How could this happen to me??
This past weekend was an extra long weekend for me. Our office was closed on Friday and then with Labour Day on the Monday, I had four days off. The Labour Day weekend, as it is officially known here in North America, spells the end of the summer holidays and the beginning of a new school year.
We wanted to do something with the boys and it was suggested to us by our friends that we join them and go out to a provincial park about 200 kms away from where we live. It is called 'Sandbanks Provincial Park', so we left on Saturday afternoon and stayed overnight in a Holiday Inn at Trenton, famous because it houses the Canadian Forces and is known as the Canadian Forces Base. The first night we went out for dinner and the kids wanted to have Pizza, we found this 'Pizza Pizza' in another town close by - and we found the slowest Pizza Pizza in Ontario. I tell you it was almost breakfast time by the time we got served.
After dinner we rushed back to the Hotel to enjoy the swimming pool, we stayed there until 11:00 PM which was closing time for the pool - so we were effectively kicked out of there by the staff. Back in the room we watched 'Surf's Up' with the kids - wasn't a fantastic movie, and then we eventually went to bed around 12:45 AM !!
Breakfast was at 10:00 Am - bacon & eggs & sausages & all the other good stuff and then finally we were off to 'Sandbanks'. Sandbanks has a lovely beach and the weather was perfect, the sun was out and the water was warm. The best thing was that you could walk out into the water up to your neck and even better that there was just sand - no rocks or sea weed which can make walking barefoot a challenging exercise. We had a lot of fun, infact I can't remember going to a beach and having so much fun, my wife jumped in as well and enjoyed getting wet. We went for a long walk on the beach, had MacDonald's burgers, since we hadn't got our cooking gear with us.
It was a great end to the summer holidays. Had we stayed at home the boys would have simply been glued to their PS2/TV/Computer which was not acceptable, this turned out to be such a fantastic alternative. Its time for bed now and I am looking at myself in the washroom mirror - 'What's with the redness around my shoulders and why is my back so itchy and hot?' I call out to my wife to check this out. Guess what?? I've got sunburnt .... What?? How can that be? I am from India, I can't get sunburnt. Yes, that is exactly what I said - I have been in way more hot sun than this , this is ridiculous, I can't get sunburnt.
Reality check - ten years in Canada have made my body different than it used to be, its strange though that I find it hard to accept the changes, it feels as though I am losing a part of me. Well, I can't do those things that I used to be able to do. Last time I went to India I caught dengue fever - that was another huge blow. I used to think that I was immune to mosquito bites and diarreah and .... no, those days are gone and alas, I must adapt and learn to accept them.
This makes me think of a spiritual principle - living a life that is hidden in Christ. Paul says 'It is no longer I that live but Christ lives in me' - when living in Christ becomes our lifestyle then we can no longer do the things that we used to, we are also no longer immune to issues that we used to be unaffected by. Living a life that is hidden in Christ must transform us, if it doesn't then something isn't right - maybe we are faking it.
For the moment, I am nursing my sunburn - I tell you it hurts. Hope you had great holidays as well and here's hoping you do not get sunburnt. ;-)
Happy Independence Day - India & Pakistan
With all honesty I can tell you this, I would never have said Happy Independence Day to Pakistan had I been in India.
God has since given me the pleasure and wonderful experience of meeting people from Pakistan and helping me to realise that we have brothers and sisters there as well. Coming to Toronto has been such a blessing from that point of view, I now have some very good friends from Pakistan, some excellent Christians and you know what - they are no different from me an Indian.
My first landlord in Toronto was from Pakistan - a Mr Siddiqui, a muslim man. We stayed in his basement apartment for four and a half years, he treated us like his family, encouraged me in my studies and we felt very safe and secure in that house. People used to say 'Why are you still living in a basement apartment?' and we did not see what the problem was. Eventually when the Lord enabled us to buy a house we moved out. I remember weeping on my landlord's shoulder as I told him the news that I was moving out. I cherish experiences like this, they are 'Bhai Sahab' & 'Bhabhi' to me and we still meet and keep in touch with them
The partition was painful, for a lot of people and for our nation - but now here we are 60 years later and what have we learnt? Here is a video of someone's experience that I found on the BBC website.
Hope you guys had a great day and remember The greatest freedom is the freedom from sin and the gift of everlasting life. Jesus is the only one who can provide me & you that true freedom.
London visit - Part 2
We had to visit Madame Tassaud's - personally I wasn't very keen on it because it isn't a historical attraction, its just an attraction. We had to wait one & a half hours in line just to get in and then another hour and half to go through. It was busy. Once I was in, I loved it, I felt like a child having my picture taken with all the famous people, this may be the closest that I may ever get to them ;-). You can see me deep in discussion with Alfred Hitchcock, chilling with the Beatles and Bob Marley as well. These are my musical icons, I grew up listening to them and still do. There is something about London and music, when you hear it there it sounds different, maybe I am getting carried away here but that's the way I feel.
I enjoyed walking around the streets of London a lot. There is so much history in that place, its the closest I have ever gotten to seeing some of the World War II sights. I spent my childhood reading the 'Commando comics' and then when we visited the Imperial War Museum it was an experience to be this close to WWII. Actually Coventry (which is an hour and half away from London) was bombed out during WWII - and we were there. It was like visiting the 'Residency' in Lucknow and imagining what may have happened in those times.
People are different where ever you go and it was fun to note the different mannerisms that people have. I did come to one conclusion - Canadians are way too polite. Another conclusion I arrived at was that England is a lot like India - minus the sophistication and the rules and regulations. I can see why so many Indians settle there and actually feel at home. Lots of cell phone usage - much like India. Did I tell you - we went to Southall as well - this is India in England and that was pretty cool too. There was this one place full of tailors ready to stitch salwars and suits and looked right out of Aminabad in Lucknow
We have Gerrard Street in Toronto, but Southall is something else, much larger and better. I had a lot of fun during my visit and I would love to go back again, and then maybe visit Europe as well.
This was a goal of mine to take my family to Europe and we got to England, its ggod to have goals and more importantly to give God the glory for all that we experience - the good, the bad & the ugly. All these experiences shape us and teach us more about ourselves and our wonderful Saviour.
Pussy cat, pussy cat where have you been??
Yes, I've been to London but couldn't see the Queen. I am back after a ten day vacation to England, and it was fabulous. I wanted to attend the SAGC conference while I was there but unfortunately things did not work out. I missed meeting with Pastor Pritam Singh and others, however, it is true that my priority was the family vacation and it would not have been fair to sacrifice that for my own personal reasons.
I remembered my father a lot because he had been to England a couple of time to attend various conferences. As I looked at the maps I could remember the places mentioned by Dad, it was good to reconnect to my father in this unusual way.
We landed in Manchester (cheaper tickets) and took the Coach to Coventry (where my wifes cousin has a house). We missed our Coach because it got moved to another gate and we could not understand the announcement because of the accent!! I never thought that something like this would happen to me. Things are different in England from North America, houses are smaller, the roads are tighter, cars are smaller.
Speaking of cars, I had another embarassing experience. I went to Avis to rent a car, they offer 'manual' cars rather than 'automatic', it seems that most people prefer 'manual' over 'automatic'. The rental prices for the 'manual' cars are also half of the 'automatic' - so I decided I am going to rent a 'manual', after all I used to drive a 'manual' car ten years ago in India. How difficult would it be to get used to a manual car again? After completing all the formalities we head to the lot to pick up the car and ... I could not even drive it out of the parking lot!! Good sense kicked in and I upgraded the model to an 'automatic' because I quickly realised that I may break the rules of the road but atleast I will not be killing anyone since I am comfortable in driving an 'automatic'. I am pretty sure that this encounter with me is still being talked about in the Avis at Coventry, England.;-)
Renting a car was perhaps one of the best decisions we took, it made commuting easier and gave us much needed flexibility. Infact, if you have a car and two weeks time, you can pretty much drive all over England. Had we continued North of Manchester we could have driven to Scotland - maybe next time. In London we visited - the Tower of London, The Tower Bridge, The London Bridge, Picadilly Circus, Traflagar Square, Parliament Houses, Big Ben, Westminster Abbey. We also travelled on the world famous 'London Underground'. I have to tell you, it gets hot down there and the trains are not air-conditioned. I was thinking of Toronto and just how spoilt we are. Our subway and buses are all air-conditioned and yet we have so much to complain about. I was told that in summer sometimes they shut down some of the stations on the underground down because it gets way too hot with so many people riding during rush hour - I can believe that!!.
I also had a very crazy experience, I met someone from Lucknow while walking along river Thames !! How crazy is that?? That took me back to my younger days in Lucknow itself. I used to go to Hazratganj - the 'hot spot' with my friends and they used to be annoyed with me because every couple of steps I would run into someone I knew, and then they would have to wait for me to finish my pleasantries. Well, that was Lucknow and in the late seventies and early eighties it was still a small town, but hey now this is global !! ...... to be continued
You have Two Voices - Nancy Prasad
My colleague showed me this poem, apparently a teacher had given this poem to her daughter. Read it ... isn't it beautiful?? I love it, it portrays the language challenge that we as immigrants experience so well. I don't know who Nancy Prasad is, but she is a good poet that's for sure. I wanted to share this with you and hope that you enjoy it as much as I do.
You have two voices when you speak
in English or your mother tongue.
When you speak the way your people spoke
the word's don't hesitate but flow
like rivers, like rapids, like oceans of sound.
And your hands move like birds through the air.
But then you take a stranger's voice
when you speak in your new tongue.
Each word is a stone dropped in a pool
I watch the ripples and wait for more.
You search in vain for other stones to throw.
They are heavy.Your hands hang down.
You have two voices when you speak;
I have two ears for hearing.
Speak to me again in your mother tongue.
What does it matter how little I understand
When the words pour out like music
and your face glows like a flame.
SACA (South Asian Christian Alliance Conference) - July 21st
This Saturday I attended the day long SACA Conference. It was a great experience, I was pleasantly surprised and have to say that it was indeed a commendable effort. There were lots of people from the community, I would say close to 800, although my counting isn't very good.
Bro David Manuel from the South Abbotsford Church in British Columbia was the main speaker. Great message and a great man of God. I was very interested to see him since my Father mentioned that he had worked with him. After the meeting I introduced myself to him and when I told him about my father he was so happy and embraced me. He told me that he was present at the very first conference of 'Hindi Evangelical Fellowship'in Jhansi which my father started. He told me he was there with my father and Bro Anand Chaudhary, both of whom are now with the Lord. It was really neat to connect to my father through pastor David Manuel.
Balbbir Singh was the main singer - he is Punjabi singer from India, good music, unfortunately, I did not have any cash on me to buy the CD's. I wasn't very well prepared for this. I am sure I will get a hand on his CD's and when I do you will see them here as well. I do not undertand Punjabi but I can tell when the music is good.
Then to top it all there was lunch as well!! Unbeleivable!! Congratulations to Bro Barnabas Peters and Bro Joseph Singh for organising the event. I pray that the focus will continue to be on the the saving grace of Jesus and that many from our community will come to experience salvation in their lives. I have some photographs that may give you an idea of what it was like - sorry couldn't take many because my camera ran out of juice ( I told you I wasn't very well prepared!!).
Happy Birthday to me !!
On July 17th I completed another year of my life. So far 42 eventful years have passed by. God has been faithful, so much has happened and it is amazing to see how far we have come. The new song that I wrote captures the way I feel. I echo the psalmist "Praise the Lord O my soul, and forget not all his benefits. Praise the Lord O my soul and all that is within me praise His Holy Name." Psalms 103:1,2
It is so easy to go through life complaining and grumbling about what we do not have. Much more challenging to stop and be thankful and grateful for who He is. I have said this before and I will say it again - a cheerful heart eases the journey of life and it is easier to be cheerful when your focus is on Jesus.
Let me tell you an incident that really happened to me. At my work place I was talking to this young lady and I had worked with her for a couple of years. She suddenly stopped and asked me- dead serious - "Ben, do you take drugs?" I thought she was kidding but she wasn't. "No" I answered "Why do you ask?". "Well, you are always happy and smiling, this can't be for real." It made me think - I never thought that people would take that to be an unnatural way of being - being happy all the time.
Some of you are going well, you can't be happy all the time and that is true. I get angry, upset and frustrated - sometimes all at the same time. So I don't know what she picked up on - what I can say is that the way we are is seen and felt by the people around us.
I guess a lot of it has to do with our personalities as well, some of are outgoing and others aren't, but no matter who you are and the way you are - Be Grateful for the blessings you have, especially when you are feeling down and out. Turn to God's Word for inspiration and connect with Him.
Here's wishing you a very Happy Birthday too!! Whenever that may be.
US Senate opens with Hindu prayer
On July 12th, Thursday of last week history was made, for the first time in the history of the United States of America the Senate opened with a Hindu prayer. I read this news with a little bit of disappointment and a bit of bemusement. Obviously this has evoked a lot of reaction in the Christian circles within and outside of North America. I feel disappointed, as do many others, that this is a beginning of a changing North America. On a religious front, you and I have grown up to seeing America as the 'christian nation' (which is such a sad misconception) however, it is true that the USA was founded on Christian.
For many people it seems like one of the bastions of christendom have fallen and I can understand and sympathise with that sentiment. Well then why am I bemused? Primarily with the reaction. I think that the reaction is a bit over the top. I personally do not believe that the US is the gaurdian of Christendom. You may not agree with me and that is perfectly alright. I also look at this issue from a different point of view:
Do you think that the Indian, Pakistani or any Middle Eastern political meeting would ever open with a prayer that represents a minority in the country? Lets imagine now - the Saudi session opening with a Hindu prayer or a Christian prayer... hmmmm pretty suspect don't you think? I am not a fan of the US, however I do think that it is pretty neat that the strongest democracy in the world is willing to step out and recognise a minority populace in North America in this manner.
Actually, I may have to change that, I think in India this could and may have happened in the past, do correct me if I am wrong. Despite the fundamentalists, India is by and large tolerant and respectful of religions. I am not denying that there isn't large scale persecution of christians, just talking in an overall general sense.
Personally, I am disappointed that it has now come to this, but do not expect me to wave the flag of opposition on this issue. I know that changes like this and many more are in store for North America. Right now North America is in love with 'multiculturalism'. It is the buzzword these days. We love Toronto because it is soooooo 'multicultural'.
Beware! multiculturalism comes with a friend... religion. Culture and religion are so closely linked that you could almost speak them in the same breath. It is almost impossible to embrace a culture without getting splattered with religion.
As Indian christians we battle with this dilemma on a daily basis - where does culture stop and religion begin?
This is why (most) Indian christian women will not wear the 'sindur' or the 'bindi'. Accepting the 'prasad' (offering to the idols) and 'sweets' on festivals raises a myriad of challenging issues. Infact the discussion about the line between religion, overt or covert, has forced many a division among Indian Christians. Some people think that wearing a 'mangalsutra' is no problem for others it is an embracing of Hinduism - and the list goes on and on. Unfortunately this will continue because we are all different and think differently. Each one of us also thinks that we are correct - what a deadly mix.
So, it is but a matter of time in North America - when immigration and particular religious minoritiies reach a critical mass and then BOOM!! With politicians from different religions already starting to fill in our North American governments, we might be seeing 'Diwali', 'Holi','Baisakhi' and 'Id' added to the list of statutory holdiays. Never you say?? Never say Never.
Isn't it more cause for us to connect to and depend on God, the fount of knowledge and wisdom? It is so easy to fall in the trap of compromise. I need all the wisdom that I can get to discern my path.
My My what's going on here ??
Its been a while since I wrote something. Its been busy. I wrote another exam on June 19th and these days my wife is doing a month long course to upgrade her teaching license from India. She is going back to school after 16 years and she needs all the encouragement and help that I can give her. The kids are off for the summer and we have to think up of ways that can keep them busy - this can be quite the task. Oh Yes! don't forget that there is my 9 to 5 work as well. I am not complaining - just laying down excuses for not updating the website. ;-)
I picked up the newspaper this morning and I thought to myself 'What is going on here??'. I was hit by three stories, two serious and one just makes you fold the newspaper, sit back and smile to yourself. You be the judge:
Pakistan: The army storms the Red mosque today and several terrorists have been killed and there has been a pitched battle. It seems that President Musharraf has finally bit the bullet and thrown political caution to the wind - good for him. His political opponents - mainly the Islamist faction are accusing him of doing this to appease the West and Americans. As read this I am shaking my head going 'What??'. I am no political analyst and then reading some responses to a tough course of action are simply laughable. Good on you President Musharraf!! Good job !!
Canada: In a small town of Medicine Hat last year a 12 year old girl with help from her 23 year old boyfriend murdered her parents and her small brother. It was a grisly murder and we have been following the details as the trial has progressed this past month. I will not put the details here but you can find out for yourself. It seems that the parents did not approve of her 23 year old boyfriend and this angered her. Today the newspaper published a poem that she had written prior to particapating in the killings, and boy is it dark. No hope - just pure venom and hatred and wishing the darkest of consequences on her loved ones. I had to shake my head a couple of times. You have to wonder how can something like happen, a 12 year old child with thoughts like these.
She has now been found guilty, however according to law, because she is a minor, she can only be sentenced to a maximum of 10 years. Furthermore when she is an adult she can truthfully say that she does not have a criminal record unless she does something bad again. The human mind - what a mystery. No wonder God's word says that 'the human heart is deceitful above all things'.
USA: This one made me smile. A man flew in a lawn chair attached to helium balloons. Since he was travelling only at 40 kms per hour, his family and friends followed in a car by road. He says 'Haven't you ever thought when you were sitting out in the lawn and looking up at the clear blue sky, that you could be up in the air?'. Good for him, apparently he paid $1,500 in penalty to the air traffic control and surprised atleast one airline pilot who reported seeing a man in a lawn chari ... Funny!!
Well, that was today, everyday throws up all sorts of challenges and tests your emotions. Take it easy - be good today!!
Who Pays the Bill?
Pastor Kuruvilla Chandy sent this to me today - I love the message. It is taken from a great devotional website called At God's Table"and forgive us our debts as we also forgive our debtors" Matthew 6:12
As We Also – It's such a famous phrase that we don't really pay close attention to its implications. It just runs off our lips like drinking from a hose. But there is something very important here; important because it is right at the heart of justice; important because it is almost humanly impossible to do. Unless you see it, this part of the prayer will never belong to you.
Jesus tells us that unless we forgive, we will not be forgiven ( Matthew 6:14-15). That is very uncomfortable, especially when we realize that forgiveness is not reluctant acceptance of a wrong suffered, nor easy dismissal of hurts received. Forgiveness is about debts – real ones owed to you – emotional, physical and financial. Forgiveness opens the accounting books and looks right at the debit and credit lines. Forgiveness is anything but easy.
The Greek phrase hos kai hemeis (as also we) draws a direct relationship between God's mercy and our mercy. The implication here is that someone owes. We owe God because we have abused and ignored and presumed on His holiness. He justifiably demands payment, but we beg for mercy and are given forgiveness – not because we don't owe, but because Jesus pays the debt for us. The debt is real. The demand is legitimate, but the resolution is unique. Timothy Sanford suggests a revealing way of applying this divine grace principle to those who really do owe us. His suggestion illuminates the meaning of "as we also." He says, "When you forgive, you willingly transfer the debt into God's hands for Him to collect. . . You are no longer responsible for making the other person pay." "Once you give the debts on your list to God, the people who wronged you – although still accountable to God – owe you nothing, not even an 'I'm sorry.'"
Ouch! Sanford is right. God forgives me and marks my account "Paid In Full." He doesn't continue to treat me like a debtor. He recognizes that my debt has been absorbed by His Son and I owe nothing more. If I am going to forgive like that, then I need to do exactly what Sanford suggests. Make my "who owes me" list, mail it to God for collection, and let it go . . completely! Those on my list no longer owe me anything, just as God no longer demands payment from me. When we forgive like this, we reflect the heart of the Creator – and we exercise the full authority of the Son. Then, says Jesus, we will understand real forgiveness – and God will smile upon us in grace.
Do you carry a list of those who owe? It might be a decade old, something never resolved from your past. It might be last week. An insult. An unpaid "loan." Whatever it is, you know exactly who owes you. Time to send it to the bill collector. Are you willing to forgive like that?
I wish I had a ...
My computer is a MacBook Pro laptop. It is a great machine, with Intel Duo Core processor and enables me to run a Mac as well as a Windows environment from the same laptop. Often times I just put it to sleep and don't restart it. Its very convenient and I love it!! After putting the computer to sleep for a number of days I usually notice some 'wonky' behaviour - it starts taking longer to connect to the network or it takes longer to open an application and then I know what I have to do - You got it - I restart the machine. It then does its thing, makes its connections and 'Bingo' everything seems to fall back into place. What a simple solution - just restart the machine. It has happened at work when my colleagues will come with a look of utter frustration and say 'Ben - its just not working. I was able to do this and that just fine and then this morning nothing seems to work.' More often I ask them to reboot their machine and try the procedure again. Nine times out of ten that works.
Recently I have been experiencing a lot of different emotions and there are days when I wake up and say 'I wish I had a Reset button'. Wouldn't that be nice?? Maybe we would get zapped and maybe it would cause a little bit of pain for a couple of seconds and then everything would settle down. That was a 'Ben thought' ;-). When you restart your computer you lose nothing of the work that has been done before, you may lose something that you were working on at that moment. So if I had a restart button I wouldn't want it to erase my past or fix all my mistakes, all it would do is settle me down. Anyway, enough of that, this thought is going nowhere.
When I start experiencing commotion and conflicting emotions in my life I pray and read my Bible with a special focus. I ask the Lord to calm my mind so that I can take rational decisions. Recently our church started setting aside the first Monday of every month for prayer and fasting. I have started to participate in that, I now use this one day every month to restart my machine. Even though I do my daily devotions and pray, it is an entirely different experience to spend a whole day focussed on God and seeking His mind. Yes, I do go to work and the hunger pangs remind me that I need to have more of God in my life. Maybe you could join me wherever you are - the first Monday of every month.
In addition, I also take a day off, once every two months and spend it by myself. Two weeks ago I spent the day in a bookstore just reading, I love to read. Sometimes I will watch a movie, I also went over to my wife's office and took her out for lunch. Now - there's a restart button I like.
Are you going through a confusion filled state of mind? Not to worry - connect with God, connect with your loved ones and connect with yourself. I trust that the peace of God that passes all understanding will fill you and that you will be a blessing to those that come in contact with you.
How did I go bankrupt? - Part 2
So how do you know that you are drifting out to sea and no longer moored to the shore? I guess keeping an eye on the shore would be the thing to do - but how do we do this in our everyday lives? This is where God, His Word and His people need to be used as guideposts in our life journey.
Raj and his wife Sunita came to Canada some time ago and have now settled in to a comfortable Canadian lifestyle. I knew them then and I know them today as well. Sunita came from a very strong church background, knew and continues to have a deep and well grounded understanding of God's word. It has been a wonderful journey for them as a family, husband and wife have worked long and hard to reach the state that they are in today. Along came Shekhar and Anita - also from India. They are a vibrant, energetic couple and seem to draw people to themselves. They managed to get settled right away and became very successful. Raj, Sunita, Shekhar and Anita became part of the same community, attending the same church and befriending the same people. Shekhar and Anita, just naturally, started taking over the group, they were successful people and very persuasive and started calling the shots and no one seem to notice or have a problem. Shekhar & Anita had a problem - they were not really believers, they did know how to behave in the church setting and went through the motions and it was all good. Shekhar liked to drink , in the beginning no one was aware of this and none of the others in the group liked or indulged in alchohol and so it was a non issue.
It started harmlessly enough - Raj and Shekhar and the others started ribbing each other about having a drink. It made a great conversation piece. When the evenings would get cold someone would say -"Hey, its really cold tonight" another would respond - 'Yaar ek chotti si laga lo, thand chali jayegi' ('Take a small one and the cold will go away') and then everyone would laugh. Then along came Rajesh & Mahesh with their families. They were from a very nominal christian background and had no problems with drinking etc. They had common friends and became part of the group. The very first party hosted by the brothers had alchoholic drinks and for them it was a natural thing to do.
This is when things started to change. In hindsight this was perhaps the time for others to come alongside Rajesh & Mahesh and point out that this wasn't the right thing to do, however, for Shekhar & other secret lovers of alchohol, this was a perfect opportunity, the license to join in. When things are done in the open they seem to look alright and makes people bolder. Then Raj, the ultra conservative one started having a sip or two. Gradually the drinks on every occasion have become staple and expected. The tragedy is that now there is no distinction between social gatherings and the Bible studies.
This is a sad story, how do we avoid a mess like this? We need to take stock of the four major areas in our lives -
Spiritual, Health, Finances & Social.
Each of these areas then needs to be regularly evaluated. The primary focus needs to always be on our spiritual life, our relationship with the heavenly Father. What is taking up our time? What are we listening to? What are we watching? Are these activities taking me closer or further away from God. When we are in touch with God - He becomes our shore line, He is the never changing one and that is how we know whether we are adrift or anchored.
When we are connected to God, the other areas of our lives will also fall in place - not overnight but they will. Our choices will gradually start affecting every other area for the better. All the best.
How did I go bankrupt?
I bet that caught your attention right away eh? If Cancer is the 'C' word then bankcruptcy is definitely the 'B' word. To be bankcrupt denotes being penniless in a world that relies a lot on money. It is a horrifying thought that can give you sleepless nights and create all sorts of health issues. In North America 'declaring bankcruptcy' is a mechanism to escape the quicksand of debt where you find yourself 'in too deep'. When you declare bankcruptcy, the financial institutions that have loaned you money as well as other creditors are given a signal to 'lay off' and then you are in a position to negotiate your debt with each of them without the pleasure of having them breathing down your neck. Whether you are bankcrupt (as in penniless) or declare bankcruptcy (to get some breathing space) your 'goose is cooked'. (I apoligise for using so many cliches in one paragraph) What I mean to say is that there is now a mark on your credit history or there are serious consequences that affect your life eg losing your home, selling off your car etc. etc.
So how does one go bankcrupt? Does the individual wake up one morning - look into his bank accounts and credit card accounts and discover' Hey - wait a minute
I am bankrupt? No, it does not happen that way. There may be an odd chance where calamity strikes or due to a theft or some other act a person goes bankcrupt and I am not talking about those situations. In 99% of the situations what happens is an imperceptible slide and then BOOM - one day there is no money. Every financial transaction or decision that an individual makes in his or her life moves them away or towards financial distress - it doesn't happen suddenly. I was reading a book on credit management and it had this quote - "How did I go bankcrupt? slowly - then suddenly."
I love this quote its so simple and extremely profound.
Lets move away from finances and take a look at some other real life situations.
Breakdown in relationships - slowly and then suddenly.
Divorce - slowly then suddenly.
Alchoholism - slowly and then suddenly.
Adultery - slowly and then suddenly.
Imagine being on a boat that you think is anchored to the shore. You go into your cabin and go off to sleep, when you wake up you find yourself in the middle of the ocean because the current slowly carried you out. It happened so smoothly that it did not disturb your sleep at all. That is scary eh?
So it is in also in my relationship with God. A person does not wake up one morning and decide ''From today I am going to have nothing to do with God" - it doesn't happen that way. There are infact a series of choices over a long period of time that leads further and further away from God and then BOOM - God has no place in your life.
So how do we know when we are adrift and that the current is taking us further away from the shore? ...
Provoked - The Movie
I received an email from Pastor Kuruvilla Chandy with a review about this movie and I felt this was worth sharing with you. Please read on...
Last evening Roshini and I went to see the movie Provoked. It is based on the true story of Kiranjit Ahluwalia, a Punjabi woman who was married off to an Indian in the UK. She was physically abused by her husband and she endured her husband's cruelties for ten years, but one night decided to just burn his feet so that he gets an idea of how much it hurts. The fire got out of hand and her husband was burnt severely and died a few days later.
The investigating police were against her and crucial facts such as her evident distraught mental state immediately after the burning were denied dishonestly. The judge wouldn't allow the jury to be presented with any evidence of the physical abuse she had suffered. She herself wouldn't give evidence in court because she was ashamed to let the world know what went on in the home. She was found guilty of murder and awarded life imprisonment.
Kiranjit regarded prison as the place where she found freedom. A legal aid group takes up the matter of her appeal. A very good lawyer fights her case pro bono. The charge is turned into manslaughter and the time spent in jail till then was counted as enough punishment and she walks out free. Click here for an interview with the real life victim in 'The Gaurdian'
Without approving of revenge as an option, I think you should see this movie to understand the plight of battered wives--their sense of shame, their attempts to hide facts from the world. Even those who are subjected to verbal abuse experience a shame that cripples them.
In the movie the abusive husband asked Kiranjit, "Why do you do things that make me angry?" This is the classic excuse for violence. Not only the abuser, but a woman's relatives and friends may also take this line. Most of the time the woman is already programmed by social norms and upbringing to believe this lie that she herself is somehow responsible for the violence.
And then of course there is the conservative stance that a man has somehow got the right to discipline and control his wife. Let's face it, there are Christian men who justify such violence in the name of men's right to head the home. Suffice it to say that the Bible talks about
* humans being created equally in God's image (Gen. 1: 27),
* the Spirit of God coming on people without respect to sex (Acts 2:17-18),
* there being no sexual distinction in Christ (Gal. 3:28), and
* of husbands and wives being in a partnership (1 Pet. 3:7) of mutual submission (Eph.5:21)
Outside India the original English version of the movie should be available. Unfortunately for Roshini and me, since we live in North India, we had to watch it in a dubbed Hindi version. But we still understood the message.
Made in His Image - what a blessing
I have been around Christians a long long time now. It has also now been 27 years since I personally accepted Jesus as my personal friend and Saviour. 'God created us in His image..' that is one of the first lessons that you learn in Sunday School if you were born into a Christian family and I am pretty sure that when you become a Christian and you begin to read God's Word this fact just becomes a part of our existence and language. Have you ever stopped to think what an awesome thing it is that we are created in God's image?
This Sunday we had Dr. Joseph D'souza speaking at our church. He is the Director of OM (Operation Mobilisation) in India and in addition he is also the head of the All India Christian Council. He was talking about the state of Dalits in India and the fact that they are relegated to be the dregs of the society, left to do the basest and more unspeakable of tasks because of their status. Do you know why the Dalits are called Dalits? Let me enlighten you -
According to Hindu mythology in the Rig Veda, Brahma created the Brahmans, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas and the Shudras out of the various part of his body - namely the mouth, shoulders, thighs and the feet. However, the dalits do not belong to any of these worthy creations, they are truly the 'uncreated', the worst of the worst. You can read about this yourself in the various sources, expecially on the internet is you want. This is one of the reasons why they do the tasks that no one else will do - they will carry and clean human excrement, handle corpses etc. So, the caste system in India is not a creation of the society, it is an undeniable part of Hinduism and is tightly linked and integrated with the whole system of belief.
I must admit that I never had this insight until this Sunday, so I did my research and found that this is indeed the truth. Another truth is that there are numerous conversions of Dalits from Hinduism to Christianity - do you know why? It is because when they learn that God has created them in His image it just blows their mind!! So when a Dalit learns that he has been created in God's image he is taken by surprise because all his life he has been told that he does not have a varna or a group.
Can you believe it, something that we as Christians take for granted, sing about every Sunday is infact such a wonderful truth. Meanwhile there is you and me - do we even grasp what a privilege we share just knowing that we have been created in His image. What this tells us this that the omnipotent, omniscient, ominipresent God is interested in us, He loves us so much so that He sent His son Jesus Christ into the world.
Next time you look into the mirror and are worried the way your nose looks, think about the millions who live a life of absolute despair and hopelessness because they think that God is not even interested in them and that they can never hope to have a relationship with Him.
Rejoice because God made you in His image and He loves you!!
10 years in Canada and counting...
On April 10th, I completed 10 years in Canada. This may be another reason why I feel really excited and energised at this time of the year. Time has flown, my sons were four and a year old when I landed in Canada in 1997.
I came to Toronto first followed by my wife and the boys a month and half later. The day I landed five other planes had landed in Toronto as well. All of them were carrying immigrants, so it was a long long line at immigration that evening. I think I landed at 9:00 PM and was only able to get out at 1:00 AM! Shellar was patiently waiting for me with another friend of his. The delay was further compounded by the fact that I became the designated translator for several of the immigrants who did not understand or speak good english. I stepped in to help and the immigration officer remarked that they couldn't pay me because I wasn't a legal immigrant until he stamped my papers. ;-)
It was cold that April just like it is this year (the weather report is calling for snow this weekend ...Yikes!!) and I remember the blast of cold air that hit my face as I stepped outside the airport doors. I was happy and excited. The Naths - welcomed me into their home, they did not really know me, all I had to my credit was that I was married to their cousin. The bonus was that Shellar & Arnie loved music and that was the common ingredient and probably the glue that bound us together. Shellar gave up his room for me and Arnie loaned me a jacket and I stole some of his clothes as well (he still reminds me to return them but ...) The initial days were mixed with excitement and wonder and the gravity of the change hadn't hit me yet. That first weekend the Naths were invited to attend an engagement, and I tagged along. The engagement was in a small church which eventually became my church. It was also at this engagement that I met Mrs Shah, who later became one of my big supporters and a source of encouragement.
During the weekend I accompanied the Naths to their house in Stratford, a small town a hour and half hour away from Toronto. The drive on the highway was really nice, when you got out of the city you saw the rolling fields and the farmhouses and then in Stratford I saw these quaint houses - it was the picture I had in mind of how Canada was. Toronto was very different, particularly because in Toronto we were living in the heart of downtown and all you saw were highrise buildings . I loved Stratford and then later when my wife and boys came to Canada they too came to Stratford first, my wife and I still have this connection with Stratford, it reminds us of those early days.
The weekend came to an end and the week that followed was filled with visiting government offices and applying for my SIN etc. etc. Then I hit the pavement with my resume, since we were living right on Yonge Street I went up and down in all the shops and offices dropping off my resume. Sangeeta and the boys were due to arrive in Canada on May 24th, so I had a month and a half to get a job. Before I left India my wife and I had decided that if I did not find some work in the first three months we would return to India, however, my heart was sold within the first week and I did not want to return, so there was an urgency to finding some work .....
Easter - a time for new beginning
Speaking to my wife the other day, I was telling her how there are three times in a year that I feel refreshed and rejuvenated. I am infused with fresh hope and it seems like a new beginning. These are: New Year (January); Easter (March/April); Start of the new school year (Sept).
January is understandable - no mystery there.
Easter, signifies new birth to me and the message of Jesus' resurrection comes as a breath of fresh air in a world that is easily bogged down in complications and confusion.
Start of the new school year, the day after Labour Day (Sept 7th) here in North America is once again a time for new beginnings. I love getting the boys ready for another school year, there is anticipation in the air - what will the new teacher be like?, will they like it as much as last year? or will it be better than last year? etc. etc.
So, as you can probably guess, I am feeling very good right now. It is Easter time, yesterday was Palm Sunday and this week is labeled as "Holy Week' all over the world. There is nothing 'Holy' about this week as compared to the previous week, it does however signify a global recognition of an important event. As a believer, I know that Easter is not the only time that I can talk about Jesus' resurrection, infact I claim that every day is Easter - and I do believe that. Notwithstanding all of the above, there is something to say about the whole world joining as one talking about the One who rose from the dead to give us victory over sin and hope for the future. Not everyone who celebrates has the same understanding about Easter, that's for sure and yet there is something in the air.
Easter is the celebration of victory over death and it remains one big mystery for the whole world. Books have been written and will continue to be written about how Jesus never died etc. etc. Here's what I want you to know - Jesus came into this world to be a sacrifice for my sins and yours. That is not the end of the story, he rose from the dead on the third day and after appearing to various people was lifted up into the heavens. It may seem like a fairy tale to you and I want you to know that I believe that this is the truth. The death of Jesus is a historical fact, the resurrection of Jesus is a historical fact. I have said this before on previous Easter, why would the disciples of Jesus choose to suffer horrible deaths if they did not experience the reality of Jesus. All of the twelve disciples (except John) were martyred - some thrown in burning oil, crucified upside down, sawed in half ...
I believe in Jesus and I believe that He rose from the dead. Why is that important? Well, only the One who has claimed victory over death can offer you eternal life. If your saviour died and his body lay trapped in an earthly grave - how will He ever give me everlasting and eternal hope?
Jesus' death is a demonstration of God's love for you and me.
I feel good today and I feel good because I am loved.
What's the buzz - tell me what's a happennin'?
I think you may be wondering what's going on here. It has been a long time since I communicated with you through these pages. Well, here is an update:
In January new things happen for me, no particular reason its just because it is the beginning of a chapter in our lives on a global scale. On that note you know sometimes every day is a new beginning - but that's another topic. So here I am really tired of the old web design, which was more an experiment. I had learnt a lot and it was time to move on to a better looking website, a family friend visiting us introduced me to Open Source Web Design and asked whether I had ever thought of taking a look around. I was intrigued and poked around and what you see in front of you a result of my investigations. Building the website with the lack of technical expertise has been quite a challenge, however, seeing you response has made it a very sweet learning process for me. Since January the website has averaged 20,000 hits and 1,600 unique visits a month. So, yes, I have been busy updating the content on the website, discovering that the layout does not work and then changing it around again and again ....
The increase in the number of visitors to the website has infact made me think about why am I doing this? You may remember my post from a couple of months ago encouraging you to ask the question 'Why?'. I have been doing a bit of introspection on the question, I will be putting my thoughts together for you to see as well. Pursuing the question 'why?' will definitely help me focus on what it is that I want to convey through this website. As I surf the web I can see many other christian websites providing music, links to other resources etc. etc. - so what is it that makes masihivandana.com unique? I think its a worthy question and if you happen to have an opinion do email me. Don't get me wrong, I am happy - infact very happy and this is a perfect opportunity to grow in the right direction. Asking the 'Why?' question when everything is going well is the right time.
Another problem I want to solve is for you to have a place to comment and offer your opinions. Once again it goes back to my lack of technical expertise and my stubbornness to let go of control over the website. I want to know everything that a web developer would know - at some point I will have to let go, I am not ready right now. I do think I may be closer to a solution than ever before.
So there is a lot of excitement and lots to look forward to. Thank You for your visits, thank you for encouraging me. I pray that you will encounter Jesus Christ, the one who can change your life.
Achieve your goals - at what cost?
Last year I wrote about setting goals and the whole bit about the goals being SMART - Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Trackable. I have begun to notice that goals are pretty important and it is even more important to watch yourself when you set your mind to achieving goals. Let me tell you about this couple I know and then maybe it may make sense as to what I am trying to say.
I have known this couple not for very long but in the course of our meeting them at their house and in the conversations I came to know that they are very goal oriented and a very focused couple. They have on their refrigerator a photograph of a vehicle that they want to own, a photograph of a vacation spot and some other visual reminders of their goals. You may have read somewhere, and I do believe that there is some truth in it, that visual reminders of your goals, have a powerful impact on your achieving them. Anyway, so these guys are obviously very focussed and all that but I noticed - they have no life. Husband and wife leave early in the morning for work and then do not return until very late because they have a second job that they are working at in order to make the money to achieve their goals. So much so that they do not have time to look after their house. Their children are left alone without adult supervision and more importantly without the loving influence of a parent!!
So herein lies an important component of goal keeping - do not sacrifice the quality of life. If you end up owning the SUV and manage to get everything and in the meantime you have no time to enjoy what the Lord has blessed you with - there is something very wrong. Only you can do the cost benefit analysis for your life. Do you know people who would miss church to rest so that they can work during the week?? Hmmmmm ... something is wrong with the priorities here. Well, before I go on and judge others I do need to take a look at my life and align it with God based values.
So go ahead, set your goals and goal setting is very important and useful. Do not lose sight of what is important in the sight of God. Recently we went to see a Financial Advisor, well we want to make sound investments and want to retire as millionaires just like anybody else ;-). Before we went to see him we decided that we were not going to give up the 10% tithe to God no matter what the Financial Advisor told us. Its not that we are very Holy people, we are very ordinary people trying to live a life pleasing to God and we put our foot down on tithing and it is a value we want to uphold. This is just an example - take a look at your values, what is it that makes you happy - Is it God centred?? Remember God's word says - what shall it profit a man to gain the whole world and yet lose his own soul in the bargain.
All the best with your goals in 2007!!
Why? Why? Why? Why? Why?...
A New Year has begun and with it comes the promise of new opportunities and possibilities. Can't you just feel it in the air?? Every New Year brings with it an opportunity to begin on a clean slate and beginning on a clean slate is an opportunity that few can resist. We have all made mistakes, we have all messed up, one way or another. This is one of the reasons that immigrating to Canada was so good for me - I saw it as an opportunity to make amends. Now after almost ten years, I have picked up many mistakes once again, but that's another story.
In life each and every situation demands our response, or evokes an emotion, there is no getting away from that. To some, we experience emotions of love, joy, peace, pride and then others make us very very angry. Then there are opportunities that arise and evoke in us feelings of ambition. When we express these emotions in actions, we can potentially get into complications. Some wise person has said that we need to ask ourselves the question 'Why?' atleast five times and answer it truthfully, and then we will get to know the real reason for our actions.
At times I find myself so driven by anger or even ambition that I do not want to waste any time asking myself 'Why am I doing this?'. Yes, it does seem to be a waste of time doesn't it? It is often advised that 'do not respond when you are angry', let it sit for a while. Easier said than done. Recently I am faced with a situation that evokes a feeling of anger and hurt, particularly because I did not expect this from the person who aggravated the situation. I have a response ready and then I began asking myself the question - and gradually my response has changed, the words, the language, the stance everything is affected. As I look back at my intial response I am glad that I took the time to ask myself the question. I am still not ready to send it out yet, need to think and question myself a bit more.
Then earlier in December I was preparing a proposal for a radio broadcast. It seemed the logical thing to do for me and I did not see any problems in it. I wasn't hurting anyone either, yet as my wife and I discussed this it became apparent that I hadn't thought it through. I must admit that asking the question was frustrating and I asked the Lord for patience and then as I waited and thought about it, it began to help. Why did I want to do it? How was God the central theme in all of this? and on and on and on...
You may or may not agree with me however there is wisdom in being patient. When we call ourselves followers of Jesus it is all the more imperitive that we be patient. You know Why? ...because its all about Him...
Gods' direction for my life
Here is an article written by my wife. this is the very first time that she has written something. I liked it a lot and want to share it with you as well...Every year, during Christmas time I pray and ask God for direction for the New Year and each year the Lord has been kind and gracious in answering my prayers. I know many people make resolutions for the New Year and so do I, but my thoughts for the New Year begin from Christmas time. Christmas for me, is a sombre reminder of why Jesus had to be born. No doubt it is a joyous occasion because Jesus brought me salvation. However,I am also reminded of the fact that Jesus (the Prince of Peace), had to leave His father's home and all His comforts for me. When I reflect on the sacrifice that Jesus made for me it provokes the thought in me of how I live my daily life. This is why I take a journey, at Christmas, seeking God's direction for my life for the coming year.
Last year, as I prayed for many long hours there was no revelation, no rhema, nothing and I began to wonder if God was extremely busy during the Christmas season to respond to me!! Well, that was my human side, I do know that I worship a God who is extremely interested in me. He is always willing and faithful to respond when I call out to him.
On Christmas Sunday (Dec 25, 2005), when my pastor was preaching, it finally became clear what God was telling me and it was a command for the coming year. You'll be curious to know what it was.... God spoke to me through the submissiveness and obedience of Mary. Mary was submissive and obedient against all odds and the promise to her was 'EMMANUEL' (God is with us). Through Mary, I realized that no matter how difficult a situation is that I may go through, I need to be submissive to God's will for my life. God is with me even in those time when I don't necessarily understand the circumstances and believe me, there have been and continue to be enough of those in my life.
This past year has not been easy. There were changes all around me, at work, in the family, at church, among friends and yet, as I look back, I can see that God was walking with me through all those difficult times .....EMMANUEL!!
God did His part, and now the question is "Did I do mine? Was I always obedient to Him? Did I submit my ego, my pride, my rights, my comforts to Him? I'm ashamed to say, "No, I didn't, not all the time". It is a constant struggle to submit my free will to God.
I marvel at this teenager named Mary, who had the courage to be mocked, called names, labeled as an unwed mother and face the doubt of family and friends. Despite all this, she is unwavering in her faith, and simply bows her head and submits. ("Behold, the bondslave of the Lord; may it be done to me according to your Word.") How many of us can do that?? She became the recipient of God's grace from that very moment. This is what we too can expect from God when we submit ourselves to Him. God showers His grace upon us. God's grace is not our right it's a privilege that we enjoy because God so loved the world.
I need God's grace everyday moment of my life and I'm thankful that He extends it to me as many times as I need it and even when I fail Him.
This year as I was once again praying asking God for His direction for my life, He spoke to me through His servant, a missionary from Zambia. It is easy for us to label ourselves and be labeled by others because it creates an identity for us. We like to be seen as 'an elder, 'a good Christian', 'a leader' etc. and we do the same for others around us. Moving away from all this, how important it is for us to live like King David .......... A man after God's own heart! Forget about labels, forget about what other people see us as, live as God would have us live.
This is my challenge for next year. I need to live a life that as God would have me live it. I want to seek Him in my life be called a woman after God's own heart.
David was not a perfect man. He was a rapist, a bad father, a soldier (who shed blood all his life) and yet God delighted in him. God established his throne through Jesus Christ. What a GRACE!
I pray that in this coming year people will see me as a woman after God's own heart. Now not only do I have to live a life of submission and obedience, I have to live it as God would like me to. It's not going to be easy and if I make a constant effort everyday and remind myself of the purpose for living my life it will help. For this, I will spend more time with God in prayer and in His word, just like David did. May you too be challenged to seek God's face in your life and May His glory shine through your life.