13 Candles

ANDLES Issue No. 13 Please send your suggestions & Articles for the next issue of CANDLES to “Mr. Chiradeep Patra, 11A/1A, Mahendra Chatterjee Lane, Kolkata - 700 046; E-Mail: thecandles@sify.com

Mobile: 09830930379 Web Site: http://candlesmagazine.blogspot.com All the articles should reach us at least one month in advance. The publisher reserves the right to edit, publish or reject the submitted articles. Articles submitted Cannot be returned, so please keep a copy of the article sent to us.

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Year 3

From ASMITA’s Desk...

Cross Offers Life

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hen we see an offer on mobile, on clothes, on food, on electronic goods we get excited. The first thing comes to our mind is money and market. We literally grab some money and rush to that place to get the desired item for a special price or free. We don't even think twice to do it.

Have you ever thought about LIFE as an offer? There was an advertisement of LIFE on the cross where Jesus died for our sins, though we were the deserving candidates to bear the punishment of death. That day on the cross, Christ Jesus offered LIFE in exchange of His DEATH as Jesus says in John 10:10 that, 'The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy: I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”

Jesus not only offered Life but He offered other things also in addition to it. He offered Forgiveness of our sins, Victory over Satan, Peace, Salvation, Joy, Hope, Healing and the Solution to all our problems.

Dear reader friends! Those who don't have this Life that is constantly being offered to you from that old rugged CROSS, rush to that place and get it forever.

Wish you all A Meaningful Good Friday & A Blessed Easter Time

OUR FAMILY

Be A Good Husband Mr. Chiradeep Patra

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usbands are the head of the family as the Bible says. But when he loses his ability to recognize his roles as husband, loses that status. The Bible has taught us on different occasions and different issues. It gives guidelines for the husbands to follow by an wonderful example, i.e.

Elkanah.

As a husband I admired Elkanah, because of the way he led his love life with Hanna. There were sorrows, sadness, jealousy, pride, desperation, and anger in the family. But the head of the family dealt with everything so wonderfully.

Let’s see 1 Samuel 1 and learn the characters of a good husband from Elkanah just reading the Bible verses, which are given below: He was A God Fearing man (v. 3): Year after year this man went up from his town to worship and sacrifice to the LORD Almighty at Shiloh, where Hophni and Phinehas, the two sons of Eli, were priests of the LORD. In today's world husbands are so busy in their workplaces, sometimes they miss fellowship of family and even church.

He showed Love in Action (v. 5): But to Hannah he gave a double portion because he loved her, and the LORD had closed her womb. Showing 'I love you' in an action form can really comfort a sad wife and that's what Elkanah did.

He was Concerned & Caring (v. 8a): Elkanah her husband would say to her, "Hannah, why are you weeping? Why don't you eat? Why are you downhearted?” I can see the overwhelming concern and care of a husband for his wife, which is almost rare in today's world.

He was open to express his emotion (v. 8b): ‘Don't I mean more to you than ten sons?’ I became emotional when I read this sentence. This statement indicates that how much Elkanah had loved his wife Hannah despite of her barrenness. He literally poured out his emotion before Hannah.

He was down to earth Humble (v. 23): 'Do what seems best to you,' Elkanah her husband told her.

'Stay here until you have weaned him; only may the LORD make good his word.' So the woman stayed at home and nursed her son until she had weaned him. In the whole chapter no where it’s written that 'Elkanah suggested something', 'Elkanah ordered something', 'Elkanah asked something'. Rather we see a humble husband who loved his wife from the core of his heart. That's why he could say to his wife that 'do what seems best to you'. Wow! Incredible.

He Respected & Valued his wife's decision (v. 23): "Do what seems best to you," Elkanah her husband told her. "Stay here until you have weaned him; only may the LORD make good his word." So the woman stayed at home and nursed her son until she had weaned him. This verse also indicates that he valued his wife's opinions, thinking. In Indian families it's a rare phenomena.

Wow! What an amazing love story of a mere man, whose name has not even remembered anywhere in the Bible except this chapter or in comparison to Hannah. But his love for his wife sets a big example before the husbands of today’s busy world.

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PATIENCE IS A VIRTUE LEARNT THE HARDER WAY Dr. Anupam Dey

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e had a very difficult weekend at the Medicine Department last month. It was filled with gruesome details of death and disappointment. Life stopped and said goodbye for few of the esteemed patients and for some it was joy at last, albeit through pain and turmoil. At the end of it even we as doctors were exhausted. I had one pertinent question ringing loud. Why could Paras the 18 year old leukemic patient make it to life and why couldn't Rajvir, the indomitable but injured army personnel from Rajputana Rifles couldn't win the greatest battle that he fought...the battle of life? My professor provided a soulful answer which has since stayed with me. He said ," Son, its all got to do with that old friend called, Patience.� Paras lived because albeit in pain but had the patience to endure and see the dream of living life to the full and so even the worst chemotherapy couldn't break his smile. Rajvir being an army man had never learnt that, and so lost it because he had no patience, which didn't improve, his condition. It decayed him everyday because it killed his willpower to live.

They say patience is a virtue and how true they are. Every sphere of life has to be salted with it since it is to life what salt is to food. We seldom recognise it but if its there it helps us till the end. Modern world shows that amply. There are a few good men who had that in abundance and look what they did with it: Every time Sachin Tendulkar, let a Lee delivery go bristling past him, the commentators said,"good leave".

It frustrated me, but Tendulkar stuck through it. He struggled but never gave up. When lesser bowlers came, he made merry. In Australia this test season he scored around 600 runs at an average of 58.

When Sourav Ganguly got dropped from the squad, it pained him. He never gave up though. What followed was 16 months of patience playing on worst Ranji pitches. The recall came but people still questioned it, but Ganguly had weathered a storm and when his turn came he was unforgiving. In 2007, he was the highest run getter for India in the ODI's.

Remember the Beatles. I'm sure you do. Sir Paul McCartney was one of them. His divorce with wife Heather Mills was all over the papers. He fought a grim battle in court for his daughter's custody. The whole process was draining and he was angst ridden but he hung on with patience. What resulted are soulful songs with his guitar playing alongside that made solitary Sir Paul the toast of 2007.

In defeat, all of them had found their greatest success, through patience. The greatest treatise on patience though is that old and most famous book called,"The Bible�. It has stories that can spurn anybody to have patience.

Job's patience is not unknown. God allowed Satan to take away everything he had but still there was hardly a time he didn't bless the name of the Lord. God rewarded him two-fold when He saw what loads of patience he showed.

David, the greatest King of Israel was a patient man too. Saul's persistence in pursuing for his death did not deter him. Never did he find it hard to not be patient. He learnt patience the hard way during those periods of fleeing from Saul. His reward was great. The Kingship finally landed on his lap and more than that he was the man who was," A man after God's own heart".

Shall we ever forget Abraham's patience? Nah!!....just can't. He passed some very trying times with patience. But it spurned his faith to greater heights. The "Father of Multitudes" was truly a gem in God's sight.

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The Bible defines patience as, "persevering towards a goal, enduring trials, or expectantly waiting for a promise to be fulfilled" and patience is so well epitomised in Hebrews 12:1. Impatience can do so much harm because it leads to anger, stress and frustration which are the very stepping stones to sin. My life at times has been a living example of that statement. Had I been a little patient with God's promises, life would have sung a different song, since patience builds character and with character comes trustworthiness and faith and these are direct hotmail lines to God alone.

Margaret Thatcher once said, "I am extraordinarily patient provided I get my own way in the end." When everything is going your way, patience is easy to demonstrate. The true test of patience comes when your rights are violated; when the sports car cuts you off in traffic; when a group of teenage boys are hogging the tennis courts; when your coworker derides your faith again. Some people think they have a right to get upset in the face of irritations and trials. Impatience seems like a holy anger. The Bible, however, praises patience as a fruit of the spirit (Galatians 5:22) which should be produced for all men (1 Thessalonians 5:14). Patience reveals our faith in God.Its all easier said than done. In my opinion its a battle royale, that hurts you at every step.As Mahatma Gandhi once remarked,"To lose Patience, is to lose the battle called, Life".Are you ready for the challenge?....May God shower you with indomitable patience in 2008.

Anger

By Raymond Lengtat

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hen you think of anger, what do you think of? Do you think of something bad? Do you think of anger as sin? Do you think of anger as wrong? I would guess that most of us think of anger as wrong. Let's discuss it.

Anger is defined in the dictionary as “a strong feeling of displeasure and belligerence aroused by a wrong.” Does that sound bad? I mean, to have feelings of displeasure because of a wrong that has been done, what is improper about that?

Nothing at all. A wise man once said, “Be angry and sin not.” Anger is not inherently wrong, but many times we allow our anger to drive us to actions that are wrong. We can let our anger overtake our lives. We can allow our anger to dictate our actions, and our actions are often wrong. Imagine that you are playing cricket and a player on the other team curses at you, but nobody hears him, and he gets away with it. It is not wrong to be angry about the wrong that was done. We should be upset by the sin in the world.

However, your actions while angry can be wrong. If you were to strike the other person or curse him in return, that would be wrong.

Examine yourself. Do you let your anger drive you to actions that are not right?

There is an old proverb that says, “A fool gives full vent to his anger.” This is talking about people who cannot control their anger, who act out their anger in improper ways. What kind of person are you? Are you able to “be angry and sin not,” or do you give “full vent” to your anger, allowing it to overtake your life and control your actions? Anger in and of itself is not wrong, your actions while angry are what can be wrong.

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