Driving – A nightmare in Chennai

It took one and a half hours to cross one kilometer at around 7 in the evening on old Washermenpet road. Such is the nightmare caused by these broken roads and the construction of the metro rail for the people. The men on their bi-cycles could not move either. I switched off my engine and so did I see many doing the same. I was lucky to take my friends that day as we had some long interesting conservation. But when I looked around, I found many interesting people. A lonely man inside his luxury Skoda car was struggling to keep awake as he was in total frustration. Then I saw a family of 4 on a motorbike struggling to give place for each other but finally as usual the mother’s love was triumph full. That was a beautiful screen to watch as I saw love and contentment overtake comfort and struggle.

Then, after a while of talking with my friends I again looked through my car window and I started to observe the people on a bus. People were cramped into that bus and I found many not even finding a place to hold anywhere. For a moment I thanked my Lord for giving me this privilege of sitting in an air-conditioned car. The people sitting were neither comfortable. Humidity and the smoke coming out from the vehicles were chocking them as many had their nose covered with a cloth. Many had their earplugs connected to their handsets enjoying their favorite tunes. With some, after a good look I realized that they was busy talking with someone.

With all these things happening around me I was able to forget my frustration and slowly the traffic moved on. But sadly it was just for a few meters before it came to a standstill and I had to start over from where I left my observations.

Roads in Chennai are virtually becoming hell for drivers as most of the roads are blocked and made into one ways. To top this, the roads are hardly seen with the way filled with only loose stones and mud. The metro rail construction has swallowed more than half the roads in most of the places. Usually our roads would be just 70 to 80 feet wide. Now with the intrusion of the metro rail construction these roads have shrunk to about 40 to 50 feet in width and a two way traffic lane. With the increasing population and the rapid increase of vehicles (Both four and two vehicles) in spite of the hike in fuel prices these roads have become unpleasant for driving. It would take another five years to breathe freely on these Chennai roads.

Thirumbi Naan Paarkayil – A spirit filled musical treat

This song is sung by Brother Samuel Jabro and Sister Hema John, a prominent, spirit filled singner among the Christian population of South India. Bro Sam as he is fondly known among his friends is a dedicated Christian and a fervent prayer warrior. He is a talented musician who carries the gospel around the world with his musical talents. The song’s lyrics were penned down by his wife Sister Anusha Jabro who witnessed the darkest side of this world by undergoing the toughest situations and is a living testimony of the Lord Jesus Christ. The outcome of this beautiful consequential song is the path through which she went in life.

This song starts off by counting the richest mercies of God remembering God’s hand during our toughest situations in life. “Nadandhu vandha paadhaiyai, Thirumbi naan paarkaiyil, Iraiva neer andru illayael Naan indru illai”. The translation goes like this “As I look back on my life, Lord I realize, had you not been there then, I will not be here today.

Yes, If we stop a moment, give a break from our busy schedule and look back at our past, we will realize how wonderful and graceful our Lord was upon us. He would have protected us from the clutches of death a million times in the past years. Every breath we take and every step we take is because His love has no bounds. It is because we are the apple of His eye. He has selected us and not we. It is because He as graven us on the palm of His hands. He died that we may live and it is because He still lives and has his angels watch over us.

Life is because He was there for us on that day holding our hand firm as we treated on the rocky places not knowing our ground not even knowing to toddle properly with our weak legs. This is why He says that “My grace is sufficient for you”. Yes, His grace alone is enough for us to live in this world.

The song then goes on like this…..

Nadu kadalil naan kadhari azhudhavaelaiyil,

En Kural Kaettu ennai vandhu meeteerae,

Uyir pogum ena naan kalangiya vaelaiyil,

Um siragaalae moodinirae,

Which mean ‘When I cried out to you in the middle of the ocean, Lord you heard my voice and rescued me. When I shivered and feared for my life. Lord you covered me with your wings and protected me.

Our Lord is our pleasant help in times of trouble. The Psalmist says “I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help”. The Bible is full of promises which will never fail. We stand on the unfailing promises of Jesus. Our ground is a solid rock and with Christ in our vessel we can anytime smile at the storm. He is always willing to lift us up from the clay and rescue us in times of trouble.

The last verse concludes bring in hope for the hopeless,

Edhir kaalam ennavendru theriyaadha vaelaiyil,

Pudhu paadhai neerae kaatinirae,

Kadhavugal ellaam moodiya vaelaiyil,

Suvaraiyae udaiththu vazhi amaitheerae,

The English translation for this verse is “When I did not know what the future held for me, Lord, you showed a new path to tread. When all the doors of opportunity shut on my face, Lord, you broke the wall and made a new way”.

The only hope for the Israelites was Mosses, the prophet of that age sent by God to lead them from captivity. But we, the spiritual Israelites, the bride of Christ are more blessed as we have our savior himself as our only hope in these last days. So, lets us cling on to him and walk according to His word and prepare ourselves for that glorious coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The theme of this song is love. When we look back at our past, we can see nothing but love alone. Tears roll down my cheeks as I look back at my life and then I can say just one word “LOVE”. Love is God, for God is love. What an awesome God I have. I can write a thousand pages and still say that I am at the beginning. So great this love is which is limitless.

This is a beautiful song which will turn the hearts of a million across this world towards the original and everlasting love of our maker and creator the Lord Jesus Christ....

Some meaningful visuals has been added to this music track for you to be blessed more so that you can show this to all your friends easily.

The below link will direct you to this video song. Enjoy watching it. God bless you…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=4qf2sUw9Skk

A new Look

Today thought of giving my blog a new look. I never changed its style since i first made it in 2007. So I thought to bring in some new features as well. I need your valuable comments on this. I will also be soon launching my new blog exclusively for music lovers. So be right back here soon for its arrival. I am sure it will excite all music lovers and its sure to give the world of music at the click of your mouse. So stay tuned in folks for the music.

A million riding high with this luxury

A billion eyes fall upon him as each time he enters the cricket arena.  He shows his class and exhibits his supreme talents and outplays each opponent every time on the field. He is a master in all the department of this game. At 37 he runs faster than the youngest cricketer and fields better than the finest fielders in the world. Yes, it’s the little master (I call him the Big Boss) because he is truly the boss of cricket. He has given this nation of riding high on his achievements.  The Indian team is still depending on this genius even after him carrying the entire nation on his shoulders for more than 20 years now.  His age might call him old, but he is still new and fresh to this game. A fearless batsman who can belt any kind of blowing attack and make them look like a piece of joke. 

He is the highest run getter for India as of now in this world cup edition. He has been India’s most successful cricketer ever and it will take another 10 decades to break his records by any cricketer.   

I am a trainer now

With the students of Annamalai University in Chidambaram. Next to me are the other trainers and the faculty members.

This is another turn around in my life. Standing in front of a crowd is a big achievement for me. Yes, on the 20^th of July when I received a call confirming my job with TCS, I was overwhelmed with joy not only because I had got a job after a long gap, but also because of the giant leap I had taken in my career. Becoming a trainer was a dream coming true as I had only been admiring that job. I always admired the speaking talents of people who used to speak on a stage with such fluency and command over their topic. This opportunity came by sheer God’s grace who works in ways that we cannot comprehend. I also got the opportunity to lecture to the final year top rank engineering students of Annamalai University in Chidambaram last week. I also had a session for a set of their lectures too. I was a big stage for me as it was the first time I was training on soft skills for such a large audience. But by God’s grace I was able to perform well and got positive reviews from all the students and the factually members. I hope to continue in this profession for as long as I believe that I can strongly contribute to this field of training.

Materializing the dreams of a billion

India finally fulfilled the dreams of a billion by taking the world cup after a gap of 28 years. It was a great achievement by these men. By taking this victory, India’s greatest batsmen Sachin has now added all the feathers onto his cap . This was one thing that was missing in this little man’s great career, but now he is part of this historical event too. This huge victory will be remembered for generations to come. Hope the boys keep this winning streak going and stay on the top position for some time. They should not let this victory sit on them and start playing lousy cricket. They should keep this momentum going and start dominating this game like how the Aussies did for these past several years. Hanging on to that magical No.1 position should be their next goal. But for now I conclude by saying three cheers for their great victory over our neighbors on that great world cup final match.

Is our traditions forgotten or lost?

India is known for its traditions and its cultures. Many different kinds of people live in this great land following their own traditions, well molding themselves in one accord with their fellow neighboring states respecting and also participating in their cultures as well. We have our own set of identities which keep us unique from the rest of the world. As we all know that we are being highly influenced by the western world, our own traditions are slowly fading away. So what effective measures can we take to save this culture of ours?

The IPL cricket sensation which is happening in our country could be used as a platform to not only show the world our cricketing talents but also as a stage to show case our own talents and exhibit our cultural traditions. Instead, we have hired models from foreign lands and showing them as a tool of generating business and as a mere crowd puller. Will not there be a crowd to watch the folk dancers perform in that same stage or a Bharatanatyam dancer perform.?

Music, the language of the heart and soul

The expression of the heart, the symbol of love, which is the ultimate ambassador for all the emotions, a person's feelings; for all this, the solution is MUSIC. Each tune has its own sweet meaning. It elevates a person to a different level, a special atmosphere, a desirable state of mind, speaking the language of the heart, healing its wounds and nursing the bruises caused by the very breath of a person.

Words cannot express music and its works, but it can only praise that art which is also not possible under most circumstances. It’s a source of life to the dead soul. It can also revive a person from his grave. It possesses a person with its own kind of spirit. Man’s imagination is weak; it needs support and prompting. So to revive their memories of the past, present and also to give an imagination of what his next move would be, music is necessary.

Music serves to prompt and revive memories of beauty, happiness, joy, pleasure, gladness, love and even sorrow in the minds of those people who are acquainted with it by experience and love to recall it. The relation to an equivalent aspect and phenomena of reality is the same as the relation of an engraving to the picture from which it was copied. This relationship is brought forth by the power of music. It recollects the past and takes you to reality itself and positions you in the period of that incidence.

A beautiful object in reality is not always accessible to everyone, but music makes it possible. It transforms you into that object to feel its value. The fragrance of a flower is sweet, but that same fragrance felt in an unconscious state brings in an innovative meaning to it, which is possible only through this life reviver art. Even the color of the sea may change, the sun may look different and the earth may stand still, but music will safe guard you through these times of death though death is unavoidable but will for sure lead you through fine green pastures and show you the end of life in a lighter and a better way.

A useful thing has all the right for respect and so is “Music a beginning of life”; that is precisely why the more perfectly transformable art is an imitation resembling the original. This is an universal language as it lets you understand what the song is about and feel its emotions even if you don’t understand the lyrics. It is the meaning of one’s life. It gives you everything you want like never before. It is the chief architect of your souls cravings.

Media and Global Warming

Is global warming a sign of destruction? Well scientists and other scholars predict that this could well be the end of mankind from the face of this earth. Some say that this would destroy a major part of the earth, which could erase a part of human’s extinction. We would soon be an untraceable element in this planet. They say that global warming is the term used to describe a gradual increase in the average temperature of the Earth's atmosphere and its oceans, a change that is believed to be permanently changing the Earth’s climate forever. This is why we experience sever climatic conditions like never before. It has never been so hot in the month of March itself. We are heading towards terrible days ahead of us. Given the current scenario, I think that the heat waves have not yet started though we feel the heat creeping up our head.

Scientists from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate carrying out global warming research have recently predicted that average global temperatures could increase between 1.4 and 5.8 °C by the year 2100. Changes resulting from global warming may include rising sea levels due to the melting of the polar ice caps, as well as an increase in occurrence and severity of storms and other severe weather events. These series of climatic changes would lead to several issues concerning climate, food, destruction and economic breakdown.

Media’s role in global warming:

Media is the only tool through which people can learn more about this serious problem and could take necessary steps to control these changes and prolong man’s life on this planet. Much of what people learn about global warming comes from news sources like television, the Internet, newspapers, magazines, films and radio. In today’s age, most people get their view of the world from mainstream media. It is, therefore, important that mainstream media be objective and present accurate and diverse representations of what goes on around the world.

Accurate media representation of world issues is crucial. Media has to show the fact as what it is. Whenever media reports are censored or biased, the people’s basic rights are systematically undermined. In these situations, violations and unaccountability often go unnoticed and suppressed viewpoints become commonplace. Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.

I entrust my unknown future on a known God

With all the possible things we do in our daily life, the degrees we learn, the work we do, and the things we aspire for, finally we end up in no man’s land. This is a fact in the sense that, all these things make up something in the society and help us achieve what we want in life but yet get us nowhere at the end of this life. Then what are we living for? It is just for the Lord Jesus Christ.

Though we don’t achieve anything in this life or though we don’t make a mark in this society, there is one hop for us if we only obey the will of Jesus and walk according to His word. We get to live for eternity. Even the richest person on this earth cannot achieve this great hope of living through eternity. Even his works in the earth is limited only to this lifetime. But we a have hope and a purpose to live for. This gives us a way to live forever. I have a ray of hope that others don’t have.

No person can predict his future. No one can be sure of what his future would be. There will be a doubt in everybody’s mind about his or her future. There is only uncertainty prevailing everywhere. This world may get destroyed anytime. That’s what the scientists predict as well. Global warming crisis is creeping into everyone’s minds these days. Incurable diseases are found on the rise everywhere. We never know when it would affect us. We might have got many degrees behind our name and work as even the general manager of the biggest company in this world, but still there is only uncertainty before him. But I “entrust my unknown future on a known God”. I have submitted my unknown future in the hands of my God, the Lord Jesus Christ. I am now certain about my destiny. I know what I will do and where I will go.