My dear children in Christ, greetings and wishes to you on the dawn of the new month. May the Lord Jesus bless you all abundantly in your studies and keep you well and in good spirits.

We all like our father. During my childhood, my father was my best hero who can do anything for me and he appeared to me as invincible. I looked upon him for the bed time stores, the sweets and snacks (especially the hot “vadai”)  he brought for me everyday without fail. Those days, our town was  loaded with festivals almost every month and we used to see all the folk arts being displayed during the night times , especially the “Poikal Kuthirai” ( Two men in the horse like attire ), Maan Aattam (Deer dance), Mayilattam (  pea cock dance  ), and all the magnificent fire works that lit the dark sky. I used to sit on his shoulders and enjoy the show through the night. As time passed, I grew up and became a father myself. I tried to entertain my son very much like my father did, but I found that being a father is more responsibility than fun. Like my father did, I used to tell my son  lots of bed time stories , from the Bible and other children’s stories. I sincerely feel blessed that those days we didn’t have a mobile phone or  aggressive Television channels which would have diverted all my son’s attention.

One of the fun filled and best stories told to my son was the “Adventures of Pinocchio” the puppet. I am sure most you would have seen the movie or cartoon show of Pinocchio. For those you who have not, I will narrate the story very briefly.

Gepetto a carpenter and expert wood worker, a good hearted man wanted to have a child as he was alone. So  a fairy appears one night and   gives life to “Pinocchio” the puppet made by Geppetto. The fairy tells Pinocchio that if he proves to be truthful and good, it will become a real boy (human).  “Figaro” the cat and “Cleo” the fish are companions of Gepetto. “Jiminy” the cricket becomes the conscience keeper of Pinocchio. Rest  of the story is how the innocent but naughty Piniocchio goes astray and deceived by the villains of the story “ The one eyed cat and Fox”. Finally father and son are united and the puppet Pinocchio is made into a real boy Pinocchio.  Walt Disney’s 1940 animated film has made this into an astonishingly good movie.  

What we read in the story is the amazing love and affection and sacrifice of “Geppetto” the father. He will come out in the cold seeking for the puppet when it does not return home. He will sell his garments and buy books for the puppet. He even travels to the pleasure island in search of Pinocchio and gets trapped in the stomach of a big whale.  It is really amazing to see the father’s love on the adamant son.

Whenever Pinocchio speaks a lie, his nose will grow. Sometimes the lies are so much that his nose would grow to touch the other end of the room. Then finally the fairy will interfere and send little birds to cut the length. I used to tell my son that his nose also will grow long if he ever tells a lie. So whenever he tries to bluff on something,, I will look at the nose and immediately he will run before the mirror to check whether it has grown longer !

My dear children, our God the Father in  heaven loves us so much that he gave His only begotten son to suffer and die for us on the cross. So that we may live. Whenever we are doing good things, He is very happy and becomes sad when we are doing bad things. But His love for us is everlasting. So obey your parents , teachers and elders. Read the Bible every day and pray to the Lord for all your needs. And the Heavenly Father will bless you all abundantly.

16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.  ( John 3:16)

God’s Love Missions Family