Love is Selfless or Selfish?

Finally I got time to put down what I’ve been thinking to update on the blog…Yeah… The Sunday’s sermons at Koramangala Methodist Church… Well, there are many other topics that are still running on my mind to put up here… Let me get this done first :)

Last Sunday, the weather outside was chilled & breezy… It was drizzling the whole day on Saturday… this made us to wake up late… It was so nice rolling over to bed… then it came to my mind that I have to wake up and its too late … & if we reach late to church, we will be missing the praise and worship service…& also it will be difficult to make a place to sit, from where you can have the view of the pulpit and also the choir… but yeah we reached on time and we also got a good place to sit. As the weather was soo good outside, I think many ppl could not make it to church… I was just hoping to hear the word of the Lord which will make me feel that peace from within…as we reached, I took my sweater and wore it, to avoid myself from shivering… As the announcements started…the pastor Andrew said…”Let us pray for the weather…” I thought what is there to pray for?? Its so good outside and Iam perfectly enjoying it… then he continued saying “…as people are suffering… though for some of you it might be beautifull…” aaah! I felt he pointed out to me!! Then I realized that this was a cyclone effect…in down south there in chennai there has been continuous rains and people are struggling there to live…that was a thought provoking and I sincerely prayed for them… & as soon as I completed my prayer I forgot all about the weather…

Then as the speaker started the sermon… he has put forward a question to all of us… “do you remember the most recent precious gift that you received…?” When you love someone… you give them a gift... he says that the love maybe associated with selfishness because sometimes people do things for others & there is a hidden necessity which makes them happy…So maybe they are doing it because they are selfish… make sure to differentiate this… is the love selfless or selfish??? … Someone asked him… “then what about the love that a mother gives to a small baby?” he says there are many ways to answer this question… the answer he choose was… “That’s because the baby is HER baby.. Would the love be same if it was someone else’s baby?” We always feel secured because there are people around us who love us… but the reason for peoples love for us is God… he takes care of us through other people and when you are left alone, God will find ways to love us and keep us safe… Then he illustrated with an example… there was a lady whose husband was dead… and she sings this beautiful song in his funeral…which goes like this…

“Because He lives, I can face tomorrow,

Because He lives, all fear is gone;

Because I know He holds the future,

And life is worth the living,

Just because He lives!”

To make the love perfect, we need to learn to forgive… “he who forgives more, Loves more!”

Other point he has put forward is... “Can we change God’s mind by praying?” this was a tricky question… one needs to have wisdom to answer this because if the answer to this is Yes…then its like we are ruling the world…and if the answer is No…then its like why to pray?... but the answer is Yes, God will change his mind, when it is good for us… He took the example of Judas, who handed Christ to pilot for 30Pcs of Silver… Judas got what he wanted but in matter of hours he wants it no more…30pcs of silver did not deliver what it promised him to deliver…Judas gave back the money saying he doesn’t need it anymore…His dreams were fulfilled but it was a tragedy for him…so always remember that “Your Father in heaven knows what you need… before you ask Him.”

One more point he conveyed was being at giving end…apart from being at the receiving end…

He recited this poem written by William McChesney - Martyred missionary to the Congo… Its so beautiful to hear him say this… it touched me… I came home & search this online and read it again…so putting it here…

My Choice..

I want my breakfast served at eight
With ham and eggs upon the plate
A well-broiled steak I'll eat at one
And dine again when day is done.

I want an ultramodern home
And in each room a telephone;
Soft carpets, too, upon the floors
And pretty drapes to grace the doors.

A cozy place of lovely things,
Like easy chairs with inner springs,
And then, I'll get a nice T.V.
- Of course, I'm careful what I see.

I want my wardrobe, too, to be
Of neatest, finest quality,
With latest style in suit and vest
Why should not Christians have the best?

But then the Master I can hear
In no uncertain voice, so clear:
"I bid you come and follow Me,
The lowly Man of Galilee."

"Birds of the air have made their nest
And foxes in their holes find rest,
But I can offer you no bed;
No places have I to lay my head."

In shame I hung my head and cried,
How could I spurn the Crucified?
Could I forget the way He went,
The sleepless nights in prayer He spent?

For forty days without a bite,
Alone He fasted day and night;
Despised, rejected - on He went,
and did not stop till veil He rent!

A man of sorrows and of grief
No earthly friend to bring relief;
"Smitten of God," the prophet said
Mocked, beaten, bruised, His blood ran red.

If He be God, and died for me,
No sacrifice too great can be
For me; a mortal man, to make;
I'll do it all for Jesus' sake.

Yes, I will tread the path He trod,
No other way will please my God,
So, henceforth, this my choice shall be,
My choice for all eternity.


And then the sermon ended with the beautiful thought in mind….
Think about the lovely gift you received…
Think about the lovely thoughtful gift you gave others…

This has put me also into thinking…
Lord, give us a great full heart!
To love selflessly…
To be at Giving end…
To pray…!

Christmas is around...!!!

All around the world there would be trillions of people celebrating christmas but for me the way it is celebrated has changed drastically...Childhood christmas is the most memorable moment...

Here is a list of things that are almost non existent in the way we celebrate Christmas...

-- The whole family decorating the christmas tree...When we were kids we used to decorate a "real" tree at home, nd then we got a new christmas tree gifted :) we loved it soo much and used to be very excited to open nd unwrap it each time for every christmas..it's easy to put up and also the fact that it's leaves don't come off in two weeks after you decorate it... :) nd still we have our whole family near it decorating it...with bells, bobtails,gifts, nd then switching off all the ligts to check how it looks with the lightening :) wow the sight of this fills me with some kind of happiness.... and I love it :)

-- Then helping dad in putting up the christmas star out from balcony nd lightening it...finally go out from the appartment to check if its visible ;)

-- Making of the crib...

-- Most of all I miss doing decoration.... @ home... :) how we used to think from weeks before on how to decorate, which type of design shall we make this time... whats all that we need for it and from which shop we can get them... then we put that on paper and finalise nd start decorating... :)

This is how we did this year....

-- I miss the carollers coming home for Christmas in the nights.. This time for christmas 3 of the carol groups visited our house... nd each time I've gt a call at night...& we were put on speaker to listen to them singin carols... That was another totally different exp :) I miss listening (and singing) to Christmas carols again and again until i could sing all of them by heart....LOUD nd dancing..

-- I miss the feeling of excitement for Christmas like how i used to feel when I was younger.
Lost all the relations nd fun in celebrating christmas from the year 2005 when mamaya was with us...
I miss 2005 and all its yesteryears...

What happen, where did they all go? totally lost the christmas spirit.. :(

I miss so many things but i guess this just goes to show how we all arent getting any younger.
I miss my home.....my parents, but I'm back home for Christmas..... Yeaaaaaaaaaahh!! : )

Our Christmas day starts with the everyone waking up at the crack of dawn around 4Am.... Dad plays the christmas tape... we go to church... listen to the chrismas message...greet eachothr... come back home... & send our wishes and christmas goodies to all our frnds nd neighbours... Cut the cake at home... nd then in the evning we go to our grandma's place where everyone gathers and we celebrate nd have a great time... chitchattin wit siters nd relatives...

Christmas has become so materialistic over the years as retailers push us to buy more, more, more. It's important to remember that this is not what Christmas is about. It means different things to different people certainly but there are some universals, regardless of religion or celebration type. Christmas is about love, giving, children, family and friends. There are many ways of honoring these traditions while at the same time, honoring the planet that we all share.

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PS: I've got to knw few of the myths nd reailities of christmas...from our HAH(Home-Away from-Home) program...when we went fr a retreat to Vistar...from our Church(Koramangala Methodist Church).... will put them up in my next blog... :)

Sunday Morning....

Its Sunday morning...we planned to go to church..but as it was very cold outside, i dint want to get out of my blanket...but my sis was waking me up from 6Am..our church stats at 9:30Am & with all praise nd worship songs nd annoucemnts will go on till 10Am..So it was fine if we could make it by 10AM..sleepn on my bed, I realised...no I have to go to church...I somehow pushed me out of bed...nd woke up at 7:30Am..

Yesterday night it was a musical concert.."Euphonia'08" at our church(Koramangala Methodist Church)...we both made it for the celebration...all very excited to sing songs...nd praise God...You know there are those indigenous gospel songs..Christmas songs.... that remind me of times or memories as far back as when we were small kids... goin to sunday school...vacation bible school...participating in school choir...This time too, we had beem there for celebrating... Usually the church services are conservative and we’ll sing songs from the hymnal along with the piano playing majestically in the background! songs putup on projector... fully involved in the lyrics... Not this time! There were groups of quior from all churches and thy presented songs... Well as it was not as we expected..we still had good time...nd we returnd back befor the service ended as it was gettin late...

Well.. I've been thinkin to blog about my church surmons...as everytime, I listen to the gospel nd forget it... it happens with everyone I believe... and so I wanted to put them down here... there are times when you feel sleepy adn ther r times when you cry lisenin to surmons...I had one of such experience last time when I;ve been to church... there was a foreigner who was preaching...the message was so heart touching I decided to put it in my blog... bt as usual i missed it to pen down... I decided to put the sunday messages here...those that touch me :)

Today's message was one such...will put it in my next blog.. :)

Letting go of Resentment...

Can u recall the last time u had any hard feelings for someone? Perhaps it was a friend who betrayed u, a stranger who thoght wrong about u, frnds who don’t understand u… Perhaps this has happened recently with me nd feelings of regret, resentment, nd injustice r fresh enough tht... it still stings….. Wht can I do to overcome thes feelings nd painful memories?

Few days back…. Hmmm I must say last year, -- My God its been a year since all this started… and everything seams to be fresh in my heart and I still dint find a solution for this… I sent a mail to my frnd about our misunderstanding because I always felt that I was able to express much in writing than in talking face to face… I’ve got a rude nd angry reply, falsely accusing me of something on a personal level. I was shocked nd hurt. The “girl” in me jumped out nd my initial instinct was to write somethin hurtful back to her, in an act of self defense nd I did nt show my reply to othr friend because this time I thought wht I was doing was right….my second instinct was to give her a list of reasons why she was wrong, in an attempt to refute her false accusations, thus defending my ego….and I replied may be in a bad way… In the end, my balanced self knew that engagin with her would only trigger more negativity… and anger, so I didn’t…. I woke up the next mornin with defensive thoughts runnin through my head, like a dark cloud, hoverin over me…thoughts of retaliation had been dancin around in my mind in wht seemed to be a never-ending cycle….and frm tht morning we had a silent conversation…I hated this feeling…. In fact, I hated the feeling of hating this feeling….because somewhere I felt I should be happy for this…. Even though, I knew very well that I was getting nowhere by feeling upset, annoyed, and wronged,… it felt impossible to control these thoughts nd to not be bothered by them. I knew I had to release this energy to set myself free……... The key to mental freedom was within me and nowhere else…..but still dono y I kept thinking… and our relaton continued…to be the same – broken…

What can I do to overcome these negative thought patterns?I even don’t understand if these are negative or positive… I always felt I am right… What can I do to relinquish ourselves from feelings that are invoked by other people’s actions?

The more I thought about how I’d been wronged, the deeper I fell into feelings of resentment, and even feelings of despair….. My inner feelings always care about wht othrs think of me.. nd so, whn I learn tht othrs think badly of me, I become unbalanced, unwell and very bothered….

As hard as it might seem while I am experiencing anger towards someone, I understand tat the keys to overcome these emotions are first in understanding and finally in forgiving….but this seems to be like a huge mountain in frnt of me, as my instincts tell me that I need to defend myself, and possibly come up with ways to rescue myself… and my values… I thought first I need to find peace within myself… then I tried to seek clarity of my thoughts… wht all is happening around?/?… why is this happening???… wht did I do to let it happen like this????… whts my purpose in this…??? this all seamed to me as a never ending cycle of unnecessary pain and suffering and at one point I thought of givin up everything and live my life without caring who does what… or who thinks what about me… I want to share my feelings… may be then I wil be able to make things clear… I wanted sumone who can listen to me and understand me and tell me if wht Iam doing is rgt or wrng… when I feel that someone is understanding our thouths… it gives us insight into what our feelings are…..and even before we reach the stage of forgiveness,… this understanding will automatically ease some of the emotional burden that I’ve been carrying….we discussed & then I started to make clarity in my thoughts… clarity means that I should not be acting out of my emotions or my instincts…when I step out of myself, I was able to see the situation for what it is….. It has quickly become clear that the she was acting out of the instincts of her, and thus blinded by her own emotions…

Somehow I wanted to fully express my emotions… my anger… I wanted to express it verbally… with the intent of releasing it completely out of me…. . I wanted to jump up and down, cry out loudly…..I wanted to release this negatvi energy in me… or in writing….or wish I could keep running…

Letting go of this resentment was proving to be very hard...

Lovely one..!! - New ways to Pray

So Amazing! Very inspiring at the Times when we lost, confused... and feel like crying! It really makes us realize that through God everything is possible and we can trust him anytime as the way we trust our Father... :) ..

The scripture says ... "Your Father in Heaven Knows What You Need Before You Ask." it also says... "Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?" -John 11:40 and "Is anyone among you suffering? let him pray." -James 5:13
Sometimes though I have problems I only blame myself or my fate... but I have the solution with me which I rarely use... its 'Prayer' why is it like every time I forget to pray? Many times it happens that people around me or my friends tell me to pray for them...and I always promise to pray... later I realize that I completely forgot to pray for them.. Then I think... "Oh no.. I should not have done that..." though I say in my prayers that things should go on well with everyone around me... but I did not pray specifically for them..and I feel that I've let them down... These days things have changed with me ... so that to remember to pray at specific times, I need to set an alarm clock... Its my childhood teaching that I need to pray before I go to bed and Thank God.. and pray when I wake up to thank God for this wonderful day he had given in my life..and also to pray before meals..

I've read an article few days back which says... A person has a habit of praying when she sees a bird. "Sometimes, if there's a flock, I focus on one or two that seem to look right at me," she said... thats really very cool idea of being in touch with God..
After reading this I started looking for creative ways of praying

Here is excerpt from one of the article I read...
"Your Father knows what you need before you ask him," Hearing that, my sophomores would say, "But, if God already knows what we need, why bother asking?" That is a very good question! Jesus knows human nature quite well, since He, together with the Father and the Spirit, brought humanity into being. And, sharing our human nature, through his incarnation, he also knows "existentially" what it is like to think and feel like the rest of us do. When we want, especially if we feel that we need, a favor from God, we find it necessary to put our petition into words. Not like the pagans, who babble on and on, naming every idol they know, hoping that one of them might answer. But like children who ask for what they need, and even what they want, even without need, knowing that God is a kind and loving Father who will deny us nothing, except if it is not good for us.

My recent Visit to home...

Now I have to say its only a 'Visit' to home... not a 'Stay' at home...that reallly makes lots of difference in my life...or may be to that point to everyone's life...Since last 3years life has always been so different.. When I was away from home for the first time for my studies,.... I was always apprehensive of going home... right from planning-tellin mom dad nd chinni tat we are plannin to come home--booking tickets -- packing bags -- goin to station before time -- while all these, continously communicate with mom nd dad about your whereabouts... starting from room...boarding auto.... reaching station... searchin for your seat in the train...talking about who is next to you...
Hmmm... All these have become a routine since 3years :)
There is no more anticipation... and now this has become a Routine....Somehow I felt that my recent visit to home has been a long one... Long as to say not the boring-Long type... Its was a lonvely-Long stay at home... :) though it was only for 4days...
While I was returning in the bus, I decided to pen down my trip to home, as it has been a renewal to all old feelings which have become a Routine :)
Day by Day (only 4days: D) I used to roam around the house… the living room…hurriedly thinking what to do next… “What is the thing that I was waiting to do at home???”… As if I am eager to get some joyful…or some kind of a job done… I had my house to myself…, I have decided to check out my cupboard & thought of dusting it… which turned to a leisure act of loving memories which flashed my mind..…was reading my collection of greeting cards which I’ve preserved from my childhood…. Read those cute letters which we wrote to each other when we were in school…soon the familiar faces flashed before me in school uniforms… I smile and think about them… donno how they all are… though I’ am in touch with few of them…asking God to bless them wherever they are… I wonder how we used to blackmail each other with those letters :)
Then there were these cluttered books…my notebooks and few text books I own of the subjects I love, “when are you going to remove those? And sell it off to the paper wala..?” my mom growls from time to time… I raise my eyebrows and shrug my shoulders and whisper… Never! :)… The clutter of my books is a familiar part of me… I run my fingers over them as a loving touch of friend to friend…. Those talks in the class… the drawings in the notebooks… sometimes prepared notes seriously….writing names in the books… scribbled papers… writing songs and playing antakshari… and then my Symbiosis notes… where I;v put 1book for 2 subjects first which came down to 1book for all subjects in last year… hehehehe… the notes I prepared during classes… the problems explained by my friends… those programs… spl C++ and C… again the Talks among friends in the class which we used to write and pass it on … exam timetable…Halltickets… assignments written in a paper… contacts of friends written in a paper and folded… still there in my notes :)… those important questions told in the class were written in the books, anticipating that they would repeat in exams :)…
I had all my halltickets preserved… now I read that… and recollect the subjects I had… the lecturers… their class… how we used to scold and do all non-sense in the class….College IDcards preserved :)/… Library cards preserved… remembering how we used to fight for books before the exams… forget the library card at home… and then hiding the books in some other selves…Great are those memories…. I kept talking with chinni about our school days… college days… she also started feeling nostalgic and started checking out her cupboard… The music of the memories stopped and our dusting is done!!
As the afternoon shadows flicker…. Me and chinni both stood at the window… watching the dancing leaves in the hot sun…Gazing out of our room window is one of the best things that we do at home…. I’was loving it… the thought of having a coffee! But we need to hav lunch… then started watching TV…I sit on the cradle in the living room… which seams to be a BIG HOT SEAT at home :D …. watching TV, this time also the advertisements… :)Then suddenly we both think of doing something that we haven’t thought of in a long time.. We think of cleaning the aquarium, but there were no fishes so we decide to get few… but then it was very hot sun so we thought of getting them the next day… The next day we did a lot of shopping of small things that seemed to be a memorable outing… its been days we go out of home together on the vehicle to the roads nearby… find a parking…to get something….walking along the old streets…buying things in the same old shops…walking back deciding who will drive the vehicle home :)… we then cleaned the fish-tank… put the fishes…and then started watching them play…we decide what kind of fishes did we get... “ look at that one… huh! That one seams to be a stupid boy… running behind the other fish… which seams to be a quite girl…” then suddenly one of the fishes stops… we think its sleeping… challo don’t disturb them :)we will watch a movie on system… then we go back to the system and I try to switch it ON… and chinni starts telling me… how much the system troubles her…it takes lot of time to switch it ON… “It needs an extension cord… to be connected to the speakers…” Oh! God…! Now search for extension cord at home… I doesn’t know what kind of the problem the computer has… each time I go home…she tell me something.. teaching me the way to handle it… or start it… or shutting it down… Finally we made the arrangements for watching movie… started it…then mom comes talking about something that happed last week… hmmm… there is no way of watching the movie along with me… I tell chinni… to watch when she is alone… and we switched it off…. That day Chakkani came home… she wanted me to draw and completed her biology record… again the interesting role for me to play ;) !! This time it was a frog… its been days I did this for my cousins or friends… I always loved to draw figures…tables…graphs…in the records… and most of the times it was me who did it for my friends… I even used to draw margins on the record papers for my friends… We started talking again… the same girlie-sister talks… and I was drawing the records… this is one of the things I like…drawing margins… then figures… then naming the parts… all in caps.. to the right side.. pointing with straight lines using scale….. now-and-then figuring out where I kept the eraser… scale or pencil… Hehehe.. the most common thing when you happen to draw something… I forget where I put these things… spl the eraser… though I used right before drawing this line… I then search for it…
:)Hmmm… Loving memories keep flooding sometimes…
As much as I treasure my family nd friends, I will be aware that my most important relations in life are always there beside me… in my good nd bad… Thank You, Lord, for the comfort of the little things that make my house my HOME :)

Desire to banish the boredom frm life

Since days I've this desire to get out and try something new... and I feel I must need to tackle this soon.... Its been playin in my mind to start a new hobby... or to play my fav sport.. I need to take time sum day nd decide how Iam goin to do it.... and get started.. I need to banish this boredom from Life soon..!!

It`s time to enjoy everything that comes my way. After all, I have been working hard for the all the rewards both good and bad.... that life has been giving me these days.

Heres the list of things I'v been thinkin to do since long...
1. Learn car driving
2. Start a new hobby
3. Keep a Good diet ;) this wud b in my top list now
4. Blog daily
5. Keep reading some technical books to avoid the mistmatch btwn my knowledge and my wrk :(

6. Painting
7. Meet my frnds when I go home.
8. Dedicate atleast 15min a day for God.... I need to start reading Bible again... Though I strtd with is whn I came to blore... Now left it somewhr in the frst book of Genesis :(

There are many things tat keep addng to this list... but I need to plan for this ...
I may not be always what I expect or what I would think of myself.... Or may b sometimes even I am very far from wht I feel IAm ... Ther are few things I would wish to change in myself... and the first thing would be my anger... and I need more patience.. There are times when I keep sayin to myself... if only I could change, life could be better!! I sometimes look back my life and sigh with disgust when I see the wasted years.... sometimes I also look back and realize them to be wonderful moments in my life....

These all and even some of the decisions may seem to be an unimportant or perhaps even insignificant decision but ultimately those prove to be one of the most important turning points in life.....So it is always a good judgment to never minimize or neglect any decision.... We can never be sure of what it may lead to...!! rgt ?.... though there is always this "mistake factor" involved with me... Heheheh... wht ever plans I make nd decisions I take may turn out to be the opposite of what I expect... My decision always come out differently than I actually anticipate and perhaps something other than what I may have wanted.....But you and I cannot foresee the far future or the ultimate outcome as God knows it to be.... FAITH is important, in this process of making decisions...

Hmmm... hope sumday I will blog about all these points in my list :)

Dad's & Mom's Love for a LIFE TIME :)

I've always feel that there is no one like my Dad and Mom.... and I probably dont know someone like my them who can love with soo much dedication...Dad has always been teaching us values... how to behave outside... how to eat... take bath... having food... how to sleep... He always knew the ABCs of parenting. There were times when we used to get scoldings the whole day... :)

Its always easy to say... "Children obey your parents"...! which I don’t do many a times :) always been aggressive used to think why do mom and dad tell us everything that we need to do and also they teach us how to do things... I’ve felt frustrated at times that I cannot simply do what I wanted to…. Now things have changed... I understand how the world is... Probably my mom and dad knew how people in this world are... and they never wanted us to face the situation of being betrayed or being heart broken... May be that was the reason they want their children to be choosy in making friends...We always need inspection ... and their probing questions.. They always wanted to know what time I was going to be home, where I was going, and when I would be there.... However I’am convinced today ... that doing all this saved me from being strayed... :)

Mom and Dad always made me learn how to make wise choice... When I've completed my 10th, my mom used to explain me all the subjects that I would have to study if I would choose biology or maths.. :) They also taught me how to stand strong under pressure... My dad always tell us how he was bought up and how he was treated in his childhood.. He has always been my model and HERO I needed... He taught us the importance of hard work and education... The mental image of my dad's nature always fuels and energizes my life today...

He tells us his life stories and teach through his stories... I’ve always felt-and still do – a deep admiration for all their achievements and I cherish a hope that once we will make them proud and win a high prestige and respect they are njoyin…. :)

May be because dad is the first male role-model in my life, he influenced my life in many profound ways… from how I see myself to what I expect from my othr male frnds… and also from the world… and I really sometimes start comparing all the other men to my father… he is the most loving… the most accepting… the most nurturing dad… Its like when dad is not around, without a beloved person to rely upon … I feel very insecure… and my fate makes me to meet delicate ppl whose mood changes frequently…people around me sometimes prove to be unreliable but at the same time I can’t be too choosy…and I hav to learn how to deal with such ppl as loneliness remains a much more frightening option for me… Whatever relation it may be…strong attachment may always become a barrier for the relation…also sometimes I’ am so very are unimpressed by exaggerated claims or promises and I want to know the facts behind any statement or idea that I hear from anyone….these feelings seamed to be filtered through my mind and intellectualized like a bad omen… but still when I have to make any vital decision I fall victim to emotions instead…I suddenly turn to act very passive… Its like I will be in a dead-locked state… within my own thoughts… and take advice from everyone later when I realize what has happened I turn aggressive within seconds…

Sometimes I feel like... Mom & Dad's love is enough for LIFE TIME :)
LOVE YOU both...!!!

Beautifulll Article..

Everyone, at some time in their lives, deals with a crisis. For some, the crisis is overwhelming: a hurricane; a devastating fire; a tragic car accident. For others, crises are more intimate: the death of a loved one; the disappointment of a dream; a setback at work.
No matter their size, crises can make people feel like God has abandoned them. How could God allow this to happen, they wonder? If you’re feeling that way right now, don’t worry. You’re not alone. A common reaction to crisis is fear of abandonment. I have lost everything, you think. No one can help me now.Well, I have good news for you. You have not lost everything. And someone can help you: God. God did not cause your crisis to happen. But even as you read this, he is right beside you, waiting patiently for you turn to him. That might seem hard to believe. But it is true. And if you let yourself believe it, even just a little bit at first, you will find that your impossible-seeming situation has a solution. For with God, all things are possible.
The Bible tells us that a person who turns to God “shall not be afraid of evil tidings. His heart is fixed, trusting in the Lord.” With God, you will not only overcome your crisis, you will emerge intellectually, emotionally and spiritually fortified. Just remember: “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” The crisis you face right now may seem daunting. But God will see you through it. He will give you hope for a new day.

HAVE NO FEAR :
The Bible gives good advice for handling fear: "Have no anxiety about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God."
There are four parts to this. First, stop talking about your worry and pray. Second, ask God to show you how to deal with the situation. Third, and this is so important, after you ask for God’s help, thank him for it, thus letting him know you believe he is there. Fourth, tell him what you need.
Jesus says in the Bible, "Take heart, it is I. Have no fear." By turning your mind and heart to God, you rest in his promises and fortify yourself with his peace. Try it. Turn to God now and feel your fear gradually ebb away.

STAY CALM :
Often, after a crisis, we find ourselves terribly anxious, unable to think or function in a constructive way. Usually, this anxiety comes not from our bodies, but from our minds. We are thinking the wrong thoughts. So take some time right now to drain those tense thoughts and replace them with thoughts of peace, calmness and faith.
First, open your bible to the 23rd Psalm and read it aloud. Then, whenever anxiety strikes, pray, beginning with this passage from Psalm 46: "Be still and know that I am God." Ask God to take worrisome thoughts from your mind and replace them with his "peace that passes all understanding." If you are sincere in seeking God’s wisdom, you will be uplifted and strengthened.
When you call on God and take his promises seriously, you can meet any crisis with calmness, intelligence and dignity.

A TIME FOR SORROW :
Life deals us some chilling blows, and at times we find ourselves in despair. We don’t know which way to turn, our loss is so great.
God yearns to heal you of sadness. But before turning to him for help, it is important to remember that feelings of sorrow are nothing to be ashamed of. When you mourn the loss of a loved one or something else significant in your life, you acknowledge the great value that person or thing had for you. Your sadness honors their memory and celebrates their life.
No one, however, should remain sad forever. So when you feel yourself overwhelmed by sorrow, pray to God, asking him to heal your wounded heart. Rest assured, he will do exactly that.
If you find it hard to pray in the depths of despair, don’t worry. Just pour it all out to God, as a hurt child cries out to a parent. And it’s perfectly okay to cry. Tears are a safety valve for eliminating tension.
After praying, tell yourself you can make it. Say over and over, "We know that in everything, God works for good with those who love him, who are called to his purpose." Commit yourself to the Lord, trust him, and he will act. And you will find that one day soon, all this will be behind you, and you will look back on your sorrow as someone who has crossed a stormy sea to a calm shore

BE STRONG :
One of the great truths in life is that you are bigger than anything that can happen to you—as long as you know it and act accordingly. Rebuilding from a crisis is a perfect opportunity to ask God to release the creative ingenuity, wisdom and strength that lie within you.
How do you do this? First, pray to God and place your entire situation in his hands. Say, "God, I commit my challenges to you. Show me the way through them. Give me eyes to see your solutions and strength to act on them."
Then sit down and lay out your entire problem, perhaps on a piece of paper. Sketch out possible solutions and pray over them, asking God to show you which is right. When you
feel you have an idea of how to proceed, move forward resolutely, praying all the time for strength.
If doubts creep in, set them firmly aside with a quick prayer: "God, quell these fears and give me your strength." God will answer that prayer, and, step by step, you will find yourself drawing upon an inner power you perhaps never knew you had

SMALL STEPS :
Human beings can be very impatient. We want things right away. We believe our time is our own, and, when we have to wait, we become frustrated. God, however, is patient. His timetable is different from ours. And though that timetable often seems uncomfortably slow, rest assured that God’s timing is not only perfect, it is just what we need.
It is important to remember this when recovering from a crisis. Often we pray for solutions, for strength, for calm, for change—only to find our troubles persisting past what we thought was our breaking point. The temptation is great to conclude, God has forgotten about me.
That is the wrong conclusion. God has not forgotten about you. Rest assured, he is working
mightily on your behalf. However, he is working toward the right solution, not necessarily the solution you want right now.
This can be hard to accept. But you must remember that God sees your whole life, not just this difficult moment. He does not simply want to put things back the way they were. He wants to make a new and better life for you from the ashes of the old.
So stick to your plans. Go through them step by step. And if you’re feeling discouraged, remind yourself of God’s great truth: hard experiences will pass away. Not on our timetable. On God’s timetable. The best timetable.

LIVE BY FAITH :
Some people think faith means a skill of belief you must acquire before you can start calling upon God. That is not what faith means. Faith is simply the decision, each day, to act as if God’s promises are true and present in your life.
It is important to understand this quality of faith because, without it, your work overcoming crisis will be much more difficult. Faith is not a state of mind. It is a practice, a daily practice of calling upon God and trusting that he will respond—even when, sometimes, it seems he is far away.
How do you acquire this practice? By doing it. An easy way to start is simply to affirm your faith verbally. Say, "I believe. God is with me right now." Even if you haven’t completely taken the words to heart, saying them will cause your mind gradually to follow along.
Then pray this prayer: "Dear Jesus, in this time of trouble, I place my life and the lives of my loved ones in the shelter of your loving arms. I’m going to trust you to care for us in every way today. You only want good for your children, so whatever happens, you’ll work today for our benefit."
Once you have done this, approach each of the day’s tasks with the assumption that God is working beside you. The key is to hold on to this conviction even when events seem to be going against you. Remember St. Paul’s great promise: "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."
And don’t be surprised if living by faith brings you victory more quickly than you had expected. When you arm yourself with faith, you tap a wellspring of intellectual and emotional strength. Before you know it, you’ll be overcoming the calamities you face.

REACH OUT :
One of the best ways to recover from a crisis is to reach out to others. This may sound counterintuitive. But giving your time and energy to other people is one of the greatest boosters of strength and spirit.
How do you do this? First, reach out to God. Talk to him about everything, no matter how small, just as you would to a close friend or a loved one. Ask him for strength and creativity—and the discernment to see others who need your help.
Then look around. There is always someone in need. If your area has been devastated, pitch in when rebuilding begins. If you have lost a loved one, think about counseling others facing loss once you have recovered your own equilibrium.
Remember that all human beings experience troubles similar to your own. And, though it seems paradoxical, remember that the more you give, the more you grow. Alone, you might find this giving hard to do. But with God, it is not only possible, it is one of the key ways to recover your strength and sense of belonging in the world.
Try it now. Reach out to God. Then reach out to others.

THE POWER OF HOPE :
Here are some of the truest, most beautiful words ever written: "Why are you downcast, O my soul, and why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God. For I shall again praise him, my help and my God."
Hope is a small word. But it is one of the most powerful. Why? Because in hope lies the power of the human soul to turn to God and live as if his promises are going to come true.
Some people think hope is an emotion. "I’m feeling hopeful," they say. But true hope is a discipline, a determination to believe in God’s reality and power, even when the world seems to be crashing down around you.
That is the genius and the power of hope.
It flies in the face of calamity, saying, "The world can do its worst to me. But still I will hope. Still I will know that this is the day the Lord has made, and he will take care of me."
The key to surviving a crisis is hope. Hope that Jesus loves you. Hope that he is, right now, working out a solution for you. Hope that the future you place in his hands will be better than the present you hold in your own.
Practice this hope, even if you have to will yourself to do it. With its power, you will overcome all things. You will pass from the night into hope for a new day

Some times Life amazes me....

I've got my appraisal last week... I've got Above expectation..

Life really amazes me sometimes...
Have you ever planned what to do in life... or how to live your life... :) I always do the same mistake...When I plan out things they wont turn the way I expect ....& sometimes I wont really plan anything and it is when the life really takes a worng turn before I realise the mistake....and I end up solving my problem, which I dont even understand.....Sometimes I feel like Iam the root cause so I need to find out the solution for such situations... Hmmmm...

The thing is, this time I've planned so very well and I was least expecting it to happen the way I wanted..... and it really amazes me to know that it all came out so very well and as I want things to happend.. I know I've worked hard and put my strength in working in this project... though it doesnt need any ;) but still I worked like a dog... seriously! even when I was non-billable... I was wishing to get AE and I vowed to myself but somewhere I had a feeling that things always wont happen as I wish them to happen.... and when I really got it, it is hard to accept it :) When you look at certain things, they may look easy, but when you look into it again... everything turns blue and they seam to be impossible...
I must say its all because of God's amazing Grace :)... this reminds me of the song..."Your amazing grace..."

I wish I was tought how to enjoy LIFE

Why do I blog..?

I blog because life amazes me sometimes, and I want to put down the amazing things... and I wnt to capture those fleeting moments...the wisp of a moment, which would quickly fade away... and which I wish to recollect more often.....

I write when I feel like it.... and u read when u feel like it.. I blog because it makes me to articulate my thoughts..... Sometimes, I don't know what I think, until I write it down.... Examine my thoughts.... analyse them.... Sometimes what comes out in a blog surprises me....The act of translating thoughts into words forces me to be precise...I even learn new things this way...

There is something about September

September always makes me think of bad endings and new beginnings....This seams to be the most depressing month... This reminds me of all the sad things tat happen in life... We lost Mamma on 21st, it was when we were wishing for something unexpected...
We wished it was all a bad dream....

We wish someone could tell us tat it was not him....

Life could have been so wonderfull for all his dear ones if he was still with us...they still expect God is going to do good things for them... He snatched him away to heaven leaving us behid to suffer his agonizing deaths...It reallly makes me cry... This month seams so Dark to me...Only for this reason it really makes me feel tat there are so many bad things that happend to me in September...But there has been something that gives strength and a way to control our feelings and we finally understand that LIFE goes on... Though it looks like "September" will never end...

"Wake me up when September ends!!"

Inbox - Mania :)

I've read an article tonight... tats about "knowledge technology and policy"...This article examins and explores the topic of emotional attachment and mobile phones.. It discusses the way the mobile phne is used as a means of achieving continous connectivity and how it acts as a conduit for emotional attachmnet by keepng frnds and family in touch and enabling the need to maintain netowrs... Indeed, it will be asserted tat the mobile phn engenders intimacy and a feeling of being permanently tethered to loved ones as well as to less welcome callers...

Yea... I love my mobile-inbox...

I cant wait to see the light flashing and the glimpse of the message arriving in my mobile.... I would rather put it this way... It makes me feel happy and feels good to knw tat my frnds are remembering me at tht moment of time.... say may b I'v gt this mobile-mania.. Heheh..
Well these days... my mobile has not gt enough room to store nay more sms-es... and I dont feel like deleting the old ones.. Sometimes it feels good to read those sweeet old sms's which makes me nostalgic.... and I really hav to struggle to decide which ones to delete - tats a bad idea though... and I have to believe myself! I seriously delete them... Feel so baad in doing it... I read them once.. twice... thrice... nd again... before I delete it..

Sometimes few of the nonliving things become more precious to us.... thy jst become a part of your life... Mobile has been one of those small things that has always been with me... :) This might seam to be a non-sensible thought...albeit is a valid one.. dont you think we are all in pursuit of happiness in our own little-ways... Carrying d mobile wiht me even @home givs a small sensation of having my connection... tats sounds crazzy..yes it really does..!! :)

You walk... or talk... or sms do thy all mean the same thin??...communication differs in all these...and thy mean to be more tan spoken words...the communication does nt depend on the syntax or eloquence...but the emotional context in whcih the message is bein heard...

Well its jst a tiniest part of my life...There are many other things in life...I may nt be appropriate to say "things.." as the most important things in life arn't things... :)

Links to download e-novels

Was just searching to download "Anything for you ma'am"..... I've found these links online :)

Saved them for future... shall read them when I get some time ..

• Deception Point by Dan Brownhttp://rapidshare.com/files/81886145/Deception_Point.rar
• Agatha Christie : http://rapidshare.com/files/103496487/AGATHA_Complete_collection.rar
• At First Sight: http://ifile.it/ijyn5g0
• A Bend In The Road:http://www.4shared.com/file/43264676/b1d1aae/A_Bend_In_The_Road.html?dirPwdVerified=82bc6fb5
• True Believer_ Nicholas Sparkshttp://www.4shared.com/file/43264674/e5137b82/True_Believer.html?dirPwdVerified=82bc6fb5
• The Wedding http://www.mediafire.com/?hfnmwdr5n1d
• Are You Afraid of the Dark_Sidney Sheldon: http://www.MegaShare.com/467306
• The Sky Is Falling is a 2001 novel by Sidney Sheldon:http://www.MegaShare.com/467304
• Tell Me Your Dreams is a 1998 novel by Sidney Sheldon: http://www.MegaShare.com/467302
• Morning, Noon and Night is a 1995 novel by Sidney Sheldon : http://www.MegaShare.com/467296
• Nothing Lasts Forever is a 1994 novel by Sidney Sheldon: http://www.MegaShare.com/467293
• The Doomsday Conspiracy is a thriller novel by Sidney Sheldon :http://www.MegaShare.com/467284
• Memories of Midnight_1990_by Sidney Sheldon_sequel_The Other Side of Midnight:http://www.MegaShare.com/467277
• Mills and Boon and other Bestsellers:http://www.esnips.com/user/tarunRefleXjaiswal
• Windmills of the Gods is a 1987 novel by Sidney Sheldon:http://www.MegaShare.com/467268
• If Tomorrow Comes is a 1985 novel by Sidney Sheldon:http://www.MegaShare.com/467265
• Master of the Game is a novel by Sidney Sheldon. 1982:http://www.MegaShare.com/467263
• Rage of Angels is a 1980 novel by Sidney Sheldon:http://www.MegaShare.com/467253
• A Stranger in the Mirror is a 1976 novel by Sidney Sheldon:http://www.MegaShare.com/467245
• The Other Side of Midnight is a 1973 novel by Sidney Sheldon:http://www.MegaShare.com/467238
• Gone With The Wind:http://rapidshare.com/files/67200840/Gone_with_the_Wind.pdf
• Diary of Anne Frank:http://rapidshare.com/files/67198636/The_Diary_Of_Anne_Frank.pdf
• Rand_The Fountainhead:http://rapidshare.com/files/67194595/Aryan_Rand_-_The_Fountainhead.pdf
• Benhur: A Tale of Christhttp://rapidshare.com/files/67193130/Benhur_-_A_Tale_of_Christ.pdf
• Around The World In 80 Days - Jules Vernehttp://rapidshare.com/files/67191703/Around_the_World_in_80_Dyas_-_Jules_Verne.pdf
• The Arabian Nights Collection:http://rapidshare.com/files/67758831/Arabian_Nights_Collection.rar
• The World Is Flat:http://rapidshare.com/files/67763438/The_world_is_flat.pdf
• Eldest:http://rapidshare.com/files/67763439/Eldest.pdf
• Eragon:http://rapidshare.com/files/67763440/Eragon.pdf
• Angels and Demons_Dan Brownhttp://rapidshare.com/files/67763442/Dan_Brown_-_Angels___Demons.pdf
• The Da Vinci Code: http://rapidshare.com/files/67763443/The_Da_Vinci_Code.pdf

Gone Are the DAYS!!

When The school reopened in June,
And we settled in our new desks and
Benches!
When we queued up in book depot,
And got our new books
And notes!
When we wanted two Sundays and no Mondays, yet
Managed to line up daily for the morning prayers.
We learnt writing with
Slates and pencils, and
Progressed To fountain pens and ball pens and then Micro tips!
When we began drawing with crayons and evolved to
Color pencils and finally sketch pens!
When we started calculating
First with tables and then with
Clarke's tables and advanced to
Calculators and computers!
When we chased one another in the
Corridors in Intervals, and returned to the classrooms
Drenched in sweat!
When we had lunch in classrooms, corridors,
Playgrounds,
Under the trees and even in cycle sheds!
When all the colors in the world,
Decorated the campus on the Second Saturdays!
When a single P.T. period in the week's Time Table,
Was awaited more eagerly than the monsoons!
When cricket was played with writing pads as bats,
And Neckties and socks rolled into balls!
When few played
"Kabadi" and "Kho-Kho" in scorching sun,
While others simply played
"Book cricket" in the
Confines of classroom!
Of fights but no conspiracies,
Of Competitions but seldom jealousy!
When we used to
Watch Live Cricket telecast,
In the opposite house in Intervals and Lunch breaks!
When few rushed at 3:45 to
"Conquer" window seats in our School bus!
While few others had "Big Fun", "peppermint",
"Kulfi", "milk ice!" and "sharbat!" at 4o Clock!

Gone are the days
Of Sports Day,
And the annual School Day,
And the one-month long
Preparations for them.

Gone are the days
Of the stressful Quarterly,
Half Yearly and Annual Exams, and the most
Enjoyed holidays after them!

Gone are the days
Of tenth and twelfth standards, when
We spent almost the whole year writing revision tests!

We learnt,
We enjoyed,
We played,
We won,
We lost,
We laughed,
We cried,
We fought,
We thought.
With so much fun in them, so many friends,
So much experience, all this and more!

Gone are the days
When we used
To talk for hours with our friends!
Now we don't have time to say a `Hi'!

Gone are the days
When we played games on the road!
Now we
Code on the road with laptop!

Gone are the days
When we saw stars
Shining at Night!
Now we see stars when our code doesn't Work!

Gone are the days
When we sat to chat with Friends on grounds!
Now we chat in chat rooms.....!

Gone are those days
When v had nokia 1100,but still communicated a lot...,
Now v have blackberries with no one to call.....!

Gone are the days
Where we studied just to pass!
Now we study to save our job!

Gone are the days
Where we had no money in our pockets and still fun filled on our hearts!!
Now we have the ATM as well as credit card but with an empty heart!!

Gone are the days
Where we shouted on the road!
Now we don't shout even at home

Gone are the days
Where we got lectures from all!
Now we give lectures to all... like the one I'm doing now....!!

Gone are the days
But not the memories, which will be
Lingering in our hearts for ever and ever and
Ever and ever and ever.....
Gone are the Days.... But still there are lot more Days to come in our Life!!

NO MATTER HOW BUSY YOU ARE,
DONT FORGET TO
LIVE EVERY MOMENT OF UR LIFE!!!

HAppy AnNiVeRsRy MOM AND DAD...

Its mom nd dad's 28th aniversary today!!

I thank God for wht all wonderfull deeds he has done unto our family. He has always been with us in our troubles... There has been times when they fight.. when they shoot on each othr... Laugh at each othr... working for each othr... being awake for each othr...helping and cookin together...

These 28years of Love and Joy... Sharing and Caring... Tears and

Laughter....You both gave us sooo much in which we take pride... There wer times when we were gland and days when we were sad....but u both knew wht was right... and you gave us all that you had...

I feel that it has been recently that we celebrated 25th aniversary...Woooah tat was a very great and excited moment... which was so awaited..!

I just wanted to put on my testimonial for mom and dad on my blog...
Need to find it out..

Trip to Shivasamudram

I was thinking to post this a month before, but, due to time constraints, I couldn’t. On Saturday,5th April we had a one-day trip to Shivanasamudra, a water fall nearby Bangalore. It has been quite a long since we started planning for a trip, but due to lack of planning and things like that, that didn’t workout. Anyway, this time it happened and it was an unforgettable experience.... Its been a very great weekend.

"Shivanasamudra is an ideal location from Bangalore and probably the largest waterfall in the Karnataka after Jog Falls. The place is also credited for hosting the first hydroelectric project in India. Here, Kaveri splits into two, falls into a valley in two separate places called Gaganachukki and Bharachukki and re-unites downstream.

Gaganachukki especially is a steep fall where water gushes down with great velocity. we were not allowed to go near the water. It is quite risky to climb down and reach waters because of un-predictable depth and slippery rocks. The two waterfalls are around a 15-minute drive. A steep staircase is carved out of rocks at Bharachukki, where we could play in water. "

Talakad or Talakkadu:
Talakad is about 130 Kms from Bangalore. Talakad is a small town on the left bank of the Cauvery River. The main attraction at this place is the 4th century temples. Talakad once had over 30 temples that today are buried in sand. The deserted place is carpeted with sand dunes.

We started at 8:30 AM (though we planned for 7AM). The 8 seat Toyota Qualis comfortably accommodated 7 of us and all of us were in a excited mood... We were njoyin the songs.. Moving on to the destination, we have seen so many fields. It was a nice drive through the sugar cane fields.

We got down at one place and took snaps in the feilds... Woooh everything was so serene and green...

We reached the waterfalls. Took some snaps and quickly we moved towards it only to be dissapointed to hear that we were not allowed to go towards the falls... felt like is this what we have come all the way to see?... Looking at the stream, we were soo excited..Fortunately, we came to knw that we were allowed in the other water falls... where we were supposed to go next... so we headed forward in anticipation.... :)

In another 30min we were at bharachukki water falls... the way to the falls was soo steep with the steps that were constructed with stones...we enjoyed this small part of the journey...the rocks were soo slippery...
we came down towards the water...

The sight of the still waters was sooo awesome... it tickling our senses... We had been on coracle ride..at first I was scared... but when the boat started to move...
I njoyed the ride :) The ridder moved it in circular motion making waves....
we njoyed this a lott.. the blue skies upon and the water beneath...
the fresh air ...woooo! that was superb.. :) He took the boat near the falls...the water sprinkled upon us... nd we were all wet... :D wanted to do tat again...

We came out of the boat totally drenched! ...we crossed the flowing waters and we found a place where the flow is not much.....went on the top by climbing the rocks... That was a scray and adventurous experience...We spent hours in the stream and the experience was rejuvenating..

We are all drenched... sneezing... Enough water play and it was time to go, we quickly boarded the cab.....we sat there under hotsun for some time and started back...We then moved on to our next destination, river Cauvery, and it was lunch time....We had lunch on our way at a place near by.....that was another new experience...

Straight after the lunch, we moved on to the temples in thallakad...The temples were wonderfully carved...took snaps and then we started towards the banks of river Cauvery.....

Had another coracle ride took snaps....All of us were really tired and slept till we enter bangalore city.... we reached home…transfered the pics to laptop... saw them and then slept at around 2am.. :)

For the good old times..

Have you ever felt lonely? Lonely amidst a sea of people? None of the faces you see carry any significance. They just fade into one hazy picture that makes no sense. When you look around, you don’t know anyone. This feeling of loneliness is inexplicable. It’s like the nightmare you had, that is so vivid in your mind but when you try to explain it to someone else, you have no words and a prodigious effort of explaining it, makes it sound illogical and it ceases to make sense even to anyone.

Last three years, life has been a long roller coaster ride. It has been three years since I moved to out of Hyderabad.

Today, I’m in a different mood. Life is not that beautiful as it used to be when I was at home during my studies. Happiness, for me, is those small little things that make me smile every time I think of them. It’s those things that make life worth living.

The nostalgic mood that I’m in has made me want to list all those small little things that still make me smile when I think about them.

So here I go
--All my relatives coming over to my place the day before I leave my home. The entire baccha party came to the station the next evening. (Even though it was to look at the trains)

-- Dad and myself left our house with my luggage. I took the blessings of my parents to enter, for what I would call now, a different chapter in my life

--When I entered MindTree on the 2nd of July, I felt like Alice in Wonderland. One of the most exciting days I’ve had(I couldn’t stop smiling… how kiddish!!), though I had the nostalgia inside me. From Subroto’s speech on orientation day I’ve discovered this amazing family and human touch in MindTree. The way he replied to all the parents’ anxieties about their children…Once he replied “Now stop worrying about them, they are there to worry about themselves now”…. This was when I was totally in love with his words. And the best part is, this also answered my dad’s questions.

-- Dad left me in the guesthouse, bought me the essential stuff, gave some money and went back. There were days when I silently had my dinner with many others in PG. Food was not that great but then nothing can replace home food right? It did not take much time to realize that food was not the only thing in life, rather life away from home.

--Moving into the PG and discovering the pain of sharing the things from washrooms to television.

-- Living all alone for months. It was a little depressing at times but there were times when I thoroughly enjoyed myself with friends out here. For a person like me who loves solitude, this loneliness scares me. The transition from looking forward to spending time alone, to dreading that moment is very scary. Insecurities that I thought were dead and buried crop up suddenly from no where….

--Coming back home every once in a while and getting pampered royally! (I really love it)…The happening trips to home. Thoroughly enjoy the girly bonding with my sisters and cousins. …..and I wonder why 7'o clock seems so different when I'm at home.

Oh God and the list keeps growing. And what can I say is, its truly a different experience! May be this is how life has to be…

I got a beautiful forward the other day. It said – “People come into your life for a REASON, A SEASON or A LIFETIME.” In the last three years, I have interacted with lots of new people. All of them have taught me something. Some have been a great source of inspiration, and I look up to some others in awe, some helped me realize the kind of person I never want to be. It has been a great learning experience. Now I realize that I have been extremely lucky to be with people who have helped me become the person I am today.

The woods are lovely, dark and deep.
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.
---- Robert Frost

“Six months in this city and I know my Home-town rocks!!!”

People come into your life for a REASON, A SEASON or A LIFETIME

When you know which one it is, you will know what to do for that person. When someone is in your life for a REASON, it is usually to meet a need you have expressed. They have come to assist you through a difficulty, to provide you with guidance and support, to aid you physically, emotionally or spiritually. They may seem like a godsend and they are. They are there for the reason you need them to be. Then, without any wrongdoing on your part or at an inconvenient time,this person will say or do something to bring the relationship to an end. Sometimes they die. Sometimes they walk away. Sometimes they act up and force you to take a stand. What we must realize is that our need has been met, our desire fulfilled, their work is done. The prayer you sent up has been answered and now it is time to move on.

Some people come into your life for a SEASON, because your turn has come to share, grow or learn. They bring you an experience of peace or make you laugh. They may teach you something you have never done. They usually give you an unbelievable amount of joy. Believe it, it is real. But only for a season.

LIFETIME relationships teach you lifetime lessons, things you must build upon in order to have a solid emotional foundation. Your job is to accept the lesson, love the person and put what you have learned to use in all other relationships and areas of your life. It is said that love is blind but friendship is clairvoyant.

"Everything that happens once can never happen again. But everything that happend twice will surely happen the third time"

Exract from "Alchemist"

There four obstacles.
First, we are told from childhood onwards that everything we want to do is impossible. We grow up with this idea, and as the years accumulate, so too do the layers of prejudice, fear and guilt.

If we have courage to disinter our dream, we are then faced by the second obstacle: love. We know what we want to do, but are afraid of hurting those around us by abondoning everything in order to pursue our dream. We do not realise that love is just a further impetus, not somehitng that will prevent us going forward, and that those who genuinely wish us well want us to be happy and are prepared to accompany us on that journey.

Once we have accepted that love is a stimulus, we come up against the third obstacle:fear of the defeats we will meet on the path. We who fight for our dream suffer far more when it doesn't work out, because we cannot fall back on the old excuse ,"Oh, well, I dint really want it anyway." we do want it and know that we have staked everything on it and that the path of the Personal calling is no easier than any other path, except that our whole heart is in this journey.

Then we warriors of light must be prepared to have patience in difficult times and to know that the Universe is conspiring in our favour, even though we may not understand how.

Having disinterred our dream, having used the power of love to nurture it and spent many years living with the scars, we suddenly notice that what we always wanted is there, waiting for us, perhaps the very next day. Then comes the fourth obstacle: the fear of realising the dream for which we have been fighting all our lives.

Oscar Wilde said, "Each man kills the thing he loves". vAnd its true. The mere possiblility of getting what we want fills the soul of the ordinary person with guilt. We look around at all those who have failed to get what they want and feel that we do not deserve to get what we want either. We forget about all the obstacles we overcome, all the suffering we endured, all the things we had to give up in order to get this far.

--Alchemist