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.

World English Bible

This morning, I whinged to a sister in Christ about copyrighted Bibles, and how unfair it is that there arent any non-KJV Bibles which I can download on audio and listen to when I can’t read on my computer or in print. And God is an awesome God, so before today got over, I found this. How cool!

The Gospel of Matthew = Good Book.

Thinking about these verses. Any thoughts?

I love Jesus, then why do I sin?

Non-Christian, learn what is false:

1. Christians think they’re better than everyone because they believe in Jesus
2. Christians believe in the Bible cos it’s convenient to
3. God is the same in every religion, just expressed differently
4. Jesus didn’t tell his followers to be fundamentalists
5. Believing in Jesus doesnt make you a better person, good deeds/karma does

I assert the falsehood of all those points. Objections & arguments welcome, by comment or by email (RED.wpblog@gmail.com) abusive comments not welcome because I’m not speaking against anyone I’m just saying what Christianity does NOT believe (but people seem to believe it believes).

Non-Christian, learn what is true:

1. Christians believe every human being is a sinner, and if Christians were not sinners fully aware of their sin, they would not be Christian. Believing in Jesus means being so fully aware of our sins that we fully realise the need for a Saviour, and are “crucified with him” so that we can seek his righteousness. So Christians are not better than everyone else, but God alone is perfect. Jesus is the only perfect man to have lived on earth.
2. Christians believe in the Bible because it opens our eyes to the truth that God is more beautiful and desirable than ANYTHING the world can offer.
3. God is One and different religions contradict each other about God. You can’t have one God who is the same in every religion. ACCEPT THAT.
4. Jesus told his followers to love God with everything they have, and to hold fast to him like nothing else. That sounds fundamentalistic to me and its perfectly beautiful because God is the Most High, the point where all perfection and goodness meets at its highest, there is no goal higher than God and if Christians are true fundamentalists, that is GOOD for everybody.
5. Everybody is a sinner. Believing in Jesus doesnt make you instantly stop being a sinner. It makes you hate sin. When you KNOW that God is true, and that God hates your sin, you want it to go away. But our flesh likes worldly lusts more than it likes God because it doesn’t understand God. Temptations come and deceive. The HOLY SPIRIT makes us not sin. So believing in Jesus makes us want to desire him above our fleshly lusts. We receive the Holy Spirit so that our hearts are opened and we see for ourselves that Jesus is truly more beautiful than sin. So there are two steps to it. First, believe in Jesus- know that you don’t want to sin- then receive the Holy Spirit which testifies about Jesus, and shows our hearts that Jesus IS more desirable, and the Holy Spirit frees us from our desire to sin. So believing in Jesus LEADS TO receiving the Holy Spirit which LEADS TO freedom from sin. Without the Holy Spirit, we are the same as before, our eyes see the same and our hearts feel the same, and what we desired before, we will not miraculously stop desiring now. The SPIRIT gives wisdom and understanding, without the Spirit I am dead in my sins.

I hate myself when I sin. Loving Jesus means honouring his word. I can’t honour his word if I’m not led by the Spirit. I desire the Holy Spirit to fill me completely so I can be free from sin. Sin is horrible.

I know most religions apart from Christianity teach about salvation based on good works. I am curious to know how do these good works come? What’s the standard by which one calls him or herself good? What can cause a loathing for sin if not the Holy Spirit of God alone?