15 May 2008
Its been an year since we left New Zealand, home and friends...
Friends I am back, came back on 9th of May, Mum is slowly recovering, thanks a lot for all the mails, txts, phone calls, thoughts and above all, all the prayers that came our way.........
You can never go home again, but the truth is you can never leave home, so it's all right. ~Maya Angelou
28th of April marked one year since we left our home and friends in Auckland, my heart still pinches at the mere thought of that moment, migration when it is done for better and selfless reason is encouraged and supported by the Almighty, it so happened with us too, I dont get very emotionally attached to places but guess its the people and the memories that forms that attachment and pain, well what is life without pain, we will not realise the importance of relations until it pains like the famous lines go...love you so much, it hurts......
Pichle baras tha khouf tujhe kho na doon kaheen,
Ab ke baras yeh dua hai tera saamna na ho....
Few passions have governed my life:
To Love and the longing for love, being good in Almighty's eyes, serving parents, the search for knowledge,
And unbearable pity for the suffering of humankind and I want to embrace every opportunity given to me to make a difference, even if it is equal to a drop in the ocean, but I wanna play my part.....
Few wise words worth pondering:
“The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, the education, the money, than circumstances, than failure, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company... a church... a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice everyday regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past... we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude. I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% of how I react to it. And so it is with you... we are in charge of our Attitudes.”
If you wait to do everything until you're sure it's right, you'll probably never do much of anything.”
The difference between school and life? In school, you're taught a lesson and then given a test. In life, you're given a test that teaches you a lesson.”
“One day your life will flash before your eyes. Make sure its worth watching.”
And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years.
09:10 Posted in Soul Search | Permalink | Comments (8) | Email this
14 April 2007
Are you a WISE shopper......
As I was walking down life's highway
I came upon a sign that read
Heavens Grocery Store.
When I got a little closer
the doors swung open wide
And when I came to myself
I was standing inside.
I saw a host of angels.
They were standing everywhere
One handed me a basket
and said "My child shop with care."
Everything a human needed
was in that grocery store
And what you could not carry
you could come back for more
First I got some Patience.
Love was in that same row.
Further down was Understanding,
you need that everywhere you go.
I got a box or two of Wisdom
and Faith a bag or two.
And Charity of course
I would need some of that too.
I couldn't miss the Holy Ghost
It was all over the place.
And then some Strength
and Courage to help me run this race.
My basket was getting full
but I remembered I needed Grace,
And then I chose Salvation for
Salvation was for free
I tried to get enough of that to do
for you and me.
Then I started to the counter
to pay my grocery bill,
For I thought I had everything
to do the Masters will.
As I went up the aisle
I saw Prayer and put that in,
For I knew when I stepped outside
I would run into sin.
Peace and Joy were plentiful,
the last things on the shelf.
Song and Praise were hanging near
so I just helped myself.
Then I said to the angel
"Now how much do I owe?"
He smiled and said
"Just take them everywhere you go."
Again I asked "Really now,
How much do I owe?"
"My child" he said, "God paid your bill
a long long time ago."
02:53 Posted in Soul Search | Permalink | Comments (14) | Email this
21 March 2007
Dark and Depressing IRAQ.......
The fourth year and still counting.
My biggest fear is that we will be sitting on a chair every year, posting about the fifth year, tenth year, 15th year of occupation and it's harvest of blood, pain and disappointment.
"Despite the overwhelming demands of the majority of Americans and Iraqis to end the war and occupation of Iraq, the war continues….
Every time one U.S. soldier is killed in Iraq, statistics indicate that:
- more than 7 other U.S. soldiers get injured
- more than 60 other U.S. soldiers go back home with PTSD and other mental diseases
- more than 200 Iraqi civilians get killed
- more than 1000 Iraqis leave the country
- and other thousands of Iraqis get injured, traumatized, raped or kicked out of their homes
In December, an average of 3 to 4 U.S. soldiers were falling every single day in Iraq, and other thousands of lives were lost and ruined.
I believe that all of you are familiar with the study of the lancet (you need to register to read it) concluding that over 650 000 Iraqis have been killed since 2003.
There are no more Saddams and Zarqawis to kill. There are just more Iraqis and Americans losing their lives for no cause.
I hoped 2007 will be a “happy new year”, a year that would witness the end of the unjustified and unnecessary wars but alas the destruction and massacre continues…...
04:30 Posted in Soul Search | Permalink | Comments (18) | Email this
01 March 2007
To err is human; to forgive, infrequent.....
Allah (SWT),who named Himself Ar-Rahman (The Beneficent) and Ar-Rahim (The Merciful) is also Al-Ghafoor (The Forgiving). His Mercy overtakes His punishment and anger. He is more merciful to His creations than a mother can be to her infants. He created "man with weakness"; thus He knows and we should know that "to err is human," and "no one is perfect."
Part of our being human is that we make mistakes, no body is perfect. Sometime we make mistakes without deliberation and intention and sometime we do it although we know. It is said, “to err is human and to forgive is divine.” Both parts of this statement are very true. As human beings we are responsible, but we do also make mistakes and we are constantly in need of forgiveness.
There are two aspects of forgiveness:
a) Almighty’s forgiveness;
b) Human forgiveness.
We need both, because we do wrong in our relations to Almighty as well as in our relations to each other.
Just as it is important to believe in the mercy and forgiveness of Almighty, it is also necessary to base all human relations on forgiveness. How should we expect God’s forgiveness while we do not forgive those who do wrong to us?! Forgiving each other, even forgiving one’s enemies is one of the most important religious teachings.
“The reward of the evil is the evil thereof, but whosoever forgives and makes amends, his reward is upon Allah.”Qur'an ( 42:40)
In one Hadith Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) said that Allah has commanded him with nine things. One of them he mentioned was “that I forgive those who do wrong to me.”
Forgive many things in others; nothing in yourself.
Ausonius
Anger makes you smaller, while forgiveness forces you to grow beyond what you were.
Cherie Carter-Scott, "If Love Is a Game, These Are the Rules"
If you haven't forgiven yourself something, how can you forgive others?
Dolores Huerta
'Tis the most tender part of love, each other to forgive.
John Sheffield
There is no revenge so complete as forgiveness.
Josh Billings
Forgiveness is almost a selfish act because of its immense benefits to the one who forgives.
Lawana Blackwell,
The hatred you're carrying is a live coal in your heart - far more damaging to yourself than to them.
Lawana Blackwell,
The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong.
Mahatma Gandhi
Life is an adventure in forgiveness.
Norman Cousins
Always forgive your enemies; nothing annoys them so much.
Oscar Wilde
Forgiveness is the healing of wounds caused by another. You choose to let go of a past wrong and no longer be hurt by it. Forgiveness is a strong move to make, like turning your shoulders sideways to walk quickly on a crowded sidewalk. It's your move.
Real Live Preacher,
It really doesn't matter if the person who hurt you deserves to be forgiven. Forgiveness is a gift you give yourself. You have things to do and you want to move on.
Real Live Preacher,
IF YOU REFUSE TO ACCEPT ANYTHING BUT THE BEST, YOU VERY OFTEN GET IT......
GO FOR IT - LOVE AND LIVE WELL.....
01:57 Posted in Soul Search | Permalink | Comments (22) | Email this
16 February 2007
Lets learn something..........
Hadith are traditions relating to the words and deeds of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). Hadith collections are regarded as important tools for determining the Muslim way of life, by all traditional schools of jurisprudence. The Arabic plural is aḥādīth. In English academic usage, hadith is often both singular and plural.
Muslims who accept hadith believe that trusted hadith are in most cases the words of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and not the word of God, like the Qur'an.
Examples of Hadith
• “The first thing created by God was the intellect.”
• “The ink of the scholar is more precious than the blood of the martyr.”
• “One learned man is harder on the devil than a thousand worshippers.”
• “Riches are not from an abundance of worldly goods, but from a contented mind.”
• “He who wishes to enter the paradise at the best door must please his mother and father.”
• “No man is a true believer unless he desires for his brother that he desires for himself.”
• “When the bier of anyone passes by you, rise to your feet.“
• “The thing which is lawful but is disliked by God is divorce.”
• “Women are twin-halves of men.”
• “Actions will be judged according to intentions.”
• “That which is lawful is clear and that which is unlawful likewise, but there are certain doubtful things between the two from which it is well to abstain.”
• “The proof of a Muslim’s sincerity is that he pays no attention to that which is not his business.”
• “That person is nearest to God, who pardons…him who would have injured him.”
• “Modesty and chastity are parts of the Faith.”
• "Admonish your wives with kindness."
• "One hour's meditation on the work of the Creator is better than seventy years of prayer."
• "God saith: '...whoso seeketh to approach Me one span, I seek to approach one cubit; and whoso seeketh to approach Me one cubit, I seek to approach two fathoms; and whoso walketh towards Me, I run towards him!'"
06:35 Posted in Soul Search | Permalink | Comments (12) | Email this
19 January 2007
Success Defined!!!!
To laugh often and much;
To win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children;
To earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends;
To appreciate beauty, to find the best in others;
To leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition;
To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived.
This is to have succeeded.
06:39 Posted in Soul Search | Permalink | Comments (11) | Email this
20 October 2006
A message full of messages........
.
Not one of you truly believes until you wish for others what you wish for yourself:
Islam, The Prophet Muhammad
Pathways to Peace
"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God."
- Matthew 5:9
Morality
One should not behave towards others in a way which is disagreeable to oneself. This is the essence of morality. All other activities are due to selfish desire.
Hinduism, Mahabharata, Anusasana Parva 113.8
Integrity
"Integrity is one of several paths. It distinguishes itself from the others because it is the right path and the only one upon which you will never get lost."
- M.H. McKee
Joy
"If the sight of the blue skies fills you with joy, if the simple things of nature have a message that you understand, rejoice, for your soul is alive."
- Eleonora Duse
Kindness
"Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see."
- Mark Twain
Faith
"Faith is the strength by which a shattered world shall emerge into the light."
- Helen Keller
Courage
"This is courage… to bear unflinchingly what heaven sends."
- Euripedes
Hope
"Hope is faith holding out its hand in the dark."
- George Iles
Charity
"We must not only give what we have; we must also give what we are."
- Desire-Joseph Mercier
Love
"I have found the paradox that if I love until it hurts, then there is no hurt, but only more love."
- Mother Teresa
Patience
"Never think that God's delays are God's denials. Hold on, Hold fast, Hold out. Patience is genius."
- Comte Georges Louis Leclerc de Buffon
Determination
"The great thing in this world is not so much where we are, but in what direction we are moving."
- Oliver Wendell Holmes
Gratitude
"A single grateful thought raised to heaven is the most perfect prayer."
- Gotthold Ephraim Lessing
Humility
"Pride is concerned with who is right. Humility is concerned with what is right."
- Ezra Taft Benson
Forgiveness
"Forgiveness is the answer to the child's dream of a miracle by which what is broken is made whole again, what is soiled is again made clean."
- Dag Hammarskjold
Peace
"We must come to see that peace is not merely a distant goal we seek, but it is a means by which we arrive at that goal. We must pursue peaceful ends through peaceful means."
- Martin Luther King, Jr
07:45 Posted in Soul Search | Permalink | Comments (7) | Email this
11 October 2006
Noah's Ark
Everything I need to know about life, I learned from Noah's Ark...
One: Don't miss the boat.
Two: Remember that we are all in the same boat.
Three: Plan ahead. It wasn't raining when Noah built the Ark.
Four: Stay fit. When you're 600 years old, someone may ask you to do something really big.
Five: Don't listen to critics; just get on with the job that needs to be done.
Six: Build your future on high ground.
Seven: For safety's sake, travel in pairs.
Eight: Speed isn't always an advantage. The snails were on board with the cheetahs.
Nine: When you're stressed, float a while.
Ten: Remember, the Ark was built by amateurs; the Titanic by professionals.
02:09 Posted in Soul Search | Permalink | Comments (7) | Email this
16 August 2006
Celebration
Wasn't a lame excuse...........
It was our Independence Day!!!
Celebrated Independence day amidst friends last night
Yes it was a weeknight but hey as they say
"If you obey all the rules, you miss all the fun"
We decided to meet at our generous host Sanjay and Alka's place.
Indian takeaways, music CD's of Dhol, Bhangra and desh bhakti songs to
make the mood. Kids had their own masti, joined us for dancing.
I stood safe with my camera while Naushad, Alka, Dolly, Garima, Vandana, Rahul and all danced
making the most on the foottapping music and what with Sanjay also shaking the floor with
his moves. I am sure we could have danced all night away if not for a weeknight
"Unless each day can be looked back upon by an individual as one in which he has had some fun,
some joy, some real satisfaction, that day is a loss."
04:00 Posted in Soul Search | Permalink | Comments (10) | Email this
04 August 2006
Globalization - on a serious note
Globalization??
It was the anti-globalization movement that really put globalization on the map!
The term "globalization" was first coined in the 1980s, but the concept stretches back decades, even centuries, if you count the trading empires built by Spain, Portugal, Britain, and Holland.
To many people it means the growth of an international culture - and by that they mean an American culture - at the expense of national and local cultures, it is an important source of opposition to globalization.
President Musaveni said globalization was "the same old order with new means of control, new means of oppression, new means of marginalisation". To put this comment into perspective, you should know that President Museveni has led Uganda successfully through more than ten years of very high growth and integration into the world economy. His country is one of the best performing in Africa, and it has achieved growth by following a market-oriented course of reform. So his concerns about globalization are particularly interesting.
The unequal distribution of power in the world is another of the major concerns of developing country critics of globalization. The unequal distribution of power is a fact of life that has to be lived with.
But even in the developed world, not everyone has been a winner. The freedoms granted by globalization are leading to increased insecurity in the workplace. Manual workers in particular are under threat as companies shift their production lines overseas to low-wage economies.
National cultures and identities are also under threat thanks to the spread of satellite TV, international media networks and increased personal travel.
So there are many valid concerns about globalization, or more generally, about the way the world is changing.
Good or Bad it is for us to judge and make an informed decision for ourselves, but for that we should have knowledge, exposure, and ideas and ideals which are not borrowed but learned and earned.
07:25 Posted in Soul Search | Permalink | Comments (6) | Email this