CHILD IS PRECIOUS

Tuesday, March 17, 2026

CHOOSE SERVANTHOOD OVER POWER

Humanity has an inbuilt foolishness and disarray. The desire to make good a visual statement of one's achievements, wealth or status seems to have been hardwired into human beings. The palatial buildings that come up everywhere try to outcompete the other in size, ostentatiousness and vanity. It extends to business establishments, educational institutions, hospitals and even places of worship.

They are erected as a demonstration of someone's wealth and ambition. No doubt they are all aesthetically marvellous.

They suggest that the story of babel is as fresh today as it ever had been.

The sole antidote is Jesus Christ.

He is the one, who chose servanthood over power.

Jesus touches the sick, washes dirty feet and steps over the barriers of race and language. He opens wide his arms to embrace all people.

Unfortunately, many who follow Jesus today are after assets and power alone. They don't know they are derailing the true mission of Jesus Christ.

IMMORTAL WORDS OF A FAMOUS ACTOR

You never expect anything would go wrong with you. That's what you normally think. You believe you are the centre of the world. I understood I was a disposable for the first time when I fell ill. You know very well what to do or think when a member of your family or a friend falls ill. But you don't know what to do when it happens to you. A host of people would be sympathetic. They really wish to know what has happened to you. They are under shock.

As for me, life had been proceeding fast. However,the pause key suddenly whirred. The blood pressure had gone up. There was calcification around the heart. The kidneys did not function. All these were pointing to 70% chances of a paralysis or a hemorrhage. There was a 30% chance for fatality as well. It was my films that had taught me to override all impediments and rise up as a true hero everywhere. But it shocked me beyond salvation when my ailment was diagnosed.

EVANA'S BUTTERFLY FINDS A PLACE IN HER SCHOOL'S MAGAZINE

AARYAN'S OBSERVATIONS AND WHAT FOLLOWED

Aaron, 14 years, Anoop's son , had lent the book, 'A Walk Through The Rain,' to his classmate Aaryan. Anoop is our elder son. Both Aaron and Aaryan are in the ICSE, 8th Standard, at the St.Thomas Residential School. Mukkola, Trivandrum.

Here is his review or his observations he had forwarded through Aaron

The author wrote:

Abraham Jacob

9447253532 14th March 2026

Dear Aaryan,

I am indeed happy to receive your letter conveyed through Aaron, my grandson.

Monei or Son, I don't know how to express my gratitude for the beautiful letter that has articulated your observations on my book. You did mention, your handwriting is not that good. To me it looked fine, in fact better than mine. Legible too.

As regards the vocabulary, it didn't happen overnight. It was built over the years. I know yours will be much better as you grow up.

Now for the ideas in the book. They just occurred. It's a sum total of my experiences, good and bad, what I have read, what I have seen and what i have come across. The book is a collection of my blog posts, when it was 160 strong, 3 years ago. The posts now number 845.

I keep on penning.

One of the latest is, 'How I Learn'.

The post is just 4 words.

"I LISTEN, I LEARN"

Your comment on 'ideas' makes me zoom.

It's just what we all have in our minds; but I take the liberty to put them on paper.

Let me part with a suggestion. Do well in life. There is nothing insurmountable. It's our own mind that pulls us back

May god bless yoi

Regards,

sd/-

Abraham Jacob

Saji is a member of Christ Church. He and his wife sing in the Choir.

He was formerly DGM, SBI.

He stays across the main road in front of the KUT Seminary campus, Kannammoola, Trivandrum

On Sunday, 15th March 2026, after the worship at the Church, I forwarded the wonderful feedback from Aaryan, to Saji

It elicited a reply from him and another response from me. They are here.

"Read both the letters."

"As we discussed at the church portico, it's quite impressive that a present day teenager could pen such a letter. I never thought so. I had lost hope in the current generation but still some flicker of hope is there. Thanks for forwarding."

My response.

"God created heaven and earth.

He knew how to run it from that time onwards.

He has done it over centuries.

He'll never let go.

That's why we have boys like Aaryan

To take us and the world forward on His terms.

I praise God for giving Aaryan to us, to the world.

We have hope

We have future

There.

Like you had aptly put it

That's the glimmer of hope"

Rev. Santy S Paul:

Thanks for forwarding these updates dear sir.

I was indeed excited to see the letter to you from such a young reader and the sincere reply by the author.

The way in which Aaryan connected the content of the book to nation building ("to implement your ideas to reformation") is especially commendable.

I am sure these are most gratifying moments of an author that prompts to express him/ herself more and more.

Good wishes sir

Shara quipped

What are the odds of two friends having both their names start with Aar.

And I replied

One in several billions!!!

Monday, March 16, 2026

When speech development takes the slow lane

We were concerned when Elvin at 18 months lagged in speech development. A friend advised us to be patient. According to her some children were like that.

I wrote to her recently

Elvin turned two on 13March2026.

We held a lunch get-together on 14thMarch to celebrate. It was confined to close relatives. His maternal grandparents joined us travelling all the way from Kadammanitta.

It was a happy experience.

In the evening, at the close of family prayer time, he joined everyone blurting out 'Amen,' that marks the conclusion.

The past couple of days he had been talking in his own language that he alone could decipher. But in between Amma and Appa comes out occasionally.

When I related speech development was slow to my younger brother, his response was, Elvin's father also had been like that.

But those were the days we both were on a mad race and where personal matters had always faded away into insignificance.

And no one had bothered about such trivial issues either those days.

It was your genuine concern for the child that made me put the foot down and and decree a cooling period till he reached three as advised by Dr. Abraham, the richly experienced Paediatrician.

The child shows a high level of intelligence. He indulges in activities we suggest. He displays his affection vehemently. He runs around. The vision and hearing are sharp. Looks up at the faint sound when someone opens the gate. Displays his emotions. He conveys in his own way what he wants and he manages to land that.

I just wonder what would have happened if your advice hadn't come at the right moment.

Managing children is ok. But managing the mother who is much concerned is indeed a tough proposition as her concern is genuine.