Indian Newslink August 1, 2015 Edition

COMMUNITYLINKThe tongue has more venom than the earsCarey KinsolvingIf you have too many questions, youmay not have any friends,” six-yearold Myles said.Yes, sometimes it is better not to knowthan to ask the wrong question.My friend Donna recalls the time she askeda college classmate,“Areyou pregnant?” Thepause after her classmatesaid “No” was indeedpregnant.According to Jonas(6), “If someone istalking while you aretalking, you should tellthem to be quiet.”If you are a judge with a gavel in yourhand, this might be appropriate.But it is doubtful that King Solomon hadthis in mind when he penned the proverb.Golden silence“When somebody knows something, if heis wise, he won’t blabber it out. A foolish manWith the onset of Monsoon,the world-famous Valley ofFlowers lying in the upperreaches of district Chamoliof Uttarakhand in the lower Himalayasblooms every yearwith a dense varietyof yellow, pink,purple, red and whiteand other colours offlowers.However, a crucialquestion making itsround time and again iswhether the process of fast disappearance ofsome of local indigenous species of flowerscontinues or has been checked.It is felt this maybe due to excessivehuman intrusion into the grand naturallandscape.will blabber everything out, and everybodywill know about it like a hidden key to ahouse,” six-year old Conor said.To broadcast secrets, you can buytelevision time or tell a fool. Just becauseyou know something doesn’t mean you haveto blabber it to anyone who will listen.“This means a wise man acts wise andkeeps hold of his wisdom until the propertime,” says Tommy, age unknown.Another proverb says,“A word fitlyspoken is like apples of gold in settings ofsilver” (Proverbs 25:11).Perfect homeI once stayed with friends in theirMississippi mansion, which reminded meof antebellum homes seen in “Gone Withthe Wind.” Every room was perfect.This is the sense of a word fitly spokenbeing as apples of gold in settings of silver.Our words should be appropriate andbeautifully coordinated for the occasion.“A foolish person can ruin something byUnique WildlifeEnvironmentalists in the state havebeen debating about the excessive humaninterference being responsible for theextinction of some of the key varieties offlowers in the UNESCO declared alpineheritage valley known all over the worldfor its exotic flowers and natural grandeur.This valley is also known for its uniquetelling all the private things, but a wise personwould keep all the private things to himself,”says Houston, 7.Try asking yourself the followingquestion when the topic of conversation turnsto someone who is not present: Would yousay the same thing if the absent person werepresent? This question would radically altermany conversations.“Wise people think before they speak,and unwise people speak without thinking,”Karmen (8) said.The New TestamentThe Book of James has often been thoughtof as Proverbs of the New Testament.It too contains many wise sayings aboutcontrolling the tongue such as,“Let everyman be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow towrath”(James 1:19).Application of this wisdom couldtransform our personal relationships and evenworld affairs. Increasing our eagerness tolisten is the first step to lengthening the fuseWild foliage threatens Himalayan bloomRajendra Prasad NailwalUttarakhand Valley of Flowerswildlife which includes snow leopard, bluesheep, brown bear, flying squirrel, and muskdeer.Interestingly, even some of these wildlifespecies are reported to be on their way toextinction. That is a different story.Peak of BloomDuring the peak period of bloom, theentire mountain slope is dotted with patcheson our anger. The mouth is not in gear whenthe ears are engaged.“A foolish person is not supposed to tellsomeone all the secrets somebody told them.A wise person keeps secrets and does goodthings that God asks them to do,” Abby (6)said.Change that to “any secrets” instead ofnot telling all the secrets, and you have awinner, Abby. One of the most famousdefence attorneys in America is HerbertJ Miller, Jr. President Richard Nixon andSenator Edward Kennedy are among hisformer clients.I once asked Miller,“What is the mostimportant advice you give a client when heretains you?”“Keep your mouth shut,” he said.Sound adviseIn addition to this succinct advice, Millercould have added Proverbs 6:2:“You areensnared by the words of your mouth; youare taken by the words of your mouth.”of flowers that include giant cosmos,dahlia, daisy, king-size roses, and cosmosin that order.Infact the trees in and around are alsoladen with season fruits.However, as per the locals andenvironmentalists, this valley, whichwas first discovered by a young Britishmountaineer Frank Smythe way back in1931, has lost much of its maiden charm,serenity and wealth of indigenous species.“Over the years, excessive visits of thetourists as well as some tamed animals,many flower varieties have gone intoextinction; they enter the valley andunknowingly plunder it. This way, manyspecies have been crushed under theirfeet,” Chandi Prasad Bhatt, MagsaysayAward, winner environmentalist basedat Gopeshwarin the headquarters of theChamoli district said.Excessive intrusionIndian Newslink August 1, 201528Think about this: Sometimes silence reallyis golden. Other times, appropriate wordsare golden like apples of gold in a silversetting. If we were to choose our words ascarefully as we coordinate the furniture inour homes, our inner environments wouldbetransformed.Memorise this truth:“Wise people store upknowledge, but the mouth of the foolish isnear destruction”(Proverbs 10:14).Ask this question: Is your ear quicker thanyour tongue?Carey Kinsolving is an Auckland basedstorywriter and the above is a part of‘Kids Talk about God’ distributed byCreators Syndicate. To access free, online‘Kids Color Me Bible’ books, ‘MissionExplorers’ videos and all columns ina Bible Lesson Archive, visit www.KidsTalkAboutGod.org. To read journeyof-faithfeature stories written by CareyKinsolving, visit www.faithprofiles.org;Copyright 2014 Carey KinsolvingAgreeing with Bhatt, yet another knownsocial activist in the area, JP Maithani pointsout that road build through the valley areafrom Ghangaria to the Sikh pilgrim centreGovind Ghat up near the snow line hasalso been seen as a factor responsible forexcessive intrusion of human beings in tothe valley area.Some others observing the gradualenvironmental degradation of the slopesof the valley feel that even some herbalplants bearing medicinal qualities havealso suffered due to excessive arrival of thevisitors. These include Begonia, Trillium,and Marshand Wood Lilly.Among other factors affecting the speciesof the unique valley, according to observers,is the growth of wild foliage in and aroundthe valley.Rajendra Prasad Nailwal is a retired SpecialPrincipal Correspondent of the Times of India.He now lives in Dehradun.Established in 1977, Corban Revell is now one of the largest law firms in Auckland outside the Auckland CBDWith a staff of around 35, the 3 partners and their professional service teams offer a full range of legal services in the following areas ;•Commercial law •Property •Estate planning •Civil and commercial litigation•Immigration•Traffic Law •Maori land and services •Family and relationship propertyJohn KahukiwaPartnerLawrence PonniahManaging PartnerLisa RobertsPartnerAt Corban Revell, we understand that business is about relationships and we are committed to providing high quality services and value to our clients. As a result, weenjoy long-term client relationships working alongside our clients assisting them to achieve their business and personal goals.ph. +64 9 837 0550 fax. +64 9 838 7187 email.info@corbanrevell.co.nz133a Central Park Drive, Henderson, Auckland 0650 PO Box 21-180, Henderson, Auckland 0610 DX DP 92558