Opinion Poll
OK this is a very serious opinion poll with reference to a statement that my brother made. He said that maintaining my blog was a waste of time and energy. He said I can utilize my time better by doing something else in the “precious” time that I waste in writing posts. My idea of the blog was the same as my diary. Only problem was that I would write in my diary when I was confused and upset and not when the going was good. So it was more like a cry diary….I consciously try to avoid that on the blog.
But I seriously want to know (coz I don’t know how many people read my blog) as to whether this blog is inspiring or has ever helped anyone ever. If it has, even once or twice, please comment and let me know. I’m not looking for any praise here, mind you. I just want to know whether its helpful (in your walk with Christ or in any other way). Because if it isn’t helping anyone or strengthening them I will seriously consider deleting it.
Love
Ash.
Dear Sister in Christ:
When a building is being built, the stage that takes the most amount of time is setting and laying the foundation. Workers will spend weeks digging and pouring concrete that will never be seen by a single soul. So much time and care is taken at this stage that an observer may think that there’s nothing happening. In reality, the most important work is happening under the surface where it can’t be seen. This is the way God’s grace works in the human heart. It might seem for a while that nothing is happening when the foundational work is going on underneath the surface.
Remember there would be people facing similar problems, issues etc in the world and who knows when and how a single sentence in your message can unravel that issue and lead the person to clearer picture of things. Hope you understand.
Your blog should continue, and you should by no means consider deleting it. As the process of giving (writing) and receiving (replies) will help you grow as a person too.
God bless as always
Yeah I agree with nilesh. Im sur your blog is helpful to someone. For me, it helped me find a friend.. Someone who is so different and yet so much like me. Same same but different.
You should write coz’ you’ve been blessed with the skill and why else would you have such a large vocab??!!
your bro is just being jealous!
Hello???? U dare not do that… I will personally come to your house and…. and… forcefully get u married to a mallu guy!!! ahaa!!! that’s a threat alright!!! hehe!!!
Look, I am someone who’s very lazy… and when I am here, I read it all at one go and whatever I’ve missed cause I believe I miss out on a lot when I ain’t here!!! Your blog’s extremely honest and at most times, inspiring! It’s fun too, when you post the forwards you get!!! You have a good hand and better use that for the glory of the Lord… even I’ve encouraged thoughts of deleting my blog, BUT, then I realised, I am not writing to please anyone. I am writing cause I want to and I feel like doing so! You never know when you touch someone!!!! Better continue to write ok?? Or the threat is very much on!!!
Thank you Brother Nilesh for your kind words. Really appreciate it.
Christine and Blessen – alright i buy your argument that my blog is helpful, if not to anyone else then at least to the two of you….but please no mallu guy…i have sooo many mallu friends…i definitely do NOT need a mallu guy!!
Couple of days back I stumbled on your blog….well I was searching blogs on Bangalore. Your way of writing is really captivating….so I ended up reading most of your blogs. ( I am happy to break the ‘No Praise’ diktat at the start of this thread) It looks like writing comes so natural to you ..and the effort you spend to maintain this is not a burden on you.
I would like to see more posts from you on any subject under the sun….I see it as a place to exchange views and ideas…….the christen angle is an added bonus. So keep writing.
I WAS a little bit offended by the demonising of mallus in general…. I being a proud mallu….. has the right to be offended after all. I showed the blog to wife who happens to be a ‘non-mallu’….don’t want to print her response.
By the way, have you ever thought of taking up writing as a career. You have the language and the imagination. A Booker prize might be waiting round the corner.
“He said that maintaining my blog was a waste of time and energy.”
Sometimes I think the same thing. But then someone stops by or e-mails me and tells me how I inspired them to take steps toward a better life. If you are blogging about American Idol results, then yes, you are wasting your time. But if you are blogging about religion, conditions in India, etc. then you aren’t wasting your time.
Ha .. you see now…
So many people wanting u to stay a bloggin, errrr… some even referring you as the next Kiran Desai or Arundhati Roy… ahem.
Good -you see …that’s the influence your writing has on others.. so be very very careful what you say..
good bye and god bless
Hi Ash
I’ve been off the internet for a really long time and for some reason God led me back to your blog before even reading blogs from my family or my oldest friends. You’re precious and your blog has been a blessing because it brings you forward as a light to other candles who haven’t yet been lit, or whose flames are dying, or who can just join with you to make a really big flame. Romans 12.5 we’re all members of Christ and of each other, Matthew 5.16 let your light shine so people will give glory to God, Revelation 22.17 look up this verse for urself
God bless you! you are loved.
Aridhi
Keep blogging. Remember, *one* word from God is all it takes for someone to come into the light.
Psalm 119:170: “Let my supplication come before thee: deliver me according to thy word.”
see… Didnt I tell you..
Nihal, nihal.. Go away! little ash wants to blog! and as per your request, i have put up a new post.
First of all I did not expect so many responses, seriously – thank you all. Rest assured I shall continue blogging. But I must respond to all of you – so here goes
Jacob – Thank you for your kind words, but I’m your typical girl-next-door kind of character. Writing does come naturally to me, but I’m moody, so that doesn’t really help
I did Literature in college alongside Psychology and God alone knows how I survived!! I took it up because I love Lit otherwise but it didn’t work probably coz I hate critically analyzing stuff. Who cares whether its “American” literature or “British” literature as long as it’s a good read?? And am not too fond of poems anyways..so Psychology overruled Literature and any career in Literature went flying out the window. And awarding a Booker to a Psychology lecturer does seem a bit out of place, don’t you think??
Regarding the Mallu thing – I have way too many mallu friends and I would’ve probably been crucified if I was serious. The demonizing, as you said was all in good jest. But I’m serious when I say that I won’t marry a Mallu guy…..long story…not a figment of my imagination, I’ll probably post about it after I’m married – which could be in the next decade or so…LOL
Thanks for stopping by though. Would love to have you back.
J.Kaiser – Thanks for visiting often. I haven’t watched TV for over a year now so don’t worry I will NOT be posting on any Idol – American or Indian. But I will be posting about my life and the happenings in and around my life. Hope you can relate to it, especially my weight loss journey *which I am yet to embark on*
Bro Nilesh – thanks again for your kind words but I don’t think I want to be Kiran Desai or Arundhati Roy – I’m happy being Ashwini Joshua
and also like I said they might be biased against Psychology professionals 
!! Thanks for visiting and for your comments, they are encouraging indeed.
RED where have you been????? I was visiting your blog regularly and I thought you had disappeared underground!! But thanks for coming back. I’ll be looking forward to reading you more often now. And thanks for the encouragement
I read Rev 22:17
Johnnie – thanks for that *one* word that’s all it took for me to decide….God Bless
What about me?? You didnt acknowledge me!!!!!!!!!
I just added you to my blogroll… Please don’t stop now. I may not be a Christian, but i like to look at all faiths as brothers on a quest for God, may it be Easwar, Allah, Buddha or Christ…
Something to cheer you up
http://walkoflife.wordpress.com/2007/05/25/knocking-on-heavens-door/
DONT DELETE THE BLOG!
PLease dont. Your posts are really nice and it helps me a LOT! I even stopped racing and drinking and gambling and living at the discotheques!
Ok fine So I made up the latter parts! But I did give up racing!
Christine I did acknowledge you – alongside Blessen(look on top) -boy!! don’t you hanker for attention…. Mallus!!??!!
Raghu – will drop in. you’re welcome to drop in too. You don’t have to be a Christian to visit my blog….but my thoughts are very much Christian because Jesus changed my entire perspective on life, I believe He’s the way the truth and the life
and its not a religion but the relationship that i enjoy.
Oscar you dropped in late but its ok. You actually gave up racing?? Why??? i didn’t post anything on that, did I?? but good if you did
neither you nor anybody else will be victims of serious mishaps
I saw the first one but you didnt acknowledge me the second time.
the need for attention is not a mallu thing. i know a lot of mangis who want attention too.. and I know you know who im talking about.
Whatever!!! You don’t know what a soup I’m in anyways and the person is not a thoroughbred Mangy…….so??
So..So what ?
so nothing, everbody has a need for attention..happy???
I’m a little late responding to your poll (I’m just coming out of a self-imposed exile from the internet).
Even though I know you’ve decided to keep the blog going, just for the record and for whatever it’s worth, here’s my vote as well: PLEASE KEEP POSTING!
this sure is a nice post and a lot of nice comments, lol.