verses – Page 3 – Sugar And Spice… Among Other Things

Caught by the Web

Posted on October 22, 2018October 4, 2018 by Sugar and Spice..... Among Other Things

“Sorry, network out of coverage area.”
“Free Wi-Fi available”
“Is there network coverage in this area?”
“Is there internet facility available in this cafe ?”

The above sentiments have been either echoed by us or we have heard them on a daily basis. Most malls, stores, cafes and even public waiting areas advertise the availability of internet and free Wi-Fi. While for them it is a means to attract more customers, sometimes we do require internet facility in these areas. Yet the right balance has to be struck between the need and the time spent using the internet. Wi-Fi is needed depending on our professional as well as social requirements. Yet besides the eight working hours, how many of the remaining hours do we spent on the net ? Are we in the era where we are more anxious about the availability of internet at home or at social gatherings instead of spending quality time with our family or strengthening our social relationships? How many of us neglect direct interactions in favour of compulsive checking of our social media accounts? The answers will reflect on the extent to which the internet dominates our life.

Like all modern technology, the internet does open up a vast chasm of information, which can turn out to be quite useful or just distractions. The knowledge that we glean from the net is like a two edged sword, it has to be accurate factually and also add on to our enlightenment in a positive manner. For such a use, the internet is indeed instrumental to add to our daily time. Yet at the same, the web is indeed a trap with lots of data where the reliability is questionable as well as having an adverse effect on our daily life.

The scales of usage have to be precariously balanced. Introspectively, it all comes down to what we use it for; materialistic impulses or sensible living. If we engage in imbibing on trash like gossip, slander, impure or wicked thoughts; besides wasting our time, we feed ourselves on junk that causes more harm than good.
As Proverbs 15:14 says,”A wise person is hungry for knowledge, while the fool feeds on trash.”(NLT version)

Putting in the wisdom of His Word to practice, proper choices have to made regarding the use of the net. For the internet is indeed a treasure trove but if it comes at the expense of family time, loss of relationships or excessive usage to the point of anxiousness, then it’s time to reconsider whether we are indeed a victim of the trappings of the spider’s web.

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Christian, Photography Art, Reflections, Stories Around the World

Stranded yet with Faith

Posted on October 21, 2018October 3, 2018 by Sugar and Spice..... Among Other Things

Adrift and Unbroken: Path to Redemption besides being recently released, what both these movies have in common are them being true stories of being lost and hopeless, yet they survived.

Adrift (June 2018) tells of a harrowing journey of heartbreak, loss and survival; loosely based on the true story of two experienced sailors, Tami Oldham Ashcraft and Richard Sharp, who embarked on a 6,500 km delivery passage and had sailed directly into Hurricane Raymond. As the full force of its winds struck, their vessel became a wreckage and Mr Sharp was lost at sea. Ms Ashcraft, severely injured, battered and bruised was able to fashion a makeshift sail from the remains of the boat and set a course for Hawaii. She managed to survive for 41 days, powered by peanut butter and sheer willpower, before being picked up off the coast by a research vessel.

Unbroken: Path to Redemption (2018) portrays the life story of Louis Zamperini, a World War II veteran who was an athlete who had made it to the Olympics, joined the military, crashed at sea, survived for 47 days, picked up by the Japanese and put into a prison camp. Yet this famous evangelist began his greatest journey after he arrived home from the war, suffered post traumatic stress symptoms and turned to alcohol — all struggles that unfolded before he accepted the Lord and experienced an incredible life transformation.

Like the above two real life stories, there are many more true stories of those who were stranded at sea and survived the ordeal.

Among the various modes of travel, conveyance by sea is done with a great deal of preparation. The right vessel is chosen, the course is chartered, the engines are double checked, the fuel, supplies and survival kits are stocked in plenty, weather predictors foreseen as well as all emergency measures and other requirements are taken into account. Only then the anchor is lifted and the vessel is set to sail. Yet all the planning can change in a matter of hours or even seconds. For there is nothing more unpredictable as the elements of nature.

Imagine getting caught in a storm at sea, then being adrift in a vast ocean or sea, where one has no control over the waves or how the vessel can be steered. If the vessel in which we were travelling is destroyed or roughened, survival becomes a question. In such a scenario, a quagmire of emotions will flit through our mind and soul. Among them would be fear, terror, anxiety, helplessness and despair of what would happen ahead.

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Yet for 19 year old Aldi Novel Adilang, an Indonesian boy who was stranded at sea for seven weeks (July to August 2018) said, he survived by reading his bible and heeding the advice of his parents to pray. He was set adrift in the Pacific Ocean while working as a lamp keeper on a floating fish trap with no paddle or engine, some 80 miles off of the coast of Indonesia. He had not only run out out of supplies after the first few days, he had lost hope and had considered committing suicide by jumping into the ocean. Then he remembered his parent’s advice who had taught him to pray to God at times of distress, he chose to turn to God instead. The teen recounted that the Bible he had on board along with prayer helped him get through this trying experience. Finally, after 49 days, a carrier saw his distress signal and he was picked up. As said, “For with God nothing shall be impossible” (Luke 1:37).

Likewise, Louis Jordan instead of a simple fishing trip, had survived a wretched 66 days of endurance in March 2015. His father had attributed his survival to strong constitution and religious beliefs, which had made up for his inexperience as a sailor. For, “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, and whose hope is the Lord.(Jeremiah 17: 7)”

There are many more real life stories of surviving horrifying ordeals of man and nature, all put down with sheer grit, will power, hope and immense faith. “If you abide in me and my words abide in you, then whatever you wish, ask, and it will be you (John 15: 7).” No man of His Word can be left moored for long for His Faith will be both a compass and anchor, to direct him near the shores and find him a safe place to rest.

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Christian, Daily, Family and Society, Personal Musings

What We Pray For…

Posted on October 14, 2018October 13, 2018 by Sugar and Spice..... Among Other Things

This Sunday morning, after church there was one thought circling in my mind, “What do we usually pray for ?” Each time we pray, besides thanking for the daily Grace, we have a long list of requests. No doubt that God listens to our every request and problems. Solutions to complicated issues and survival through difficult times stems from our inherent faith in His Grace. But at times I feel we ask things in such a way that we don’t realize our requests are selfish and many a time, unreasonable.

What comes to my mind, is this story that I had read previously in one of the newsletters our church subscribes to.

“I asked God to punish my enemy and God told me: “No. He is destined to be your best friend. “

I asked God to grant me patience – and God said to me: “No. Patience is the result of trials. He is not given, he is taught. “

I asked God to take away my pride – and God said to me: “No. Pride is not taken away. They renounce it. “

I asked God to give me happiness – and God said to me: “No. I give blessings, and whether you will be happy depends on you. “

I asked God to save me and my loved ones from pain – and God said to me: “No. We suffer and overcome suffering together. “

I asked God for spiritual growth – but God told me: “No. The Spirit must grow itself, but I will always prompt. “

I asked God to help me love others just as He loves me – and God said: “With joy! Oh, finally you understand what you need to ask “

The Corinthian Love , true selfless love like God’s love for us (agape) has always been the epitome of the christian concept of love. In the modern times, love has been always an associated concept of relationship between a couple, friends or in a family. Yet love extends beyond that. The love for our fellow beings and country is a part of the concept too. As taught to us in 1 Peter 4:8, “Above all, have fervent love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins.”

For with the Corinthian love; enemies will be forgiven at heart, trials will be lessons, pride is submerged and happiness is found even at low times. By this love, pain and suffering is overcome. Above all, this kind of love teaches us to be the light of His Word in our daily life.

Though in the times that we live, these things are easier said than done. For everyone does live by their own agenda and each one has their own share of troubles. Yet despite all these, once in a while, if we base our actions on the Corinthian love, the peace and the joy we get is worth enduring the battles that life throws us into at any point of time.

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Christian, Life, Personal Musings, Work

Perception of Being Free

Posted on October 13, 2018September 26, 2018 by Sugar and Spice..... Among Other Things

In the course of the history, one of the concepts which has been largely studied is the concept of freedom. Through time, there has been different dimensions and contexts to freedom. Essentially in philosophical terms, freedom is associated with free will balanced by moral responsibility, not constrained by any undue or unjust means. Yet the term “free will” can be advocated as freedom of thought innate to the human mind engaged at that particular point of time. Yet to the most reasonable person, freedom doesn’t essentially mean to do whatever one wants. Freedom also stands for securing to everyone an equal chance at life and pursuit of happiness.

In reality, there are two concepts to freedom. While negative freedom is about being free of any interference or constraints; positive freedom is being free to self-actualize or being free from internal constraints. It is important to comprehend the distinction between both as they often need to strike a very delicate balance. Through experience we realize that undue disruption and loss of positive momentum can be caused if freedom is misused.

Although the christian freedom is on similar lines, strongly bordering on the sense of moral and social responsibility; it also urges to do good on the widest scale possible with the intent to build up the church and the Word of God. In simple terms, if a man has his heart on the salvation, it make a big impact to regulate his conduct in context of the world. Although there may not be any specific laws or rules to follow in the code of his attire, his entertainments, his work or style of living; if the underlying manner of life is contrary to doing good to glorify The Word of God, then to him that particular manner or behavior is improper. Such a concept of freedom is a better guideline to direct life in this world than would be exact minute positive statutes to regulate everything.

If we go through the verses from 1 Corinthians 10:23-24, “23 “I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial. “I have the right to do anything”—but not everything is constructive. 24 No one should seek their own good, but the good of others.”

While the original context of the verse was with respect to the limits of Christian Freedom with the way of life, written in the letter to the Corinthians; the underlying message is that the Christian way is not to simply exercise one’s rights. Instead the freedom we attain through Christ should be used to help others and not hurt or bring down the morale of others. However, it doesn’t imply that man is not in any instance to disregard his own welfare, happiness, or salvation nor that man owes no regard or duty to himself or family. Neither does it allow man to neglect his responsibility both to family and himself to advance the welfare of others. It implies that when no direct law or guidelines are laid down, our actions should be governed by the Word of God to show the salvation to others and not to behave for one’s ease or comfort. For on taking care of our fellow beings, the actions we do should bring glory to God’s name. We’ll be able to enjoy the true sense of Christian freedom when we use it not only for our sake, but as an example for cues of conduct to others.

On the other hand, we may not be able to please everyone. Being a doormat is difficult, for by trying to please everyone, we please nobody. However that doesn’t mean to do something we have to impose our decisions or changes on others. It is a very delicate balance to strike between true freedom as well as getting the work done. The Golden Rule which holds true then and even now is,”Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” This is a simple rule which can be easily put into practice. It can aid as a balance-wheel in the various actions and plans of our lives. If everyone would adopt this rule, there would be less danger of going wrong and ensure that our lives on this earth would not be in vain.

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Christian, Life, Reflections

The Priceless Gifts

Posted on October 7, 2018October 6, 2018 by Sugar and Spice..... Among Other Things

As children, we were always eager to attend parties as well as host them. For which birthday girl or boy wouldn’t love cutting the cake, opening all the presents, giving away the game prizes, handing thank you kits for all the guests and in short, having loads of fun. The pre-birthday days or rather week would be all hush-hush with eager eyes and ears round the place hoping for the best surprise gift. Post the birthday, we engage in the fun of our gifts. Yet a month later down the road, with some of the gifts the novelty may wear off, while others may be still in use for some more time or their use may have been past time though they may still be precious to us.

It’s almost the similar scenario for Christmas, country fair prizes, competition prizes and so on. No doubt, the joy of getting a gift or winning a prize is exhilarating but it lasts for only some time. Then it fades away into a sweet memory.

Compare these gifts with the priceless gifts from our Heavenly Father. The heavenly gifts, whether of providence, nature, family, grace or blessings far outrank all the materialistic gifts of the world. The inner joy and sanctum of peace granted by the gifts from Our Father doesn’t change with the shadows, neither do they wax and wane with time. Instead, they grow quietly and steer us through the battlefields and downhills we face in life. For like the stars above, Our Father is always there keeping watch and guiding us through His Light and His Grace when we have lost our way or are left in the dark.

As James 1:17 says, “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.”

Sometimes it’s only in hindsight that we realize these precious and perfect gifts bestowed on us. Yet even then, the beauty of these priceless gifts don’t fade away but persist with time. Even words can’t express the joys of the gifts. The only way to thank the Lord for the benevolence of His Grace would be to live by His Word, which though may sound difficult, is feasible.

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Christian, Life, Personal Musings, Reflections

Everything In His Time

Posted on October 4, 2018September 19, 2018 by Sugar and Spice..... Among Other Things

Most of us who listen to gospel music or attend church would have either heard of or sang along to the popular hymn “In His Time“. It was originally written and sung by Diane Bell. The lyrics are based on the verse from Ecclesiastes 3:11, “He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.” The entire chapter 3 of Ecclesiastes has beautiful concepts regarding time, God-given tasks and the prevalence of injustice as well as the final judgement by God. During difficult and busy times, or through injustice and even sorrows, the words of this chapter have always comforted me.

Starting from the verses of Ecclesiastes 3:1-8; these words give importance to every activity and every emotion of man’s body, mind and soul. Every action has its own time, every growth happens in their allotted time and every word will be said as per its’ time. There is time for fun and gaiety as well as time for sorrow and forgiveness. There is a time for struggle as well as joy. Even birth and death will happen in their time as well as love and leisure. In short, everything has its’ own time.

3 There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: ²a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, ³a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, ⁴a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, ⁵a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing, ⁶a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away, ⁷a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak, ⁸a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace. (Ecclesiastes 3:1-8)

As we read on, the futility of man’s attempts to gain from his toil as well as his mortality is asserted. In fact his very gains are gifts from God and whatever God has done, nothing can be added or subtracted for even the past will be accounted for. In fact, the words show that the best man can do in his allotted time is to be happy and do good.

⁹What do workers gain from their toil? ¹⁰I have seen the burden God has laid on the human race. ¹¹He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end. ¹²I know that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live. ¹³That each of them may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all their toil—this is the gift of God. ¹⁴I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that people will fear him. ¹⁵Whatever is has already been, and what will be has been before; and God will call the past to account. (Ecclesiastes 3:9-15)

The last set of verses highlight the harsh reality of today’s world. The prevalence of injustice is rampant though at times it may be very subtle, other times it may be very obvious. However the Lord will hold all accountable and there will a time for every deed to be judged. We all from dust and we go back into the dust. So in our time here we should enjoy our work, live by our Faith and reap the fruits of the Spirit.

¹⁶And I saw something else under the sun: In the place of judgment—wickedness was there, in the place of justice—wickedness was there. ¹⁷I said to myself, “God will bring into judgment both the righteous and the wicked, for there will be a time for every activity, a time to judge every deed.” ¹⁸I also said to myself, “As for humans, God tests them so that they may see that they are like the animals. ¹⁹Surely the fate of human beings is like that of the animals; the same fate awaits them both: As one dies, so dies the other. All have the same breath; humans have no advantage over animals. Everything is meaningless. ²⁰All go to the same place; all come from dust, and to dust all return. ²¹Who knows if the human spirit rises upward and if the spirit of the animal goes down into the earth?” ²²So I saw that there is nothing better for a person than to enjoy their work, because that is their lot. For who can bring them to see what will happen after them? (Ecclesiastes 3:16-22) Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

On reading God’s Words, there is always an answer for every trouble and hope for every problem. In fact armed with His Words, every difficult time would be endurable and we would be able to not only survive but also rejoice. Although our Faith should lie in the truth is that it will all happen as per His Time.

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Family and Society, Reflections, Stories Around the World, Work

Plant the Worry Tree

Posted on October 3, 2018October 2, 2018 by Sugar and Spice..... Among Other Things

In the present day, almost everyone holds a job. For instance, in a family of four, many a time both the husband and wife may be employed (or sometimes just the husband) or teenagers would be working part-time in order to contribute to their college fund. Even stay-at-home mothers have enough and more on their plate. Which or how ever may be the scenario or the reason, most of us hold jobs for certain hours everyday, after which we each return to our respective homes, either back to our families or shared quarters. The pressing question is how many of us bring our work with it’s own share of problems, back to our home ?

If we honestly answer, it would be an affirmative reply for many of us. Some of us may bring back our physical or actual work, others may bring back the problems and the mental as well as emotional difficulties faced that day, back with them while others may bring back both. Either way we lose out in our time at home with the family or our relaxation time for a whole load of stress again. The worst part is that we get up the next day to start the whole cycle of “work-stress-work” again. For those of us who work in the areas that we like or have a keen interest in may disagree with the stress, by saying that work for them was never stressful. However, the fact is by bringing the work with or without the problems home; we are losing “family time” or “me-time” to recoup.

In my early days of college, there was a story told in one of my lectures, which I would like to share.

The carpenter who was hired to help a man restore an old farmhouse had just finished his first day on the job and everything that could possibly go wrong went wrong. First of all, on his way to work he had a flat tire that cost him an hour’s worth of pay, then his electric saw broke, and after work his old pickup truck refused to start. His new boss volunteered to give him a lift home and the whole way to his house the carpenter sat in stone silence as he stared out his window. Yet on arriving, he invited his boss in for a few minutes to meet his family. As they walked toward the front door, he paused briefly at a small tree, touching the tips of the branches with both hands. When he opened the door, he underwent an amazing transformation. His tanned face was one big smile as he hugged his two small children and kissed his wife.

Afterwards, the man walked his boss to his car to say thank you. Now on their way out of the house, the boss’ curiosity got the best of him so he had to ask the man about the tree on the front porch. He said, I noticed when you came up on the porch before going into your house you stopped and touched the tree, why? “Oh, that’s my trouble tree,” he replied. “I know I can’t stop from having troubles out on the job, but one thing’s for sure – my troubles don’t belong in the house with my wife and children. So I just hang them up on the tree every night when I come home. Then in the morning I pick them up again.” “Funny thing is,” he smiled, “when I come out in the morning to pick ‘em up, they aren’t nearly as many as I remember hanging up the night before.”

We all have encountered our own share of troubles and struggles, some of us deal with it by bringing them with wherever we go, some might ignore it hoping it would go away somehow while others try to deal with their problems while their heads are still above water. The idea of hanging the problems on a “worry tree” or a ‘‘trouble tree” outside the door isn’t a bad one, in fact we can find our own modifications on dealing with the stresses. I have been successful in dealing with my own share of problems and worries by laying them down at the feet of the Lord. “Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken. (Psalm 55:22)”