The Power of LOVE!

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. 1 John 4:7

Love...Love your neighbor! One of the Bible’s repeated command. Whether they appreciate you, or respond to your love, Jesus's command is still valid: You must show love to your neighbor in a practical way. Everyone knows it, but are we coming forward to do it. We are finding a reason to blame on something!!! 

A lady who was quite busy with cooking for her guests got tensed when her little son walked behind her so closely wherever she went. At one point, she yelled at him and pushed him badly which made him cry. He ran out as fast as he could into his bedroom and wept a lot till he slept. The lady after she finished all her work at the kitchen remembered what she did to her son. When she went into his bedroom, she found him on his bed. Then the Lord reminded her to go to the kitchen again. When she went, she saw so many beautiful flowers in various colors scattered on the floor. She came to know that the small boy followed her wherever she went just to surprise his mother with her favorite flowers. She realized how badly she hurt him without realizing his love for her. She could no longer control running to the boy. He took him into her arms. She hugged him and kissed him as if she saw him after a very long time.

Love has to be shared with those who deserve it.  A man who is 50 years now is always a kid to his old mom and dad. A child is always a child to mother's heart. Hurting others will take just a few minutes, but bringing the relationship back in track may take years. In some cases, that would never happen. Forget whatever happened in the past years. Take a time & opportunity to be kind and to show the love to others. 

Finally to gain the power of love, 

Love God

Love yourself

Love your family

Love your friends

Love your neighbors

Love your enemies

The first 4 areas ... loving most of your family and friends is very easy because of the strong, natural bonds that we have already established with them. The last 2 areas could be we never covered...! However, this can be done with the help of the kneeling on prayers. Once we start to feel the love of God Himself for some of these people, it will then become much easier! God Bless.

Alphabet Prayer!

This is a story that I read today its really nice!

Every child comes with the message that God is not yet discouraged with man. Now the story goes, a little shepherd boy was watching his sheep one Sunday morning and he heard the bells of the church ringing. And watching the people walk along the pasture where he was, he happened to think to himself, “I would like to communicate with God! But, what can I say to God?” He had never learned a prayer. 

So, on bended knee, he began to recite the alphabet. Repeating this prayer several times, a man passing by, heard the boy’s voice and peaked through the bushes. He saw the young boy kneeling with folded hands, eyes closed, repeating the alphabet. He interrupted the boy. “What are you doing, my little one?” he asked. The boy replied, “I was praying sir.” The man seemed surprised and said, “But why are you reciting the alphabet?” The boy explained, “I don’t know any prayers, sir. But I want God to take care of me, and to help me care for my sheep. And so I thought, if I said all I knew, He could put the letters together into words, and He would know all that I want and should say!” 

The man smiled and said, “Bless your heart, God will!” And he went on to church knowing full well that he had heard the finest sermon he could possibly hear that day. Maybe if we thought like little children and let God put together the letters, what we should want, and what we should say, things would probably work out a lot better than we planned!

Here's an Alphabet Prayer :

A...ALMIGHTY GOD

B...BLESS MY FAMILY AND ME

C...COMFORT ME

D...DRAW ME TO YOU IN PRAYER

E...ENLIGHTEN ME

F...FORGIVE MY SINS

G...GIVE ME A FEW GOOD FRIENDS

H...HELP ME TO DO YOUR WILL

I...I AM YOUR SERVANT

J...JOYFUL ARE MY DAYS

K... KEEP ME FROM HARM

L...LEAD ME TO STILL WATERS

M...MAKE ME A VESSEL OF YOUR LOVE

N...NATURE IS YOUR MASTERPIECE

O...OPEN NEW DOORS FOR ME

P...PLEASE GRANT ME PEACE

Q...QUENCH MY THIRST FOR KNOWLEDGE

R...RESIDE WITH ME ALWAYS

S...SHIELD ME FROM DANGER

T...TEACH ME TO LOVE UNCONDITIONALLY
U...USE ME TO INSPIRE OTHERS
V...VISIT ME IN SOLITUDE
W...WHEN I FAIL LIFT ME UP
X...XXX'S STAND FOR MY LOVE FOR YOU
Y...YOUR LOVE FILLS ME WITH GRATITUDEZ...ZESTFULLY I THANK YOU !

The Lord spoke to Moses, “Now then go, and I, even I, will be with your mouth, and teach you what you are to say.” Exodus 4 : 12 ...The same God will give the right words in your mouth. Pray where you are, God is present everywhere and ready to listen at all times!

Tasty Sambar/Kadai Sambar/Poosani Sambar!

Sambar is the most common dal curry cooked in almost every house in South India. It is served with main course rice in almost all the South Indian homes. However, no one ever beat the taste of the kadai sambar... which is served in South Indian restaurants. The aroma of the sambar , make our taste pallets to crave for more. This is one of a kind … “Kadai Sambar” , damn...this is so good in taste. 

Ingredients:

Pressure cook:

Toor dhal/red gram lentil - 1/2 cup

water- 2 cups

turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp

asafoetida - 1/8 tsp

Garlic pods - 1

Needed Items :

Tomato - 1

shallot onion- 4 to 8 (peel them but dont cut it)

Red chillies- 2

Tamarind - small ball size

cumin seeds- 1/2 tsp

cooking oil - 1 tbsp

mustard seeds-1/2 tsp

jaggery- 1 tsp (crushed)

salt - 1 tsp

sambar powder - 2 tbsp

Garnish with:

curry leaves- 1 brig

cilantro/ coriander leaves (chopped)- 1 tbsp

PREPARATION:

Wash and clean the Toor dal , soak it for 30 minutes. Pressure cook the items mentioned .

Soak the tamarind in 1 cup water for 20 minutes. Squeeze it and get the extract.

In a separate pan, heat the cooking oil and splutter the cumin seeds then add the peeled shallot onions and saute it to golden brown.

Add the cut vegetables and add tamarind extract. Cook the vegetables with sambar powder and salt.

After the vegetables get cooked , add the pressure cooked dhal . In the frying pan add ghee ,add mustard + urad dal. When the mustard crackles add curry leaves, red chillies and pour it to the dhal-veggie mixture. As it starts boiling add the little jaggery and turn off the fire.

Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve hot. It goes well with steamed rice or for Idli and Dosai! 

"TRUST HIM"

Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10

A little girl walking in a garden noticed a particularly beautiful flower. She admired its beauty and enjoyed its fragrance. “It’s so pretty!” she exclaimed. As she gazed on it, her eyes followed the stem down to the soil in which it grew. “This flower is too pretty to be planted in such dirt!” she cried. So she pulled it up by its roots and ran to the water faucet to wash away the soil. It wasn’t long until the flower wilted and died.

When the gardener saw what the little girl had done, he exclaimed, “You have destroyed my finest plant!”

“I’m sorry, but I didn’t like it in that dirt,” she said. The gardener replied, “I chose that spot and mixed the soil because I knew that only there could it grow to be a beautiful flower.”

Often we murmur because of the circumstances into which God has made us to go into  it. We fail to realize that He is using our pressures, trials, and difficulties to bring us to a new degree of spiritual beauty. 

One night recently, I was settling down into my bed to read Bible before sleeping, and guess what I was doing? Worrying, of course. About everything and nothing. And I felt God’s still, small voice comfort me and say, “If you are worrying, then you are fearing. If you are fearing, you are not trusting Me.”

I sat on my bed for a second and tried to pray...but I wasn't!!!. I always thought, I had an awesome sense of trust in God. I really did. When things went crazy, I would always have a peace. But having peace didn’t mean that I was trusting.

The powerful creator is stretching me and making my heart bigger to understand the things that I wish for. God is teaching me everyday in different ways to "TRUST HIM" and "Him only" ! "Even when I walk through the Darrrrkest valley, your rod and your staff comfort and protect me"...Psalm reminds me!

 

Kola Urundai - Meat Balls!

The so called "Kola urundai"(Tamil) is more famous in Tamilnadu. I can remember the stories which my mom told about this “Appetizer”, some decades ago, they used to grind the meat at home in “Aatukal- the grinding stone”, that yields a very soft texture with crispy crust. Whenever my mom does this receipe, she still remembers me....since I’m fan of this yummy tasty...kola urundai. Thanks to the technology, as we get kheema from the shop as conveniently. This receipe is sure mouth watering....my kids love them :) !

Ingredients

Cinnamon Sticks - 4

Cloves - 2 to 3

Fennel seeds - 1/4 tbsp

Cumin seeds - 1/2 tbsp

Pepper corns- 1/2 tbsp

Split chic peas- 2 tbsp

Pearl onions - 8 to 10 (chopped)

Ginger - 1/4 inch (finely chopped)

Garlic cloves - 6 (chopped)

Green chillies - 2

Mint leaves and cilantro - 2 strings(finely chopped).

Turmeric powder - 2 tsp

Salt - as per taste

Oil - for frying

Preparation :

Heat little oil in a kadai,add the Onion, Ginger, Garlic, Green chillies, one by one and saute for 3 mins. 

Add the Ground meat and fry  for a while say 4 mins. Add the turmeric,salt and continue frying until all the water/moisture evaporates and the mixture becomes nicely cooked. It may take another 5 mins or so. Add Mint leaves, Cilantro and allow to cool for a while. 

Ground the dry ingredients and keep it aside. Transfer the kadai contents to a blender/food processor and grind it. Just give few pulses that is enough. Add the ground mixture(dry) to the blender. The split peas act as a binder, so no need to add egg. Take the contents in large bowl and make them small balls and deep fry in the oil. Golden brown is good color for this kofta. Server as a appetizer or side for any rice variety. Enjoy the meal !!!

Instant Kuzhi Paniyaram!

Kuzhi means hole in tamil. As we are pouring the batter in a whole so called as kuzhi paniyaram. It can be made either as sweet or savory. This paniyaram is from the left over idly batter. It tastes like the medu (Ulunthu ) vada. Easy to prepare and tasty to eat.

Ingredients

• Idli Flour - 2 cups
• Chopped onions - 1/4 cup
• Chopped coconut - 2 tbsp 
• Cashews- 8 to 10 nos 
• Chilli - 1 Urad dhal, 
• Cumin seeds and Mustard - 1tbsp
• Coriander leaves to garnish 

 

PREPARATION

Heat Oil in a pan and splutter the mustard, cumin and urad dal,chilli flakes. 

Now add the onion and roast them until you get the good aroma...! not fried!Now add the coconut pieces and cashew nuts. 

Once you roasted everything together....Allow the fried items to cool. Add these fried items, Salt and Coriander leaves to the Idly batter and mix well. Grease the Paniyara griddle with 1 tsp of oil in each cup and drop the batter in each cup. Once each sides are done....the  little paniyarams are ready to taste....! They look cute too!!

Beautiful Diamond ! R U !!

Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed.

1 Peter 4: 12, 13

Success. The fleeting feathery friend we are constantly seeking. We know we really want it. Everyone does. We are in the race to chase it, to strive for it... But what exactly is it?!

In the story of "Acres of Diamonds" by Russel H. Conwell., the story of man is told who is searching for "Success"; but he did not know that the success he was searching for...which are in the form of "Diamonds" was right on his personal property!! He traveled all over the world searching for diamonds!!! After selling his property, and after many years in search of diamonds by travel and not finding it, he killed himself in frustration. One day, the man who bought this property saw a rock and tested it, the rock "Diamond" was right behind the house. To his surprise it was a "Diamond" and he became rich overnight!! It is the situation of tragedy for one man and financial fortune for another. 


Many of us are like that first man who sold his property, instead of searching deep within ourselves to find out what we have within us and develop them we despise what we have and place value on other people. For many "The grass is always greener on the other side" !!!

There are treasures...talents & gifts in each of us, and they are "What you have in your hand!". These talents and gifts are the key to your greatness. They are not just for you but they are for humanity ad they have tremendous ability to make you wealthy. All you will need and all you can ever be, found in the innermost of your being.

Success need not be the accumulation of wealth or favor or eminence. It could simply be raising a happy family. It could be finding fulfillment and happiness in one’s work. It could be making some small difference in someone’s life.

Develop your gifts and talents, after discovering them, the world is waiting for you.