Tag: prayer

Posted in Christian, Daily, Personal Musings

Being “Here”

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

“Mom, I’m here.”
This loud announcement are the first few words that we often hear, especially on return from that grocery trip (minus kids), a weekend vacation of kids with their grandparents, just coming back home from work or them coming back home. These words carry tons of emotions, thousands of feelings and memories. Just the other day, my elder cousin was saying that with kids at college, she missed hearing those words.

These words “I’m here” often run out of use towards the adult years. While as children, the eagerness to be around those they love runs high. The spontaneity and zest with which they face life, in all her situations, signal how those innocent minds just embrace life. Those words signify their welcome back into their own fold, the reassurance that they are still here and the fact that they want to be back home. As one grows older by years, these words are said more often to indicate a location especially when to reassure the other that one is near.

As per the early accounts in the Scriptures, when Moses saw the burning bush and Lord called out to him, the first words were “Here I am”. Likewise were the similar words said by the prophet Samuel when the Lord said his name. Those words “Here I am” signify their willingness to put aside all their work, tasks of that moment and worries. Then they paid attention and heeded His Words.

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“When the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.” ” (Exodus 3:4)

As the years go by, we often dedicate ourselves to too many things. Some are long desired tasks, some that belong to the requirement of the moment and some that we unnecessarily burden ourselves with. When we say “we’re here”, the mind still runs over the silent cycle of worries, never devoting ourselves wholly to the activities or words of that hour. Many a time, the same is echoed when we seek help. When we read His Word, how many of us actually comprehend and understand His Teachings, than just trying to read them. Many of us often may drift off in the mind and thoughts as we gather in His House or as we pray. Learning from those young minds, let their joyous “I’m here” be echoed through our actions and thoughts as we devote few of our minutes of our days in learning His Word or just simply being in His Presence.

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Posted in Christian, poetry, Reflections

His Grace for Us

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

With the darkness of the night being chased away by the growing light, unlike the same morning of the year previous; we weren’t heading for the church. Instead the morning saw us gather as a family, with scripture readings of the Resurrection and explanations for children were done. Towards the later morning hours, we had gathered for the streaming of the service from our mother church. Though none of us had gathered with the church community, the meaning of Good Friday and it’s essence were shared within the family.

“But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed.” (Isaiah 53:5)

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Every year, the remembrance of Good Friday highlights the fact that by repentance our mistakes can be corrected. Being human, to err is an innate part of our nature. While some errors maybe deliberate, others maybe incidental or accidental, or done out of misunderstandings or from different perspectives. Either way, mistakes are made. Some have irrevocable consequences, while others’ mayn’t be so. To acknowledge our mistakes, is the first step and is quite difficult to do so. The second is to correct the wrong, while it may be possible in some cases, other cases it mayn’t be so.

“He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.” (1 Peter 2:24)

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Whether the rectification mayn’t be possible or not, for the wrong-doer to acknowledge the fault is the first step. Repentance always starts from the heart. As taught to us through this day, God loved His People. His Grace has given the chance for one to seek true and honest forgiveness for the sin. That repentance alone, gives us another chance to turn towards the right path. It would be real easy to condemn and be condemned. Yet to repent, seek and give forgiveness is the one of the steps of being His Child. For such is His Love, that for His Children He is always there, bringing His Strength, His Hope and His Grace for times both the good and the bad, the difficult and the easy as well as the uncertain or the troubled days. For through Him, we shall overcome and live in His Peace.

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.” (John 3:16)

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Still Falls the Rain

Still falls the Rain—
Dark as the world of man, black as our loss—
Blind as the nineteen hundred and forty nails
Upon the Cross.

Still falls the Rain
With a sound like the pulse of the heart that is changed to the hammer-beat
In the Potter’s Field, and the sound of the impious feet

On the Tomb:
Still falls the Rain
In the Field of Blood where the small hopes breed and the human brain
Nurtures its greed, that worm with the brow of Cain.

Still falls the Rain
At the feet of the Starved Man hung upon the Cross.
Christ that each day, each night, nails there, have mercy on us—
On Dives and on Lazarus:
Under the Rain the sore and the gold are as one.

Still falls the Rain—

Still falls the Blood from the Starved Man’s wounded Side:
He bears in His Heart all wounds,—those of the light that died,
The last faint spark
In the self-murdered heart, the wounds of the sad uncomprehending dark,
The wounds of the baited bear—
The blind and weeping bear whom the keepers beat
On his helpless flesh… the tears of the hunted hare.

Still falls the Rain—
Then— O Ile leape up to my God: who pulles me doune—
See, see where Christ’s blood streames in the firmament:
It flows from the Brow we nailed upon the tree

Deep to the dying, to the thirsting heart
That holds the fires of the world,—dark-smirched with pain
As Caesar’s laurel crown.

Then sounds the voice of One who like the heart of man
Was once a child who among beasts has lain—
“Still do I love, still shed my innocent light, my Blood, for thee.”

– Edith Sitwell (The Raids,1940, Night and Dawn)

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Posted in Christian, Family and Society, Personal Musings, poetry, Stories Around the World

Through the Twines

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

As far as impromptu plans go, the weekend saw the arrival of my brother-in law and family, for their annual family spring break. Knowing the grand plans for the garden, one of the first things my co-sister did was to hand over the dogwood sapling that she had brought for me. It was while reading up on the care of the sapling and requirements for growing a potted dogwood plant, that I had come across the legend of the dogwood tree.

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Highly popular in the yard but also grows in the wild, Cornus florida, the flowering dogwood is a species of flowering tree in the family Cornaceae. It is a deciduous tree with beautiful bract and bark structure. Yet when in full bloom, the beauty of the white blossoms each spring have an enchanting effect. As the legend goes, dogwood trees were initially large trees during the ancient years, such that the strong sturdy wood were used for building structures. It was believed that this tree provided the wooden cross used for the crucifixion. On this role, it was then both cursed and blessed. It was cursed to be small so that its’ wood would never be large enough and branches crooked and narrow to build anything sturdy from it; but blessed so as to produce beautiful flower for spring each year.

“The pale flowers of the dogwood outside this window are saints. The little yellow flowers that nobody notices on the edge of that road are saints looking up into the face of God.” Thomas Merton

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Other factors adding up to the legend are the white blossoms of the tree. Each flower has four petals, forming the shape of the cross with the middle having a tight grouping resembling the “crown of thorns”. The tip of each petal is dented, each nail dent bearing a pink or red staining, similar to a drop of blood.

With growing hybridization and tissue cultivation, there are many varieties of dogwood trees with pink flowering ones, purplish red bracts or variegated foliage. Regarding the potted dogwood tree, it mayn’t grow to be as big as the tree, but it requires an immense amount of care, regular pruning and plenty of water to make sure it stays on. While the pot this time holds a couple of blossoms, the year next can only show its’ beauty of the care it received. As far as the legend goes, this too could be just a couple of facts re-aligned to form a story. Yet to true or not, it is a beautiful creation of His, bringing out His Promise to man.

“To see a hillside white with dogwood bloom is to know a particular ecstasy of beauty, but to walk the gray Winter woods and find the buds which will resurrect that beauty in another May is to partake of continuity.” Hal Borland

The Dogwood Tree
by Anonymous

When Christ was on earth, the dogwood grew
To a towering size with a lovely hue.
Its branches were strong and interwoven
And for Christ’s cross its timbers were chosen

Being distressed at the use of the wood
Christ made a promise which still holds good:
“Not ever again shall the dogwood grow
To be large enough for a tree, and so

Slender and twisted it shall always be
With cross-shaped blossoms for all to see.
The petals shall have bloodstains marked brown
And in the blossom’s center a thorny crown.

All who see it will think of Me,
Nailed to a cross from a dogwood tree.
Protected and cherished this tree shall be
A reflection to all of My agony.”

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Posted in Christian, Family and Society, Personal Musings

From the Centre-point

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

With the advent of Google Maps, finding a new place may seem to be like a piece of cake. Practically speaking, at times it may be so, while at other times it make be like running around in circles or trying to locate the nose by going around the occiput. No matter how techno savvy one may be, to locate certain local landmarks one needs to still refer to the good old map. Interestingly even in Google Maps what stands out are the highlighted places enroute. Wile the hand-drawn maps may focus on the local highlights of importance based on historical, size or accessibility; google maps makes it a bit more personified depending on the local places of popularity, shopping, theatres, emergency services (police stations, hospitals) and the like. Yet each zone of the map lays importance on what lies in it, most times smack in the middle of it.

Ever tried describing your residence to someone, like when inviting colleagues home for dinner. Keeping own home in the centre, one tries to map places of easy accessibility, popularity and well known landmarks to guide one to own abode. In short, maps guide others to ourselves. Extrapolating these maps to own inner being, have we been able to follow directions and reach the essence of our own inner mental, spiritual and emotional health.

“I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.” (Romans 12:01)

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The Christian Faith lies in using the Word of God to find our inner spiritual essence. It strengthens our faith through troubled and joyful days. It guides us in finding the path through the various uphills, curves, downhills and narrow turns that life often unravels bit by bit. Yet to read these maps, one needs sufficient understanding, insight and prayer to discern His Word. Keeping the principles of Christian teachings to own heart is extremely important.

To read, comprehend and go by these maps is never easy. To understand the roads, one must be willing to explore the available options in the best possible manner. What may appear to be an easy way out may tend to be a long drawn difficult path to walk on, like a short narrow path of flaming coals as compared to the wide stretch of road curving through the other side. We all need these maps in various phases. At times, they help us to find a way out; other times they are needed to help us understand ourselves and His Teachings in a better manner. For to live and experience His Grace and His Love is a blessing in this short span of time that we are here on Earth.

“Your praise reaches to the ends of the earth.” (Psalm 48:10)

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Posted in Christian, Daily, Family and Society

Stay on Track

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

Watching the sports field as the shades of dusk settled, there was a hub of activity. As the preparations for the annual sports day was underway, the drill team were having their final instructions, the pit lines were being drawn and the tracks were being freshly marked. Observing the fresh white marked being poured to mark the race tracks, they were finely poured with measured distances between the lines. Everyone knows what happens when the tracks get drawn in a shabby manner. Too little space for the runners, or worst of all, they run into each other’s track fields resulting in a whole of confusion and shoving.

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Like wise in life, we too have our own tracks that help us stay in line. These tracks guide us, correct us when things go wrong and map out a course for us to run along. Such is the guidance of His Spirit. Life on earth, is never predictable. So are the paths that we follow, roads that we take and the unexpected roadblocks that we encounter. To stay on the track, in the course of events would be difficult at times. By His Spirit, the tendency to wander, get lost or be disheartened is lessened.

“Then His people remembered the days of old, of Moses Where is He who brought them up out of the sea with the shepherds of His flock? Where is He who put His Holy Spirit in the midst of them, Who caused His glorious arm to go at the right hand of Moses, Who divided the waters before them to make for Himself an everlasting name, Who led them through the depths? Like the horse in the wilderness, they did not stumble…” (Isaiah 63:11-14)

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As one encounters the tough moments of life, His Spirit guides us on to which path to take, options to choose and heed to. One may call it the inner conscience, moral compass or the sixth sense, but it is His Spirit that stays in the mind and guides us through these actions, words and behaviour. The Spirit is strengthened by His Word and His Grace. for those to all come into being, one would need to walk in His Faith. Faith is not borne fruit by prayers alone, but complete belief in His Word and in His Law. When all these things come into proper balance, the gift of His Spirit and His Guidance would guide us through all the different race tracks or dirt tracks that we may run into throughout our lifetime.

“The Spirit teaches you everything you need to know, and what he teaches is true—it is not a lie.” (1 John 2:27)

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Posted in Christian, Family and Society, Life, Reflections, Stories Around the World

Not to Condemn

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

At the turn of the spring, the yard resembles the after-effects of a wind-storm. As rakes get into action and leaves get piled up, a pit is dug for the dead leaves side-by-side before the dusk turns to night. The fear of the dead leaves starting an unprecedented fire always lies in the mind. The bush-fires of Australian and the Californian wildfires are some of the most damaging wildfires as recorded by time. While most of the times, the initiator is nature; the Northern Californian Carr Fire (2018) wasn’t so. These sparks rose from a trailer whose tire had burst en-course scraping the metal against the pavement. This wildfire had burnt nearly 230,000 acres, destroyed thousands of homes and lives as well as rendering many moribund. One can only imagine the shame, grief and remorse the couple who had driven the trailer felt.

“… for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything.” (1 John 3:20)

As the survivors came to know about the details of wildfire, there were those who had condemned them and highlighted on the ramifications of being negligent and careless. Yet there were those survivors who on hearing that the couple were overcome with grief and shame, had extended their support to them with grace and kindness. They also had formed social media pages to show the same. As one survivor had written that blaming anyone doesn’t bring back the lost homes; accidents happen and no matter how much a burden one carries, we will all get through this together. (Source: https://edition.cnn.com/2018/08/15/us/carr-fire-community-sends-notes-trnd/index.html)

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To condemn another is relatively easy, but one has to learn to accept that condemnation doesn’t bring the loss back; neither does it reverse the hands of time. The act of condemnation, whether it be towards ourselves or others, is something that can damage the inner soul. Being human, one is prone to make innumerable mistakes. The latter of which some are accidental or made of ignorance, while the others are deliberate. Whatever the nature may be, correcting the mistake and taking care not to entertain a repeat is of more value. Condemning one doesn’t change anything. For some it may make one feel better, but to what extent. While for others, learning from mistakes or pointing out mistakes and their cause doesn’t give the right to condemn anyone or equate to the same.

“The Lord redeems the life of his servants; none of those who take refuge in him will be condemned.” (Psalm 34:22)

Everyone is redeemable through His Grace. Each of us have our own cache of mistakes, errors or carelessness. As we learn from them and regrets get accumulated, one has to realize that His Saving Grace will get us through all this. As the Scriptures say throughout, God is greater than our hearts. As Christ calls us towards repentance, He helps us to unmask the shame, grief and remorse engulfing us. Through His Divine Grace and redemption, our hearts can be at ease in once again. Though there may be many things, happenings and events that one wishes one could turn back or undo; God draws us out of them. He offers His Grace, His Love, His Understanding and His Peace to help us calm our restless heart, thoughts and soul again.

“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9)

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Posted in Christian, Daily, poetry, Reflections

Comfort of His Grace

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

On some mornings, the vivid recollections of the dreams of sleep hours stay behind. While some may hold the most bizarre sequences, images or forgotten faces and details; others may be of the nagging worry depicted in the subconscious mind. Regardless of the details, the unsettled moments of waking up can be calmed down by watching the early rays of light.

“And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:7)

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There is something about dawn, that helps one to face the uncertainty of the day. Yet to experience it, one has to spend some time with His Gifts as He helps us calm our souls and settle the restless thoughts lurking in the mind. Each of us needs those few moments to do nothing, but experience His Peace and His Grace, so as to know that through Him all things are indeed possible.

“You have to allow a certain amount of time in which you are doing nothing in order to have things occur to you, to let your mind think. When was the last time you spent a quiet moment just doing nothing – just sitting and looking at the sea, or watching the wind blowing the tree limbs, or waves rippling on a pond, a flickering candle or children playing in the park?” Nigel Finn

His Peace and His Marvellous Works are shown in the quiet of the world, be it the in the dawn or the setting rays or the light of the day. Unless one learns to appreciate the quiet, the tires soul, though weary of the travels, would be in still in a constant state of restlessness. Being in the latter phase isn’t a pleasant feel. On the other hand, embracing the quiet of the day, helps the soul stay happy as well as experience His Grace and infinite Mercy.

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Quiet

Quiet, quiet, feel the morning breeze,
Quiet, quiet, listen to the whispering trees.
Hear the mourning dove coo upon the wire,
Let the quiet, quiet your heart inspire.

I hear the bark of a faraway dog,
Smell the dew from a fallen log.
I let fleshly feelings fall limp from me
Now I ask my God His will to speak.

And in His love and quiet and peace,
He stills my soul.
By Sunlite Wanter, 2019

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