HAPPY MOTHER

This is a post by Heather Lindsey whom I follow on facebook. This is quite encouraging for moms-to-be :) Here is what she posted today:

"This morning in my prayer time, I came across a scripture (Psalms 113:9). I knew that the Lord gave me this huge desire to be a mother to children & this scripture helped to remind me that it's God that opens my womb & gives me a family. Whether He would open my womb or if we would adopt & make our children blood- I knew that His timing was perfect. So, if you're struggling with a bad doctors report or maybe you're desiring to get pregnant but cannot - rest in the Lord. Or maybe you're single & feel like your clock is ticking. I'm assured that at the right time God will bring these things to pass & give you the energy to keep up with your sweet family. Family & marriage is GOD'S idea. So, are we patient enough to trust God's timing or will we keep running off with pointless Ishmael's? { Genesis 2:18 Then the LORD God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper who is just right for him." }.God makes marriages & we tend & keep them. - Heather Lindsey"

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DIY - DECORATIVE STRING BALLS

This Christmas we wanted to decoration our house differently. We wanted it to be creative and unique. So mom came up with these DIY - decorative balls. It's super easy to do and really beautiful.

You can also use these for any birthday party or to just make your room pretty.

THINGS YOU WILL NEED

Natural string or woolen thread
Balloon
Brush
Scissors
Strong craft glue or fevicol
Cup
Fabric colors

HOW TO DO

1. Blow up your balloon. Pour the glue in a cup and  cut few meters of thread enough for the balloon.

2. Wrap the string around the balloon. Keep going in different directions until the ballon is covered but you can still see through the layers.Saturate the thread by brushing on plenty of glue. Leave this to dry over night.

3. Now for the fun part. Pop the balloon using a pin and carefully remove it from inside your string ball.

At this point you are done unless you want to add some color.

Attach these balls with light strings. And you are done. Pretty simple right?

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3 LESSONS OF BROKENNESS

I have been asking God what I should ponder on this year. God has been lately dealing with me through brokenness. He is reminding me to be a broken person so that He can use me. 

Sometime life can just break you into pieces. Brokenness – quite the word! It brings such thoughts of painful situations. Our personal lives often have multiple themes of brokenness happening at once or sometimes on a daily basis. I’m learning that brokenness is a process where I need to be broken until I have reached the point where I have totally crucified my so called “SELF”. Dad often says the simple definition of Brokenness is “Not my will but Gods’ ”! The "I" in me should die! 

3 THINGS BROKENNESS HAS DONE TO ME:

MADE ME MORE HUMBLE

Brokenness has exposed my pride. While being unbroken, I sometimes tend to venture on my own like I can manage everything on my own. God reminded me that I can’t do ANYTHING without Him. Without Him I am NOTHING. He had to bring me to ZERO. I needed to repent, fall on my face and ask God for His grace. It’s in my pain and hurt and failing that I remember His goodness and love. When I am broken, God can shine on me! To pick me up, to dust me off and to become a source of hope for others who are broken like me.

GIVEN ME NEW STRENGTH

In order to use men and women to their fullest extent, God had to break His servants so that they might have a new kind of strength. It is Strength in SPIRIT that is born only through Brokenness. It’s in my weakness that He is made strong. I’m nowhere near complete, but I refuse to stop in the middle of the process. I will run the race to completion – in my marriage, my family and place of work. With God’s strength I will run and not look back. I will press on and embrace the future hope and plans that God has for me.

DRAWN ME CLOSER TO GOD

It’s never fun walking through the fire, being in the storm, stumbling in the darkness…yet, in the midst of the brokenness I can hear God – I feel His presence and I know that He is with me through the pain. Brokenness hurts, brokenness disrupts and brokenness often involves painful memories, hurtful scars and deep anguish. But God will not leave, He will not forsake, and He promises to make beauty out of ashes. I have experienced this, and continue to experience it, first-hand and God will do the same for you!

God reminded me this verse by the Psalmist:

“The sacrifice You desire is a broken spirit. You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God.” Psalm 51:17

Brokenness is not just for one day but I want it to become a life style. My heart’s desire this year is to be a broken person. May 2016 be the "YEAR OF BROKENNESS".

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AFTER

Life is more than what you think. To a happy 2016!

After rain there's a rainbow, 

After a storm there's calm, 

After the night there's a morning,

After an ending there's a new beginning

After valley there's a mountain,

After the fall there's rise,

After a decrease there's increase,

After the war there's peace

After low there's a high, 

After sadness there's happiness,

After ashes there's beauty,

After mourning there's joy

After a question there's an answer, 

After the battle there's victory,

After the sickness there's healing,

After hate there's love

After the unbelief there's faith,

After darkness there's light

After fear there's freedom

After despair there's hope

After the mess there's a message,

After the past there's a future,

After the mistake there's a miracle,

After the worst there's a best

After failure there's success

After the flood there's sunshine

After the famine there's harvest

After death there's life

- Grace Xavier

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GODS RULE RULES!

I used to commute to work by bike. Dad always enforces the helmet rule on me. However I dislike to wear an helmet since it spoils my hairstyle ;). I was unhappy about this, until the day I fell off my bike and hit my head. But since I had my helmet on, it didn't even hurt. Dad's rule rules! That "terrible" rule has helped me.

It reminds me of God and His rules. God has certain rules for us to help us. They keep us from getting hurt, just like the helmet rule.

One mark of loving God is to keep his commandments which means to follow His rules. My dad loves me so much that he can't bear the thought that I might get hurt. And that's exactly why God gives us His rules too.

Last Sunday at Church we read from John 14:15 which says, "If you love Me, you will keep My commandments." And I almost forgot about it. Just like every-other day I opened the Bible Gateway to read the scripture portion yesterday. It was from John 14. It was like God was reminding me the same verse again.

My husband and I decided to read a portion from the daily devotion before going to bed last night. The verse was from 1 John 5:13 and it said, "Loving God means keeping His commandments". I was surprised! God was speaking to me. This made me question myself.  In which area am I not obeying God?

God was gently reminding me by saying, "Obey My rules and I will keep you from getting hurt!"
And now I never forget to wear my helmet whenever I ride my bike :P

Top Left: The cover of my daily devotional book. Top Right: Notes that I wrote down at church
Bottom: The verse from the devotional

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THE GIFT OF FORGETTING

My aunt met with an accident few days ago and she was telling how she is unable to remember certain things in life after the accident. Immediately my dad told her that even forgetting is a gift of God. This made me think of how forgetting could be a gift.

FORGETTING SAVES FROM DEPRESSION

People possessing extremely detailed photographic memory are called hyperthymesiacs. At first glance, it seems cool to recall every bit of your history! But on second thought, this would be a recipe for depression: whereas great memories will pop up, bad ones will be stuck on the replay button forever with the erase button jammed. You’ll be caught in an endless rewind play of a certain scene. Years will slip by and plenty of “now” moments will be missed… haunted by regrets rather than paying attention to the present. Isaiah 43:18-19 says, “Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old”. This is why the human ability to forget is a staggering gift that can save from depression.

FORGETTING HELPS TO MOVE FORWARD

On my way home from work, I started thinking about something which I regret doing few years ago... how things should have been different etc. I have to say sometimes I go over things that have occurred in the past and keep thinking and thinking about the rather than leaving them in the past and move on. Even the scriptures says in Philippians 3 vs 13 “Forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward…” Forgetting makes me to move forward. I must always remember to move on from the 'scarred tissue'.  We don’t usually consider it a gift, but think of the consequences if we don’t forget. We don’t want to be stuck in this journey of life but move forward.

FORGETTING AIDES THE FORGIVENESS PROCESS

Looking back at my life, I have gone through a lot and accumulated things I no longer want to remember; both things done to me and things I have done to others. With each day, the distance generated has given me time to grieve, heal, forget and forgive. If I had to remember everything bad that people have done to me, I’m sure that I would not be talking to most of the friends & relatives.  It’s through this that I’ve realized that the ability to forget is another expression of the grace of God to me. Even God forgives and forgets. Hebrews 8:12 says “For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more." I thank God for the gift of forgetting. It gives time for us to heal and it aides the forgiveness process.

God has blessed human beings with many Gifts, and one of the most important amongst them is the Gift of Forgetting. Hope you and I will embrace this gift!

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GOD HEARS! GOD ANSWERS!

 

"I STILL REMEMBER THE DAYS I PRAYED FOR THE THINGS I HAVE NOW".

I read this quote somewhere and couldn’t help but ponder on how true this has been in my own life. When I see how far I have reached, I reflect on those heart felt prayers where I'd ask God for some specific things in life. God is a prayer answering God. HE HEARS. HE ANSWERS. He is alive! There have been season of silence from God where I have thought to myself if God has even heard my prayers. But now I’m 100% sure that he hears every one of them. He even knows that small desire in my heart.

I remember praying for my prince charming for a very long time. I know the number of times I cried out to God that I want someone who will love me. And when I see how loving my husband is, I feel so in awe of how good God is to me.

I also remember praying for a job in a good company. As I joined Ericsson, last week I see how God has been so faithful to me in providing me a great job in this awesome company. He is a provider. He longs to surprise His children with blessings!

Even the smallest desire of my heart has been heard by God. Few months ago, I wanted to buy an iPhone for my dad. But it was just beyond my budget. When I nearly forgot about it, God didn't. Last month someone gifted my dad an iPhone 6 plus! Wow! Can you imagine that!  I could never think of buying such an expensive phone for my dad but I did have the desire. God fulfilled my desire! He is just so awesome!

AND NOW I STILL REMEMBER THE PRAYERS I PRAYED FOR THE THINGS I HAVE NOW...

HE STILL HEARS...HE STILL ANSWERS!

What have you been praying for?

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ANCHOR

Breezy and cold is the night

The land is way out of sight

As thunderstorm hits the sea

This little ship is holding me

Rushing waves soar high

As I'm tossed around I cry

Cold water chills my spine

Holding on tight to the twine

The salt burns my wound

When no help can be found

Fears of drowning prevails

As my weak little ship sails

Then I hear a still small voice

“I am the Anchor”, in the noise

“I will never let you sink”

Amidst the storm, just cling!

The sea calmed while I sailed

The Anchor with me never failed

My ship did make it to land

Now on solid ground I stand

- Grace Chelladurai Xavier

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