Category: Random Thoughts

Posted in Christian, Daily, Random Thoughts, Reflections

Trail of Blessings

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“Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” 1 Thessalonians 5:18

Being a totally free weekend, yesterday late evening saw both the adults hitting the herb patch at the far east side of the kitchen garden. With the heavy rains and the onslaught by the garden slugs, most of the young parsley were damaged. It was a tenuous process, weeding out the damaged ones, tracing the slug trails wherever seen, putting salt on the few that were seen and replanting rosemary and mint along as stripes to ward them off. All through this procedure, one is reminded of the enormous clutter left in the thoughts and minds at the end of week. Flashbacks of unhappy incidents, moments of anger and frustration all surface in the mind. Just like the slugs, their trail need to found and weeded lest they grow in plenty.

“Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.” Colossians 2:7

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During the twists and turns of the day, it serves to remind ourselves of the blessing that the Lord has bestowed on each of us. Each one of us have our own share of problems, be them physical, mental, emotional or social issues. Instead of carrying over the frustrations and spilling them over to the next day; address them and cancel them out with the unexpected gifts and blessings received. The more one appreciates the gifts of His Love, then one realizes His Grace and His Kindness which is silently bestowed, at times when one needed it most. Despite the damage and after effects of the downfalls or pit stops; learn to look beyond at the blessings which may have their young shoots soon surging upwards. Once we learn about Hus Love, only then will the true appreciation of His Blessings in our daily lives come.

“O Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord; Let us shout joyfully to the rock of our salvation. Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise! For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods.” Psalms 95:1-3

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We Thank Thee
Ralph Waldo Emerson

For flowers that bloom about our feet,
For tender grass so fresh and sweet,
For the song of bird and hum of bee,
For all things fair we hear or see,
Father in heaven, we thank Thee.

For blue of stream and blue of sky,
For pleasant shade of branches high,
For fragrant air and cooling breeze,
For beauty of the blooming trees,
Father in heaven we thank Thee.

For this new morning with its light,
For rest and shelter of the night,
For health and food, for love and friends,
For everything Thy goodness sends,
Father in heaven, we thank Thee.

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Posted in Christian, Daily, Personal Musings, poetry, Random Thoughts

Colour the Grey

Posted on by Sugar and Spice..... Among Other Things

“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”(2 Corinthians 12:9 )

The afternoon jaunt after the heavy rains over the past few days, was a source of fun for the children. Stepping into the puddles, picking up a wildflower or two, running after the scampering squirrels and kittens along the walk was a joyous experience. Despite the messy mud and puddles around, the grey of rocks were masked by few wildflowers cropping up at the unexpected places. Further ahead, there were carpets of them growing along the fences of the fields.

“I sought the Lord, and he answered me, and delivered me from all my fears.”(Psalm 34:4)

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Wildflowers, many of us are a lot like them. Through rough seasons, closed and crowded spaces, these little flowers not planted by hand but by nature, bring a smile to the tired mind. Those vibrant colours often remind me of God’s love and His Grace. The difficult days, troublesome moments and doubtful occasions, it is His Grace and His Guidance that helps us see a way out. The air and light He directs our way offers the necessary help to get out of the quagmire, when one seeks His Help. God’s Love helps us to grow even when the rocks below are hard and water is scare. To be like a wildflower is indeed a blessing, especially when one learns to bloom and bring colour to the dull, dark, dreary days. Let such colours brighten each of our days.

“In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength.” (Isaiah 30:15)

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Wildflowers
Kitty Chappell

Lord, help me to grow as the wildflowers grow
be it a meadow or a crack in cement.
Despite the terrain, be it good or bad,
let me know I am there by intent.

Instead of my sadly complaining within
regarding life’s rough terrain,
May my face, too, look upward to you
through seasons of drought and rain.

Help me to bloom as the wildflowers bloom,
regardless of where I am placed;
wherever the spot You plant me, Lord,
let the air there be sweet with Your grace.

Someday a tired pilgrim may stop to rest
from carrying his heavy load
And thank my Creator for placing me there
to brighten that spot in life’s road.

(Kitty Chappell, award-winning author of Good Mews: Inspirational Stories for Cat Lovers and Sins of a Father: Forgiving the Unforgivable.)

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Posted in Christian, Daily, poetry, Random Thoughts, Work

To HIS Tune

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It is he who made the earth by his power,
who established the world by his wisdom,
and by his understanding stretched out the heavens. (Jeremiah 10:12)

This Sunday marked the beginning of the month’s inter-church cultural activities. On the lines similar to the school or college based events like prose, elocution, recital, music, bible verse memorization, quiz and so on; children from each church had participated and competed to represent each of their individual church in the zonal event and finally state based events to be held later this year. It was the poetry or recital that had caught my attention this morning.

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Essentially, man is created with each one having their own style of distinctiveness. In the natural order, even identical twins have their individual style, which may be felt by their close ones alone. Despite the special talent that each one has, when one decides to let God be a part of their lives, the music played has more eloquence and beauty than when strung alone. For this to happen, it is necessary to let go of the entire control of one’s plans and commit them to His Hand with each one putting their best forward. Plan but don’t over-plan or draw the minute exactness. Be prepared for things to go change. Trust those plans into His Hands. At the end of the day, even if things go haywire, the notes written, the music strung and the words will still be of the finest, when committed into His Hands.

But Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” (Mathew 19:26)

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The Touch Of The Master’s Hand
Myra Brooks Welch

It was battered and scarred,
And the auctioneer thought it
Hardly worth his while
To waste his time on the old violin,
But he held it up with a smile.
“What am I bid, good people”, he cried,
“Who starts the bidding for me?”
“One dollar, one dollar, Do I hear two?”
“Two dollars, who makes it three?”

“Three dollars once, three dollars twice,
Going for three”. . . but no!
From the room far back a gray-haired man
Came forward and picked up the bow;
Then wiping the dust from the old violin,
And tightening up the strings,
He played a melody, pure and sweet,
As sweet as an angel sings.

The music ceased and the auctioneer
With a voice that was quiet and low,
Said “What now am I bid for this old violin?”
As he held it aloft with its bow.
“One thousand, one thousand, Do I hear two?”
“Two thousand, Who makes it three?”
“Three thousand once, three thousand twice,
Going and gone”, said he.

The people cheered, but some of them cried,
“We do not quite understand.
What changed its worth?” Swift came the reply:
“The touch of the Master’s hand.”
And many a man with life out of tune,
And battered and scarred with sin,
Is auctioned cheap to the thoughtless crowd
Much like the old violin.

A “mess of pottage,” a glass of wine,
A game and he travels on,
He’s going once, and going twice –
He’s going – and almost gone!
But the MASTER comes, and the foolish crowd,
Never can quite understand,
The worth of a soul, and the change that’s wrought
By the touch of the MASTER’S hand.

“The LORD your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.” Zephaniah 3:17

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Posted in Christian, Daily, Family and Society, Personal Musings, Random Thoughts

Answers through Prayer

Posted on by Sugar and Spice..... Among Other Things

“And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us.” 1 John 5:14

As the sermon today morning was being delivered, the thoughts of the numerous changes that have happened over the past one year ran through the mind. From a change of job to new residential area, children attending school and the like. At each point of change, there was a huge unrest. The question of what to decide, how to choose or whether the decision made was right or wrong made the mind, soul and thoughts restless. Through all this haziness were the thoughts of “why now ?” .

“Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you.” Jeremiah 29:12

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Those restless moments were settled when asking the Lord for answers. Each time a stumbling block was felt, looking back now; the Lord had always shown a way out. Though it had made no sense at that time; now that everything had fallen into place, these tough points don’t seem so bad anymore. One never knows till one prays and asks for guidance. There will always be an answer to our prayer.

“Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7

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Everything I Needed
Author Unknown

I asked for strength and
God gave me difficulties to make me strong.

I asked for wisdom and
God gave me problems to solve.

I asked for prosperity and
God gave me brawn and brains to work.

I asked for courage and
God gave me dangers to overcome.

I asked for patience and
God placed me in situations where I was forced to wait.

I asked for love and
God gave me troubled people to help.

I asked for favors and
God gave me opportunities.

I received nothing I wanted
I received everything I needed.

My prayers have all been answered.

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Posted in Family and Society, Life, Personal Musings, Random Thoughts, Reflections

Paradoxes of Time

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“Silentium est aureum”

Over the weekend, with the entire family in the neighbourhood; it was quite refreshing and entertaining to exchange the various events, stories and happenings over the past few months. Listening to my cousins as they had regaled us the best parts of their college life; it brought back the memories of the younger days. From the days of classes, fun, music, dance, parties, sleepovers and all nighters to the present day of work, colleagues, time schedules, planners, pending household work and rambunctious toddlers running around the house; brings to mind the sharp contrast between the two lives. While in the younger days one had longed for the company of friends and fun; the older we grow, one longs for the occasional or frequent peace, quiet and solitude for a while. As the famous Latin proverb goes; Silence is indeed golden.

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“We sit silently and watch the world around us. This has taken a lifetime to learn. It seems only the old are able to sit next to one another and not say anything and still feel content. The young, brash and impatient, must always break the silence. It is a waste, for silence is pure. Silence is holy. It draws people together because only those who are comfortable with each other can sit without speaking. This is the great paradox.” Nicholas Sparks

Time has a huge list of paradoxes. Remember the younger days of sleep overs, gate crashing parties, Goobers, lemonade sprees, stuffing one self with kachoris, pizzas and the long list of the “forbidden” as well as movie nights over the weekends. These days, although one has the freedom to enjoy food, friends, parties, music and entertainment to the maximum, without the constant nagging and laying down of the rules; when in excess life feels mundane.

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Over time, as our personal trends, habits and favorites change, alter or get refined; certain relationships tend to get overlooked. The ships that once had anchored us, may be lost due to bad navigation or the storms that we encounter. One might put them down to “growing up” or the transition phase. Unfortunately when caught up in the silence later; the feeling of guilt, regret and remorse run through as common thread leaving behind fond memories laced with guilt.

“If you look the right way, you can see that the whole world is a garden.” Frances Hodgson Burnett

To not let the set-down of remorse, guilt and incompleteness happen, one has to only look around and view the world from far. To enjoy the pleasures of nature, we need both the new and the old. The presence of the ever present flowers, plants and the green with comfort of our friends, family and good shoes making our walk through life more comfortable and memorable. To enjoy the garden, one needs both company and solace at the right time. Learning to put the situation to use at the given time is one of the arts that life has taught us and will keep on teaching us through its’ own time.

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Posted in Daily, Random Thoughts, Stories Around the World, Work

To Believe It or Not !!

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” “Coca-Cola is launching three flavours of its Zero Sugar brand featuring avocado, sourdough and charcoal.”

Imagine the consequences of the taste buds and the senses after an episode of experimentation with these flavours. And here’s how the flavours were described.
• Coca-Cola Zero Sugar Avocado – Forget smashed or blended, this new flavour infuses the subtle, creamy undertones of amazing avocado with that great Coca-Cola Zero Sugar taste. Both delicious and nutritious, this gorgeously green pick-me-up is guaranteed to make your socials grow.
• Coca-Cola Zero Sugar Charcoal – Cleanse, refresh and revitalise with a Zero Sugar supercharge. Loaded with activated charcoal, creating a smooth and rich flavour, this miracle in-a-can pairs-perfectly with your favourite Instagram filter.
• Coca-Cola Zero Sugar Sourdough – Crafted with care, superbly sour and bursting with fermented flavours. Packed with crumbly goodness – so you can start the day in the right way with a mouth-wateringly good snap of this wild-yeast infused Zero Sugar treat. “

For the readers of the above news on the Daily Mirror online version last year, had resulted in a frenzy of whether this was true or was it an “All Fools Day Prank”. Being mixed with the “true news” of the society, food, travel and living sections; it wasn’t easy to ascertain whether one was going to really taste avocado, sourdough or charcoal in their drink.

“The first of April, some do say
Is set apart for All Fool’s Day;
But why the people call it so
Nor I, nor they themselves, do know,
But on this day are people sent
On purpose for pure merriment.” (Poor Robin’s Almanac, 1790)

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One of the days dreaded the most, especially at work, school or neighbourhood, is the first day of April, where the day is pretty confusing for each hour goes by the wait of “being pranked”. Each day this year, from social media to official meetings, one is always second guessing everything. As for pranksters, its’ a day of freedom, fun and revelry.

Yet when the prank is actually the truth, one may feel a bit razzed. For instance people who celebrate their birthdays on April First have always been questioned, even though they are speaking the truth. Remember the headlines that state “the African continent can split into two” after an enormous crack appears. Well, it’s actually true for a large crack, several miles long and growing accompanied with seismic activity had appeared in south-western Kenya causing the Nairobi-Narok highway to collapse. Researchers have attributed this to activity between the tectonic plates in Earth’s crust and upper mantle. Today the rift still continues to grow and an expert says it’s evidence that the continent is breaking apart.

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Yet news like this, practical jokes and hoaxes especially on All Fools’ Day or April Fools’ Day spreads mass confusion (which was or wasn’t the purpose all along). Why this particular day ? The origin behind this day is quite interesting, with various versions and tales trending around the world.

As per Geoffrey’s Chaucer’s “The Cantebury Tales”, New Years’ Day used to be celebrated around April. With the Gregorian Calendar (1582, France) being introduced by Pope Gregory XIII with January 1st to be celebrated as “New Years’ Day.” For those who refused to support this,; they were mocked and sent on fools’ errands on April 1st.

Another disputed association between April 1st and foolishness also comes from Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales (1392). In the “Nun’s Priest’s Tale”, a vain cock Chauntecleer is tricked by a fox on “Syn March bigan thritty dayes and two.” While readers apparently understood this line to mean “32 March”, i.e. April 1, it wasn’t clear if this was the correct inference. The scholars of today, believe that there is a copying error in the extant manuscripts and that Chaucer actually wrote, “Syn March was gon.” Then the passage would have originally meant 32 days after March ( i.e. May 2nd), the anniversary of the engagement of King Richard II of England to Anne of Bohemia (1381).

French poet Eloy d’Amerval (1508) had referred to “a poisson d’avril” (April fool, literally “Fish of April”), possibly the first reference to the celebration in France. In France, January 1st as New Year’s Day became common only by the mid-16th century and the date was adopted officially as per the Edict of Roussillon (1564). Likewise Flemish poet Eduard de Dene (1539) had written about a nobleman who sent his servants on foolish errands on April 1st.

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The origin of April Fools’ Day is different in Netherlands, where it’s often attributed to the Dutch victory at Brielle in 1572, where the Spanish Duke Álvarez de Toledo was defeated (“Op 1 april verloor Alva zijn bril”). Another citation in history was on April 1, 1698 when several people were tricked into going to the Tower of London to “see the Lions washed”.

Few authors have expressed the belief that the origins of April Fool’s Day may go back to the Genesis flood narrative, although this hasn’t been verified by Biblical scholars or historians. As written by the Harper’s Weekly cartoonist Bertha R. McDonald (1908), ” Authorities gravely back with it to the time of Noah and the ark. The London Public Advertiser of March 13, 1769, printed: “The mistake of Noah sending the dove out of the ark before the water had abated, on the first day of April, and to perpetuate the memory of this deliverance it was thought proper, whoever forgot so remarkable a circumstance, to punish them by sending them upon some sleeveless errand similar to that ineffectual message upon which the bird was sent by the patriarch”.

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Festivals celebrating a day for pranks has been there since the early Roman times, where “Hilaria” a Roman festival was celebrated. As the name suggests, it was a festival of laughter and hilarity where people would dress up in disguises to fool others and enjoy the spring season. Various countries have different ways to celebrate this day. While across Italy, France, Belgium, and French-speaking areas of Switzerland and Canada, people celebrate April Fools’ Day by trying to stick a paper fish on someone (without being noticed); in Iran jokes were played on each other on ‘Sizdah Be-dar'(the 13th day of the Persian New Year, falling on April 1st or 2nd). On the other hand Spanish speaking countries celebrate similar festivity on the ‘Day of the Holy Innocents’ (December 28 or 29) and in Denmark, this day is celebrated on’Maj-Kat’, which means ‘May-cat’ (May 1st).

Either way the chance to play practical jokes and hoaxes on this day has promoted this trend to continue. For there’s nothing more enriching than genuine innocent fun and laughter for the day.

“The maple syrup’s full of ants.
A mouse is creeping on the shelf.
Is that a spider on your back?
I ate the whole pie by myself.
The kitchen sink just overflowed.
A flash flood washed away the school.
I threw your blanket in the trash.
I never lie—I—
April Fool!” (Myra Cohn Livingstone)

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Posted in Life, Photography Art, Quotes, Random Thoughts

Practicality of the Rainbow

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“Nullum Dolorum, Nullum Quaestum”

Trying something new is always a venture of exciting possibility, realization of dreams as well as fear of which side the balance will tilt towards, success or failure. The best thing about all these emotions, is that its’ a part of surviving and living. Everyone has their own set of fears, insecurities, burdens and pain whether its’ of physical, spiritual, emotional, moral, internal or external type or kind. For more proof, nature holds the evidence.

Caterpillar. Chrysalis. Butterfly.

Rain. Sun. Rainbow.

Carbon. Pressure. Diamonds.

Pyramids of Giza. Roman Colosseum. Great Wall of China.

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 As evidenced by history and time along with nature, showing in its’ magnificent examples, unless we toil and sweat, there wouldn’t be any gain. The key to surviving and taking life in all its’ colours, is to look beyond the immediate and overcome the bad slow and steady. If at times, things don’t go the way it should have, worry but don’t despair. Find the courage, time and hope to improvise for another shot. Just like the beauty of diamonds, pressure has and will always be a part of achievements.

“One that would have the fruit must climb the tree.” Thomas Fuller

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