If a child lives with criticism, He learns to condemn.
If a child lives with hostility, He learns to fight.
If a child lives with ridicule, He learns to be shy.
If a child lives with shame, He learns to feel guilty
If a child lives with tolerance, He learns to be patient.
If a child lives with encouragement, He learns to have confidence.
If a child lives with praise, He learns to appreciate.
If a child lives with fairness, He learns justice.
If a child lives with security, He learns to have faith.
If a child lives with approval, He learns to like himself.
If a child lives with acceptance, and friendship. He learns to find love in the world.

Three men in a boarding house bed
"Roll over, roll over, roll over!"
The one in the middle thought he'd play a joke.
He didn't roll over -- he got his neck broke!

1) Move everything back upstairs so the painters can paint downstairs next week. I really don't like this option. It's regress rather than progress, and I think that'd be a Bad Thing, man.

2) Move everything on Monday or Tuesday night. I just think I'm going to have a hard time finding enough help to do that. I will not let Carter do the whole job by himself again!

3) Postpone the moving 'til the 29th and the rest of the painting for three weeks (he has a commitment February 2-11). I'm leaning toward this option. (OK, more than leaning -- I just e-mailed the painter to ask if we could do that.) I think I bit off more than I can chew, and I need more time logistically, physically and emotionally to be ready to move the bulk of my possessions out of the house.

All peoples, clap your hands for joy; To God in triumph shout;
For awesome is the Lord Most High, Great King the earth throughout.
He brings the peoples under us In mastery complete;
And He it is Who nations all Subdues beneath our feet.

The land of our inheritance He chooses out for us,
And He to us the glory gives Of Jacob whom He loves.
God is ascended with a shout, The Lord with trumpeting.
Sing praises unto God! Sing praise! Sing praises to our King!

For God is King of all the earth; Sing praise with skillfulness.
God rules the nations; God sits on His throne of holiness.
Assemble, men of Abrah'm's God! Come, people, princes, nigh!
The shields of earth belong to God; He is exalted high.

(Psalm 47)

Friends, I'm convinced that we grow in grace, that we hasten the end, that we move towards that dance [the wedding dance of the Groom], that we beautify ourselves to the extent that we know God. And I'm convinced that our understanding of the Scripture, and our tradition tells us more about who God is than any other tradition by far. The Reformed faith tells the truth about who God is. But if we want to grow beyond being cranky TRs, we have to learn to see the beauty. That is what beautifies us: the more we behold His beauty, the more we are beautified in ourselves.

4 slices bacon, cut up
1 c chopped onion
4 c pared, cubed potatoes (I use red potatoes since they look pretty and I'm too lazy to peel potatoes, anyway.)
2 c turkey broth (I just used the water I boiled the turkey carcass in. I didn't add anything to the water.)
2 10-oz packages frozen whole-kernel corn, thawed (I did not double the corn, and I think half as much worked just fine.)
¼ c butter
2½ t salt
¼ t pepper
2 c cooked turkey, cubed (well...shredded might be a better way to put it)
2 c milk
1 c heavy cream
2 T chopped parsley

In 5-qt pot, sauté bacon until crispy, remove and reserve. In bacon drippings, sauté onion, stirring until golden brown (about 5 minutes). Add potatoes and turkey broth. Bring to a boil, simmer uncovered about 30 minutes or just until potatoes are tender but not mushy.

In another saucepan, combine corn, butter, salt, pepper, turkey and milk. Simmer uncovered for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add to potato mixture along with heavy cream. Cook, stirring occasionally, until hot, but do not boil. Turn into warm soup tureen, sprinkle with reserved bacon and chopped parsley. Serves 8-10.

• 856: Multiple historical records indicate that more than 200,000 people were killed in central Persia (modern Iran) in one of the deadliest earthquakes on record.
• 1138: A deadly earthquake in Aleppo, Syria claimed the lives of at least 230,000 people.
• 1228: More than 100,000 people drowned in Friesland, when a North Sea storm surge flooded much of Holland’s lowlands.
• 1556: In the Chinese province of Shensi the most deadly earthquake in history resulted in an astonishing 830,000 deaths.
• 1642: Chinese provincial rebels destroyed the Kaifeng seawall; as a result more than 300,000 people drowned in the coastal floodwaters.
• 1755: An earthquake leveled much of the city of Lisbon and was felt as far away as southern France and North Africa. More than 70,000 were killed.
• 1908: The city of Messina was almost totally destroyed by an earthquake. The death toll ranged anywhere from 70,000 to 100,000 throughout Sicily and southern Italy. A tidal wave followed, causing even more devastation to the town of Reggio across the straits.
• 1920: In Jiangsu Province, China, an earthquake measuring 8.6 in magnitude killed more than 200,000 people.
• 1923: The Great Kanto Earthquake, estimated at 7.9 in magnitude, destroyed one third of Tokyo and most of Yokohama, leaving 2.5 million people homeless. The quake resulted in the Great Tokyo Fire. Floods followed as the rivers Fukuro Chiyo and Takimi burst their banks. At least 143,000 people were killed, although unofficial estimates say as many as 300,000 may have died.
• 1927: A magnitude 7.9 earthquake claimed approximately 200,000 victims in and around Xining, China.
• 1948: An earthquake measuring 7.3 in magnitude killed at least 110,000 people in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan.
• 1970: Some 200,000 people in eastern Pakistan were swept away to their deaths by a cyclone-driven tidal wave from the Bay of Bengal.
• 1970: An earthquake measuring 7.8 magnitude destroyed the northern Peruvian towns of Casma, Huaraz and Chimbote. A quake-induced rock and snow avalanche on Mt. Huascaran buried the towns of Yungay and Ranrahirca. There were some 66,794 people killed and more than 400,000 were left homeless.
• 1976: Tangshan, China suffered an earthquake measuring 7.5 on the Richter Scale. Twenty square miles of the vast city was utterly devastated. Three years later, the New China News Agency released figures following the inaugural Congress of the Chinese Seismological Society which claimed 242,000 dead and 164,000 injured. But, the U.S. Geological Society estimated that the actual death toll was probably nearer 655,000.
• 1976: A 7.5 magnitude quake and the resulting mudslides caused horrific destruction just north of Guatemala City, leaving over 23,000 dead, 80,000 people injured, and 1.5 million homeless.
• 1985: An earthquake registering 8.1 in magnitude struck central and southwest regions of Mexico, devastating part of the capital city and three coastal states. Somewhere between 12,000 and 25,000 were killed and another 40,000 were injured.
• 1991: A cyclone killed over 131,000 and left as many as 9 million homeless in southeast Bangladesh. But thousands more died from hunger and water-borne diseases in the weeks and months afterward.
• 1993: Up to 22,000 people were killed and 36 villages were destroyed after a series of powerful earthquakes rocked western and southern India. The first of the five tremors measured 6.4 in magnitude.
• 1999: Heavy rains caused catastrophic flooding and mudslides, killing an estimated 5,000 to 20,000 people, in Venezuela’s worst modern-day natural disaster.
• 2003: An earthquake measuring 6.3 on the Richter Scale left more than 41,000 confirmed dead as the entire ancient city of Bam, Iran collapsed into a heap of rubble.

Dr. Grant notes,

We are all too quick to forget. The fact is, we live in a world of woe. Sin has ravaged God’s good creation in horrific ways. The stunning destruction of life in the tsunami disaster this past week only highlights the fact that history is often little more than a mind-boggling, bone-jarring, and soul-wrenching litany of sorrows—making the very real and substantial hope of the Gospel all the more remarkable.

The historical evidence is simply that our fallen world is a dangerous world. This is nothing new--despite what the harum-scarum prophecy "experts" may contend. "The whole creation groans for the day of redemption." It always has. And until Christ's triumphant return, it always will.

This is not to belittle the tragedy of the recent tsunami, but it is to put it into perspective...not just the perspective of a brief span of human history, but the perspective of eternity and infinity. The tsunami was the end for many, but not the end of all. The tsunami was enormous, but God is that than which nothing is greater. The tsunami was powerful, but God is almighty over all. The tsunami was terrifying, but God a consuming fire who alone is worthy of our ultimate fear...a fear from which alone comes peace.

As we consider the enormity of the recent tragedy, it is tempting to let it eclipse all else from view like a penny held close to the eye can seem to block out the sun. (Heck, if we're honest with ourselves, we're tempted to let our every hangnail to do the same thing.) We tend to say that such a disaster puts things in perspective, but we shouldn't. The tsunami (or the hangnail) is not to be treated as the point of reference for all other reality; God is. To maintain the proper frame of reference, which is to give God the glory He is due, we must keep our eyes on Him and keep close to Him. In fact, we need to be in Him, in which case we'll never see anything without seeing Him, because He will be the view in all directions.

Dear Friends

Faith Christian Fellowship (PCA), my local church in Baltimore, has created a relief fund to help the victims of the Tsunami disaster that hit Sri Lanka and many other countries last Sunday. The donations will be sent to a Sri Lankan Christian NGO called LEADS (relief and development arm of NCEASL) that works with evangelical churches in relief efforts. I have personal contact and confidence in their work of this local Christian NGO, which is also the local partner of World Relief in Sri Lanka. (check World Relief website: http://www.wr.org/featurestories/view.asp?id=30000119)

Please consider sending your donations to help the relief efforts in Sri Lanka. You can write your checks to : Faith Christian Fellowship--deacons relief fund.

Mail it to:

Faith Christian Fellowship
505 East 42nd Street
Baltimore
MD 21218

Below you will see an email I received from Roshan Mendis, who is the director of LEADS in Sri Lanka. Also un update on the situation in Sri Lanka.

Please contact me, if you need further information on this.

thank you for your support

May God bless you with a joyous new year

ananda

==============================
UPDATE :
The death toll of the Tsunami that hit Southeast Asian nations last Sunday has risen to epic proportions of at least 135,000 (latest CNN report). In this same report, 41,000 are mentioned dead in Sri Lanka (14,000 in the Tamil rebel held areas and 27000 in the government controlled areas). The aftermath situations there is dealing with more than 2 million people who have lost their homes and livelihoods. Many of these survivors in Sri Lanka, are severely wounded with lacerations and broken bones, needing immediate medical attention. The out break of disease such as - diarrhea, cholera, dengue, and malaria, is on the verge. In the event of such a situation, the out come would be more devastating a humanitarian crisis than what has happened already.

According to my fiancé, Sahayini, who is working with a group of medical doctors in Batticaloa (in the eastern Sri Lanka), there is shortage of supply of food and drinking water. To reach many of the hardest hit areas is still a challenge due to impassable road conditions.

see report by a Christian Aid (UK NGO) in a village in Batticaloa
http://www.guardian.co.uk/tsunami/story/0,15671,1381360,00.html

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Appeal from LEADS:

Hello Ananda kumar,
Thank you for the mail. and we at LEADS are coordinating relief programmes to help the affected people.LEADS is really receiving much local support in terms of volunteers, the 4wheel drive club, a local volunteer disaster manager with 9 years experience from Africa (?!) and equally high number of requests. I think this has to do with our credibility in the last flood relief. We are running a 24 hr 7X5 collection centre and coordination office. We have extended the carpark with temporary sheds for packaging and receiving food. All Colombo based staff have cancellled their holidays and are here 24hrs. The way the Lord is working and providing is great. Just keep the funds rolling as the needs are increasing as they are changing. We have identified the requirements of those affected as follows:

IMMEDIATE: Food, drinking water,medical, water pumps, clothing, candles, blankets, paracetemol,etc.
2nd Phase: Dry rations, other needs, temporary shelter
3rd Phase: Reconstruction.
We would appreciate if any of you could assist us in raising the funds required for these planned relief interventions for 10,000 families. The work will follow the pattern flood relief operation as before though on a greater magnitude. Total cost estimate based on the last flood relief intervention is at minimum 225,000 US $ - 125,000 STP. We have managed to raise 125,000 but need more!

While this is a high intensity disaster PLEASE do not forget that much of the biggest load of work is going to be in about a 3 weeks when people start returning to their localities and discover that they have o shelter. WE NEED FUNDS FOR SHELTER equally urgently.

An informal group of 7 Christian relief agencies calling ourselves as CNet have been meeting for prayer and as an initiative towards Christian cooperation and networking. At our meeting this morning (27th) we have agreed to come together on a joint shelter initiative as this is the next GREATEST need. We have targeted building 100,000 shelters at 200 US $ each.

Awaiting word,

Roshan Mendis
Director
LEADS
25, Hospital Road, Dehiwela, Sri Lanka
Telephone: +94 (0)1 724793, Fax: +94 (0)1 735674
Email: roshan@stmail.lk