Sthuthi Chey Maname Lyrics

സ്തുതി ചെയ് മനമേ നിത്യവും നിൻ ജീവനാഥനേശുവേ

ഇതുപോൽ സ്വജീവൻ തന്നൊരാല്മ സ്നേഹിതൻ വേറാരിനി

മരണാധികാരിയായിരുന്ന ഘോരനാം പിശാചിനെ

മരണത്തിനാലെ നീക്കി മൃത്യു ഭീതി തീർത്ത നാഥനെ

ബഹുമാന്യനാമാചാര്യനായി വാനിലവൻ വാഴ്കയാൽ

ബലഹീനതയിൽ കൈവിടാതെ ചേർത്തുകൊള്ളുമാകയാൽ

ദിനവും മനമേ തത്സമയം വൻകൃപകൾ പ്രാപിപ്പാൻ

അതിധൈര്യമായ് കൃപാസനത്തിൻ അന്തികത്തിൽ ചെന്നു നീ

ബഹുദൂതരുച്ച നാദമോടെ വാഴ്ത്തിടുന്ന നാഥനെ

ബലവും ധനവും ജ്ഞാനമെല്ലാം സ്വീകരിപ്പാൻ യോഗ്യനെ

(I'm gonna put this here until I figure out how to translate it, or someone does. Post in my comments to tell me.)

I was the only one,
Looking at you:
Seeing your past and future…
Your sadness and happiness…
Everything.

I’d always believed that growing up,
Meant becoming kinder,
But I’m no different than I was as a child…

I feel I want to protect you,
Even if I awake from the darkness,
On that other side awaiting me.
In this city that hid the two of us away,
A type of snow that’s never been seen before has been falling.
You’re like the deepest scar,
That’s ever been carved in my heart.
I’ll retrieve this world’s song,
That once made you smile.

The clocks in every room,
Are just a little bit off,
While we constantly remain as cogs,
Misaligning our words.

Playing hero,
As I cried all alone,
I brushed your cheeks,
With hands that faltered before even reaching out.

A world that wants to destroy you,
Is impregnated by a black prayer,
At the threshold of dreams.
Those gentle fingers that were caressing you lovingly,
Begin to twist and curl!
For my sake, and my sake alone,
I’m reaching out this powerless hand,
Toward a faint, shining light –
Struggling…
So lead me to a future,
In which you sing!

I’m believing in the existence,
Of an undeniably warm place,
That I’ll want to protect.
That kindness, devoured by sadness,
Is a night buried under white snow.
You light a tiny fire in my heart,
Like an old scar.
So smile for me –
Your song,
Is like a light awakening,
From the darkness of this world.

I was the only one,
Looking at you……

One of the questions I had during International Bible Study was about Jesus calming the storm. In that story, Jesus asks a question to the disciples about their lack of faith. My question was this: which was more faith, to ask Jesus for help or to not ask at all, believing that Jesus will protect them no matter what.

I don't know if there is a correct answer for that question, but I think one must take a course of action in accordance to their measure of faith.

Again deep questions coming from a basic bible study.

The Chaos (by G. Nolst Trenité, a.k.a. "Charivarius"; 1870 - 1946)

Dearest creature in creation
Studying English pronunciation,
I will teach you in my verse
Sounds like corpse, corps, horse and worse
I will keep you, Susy, busy,
Make your head with heat grow dizzy.
Tear in eye your dress you'll tear,
So shall I! Oh, hear my prayer,
Pray, console your loving poet,
Make my coat look new, dear, sew it!
Just compare heart, beard and heard,
Dies and diet, lord and word,
Sword and sward, retain and Britain.
(Mind the latter, how it's written).
Made has not the sound of bade,
Say said, pay-paid, laid, but plaid.
Now I surely will not plague you
With such words as vague and ague,
But be careful how you speak,
Say break, steak, but bleak and streak.
Previous, precious, fuchsia, via,
Pipe, snipe, recipe and choir,
Cloven, oven, how and low,
Script, receipt, shoe, poem, toe.
Hear me say, devoid of trickery:
Daughter, laughter and Terpsichore,
Typhoid, measles, topsails, aisles.
Exiles, similes, reviles.
Wholly, holly, signal, signing.
Thames, examining, combining
Scholar, vicar, and cigar,
Solar, mica, war, and far.
From "desire": desirable--admirable from "admire."
Lumber, plumber, bier, but brier.
Chatham, brougham, renown, but known.
Knowledge, done, but gone and tone,
One, anemone. Balmoral.
Kitchen, lichen, laundry, laurel,
Gertrude, German, wind, and mind.
Scene, Melpomene, mankind,
Tortoise, turquoise, chamois-leather,
Reading, reading, heathen, heather.
This phonetic labyrinth
Gives moss, gross, brook, brooch, ninth, plinth.
Billet does not end like ballet;
Bouquet, wallet, mallet, chalet;
Blood and flood are not like food,
Nor is mould like should and would.
Banquet is not nearly parquet,
Which is said to rime with "darky."
Viscous, Viscount, load, and broad.
Toward, to forward, to reward.
And your pronunciation's O.K.,
When you say correctly: croquet.
Rounded, wounded, grieve, and sieve,
Friend and fiend, alive, and live,
Liberty, library, heave, and heaven,
Rachel, ache, moustache, eleven,
We say hallowed, but allowed,
People, leopard, towed, but vowed.
Mark the difference, moreover,
Between mover, plover, Dover,
Leeches, breeches, wise, precise,
Chalice, but police, and lice.
Camel, constable, unstable,
Principle, disciple, label,
Petal, penal, and canal,
Wait, surmise, plait, promise, pal.
Suit, suite, ruin, circuit, conduit,
Rime with "shirk it" and "beyond it."
But it is not hard to tell,
Why it's pall, mall, but Pall Mall.
Muscle, muscular, gaol, iron,
Timber, climber, bullion, lion,
Worm and storm, chaise, chaos, and chair,
Senator, spectator, mayor,
Ivy, privy, famous, clamour
And enamour rime with hammer.
Pussy, hussy, and possess,
Desert, but dessert, address.
Golf, wolf, countenance, lieutenants.
Hoist, in lieu of flags, left pennants.
River, rival, tomb, bomb, comb,
Doll and roll and some and home.
Stranger does not rime with anger.
Neither does devour with clangour.
Soul, but foul and gaunt but aunt.
Font, front, won't, want, grand, and grant.
Shoes, goes, does. Now first say: finger.
And then: singer, ginger, linger,
Real, zeal, mauve, gauze, and gauge,
Marriage, foliage, mirage, age.
Query does not rime with very,
Nor does fury sound like bury.
Dost, lost, post; and doth, cloth, loth;
Job, Job; blossom, bosom, oath.
Though the difference seems little,
We say actual, but victual.
Seat, sweat; chaste, caste.; Leigh, eight, height;
Put, nut; granite, and unite.
Reefer does not rime with deafer,
Feoffer does, and zephyr, heifer.
Dull, bull, Geoffrey, George, ate, late,
Hint, pint, Senate, but sedate.
Scenic, Arabic, Pacific,
Science, conscience, scientific,
Tour, but our and succour, four,
Gas, alas, and Arkansas.
Sea, idea, guinea, area,
Psalm, Maria, but malaria,
Youth, south, southern, cleanse and clean,
Doctrine, turpentine, marine.
Compare alien with Italian,
Dandelion with battalion.
Sally with ally, yea, ye,
Eye, I, ay, aye, whey, key, quay.
Say aver, but ever, fever.
Neither, leisure, skein, receiver.
Never guess--it is not safe:
We say calves, valves, half, but Ralph.
Heron, granary, canary,
Crevice and device, and eyrie,
Face but preface, but efface,
Phlegm, phlegmatic, ass, glass, bass.
Large, but target, gin, give, verging,
Ought, out, joust, and scour, but scourging,
Ear but earn, and wear and bear
Do not rime with here, but ere.
Seven is right, but so is even,
Hyphen, roughen, nephew, Stephen,
Monkey, donkey, clerk, and jerk,
Asp, grasp, wasp, and cork and work.
Pronunciation--think of psyche--!
Is a paling, stout and spikey,
Won't it make you lose your wits,
Writing "groats" and saying "grits"?
It's a dark abyss or tunnel,
Strewn with stones, like rowlock, gunwale,
Islington and Isle of Wight,
Housewife, verdict, and indict!
Don't you think so, reader, rather,
Saying lather, bather, father?
Finally: which rimes with "enough"
Though, through, plough, cough, hough, or tough?
Hiccough has the sound of "cup."
My advice is--give it up

I was reminded of this because the international students at International Bible Study all pronounce disciple as if it was pronounced like principle. Makes sense right? English...

Learning How to Write #1

“This sentence has five words. Here are five more words. Five-word sentences are fine. But several together become monotonous. Listen to what is happening. The writing is getting boring. The sound of it drones. It’s like a stuck record. The ear demands some variety. Now listen. I vary the sentence length, and I create music. Music. The writing sings. It has a pleasant rhythm, a lilt, a harmony. I use short sentences. And I use sentences of medium length. And sometimes, when I am certain the reader is rested, I will engage him with a sentence of considerable length, a sentence that burns with energy and builds with all the impetus of a crescendo, the roll of the drums, the crash of the cymbals–sounds that say listen to this, it is important.” - Gary Provost

Why do we go after shadows and slivers of God when we can have Him fully? There is a saying, why chase creation when we can have the creator? In scripture, there are two was to see God: looking at Jesus and experiencing the love from the Church (which is really still just Jesus, or His Body).

Charlie

I have decided today to name my hamster, who passed away 12-14 years ago without a name, Charlie, in honor of "Charlie bit my finger."

Friends before Dating

The best thing is make friends first. Your really good friends of the same sex were discovered and not found (brought to you by C.S. Lewis). In other words, you didn't have to force it and there was a reasonable pace on your journey to being friends. With romance we tend to go so fast that we skip a billion important steps of growth and that's when damage happens. When you find that guy-friend who doesn't fake it, isn't trying to impress you, and is helping you walk with God instead of helping you drown —just like a real friend does —then consider a cup of coffee. Don't rush, do have a good time, and don't ever be afraid to tell him no. - J.S. Park

Philippians: For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain

This book may have become my favorite book in the Bible. For some reason, reading it brought a sense of freshness, something different from Paul’s other epistles. I just like how Paul befriended a bunch of retired Roman soldiers and preached the Gospel to them, which led to them being some of his greatest supporters down the road.

3 I thank my God every time I remember you. 4 In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy 5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, 6 being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

7 It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart and, whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God’s grace with me. 8 God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.

9 And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, 10 so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, 11 filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.

Most of Paul's letters usually starts out like this: "hi guys, its Paul again, I've never stopped praying lots for ya'll, and WHAT IN HEAVEN'S NAME IS ALL THIS CRAP I HEAR THAT YOU GUYS ARE DOING!?!?" But that isn't the case with these ex-soldiers turned Christians, as Paul keeps gushing them praise that he fears has been lacking. Paul even singles them out as the only church to help him in the early days.

If someone else thinks they have reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: ⁵ circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; ⁶ as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for righteousness based on the law, faultless.

⁷ But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. ⁸ What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ ⁹ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith. ¹⁰ I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, ¹¹ and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.

"Hey look at me. I was the hotshot politician. I was the he who made it in the world. I had influence. I had power. I was even considered righteous, uncorrupt and loved by the people, while being moral and upright and at the same time slaughtering heretics," yet it was all "filthy rags" in the end. Saul (old Paul) kind of reminds me of Percy from Harry Potter mixed with Nale from Words of Radiance. Paul’s tone of honesty in this letter again emphasizes the freshness, how Paul uses himself as an example of how everything from God and of God, and not from man. This is a bit different from other places where Paul purposefully self-deprecates (1 Timothy) for the purpose of teaching, or chastens himself as someone with tons of spiritual authority (1 Corinthians) for the purpose of rebuking. Here Paul writes this to relate himself to us as someone who had chased the world, and found God instead (or God found him).

10 I rejoiced greatly in the Lord that at last you renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you were concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it. 11 I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. 12 I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. 13 I can do all this through him who gives me strength. 

14 Yet it was good of you to share in my troubles. 15 Moreover, as you Philippians know, in the early days of your acquaintance with the gospel, when I set out from Macedonia, not one church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving, except you only; 16 for even when I was in Thessalonica, you sent me aid more than once when I was in need. 17 Not that I desire your gifts; what I desire is that more be credited to your account. 18 I have received full payment and have more than enough. I am amply supplied, now that I have received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent. They are a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God. 19 And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.

There is an element of missions in this book that no one preaches or talks about (except maybe Mark Gungor): the act of giving and receiving. The church only sent one guy, and Paul didn't criticize the Church for not sending more men. Instead he basically gushed over the gifts these retired Roman geezers have sent him, providing all he needs. Where are these kinds of message in today's overseas missions movements? Yes churches don't fall into complacency and worldliness, storing up wealth for ourselves, but don't try to guilt trip people into doing overseas missions. As Paul says, let the Church of Philippi do missions in that city. We ought to encourage this level of radical giving and local serving in the church.

¹⁵ All of us, then, who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. ¹⁶ Only let us live up to what we have already attained.

¹⁷ Join together in following my example, brothers and sisters, and just as you have us as a model, keep your eyes on those who live as we do. ¹⁸ For, as I have often told you before and now tell you again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. ¹⁹ Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is set on earthly things. ²⁰ But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, ²¹ who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.

8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. 9 Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

There is a huge focus of looking to one another (and more mature Christians) as boosters and encouragement in the faith. By following a model, we are less likely to fall into traps and false doctrine. Satan is real guys, and he's a sly tricky bastard.

¹² Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. ¹³ Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, ¹⁴ I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

I love Paul's honesty with sharing his own spiritual walk with his brothers and sister in Philippi. He admits that he hasn't reached a level of faith where he is satisfied, he hasn't reached his goal yet. One can even infer that he never got there, as he died before reaching Spain from Rome. This reminds me of that old slave prayer everyone has been sharing on tumblr recently. Paul gives Christians at all stages in their walk with Christ, to live up to the amount of faith we have already have. Not the amount we wish we had, not the amount someone else has, and not the amount people tell us we should have. If you are a level 1 Christian, then live up to that station. If you are a level 99 Christian, then do the same to the extent of faith given to you by God. But don't try to force it by your own strength, because we know that strength is nothing at all.

“I am not what I ought to be, I am not what I want to be, I am not what I hope to be in another world; but still I am not what I once used to be, and by the grace of God I am what I am” - John Newton

Luke 7
³⁶ When one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, he went to the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. ³⁷ A woman in that town who lived a sinful life learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, so she came there with an alabaster jar of perfume. ³⁸ As she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them.
³⁹ When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is—that she is a sinner.”
⁴⁰ Jesus answered him, “Simon, I have something to tell you.”
“Tell me, teacher,” he said.
⁴¹ “Two people owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii,^[c] and the other fifty. ⁴² Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he forgave the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?”
⁴³ Simon replied, “I suppose the one who had the bigger debt forgiven.”
“You have judged correctly,” Jesus said.
⁴⁴ Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. ⁴⁵ You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. ⁴⁶ You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. ⁴⁷ Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.”
⁴⁸ Then Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”
⁴⁹ The other guests began to say among themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?”
⁵⁰ Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”

This was the passage we did for international bible study last Friday, the 2nd entry from the iGIG guide (how many years has it been since I made that post? 7 years...God makes me keep my promises). It was one of those (increasing) moments where the simple bible study hits me harder than some dense theological study of Romans or Galatians. Here is a story that I have never heard any pastor preach on, and yet shows a woman who knew the Gospel so much. No other character of the Bible knew the Gospel this well, how sinful she is and how loved she is by Jesus. When I read this passage, I totally felt like Simon, who felt he has been forgiven little and thus loves Jesus little. If I, Daniel Lee, truly TRULY knew how deeply wicked I am and how much I needed to be forgiven, then now that I know I have a Grace and a Love that has wiped out all of my debts, how can I possibly not fall on my knees daily and wash my Lord's feet with my tears? Alas, that is where I realize how little of the message of the Gospel has seeped into my life, and how little I know of the Love that is as vast as the ocean. Oh there is still so much room for me to grow! I want to know you more!

Now Pastor Nate wants me to get coffee with the international seekers. Oh boy, I am going to pull out my super detailed (not really for) Children's Illustrated Bible and my NT Lego Bible. No fancy tricks, just prayer and the Gospel. That is really all they need.

Ugh we all have to own up to how little live out the Gospel in our daily lives. Preach the Gospel to yourself daily.

We Christians always like to say that the origins of the field of science came out of theism or Christianity. I hear that from respected people like Dr. Ian Hutchinson, Dr. Stephen Um, and recently Dr. John Lennox. But I really wonder, if these scientists of old (such as Faraday, Galileo, Darwin) given the evidence for a god and for a world without a god, would they still be Christian? Either way they are dead, so we will never know the answer. But I can't help but wonder...

Superbowl is coming up again, and just remembering last year's event, I wish I was still surrounded by guys who can decide that fellowship with one another is more important than a sport (despite some of them actually rooting for teams).

Colossians 3:2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things