Tagged! The Book I’m Reading.

Thanks JV for tagging me! (and Mum tagged me also. So this is in response to them both)
I have been really caught up with lots of stuff, I am so sorry I have not been in touch with anyone through email or even updating my blog. Am I hated? *hides more* lol. I am going to answer JV’s tag first- and let you all know that I am praying for you- and feeling good and will be back on and regular as soon as I possibly can–

So the instruction is, page 123 of whichever book I’m reading, paragraph 5- I sincerely hope it wont be from the first 10 chapters of 1st Chronicles… since the only book I’m getting to read these days is the Bible. lol! But nah, I’m reading the New Testament not the old. So here goes…
Acts 2:14-21 [ESV]

[14] But Peter, standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed them: “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and give ear to my words.
[15] For these people are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day.
[16] But this is what was uttered through the prophet Joel:
[17] “‘And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams;
[18] even on my male servants and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy.
[19] And I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke;
[20] the sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the day of the Lord comes, the great and magnificent day.
[21] And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.’

I tag: Paul, Sharla, Oscar, Christine, Mark Wilson and since JV didn’t stop at 5, I also tag Greg and … MBJ

Was Shylock really the Bad Guy?

He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. ~ Colossians 1.13-14

I really love those verses. This post isn’t really connected to them but wanted to share… God is so good. The most awesome feeling in the world is to be in prayer, in the Spirit, even in song… To praise His name and know that He is awesome above all, and to see(k) his glory in and through all creation. Hallelujah! Prayer that isn’t “heaping up empty phrases” but truly being in God’s presence, knowing he loves, forgives, sanctifies, prepares… so the words I’m saying in prayer aren’t as important as the heart he gives me… and when the desires I express aren’t a result of deep thought but impulsive love. Just an earnest cry to be redeemed, and infinite joy at being loved… by the Maker of every promise that counts…

So as you know I have been sick. But I am better now, almost fully well. Thank you all very much for praying and loving and emailing and caring and smsing etc.

At school, classes have begun already, for the 4th semester. For English class we’re working on a play by Shakespeare, “The Merchant of Venice”. I skimmed through the script of the play yesterday and am focussing on an in-depth reading of Act IV right now… when I read it a few years ago, in my pre-christian mind, it seemed to me a story about love and wordplay, with Portia the heroine and the rest her sidekicks. Now it just seems like a beautiful, heart-breaking depiction of the psychological state of man’s mind in a majority vs. minority situation. Shylock is the new hero in my mind, he is a character I sympathize with, one my heart goes out to, one I believe was most unfairly treated by those professing the Christian faith. Antonio through the court of Law imposed upon Shylock the “penalty” of conversion to Christianity. I want to study this in much more detail and write a long post sometime God willing.

Sniff

Hi thanks for emails asking what happened to me, I am sick and have a terrible cold and pains and soreness all over my body. It’s very mild and nothing to complain about at all but I just haven’t been able to read blogs or even properly read the comments here. Had a great time in Sharjah I might write more about it when I get back. Thanks everyone I think I will be up again soon I will be back. Lots of love. Sniff. Our God is an awesome God he is keeping me happy I hope you are all blessed. The awesome, awesome God bless you.
-RED

Will I be blogging in Sharjah?

Thanks Christine, for asking. Yes I will be blogging from Sharjah, God willing. Not at this blog but at a new travel blog like last time. So as not to bore my readers who don’t care what I’m doing in the UAE (last time I went there I was doing dishes and learning to cook, occasionally going out to watch a really bad movie. Fun for me, but is it something people want to read about? lol).

Also, I’ll be looking for interesting stuff to explore. If anyone has suggestions or recommendations… especially people who have lived in or visited the UAE… I’d love to hear what you did there!

One thing I REALLY want to do, is buy a long black arab dress and wear it and feel like one of those beautiful women who don’t have to worry much about being a stumbling block to men. I love the simplicity and modesty of that dress. A dress of that style may hide a woman’s physical uniqueness, but it cannot hide her beauty.

Sharjah, I love you.

I’m going to Sharjah in a couple of days… The last time I went, I was really excited. Happy. I blogged about my last trip and learnt a lot even though I didn’t go out of the house much. All that was fun but… this time it’s different. I’m older, more experienced… I know what life is about…

Just kidding :-p I’m still a kid lol but it’s different because this might be my last time in the UAE for a long time. That feels weird because I’ve never been as attached to a place in the world as I am to Sharjah. I have not ever “lived” there, and it’s generally a pretty cold and artless place, but there are hidden treasures of beauty in its emptiness. There is a secret life inside all that cement, all the artificial mud/grass/trees, and the men and women covered from head to toe in white and black respectively…

I love Sharjah for its traditionality and conservatism. There is a lot of commerce (not like Dubai though) but they have not been sold to sex. It’s perfectly normal to see women in western clothes and women in arab clothes and women in indian clothes walking on the same road, not uncomfortable in each other’s presence. Men don’t make women uncomfortable by staring weirdly or talking funny. In fact I’m not sure I’ve seen many men talking to women unless they are with them. And I am in love with their dress and if I could, I would wear a Jilbab all the time, at least when I’m not in the house.

The last time I went to Sharjah my Dad and my brother taught me how to cook on the first day. And every day after that they went to work while I stayed home and did some housework, that was the first time in my life that I felt responsible and womanly. That is not to say that “a woman’s place is in the kitchen” but to say that it felt good to look after our home while the men went out to work. Personally and biblically I think it’s great if women work, but I feel I would really miss out if my work took away from the nurturing aspect of my family responsibilities.

Star Cineplex at the City Centre, Sharjah plays only hindi movies. I watched 4 movies the last time I went there (Vivah, Dhoom 2, Apna Sapna Money Money and Rehguzar… Vivah was the ONLY good movie lol) but the multiplex is great. It’s got no security you can take anything you want inside, including cameras and videocameras and big bulky shopping bags. But it’s Sharjah their crime record is practically zero so I’ve never heard of anyone blowing up a theatre. Also they used to have new movie releases on Wednesday, because their weekend was Thursday & Friday. But they recently changed their weekend to Friday and Saturday (which in my opinion is the most accurate weekend…) so new movies release on Thursday. Which means, Indian movies play there 1 day before they are released here. And there is no security. See why Indian Cable TV shows all the newest movies at the same time as they are released here? haha. (All the best pirated copies of movies do come from the UAE that is a known thing, right?)

Domino’s Pizza in Sharjah is opposite the beautiful Khalid lagoon, very near the Millennium Hotel. Only one vegetarian pizza, but it’s good pizza.

If God wills, I will live and go to Sharjah next week and write a blog. What an incredible place it is.