Morning Glory

Tuesday  morning presented  a  glorious

spectacle  in the  eastern sky

and I  was  out  with my  camera  taking

early morning  photos.

Sunday was  exceptionally  hot

but  after  that temperatures

dropped  a  few  degrees.

We had  strong  winds with

  shadow rain,  I  like  to  call  it.

On Wednesday night   there  was 

thunder and lightening

but  the  clouds  were  dry   as cotton.

Our  very  first  amaryllis Lillis  have  just  bloomed

Our  first  tube  roses or Raat  ki Raani

(Queen  of  the Night)

Soon the  summer  blaze will

petrify  our  roses.

They will  try  to   bloom

but  will  be  turned  in

paper fossils in  a short while.

The  monsoons  will  produce

a wilder, thorny crop.

I made  my  home made  peanut  butter

and  mulberry  cordial  this  week.

I will take  pictures  to  show  you.

These  photos  remind  me  of  the

dry, wet  and  cool  seasons  of  my  life.

Last Sunday my sister Sonia (in  Lucknow)

was  attacked  by  a  stray  cow.

When she  stepped back to  avoid  the onslaught,

she slipped  and fell  badly bruising   her arm and

neck. She  received  home  treatment.

She  is   in a lot  of  pain .

Please pray for her  wound to heal.

Each year thousands of  people  are injured

or  meet  with accidents  due  to

stray animals  on Indian  streets

but  the  civic authorities  hardly

do anything   about this  menace.

Yesterday we  got   my mother' s  blood work

done. All reports  are  clear , Praise  God.

Only her blood  urea is  one percent

over the  border line.

I will  consult our family doctor  for that.

____________

I want to  share  a  short  devotional  article  by Joni.

She  is  a  great inspiration  to me.

Joni was  paralyzed  in a diving accident  when she  was 16

years  old. Her  life  struggles  and  growth

in faith   has  been  a blessing to  thousands  around  the world.

Life  would  be great if  only

- Devotional  by  Joni Eareckson  Tada

In Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and you have been
given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority.
-- Colossians 2:9-10


What do quadriplegics (people whose hands and legs are paralyzed) daydream about?
Running a marathon? Ballroom dancing? Climbing a mountain? Many of us have scaled
down our fantasies. In my weaker moments, I'm tempted to think life would be great
if only I were a paraplegic - then I could use my hands. I see paraplegics transfer
themselves out of their wheelchairs into their own beds, reach for items in the
refrigerator, wash dishes at a sink and quickly sort through the mail. Then old
feelings of disappointment start to slink back into my heart.
Even able-bodied people look at others who seem more attractive, smarter, richer,
healthier, and who get all the breaks in life. In comparison, our minor defects
begin to look like deformities. Thankfully, the Bible has good advice for people
prone to compare. Paul tells us we have been given "fullness in Christ." In other
words, we are complete in Him. We have everything. We lack nothing. There's no need
to compare. Once we comprehend this truth, our so-called defects become reminders
of how "full" we are - because we have "fullness in Christ." The inferiority complex
releases its grip. We become content.
I wouldn't be happier if I were a paraplegic rather than a quadriplegic. The fullness
of Christ dwells in me, even with my infirmities. Therefore, I will gladly boast
as a quadriplegic. After all, you can't improve on "complete."
In what ways do you feel incomplete, inadequate, or less than you had hoped? Rather
than seeing these as insufficiencies, realize you are lacking in nothing. Why? Because
Christ dwells in you. Bask in that knowledge for a few, quiet moments and feel yourself
relax into contentedness.

* *

Lord, help me to keep from drumming up "if only" scenarios in my mind. Fill my thoughts

with satisfaction in you and in whom you have fashioned me to be.

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Many  times  I  feel  very weak and  insufficient  for the tasks  and  duties  I am called  to  perform. I  stumble  and  fall physically  an d spiritually. It  seems  my  disabilities  are  ridiculing  me. Many   times  I don 't  get  the respect   due  to me as  a lonely, handicapped reclusive  woman, I get  wounded. I wonder  about  the  future.

If  I  look at a Python on the ground I  will most  probably  be  afraid  of it, but  if I  let  it  be  draped  around  my  neck (for  a  short  while) I  can  overcome  my  fear of it. So  I  have  to  tackle my problems  head  on - I cannot back away  from them.

I  had  delegated   2 people to  help  me in a small  church business which  would  earn us  a  few  rupees each month.  But  they were   lax  and  careless  about it resulting  in  our losing ten thousand five  hundred  rupees.  US $ 234.   That 's  a  lot of  money  for us.

So I  have  to  take over  the  duty  of  managing it. It will be  a  physical strain on me, but  I have  to  do  it, till I can find someone reliable enough for  the job.Please  pray for this.

Things are  difficult but not  impossible.
God 's grace is  sufficient for  me.
His power is  made  evident  in weakness.