Ask, Share & Receive

Christmas is the most prettiest time of the year. Every place comes alive with   lights , carols , shopping , baking , stars , twinkling bulbs, misty mornings , crispy noons , lively evenings , roast turkeys , yummy puddings , Christmas trees, stockings with gifts, visits from family and friends and the lists can go on and on. Beyond any doubt an amazing time of the year. But in the midst of all the preparations and jubilations we forget the main reason why we celebrate Christmas.   Mary and Joseph   , many years back were betrothed to be married . They were making plans for their big day. Just when everything was perfect , Mary had a visitation from an Angel asking her if she was willing to be part of God's plan for mankind . Mary was startled and amazed but gave her life into the very hands of her creator and agreed to be the mother of Jesus . She was willing to face the challenges that came with this responsibility.   When Joseph got to know that...

While in India our drive from Gurgaon to Delhi was always a long trek . Our  church and our friends were in Delhi so invariably twice a week we had to undertake this travel to Delhi which came with a package deal of traffic,chaos and delays.   Some trips are interesting too . We often encounter people seeking alms at traffic lights or during roadblocks. Some innovative kids would be with drums and tambourines performing antics on the roads and then to the end of it taking their bowl would ask alms to every passerby and people waiting in the traffic blocks . One day while we were close to the Qutab Minar junction[ those familiar with Delhi will know] there was this very decently dressed gentleman, suited and booted and with a suitcase in hand . He was going from one car to the other . When he approached us ,he told us that he was slated to travel to his hometown for something urgent but unfortunately someone picked his pocket and he has absolutely no cash on...

Have you ever loved anyone unconditionally? I think it’s a very tough question to answer . Do we love ourselves unconditionally. It’s tough but not a very difficult one . God so loved us that He gave us His only begotten Son , so that who ever believes in Him will not perish but will have everlasting life . John 3:16 Many have understood this unconditional love of God and the goodness of His saving grace . Some have had supernatural encounters with this Living God and have a fire in their hearts for others to experience this love they have found.   I was born in the northeastern region of India . Here I have seen such passion and love for the Lord . Many tribes who have understood and tasted and seen the goodness of God .  The story of Nokseng  was such a big eye opener to me personally.  As this martyr from the Garo tribe of Assam , now Meghalaya    was the reason for the great number of people to be added to His Kingdom.   The...

Horatio Spafford had everything a person could want in his life , he was a successful lawyer and business man and blessed with a lovely family .   However Spafford lost all that he had in the Great Chicago fire of 1871 . The year of 1873 saw an economic down turn and since his wife took ill they made plans to move to Europe along with his family. But due to some business related affairs that required Spafford to stay back , he sent his wife and daughters on the ship and he planned to join later . While crossing the Atlantic Ocean the ship collided with another vessel and four of his daughters [ amongst many others ] lost their lives and from his family only his wife survived . Spafford soon embarked on his voyage to join his wife and whilst crossing the Atlantic and when he was sitting out on the deck, the captain approached him and said, “Mr. Spafford, we are approaching the spot where your daughters now rest.”   Instead of being grief-stricken as he...

Our passports had to be renewed as soon as possible for a travel that we had . Sometimes the time and process that is taken can be a little cumbersome in India [ though I believe that things are lot better now ]. Our aunt knew the passport officer of that particular region and we walked right in to his cabin and he helped us in getting the process expedited faster. That's finding favour . For almost one week instead of paying for the parking ticket for my car   I was paying the parking fees against my hubby’s car ( side effects of copy paste ) . Being a very ‘fine city' literally and also if the parking time lapses, for every   couple of minutes the authorities slam a hefty fine . I am not saying or propagating something wrong but it was a human error but I found favour and realised that I was not slammed fine for even a single day. Talking of favour two weeks back I got a call from my child’s bus attendant and i was told that I need to reprimand my son as ...

We are so quick to judge others,speak about others, gossip about others, malign others and pull them down   at every single given opportunity.Why ?   Such kind of conversations steal the show and some of us thrive on it .It gives us a high and we really enjoy every conversations where someone is the butt of our ridicule. Specially if that person has not made it to the party or is not around then we leave no stone unturned to speak all possible things and derive that fun and laughter on that persons behalf .  Been there done that .  But God is so categorical when He says that - Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen- Ephesians 4:29   So next time we speak about others let this verse just pop up in our minds and let’s put a check or a guard on our lips before we speak ill about anyone .   After...

Some of the airlines do have a way of flaunting some real attractive fares . It’s only when we look at the T&Cs that we realise that we need to pay for baggage fees , service fees, fuel surcharges and a few other charges. Net net we end up paying much more than what was promised initially.  While moving countries we got our tickets booked with Emirates Airlines . Though we tried to minimise our luggage and ship most of the things our excess baggage amounted to 10 kgs totally  (amongst the three of us).  My husband being a very straightforward person took out the wallet to pay the excess baggage fees  . Me being me went up to the executive and requested for a waiver . My reasoning was that we were flying the world's best airline and technically the excess baggage would amount to a meager 3.3kgs if it was divided amongst the three of us . My logic and reasoning worked well and they waived off the excess baggage cost   😃...

Why do we compromise and choose things in our lives that gives us temporary happiness ?In doing so is our life in eternity in jeopardy ? It’s a question we all need to ask ourselves. Sometimes we feel that it’s ok to do things as everybody in the crowd is doing so , hence must not be harmful at all! How come so many of us educated people blindly follow rituals and festivals but don’t look into the significance of it and why its been practised in a certain way ?   While in India , our community indulged in observing halloween every year and with even much gusto and enthusiasm every following year . Kids and adults looking spooky, gory and scary , going from home to home chanting “ trick or treat “ !!! Trick means if the family would want to be tricked or if they rather would give a treat instead in the form of candies or chocolates . This all looks harmless and super fun.  Here in the Middle East too many communities follow this with much pride and e...

‘Fear you don’t own me , there is no room in this story’ is an interesting song that we came across on one of the FM Radios .   How the singer decides not to cave in to loneliness and fear of the future after her breakup but rather chose to rise above the situation.   Why are we fearful ? What are we fearful of ? Words could not explain the excitement of getting my driving license in UAE. However the very next day at a moms coffee morning all the conversations were about accidents that took place in Dubai and specially someone who just survived a horrible crash that happened on Sheikh Zayed road . Boy, I just closed my ears and walked out of the coffee shop . That conversation definitely was not meant for my ears and I had to erase every negative thoughts and fear that came my way. I had to trust and say ‘ The Lord is my refuge , and no harm will over take me , for He will command His angels concerning me to guard me in all my ways ‘ [ psalm 91:9-11]. If thi...

My mom had a tough pregnancy and had almost nearly lost me . Many were covering us in prayer during that time. The nuns in the convent, I have been told were offering prayers for us ,when mom went into labour .My parents not only prayed for a healthy and normal child but also pleaded with God for a girl child as the older two were boys.   And then I arrived,frail,feeble,shivering,a tiny baby girl. An answer to their prayers. The   nuns in the convent wished to be the ones to give me a name and they decided to name me - Mini !!  Not knowing that the tiny child would grow up to be so very tall that people would call her 'maxi' !   Being tall,in my school days caused me so much of embarrassment. People used to look at me as if I came from some other planet. In the northeast of India where I grew up and did my schooling and college most of them typically have an average height which was 5:5 and I exceeded that by 4 inches .   It really no...

What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!”Matthew 8:27 Jesus and His disciples were traveling in the boat on Lake Galilee when a storm hits the boat.   The above statement was a conversation between Jesus's disciples. The disciples of Jesus followed Him wherever He went . They have been witnesses to healings , deliverances and many miracles performed by Jesus . Despite all of it ,when they were caught in a storm they trembled . Jesus spoke to the wind and the waves and the storm, it became still ! His question to them was ‘ You of little faith , why are you afraid' ?   Are we not afraid when we are caught in the storms of life . Or are we not tossed around by winds, not knowing what to do? Have we not received breakthroughs ? Were not our prayers answered in the past ? Why do we still doubt then?   Sometimes our children also go through challenges and tough times ! Have we ever wondered how they cope up with the issues they...

Bangalore days have been a great chapter in my life . One of my greatest blessings was my first job where I made friends for life .   I stayed in a hostel and commuted to work. The food at hostels one need not explain -and a welcome change was times that I had opportunities to stay with cousins or friends and have some good home cooked meals .   Once I went to keep a friend company as her husband was traveling . At the middle of night something woke me up. As though I could sense danger. I saw a hand coming in through the window. I woke up my friend and we both froze .Then we heard someone trying to open the back door. Though the thief did not succeed in breaking into the house we had such a horrific and a traumatic night.   When we went to work and told our colleagues they were horrified too. Some of my friends advised that I should not go back there that evening . I was scared too but went back again as I did not want my friend to be alone and anyways th...