A Prayer For Mary

A prayer to thank God for the long life He has granted my aunt Mary Helen Indra

Happy Birthday Mary

My aunt Mary Helen Indra has completed 82 years of life.

Love The Unlovely

Whom should we love? Should we love people with dirty nails and rotten teeth? Should we love those who seem repulsive to us? Should we love those with dreaded skin diseases? Should we love lepers? Should we love beggars on the streets? Or should we love only those who seem beautiful to us? Should we love only those who seem clean to us? Should we love those who are repulsive to us in a non-physical way? Should we love those who seem hateful? Should we love those who resist and reject us? Whom should we love?

Jesus said, "Love your neighbour." Who is this neighbour? Is this neighbour a person whom I could love? Is this neighbour a person who is easy to love? What if this neighbour has rotten teeth? What if this neighbour has a repulsive disease? What if this neighbour has stinking breath? What if this neighbour is a hateful man? What if this neighbour wants to kill me? Could I love such a person? Who is my neighbour? Who is your neighbour? And why should you love your neighbour? And why should you love him as you love yourself? Isn't that what Jesus said? "Love your neighbour as you love yourself."

Jesus said in the New Testament, "Love those who are difficult to love" (a paraphrase). And the implication of that statement is this: love people whom you would not normally love. Love people whom you would walk away from. Love people whom you would avoid. Love those who seem repulsive to you. Love those who seem hateful to you. Love beggars whom you would normally avoid. Love those with skin diseases. Love those with rotten teeth and dirty nails. Love those whom you cannot stand.

Love. You cannot love in your own strength. You cannot love with what you have. And what you have is not love. But you may love with God. You may love with God in you. God is love, and when he lives in you, love lives in you and you may learn to love just as he does. It may not come quickly. It may not come easily. But it will come if you believe. Believe. Believe in God. Believe in love. And love without restraint and without stipulation. Love. Love those who are difficult to love.

- Samuel Godfrey George

God Keeps Me Going

Though I did wonder if I could go on speaking about God here I am speaking for God very early in the morning, testifying to his goodness and faithfulness.

God Helps My Unbelief

There are times when I declare one thing and feel another thing. There are times when I wonder whether I really believe in God and in the core of what he is. There are moments of doubt, but these moments don't stay for long. God has a way of bringing me back to a position of faith. God reinforces my faith somehow.

Did God Create These Flowers?

How do we know that God created anything? We don't. We just believe what we have been told. And no other explanation seems good enough to those who believe.

Shall We Give Today?

A few days ago I heard about a man who was not well. He needed immediate blood transfusion. When I heard about his immediate need I wanted to give to him. Though my financial situation was not good I decided to give to this person.

Yesterday when I met a certain friend, she gave me an unexpected gift. She felt like giving this gift to me because I had made a speech regarding the loss of her mother, when her mother passed away. I was surprised at this gift. I accepted it politely. I thanked her for her kindness. I mention this because I feel that the act of giving is good because it is something that Christ commanded us to do. We must give. We give not because we expect to receive. We give because we have already received.  I want to share this with you so that you may also consider giving if you haven't done that already. The Bible says, "It is more blessed to give than to receive." Shall we give today?

Disturbing Thoughts Regarding Christmas

This is the disturbing feature regarding Christmas -- that a lot of poor people are outside churches and not all of them can be helped. Why are we Christians, why are we called by Jesus Christ? Is it to wear beautiful clothes during Christmas? Is it to attend these churches that look so wonderfully decorated? Is it merely to smile at one another and wish one another that we celebrate Christmas? What about this disturbing picture outside the churches? Who are these poor people? Do we really care about them? What is our relationship with them? What do we intend to do about them? Do we give to them because we would feel better as a result of it? Is that the reason behind our giving? Do we feel better after giving? Do we feel obligated to give? Let's think about it.

The Club That I Do Not Want To Belong To

When I was much younger I wanted to be a member of a club. This was a club of wealthy people. I wanted to be a part of this community. I truly desired it. Yesterday I was at this club. I was invited by a certain friend of mine. I went there inappropriately dressed. I was not allowed to dine at this club. I understood their rules, and I even respected their rules. I left the club along with my friend. We dined in another place. And we enjoyed our afternoon together.

In a place like this club any human being dressed in a certain way is respected but it is really the dress that is respected and not the human being. I think this is a sad aspect of humanity. It is not an aspect, which we should encourage. But I do understand that clubs are exclusive, that they have rules, and many of these rules are admirable and tolerable. Maybe even this rule will seem so to others. But this rule shows to me a distinct lack of humanity if not a lack of enlightenment.

Among Beautiful Things

Let's pause for a moment and savour the beautiful things of God.

Let's Pause For A Moment

Don't be so busy that you can't stop for a moment to appreciate what God has created for you.