It began with a shocking message triggering messages to and fro

It began with a shocking message triggering messages to and fro.

"Sabu is in a very bad situation. He had a massive heart attack and is hospitalized 100%block in all arteries. They put one stent on. They got a heartbeat for a while.

I am in the hospital waiting room"

"I am at a loss. Auntie too."

"When asked the doctor said we should be praying for his brain functioning. All healing comes from God but that is the functionality they are going to check for."

"This was the exact issue they had told me they were afraid of when my Papa was  incapacitated beyond redemption."

"When Papa had a Cardiac arrest in June 1980, the doctor said he'd be gone in half an hour at the most.

Papa opened his eyes after 48 hours.He was in the post operative room connected to the ventilator in the theatre. They had put him back there from the ward.

It was night around 11 or 12 the following night.

The doctor came out from theatre. He asked who was Roji. When I went up, he asked me to follow him into the theatre. I said I didn't have their theatre wear. He asked me to take off my footwear and follow him. 

I saw Papa on the bed with tubes and attachments. His eyes were wide open.

They asked him who I was. He was definite. He said this is my son Roji, Roji Mathew.

They laughed. They advised me to go out.

Later, I understood they were checking his senses or functioning of his brain

(This was the exact issue they had told me they were afraid of.)

He remained there for one more day and it was back to the General Ward and afterwards two weeks in the Pay Ward"

"Pray without ceasing. Our Lord provides. Always"

"I, we, prayed incessantly."

"When he was discharged, he walked out of the hospital. No trolly or wheel chair."

"Daivame. Our God provides. Always."

"He was 62.

After CPR he was  on the Ventilator for 48 hours.

When the doctor said half an hour it was around 10 pm night.

I sat on the floor outside

B-Theatre - no benches or seats there - and began praying. 

I prayed just one sentence repeatedly staying awake the whole night.

"Daivame ente Papa ye ee rathri kondupokaruthe"

I could have been naive. But a thought, a crazy one, was in me. That God would let him be in this world if Papa had survived till 6 am  the next morning.

The supplication was relentless 

Morning around 8 AM next day, word was, he was alive. 

The doctor told me there was some improvement.

God gave him back

He lived on 28 years.

Miracle.

I understood one thing. 

God acts at the right time.

To this day, it has been true in my life, our life.

It will be in yours too.

We are praying for Sabu and you and everyone there."

"Can't write anything more"

"Pray without ceasing. Our Lord provides. Always."

"We are doing that. We'll keep on doing that."

"Our God provides. Always."

"They just updated us. He had purposeful movement, they confirmed 3 times, he squeezed their hands and opened and closed eyes on command. They increased sedation again so he doesn’t get restless or move too much. Otherwise status quo"

"By God’s Immense Grace, Sabu is now off heart support (no ecmo, and no impella) 

Sabu did well overnight, CT surgeon said his heart is recovering well. Today the plan is to extubate him. Please pray"

"Thank God"

"This morning only at 6.51am we spoke for 18mins. It's crux was how God acts

Now it's 6.48 pm. All it took was slightly less than 12hrs.

As I said God knows what He's doing. 

The wheels grind slow. But they surely grind.

Now the recovery will be quick

We keep praying for him, for you. We know it's tough for you acting double"

"Not extubated. Please pray."

"Sabu was stable today. They will do an echo tomorrow and then decide the next steps. The Pastor visited. Sabu recognized the Pastor.  We pray without ceasing."

"No update."

"When  you are free and have a mind to talk, please message. I'll call"

"When I am free, I will message you."

"Sabu’s lungs are slowly recovering. They are slowly lowering sedation so they can make extubation easier" 

"Sabu has been off sedation all day. He is aware of the surroundings. He is recognizing us and communicating well. The doctors are happy with his progress"

*Daivame sthothram"

"Sabu was very lively today. He was off the vent for the entire day. Our Pastor came by and we all talked with Sabu about what had happened and why he is hospitalized?" 

"Sabu is in a much better space now" 

"Sabu is getting stronger day by day. Today he stood up with PT and SLP put in a speech valve so he was able to talk all day. He was also on the trach collar for about 16 hours today, doing well"

"Sabu passed speech and swallow and is now having a full meal for dinner today. He’s doing great." 

"Great news.

Praise God.

Miracles do happen in this world.

Sabu is the miracle.

As I had told my Papa after his survival - cardiac arrest and momentary or virtual death -  take each moment, each second and each day as a bonus gifted by God almighty.

As the bible says, do good unto others.

Find joy in looking after the needs, both material and spiritual, of the others, the needy.

Please don't dump money into the coffers of the church or the pockets of the Priests when you see misappropriation. 

The fashion I have observed from my large extended family or the people around is, they would never lift even the little finger to help or assist those who are in  real need within the family.

While I have seen many others, Christians or from other religions, helping people to migrate or assisting them materially, my own people had never taken any interest to help those in penury or in real need within the large ambit of family.

They would happily tell us they would pray whereas that is the last thing they would ever do in this world.

As I said, treat people well. Help them within your means.

The rewards will flow to you and your successors"

"Great advice and observation. Starred the message"

LAMINE YAMAL IS THE FIRST YAMAL, NOT THE NEXT MESSI

 

Lamine Yamal is the face of Spanish soccer today. He is dazzling. He is the undisputed leader of the Barcelona football team. He is the creative fulcrum of Spain.

His ascent as one of the best footballers in the world has been relentless though he is yet to leap into the highest station.

When Spain's World Cup 2026 debut began in Atlanta, the Mecedez-Benz Stadium was throbbing with team's supporters. They had arrived early to savour the debut in large numbers. However one detail was impossible to ignore. It was a sea of red. The vast majority of those red shirts, old and new, with different designs, carried the same number and the same name. 

19, Lamine Yamal.

His appeal to younger audiences, effortless authenticity and remarkable composure have made him a marketer's dream, making him one of the most sought after faces among the world's biggest brands. Though he may still be chasing the achievements of Messi, Mbappe or Haaland, he already belongs to the same commercial league.

Yamal's relaxed personality, infectious confidence and seemingly effortless ability to handle immense pressure have made him a magnet for advertisers.

His legend has spread through newspaper reports, TV highlights and word of mouth. Yamal belongs to a different age in comparison with Messi as he began his career.

Here, every dribble becomes a viral clip within minutes. Every celebration is a meme. Every appearance generates millions of impressions before the final whistle. 

Talent still matters, but the machinery of fame now works at a speed Messi never experienced in his youth.

Yamal has made his neighbourhood part of his identity. Even as his global fame multiplies, he often celebrates goals by making the numbers 304 with his fingers. It is a tribute to the last three digits of Rocafonda's postal code (08304. It is the place of his birth.   The gesture is unusual in modern football, where stars often distance themselves from their roots.

The Lamine Yamal phenomenon is almost unstoppable.  It grows with every performance, every headline and every campaign.

Excerpts from Luis Buxeres' article in.                    The Times of India of 14 July 2026.                         'Not The Next Messi, The First Yamal'

INAKI WILLIAMS AND NICO WILLIAMS

 Iñaki and Nico Williams are a historic pair of brothers who play together for La Liga's Athletic Club in Bilbao, Spain.  Born to Ghanaian refugees who survived a harrowing, barefoot trek across the Sahara Desert, the siblings share a remarkably close bond but represent different national teams—Iñaki for Ghana and Nico for Spain. 

The Family's Sahara Journey

In the late 1990s, their parents, Felix and Maria, left Ghana on a perilous journey seeking a better life in Europe. While crossing the Sahara Desert, they were abandoned by the human traffickers and  were forced to walk through extreme, 50°C temperatures without shoes—a trek that cost many in their group their lives. Maria was pregnant with Iñaki at the time, and her survival is a testament to the family's resilience. 

After scaling a border fence into the Spanish enclave of Melilla, a lawyer advised them to claim they were fleeing the Liberian civil war to seek political asylum. The family was eventually relocated to Bilbao by a Catholic priest, who even baptized Iñaki and served as his godfather.

Rise to Football Stardom

Growing up in Pamplona and Bilbao, football served as a crucial outlet for the brothers. 

Felix did not let poverty drain his sons. He introduced football to them. The parents did not tell the children till they reached 18 years of age why Felix lived with incapacitated feet. The trek through Sahara braving instant death had engineered the disability, they finally revealed to the children when they turned eighteen..

Iñaki Williams: The older brother (born in 1994), Iñaki joined Athletic Club's academy and became an iconic figure at the club. He famously set an all-time La Liga record by making over 250 consecutive appearances for the club, a streak that earned him immense respect. 

Nico Williams: The younger brother (born in 2002), Nico, who is often called "Williams Jr.," also rose through the ranks at Athletic Bilbao. He is celebrated for his incredible pace, creativity, and explosive wing play, becoming a crucial player on the world stage.

A Family Divided on the International Stage

While the brothers play side-by-side for Athletic Club—even combining to assist each other's goals in crucial Copa del Rey victories—they made the unique decision to represent different countries internationally. Iñaki chose to switch his international allegiance to Ghana in 2022 to represent his parents' homeland, while Nico rapidly rose through the youth ranks to become a star forward for the Spanish senior national team. 

Both Inaki and Nico, whenever they get an opportunity to address a meeting acknowledge with a grateful heart,. the sacrifices their parents had undergone for their sake. 

DOES THIS STRIKE A CHORD SOMEWHERE?

 

That dishonesty and prayers coexist in places of worship, seems routine to us. We are confronted with allegations that the very people entrusted with serving a religious organisation may have misappropriated  its assets. This is not a routine scam on the generally accepted morality scale that come to light every day. 

Now corruption is no longer a moral failure. It is a life skill. To many, religiosity and morality are one and the same.  They are not. As it is,.a person can perform elaborate rituals,donate generously, attend all functions and still behave dishonestly in everyday life. 

Ethics has no place here. Lack of integrity is compensated by liberal donations, even as the money flows in through dishonest means. Organisations are helmed by the greedy lacking character. The existence of corruption elsewhere does not justify corruption within an organisation by insiders entrusted with serving it. 

The lesson is that no institution should rely solely on trust. When the Bank of Cochin Ltd was taken over by State Bank of India, the primary lesson taught to the former's employees who were absorbed by the latter was 'never conduct your work on trust alone.' 

It is a lesson for life. 

One of the recurring mistakes today is that we assume certain people who lead us  are beyond temptation. Human beings are human beings. Accountability has to matter. If not, any group with enough money, influence and freedom from scrutiny would implode the system. For the majority, when those in power indulge in corruption, it is plausible, not shocking.

We have become a society that's become comfortable looking the other way. When the leaders ruin the organisation through corruption and dishonesty, the long hours they spend over prayers and rituals become worthless. 

What matters is how honestly you conduct yourself when nobody is watching and what choices you make when wrongdoing would be the easiest.  

 

NATURE'S BOUQUETS

                                                        JULY OVER THE YEARS

                                                    NATURE'S BOUQUETS

THE FOOTBALL THAT WENT TO SPACE TWICE

 In a recent issue of the Malyala Manorama newspaper there had been an article in Malayalam on the Football that went to  space twice. I was transfixed. Like everyone else on earth I had watched the astronauts waving and striding into the Challenger capsule for the launch. It was a perfect launch. Then it was an explosion, fire and disintegration. We were shocked. We were stricken by overwhelming grief.  We could only cry. The images stay with us forever. Even if we willed it, they would not desert us. Life is just like that, it was a painful revelation. 

Unfortunately the newspaper went missing soon after I read it. I felt disappointed. Undaunted, I searched the web. There it was, in English. 

Let me share it.

The "football that went to space twice" is a poignant, historic soccer ball carried by astronaut Ellison Onizuka aboard the Space Shuttle Challenger. After surviving the 1986 disaster, it was recovered from the ocean, returned to Earth, and years later taken to the International Space Station by his daughter's principal.The incredible journey of the Clear Lake High School soccer ball is a story of tragedy, endurance, and a touching tribute:

The First Launch (1986):

Before boarding the Space Shuttle Challenger, NASA astronaut Ellison Onizuka was gifted a soccer ball by his daughter Janelle and her teammates at Clear Lake High School in Houston. Onizuka brought the ball aboard as a personal item, but the mission ended in tragedy when the shuttle broke apart shortly after liftoff.

The Miraculous Recovery

Against all odds, the soccer ball was found among the floating debris in the Atlantic Ocean by the U.S. Coast Guard and returned to Onizuka's family. His widow, Lorna Onizuka, later returned the tattered and autographed ball to the high school, where it sat hidden behind trophies for years.

The Second Journey (2017): 

Decades later, astronaut Shane Kimbrough, whose own children attended the same Clear Lake High School, was preparing for a mission to the International Space Station (ISS). He requested permission to take the ball back into space on behalf of the school. The ball officially went to space for a second time, serving as a powerful tribute to Onizuka's legacy.

Returning Home

After completing its second historic spaceflight, the ball was brought back to Earth by Kimbrough and permanently returned to the Onizuka family and the high school.

PART OF GOD AND ONE WITH HIM

 

From the moment we are born, our first and primary relationship is with our parents.

Through them, we become related to siblings, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and many others. These relationships are not of our making. They come with our birth. Thus, whether we like or dislike them, own or disown them, they continue to exist. 

Relationships with friends and spouses are formed (inorganic formation) and can therefore be broken. Our relationship with our parents, however, lasts only during our lives..

Who is truly related to us in our life? Which relationship is the fundamental and the absolute one?

It is our relationship with God. I am a part and He is the whole. I am an individual  and He is the total. 

Can the part exist without the whole? How intimately is a part related to the whole? Is a part ever separated from the whole?

Upanishads describe God as the Virat Purush, Cosmic Being and every individual as part of God. 

While we are aware that the universe is made up of the five elements, space, air, water, fire and earth, are not individual bodies, made of the five elements, part of the totality of the five elements?

We are indeed an aggregate of these elements. 

There are countless waves in the ocean. Each wave is born in the ocean, exists in it, and subsides into it. Its relationship with other waves is temporary. But its relationship with the ocean is primary and absolute. 

Likewise we are all a part of God and one with him. How can we ignore this eternal relationship?

The Mundaka Upanishad offers a beautiful metaphor.

In a tree like body, two birds who are friends, dwell. One is God and the other is the individual.. The individual keeps pecking at sweet and sour fruits, alternating between happiness and unhappiness. Helplessly caught in the conflicts and confusions of life, it looks up to its God-friend and becomes truly happy.

Relationships bind us. We suffer because we seek support from those who are helpless and who are dependent elsewhere. We feel burdened by responsibilities. We are attached to possessions. We are worried about our children. We are hurt by rejection and insult. It happens like that because we forget that relatives and relationships are only relative - not absolute. We do not have to renounce worldly relationships to reiterate our relationship with God. 

When we realise it, we understand that not only do we belong to God, but so does everyone else - equally, totally and absolutely.  The awareness divinises all worldly relationships.

When we ignore our relationship with God, we suffer. 

How can I feel helpless when I am aware of God's support? How can I feel insecure when I am under the protection of the omnipotent? How can I feel lonely when I am always in His embrace?

Our relationship with God is binding forever.  It is the product of listening to and understanding the scripture and through the grace of God. The relationship is at once primary and absolute.

When the individual  through ignorance feels he is separated from the omnipotent, God nourishes him with the knowledge that  He never abandons him. He guides him through thick and thin.

You become one with God

Swami Tejomayananda of Chinmaya Mission in The Times of india of 30 June 2026 -          The Relationship Nobody Talks About - (slightly edited)