Proverbs 32

The book of Proverbs ends with 31 chapters. Proverbs 31 speaks about the qualities of a virtuous wife. What if there was a Proverbs 32 ???

Proverbs 32 - A husband of noble character

An excellent husband, no one can find
To his value, all money resigns.
He's forever calm;
In her love, that remains.
He trusts in his wife
Beyond all other gain.

When she gets angry
And she’s fuming out stress
Her crazy moods
He doesn’t mind
So strong is his love
That is patient and kind.

He does not complain
about her choices.
And he doesn't take for granted
Her generous sacrifices
He values her life,
More than the money she brings
His favorite music
Is the song she sings.

He is her best critic
The anchor for her dreams
He’s proud of her achievements
He knows that she’s unique.

The beauty he sees,
Is the beauty that never fades.
It's her heart that charms him
Today and always,

As her waistline broadens
Her body loses grace.
Years begin to creep in
And draw indelible lines on her face

But he loves her even more,
This wife of his youth.
Each day, he learns her better.
And remains to her, forever true.
_____________________________________________________________

From the lives we’ve seen;
We know...
That only a woman can make a home
And it is her,
who builds her husband's throne.

Husbands can’t be everything you need.
Poor guys!! they don’t have a clue..
Because,
There is no Proverbs thirty two :D :D

____________________________________________________________________


Image Courtesy
http://life-nolimit.blogspot.com/2010/06/proverbs-31-man.html

How to start writing?

I attended a writers' workshop and I realized that the problem for many was not their dislike towards writing, rather it was an inability to start it off. I'm not an accomplished writer, but I've written consistently, so maybe that qualifies me to talk about how you can start off writing.

1) Ego-Writing

Start with lines like these, "I love to ....", "I don't like people who .." ,"I hate..." "I wish..." , "I'm a .... kind of person", recount your parents' experiences with you as a mischievous child, express your lost dreams, write your favorites and your dislikes and write all that you feel about yourself.

Writing happens only when there is an active thought process, and that's why this exercise works because we're always thinking about ourselves. Therefore, it is very easy to put down thoughts about yourself on paper. Once you've done it, read it, and re-read it and let your mind know that you can write.

2) Write sermon notes

Write down what you hear at the Sunday Service and transcribe it when you return home and post it on a blog, or forward it to church members and friends. After you've done this for a while, you could probably graduate to write your thoughts on the sermon, and how it helped you.

3) Get Observant

The most important quality for a writer is to be observant. The more you observe, the more you find stuff to write about. Again, this comes by practice. Choose a specific thing that you're going to observe more carefully, for instance, start observing how people say "thank you" or "bye", if you travel a lot by bus, look carefully at the expressions of people as they enter a crowded bus. Observe a lot, and make it a point to jot down each day's observation (not more than a line) somewhere, with time you'll find that your capacity to observe has increased and you'll have lots of subjects to write about.

4) Write about photographs

Pick up pictures from your album and write about when it was taken, what you think about the people in the photo, and how you felt when the photo was taken. If you took it in a special place, maybe you could give some background information of the location as well.

5) Rewrite Bible stories

Personally, this exercise helps me a lot. Rewrite bible stories as if they were narrated by a different person. For instance, write the story of Joseph, as if it were narrated by the Potiphar's wife. Write the story of the iron axe floating (Elisha's miracle) as if it were told by the axe. When you do this, you don't have to think about creating new content, instead you would just be thinking in a different dimension and doing some research to create continuity. And in the end, you would be satisfied with a unique piece of writing.

6) Write to appreciate

To be appreciative and critical is a very essential quality for a writer. And most importantly, when you're appreciating something, it's important that you don't use tired words like "amazing", "awesome", "great". Get a little descriptive and write what you really liked about it. For instance, I once stumbled upon an unknown blog (long ago, even before I started blogging), and I wrote a personal mail to the author.

"I want you to know that I really like your blog and appreciate your writing. I read a few of them and I especially like 'Making my Creator Proud' very much. I understand that it requires a lot of discipline and listening to be able to write such good work and kudos to you;you are doing a great job.

Continue writing and inspiring lives for God."

Once you've become really good at appreciating, start critiquing work. All of this spurts the mind to think, and the more you think, you can't stop yourself from writing.

7) Write letters (emails)

I bet there are lots of friends out there whom you haven't been in touch for a while. Start writing personal mails them. Write about how you've been, bring back some memories of your good times, write about how much you think of them. Include lines of best wishes and be sincere in what you're saying. This is a great way to get rid of the "I can't write" blocks.

8) Read

The urge to start writing comes when you read good books. Reading is just a habit, it isn't a special skill endowed to a select few. If you don't have the habit, hang out with people who read a lot. This works like charm, the influence would just rub on you. If you're the won't-read-anything-but-the-Bible kind, I suggest that you read a lot of Psalms and start writing your own psalms.

9) Find someone who can encourage you to write

I hate to accept it, but when you start writing, you need someone to keep pushing you to do it. Someone, to just read your work. It's a little hard to be self-motivated to write. I'm grateful to God, that I have a sister who constantly encourages me in what I do. Whatever I write, she reads. Sometimes, she doesn't say anything more than just, "it's nice", but through the years, I've learned to distinguish between her different "it's nice" tones :)

Maybe, if she wasn't around, with no other encouragement, and everyone either too busy or too critical (don't get me wrong, criticism is necessary, but is harmful if lots of doses are given in the beginning itself), I would have probably stopped writing. Find someone who can encourage you and thank God for putting them in your life.

If you're unable to find anyone, drop me a message, I'll be very glad to read, re-read, and be your buddy as you progress in your writing journey.

10) Pray a lot

I'm not a great writer, neither do I pray a lot, but most of my sensible writings have come from my conversations with God. I'm not talking about having a book of prayer or a petition list or reading 1000 praises, but a proper conversation where you communicate with God.

Nothing, opens up your mind like this. Even when you have to thank God, don't use some clichéd verses. Instead, think of specific things that you're grateful about, and say it to Him. Talk to God, as you would talk to someone looking at your face and listening intently to your words.

The more you talk to Him, more you'll find the right words to write.

Affectionately,
Callie Ariel

Image Courtesy:
http://school.discoveryeducation.com/clipart/clip/writing-color.html

New pals

I have great friends. But my bestest friends have always been books.

I read practically every genre, however, deliberately avoiding romance (because I can't bear it). I don't like romance novels, not because I don't like a good love story, but because I don't have the patience to read unrealistic prose descriptions glorifying each other more than what they're worth. I'd rather read a cryptic romantic poem ;)

My favorite fiction authors are Jefferey Archer (I like his choice of words) and Robin Cook (He helps me delve inside the world of Medicine which is where I once wanted to belong to).

My favorite genre is the Christian one. But then, it's easy to write a Christian book, and very easy to write a bad-bestselling Christian book. Because of this, I am very choosy about the Christian books I pick. In the ocean of the millions of books out there, I have few authors whose books I've picked and never regretted. One of my future posts would be about these authors, and why I like them, and why I like their books.

My favorite authors

1. King David
2. The unknown author of Job
3. Dr.Luke (The one who wrote the Gospel and the Acts)
4. Apostle John
5. Selwyn Hughes
6. CS Lewis
7. Ravi Zacharias
8. A.W Tozer
9. Bill Hybels
10. Carole Mayhall
11. Tommy Tenney
12. J.N Manoharan

While I have many favorite books, I do have a very personal book.

And that's my Bible.

Let me confess, I haven't got up every morning, reading the Bible and always feeling like I had a helping of honey. Sometimes, I dread having to read the Bible, sometimes I sleep when I am reading it, sometimes, I frown; sometimes, I cry; sometimes, I'm enlightened; sometimes I laugh out loud, and sometimes I'm just too amazed for words.

Nevertheless, it is my Bible and it is God's personal message for my life.

I love scribbling on the pages of this Personal book, my deepest thoughts, and penning my insignificant words near the Words breathed by God. You can find smiley faces, angry faces, question marks, exclamations, stars, and so many different remarks in this Personal book of mine. My Bible is unique to me, and my bestest friend.

I've grown only 2 Bibles old until now. The first Bible that I started reading was my parents' gift on my 13th birthday. It was an NIV Teen Study Bible. I've written audacious notes on that Bible such as "Today, God cheated me :( ", "Is God over-reacting here ?"

I started growing up, and my Bible started falling apart, so I wanted something that would give me more insight when I read a verse. So, I asked my daddy to buy me an Amplified Bible. With this Bible, I could never read more than 2 chapters a moment. Simply because, there was so much in the brackets. But this Bible was my closest confidant, especially because; in this phase, my life was racing across different terrains. This Bible helped me see and saw with me the faithfulness of God. There were times when I hit rock bottom unable to talk to anyone. Those days I would curl up in bed hugging my Bible close to my heart. It was also during this time in my life that I was introduced to studying the Bible. And so you would find, many papers stuck on the pages containing exegetic and hermeneutic notes.

I now discerned that I needed to further mature my understanding of God's Word. I so believe that the Master wants me to step into another dimension that I haven't yet explored. I therefore wanted a fresh start, a cleaner Bible :) with more fresh space to scribble. So, almost after a satisfying 6-year journey with my Amplified, I bought a TNIV Bible last week. I actually bought two, a pocket size one and a bigger one with lots and lots of margin space.

I signed my name on my new bibles, thanking God silently for the tremendous sacrifice of the numerous people who labored to bring God's Word to an ordinary person like me. I tucked my older bibles back to the bookshelf, contented that the Master in His grace let me hear His voice. Each of those bibles bring memories of a life now left behind.

I am ready to continue running with my new Pal, my new BIBLE.

Hoping to hear more of the Master's Voice,

Callie

Yokebreaker 2010

After close to a month of tedious praying, planning and preparing, we got yet another chance to have our yokes broken. It was time for Yokebreaker 2010.

Last time, we discussed on Bible Reading, Honoring Parents and Sex. This time, by divine purpose, our folks planned the event along the lines of Decision Making and Disciplined Life. Several young people who are in the cross roads of making crucial decisions, get several yokes fastened on their lives due to wrong choices. Consequently, it retards the speed at which we're heading to achieve God's goal. With time, we rust, stagnate and suffer. Instead of living, we just exist.

Can we get rid of these yokes, by making the right decisions ? If yes, then how do we do it?
The first session by Pr Charles Dawson, helped get to the HEART of decision making.

The second session by Bro Prince, dealt with how a DISCIPLE ought to lead a DISCIPLINED LIFE . We did have some sound Biblical pointers, which when applied, would liberate us from the Satan's yoke of always looking busy, but doing nothing productive.

And we had some really cool team building games. In addition, we had one rib-tickling Bible trivia quiz.

Hosea was the prophet who got to marry the prostitute. But did I forget that Hosea was also the real name of Joshua who gave good report about Canaan to the Hebrews. Man!! it was disheartening to know how much of detail we skipped when we read the Bible, but then the playing was fun. I guess, some of us would have taken some real resolutions to raise their Bible IQ!!

Chicken biryani, and a great deal of snacks. I must say that every detail was carefully planned. Time was perfectly managed.

Our church planned to have the venue out of the church. We had it in a place called Dash n Splash. It's filled with trees and extremely shady. Nature cooperated with us, by restraining the rain, yet keeping the weather absolutely cool and breezy. In our worship sessions, I guess the trees clapped their hands and the winds sang praise too. It was just the perfect place to get ourselves restored and refreshed.

Did I forget to mention that we did get to end this great day with a dash of splash in the water slides, pools and games that were there around in this place ?

Swingin, playin, runnin, jumpin, slidin, dashin, we all had a great time. By 6 pm we left the place, leaving behind our yokes, moving forward in freedom to love Him, know Him, and live for Him.

And that's the only decision we would ever have to make.

Excerpts coming soon.

The shack: Where tragedy confronts eternity

The shack: Where tragedy confronts eternity

Author: Wm. Paul Young

Publisher: Windblown Media, Los Angeles

Year of publication: 2007

Reviewed by: Rev. Dr. J.N. Manokaran jnmanokaran@yahoo.com

http://jnmanokaran.com

Paul Young has written a brilliant Post-modern novel. It is written in contemporary style, with beautiful narratives, creative imagination and that portrays the struggles of people in their day-to-day lives. A reader would find it difficult to keep the book down, unless s/he completes it.

As a good author, he has used his imagination creatively and purposefully. It is amazing to see how he has weaved the biblical truths in cohesive manner. In that, the author reminds us of John Bunyan of Pilgrim’s Progress and also of Sadhu Sundar Singh, a mystic Christian leader from India.

The main character of the novel, Mackenzie Allen Phillips has a difficult childhood and could not relate with his father. Then he leaves home for good and does theological training. He is married to Nan and the couple have five children. The youngest daughter Missy goes missing during a vacation. Great sadness descends in his heart. He felt he failed to protect her and he could not trace her body and bury her also. The whole story is how he tries to wrestle with this irreparable loss.

Mack’s own childhood was not good or great. His father would drink quite often and beat his wife. Mack was guilty as he never stood up for her. Later, he walks out of his home, when his father beats him for sharing the family secret with a church elder. Hence, he was unable to relate to God as ‘Father’. He goes through ‘The Shack’ experience. In that, me meets God as African-American woman (she is addressed as Papa), Son as Middle-Eastern man and Holy Spirit in the form of Asian woman named Sarayu. The God head Trinity without a White personality. A weekend turns to be his memorable experience in which he comes out all his emotional baggage.

As a creative artist, he has taken liberty to relate with the young Post Modern audience. In that, he deviates from or challenges some of the evangelical ideas. The idea of the Trinity having weekend with Mack and related incidents could be hard for some evangelical Christians to understand or digest. It is also a theological treatise packaged in contemporary Postmodern vocabulary appealing to young people. Also, the author has presented the gospel in implicit manner, as much as possible within the context of a novel.

This book could be used to help people who go through emotional turmoil and understand the love of God in their lives. It could be as a Pre-evangelistic tool. Using this book in secular forums could create creative opportunities to present the gospel.

YokeBreaker 2009

" Now I will break their yoke from your neck and tear your shackles away " (Nahum 1:7, 13)

The rising generation of Philadelphia Church Villivakkam, celebrated their annual youth treat on October 2nd 2009. The time spent in organizing this event were filled with tremendous team work. selfless efforts and high levels of expectation.

And the treat by itself, was an opportunity of immense learning and self evaluation. For those, who submitted themselves to the lessons taught, this event was truly a yoke breaker.

YokeBreaker 2009 was a spiritual celebration without any extravagant frills and mass attracting entertainment bombs. It was focused on God's purposes, real, relevant and fun.

Yokes are not fastened on to our lives with a loud noise. They attach themselves very silently through the choices that we make and through the way we respond to issues in our every day relationships .

YokeBreaker was an eye opener, a heart talk, and the Master's voice in each of these areas. A sincere effort to apply the lessons taught gives way for a supernatural explosion that sets us completely free.

(Please click on each session, to read an excerpt of the message heard.)

Session 1: The power of Revelation.

Session 2: Honoring Parents

Session 3: Exploring Sexuality as God created it.

Each session had a generous amount of time allocated to ask questions relevant to practical concerns in our own lives. The answers given were something that called for immediate attention and application.

We worshiped, laughed, jumped, cheered, fought for scores, made new friends and ate scrumptious food.

And the event came to an end, with a united cry for the new anointing of the Holy Spirit in each of our lives. The Spirit of God enveloped the place with His sweet embrace, transforming the hearts and minds of everyone who prayed the prayer of submission. All the lessons learned throughout the day, were reinforced by the Holy Spirit, moving us to the next level of spiritual, physical and emotional progress.

YokeBreaker 2009 broke the yokes of some, prepared the soil for some, sowed the seed in some, and reaped a harvest in some. And more than anything, YokeBreaker 2009 fulfilled God's agenda in the life of each participant.

Visit My Master's Voice for an excerpt of each of the session.

Christian 'Neverlands'

Original Forwarded Message:

A man trusted ...... in WHAT!!! please see what he has done for his earthly life? what can we call this!!! I kindly request you to look at the pictures.

My Dad's reply to the forwarded mail

I think Michael Jackson earned all these by his own worldly talents though he originally started as a Gospel singer. But being a poor administrator of finance he did not enjoy his wealth to its fuller extent. I do not think he was greedy or stealer of someone's money.

By comparison , I think he is more honest than the so called 'Christian wolves' who amass personal wealth, Vanity and pride in the name of Evangelism to build their own castles.

Many of the so called soul savers for Jesus unnecessarily build dubious scriptural NEVER LANDS. in the name of intercession towers,competing with each other to conduct expensive concerts, meaningless conferences and Mosaic Mega churches by selling the GRACE of our LORD and deceiving the masses in the name of God's secret revelation.


I am an observant media critic, both Religious and Secular.

I observe that in Christian media, many presenters 'perform' without any perseverance in preparation and Prayer. They seem to have inadequate understanding and conviction about the specific call of God in their life and poorly imitate everything that seems attractive , commercial, self propagating and self gratifying.

I do not deny that there many excellent Christian TV programmes , I have been personally enlightened by some.

But Most of our TV programmes especially Indian Christian programmes are rubbish, wasting precious bandwidth.

Matthew 21:18-22

Seeing a fig tree by the road, he went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves. Then he said to it, "May you never bear fruit again!" Immediately the tree withered.

We have many 'leafy' performers and orators out there, with absolutely no fruit. We don't realize that the Christian media has the highest responsibility in the Kingdom.

But we are allowing ourselves - the Kingdom of power and transformation to be portrayed as a bunch of jokers, always in need of money to build structures, asking people to pay our debts so that they can be free of theirs and a breed of 'spiritual' apes who pathetically imitate and compete with each other stealing each others' sheep instead of venturing into the lands of the unknown and the unheard.

End note :

I am not a fan of Michael Jackson.I just knew him as an eccentric entertainer. But after his death I read as much available material on him, saw many video clippings and have come to believe that if he would have been properly molded as a Christian Singer,and if the Christians he saw, in his family and beyond related to him in the spirit of Christ, he would have done a enormous service in the spread of Gospel.

THE CHURCH I KNOW

If this is not a place where tears are understood,

Where do I go to cry?

If this is not a place where my questions can be asked,

Where do I seek?

If this is not a place where my spirit can take wing,

Where do I go to fly?

If this is not a place where my feelings can be heard,

Where do I go to speak?

If this is not a place where you'll accept me as I am,

Where do I go to be?

If this is not a place where I can learn and grow,

Where can I be just me?

That's the church I know.

-Source Unknown

All our churches, and our Christian homes have enormous talent. When they are not crafted and channeled correctly, they get distraught and become vulnerable. With time, they drift away to the wrong places and become prisoners of wealth and loneliness.

As a church and in our family, it is our responsibility to recognize, appreciate, train and mould talent in the love, counsel, care and perfection of Christ.

Otherwise we will loose many more Michael Jacksons.

Let us stop judging the world and check the cancer that's growing in our minds and within our own body of believers.