Serving as a soldier

Last week I travelled from Madurai to Chennai by train.In the compartment there were four men from different southern districts of Tamilnadu.They were going back to their respective units of the army. They were happy to be together during the two days journey .They shared their experiences .They talked about their higher officials.They expressed their wishes and ambitions. But they had only one goal .They serve the nation and are responsible for the safety of the people in their motherland.We live in this world with many people.Our aim should be to live an eternal life with God after our death.We have to lead others also to this eternity.Otherwise we fail in our duty.

The mind is its own place

I met one of my friends who was very rich once. Now she lives in a small rented house in peace. When I saw her all alone there I was upset. But she is as happy as she was in her own big house. I was reminded of Miltons words quoted above. When I was a college student I loved a saying :Let me be so strong that nothing can disturb my peace of mind. Now I come across a person who proves this saying by her life. Some people grumble over everything. Even if they have what all they wanted they wont be happy. Let us learn to make heaven out of hell.

Penny saved is pound earned.

• When I was studying in Fatima College in Madurai,75 kilometers from my native town, during 1964-1968 , my father who was a lorry driver, gave me Rs.10 as pocket money.I spend that money carefully, because it was hard earned money and I should not waste that.After my studies, I got a govt. job and had a good salary. Even then,I dont spend unnecessarily because of my past experience.Nowadays,I see people spending lavishly .Spending money for necessary things is o.k. But spending on luxury without thinking of their future will lead to problems soon.We must have a thought about our saving for our life after retirement. Then we will have peace in our old age.This I write from my own experience and I think you know the value of it.
  

Old is gold.

Last week I met an old friend of mine after twelve long years. We were colleagues in 1973 in a school in Chennai.We met in 1993 and after that,I was busy with my job and family affairs as she was with hers.When we met last week, she is eighty years old.Yet,she is healthy and smart and happy in the Lord.She is living alone and helping neighbours and friends who visit her.When I was young she helped me a lot and guided me in many things like a mother. Even now she told me many things. I learnt many things from her rich experience.But one thing affected me much. Her own children neglect her words and ask her not to interfere in their ways.This is the case with many families now. There were joint families in India.Parents and grandparents lived with their children.They helped in disciplining the grandchildren.Nowadays we cant see such families.The result is problematic children.So let us realise that old is gold.

Sleeping too much?

Sleep is given as a boon to mankind. After a days hardwork,sleep refreshes us for our next days work.Too much of anything is good for nothing. It applies to sleep also.Excess sleep makes people stout and in turn unhealthy. The Bible says sleep covers you with rags.A lazy man becomes poor.If a man lives for sixty years, he spends twenty years in sleep, if he sleeps for eight hours a day.Then if a man sleeps more than eight hours, you may calculate your own sleep account. God made us to be useful to our fellowmen.If we waste our life in sleep,we are accountable to God.We spoil our health and spoil the happiness of our family too.Let us wake up from our sleep and be useful to others.

Caring for your eyes.

We have five sense organs. We see the world with our eyes. We express our emotions through them. So we care much for our eyes. I visited Agarwal eye hospital at Chennai accompanying my daughter -in -law for a review after surgery. There I saw many people caring much about their sight. I saw them closing their eyes for hours, in order to test their eye power. I began to meditate for a few minutes. People are ready to sit for hours together with closed eyes.But when people are asked to pray for ten minutes they are not able to close their eyes. I have come across people who are too busy to pray. Nowadays waiting for worldly things is more than waiting for Godly things.

Sunday -sabathday or heavy day ?

Sunday is expected eagerly by everyone including school going children, because it is a holiday.God created heaven and earth in six days and He rested on the seventh day.Whether it is sunday or saturday, we have to take rest after a weeks hard work.One who works hard for six days , has to relax and refresh on the seventh day. But people make this day a heavy day by doing a lot of work. That day is also meant for going to church to worship the Lord.But people are so busy that they work and work even on the day of rest.If we seek God on that day,Hewill take care of our everything and we will be strengthened to do our work on the coming week.

How to discipline your child?

Children are angels sent by God to families.Some parents dont understand this and spoil their happiness.Children imitate what we do.They learn everything from us. Without understanding this fact, we used to scold the children.If we think for a moment, we will have the patience to correct our behaviour.Children are like clay that can be shaped as per our wish.We have to give time to see how they react to different situations.We must listen to what they want to share with us.They are also having emotions.If we respect their feelings now,they will respect our feelings when we become old.