Lost and Found

The most amazing thing happened to me just now.

I do not like wearing any jewelery at home, so I take off my ear-rings, two gold rings and my gold plated Titan Raga watch, (totally costing more than 10k), thread the rings in the watch, close the clasp and put them in my purse.

Today morning as I walked into our work premises, I took out my identity card along with the watch & rings and after walking a few paces realized that the watch and rings had fallen from my grasp and were not with me. I looked in my purse, to see if I had absentmindedly kept them back, and then went back and checked all the way that I had walked, but no, there was nothing.

I then walked to my department and work desk, which is about four minute walking distance from the main gate and emptied the contents of my purse. Again I drew a blank. I even started doubting if I had the watch and rings with me!! I then went and swiped my card and decided to go back and re-check.

However, I walked all the way back to the main gate without finding anything, and I noticed that there were about four cleaners were work, sweeping and cleaning up the very road! I then went and reported the loss to the Head of Security who was doubtful that the stuff could be found. He was of the opinion that there were a lot of employees / contractors / vehicle drivers etc moving about that area, and hence I better forget about finding the stuff.

As I left his cabin and re-traced my steps to my department, I said, "Lord, you have promised not to allow the devourer to rob and steal from your faithful children!" And immediately from a distance of about 25 feet, I saw the items in question lying plonk in the middle of the road, shining away for all to see... Wow!! What am amazing Father I have!

With a grateful heart I thank you God, thank you Jesus, for restoring to me what I lost.. Glory to our God. Praise His Holy name!

The Lord God Almighty asks us to seek the Holy face of God, to pray to Him, to repent for our sins, to pray and He promises to forgive and heal us.

Jeremiah 8: 4-22

Sin and Punishment

"Say to them, 'This is what the LORD says: 'When men fall down, do they not get up? When a man turns away, does he not return?

5 Why then have these people turned away? Why does Jerusalem always turn away? They cling to deceit; they refuse to return.

6 I have listened attentively, but they do not say what is right. No one repents of his wickedness, saying, "What have I done?" Each pursues his own course like a horse charging into battle.

7 Even the stork in the sky knows her appointed seasons, and the dove, the swift and the thrush observe the time of their migration. But my people do not know the requirements of the LORD.

8 'How can you say, "We are wise, for we have the law of the LORD," when actually the lying pen of the scribes has handled it falsely?

9 The wise will be put to shame; they will be dismayed and trapped. Since they have rejected the word of the LORD, what kind of wisdom do they have?

10 Therefore I will give their wives to other men and their fields to new owners. From the least to the greatest, all are greedy for gain; prophets and priests alike, all practice deceit.

11 They dress the wound of my people as though it were not serious. "Peace, peace," they say, when there is no peace.

12 Are they ashamed of their loathsome conduct? No, they have no shame at all; they do not even know how to blush. So they will fall among the fallen; they will be brought down when they are punished, says the LORD.

13 'I will take away their harvest, declares the LORD. There will be no grapes on the vine. There will be no figs on the tree, and their leaves will wither. What I have given them will be taken from them. ‘

14 "Why are we sitting here? Gather together! Let us flee to the fortified cities and perish there! For the LORD our God has doomed us to perish and given us poisoned water to drink, because we have sinned against him.

15 We hoped for peace but no good has come, for a time of healing but there was only terror.

16 The snorting of the enemy's horses is heard from Dan; at the neighing of their stallions the whole land trembles. They have come to devour the land and everything in it, the city and all who live there."

17 "See, I will send venomous snakes among you, vipers that cannot be charmed, and they will bite you," declares the LORD.

18 O my Comforter [b] in sorrow, my heart is faint within me.

19 Listen to the cry of my people from a land far away: "Is the LORD not in Zion? Is her King no longer there?" "Why have they provoked me to anger with their images, with their worthless foreign idols?"

20 "The harvest is past, the summer has ended, and we are not saved."

21 Since my people are crushed, I am crushed; I mourn, and horror grips me.

22 Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there? Why then is there no healing for the wound of my people?

Forgiveness and healing

2 Chronicles 7:14

14 if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

Isaiah 58:6-11

6 "Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice, and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free, and break every yoke?

7 Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter— when you see the naked, to clothe him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?

8 Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness [a] will go before you, and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard.

9 Then you will call, and the LORD will answer; you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I. "If you do away with the yoke of oppression, with the pointing finger and malicious talk,

10 and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry, and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday.

11 The LORD will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.

Love you so much Dad...

WOW!!
I got the best dad in the whole world!...
He loves me JUST as I am.. With all my imperfections and faults..
He is so very generous and good to me! He fulfils every desire that wells up in my heart.. albeit, at times, in His good time.. for He knows what is best for me..

The other day while awaiting my turn at a local store's checkout counter my younger daughter came up running to me with a pack of cute rubber squeaky toys... "Can you please buy these for Shakaina? Yesterday she was putting her shoe in her mouth" (Shakaina is a beautiful seven month angel.. one look.. and you are in love with her!)

Just one tiny example, like the other day.. I was a little sad.. Wishing someone hugged me and cheered me up.. and the very next morning in church, our pastor asked us to go around and hug someone. and boy.. I asked for one.. and I got countless, warm, love- filled hugs!

Wow!! I am so blessed!!

Storms of life...

Have you wondered like me...."Why do bad things happen to good people and good things to bad people?"

We all face storms in our life.....some so fierce that they toss you around and threaten to tear you apart.... But one thing I've learnt... We cannot stop the storms but we can learn how to survive them! How we react to the storm and handle it is what matters..... Instead of asking, "Why Lord? and why me?" We can ask "Lord how can I handle this?"
Storms will come... Severe storms.. long lasting storms.. that too suddenly .... An Illness, an accident, failures, pain, death, loss of finances ....

Dear child of God, are you going through trials, pain, losses, delays, prolonged illness, broken relationship, failures?
Feel like giving up?

Please hold on. The storm will pass by....
Remember our Redeemer lives and He said,"I'll never leave you or forsake you."
You are NOT alone in the storm....
Your saviour who promised He will never leave you is with you even if you are right in the middle of the storm.
Just the thought Jesus is with you is your anchor of hope.. He will comfort you, intervene in your problems BUT IN HIS TIME and HIS WAY.....
He is in charge of the waves that try to toss the ship of your life... Remember the waves (your problems) are under his feet!!
Isn't that comforting?
How we respond to the storm matters...
If when we face problems we say'" I won't read the Bible" "Won't pray" etc.... we sure mess up things.
We got to continue to hold on to our faith and walk with faith!
We should keep our focus on Jesus and not on the storm that rages around us.
Once our focus shifts to the storm we start to sink...
Are you walking through a fierce storm?
Is the pain too much to bear?
Is your burden too heavy to carry?
do you feel rejected, disowned, let down?
Look up to Jesus ..He's right beside you friend..
Tell Him you love Him, Praise Him in the midst of your pain.
He knows your pain, He has suffered more pain than any of us have, faced rejection, so no one can help us, understand us better that Him.
May be you are in a situation that you are so... drained out physically, mentally that you can't even pray, just praise Him in the storm, surrender your all to Him.
Tell Him you can't handle it, He'll take over.
Rest in His arms and let the storm rage.
As long as your eyes are fixed on His face that's all that matters.

Daniel's 3 friends told the king that they would not bow to that idol even if the Lord didn't save them.
DANIEL 3:17,18
17 If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. 18 But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up."
Today even in the midst of the storm ...praise HIM...

Mathew 11: 28-30
Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
God bless you..
(Adapted from an article on the net by my friend Julie on Multiply)

Thanksgiving

A dear friend's mom has been suffering from heart trouble and on Monday night was taken very ill. My friend was very worried and up the entire night caring for her. Yesterday, while talking to Jesus about her, I confessed the He had promised to hear my every prayer and that Jesus touch her and heal her.. A thought passed through my head, ... that not only would she recover, but she would ask for delicacies to eat..

Last evening, my friend was supposed to take her to the doctor.. but praise God, she felt so much better that the need to go to any other doctor was not felt and today morning she did ask for some delicacies.... I thank my Jesus for being so generous and loving and fulfilling the desire of my heart.. I give him all praise and glory.

I love you Jesus!