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! 

Dad's cycle story

Dad was distributing tracts on the road to passerbys. This was way back in the year 1969 or 1970. There were few who intently accepted and asked questions.

One person however lingered longer. His eyes were filled with tears. Dad took him along separately and talked about God's love and salvation. That man must have been in his thirties. He was working in a school as a part time teacher for seeing for tholil kalvi. He walked to school 7 kms one way. He had been married for 13 years and had been childless. He said his wife was the only daughter of a village head. Afraid that her daughter will be barren in this marriage, he had taken his daughter away for another marriage the previous week.  He was heartbroken. His questions were simple. Will I get my wife back. 2. Will my job get permanent? 3. I need a cycle to travel to school every day. Will God help me get it.

Dad answered, if he clung to Christ alone, he will give the desires of his heart.  Dad was led by the spirit to give his cycle to him. It was his only means. But he told him, to take the cycle and trust God to meet his needs.

The man was overwhelmed and he left with new strength. Dad met him after 15 years. He was in the same cycle. He jumped with joy and came happily to dad. He said that same week, his wife came back to him all by herself. They now had 3 children, who were all in school. That same year his job got permanent. His father in law got baptised and their villagers accepted Christ.  They had built a church with tower too!

Dads first jobs

The first job that dad worked was in... Near cbe. Peripa (his elder brother) had referred him. It  was a panchayat union school. There were no hotels in the area. Bhavani river flowed through. Dad took bath there. The food was served in panchayat leader house. During the first meeting, he asked what varnam you belong too. Dad said chennimalai mudaliyar , he lied. He saw people outside the house standing in line and drinking something in charatai(coconut shell). It was washed and turned over for drying. The next day he noticed that the same was used to serve the men outside. When dad asked who they were, the panchayat leader replied some caste people.

Dad worked 28 days in that school as headmaster. He went to the Panchaya office and asked if he can get his original certificates that he had submitted, so that he can take a photo copy. They let him have his certificates. It was a Friday. He placed a leave letter for Monday inside the register and came straight to idanyangudi!

Wishes come true

When people wanted me to marry when I was in US, I wasn't for it. I used to ask myself why...and somehow I wasn't comfortable.

I wanted someone, who will speak the same language with my parents. Someone who listens to their stories and can relate to them. Someone who can sing fmpb songs! Lol

These were in my  deep down silly desires. Too silly to be told to anyone.
But God knows the desires of your heart! After the few troublesome years, God restored and gave back double of what we had lost! I have told thay to my close friends and family..but only now penning it down. 

My hubster loves listening to my dad's stories. Infact dad tells him lot of things. Though most of it are ones I have heard earlier, dad says with great josh and my guy guy listens attentively even though he has now heard the repeated stories often!

They can talk for hours, and I have to remind and shoo them off to bed, as it's past mid night!

Thanking God from the bottom of my heart!