Life through the lens of Facebook

Facebook has changed our lives – or at least the lives of those of us on the internet. I wonder if I have blogged about this before. But every so often, I have to remind myself about the virtual world and the real world and difference between the two.

Everyday when I check my mail, I log into Facebook and I look through the status updates – friends with cute babies, loving husbands who post romantic messages, fabulous careers, fun outings and holidays and on and on… And somewhere in my head or my heart, I put a value against their lives and mine and decide mine is not so impressive after all.

I’m more of a Facebook reader than a poster, I don’t post many pictures, and I don’t post many updates. One, I don’t have the time and two, it seems too public sometimes. Then I feel a little low and I think my life isn’t that great – because if Facebook is an accurate picture of my real life, my life is boring, blank and without many fun moments. But wait! how many fun moments go by and I just don’t record them – because I’m actually enjoying them too much! My life right now is a flurry of activity with my little family growing right before my eyes leaving little time for posting notes on social networking sites. Do pictures prove our moments, do status updates prove we think?

Reality is not Facebook. FB is a window into a person’s life maybe – but only into the part they want you to see – success, love, happiness etc. What really lies beneath those updates? Is there heartache or loneliness – it’s not reflected most often. As real as the virtual world claims to be – it will never be real. So I for one have decided to stop evaluating or rather devaluing my life experiences and my lifestyle based on some random pictures and posts that may actually not even be reflective of truth. Instead I will post status updates in my mind that remind me to stay grateful and joyful about what is instead of what is not.

Here are some updates for tonight:

Thank you, my husband, for staying up with me and watching Grey’s Anatomy though you would rather be in bed – it shows me that you love me, even though we don’t take romantic pictures by the sea and you don’t post love notes to me on FB!

Thank you, God, for my little toddler who amazes me everyday with the wonder and fearlessness with which she explores her world and teaches me to be the same.

Thank you, God, for the eighth month of my pregnancy – the baby safe inside me – and kicking away at night keeping me up!

And thank you, God, that yes, though I have resented not having a regular career, I have resented not being single, I have resented the loss of my figure because of the babies, thank you that I have a wonderful family, a home and love. I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world.

Thank you, God, I have a good life.

Dreams and songs

God speaks to me through dreams and songs. I think both mediums leave my brain out of the loop and that helps. Often I overthink so much that I can’t even remember if I heard God right in the first place. But with dreams, they happen when I’m asleep of course, and then when I wake up I have this memory that I can’t really argue with. And songs…well, let’s say I’m in a difficult situation, I’m panicking or very anxious, full of thoughts…suddenly out of the blue, a song arises in my heart and is on my lips. I often sing it a couple of times before I even realise that I’m singing…and then lo and behold the lyrics turn out to be just what I need to hear!

And what am I singing right now? The butterfly song from Sunday School. And yes, all I needed to know today is that I’m still God’s child. In all my confusion of the future, my anxiety of falling away from His will, all my worries of what will be…I just needed  to know my Daddy’s looking out for me.

THE BUTTERFLY SONG

Words and Music by Brian Howard

If I were a butterfly, I’d thank you Lord for giving me wings
If I were a robin in a tree, I’d thank you Lord that I could sing
If I were a fish in the sea, I’d wiggle my tail and I’d giggle with glee
But I just thank you father for making me, me

For you gave me a heart and you gave me a smile
You gave me Jesus and you made me your child
And I just thank you Father for making me, me

If I were an elephant, I’d thank you Lord by raising my trunk
If I were a kangaroo, You know I’d hop right up to you
If I were an octopus, I’d thank you Lord for my fine looks
But I just thank you Father for making me, me

For you gave me a heart and you gave me a smile
You gave me Jesus and you made me your child
And I just thank you Father for making me, me

If I were a wiggly worm, I’d thank you Lord that I could squirm
If I were a fuzzy wuzzy bear, I’d thank you Lord for my fuzzy, wuzzy hair
If I were a crocodile, I’d thank you Lord for my great smile
But I just thank you Father for making me, me

For you gave me a heart and you gave me a smile
You gave me Jesus and you made me your child
And I just thank you Father for making me, me

Proverbial wisdom – Proverbs 11

Someone once taught me to read a proverb a day through the month. There are 31 of them so it works out just fine. I don’t manage it every month but ever so often when I know I am coming to a challenge I read proverbs. Today I turned to Proverbs 11, since today is the 11th of course.

Here’s a brief paraphrase of the things that touched my heart.

Prov 11:2 – Humility brings wisdom

11:3,6 – There’s no use trying to be street smart and cunning. It is the integrity and the righteousness (Christ) of the upright that will guide and deliver us.

11:9 – Through knowledge the righteous will be delivered….knowledge of our identity in Christ, our faith and hope in Him…

11:12 – A (wo)man of understanding holds her/his peace.

11:13 – He who is of a faithful spirit conceals a matter – have a faithful spirit

11:16 – Be gracious

11:18 – Sow righteousness

11:20 – Do not be perverse but blameless in your way

11:22 – Be discreet

11:23-26 – Be generous, you will actually have more than if you hoard up for yourself.

11:27  – Diligently seek good

11:28 – Do not trust your riches

11:30 – The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, And he who wins souls is wise….continue in what you are doing for God, it is wisdom in itself to love people and rescue them from death and destruction.

A challenge a day…

I feel I am constantly challenged by the Holy Spirit. The most recent challenge is how well can I keep a secret?  How trustworthy am I with the information God reveals to me?

What is God challenging you about today?

A challenge a day keeps satan away!

Pickles if you please!

I found this article in the newspaper today…very inspiring. It seems like the business opportunities out there are tremendous!

Make your own e-pickle

Yolande D’Mello, TNN | Jun 10, 2012, 01.04PM IST

A tech-savyy ad man and his mom-inlaw are behind a website that lets you make home-made pickle without entering the kitchen.

Ihita Shah’s fondest childhood memory is helping her mother, Mita Mehta, lug thalis of succulent raw mango slices marinated in salt to the terrace of their home in Santacruz in suburban Mumbai, where they would soak lazily in the sun. “I’d steal a piece of kairi from every plate. The best bit about helping out mum was that I got to taste the pickles at every stage of preparation,” says the 28-year-old Mumbai-based cell biologist.
It took a couple of second helpings for Shah’s husband, Pinank to realise that his mother-in-law’s culinary skills could feed home-sick college students and professionals in search of ghar ka khana. The ad professional along with copywriter friend Rishit Neogi set up GoosebumpsPickles.com as an ode to the pleasurable shivers they associate with the taste of kachi kairi.
“My mother-in-law has been making pickles for friends and relatives for over 11 years. All we did was package the idea for online retail,” says Shah. Mehta works all through summer, helped by her three daughters, often making more than 500 kg every season. Mangoes are cleaned, sliced, dried and stocked at home, allowing a year-long supply of mango pickle.
“Pickle is to Indians what chocolates are to the Swiss,” says Neogi, adding, “What we are trying to do next is explore a variety of avatars for the pickles; consider them as dips and snack accompaniments, for instance.”
Shah started off with familiar sweet varieties like chunda andgol keri, and sourspicy concoctions of chana methi and gunda keri, but later added an option that allowed website visitors to customise recipes, choosing between ingredients and taste (sweet, tangy and spicy). The Make Your Own Pickle option on the site is popular with customers, allowing them to drag and drop ingredients on to a plate. Choose from lemon, ginger, carrots, kerda, and even a dash of a secret ingredient listed as ‘mother’s love’.
The two-month-old site has received 15,000 hits already, translating into 39 orders from across India, and some eager queries from Australia and Dubai.
How it works
A minimum order (500 grams) of the hand-made, strictly vegetarian pickles costs 325. Couriered anywhere in India in air-tight containers. Cash on delivery.