Sometimes we need a reminder that in the midst of the chaos and craziness, Jesus is actually near. Here’s a nice Lenten season video from the folks at 24-7 Prayer.
So what storm are you facing?
If you follow my blog via email or RSS, you can watch the video here: Peace in the Midst.
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Each morning, about 5:15 AM, the first call to prayer would wake us. This is a mosque so close to the house that I can take this picture through the living room window. Click on this Sounds of Istanbul link to hear more.
If you subscribe to this blog by email and cannot hear the sounds, then click here to hear them. Be sure the volume on your computer is up!…
Topkapi Palace was the Ottoman Empire center of power for hundreds of years. An amazing place that is not fully seen in the photos below. It was a cold and rainy day, so I inserted one photo that I found online to give a sense of the true beauty.
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I arrived in Istanbul on Saturday and have been touring the city with my friend Gayle Beebe. We’re visiting the Westmont in Istanbul program, which was just recently launched. It’s a lot of fun having college students as tour guides and hanging out with them in this fantastic city!
Here are a few photos to share:
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Lent began about two weeks ago. It’s a hectic time in our lives as we (hopefully) finalize the sale of our home, pack everything up, and get settled in our new place. All of the usual stress — plus a bit more — has made if difficult to focus on the meaning of this season.
But one simple thing has helped. The good folks at 24-7 Prayer have created daily videos for the season of Lent. Each one is about 4-minutes long and focuses on the theme of “Jesus, walk with us.” It’s a comforting message for me right now, …
Working in cross-cultural situations has taught me a lot about perceptions. Things that my white middle-class background consider “normal” are usually not the norm in other settings. That’s why I often read books about cross-cultural understanding and diversity.
D’Aun and I have been packing as we prepare to move, and I came across my old notes from college. One page caught my eye: introductory remarks by Professor Robert Gundry on the Gospel of John.
My notes from his lecture show that cultural perceptions even influences how we see Scripture, and that good cross-cultural communication exists in the Bible. I’m certainly …
Here is a beautiful little poem I came across during a devotional:
Love goes into God’s presence,
while at the gate
Reason and Knowledge
must remain
and for an audience wait.
As you might guess, it was written just as the Enlightenment was being unleashed across the Christian world. The author, Angelus Silesius, lived in the 17th Century and was a bizarre guy. Then again, somebody described as a “German Catholic mystic poet” is not going to be ordinary!
Whatever it’s roots or source, it strikes me as a simple way to remind ourselves of the importance of love. …