Hi (name),
Better late than never. I have been thinking of writing to you for some time now. First of all let me begin by saying, how happy we are about your admission to the (XYZ University). Congratulations!!! Just another instance about God’s kindness and His grace in our lives.
Getting admission in a good Masters program is always something that is foundational to a working career. It sets the tone and directs our entire life. I and Vaishu firmly believe that God has called us to be where we are. And therefore it is our responsibility to give our best in all that we do. Because all that we do must be for the Glory and pleasure of God.
So think about this. If you study hard, then study hard for the glory of God. If you share your Christian experience with someone, do it for the Glory of God. God takes a lot of pleasure when His children acknowledge His provision and give Him thanks for all that He has done. So first of all, we believe that God has placed you in XYZ for His glory as you represent Him.
Secondly it is always easy to get diverted by overburdening ourselves with a lot of academic stuff. We get so much engrossed in our studies that we fail to give God, time in our lives. Make sure that you do not postpone spending time with God. Set aside a time every morning for 1/2 hour to read the Bible and Pray. Don’t miss this time.
Many a times, I have found that I am irritable and wavering in my decisions when I have failed to spend time in reading the Bible and spending time in prayers. If you fail to spend time now, it will get that much more difficult to do that at a later stage. (…)
Thirdly be careful in where and on what you spend your time and efforts. Above all keep yourself pure, that is the greatest gift you can give your life partner.
God is more interested in our Holiness than our Happiness, He is more interested in our Purity than our Power, He is more interested in our self control than our giving into physical desires, He is more interested in our faithfulness than our financial success, He is more interested in our endurance than our reputation, He is more interested in our Good than our desires, He is more interested in our Eternal life than our external wealth, he is more interested in our long term joy than in our short term fun.
Fourthly make sure that you do not postpone things. It is always easier to do it right 'now' than to postpone. Make sure you complete all your academic work the same day that it was given to you. Bring some structure and discipline in the way you approach studies, after all this is expected from a person who is pursuing a Masters degree.
Fifthly and finally make sure you spend quality time with Mom. Time flies by too fast to let go of the precious moments. Vaishu and I firmly believe that God has placed people in our lives, so that through them we would understand God much better.
The question is do you desire to please God, if your answer is Yes, then am sure you will understand and appreciate the 5 things I have mentioned above.
We are very happy and proud of you. This is just the first step, a first step in the right direction, however there is a long way to go...
With much love and prayers,
Vikram
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Friday, January 8, 2010
Brit Hume, Tiger Woods, Freedom of Speech and Tolerance
I dont know Brit Hume or for that matter Tiger Woods. What I mean is that I have never met them. However both Tiger Woods and Brit Hume are in the news and for completely different reasons. TW for his infidelity and Brit Hume for his remarks on Fox on 3rd January about TW.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rgMr_Zc3OtA&feature=player_embedded
On "Fox News Sunday," Hume — the former leader of Fox News' political reporting and host of "Special Report" who now serves as an analyst for the network — said that Woods' recovery "depends on his faith."He was asked whether Tiger Woods would recover from the scandal that has cost him several lucrative endorsements. Brit Hume replied, “Tiger Woods will recover as a golfer.” But he didn’t stop there (as Chuck Colson comments on Breakpoint) —and in the process ignited a controversy that says more about his critics than it does about Hume or what he had to say. Hume said the “open question” is “whether [Woods] can recover as a person.” Hume pointed out that Woods had “lost his family” and that his future relationship with his children is unclear."The extent to which he can recover seems to me depends on his faith," Hume said. "He is said to be a Buddhist. I don't think that faith offers the kind of forgiveness and redemption that is offered by the Christian faith. My message to Tiger would, 'Tiger, turn to the Christian faith and you can make a total recovery and be a great example to the world."
From the attacks that I have seen in Media (print and online) on Brit after this remark, speak more of intolerance than tolerance.
Indian Author Vishal Mangalwadi in his most recent book 'Truth and Transformation ' shares his experience on freedom of speech when he and his wife Ruth were boarding a plane to fly from Florida to Minnesota. This was Christmas time and therefore the Flight attendant greeted them with the customary " Happy Holidays", to which Vishal asked her 'are you not allowed to say Merry Christmas? to which she replied that they have to say Happy Holidays. Vishal found this amazing as his understanding was that America was tolerant_the land of the free and home of the brave. The world actually respects the American forefathers for saying, ' Give me liberty or give me death.' And here they were and they cannot wish Merry Christmas to each other. 'If you surrender your heritage of Freedom, how can you ask the people in Afghanistan or Iraq to stand up for their liberty? Vishal presses on. Because religious terms such as Christmas offends liberals, should Americans then surrender their freedom or teach the liberals some tolerance?
Dr. Don Carson, Research Professor of New Testament has to say the below about Tolerance. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9PVJlnvVeSM)
“Twenty five years ago ‘tolerance’ was understood to be a virtue that operated something like this: If I hold strong views on any particular subject I am nevertheless judged to be ‘tolerant’ if I think that your views are bad, immoral, improper, even disgusting, wicked or stupid, but still insist you have the right to defend them. In other words, a ‘tolerant’ person puts up with somebody else’s views and insists they have the right to hold them even while – in the vigorous arena of debate – we might disagree fundamentally on who is right or who is wrong. Such a person is a ‘tolerant’ person.
But nowadays, that is not what ‘tolerance’ means. Now ‘tolerance’ means that you don’t hold that anybody is right or wrong. Everybody is equally right or wrong. Nobody is more right than another person. If you don’t hold that then you are ‘intolerant.’ Now that is a huge shift … Under this new definition of ‘tolerance’ I don’t even know what ‘tolerance’ means because in the old view of ‘tolerance’ you had to disagree with someone before you could actually tolerate them. How do you say ‘Oh, yes, you are entirely right – I tolerate you?’ … This new ‘tolerance’ actually becomes extremely intolerant of anybody who does not buy into this view of ‘tolerance’ because if you actually come right out and say that some view is wrong or silly or foolish or indefensible or even questionable, then you are judged to be ‘intolerant.’ Thus, in the name of this newfangled tolerance it turns out, at profoundly deep levels, to be the most intolerant thing of all!”
So did Brit Hume have the right to say what he did? Absolutely he did. Did he say the right thing? Thats for you to investigate and find out. From following Jesus Christ for the past 20 years, and from my personal experience on forgiveness I know he did. In a way, everyone answers the question that Jesus posed his followers 2000 years back and quoted in Matthews Ch 16 Vs 15.."But who do you say that I am?"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rgMr_Zc3OtA&feature=player_embedded
On "Fox News Sunday," Hume — the former leader of Fox News' political reporting and host of "Special Report" who now serves as an analyst for the network — said that Woods' recovery "depends on his faith."He was asked whether Tiger Woods would recover from the scandal that has cost him several lucrative endorsements. Brit Hume replied, “Tiger Woods will recover as a golfer.” But he didn’t stop there (as Chuck Colson comments on Breakpoint) —and in the process ignited a controversy that says more about his critics than it does about Hume or what he had to say. Hume said the “open question” is “whether [Woods] can recover as a person.” Hume pointed out that Woods had “lost his family” and that his future relationship with his children is unclear."The extent to which he can recover seems to me depends on his faith," Hume said. "He is said to be a Buddhist. I don't think that faith offers the kind of forgiveness and redemption that is offered by the Christian faith. My message to Tiger would, 'Tiger, turn to the Christian faith and you can make a total recovery and be a great example to the world."
From the attacks that I have seen in Media (print and online) on Brit after this remark, speak more of intolerance than tolerance.
Indian Author Vishal Mangalwadi in his most recent book 'Truth and Transformation ' shares his experience on freedom of speech when he and his wife Ruth were boarding a plane to fly from Florida to Minnesota. This was Christmas time and therefore the Flight attendant greeted them with the customary " Happy Holidays", to which Vishal asked her 'are you not allowed to say Merry Christmas? to which she replied that they have to say Happy Holidays. Vishal found this amazing as his understanding was that America was tolerant_the land of the free and home of the brave. The world actually respects the American forefathers for saying, ' Give me liberty or give me death.' And here they were and they cannot wish Merry Christmas to each other. 'If you surrender your heritage of Freedom, how can you ask the people in Afghanistan or Iraq to stand up for their liberty? Vishal presses on. Because religious terms such as Christmas offends liberals, should Americans then surrender their freedom or teach the liberals some tolerance?
Dr. Don Carson, Research Professor of New Testament has to say the below about Tolerance. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9PVJlnvVeSM)
“Twenty five years ago ‘tolerance’ was understood to be a virtue that operated something like this: If I hold strong views on any particular subject I am nevertheless judged to be ‘tolerant’ if I think that your views are bad, immoral, improper, even disgusting, wicked or stupid, but still insist you have the right to defend them. In other words, a ‘tolerant’ person puts up with somebody else’s views and insists they have the right to hold them even while – in the vigorous arena of debate – we might disagree fundamentally on who is right or who is wrong. Such a person is a ‘tolerant’ person.
But nowadays, that is not what ‘tolerance’ means. Now ‘tolerance’ means that you don’t hold that anybody is right or wrong. Everybody is equally right or wrong. Nobody is more right than another person. If you don’t hold that then you are ‘intolerant.’ Now that is a huge shift … Under this new definition of ‘tolerance’ I don’t even know what ‘tolerance’ means because in the old view of ‘tolerance’ you had to disagree with someone before you could actually tolerate them. How do you say ‘Oh, yes, you are entirely right – I tolerate you?’ … This new ‘tolerance’ actually becomes extremely intolerant of anybody who does not buy into this view of ‘tolerance’ because if you actually come right out and say that some view is wrong or silly or foolish or indefensible or even questionable, then you are judged to be ‘intolerant.’ Thus, in the name of this newfangled tolerance it turns out, at profoundly deep levels, to be the most intolerant thing of all!”
So did Brit Hume have the right to say what he did? Absolutely he did. Did he say the right thing? Thats for you to investigate and find out. From following Jesus Christ for the past 20 years, and from my personal experience on forgiveness I know he did. In a way, everyone answers the question that Jesus posed his followers 2000 years back and quoted in Matthews Ch 16 Vs 15.."But who do you say that I am?"
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