HAPPY NEW YEAR,2011

I always thought that Boxing Day was on 26th Dec. When I was working with Avery's we always had a holiday on 26th Dec. on account of Boxing Day. But you see I am living in INCREDIBLE INDIA and we always pride ourselves in giving surprises.

So when I went of Fort Kochi on Christmas day evening to watch the rolling waves, inhale the balmy sea breeze and see the holiday crowd milling around, I was surprised to see boxing matches conducted by District Boxing council for school and college students both boys and girls. There was huge enthusiastic crowd watching the bouts with great fascination and admiration.

We have not produced a Mohamed Ali or Mike Tyson yet but looking at the fights and the ferocity of the participants I am confident we will soon have a world champion. Here are some photos for your viewing pleasure.








I take this opportunity to wish you all, my dear friends, a very happy, prosperous, healthy and successful new year.

HAPPY CHRISTMAS

MY DEAR FRIENDS,

WISH YOU AND YOUR FAMILIES A WONDERFUL CHRISTMAS FILLED WITH JOY,PEACE AND HAPPINESS.MAY INFANT JESUS BLESS YOU AND MAKE ALL YOUR DREAMS COME TRUE.

AN INSPIRING COMMENT FROM FRED

This is a comment written by Fred from Flying Embers in my other blog MY THOUGHTS,MY INSPIRATIONS.Fred is an inspirational writer and I have been visiting his blog for a very long time and drinking in the wisdom imparted by him in his wonderful posts.Please visit him and be inspired.






Once again you delve into subjects that cause one to stop and think, leaving the superficial issues of life and peering deep into the soul of man.
I have little confidence I can shed much light but I remember the echoes of those from the past that have faced these same questions and have given some insights which I will try and patch together here.
One must begin with St. Paul in his famous discourse in Romans 7 where he too struggled with the paradox of all who seek godliness. He ends his discourse with these words in versus 21–25 –
“So I find this law at work; when I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. Wretched man I am!
Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!”

His lament sounds much like your own, and mine as well. I heard it said that the one who seeks Holiness always feels he has done too little, and the one who doesn’t, says he has done too much.

John Owen sheds some light on this in this quote – “He is not a true believer to whom sin is not the greatest burden, sorrow and trouble.”

My only criticism in your “confession” is that the list of soul maladies is so much shorter than my own. When I see the pure light that Jesus walked in; the level of Holiness He displayed for the world to see; and the great love he showed for mankind, I can’t help but feel a bed of dust and ashes is the only place for me.

Ah! But our hope is in His great power to live and move through us in spite of our failings; and as you know, He never looks for perfection in all of our actions but accepts the small things we do for Him and makes big results by them; much like he takes the smallest herbs and overcomes the greatest diseases.

As Christians we cling to the hope that Christ’s blood shed on Calvary for our sins and failings and cleanses even the lowliest and gives hope to the hopeless.

Joseph, I appreciate your transparency and although you focus here on your shortcomings; I see throughout your blog the very things God is pleased with.

ST.FRANCIS XAVIER'S FEAST

Dec.3rd is the feast day of St.Francis Xavier and it was celebrated in St.Francis Xavier’s Church,Kaloor for three days with great piety and joy in a glittering mass, a procession and dramas.

St.Francis came to India about 4oo years back and worked ceaselessly for the conversion of souls to God. His tremendous effort enabled many to join the Christian faith. God rewarded him by keeping his body with out corruption till this date. His incorruptible body is kept in a silver casket in Bom Jesus Basilica in Goa.

When I was working in Goa, I used to travel to Kolhapur in Maharastra at least twice a month. On the way I stopped at the Basilica in Old Goa and prayed to the Saint.

Time has flown fast. I am now living in Kochi, However, I make it a point to go to St.Francis Church at Kaloor at least on his feast day. Here are some photos for your viewing pleasure.

ST.THOMAS MOUNT,CHENNAI

A few months back I was in Chennai to visit my relatives. I had an opportunity to go to St.Thomas Mount, the place where it is believed Doubting Thomas, one of the disciples Christ,was martyred.

St.Thomas Mount is situated 300ft.above sea level.There is a flight of 160 steps leading up to the summit of the mount and there are 14 Stations of the Cross erected on the way to the summit.

The Mount vibrates with divine touch and devotional charm. The Portuguese called the place Monte Grande (Big Mountain) while the locals named it Parangi Malai because of its occupation by foreigners. The English who came to India in the 17th century called the place St.Thomas Mount. Today St.Thomas Mount is a Holy Place of international prominence, Historical eminence, religious glory and tourist attraction.

These photos were taken with my mobile phone.Please click on the photos for a larger view.







This mount also holds a special place in my heart.There is a road behind leading up to the summit.When I was young and living in Thousand Lights I used to bicycle every week end with my friends to the mount and run on this road up to the summit and down several times.It was a tiring,strenuous run and we had to strain every muscle in our body.Needless to say we were completely exhausted by the end and found it very difficult to bicycle our long way back home especially with aching thigh and calf muscles.