his age, and so lean, that when jumps into your lap, his bones poke you real hard. His prayers are admirable. He starts 'Thank you Jesus, we went for shopping today. Dad got me a toy car, we all had chicken,..' and goes on to say the entire day events, and ends with 'God bless Mommy, God bless daddy, and so on'. I can't resist opening my eyes when he prays. He's so expressive and beautiful with all the minute details.

Am planning to keep this blog open, to write all they do ;)

My brother's family had gone on an vacation to a hill station. They had hired Toyota INNOVA, and were going up the winding roads, when suddenly Kevin perked up, asked aloud, " So is this Noah thatha's car? " ( Thatha- Grand dad) It took couple of minutes for my bro to understand, what he meant. When they had talked abt Innova, he had imagined it was Noah from the Bible, and that this was his car! The way kids relate everything! Guess I've got lot of things to learn!

Another time, my brother had gone for shopping with Kevin. Kevin eyed a toy and was pestering my bro to buy it. My bro had said, ' I don't have enough money for this' and whisked him away. Later that night, during family prayer, Kevin's prayers went this way. He thanked Jesus, and told the entire day events and ended with, Jesus, give dad enough money. Amen. Next morning, at office my bro was amazed to see an email sitting on his inbox talking about Bonus for him! Two weeks earlier, the entire company, had received a circular saying that due to economic depression, there will be no promotions, bonus, overtimes for the next one year. God loves kids?

This is funnier! My bro's family were travelling to India the next day. The kids were so excited and that night during family prayer with all the energy Kevin goes 'Thank you Jesus,......' We are all going to Chennai. Are you coming too?" Here he had paused briefly, as in a telephonic conversation, and then said 'Okay. God bless Mommy.... Amen' I don't know if he heard back, or what was in his mind, coz no one had taught him to pray that way ( except for my bro telling him, prayer is to talk what he wud to his dad)

Best Fit!

For all those Engineering graduates, this must ring a bell. First year of College, we have a class on 'Carpentry' which includes Metal filing as well. Remember the joints? The dove tail joint, Tee joint, Mortise tenon joint? Well if you chip away a 1-2 mm wood off the measurement, you'll have to do away with it, and start all over. Same with filing a metal.

I never understood why we had to hammer a wooden block or file a metal to perfection as an Engineer, but it was the only breather class and we did have fun inspite the bruises, cuts, bleeding we acquired during that hour.

Well after all these years, I understood the meaning, over a cup of coffee with a good friend this morning. She was chatting about finding the life partner, and this is what she said, 'its not what you want, or what the other person wants, but what God wants." Till then you will be chipped off, filed to make the perfect best fit.

Isn't it strange, that Jesus chose carpentry as his profession?!!

".. Isn't this the carpenter?.. " Mark 6:3

Heal the wound

Only recently I’ve started growing finger nails. I have long fingers, so I think it looks good. But the problem starts when I scratch, scractttch any small blisters in my skin and make it worse. So to prevent myself from harming my skin, I do either of the following. One. I pretend, and make a conscious effort not to think about it. Two. I apply some medicine on the blistered skin to heal.

But at times, both things don’t work out, and I end up scratching and peeling the skin off. I guess, that’s what most of us do, to make a bad situation worse. We either THINK or TALK about the situation, which is like putting a tooth pick on a wound and digging it, so the wound/hurt is fresh in our minds.

Still wanna dig? or let it heal?

"whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things."
Philippians 4:8

Pretty lips!

Me and my bro have always fought on who resembles mom, dad the most. Bro has mom's coarse thick hair. I have dad's silky and mom's long hair. We all have huge long dad's fingers and toes. I have mom's scanty eyebrows. Bro has dad's voice, and I have mom's. I love bittergourd like dad. Bro has belly like dad. I have dad's eyes. I can go on.. You may be surprised, but we have even measured the length/height/width of our noses, ears and lips and the fight just intensifies!

Last week, I got mad at my bro. Mom has beautiful lips and a very cute smile.And none of us inherited it! We all got Dad's big lips, but here he ( bro) was, biting more than half his lips ( I should say 70%) and then making a statement claiming that he has mom's pretty lips! We had a pretty good fight!

All said and done, but it makes me wonder now, how much of mom, dad's character we have inherited? Their sweetness, strength, patience, love, or atleast their orderliness??
Now, here comes the bigger question, how much of character I own from my big dad??

"..the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness and self-control" Galatians 5:22-23