Annie's Diary

Marriage is not just about falling in love and deciding to spend the rest of your lives together. It is actually an agreement made between three persons - husband, wife and God. It is essential not to forget about God in your relationship. It also takes a lot of effort to make a marriage work. This is the case for both love and arranged marriages. For those who are wondering what an arranged marriage is - it is the process by which a man's family or a woman's family selects the groom or bridegroom for them instead of the couple themselves finding their love. Ours was an arranged marriage. So I always wonder about love marriages - Do they feel differently in their relationship? Do they feel more intimacy? Does their initial spark which made them to choose each other remain throughout their lives? From what I have seen so far around me, I believe it does help to choose the person whom you dearly love as your life long partner but the first feeling they had might not last forever.

If you have read my previous post, you would have got a small hint of what I was going through. I was being tempted by the devil just like Jesus was tempted in the desert for 40 days. However, my temptation didn't last that long. It stretched over the month of May during which I felt I can no longer bear it but I kept remembering the word of God where St Paul says in his first letter to the Corinthians 10:13 - "No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it" I kept saying this to myself even though it was really hard for me to believe in this bible verse. I was so severely tested like gold melted in fire to purify it. There were times when I thought I would just fall down somewhere as I tried hard not to sin.  But today, I can say proudly that I have passed my test and I am standing here as a t

I have been recently very close to God especially since my father-in-law passed away. I hear a lot of devotional talks and encourage my family to pray more (not that they enjoy it lol) but they still do it for my sake. What especially came across these talks was the importance of suffering in Christian life and how we are called to join our suffering with Christ's suffering on the cross. Then, I used to think - I don't really have that much pain in my life to unite with Jesus' pain. I was on a short Indian trip last month to help my mum to travel to Germany because my parents had to go there to finish few things off before they settled forever in India. A heart-breaking pain was given to me after such a long time. One would have thought, you wouldn't face such trials again when you are in communion with Christ (partly the reason why I decided to bravely expose myself to this trial). I was hurting so much which I shared with one of my closest friends only. Day 1 passed b

  Scene 1: Valentine's Day We don't normally make a big fuss about Valentine's Day. I am not sure if it is because there is nothing really big to celebrate or is it because we think there is no need for a special day to express our special love for each other.  However, I did wish "Happy Valentine's Day!" to echachen first thing in the morning. I can never resist myself doing that! I have, however stopped buying gifts because I am not sure if Echachen cares about them :) I would, on the contrary, for sure appreciate receiving some flowers or gifts or at least a card, may be? This Valentine's day, I was for some reason, hoping to be gifted with a flower bouquet. It was also the starting of lent also known as "Ash Wednesday". The priest would put ashes on our head to remind us that we are made of dust and to dust we shall return and also to mark the beginning of a season of fasting and abstinence so that God will forgive our sins. We went to church

  The melody of comfort Who would have thought, the sound of a snore would become music to your ears one day? Who would have thought, the loud disturbing noise would make you so happy that you would decide to record that moment? My mum suffers from Parkinson's disease for the last 15 years and she is looked after 24 x 7, most loyally, by my wonderful dad, trying his best to accommodate all her needs in midst of all my mum's constant complaints and requests. He is himself suffering from heart disease but not for one moment giving up on what life has thrown at him. So, let me get back to the actual point. Recently, I decided to visit my parents for 2 weeks so I can also be away from the hustle bustle of my life being a mother of 3 lovely kids and a part-time job holder. I slept in the same room as my mum and dad and during the initial two days, I could see how my dad was not getting a tiny bit of rest at night. It is either, my mum needs the toilet or she might need to eat someth

 You know what's one thing I hate? It is when people appear to be secretive in front of us. Either they should include us in whatever they are conversing about or they should never be discussing secrets in public places while everyone is freely talking to each other. I absolutely detest it when people avoid including me in their conversation. I might be taking this too seriously but that is how I am. I believe in one big group of friends where we share everything with everyone. As I said, it is just my view :) God bless! Happy Sunday