Dad's first meeting

Dad was painting in his art room. He had his pilayar painting on one side, and a painting of actress Vijayanthi mala on the left.  Emil Jebasingh uncle entered the room. He did not stare at his painting, nor uttered anything about it.  But invited dad for 3 day Gideonear camp in Panavilai.

Dad was hesitant. Emil uncle, put his hand around dad's shoulder and said, God needs artist( kalaigars) like you. He quickly left.. Dad was working in Uthumalai then. Emil uncle had gone house to house and invited 300 people.

Hesitantly, dad went for the program. He met Mr.Washingston, who heartily invited him in the venue.  Sticking around that day, he was sure, he was out of place. So he got his bag, and walked to the bus stop.. There Mr. Manicaraj Thiraviyam met him, and asked why dad was leaving. He said he had to go, and dint seem to belong here. Mr. Manikaraj Thiravium, insisted and requested dad to be there for the 'Sandhya' program alone, and then leave. He brought dad back to the camp.

He saw a  neatly dressed- tucked in shirt and trousers a man, to whom dad asked, 'Have you come for this meeting?' questioningly.. for he must have seemed out of place.  Seated dad was alarmed to see that fine man, walk up the stage and preach. He was Mr. P. Sam. Dad had a notebook and pencil. Seeing P. Sam uncle's animated speech, he started sketching him in his notebook vigorously.. He  finished all the pages in the book, with the drawings.. He was engrossed by his animated movements.... As the sun went down, he couldn't sketch more.. He started listening to the preaching and when there was an altar call, to lay your lives in Jesus arms, dad went forward.

Rest is history. But it takes a leader, to make that one-on-one touch and a burden for each other.

Mr. Israel Devaraj when he left Bethel bugged off the food, dad brought him back from the bus stop, mom cooked good fish curry and promised that whenever he felt homes sick, he needs to drop in, and he can have fish.  Another missionary a M.A graduate also who had packed his bag and left, dad brought him in, and told him that God needs such people for translation of Bible and that he will do it soon. He went on ahead to translate the Bible in malto.  Praise be to God alone.

Dad's eagle's story

There was a terrible storm coming down.. Dark clouds were looming, lightning, and thunder echoing the sky. The wind was blowing hard. Perched on a rock by the river was a large eagle. The river was overflowing, the rush of the water was loud and alarming. Each thunder sounding in the background, would make any heart skip a beat.  The eagle was just sitting there, watching all this.

A second eagle, spotted a carcass, floating down the river. The water was flowing fast and loud, but the free food - a dead donkey smell wafted in the cold air, made the eagle's mouth water... The food, just happened to cross the eagle and it couldn't resist taking a peck of the delicious food. It sat on the carcass and began to eat the flesh.. But unknown to it, its feet, was going down the rotten flesh, the sinews and tendons of the donkey flesh had intertwined on the claw of the big bird..   The river was flowing down the crag, into a great big water fall few meters away, the noise of the water fall was loud amidst the thunder and the bird flapped her great big wings to fly. But alas, her feet, was deep into the flesh, and she couldn't free herself to fly into the air. Her struggles, were met with the rapid flow of the gushing water, down the crag and she fell with the dead donkey.

A third eagle, was not distracted by the gushing river, the lightning, the storm clouds or the thunder . It lifted its head, flapped her wings, and zoomed high up into the dark sky, for it spotted a light silver lining  unseen by human eye, it gathered the wings,and used the stormy weather, as a fuel to fly high up into the dark sky to go above the storms.

Dad stops his stories after this every time, and looks right into our eye. What kind of eagle are you?


I thought this story is in the ' Streams of the Desert', but  it wasn't. That book, has lot of eagle stories. But this is a variant- dad's version :)

Never too young

Looking back in rockers fellowship, I am at awe how God has led us thus far... People have come for a season and left, but God has sustained he fellowship with same burden and energy. Different people, from different walks of life. Yet 1 body in Christ.

We have had different musicians to lead worship, lead Christmas carols, different first generation believers to ignite us with different backgrounds, different personalities to lead fellowship, different initiatives. All for a season.

When people leave, the emptiness is filled by someone. But as the saying goes 'once a rocker, always a rocker ' the impact, the influence one has on other had been a tremendous learning experience.

We are far from perfect. We have our flaws and failings, but God has sustained us thus far and are still learning.

Fellowship has molded many of us, put us in a pedestal, and given the many first of our opportunity to share testimony, share word of God, sing, dance, play music, act in a skit, coordinate with people, take in charge of something .

How is your BP?

This was something I was asked in a camp, when I was a teenager. BP huh? Normal I guess was my reply. The SU camp trainer said, for a Christian, BP should be high...he explained, BP is for Bible and Prayer. How is your Bible reading, prayer life?

I remember seeing this question in Tamil in a park gate in my husband's hometown. These questions need to be asked. Usually a parent asks you this question ( if they are believers)

But what about others? In Rockers  fellowship, feel free to ask how one's BP is? Stir each other up! Everyone struggles. No one is perfect! Check on each other. Read in a devotional today... God changes you. Most of the time he uses people around you to transform you...

Be genuinely interested in each other. Find out where they are from/ siblings/ parents/likes, form friendship, share your life. Be there to encourage, pray for them. Be accountable.  Ask God to give you the burden. And ask God to use you!

"We may impress people by our strengths, but we connect with them through our vulnerabilities." Be vulnerable. There is great power in it. When we let God use us for others, God takes care of our truck load of issues.

So I ask my friends, ' how is your BP? Not that I am perfect, because I care. We are all one body in Christ!
BP is  High, low, ok, and then we sharpen each other as iron sharpens iron... Ask , be available. Everyone needs a friend.
Stir each other up!

Hebrews 10:24
And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. ²⁵ Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

On the go!

Standing in the gst road this morning, I was dazed. 7 months of otherwise inactive life had forgotten this bit of life outside. People are in the go. You either join them,(while crossing the road) or be left behind. The signal wasn't working and the traffic police was on his toes to get the traffic moving.

7 months was a different busy. Holding lilybel around the house had been fun. The girls were excited too..mom was around all the time.

Mixed feelings... Happy to get back to office..and eager to see what God has in store for me next.

The struggles.

The topic then turned to, how difficult the path is for a missionary. Patrick uncle losing his son, packianaharaj losing his son.
Dad then said about Rhenius a German missionary who had preacheed the gospel and started 431 churches in the South. When he died, he was not allowed to b buried inside any church compound, but he and his daughter were buried in the street .

Or how Sawyer the rich merchant , was responsible for building sawyerpuram church, sawyerpuram village, and helped financially for building churches in mudalur, Nazareth and many other companies churches. He also built houses for lakhs of people with his own money. History records of how his horse was shot. How he died nobody knows , but was brought to Clarinda church (where he was residing). Ringeltaube  went to attend he funeral and records that his wife and 6 children were there. Since they did not feel safe they left to Kerala and settled there. For all that he did, the reward is only in heaven.😓

The devils on the run

Dad continued about how the hell was actually created for the devil and his inmates. Not for people. But devil is taking the people along with him. He enters man and plays havoc. The same place that God resides in a Christian. He shudders at the name of Jesus.

Dad was saying how we have to pray for Indians everyday. To get saved. How he used to name the devil (like Kali) and he stopped. We were like why? He told of an incident, where he was praying in the name of Jesus and  binding the devil.. suddenly something dark appeared in front and was begging him not to send them away. Dad was trying to say 'S Jesus'  aloud but he couldn't... There was some pressure/current..like  when you are near a electric line. Slowly the darkness grew hands and legs and it jumped near dad and sat and put his hands together pleading don't send us away. By then dad shouted Jesus and it jumped across dad and ran away...the dogs outside barked and chased it away from the compound of danishpet!
Dad was in art room then and he went home to sleep after that. Dad says that was the time he got diabetes. He said  you can pray with 2 or 3...but not alone. After 4,5 days he said while sleeping he saw a big foot...a shoe the size of a room trying to stomp him.he heard a big banyan tree falling...don't take it lightly he said. It's a warfare and be on guard always. Wear your armor!  And be holy...any small slip devil can take you as advantage.

We

We will reside in him. Scripture portion for Bible reading for family prayer was John 14. And dad was saying about how God and Jesus raises in us, as per verse 23.. Thus there is no room for fear or anxiety.  God Almighty make of heaven, Jesus and Holy Spirit dwell in us. And they help us daily as we deal with tough situation

Dad was saying about when he had to meet a collector Krishnamoorthy, who was known to be stubborn, unfriendly. The PRO had already rejected dad's plea. Dad prayed and claimed this verse and others..he who is with u is greater than he  who is in the world.. the collector had no time to read the request letter, he asked what was in it. Dad said that he was a terrorist, a chain smoker , a drunkard who has now changed. He being an artist drew pictures to tell how he got changed. And the exhibition is for  that. The collector wrote down in green ink in the same paper addressed to the same pro. Reserve the best place, and we will incur all the cost for the exhibition..he kept writing!

When lilybel fell!

I remember seeing a video, where a kid asks his mom, how many hands you have. She says two. Then he says that's it. No more. ( He has a brother)

Lilybel fell down this morning from bed. We were getting ready for church
Andrea was lying next to her keeping guard.. amy was ready. She had brushed, bathed, had breakfast, so I was telling my husband to get Andrea  ready as she wouldn't budge from bed and wanted to play with her lil sis. So my husband called Andrea and she went to brush. Meanwhile, I was making aapam, and I asked my husband to eat it immediately as he likes to eat hot aapams. For a second, we had forgotten lil Lilybel. Her cries, scampered us to bedroom to find her on the floor. She must have slipped from the edge of the bed. But by God's grace she was after after few minutes of crying. So far she has fallen twice from bed , twice from thotil. So thankfulfor God's protection and faithfulness, grace and mercy round the clock.

The two girls are quite handful that lilybel often slips my mind. May God give us wisdom, patience and grace to bring them up!

Dad and vegetables

I was sorting the vegetables my husband had got around 10pm. I was exhausted and there were 2 bags of vegetables. I was mad that he got so much on the middle of week. It looked like it would last for 2+ weeks.

I was grumpy and was telling why he had to buy so much when he could have gotten it fresh every week. Dad was nearby and he said, you should be thankful for these vegetables. He said arulmani annan would say that it is grace that vegetables end up in your home. From the farm to the market and then to our home. As he walks inside the market, he sees only God's grace and goodness all around.

I perked up to see him and nodded that I agreed too. He was right. Dad continued, 'once Gospel Rathan were on a trip and got enough rice for the journey. They thought they could get some veggies on the way. But they travelled nearly 500 kms, but couldn't find a single vegetables shop or a tea shop! I asked why? Dad said those people didn't have vegetables...

Must have been a dry land I assumed. Well, so I resumed sorting and storing my veggies in the fridge, thanking God for his mercies and grace for the veggies!