.....Story.............What we learn from this...?

A Rishi was practicing his tapas in the Jungle . To his ashram came a bewildered rat in a hurry . It looked restless and scared . What makes you so scared ? asked the rishi . The rat replied .... A cat is chasing me , am afraid it would eat me out .

the Rishi thought for a while ... " Okay Let me make u a cat " POOF !!! The rat was blessed and the rat became a CAT . . . The (erstwhile rat) CAT was happy . It bid him thanks and walked out with courage and strength ....

Days Later ... The CAT (erstwhile rat) rushed into the rishis ashram with same scare and bewilderment .... What happened again ? asked the Rishi with same care and consern . The CAT replied now a dog is chasing me and am scared it might kill n eat me ...

The rishi replied "Okay let you become a DOG".. enthused and empowered felt the CAT . It thanked the Rishi and walked with much Power and strength...

Weeks rolled on ... The DOG ran in to the rishi's ashram again seeking refuge ..
"And now my dear DOGGIE ... What made you so sared ? You do u seek refuge here in my ashram ?" asked the Rishi ... The DOG said .. "Oh Learned Saint .... i am being chased by a Cheetah.... The cheetah is so scary it will hunt me down hence Convert me into a cheetah so that i ll be the mightiest in the jungle ... " . the rishi found this to be a good solution for the problem and blessed it and the DOG Became a CHEETAH.

The Fully Empowered cheetah walked majestically out of the Rishi's Ashram !
On the way .... The CHEETAH thought for a while .... "This Rishi is converted me into a CAT then a DOG and now a CHEETAH .... " " All is well now !! " ...."er... What if he makes another MOST POWERFUL CHEETAH than me ... the Mightier cheetah mught kill me .... Wats the way out.. thought the CHEETAH . then it decided . The only way out is to kill the RISHI ... No more mightier problems for me ... I d be Happy ! " The CHEETAH approached the Rishi to kill him....
Poof !!! The Cheetah became a rat ... The rishi , the creator of this CHEETAH knew the CHEETAH's mind ... so The Rishi re-converted the CHEETAH to its original form the RAT.

I got this story from internet .............do you find any meaning in this.......?

Mar Thoma Church - My extended home

Let me talk about the church I belong......

A few years ago in a first communicants' class I asked a few questions to the students...the questions I asked are....

1. Name of our church? Noboby given the full name.....do you know....!!!!!?

Ans:Malankara Mar Thoma Syrian Church

2. Can you explain..or..could you elaborate name of our church...? One of the students said....when somebody asked Thoma to move ..then we got the name mar thoma (thomayodu mari nilkkan paranjappol- Mar Thoma aayi).....!what an answer......can you elaborate our church's name.....

Ans: Malankara - Malakalude Kara(land of hills)=Keralam....
Mar = Saint
Thoma = Saint Thomas
Syrian = Early Christians of India later nurtured by the eastern churches
especially from the syrian church.....the tradition we belong....

3.How old our church.......many answers...100...200....!!!!!!!!

Ans: AD 52, St.Thomas Came to India in AD 52 and a community of believers accepted christ as their saviour....This church is rich in its history,teachings, liturgy,symbolic expressions of faith...........Even this church was there even before the first book/letter of the present New Testament......

4. Can you identify some of the features of this Church...

a) It is an Eastern Reformed Church
b) It is a Missionary Church....
c) Our church is an Ecumenical church......

We will continue this discusion...in 'my scribbling pad'..........

Challenges in the life.........like Goliath.......

Read- 1Samuel 17

1Sam17:45 says, "David said to the Philistine(Goliath),"you come to me with sword and spear and javelin;but I come to you in the name of the Lord...."

Challenges like Goliath....

How David(a small shepherd boy)could overcome the Goliath?
Because he believed in a God who protects the weak....

When he looked at Goliath(the biggest challenge ahead of him)he has seen God standing behind of Goliath.....David didn't bother about the challenge ahead of him....but he had a trust in the Lord that God will with him to overcome the biggest challenge....

Goliath(challenges, struggles,..some times we may think that this is the end of the life...)is reality...

But as children of God we should see and trust in the Lord....
Don't be afraid of Goliaths....in our journey.....
Look to God....trust in God.... because our God is our refuge and fort...
Our God is with us....by faith we could see God....bigger and mightier than any enemies or challenges ahead...

There is no life without challenges...
Accept the challenges and struggles as it is....but move with God...

Don't simplify or exaggerate the challenges...
Face it like David.....

Even our Christ undergone through challenges......
Whenever he faced challenges....he spent time with his Father....
At Gethsemane he really cried.......broken.....
But he faced the great challenge...CROSS...
Christ defeated the powers of death........

Face challenges...courageously....because our God is with us...

Pray to God....God give me enough strength to face challenges in my life....
God I could see you in my struggles....I am not alone.....
God help me to see you bigger and stronger than any challenges in my life...

Don't see God as small...and challenges ahead are big......