On the contrary, I did everything I could to help my children as they were growing up. Although I never made a fuss about it, I took care of things and was happy to do so at any cost. 

But when they went far away for college, things began to change. When they faced challenges in life, I felt helpless. There’s only so much you can do through phone calls. 

These were times where I really felt helpless. Things were certainly beyond my control. It was frustrating and I felt like I was in a place where I had no control. At first, they were a train ride away, and I took the train to go help in whatever way I could. 

Then they went further away to other countries, and things were even more complex. It was no longer as simple as an overnight train ride. At that point, my helplessness went to another level. This led to various emotions like fear, anxiety, and even anger. 

But God was doing his work in me through my helplessness. He was teaching me to let go of my children and to give them to him. He could help them better than I ever could. This requires a higher level of trust than I’ve ever had. 

God’s work still continues in me as I’m learning to give other areas of my life completely to him. Of course, this came through other areas of my life where I became helpless. Thus I continue to hear his voice calling me to higher levels of trust. He says, ‘’Give it to me.’’ 

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Make a list of things in the past that continue to bother you. If the list gets too long, just limit it to one page. 

Then make another list. A list of things that you are grateful for. It could be things like family, church, business, your job, or anything that you appreciate in life. Maybe you don’t find any of those things to be of much value in your experience. Then you’ve got to select Jesus and his love and forgiveness. After all, he has loved you with an everlasting love that never ends. 

Let the love of Christ be your most precious possession and experience. It could be the most valuable thing you’ve ever had. And yes, it is the greatest. 

Maybe you get my point. Keep your eyes on those things you are grateful for rather than on things that bother you. Others may claim that you are avoiding reality or ignoring the facts. Refocusing your attention is not denial, rather it is something that will put your life in a different perspective. 

There are plenty of things in life that need refocusing. Learn to hold things loosely. Be quick to let things go. 

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 What do I leave for another generation? 

Especially after COVID, we’ve all seen people younger than us die for various reasons. I’m not getting old, but I am beginning to think of what I’ll leave for the next generation. 

There’s not much wealth to be transferred, so there has to be other things. Also, there’s not much status and pomp to leave behind for the next generation either, so they could look back at their posterior and say great things about their lineage. 

So, what’s there to pass on? Here are a few things that come to mind:

(1) A legacy of Faith

(2) A legacy of Giving

(3) a legacy  of Integrity

Faith becomes a legacy as we live with full trust in God above all else. This should be more than a statement. It needs to be lived out in our everyday life. Our children should be able to look back at our life and attest  to that. Otherwise, those are mere words. 

Giving begins with giving of ourselves. When we give of our time, efforts, and talents for God and to others, we make an impact that is long lasting. Part of this should be the practice of financial giving as well. Don’t wait till you are financially well off or wealthy – that would be impractical. 

Integrity can be a bit tricky. It shouldn’t be. But it is. The concept of right and wrong gets blurred in various contexts. I remember when a motorcycle ran into  the driver side door of the car my brother was driving. The pictures taken show clearly that the motorcycle came out of a side road and broadsided him. Later, I was signing some papers at the police station, and I was struggling to read since it was the Malayalam language. I realized that I was signing papers that were like a “bond” to get him out. When I protested and questioned them, they said, “Oh, they are a poor family and it is so they can get the insurance money.” But I said, this is not what happened, but they kept repeating their previous statement. 

Whatever the surrounding community may consider to be appropriate should always come under the scrutiny of the Word of God. Thus we are to keep our integrity regardless of the people around us. Sometimes, keeping your integrity will cause you to incur loss, be passed up for promotions, and you won’t always come out on the top. Yet that is a gift you can pass on to generations to come.

 
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The community where I live is not a place with lots of work opportunities. Thus most young people seem to look for work elsewhere and leave this town. Thus I’ve been on a quest to encourage young people to start businesses. Several have been successful, others are struggling to become profitable, and a few have failed. 

Here are some essentials that I’ve found that help people to be successful in their endeavors. 

KNOWLEDGE

Immerse yourself in the quest to gain knowledge for your business. Important things include knowing how to set goals, and the process of planning, organizing, directing, and controlling the activities of a business. Even after you’ve started the business, don’t stop learning. I’d recommend reading one book per month in line with your business. After the first year, read at least one book per year. Keep building on your knowledge.  

MENTORS

Don’t do it alone. Find a good mentor who has business knowledge and experience. Such a guide will help you as you establish your business and coach you as you continue to build your business. Sometimes, you’ll need to pay mentors to do this (even if they don’t charge a fee, pay them – you’ll get more out of the process). 

NETWORKS

You need to develop at least two networks. The first network should be a network of prospective clients/customers. This has to be a never-ending quest as your business moves along. This network can be built online or in your local community. Some use both to develop a network of customers. 

The second network should be a group of like-minded people doing the same type of business. Develop such a network locally (if they don’t see you as a threat to their business). You can also find such people online and expand your horizons further. Don’t be a Lone Ranger as you do business. Develop a strong network that will act like a business support group. 

EXPERIENCE

It is best if you begin a business in an area of your expertise. Otherwise, get a job in such a business and work there for at least one year and gain experience and knowledge. During this year, you can work on developing some of the aspects mentioned above. This year is not a waste of time, rather it is an investment into the success of your future business. 

FUNDS

For many, this is the aspect they think of first, and this is the factor that keeps them from starting a business. Yes, having sufficient capital is essential, but make sure to develop the above essentials first. As you develop those, work on developing sufficient funds. 

If funds are limited, you can begin the business at a smaller size and scale up as you go along. See it as a parallel development of all the above factors as you grow your business. Don’t wait till you have the sufficient funds. Start small, and build as you go along. 

Avoid going into debt to start your business. But if you are well experienced and have started businesses successfully before, you can take loans. Then, you are taking the loan against your prior experience. 

I believe the above factors will be essential as you begin your business journey. Of course, there are many more essentials, and you can learn them as you go along. The most important thing is to begin (without ignoring some of the critical elements mentioned above). 
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Periodically we do a special program in our church called “60+” for those in that category. The discussions have been lively, and the interactions have been heart-touching. We’ve journeyed with some of these people for the last few decades and have seen the challenges they’ve faced, especially when they came up to this phase in their lives. 

The most common definition of the word retirement is ceasing from work. The basic idea is to live independently of income from work. 

Four critical factors must be kept in mind for those nearing retirement. Does this imply that I’m getting closer to such a time? Never mind. 

1. Finance

Many think about this too late in life, and some don’t think of it at all. Some have retirement pensions from work, and others may have some form of government assistance for the rest of their lives. 

Saving up enough money that you can withdraw from your savings will not be practical. For many, they won’t be able to save up enough. Once you retire and begin to withdraw from that account, then what if the money ends before your life ends? That gets complicated. 

Somehow, the money you save up must be able to earn you income without depleting the capital. There are several ways to do this, and a good financial planner can help with this process. 

2. Purpose

During their working years, many find their purpose in raising children, managing the home, or in their careers. But once they quit working, and the children are grown and gone, many find themselves without any purpose. 

If you could identify a purpose for your life much before retirement, that would be the best option. But unfortunately, many never took the time to think about this. Yet it’s never too late. Find something to give you meaning. Something to get up in the morning for. 

3. Community

Being part of a healthy close-knit community is one of the best things you could do for yourself. Attending church just on Sundays will not be sufficient unless you are involved in various activities of the church regularly. 

The giving of your time, effort, and energy can be of great value to you. Adding value to others is the best way you can add value to yourself. 

4. Exercise

If you’ve always had the habit of physical exercise during your younger years, you’ll be great with this. Otherwise, the best approach is to get connected with a group focused on workouts for retirees. Trying to establish an exercise routine for yourself can be quite difficult if you’ve not had that habit. So the best approach is to join a group. 

Would you like to add to this list?
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Have you ever longed for stability in your world?

In a time of turmoil and instability, Isaiah saw a vision of God on his throne along with the greatness of his glory and majesty (Isaiah 6). The text contrasts their current situation of instability (the unstable reign of King Uzziah) with God himself. This is a literary tool where the writer doesn’t give a complete explanation but leaves it to the reader to discover the meaning for themselves. Of course, the Israelites would have gotten the point as they heard this passage being read. As they knew the history of their kings. 

Human leaders are prone to pride and abuse of power. So don’t get upset or contorted in your emotions regarding how people react in the world. We have God as our stability. He never fails. He has sustained this earth from its creation. And he will sustain it till the time he has determined for it. 

It’s the same situation with your life. What are you facing? Turmoil? Terminal sickness? Financial distress? Whatever your situation, it’s clear that you must stick close to God for he is the only one powerful and reliable enough to sustain you. 

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God himself has a love song to sing. It’s a love song about his people. Like many love songs, there are desires and heartbreak. 

God sang a love song about his people and began with his desires for them. In the first two verses of Isaiah chapter 5, the love song begins with how God planted them like a vineyard with all the provisions for them to be fruitful. 

But instead of fruitfulness, he found wild grapes. God wanted the fruits of justice and righteousness, but he saw bloodshed and heard an outcry. 

Like many love songs, heartbreak seems to be the dominant theme. God’s desires were crushed with heartbreak. He tried to bring restoration, but there was no response. 

Finally, God had to do the unthinkable. He called for the nations to come. He opened them up to their enemies to come and take them away as exiles. God determined that this “separation” was necessary to restore their love and relationship. 

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When life became tough, I remember hearing a young mother of two children express her situation by saying “Since following Christ, what have I gained?” Recently, I heard a similar response from a person who has walked away from the Church. “Once I have enough money to finish constructing my house, I’ll go back to church.”

So, what did we get? If we are unsure of the benefits of following Christ, we will be confused about the purpose of our salvation. On the top of our list should be the benefit of having our sins forgiven by the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross, ratified by the fact that he rose from the dead and continues to live and rule. 

We have also been given the privilege of being adopted as children of God. The Bible seems to be clear that this includes all the privileges of inheriting God’s kingdom here, and in the age to come. 

It’s a sad reality, but so many have missed the point. Pastors teach, instruct, and guide, but for some, the message never gets into their hearts. What a loss!

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 Sometimes, when I pray for people who are terribly sick, I wonder if anything will happen. Yes, I have seen God’s power work to heal many, but questions do come up. I believe that God can heal, but through me? How is it that I can heal the sick? 

In Luke 9:1-2, Jesus’ words give us a clear picture of what He intended: “Then He called His twelve disciples together and gave them power and authority over all demons, and to cure diseases. He sent them to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick.” First, He gave them some things to use and then He gave them some things to do. 

Things to use: Power and Authority 

Power is the ability to carry out what you speak, and Authority is the actual right to do it. God’s unlimited power is available to us as we heal the sick. It is His divine power that actually brings healing to the sick person. He has the power to supernaturally change the condition of the body from its “out-of -order” condition back to the order that God created. God’s power literally flows through the person’s body and restores the body to a normal condition.

Along with power, we have been given authority to use. Authority is the right to do something. When someone is authorized to do a task, that person has been given the right to carry out that job. Although the typical idea of “asking” for healing is not a bad idea, Jesus’ words seem to afford us direct authority. We are told to heal the sick in Jesus’ name. So, better than “asking,” we can heal the sick person with words of authority in the name of Jesus. 

Authority is based on our relationship with God. Near the pool of Bethesda, there were many sick people, but jesus healed one man. When he was questioned about this, “Jesus said to them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise.  For the Father loves the Son and shows him all that he himself is doing. And greater works than these will he show him, so that you may marvel’” (John 5:19-20). Thus Jesus based his authority on His relationship with his Father. 

Things to Do: Preach the Kingdom and Heal the Sick

For a people who struggled with their lives in a region under the authority of a foreign nation, the teaching on the Kingdom of God was quite attractive. He wanted them to know that there is a Kingdom beyond this worldly kingdom, and that they are invited. 

The healing and miraculous acts he performed were all simply a foretaste of what his Kingdom is really like.

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When Jesus came and began to preach, he proclaimed that the Kingdom of God had come. That proclamation is factual, but another kingdom already existed here. The Kingdom of Darkness ruled here on this earth and continues to wreak havoc even today. Thus we have two kingdoms coexisting, and these two kingdoms are forever in conflict. 

Every day, we see the evidence of the kingdom of Darkness. The front page of any newspaper displays the way the kingdom of Darkness continues to hold it’s grip on society. That is an undeniable fact. 

But Jesus declared that the Kingdom of God has come. And the evidence of the kingdom is the works performed by the children of the kingdom. Jesus told his disciples to teach that the Kingdom of God has come and to heal diseases and cast out demons. 

In the last chapter of Mark’s Gospel, we are told that signs and wonders confirmed the words that the disciples preached. Jesus also said that if he drives out demons by the “finger” of God, that is evidence that the Kingdom has come. 

So, the evidence of the kingdom of Darkness is all around us. But the children of the Kingdom of God are to do the works of the Kingdom and reveal the King and provide evidence of His Kingdom to this world. The works of miracles that we do are to be the evidence of the Kingdom of God on earth today. 

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