I was able to open my eyes today

I was able to open my eyes today,

Because someone prayed for me last night.

I traveled to my workplace without meeting with an accident,

Because my guardian angel was by my side.

I was able to sleep under two blankets,

Because my parents earned it for my comfort.

I have a steady job today,

Because I was lucky enough to receive education.

I have my meals today

Because someone cares to provide me

I have clothes to wear today

Because someone, somewhere sewed it up.

I am not walking bare feet today

For my ancestors kept evolving new ways to protect my feet

Today, I can freely express my thoughts

Because those born before me made this a free country

So many people, so many strangers

Made me what I am.

How can I still call myself

A self made person…?

5 Ideas to make Christmas Special

Here are 5 ideas to turn your Christmas into an extra special day...

1. Have a home made family dinner: Get the family together, and dine on home cooked meals, which are prepared together with the family members. Make the cooking and dining a fun experience and get together with your loved ones to share the special time.

2. Send anonymous gifts: Be a Santa! Send a gift to someone you know who has been keeping down, or is not well, or someone who is not expecting a gift. Send the gift anonymously. Do not forget to give something really good, something that the receiver would really appreciate, it need not be something expensive or very flashy, just something that cheers the other up. What makes Christmas better than making Christmas better for others! And I promise, deep down you feel very good.

3. Call friends instead of SMSing them: How dry would the wishes be if we just SMS our friends on the Christmas day! Call them, all of them, and wish them a very Merry Christmas, in a very merry voice. Forget the bills and balance for a while, and live the Christmas spirit!(And anyway, I think the mobile carriers will charge on 25th, so why not make a call instead.)

4. Watch 'A Christmas Carol' with your friends and family: A very well made movie indeed. Even though it is an animation film, it will capture the attention of a mature audience as well. The movie will surely help us to look back at our lives and change it for good. (Though I won't recommend it to kids younger than 10, some scenes are scary.)

5. Pray for a better year ahead: No, I do not mean the 30 second, close your eyes, clamp your hands together, "God please..." type of a prayer. Pray all day long, while working, cooking, cleaning, greeting, smiling, sleeping, dancing, whatever you may be doing, keep communicating with Jesus, in the depth of your heart, open up yourself, and share your fears about the coming year, your expectations, your shortcomings. Just keeping talking, praying, asking, sharing.

Hope you have a Very Merry Christmas!

Holy Spirit - The Bubble Wrap

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The transparent God's love plastic is soft, strong and flexible, to allow you ample mobility without falling apart or leaving the bubble wrap confinements.

It not only protects you, but also assists you in all your work. The Holy Spirit guides, teaches, intercedes, gives life, so wrap yourself up!

And there's more! All this comes with an Eternal Lifetime Warranty!!!

So, what are you waiting for, grab your share of Holy Spirit, Bubble Wrap today...

This ad was brought to you by Jesus, your Friend Inc. For more details kindly refer to John 14:26, Luke 12:12, Rom. 8:26, Matt. 4:1, John 6:63, Acts 2:4. Holy Spirit is delivered freely to open doors!

10 Out of the Box New Year Resolution Ideas

Well, as the New Year approaches, most of us will be looking forward to making those great New Year resolutions that will change our lives for good. But as it turns out many a times, New Year resolutions don’t stick around too well. But maybe the resolutions don’t work because we might me changing wrong things.

Whatever maybe the reason for the new-year-resolution-fail syndrome, here’s a list that is well beyond the regular, tried and tested (and broken) resolutions. Try making one of these resolutions, if it sticks, great! If it doesn’t, well it won’t make much of a difference.

1. I will buy things in dozens: Since its 2012 you know, buying things in dozen to live the spirit of 12! Whether it is bananas or grapes, or shoes or even cars, everything bought in the year ’12 should be either 12 in number or a multiple of it!

2. I will say sorry before shouting out in rage, instead of after: Somehow, it’s a really cool change! Imagine you are totally mad at a friend who dropped cola on your favorite shirt, you just say a meek sorry(works even better if you say sorry before your friend can say it) and then start at the top voice with anger and rage, your friend won’t know what hit him/her.

3. I will sing 12days of Christmas every day: 12 days, 12 months, 2012. It all matches, and by the end of the year, you will finally have the lyrics memorized.

4. I will say ‘Rabbits’ out of the blue: Or any cute animal that you like. Shout ‘Rabbits!’ when you are at work, or in the middle of a conversation, in a phone call instead of ‘Hello’, let’s spread cute little rabbits everywhere!

5. I will re-arrange the pizza toppings: Take off the mushroom and the corn isn’t just rightly placed, remove every topping and re-arrange it in an artistic way. Get creative. Bonus points if the pizzeria hires you!

6. I will stop eating anything purple in color: Means no eggplants, no yam, and no any other freaky purple colored disgusting tasting food!!! Now that’s one resolution worth keeping

7. I will wear mismatched clothes once in every month: Mismatch colors, or styles, or even silhouettes, or maybe all three of them! Wear crazy stuff at least once every month, you may never know it might even start of a new trend.

8. I will be a movie spoiler: Go watch a  movie alone, and then go watch it again with your friends, but don’t forget to give away spoilers, reveal the climax before hand, show the twists, repeat the dialogs and kill their fun, and have yours. Oh! But beware of getting a black eye.

9. I will take bath in cold water all year: Now, this one is an immunity and character building type of a resolution. No hot water, not even warm water, just cold tap water. Will make you strong(or you will fall sick!) and also sensitize you about the poor homeless who don’t have ready access to hot water.

10. I will communicate only in 1337(LEET): Whether it is mails, chats or blogposts, all written communication from 1^st January,2012 should be done in LEET. &  `/  n07,   \/\/3 Я   7|-|3  (0/\/\|>(_)73Я  63/\/3 Я@7!0/\/

So, which resolution are you going to choose?

Tweeting on the Toilet Seat

Presenting another hit from...
Broad B@nd


Dark circles undr eyes
N I've got weak bones
M tweeting on d toilet seat
4m my iPhone

M connectd 2 all, i knw..
Wen dey laugh,wen dey moan
M tweeting on the toilet seat
From my iPhone

Oh jst luk @ dis video
my baby bro licking ice-cream cone
M tweeting on the toilet seat
From my iPhone

Alwys plugd in, alwys onlyn
We're turnin in2 clones
M tweeting on the toilet seat
From my iPhone
       

P.S: This obviously is a figment of my imagination... But the lyrics are my own so DON'T TOUCH! And yes, it is a bit sarcastic...

How 'catholic' are we?

Have you ever noticed how every person who stands while you are kneeling during a mass is devil's minion and how every person who genuflects while you kneel is a hypocrite?

Everybody has a set of ideas about spirituality. Some may pray only in trouble, others all the time, some might yell at the top of their voice while singing a hymn(even though they may not know the lyrics or the tune), others may just be happy listening to the choir.

I remember getting the puked up feeling whenever I saw someone breaking down in tears while making a prayer(and many a times it was accompanied by the sound of sucking the snot in!), I also remember snorting at the altar servers; who would turn up sometimes even an hour early and fight among themselves to be the servers for the mass. An most of all I hated the distracting babies who just wouldn't let me pray in peace. Oh how I wished the parents would leave their wailing infants and fussy toddlers at home!

I had my set of rules, my style of praying, my way of behaving, my way of saying the prayers(loud and frequently punctuated with intonations). I thought, mine and only mine was the way that was truly catholic(or atleast was more catholic than others).

But then I encountered something that changed my whole outlook. I was sitting with a dictionary one day, trying to find some new word, and suddenly I wondered whether the dictionary had a definition of catholic.

And guess what, there actually was a definition, and it took me by shock!

catholic(n): all embracing, universal

I sat there, staring at the words. Catholic... All embracing... Universal... 

Slowly it dawned on me that my faith, and the faith of others was the same, the universal faith, and that being catholic was to embrace all those who shared my faith even if they had a different way of expressing it.

So now I don't shudder at the emotional person's crying prayer, nor do I wrinkle my nose on the parents who want to attend the mass and bring their children too so that they may learn something. I no longer mock the loud 'hallelujah' nor do I cringe at the old lady's nasal rendition of a hymn. Because for each of them it is a form of prayer, a form of offering to God, a way to communicate to Him.

Now I have a catholic approach towards my diverse friends in Christ, because they are diverse in expression, not in FAITH.

What are we ashamed of...

Why am I not ashamed of showing abusive hand gestures, but feel embarrassed to use the sign of the cross?

Why am I not ashamed of singing aloud a song with raunchy lyrics, but blush if caught humming a hymn?

Why am I not ashamed of slapping someone publicly but lack the courage to apologize even in private?

Why am I not ashamed of wearing t-shirts carrying obscene messages but hide the cross around my neck?

Why am I not ashamed of spreading rumors to debase someone but shy away from spreading the Good News?

Why am I not ashamed of hearing a dirty joke but wouldn't want to be caught dead listening to religious podcast?

Why am I not ashamed of reading a racy novel again and again, but feel embarrassed to be seen with a bible?

Oh, I could list many more! What kind of culture do I live in, where every condemnable act is commended and the fine art of practicing a religion is frowned upon!

It is 'cool' and 'hip' to sprinkle a talk with as many abuses as possible(and no I am not talking about the occasional rant) and it is a 'fad' to dress up as cheaply as can be allowed(cheap not in cost, cheap means tasteless and vulgar) among the youth and many who have well surpassed the age to be called a youth.

Call it peer pressure or attack of media or blame it on globalization or whatever else that pleases you, but the fact remains that in today's age, more than in any other time or age of this world, is it possible to behave in filthy way and get applauded for it too!

The question which arises is that how is the broadening of our mind and freedom leading us to lewd and profane lifestyle, why and how can the educated and seemingly wise world can't even differentiate between what is good and what is not and still boast of advancement and progress?

And what kind of a progress is it indeed, if it takes us back to being primitive and senseless!

I am young, educated, liberated. So why am I so very much ashamed of doing the right and the good and why don't I give a second thought before something crude!

Luke 9:26 If anyone is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.