Cultural shock with baby one

Until the day baby was discharged from the hospital after its delivery, naively I was still thinking baby won't need so many diapers and cloths! She needs so many diapers, clothes to cover her etc and etc. Her requirements sometime is more than adults. Our home is now has lots of additions of baby stuffs. And I am sure, when we travel around, our luggage will even double.

Dirty cloths

Till last Thursday, I thought I had washed dirty cloths, until I washed our baby's soil cloths. The normal detergent powders we use have no complete effect. Stains would still remain. I joked baby's soiled cloths have great power!

Pure milk

Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation - I Peter 2:2.

This verse came fresh today as I was returning from church. Our baby is a week old now and seeing her need is only pure milk, only mother's milk. Nothing else. We cannot feed her water, chicken or ice cream. She just wants only mother's milk.

Peter's use of image made sense. As believers we are not to feed on "So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander (I Peter 2:1).

Maintain good health

These days I receive repeated messages from many friends about a need to take good care of our body.

Last Wednesday, a friend a workshop taught us the ways to prevent becoming a victim of Diabetes. He indicated that most of cases on Diabetes is based on lifestyle. We need to make care we try our best to prevent ourselves.

Today while in church, I talked an elderly man who recently retired from a lifetime of teaching. While he was young he did lots of teaching in computers. He was zealous and did incessantly. After teaching over a decade he had a major blow in his body. He did not feel the sensations in his leg. Doctor had to force him to hospitalize for three months. He advised me to take care of health while still young.

About two months a good, I read an email from a veteran Bible translator. He suffered stroke two times. Now he could hardly move his hands to do translation. He pleaded translation colleagues to care of health while there is still time.

In this connection, I need to revive the need to do regular exercise and watch out for my diet while still there is time.

Life is not about getting No. 1

Courtesy:  http://toolonginthisplace.blogspot.in

Our pastor today shared from 1 John 2:15-17

Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever.

One phrase caught my attention: Pride of our achievements or possessions. He used "pride of life".

It is human's desire to be first. To be in first place.

• In educational institutions. 
• While driving. Wanting to get ahead of other fellow travelers.
• In queue whether to book ticket or security checks.

Our call as human is to live a life that sacrifice other Christian value at the cost of getting ahead.

Never command your child to get first place in exams. That'll ruin your child's life, her/his educational institution, the society as a whole. Let him/her do whatever is possible.

Accuracy in Bible Translation

This week, one of the participants in a workshop taught us a special topic: Accuracy in Bible translation.

I heard special terms like meaning-Based Bible translation. Never really known its meaning until the participant taught us. He shared this sentence:

A good translation must be accurate, i.e., the translator must retell the meaning of the original message as exactly as possible, in his language. Here are three ways in which a translation can fail to be accurate, if:

• Part of the original meaning is missing. 
• You add anything to the original meaning.
• You change the original meaning. 

This lesson a greater appreciation for those who translate Bible or any literature. I realized how technical details are involved to see a beautiful piece of literature in my hand. 

King Joash Repairs the Temple

2 Chronicles 24:1-16 (NLT)

JOASH'S PROFILE

Joash was seven years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem forty years. His mother was Zibiah from Beersheba. Joash did what was pleasing in the Lord’s sight throughout the lifetime of Jehoiada the priest. Jehoiada chose two wives for Joash, and he had sons and daughters.

JOASH AND PRIEST/LEVITES

At one point Joash decided to repair and restore the Temple of the Lord. He summoned the priests and Levites and gave them these instructions: “Go to all the towns of Judah and collect the required annual offerings, so that we can repair the Temple of your God. Do not delay!” But the Levites did not act immediately.

JOASH AND JEHOIDA

So the king called for Jehoiada the high priest and asked him, “Why haven’t you demanded that the Levites go out and collect the Temple taxes from the towns of Judah and from Jerusalem? Moses, the servant of the Lord, levied this tax on the community of Israel in order to maintain the Tabernacle of the Covenant.

[PARENTHESIS]

 Over the years the followers of wicked Athaliah had broken into the Temple of God, and they had used all the dedicated things from the Temple of the Lord to worship the images of Baal.

ORDERS OF JOASH

So now the king ordered a chest to be made and set outside the gate leading to the Temple of the Lord.

Then a proclamation was sent throughout Judah and Jerusalem, telling the people to bring to the Lord the tax that Moses, the servant of God, had required of the Israelites in the wilderness.  

This pleased all the leaders and the people, and they gladly brought their money and filled the chest with it.

Whenever the chest became full, the Levites would carry it to the king’s officials. Then the court secretary and an officer of the high priest would come and empty the chest and take it back to the Temple again. This went on day after day, and a large amount of money was collected.

WORKERS

The king and Jehoiada gave the money to the construction supervisors, who hired masons and carpenters to restore the Temple of the Lord. They also hired metalworkers, who made articles of iron and bronze for the Lord’s Temple.

TEMPLE COMPLETED

The men in charge of the renovation worked hard and made steady progress. They restored the Temple of God according to its original design and strengthened it. When all the repairs were finished, they brought the remaining money to the king and Jehoiada. It was used to make various articles for the Temple of the Lord—articles for worship services and for burnt offerings, including ladles and other articles made of gold and silver. And the burnt offerings were sacrificed continually in the Temple of the Lord during the lifetime of Jehoiada the priest.

JEHOIDA DIES

Jehoiada lived to a very old age, finally dying at 130. He was buried among the kings in the City of David, because he had done so much good in Israel for God and his Temple.

Feedback

Exercise vs Good Health

Today a friend conducted a quick survey on 12 out of 14 participants. The question was:

• Do you have sickness?
• Do you do exercise?

The result was: people who do regular exercise have good health. And people who don't do regular exercise has more sickness.

I began to think: Though all of us know exercise is good for health, but we don't naturally do. Why? 

As Christian, the Bible says, Don't you realize that all of you together are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God lives in you? (I Corinthians 3:16). There is more need to take care of our body.

Some sights in our neighborhood in Bangalore

A truck dumbed this garbage on our way to office. It has been burning from 7 Sep  (1 PM) and still burning till today.

Birds laid their eggs on the ground (June 5, 2010).

Beautiful flower in our office (March 30, 2010).

A friend in 2008 planted this fruit plant. It is still bearing tasty fruit.

Cross in OM campus.

Seasonal flower at our office. It blooms during the day and sleep after sunset (30 March 2010).

How We Learn Best

A great fact I learned yesterday was how we learn. A colleague shared this visual.

This reminds I should not just say... use as much active involvement of learners as possible. Participants best learn that way.

What I hear, I forget. 
What I see, I remember. 
What I do, I understand. -- A Chinese proverb.

Respect for learners

This week (10-14 Sep) I co-teach adult education in Bangalore. One of the key principles of learning is Respectful for learners. 

I read a site that describe this idea well. 

Perhaps the most powerful attribute a teacher can attain is respect for students. That's a little different from aspiring to be respected oneself. I know many teachers who seek respect and don't quite get it. I can think of none who've worked consistently to be respectful of students who did not also gain students' respect—and the respect of parents and colleagues.

We also explored in our class what it means to be respectful for learners. We came out with the following.

Today I saw a good paper in a website - Respect for learners: A Christian didactic perspective. Hoping to read later.

Idea for garden

This is one of the most beautiful photo I have ever seen (from a friend's album on Facebook). I thought it might be fun to experiment this kind of gardening where all kinds of vegetables can planted together.

Parenting Philosophy

For the first time I read this philosophy from Dr James Dobson's book "Confident Families part 1". One of the best thing parents can do for their children is to prepare them to face adulthood. 

Cartoon from www.rebert.foo.my.

In a way, whole time we have during their childhood is so that they can stand on their own as they grow.

The parental function then is to consciously teach the child to be independent as much as possible and as maturity permits. At birth they are 100% dependent. As the years of schooling days come, their dependence on parents lessen. And much more as the college years sets in. He says, by the time they reach 20 years of age, they should be completely on their own. Of course he is talking in American context. But he has good point that we need to aim for a set year to release our child into a matured person, ready to face the world on their own. 

Parental authority beyond those year is advisory in nature. We are not the complete authority in their live. 

Difficult to let our child move on that stage but necessary for them to live matured adult life. 

Ant Hill

Ant Hill (Photo: 31 August 2012).

Few days ago we went for a walk after many rainy days. The grounds were filled with water and by then it began to dry. We saw this newly built ant hill on the way. Amazing such small creatures can make such beautiful molds.

After a long look, this verse from the book of Proverbs echoed in my mind- Take a lesson from the ants, you lazybones. Learn from their ways and become wise! Proverbs 6:6.

Diligence and consistent efforts and working together produce good and beautiful results.

Flower Under Thorny Plant

Flowers overshadowed by thorns.

Beautiful sight on our way home from office. Flowers can grow anywhere, even under thorny plants.

A week later, I passed by the same spot. By then the thorny leaves covered this beautiful flower.

Beauty of Unity

From  http://www.urbanfaith.com

Last Sunday (26 August), our pastor taught us the beauty of Unity from Psalms 133 (New Living Translation).

How wonderful and pleasant it is 

    when brothers live together in harmony! 
For harmony is as precious as the anointing oil

    that was poured over Aaron’s head,

    that ran down his beard

    and onto the border of his robe. 
Harmony is as refreshing as the dew from Mount Hermon

    that falls on the mountains of Zion.

And there the Lord has pronounced his blessing,

    even life everlasting.

Unity is good and pleasant thing. That's the reason Jesus wanted his disciples to live in harmony in John chapter 17. Jesus particularly prayed that the disciples will be one - 5 times there. 

The Psalmist compared the unity as Anointing Oil and as Snow. I read this images several times and never made sense. I am fortunate to learn from our pastor.

UNITY AS ANOINTING OIL

Anointing oils were used only for special purposes like ordaining king or priests. God specially instructed them the ingredients to make it and no one else must make it for any other purposed (detailed instruction in Exodus 30:22-33).

The text says, anointing oil poured on Aaron's beard and flows to the edge of his robes. It doesn't seem a pleasant experience. Who lives to be smeared with oil all over the body?

But the image is talking about the pleasant fragrance that perfume emits. The whole area is filled with beautiful smell, unlike stench from garbage. Fragrance attracts, stench repels.

Unity like good fragrance, draws people in. That creates good testimony. People will feel safety to be around.

UNITY AS SNOW
Mount Hermon is the highest peak in Israel, located in the north. Snow falls there. Snow from there melts and flows down as water in the form of River Jordan. River Jordan flows from north to south of the country. Thus giving life and fertility to the land, as Nile is to Egypt and Euphrates to Iraq.

Where there is unity, there is life. Unity encourages life, not death. Its conversely true that where there is no unity, there is fights and power struggle. You can hardly find a flourishing life in such context.

Interesting to note: And there the Lord has pronounced his blessing, even life everlasting.

The psalmist mentioned blessing and life. 

Unity Challenged

Tombs of Sapphira and Ananias (Courtesy: Christart.com).

Our preacher today shared from early church in Acts 4 and 5. Two sides: The first is the wonderful life of the early church and then the temptation of Ananias and Sapphira.

Wonderful life of the church
Believers were of one heart and mind, in unity. The unity was based on:

• Holiness: Nothing else like want for money, recognition, power, fame. But purely in a desire to be united in Christ. Only sin can destroy Christian unity. 
• Boldness and outspoken: There the apostles spoke the Word of God boldly - they were bold and outspoken. Not afraid. But then filled with the Holy Spirit.
• Generous: They were generous where believers sold their properties and shared with those in need. Then climax is the generosity of Barnabas. His contribution was highly appreciated.

The devil knew he cannot do anything in this context. So his strategy changed: destroy unity but using someone within the group.

Temptation of Ananias and Sapphira 
Perhaps they wanted to outshine Barnabas. Clearly, they want to appear as some big. They wanted to show they were very generous people, even if that means lying. For that they paid their own lives.

Peter confronted them immediately after sensing their hypocrisy.

Why was their sins serious? Because they premeditated/planned what they were going to do. Not listening to the voice that must have confronted them several times.

There was no fear of God in them. Just as it is today.

A Cultural Lesson in Bangalore

This evening my wife and I went to buy some vegetables. After the purchase, when I handed the money as in the first photo, he asked me not to give that way. Because that will bring loss to him and to me.

Wrong way to give money.

 Then he showed me this gesture. His gesture confused me - I had no idea what he meant. For a minute I thought his hand was dirty!

Gesture for right way.

 Finally I learned what he meant. I handed the note correctly.

Right way.

Fun... life is like that. Learning new social ways each day.