The halfbaked Bard

Unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit. 1 Pet:3:4 Though this is told to the wives; it is a very good admonition for all of us. To have a gentle and quiet spirit, is an incomparable unfading inner beauty. The real beauty is not your outwardly appearance. Real beauty is your inner spirit - to be gentle and quiet. Not to be quarrelsome. Not to be picking fights. But to be a peacmaker. especially in your family. V:1. Wives, in the same way, be submissive to your husbands. In which same way? The example is of Jesus. 2:23. When they hurled their insults at Him, He did not retaliate, when He suffered He made no threats.  In this same way, wives be submissive to your husbands, no matter how well or bad they treat you. V:7. Husbands in the same way, be considerate, as you live with your wives.  In which same way? The example is again of Jesus. 3:7. Treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life. Like Jesus did to us. ...

Eph:5:22 - 6:4 Wives submit to your husbands as the church submitted to Christ. Husband's love your wives as Christ loved the church.  Children obey your parents in the Lord  Father's, do not exasperate your children. Unless God is in the centre of your family. There is no hope. You can do all these things without being Christ centred. You can be good parents, good husbands, good wives and good children. But to reach the fullness of the purpose of your life, Christ has to be in the center of all relationships. Pray. Obey the word precisely. Teach and discuss God's word. Family prayer. Family Bible studies. Without these you can definitely be a good family. But will not be the epitome that God has planned. Image courtesy; https://www.shutterstock.com/video/search/family-five-silhouette

Pro:12:7 But the family of the godly stands firm.  In a world of broken families, this is the key. A God intended institution only God can sustain. Like a three braided cord, it is strong. It is not the love that you can manufacture. Now matter how selfless and forgiving you thought you would be, when it hits the turf we all lose our lid.  But if God is in the center of it all, if we are assured that the Eternal, Almighty God is with us in all we go through, if we can trust that no hurting words will be able to distant us from each other or from God, that is the secret of happy joyous family Image credit:  https://www.sentiamedical.com/home/silhouette-of-happy-family-who-playing-on-the-beach/

Ps:127:1 Unless the Lord builds a house The work of the builders is wasted.  It is expected to be the father's responsiblity to run the family. To set values. To focus on disciplines. To have priorities.  The family runs in the direction the father runs. The children imitates their father more, imbibing his character, good or bad.  I'm not saying mothers are not role models. Yes children do look upto their mothers and their attributes. But the sole role of leading the family is instituted on the father.  If the father is a fitness freek, the children also will become.  If the father is pious, the children too become.  If the father is lazy, the children inherently become.  If the father is short tempered, children will struggle too with anger.  It is at this context that this verse becomes relevant.  Unless the Lord builds the house, all your efforts will be invain. As fathers, striving hard to bring up your children in your desir...

Esther 1 Queen Vashthi is deposed from the position of royal Queen. Yes agreed that King Xerxes was in high spirits because of the wine. But what would have gone through the mind of the Queen at that time. It is said that she is beautiful. And it is also said that the king wanted all the nobles and other men to gaze on her beauty.  But the queen refused to do what was told to be done. Because of her pride. Because she thought she would decide for herself. I know I'm trading on dangerous territory now. Submitting to the husband's is what is expected of a Christian wife according to the word. Eph:5:22 addresses specifically to wives to submit to your husbands as to the Lord. Yes! As you would submit to the Lord. Then what about my individuality? What about my identity? Will he not utilize it and nullify me? What about my desires and passions? Many questions would come up.  But it is said so in the word! Husbands are supposed to love their wives too. How? Just as Chri...

The woman at Shunem had a wise idea  The man had the humility to agree. They together formed a wonderful team. And that was a podium for God to work. Sometimes it is the other way round. The man's idea, and the woman submits Even if you can't agree, love covers it all Humble yourself prayerfully and agree. God is so happy, with this family. For the command is to submit to one another. The wife is not the one to submit always. In heavenly accord, as God gives wisdom. This family in Shunem was immensely blessed. Because of this submission. Because of the divine intervention. A family in unity, in humility. Which doesn't quarrel for petty issues. But says yes, if it is the Lord's will. Who prays over it together and pleads for mercy. For they know a cord of three strings cannot be broken. Set aside all my prides and egos. Set aside all of my plans and ways. But let it be our way. Our plan. Or rather His plan, let us together seek His will  For our family and fo...

How important and Godly it is to discipline your children. Today's world is overprotective of their children. I'm not talking about punishment with a rod. But disciplining a child should be what runs through the mind of a parent always. A child is given to your hands. He is your responsibility. Loving and encouraging him alone will not let him bloom. When he makes a wrong choice, he needs to be course corrected. Otherwise his mindset would become as if ' everything is okay', 'all roads lead to Rome' and 'everything in this world is acceptable'. David failed to discipline his son Adonijah, failed to even ask him, 'Why are you doing that?' Probably not when Adonijah raised himself as king. But it is said, David never disciplined him at any time. How saddening? A wonderful king, a humble person, a man after God's own heart, always forgiving, never forgetting his love to his friend, turns out to be a poor father. He did not punish Amn...

Psalm:45:10 Listen to me O royal daughter, take to heart what I say. Forget your people and your family far away. How mean? Is it really a word from God? Advising a woman to forget her father's family as she gets married. Men can use this as a Trump card to call on their wives to love their families as their own. But what about the admonition to men that follows, to husbands! Psalm:45:11 For your royal husband delights in your beauty. Delighting in your wife is the prerequisite. She is flesh from your flesh and bones from your bones. She is the one, created by my Father in heaven to be help (even if I like it or not, it is i who need help), from my own rib, not from my back bone, the weaker one. She needs love, care, delight. In your love, in your delight, she becomes so satisfied that she considers the love of her own family of lesser value. Just like Jesus meant to hate your father, your mother, your wife, your children, your own self, so does God mean when He says to...

Recently I heard my father, telling our children, how with great difficulty he has grown and reached this far. With no electricity, how three or four of them had to sit aroung a kerosene lamp to study. How he had meagre food to eat. How many miles he had to walk, because there were no public transport, forget about your own cars. But through it all how God had been faithful. How God has been wonderful in His life and how imperative it is to cling to God. He was also quoting Deutr:11:19. "Teach them to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up." I was reminded of the verse today as I sat for my quiet time.  Psalm:44:1 O God we have heard it with our own ears.  Our ancestors have told us All you did in their day In days long ago.  What do we feed our children with? Is it a competitive spirit or a dependant spirit? Are we teaching them to see this world with  the ey...

Gen:34:30 When Jacob's sons Simeone and Levi, dealt treacherously against Hamor and Shechem, killing them all when they were still in pain of circumcision, Jacob was quick to rebuke them. He was in fact telling them, treachery and deceit is not the right way. I have lived it my way in the past and I have struggled because of my selfishness and cheating. And he is pleading with them not to tread in that same path.  Correcting and rebuking the children is the right way - as parents.  Spare the rod, spoil the child. Pro:13:24 Present day young parents might not agree to this and I might sound like a villian here. But it is God's way.  Direct your children unto the right path and when they are older they will not leave it Pro:22:6 We must remember our children are miniature us - rebellious, self centred, not God loving - they need to be tuned and pruned in the right path. Disciplining and pruning them is good for their lives. Taking things lightly and seeing their...

I'm quiet surprised to see Isaac commiting the same mistake as his father Abraham. In fact to the same person. King Abimelech.  Abimelech would have thought, they are a family of liars. May be because of that he was cautious enough to take Rebekah.  I don't know why its recorded in the Bible. May be Abraham hadn't confronted it to his son. It was inherent genetic make up in them to be over protective. I don't know.  But one thing I'm sure. God is trying to tell us.  Sins of the father's have to be taken care of seriously. Repent and renounce. From your life. From your family. Be it anger. Be it depression. Be it jealousy. Be it lying. Be it selfishness. Be it lust or fantasy. Whatever if God has convinced you regarding something. Rebuke and renounce in the name of Jesus not from your life alone, but from your family's too. Your kids, do you want them to struggle like you did? 

Pic Courtesy:wikie Wade fine art Isaac loved Esau, Rebekah loved Jacob This is where everything of the rest started.  Jacob was not fine with his mother's love alone Hence he wanted the love of his father too.  To be blessed by him, To be loved by him.  He tries to be like his brother, whom his father loves To grab things for himself, what is not rightfully his.  Because his mother loves him more, she asks him to flee She wanted to protect the son she loves From the brother whose wives even disgusted her.  To the place she thought he would be safe, her home Which would ultimately make him toil for love Favour is good, but not favouritism, especially to kids.  They are all yours, gifted from your Father.  One might be like you, that's not a reason to push the other They are all yours, gifted from the Father God doesn't show favouritism, He loves us all Favouritism from the parents is the source Of all jealousy, pride, envy and all malice....

A question that men need to ask themselves, may be every moment of their lives. Your soul mate. Your companion which your Creator has given you. To love. To care for. To nurture.  Eph:5:25 is a clear admonition to us. Husbands ought to love their wives just like Christ loved the church. How?  By giving up Himself for her. Selfless. Not putting your interests above hers. Not giving importance to your desires, but hers.  To make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word. Husband is the head of the family. Though the present day might not want to agree. Eph:5:23 clearly says. Husband is the head of the wife (note:not family). It is not something to gorge upon. But a responsibility. Most importantly he is her spiritual head. A head sees to it that the parts of the body is protected, nurtured, taken care of. Not as a dictator who would want his subjects to listen to his opinion whatsoever. We see this among Isaac and Rebekah. Gen 25:21 - Is...

Just imagine how super excited Adam would have been seeing Eve for the first time. I am reminded of my own feelings when I first saw Nissy on our wedding day - butterflies in stomach, heartbeats rising, wowed by the beauty. Here is God telling, "Here is my gift for you" Made out of you, made for you, made to be together as one. WOW. I hope she also might have thought so on seeing me (fingers crossed)  And then Adam springs forth with the second song of the Bible. Before this, when God brings in the animals to be named by Adam he was melancholic, depressed. Now he is electrifed and becomes a poet and a singer.  Have my excitement come down as compared to the first day? Have my love grown cold? Everyday I need to be thankful to God, grateful to Him for giving me the best gift in my life. Who has accepted me with all my struggles. Then life will change. Life will always be a song. If God is in the centre of your marriage.  Eccl:4:12 A triple braided cord is not e...

Gen:2:18 Then the Lord God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper who is just right for him." Yes, we need to engrave this truth in our hearts. Your husband, dear one is designed by the Almighty, because it is not good for you to be alone. Your wife dear one has been created by the All Powerful One because He saw that it wouldn't be good for you to be alone.  A helper has been provided, because you really need help to live in this world. A helper who is part of you. A helper who is one with you. You are one unit. You live together as one. "The two are united into one. Gen:1:24 Oh! That husbands and wives would realize this truth and love each other as they love themselves.  Oh! That children would see the unity and oneness in their parents and have an example to follow.  Oh! That there would be mutual love and respect in the family and as one unit come before the Creator.  Oh! That young people would keep themselves pure for t...

Am I not better than ten sons? - Elkanah's words of comfort to his wife Hannah. This note is to the husbands and to be husbands. (Wives need not read today 😉) What an amazing example? In this world where we love our profession, our career, our friends, our hangouts, our desires and dreams and ambitions more than our wives. We need to understand the essence of Christian marriage.  God created woman out of man's rib - so that he would love her as his own. Close from the heart - to love her Beneath his arm - to care for her and protect her. God created woman as a helper to man. Now this is something which is often misinterpreted. Where man demands woman to do everything for his comforts quoting woman is created for man and not vice versa. But the truth is, the helper is instituted because, we need help. She is not our subordinate to be trampled upon. She is not inferior to be made to do all the work. Infact we are inferior, because we can't live without help. Can ...