My Thoughts, too . . .

Since Dennis recently gave the lowdown on his daily routine here on the island of Hvar, I thought I might as well join him with my own (check out his blog for his list).

• I sleep up to 9 – 10 hrs/night – about 10 min. more than I get back home.
• Every morning (well, late morning) I enjoy the warm breeze on the terrace just outside our room while eating yogurt with peaches and bananas.
• I journal, not always daily, but when I do, it ends up being several pages.
• Taking communion together daily is a new thing for us – a brief time of remembrance that I’m sure has impacted our marriage more than we realize.
• I get sun daily. I don’t think I’ve had this much consistent sun in my life – 14 days straight of purely sunshiny days – no rain, hardly a cloud, with a breeze. Whether on the beach, on a scooter, taking a walk, your skin soaks in the rays. Expect us glowing when we return. (Dennis doesn’t mind these beaches so much – no sand.)
• Three different days we rented a scooter which has been crazy fun riding all over the island.
• I’ve read 7 books since my April graduation – 4 of these since we left for Europe. I’d recommend all of them as great books. Reading is a sacred pathway for me – I learn about God, I learn about myself, I learn about life, history and others, and hopefully my learning makes a difference in how I view the world. If interested, check out the book list below.
• I eat ice cream everyday (this is very unusual for me – I’m normally not a big ice cream eater, but there’s something about this ice cream that keeps me coming back for more). But, I don’t get as many dips as Dennis. The pounds I hoped to lose . . . well . . . maybe the 2- 4 mile daily walks will help.
• I let Dennis cook our meals (something we started as empty nesters) and I do the clean up, which I’d rather do than cook.
• I tell God everyday that I trust Him – a simple prayer, but of great significance.
• Every night we prop the bed pillows up (wait, what were you thinking?) and watch a movie on the laptop at the foot end of our bed. Dennis brought all action movies, except for Sleepless in Seattle. You would think a guy for romance would know better, but then this sunny island has plenty of atmosphere to keep the romance flowing.
  
  The Testament – John Grisham
  Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close – Jonathan Safran Foer
  The Source – James Michener (beware, this novel is just under a 1,000 pgs long)
  The Ultimate Blessing – JoAnne Lyon
  The Return of the Prodigal Son – Henri Nouwen
  Contrarian’s Guide to Knowing God (Spirituality for the Rest of Us) – Larry Osborne
  A Generous Orthodoxy – Brian McLaren

I love my Keens!

Many of you have heard me say this, but I can't help it. I really do love the versatility they give me. I bought them 2 years ago for a trip to China, in fact the only pair of "shoes" I took with me on that trip and I've never had sore feet, blisters or lost any toe nails (unlike my hiking shoes).

Now I wear them for just about everything - they were great for hiking in Glacier (through creeks, snow patches, etc.), they are great for swimming here in the Adriatic Sea with its rocky bottom, comfortable to walk in or ride a scooter - just great all-around shoes.

Have I told you how much I love my Keens?

Israel.finalpost - Religion Collision

Islam, Judaism, Christianity – they all seem to bump into each other in Jerusalem. You can pass a synagogue, a mosque and a church all within one city block. Each has their own quarter with shops and eateries within the Old Jerusalem walls. The wall was re-constructed by the Muslims 500 years ago. Massive stone arched gates lead into various sections of the walled city. All except for one that is.

The Eastern gate was built, but there's no way anyone is getting through. It is totally sealed off with blocked stone where it is believed the Messiah will return on the Day of Judgment. Muslim graves line the hillside along the Eastern gate and wall. Devout Jews would never walk among the dead. The Muslim mosque stands over the site of the original Jewish temple where it is believed that Muhammad left his footprint before ascending into heaven. For Muslims, this is the place of the final judgment where they believe Jesus will return declaring, “The only God is Allah, and his prophet is Muhammad.”

A Jerusalem Muslim gave a revealing picture of that final day. He said the Day of Judgment will be like a tight rope stretched from the Mount of Olives to the mosque and good works will determine if one can make it to the other side.

Crossing the Kidron Valley, adjacent to the Eastern Wall are thousands of Jewish graves where $25,000 will buy a grave site. Why? Because the Jews believe that the final judgment will take place in the Kidron Valley and to be as close as possible is better than having your soul roll through underground caverns to this significant spot. They continue to look for a redeemer, a Messiah. Devout Jews continue to live by the law. Our hotel had a specific elevator arranged for use on the Sabbath so no buttons would have to be pushed to get to a particular floor.

Not far away is Golgotha where a significant judgment took place 2,000 years ago. Beyond that is a tomb chiseled from the rocky hillside where once laid the Savior of the world. The judgment of the world laid upon Jesus, Son of God, in order that all peoples could be redeemed from the mark of sin on mankind. Jesus’ final earthly words said it all: “It is finished.” God’s grace. It’s about forgiveness. It’s ultimately about love.

Ironically, while singing Amazing Grace by the empty tomb the Muslim call to prayer rang out over nearby intercoms, while the Jews sang through the streets celebrating 60 years of nationhood.

"Thus the people were divided because of Jesus." John 7:43


(Dennis and I at the Mount of Olives with the Kidron Valley and the Old Jerusalem wall in the background. The gold dome-shaped mosque can be seen within the wall as well as the burial grounds just outside the wall.)

This is my final post on Israel. Thanks for letting me share those things that were close to my heart as we encountered this land.

Check out Dennis' Sabbatical Journey on my side links for an update on our Europe trip so far.