Inspiration and Success

Hachi: A Dog's Tale

2011-06-19T15:06:00.010-04:00

It is interesting how Hachi loved his master and waited for him nearly a decade in the same spot he last saw his master leave. Hachi made me cry and he reminded me of my dog Spotty. Spotty lived his doggie life and when it was time to go, he waited the entire day for my brother and I to get home, he drank water from my brother's palm and gave up his life. No dog could replace Spotty. Dogs are indeed amazing friends God has blessed us with and I would like my daughter to find her one such doggie friend.

I was wondering where Christianity would be if each one of those disciples sat in the same spot where Jesus ascended and waited "till death bringeth me into reunion with Christ in Heaven".

I think we should love our master like Hachi did but we should continue to live that love and faithfulness by continuing to do what the Master loves and wants us to do instead of just living in the memories of the pleasant past.

Your story - Your Reel

2010-04-05T02:02:00.010-04:00

The movies, “The Reader” and “Stranger than Fiction” were very impressive both in its own ways.

In “Reader” Michael (hero) could have saved an innocent person from prison yet chooses not to defend her because he was afraid that his affair with her would become public. He lived all his life with the guilt of the affair and of not defending her. I felt that sometimes we hurt innocent people to cover our flaws and achieve our own goals but the guilt will remain unless it is dealt with. If we choose to do good to that person and think we have done our part then we are mistaken, we are much closer to denial. One must confess the wrong, make restitution and let that person feel accepted. This is very tough and I struggle with it big time.

In “Stranger than Fiction” Harold (hero) finds out that he is the hero of a fiction novel. He has to die in real life to give a perfect ending to that “unreal” book and he was willing to face death for a cause. His obedience and willingness saved him from death and gave him a new beginning. This too is tough but I can do it without much struggle.

These two movies reminded me that all of us at different times fall into either of the situations. The choices we make at that point would determine our character and the person inside of us. We may falter or fall many times but we need to hit the road soon and do whatever it takes to get us back on track. When we do that God will open doors and give us new beginning and avert the negative consequences.

We are heroes in God’s novel and he has introduced several plots in our lives but he gave us a choice to co-write it and we can choose which hero we want to be. Are we willing to die for truth and a cause or are we going to die within hiding or fighting a guilt! God is merciful, He will reward us according to the choices we make. Oh, we must remember He has the power to alter and complete the story book of our lives.

I am lazy too!

2010-02-16T05:03:00.013-05:00

I remember as a kid I had a schedule to follow, along with my academics we had to participate in church activities, outdoor games, family prayers, indoor games, book reading and household chores. My brother and I used to be so mad especially when it came to doing house hold chores (we had to do this though we had a full time servant just because we had to "learn"). I wish I had understood and put to practise even today the habits my mom had taught me. Last week I was diagnosed with high Blood Pressure (140/90and this brought in a rude awakening of my daily pattern of activities. I work hard, sleep less, eat possibly everything except junk food, sit long hours in front of my computer, worry about others and spend hours on Facebook and lousy Farmville!

Looking at the information of the laziest countries that I included below, I realised that if I refuse to hear the alarm bell ringing then all of us across the globe will have to face serious results.

The list of laziest countries in the world was calculated based on the following factors:
- Calories Per Day: from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations from the 2009 Statistical Yearbook; 2003-2005 data.
- Television Viewing: combined data from the OECD Society at a Glance 2009 and OECD
-Communications Outlook 2009, tracking hours of television watched per day and the percent of people who prefer to watch television with their free time.
-Aversion to Playing Sports: from the OECD Society at a Glance 2009, tracking the percent of people who prefer to play sports with their free time.
-Internet Usage: average hours per capita for December 2009, provided by ComScore.

The top 24 countries are:

1. USA

2. Canada

3. Belgium

4. Turkey

5. Great Britain

6. Poland

7. Mexico

8. France

9. Germany

10. Portugal

11. Denmark

12. Spain

13. Netherlands

14. Ireland

15. South Korea

16. Italy

17. Japan

18. Norway

19. Australia

20. Finland

21. Austria

22. New Zealand

23. Sweden

24. Switzerland

Come on friends, get those walking shoes on and go out get some exercise and fresh air, eat right and live well because God lives in us and we should respect his presence in our body.

True Citizens!

2009-08-03T07:24:00.007-04:00

I was crossing the street and a phone cable hit my eye. I moved it and walked by annoyed at municipality guys; there were several people who did the same. I walked past again after few minutes and the cable was out of my way. I looked around and was impressed that the municipality people were really taking the upcoming elections seriously. An elderly gentleman in his late seventies, Mr. Benjamin watched me react both the times. He told me that it wasn't the municipality that fixed the cable but it was him. He did it so no one would be hurt. I was thoroughly impressed with his act and totally ashamed about myself.

What was the difference between me and Mr. Benjamin? He acted while I grumbled. Mr. Benjamin died the following week due to a massive heart attack. Our municipality had lost an honorary worker, we lost a precious man but he did leave a lasting impact on me.

True success is when we understand my paraphrased statement, "Ask what you have done for your family, community and country instead of asking what has the family, community or country done for you!"

Old Age Home?

2009-06-08T01:36:00.017-04:00

I enjoyed being with my grandpa, talking to him was my way of unwinding my day. He always encouraged me and believed in me. He was my prayer partner. Losing him was a big shock and I blamed my bedridden granny for this. She is confined to bed for more than 5 years and I felt that she never made an attempt to recover. I know my grandpa had stressful days being a care giver but he didn't mind at all, he served her till the day he was hospitalised. My mom is now taking care of my grandma and she fell ill. I was angry again and hated to think that I will lose my mom also. I suggested that we send my grandma to an OLD AGE HOME. My mom had to remind me a very valuable lesson, family is important and we need to stick with them no matter what.

I was reminded of my experience at an Old Age Home in Hyderabad about 18 years ago. I met an elderly woman who happened to be the mother of one of my school teacher. She told me that she misses her daughter a lot and asked me to convey her love; she was wondering if I had a picture of her daughter. I cried seeing her agony and love and was angry at my school teacher for not caring. It was so sad to see her live away from the family she cared about and the children she had nursed and raised. I promised myself that day that my family will always be my priority and that I would also make efforts to serve needy people.

I forgot that promise when it came to my grandma but I repented. My granny will not die like the lonely wonderful woman I met 18 years ago in an OLD AGE home. My granny will have family around her just like my grandpa had all of us by him. Success is when you have your loved ones around you when you need them most. Friends may or may not be there but no one can take the place of family. We may fight and disagree, we may laugh and have fun, and at the end of the day we are one. My grandma and grandpa are successful because they have a family who support and love them.

Why is everyone screaming "It's enough"?

2008-11-28T11:45:00.008-05:00

India has had several terrorist attacks for the past 60 years and every such event links to Pakistan. Pakistan constantly dodged peace efforts, the reason is speculative but there seems to be a more serious agenda from their side. India has always acted like a big brother to all the neighboring countries and stood as an example of benevolence, peace and respect. It is sad that people outside of India and the communal extremists in India are taking undue advantage of India's tolerance.

What surprises me most is that people started screaming "enough is enough" now! Why didn’t we scream like this 60 years ago? Did it take 3 generations for us to stand up for what is right? India seems slow to react - is it tolerance or lethargy or is it just this one event?

No my friends, India has faced similar situations for hundreds of years, we have been attacked, exploited, robbed and abused on several occasions but people rose to fight for all the right reasons, they fought for the well being of our nation - Bharat. We pulled ourselves together and we prospered. These were some of our heroes who stood up and brought an awakening in our nation - Lokamanya Tilak, Bhagat Singh, Ram Prasad Bismil, Mahatma Gandhi, Tippu Sultan, Bhikaji Cama, Subhas Chandra Bose... and the old timers - Ashoka, Jhansi Ki Rani, Vikramaditya, Harishchandra, Shivaji and the list goes on...

Where are the leaders of this generation? Can you think of anyone who has revolutionized India in the past 60 years? Is NDTV or TIMES NOW or AAJ TAK or other television channels our new leaders? Do they have to tell us what to think or do we think for ourselves and defend our nation? News media's work is to report and it is our duty to make and influence the news. What can you and I do and make a difference? Are we willing to defend our nation and see the flag flying high with prosperity in every area?

Are You a Parent?

2008-11-01T13:10:00.013-04:00

Parents and children - there are several passages in Proverbs that talk about the blessings and cursing in this relationship. Most of the scriptures tell the children what to do, how to behave, how to be successful etc. but when I looked at those scriptures I was wondering if all parents are really that wise and live an exemplary life!

"You cannot lead a person to the place you haven't been", this principle applies to both parents and also to all of us in our day today activities and workplaces. I know the voice in GPS could lead you to the place you have not been but if you continue to go your own direction the GPS will give up and say, "Sorry, you are on your own".

So as the leader, so as the people he leads; so as the parents, so as the children he breeds (my version)! The bible tells clearly that if a man cannot take care of or lead his family, he is not worthy to take care of or lead anyone else.

How can you teach your children not to lie when you lie? How can you teach your children to serve when you have never served? How could you teach your children to clean and cook when you have never? What if you do not have control over yourself or submit to some one's authority? What if you disrespect or ignore or disown your parents? What if you don't know the right from wrong or who your priorities or friends should be? How can your children follow you when you don't know where you are going?

Children will watch you and they will do exactly what you do, speak exactly the way you do. Many parents I know blame the grandparents, the baby sitter or the school for the things the kids learn! How true is that? Wonder why the Bible doesn't mention them as much it does about the parents!

Now some of us are blessed with great parents and most of us are not. We are all human and we make mistakes and we keep learning. We must understand that as much as parents are responsible for our lives and who we become, we too are equally responsible. Don't blame them for your lack of success because you can also become wise and choose what is right. Be quick to share your success with them, they put up with you all along and are still taking care you!

Wisdom

2008-10-22T15:42:00.001-04:00

God has been good and continues to do amazing things. As I face my personal situations, God constantly reminded me about King Solomon. We all need wisdom and King Solomon knew that all along. He talks about godly life in an ungodly world. This spoke right to my heart. What a challenge to live a godly life especially for those of us who are in ministry? It is a struggle to make the right choices and behave rightly. I encourage myself today to seek God and ask for wisdom so I can do what is right. As a human being I am frail and can allow emotions to dominate my thinking and behavior but with God's wisdom life can be different. I am asking God to do me a favor today - Give me wisdom, Lord. Is that your prayer also?

In my next blogs, we will look at the book of Proverbs and let us together receive the knowledge that comes from God.

To build or to destroy - Orissa under torch

2008-08-30T00:45:00.012-04:00

I am shocked reading the news reports of the incidents in Orissa. I wondered what success in this kind of situation is! Please read the list of the events and I will comment afterwards.

AFTERMATH OF SWAMI'S KILLING: THE CHRISTIAN VICTIMS LIST

1) NUN BURNT ALIVE: A nun was burnt to death on 25th, Monday, after an orphanage was torched in at Phutpali in Bargarh district in Orissa during a bandh called by Hindu nationalist parties. Twenty children, who were at the orphanage, managed to escape but a priest suffered serious burn injuries in the attack.
2) RASANANDA PRADHAN TORCHED ALIVE: Another person, Rasananda Pradhan, was burnt to death when his house was set ablaze at Rupa village in Kandhamal district.
3) INFLAMMATORY SPEECHES TARGET CHRISTIANS: During the bandh inflammatory speeches spreading hatred against the Christian workers and the community were given by the VHP leaders. To gain the mass support, the activists have also carried the body of Swamiji throughout the town.
4) CHURCHES BURNT ALL ACROSS ORISSA STATE: Churches were attacked in Khurda, Bargarh, Sundergarh, Sambalpur, Koraput, Boudh, Mayurbhanj, Jagatsinghpur and Kandhamal districts as also in the state capital, police sources said, adding 40 houses were set ablaze in Phulbani town.
5) BUSES AND VEHICLES TORCHED: Mr. Mishra Digal was beaten up, while the motorcycles of Mr. R. K. Digal and Jitendra were burnt. Several buses at Gee Udaigiri in Baliguda were burnt.
6) PULBANI CHURCH RANSACKED: The Church at Phulbani and several other churches at Phiringia were attacked and ransacked. Pastor D. Tatson's house was vandalized and his property burnt.
7) KAKRIGUMA CHURCHES VANDALISED: Churches in Kakriguma have been targeted by the mob that reportedly damaged the Assembly of God Church and the Philadelphia Church.
8) WORLD VISION STAFF FLED FOR SAFETY: World Vision India office ransacked and the Staff has also fled to jungle for protection.
9) CHRISTIANS TAKE SHELTER IN FOREST FOR PROTECTION: A police camp at Barakhama was also attacked by the Hindu fundamentalists. With several houses being burnt down and people being made homeless, many Christians, particularly from Nua Sahi, Munda Sahi and Suna Tonga have fled into forests for their lives.
10) NUN RAPED: A young Catholic Nun of the Cuttack Bhubaneswar diocese working Jan Vikas Kendra, the Social Service Centre at Nuagaon in Kandhamal was reportedly gang raped on 24th August 2008 by groups of Hindutva extremists before the building itself was destroyed.
11) SENIOR PRIEST AND NUN INJURED: Fr Thomas, director of the Diocesan Pastoral Centre in Kanjimendi, less than a kilometer away from the Social Service Centre, and another Nun were injured when the centre was attacked. They were taken to the police station in a disheveled state as the armed mob bayed for their blood. The Pastoral centre was then set afire.
12) BALLIGUDA CHURCH BUILDINGS DESTROYED AGAIN: On 24th August 2008 evening lynch mobs at the block headquarters of Balliguda, in the very heart of Kandhamal district, which had seen much violence between 24th and 26th December 2007, attacked and destroyed a Presbytery, convent and hostel damaging the properties.
13) CHRISTIAN BOYS HEADS TONSURED: The mobs in Balliguda caught hold of two boys of the Catholic hostel and tonsured their heads.
14) PHULBANI CHURCH DAMAGED: On 25th august 2008 morning followers of the late Lakshmanananda Saraswati damaged the Catholic Church in Phulbani, the district headquarter town.
15) MOTHER TERESA BROTHERS ASHRAM ATTACKED: Mobs attacked the Mother Teresa Brothers' residence and hospital in Srasanada, destroyed once before and rebuilt two months ago, and beat up the patients.
16) BHUBANESWAR BISHOP'S HOUSE ATTACKED: On the morning of 25th August 2008, violent mobs made several attempts to enter the compounds of Catholic Church and Archbishop's house in the heart of the Capital of the State of Orissa. They could not enter because of the police presence. They threw stones at the guesthouse of Archbishop's House, damaging windows.
17) DUBURI PARISH: Another group of fundamentalists entered presbytery in Duburi parish, managed by the SVDs and destroyed and damaged property. Two priests of the parish are missing.
18) Mr. Jamaj Pariccha, Director of Gramya Pragati, is attacked and his property damaged, vehicle looted and burnt.
19) A Baptist Church in Akamra Jila in Bhubaneswar is also damaged.
20) Christian institutions like St. Arnold's School (Kalinga Bihar) and NISWASS report some damage.
21) BOUDH DISTRICT [Adjoining Kandhamal]: Fundamentalists enter the Catholic parish church and destroy property. People are fleeing to safer places. But nothing seems safe.
22) MUNIGUDA: Muniguda Catholic Fathers and Nuns' residence have been damaged.
23) SAMBALPUR: HM Sister's residence (Ainthapalli) has suffered damage.
24) PADANPUR: One priest is attacked and admitted to a hospital. Hostel boys and the in charge have moved away from the place.
25) MADHUPUR: Madhupur Catholic Church currently under attack.
26) SMALL CHURCHES: Attempted violence on small churches in various districts, including Padampur, Sambalpur near GM College, Talsera, Dangsoroda, Narayanipatara, Muniguda, Tummiibandh, Tangrapada, Phulbani, Balliguda, Kalingia, Chakapad, Srasanranda.
27) VILLAGE CHRISTIAN HOUSES ATTACKED: Houses attacked on forest hamlets of Balliguda, Kanjamandi Nuaguam (K.Nuaguam), Tiangia (G.Udayagiri), Padangiri, Tikabali.
28) KALAHANDI DISTRICT: Houses burnt even though the district is more than 300 kilometers from the place where Swami Lakshmanananda was killed.
29) PASTORS' HOUSE BURNT: Pastor Sikandar Singh of the Pentecostal Mission beaten up and his house burnt in Bhawanipatna.
30) KHARIHAR: 3 Christian shops were looted and burnt. Pastor Alok Das and Pastor I M Senapati beaten up.
31) AAMPANI: Pastor David Diamond Pahar, Pastor Pravin Ship, Pastor Pradhan and Pastor Barik beaten up and chased away with their families.
32) NAKTIKANI: Mob surrounds village to attack Christians.

The government has sent forces, it is reported. A delegation of Christian leaders under the leadership of Archbishop Vincent Concessao, the President of National United Christian Forum of CBCI, NCCI and EFI, met the Home Minister Shri Shiv Raj Patil and submitted a memorandum. The Home Minister assured the delegation all necessary steps have been taken to maintain peace and harmony and protect the innocent. He also expressed his helplessness by stating that police protection cannot be given in all villages. EFI request prayers at this time so that peace and harmony may prevail.
[This list is compiled with assistance from Archbishop's House, Bhubaneswar, John Dayal, Light Foundation and EFI News reporters and other sources]

Friends, this list is only part of all the events that have occurred in the last few weeks in Orissa. Several Christians are still hiding in the jungles waiting for rescue and relief work, many are being forced to convert into Hinduism and many are wondering why such a high price to follow the Christian faith. I don't have any answers to that but it makes me think.

According to me the attackers have accomplished their goal of hurting, displacing and persecuting people. They have done whatever they purposed in their hearts. Congratulations to them. Now, the people who were attacked were hit like a tsunami - they had no clue but flowed with the wave of destruction. Some of them are totally incapacitated, some of them are hiding and some of them are pulling their lives together again. Are they weak or unsuccessful? I think these people are truly successful because no matter the odds of survival and a life of certainty being far away yet they choose to forgive, live and stand for their faith.

I congratulate, bless and appreciate all those people who are willing to boldly face this situation and not give up. This is another kind of success. Destruction is not an act of courage and success but to build is.

Living your dream!

2008-06-24T23:24:00.004-04:00

Dream and live your dreams because that is your life and if you are not then you are not living. It is never too late for a fresh start but the saddest point is that we stop even before we start.

I read this article circulated on the net, the author is unknown but the article is so good that I wanted to share it with you.

The first day of school our professor introduced himself and challenged us to get to know someone we didn't already know. I stood up to look around when a gentle hand touched my shoulder. I turned around to find a wrinkled, little old lady beaming up at me with a smile that lit up her entire being. She said, "Hi handsome. My name is Rose. I'm eighty-seven years old. Can I give you a hug?" I laughed and enthusiastically responded, "Of course you may!" and she gave me a giant squeeze. "Why are you in college at such a young, innocent age?" I asked.
She jokingly replied, "I'm here to meet a rich husband, get married, and have a couple of kids..."
"No seriously," I asked. I was curious what may have motivated her to be taking on this challenge at her age. "I always dreamed of having a college education and now I'm getting one!" she told me.

After class we walked to the student union building and shared a chocolate milkshake.
We became instant friends. Every day for the next three months we would leave class together and talk nonstop. I was always mesmerized listening to this "time machine" as she shared her wisdom and experience with me. Over the course of the year, Rose became a campus icon and she easily made friends wherever she went. She loved to dress up and she reveled in the attention bestowed upon her from the other students. She was living it up..

At the end of the semester we invited Rose to speak at our football banquet. I'll never forget what she taught us. She was introduced and stepped up to the podium. As she began to deliver her prepared speech, she dropped her three by five cards on the floor. Frustrated and a little embarrassed she leaned into the microphone and simply said, "I'm sorry I'm so jittery. I gave up beer for Lent and this whiskey is killing me! I'll never get my speech back in order so let me just tell you what I know."

As we laughed she cleared her throat and began, "We do not stop playing because we are old; we grow old because we stop playing. There are only four secrets to staying young, being happy, and achieving success.
1. You have to laugh and find humor every day.

2. You've got to have a dream. When you lose your dreams, you die. We have so many people walking around who are dead and don't even know it!

3. There is a huge difference between growing older and growing up.
If you are nineteen years old and lie in bed for one full year and don't do one productive thing, you will turn twenty years old. If I am eighty -seven years old and stay in bed for a year and never do anything I will turn eighty-eight. Anybody can grow older. That doesn't take any talent or ability. The idea is to grow up by always finding opportunity in change.

4. Have no regrets. The elderly usually don't have regrets for what we did, but rather for things we did not do. The only people who fear death are those with regrets."

She concluded her speech by courageously singing "The Rose". She challenged each of us to study the lyrics and live them out in our daily lives. At the year's end Rose finished the college degree she had begun all those years ago. One week after graduation Rose died peacefully in her sleep. Over two thousand college students attended her funeral in tribute to the wonderful woman who taught by example that it's never too late to be all you can possibly be.

-REMEMBER, GROWING OLDER IS MANDATORY. GROWING UP IS OPTIONAL.
-We make a Living by what we get, We make a Life by what we give.
- God promises a safe landing, not a calm passage.
-If God brings you to it, He will bring you through it.
-Good friends are like stars.........You don't always see them, but you know they are always there.

Start living your dream today!

Who am I?

2008-06-03T19:36:00.008-04:00

Sometimes I tell myself that it was so unlike me to do that or this is so much me, do you say that also? Could it mean that I know the REAL ME? Am I able to present the ME to people I come in contact? Who am I? What can I be? Have you asked yourself questions like that? What answers did you find?

Sit back and reflect inside YOU - the REAL YOU. Don't be afraid, ashamed or intimidated. Just let go of your feelings. If it helps grab a paper and pen or open a word document to write your thoughts. While you do this also write down your unique qualities, talents, passion and the treasure in you.

Now, read it.

Yes, you have your own fashion statement that reflects your personality - the real you in everything you do, behave, dress, talk or make any choices. Do you know that God put it in there? God put in those dreams, desires, talents, passion, fire, qualities, principles and tastes.

Do you know that the richest treasure is not found in the casinos or banks or in the oil and diamond mines but it is found in the cemetery. It is there you will find great dreams, passions, desires, inventions, talents and accomplishments buried so deep that it will never see the light of day. There are very few people who discover, dare to dream, and live out their true potential. Which category of people do you want to be under?

Many times we wear someone else or try to be someone "To Fit Into", "Be Accepted", "To Feel Good", "To Impress", "To be Respectful and be Respected" and also "It is the right thing to do". In this pursuit we could get disappointed and sometimes forget who we really are and accept a compromised life. You have all the right to be and express yourself. You have what it takes to bring anything to reality.

I would like to point out that there is a thin line here, before you move ahead in your life you need to check if all that you are and want to be is in line with what God has for us the human race. God would like you to dream all good stuff and enjoy its benefits and that is why we have a yard stick called the "Ten Commandments" to measure our lifestyle with.

Look at what you have written about yourself and jot down ways you can equip, sharpen and effectively use your potential, your talents and your values. Don't be discouraged if you feel that you have wasted your life or put aside your dreams or even feel like a failure. Thank God you are alive and God is in control! He wants to assure you today that it is neither too late nor is it impossible to gather yourself up to live your life. He is willing to support you and walk with you when you choose to allow him to lead you and be careful to listen and be obedient to listen to His advice. You are an achiever. You will be able to present the REAL YOU to yourself and the world! Talk to God, search within and look around and you will hear and find what you have been looking for!

You are unique and only YOU can BE the REAL YOU!

What is your priority?

2008-05-28T22:50:00.011-04:00

Life is beautiful yet it fades, it is powerful yet so fragile, it has so much to offer yet has its limits. As we cherish the chapters of life, the pages of time will continue to turn. These turning moments would lead to the celebration of life of our dear ones at the end of their walk on earth. This is inevitable but they do leave behind a lot of memories and some of the most defining moments that change our perspectives, direction and attitudes.

Steven Curtis Chapman had one of those times and that led him to the creation of his famous song "Cinderella". Behind the scenes he shares that in his efforts to reach the world he at times compromised his time with his family. God made him realize that each moment spent with his loved ones is a blessing from above.

Here is his video Cinderella and the story behind it.

Steven may not have understood at that time why God had brought that point across to him. Today we see that God had prepared Steven several months ago and gave him those extra moments with his daughter Maria. I am sure those memories are precious.

Dear friends, as much as I dislike saying this but I must say that most often tragedies either of our own or others is the situation where God brings healing, restoration, realization, respect and value for life and all the blessings that come with it. We tend to learn from other's experiences, we also seek God and then try to implement that knowledge in our own lives. The impact of those decisions could either be dramatic or gradual change and it could either be short lived or long term.

We need to constantly check our priorities and where we stand in life. Are we spending enough time with our family, loved ones and God our Father? Are we making the right choices? We need to redeem our time because time and life won't wait for anyone. We need to make ourselves available to do fun and important things with people who mean the most to us. Remember our expression doesn't have to be elaborate, maybe our loved one needs a hug or our time and not really a big diamond or BMW! We should aim to create wonderful memories that will linger on as a sweet fragrance. We need to make efforts to celebrate life meaningfully while we still have it so the party could continue even after we cease to host it!

Mother Wonder!

2008-05-11T16:41:00.012-04:00

May your father and mother be glad; may she who gave you birth rejoice! Proverbs 23:25

I would like to honor my mother Mrs. Ruth Christina Maxwell and my mother in law Mrs. Caroline Ganta on Mother's day and let them know that their faith and prayers has borne fruit in my life and the lives of my siblings. May God bless them with wisdom and health so they will continue to be the wise women of our family! I know they rejoice seeing that my life has borne them reward!

My mother knew the power of the spoken word and God honored her each time she spoke her faith into existence! I saw it manifest in my own life whether it may be my near death experiences, my spiritual life or my emotional life, she just spoke God's purposes and God honored it. My mother seems to know everything I do. It is scary sometimes and I wonder if she has spies! God gives that intuition to mothers and it is so important that they are spiritually tuned to God so they hear, do and teach that which is right in sight of God.

Birthdays are very sentimental to me. I know everyday is a good day and God created each day so I would enjoy the beauty of it but birthdays are special for me. I think of the moment when my parents were willing to receive me as a gift and responsibility from God and were obedient to bring me into this world and nurture me till today! This is an awesome and the most important responsibility. My parents had to make a conscience decision to love me and make me part of their lives no matter what and who I am or would become. Their love is so unconditional. This bond between parents and children is unique and most often we forget the importance of it. Our parents demonstrate the Love of God to us.

God's love is unconditional. He loves us so much that he planned our existence, chose our parents and made provision for our future. We may choose to hate him, ignore him, be slow or fail to recognize the sacrifices He made and the love He showered on us but He still loves us. He said, "Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you!" It is rare that a mother would forget her children unless she loses her senses with sickness like Dementia or Alzheimer or is addicted to alcohol or drugs! Hmm... think about God - I don't think he will ever lose his senses!

Another thing, we can never be our parents’ former child, we remain their children always! We may choose to break that bond, we may choose to hurt and ignore them but that doesn’t change our blood ties. Our choices and actions can either bring them joy or grief. It is the same with God – we can never be His former child, we are His children and our actions and choices can either make him rejoice or grieve over us!

My friends let us take this moment to see if your life is either bringing joy or grief to God and our parents especially your mom! More than anything your mom would like the gift of accomplishment and joy that she has done a god job raising the God given responsibility to her - YOU! Give her that honor today! May she who gave you birth rejoice!

Happy Mother's day to all mothers who have labored to raise natural and spiritual children! May God bless you and make you a mighty instrument to raise children who are Christ like!

What is right?

2008-04-29T02:09:00.004-04:00

I would like to give you to scenarios today. Both are true incidents.

This incident took place several years ago when my husband and I were working as missionaries in Cambodia. It was lunch break and we were going home to have lunch. There was a cyclist ahead of us and he was driving real fast. Alex and I commented on his reckless behavior and another vehicle sped ahead of us and we again commented on that guy’s speed. In few minutes we heard a crowd and chaos and turned to look. Someone was hit. We went closer to see and found the cyclist lay in a pool of blood. He was hit by the speeding motorist. The blood gushed from his throat. We saw a hospital right across the street. But all of us were scared to help because it was a hit and run incident and no hospital would admit such case without involving the police first. Police and the court system are not very friendly in Asia especially Cambodia. We were scared because we were foreigners and we didn't want to get into any of these legal issues. In the pursuit of doing well we could end up getting into trouble even if we are innocent. The next day we read in the papers that the cyclist died. This incident taunted me for several months. I was guilty and afraid.

This is the second incident. I was in an accident in India. A scooterist hit me and ran over my leg and just drove past. He didn't stop to help me or say sorry. There was no cell phones those days, it was late in the evening (I had to stay late at school for a project work), the nearest bus stop was a mile away, it was a very lonely military area and my house was 5 miles away! I was nervous, I had a fractured leg and I was losing my senses. Fortunately my friend was with me and she stopped a gentleman and explained the situation. He examined my leg, picked me up and gave us a ride in his jeep and brought us to a nearest location, though it was out of his route. One of my friend's acquaintances saw us and he gave me a ride home. Till today I don't know these two men who helped me but I am thankful that my friend and those men went the extra mile for me. I reached home and went to the doctor. What would have happened if those people were afraid of the police and refused to help me? I dread to think!

My friends, it is not about accident on the road that I am talking about but what was the right thing to do in that particular situation? We should have helped. Why did the consequences outweigh the value of human life? It is a sad incident. I don’t want to die like that but I don’t want to be deserted in any situation, in any problem. How many times do we face situations like that? It could be accident, death, or it could be a situation where you need to do something that is right but hesitate to do it because of consequences! How many times have you taken a stand and how many times did you back off?

What situation are you facing today? What is the right thing for you to do in that circumstance? Are you weighing the consequences and afraid to do the right thing? Think twice friend, you may or may not have that option again. Do what is right and you could save your life and others.
Do you have a situation in your office, church or home where you need to stand for the truth and what you believe in? Are you afraid of doing the right thing? Do it my friend, and God will honor and protect you. He will hold your hand and walk you through it. I now have the courage to dial the police when I see accident, I try my best to face my situations and stand for my belief and principles no matter what - the outcome sometimes were sad and hurtful but I later saw the hand of God in every situation. Every outcome was for my good and I have no regrets for doing the right thing. Remember Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego!

Do you want to play?

2008-04-22T23:26:00.007-04:00

I find myself visiting my past some times and then some situation or the other would trigger my emotions. Most hurtful are the situations of betrayal and disappointment and this makes me uncomfortable. I sense a compelling urge to go back and undo. Do you find yourself in similar situations? The one thing we can't do in reality is "Undo"! Don't be discouraged I found out something. God chose my favorite medium to speak to me - movie.

The name of the movie is "War Games" made in 1983. This movie is about a computer which was programmed to play games and win. It analyzed all the failures and devised all possible scenarios. The main goal of this computer was to win, no matter what. One young computer whiz accidentally sets the computer to play a war game that actually simulates the defense computers and creates a panic of nuclear war in America. The computer takes the command and refuses to respond to the programmer. The programmer and the young boy finally engage the computer in game against itself and after endless games the computer understands a very important lesson.

Let us connect this to our lives. I, as a human being was programmed to succeed. In the game of life I got so carried away with the passion to do the right thing and to win that I couldn't see me getting into the command and destructive mode. I experienced both success and failures. I have good and negative emotions. As much as I am confident, aggressive, passionate, good, kind, and truthful and also demonstrate skills in everything I set my mind and heart to, I also face my share of disappointments, hurts, insecurity, betrayal, rejection and bitterness. At a certain stage of my life I got confused between my success and failures! I started hurting myself by judging myself and trying hard to overcome my weakness and win! I constantly and conscientiously have to allow my programmer God to take control and prevent me from self annihilation.

All of us can change. We can choose to do right and we can choose not to let the success and the failures dominate our lives. We have to live each day as a new day and like the computer realized, "the only winning move is not to play". It is always good to stop when you know what is going to destroy you - don't play and you will win. Don't go with the emotions and you will never get big headed or bitter. Bury the past with everything it came, look to the future as a brand new birth. In this way you will be less disappointed and you will reduce the use of "Control Z"!

Be the change you want to see in the world!

2008-04-07T17:42:00.011-04:00

This post is going to be a little different. My friend sent me a video and I was inspired and I know it will inspire and motivate you as well. I also found other inspirational videos that you will enjoy.

This is Stanford Commencement 2005 speech by Mr. Steve Jobs, CEO, Apple and Pixar Animation.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D1R-jKKp3NA

Live a great life and inspire! A great inspirational message with music by Sonia Ricotti . Live the life of your dreams! Dream. Dream big.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WEqdr_Awdak

The "Don't Quit" poem

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VkCFeNeqyHk

Go be the change you want to see in the world!

How to face insults?

2008-04-05T23:20:00.008-04:00

On our way home, my friend decided to stop by a convenient store at the gas station and I wanted to go with her to buy some crackers, she was upset and refused to go with me. I was sorry that I upset her and I decided not to go but I don't know what came upon her, she acted weird! She ordered me to buy her a cup of French Vanilla coffee while she waited in the car. I went to the store with great hesitation. This was my first time in a convenient store at the gas station and I had no idea what to do. I read French vanilla on the vending machine; I poured a cup, bought my crackers, paid the bill and then gave my friend her coffee. She had the weirdest look on her face as if I was stupid. I knew something was wrong, tears filled my eyes and I felt deeply hurt with this insult. She went in and apologized for my foolishness and made herself another cup. I had filled the cup with French vanilla cream instead of French vanilla coffee! Seems like a silly incident - hey that incident was the beginning of several insults to follow and this person made me feel so inferior and insulted that I became very possessive about my ethnicity, origin, feminity and I felt the need to constantly prove myself.

One wrong doing, one foolish behavior became a mockery and that mockery turned to insult, insult to hurt and hurt to resentment. Did I have the right to be offended – seems right but the answer is no. I should have let go but letting go like I said in the last post is difficult to do and it really hurts. I didn’t realize that not letting go hurts even more. I had to check my attitude. I tried to tell myself most mornings that I would have the right attitude but hey that day would be the day I would just let go of my emotions (this is not the "let go" that is good for anybody)!

The Bible says, Each of us should please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. For even Christ did not please himself but, as it is written: "The insults of those who insult you have fallen on me." For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. This scripture showed me where I was wrong and what I need to do.

1. We are here to do good, good to others and build them up.
2. Christ took all our insults upon him so we can be free.
3. This situation is mentioned in the Bible because it is something we will face and we need to deal with.
4. It is tough and we need to endure it.
5. We need to have hope because we have victory over it.

We need to do unto others what we want others to do unto us. The bible also says that we need to be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above ourselves. When we honor others above ourselves, our attitude will be different. We will be careful not to insult others or feel insulted. I could have smiled at the French vanilla incident and maybe that would have helped me avoid all the other insults and hurt and thus protected myself from developing resentment. I failed but I am working my way to succeed in this area because I have seen my fault and realize what price I have to pay for my choice. Yes, we can choose to be insulted or not, we can choose whether to be hurt or not and we can choose to resent or not! Stop, think, choose, endure and hope for the better. One of my favorite coffees is French Vanilla and now I know where to find it!

Birthday Reflections!

2008-03-28T04:19:00.001-04:00

Today is my birthday and it feels right to thank God, my family and my friends for being with me through thick and thin and also accepting me with all my positives and negatives. I am so thankful to God for my parents who against the doctor's advice decided to bring me into this world. I am so grateful to God for honoring my parent’s decision and giving me life and keeping me alive to this day. I have lived through various situations of near death experiences and this tells me that I still have work on earth.

I was upset about something today and then as I thought about my attitude, I realized that all of us have scars and wounds in our lives, some of them have healed but some still hurt. I too have some areas that need total healing. Many a times in my intention to do well I end up messing the situation, my life and those around me. This is like the illustration of someone trying to cut the cocoon to help the butterfly emerge. I am still learning to balance the aspect of "letting go". Sometimes it is good to let go of situations, let go of the past, let go of people, let go of things, let go of hurts, let go of insults, let go of humiliation, let go of misunderstandings and let of go of all that we think is dominating our thoughts and that would mean let go of our past successes as well.

This area has been a constant challenge for me and today I gave into it again. I can neither blame my hormones, my situations nor people for my behavior and emotions. I am totally responsible for my actions. I can't believe how stupid I can be sometimes. I wish I could say like some of my friends that it is not me but my hormones but I know our Indian culture will demand us to just get up and get going! Hey, I know I am making myself very vulnerable here but I am very sure that you too have an area that you struggle with. You don't need to talk it out loud like I do but search your heart and mind and I know there is an area that sounds familiar to mine.

Being a Christian doesn't mean our life just changes overnight, in many ways our perspectives and priorities change but you know what the process of changing the inner man begins at that moment when you decide to follow Christ. Let me tell you this, dealing within ourselves hurts even worse than the actual situations. The reason it becomes difficult is because we have built layers of other emotions on that hurt and when it surfaces it is like trying to remove layers of bandage and cotton on open wound (especially around the knee and elbow)and then cleaning it with antiseptic. Ouch! The good news is the healing touch of Jesus comes in like a gentle breeze and He not only takes the burning sensation away but also heals our wound and gives us new skin. Hey, but remember we must remove the bandage and let Him look at our wound!

I don't really do resolutions but my desire today is that God would look into my wounds that need His healing touch so I can be healed and set free. In this way I will make right choices and make my life better and the lives I associate with. I am indeed thankful to God for giving me life and teaching me through life's experiences so I could share it with you.

Success in Marriage

2008-03-14T14:07:00.001-04:00

In my attempt to describe a successful marriage, I realize that my 11 years of married life is inadequate to qualify to teach marriage in fact I think my grandparents who have had more than 55 years of marriage also can't really describe a successful marriage. We can never come to a point and say that we know it all or have mastered the art of successful marriage because we face challenges and limitations in one or the other area of our life every day.

Marriage is a very personal thing, there are certain universal principles that we could incorporate in our lives but each couple have their own version of success in marriage. What is success for me may or may not be success for you because all of us come from different family background, culture, personality and circumstances.

I have chosen to put together few things that I practice and hope to fully evolve in my marriage and family, not necessarily the order I have written.

1. We like to be presentable, clean and attractive for each other when we see each other at the end of hard day's work or at any time.

2. We like to keep our house clean and livable. We try to create an atmosphere where we feel love and comfort, a place where we can call our home and look forward to come to.

3. We try to be considerate to each other's needs. We share authority of the remote according to the importance of the day's TV program schedule. We share household chores, respect and appreciate each other, pamper, massage and spend quality time together.

4. We try to be considerate and make choices that are neutral and agreeable with both of us for example, the kind of food we cook, fragrance, color schemes, furniture, music, where we live, where we work, what we wear etc.

5. I am agreeable to Alex making the decisions at home and about our lives. We do discuss, argue positively and brainstorm those decisions in private so we can get other perspectives and ideas. Alex usually has the say and I submit to his decisions whether it is wise or not. Alex does the same with some of the decisions I make. Both of us are mentally prepared for all outcomes.

6. We share information about our investments, priorities, schedule, contacts, preferences, needs, pleasures, health and basically everything that the spouse needs to be aware of.

7. We also maintain a book where we write down all the information like contacts, emails, phone numbers, lawyer, investment broker, doctor, personal email addresses and passwords, bank info, bill payments, financial investments, purchase details, life insurance policy, medical policies, car and house insurances.

8. We have also discussed about our lives if one of us have to die first. We talked about all possibilities and all areas from funeral arrangements to children, family, movable and immovable properties, re marriage, work and ministry.

9. We take time to communicate with each other and plan on two vacations a year - one just the two of us and the other with family. We usually take time off each year for our wedding anniversary and our family vacation is during any long holidays (We are yet to regularise our family vacations!). Our vacation time is the time we usually discuss our expectations, dreams, plans, frustrations and disappointments and commit to make the following year better and beautiful. We try to be part of family events. We keep our families updated about our lives and take time to have fun, get together and picnics etc.

10. We try to maintain certain order of priorities in our life - God, spouse, children, parents, work/ministry, siblings and then everything else.

These are some important things I can think of at this moment and I know this subject is inexhaustible. May God continue to shower His grace, favor and blessing in our marriage and our home.

Love in a marriage?

2008-03-08T19:42:00.000-05:00

Love in a marriage relationship would be two people coming together before God and man, choosing to submit to each other in mind, body and spirit and willing to commit to care, provide, cherish, protect, respect, romance, be kind and generous and also share of their self, their material things, finances, resources, families, weakness, strength and emotions. A perfect "happily ever after" story! After being married for 11 years I can tell you that this is a very difficult commitment.

Marriage is a complex commitment and it is not all about sex. The first few months of marriage would be mainly centered on being romantic and pleasing each other sexually and then the reality of paying bills, household chores, pleasing the in laws, making sure your parents like your spouse, taking care of children and then maintain your physical appearance, romance, sex life, personal time, hobbies, destiny, dreams and desires while juggling with your office deadlines and work relationships can really push your level of adaptability and love! I guess most married couples will be on tie for a "Super Human Being Award"!

This principle minus the sex and romance part is similar in all relationships. Love is a commitment, a choice and it is neither a feeling nor a compulsion. It is definitely not hormones! See the difference in a business, work or a friend relationship is that we can come out of that agreement any time we choose to but in a marriage it is until death do us part!

My friend described marriage like this, "Marriage is like a business venture. Two people make an agreement to pool in their resources and work together to make their business/family grow and prosper while maintaining ethics, character and biblical principles and enjoying the fruit of that relationship". Marriage is a beautiful thing and with God's help we can be successful and enjoy every moment of it. In the next post we will explore the success in marriage.

Why Choose Life?

2008-02-26T02:40:00.000-05:00

Is it easy to choose life knowing that with it comes joy, sorrows, aches and health? Our life on earth is paradoxical in reality. How do we even choose to perceive and make sense of all the things that happen in our lives and in the lives of others? What has this got to do with success?

It was my niece’s first birthday party and I was going shopping but on the way I stopped to consult a doctor and what I did not know was that I was living the last hours of my life! Instead of heading to the party I was heading to the surgery table. I was not aware that I had tubal pregnancy. I lost my baby that day but I gained life not only physically but in my spirit and my mind. I realized that life is uncertain but God is in control and He protects us so that we would fulfill our destiny. Nothing can stop me from my destiny except me and God. My being alive is a success. My life each day is a success. My each victory over challenges is a success immaterial of how it is measured in the physical sense. I would say our day today being alive through the accidents, war, crime, robbery, family situations, financial situations, career and all the fortunate and unfortunate circumstances, is worthy of being in the tabloids. How wonderful it would be if the newspapers were filled of reports of miraculous incidents and stories of how people are safe and happy! It would take tons of manpower and resources to make a newspaper that huge which covered millions of stories each day!

I have chosen to see life with an understanding that is revealed by the Creator of this Universe and to live knowing that at the appointed time I will go to my heavenly abode. Our destiny on earth is to be role models in our faith, joy, hope, confidence, fun, sorrows and reveal that which is pleasing unto God. Our experiences qualify us to comfort and love others, counsel and help those we meet. Like Jabez our tent of influence will enlarge into many lives and they in return will influence their acquaintances, friends and families. God has chosen to give us life and He has given us several situations, opportunities so we can learn to give life, and choose to live with Him now and also in eternity. Would you choose this life?

Is life your solution!

2008-02-17T00:47:00.000-05:00

In the Old Testament of the Bible the solution for most wrongs and problems was death. I had seriously absorbed that concept in me because all great leaders pronounced judgment and death. Each time I was upset with someone my immediate response was that they need to be judged and put to death. Of course that is near to impossible - I would neither kill anyone nor would I really want anything bad happen to them. No sooner I think negative I nullify it and pray blessing instead. I started to think about this and I realized that if death was the answer to all problems then I guess the earth will be less populated and hell over populated and Jesus would have never made the trip to earth to give us life!

How do we explain murders and accidents, suicides and natural death? People who are afraid of others hurting them or giving them what they want, resort to murder. People who don't feel successful in some area of their life think that suicide is the solution. Death again is a natural process that happens to everyone. The moment you are conceived you are faced with the reality that death is part of your life. Death is a process to continuation of life away from earth.

Let us apply these same thoughts to our spirit and soul. When we are afraid of harm that others cause us, we murder them in our mind, in our words and in actions - we ruin their life, their career, their peace, their source of income, their families, their joy etc. When we don't feel loved or wanted say unsuccessful in some or all areas of our life we get disappointed, we lose interest in trying, we give up, we just don't do anything about it - we commit suicide to self. We cease to exist. Spiritual death is being dead in our spirit from our birth and when we continue to live without God, without the gift of salvation through Christ.

In my teen years I was running away from God and Christianity. That phase was miserable. I was rebellious, angry, depressed, anxious and sick physically and mentally. The outpatient clinic became my second home! I couldn't live a normal life and that made me suicidal. I am so glad that I am still alive! What a shame it would have been to miss out all that I have enjoyed in the past years! Back then I didn't know that I had a successful life ahead! None of us know our future and it is difficult to believe for positive things in midst of our turmoil and difficulties. It seems like life is at the end of the rope. Hey, we are never at the end of rope. Thank God there is that rope!

No act of killing a person or self is justifiable. I realize that when I run away from my situations I actually commit suicide to self. When I am dead in my spirit and soul, I have no life at all. I may be performing my regular duties but it is equivalent to being living dead. God is interested in resurrecting our soul and spirit. When that part of our life is alive we will have control of our self and see life positively. Every situation is good for those who trust and hope in God. I learnt to face life boldly, face challenges head on because running away will not do me any good.

Be tenacious and hold on to the promises that God has given you and you will begin to see the fruits. You will be successful here and when it is your time to physically leave earth you will be joyful and confident that your life after death is secure in God. We are not called to be defeated. There is no need to short circuit our life. We don’t have to end other's life or take revenge. We are never to be insecure. All of us are important. All of us have a role to play in the act of life. We are in no competition to anyone. There is no need to fear. We have to understand some us have an on stage role and some backstage but all of us have a part to play to make the drama of life a success. Death is not your choice, it is predestined by God. Choose to give life, choose to live life now and forever.

Are you confident enough..?

2008-02-08T01:06:00.000-05:00

I would like to dedicate this post to my aunt Leena Joel. She was a brave lady and faced cancer with right attitude. She went to be with the Lord on February 9, 2008. I remember 4 years ago my aunt's doctor showed me the cancerous ovaries and other organs and told us that she would live God willing maybe for another 2 months. It was the most disturbing news because she was very healthy and had no signs of sickness. She was working in Muscat and had come to visit family. A casual visit to the doctor to address a stomach pain had become a life and death situation.

Did my aunt have control about her situation? No, she did not have control of her sickness but yes, she had control on what kind of medication she would take and what she would do with her life. I must admit that she was tenacious and believed that she would live though all odds were against her. She neither got depressed nor believed in the report that was given to her. Several times in the past 4 years she was close to going home but she knew her time hadn't come. She held on to it till she could complete most of her responsibilities. It is strange to hold on to life. I don't understand but it did her good. She had the opportunity to celebrate her 25th wedding anniversary, her 51st birthday and also celebrate her daughter's 21st birthday. She was there to look after her father till his time of death. She spent time with all of us. What is even better is she had a chance to get closer to God. I think she was fortunate in her misery. The only thing she will miss is her physical presence at her daughter's wedding. We don't have answers for all the things that happen in life but I think God knows the best.

I think confidence helps keep us focused and motivated but is that enough to be successful in all our situations and achieve all that we want to? What does it take to be confident? I know my aunt will agree with me that it wasn't easy for her to choose as to what would influence her. We meet several people with all kinds of positive and negative suggestions and attitudes but it is upto us to prepare our mind, think through the situations and then be willing to do what it takes to accomplish the right thing. Sickness did dominate my aunt's life but it couldn't take control of her. Difficult as it may sound but she was in charge.

I believe that my aunt was able to maintain her confidence for two reasons - the first is her relationship with the Lord and the second the support from family. I strongly believe in the statement that blood is thicker than water. I have seen time and again that no matter what it is the family that remains steadfast in their commitment and love. Other relationships are good, friends are precious but family is inseparable! I would like to emphasize the fact that relationships too play an important part in building and maintaining your confidence. My aunt was blessed to have the support of her spouse, daughter, nieces, nephews and all the other family members.

No matter what you are going through today - if it is a situation with your health, spouse, children, work, finances, church, friends or whatever, remember your strength is you. You are in charge. Find out what God has to say about your situation, know the principles of God for your life and then hold on to it. Be confident and move ahead and always respect and love your family because they hurt when you hurt, they are effected as much as you are with your situation. Surround yourself with your loved ones and good friends. Confidence is a synonym for faith. Faith will keep you going. Faith is what kept my aunt going. We are proud of her. She indeed fought a good fight of faith and completed her course.

You will always remain in our hearts and our family Leena aunty.

Are you confident?

2008-01-31T18:31:00.000-05:00

There are many things in life we don’t have control of, for example our origin, the city we are born, our ethnicity, the color of our skin, the circumstances of our birth, natural disasters, unforeseen circumstances and accidents and the lives of others. It is also appropriate to say at this point that there are many things in life that we are in deed in control of, for example our present situation, our choices, our future, our behavior, our dress preference, our lifestyle, our education, our work, our relationships, our approach to life, our attitudes and the list is endless. This clearly proves that the things we are in control of is vast than the things we are not in control of and that would mean we are responsible for ourselves.

God has given us the awesome responsibility to create, make, excel, exceed and be all that He would like us to be and that in itself is way beyond our natural thinking and understanding. To achieve and be out of this world and yet live in this world and to create a legacy we need to understand who we are and what we ought to be. We are not what others want us to be but we are what we decide to be and that decision can be wisely made when we are deeply rooted in the source of our information, formation and understanding. I would guarantee that there is no book on earth nor is there an experience of a man that would give us the perception and understanding of who we are.

This knowledge can be received from the One who is knowledgeable and knows the end from the beginning. I would risk myself to put my trust in God my Creator because He is the only One I know for sure has immense wisdom and comprehension of life. I would encourage you today to look and see within yourself so you would know where your roots are. Who is your inspiration? Who feeds your mind and spirit? Once you realize and come to that understanding then you will exceed, excel and surprise the wisest of the people you come in contact with.

Remember your strength is you. You are not responsible for what others expect of you but you are responsible for who and what you are and the position of influence you are in. The biggest critic of your life should be you and the greatest encourager in your life should also be you. This confidence can only come when your roots are deep into the soil of the ONE who has and is and will continue to give you LIFE. This for sure is within the realm of your control.

What to do this New Year?

2008-01-14T18:15:00.000-05:00

This is a New Year and all of us have New Year resolutions and anticipations for new beginnings and trust God to make life better than before. That is a great attitude to a bright start. In the back of your mind do you have a faint thought that all this is soon to be broken like every other New Year resolution? You know what this used to trouble my mind a lot and I stopped making New Year resolutions and one of the biggest reasons is because I didn't know what my tomorrow would be like. I felt so guilty at times that I chose to simply ignore it. I decided to ponder about it this week and here are my thoughts about it.

I think all of us are constantly looking for a better and different life. Many times we get into routine and mundane lifestyle and a little excitement around us and anything different adds a little blush on our face. Some of us have the attitude that this is how life has to be and I have no complaints, to such persons life can be everything, fun and misery or it can be nothing at all. A New Year doesn't really change our lives but it is a landmark of a history made and a history yet to create.

To me personally these past few years were very unpredictable. I have hope, excitement and know that God is in control of my life but I didn't know what my immediate steps need to be. It is frustrating sometimes because my personality is such that I like to plan ahead. It seems to be the right thing to do, doesn't it? Well, this is what I do, I remind myself of my long term goal, vision and my destiny which is to be a missionary preaching the good news to every nation especially Asians. Great statement and goal but you see there is a practical side to it. I have to plan how to do it, plan the resources, equip myself for leadership and raise other leaders. Whatever we do in ministry is similar to the corporate world and everything needs planning.

James 4:13 to 14 says, "Now listen, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money." "Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes." That scripture kind of throws away all my concept of planning and I had to re think my thoughts. Yes, our life is unpredictable. There are so many times I recovered from my death bed. And that is when I realized that my life is so fragile and that each day is a gift of God to me. But does that mean I shouldn't plan?

Amos 3:7 Surely the Sovereign LORD does nothing without revealing his plan to his servants the prophets.
Scripture tells me that God does plan and that He will reveal it to us when needed. We have to develop a ear to hear him and know what His plans are for our life and for sure that will come to pass. You and I may or may not know how it will happen but for sure when it happens you will know what to do and after it is done you will understand and see the hand of God in it all. Most of the times I know in my heart as to what may happen but I wouldn't know what is required of me. I take the thought or situation and have several plans - A, B and C. Now that my mind is prepared for it when the time comes it makes it easier for me to shift to any of those plans. I know that if any of us lack wisdom when we ask God He will give it to us. I had to ask the Holy Spirit to give me the gifts of the Spirit to help me plan and the fruits of the Spirit to help execute it.

I would like to encourage those who make New Year resolutions to seek God's mind for that resolution and make plans and work toward it and God will make it happen. There is no gain without pain. And for those who don't have a New Year resolution but know in your heart that you are in the path that God wants you to be, my advice to you is the same - Seek the mind of God and have several plans. God will reveal the step when the time comes. Be ready in and out of season because we don't really know the seasons but the One who made it knows and He will give you the signs before it happens.

Who is in control?

2008-01-03T01:45:00.001-05:00

Dear Friends,
All of us have hopes and dreams and sometimes wish they happen in a particular time frame. I too felt the same and it was only last week I realized that we control things when we are in control and we can't control things when we are not in control but when do you know that you have control? There is nothing tricky about this.

I was watching a movie today and I was shocked to see this young street lad master the skills of pretence to deceive people. It was very engaging and I watched it though it was irritating and getting to my nerves! What irritated me the most was this rich beautiful lady got so carried away with the way this guy - her son's age was talking even after she knew he had manipulated her family and her friends to get some quick money. Worse she even walked out of her marriage because she had all this sympathy for this guy. I thought what good is her beauty and wealth when she has no brains! I got totally upset the way it ended and sat down to check my mail. I then thought about the story again and wanted to share this with you.

All of us deep inside have a void and what seems to be the best thing and of course the emotionally or financially gratifying situation, object, activity or person at the moment of desperate need can become the crutch that one would want to hold on to. You see there is a comfort level there and a pleasure rather joy that is unexplainable. At that point it could be insanity or sanity but it makes no sense to that person because his or her heart is so drawn into it and that it becomes difficult to think and see otherwise to make a wise choice. No matter who tries to "open the eyes” all those efforts are in vain. I felt like slapping that lady on her face to get her into reality and tell her "what were you thinking?"

So many times in our lives we behave like that lady and God almost wants to slap us and bring us into reality but He doesn't. He can't because we build a barrier like my television screen and it is impossible to penetrate and touch the person who is an image on screen. You see He has given us free choice and of course we have to face the consequences of our choices. I don't know what the story of that lady would be if it were in real life - it could be good or bad - tough to say but I know that she sure will come to a point where she will think of this choice she made.

Friends, step aside of your situation and see it in a different light. Listen to what other wise people have to say, well listen to what foolish people have to say also and make a choice - a wise choice. Understand this that nothing in this world can fill your void. Everything physical, financial, emotional and material is a momentary gratification to your soul, your ego and you but your spirit is what you need to see. If your spirit is filled with the presence of God, your soul needs and choices will be sane and right. Nobody will then need to slap you to wake you up because you are already awake in your spirit. That barrier that has been created between God and you can be broken and He could speak to you and be with you. Remember you are in control when your spirit is in control and your spirit is in control when God is in control.

Dreams alive!

2007-12-05T00:09:00.000-05:00

I had a dream in my 5th grade that remains as a big picture for my life. I saw great stadium lights and a fully packed stadium and I was preaching and God was moving and touching people's lives that night. Beautiful dream I would say a wonderful vision. It is still very precious and I hold on to it. It is more than 20 years now and every time I wonder what is happening in my life I recall that dream and vision and that keeps me going.

Dear friend, you may or may not have a dream, a thought or a vision please don't let that bother you. What is important is the inner feeling of your spirit. Go deep into yourself, deeper than the immediate goals, dreams, desires and circumstances. What do you see? What do you hear? What is your longing? I know it is there search harder - don't worry about what you will find and who is around you. Did you find it? Does it seem familiar? Does it startle you? Look up, that is your real dream! Doesn't make sense, does it? You may wonder if you can ever fulfill it - I can't answer that question - not for you nor for myself.

It is so easy for us to get carried away with whatever our life has to offer us. Not all are fortunate to dropped everything and pursue that dream that lightens up your heart - that thought that thrills your inmost being, that feeling that takes you into another world. For the rest of us let us cherish it and place it before our eyes. This should bring you joy and it shouldn't let you be obsessed or kill you or make you do things that will harm you or others. I guarantee you if you keep that dream alive in you and continue to faithfully do whatever is expected of you in every area of your life you will find that nothing is overwhelming. You will eventually learn to make time for that dream that is hidden deep in your spirit. As you slowly move towards it you will realize that it demands more than just your passion. You need to educate, equip and master your skills in the area of your dream. This will not be a burden of course it is hard work and it will require a lot of you physically but nothing can compare to that joy of fulfillment.

Remember you are a complex being and a lot is expected of you from everyone around you as a spouse, child, sibling, colleague or whatever. You will have to train yourself and set principles for your life so you can be fair to all your roles. You will also see that people around you notice that you balance your responsibilities and your dream and you will receive the accolade that you deserve for your efforts. Strange enough when you arrive at that place - it won't matter to you because you will realize and see the hand of God and you will be quick enough to give him the glory.

I want you to think of your dreams - nothing is ever too late and nothing is impossible. Keep your dreams alive and work towards it.

Are you Dreaming?

2007-11-23T00:19:00.000-05:00

Your identity will evolve as you are exposed to different circumstances and with the choices you make. What about your dreams - the dreams for your life? Do they evolve too? Can you carry the same dream forever? Will there be drastic changes in dreams? Can dreams become realistic goals?

As a kid we see a lot of cartoons and read a lot of fairy tales and comics and we dream of being the princess and live a life happily after or the superman who will save the whole world. Is that really a dream or is that a longing in every heart to be loved and to love? That’s a different topic all together.

As a teenager our dreams change to “I want to be a doctor, an engineer or I want to go abroad etc”. I dreamt of being either an engineer or a lecturer and then later as a young girl I wanted to be a business executive (I think the formal dress fascinated me!) As I grew older I was reminded of the dream I had as a kid - it was about my calling into ministry and I became a preacher's wife!

My life took several turns and I know yours did too. As I look back I see a fine thread connecting all my dreams and desires and I see that everything has shaped very differently to what I thought but it all happened. Yes, our dreams evolve from childishness to maturity. The way it is fulfilled slowly evolves. As a kid maybe you wanted to become an artist but you have no clue how to - you start drawing with crayons and then you begin to like water colors, then you may do canvas and then maybe switch to photography. Things evolve - same desire but different ways of execution, different results. Seems silly but what I wish to convey is there is a process in the fulfillment of our dreams and desires. You may not understand what shape it will take or what process is involved but that one thought, dream or desire will consciously and subconsciously shape you to achieve it.

I had a dream and I as I reflect now it was fulfilled and is continuing to be fulfilled way better than what I had expected! I did become an engineer, I did become a lecturer, I did become a preacher, I did become a business executive (I do wear formal executive suits!) but it is all in a different shape and form that I had expected. Sometimes we can get discouraged seeing the outcome or the state of our life and wonder if we will ever achieve our dreams. You know what the truth is you have achieved your dreams and you will continue to. Sit back and look at your life and everything that has happened and you will see that thin thread that is tying your life together as part of your dream.

Are you dreaming?

Identity

2007-10-29T15:33:00.000-04:00

Most of us have a family name passed down from generations and some of us take our parent's name as our surname. Does it matter if I am a Ganta? Does my identity come from my genetic or marital tie with my family? Does it come from my spouse? Does it come from my occupation or any titles like Doctor, Reverend, Pastor, Esquire, Lord, Prime Minister, President Etc? Is it my gender or my age? Is it my religion, language, ethnic background or geographical location? Well there is a truth in all this. Yes there is a reflection in our personality of our occupation or vocation, family background and titles. Hey the truth is identity need not only be the prestigious aspects of our lives but it can be the non - prestigious aspects of our lives too. I could either be a doctor's daughter or I could be a thief’s child. I could be a cruel lady or a kind hearted person. I could be a Christian or an atheist. I could be so many things.

In all this I have asked myself and now I want you to ask yourself a question - what do you want to be known as or known for? Hmm... big question - a little of both? This is not a tricky question. I am known to have worked with some prestigious organizations and I am known for my abilities and the things I have accomplished. I am also known for my personality as a straight forward, hard worker, quick learner and principled person. All is great but who am I? Who are you?

This process of knowing who you are is seeking what your identity is. The major aspect of our identity is our genes - we are born physically with so much of our parents and relatives. I have a wavy hair, brown skin, long nose and black small eyes? Guess what - someone in my family has it too and would that mean their genes are in me? When I was younger I looked so different that I thought I was adopted but as I grew older I can see so much of my mum and my aunt in me! I am now convinced that I was not swapped in the hospital! This I call predetermined gene. I have this crazy habit of cleaning in a certain way and I tried to change but now I realize that lot of those habits came from my uncle. I know why - I used to help him with the household chores and I ended up being him. This I call influenced gene. I had mentioned in my previous articles that when you meet my mentors you will know what they have rubbed on me. This I call mentor gene. If I were to count my unique genes that have become part of me - then I have friend’s gene, church gene, school gene and many more. My personality and my identity were to some extent natural but there were all these other influences that gradually influenced me and brought a shape to my identity. Hey I don't exactly clean like my uncle these days but I have outgrown it and improvised on it. I guess I am more sophisticated!

We need to understand that all of us are unique. We are unique in how we look, how we dress, where we shop, what we eat, whom we meet, what we enjoy - all this is genetic and others a preference. Nobody can make you who you are or want to be and neither can anyone define your personality. Your identity is also your choices, your principles, your values and your mindset. This is an ongoing process - I used to be a very popular person and I loved fame and friends around me but now I still enjoy those things if it came my way but that is not my priority - making my life valuable and productive is my new goal. This choice will shape my personality and give me a new identity. I may evolve in my professional identity. I still carry the identity of a spouse - one day my identity will be a parent. What I want to say is we evolve. Your identity will and can change with the choices you make and principles you abide with.

Mentor and Mentee Relationship

2007-10-12T20:17:00.000-04:00

Relationship between a Mentor and Mentee is very important. Last article I mentioned that you need to talk to the Mentors upfront what your expectations are, how often you would communicate and what you can do in return. Mentoring is a process where you are transparent and are easy to be molded while having the opportunity to make your own decisions. To be transparent is to simply learn to trust one and another. It is a knowing and confidence that the other person is there for you and with you and that you reciprocate the same feelings. It is a two way thing. It takes two people to shake hands.

In this relationship both the Mentor and the Mentee need to make an attempt to understand one and another's personality, style, behavior, temperament, moral standards, ethical stand, family values, background, goals, vision, religious beliefs and interests. Get into a relationship when you are confident that you can overlook the differences and are able to work together.

Plan ahead how you will interact, what information needs to be exchanged, the frequency, the duration, the method and the medium. You can interact through fax, email, phone, personal interaction, video lessons, interactive tools, website, instant messages etc. It is advisable that an email is exchanged with the points that need to be discussed with enough background information and contextual information so when you come online or when you talk - you can save each other's time and each of you are prepared to have a constructive talk. Remember time is precious and it cannot be wasted in vague and unwanted talks. So set up your goals and challenges and continue to plan your way to reach your goals.

Stay in the loop and keep your mentor in too. Respect and value whatever is said. Stick to the point, stay informed, concentrate, listen, discuss, brainstorm, control your thought and choose your words. Safeguard each other's reputation and ideas. Do not take your relationship for granted. Do not exploit abuse or ask inappropriate favors. Be careful to respect the emotions and the sensitivity of topics that could trigger emotions. At any point any of you are dissatisfied with your relationship then be polite and move on. You can ask the mentor if he could suggest someone else in your field or the mentor himself may link you up to other people. Continue to keep in touch with all your mentors. Remember they have experience and experience brings wisdom and credibility. Honor and respect each other and allow space from time to time. Everybody needs freedom and their own time, try not to overpower or get over involved in the process of learning, depending, empowering and building. This also helps in self development, self analysis, self introspection and self learning.

Remember it is all about empowering, taking one and another to a new level of success, making a difference, creating and achieving dreams. In helping others accomplish their dreams you are making a difference in their world and your world too. By touching one person you can touch a greater area of influence through them.

Choosing your Mentor

2007-10-03T00:38:00.000-04:00

I started to explain last article about being sensitive to what the Lord wants you to do and seek mentors who will take you another step in your life. I also said that, "A mentor is someone who has experience, better understanding, clearer goals and perspectives and someone who has a desire to replicate himself in others". Well, he doesn't necessarily try to seek people but it is his lifestyle and he may influence people whether they realize it or not. A person can qualify to be a Mentor if he is a person with value, vision, and confidence, a human yet out of the world, someone who would dare to think and be different, someone who would brave every storm and continue to carry his zeal to fulfillment even when misunderstood. These are the people who will know how to maneuver rough winds to sail towards the destination. I would like to be with someone like that and I know that I am in the process of being that someone too.

Is there someone you respect and admire and wish for what they have? Is there someone who lends you their shoulder or their ears? Is there someone in whom you can see the qualities mentioned and much more? Well, have you considered your association with them? Let me tell you your mentor doesn't necessarily have to be the one who sits long hours with you or is with you day in and out. Your mentor could be reached via phone, email, internet, home visit or anywhere. Thank God for the modern technology that we can reach people anywhere and at anytime!

You could meet several influential people and have talks with them on several occasions and may be they even gave you advice but this typically is not mentorship. Your relationship with a mentor involves open talks and true conversations which include advice and constructive criticism as well as acknowledgements and appreciation. Most often a Mentor is someone you probably have unusually good chemistry with and who will share his personal experiences in success and shortcomings. Sometimes a good mentor can be hard on you too if you choose to learn it the tough way. Not all Mentors are sweet lipped, be keen to observe their heart and their actions - you will learn to respect them. Your mentors may offer you advice and guidance in being successful in this world, they may have the connections or the network that you need, they may guide you and take upon themselves physical, personal and moral responsibility of nurturing you to your goals. Mentors could be your launch pads, they will help you understand your strength and your weakness, they will challenge you and equip you to grow and be beyond yourself, they could also be the closed door to wrong paths. They also may simply lend you their ears when you need to talk with someone.

A mentor will not waste his time in losers or people who are empty vessels. A mentor will invest his energy in someone whom he sees a sparkle of hope and desire to achieve - someone who resembles him in his early life. A good leader replicates him in several people and constantly looks for those he can equip and mold into his own image. A great leader strives to learn and is open to growth even as he empowers others. Learning is a lifelong process and no one can claim that they know it all - sooner or later we will realize that we need to learn the latest version of iPod or Microsoft software etc!

Do you need a mentor? Decide what areas you need help and what kind of mentor you want. Do background checks, observe, enquire and understand a person and see if you can relate. Remember he will rub off a lot of qualities on you! Think about and list the possible mentors. They could be in your immediate circle, your colleague, your senior, your old associates, your religious leaders, friends of friends, acquaintances or someone who you would least expect. Be open to all possibilities and analyze each person on that list. Learn about them and know what to expect from them and then approach them. Some of them may agree most of them may not - this is life, don't get discouraged and pursue your search till you find the one. When you find your mentor talk to them upfront what your expectations are, how often you would communicate and what you can do in return. I did that with my mentors. Alex and I clearly mentioned what we were expecting from them, the boundaries of accountability, time, involvement and what we can offer. Anything beyond that will be out of love and not a compulsion. Never exploit your relationship or be exploited. Every relationship is a give and take. Learn to give when you receive. In sharing is learning and in giving is true satisfaction of our life on earth. You will always get back what you have sown. You should never be in a position where your mentor constantly obliges you with his kindness. You must find ways to respond to his kindness and let them know how much you value them and what they mean to you. Share with them the fruits of your success in kind, public acknowledgments, expressions and emotions. A true mentor is like a parent who will be willing to nurture his kid in the ways of God and lead him to his destiny in this world. And as a child it is our duty to bless our parents and be grateful to them.

I pray that God will open your eyes of understanding and grant you favor in finding your mentor on earth who looks to the Father above. Remember the Holy Spirit is our guide and our mentor and we need to tune ourselves to listen and be obedient to him even as we learn to submit ourselves to the leadership and mentors God places in our paths.

Mentors

2007-09-07T01:29:00.000-04:00

Last week I casually mentioned that we need people to carry the couch. Well, people don't exist only to move couches! In America for sure we need the help of friends to help with the move unless you are very rich and can hire professionals! Thank God for people we can rely on! Friends are important - there is a lot of give and take that is involved in this relationship - it could be physical, material, spiritual or emotional.

I would like to share some thoughts about relationships - this is a very important and the most fragile area for all of us. We are constantly faced with issues of relationships every day. Relationships can sometimes lift us high or put us low. How we understand people determines how strong our ties with them will be and to what extent they could influence us.

Time and again I have to remind myself that respect has to be earned not demanded. We need to work hard to build trust. I mean to say that we have to be genuine in our relationships - be slow to flatter, be sensitive to see the positives, avoid compromise especially with matters that relate to godly principles like ethics, morals and righteous deeds, be sensitive and discerning and above all demonstrate Jesus. Try to maintain God centered relationships. This is not only applicable in marriage but it is applicable in all relationships.

The area of relationships that I would like to concentrate today is MENTORS. It is very important for us to choose who we want to be with and who do we want to be like. We become like the people we associate with so it is important for us to choose our friends and mentors. Many times out of desperate need or for personal gains we associate ourselves with certain kinds of people - most times this sort of relationships are not very fruitful. Time is valuable and so are you and your energy - you wouldn't want to waste it on somebody who doesn't want to do anything with their life or allow you to do anything with your life. I may sound mean and insensitive with that statement. Allow me to explain myself – we have to be wise in our associations because it is this relationship that will help us take our steps in our destiny.

A successful person according to business standard has four important people in his life - one a mentor, second an attorney, third a banker and fourth a doctor. I would agree with it. We do need all those people but the most important among them is a mentor. I think to be successful we need a spiritual mentor who will influence us. Sometimes it could be one person most often it is more than one and sometimes it could be in one phase of our life or may continue to do so for the rest of our life's journey. God placed different people in my path at various phases of my life. I love and respect all of them and am grateful to God for them. I will continue to seek their advice and keep in touch with them but I also realize that my first mentor is limited in his understanding in my present phase of my life and I have to constantly seek new mentors who are more mature than my present understanding and need. It is like this – in my kindergarten phase I need a teacher who would teach me to add numbers but in my high school I would need a high school teacher to teach me complex mathematics. It is not very often that we find a kindergarten teacher capable of teaching college mathematics.

Another thing about growth - Imagine how mature I would be if I were still learning to add numbers at 15! I have to demonstrate growth. There are many times and in many areas that we will have to start at the kindergarten level and it is not wrong but we need to show growth and that comes with the right mentors and personal discipline and smart/hard work. I need to say that God's anointing, direction and empowerment is critical in every phase of our life. We need to learn to tune our spirits to judge the right from wrong and be obedient to our conscience. We need to constantly feed our spirits with the right stuff because when we need it we have it and know it. Mentors too help in feeding our spirits with the right stuff.

As a child I was slow in my speech. I was in my first grade and couldn't speak. My mum and my teacher didn't give up on me and they helped me learn to speak. I joined a new school in my second grade and I made friends with a girl who encouraged me to be a leader and she continued to do so till my high school and I became one of the school leaders. My first adult mentor preferred to see my maturity than my age and trained me in adult bible courses. He prepared me so I could preach and pray for the sick and demon possessed people in public crusades of hundreds of people. He introduced me to my first public ministry when I was in my fifth grade! I had another mentor who took me to another level of church leadership when I was in my high school. I allowed myself to walk away from God and worship idols and follow the pagan gods. It took several people to influence me back to the Lord and help me get back into ministry. I had then found a lifetime mentor my husband who trained me from my teenage years and continues to do so in all areas of my life. I have another mentor who continues to give me godly counsel till today. In my media ministry again God placed several mentors in the past 10 years who took me from level to level. In my current phase I do have a spiritual mentor and I am in the process of developing my relationship with a business mentor. I am sure I will continue to meet people who will grow to be my mentors. I am also constantly giving myself to people who are serious about their destiny and just as my mentors invested their time in me - I am willing to give myself for those who really want to grow. Give and it shall be given back to you...

A mentor is someone who has experience, better understanding, clearer goals and perspectives and someone who has a desire to replicate himself in others. You don't have to go meet Bill Gates or Joel Osteen and ask them to be your mentor - well you could but I think if you look around you - you will find people you know who could be your mentor. Next week I will expand on how to choose your mentors. For now be sensitive to what the Lord wants you to do and seek mentors who will take you another step in your life. Be obedient to the voice of God and be diligent to learn in all of life's circumstances. Remember people are important - the right people are even more important for your growth. You will become the kind of people you associate with. I am a product of several mentors – when you meet my mentors you can tell what qualities I picked up and from whom. Each of them have left something of themselves in my spirit and my personality. I thank God for them and pray that you will find a mentor and that you will be a mentor to someone.

Rest

2007-08-29T23:55:00.000-04:00

Dear Friends I am so sorry for not maintaining my regular update. I was in the middle of a move and I just couldn't get to my computer. I am finally rested and settled for the time being. These two weeks I realized three important things which I will gladly share with you. One is that rest is important to help us think and behave better. Second is that people are important because we can't lift a couch alone! Third is that no matter what happens in my life God is in control. Of course the third one is the most important one and I am constantly reminded of God's authority almost every day.

I usually get so involved in my work that I would get maximum 5 hours each day sometimes lesser too. I can run with this schedule for several days and then there is this one auspicious day where my bed will have its day! I mean I will crash for several hours on my bed. I realize that our body is the place where God lives and where He lives must be holy and protected. I have no authority to abuse it. I have to take care of it by watching what I eat and drink, give it enough rest and refuel it with love and affection at regular intervals. Of course there is a limit to pampering our selves - I would be the last person to say go to a beauty salon everyday or sleep your life away day and night. Well, there is a balance we need to maintain.

I was on the other extremes of abusing my body by giving it less rest. I learnt that whenever I am tired and have reached my point of exhaustion where my eyes won't cooperate and my limbs won't move - I should rest. I could easily become irritable, angry, sad, worried, tired, frustrated and all this have many times lead to poor decisions, severed relationships, bad business deals, bad physical appearance and so on and so forth ultimately leading to bitterness, disappointment and body malfunction. I had reached that point last Friday and then I decided to rest on Saturday. I slept for 10 hours and I lay in bed relaxing, reading, praying, worshipping. I felt like a new person the next day and continued to be so all through the week. I was cheerful and the same annoying and difficult situations were easy to deal with and I was happy and made others happy. Great moments! Why should I allow myself to lose those great moments? I know I can't have that Saturday luxury all the time but when my body rings the alarm I should make an effort to listen or I could become beyond repair. My mother always says that we will be better people and more effective if we learn to pray, sleep enough, drink lots of water and walk! This is a wonderful four step solution to spiritual, emotional and physical well being.

Friends, I know there are many times when you may face routine mundane situations or you may even do things that you enjoy the most but periodically you will find yourself burnt out or less effective. Track back your steps, slow down and go and rest. Do something or nothing but let your body replenish itself and prepare itself for better use. God himself rested on the 7th day after all the work he did with the world for 6 days. God took time to enjoy his creation and verbally acknowledge it. You and I should take at least one day in a week to rest and enjoy the fruit of our work. Relax and reflect on the goodness of God that you experienced that week, share those precious moments with thanksgiving and gratitude to God with your family. Thank God for all those wonderful people who helped you through the week to make you successful or accomplish your task because every situation bad or good works together for your benefit.

Dear Friends sometimes the best thing to do each week is to sleep because God gives sleep to his beloved. Sleep so your body is ready to jump back to life and is prepared to withstand the pressures of the week. Don't overdo it because that will make you lazy. Do everything in moderation. There is only one thing that has no limit or you can not be excessive about and that is giving the due respect and credit to God in worship and thanksgiving. So enjoy, relax, refresh and be charged to face your day as a victor knowing well that God is on your side!

Allegiance

2007-08-17T00:15:00.000-04:00

I attended a meeting couple of weeks ago in Washington DC. I saw thousands of Indian Americans and Indians join hands with couple of other Americans and they sang "God Bless America". I was glad I learnt to sing and I remembered the lyrics (My sister thinks I have the talent of effortlessly combining several songs into one)! Suddenly a sense of joy and pride filled my heart. I was so happy for my people - my Indians who loved and respected this land that has given them the opportunity to excel and succeed.

Few days ago I saw an advertisement that there were Independence Day celebrations at downtown Pittsburgh and that there was going to be parade and cultural get together. I was excited about the event and more so because the colors and the pictures seemed familiar to me. Of course it was India's 60th Independence Day. I was once again proud of my people - my Indians who repected India and were still connected to her. I missed home and the family get togethers. I logged on to the net and played the Indian National Anthem - all possible versions including Acapella all through the night. I read and heard all the speeches of various Indian Presidents and Prime Ministers. I was elated and proud of my country.

You must be wondering where I am heading to? Some of your think my allegiance is a pretense. There are many people from India who work abroad. Some of them have even become citizens of other countries. Nothing wrong with that – if that is what God wants them to do, they should do it but I want to give you an important understanding of allegiance or loyalty to the nation you belong and the nation you are in.

The night of my wedding after the reception dinner we were getting ready to go to the hotel and there were some formalities I had to complete as a new bride. Part of it was to bid farewell to my parents. As much as I wanted it to be a little filmy adieu (bridal tears and hugs and walk away taking all the wealth from my parent’s home) it turned out to be a little motivational speech from both my parents! My mom told me that at any event if I were to fight or have any disagreements with anybody in my husband’s home including my husband, I was allowed to pack my bags and come to her door step and she would be glad to assist me find an auto or taxi to return the same moment of my arrival! Great start of shedding the “Maxwell” from my name! I told my father that I wished to be his girl for a little longer maybe the rest of half hour I could pretend that my name hadn’t changed forever! I was nervous that I now belonged to another family. I had new parents, new siblings, new house, new food habits, new cultural expressions and new language too. That meant a lot of adjustment and that I have to give my all to them. I had to pledge my allegiance to them and serve them. My father listened to all my whining and concerns and his reply was one sentence – “You are not out of my family but you are joining an extended family.” I was only 48kgs then and I thought I lost it all with that one comforting sentence! I felt weightless – the heavy heart was light and comforted!

Now what has this to do with allegiance or loyalty to the nation you belong and the nation you are in? I was born and brought up in India. After my marriage I worked in several countries and lived there too. Every time I heard the patriotic songs of that country – I would feel emotional. Whenever I pondered and questioned my allegiance and my patriotism I recalled my father’s one sentence - “You are not out of my family but you are joining an extended family.” I am more than 48kgs now and I wish I felt lighter physically! I saw a valuable lesson here. I am an Indian and I am living in America for now. This country has given me new life and now I have to give my all and adapt to this new culture, new people, new climate, new everything but what I need to still carry with me are the principles, the morals, the values, the qualities and the relationsips that my mother land has taught and given me. I am part of the two families. I owe my allegiance to both these nations. I have to learn to balance my responsibilities to these countries as much as I would do to my Maxwell family and my Ganta family. They are inseparable.

Friends, wherever you are – whatever country you are – remember that you have a responsibility to your mother nation and the nation you are currently living in. This is also a kind of success. We need to help, give, serve, support and work to help the needs of these countries. Think of creative ways to eliminate the sufferings of people. Think in terms of spiritual and humanitarian support. Think not what the country you are living in or have lived in can do for you but think of what you can do for that country. Sometimes God will call you to work and serve in one country – your motherland, sometimes two countries - your motherland and the country you live, sometimes several countries. Serve diligently with the best of your ability and resources. Pledge your allegiance with sincerity as you sing the patriotic songs passionately. Jai Hind! God bless America! God bless Asia! These are the countries that I am involved with at this moment and I pledge to be grateful and promise to serve them with all my heart. How about you? Who do you have to pledge your allegiance to? Are you being successful in this area?

Success is the opposite of failure

2007-08-10T02:36:00.000-04:00

I was in my high school when I learnt this truth – failures are a stepping stone to success. But today when I reflect back to that situation I understand it in a different way. I was a pretty popular and fairly good student but I had one weakness and that was Telugu. I never wanted to learn Telugu but my mum forced me to (I am thankful that she did). I always scored low in that subject and sometimes failed too. My school elections were soon approaching and I wanted to be on the school leadership team and I needed to have good grades in every area to qualify. I was so ambitious that I decided to leave no stone unturned. I decided to cheat my Telugu paper. Sure enough, I lacked cheating skills and was caught. It was the most embarrassing moment of my life. In a moment – all my dreams were taken away from me. I knew that I lost all chances of becoming a school captain. I had let down all my fans, my teachers, my friends, my parents and worse thing I felt very low about myself. I didn’t want to go back to school.

It was difficult to deal with it but I did and went back to school. I saw myself sitting in a corner all alone. To my surprise my friends came and talked to me, my fans still loved me but that didn’t satisfy me - all I could think of was the elections that were soon approaching. I was sitting in the classroom when my teacher came and announced the nominations for the school leadership. I sat with my face on the table very sad and holding my best friend’s hand promising her my support for the position I wanted. Several names were called and my friend started crying and nudged me – she had heard my name. I couldn’t believe that I was nominated. We had the elections and guess what I won 99% votes and missed one vote which I had cast for my opponent. That was remarkable. I thought then that failures were a stepping stone for success especially for those people who get up and get going. Today I reflect back the same situation and think otherwise.

I sure worked hard and made it big and achieved all my dreams but that was only part of my success. I realize today that my friends, my teachers, my fans and my family were very instrumental in those achievements. They put their trust and hope in me and had faith that I will rise up. If it weren’t for them, their acceptance and their support I would have never made it. The best part is they continued to do so, so I could continue to live successfully. Friends, now is the time for you take that notepad where you wrote down all your success and relive those moments. What do you see? Do you see all those people who helped you, all those people who supported you? You will always be a success when you surround yourself with people who love you so much to let you live in failure. That is a blessing –that is another kind of success. May God bless you with people in every walk of your life who will tell you that you are important and that you can make it big! Remember success is the opposite of failure – how you look at your situations and what you do about your situations and who you associate with determines how successful you will be.

Another important lesson I learnt is that when I believe in God and choose to live his life, then God sees my situations as an opportunity even when it seems to be a failure according to the worldly standards. To God's people there is no failure. The Bible says, "God works everything together for the good of those who love him and are called according to His purpose." You and I are created with a destiny and we are molded every day of our lives to achieve that. We sometimes choose not to flow in that direction and mess our lives but God still uses that to make us better people. No experience is a waste. Everything happens to perfect us. The only thing we need to be careful of is not to remain in our failures. Jesus never lost a single battle. He faced troubles but he was always an over comer. You are an over comer. See, understand, get up and get going because YOU are born to succeed.

Adapt

2007-08-02T00:33:00.000-04:00

Dear Friends, thank you for your encouraging comments and emails. Keep them coming.

Achievement of an objective or goal 1:

It was two days after Christmas Dec 27, 2004 - the whole world was coming to terms with Tsunami’s aftermath, I was at my parent’s home in India celebrating my brother’s wedding when I was asked to go on an emergency video shoot to record an interview of an ailing journalist and activist in one of the villages close to the Tsunami hit area. My team and I were not very enthusiastic about this trip for several reasons – it was holiday time, the tsunami and more so the idea of moving out of our comfortable zone. I did realize though that God must have planned this situation so he could teach me something or use me for something. Remember, I dedicated myself to be used by God! Moving out of my comfort zone is one of the requirements.

It was a long ride – we passed several fields, we saw children running on the streets barefoot, the dogs and the pigs were busy eating at the open garbage disposal area, we passed the elders of the village seated outside the temple solving the problems of the villagers. We took a very narrow road from the temple to go to the journalist's house. This house was more a less like a barnyard with cattle, dirt, dung and everything that you can imagine. Our cameras were a major attraction to the crowd that was slowly increasing in numbers in that yard.

We went into the house and a man asked us to close the door and requested privacy. It was a small and dark room it smelled like sewer, there was no air, I could feel the layers of dirt under my bare feet and more than anything I sensed a heavy gloominess. There were two beds in that room - one a cotton mattress and the other a string bed. I sat on the cotton mattress and what I saw on the string bed made me speechless. A frail man in his thirties but looked liked seventies struggled to sit and when he finally did he had to make a great effort to continue sitting. His body was very sore – his back was flesh and blood and whatever skin remained – it was peeling like the skin on a peach. We heard his story and were quite overwhelmed. After the interview the medical doctor who accompanied us changed the journalist’s IV tube and the used needle missed the doctor in a fraction and pricked the journalist’s wife. We held our breath and then breathed a sigh of relief. This journalist was in an advanced stage of AIDS and his wife who served him never knew what her husband was suffering with worse enough she didn’t know that she too was living with it.

We prayed with this man and gave him some basic medical help that would keep him alive for couple of days more. He was very thankful and happy. We were sad for him and glad that we could make this trip and accomplish all our work. We were packing when his wife offered tea and my immediate response was “no thank you”. I noticed that my team too was hesitant to drink the tea. I suddenly realized that something was wrong. This journalist wasn't happy - he began to scream and was upset with me. He believed that I refused to drink the tea because he had AIDS and that he was untouchable. I was shocked and filled with shame. I recollected this scripture, “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God — even as I try to please everybody in every way. For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved”

I had hesitated to drink the tea wondering what water they used and how hygienically it was made and so on but I failed to see that my selfishness and concern could hurt this person and make him question his faith and become bitter to God and people. I had pushed him deeper in his sorrow and low self esteem. I realized my mistake and apologized. I sat beside him and drank the tea and my crew did the same. This man cried and thanked us because we loved him no matter what his condition was.

My friends, this small act not only touched that journalist but it was a life changing experience for all of us who were present there. I realized that day that neither my wealth, my status in the society nor my accomplishments could add value to me the way my actions did. Look at it this way - I had a great interview - I was successful with that work. I did at that point what was required of me but I could have been a miserable failure had I been slow to learning my lesson and making the necessary amends in my attitude and behavior at that moment. It was important for me to understand that my life and my accomplishments are not worth it if it makes my brother to sin and cost him his eternal life. We as human beings must learn to adapt ourselves. Our life should bring glory to God. We should value and be thankful for our life, our health, our family and everything else that we have because there are many who enjoy less than a fraction of our blessings. I would like to one day confidently say like Apostle Paul, “I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little.” My friends, this is also one kind of success and I think it is the most important principle we need to learn. This understanding will bring us peace and joy in all situations. We will not only be willing to move out of our comfort zone and be a blessing to others but we will be living our destiny with greater satisfaction. True accomplishment is not only in the job well done but also in the job that is done to edify and bless others and in learning to adapt ourselves to any circumstances.

Respect

2007-07-25T20:17:00.000-04:00

Dear Friends, thank you for encouraging me with your comments and emails. Keep them coming.

A level of social status - 2:

I was once invited to a party, everybody was seated and I asked to be seated and nobody cared. I saw some empty chairs by the guest of honor. and I assumed that it was the right place to sit. It was an easy place to interact with others. I could be polite and talk with little stress on my vocal chords! It was a perfect spot and moreover most people had come and it made all the sense to sit on those empty chairs. I sat down, spread my napkin and was lost in the Thai menu and enquired how large the serving would be and I was all excited and it was an expensive meal too. I was interrupted by a voice that asked me to switch chairs and that was couple of chairs down the table. I was now seated far away from the perfect spot. Not only will I have to stretch my vocal chords but I will have to lean over to see people! I tried hard to look at the photos of my Thai meal because my eyes were on the empty chairs beside me. So near yet so far! Did people notice my embarrassment? Was I getting old that my hearing faded? Well, I accepted that that chair must be really special. I wondered who it was reserved for!

In a way I was happy for the person but I was upset wih myself because I didn't amount to that person's value! I had to answer all kinds of thoughts to satisfy my ego. I wondered if it were my dress? I was wearing a business dress! Was it was my perfume? Davidoff perfume cannot be offensive? Was it my job? I was a media professional and importantly a minister of the gospel! Did I buy a gift he didn't like? He couldn't have peeped into my gift it was wrapped and it was with me all the time! Then why did my friend prefer someone else to me? Couldn't my social status come to my rescue! It could have some value - maybe just two chairs away not four chairs! When I came to know who the chair was for I had to agree with the choice because - this person had taken several years to build this respect. He was selfless, kind, helpful, respectful and he blessed my guest of honor in all ways - physically, financially, morally and spiritually. I humbled and said to myself “genuine respect cannot be bought it has to be earned, no wealth, no education nor social status can influence that.”

Sometimes position and money can bring with it respect and awe but rarely does it come with genuine respect, trustworthy relationships, sincere love, true affection and care. Usually it comes with an attitude of how can we benefit from this relationship? How can we make use of their social status? How could we impress to get favors? This makes me wonder if the material benefit is more important than the person? How would I feel when my true friend actually looked for my profits and not me? So what is my success level here? I think I have to go another step. I may have the right social status but I will have to earn true respect and that can come with my personality, my attitude, my realness and my humility. Now that to me is another area of success. Wealth, social status, true relationships and genuine personality - great combination!

Jesus has all the attributes of a successful person and he has earned his respect. So often we treat Jesus like our wealthy friend. We want his blessings and not him. Can we stop and think how He feels? I want to be in the inner circle with Jesus and I know all the other benefits will come even when I am not seeking it. My association with the mastermind will make me like him - unbeatable and enjoying success because that mastermind Jesus can make no mistakes. Everything I set my hand to will prosper and along with it will come an elite and prestigious status in the society. When we are too proud about our accomplishments and expect respect to come with it then we are far from reaching it.

But when you are invited, go and sit down in the lowest place, so that when he who invited you comes he may say to you, ‘Friend, go up higher.’ Then you will have glory in the presence of those who sit at the table with you. For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

This rule not only applies for sitting at the table but it applies in all walks of our lives. This guest of honor several months later preferred me to someone else and I was glad I had earned that respect. That important chair was reserved for me! I knew that my new friend will also learn this principle soon and then it would be hard for people to decide who will sit by the guest of honor! I You determine whether you command respect or you are given respect. You add credibility to your social status.

Social Status

2007-07-20T01:19:00.000-04:00

19 July, 2007
Welcome friends! In the days to come you will read some excerpts from my conversation and experiences with people from all walks of life globally. I would like you to participate and make this a group discussion rather than me talking all the time. I would like to incorporate your thoughts in the articles. Now that we are all set to begin our journey, let us get to know each other and share our experiences.

According to Wikipedia, Success is defined as
A level of social status
Achievement of an objective/goal
The opposite of failure

A level of social status:
This is an interesting area. If you are well dressed you get to be seated in prime spots or else you are asked to sit at the farther end. If you ride a certain car or carry a certain purse or play a certain game then you qualify - qualify to be a person! Wonder why there is a rush towards materialism these days!

I was travelling to Atlanta and I decided to go by bus much against the advice of my American friends. I had lot of adventures like delayed buses, change of transfer destinations and long waits. It was in these waiting times and looking around did I see such veracity of people. I saw people of all colors, shapes, styles and civil sense. On my return journey to Pittsburgh – I had to go an hour early to the bus stop and lo behold the bus was late again another hour of waiting and this time it seemed a little overwhelming. Standing with my check in luggage and a heavy back pack in a claustrophobic place I was becoming less polite.

The bus was overbooked and people pushed their way ahead. I had to repeatedly ask people to move behind me and stand in line. But nothing could beat the audacity than this young lady. She just decided that it was her birth right to stand ahead of me. Right she may have but the conflict was she came in a little too early to get in line for the next Pittsburgh bus or may I say in time for my late bus! Well, I decided I will be less of a Christian – who would know anyway - I am an Indian!

I was warned not to talk to strangers but this lady got all my attention. Death may stand at my door but talk I must and so I did – I asked her to join the line behind me. Uncouth as she was I saw a share of my pride go down the drain. Upset I managed to board the bus – I was the last one to make it into the bus. I boarded the bus guess what I saw a man just like my lady friend at the line. I knew that people like her would all be alike. My antenna switched to the alert mode and I avoided sitting next to him but guess what God’s providence I had to sit by him. My husband asked him if he would be willing to trade his seat and that man was kind enough to accommodate our request. So much for don’t judge the book by its cover! Guess how much share of my pride had to go down the drain!

Well, what I wanted to convey is that a person’s worth is not necessarily how he looks but of course one must be civilized and maintain personal hygiene. Cleanliness is next to godliness and this applies to our houses, homes, body and soul. This man at the bus was to me the most successful man at that moment. How could it be? He had something that I didn’t have. He had modesty and a welcoming spirit. His act was kind and selfless and he gave without expecting anything in return. This is also a kind of success.

Your status in the society is who you are and not what you wear or what you ride or who you know in the higher circles. It is all in the mind. It is what you believe in and how you act it out. Who are you when no one is watching? Your value comes when you serve others and prefer others to yourself no matter if they are from the white collar profession or the blue collar one. Your values, your principles and who you are determine your success.

Success is in respecting your parents and teaching your children to do so. Success is finding a hot meal served to you by your loved one at the end of a hard work. Success is having someone to hold and hug there are many who are alone. Success is the confidence that all is well if I live or die today. It is great to have million dollar house and cars and friends in elite circles – nothing wrong in that but is what is wrong is getting immersed in this glory and forgetting you and the purpose of your life.

Money, fame, gold, popularity and talents are great but greater is your heart and who you are from within. Would I put aside my prejudices and travel in bus again – yes I will maybe I will meet another person who will teach me another important aspect of success. I would want to be known for who I am more than what I possess. This knowing is possible only when I am in relationship with someone who is perfect from inside out. I know no man as perfect as Jesus. With him in my heart – I continue to perfect my very being. Success is living Jesus. Success is being willing to and doing what He wants me to do.

Are we ready?

2007-07-16T21:39:00.000-04:00

Welcome Friends, so are we ready to rewind and talk? Did you make a note of all the success you had so far? Yes? Good. No? well let us do it. Take your note pad or journal and jot down some of those great success moments. Go ahead and write it down. We will meet and discuss soon.

Eager to talk to you!