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Thanksgiving Day 2018

“Be cheerful no matter what; pray all the time; thank God no matter what happens. This is the way God wants you who belong to Christ Jesus to live.”

‭‭1 Thessalonians‬ ‭5:16-18‬ ‭MSG‬‬

http://bible.com/97/1th.5.16-18.msg

“in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

‭‭I Thessalonians‬ ‭5:18‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

http://bible.com/114/1th.5.18.nkjv

IN EVERYTHING give thanks! Even in things that appear to be good or bad, for, in the end, there is no bad thing! All things work together for good.

“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.”

‭‭Romans‬ ‭8:28‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

http://bible.com/114/rom.8.28.nkjv

Some good things I am thankful for today:

  • For the family including Chathothvallamkulamfamily
  • For 33 years of professional life so far in three continents
  • For the mind to receive a purpose greater than myself at this stage (waiting for it).

Thanks for ‘bad’ things:

  • The Kerala Floods 2018 – we don’t know God’s purpose yet, but all things work together or good.
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How People From Kerala Brought a 9-Km-Long Dead River Varattar to Life

The rejuvenation of varattar in 2017 was very timely and a godsend for Vallamkulam; otherwise the flood would’ve been very bad. The article is good, and I just contacted the author too.

With the help of the locals and people from different political affiliations, the dead river found its forgotten path once again.
— Read on www.thebetterindia.com/108293/people-kerala-9-km-long-dead-river-varattar-restoration/

Call to action – Flood

Can I propose a fund in the name of Chathothvallamkulamfamily and dispersed through Kaviyoor Sleeba Church towards flood relief and renewal activities in and around Vallamkulam?

I’m sure everyone would have participated in some volunteering or done some donations already. But it is a good gesture to support the ancestral village in a collective way. The biblical parallel would be Apostle Paul’s outreach and fundraising among gentiles for the poor in Jerusalem.

“Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given orders to the churches of Galatia, so you must do also: On the first day of the week let each one of you lay something aside, storing up as he may prosper, that there be no collections when I come. And when I come, whomever you approve by your letters I will send to bear your gift to Jerusalem. But if it is fitting that I go also, they will go with me.”

‭‭I Corinthians‬ ‭16:1-4‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

http://bible.com/114/1co.16.1-4.nkjv

“Moreover, brethren, we make known to you the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia: that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded in the riches of their liberality. For I bear witness that according to their ability, yes, and beyond their ability, they were freely willing, imploring us with much urgency that we would receive the gift and the fellowship of the ministering to the saints. And not only as we had hoped, but they first gave themselves to the Lord, and then to us by the will of God. So we urged Titus, that as he had begun, so he would also complete this grace in you as well. But as you abound in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all diligence, and in your love for us— see that you abound in this grace also. I speak not by commandment, but I am testing the sincerity of your love by the diligence of others. For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich.”

‭‭II Corinthians‬ ‭8:1-9‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

A good article on the subject is found in this link.

Why Paul Collected and Delivered an Offering for the Jerusalem Church?

Flood 2018 final update and changes since 1962 flood

For the records, the water level reached 3.8 feet on Aug 16th, measured from road level.

Thanks for the measurements. For comparison the 1962 and 1924 flood maximum water levels were several feet above the 2018 level in Vallamkulam ( reference family history book, Dr. C.C.Abraham).

However in many other places the flood levels far surpassed or crossed all floods in the last 100 years! My dad (Dr. C.C. Abraham) has expressed couple of significant changes since 1962. The floodway or canal was closed at the mouth just East of the Vallamkulam bridge. And the Kakki dam in Pamba can into use.

Effect of closing the canal may have been beneficial, but the question how, in my opinion, has to do with conveniently forgotten landfills; I have heard that the ‘road’ going south from the Vallamkulam school was originally a canal!

The effect of the dam in Pamba is adverse when it discharges: it would raise the water level downstream of the confluence point of the tributary, Manimala.to rise, and cause damming of Manimala at the mouth all the way back to at least Vallamkulam!

I missed an important point about the reason for lower flood levels, and this is actually good news. Below is the cut-and-paste job, in the words of my dad (Dr. Abraham).

Shibu,

“I have gone through the two blogs on floods 2018.The efforts that you made to assess the flood situation 2018 as compared to that of 1924 and 1962 are appreciated.

An additional factor for lowered flood
level at Vkm seems to be the dredging and deepening of a tributary Varattar
of the river Manimala, which
reaches near Kuttoor.As this has been deepened and enlivened, this Varattar is now capable of absorbing substantial flood waters.As you said , the land fills
should have flood proneness but the counteracting influences may have been stronger.”