Forgiveness of Sins

Forgiveness of Sins

A missionary on one of the islands was sitting in his cool seaside hut one day when one of the village women came in, carrying a handful of dripping sand she had just picked up off the beach. "Do you know what this is?" she asked. "It looks like sand," said the missionary. "Do you know why I brought it here?" she asked. "No. I can't imagine why," the padre answered. "Well, these are my sins," the women explained. "My sins are as countless as the sands of the sea. How can I ever obtain forgiveness for all of them.?" "You got that sand down by the shore, didn't you?" said the missionary. "Well, take it back there, and pile it up into a heaping mound of sand at the water's edge. Then you sit back and watch the tide come in and slowly wash away the pile altogether. That is how God's forgiveness works."...

God says to the people: "Now, let's settle this matter. You are stained red with sin, but I will wash you as clean as snow. Although your stains are deep red, you will be as white as wool." 

HOW TO LOVE YOURSELF

HOW TO LOVE YOURSELF

Stop All Criticism - Criticism never changes a thing. Refuse to criticize yourself. Accept yourself exactly as you are. Everybody changes. When you criticize yourself, your changes are negative. When you approve of yourself, your changes are positive. 

Don't Scare Yourself - Stop terrorizing yourself with your thoughts. It's a dreadful way to live. Find a mental image that gives you pleasure (mine is yellow roses), and immediately switch your scary thought to a pleasure thought. 

Be Gentle And Kind And Patient - Be gentle with yourself. Be kind to yourself. Be patient with yourself as you learn the new ways of thinking. Treat yourself as you would someone you really loved. 

Be Kind To Your Mind - Self hatred is only hating your own thoughts. Don't hate yourself for having the thoughts. Gently change your thoughts. 

Praise Yourself - Criticism breaks down the inner spirit. Praise builds it up. Praise yourself as much as you can. Tell yourself how well you are doing with every little thing. 

Support Yourself - Find ways to support yourself. Reach out to friends and allow them to help you. It is being strong to ask for help when you need it. 

Be Loving To Your Negatives - Acknowledge that you created them to fulfill a need. Now, you are finding new, positive ways to fulfill those needs. So, lovingly release the old negative patterns. 

Take Care Of Your Body - Learn about nutrition. What kind of fuel does your body need to have optimum energy and vitality? Learn about exercise. What kind of exercise can you enjoy? Cherish and revere the temple you live in. 

Mirror Work - Look into your eyes often. Express this growing sense of love you have for yourself. Forgive yourself looking into the mirror. Talk to your parents looking into the mirror. Forgive them too. At least once a day say: "I love you, I really love you." 

Love Yourself .. Do It Now - Don't wait until you get well, or lose the weight, or get the new job, or the new relationship. Begin now -- and do the best you can. 

Leave no room for regrets....

A man found a cocoon of an emperor moth. He took it home so that he could
watch the moth come out of the cocoon. On the day a small opening appeared,
he sat and watched the moth for several hours as the moth struggled to force
the body through that little hole.

Then it seemed to stop making any progress. It appeared as if it had gotten
as far as it could and it could go no farther. It just seemed to be stuck.
Then the man, in his kindness, decided to help the moth, so he took a pair
of scissors and snipped off the remaining bit of the cocoon. The moth then
emerged easily.

But it had a swollen body and small, shriveled wings. The man continued to
watch the moth because he expected that, at any moment, the wings would
enlarge and expand to be able to support the body, which would contract in
time. Neither happened! In fact, the little moth spent the rest of its life
crawling around with a swollen body and shriveled body and shriveled wings.
It never was able to fly.

What the man in his kindness and haste did not understand was that the
restricting cocoon and the struggle required for the moth to get through the
tiny opening was the way of forcing fluid from the body of the moth into its
wings so that it would be ready for flight once it achieved its freedom from
the cocoon. Freedom and flight would only come after the struggle. By
depriving the moth of a struggle, he deprived the moth of health.

Sometimes struggles are exactly what we need in our life. If we were to go
through our life without any obstacles, we would be crippled.

We would not be as strong as what we could have been. Give every opportunity
a chance, leave no room for regrets.

Want to be a Winner......Just do it....!!!

Here's a simple question to get you started. There are three monkeys sitting on a tree, above a pond. One of the monkeys decides to jump into the pond. How many monkeys are left on the tree? Two? Wrong.

The right answer is three. You see, the monkey only made the decision to jump into the pond. He didn't actually jump! If you think about it, we are all like that. We take decisions. We make resolutions. But somehow, we don't follow through with action. And intent without action is quite useless, really. Getting started - taking that first step - is often the master key to success. As someone once said, you don't have to be great to get started. But you sure have to get started to become great!

Do you find yourself struggling to take action on your plans and intentions? Well, here's a five-point programme to help you move from intent to action.

Make a beginning ? right away. Whatever be your goal, take the first step - however small - right away. Until you take that first step, your mind does not believe you. You need to signal to yourself that you are serious, that you mean business. Commit to taking action, immediately. Today. Now.

Break up the grand plan into smaller tasks. Remember, a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. Sometimes the task ahead looks so enormous that we feel overwhelmed - and we don't do anything about it. Break that up into smaller sub-tasks, and suddenly you'll find something that's doable. Remember that old adage &lsquosomething is better than nothing'? It's still true.

Think of the pleasure, not the pain. Visualise success. If you want to do an MBA at a premier school and plan to devote three hours a day to studying, don't think about missing the football game on television, or about not being able to go out for that Saturday night bash. Think instead of the job that you could get post your MBA, the rewards that it would bring, the dreams that would get realised.

Create a support group. Surround yourself with people who share your objective, who are co-passengers on your journey to success. The excitement of being in it together will help you fight the inertia, and get you going with the rest of the gang.

Pay up ? in advance. For most of us, monetary commitments are a strong impetus for action. The fear of losing money or wasting it, can spur you into action. We follow up on our commitments, if only to ensure our money is well-spent. Plan to lose weight? Pay up for that three-month weight loss programme! Don't wait.

Surround yourself with people who share your objective, who are co-passengers on your journey to success.

Bestselling management author Tom Peters tells the story of a man who approached American financer and banker JP Morgan with an envelope, and said, "Sir, in my hand I hold a guaranteed formula for success, which I will gladly sell you for $25,000."

"Sir," JP Morgan replied, "I do not know what is in the envelope. However, if you show me, and I like it, I give you my word as a gentleman that I will pay you what you ask." The man agreed to the terms, and handed over the envelope. JP Morgan opened it, and pulled out a single sheet of paper. He gave it one look - a mere glance - then handed it back to the gentleman. And paid him the agreed-upon sum of $25,000! On that sheet of paper, were two things:

JP Morgan benefited from this advice, and you can too. Knowing what to do is often easy. We all have our list of things to do. Our plans and our resolutions. Doing it - that's the tough bit. But that's the hallmark of successful people. The Nike guys are right. Want to be a winner? Just do it!

GOOD FRIDAY

What is Good Friday?

Good Friday is observed on the Friday before Easter Sunday. On this day Christians commemorate the passion, or suffering, and death on the cross of the Lord, Jesus Christ.

Many Christians spend this day in fasting, prayer, repentance, and meditation on the agony and suffering of Christ on the cross.

Good Friday also known as Holy Friday, Great Friday.

It is a religious holiday observed primarily by Christians commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus  and his death at Calvary.

Significance of Good Friday 

Good Friday is a holy day observed by the Christian community, commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus. According to the Bible, Jesus is believed to have died around 3 p.m. in the afternoon. Jesus was crucified for the sake of humanity in 33 A.D. It was termed as the victory of good over evil and since then, the day has been celebrated as Good Friday. The need of sacrifice for human sins is acknowledged in most of the world's oldest religions. It is believed that Jesus was the medium between human and God. He was God's perfect sinless substitute, who bore the punishment on behalf of the sinful human race. Through his sacrifice, Jesus became the bridge between humans and god. He is believed to be the son of God.

Good Friday is a day of mourning in church. It is observed as a day of fasting and penance in the memory of Jesus. On this day, the followers solemnly remember the atonement of Lord Jesus Christ and His great sacrifice on the cross of Calvary. It is followed by peaceful prayer and mediation. The service also calls for reading from all the four gospels. These gospels recount the events of the passion, from the Last Supper through the Crucifixion and the burial of Jesus.

Good Friday rituals and traditions are distinct from those of all other Church observances and add to the day’s considerable significance. The entire ceremony is somber, with priests and deacons dressing in black vestments. The pulpit and the altar are bare, and no candles are lit. The purpose behind the solemn presentation is to create an awareness of grief over the sacrifice of God's only begotten Son.

The Roman Catholic Church observes Good Friday with several long-standing traditions, all of which aim at remembering Jesus Christ and his sacrifice for the sins of humans. Good Friday is a day of fasting and the altars of the churches are made without candles. The Liturgy of the Word, the Veneration of the Cross and Holy Communion also takes place on this day. Though Good Friday is celebrated in different ways around the globe, the basic essence of the holiday remains the same.

Obstacles helped these men earn mega success

AT age 10, Julio was a little Spanish boy with a dream. He wanted to play football for his favourite club – Real Madrid! He played all day, practised hard and became a very good goalkeeper. By the time he was 20, the childhood dream was beginning to come true. He was signed up to play for Real Madrid. And most football pundits were predicting that young Julio would soon become Spain’s No.1 goalkeeper. One evening in 1963, Julio and his friends set out in a car for a night of fun. It turned out to be a night of horror, as the car they were travelling in met with a terrible accident. And young Julio – soon-to-be star goalkeeper of Real Madrid and Spain – found himself in hospital, paralysed from the waist downwards. Doctors were unsure if he’d ever be able to walk again. They were pretty sure he would never play football again. The road to recovery was long and painful. Julio spent the night thinking about what might have been. His mind was filled with sorrow, anger, regret. To lessen the pain, he took to writing songs and poems at night, with a tear in his eye and a pen in his hand. And to increase the dexterity in his hand, a nurse gave him a guitar. He had never touched a guitar in his life! But soon Julio began strumming the guitar and also singing the songs that he had been writing. After being bed-ridden for 18 months, Julio gradually picked up the pieces of his life. Five years after the accident, Julio entered a singing competition – and won the first prize - singing a song called “Life goes on the same!” He never played football again. But with a guitar in hand and a song on his lips, Julio Iglesias went on to become one of the top ten singers in the history of music, selling over 300 million albums. Just imagine. If not for that accident, Julio Iglesias would have probably been just another goalkeeper in Europe! What happened to Julio that evening in 1963 could happen to any of us. A setback or an accident – or failure - can often appear to be the end of the road. But it seldom is. When one door shuts, usually another one opens. It’s just that we get so busy staring at the closed door and banging our head against it that we fail to spot the other door opening. Learning to cope with failure is often the first – and most critical step – towards success. Never let failure impact your sense of self-belief. You are a star, with unique talents. Didn’t clear the entrance exam to engineering college? Maybe you weren’t meant to be an engineer. That’s all. Even Albert Einstein didn’t clear the entrance exam to join a polytechnic. But he didn’t do too badly, did he? Maybe there is a better, brighter career waiting for you. The trick is to move on and like Julio, tell yourself that “Life goes on the same”. Several years ago, a bright little boy in a government school in Kerala had a dream. He wanted to be a doctor. He did well in school, and everybody was convinced that this little boy would someday become a fine doctor. He wrote the entrance exam – but failed to make the cut! He was devastated. His parents were shocked. He went on to do a BSc then a Masters degree, worked with an IT firm – and later went on to found Infosys. His name? Kris Gopalakrishnan, CEO, Infosys. Just imagine. Had Kris not failed the medical entrance, he may have been in some little town in Kerala today, prescribing antibiotics for a runny nose or a nagging flu. Imagine! Good lesson to learn from Julio. And from Kris. When one door shuts, another one opens. Just believe in yourself. Next time you are faced with a failure or a setback, look out for the other door. Push it open. And go find your place in the sun!

BIRTH AND CELEBRATION OF RAM NAVMI

RAM NAVMI
The birth of a hero- SHRI RAM
Ram Navami is a festival that celebrates the birth of Lord Rama, the son of King Dasharath. It was a joyous occasion in Ayodhya all those centuries ago when King Dasharath's heir was finally born. It was like a dream come true for the king as the lack of an heir had troubled him sorely for many years. 
Lord Rama is an avatar of Lord Vishnu who came down to earth to battle the invincible Ravana in human form. Lord Brahma had been receiving complaints from all the gods about the havoc that Ravana was wreaking on earth, but because Lord Brahma had granted Ravana so many boons, he could not be killed by a god. But Ravana had become so overconfident that he would never expect an attack from a human being. So Lord Vishnu agreed to go to earth in the guise of Prince Ram, the son of King Dasharath and Queen Kaushalya. 
The story of Lord Rama as told in the great epic Ramayana is one that most Indians know irrespective of caste, creed and religion. Lord Rama is a legendary figure, the epitome of all that is good and true, the man who vanquished the demon king Ravana. Lord Rama is not just a hero, but has been given the status of a god by the Hindus. Therefore, it comes as no surprise that his birth is celebrated year after year with great pomp and enjoyment on the ninth day after the new moon in Sukul Paksh (the waxing moon), which falls sometime in the month of April.  
 
 How is Ram Navami celebrated?
Some people choose to fast on this day. The diet of such a person would include potatoes made in any form without haldi (turmeric), garlic, ginger or onion. He can also eat fruit and root vegetables of any kind. Curd, tea, coffee, milk, and water are also permitted. 
Bhajans praising the exploits of Lord Rama, his loyal brother Lakshman and his devoted wife Sita are sung. The house is swept clean and pictures of Lord Rama, Lakshman, Sita and Hanuman are put on a dais in preparation for the puja. Flowers and incense are kept before the deities. There are two thaalis kept ready in the puja area. One contains the prasad and the other the items necessary for the puja like roli, aipun, rice, water, flowers, a bell and a conch.
First, the youngest female member of the family applies teeka to all the male members of the family. A red bindi is applied on the foreheads of all the female members. Everyone participates in the puja by first sprinkling the water, roli, and aipun on the gods and then showering handfuls of rice on the deities. Then everybody stands up to perform the arti at the end of which ganga jal or plain water is sprinkled over the gathering. The singing of bhajans goes on for the entire puja. Finally, the prasad is distributed among all the people who have gathered for worship. 

Picnic: Grade-II and III

PICNICS (Grade II & III) - Tikuji- ni- Wadi

 The spectacular design of rides and the attractions of Tikuji-ni-Wadi made the visit of the Grade II & III students a memorable experience on the 5^th March, 2011. As soon as the students reached there, they were divided into 2 batches, the first batch that moved into the water park and the second batch that went to the amusement park.

The amusement park thrilled the students with rides such as the Family Train, the Crazy Cup, the Dashing Cars, the Octopus Ride, the Bumping Boats, the Play Pen and the most exciting of all, the Worm Coaster. The splash pools and the water slides made the excitement a reality in which the kids had the fun of their lives. Scrumptious lip-smacking delicacies were served to the kids. At the end of it all the students surely felt that picnic fun doesn't get any bigger or better than at TIKUJI-NI-WADI.

Grade III - Field Trip

Grade III - Field Trip        

Mani Bhavan

Mani Bhavan is a humble attempt to give people a few glimpses of Mahatma Gandhi’s life enacted in this small corner of Mumbai. To a biographer and historian, this would indicate the lines along which he could go for gathering invaluable material. To our students of Grade III, it gave an idea of the dynamism of the great Mahatma who shaped himself and the nation, along the uncharted path of non-violent resistance to foreign rule and to all evil.  The students visited the Room that Gandhiji occupied the Picture Gallery and the Library Hall. They also gasped in wonder at the exhibition depicting Gandhiji's life through mini figures in about twenty-eight tableaux and photographic posters depicting important events and photostats of some significant letters, articles and documents written by and about Gandhiji with appropriate captions in Hindi and English. The room on the second floor which used to be the living room and working place of Gandhiji has been preserved as far as possible in its original setting. The visit on the 9^th of October, 2010 to Mani Bhavan was definitely a lifetime experience for the kids.

Grade III - Field Trip

Grade III - Field Trip

Nehru Planetarium

A day with celestial objects, stars and galaxies brought about smiles among the students of Grade III who visited the Nehru Planetarium as part of their field trip on the 24^th of July 2010. Students were given detailed information that encompassed facts on the evolution of stars, formation of various constellations, zodiac signs, black holes and the death of a star. The Sky Watch was particularly appreciated. A small segment on planets was also showcased. The students were quite reluctant to return to school after an out of the world experience at the planetarium.

Grade II - Field Trip

Grade II - Field Trip

Mahanada Dairy

The visit to Mahananda Dairy was an amazing experience. It was held on the 30^th & 31^st of January and the 1^st of February, 2011. The kids first saw how milk packets get filled and sealed. They were then taken to the storage room where the milk products were stored at very low temperatures. Information regarding all these processes were also given to the students.

To top it all, the students and the teachers were provided with Energee drink. The students thoroughly enjoyed their day and went home with a lot of information about the functioning of a dairy. The school management thanked the authorities of Mahananda Dairy for their assistance and co-operation.  

Grade II - Field Trip

Grade II - Field Trip

ING Vyasa Bank

 The students of Grade II were taken to ING Vyasa bank on 27^th, 28^th & 29^th September, 2010. The bank staff was very hospitable and welcomed the students very warmly. A bank employee toured the students through the bank. They got to see the working of an ATM, the safe, the lockers and information regarding the different accounts was provided to them. The students had lots of questions to ask and were very inquisitive about the working of the bank. The staff knew how to communicate with the kids and seemed to enjoy conversing on their level. They were very eager to tell the kids about what their bank has to offer.

At the end of the tour a small quiz was conducted based on the information provided to the students. The students who answered the questions received a token of appreciation from the bank. This field trip was a very informative session for the children and we sincerely thank the bank authorities and the management of Witty International who arranged for such a trip.

Picnic: Grade-I

Picnic: Grade-I

Royal Garden Resort

 Childhood is a memory that no one can erase, an imprint which stays for life and this childhood of the Witty Kids of Grade 1 was moulded into a beautiful memory by the thoughtful planning of the Management and the staff. 

The 12^th of February, 2011 was filled with fun and excitement for them. The Royal Garden Resort is a spot where fun never ends and the enjoyment you get when you play in the water, thrills you. The kids swam, splashed and had a great time in the pool.

 For some time the children also sat on a few amusement rides and had amazing fun. Famished after all the exertion, the children relished eating the piping hot food.

 Completely exhausted after the fun filled trip, most of the children dozed-off in the buses on their way back to the school. The fun they had shall surely remains a fond memory.

Grade I - FIELD TRIPS

Grade I - FIELD TRIPS

Mesco Aviation

MESCO Airlines Ltd. (MAL) was incorporated in August, 1991. It is the first private helicopter charter company in India. It is pioneered in large sized helicopters. The students of Grade I visited the helicopter base at Vile Parle on 18^th December, 2010. They had a first - hand experience inside a helicopter. They enjoyed their time posing in the helicopter. It was a very memorable experience.

Grade I -FIELD TRIPS

FIELD TRIPS - Grade-I

People’s Gym

 Students of Grade I were taken for a field trip to “People’s The Power Gym” on 25^th, 26^th & 27^th August, 2010 as the theme for the month was ‘Keeping Fit, Keeping Healthy’. People’s have a spacious gym spread over four levels to provide an ambience that entices one to work out. The gym boasts of highly experienced trainers and an advanced Cardio Training Theatre which has an exhaustive range of equipments to boost the performance of heart and cardio with machine and free weights sections.

 The machine section is equipped with a specialized strength system, and ergonomically designed machines to maximize muscle development. The free weight section contains a wide range of dumb bells according to Olympic specifications. There is also a steam, massage facilities and an in-house doctor.

Students were shown the different sections and were explained their importance. At the time of departure the staff distributed sweets to the students. Teachers thanked the staff and the management for their assistance and co-operation. 

FIELD TRIPS - Grade I

FIELD TRIPS - Grade - I

Croma Electronics

Students of Witty International School of Grade I were taken for a field trip to Croma Electronics, Malad (W) on 7^{th ,} 8^th and 9^th July 2010. The store exhibits a wide and latest collection of phenomenal electronic  gadgets and household appliances such as, refrigerators, microwaves, television sets, music systems, i-pods, video games, mobile phones, electronic toys etc. that’s sure to quench any kind of tech thirst.

A perfect combination of the world’s latest electronic gadgets, professional hospitality and impressive ambience's makes the store, the place to be, for tech-lovers.

Students were shown different electronic sections and were explained their importance. They were also shown a Walt Disney animated movie which they enjoyed thoroughly. At the time of departure the staff distributed sweets to the students. Teachers thanked the staff and the management for their assistance and co-operation. It was an educative and informative field trip.

Did you know

AMAZING FACTS:-

The world’s tallest woman is Sandy Allen .She is 2.35m (7ft 7 inches).

The world’s highest cricket ground is in CHAIL, Himachal Pradesh.

The names of three wise monkeys are Mizaru(see no.evil), Mikazaru (hear no evil)’and Mazaru (say no evil).

Martial Arts were first created in India..

The Indoor Game Chess was invented in India..

Importance of Gudi Padwa

Description:- 

The word padwa is derived from the Sanskrit word Pratipa for first day of a lunar month i.e. first day after new moon day (Amavasya). A Gudhi is also erected on this occasion giving this festival its name. The term padwa or padavo is also associated with Balipratipada the third day of Diwali  which is another celebration that comes at the end of the harvesting season.

Chronological order:-                                    

Being the first day of the first month of a year, Gudhi Padwa is the New Year's Day for Marathi people

Agricultural Significance

India is a predominantly agrarian society. Thus celebrations and festivals are often linked to the turn of the season and to the sowing and reaping of crops. This day marks the end of one agricultural harvest and the beginning of a new one. In this context, the Gudhi Padwa is celebrated at the end of the Rabi season.

 

The Gudi Significance

On Gudi Padwa, you will find gudi hanging out of window or otherwise prominently displayed in traditional Maharashtrian households. Gudi is a bright green or yellow cloth adorned with brocade (zari) tied to the tip of a long bamboo over which gathi (sugar crystals), neem leaves a twig of mango leaves and a garland of red flowers is tied. A silver or copper pot is placed in the inverted position over it. This gudi is then hoisted outside the house, in a window, terrace or a high place so that everybody can see it.