Hi Anusha,
Thank you for your blog. I was with a group of men and someone asked if we'd experienced good coming out of an illness. One guy said that a serious illness had stopped him in his tracks and resulted in the preservation of a very important relationship. I recounted how I'd suffered from continual pain in my left arm as a result of tendonitis. To distract me from the pain I took to listening to Radio 4 (news, current affairs, documentaries, etc.) whenever I didn't have to concentrate on anything else. In a quiet day around that time I'd read in Proverbs about the immense value of knowledge. After many weeks of pain I had acquired the habit of acquiring knowledge!
Blessing to you,
Andrew

Hi Andrew,
Thanks so much for reading my blog and also taking the time to comment. It's much appreciated.

I am so sorry to hear about your tendonitis. I know it is a very painful condition. That's wonderful how you acquired the habit of acquiring knowledge through your pain. Now that's something I might need to follow in the next few weeks. It's a good question you've grappled with too Andrew in your men's group. I think illness forces us to stop sometimes and think beyond our ordinary lives. And forces us to look God-word for answers. It also helps us empathise with others who suffer. And more.

Many blessings and thanks. I will pray that the tendonitis will leave you one day (hopefully soon),
Anusha

Dear Anu,
It is early Monday morning, I was skyping with Anushree, when I finished I thought of checking my mail. I found yours and thought of reading your blog after a long lapse of not reading it due to lack of time. I fully share your view on the Christmas gifts. whilst I got some lovely gifts from my family but the biggest gift of all to me is Jesus Himself!! After reading your latest blog I went on to reading "Happy Endings" your previous blog. It particularly spoke to me. I had just given some advice to Anushree and it was as though God drew me to read your blog following it. Only time can tell and we can walk into the darkest path with our hand in HIS. What an assurance!! His Light is more than enough.
Much love and a Happy Peaceful New Year.
Chits

Hi dear Chits,
So glad you were led to read my blog on Endings - and glad also that it spoke to you. Yes, we can walk all kinds of paths - darkest paths too - with our little hands in His strong large ones can't we? And He will guide us through.

Praying for Anu - for every blessing in her life. And praying for you and yours for a blessed and beautiful 2013.
Much love and thanks for your loving wishes,
May God surprise you this year with many evidences of His love, His leading and His grace towards you all,
Anu xo

Anu, dearest,
reading your blog just now brought the tears to my eyes.
I feel sad thinking of this couple who reacted thus...maybe they've never known the love of Jesus even in human relationships. Will pray for them today...that God will open their eyes to receive His love.

What you say is so true...I thought of the shepherds this morn as I read from Luke....they go immediately, worship HIm and praise God and spread the glad tidings! They had so little and yet were filled with thanksgiving!

Thanks for your writings this year......bless you.
hugs
sal XO

Darling Sal,
Thanks for finding time to read my blog amidst your Christmas busyness. Bless you dearest sis. Appreciate it heaps. And thank you for praying for that couple. Yes, perhaps they are in need of finding and knowing Jesus and the Hope He brings us all.

Lovely to hear of what you shared about the Shepherds. Interesting that you should say this. This morning, I've been mentally writing a blog for January about the best gifts I received this Christmas. They were not tangible ones at all. As you said the Shepherds obeyed at once and were filled with thanksgiving. And so should we be - no matter what our circumstances. Thanks sis.

Thanks again for reading my blogs and for your faithful feedback.
Bless you sis.
Love always and hugs too,
Anu xo

Dearest anu,
Thank you Anu for your wonderful very touching blog. "Some times the dancing stops" yes it stopped for me! I had to weep for those parents and families of those teachers! i was in prayer crying to God on therir behalf.Yes Anu Psalm 46, fits so perfectly to this terrible tragedy to focus on Jesus and His precious promises in this psalm.Such a wonderful pslam and we must all memorize it and hold on to it.I have experienced Him as my refuge and strength, and a very present help whem i was in deep trouble and also in the hardest of times in my life which have been in plenty never ending even now!.
The hardest was seeing ny darling son, My only precious child Vinoth die in my arms at the ICU at Navaloka hospital on the 13th of April 1990 and when the director of the hospital called Gnane and me to a side a day befor he died and explained to us that he may not survive! Vinoth was conciously suffering then! finding it difficult to take a breath. inspit of it he was constantly calling for us "Mamma, dadda carry me" when actually we couldnt as he had tubes all over him. but we put our arms under his body and held him on the ICU bed as if we were carryin him. He aso asked for his pillow that He called "Babba". I remember sponging him and powdering him which he loves! putting eaudicologn and combed his hair, and changed his clothes.Oh Anu it was so hard and painful! it seems like just the other day.every thing is so fresh in my mind! very painful memories!. But what i want to say is that truely it was the Angels with us giving us courage!. Our God who was our refuge and strength and a very present help" as psalm 46 says! Every verse in that psalm was so appropriate and right up to now! I can understand the pain! worse though in the shooting of these innocent kids at connect. and loving teachers! Yes You are right God is soverign! we cannot ask why God? though I asked him many a times! when our prayer to heal Vinoth was answered in the opposite way! I had to hold on to that"God is soverign" when he had decided to take vinoth to himself! I tell you Anu what pain to see a little coorps with a liitle 4yr old child in it! and my sweet little son!
Jesus is with us! thats been the secret of coping through all the dark times!
Thank you anu, Love Chandra

Dearest Chandra,
Thanks for reading my blog and I'm glad it resonated with you. I am so sorry for all the trauma you too have been through with little Vinoth's death over 22 years ago. I can't imagine how much you would have suffered. I remember clearly Sal telling me about it because it occurred when she was with us in England. We felt so much for you in your pain. One day you will be re-united with him Chandra dear. Cling onto that thought when you feel sad. One day you will see him again.

Glad to hear how Psalm 46 blesses you too. Thanking God for Jesus and the hope He gives us even in our darkest times.
God bless you my friend.
Much love and prayers,
Anu xo

Dearest Anu,

Yes, the 'dancing has stopped for many' and how our Father must grieve too. My close friend Priya who studied in the US had a batch mate ,Joel Bacon. She got news that his little daughter Charlotte was also one of the kids killed in the shooting. Naturally she is in shock and wanted us to pray for this fam and all the others. None of this makes sense and yet we know that He certainly is our Refuge and Strength. May we feel their loss and pain as parents and families.

I think too of many who have lost a loved one this year and will miss them at Christmas. Pray too for a young colleague who lost her baby during her pregnancy (about 5 months) and is feeling it very much. Also a class mate from LC Sithy Mushin who lost her 32 years old son (they live in DC) of a heart attack last week!

Yes, Anu there was much weeping in Rammah....as they and we weep along with them may we share the love of God and stand with them in their pain as He came to give us hope. Thanks for that reminder. Glad God met you in your 'storm'!

love
sal

Darling Sal,
Thanks so much for your caring response to my blog this week. I am so sorry to hear about Priya's batchmates daughter Charlotte who too was killed in this horrific shooting. If we feel so badly for people we don't know - she must grieve so much more. May God hold her close. And be with the hurting families. Just printed out all the names of those who died so I can pray for their families.

Just prayed for your colleague who lost her baby and for Sithy who lost her son. How awful. And he was only 32? I'm so sorry Sal.

May our Father be close to all who grieve. And may we do what we can to bless and help our hurting world.
Much love and hugs,
Anu xo