he made a difference

A Face in the Crowd. Sometimes a face just stands out for no particular reason. It was quite a crowd in the restaurant and a rather busy day in the see-through kitchen where they made pizzas. I cannot remember whether the food was better than elsewhere but when I look at this picture now I can see that it has made an impact because of the face that stands out tall and seemingly confident and proficient in the trade. The decoration was good too and did make a difference. Yes, the food was good. I have enjoyed the company of good hospitable hosts.  Thank you all!

windows of hope yet

Windows of hope yet.
This was taken awhile ago. My young wards like visiting artificial abodes for wild creatures. I go along. But I can feel a sense of sadness for no particular reason. On the other hand, I find solace in the following verses (promises) for living creatures. The windows into another world out there beyond the horizon promise a safe place and an assured full life for even the little birds.

The desert creatures will meet hyenas,
and one wild goat will call to another.
Indeed, the night birds will stay there
and will find a resting place.

Sand partridges will make their nests there;
they will lay and hatch their eggs
and will gather their broods under their shadows.
Indeed, the birds of prey will gather there,
each with its mate.

Search and read the scroll of the Lord:
Not one of them will be missing,
none will be lacking its mate,
because he has ordered it by my mouth,
and he will gather them by his Spirit.

He has cast the lot for them;
his hand allotted their portion with a measuring line.
They will possess it forever;
they will dwell in it from generation to generation.

(Verses taken from prophet Isaiah’s book 34:14-17)

edge of light and season

Edge
The edge that demarcates light from darkness fascinates me. The contrast is so clear in this picture taken in last September. The dark side is a wall of hedges. I was new to this place and was walking along the side of the road. The trees on the other side were turning into autumn’s yellow but the willow tree was quite adamant to stand out in its lush greenery.  I cannot figure out now what the white spots on the ground are. But they too contribute to the contrast in colors between the black and the white. The path too, clearly marked by a white side and a dark part shadowed by the tree. There seems a marking of a boundary between two sets of realms, one in the bright sunshine and the other one in the dark. Again it makes me think of our lives. Some are in the bright sunny realm where the light is and some in the dark and shady realm. One thing is certain, all living things need sunshine to grow and thrive, even the trees and the grass. With the seasonal changes one may enter a bleak and bare grey and colorless period. But the good news is the sun and the light with all the glorious and rich colors always come back with another season. Being an optimist I believe that this too applies to life.

Genesis 1:14 Then God said, “Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs and seasons, and for days and years;

balancing on edge

Edge
Someone sent this photo to me. It is interesting as it is like someone performing a balancing act with one limb standing. It reminds me of life. Often we have not much choice in our circumstances. We can opt to stand (even if handicapped) or fall. In this case this rock opts to stand precariously along the edge of a hill/mountain slope. Amazing how nature portrays our daily lives. How long has it been standing? Pretty long, I am told. It is in a national park, a regular tourist visit place. What keeps it from tumbling over and roll down the slope or worse crashing down the chasm and crumbling to pieces? Does this rock fear of its plausible fate? There seems a hidden gigantic hand that holds it there, in place, over the ages, along an edge and always on edge. Again, I can’t help but marvel at the many things we are yet to find out about a realm which we cannot see with our physical eyes.

Bible verses that come to my mind:
Isaiah 44:8 Do not fear, nor be afraid; Have I not told you from that time, and declared it? You are My witnesses. Is there a God besides Me? Indeed there is no other Rock; I know not one.’”
Isaiah 48:21 And they did not thirst When He led them through the deserts; He caused the waters to flow from the rock for them; He also split the rock, and the waters gushed out.

a night at the concert

Melody
After a spirited concert performed by a high school with junior and senior girls under a locally acclaimed award winning talented but somewhat temperamental conductor who was known to have threatened to cancel the top three best pieces just before the concert, we strolled outside with lingering excitement and contentment. Parents and visitors like us packed the hall and crowded the waiting lounges. We were all waiting for ours or someone else’s little ones. They sang songs from various nations and did a good job considered the hours, days, weeks, months and years they had put into it! I was told that on one occasion all 85 girls cried their hearts out when the conductor canceled their best “a cappella” (singing without accompanying music) pieces. He felt that they were not good enough and were unworthy to sing those pieces. Regardless how they sang that night we all stood up at the end and gave the girls a standing ovation anyway! Reason? They are our children or our friends’ children. In fact we thoroughly enjoyed the whole concert due to the choice of songs and the lively performances. No, we did not worry about whether they were worthy to sing them or not. Every singing girl had someone close who thought the best of her. It was a night of melody performed by angels as far as we were concerned.