A Well Watered Garden

Christmas morning 2013. On a cruise ship, in the middle of the ocean, far far from home or anything remotely familiar. Nobody wanted to say it, so I did. "Hey girls it is Christmas Day." "Yeah we know" they said. And then there was silence which of course I tried to break again. After a while we talked and remembered - Christmases past. Julius, his big smile, his joy, and enthusiasm. Christmas carols, Handels' Messiah, going to church, reading the Christmas story, opening gifts, the annual family picture with the camera on the tripod, eggnog and traditional Goan Christmas sweets, excited phone calls to India to wish all of the family. Every year he pretended that he did not have a gift for me and every year he surprised me and mostly himself I think. He always had the sweetest most thoughtful gift. Last year he BBQed the turkey to perfection. Julius was a man gifted by God with many talents and in recent times he outshone us in the kitchen. He said a good ...

It is still dark and as the Christmas lights go up all around me, it seems to get darker for me. So many memories - I am almost grateful for a challenging almost unforgiving job schedule that keeps my mind so busy for 8 hours a day. But at the end of it memories come flooding back. Favourite Christmas treats that he loved - none of us wants or even thinks of them in the house now, inside jokes that we had, nobody will understand or find them as funny as Julius did. Information that I need that only he knew - lost forever. Getting my first review at work and thinking I will share it with him, to quickly remember he will never know. The way that our girls have stepped up and the work that God is doing in their lives, the love that my small group has shown me - the group that he led and loved, he will never know. A few days ago as I woke up to the darkness of the winter morning, and opened God's Word in my Beth Moore study,  we were in Isaiah 50:10-11. I knew the Lord...

Yes it is here the season that I am dreading. How are we going to get through this time of year? I do not even like to think of the past years and the joy of celebration and closeness that we shared as a family. It is much too painful. This past week  Alekhya copied me on an email that she had written to some friends. I was so blessed that I asked her permission to post it. Being the very private person  that she is(unlike her mother!!) it took some persuasion but here it is... So, since Christmas is going to be brutal without Papa, I’ve been asking God to prepare my heart for it and teach me how to focus on HIM this Christmas.    On this journey of asking God to help me focus on Christ this Christmas, I believe that He has been speaking to me...and this morning I read something that I feel really encapsulates what I feel I've been learning/reflecting on. I just really, for some reason, felt like sharing an excerpt with you! I hope you are encourage...

In the last six months, at my Church, The Lord has taken 3 people home to Himself. For the size of the congregation, this is a bit much or so I think. They were of different ages, different ethnicity, different backgrounds but united in their absolute conviction and certainty in the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. First there was Julius, who I would describe as a "fool for Christ". His passion was the Word of God and he never hesitated to tell any and everyone the reason for his faith - the person of Jesus Christ. Then the Lord took Norma home. I visited Norma in the hospital and even now her memory brings a smile to my face. She had her Xrays that showed her insides were ravaged by cancer and yet she was sitting up in bed and praying and speaking boldly for Jesus. She was staring death in the face but was not discouraged - she knew where she was going and she was determined to live her last breath for Jesus. She encouraged me and urged me to press on. And then...