The Year That Was 2007

Every 31st night in India we have a midnight service at our local church. The church in my hometown has a particularly special event during the midnight service, I love that program. Our church being a small one with few people attending the midnight service, everyone (well whoever wants to) gets a chance to give their testimony of how the Lord guided/blessed them the past year. I am not going to be at my church in India this year so I can't do that. So I decided to put up my testimony for this year 2007 right here on my blog. I write this testimony with this prayer in my heart that whoever reads it, if they know the Lord they will get stronger in faith and whoever doesn't know my Lord will atleast make an attempt to know Him. My Lord Jesus.


The Year that was 2007

• Special Delivery-I love being pampered, being the only daughter in my family, my dad's elder brother has 3 sons and my dad has me and 2 more sons. So I was always cared for more, loved more and I guess in the process I like to be treated real special. My God does that with me too. He answered one prayer I had prayed some 15years back when I first met Him."God give me a unique life" and He sure did. He blessed me this year with twin babies, an awesome blessing, I can never fully express my gratefulness for this precious gift bundle from God, never ever.
• Special people-I have been praying for my husband to find genuine Christian people in his life that he may get to see real Jesus followers not the ones who worship only with their mouths and their hearts far away from Him....and God did. I found in our local AG church a wonderful family who don't talk Christian, they live Christian life. I love them.
• Special first touch- I wanted my babies to be first introduced to my parents, a couple filled with the Holy Spirit, who love Jesus whole heartedly and God did just that. My parents have been with me since the birth of my twins (Sept) until the 6th of Jan 08. I am absolutely grateful to God my Living Father for that.Totally grateful Dad!!!

Above all-Dear Daddy in Heaven, I am totally grateful to You Dear Dad for being in my life. My life has surely become special and different, absolutely unique, absolutely blessed. You have made my life such a beautiful adventure. I love you more each passing day. Thank you Lord for everything and every blessing You have given me. May my life be a demonstration of Your love before people who don't know You. Shine through me Dear Lord and share Your love for Your people every one of them on this earth(Ps24). Lots of Love, Your daughter Godzheart. Amen

I Love December

I love December for I get to celebrate the Birthdays of the two most important people in my life. My Lord Jesus and my hubby. So I am planning to make him Black Forest cake and just hope it turns out well. Now you don't go telling him his surprise ok...

In the meanwhile, my twin dolls are doing well, they're growing well, they have learnt to recognise me and they now smile at us. Above all, the most precious thing is they look like me and my hubby. I feel such joy when we sit and watch them and say "This one's nose is like you, that ones lips are like mine."

Wow my lil ones look like me, my image. I feel a little nervous when they cry and scream if I'm a bit late in getting them their food but times when they are happy I feel strangely proud and sooo immensely loved when they stare into my eyes and smile. This feeling has encouraged me to get even closer to God my Father, in Whose image I am made. Wouldn't He be feeling so proud when He sees His image in me and wouldn't He feel loved when I look into His eyes and smile, just smile, not crying or screaming and asking for food or other needs, just smiling and being a child admiring her Dad.

My lil ones have been made in my image and came through me and they belong to me, given to me by my Heavenly Father. The Word of God reads in Matthew 22:20-22 "20and he asked them, "Whose portrait is this? And whose inscription?" 21"Caesar's," they replied.Then he said to them, "Give to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's." We've been made in the image of our Heavenly Father and so we belong to Him, this Christmas as we celebrate the best gift we ever received from our Heavenly Father, His Son and a new life in exchange for our sin and suffering and death, let us remember to give to God what belongs to Him....even ourselves.

Love

Amazing Human Technology

I have been amazed throughout my pregnancy and the birth and even more amazed as I learn more about the human body and its intricacies. My heart can't stop saying "wow Lord You knit them up so easily, a human body inside a human body its amazing"....

When I learnt more about feeding the babies I learnt that mother's milk has the capability to give the baby all weapons for the baby to be able to fight anything that may harm the baby. If the baby has a cold, mother's milk produces cold fighting stuff and so on and so forth until the baby is able to eat solid food and get nourishment for itself. That is wow to me.

I now am more able, to appreciate the Word of God like a mother's milk, which speaks to us specific to our situation even it be a verse you've read over and over again. The same verse speaks(delivers nutirients) nourishment to our spiritual body pertaining to our current needs.

May the Living Word of our Living Heavenly Father be nourishment for your needs, all you need to do is drink from it and grow healthy in our spirit.

God Bless

Can't be luke warm

Life is suddenly so different when there is a new addition to the family and I have been doubly blessed. I had just one thing to fervently and passionately pray about earlier, but now with my little cuties I have 2 more things added to my prayer list to pray about.

When I was a little girl I used to often spend my time at my mom's parent's home. In those days they had this coal fired little stove like thing. Every time the fire was about to fade away as the coal burnt off, my grandma would add more to the existing flaming coals left in the stove and the hot flame continued to glow little longer. I feel my life turning out to be that way...and strangely I am glad to be inside the flame(well sort of).

There are many things/people/places/lifestyle I would have loved to 'covet' and I even could have, but then I am so grateful to God for the one I have now, the ones I have been blessed with around me...they may not be what I would have wanted for myself...but they sure are what I needed, I am glad God added them to my life else I am sure I would have been a luke warm christian continuing in the daily assortment of busy churchy stuff with no personal ember glowing, but now with all these new coals I cannot afford to be luke warm....I just cannot, they are too precious to be put at stake. So as God has added these more new coals(not burning ones) I've got to heat up lil extra to get them to glow too.

There are times when you've been glowing for the Lord for a long time and you might be at the end of your passion. Its the time when things seem lull, dull and a monotonous routine, even if it be the church activities. We might be having a lot of fun, laughs and enjoyment in the company, but then we can get cosy and just glow the regular amount of glow we're used to. But when God wants us to glow a little more brighter, He adds a few more new coals into our lives so that we may glow a little more than warm....we glow HOT in order that we may pass on the flame to the new coal. He doesn't add a whole heap of new coals suddenly that the fire itself dies down, but just the right amount that will make the flame go on a little longer and a little longer...

Also if the coal itself is not red/yellow hot there is no way it can transfer the flame (notice its not the warmth transfer its a heat/flame transfer) to another coal, not a warm coal, but ONLY the red hot glowing coal can transfer the flame.

2 Timothy 1:6"For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands"

May my Living and Loving Saviour Lord Jesus bless you even as you fan into flame your passion for the new coals being added to your life. They're there to make you shine brighter, not to put you off.

Love

Before they call I will answer..

Dear Prayer Bearers on my behalf,

Thank you so much for upholding me and the babies in your prayers. The fear I had before going for the operation was totally undone and I went in with power and the Presence of our Lord Jesus. The operation went well, the babies did really well for being so tiny and everything and they passed all the tests by the power of my Living God.

The babies are just so cute and I think so well programmed(knitted) by my Loving Father...they wake up together, eat together, sleep at the same time...and eat exactly every 3 hours, so I am ready for them before they call out for me. Wow this just reminds me of the verse in the Bible "Isaiah 65:24 "Before they call I will answer; while they are still speaking I will hear." Isn't it that way with our Loving Father in heaven too. Stooping down to listen to our cries to Him and ever ready and present help for us.

Now I need to rest as my BP has been persistently high soon after the operation and doc has asked me to lie down as much as possible.

Love you all dear Neva, dear granny_b , dear ch green and dear sistacala.

Stork is delivering tomorrow

Dear Friends in my Lord Jesus,

My surgery has been scheduled for tomorrow 12th Sep at 10:30CST. Do pray for me and the babies to be well.

Love
Godzheart

The God Who wants to come to YOU

A lot has happened since my last post...I'm on bed rest and God's busy taking care of us, me and my babies in the womb.

Yesterday I lay me down to sleep reading from Mark 1:40-45

A Man With Leprosy

"40A man with leprosy[a] came to him and begged him on his knees, "If you are willing, you can make me clean."
41Filled with compassion, Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. "I am willing," he said. "Be clean!" 42Immediately the leprosy left him and he was cured.
43Jesus sent him away at once with a strong warning: 44"See that you don't tell this to anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them." 45Instead he went out and began to talk freely, spreading the news. As a result, Jesus could no longer enter a town openly but stayed outside in lonely places. Yet the people still came to him from everywhere."


This passage made me think, why would Jesus not have the man tell everyone about what had happened. Aren't we told to go tell the world about Jesus our Lord. Well I realised there are times, we've got to be silent.
Notice when the man went and told all the people of what Jesus had done for him, Jesus could no longer enter the town.

I realised our loving Lord Jesus, loves to come over and meet with us, He loves to come to where we are. He is the One who wants to knock on our heart's door, He wants to come over and meet with us. He is the One who wants to come to us. All the while in the Word of God if you read you will find that God made the move towards man, to come to man.

Here's what I mean,
With Moses- God drew his attention and was watching Moses all the while Exodus 3:4 "When the LORD saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, "Moses! Moses!" And Moses said, "Here I am."
God called Abraham, Samuel, Noah and everyone else when they weren't even doing anything special to get God's attention. God was just waiting to meet with them. He makes the first move ALL the time.

We didn't/cannot initiate love toward God 1 John 4:19"We love because He first loved us."

Theonly thing God is interested in is whether we are able to trust Him for His Word or not. Hebrews 11:6 says "And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him."

Does God expect us to look for Him, yes He does. But then if you read Hebrews 11:6 carefully you'll find, He doesnt wait to reward the one who can find Him but for those who are making the attempt to seek Him even.

What a wonderful Saviour, Loving Friend our Lord is, reaching out to us constantly, whether we're looking out for Him or not.

Feed your spirit not your vision

From the time I saw my babies at the doctor's office, it was a beautiful vision of a future reality. A wonderful reality not at the moment but that which is to come. While I went by my daily living, the vision I had seen has continued to grow inside of me. This thought revved up my heart yesterday as I was praying.

God gives us a vision of the future that He has planned for us...and then what. Some of us just dive into the vision then and there, groping for something which has not yet been realised. Hoping to drag that vision into the 'right now' time...when it is actually meant for a much later time. Everyone whom God called in the Bible was given a vision or a dream of what would be in their future and what they were to receive or do. Noah, the crazy guy who built a boat on the land. Abram the mad fellow who had his name changed to Abraham(father of many nations) when his wife was barren and they were well advanced in age to have a baby. Joseph, the guy who was thrown into adversity the moment he got his dream from the Lord.

This pregnancy is showing/teaching me spiritual stuff I would have easily overlooked. When I came to know I was going to have my babies, they were still inside of me and it surely didn't mean they were going to be in my arms the next day either. It will be quite a long wait from then on- 40weeks. In the meanwhile as I wait for the big day, a lot of things about me changed. I started on some vitamins, I improved my food habits, I reduced on junk food, I started doing everything to make myself healthy. So I began working on my physical and mental health. Eating well and being joyful. Seeing and absorbing good things. I started working on things that would benefit my well being, I didn't start working on the babies, I didn't personally give them food, I am working on myself, while the miracles continue to grow on the inside of me. When the time comes I will see the miracle before my eyes

So it is with our Living God. When God gives us a vision, there is a time through which God will take us in order that we may grow and be made ready for the vision to be made real in the future. Notice it is not us who bring the vision into reality, like it is not me making the babies in my womb, it is God. Our duty is to prepare ourselves for the day in which the vision will be made real.

When God gives us a vision or a dream, he doesn't mean for us to make good that vision that is His work . God wants us to get ready and be prepared for the vision. God shows us the vision in order that we may be motivated and have faith that what God has promised He is able to perform (Hebrews 11), like for Abraham, God showed him the stars of the sky, the countless grains of sand and even changed his name in order that Abraham start changing his thinking about his own life and be ready when the promise, the vision, his own offspring from his own wife, be born.

Has God given you a vision? Then start working on yourself, building up yourself with the best spiritual food you can have and grow stronger that you be fully ready and prepared when the vision comes into being.

40

Well, this is amazing to me and encouraged me, hope it encourages you too. The speciality and singnificance of the number 40.

I realised whoa how important is this number 40 its everywhere and means the same every time, especially when applied to human beings when I came to know. Exactly as the Bible says, every time 40 is mentioned.

• The great flood during Noah's time Genesis 7:12 - There was going to be a time of testing for Noah and his family, they were to be shut into that boat for 40days and nights.
• Moses remained in the mountain for the Ten Commandments -Exodus 34:28- Again a time of being separated from the world, up in the mountain without food or drink a time of separation
• Israelites in the desert-Deuteronomy 8:2- Time of separation from the common amenities, testing, building up of faith on their Living God
• Jesus in the desert before His ministry began-Matthew 4:2-Again a time of testing, preparation, separation from the world and connection with God the Father

We now see a sort of pattern come up out of the Bible. 40, appears out of the above examples as a number of testing, separation and preparation, usually before a great endeavour begins or is delivered into the world.

The most beautiful thing about those 40days or years of testing, trials, preparation and separation is this....they all point towards redemption, renewal, spiritual growth and a strengthened connection with our Living God.Though the person going through the period of 40days or years seems like a common person, a regular Joe, when they are presented to the world at the end of successfully completing their gestation, they demonstrate the real , almost tangible power of God.

For Noah the beginning of a new life for the whole world and a promise from Living God. For Moses he comes down with a radiant face, so he had to cover it, for he had spoken with God(Exodus 34:27-29) . For Israelites a group of people of whom all nations were scared because of their Living God who brought them out of Egypt and through the wilderness with no bruises, no lack, and no worn out sandals or clothesDeuteronomy 29:5. For our Lord Jesus, a minisry with such impact that it still resounds 2000yrs and more since He walked this earth.

Live, Move and Have our being...

"28'For in him we live and move and have our being.' As some of your own poets have said, 'We are his offspring.' " Acts 17:28

I couldn't have understood the full meaning of this scripture, but now through being pregnant I got this new revelation in my mind.

A few months ago, nobody would have known I was pregnant, I didn't look pregnant. I didn't feel pregnant, but during the recent days when my babies move, I can feel them. It is an amazing feeling. Knowing that knowing that knowing that there is a part of you, a living being inside of you. It is amazing and beautiful and I cannot describe it in words.
In such a time I remembered this verse from Acts 17:28. In our Lord we live and move and have our being.
My babies are living inside of me, they are moving inside of me and they have their being inside of me.
The living and moving part of it are easily comprehensible, but the most interesting part of the verse is in knowing have our being.

What does it mean to "have our being in Him(Jesus our Lord)"?
Here's how I understand it now. For my babies there is no other place to grow healthy and safe and beautifully than inside of me. No incubator and nothing man-made could ever give that kind of special fortress for them. In Ecclesiastes 11:5 the Bible says "As you do not know the path of the wind, or how the body is formed in a mother's womb, so you cannot understand the work of God, the Maker of all things." The process is so wonderful, imagine a whole complex system like the brain, the lungs, the heart and all being wonderfully created inside of me. A whole human being, being made inside of another human being. Wow!!
Yet for my babies to be absolutely healthy and face the world they've got to be inside of me and remain in me for the entire time they're being fearfully and wonderfully made.

So also for us children of God, offspring of God, there is no safer and better place to grow beautifully than inside our God. That is the place we will have our being. Thats the place we can be made complete. Thats the place we can grow in strength to face anything that comes against us in our spiritual life.

Let us remain in our Lord Jesus, for every nourishment we can get, that we may truly live and move and have our being in Him.

Happy Birthday to me!!

Today is my birthday and I have a millions things to thank my Living and Loving God for...

1. For the most amazing grandparents both mom's side and dad's side I could have ever been blessed with. I say this because we can always choose our friends, but not our family and God blessed me with a fantastic family full of believers who taught me to know the One Who has loved me eternally.


2. For my loving and wonderful and absolutely great parents, who usured me into walking the right way even until now, guiding and directing me through their prayers and love. For being my backbone every time I needed someone to lean on.


3. For my handsome and brilliant brothers who love me so much, though they don't say so, they're actions speak volumes of their love and respect for me.


4. For my hubby dearest, exactly the kind I needed to grow spiritually, actually speaking I wouldn't have started this blog if it hadn't been for him being in my life.


5. For all my believer friends, fellow bloggers who encouraged me right at the moment I needed to continue this blog and knowingly or unknowingly blessing me through their words.

Above all else I am absolutely and humbly grateful to my Living God who has made my life a wonderful adventure from the first day I met Him, until now. There has never been a dull moment and never been a time when He left. Never a time when He judged me when people were ready to point out my faults like that woman whom they wanted to stone, but my Lord stood by me, no judging me but always showing me a way out and accepting me the way I am...something many believers find very difficult to do with other believers new or old, accepting them. He never showed any partiality or favoured someone else more than me, and I am absolutely humbled to say that He gave me chances in my life span even till now to see His wonderful bruised hand work on my behalf through situations when people had left me but my God never left me.

My rock and my salvation and my deliverer is He. My source of victory and sustenance. He chose me even before I was born and wanted to be my Father in Heaven, One whom I could have never been able to live without.

Psalm 22:10 "From birth I was cast upon you; from my mother's womb you have been my God."

Walking Through Red Sea

Today as I was listening to a message by Pastor Lloyd Pulley of Calvary Chapel NJ, he spoke about Faith and a study from Hebrew 11, when the Israelites crossed the Red Sea.

I got to thinking of the situation the Israelites went through. Between the promise and its fulfilment, there was a walk between walls of water. Walls of water !!!
Imagine God telling the Israelites, being chased by the Egyptians behind them and confronted with the Red Sea before them, "Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. 14 The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still." (Exodus 14:13).

Now thats a crazy thought, to be still when the enemy is fast approaching your heel!! Yet the Lord parted the Red Sea and the water stood on both sides like walls. Wow you say. I dwelled at this point for a little longer this time, attempting to cross through this valley made by wind and flanked by water, not a solid fortified wall of any sort we know of, but water. Now we know water, except in its frozen state in a very cold place, it cannot be much of a fence of any kind. Yet the Israelites had to trust God, Moses had to trust God and lead the people through this path on the sea bed trusting that the waterwall wont collapse.

Sometimes in our life, God promises us about our situation and we know we can trust God, yet there is a time when you'll have to trust God through that situation. It is very rare (atleast I haven't read an account so far) that someone had to bypass a tough situation they were facing just because God promised. No matter what the situation be that you are facing, there will rarely be a shortcut bypassing the time of faith, where you have to solely trust in God and nothing else.

The Israelites could not trust in that wall of water to hold, nor on the strong easterly wind that had blown the water away, but ONLY on the One who had parted the sea - on God. It wasn't just over in a blink of an eye, but they had to walk through that valley between walls of water, step by step, until they crossed over to the other side. Can you imagine, how fearful they might have been, yet they had to go through it in order to see a full victory over their oppressors.

So also for us, no matter what sea of problems you are facing, or what the enemy has been chasing you with right at your heel, remember, first of all, when God promised he would take them out of Egypt-He did. God is able to uphold the very waters of the sea of problems that loom over you seeming to drown you, but God is with you, even through your walk in that valley like the pillar of cloud went with the Israelites and on the other side of this valley there is victory.

I am reminded of what David said in Psalm 23. "Yeah though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil, for thou art with me"

Mercy Said No

I love the power in the song...

I was just a child, when I felt the Savior leading
I was drawn to what I could not understand
And for the cause of Christ, I have spent my days believing
That what He'd have me be, is who I am

As I've come to see the weaker side of me
I realize His grace is what I'll need
When sin demanded justice for my soul

(Chorus)
Mercy said no
I'm not gonna let you go
I'm not gonna let you slip away
You don't have to be afraid
Mercy said no
sin will never take control
Life and death stood face to face
Darkness tried to steal my heart away
Thank You Jesus, Mercy said no
For God so loved the world, that He sent His son to save us
From the cross He built a bridge to set us free
Oh, but deep within our hearts, there is still a war that rages
And makes a sacrifice so hard to see
As midnight fell on the crucifixion day
The light of hope seemed oh so far away
As evil tried to stop redemption's flow
(Repeat Chorus)

(Bridge)
And now when heaven looks at me
It's through the blood of Jesus
Reminding me of one day long ago
(Repeat Chorus)

-CeCe Winans

I'm tagged

I was surprised to get tagged on this blog. I didn't think there were many who read this .

I am so glad Cindy tagged me.

Here are the rules:

1. Each player starts with 8 random facts/habits about themselves.
2. People who are tagged write a blog post about their own 8 random things and post these rules.
3. At the end of your blog you need to tag 8 people and post their names.
4. Don't forget to leave them a comment and tell them they're tagged, and to read your blog.

So here's 8 random info about me.

1. I get more active as the day ends rather than when it began.
2. I don't have great moves but I love dancing to any happy music.
3. I hate insects and bugs, I still remember the day as a kid when I stepped on a cockroach barefoot, I was grossed out for a month. Well it still haunts me. :)
4. I love software games, like Diner Dash, Pipeline, Text Twist, Chuzzle, Word Slinger. I am capable of whiling away most of my day just playing games.
5. I am crazy about kids cartoon channels. I don't usually watch informational stuff on TV, cartoons do a good job of entertaining me and they make me happy.
6. I am a friendly person, but after moving to USA the last 2 years, my blogger friends are all whom I actually interact with. I would love to have American friends if anyone would wanna be friends with me or just talk. Email is good too. (godzhart@yahoo.com)
7. I am a "talker", big time. I can talk for hours and of stuff I don't know where they come from in my head. I think I do make quite a pleasant acquaintance-well people who've talked to me say so. :)
8. I love shouting slogans and cheering and stuff, so if you need a hand at some game or sports event for shouting stuff, I am available. Not political slogans though, just friendly game /sports kind of shouting.

Thats about me.

I'de love to tag the following people, if they wouldn't mind, no obligations really

1. Yolanda
2. Dana
3. Sista Cala
4. Godwyn
5. Uncommon One
6. .....
7. .....
8. .....

My Loving Dad

My dad's name is Vijay (meaning-victory). He's also got a second name Barnabas(meaning-son of consolation or joy), and his life demonstrates both.

He is a wonderful man, funny, always joyful and always bringing cheer wherever he goes. I never remember one time of my dad causing anyone any pain or grief. Always ready to help. When he was young, he was so naughty, people thought he would never become anything in life. People and relatives thought he wouldn't make it well in life.

Daddy just had one Friend and simple faith in Him-Jesus, he never gave up, he worked hard, starting as a worker with the railways, moving on to repair and now to managing a whole section of trains running, working with the Indian Railways. Mom and dad both worked hard to make ends meet and give us three(me and 2 younger brothers) the best of education and food and clothing.

When everyone was interested in what we would become (as in work) in life, dad was concerned what we would become spiritually in life. He persisted in ushuring us to church and learning more of His Loving Lord Jesus. I still remember him, often telling me "Whether you learn anything else in life, whatever turn your life takes, never ever turn from Jesus, He is the ONLY true friend you can have".

In years we three were to come to the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ and be baptised in water . We three were the first among other cousins in this.

God didn't stop at that, He blessed my dad's children much beyond my dad could have ever imagined. I did my engineering and worked with IBM, my younger brother Abraham finishing his course in Bachelor of Science works with Microsoft Support in Chennai and my youngest brother David, finished his Master in Business Administration at IIM Lucknow(a reknowned top Business Management School in India) and now works with Infosys.What more could a dad ask for his children. He asked His Daddy in heaven for spiritual blessings for us and God in heaven in His generosity and riches of His glory gave my dad such bountiful blessings.

When everyone had given up on my dad, and he was a joke to them, God raised up for him children who were blessed because of my dad's faithfulness to our Living God. No one else in our family has been blessed with so much honour as my dad. Now the uncles and aunties who used to make fun of dad and thought nothing of him, say of him " God has blessed Vijay a lot, all his children are strong in the Lord and blessed with education and work". They see the hand of our Living Lord Jesus working in my dad's life.

I am totally proud of my dad here on earth and eternally grateful to my Daddy in Heaven for blessing me with such a wonderful dad.

Praise be to my Living Lord.

Behold, my Lord is doing a new thing

I have been a lot lot slow in writing recently, as I wasn't keeping too well. Its not a 'sad' illness, its a good one.

Some new ones will be joining us in a few more months. I am having my first babies. Yes God is giving me twins. My very own Minnesota Twins.

I am overwhelmed at the joy God has given to me and my husband and we pray for their good health and keep them under the blood of my Lord Jesus.

These days I am much better and will get back to posting more.

Love
Godzheart(KB)

Sing Unto The Lord-Anil Kant and Daughter

This is one of my favourite singers. His name is Anil Kant.Enjoy this song he sings for the Lord with his daughter.

Also, here's the link to Anil Kant's testimony

Mommy Dearest

I just feel like writing about my family, I'll start with my mom. I met her first you know :)
My mom's name is Esther. She is an amazing woman and exactly like Esther from the Bible, I'd say. In your very first meeting with her, you'd immediately notice her magnetic personality, extremely friendly nature and an open heart to welcome one and all. Nothing godly though.

When we were young, dad taught us to pray and the one thing he always told us was "Whether you learn anything else in life or not, you must know Jesus". In India in our home we call Jesus "Yeshu baba" meaning:" Jesus our daddy". Dad taught us all that, being very diligent in going to church and never missing a single sunday. Boy did we get a lecture from dad if we didn't go one Sunday for an illogical reason, like "Our friends are not coming" or something like that. I don't remember mom insisting on such, though she did, on those sundays when dad had to go to another city for work.

I remember, once when we were going to Calcutta by a local train from our station. It was a 5 hours journey and there were many people on the train. The train had put us all in the rhythm of its movement and I had dozed off. After a while I woke up with the sound of my mom talking to someone in whatever broken Bengali (language) she knew. She was talking to another lady about Jesus!!! I was shocked, I thought that lady's husband would scold my mother if she went on like that, but he didn't, they both listened attentively. In the end the lady said she would pray to Jesus for some situation she was going through. She infact asked my mom if she had something she could read. Mom didn't have any, but she gave her some idea of how to pray. My mother then sat silently as if nothing happened and that woman looked hopeful as if something had happened. That was amazing.

Another time, me and my mom were going to our local market in Jamshedpur by an auto. You can share the ride with someone else too. A man got into the auto. He was a non-Christian man and didn't from any angle look like he'd ever want to hear about Jesus. We had bought some calendars for the New Year and these calendars have Bible verses for each and every day. They are made at Hebron, in Hyderabad.

"What are those papers you're carrying, are they calendars?", he asked.

"Yes they are christian calendars, we got from church", mom replied.

"They look very nice, how can I get one?", he asked further.

Mom replied," You can't get them in shops", "it has verses from the Bible and it encourages and blesses, if you read it every day with prayer", she added.

To my shock, the man said," I'd like one of those calendars".

Mom gave one to him and when he asked what he should do with it, she explained how to pray and that man was so grateful. She of course didn't take any money from him.

The rest of the way, everyone was quiet and I was amazed and adored my mom for her brave manner of sharing God's Word with a Hindu man. Its not easy to share like this, they rarely ask and if they do, and if we answer anything about Jesus, be sure some one is going to get hurt and it would mostly be the believer.

I am so blessed to have a wonderful mom like her. Hope I'd be able to be like her to my children.

Fishing Without a Pole

Sometimes when I tend to worry, I sit and write poems to my Lord Jesus
Here's a poem I wrote as I wait to see God's work in my married family.

Fishing Without A Pole
"Not now, not now",I cried out loud,
in frustration at His persistence, to take me out.
To get Him off my already messed up life,
I could have said "Get lost",
but He was so loving and gentle, I had to be polite.
I said "Ok, later - but not tonight,"
"tomorrow I’m free, if that’s alright"
He said "I’ll be here to pick you up at 6 sharp,"
"please don’t make other plans, to break my heart"
I heard, but didn’t listen to what He said,
well I had more important things, to occupy my head.
Evening came and He came too,
I didn’t have time for Him again, I knew.
I’ve run out of excuses, I’ve used them all
I’ve been so rude, but His love for me hasn’t changed at all.
Couldn’t He see I had so much to do,
or is He uninterested in what I’m going through.
How can He not see, my troubles, my cares,
the jobs, the mouths to feed, bills to pay
and all the problems that stare.
I decided, I must end it all,
His constant invitations were distracting
from my usual world and all.
I didn’t want to be pulled out from my world of sorrow,
but when I opened the door, His same gentle smile,
made me forget my worries for tomorrow.
He said "I’d like to take you fishing by the lake tonight."
I thought this Guy is crazy, how could fishing improve my life,
but I restrained my sarcasm, and with uninterested ears,
stood there and listened, his attempt for me, so sincere
This time he convinced me for a walk by the lake
Some food and meeting new people,
how much time could that take.
So I said "Yes" and off we went, to the lakeside nearby
I was amazed at the number of distressed people I saw
- Did I, daily, pass them by?

A woman sat by her door,
with eyes, scanning the streets
I asked Him, "What is she looking for?"
He said, "For her husband, who had taken all her savings
and left her incomplete"
I reached out and touched the woman
and she burst into tears
I was thankful to God, my husband works
and shares all my pains and fears.
A strange thing happened in me suddenly,
and I began to share
The Word of God welled from my heart,
of all His tender loving care
As I finished, I could see,
hope rising in her eyes,
she looked at me and thanked me
for the kind words and loving advice
We met a boy of thirteen ,gaping at the sky,
His eyes looked up, but I could see
there was emptiness in his sight
My heart cried out to see this boy,
sitting lonely and uncared
I went up close and found a single tear,
rolling down his face, so fair
I asked my Host, "What’s up with him,
why is he by himself"
He said "His father doesn’t care,
whether his son lives at home or anywhere else"
I told the boy of a "Father in heaven,
who really cared for him"
He blinked his eyes, "Thank you" he said,
nobody ever had shared any love with him.
My Host then turned to me and said,
"You look radiant my dear"
"I see no worries, no stress, no pain,
not even for tomorrow any fear"

I realised what had been going on,
the Word of God in my heart was stirred ,
God’s net of love was ready to catch,
the hearts that were disturbed
I had grown strength in my inner being,
by shining out God’s Love.
I didn’t worry about myself anymore,
I knew I was on a mission from above.
He said" You’re a fisherman and
that’s what I came to show"
"by sharing the Word of God to hopeless hearts,
your strength in God you’ll know"
"I called to make you fishers of men ,
not fishers of worldly cares"
My eyes then saw, my Host Jesus,
I knew, the net of God’s love is what the world craves.
That night we saved many more a lives,
from the seas of despair
Before they could continue being lost,
the net of God’s love was spread

I am a fisherman of God, oh a new
and strange joy I had found
As I carried that night God’s fishing net,
my life turned whole and sound
I go fishing now, without a care,
without a hook and without a pole
For God’s Word inside of me when shared,
has more power in it, to nourish that withered soul

Looking Back at God's Faithfulness

I am dedicating this post to share from my life, incidents in which God worked wonderfully and changed the situations a whole 180 degree turn.

I am the eldest of 3 children, me and 2 younger brothers Abraham and David. There was a time, when after I went to college, that my family was in spiritual trouble. My brother Abraham had become very violent, disobedient and had bad friends. My heart ached, my parents were sorrowful, my younger brother David was disturbed. The house was in unrest. In the meanwhile, at my college, me and my friend Mary were like David and Jonathan, she loves me dearly and we were 2 prayer partners ready to take on the world and so we did.

I had gone home for our summer break in 1998 and saw the condition at home. At that time, God had brought a book to my hand, named "The Bondage Breaker" through my friend and senior in college Geordee. I am not fond of scary stories and this was I don't know why I got that book book. I read it anyway and found myself interested in the way it deals with spiritual warfare. That was an eye opener for me. So when I saw the situation at home, I was ready to try what Neil had said in his book.

I remember that evening, a blind uncle who often visited our home had come to meet us, he works for Bible Society of India. Though uncle could not see through his physical eyes, God had given him the ability to see spiritually, our struggles. He told us, the reason for what had been going on with my brother. And boy I was mad at the devil, so I met my brother, Abraham, I asked him if he could say "Jesus is Lord", he replied, "I don't believe in your God". I knew that was it...so me and my parents got together and prayed a violent prayer...I had never prayed that effortlessly and violently before.

The next day I left for college, then at college, Mary and I continued to pray for thim from June until October 1999. In october, my brother called me(he had never done that ever before) and said, "Please pray for me, I want to read the Bible, but I can't" I said ok and right there in that common room of my hostel, with girls chatting around, some walking around, I prayed through the phone. He said thank you and kept the phone. God had prepared a way for our family to see a miracle, that year.

Before the year ended, my brother Abraham was a free young man, he had accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as his Saviour and on 31st of Dec that same year, took water baptism to declare the same. I got to see him that year 1999, when I went home for Christmas and New Year. He was a changed person, his eyes shone with joy and he couldn't stop talking of our Lord Jesus.
He recently got a job and received good favour from his managers. I am so proud of him and so grateful to God.

Sounds like a fairy tale isn't it, but it happened in my life.
(I wish I could put pictures, but they're all those old reel format and back in India)

1 Chronicles 16:12 "Remember the wonders he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he pronounced,"

Warmth

A cold winter day, I look outside the window. Everything looks calm and sunny, but I know the weather desktop thingy is not lying when it says it is -7F outside. There is no snowing, the sun is bright, the trees look green(well almost), my heart wants to be outside and watch the people, the lake, the birds, the shoppers..but the desktop weather icon tells me its cold out there. There are a few people out there, running the trail, in boots, their bodies tucked away securely in the warmth of their thick lined jackets, hats and gloves.
Well I wanted to see for myself if the desktop weather was really really giving the right temperature- is it really cold outside? Well I stepped out onto my patio, without the jacket, without my warm mittens, without slippers of any sort to cover my feet, I am powerful I am braving the chills.
Soon my power gives up on me, the warmth of the heater that kept me warm inside my cosy apartment left me almost instantly. My fingers and feet stop feeling anything, its not cold anymore, I'm standing on something hard, yeah just hardness of the patio wood. The feelings of coldness are leaving me slowly, starting from my feet, the ground on which I stand, I know I stand, but with no feeling of cold anymore, the feet, they're going numb, the blood I guess will stop flowing in that direction a few more minutes from now. I don't turn to go inside, well the door is still open, my room heater still keeps my living room warm, but I don't go inside-why?
I search my heart for answers, there is nothing great outside here, its only cold, I can't even focus on the things I wanted to see, then why?..I'm adventurous and bold....I reason further, still standing on my numb feet, oh it won't be warm inside after all, who's there for me if I go in, who will make my life interesting if I go in? Maybe the one's that showed me their warmth, will warm me up again...but maybe if I venture out for some more time I will like it, let me stay a little while longer...my feet don't respond to the fact that my brain sent them signals to wiggle. They're wiggling alright, but I don't feel anything anymore...soon it will be too late to return...but the door's still open...I turn and go in.

Sin is like that isn't it? When eve was roaming around in the garden, she came across the tree of which God said "Don't eat it." and satan comes by luring her,the master of all sin and lies, he says "Did God really say you shouldn't eat it?". There is the seed of doubt planted against the very Person who 'birthed' her and called her His own. Seems so glamorous, sugar coated on the outside looking, but inside , it holds sweet poison. It slowly kills the feelings, the very feet you stand on, loses its ground, until you feel nothing, you're numbed to sin and wrong doesn't seem wrong anymore, the feelings, that make you human are gone.Sin cares for no one, sin doesn't come to show you the pretty sunshine, but take you out from the warmth of your feelings, the feelings that help you guage right from wrong. It skews your ability to see black and white, shows you the greys and soon, there will be nothing but black, the feelings gone, conscience dead. The body will follow the way of demise soon, sin hurriedly tries to gain the most control, to speed up this...

However the door to warmth and life still remains open and it's hardly away from you."11 Now what I am commanding you today is not too difficult for you or beyond your reach. ...14 No, the word is very near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart so you may obey it. "Deuteronomy 30:11-15

It is never too late to turn to God, never. What you've been looking for, is right behind the door, named Jesus. Enter in and feel the warmth of His love.

How great Thou Art, O' Lord

Yesterday morning, it was flurrying a bit. The snow flakes fell one by one, some in little groups, very slowly and softly on my porch. I watched them for a while and then I wanted to see a little more closely.

I stepped out to see that little flake sitting on my porch, and the others which sat with their friends, huddled together as if, trying to avoid the cold (14F).

I took my camera and took a picture of them lying on my porch and I witnessed the most beautiful thing I had ever seen in my whole life. Those tiny tiny, even less than a millimeter in diameter, were so amazingly beautiful and intricately designed, I just was in awe of my God, who had made them so beautiful. I had been wondering, how the people had come up with such a wonderfully geometric and beautiful shape for a snow flake, because I used to think they were like round cotton balls, but I was so awestruck when I found out ,they weren't round and boring, but so amazingly beautiful, really really.

I am not much of a designer, I can look at something and draw it-copy a drawing, but I cannot think of something unique and beautiful on my own, I can copy something as close to it as possible, but I cannot create a unique design off my own mind. After seeing the snow flake, I realised, "Hey, I can ask the Chief Designer, from whom everyone else takes inspiration (whether they know it or not), to help me out in designing pretty faces for my blogs. "
We've been placed in God's art gallery and it never ends to bring joy and peace to us...Nature, flowers, people , animals, insects, birds...mountains, valleys...and sunsets...they never repeat themselves, every one of them unique and beautiful.

You and me, unique and beautiful, all His handiwork.
Oh, then sings my soul, "How Great Thou Art O Lord"

I am Different and maybe weird, but I am still Loved

I don't want to write about "me", but I sure would like to write about the One Who made me, the way I am.
When I went to college, I was surprised at the new world I was going to live in. I had a culture shock, because I come from a town called Jamshedpur in the North East part of India, a sort of mordernised town, and having its own character. So when I moved to Kerala for my college, I wondered how could people possibly live like this!!!...I'll tell you what I saw.
Women weren't that bold, they were supposed to behave shy and quietly. The quieter the better. Oh boy, now that was a culture shock to me, because my parents had always treated me as good as a boy. There was nothing I was not allowed to do, just because I was a girl. My mom always calls me "beta"(pronouced as "bay-taa") meaning my son in Hindi. No wonder I was into sports, into singing and into anything I wanted to do. I had no sisters to play with, my cousins were all boys, and I have 2 younger brothers, so I played cricket, football, and all those rough games. Thanks to my loving mom, she fought to get her college degree and she is still working with Tata Motors, she wanted me to be free to do whatever I wanted to do and become all that I could become.

At college we had a prayer group where I used to go with other christian friends, but I was an extremely extremely outgoing person. I had soooooo many friends, and I was and still am very very talkative. The only difference now being, I don't have many friends around here to talk to...

Anyways, all the girls in the prayer group would sit very gently, and "shyly" and quietly and with their heads down, except to look at the speaker. Well I was the only one looking all over the room, at all the people in the room..and the speaker, of course...I was "different".

I was definitely and distinctly different, and stuck out like a sore thumb. I had short hair, everyone else had atleast 2mtrs of hair. Well I had more like a mushroom cut...so I even "looked" different. In all of this, sometimes I used to get discouraged, because I was different and I didn't want to be. Some thought I was a snob (people think that, if you've got short hair like a foreigner). I wasn't a snob, thats how I was. I tried hard to blend in, and managed to some extent, learnt their local language and few things like being a little more quieter. Till this day I feel left out even when I'm with them, I don't know why.

But you know what the most beautiful thing I realised was, I really was always excited because God was constantly at work in my life and I loved His Presence every moment. I found God was also talkative, just like me. He loves to talk to me and hear me talk to Him. So in the midst of it all, I found my Friend, Who liked me just the way I am, and though I have faltered many a times, I have always found Him standing by my side, like a mother, protecting me when I'm alone, encouraging me when I'm down, loving me when I feel unloved, helping me when I'm helpless, caring for me when no ones there..and above all, talking to me when I need the right Word for my situation. Oh He is so wonderful to me, I wonder what I would have done without Him, my Lord and Love, Jesus. Well,I still don't know how to blend in, but now, I don't want to blend in anymore.

My Testimony

I was born and brought up in a wonderful Christian family, by a very godfearing couple. We weren't very rich, but my parents did their best to give me and my 2 younger brothers the best that our little town could give. We got the best schooling and encouragement to do whatever we wanted to do.
My grandparents used to visit us often, they used to rise up early in the morning about 3 am and pray for all of us. It made me wonder, why would someone with common sense, ever want to lose precious sleep and pray??? Of all things. I sometimes even heard my name being said in their prayers. Well I thought that was being stupid with time. I was 10yrs old then
In the summer of 1994 we (the 3 of us, me and my 2 brothers Abraham and David) were sent for VBS (Vacation Bible School) at a church a little away from home. I learnt some real strange stuff, I learnt that our Lord Jesus was not an ordinary God, that He wanted a personal relationship with me??? This was a strange thing to me, though I was brought up in a Christian home, and my parents being believers and all, I thought being saved and all that jazz was for the old folks. My life changed with one statement, from Matthew 10:32"Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven." I knew I had to do something and I did, I acknowledged Jesus as my Saviour before that circle of children seated around the fire, on camp fire night(the last night of the VBS camp) and it felt good, light and happy. I was in 10th standard in school then.
When we went back to school after the summer had ended, I didn't know how different life was going to turn out for me. I had been an above average student, a good girl, a good daughter, good at sports and everything else, nothing special had ever happened to me. However God had planned to make me stand out, I was no longer ordinary and part of the crowd anymore. The school board chose me to be the Vice Captain of the "Yellow House" and during my graduation from school I received the "Outstanding Sportsperson" of the year award too. I was thrilled the way things were going. Well God didn't stop at that. 2 yrs from then, something great was going to hit my family.
I went to a Hindu based school nearby for my 11th and 12th standard, in Maths and Science. I was in for a bigger surprise when they chose me to be the "Sports Secretary" there. I wasn't ordinary..yippee I wasn't. I was a leader there too. By the time 12th standard ended, everyone in the class, started preparing for entrance exams to get into various engineering and medical colleges. I did too. I prayed hard and I prepared and I got through, not by my might, but by the wisdom and knowledge of the Spirit of God. I got through India's 2nd best chain of Engineering Institutions.
God showed me that day, nothing was impossible for Him and I knew it in my heart, God and me made a great team and I wouldn't trade that partnership for anything.
(more later...)