Deserter or Disciple

From Oswald Chambers "My Utmost for His Highest" for December 29th. Something to consider...

Deserter or Disciple?
"From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more" (John 6:66).
When God, by His Spirit through His Word, gives you a clear vision of His will, you must "walk in the light" of that vision (1 John 1:7). Even though your mind and soul may be thrilled by it, if you don’t "walk in the light" of it you will sink to a level of bondage never envisioned by our Lord. Mentally disobeying the "heavenly vision" (Acts 26:19) will make you a slave to ideas and views that are completely foreign to Jesus Christ. Don’t look at someone else and say, "Well, if he can have those views and prosper, why can’t I?" You have to "walk in the light" of the vision that has been given to you. Don’t compare yourself with others or judge them—that is between God and them. When you find that one of your favorite and strongly held views clashes with the "heavenly vision," do not begin to debate it. If you do, a sense of property and personal right will emerge in you—things on which Jesus placed no value. He was against these things as being the root of everything foreign to Himself—"… for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses" (Luke 12:15). If we don’t see and understand this, it is because we are ignoring the underlying principles of our Lord’s teaching.
Our tendency is to lie back and bask in the memory of the wonderful experience we had when God revealed His will to us. But if a New Testament standard is revealed to us by the light of God, and we don’t try to measure up, or even feel inclined to do so, then we begin to backslide. It means your conscience does not respond to the truth. You can never be the same after the unveiling of a truth. That moment marks you as one who either continues on with even more devotion as a disciple of Jesus Christ, or as one who turns to go back as a deserter.

Yes, I am back and will try to write more consistently...

It's not what they won't do but what we can do...

Yes I know...we get these types of things all the time and often we simply erase them without much thought. As a matter of that is exactly what I was going to do until I decided to give it a quick glance. What really struck me about the message was that it wasn't about talking about what others can't do but rather challenges us to look at what we can do to effect change. I like that...Let me know what you think.

Letter from Jesus about Christmas --

Dear Children,

It has come to my attention that many of you are upset that folks are taking My name out of the season. Maybe you've forgotten that I wasn't actually born during this time of the year and that it was some of your predecessors who decided to celebrate My birthday on what was actually a time of pagan festival. Although I do appreciate being remembered anytime.

How I personally feel about this celebration can probably be most easily understood by those of you who have been blessed with children of your own. I don't care what you call the day. If you want to celebrate My birth, just GET ALONG AND LOVE ONE ANOTHER.

Now, having said that let Me go on. If it bothers you that the town in which you live doesn't allow a scene depicting My birth, then just get rid of a couple of Santa's and snowmen and put in a small Nativity scene on your own front lawn. If all My followers did that there wouldn't be any need for such a scene on the town square because there would be many of them all around town.

Stop worrying about the fact that people are calling the tree a holiday tree, instead of a Christmas tree. It was I who made all trees. You can remember Me anytime you see any tree. Decorate a grape vine if you wish: I actually spoke of that one in a teaching, explaining who I am in relation to you and what each of our tasks were. If you have forgotten that one, look up John 15: 1 - 8.

If you want to give Me a present in remembrance of My birth here is my wish list. Choose something from it:

1. Instead of writing protest letters objecting to the way My birthday is being celebrated, write letters of love and hope to soldiers away from home. They are terribly afraid and lonely this time of year. I know, they tell Me all the time.

2. Visit someone in a nursing home. You don't have to know them personally. They just need to know that someone cares about them.

3. Instead of writing George complaining about the wording on the cards his staff sent out this year, why don't you write and tell him that you'll be praying for him and his family this year. Then follow up. It will be nice hearing from you again.

4. Instead of giving your children a lot of gifts you can't afford and they don't need, spend time with them. Tell them the story of My birth, and why I came to live with you down here. Hold them in your arms and remind them that I love them.

5. Pick someone that has hurt you in the past and forgive him or her.

6. Did you know that someone in your town will attempt to take their own life this season because they feel so alone and hopeless? Since you don't know who that person is, try giving everyone you meet a warm smile; it could make the difference.

7. Instead of nit picking about what the retailer in your town calls the holiday, be patient with the people who work there. Give them a warm smile and a kind word. Even if they aren't allowed to wish you a "Merry Christmas" that doesn't keep you from wishing them one. Then stop shopping there on Sunday. If the store didn't make so much money on that day they'd close and let their employees spend the day at home with their families

8. If you really want to make a difference, support a missionary-- especially one who takes My love and Good News to those who have never heard My name.

9. Here's a good one. There are individuals and whole families in your town who not only will have no "Christmas" tree, but neither will they have any presents to give or receive. If you don't know them, buy some food and a few gifts and give them to the Salvation Army or some other charity which believes in Me and they will make the delivery for you.

10. Finally, if you want to make a statement about your belief in and loyalty to Me, then behave like a Christian. Don't do things in secret that you wouldn't do in My presence. Let people know by your actions that you are one of mine.

Don't forget; I am God and can take care of Myself. Just love Me and do what I have told you to do. I'll take care of all the rest. Check out the list above and get to work; time is short. I'll help you, but the ball is now in your court. And do have a most blessed Christmas with all those whom you love and remember : I LOVE YOU, JESUS

Sharing the joy!

I want to offer a mighty congratulations to Rick M for his success before the Board of Ordained Ministry to become an Elder within the New England Conference of the United Methodist Church. He has worked very hard and is without a doubt called by God to share the Good News of Christ with folks within and beyond the walls of the local church! As I listened to his words I felt a great personal joy within me as well. It was the honor of being invited to share in the moment. It was a great feeling. It got me to thinking about how we share such moments in our lives.

I know there is a difference between boasting and being thankful - one is to point out something we've accomplished to lift ourselves up and the other is to honor God for how God has blessed us. When Rick shared his blessing with me it had the effect of the old "stone in the pond" in that I was able to witness God at work in this world.

Too often I hear boasts by individuals, organizations, and nations that are intended to lift them up or worse yet to put someone down. Not often enough do I hear thanksgiving for what God has done in a person's life that is actually a blessing and benefit to all. What would happen if we changed that? What would happen if we started to share with each other the way that God has blessed our lives?

We've got to be careful because if we put together a list for each day we might soon be competing with others to show that we've been blessed more than they. Do you know what I mean? As I write I also realize that those with whom the person is sharing must also see that the only purpose of the individual is to praise God from whom all blessings flow. It's not exactly what the world often tries to teach us but it is always how God guides us.

48 hours later I still am giving thanks to God that Rick would call and share such a blessing in his life. I've had the opportunity to share the news with others and they also feel blessed to see God at work. In a world that promises great gobs of goodness with chain letters, what if we started sharing our blessings with any and all we met? Don't tell anyone but it's one of the most effective ways for people to get interested in a relationship with God when they see how God is working in the lives of others!

Wow! I didn't anticipate the directions this would take but I guess the blessing that Rick shared with me had even more impact than I thought! Have a great day and remember to share your blessings!

Which Road do you take?

"A professor stood before his class of twenty senior organic biology students about to hand out the final exam."I want to say that it's been a pleasure teaching you this semester. I know you've all worked extremely hard and many of you are off to medical school after summer. So that no one gets their GPA messed up because they might have been celebrating a bit too much this week, anyone who would like to opt out of the final exam today will receive a 'B' for the course."There was much rejoicing in the class as students got up, walked to the front of the class, and took the professor up on his offer. As the last taker left the room, the professor looked out over the handful of remaining students and asked, "Anyone else? This is your last chance." One final student rose up and opted out of the final.The professor closed the door and took attendance of those students remaining. "I'm glad to see you believe in yourself," he said. "You all get 'A's." How many have taken the easy way out?The short road, the easy path, the light load, all lead to lower grades in the school of life."

Fear of the unknown...comfort in the certainty...which road do you take? It's not so much about the final result as it is the experience of getting there. How many times has failure inspired success, built strength, developed determination, and led to an even greater accomplishment. When we follow Christ there are many times when the easy way seems like success. We've got a new person coming to church...our giving is up 4% this year, we sent a team to New Orleans for the first time. Is that what God is challenging us with or are we simply satisfied with what we can see? What if we fail? What if we don't achieve what is visible? Ever think that those failures could open brand new opportunities that could reveal even more powerful examples of God's grace and guidance?

It's not just believing in our selves it's having the faith to trust God that God knows what needs to happen. We are given the Free Will to make choices and we can use it as an excuse not to do something 0r to let go and trust that God is truly present. Part of that trust is realizing that just because things don't go our way doesn't mean that God is not there...it could be that because God is there we are being led to safety and sanctuary. A "B" is a great grade...but...

It's been a week already???

Where did this last week go? I was all excited about getting back to church on November 4th and now it's the 12th and I am wondering where all those days went. Things started out great! I went down to the New England Conference School of Congregational Development "e3" event where I got to spend priceless time with some very good friends. The event was a huge success with over 320 registrants and some very good speakers. I got back home around 5pm on Saturday night and then was up at 5am to get to the church by 6am on the 4th. The worship team told me I only had to short letters to the church based on the 3 points of the Lilly Grant "Remembering the past, celebrating the present, adventuring the future" and then serve Communion, I could certainly handle that.

The two worship services went great (though I think I forgot how to talk on occasion - no comments please!) with Lisa and I serving Communion at both services. Rev. David Svenson, my friend and also District Superintendent attended the second worship service and helped to serve Communion. Immediately after the 2nd service we headed into Fellowship Hall for a wonderful meal prepared by a local caterer. The afternoon was filled with rest and then we headed to a friend's house to watch the Pat's whoop up on the Colts!!!!

At that point things get fuzzy. The first two days were about 14 hours in length and then they shrunk to 8-10 hours. Saturday was supposed to be my day off and I needed 1/2 of it to finish my work. Sunday morning came, I was back in the saddle and it felt good.

What interested me the most was my feeling about having to work on Saturday. Before my leave it would have been a part of my week and I'd take time later, no big deal. However, on Friday night, when I realized I was going to have to work on Saturday I got angry. That's a good thing for me!

Why? Because I have come to truly value my rest time. During the leave I came to enjoy the time I spent with my wife and having time completely away from work. I came to realize that putting down work and picking up the other parts of my life is good overall for my mental and physical health. I believe that when God rested on the 7th day it wasn't because the work was done but because God needed a break. Even though God is God, taking time away from the work of the day, the work of creation, or the work of anything else can give us a clearer perspective on that which is before us.

This past weekend I had the honor of working with a couple of friends as we put new brakes on one of our cars. At one point when things weren't fitting as they should, my friend got up and walked away for a few moments to collect his thoughts. He shortly returned and though things didn't fall immediately into place, he was more relaxed and open to other ideas. (I guess I must confess the rest of the story in that as the two of us got a little frustrated, the other friend came over, figured it, out and had the work done in very short order...We laughed about it, what more could we do? Besides, the third friend proved that sometimes a fresh set of eyes can change the view for everyone!)

It is vital that we take time off from our work. Whether we are ministers or teachers or doctors or home supervisors (is that the new word for those who work 80 hours at home without pay?) or custodians or factory workers, we must take time off. We must also guard it with great importance or it will be taken away from us.

I realize that it wasn't what happened on Friday afternoon that made me have to work on Saturday, because what I accomplished on that day was God's work indeed, but rather the planning for the whole week. We don't need to get so structured that we don't have time for spontaneity, but so we do need to make sure we consider our time of rest and renewal as important as the work we do.

We've only got one shot at this life on earth so it's important that we prioritize what we can acomplish and experience. How can we experience heaven on earth if we don't take time to care for ourselves and to spend time with those whom we love including God, family, and friends.

Oh well, it's Monday morning and I've got meetings until 9pm... But my day off is coming up!

What makes you sing...part 3

And the winner is...We need to challenge and encourage each other to do that which we love not just that which helps us to survive. Below is an article telling about Paul's life before he got the guts to try out for "Britain's Got Talent" show.



Potts enjoys wild ride from penury to opera star
By Michelle NicholsReuters Wednesday, October 24, 2007; 2:34 PM
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Just five months ago, amateur opera singer Paul Potts was mired in debt and selling cell phones in Britain. Now he has a hit album and is due to tour the world.
Potts, a stocky 37-year-old Englishman with crooked teeth, entered and won the "Britain's Got Talent" television show in June in front of more than 13 million viewers and then signed a recording deal reportedly worth $2 million.
His debut album, "One Chance," has topped charts around the world including Britain, Australia and New Zealand.
"I have done more things in the last four months than I would ever have expected to do in my whole lifetime," Potts told Reuters in an interview. "It's mind-boggling."
Now his teeth are fixed, although he vows he won't end up with a "full mouth of veneers," he wears designer suits instead of the $70 suit he donned for his initial audition and he is ready to crack the United States.
"One Chance" was released in America on September 18 and has already sold nearly 70,000 copies. He has appeared on television's "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" and filmed an appearance for "The Oprah Winfrey Show" due to be broadcast next month.
"I never believed that I would end up doing this for a living," said Potts. "I wasn't sure whether I really had it because I always felt that to get anywhere in it I would need to have proper formal training and I couldn't afford that."
Potts said he had been singing most of his life and had private lessons "when I could afford them."
He also used hard-earned savings to spend a couple of months training in Italy, where he had the chance to sing for one of opera's greatest tenors, Luciano Pavarotti, who died in September.
CINDERELLA STORY
After his performance, Pavarotti told Potts "not to run out of breath at the end of an important phrase" and then asked him to sing again.
"I was the only one who got to sing twice," said Potts, who used to perform in unpaid amateur operas.
When he returned to Britain, Potts said he sent off some tapes to agents. But nobody even acknowledged receiving them, so he figured he wasn't good enough.
Then he suffered a string of health problems -- a burst appendix, a tumor on his adrenal gland and a broken collarbone when he was knocked off his bike by a car -- that crippled him financially and stopped him from singing altogether.
"We were literally using credits cards to buy food," said Potts, who lives in Port Talbot, in south Wales, with his wife Julie-Ann. He said his success has allowed the couple to pay off nearly $80,000 in debts.
Now he struggles to comprehend why so many people want to see him perform. His appearance in Denmark last month drew tens of thousands of people even though he sang only two songs.
"That's bonkers, that's just crazy ... . Are they mad?" he said.
Next year Potts will tour Britain, Australia, New Zealand and Scandinavia singing songs from "One Chance," which includes "Nessun Dorma," known as Pavarotti's most famous aria.
As well as more traditional opera fare, his album includes some unusual arrangements -- a Spanish rendition of Frank Sinatra's "My Way" and an R.E.M. hit, "Everybody Hurts," translated into Italian and sung in an operatic style.
"At the time I was unconvinced. But I never ever say no to something until I have tried it. In the end it turned out quite well, it's one of my favorites," he said of the R.E.M. song.
As for the next album, which he hopes to start working on next year: "I always used to enjoy doing Queen on karaoke."
"One that would work really well is 'Who Wants to Live Forever,' a classic tune," he said.

What makes you sing...part 2

Here is the second part of the story. The first part tells some of his story and his words are very powerful. During the performance, I find watching the woman judge's face to be very telling. Though there is no mention of God at all and Paul doesn't speak of Christ, the power of the message in these videos is how Paul could have continued to sell phones all his life and not realized the full potential of his gifts had he not gotten a nudge to share the gift that is everything to him when everything else is nothing. It's amazing.

What makes you sing...Part 1

What you are about to see is amazing. I am going to include a couple more videos make sure you look at each of them in order. To me, I hear it saying to trust in God and those whom God sends to us to reveal God's gift in our lives that can be used to bring blessings to the world.
What gifts do you have that God wants you to share? For Paul it was an issue of low self-esteem. How powerful it is when one or many celebrate with us the gifts that God has given to each of us. If it's not singing, what is within you that needs to get out?

What a great day of worship

As part of my leave, whenever possible I like to worship in a local church. Prior to arriving in Lincoln, NH I "googled" for a local church and found some UMC's in Plymouth, Bethlehem, Concord, and a couple of other towns. Upon arriving, as I often do, I looked through some local papers and other information looking for coupons, places to travel, and other activities that might of interest while we rest. Looking through one of the papers I found a listing of local churches and found the Thornton UMC listed. It was a new location for me and I found it to be closer than any of the others. I headed out at 8:15 for a 9 am worship service. Upon arrival I found very few cars and a gentleman outside the door talking with one lady. As I approached the building he extended his hand and greeted me. "We may be small but we've got a big heart" was his comment. There was a smile on his face and he looked happy to see me.

As I headed in the door I was greeted by the pastor, Rev. R. Hanson. I had no idea that he was serving as pastor in this church. We've known each other for years and after greeting each other I met his wife, we talked about the church, and a few other things. I then moved through the small entrance area and entered the wonderful and simple sanctuary that was built in 1866. I immediately felt the warmth physically (they were anticipating a cool fall day) and fellowshiply (a new word) of the people. I took up my place, it looked unclaimed, and waited with the other 15 people in attendance. The service began and Rev. Hanson introduced me and explained that though they were a small church they were indeed filled with the Spirit.

During the worship service we sang many songs, prayed for a variety of folks - local and internationally, and listened to a sermon about "hitting the brick wall". The organist told me after the service that he played all of the wind instruments and loved Jazz. During one of the songs we sang I found myself caught in the emotions of the song just as the author had intended and it was a great feeling. When it was time to leave I felt that I had definitely worshiped and that God had blessed all who were present.

What did I learn from this experience?

1. Publicity, even if only in a free publication is essential. Had they not placed their information in the paper I would not have known they existed and would not have had the honor of worshiping with them. We need to let people know we are out there so that those who are searching will be able to find us.


2. Google maps is a good way to find a location but having signs along the road is also helpful. Again, they had one just when I was beginning to wonder and as a result I got there without getting lost.


3. Many churches have greeters but how many are outside the church holding the door for people to enter. Instead of asking people to come in alone to where we are willing to greet them, how much more open is it to meet them before they have to cross that thresh hold alone?


4. Celebrate your church. When the young man and the pastor acknowledged that they were a smaller church they didn't stop there but rather said with joy that God was definitely in that place. It wasn't just words, it was real. How do we tell people about our churches? About our programs? If we don't have anything to celebrate, why not? What is God calling us to do with what we have been given? God asked Moses what he had in his hand and with that staff Moses led the people to freedom.


5. Worship doesn't have to be perfect but excellence is something that we should always strive for. We may not sound like an amazing choir but if we are singing with our hearts God hears only the beauty and glory of the notes!


6. Smaller churches can't be measured in the same way that larger churches (over 75 in worship). So how do we do that? We need to find out just how to measure the importance of the presence of a worshiping community in a small town and not get caught up in whether or not they can afford to pay for a pastor.


7. If we are willing and open, God not only walks with us but lives in us and through God does amazing things. God certainly blessed this individual on Sunday in a very special place. As was noted, it's not about the size it's about the Spirit.

Again, a very special thank you to the folks of the Thornton UMC for welcoming and sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ with me through their words, worship, attitudes, and actions.

Ok...enough talking...it's time to walk the walk. Are you ready to go?

We're in the White Mountains for a week...

Over the past couple of days we've taken a couple of walks through the White Mountains and I thought I'd share a couple of pictures. The first day we went to the Norway Rapids and yesterday it was the Greeley Ponds. We are so blessed by all that God has created!

Enemies....

"I would like for you to pray for those who are currently attempting to do us harm in our business and marriage. This is a hard prayer request but God says we should pray for our enemies." ~A prayer request from Jean, NV~ Although Jesus says it and we've gotten countless thousands of prayer requests, this was the FIRST one that followed the command at "Wings over the mountains of life", an electronic daily devotional.

This morning as I turned on the television I came across Newt Gingrich (Speaker of the US House from 1995-1999) talking about Franklin Roosevelt going on television and inviting the people of the nation to pray with him, which he did for over 9 minutes. Newt noted that FDR asked for prayers for the US men fighting in WWII but he also noted that the enemy was evil. I then went into my daily devotionals which I receive each morning when I open my email and this was there. I felt it was a message that I needed to share.

Here are some questions on this morning...who are our enemies? Who are those we believe are trying to do us harm as individuals, communities, nations, etc? When was the last time we asked God to watch over them, to guide them, to breakdown the walls of evil that may surround them, to heal them, to give us clarity to understand why they are doing such things?

To whom are we being enemies? Who feels threatened by us? When was the last time we asked for forgiveness for feelings that oppress, that hurt, that silence, that frighten those around us? Not just as individuals but also as a church, a community, a nation.

Today may we pray for all people, not just friends for that is easy and not just for ourselves for that can be selfish but for those with whom we are angry or afraid or oppressing and those around us for whom a prayer will be the most positive part of their day or may be just what changes their entire life.

Waiting for our souls to catch up...

Ruth Fry was a distinguished explorer who was working in the Amazon with natives as guides and bearers. On one trip, the party made extraordinary progress through the jungle for the first two days. On the third day, however, the natives were just sitting around looking solemn and making no preparations for further travel. The chief explained that the natives couldn't go any further because," they have to wait for their souls to catch up to their bodies." (Sent to me by a friend with whom I traveled in Turkey)

Traveling 3000 miles through Turkey in 12 days with all the sites to see was amazing. At times we be in bed early hoping that a little rest would make the next day's journey a little easier. Other times we sit in the bus for hours wondering if we'd ever get to where we were going. Still, at the end of the trip I felt that my soul needed to catch up. I needed that time to rest, to reflect, to connect with my home, my family, and my friends. As I get ready to return to work in just a couple of weeks I am afraid that I will return to some old working habits and never allow my soul to catch up with my body. God rested on the 7th day. John Wesley always took time to read and to pray. I've got friends who always make time to slow down even in their hectic lives. Is it possible in mine where chaos seems to bring out the best in me? I'm working on a schedule to make time and to break old habits. It won't be easy, but as always, just as God provided the friend who sent the message, God has provided phenomenal leadership at the church so that I can focus on what God has, and is creating, and not just the chaos that is floating out there like a formless void.

We need to take time each day to let our soul catch up to us and more importantly to feed that soul on the Word of God, which quenches all thirst and is indeed the bread of heaven.

A woman...

This is written in the Hebrew Talmud, the book where all of the sayings and preaching of Rabbis are conserved over time. It says: "Be very careful if you make a woman cry, because God counts her tears. The woman came out of a man's rib. Not from his feet to be walked on. Not from his head to be superior, but from the side to be equal. Under the arm to be protected, and next to the heart to be loved."

I remember hearing people quote the scriptures years ago as to how a man and woman should live as husband and wife. It seemed that the woman was supposed to serve the man, not as an equal but rather as a "wife" (as though that was a lower class of humanity...). I even used to make jokes of where a woman's rightful place should be and now I understand why most women were offended by such language. Oh the misdirected ways of youth!

I've since come to know that the texts talk of how a man should love a woman as Christ loves the church - unconditionally, always serving, listening, holding, sharing, and so many other things that Christ does for us. But the words above speak to more than just the woman we marry, it speaks to how we should treat all women. How are we doing in that area? How is the world doing? What are we doing about making it better? About making it equal? Anyone got any thoughts?

Celebrating two women...

This past Sunday at 2pm in two different towns the lives of two women who never met were celebrated. One I have known since my youngest memories and the other only came into my life over the past three years. Both brought gifts that blessed my life in ways that I am still opening and enjoying to the fullest. Linda Ellis wrote a poem years ago that I thought of when I tried to figure a way to celebrate these two ladies. You may have read it but maybe not. To me it's a call for each of us to live our lives in a way that honors and praises God who created us, Jesus who loves us, and the Holy Spirit who guides us. Today I celebrate Esther and Joyce with these words...thanks to both of you!

"I read of a man who stood up to speak at the funeral of a friend.
He referred to the dates on her tombstone

from the beginning to the end.
He noted that first came her date of birth

and spoke the following date with tears.
But said what mattered most of all was the dash between those years.
For that dash represents all the time

that she had spent alive on the earth.
And now only those who loved her know what that little line is worth.
For it matters not how much we own, the cars, the house, the cash --
What matters most is how we live and love

and how we spend our dash.
So think about it long and hard . . .

are there things you'd like to change?
For you never know how much time is left that can still be rearranged.
If we could just slow down enough to consider what is true and real,
And try to understand the way other people feel.
Be less quick to anger and show appreciation more,
And love the people in our lives like we've never loved them before.
Treat each other with respect and more often wear a smile,
Remembering this special dash might only last a while.
So when your eulogy is being read, with your life's actions to rehash,
Would you be proud of the things they say,

about how you spent your dash?"

We made it home!

Sorry it's taken so long to write again!! I do want to report that we made it safely back to the US on the 30th of September arriving at JFK airport at about 4:30pm Belfast time or 11:30pm Turkey time. Our luggage weighed considerably more on the return trip though we didn't go overboard in buying gifts. Some we will be sharing with the church and others with friends. As we walked into the airport I was struck by the many different languages I was still hearing but also by the signs and conversations that I could now understand. I loved the experience of being in someone else's home but it was really good to get back home!

We made it through customs without a problem - though just like in Belize they asked if I had ever been to New Mexico because evidently a "David Abbott" has and they want to talk with him - and headed to Jet Blue to wait for our flight to Portland that was leaving at 9:55pm. Talk about a long lay over!

Being hungry we went to "cheeseburger, cheeseburger" and ordered cheeseburgers!! Greasy, fatty, and delicious! I got the serious one and Lisa was far smarter and went a little smaller. The clock finally ticked 9:55 and we headed for Portland. I am assuming we had a smooth take off because after being awake for some 22.5 hours I fell asleep before we left the ground and didn't wake up until we were over Maine!

We loaded the car and drove to Belfast, arriving at 1:35am - just short of 18 days after we had headed for our adventure in Turkey. It wasn't until 3am that we went to sleep and then got up at 9am with the hopes of readjusting quicker....needless to say it has taken a few days to really get back in the swing of things...

Don't worry, I've got plenty of adventures from Turkey to share and a few reflections as well. I am still trying to understand the impact of this adventure and blessing that we had from, and with, God.

On a note...thanks to the many who have followed along and kept us in your prayers during this time. It's been very powerful to be able to share it with you and to feel surrounded by God's love through you!

Second note - the picture is taken on one of the roads that Paul would have used in the community known as Laodicea (Rev. 3:14-22). There are chariot tracks that have worn into the stones! It's also hear that we found a great many sea shells...which is amazing because the place is so dry! However in the first century it was a very fertile place with the water much closer than today!

Today I walked...

Today I walked where Paul walked two thousand years ago to share the Word of God with those he met and I found myself in awe.

As I walked along the cobblestones in places like Ephesus, Sardis, and Philadelphia I wondered what he saw; the shops, the merchants, the lost and lonely, the rich and the poor; those who noticed and ignored him this man from away. As he passed the shops along the way what did they have to offer this man who had so much to offer them? Were they selling figs and olives, skins and fancy cloth, idols made of wood and silver, or spices and medicinal drinks sure to heal the common woe?

I wondered about the sounds of selling and of yelling, of moving and of flow. As I looked at the ruins of sand and rock it is so very hard to tell. I found myself listening to the voices of the many silenced so many years ago.

Today I walked where Paul walked and I wondered what he felt as his steps fell before mine so many years ago. Was he anxious, nervous, or excited to journey through these lands?

To walk among the people who worshiped so many gods, to offer them the one true God in whom they all could trust. Did he feel great confidence or was he walking scared?

Was he working on what next to say or trusting it would come? Was he looking forward to the synagogue or fighting to get into the theater to share the Word he knew so well that he wanted just to share, to offer people eternal life, salvation, and grace beyond compare.

Today I walked where Paul walked and recognized the call, to share the Good News of Jesus Christ with any and with all. In places that I know for sure as well as those away, to continue the journey begun so long ago as God has called me to do. To walk among the merchants, the friendly and the foe, the rich and the poor, the lonely and the lost. With fear, excitement, nervousness and awe that goes with such a call. To recognize that another will walk where I have walked and not have them wonder if I was true. To share the love of God as Paul did when he walked the path before me...

Reading scripture on Holy Ground...

Even though I am on leave it was hard to keep hidden that while not traveling through Turkey I was serving as a pastor of a local church. It took a couple of days and as a result, the others on the trip saw me first as a person and then as a pastor on renewal leave. When it came time to visit the seven cities that were mentioned in God’s Revelation to John, I offered to read from the Bible I had brought (the one that I carried while doing CPE at the UNC Hospital in Chapel Hill, North Carolina) the verses that applied to each area. I wasn’t sure how folks would feel but they were more than willing. Each time that we arrived in a location, we’d get as close as we could to what would have been the church area and then I read the words that God gave to John to share with thses seven cities in Turkey. It was interesting to hear the words and to recognize that people would have been hearing similar words almost two thousand years ago. However, the most powerful reading for me came when we were in Ephesus. This is the one city that has been aggressively excavated and still there is a great deal to be done. As I read from Acts 19 beginning with verse 21 we were standing outside of the theater where the people of the town gathered in great anger because Paul was telling them that the idols that they made were no good. Demetrius the silversmith had riled other smiths with the concern that they and other businesses would soon suffer financial loss if the people of Ephesus followed Paul’s words. The crowd was reminded that Artemis was their god and this hug theater soon broke out into chants of “Great is Artemis…”. As I stood outside the theater reading the words, people were passing us (it’s estimated that between 2,000 – 7,000 people visit this site every day, especially when the cruises bring their folks!) as they moved in and out of the theater entrance. I could imagine this theater with 25,000 seats filled (about 1/10th of the population at that time) and people shouting and shouting and Paul wanting to go in but being told to stay out. The scriptures then talk of how Paul was taken to the general assembly. Because of the wisdom of our guide, we had started at the top of the hill and one of our first places had been the assembly. As I stood there reading, I remembered the long hill we had walked down, the very street that Paul had walked up to be heard and challenged. I remembered looking down from the seating area where up to 1700 people could have sat though there were around 450-500 legislators at the time, and thinking of Paul risking his life, his all to tell these folks who were strong supporters of Artemis that his God was real, that his God did not need idols, that his God would always be there for them whether or not they were able to make an offering, and how God offered eternal life through Jesus Christ. I could feel the presence of the moment; I could see the anger of the crowd, the business of the day, and the strength and commitment of Paul. It was in that reading of the many we have done that the scriptures came alive in a different way for me.

Coffee!

I will soon be 46 years old and until today figured I would never drink a cup of coffee in my life. I love the smell of fresh brewed coffee but on the few occasions when I have put it to my mouth, it has tasted horrible. I’ve gotten used to a light coffee flavor in items but I’ve never been able to swallow the flavor of coffee. Today however changed that. Our driver for the past 12 days is Erkon and though he speaks little English and I speak even less Turkish, we’ve tried to communicate on a variety of issues. Sometimes I think we understand each other and other times I realize that we were not even close to being on the same topic. This morning, as we made our usual stop at a gas station/restaurant/bathroom (have I got stories about Turkish bathrooms!) before exploring the ruins of Pergamum we all got some drinks (cold) and sat down to enjoy a few moments outside the van. As is a tradition at many of these places, out of hospitality they often offer us Turkish coffee and tea. Now the size of a Turkish coffee cup is probably no more than 2-3 oz of liquid though it has the potency of at least 16oz! You are required to stir it each time before drinking or else the coffee all goes to the bottom (sounds very appetizing, doesn’t it!). As I was sitting at the table my friend Erkon motioned to me that he was sending over a cup of coffee for me to drink. I wasn’t sure if he had paid for it (and I know he is very limited on extra money) or if it was a gesture of friendship. What was I to do? I don’t like coffee yet I didn’t want to offend his offer. There are times when what we do and don’t like need to take a back seat to what someone is offering. With a smile I said thank you and took up a toothpick to stir what was in front of me. The taste of coffee from over the years flashed into my mind as I took the first taste…
Not too bad as it didn’t have the flavor that seemed to just hang in your mouth with American coffees. I nodded to him and he responded with a smile. For about 10-15 minutes I nursed that 2oz of coffee and came very close to finishing it. I would stir, drink, swallow, and relax and then stir, drink, swallow and relax. While I never got to really like the drink – Lisa won’t even drink a cup though she tried some of mine today, I very much appreciated the offer of kindness and friendship. Could it be that sometimes we don’t want to do things we don’t like but we do them out of respect for others and the intention of their acts? If so, does that mean that we stop living for what we want but rather for what others offer to us? Is that not a step towards Christ? To stop focusing on our wants, our pleasures, our expectations and rather be open to the new and growing opportunities that God gives to us through others? Anyone care to try something that God is giving them, even if it doesn’t seem like they’ll like it? I feel this experience was an eye opener and an honored blessing…

A great man in Turkey...

On our second day we visited the Mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk (Military Leader - Politician. Born : Salonica, Ottoman Empire (now part of Greece) - 1881. Famous for : Gallipoli campaign, Downfall of Ottoman rule, Founder of Modern Turkey. Died : Turkey - November 10, 1938) who is credited with bringing great change to Turkey. Whereas there was separation by religion, location, etc in Turkey prior to his leadership, Ataturk insisted in national pride and wanted to find a way where all people could live together and be united in one cause. He introduced a common alphabet, gave more respect to women, proclaimed that family was essential, and created a positive image for Turkey on the national scene. As we moved through this great building and area dedicated to this man we found two statutes as one end, showing the perfect Turkish man, and the perfect Turkish woman.

Each took in the traits from around the country to show unity and a strong love for their nation. At the other end of a great walkway was the burial place of the man named Ataturk by declaration as well as the 2nd president. There is a museum underneath that celebrates the Ottoman empire as well as Ataturk's life. There were many quotes and I've found a few that I'd like to share with you. Please notice that these are his words but we've heard similar words or similar ideas shared around the world, our nation, and our communities.

By that I do not intend to take away from what this man did, for his nation truly loves him, but rather to say that many people are seeking the same things and maybe it's time, as did this man, to take the lead and change the world with love and grace at the center. This man may not have been perfect, he was after all human, but there were many great leaders around the world who visited him when he was alive or have visited this site since then who have spoken to the amazing things he was able to do...
Some of these will show his national pride while others speak to a nation that is growing in ways that others might learn from.. Here are some of his quotes,

• Happy is he who says, "I am a Turk".


• As they have come, so they will go.


• One day my mortal body will turn to dust, but the Turkish Republic will stand forever.


• There are two Mustafa Kemal's. One is the flesh-and-bone Mustafa Kemal who now stands before you and who will pass away. The other is you, all of you here who will go to the far corners of our land to spread the ideals which must be defended with your lives if necessary. I stand for the nation's dreams, and my life's work is to make them come true.


• To see me does not necessarily mean to see my face. To understand my thoughts is to have seen me.


• Peace at home, peace in the world.


• Turkey's true master is the peasant.


• Do not be afraid of telling the truth.


• A healthy mind in a healthy body.


• Our great ideal is to raise our nation to the highest standard of civilization and prosperity.
  Following the military triumph we accomplished by bayonets, weapons and blood, we shall strive to win victories in such fields as culture, scholarship, science and economics.


• Every nation as the right to demand proper treatment and no country should violate the territory of any other country.


• Teachers are the one and only people who save nations.


• Teachers: the new generation will be your devotion.


• Everything we see in the world is the creative work of women.


• Those heroes that shed their blood and lost their lives (at Gallipoli battles).. You are now lying in the soil of a friendly country. Therefore rest in peace. There is no difference between the Johnnies and the Mehmets to us where they lie side by side here in this country of ours.. You the mothers who sent their sons from far away countries wipe away your tears. Your sons are now living in our bosom and are in peace. Having lost their lives on this land they have become our sons as well.

It was quite interesting to see the love for this man, maybe we can compare it to George Washington and the others who brought us out from under the rule of another nation and gave us independence. Again, I am reminded that he was just a man but as he said, what he stands for will live forever. Turkey in moving forward in great strides because of the tiny steps that he challenged his nation to take. As leaders in our churches and communities, if we believe we've been given a direction, a calling, we must move forward recognizing that we might not see the goal realized but that we might be some of the folks who move the world, nation, community, or individual much closer...How cool is that! Here the words, speak them, live them, and plant them in others so that more fruit will grow and be harvested!

How many churches in one morning?

Day three began as promised. We’re heading to see 7 churches and the Goreme Open Air Museum. I know I’m a pastor and should love each place of worship but seeing seven churches is a lot of churches! I also couldn’t see the significance of so many in Cappadocia but I had to be open to new experiences and learning opportunities (If only I had learned that lesson while I was still in high school I think my parents would have had a whole lot less stress!). We started out from the hotel and within minutes we were there. Where were the spires, the structures, and the parking lots? There didn’t seem to be any churches in the area. I quickly read a sign and found out that we were at the Open Air Museum but I thought we were going to the churches first…it was at that moment that I realized there are times when I have an air block in my brain…I say that because our guide was talking about seven churches that had been around in the 1st and 2nd century in which the Christians who literally lived in the caves they dug out of the cliffs around this area used for worship. So of course there would be no church, as I knew church, but rather church as it was in the early years, less than 100 years after the death of Christ. Our guide said there were possibly 6,000 of these churches and once I went inside I understood why. We aren’t talking about something the size of the current Belfast UMC or even the old Belfast UMC on Miller Street but rather a space about 12x12 with no comfortable seats and the remains of other Christians buried below the ground! And each of them had been carved out of stone! It was amazing though to think of the folks who would have gathered without the benefit of an organ or hymnals or a projector and screen but rather to listen to preaching about Christ’s redeeming grace and then to respond as God led them. How powerful to listen to the voices from years and centuries past of people who gathered at the risk of their lives to worship in small groups all around these cave settlements for that was very important to their daily lives. What voices will people hear when they enter places where we worship? Will they be joyful? Will they be complaining? Will they offer hope and strength or empathy and discouragement? I myself found great strength as I gave thanks for the great cloud of witnesses who went before me…
There were paintings in some of the churches from the 6th century while others also contained pictures from the 10th – 12th century…imagine the people who had worshipped there over the years. Sometimes in fear of their lives but strong in their faith. I’ve included a couple of websites that can give better descriptions of what we saw…I’ve also attached a picture from one of the cave churches. In closing it should be noted that people continued to live in some of the caves until the 1950’s and 1960’s when the government moved them out and into apartments within the community. Later I’ll show you some pictures of such a house that remains decorated as a remembrance of days gone by…

Goreme Open Air Museum http://www.goreme.com/goreme-open-air-museum.php

Frommer's review of the GOAM http://www.frommers.com/destinations/goreme/A31172.html

More church pictures...

Here are a couple more pictures from the seven churches at the Goreme Open Air Museum. The tall mountain is where the monks would stay. Lisa is standing just in front of the door to one church and the paintings are similar to those found in many of the churches...amazing stuff indeed!

This is a day of new beginnings…

I am going to try and catch everyone up real quick with what we’ve been doing each day and then do a little reflecting as time allows. Our schedule is usually fairly laid back with breakfast around 8:15 and supper ending about 12 hours later but in between can mean a great deal of viewing, walking, stopping, going, and traveling. For instance, after flying into Ankara (pronounced by our guide as anchor-ah) on Saturday afternoon (12:15pm Turkey time) we made it to the hotel (which seemed stuck in the middle of nowhere except for a rather large football (soccer) stadium located right beside the hotel (there was a weekend tournament for teams across the area that were in the Central Bank League) and met our guide Seenay (Sha-ni) who registered us and we moved into the first of nine different hotels we’d be living in over the next 17days.
We relaxed in the afternoon by passing our for at least 3 hours (I know, we’re not supposed to sleep on the first day of a huge time change (we’re 7 hours ahead of Maine time) but when there’s not much else to do, it sure feels good!! We got up and prepared for supper with the rest of our group where we shared the dining room with Muslim men who were finishing the second day of Ramadan with a meal at 7:25 or sunset (During this holy Muslim season people each breakfast before sunrise (5:25am) and then they have nothing to eat or drink until sunset). It was an interesting meal and by the time we had finished the meal I know that I’d tried a number of foods for which I didn’t have a name though Lisa confirmed I had eaten pickled eggplant (I had an encounter with eggplant many years ago and hadn’t even wanted to look at it for the last 15 years but the color and texture was different and I got caught off guard!). It was a good meal (we are supposed to be eating a buffets each night and morning with a specific meal at lunch) but I can already tell that we are going to be eating a great deal of bread and rice as well as fresh veggies and fruits. It was time to head back upstairs after the meal where we talked about what we had accomplished in our flight and as we entered a new country and therefore a new adventure. We were both still a little nervous, anxious, and excited. What would tomorrow hold? What about the next 17 days with these other 3 people? What other wondrous foods would I eat that I had no idea what they were? And to think that as we come to this new country, there are stories here to be retold that were first written thousands and thousands of years ago? Today is certainly a day of new beginnings…

We're here!

It was a long night of flying, I saw the sunrise before 2am Maine time, and we finally got to the hotel at 6am Maine time (we left Belfast at 8am on Friday morning!). We were worried that we'd have too many people in the tour group but after talking to our guide we found out there are 5 of us...an older couple from above Syracuse, a gentleman from Brooklyn (mid-fifties) and us. It's going to be interesting! We'll update more as we can but right now I've got to get the right adapter so that I can plug into the wall...It's battery power at this point! God bless and as I write this I am aware that in just a couple of hours the folks at Belfast UMC will be having their Turkish meal with Baird Whitlock presenting an overview of our following in Paul's footsteps. Have a great time. The food we've had here so far has been good and there are lots of sweets!!! I'm trying real hard to sample only a couple at a time. Shalom!

Are you ready?

We're headed out the door to fly to NYC and then to Istanbul! We'll get to Ankara around 3 in the afternoon over there or 8am here!!! It's going to be a lot of traveling! We'll keep y'all in our prayers and we ask if you'd keep us in your prayers! If you can, go to church on Sunday as our fabulous and creative youth are working with mom (Bev Abbott) to bring the message. I wish I was going to be there because I have no doubt that it'll be a great message to carry you through the week! Check down to the left in the list of sites for the itinerary of our trip. See ya in the blogs!

Tikal…reflecting on a stop in Belize

What a place it was indeed. We left DuPlooys early in the morning and began the journey. It was just our family and our driver. We arrived at the Guatemala borer in just a few minutes and picked up our guide. As soon as we crossed the border, which involved walking into one building in Belize and then walking 500 feet in mud (from the rain) into Guatemala and then getting properly stamped (after paying the fees along the way), we headed into a large town. The road was dirt but I figured it was temporary. Wrong! We cleared the town and came to realize that a large portion of our journey was going to be on bumpy dirt roads. Imagine if you will a dirt road that has potholes and other issues and that is what we traveled on. Slow and fast, stop and go, bump and smooth, we felt it all. Along the way we passed through various communities and saw some interesting sights. I believe that every structure, telephone pole, and rock were either stamped, painted, or postered with the names and faces of various people running for the office of president of Guatemala. It was amazing! Those cute little signs that decorate or desecrate the places along the road where we stop, turn, and pass by are absolutely beautiful compared to what I was seeing.as we moved closer to the sacred grounds of Tikal. Eventually we did encounter paved roads but we still had to deal with potholes (this is one of the major roads in the nation) and speed bumps, just like in Belize that allow for people to cross the road safely and to keep the drivers from going too fast along the roads.
We finally arrived at the Tikal national park (not the official name) after over 2 hours of bouncing and bumping. Our guide had been giving us information along the way and now we stepped out of the air-conditioned car and into the heat of the day. It was cloudy but still humid. We saw the overall design of the “community” of Tikal that included homes, temples, places of gathering for selling, talking, and other things. It is huge! What’s even more amazing is to think how this jungle covered area was once very clear, much like in a city. The infrastructure of roads, buildings, and the like were absolutely amazing and caused me to realize that when Columbus talked about the natives not being civilized, he didn’t have a clue at what civilizations had done in that area of the world hundreds of years before he arrived. It helped me to realize that we should always get to understand and know the people and the place we are going before determining just who is and isn’t in need.
We began our journey around the park with the many others who followed their own guides. We saw the Cebu (sp) Tree which is considered sacred and the tree of life for the Mayans. We say the gum tree from which gum originally came before what we have now which is created in factories. We saw our share of Spider Monkeys and Toucans. One of the highlights for the boys and I was being able to hold a large Tarantula as it crawled over our arms. Yes I have pictures!


As we moved through the parks the temples, with many, many, stairs were impressive. We saw some of the places where families could have lived and the courtyards where nightly entertainment would have taken place. These types of settings were available in many different places around the city. It was also noted that while they are uncovering some of the ruins, there are many that will be left under the dirt (though they know the location) so that the air and weather does not destroy that which has been in place for 900-1500 years. One of the greatest contrasts for me was to grab a coke or sprite in the midst of this ancient and sacred ground. There was very little of the commercialism and each day new ice was brought in to keep the drinks cold, but it did provide a light moment and great relief as well. We partook of at least 4-6 bottles of Gatorade and that made a difference as the sun came out and we began to lose a great deal of fluid.
The highlight of course was climbing to the top, or as high as they would allow, of Temple 4 and to see the “Star Wars” view. It was amazing and even more amazing that they had all kinds of staging set up around the area as they try to restore the area, and they had no problem with us walking in and among it. The earlier picture on the blog of our picture was actually taken less than two feet from the edge of a stone that if we had fallen we’d have traveled a great distance before landing. And there were no safety rails at all! Nothing like that would have happened in the US. We are far more safety conscious at this time.
There is the story of a woman who fell down the small steps from the top of one of the temples about a month prior to our arrival. She died but I think it was a rare accident though I do believe more people find themselves dehydrated because of the climbing, walking, and lack of planning for the intake of fluids. Our day came to an end as we headed back into our van. The guide slept in the front seat, Chris laid down in the second seat (a couch type seat) and Matt rested his eyes as well. Lisa and I sat scrunched in the back seat, awake and aware of the bumps and holes but also very aware that we had been walking on sacred ground. This was a city of great accomplishments from waterways to the way of resolving issues, and road system. They were a powerful kingdom in their time and if we took the time we could learn from them. Their religion is not something with which I agree (blood sacrifices, human sacrifices, and the like) but I have no doubt that they were a spiritual people.
We arrived back at DuPlooys exhausted but far richer for what we had been allowed to see and experience.

Has it really been two weeks!

My goodness...I can't believe how quickly these past two weeks have flown by. Sitting on the beach in Belize seemed to last a whole lot longer than these past 12 days! It's not like I've been napping though as Lisa and I have been on the road for many of the days...Let me explain...

As I talked about in an earlier post, we got Matt off to Boston on Monday, the first day of our return. We then spent Tuesday and Wednesday trying to catch up on things as well as helping Chris get ready to go back to school at Middlebury (it's hard to believe that Chris is entering his last semester in college...we're waiting to hear about his MCAT scores as he wants to go to Med School next year). We left very early on Thursday morning (ok...when you're on renewal leave 9:30am can be considered early!! LOL) for VT with a full vehicle and a goal of making it to Middlebury by 4:45 in order to rent a trailer to move some of Chris and Courtney's stuff from Hynesburg (a family member lives there). We got to the U-Haul place around 4:30 (we made a few stops along the way...).

I want to mention that last spring it was Brad at this U-Haul center who saved us when a U-Haul center closer to Burlington didn't have the traveler we ordered and on one of the busiest days for moving in Middlebury Brad was able to rent us just what we needed. Talk about customer service! What's even cooler is that he knew the U-Haul man from Belfast and we exchanged a few stories. As Brad was helping us in our time of need he pointed to a very roughed in area of construction and mentioned how he hoped to be out of the small trailer he had been in for the last few years and be into his new place by the end of the summer. What was even cooler was that when the building was finished, his wife would be opening a candy, stamping, and scrap booking store in the other half of the facility. As we left, I prayed a quiet prayer of success for the entire family.
With that thought in mind, I was very excited to arrive at Brad's place to see the building still in process but his new office opened and his wife's store about to celebrate her grand opening in two days. We quickly got the trailer attached and then went to check out the candy store. For those of you who don't know me, I love sweets!!!! Walking into this store that was still in the process of being organized was like a dream come true. There was a huge display case filled with homemade bon-bons of all flavors - I got to sample one and we quickly bought some to share with folks we'd be visiting. In another case were all kinds of Jelly-Belly jelly beans with amazing flavors. She also had the candy fruits, swedish fish and squirmy worms, bridge mix and then I saw them - Boston Baked Beans! I'd not had them in years and quickly made my appeal to Lisa...She was busy picking out some candy for our nieces and nephew and I didn't even have to shed a tear. As we left, I felt like a kid in a candy store - oops I was! - but I also had reminisced about my childhood and I was grateful that it brought smiles to my face. Laughter, trips to get penny candy, surprise gifts from visiting friends, and so much more. I also gave thanks that Brad and his family had seen their dream realized even though it had not been cheap.
One of the things that I've realized as we drove way is that as I've had the honor of serving God through ministry is that not all people have pleasant memories of their childhood. Adults and other youth have stolen what should be times of love and exploring and replaced them with times of hate, insecurity, pain, and rejection. Many folks are able to find counseling or other ways in which to find healing as they move forward but their past can never be given back. For those people I give thanks that you've either independently or with friends made the journey to where you now can go forward and enjoy each day, or at least most of each one. For those of us who've never lived such a horror, we can't even begin to grasp the victory that these folks have achieved or are working on. As one who has listened to such stories, I am honored to be in the presence of such strong, faith-filled people who despite starting without the love that so many know have come to the point where they can share that love and live it in their lives. How powerful a statement to those of us who have it tough. I've heard more than once these folks say that what had been taken away from them by another would never be lost again.
From another angle, we need to make sure that we fight for those young people in similar situations right now so that their journey of love and acceptance can start much earlier and the damage to be healed can be much less. We've got to focus and offer to each other, especially those who are beaten down or have had their voices silenced, the love, grace, and justice that God calls us to give as we walk humbly with our Lord. (Micah 6:8)

Wow! That went serious real quick. It's not what I intended when I began this writing but it reminds me that in each moment are lessons and calls by God to be disciples through our words, actions, and attitudes. May each of us accept the blessings that God gives to us and see how they can be used to enrich the lives of others with whom we come in contact. What would the world be like if instead of beating people down we lifted them up, if instead of silencing them we gave them permission to speak? I don't mean just in a world-wide plan but in our towns, churches, and homes. Let's give it a try and see what happens...

Talk with you soon. We're getting ready for Turkey today as we've got to be to the airport by 9:30am tomorrow morning. The posts in Turkey should be every other day or so...It's so unreal to think that we'll be walking where Paul walked and shared the good news of Christ with folks who had so many gods to worship that how much of a big deal could one more be. Paul then said there was need for only one, the true God. And all of our journeys have changed as a result!

We're back in Belfast!!!

We arrived at Portland International Jetport at 12:10am on Monday morning and spent the night in Brunswick. Some really, really, good friends brought down a trailer full of Matt's stuff for college and at 9am we headed down to Boston to help Matt move into his new apartment where he will live as he continues the co-op phase of his schooling this fall. It is sooooooo much better than where he lived last year! We finally arrived back in Belfast around 8:30pm on Monday night and were created with a great welcome from our two dogs... We don't leave for Turkey for a few days so I'll try and catch up with some posts concerning Belize and a little theological reflection as well. I'll try and put them in the order of the events so you might go back and see what I've added according to the correct dateline. I'll put the word "new" beside anything that I add in among the stuff I've already written and bored you with.

We give thanks that our friends in Belize missed Felix but we ask for prayers for those who felt the brunt of the storm. Knowing the geography of the area as we traveled around a little I am sure there will be much flooding, mountains of moving mud, and many people left homeless. May God continue to watch over them.

Some of our diving friends!

We've had many great experiences under the water these past 10 days. Here's a picture of some of them coming to the boat for lunch after swimming with the group. Yesterday on another dive I had a couple come right up and nudge me as I knelt on the bottom of the reef at about 40 feet...No pictures of those two though I doubt I'll forget them! They were only 3-4 feet long...maybe a little longer...

Where are Luke Skywalker and Princess Lea?

Here we are standing at the top of Temple 4

at Tikal. It was quite a climb up some crazy stairs on a very hot day but we made it! If the scene in the back looks familiar, it was used in Star Wars to show the world that had been saved by defeating the "Death Star" in the first movie released back in the 70's. We're doing great!

The Blue Hole Dive

One of the issues during the week has been Matt’s right ear. It seemed that it almost always gave him trouble when he tried to descend during our dives. It was ok though because he could take his time, we’d wait at the bottom for him, and then once we got going it wasn’t too bad. The issue with the Blue Hole is that since you bottom time is only 8 minutes and the total dive just around 20, if Matt had taken too long (more than 3-4 minutes) they simply would have sent him back to the top to wait for the rest of us. We all got our equipment on and jumped into the water. We swam about 50 feet from the boat and got ready to descend. I don’t know what Matt was doing but I was doing some very personal and I almost felt selfish praying for his ear. We’d all been looking forward to the moment and I wanted nothing better than to share it with both of my boys. As we started to descend Chris moved down with ease and so did I. I looked up though and there was Matt. He was moving very slowly and there was a dive master with him. Chris and I got to the 45 foot sandy bottom and gathered with the others in our group. The lead dive master pointed for us to get ready to go lower. We were literally going to free fall into this hole and once we started we’d lose sight of the 45 foot spot. I moved slowly but had to follow. I began to fall towards the 130 foot mark but gave one more look towards Matt who was still coming down. Then he was gone. Chris told me later that he knew how distracted I was so he tried to get me to focus elsewhere. I figured it was now too late and how would I be able to share the joy of this moment without making Matt feel bad..
Then I saw him, slowly moving down but faster than before. He was making great progress and a minute or so after we reached the depth he was there also. I guess if I could have cried in my mask I would have. You see there are certain moments that are very special and forever cherished with loved ones and I had prayed this would be one that Chris, Matt, and me could talk about for years to come. And now it was the truth. There was a great feeling of thanksgiving and awe for what God had given to me. I can’t explain what part God played in it other than to say that for something like that moment to happen God was certainly at play within it. I considered it a miracle and certainly a God moment.
In less time than it has taken me to write this entry we had moved through some of the stalactites, felt the change in water temperature, and begun our ascent to the top. Did I mention that on our way down and back up we saw reef sharks? Some that were longer than Matt is tall (Matt is about 6’4”). When we got to our safety stop at around 20 feet the folks above had put some food into the water so that we could see many more of these sharks swimming around us. Talk about awesome. We floated and watched as these beasts of the water floated and swam around us. Had this been our first encounter with sharks down here, I might have been a little freaked but we’d been swimming near them all well (nurse sharks anyway) and so there was no real fear but great respect and awe for these creatures as we visited their home.
It was also at this stop that I realized Chris was using the alternative air source from one of the dive masters. He told me that he had a slow leak and used much of his air up. The dive master shared with Chris for a while and then let him use some of the remaining air to get back to the surface. We did finally pop our heads out of the water after about 20 minutes and we had stories to share with Lisa. I hope I can get her to share her story during our dive as she did a little snorkeling near the top of the hole while we were in the deep depths.
Prayer: Thank you God for listening to my selfish prayers and for sharing your glory in so many amazing ways and for giving the boys and me a moment that we’ll remember forever. I am very aware of how you do this much more often than I think or am aware and I ask forgiveness for those moments of unacknowledged blessings. Thank you also for the beauty of your creation, which you call earth and for the many creatures and locations that reveal that beauty to us. Amen.

Here is a website that talks about the Blue Hole as well as the other two dives that we took during the same day. http://ambergriscaye.com/pages/town/greatbluehole.html

Rough waters…

I don’t know exactly what I thought when I read about the disciples in the middle of the Sea of Galilee and the waters getting rough while Jesus slept. I do know now however that I’ve got a very clear image of their fear, their worry, and how it had to be divine sleep for Jesus that night! One of the big adventures of our trip to Belize has been to travel to the Blue Hole to dive to 130 ft for about 8 minutes. As “certified open water scuba divers” that is the maximum depth before you worry about decompression and the like. If you go earlier in the blog I think there is a video that someone took of the site. It’s not filled with beautiful fish or amazing coral but rather is a sinkhole in the water that goes very, very, very deep! What you can find in there are stalactites and stalagmites, as you would in any cave. You also find sandy outreaches and you wonder who would have walked in these areas when they were first caves (they say that’s what it used to be…). My image of the journey to the Blue Hole was one of a Caribbean cruise of sorts with lots of people having a great time. Well…that changed when we woke up at 5am for our 5:30am boat ride to the “big” boat (I think someone said 46 feet).
The wind was howling and it didn’t look real promising. Lisa, as I have been reminded a few times, doesn’t mind boats too much if the water is shallow or the boat is the size of a cruise ship. When she saw the rough waters she noted that she was going to be stepping outside her comfort zone. Our journey began with 30 minutes or so within the reef around Ambergris Caye (pronounced “KEY”) and it wasn’t too bad. Then we went out through the channel and into the open waters…Holy splash Batman! The driver later told Chris that the waves were 8-10 feet tall. I kept hearing the words of a familiar show from my youth, “The ship set sail for a three hour cruise, a three hour cruise”.
Thankfully we had a great captain and crew but that didn’t prevent me from holding on for dear life to a bar as far into the lower floor of the boat as possible. Matt was directly across from me – all of us had taken Dramamine but I wasn’t sure how good it would work as I noticed on the box that morning that the expiration date was 08/05 – and Lisa was beside him. Chris was up with the driver where he got completely soaked by the waves that simply washed over the windows through which we could see. For 45 minutes we went up and down, side to side, and I prayed mightily for strength and intestinal fortitude! 3 of our party ventured to the back of the boat where they either fed the fish or filled a bucket. Thankfully the noise of the twin Caterpillars kept the sounds to the back of the boat! Up and down, side-to-side, we moved and jumped.
At one point I left my seat (not my choice!) and Matt says I almost hit the roof (that means I went up about 2 feet). I immediately thought of Jesus and the disciples and will never again read those texts without feeling the motion, the anxiety, and the expression on Lisa’s face that told me just how much she was willing to sacrifice in the area of her own comfort so that the boys and I could share an experience as a family. Up and down, side-to-side, we moved and jumped. I found out once we got back that a tropical storm had passed through the area when we were on this trip! Glad I didn’t know earlier – I think…
I needed something to keep my mind occupied and though I am on renewal leave I decided to put together my sermon series for Advent. I needed something to focus on and with prayer being such a big part of it at that moment, it only seemed right to continue my close connection with God! To Ron (our BUMC worship coordinator) and anyone else who wants to read along, here is what I am thinking… “Secular Signs for a Sacred Season” with the four signs being 1) the early setup in retail stores for the Christmas sales season 2) The flyers and advertising that comes out immediately after Thanksgiving 3) the different specials and TV shows that we watch as we get ready for Christmas (The Grinch, Charlie Brown, Rudolph, etc) 4) Going to church on Christmas eve. I haven’t quite got the sermons done but I’ve got a real good start on them!
We made it into a second reef area (smoother waters) and then had another 40 minutes of open water. Finally we arrived in the reef around the Blue Hole and it was like paradise. The water was smooth, the sun was out, and the water was ready to welcome us..Thankfully, on the way back, as we went with the water towards our home it wasn’t as rough and the 3 hour trip out only took about 2 ¼ hours on the way back in. What a journey! Note to the disciples – I can completely understand what you were doing and the next time I read those passages I’ll need to take a Dramamine to get through them!

Traveling to the ATM cave..

One of the first places we visited was this cave that you can read about at this address. It was absolutely amazing! After a 30 minute hike in the jungle - crossing a river three times, we headed into the cave. The only way in is to wade up to your chest in the cool water that flows through the cave. It is an amazing site for history as the items found inside are anywhere from 900 - 1500 years old! We saw things exactly where the Mayans had left them. We walked through certain parts in socks in reverance to the sacred area and also to keep the oils from our bodies away from the artifacts. It was a great way to start our vacation away and on a very hot day outside we remained very cool in the caves. Our guide was Juan Carlos and he knew many things about the Mayan lifestyle, religion, and history. We saw places for food, blood, and human sacrifices. These caves were considered very sacred for the elite of the community while most of the lower class folks would perform their worship outside such places. It was soloemn, awe inspiring, stunning, and truly a mind opening experience (Don't worry, we won't be using many of their ideas of sacrifice when I return to BUMC in November! LOL). Lisa felt this was a trip where she stepped beyond her comfort zones more than once and I've even got a picture of her swinging through the trees on a vine that will just amaze folks! As we headed back out of the cave Juan Carlos allowed those who wanted (there were six total in our group) to go through much thinner areas where we had to twist and turn and the water got to shoulder level. Chris, Matt, and me found those times to be the most exciting though the whole trip was great!

We've got great pictures to share and as soon as I can get the blog to accept them we'll get some of the them up there! In the meantime, here is a website to check out! Folks we talked with stated this was one of the most important things to see in this area of Belize...

http://www.belizex.com/tunichil_muknal.htm

Whether we agree or not with what they did, we can wonder what folks sill say about our worship styles when they look back on us in the years to come. What would people say if they walked into our sacred spaces today? What images, thoughts, understandings would they have? Will they see commitment, intentionality, discipline, faith on behalf of those who gathered?