During my research on South Asian Women Writers, I thought, why not ‘start at the very beginning…a very good place to start’! So I found a copy of Kamala and got down to it. Kamala: The Story of a Hindu Child-Wife* has the distinction of being written by the first Indian woman author to ever fictionalise in English. Also…
“I Am A Product Of Endless Books”
**A version of this post first appeared on Indiaanya** I found the above quote on Pinterest a while back and immediately pinned it to my board – “All Things Bookwormish.” I think it perfectly describes me. I truly am the person I am today because of the books I’ve read. I am unashamedly a bookworm,…
The Ol’ Ball And Chain
I’ve been married more than a decade now and I have a confession to make. I am a nagging wife. This is not something I am proud of but sometimes it’s a compulsion, an urge that I cannot ignore. It’s almost like I’m addicted to it. Yet, when I got married, I had such good…
Fighting Fear
When fear paralyses, unhinging sanity, I find myself adrift, lost and alone. I plead for clarity; some assurance of safety. But instead You ask me to lean on Your certainty. To trust Your sovereignty. To believe Your ability. It is not easy, what You’re asking of me. But Lord, I want to believe; so help…
How Do I Love Thee … Let Me Count The Ways …
**This post first appeared on Indiaanya** Love – poets have written about it, musicians have sung about it, and artists have painted about it. The emotion has been well documented, researched, examined, experienced and yet, humankind only seems to scratch the surface. The more you study it, the more you find to study. No wonder God…
Do The Next Thing
At an old English parsonage down by the sea, there came in the twilight a message to me. Its quaint Saxon legend deeply engraven that, as it seems to me, teaching from heaven. And all through the hours the quiet words ring, like a low inspiration, ‘Do the next thing.’ Many a questioning, many a…
Let’s Get Off Our High Horses Shall We
C. S. Lewis once said to his goddaughter – “…some day you will be old enough to start reading fairy tales again.” Surprisingly, I found that to be true in my own life when I re-read The Chronicles of Narnia in my early-twenties. I actually appreciated them more whilst reading them as an adult than…
What’s The Rush?
I wish I could grab Time by the shirt tails and get him to stand still. Life seems to be rushing past; I can barely catch my breath. I have so many half-done and undone jobs that I feel like my mind will explode. So many balls in the air that some are definitely going…
Ready And Waiting
So we may boldly say: “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?” Hebrews 13:6 This is one of those verses in the Bible that sound so familiar that they are overlooked or fall by the wayside due to overuse. Even as I read it the other day,…
The Heart of the Matter
Bitterness springs up so easily, destroying every aspect of a relationship. It clouds one’s perspective until all one can see is the perceived maliciousness in the other’s words and actions. As I wondered what caused bitterness to rise up in me, I realised it was a defensive reaction to feeling hurt or slighted by another’s…
Epiphanies Regarding Faith
As I read more of Hebrews I’m slowly comprehending what does and does not constitute faith. The Bible says that without faith it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6). So what does faith entail? Faith is not merely passive acceptance of divine promises but an active certitude expressed in obedience, persistence, and sacrifice. The…
Don’t Believe What You See
“For we walk by faith, not by sight.” II Corinthians 5:7 As Christians we’ve heard this phrase so many times it sometimes loses its power and significance. I’m guilty of this complacency, but recently after hearing this song, I’ve been challenged to live by faith and not believe what my eyes tell me. My eyes…
When Is It Ok To Commit Murder?
**A version of this post first appeared on Indiaanya.** One subject has been on my mind recently. It haunts me and seems to follow my every online interaction – it pops up in news articles and has been in the limelight for a while now – abortion. I have read articles on both sides of…
Double Digits, Darling!
Double digits, darling! We’ve made it to ten. And how much we’ve packed into that decade. We’ve both changed; learnt to adjust, to submit, to love. We appreciate each other more after ten years. Like fine wine, we grow better with age! The road has been bumpy; I won’t deny it. Yet, the One who…
Does My Work Define Me?
**This post first appeared on Indiaanya** The subject of ‘work’ is a thorny one for women especially, given the current brouhaha on feminism and a woman’s role. Does work define a woman’s worth (or even a man’s for that matter; but for the sake of this article I will focus on women and work)? How…
Dawdling Along
With my 8th month almost ending, things are beginning to slow down rather than speed up, which is rather annoying. To begin with, since I’ve cleaned out every conceivable storage space in my house, packed my hospital bag, bought all baby essentials, and prepared (as much as possible) for any eventuality, there is basically nothing…
The Conversation
My Soul met my Mind and said: S: Stop it! M: What do you mean? S: What you’re thinking right now… Just stop. M: (defensively) But I’m not thinking anything in particular. S: Yes you are. That’s why you’re feeling negative and frustrated. M: Umm… You don’t understand all that I have on my plate…
33 Weeks And Counting…
33 weeks pregnant. I’ve cleaned out the cupboards. Sorted out the baby clothes. Rearranged the books and toys. And organised my hospital bag. Now I’m twiddling my thumbs, Wondering what to clean out next. I wonder – is this what it means to “nest”? My to-do list is checked. The room’s been painted. The crib’s…
The Balm
Pain is a terrible tormentor. Sometimes when I’m in acute physical pain because of this illness, I’m filled with all kinds of unhappy thoughts – there is anger, mixed with fear and self-pity, and the outpouring of that unholy mess are faithless, bitter, sinful words. As I was tossing and turning and trying to find…
inkhorn 