Thank You Jesus for giving me Life

35 years in the books... Thank You Jesus for giving me life.

35 years is significant... my sister didn't make it to 30, Jesus died when he was 33... i have lived 5 years more than my sister did and have had more than a year than Jesus did too.

Life would be so different if my sister were around... i could imagine her being a great aunt, loving Halle & Soo well... sending a package every month... then again, i wonder if she hadn't gone through what she did, if i hadn't seen her faith, if i hadn't experienced disappointment, if i hadn't experienced death... would i be where i am now?

God gave me life. He created all peoples. God Almighty, Creator of the Universe, Author of all things.

But He not only gave a physical life, He gave me real life, everlasting life, the abundant life.

i may have had a physical body and lived life on earth... but my spirit was dead. My sin brought death. i was enslaved to sin and on path to eternal destruction... Jesus came to rescue me from death & give me life.

Looking back, my life was empty. i went to school, i played sports, i watched tv- but life had no meaning. i felt insecure, unimportant, useless, worthless. i didn't like life- at least my life. i had buddies i guess, but no friends. i could do some things, but i was nothing spectacular. There was no hope... i was just looking forward to death.

Christ established hope, brought me joy, poured out love, changed my life... gave me life!

If you know me, you know i am a sinful person. You know i am selfish. You know i can be impatient & anxious and certainly full of pride. i needed a Savior. God saw my need and sent His Son to die for my sin.
Now, i have life, life everlasting!


Looking back, i can see God's hand on my life. All over the place.
I am Indian.
Born to parents who were arranged in marriage
Indian parents who were Christian
Born in America... in Indiana
in Septmeber... so i'd be younger/smaller than everyone in my class
born ten years after my sister and eight years after my brother.
Born to parents who loved God, loved us, were giving to others.

i went to Purdue
lived in an all-guys dorm
there was a Bible study on my floor
lived on the same floor as Brian Bettag
at the last second he asked me to live with him sophomore year
met his brother Kevin, Kevin's best friend Andy, their co-worker Brack
i got involved in a Christian group i tried to avoid
i joined a Bible study i didn't want to be in, but didn't have the guts to say no on the phone
i made friends who changed my lfie

My sister got cancer.
My prayers weren't answered
i felt forgotten by God... when a friend told me he was praying for me... when my dad told me to keep faith...
i went to a conference around the same time, and learned about surrender
2 weeks later my sister died... i was far away from home with a lot of time to think...
Somehow i wasn't angry or scared... but hopeful... and given new perspective
... and i began praying more

i got convicted about going to the world... i hoped my parents wouldn't like the idea, but they were excited... until i told them i was going - they forgot all about that conversation... then i went... and i went again... had hard times... but God was still leading.

He led me through the book of Acts as i was considering my future... and He led me to Asia...
while in Asia, He laid the University of Michigan on my mind... and when i joined... that was the 1st option they mentioned...

But soon time at Michigan would be up too... and i left the country, just when everything was starting to go well
And though times were difficult, He convicted me to stay... then we started seeing some incredible things happen...
And i committed to 3 more years... with no wife... and after rejection after rejection after rejection... i met Soo... we got married, got pregnant, had a baby(notice no pauses)...

Been reading Exodus...
...without Esau hating Jacob, he would have never met Rachel
...without Rachel having difficulty conceiving, Joseph wouldn't have been favored so much, causing him to be hated
... without Jacobs brothers hating him and selling him into slavery, and Potiphor's wife slandering his name, Joseph would have never had the opportunity to advance as far he did
... without Joseph's power, Israel would have never been in Egypt and become slaves
... without being slaves, Israel would have never been delivered and gone to the promise land
And
without Jesus being wrongly accused, wrongly put to death... we would never be able to receive the blessing of eternal life with God



God's hand has been upon me.
He has led me.
He has been with me.
He has been with me during the hard times and the pleasant times.
He has been with me in America, Asia, Turkey, all my travels.
He has been with me when i was a Jesus freak, when i was apathetic, when i doubted, all the time

He is the source of joy.
He is the source of peace.
He is the source of love.
HE is the source of LIFE!

Where would i be without Him? i don't know.

But i am thankful for all the people He has put in my life.
i am thankful for all the places He has taken me.
i am thankful for the challenges and changes He brought to me.
i am thankful for the trials & difficulties & disappointments.
i am thankful He has changed my heart and changed my life.
i am thankful He has saved me.

John 15:5
Psalm 16
Acts 20:22-24


Thank You Jesus for giving me life!