Are We There Yet?

Background:-

Last weekend my friend Jaico asked me “Do you know what reconciliation is?”… At that instance I told him something about how the process of reconciliation happens from a Bank’s point of view – It’s from what I learned from my Dad – He worked in “Inter Branch Reconciliation (IBR)” for more than 8 years. I shared some of the terms that my dad used to tell me about reconciliation and its process…
When I was laying in my bed, that same question to my mind… I ignore and went to sleep… This Sunday at Church, Rev. John Prasad take following lines from Romans-5 and discuss about the same…
After reaching home I thought about these 5 lines … Made me to write something about Reconciliation…

Romans ­- Chapter 5
1 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace
with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:
2 By whom also we have access by
faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of
God.
3 And not only, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that
tribulation worketh patience;
4 And patience, experience; and experience,
hope:
5 And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad
in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.

We have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us - since we have been made right in God's sight by faith.
Faith - Christ has brought us into this place of highest privilege where we now stand.
Because of our faith we stand confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God's glory.
We can also rejoice, when we run into sufferings and trials, for we know that they are good for us to produce endurance.
And endurance develops strength of character in us, and character strengthens our confident expectation and brings us hope.
And this hope or expectation will not disappoint us.
For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love by dying on the cross for our sins.
Because of all Jesus has done for us, we live out thankful lives full of gratitude to God each day.
At the worst of times, we know that Jesus stands beside us...
Justification is God’s free gift and it comes in a package and which is received by the believer at the moment of salvation - peace with God, access and a standing in grace, received reconciliation.
We can for sure rejoice because of all of these blessings and benefits.

So what is reconciliation?

The meaning of reconciliation is the establishment of friendly relations between parties who are in conflict or disagreement with each other.
Compare this to Jesus. Jesus died for us when we were wicked. He did not die for us when we were righteous. He did not die for us when we were good.
That is also one word that sums up the meaning of the Lord's Supper. In Christ, we are reconciled to God.
God reconciled us to Himself through the death of His Son though we were enemies, though we were wicked.

Conclusion: -

Suffering-produces-endurance and endurance-produces-character and character-produces-hope and hope do not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us. As we eat and drink we need to remember something
Always be thankful to God.

Drawing for delivery...

While we are having our dinner, after yesterday's prayer meeting Rev. Prakash Achan shared one of his experiences with us...


Once while he was sitting in one of church's member, the little girl about 3 years of age in the family came to Achan with a drawing...


"Father, can I get a feedback on my drawing..."


Achan looked at the drawing and noticed that the paper is having 3 balloons with red, blue and black with a note ... "God loves red blue and black color... "


Prasad Achan: "That is correct moolu..."


She is happy upon hearing that and starting walking back, suddenly she stoped and turned back and asked "Achan .... Does god loves Peach color"...


Prasad Achan: "Sure ... God does love Peach color"...


She went back and came back with the modified drawing where she added one more Peach balloon... and She asked...


"Does God love me?"


Prasad Achan: "Sure moolu, God loves you..."


She was happy to hear that and went back to her room and started modifying the drawing....


She added "God Loves Me"

Came back to Achan and showed it to Achan... Achan told it was so nice and you have to keep this drawing with you...


She asked "why?"


Achan: You can show this to God when you are at Heaven...


She replied: "Ok Acha" and started walking back to her room.... Suddenly turned back and gave that drawing to Achan and said...


"You keep it ... because you will reach Heaven before I reach ... So you can give my drawing to God before I do... "

Smart Thinking...

Rachel's First USA Onam with "Pookalam"

It's 2006 Onam, First of time going to celebrate witout my dad , mom and sister. So this year, I planned to enjoy my Onam vacation with Rachel & Ruben @ Colombus with my cousin sister Preetha chechy and Renjichayan. Booked SouthWest airlines - Oh ! the flight was at morning 4 am from Midway, Chicago ... Reached Colombus ontime, Renji chayan was waiting there to pick me up from Airport. Colombus's ring road was beautiful and I took few photos while we head to new home that they brought. I think I was the first one to visit from our family to the newly owned house...

Its a nice house, Preetha chechy was busy preparing Onam special for me... Yummy.

Hi Rache & Ruben - How are you ! --- No reponse.... Both were into the TV ... I think the program was Dora!

I spend few mintues to talk with Preetha chechy and Renjichaya about my stay and work at Chicago.

After the show, kids came for me .... Fun starts now ! :-) enjoyed 2-3 days...

Preetha chechy told me that Rachel is dreaming about "Pookalam" - flower carpet ; Then we put a plan to bring all flowers from backyard and started laying out the design... After all things are done, We miss on last piece - the central flower ! ... Rachel is like.... ! "Jeancha" what to do ? she spend few more minutes ... "I have a idea" said Rachel.... She ask me to wait here... ran to the next house as she started knocking the door... "Can I get the pick the big flower from your garden mam?" !

We completed the "Pookalam" and it's Rachel's first Onam Pookalam ....

Beautiful Down Town

I took this one on of my visit to Navy Pier...
Get it from http://picasaweb.google.com/jean.mathew/Chicago2006/photo#5092552587919114066

Apart from my home town "Alwaye" - which us greenery, Concrete and Steel is having its own extraordinary attraction…

Calling Cards !

It was a Saturday evening when someone of us who went to 'devon' for shopping came with 30 calling cards... out of them Vipin ordered 5...

"Who ordered f0r the remaining 25 cards? " asked some one...

Eldho !

I went up and came with my cam and took this one... I like capturing events like things...

Couple of our friends asked the reason why there is a green colored card in that set...

"Every week I will try different type of calling card so as to study the diffence in the time and connectivity changes for each of them..." replied Edho...

I know Eldho for couple of years... He always plans everything well inadvce... But when he is taking with his love @ india (But he used to tell evenyone that he is doing stock trading via phone) its taking time to do a calculation or plan things acknowledging
...

That day's we used to make tease him by saying that he is spending more than 100 $ for making call to India… Ultimately he got her…

Never Give Up... and For that planing is also required... This is what reminds me whenever I see this photo...

My First Message in Church

After my cratontomy, I went to our church @ chicago - STECI on 30 Mar 2008...

Alex uncle is saying that today he is watching the full attendence for the morning service. When "Achan" was expling his India travel experience to the end of the session... I aske "Achan" so as to give a message for all ... Also I write to him that I will talk slow and everyone one have to be paitient listening to "Alazha Kozhya" words...

I never talked / delivered any message in church... I did only couple of things.... Once I did take the "Aranadarana" in India and another one when I came to chicago on 2006...

I just want to not my first words that I delivered ...

"Hi All, First of all I thank you
for praying for me...
The day I got adimitted in UIC, I called Acha and Amma
with the details that my doctor told me ...
I got a call from John Mathew
Achan ... My Friend Acha...
Achan asked me to read Isaiah 41:10 ...

Let me read it before you...

So do not fear, for I am with
you;
do not be dismayed, for I am your
God.
I will strengthen you and help
you;
I will uphold you with my
righteous right hand.

Let me say you one thing ... This 4 lines is what
keeps me close to lord ... I don't know how to explain...

If ever you
have any difficulties, Please keep this one in your mind...

Thank
you..."

Enjoyed Guitar @ -20 C

It was 10th of Feb 2008 - We 5 took CTA to Cuatro Resturant see watch the Guitar performance of our colleague - Andre Ramos ...

I called Sarth and asked them to start from their apartment so that we can meet at california and wark to the CTA station ... When we meet I see that Saji is Shriving ... That was his 2nd day in USA... So do the case with Shameer... They both were thhing of goign back after walking in this climate for couple of bocks...

When we reached california CTA station, we just missed a train... then next one will only after after 10 min...

I see Jaico also started saying "Do we want to go back" ...
"te
We get down at China Town and walked all the way to Cuatro ... Ordered "tequila" ... (I think so" .... they use Latin in the menu...

I am enjoying one Guitar performance for the first time in my life... It was just Superb ! -

We only understand the last song which is not accually a song - but sayin good bye in an musical way.!

You can see the video that we have taken by clickig this link...
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=4566836053441726421

Special force within mind and body...

It was a long day - Chicago 2008 Auto show ;

We get into that show by 10 am... starded wtih the left side of the show.... Walked a lot ... and by noon, we only covered 30% of the show... I was way too hungry - 1 Pissa and 1 water packe - 10 $ !!!

After that we took this one photo... The guy who took this photo is a one handed man (He is having a disbility in his right hand... I still remember that ... But this one comes prefect.! I noticed that his is having a Nikon SLR D80 ... ! With that hand he is doing a good Job!

This make me think that " If you have a vision, anything is possible" - Special force that really helps one to hold to lord!

The area that we went after taking this photo is where we can see Police cars... But I was not at all giving attention that stuffs... But this went away from my mind when we see one "Black Vintage Ferrari"...

We finished the show by 8 pm... It started to pain in my right knee ... So do the case with Sarath...


That night or few day after, one similar event came to my mind... When we went to Navy Pier for the first time similar event happened...

We were taking photos of each on of us with the background of DownTown from the walkway...


Suddenly one man came and asked me and Hemanandan that "I can take photo for all..."


I gave my camera to him... and i walk toward everyone and when I turn back, I was surpriced ... "He is not having his left arm after keen area" ... And with that only he is holding my camera with his right hand and he is having his personal provessional camera in his sholder... I know that each one of us was shocked when he took that photo within 5-10 second... We thanked him and he and his son walked away....

My March 1st Day

My 2008 March – I will never forget this event in my life…

I was tiring to remember then events happened in Mar 08… Till Feb’08 and background later in this article..

1 Mar 2008

4:00 am … Call from the nature… Then drink water…I was not feeling any numbness or dizziness … I spent 5-10 minutes in front my laptop… Looking for e-mail / deals / and some one to chat…Then closed it and went back to sleep…

6:55 am … wake up… Still not feeling any numbness
Then I feel like going back to sleep … Jaico or anyone will not awake … So this week I deicide to go back to sleep… But I have to keep in mind that today I will go with Girish & family to skiing … So I want get up by 8:00 am in order to bath and make breakfast ..

I got a call from Girish at 8:00 ...or near to that time…

Picked up the call … and said “Hello Kodi” … (But I know that I was not saying “Hello Kodi” …it something else … to be exactly “LLH H GDI …” … I can’t explain that … I know that this is some not good… Then Girish asked me couple of questions … But I can’t say it correctly … But I got every thing that Girish told to me … He will be reaching our apartment by 8:30 or 8:40 … First Girish will drop rice and some stuffs to our another … Then will pick be up…

Since I went back to sleep after 6 am, I feel like be in bed for five more minutes … By that time I feel like small pain in right middle finger… for 1 minute I felt like that … Then back to sleep…

After 3-4 minutes, Shyam call me … If I am near to him I definitely hit him for sure… I picked the phone… Again same issue… He said that may be he will call later… He though that I was in bad sleep mood … I use to be like that when somebody call me before 6:30 am… So dropped the phone…

I thing that Girish is calling Jaico… and Jaico in kitchen dirking water…

By this time I am feeling that some thing happing or wrong with me…

So I took my laptop and switch it on … and open IE, and type http://www.google.com/ … But I thing words jumbles … for sure… Let my try to login to gmail account… When I start typing my name, I was not able to type my name correcting… After 1-2 minutes I managed to type login and password correctly… Let may say this in detail – while typing I feel like small pain in right middle finger and it slowing marched to my shoulder… Also I feel like numbness in my right middle finger… Then did some touch pad stuff and type A to Z … Just to make sure that I am neither dreaming nor having a hang over… Then picked up a pen … with right index and middle finger … Middle finger fails…

Then I wake up … I know that I have an issue… Went to kitchen and take sauce pan and staring making coffee… I try to pick knife to apply peanut butter with middle finger … But it fails… Then I apply it using index … Added sugar to coffee … Again I use middle finger … I can see Jaico is talking to some one … By this time my right mouth and lips staring shriving… It last for 1 minute … Then I feel like numbness in my cheeks … Then Eyes staring blinking. I was not able to control that one too… All last for 3 minutes… Again call from nature… So I finished that one … After coming out I am fine… No numbness at my lips/mouth and eyes… Still middle finger is having a pain…

Back to my chair … dirking coffee… Jaico came to see me … He ask me that Girish was mention some thing… I reply to him that – “Eda, I am not feel well… So I don’t know I will make to skiing” … Still now I am in the fact that this all are because of late night sleep (1:30 am) or hang over or may because my “Bodham illamaia”

Then again call from nature… So I get inside the bath room… Spent 3-4 minutes … Suddenly I feel like numbness in my cheeks and right mouth and lips staring shriving and eyes staring blinking… I think it lasted for 2-3 … Then I decided to wash and tell Jaico that I have go to Hospital… Then I take the mug… I remember that I have bring that to my chest …

This the first time I feeling Seizure (2-3 Seconds) (I came to know about Seizure when I had one in hospital)

BALCK OUT…

I think I wake up in my bed after one or two hours…

Suddenly I wake up and ask Jaico what happened… I know he is worried and tensed… I see Sandeep my room… (Think Sarath and Karthick were there…) Then I noticed bleeding in left fore head right under my eyebrow… I ask Jaico what happened …

Jaico:-
“Eda, I had heard a sound in bath room… and I got tensed… You are not making any sound… Then I try to break the bath room... But it took me 15 minutes… I was laying with left side on the wash basin and I was bleeding… (With a smile) I cleaned your stool… You weight is too high… But I managed to drag you to your bed… at that time I am was not breathing… I got more tensed after seeing that Jean… Suddenly I move my both my hands and place it over my chest and starting breathing normally… Then I was happy… I call Girish and Sandeep and ask to come over here…”

Then I turn to Sandeep …

Sadeep:-
“We will go to Hospital … Quick…”

I went back to my room … I was sitting my chair for couple of minutes and thinking about so many things… “What happened to me, am I dreaming, what will happen to my Acha, Amma and Jeethu, Why this has happened me… No answer … No answer…

Then I put my Jeans, T-shirt and all dress… Take my wallet, key and watch… Three things that I cannot keep away from my body … Then I took my mobile…

I think / believe that I was ok when walking the room… But sometimes my words are jumbling… Jaico/Sandeep will know it better…

By that time Heman arrived and we locked the home…

I was finding it difficulty to speak when we walked to the car…

We headed to nearest hospital… That was couple of blocks away… We contacted ER and they told that they don’t ER… Then Heman/Sandeep/Jaico suggested to go UIC Medical Center… We used to live near to UIC for the last couple of years…

Heman driving the car and Jaico and Sandeep are talking… But I was not at all listening to any of their conversation… I was thinking about some my things… That came to my mind… I am watching the road then and there…

Within minutes we reached UIC… We went to ER… They ask to wait for 15 minutes… Jaico/Sandeep was talking to that desk personnel about my issue… Still I am thinking of what has happened to me … Since I cannot speak well I was finding it difficult to express something to anyone…

One Nurse called me to ER… They lay me on a bed… I know my heart was beating very fast… They took all my tests… 2-3 test tubes of Blood, Sugar, BP, Beat, SpO2 etc… Then Nurse examines my Eyes etc… they she ask me the details… After 10-15 minutes I somehow manage to explain everything… then one Malayalam Nurse noticed me speaking Malayalam… She also asks me some more questions… Couple of Doctor came to see my… I remember Dr. Chan and Sebastian came to see me and writing something in that sheet… Then some Dr. Chan told me that you have to take a CT scan… I know that CT scan is some thing to take picture of any part of body…

Within minutes someone took me to CT scan room… I was lying at that bed when they are moving me to that room… I am counting the number of lights and cute faces that are passing by… By this time my heart beat calm down… In CT scan room they placed me under huge white machine … It took only 15 min … I was brought back to ER…

After half hour, Dr. Chatn came and he causally said “You I have Tumor” …! “You have to take an MIR scan” …

What!
What!

(To be Cont...)