Christian – Page 18 – Sugar And Spice… Among Other Things

Face of Love

Posted on November 25, 2018October 16, 2018 by Sugar and Spice..... Among Other Things

Today’s title is based on D. Michele Perry‘s book. She is the founder of Iris,South Sudan; an orphanage where she had devoted her life to change the world. She is an unusual missionary as she was born without a left kidney, hip and leg, yet many consider her to be one of the most joyful people on earth. I had read about her works when a friend of mine had tagged me along with an excerpt from her book in my social network pages. As I read through the article, numerous emotions ran through my mind which reminded me of the love that our Lord has given us. This excerpt is from her book “Love Has a Face: Mascara, a Machete and One Woman’s Miraculous Journey with Jesus in Sudan”.

The story of Ani (not her real name, changed) was a miracle that happened literally in the mud. Through this little girl I understood God’s grace and compassion more than through anyone in my life. Anya came to us at the age of three and a half with two brothers. She was the shadow of a little girl. She did not want to play. She did not allow anyone to touch her. She always looked for the dirtiest and unclean places in the camp. Finding such a place, she lay down in the mud and cried there for hours. If someone tried to lift her, she was twisted and torn again to this place. Most of the moms have already stopped pulling her and just left to lie on the ground and cry. Her roar was especially unpleasant. I wondered how often before, when she cried in the same way, no one heard her or came to her. It had an imprint of the orphan spirit. She was sure that no one loved her and no one wanted her, and to prove it to herself, she made it difficult, as far as possible, for us. “Dad, what to do? How can I love her? “Immediately, an excerpt from Philippians 2 came to me:“For you must have the same feelings as in Christ Jesus: He, being in the image of God, did not esteem the plunder to be equal to God; but he humbled himself, taking the form of a slave, becoming like men, and in appearance becoming like a man” (verses 5–7) Jesus came to where I was. Therefore, I had to go where Anya was. So I did.

I found her lying in the mud and lay down beside her. I did not touch her and did not speak. I did not look at her because I knew that it would only make her scream louder. I just lay down next to her. She knew that I was there. I was just there. The next day I lay down next to her in the same way, but this time I put my hand in front of her eyes. It seemed that nothing was happening. Not accepting disappointment, I tried again. The next time I again found her lying and stretched out my hand. This time her little hand approached mine. Slowly, we joined hands, only to make this scene repeat again and again over the next weeks. Slowly, almost imperceptibly, a miracle occurred in the heart of Ani. She became aware that she was loved and safe and desirable. She deserves to be in the mud for her. She deserves to look foolish for her. She deserves love. She is not alone and not abandoned. Her crying no longer remains unheard in silence.

I will never forget when I saw Anya smile for the first time. Tears flowed out of me, without stopping. Now she is five, and she smiles a lot. She wraps herself in my hem and loves to help younger kids. She plays and laughs and loves to hug. Anya is no longer an orphan. She came home. Traveling with her taught me about the wealth of the Father’s grace. He did not tell me to get out of the mud of my own pain and shame. He did not tell me to get rid of it, and then only to come to Him. Not. He lay in the mud with me. He offered His hand and just waited – letting me see, letting me believe, letting me put my hand in His and then stand together. I understand Anya. The only difference in us is that her pain was visible, and mine was hidden in my heart. God’s love is great. He comes and seeks us in the muddy places of our deepest wounds and dark corners. He loves us so much that he moves the heavens and the earth to show us His great grace. He loves us so much that he hugs us even when we are in the mud. And He loves us so much that He does not leave us there.

Michelle Perry “Love Has a Face”

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Christian, Family and Society, Quotes, Reflections

Gratitude for the Blessings

Posted on November 22, 2018October 18, 2018 by Sugar and Spice..... Among Other Things

“Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good. His love endures forever.” Psalm 136:1

With one half of the world soon sitting down to give thanks for the blessings of this year, the tradition of thanksgiving is primarily set in its’ origins as a time of gratitude and togetherness to thank God for a bountiful harvest. This practice is prevalent throughout the world from the New Yam Festival (Iwa Ji) in Nigeria to the Tsukimi celebrated in Japan and the Flores de Mayo in Philippines. While the Jewish harvest festivals are Sukkot and Shavuot, Germany and Russia celebrate Oktoberfest and Oseniny respectively. In the India, from Akhatrij in the west India to Lohri and Holi in North India and Monti Fest, Onam, Vishu and Pongal in South India as well as Dree Festival, Vasant Panchami and Tokhu Emong in Eastern India; harvest is a time for thanksgiving for the bountiful crop akin as God’s blessings.

“So once in every year we throng
Upon a day apart,
To praise the Lord with feast and song
In thankfulness of heart.” – Arthur Guiterman

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The reason justified for holding the Thanksgiving Day or Harvest Festivals is so that man doesn’t forget to thank for the blessings and when it is introduced as a part of the tradition and culture, then it will be ingrained in him for the years and generations to come. Though amidst all the celebrations of the holidays with its due share of commercialization, time should be taken out for prayer and sharing the faith that we believe in. There should be a balance between the physical or material things and the spiritual aspect as well. Too much of either doesn’t do us any good. Hyper-physicality is when gratitude for the physical is there but the spiritual part is neglected. On the hand, hyper-spirituality is when we can be prone to tune out God’s physical goodness to us out of the fear that appreciation for that would lose us our spiritual blessings.

From miracles to partaking in meals, our Lord had always given thanks to His Father before the meal. To quote the scriptures, before raising Lazarus from the dead the Lord had said, John 11:41: “…they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, ‘Father, I thank you that you have heard me.’” Matthew 15:36 says: Jesus “took the seven loaves and the fish, and having given thanks he broke them and gave them to the disciples … ” In Corinthians I 11:23–24: Our “Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it… ”

“Thanksgiving is one of my favorite days of the year because it reminds us to give thanks and to count our blessings. Suddenly, so many things become so little when we realize how blessed and lucky we are. Joyce Giraud”

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Also evident in the apostle Paul’s letters, Christians are encouraged to to have lives characterized by thanksgiving. In Colossians 3:15–17 : “And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” In Ephesians 5:20: “… giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” And Thessalonians I, 5:18: “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

Gratitude can transform common days into thanksgivings, turn routine jobs into joy, and change ordinary opportunities into blessings. William Arthur Ward

We shouldn’t limit ourselves to give thanks for His Grace and His Blessings for a day or couple of days in the year, but rather every day should be counted as a blessing. Unfortunately amidst the busy days we find ourselves, we often forget to do that. As this year end approaches, let us resolve to keep in mind the gratitude and kindness we have received either as material gifts, relationships or random acts of kindness and blessings ( what some of us may call as “luck”).

“As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.” – John Fitzgerald Kennedy

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Christian, Reflections, Stories Around the World

Fickle Nature of Man

Posted on November 18, 2018October 19, 2018 by Sugar and Spice..... Among Other Things

“This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.” ( 1 Timothy 2:3,4)

One of the many stories of the Bible which is widely known is the tale of Jonah and how he was swallowed by the big fish. For those of us who haven’t heard of the story from the Bible, it says about Jonah (or Jonas) is a prophet of the northern kingdom of Israel in about the 8th century BC. He is called upon by God to travel to Nineveh and warn its residents to repent of their sins or face divine wrath. Instead, Jonah boards a ship to Tarshish where the boat was caught in a raging storm. He then orders the ship’s crew to cast him overboard (to end the storm), whereupon he is swallowed by a giant fish. Three days later, after Jonah agrees to go to Nineveh, the fish vomits him out onto the shore. Jonah successfully convinces the entire city of that generation to repent which was sufficient for God to spare the city at that time.

Although the feat of Jonah getting swallowed by the fish, surviving and being vomited out is remarkable; the chapters of the book stress on the fickleness of humans and the nature of God who keeps a watch over us.

The biblical principle underlined in the chapters was God’s willingness to grant repentance to whom He will. As Apostle Paul had written, “The Lord is patient with you not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). God offers His love to all, the rich and the poor, the believers and the atheists, the young and the old as the writings of the brutal Ninevites as well as prophets have shown. While it is true that the choice is ours to accept His Salvation and His Love, the patience of the Lord is never wavering. For some, there may be trials and tribulations, while others will enjoy their relative comfort. Yet the joy and gift of His Love is known to only those chose His Way and can’t be explained but only felt when one allows Him in their lives.

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Christian, Life, Personal Musings, Stories Around the World

Leaving The Sandbox

Posted on November 15, 2018October 14, 2018 by Sugar and Spice..... Among Other Things

A five year old girl was playing in the sandbox. Filled with a child’s unpretentious happiness, she found the simple play interesting and fun. Suddenly her mother runs up and pulls the girl out of her childhood idyll and with haste, carried her home away from the sandbox, her source of joy. Without explaining anything, the little girl was taken away from the sun warmed box of her freedom, changing the simple but happy hours of joy. Crying and not understanding what was happening, the little girl turned away from her mother screaming to go back into the sandbox. Why did the mother do it ? For from a distance, her mother had seen a huge dog broken free from its’ chains and rushing towards the sandbox. The mother knew of the imminent danger that her child was in from the hungry, ferocious and uncontrollable beast and ran to bring her child to safety.

While the child didn’t realize what has just happened, she trusts her mother to take care of. Likewise with her mother’s love and attention; she will slowly forget the bad moments, treasuring only the happy memories in the days and years to come. Deep inside her, she knows that her mother will keep a watch over her and step in wherever and whenever possible to save her from the other potential precarious situations.

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Isn’t this situation similar when we find something snatched from our hands just as we were enjoying it ? Do we ever know why from time to time God takes you something that is so dear to us?

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths. Proverbs 3:5-6

Like the caring mother God takes away from us what we take to be our sandbox like our favorite work, strong relationships, savings. Whether it is getting fired, losing a friend or suffering material loss, He takes away from us the feeling of comfort which we are so eager to hold onto. Although we may never know what is happening at that moment, in hindsight we come to realize that our life has changed for the better. For God does not always explain the essence of what is happening and its benefits for us. Yet we realize much later that the change was for our own good. Like the girl who was taken away from the sandbox for her safety, we have our whole lives ahead of us which may be unpredictable but happy if we keep our Faith steadfast in His Mighty Works.

“But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.” Jeremiah 17:7-8

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Christian, Personal Musings, Stories Around the World

Reaching the Crossbar

Posted on November 11, 2018October 16, 2018 by Sugar and Spice..... Among Other Things

Grace is one of the concepts of Christianity which is quite hard to comprehend in real life. In Western Christian theology, grace has often been defined, not as a substance of any kind which is created, but as “the love and mercy given to us by God because God desires us to have it not necessarily because of anything we have done to earn it”. In other words Grace is described as favour, the free and undeserved help that God gives us to respond to his call to become children of God, adoptive sons, partakers of the divine nature and of eternal life. It is understood to be a spontaneous gift from God to people “generous, free and totally unexpected and undeserved” that takes the form of divine favor, love, clemency, and a share in the divine life. In Eastern Christianity, the working of God completely, not a created substance of any kind that can be treated like a commodity is what Grace is all about.

Although across the different denominations of Christianity, the definition varies the essential concept that it is not created but bestowed on. On reading the Bible we realize that although man has sinned, it is by His Love and His Mercy that we have been given a second chance. More importantly it is by His Grace that despite our lapses and our adherence to the shortcuts of living the right way, we are given another try.

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While teaching the concepts of Christian principles to younger children, it is quite difficult to say in terms of definitions. So here is a story that I had seen through my social pages, (though it is translated into English) that gives us an idea about the concept of His Grace.

“Once after the second liturgy, I was drinking tea with a bun. Suddenly, a father came up to the table with a son of about five years old. The boy’s face didn’t seem bright to me. It seemed to be one of those children who are interested only in MARS and SNICKERS and how to get them from their parents. But suddenly the boy looked anxiously at his parent and asked: “Dad, tell me what grace is.”
Hearing this with surprise, I almost choked on tea, urgently stopped chewing and froze, so as not to miss a word. Let me explain why. First, I myself was not clear what grace is. Second, I was wondering how to explain this to another. And third, it was completely incomprehensible to me how to explain this to a five-year-old child. That’s why I froze waiting for to see what reply the dad will say. He twisted his eyes in a funny manner and said to his son: “I better not tell you, but I will show you what grace is.” And they went to our sports ground. And I followed them. “Jump to the high crossbar,” said the dad. It became clear to me that the boy would not jump to reach it in any way. And for sure as he jumped and he was convinced of this. “And now you jump, and I will add grace,” said the parent. The boy jumped, his father’s hands caught him and in a moment he … WAS STANDING on the crossbar. The boy squealed with delight and told the father that he did not agree to live without grace anymore. And me too. Thank God! – Yuri Klyagin”

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Christian, Daily, Personal Musings, Reflections

Rescued From the Cycle

Posted on November 5, 2018October 10, 2018 by Sugar and Spice..... Among Other Things

Choices. Temptations. Decisions. Consequences. Guilt. Regrets. Self-Condemnation. Again choices.

This vicious cycle we often find ourselves in is one of the greatest fallacies of man. While some of us may have a different order of events with more or less components, many of us have gone through either of these phases or emotions at innumerable number of places across varied time frames in our life. As a result, we frequently keep on changing our minds, to the point that sometimes we actually fail to understand what we really want or wish for.

How many times have prayed for something to happen and when it actually does, the timing is drastically wrong ? How many times have we lost sight of our focus we had when we had started off on the journey? How many times have we regretted the consequences of the actions made by our choices ? Unfortunately this is what man has to endure through his time on earth.

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Even the scriptures say that we can neither avoid the consequences of our choices nor we may be able to live up to the standards and expectations that we set for ourselves. There will be times when we will have frequent change of heart and when we would try to make ourselves right with God but fail. There is always a constant ongoing tussle between the Spirit within and the temptations of the flesh. This perpetual fracas between the right and the wrong choices, as well as the good and the bad decisions has been going ever since the beginning of time. Yet man is never helpless and lost as long as he keeps His Faith.

We always need something to fall back on, someone to lift our spirits and give us hope. For God is omnipresent, omnipotent and omniscient; though we may not be able to speak to Him in person, inside our hearts and mind we know that He is there although at times we refuse to acknowledge this. Through the voice in our mind and heart, our gut instincts or the sixth sense and through our friends and family, His Spirit will speak to us and give us innumerable chances as long as we believe in His Love for man. As Romans 8:28 says, “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” This knowledge not only pulls us through troubled waters but also makes the voyage less dreary and more hopeful to endure so that we can finally reach the next shore.

To quote the verses from Romans 8:37-39, “Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

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Christian, Life, Musique, Photography Art

For the Light Awakens

Posted on November 1, 2018October 9, 2018 by Sugar and Spice..... Among Other Things

After a late night shift, one longs for a morning of peace and quiet to sleep in. Though it is quite difficult to sleep during the mornings either because of the chaos and our circadian rhythm which goes haywire, so we end up doing chores and other miscellaneous work till we drop off from exhaustion; or because of the sunlight streaming through the windows which prevents the hours of the day turning into night.

Even though our working hours have stretched the normal boundaries of our sleep patterns, the rays of sunshine brightens the day and fosters a sense of calmness, to renew and recharge with a fresh start at another chance in life. Albeit in due course we do succumb to the tiredness and have to catch up on our sleep in order to stay refreshed, still the brightness of the day offers to make the gloomiest scene pretty and live-able. As John 1:5 says, “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”

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Nevertheless there are some days where even the light can’t dispel the gloomy blackness. In such cases, what we fail to realize that the inner light in us, through the tiny cracks in the shields of darkness will offer a slit for the rays so that there would be a guiding light to find a way out. Should our inner light fail, the rays of light from other true sources will be able to guide us as long as we cast one’s mind to look for them. Remember the stars, even the Pole Star even in the cloudy skies occasionally they show their light. As the lines from the “Sine nomine” go,
“And when the strife is fierce, the warfare long,
Steals on the ear the distant triumph song,
And hearts are brave, again, and arms are strong.”

Inner or overhead lights, either way unless we use them we will be standing still in the dark. The drawback is if we stay in perpetual darkness we will lose out on the wonders, songs and the joy of living.