My First Christmas in the US....

Just a couple of days before Christmas, I was sick for the first time in over a year. Well, I was not really sick as in bed-ridden, but I had severe chest congestion, and was barely able to speak on Christmas Eve.

But I consumed a good amount of tea and cough medicine, and am feeling much better now.

And my cough/cold did not hamper my Christmas celebrations at all!!

On Christmas Eve, I had invited Char and the Cobbs (daughter Keri, son-in-law Rob, grand kids Hannah, Gracie and Sarah)  for the Church service at my Church. Our Church had 4 services on Christmas Eve, and I ended up going to two of them. I went to the 4pm Children's service with Char and the Cobbs. The message was about the story of the Candy Cane - complete with pictures, and almost all the songs were sung by kids.

We came back to Char's home for dinner.

Then I went to the 11pm service for the youth and the young adults. I had to read a passage while lighting the advent candles, and I did ok, considering the fact that my cold was still there. I did have lots of tea before I went to Church though!!

I came back home and called my mom and went to bed. 

On Christmas day, I went to Char's home for dinner, and we exchanged gifts. Keri gave me a Christmas stockings with my name embroidered on it, with some gifts for me as well. I didn't expect the stockings, and consider it very special!!

We went then went to an old man's house, who had decorated his home so beautifully. He spends three months putting up all the lights, and dresses himself as Santa and has a really big heart. He provides hot chocolate for everyone, and takes pictures with people on his sleigh. He does collect donations, and gives all the money to the Contra Costa Food Bank - a nice way to spend retirement -  spreading cheer!!

The next day, Char's other kids and grandkids came home, and we all went on BART to the San Francisco War Memorial Opera House to see Nutcracker Ballet. It was spectacular!! 

Then on 27th, we went in a Five-car caravan to paradise, to surprise Char's parents with a party, in honor of their birthdays and wedding anniversaries. It was a great time of family get-together, and I felt privileged to be a part of the family celebrations since I don't have any other family where I could go to!!!

I took quite a few pictures, and all of them are on Facebook and on my online picasa album. Just wanted to add 5 pictures here that were special to me....

Here's all the little ones - Char's grandkids and me!!

The Cobbs - a wonderful family, full of fun!!

Char and I in front of the beautifully decorated house.....

Char's parents John and Vera, with Char's brother Russ.

These are Char's kids and their spouses, and they are all like siblings to me!!

So I had a wonderful first Christmas in the US, and I thank God for the wonderful people who crossed my life's path.

The Church that I usually go to does not have New Years Eve service, and I've always been in Church every New Years Eve, so I researched on the internet, and found an Indian Church in San Ramon, which is about 15 miles from my home, and I plan on going there tonight.

Hope it's fun!!

Happy New Year to all of you!!!

Getting ready for Christmas....

This being my first Christmas here in the US, it has been pretty interesting, and very busy too. Parties, Dinners, visiting friends, buying gifts, writing Christmas cards, building graham cracker houses with the youth in my Church, etc.

Don't worry, I haven't forgotten Jesus in all of this. Infact, I have been leaning on him more now

Ok, now back to the fun I've been having the last couple of weeks.......

I'm drinking my first Margarita - but it was a virgin - meaning it did not contain any alcohol - not even soda!!

My good friend Char and I at the office Christmas Party....

Gayle and Sue with me at the ofice Christmas Party...
 

My first time in a Japanese restaurant, after a successful audit meeting with the shareholders at work...

This is just one picture of the many houses built by the youth of my Church. It was messy, but great fun. The youth director Bill, and I had to stay behind to clean up the mess!!

Becky, Lisa and I at the Young adult Christmas Party of my Church, at Kirsten and Nate's place.

Spent a day with the Herberts... Manda and Carlson in the pictures as well....
   

And here's Cameron posing for a picture before Manda and Carlson get on stage for the Christmas Program in their Church...

Here's one picture of the Christmas Tree Lane. It is a one and a half mile stretch where the houses on both sides of the road, and all the trees on this road, is lit up the whole month of December. To see more pictures, please go to my online albums at Picasa or Facebook.

Here's my friend Char, blowing the candles on her Birthday Cake. We celebrated her birthday a week earlier at work....

And finally, here are my new roommates Chris and Sarah. 

They have Christmas ribbons on their head, and are posing next to the Christmas Penguin!!

I'm looking forward to spending an exciting Christmas with my friend Char and her family. 

And to all of you who are reading this, I wish you a very Merry Christmas!!

Thank You Jesus

This being my first Thanksgiving in the US, I wanted to experience the Thanksgiving Dinner with a family. I have so many wonderful people around me, that I got invited by 6 families. Ofcourse, I had to turn down 4 of them, and I accepted a lunch and dinner invitation.

But you know God, and how his plans are not our plans always, right? The day before Thanksgiving, my lunch plan got cancelled becoz of a family emergency with the wonderful couple who had invited me, and my dinner plans got postponed to Saturday.

So here I am on my couch, on Thanksgiving day, with a tall mug of chocolate milk and my laptop, and decided to put down in writing, what I'm thankful for:

• First and foremost, I thank Jesus for his blood that washed away my sins. And I know that He is my best friend.

• I thank God for my mom for all the love she poured on me and all the values she instilled in me.

• I thank God for my sisters Christy and Mary and all others in my family, for being there for me and supporting me in all that I do.

• I thank God for aunt Karen & Uncle Paul Watney, Pasadena, California, who sponsored my studies when I needed it.

• I thank God for aunt Irene & Uncle Darrell D'monte, Australia, who taught me a great deal growing up, and who continue to be my role models for a strong marriage. They have been married for over 50 years, and I admire the love they share for each other.

• I thank God for my dear friend Char, who has truly been my "American mom", without whom I wouldn't be in the US right now. I thank God for her kids the Herberts, the Cobbs and the Browns, and family friends the Abshires, all of whom have awesome families that I admire a lot.

• I thank God for the people of my Church in India (CSI Emmanuel Church), where I've gone for almost all my life - the place where my faith was nurtured, and where I was able to spend a portion of my life.

• I thank God the people of my Church here in the US (Lafayette Orinda Presbyterian Church) who welcomed me warmly, and provided me with opportunities to serve. I feel like I'm in my home Church.

• And once again, I thank God for everything and everyone - my family, my friends, my Church, my job, my material possessions,etc.

• And most of all, I thank God for being there for me, for breath in my nostrils, and being my BEST FRIEND!!

How great is your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear you, which you bestow in the sight of men on those who take refuge in you. Psalm 31:19

Trampoline......

Well, I haven't been all that diligent lately in updating the blog, but I try...  :)

The title of this post is "Trampoline", but I'll get to that at the bottom of this post.

So let me bring you up to speed with what's happening in my life......

Late last month, my friends Char, Jenny and Prashanth went to the Chabot Space and Science Center in Oakland, and had ice cream (yet again!!) at Fenton's.

And this weekend, I went to my friend Char's daughter Keri's place, to celebrate Hannah's sixth birthday..

Opening gifts with friends......

Cake, cake and more cake......

Love in the air.......

Later that evening...... all of us were relaxing

except for my friend Char, who was on the wii-guitar!!

Ok, now I'll explain the trampoline which is the title for this post.

After Church today in Wasco, we all walked to Liz and Aaron's place, and they have a trampoline.

You know, I've never been on a trampoline before, and when 5 adorable girls wanted me to get on the trampoline, I obliged, much like any gentleman would. 

Come on, tell me how hard would it be to just jump up and down on a trampoline?

If you ask me now, I'll say "I wonder how the kids do it". It is just too tiring. 
My calf muscles were screaming after the first few jumps.

And you know how fancy kids could be on the trampoline? They jump up on their feet, land on their bottom, and then go right back up and land on their feet. When I landed on my bottom, I stayed down, and did not jump back up!!

Cute little Hopie said "Hey girls, let's not do that, becoz Alex is tired". Thanks Hopie!!

That's all the trampoline I can handle!!

But I had a great weekend, with all the wonderful kids, including Jim, who is Rob's dad. 
Jim and Sue are a perfect match, and they have great fun together!!

It's almost 1 am now, and I have to get to work tomorrow, so it's good night from me!!!!!

Give God the Glory

Facing the Giants.

Today, I watched the movie "Facing the Giants", for the second time. 

And I cried.....

Some of you who read this may know me well. You may know about my childhood, and how my mom and dad separated the year I was born. I have two older sisters, and my mom brought us up by herself, with a meager income. God blessed our family thru many people - like the sponsors who sponsored the studies for my sisters and I, our Church and the people in our Church who helped us, and all the other wonderful people, like my neighbors Aunty Irene and Uncle Darrell and their family.

But personally, my heart wasn't close to God till my 9th grade when I accepted Jesus as my personal Savior. I realised that God loves me no matter what. 

Even after that, I had my share of joys and sorrows, but God was there with me through it all.

My dad had a change of heart and returned home when I was 16.

I was the top scorer in my 12th grade which is the Senior year, and no one has beat my score at my school yet, in all of it's 175 year history. 

I flunked my Chartered Accountancy exam - my first failure in studies ever.

My dad went to be with the Lord in May of last year.

But God brought me back to my feet and has wonderfully guided me to where I am now.

I got a job for a meager salary which multiplied in the 6 and half years I was in my first company.

I was made the manager of one project when I was 23.

When I left that company 6 and a half years later, my salary was more than 10 times from when I started, and I was managing 6 projects and handling 56 employees which included 6 supervisors who reported to me.

I got a good break and came here to the US, and have a great job in a great company.

As I watched this movie "Facing the Giants", it brought back memories.

Memories which I would cherish forever.

Memories which remind me that with God, all things are possible.

Memories which remind me that I need to put my trust in God, regardless of what happens around me.

Memories which remind me that God loves me as I am.

And last, but surely not the least,

Memories which remind me that in all the steps of my life's path, I need to give God all the glory!!

Praise God!!

Amen!!

Mt. Hermon, Jack London Square and Face Book

My October started great with a weekend retreat at Mt. Hermon, in the Santa Cruz Mountains. There were close to 300 people from my Church who attended this wonderful retreat with the theme "Perfectly Imperfect". I rode with Joel Bullock and his family, and helped out with Godly Play and Youth on Saturday, and attended the Ray Campton session on Sunday. 

The setting was really beautiful and I had a refreshing weekend which included some whipped cream pies that the kids had to eat without using their hands!!

  

Anna celebrated her first birthday with her sister Heidi, mom Kristin and dad Joel.

     

Kids with their whipped cream pies.

Collage I made on the theme "Perfectly imperfect"

   

Peter our Pastor and the open air communion service.

This is the sanctuary where we had our sessions.

    

Some pictures from the retreat Center....

 

My friend Char, and my buddy Prashanth and his wife Jenny went to the Jack London Square for a walk along the waterfront, and had dinner at Miss Pearl's Jam House. Dinner was Prashanth's birthday treat, also followed by huge ice cream at Fenton's ice cream in Oakland.....

 

A few days ago when my friend Char and I were talking, the topic came up that I met most members in her family except for her son-in-law Ross who's always busy. And so I was invited to her home to meet Ross and his family who came down to go to Kelly's best friend's wedding.

Had good fun with Cameron and had an excellent dinner and more ice cream!!

And finally, the last couple of days, I've created and updated an account in facebook for me. I am part of another networking site in India called Orkut, which is a product of google, and didn't really want to get on facebook and spend time there as well. But I found that a lot of the youth at my church here are part of Facebook and that's a nice way of meeting and getting to know them. Only after I created the account did I realise that I had many of my old friends already on facebook. 

So in the midst of my busy life, I try to fit in Facebook, Orkut, this blog, and few email accounts!!

Boon and bane of technology that brings us all together!!