Diamonds in the Dust

January was an up and down month.
Many battles won and lost , lots of experience gained and knowledge gathered from dealing with unforeseen situations.

These are photos of a troupe of grass cutting ladies who came to our church yard. They belong to a nomadic tribe which travels
as migrant workers seeking employment on building sites.They are very poor and often sleep on city side walks out in the open. They gather grass and sell it to cattle owners for a paltry amount.

During the freezing weather we allowed many poor people take grass and fire wood from our church yard.

By God 's grace we are doing good. Mama and I have a little cough and cold. We are taking hot vapor inhalation with eucalyptus oil, works well. Today was a very peaceful and 'kind ' day. My younger sister 's wedding anniversary too.

The following is a devotional from Joni Eareckson Tada

The Poor Shall Be Rich

"Listen, my dear brothers: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him?"
-James 2:5

George is an evangelist in Malawi who uses an old badly battered wheelchair. Not long ago he wrote to ask me to send him my husband's used shirts - his were wearing out, and he wanted to dress his best as an ambassador for Christ.

George wheels himself from village to village over bumpy, rutted dirt roads that connect the small towns in Malawi. He longs for a power wheelchair during such exhausting journeys but realizes such a luxury is beyond his grasp. Despite sore muscles and calluses on his hands, he keeps going. His deepest desire is to share Christ with others who are handicapped, to tell them that despite their poverty, God is in control for their good and His glory.

George is dirt poor. The people to whom he ministers are even more poor. But there is none so rich in faith as George.

Remember, Christ willed to be born poor, and He chose disciples who were living, for the most part, in poverty. Christ made Himself a servant of poor people. And He reminds us that whatever we do to help the least of the brethren - those most poor - we are personally ministering to Him.

"All they asked was that we should continue to remember the poor, the very thing I was eager to do" (Galatians2:10).

Lord, let me see those who are poor through Your eyes. And when I see them, may I not turn my back on their need... for if I do, I would be turning my back on You.



Taken from Diamonds in the Dust. Copyright © 1993 by Joni Eareckson Tada. Used by permission. Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49530

Blessings,

Mr Christmas

These are my pre -Christmas photos. Did not get an opportunity to publish them until now.

I was out shopping and saw a lady with this very seasonal shopping bag. (top photo)Yes in India people associate Christmas with snow and snowmen.

I took pictures of a wayside Christmas decorations stall.. Many of the buyers were from other faiths. My newspaper held a Christmas tree competition and everyone on the winners list were Hindus.

India is a very homogeneous country and people enjoy each other 's festivals. I just pray they may know the real message of Christmas.

China , a country not very favorable towards Christianity is flooding the world with Christmas decorations. In India they sell more than Indian made ones. China is exporting Hindu religious articles also.

Here is the story of one man who tries to celebrate Christmas all through the year.

Andy Park (Mr. Christmas)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Andy Park, is an electrician from Melksham, Wiltshire, England, who styles himself "Mr. Christmas" after claiming to have celebrated Christmas day every day since July 1993.

In 2001, it was estimated that since he started celebrating, he had got through 30 artificial Christmas trees,

10,000m of tinsel

and 10,000 balloons,

at a (then) estimated cost of £100,000.

In 2005, he released a single entitled "It's Christmas Every Day", with a video featuring Mike Read and produced by Andy Whitmore. There were suggestions in the media that much of the information released by Mr Park was false, and simply to attract publicity for the single:

"His local newspaper, “The Wiltshire Times” tell us it has given up trying to do any stories on this man. Apparently, their photographer has shown up at his house several times, unannounced, in hopes of catching him celebrating. Yet, Mr. Christmas has not even let him in the door. So what exactly is going on here? This might shed some light. His latest video for his latest Christmas single. And it is just about as bad as his Christmas sweater. So there it is , media hustler. We‘re obviously outraged on behalf of ourselves and all other media giants who got even slightly taken in by this clown."— Keith Olbermann[1]

He claims that each day he eats breakfast (turkey sandwich and mince pies),

then goes to work, until returning around at lunchtime to eat a full roast turkey dinner before watching a recording of the Queen's Christmas speech, sherry in hand.

In 2006, it was reported that the Queen had politely declined an invitation to broadcast her speech from his house.

In an interview published in 2006, Mr. Park was quoted as saying that over the previous 13 years, he had consumed

4,380 turkeys (one a day),

87,600 mince pies (20 a day),

2,190 pints of gravy (half a pint a day),

26,280 roast potatoes (six a day),

30,660 stuffing balls,

219,000 mushy peas,

4,380 bottles of champagne,

4,380 bottles of sherry

and 5,000 bottles of wine.

However, in 2001, he was warned by his doctor that the diet was affecting his health after his weight increased to 19 stone (121 kg).

He claims that, on the 25th December each and every year, he does not celebrate Christmas.

This story is just too bizarre. This man might be a hoax.

You can celebrate Christmas everyday if you have Jesus in your heart.

It will not cost you your health or money.