THE ARTIST

A preschooler was working on coloring a coconut tree. The child was suppose to color the tree green and brown. However, it ended up being a purple and blue tree. I was uncomfortable watching the process of a purple and blue tree coming into existence after experiencing millions of trees in specific colors. During the child's work time, I consistently was giving instruction, while being aware of losing control over the tree project that was suppose to be green and brown. My constant instruction led the child to say, "it is my tree and I decide the colors of the tree". 

As much as I was uncomfortable with the answer, however I agreed with the honesty and the authority of the child owning up the project. It was amazing to see a child taking responsibility of the artwork and being affiliated with it. I was impressed with the freedom of speech at a young age. This incident led me to a conversation with a colleague of mine. In our conversation my colleague exposed me to a child development approach known as " Reggio Emilia". According to this approach, children have rights and should be given opportunities to develop their potentials. Children are believed to be knowledge bearers therefore, should be encouraged to share their thoughts and ideas about everything they do and explore during their work time. She expressed that the pioneers of this approach, believed that children must have control over their learning process.  This approach facilitates learning from exposing children to the opportunities and experiences provided during touching, moving, listening and observing their surroundings. This self directed and exploration style of learning has  demonstrated building relationship of children with peers and adults. Ultimately, this theory also believes in children expressing through their work. I was totally in awe of this style as it explored children's potential and had them learn through experiencing on their own. Even though, children end up categorizing in this style  of learning as well. However, this seems to be more natural and experiential reinforcement than a pattern learned from passing on.

Anyways, as usual from this experience too, I learned something about God! What I learned was that the Almighty is always breaking our learning patterns in our environment. Our tree which we ought to paint green and brown. He ends up painting it blue and purple for us which makes us uncomfortable. However, ultimately when we realize that our life is God's master piece, His painting/His artwork, we would definitely leave the Artist (God ) and trust His judgment. Meaning, once we have faith in the Artist we will be more content as His products have always be a source of inspiration.

Moral of the story: Our experiences shape our behaviors not our control. Nothing is in our hands! Explore and experience life! Life teaches us way better than any professional coaches! 

Anyways, be still and let the Artist do His work, as this is His project not ours! 

God is Incomprehensible!

“DAWKINS: There could be something incredibly grand and incomprehensible and beyond our present understanding.

COLLINS: That's God
DAWKINS: Yes. But it could be any of a billion Gods. It could be God of the Martians or of the inhabitants of Alpha Centauri. The chance of its being a particular God, Yahweh, the God of Jesus, is vanishingly small--at the least, the onus is on you to demonstrate why you think that's the case.” ('God vs. Science - A debate between Richard Dawkins and Francis Collins' by TIME Magazine - RichardDawkins.net Miscellaneous by Richard Dawkins, Francis Collins) #evolutionphilosophy

I have been driving myself crazy over the last few days reading and listening to debates of scientists, theologians, agnostics and atheists. It has been a treat as my faith and belief has strengthened listening to the arguments of the famous agnostics and atheist. I have been thrilled how the great atheists have not been able to deny the existence of God. Their rejection seems to be directed towards the institution of religion rather than the existence of a supernatural being. I mean any sane person in their sanity would deny the institution of religion which is mostly hypocritical and manipulative.  Russell (1927) stated that Christians do not believe in their own teachings when he quoted from the Bible “thou shall not judge”. Having said that, I would conclude my argument based on Lord Russell’s statement that the idea seems to be against the institution of religion NOT God. The argument based on the denial of the teaching of theology to most agnostics and atheists relies on the promotion of control and manipulation of people by the institution of religion. Otherwise, the Biblical relationship if studied carefully indicates a unique and profound communication with all the men of God differently at various eras not in a typical or formula manner.

Moreover, God’s presence can be studied from examining the famous mushroom psilocybin.  Griffith (2006) investigated the effects of psilocybin on mystical-type experiences such as sustained spiritual significance and personal meaning. The results of experiencing spiritual meaning and significance were identical to the natural occurring experience of mysticism that many spiritual/religious believers and mystics have described and experienced throughout the ages.

Additionally, Dr. Collins in his debate with Dawkins stated that if we believe in a God outside of nature, then we should be able to believe in His inconsistent choice of consistently choosing to violate his natural laws to prove a point to His beings. “If God made the natural laws, why could he not violate them when it was a particularly significant moment for him to do so? And if you accept the idea that Christ was also divine, which I do, then his Resurrection is not in itself a great logical leap.” ('God vs. Science - A debate between Richard Dawkins and Francis Collins' by TIME Magazine - RichardDawkins.net Miscellaneous by Richard Dawkins, Francis Collins) #evolutionphilosophy 

By the  above statement, I would conclude that if we do not understand the incomprehensible God then that is our incompetency not His problem.  Moreover, we should be investigating and collecting data and base our logic on both natural and supernatural evidence to accept or reject any hypothesis about God.

Furthermore, we (atheists, agnostics and theist) all should focus on encouraging people to be bold and adventurous without causing problems to our fellow human beings, rather than trying to intimidate them. I feel that all atheist and theist are standing to prove their opponents wrong, rather than stating what they believe in and  leaving it to the others to accept or reject it, and move on!

Bertrand Russell well stated, “We shall not create a good world by trying to make men tame and timid, but by encouraging them to be bold and adventurous and fearless except in inflicting injuries upon their fellow-men.”  

+Richard Dawkins Foundation for Reason & Science @richarddawkins #richarddawkins #evolution #bertrandrussell #God #FrancisCollins @franciscollins @GodvsScience #Godvsscience

"I AM WHO I AM!"

"It means God is there with you in every situation that you are going through!"

Saeed Abedini

http://aclj.org/persecuted-church/pastor-saeed-writes-his-son-for-his-birthday-my-chains-are-keeping-me-from-you 

 #savesaeed #SaeedAbedini #NaghmehAbedini #Isaiah43

I am so overwhelmed! Tears of joy and celebration! Jesus Christ has yet again shown His amazing power and sovereignty! Thank you God for an awesome moment that I am witnessing in my own lifetime!

During my time spend with God, requesting the Almighty and praying fervently for Pastor Abedini, I feel a victor! I asked God like many others, to help Pastor Saeed Abedini unite with his family. I use to wonder, sometimes loose hope and inquire the rationale from God for the suffering that Abedini's family was going through. I use to give up hope as I did not see any immediate results. I questioned God for the hard and difficult times that the family of Pastor Abedini was facing! I never got my answer that I needed and required to satisfy my limited human understanding. However, God always has His valid and profound reasons. I definitely have learned an enormous lesson from the brokenness and the suffering of this family. Moreover, the persistence and strength of Naghmeh Abedini always reassured how faithful God was! I always saw peace and  incomprehensible satisfaction whenever I watched an interview of Naghmeh. The peace she had definitely passeth all humanly understanding! I could not understand the faith and trust in the midst of a storm. A hailstorm! A tornado!

God showed and preached His love through these human vessels (Abedini family) at the time of their suffering was incredible.

Suffering and pain increases compassion and amazingly gives us perspective! A perspective that we would not know if we did not experience pain.

Lord made this TEST into a TESTIMONY!

Thank you God... for giving Abedini family the miracle they were looking for!

Thank you Jesus again for this amazing news!

I conclude with Abedini's word that will remain powerful and profound for me forever! He wrote to his son last year when he was unable to attend his birthday because of his "chains that were keeping him away!".

He further added to his birthday note, "Even though I am not there with you, I AM is there with you."

Pastor Abedini concluded the birthday note by giving glory to God! He stated, "Thank you for standing strong with me in this battle for the Glory of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!"

Now again God gave us the time to give glory and honor to Him for His great work! Amen!

Becoming Paranoid to be a  Pakistani!!

 

Who should I blame? I am trying to struggle and prove myself in a foreign country. I am gradually assimilating into the culture. However, few incidents make me realize I am different.

I am from Pakistan, living and studying in New York City. As much as most of the people try to appreciate who I am and understand my struggle to be different trying to strive to get acceptance as an individual. I strive to perform better than the average, to be accepted in this society. People who have not been a minority do not know how it feels to be one. People forget that as much as it is an advantage to be different as you stand out, it can play to your disadvantage too! It does take courage to be a minority and be different as you are compelled to swim against the waves. Every stroke that you take to swim makes you get in contact with a different wave. You move your body ahead and the wave pushes you back.

Being a Pakistani in New York, a diverse city, seems to be as same as moving against the waves. You want to get ahead but the incidents of the people who are caught in the waves due to their behaviors or others who are similar to them in appearance makes it hard for the striving and the struggling ones.

I pray each day before walking in the streets of New York for the safety of the world and pray even harder for no incidents involving Pakistanis. To be a Pakistani is becoming a taboo, my identity is become a nightmare for me. I try extra hard each day to be more careful when I speak with someone or driving my car. I do not want to be judged based on my appearance.

Recently, I was embarrassed and astonished how a mother approached me via email to provide therapeutic services to her child. She never met me in person. However, when she met with me she refused to have me work with her child sharing it to be a safety concern. I felt mortified and did not know how to react. I tried to stay calm in front of her giving no indication of my true emotions. I don’t blame her for her reaction as a mother I would be concerned for my child’s well being too. However, I do not want to blame my Pakistani heritage. Who should I blame?

Humans are becoming products on an aisle with certain ingredients to define them. The world wants me to on the Pakistani rack, not sure if I need to commoditize and accessorize myself to be marketed well and be sold!

I refuse to be sold as I am who God want me to be! No one in this world is physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually identical to me. Therefore, please judge me as an individual not a group marketed product!

Did we Grow-up Yet?

Did we grow-up yet?



I enjoy working with children! They teach life in an intriguing manner. I learn more honest facts from these innocent beings then the scholarly adults! Children don't hold back anything. They are pure and genuine.

Recently, I observed an interesting fact that children start playing with someone who has the best toy or gets attention from an adult who is an authority figure or a conditioned reinforcer. Children will start to model or imitate the friend who gets all attention or ends up hanging out with that friend.

Thinking for a while about my observation, I came to a conclusion that even though adults think they are mature and know it all beings! We still act like children. We want to be affluent! Meaning having the best education, fame, money, girlfriend/boyfriend and a high social economic status or on the other hand being friends with someone who has it all, to make us look awesome! 

For example, we work well to impress authority figures in our lives or be like the one who impresses an authority figure. We also struggle hard to get an attractive toy meaning a great job, education, fame, money, attractive girlfriend/handsome boyfriend with money and a high social status!

I was so amazed that how mature we think we are and how limited and confined are brain works! We limit our own self!

Marriage a Covenant

Marriage is a covenant! This idea became a fact after my sister shared this post with me.  Mr. Asif Iftikhar, an Islamic scholar posted this after he attended the wedding of my sister. Mr. Iftikhar is  a Professor of Islamic Studies, Islamic Law and Business Ethics at Lahore University of Management Sciences. He has been a great influence on our family. Currently, he is completing his PhD in Islamic Studies from McGill University. He is also under formal guidance of Mr. Javed Ahmed Ghamidi. He has mentored my brother with his deep knowledge on various subjects’ such as religion, ethics, and social values. Based on his quote above, I would definitely state that his knowledge about Christian religion is more profound than many of the claiming Christian preachers and scholars I have heard or met. Mr. Iftikhar used the word commitment to express and communicate the true meaning of covenant in marriage.  In marriage, covenant is a commitment between two people individually and mutually with God. They offer themselves to God to use them as a vessel so they could love their partner and value them significantly. We have often heard the word agape love. Agape love is the love of God which can only be seen in a relationship when God is in it. God uses humans as a vessel to transfer his love. We have to submit ourselves to God and let Almighty use us!

Moreover, this idea of commitment was validated when I connected dots between a sermon I heard at a wedding and this profound intellectual notion that Mr. Iftikhar shared. The sermon was based on an actual event. The pastor involved the couple at the wedding to role play. He gave $100 bill to the couple beginning of the sermon as a wedding gift. Before he could hand the money to them he dropped it. He tried giving the money again but this time when he dropped it he stepped over it. He crumpled, wrinkled and creased it. The bill looked worn and awful! The couple was shocked with the pastor's attitude. Finally, after all the crumpling and wrinkling he asked the couple if they still wanted it. They both nodded. The rationale that they gave was the value of the bill. He gave them the money and said how you value this bill value each other. The value that the pastor demonstrated would have not translated well if the commitment was not there. The value is not just of one another but also for the word of God, the love of God and the promise made to God.

Marriage is an agreement which should be valued. When people do not value that agreement or covenant they make with God, they tend to fail!

Categorization

If you wear red, blue and green (clothing) in mid-May, many eyes will roll and question your sense of fashion and sanity. A colleague has recently brought to my attention a behavior that I failed to recognize. She asked me whether I was celebrating an early Christmas that year since she saw me wearing a red, blue, and green dress during a time in spring.  I was totally baffled because what I bought on sale belonged to a certain category of celebration. That also raised a question of decoration and Christmas tree in spring season. I would definitely fall in the category of abnormality if I started Christmas decoration early this year. However, who decides what we wear and do at any given time.

Similarly to the event above, I decided to wear a yellow Pakistani traditional dress related to a wedding occasion (Mehndi) this Christmas. Everybody who saw my picture was a bit uncomfortable. The Pakistani friends who saw me wearing yellow asked me if I was attending a wedding on Christmas. Likewise, the friends and family in US asked if I did not know the color of the season (Christmas). I smirked at the idea of how people categorize others based on their prior knowledge and feel as if others who are not like them are falling away from the boundaries of normality.

Similar to my dress categorization, I have  experienced physical (racial) categorization. Many times street evangelists have tried to convert me to Christianity on the streets of New York City. I find it intriguing why of all people they try to convince me. They do not for one second ask me if I am Christian. They assume based on my look on the need of me to know about Jesus. I feel categorized!

I was born and raised as a Christian. I attend church on regular basis. However, just because I look a certain color and fall in a category, people sort me into the classification of a non-Christian who needs to know about Jesus. If not much, I definitely know I am aware of a lot of Christian traditions and the concept of personal relationship with Christ.

Formation of categorization is helpful in retrieving information. However, we need to understand that each individual itself is a category who is formed with different ingredients. Even siblings from the same parents are different. They probably end up acting in similar way due to the family traditions. I have some family tradition that I follow as a rule but remember following rules is not liberty. Each individual goes through life experiencing different contingencies. B. F. Skinner summed it up well! “I did not direct my life. I didn’t design it. I never made decisions. Things always come up and made them for me. That’s what life is.” Life designs different experiences. Therefore, we should let people be who they want to be and not categorize them for who we want them to be!