Wisdom in the time of need

Man's extremity is God's opportunity.

"Those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint." Isaiah 40:31

Do your Best & leave God to do the rest!

Wisdom In The Time Of Need…

Once when I was operating deep inside a brain, an artery broke loose in an area that I couldn't see. This resulted in vigorous bleeding. Because we couldn't see where the blood was coming from, it looked as though we might lose the patient. Without consciously deciding to do so, I just started praying for God's help. I have learned to act on intuition in such emergencies.

Just then I did something that, in the telling, seems almost irrational. I placed the bipolar forceps into the pool of blood where the bleeding might be coming from. It started sucking away the blood. I pleaded, "God, you've got to stop this bleeding. Please, God, I cannot control it."

Strange as it may seem at that instant the bleeding stopped without my ever being able to locate its cause. Afterward, the patient awakened and recovered fully.

At another time we had a man from Bermuda who had trigeminal neuralgia (an extremely painful condition of face caused by irritation of the fifth cranial nerve). Before we had methods to treat this condition, many patients committed suicide because of the constant pain.

I had to put the needle into an exceptionally small hole at the base of his skull and pass it up to the level of the ganglion. This process requires a skill in which I had to develop a great deal of proficiency during my days as a medical student. On that particular day, however, no matter what I did, I could not get the needle into the hole. I had worked at this for nearly two hours before it occurred to me that perhaps I should just give up.

Just before quitting, I finally prayed: "Lord I can not get the needle in. There is no way I can do it. I am going to take this needle and push it in one more time. I want You to guide it into the hole, because I cannot seem to do it."

I took the needle, pushed it, and went right through the hole as if it had a mind of its own. A feeling of deep gratitude came over me. I feel that it is a little risky to relate an incident like this because I can almost hear skeptics say, "Oh, come on, Ben, that is ridiculous. Why would you even say a thing like that?"

Yet, for me it is not absurd; it is what I expect. In talking with other Christian surgeons, I have learned that some of them understand because they have experienced similar feelings of God guiding their hands.

When we develop a relationship with God and believe that He is working through us, we still have moments of helplessness -- when God has an opportunity to do something for us. This happens when we give our best---which, at the particular moment, does not seem good enough. Ready to give up, we say aloud or silently, "I cannot do anymore, Lord. I need You."

At such moments we provide God with the opportunity to respond. Truly.

"Man's extremity is God's opportunity. "

Make this your prayer today:

"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" - Philippians 4:13

Have a Spirit-led day!

( by Irma Raymond)

Heavy Lifting

Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden. —Matthew 11:28


One day I found my son straining to lift a pair of four-pound barbells over his head—an ambitious feat for a toddler. He had raised them only a few inches off the ground, but his eyes were determined and his face was pink with effort. I offered to help, and together we heaved the weight up toward the ceiling. The heavy lifting that was so hard for him was easy for me.

Jesus has this perspective on the stuff that’s hard for us to manage. When life seems like a carousel of catastrophes, Jesus isn’t fazed by a fender-bender, troubled by a toothache, or harassed by a heated argument—even if it all happens in one day! He can handle anything, and that is why He said, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden” (Matt. 11:28).

Are you worn out from ongoing problems? Are you weighed down with stress and worry? Jesus is the only real solution. Approaching the Lord in prayer allows us to cast our burdens on Him so that He can sustain us (Ps. 55:22). Today, ask Him to assist you with everything. By helping you with your burdens, He can supply rest for your soul, for His yoke is easy and His burden is light (Matt. 11:29-30).

( by  Jennifer Benson Schuldt)

O what peace we often forfeit,

O what needless pain we bear,

All because we do not carry

Everything to God in prayer. —Scriven

Prayer is the place where burdens change shoulders.

God is already there

God considered you in His plans;
Be sure you consult Him in YOURS!

God Is Already There…

If the future is something you're dreading
Filling your mind with worry and care,
You don't need to fear for tomorrow,
Because God is already there.

Only the Lord knows the outcome
Of things we fret over today,
And He is there laying the groundwork
For things to turn out the best way.

So when our lives are filled with confusion,
And our hearts weighted down in despair
All we need do is remember
That God is already there.

Always He waits with His blessings,
His Love can give comfort and rest.
So meet with Him first thing each morning
And then your whole day will be blessed.

Rejoice in God’s message for you:

“For I know the plans I have for you”, declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you. Plans to give you a future and a hope.” -- Jeremiah 29:11


( by Irma Raymond)

Fanny Crosby : Queen of Hymns

Frances Jane Crosby was born on March 24, 1820 in South East New York. When she was six weeks old, she caught a cold in her eyes. Since the family physician was away, a country doctor who was a quack prescribed hot mustard poultices to be applied to her eyes, which destroyed her sight completely! Fanny never felt any resentment against him, but believed it was permitted by the Lord to fulfill His plan for her life. Her father John was never to be remembered by Fanny for he died in her twelfth month.

Blind for all her life, Fanny Crosby, the greatest hymn-writer in the history of the Christian church, later wrote, “And I shall see Him face to face, and tell the story – Saved by grace.” At the age of eight, she wrote her first recorded poetry: Oh! What a happy soul am I, and published her first poem at the age of eleven. She wrote more than 9000 hymns, some of which are among the most popular in every Christian denomination.

It was her grandmother who took care of her and became an unforgettable influence in her life. She introduced Fanny to the Bible and she began to devour the scriptures and as a child she could memorise many books from the Bible. When she was fifteen years of age, she was sent to a school for the blind where she was to spend the next 23 years of her life, as a student for 12 years and as a teacher for 11 years. During her years in the school she was encouraged to write and poetry began to flow from her heart and mind.

During her lifetime she addressed the Congress and knew all the presidents except George Washington. She married Alexander van Alstine in 1858 who was one of New York’s best organists and he wrote music to many of Crosby’s hymns. For a long period of time she was under contract to submit three hymns a week for a New York Publishing Firm but she wrote six or seven a day and many became incredibly popular. When Dwight Moody and Ira Sankey began to use them in their crusades, they received even more attention. Among them are “Blessed Assurance," “All the way my Saviour leads me,” “To God be the glory,” “Pass me not, O gentle Saviour,” “Safe in the arms of Jesus,” “Rescue the perishing,” and “Jesus keep me near the Cross.” She continued to write her poetry up to her death, a month away of her 95th birthday. ‘Blessed Assurance’ was her most famous hymn, according to a hymn poll taken by the Christian Herald. ‘To God be the glory’ was not really discovered until 1954, when it was introduced to Bev Shea in London. It was first sung by Shea and the Billy Graham Crusade Choir in Toronto in 1955. Since then it had become a beloved hymn of the faith.

Once a preacher commented, “I think it is a great pity that the Master did not give you sight when he showered so many other gifts upon you.” Fanny Crosby responded at once, “Do you know that if at birth I had been able to make one petition, it would have been that I was born blind, because when I get to heaven, the first face that shall ever gladden my sight will be that of my Saviour.”

Ten inches of water

No day is well spent without spending time with God.

(Read John 15:5)

Will you make time for Him today?

Ten Inches Of Water…

A boy was sitting in a park bench with one hand resting on an open Bible. He was loudly exclaiming his praise to God. Hallelujah! Hallelujah! God is great! he yelled without worrying whether anyone heard him or not.

Shortly after, along came a man who had recently completed some studies at a local University. Feeling himself very enlightened in the ways of truth and very eager to show this enlightenment, he asked the boy about the source of his Joy.

Hey, asked the boy in return with a bright laugh, Don’t you have any idea what God is able to do? I just read that God opened up the waves of the Red Sea and led the whole nation of Israel right through the middle.

The enlightened man laughed lightly, sat down next to the boy and began to try to open his eyes to the realities of the miracles of the Bible. That can all be very easily explained. Modern scholarship has shown that the Red Sea in that area was only 10 inches deep at that time. It was no problem for the Israelites to wade across.

The boy was stumped. His eyes wandered from the man back to the Bible lying open in his lap. The man, content that he had enlightened a poor naive young person to the finer points of scientific insight turned to leave.

Scarcely had he taken two steps when the boy began to rejoice and praise louder than before. The man turned to ask the reason for this resumed jubilation.

Wow! Exclaimed the boy happily, God is greater than I thought!

Not only did He lead the whole nation of Israel through the Red Sea , He topped it off by drowning the whole Egyptian army in 10 inches of water!

May you experience God’s miracle working power is your life too!

Read: Exodus 33:14

( by Irma Raymond)

Quote for the day

The safest place to be in is the will of God.

Quote for the day

The people who seem to enjoy the journey the most are those who have learned the secret of enjoying God 's grace in the face of uncertainty, not those who try to remove uncertainty from their lives...

Quote for the day

I'm glad God uses imperfect people for His purpose...

Coz if He din't, I would never have featured in His list :)

What You will be...

GOOD life starts.....

.....when you STOP wanting a 'better' one...!!!

What You Will Be…

As I gazed up at the mountains, I was awed by their majesty;

I bowed my head and asked myself, "Why should He care for me?

I am not great like the mountains that tower so high above,

What is there about me that God can find to love?"

"Father, I am not strong like the wind that makes your tall trees sway,

I cannot sing sweetly like your birds; will you love me anyway?

But most of all, I am simply me, and often have cause to fear,

In spite of all my weaknesses, do you promise to be near?"

With eyes closed tight against my tears, I wished He could hear me pray.

Then I felt His Spirit tell me, "Child, look up, I have something to say.

"You are simply you, the spirit I love, a part of my great plan.

I put you here to learn of life and to return to me again."

"You are more beautiful to me than the loveliest mountain I made,

And your strength exceeds that of the wind's, so do not be afraid.

I love you not for what you are, but for what I know you will be.

I am always beside you watching you grow, you are very special to me."

A smile touched my lips - I knew it was true, my Father had always been there

Giving me comfort and blessings and love and my own special talents to share.

So I do my best to make Him proud. I am not afraid, for you see,

He loves me not for what I am, but for what He knows I will be.

( by Irma Raymond)

Quote for the day

The night is darkest just before the dawn.

The Lord’s saving power is greatest when tribulations are the strongest...

The Trouble With Heroes

I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. —Psalm 139:14

When I was a kid, I had a hero: Pete Maravich, a high-scoring basketball player who handled the ball like a magician.

Problem was, my desire to be like Pistol Pete blocked my satisfaction with who God made me to be. When I realized I could never play like Pete, I grew discouraged. I even quit my college team briefly because I couldn’t measure up to the Maravich standard.

Kids still do that kind of thing. They grow unhappy with who God made them to be because they measure themselves by their “perfect” heroes.

Christian singer Jonny Diaz recognized this and wrote a song called “More Beautiful You.” The song begins: “Little girl fourteen flipping through a magazine; says she wants to look that way.” Some young girls wish they could be like Disney star Selena Gomez or another star the way I wanted to be like Maravich. Diaz sings, “There could never be a more beautiful you; don’t buy the lies . . . ; you were made to fill a purpose that only you could do.” Diaz is saying what another songwriter said under the inspiration of God thousands of years ago: “[We are] fearfully and wonderfully made” (Ps. 139:14).

God made us the way He wants us to be. Believe it. There could never be a more beautiful you.

( by Dave Branon)

Lord, we are Yours, You are our God;

We have been made so wondrously;

This human frame in every part

Your wisdom, power, and love we see. —Anon.

We are beautiful masterpieces designed by God.

A funny day!

You may be wondering what this funny day was all about. Yeah, I lost my voice(temporarily) this morning. And I had to go through the entire day without it.

I had my exams last week. I'm used to reading things aloud. I read aloud for one full week and that was enough to damage my voice. I wrote my last exam on last Saturday. Sunday morning I developed irritation in my throat and it soon developed into a cold. (and I remembered that on Saturday I was very happy listening to my recorded voice and realizing how sweet my voice was!)

Tuesday morning I had severe throat pain, by evening it was quite okay so I sang some songs and practiced with my friends for a prayer meeting only to realize that my throat pain had become worse than it was in the morning. I woke up this morning and realized my throat wasn't paining. God must have been impressed with me, I thought, thats why he took the pain away. Overjoyed, I called out to my mom and only my lips moved, no sound was heard. Under normal circumstances I would have wondered why God allowed this to happen. But today, the funny part of it struck me and I couldn't help laughing at my predicament. Smiling to myself, I went to college.

I was excited (instead of getting worried) thinking about how I'll manage the day.

I met my classmate (Dhaneesh) in the train. He and I love to argue with each other, and we always seem to have contrasting opinions. So our morning walks to college would usually be an entertaining argument. Of late Dhaneesh wasn't using the train much, but today (when I've lost my voice) Dhaneesh was there! I was trying to tell him in sign language "My voice.......is gone!". Dhaneesh asked me many questions, looked at me for a response and then answered them himself, and literally only he spoke throughout our 15 minute walk to the college with me smiling at every response of his.

We reached college and met some more friends. I was trying to tell them all "My voice is gone!". They thought it was very funny(so did I). Some of them were very curious and urged me to say something, "Hey Janet, speak something. Lets see what your voice sounds like. Will it be like a frog croaking?"

I had lost my ID card last week, and after sending a couple of mails to my class mailing group, I got it back only yesterday. So today, many people asked me about how I got the card back and I had only one response "My voice is gone!"

With our seniors' convocation coming up this Saturday, we needed to practice the songs for it. With my voice in such a condition, I was wondering how I can manage the practice. However Ruby told me they needed only my hands, they could do without my voice!

In both the classes I had today, I had to ask my friends to answer attendance for me even though I was there in the class.

So there I was, talking to everyone with my hands, writing on tables, walls, using everything I could to compensate for my voice. Some of my friends went a step further and showed me their hands and pens to write what I had to say. Some advised me to carry a notepad with me all through the day.

And then I went to the canteen to have breakfast. I gave the man the token and said 'bread omlette' which he obviously couldn't hear. I had to walk to the menu board and point out 'bread omlette' to him. He started making fun of me, and asked if I had taken a vow to not talk. And then he taught me how I should act out 'bread omlette' in case I lost my voice next time. It seems there was another guy like me who had wanted onion dosa in the morning and drew an onion on the wall to tell him. I was much better!

And some of my friends were very clever too! In spite of me telling them I couldn't speak they simply called my number and waited for me to attend their calls. I had to cut every single call I received today.

Finally we assembled in the evening to practice for convocation. I was speaking in hushed whispers tired of writing on walls. My friends didn't realize what had happened to my voice and for about five minutes kept imitating me, whispering their questions to me. I couldn't suggest songs by speech, I had to play every one of them. It was like some sort of a guessing game where I played the tune and they guessed what song it was.

My dad was one of those clever persons who called up to ask me where I was. Thankfully Irene was there and answered the call for me. The day wouldn't have been so much fun without her. She got me my lunch and coffee after hearing my experience with 'bread omlette'.

I walked back to the railway station and met my choir mate (Sagai) with whom I had practiced the previous day. I had dismissed all her instructions (on how to take care of my voice) the previous day. To our great joy, there I was without my voice, and she gave me the I-told-you-so look!

We laughed all through the train journey.

I usually call my dad after I reach my station so he can come and pick me up. Meeting Sagai was God's providence. She called up my dad and told him I had reached the station.

We waited at the doctor's clinic. During my UG days I developed cold quite often (I traveled a long distance to my college and the pollution gave me a cold so I could become a regular contributor to this doctor's monthly income) and so I was a familiar face to him. He asked me the symptoms and my dad spoke for me.

'Did she have something cold?'

'No'.

'Does she have fever?'

'No'.

'Did she travel much?'

'No'.

In all my visits to this doctor, I've never seen him so clueless. He wiped his forehead, rested his elbows on the table with his head in his hands staring at the prescription paper that was blank. Of course, it was because I had read aloud for my exams, but it was a very long explanation, so I didn't tell him(whisper to him). It took all my effort to not laugh seeing the doctor. Then he scribbled something on the paper (hopefully the medicines work!).

I finally came home and my mom asked me how I'd managed without my voice, and I gave her a 'thumbs up' sign...

Yeah...It was a great day, in fact a very successful one! Like I was telling one of my friends, today I somehow met about thrice as much people as I meet on any normal day. And yet I was able to communicate with all of them without my voice. Better still, I cheered up some and entertained a great many! Everybody left me with a smile today.

At the end of it all, I have no regrets at having lost my voice today!

It was a funny day after all :)

P.S.: And the moral of that story is.... Life is not to be taken seriously all the time. It feels good to be happy and to make others happy!

Bring It On!

Three times I was beaten . . . ;

three times I was shipwrecked;

. . . in perils . . . , in weariness and toil,

. . . in hunger and thirst. —2 Corinthians 11:25-27

A TV program on the History Channel featured the world’s most extreme airports. The one that caught my attention is no longer open, but it is one I had flown into. I agree that Hong Kong’s Kai Tak Airport was definitely a thrill ride for passengers and surely a challenge for pilots. If you came in from one direction, you had to fly over skyscrapers and then hope the plane stopped before it plunged into the sea. If you came in the other way, it seemed as if you were going to smack into a mountain.

I found it surprising that a pilot who used to take planeloads of people into Kai Tak said, “I miss flying into that airport.” But I think I know what he meant. As a pilot, he relished the challenge. He had a confidence based on his ability and his reliance on those who guided him into the airport.

Too often, we run from challenges. Yet the people we love to read about in the Bible are impressive because they battled challenges. Consider Paul. With the confidence of God’s help, he faced troubles head-on—and conquered them. Christ’s promise to Paul and to us is: “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness” (2 Cor. 12:9). Like Paul’s example, in the confidence of God’s care we can say to the next challenge: Bring it on!

( by Dave Branon)

I do not ask for easy paths

Along life’s winding roads,

But for the promised grace and strength

To carry all its loads. —Meadows

If God sends you on stony paths,

He will provide you with strong shoes.

Lord, am thankful!

I'd like to share with you an incident that happened today...I was on the way to home, walking on the road when it happened.

Personally, I complain to God lots! "God, this is all I can take, nothing more", I would say...

Whenever someone tells me to be thankful, I would just think "That's so easy to say. You don't know my circumstances." Perhaps God had heard enough of my complaints and thats why he let this incident happen today...

So.... I was walking along the along when a vehicle beside me moved away suddenly and I saw the woman on the other side of the vehicle. I was shocked! She had small pox, her body was full of boils, big terrible boils... I kept thinking about her. I wondered what her life must be like. How would it feel to wake up every morning and see a face full of boils in the mirror? To see people get shocked looking at you, move away from you, and not dare to touch you... Did someone ever hug that woman or give her a gentle pat on her shoulder when she was down? Did she feel loved?

I remembered the kids I see in the railway station everyday.The mom would be selling whatever she had in her basket and the kid would be sleeping and flies would swarm the baby, or worse, the baby would be right on the stairs, about to tumble down. I remembered the kids of the tribal people whose hair had never seen oil.

I thought about myself. The beautiful family God has given me - my beloved members at home who have never given up on me even when I have let them down, all the love they have showered on me, the numerous instances that show they care, all the times they encouraged me, stood by me...

I remembered the numerous opportunities God has sent my way, opportunities these people never got.

I've always lived a secure life. I've never wandered on the streets unattended and uncared for. I've always had a roof over my head and never had to worry about where my next meal would come from.

Earlier, when people told me to be thankful and I protested, they would tell me to compare myself to these little ones and see how blessed I am. I would just say "Okay, I understand that they have many problems that I don't have. But it doesn't mean I have no problems at all, or that my problems aren't as grave as their's are..."

Even now I don't mean to say that my problems are nothing at all compared to their's, but I do realize that I've been blessed with so many things they don't have - things that they need, things that I did nothing to deserve to have. I knew deep inside that I wouldn't last a moment in the shoes of that woman with boils.

I've focused so much on what I din't have that I failed to notice and appreciate all that I do have.

I thanked God that moment, for all that I've been blessed with.

(I have great respect for that woman. Her will to survive amidst all her troubles struck me so powerfully. God bless her!)

Amidst our mad schedules and busy lives, we too could try to take a moment today to thank God for everything, just everything!