To Them Who "Glow" Along the Trail

I recently walked along a path that had "glowing" lights running along the side. The light they gave off just enough to catch the trail but not enough to light the whole path. So while there was another glow in the distance, I had to go through the dark path to get to it.

Now isn't life and its journey sometimes like that? We would wish for a "floodlight" that would illuminate the whole path and yet sometimes we are left in the dark with just a soft glow ahead. We make it there through the darkness and then in the distance there is another one, glowing softly.

Perhaps we will not all "shine" with the same intensity, some of us may just glow along the trail. That is not to say that we cannot one day shine, but that is altogether a different story for another time. The point here is, may we continue to glow and mark the path for even the smallest of light can dispel the darkness around it.

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The season of Obedience

And the campus got decked in merry colours and glowing lights; Yes! Christmas is here. One question that is generally included in most of the services this season is "What does Christmas mean to you?" I have had my own share of narrating what Christmas means to me and how that meaning has actually changed or grown over the years as I too grew older. For those of us who are now older, we might be a tad tired of the question but for the sake of those who are still getting to understand Christmas better each year, it is a question worth asking. Incidentally, the other day my wife and I were having a small conversation on the same and one of the word that came up was "obedience." Yes, Christmas is termed as the season of peace, of hope, of love, of goodwill and among the many other themes, I think obedience is also one to think of. So where do we see obedience in the Christmas story? Think of Mary who in obedience submitted herself to the message of God, think of Jose...

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The Three Christmases: Past, Present, Future

Charles Dickens in his novel A Christmas Carol introduces a Mr. Ebenezer Scrooge as the protagonist. He is an old, mean-spirited and miserly man who has nothing but disdain for Christmas. However, this mean-spirited curmudgeon is transformed as he is visited by three spirits, the spirit of Christmas Past, the spirit of Christmas Present and the spirit of Christmas Yet to Come. The first spirit, time travels Mr. Scrooge back to his own younger days which had made him to be who he is presently. The second, shows him Christmas as it will be celebrated in the present time and the sights fills his heart with a warmth and a longing for more. The final spirit comes and shows him what will happen in future as Mr. Scrooge is shown his funeral. Upon awaking Mr. Scrooge is delighted to be informed that it is Christmas day, he is still very much alive, not yet dead. As the story comes to an end, we see a new person, joy filled, full of zest and partaking to the fullest in the spir...

Echoes in Joy and in Ashes

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