So very tired of seeing intolerance on social media

First, I am a deeply committed Christian. Period. Full stop.

Second, I find the constant wrapping of mistrust and even hate in a Christian veil offensive.

Third, as I write this I am writing 'God' instead of 'G-d'. I am not trying belittle the name of God, only typing for clarity for most of those who read this blog. Here's a link to the whole discussion on the G-d thing:  http://judaism.about.com/od/judaismbasics/a/Why-Do-Some-Jews-Spell-God-G-D.htm

Now....here's what has set me off.....

I was reading through my favorite social media account when I came across something that really really bothered me. I should tell you that I use social media to stay in touch with friends and family who are spread across the globe from the western coast of the US all the way to Australia. We share family photos and silly fun videos from YouTube. We share happy peaceful stuff.  But I'm seeing more and more 'stuff' working its way around social media (via friends and acquaintances) from those who are committed Christians, but it's nothing I would want speaking for me and my faith. I understand that not all Christians feel as I do on certain topics. I'm ok with that. What I'm not ok with is when I see folks not wanting to allow others their religious freedom.

What set it off was a post from Franklin Graham on Facebook:

"Recently, U.S. Representative Rush Holt (D-NJ) invited Muslim imam Hamad Ahmad Chebli to open Congress with a call to prayer and worship of Allah, their god, which is not the God of the Bible. Incredibly, Congressman Holt lauded the imam following his prayer. Today, the NY Post reported that four Iraqi Christian children were beheaded by followers of Islam. These children were told to either convert--to follow Mohammed--or to die. They said, "We love Jesus," and these followers of Islam carried out their gruesome execution. And the Muslim community remains silent with no condemnation of this evil. I wonder if this imam who opened our Congress in prayer, or the representative who invited him, have issued a statement condemning the barbaric acts of his fellow followers of Islam?"

I have heard it said before, many times, that Christians and Muslims do not worship the same God. Both faiths believe that Jesus was a real person. The difference is Christians believe that Jesus was the son of God, and Muslims believe Jesus was a great prophet. But, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam all have a common descent from Abraham. If you open an Arabic language copy of the Bible, where in English we would see the word 'God', in the Arabic language you would see 'Allah'.  'Allah' is Arabic for 'God'. Same 'God', but the three faiths all approach worship and understanding of 'God' in different ways.

There are many Muslims who condemn what is going on in terms of the barbarity and violence taking place in Syria and Iraq. I'm not going to quote, but I am providing links:

This is from Vatican Radio:
http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2014/07/25/worlds_muslim_leaders_condemn_attacks_on_iraqi_christians/1103410

This is from an online news source, Slate:
http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_slatest/2014/09/25/muslims_scholars_open_letter_to_isis_baghdadi_caliphate_s_actions_against.html

From the Jordan Times:
http://jordantimes.com/muslim-christian-jewish-leaders-unite-to-condemn-jihadi-violence


So.....now to change things up a bit.....

The United States of America is a democracy. Freedom of religion is protected under the First Amendment of our Constitution. Again, here's a link. This is from Cornell University Law School:
http://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/first_amendment

Quoting from the above link:

"The establishment clause prohibits the government from passing legislation to establish an official religion or preferring one religion over another. It enforces the "separation of church and state." "

Our government can not prefer one religion over another. And being a responsible democracy, it is a very understandable and appropriate thing to invite a religious leader from a major faith that is not Christian to provide an opening prayer. Doing a quick internet search, I found the following:
The Dalai Lama opened the US Senate with prayer
Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami opened the US House of Representatives with prayer
And a very long list of Christians who have opened with prayer for various branches of our government.

Why don't we see a massive outcry about other religions? Why Islam? I believe it is because people are fearful. We fear that which we don't understand. We also see a lot of negative press around Islam. We see people doing violent things in the name of Islam on TV and on-line. The press doesn't always do a great job of showing us the good stuff people do because that kind of news just doesn't sell.  Is all the violent stuff we see on the news bad and evil? Of course, violence is bad and evil. But, if we are Christian, I believe, we have to trust God and reach out in love to those around us. As Christians, we believe that we are to love our neighbors as ourselves. Wow, that's radical.

Going back to the post from Franklin Graham, I was reading so much fear and anger in people's words responding to the post. Seeing that level of fear, that level of anger from those who are Christians makes me so very sad. I wonder if every Christian leader has written or proclaimed apologies (or condemned those other Christians) for all the evil and violence done in the name of Christianity throughout history? Thinking that those who are currently doing evil in Iraq 'in the name of Islam' are representative of Islam is like thinking that members of the KKK are representative of Christianity.

For those of you who really know me, you know I volunteered a lot of my time doing things within the Anglican church while I was overseas. No, I did not proselytize. But, I met many many Christians and Muslims from all over the Middle East. If you'd like a conversation with me about the volunteer work I did and my experiences, I'm more than happy to share in a one on one setting - just drop me a line. But, suffice it to say, that for me topics like what I've been talking about are very personal.

We must truly love our neighbors as ourselves. We must as Christians think about how we react to others before we react. Is our reaction coming from a place of love or of fear?

Peace.

We really need to learn from history

My daughter asks me all the time, "What's so important about learning history?"  Which, I feel, is a valid question. My typical response is that it is important to know what humans have done wrong in the past so we don't repeat those wrongs. It is also important to know what humans have done that was right and worked so we can springboard off those things to hopefully make the world even better.

I just read the New York Times' take on the just released Senate Torture Report.
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/10/world/senate-intelligence-committee-cia-torture-report.html?_r=0

While I'm not anyone with any special training, I think it's pretty obvious that you catch more flies with honey then with vinegar.

There was an awesome show on PBS a while back called 'Bugging Hitler's Soldiers'.
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/secrets/bugging-hitler%E2%80%99s-soldiers-program-transcript/950/

The link above is the transcript of the show, but I know it was recently available via Netflix.

So why talk about this PBS show? Well, first of all, I'm not saying the British were perfect little angels during WWII.  But, this is a fabulous example of a program that worked.  The prisoners, at least according to the documentary, were treated as equals with the British. The German prisoners were treated as human beings even though in some cases they did horrible bad things. They were made comfortable. And excellent intelligence was obtained. And the prisoners were still prisoners.

If someone is taught that Americans are cruel, and then Americans go and do cruel things to those people, how does that help Americans? Am I saying that those who wish to do Americans harm be given the best 5-star treatment available? No, I'm not saying to reward those who do or would do bad things. But, I do think we have lesson here to learn from history in what works and what doesn't work.

So why am I writing about this? I am writing about this because I live in a democracy, and a democracy is hard work. If we see something happening that bothers us, the greatest assets we have are our voices and our words. And, I dearly love my country.

Peace.

 

Book suggestion: "Hospice Whispers"

Looking for something to read? Wanna laugh and cry?

http://www.amazon.com/Hospice-Whispers-Stories-Carla-Cheatham-ebook/dp/B00OJODPIC/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1415673033&sr=1-1&keywords=carla+cheatham

I really enjoyed this book AND it was written by a dear friend.

Peace.

New book claiming that Jesus had a wife and family

First, let me start with a link to a Washington Post Article:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2014/11/10/the-book-that-claims-jesus-had-a-wife-and-kids-and-the-controversial-author-behind-it/?tid=trending_strip_2

This is sort of like the kind of stuff I really love to read. I love to sink my teach into well written books on textual criticism/discussion of scripture and books that were not considered as part of the final Christian canon (ie the current Bible).  The current 'final Bible' actually varies amongst various Christians groups today.  Some books that are called apocryphal by Protestants are called deuterocanonical by Roman Catholics and members of the various Orthodox branches of Christianity.  And some Orthodox Christians and some Roman Catholics might not agree on what they consider deuterocanonical.

I am not sure what to think of this latest to be published book. I can promise you that if I can get an e-version, I will read it. But, a few thoughts in the meantime.....

First, how old is the manuscript they found? Where was it written? Who do they think wrote it? What makes the authors of the above referenced book think that the manuscript is the 'real deal'? And, what do other scholars have to say about it? There are A LOT of ancient texts floating around the world that date from the time of the early Christian church. Some, are obviously just interesting stories but originally written for a reason other than entertainment. For example, the infancy narratives of Christ that are not considered canon by any current mainstream Christians faith groups are entertaining reading but, at least obviously to some, are not to be taken seriously as written history. Whenever folks wrote stuff about Jesus back in the early years of the Christian church, they most likely had an agenda. The question is then, what was the agenda of that 'author'?

There's a lot of  'fluffiness' out in the world that looks like documentaries. My daughter enjoys watching ones on 'proof' that there are aliens - and she laughs through them. We'll see if  this book is part of the 'fluffiness' genre.

Peace.

Ebola Outbreak - How to help

Do I worry about terrorists doing stupid bad things? No, not really. But, I am concerned about the lack of response towards containing the current Ebola outbreak.

So........what can the average person do to really help?

#1 Pray - I'm a big believer in the power of prayer

#2 Give money - Getting money to organizations already in place to help is essential. The only way to get through any kind of crisis like this to support those in a position to help.

CNN published a list of organizations who are doing everything they can but need more financial support. Here's a link to CNN's list:

http://www.cnn.com/2014/09/19/world/iyw-ebola-outbreak-how-to-help/index.html

Personally, I like to support Red Cross/Red Crescent and Doctor's Without Borders. And, I donated directly to the UN response via:
https://secure.globalproblems-globalsolutions.org/site/Donation2;jsessionid=F5DA2CAD19C9997C7AB37C84D6B8C8F6.app244a?8780.donation=form1&df_id=8780 

If you are concerned about clicking a link on 'some random blog', then you can Google
"donate to UNF Ebola foundation".

Please consider doing more than just watching the evening news and chatting about in via social media.

Peace.

Rain and doggies - Dealing with Sad Moments

Meet Layla.  Ms. Layla is new to our family. The rescue group we got her from said she was a mix of yorkie and pug. I don't think so. If here tail were docked, she'd look like a full-blooded border terrier, not that it really matters. What does matter is she is cute, loving, enjoys a cuddle, is a lovely sofa buddy and gets along with Max Kitty and Jesse Dog.

I have to say that it warms my fuzzy critter loving heart to sit here on the sofa with my laptop writing with Layla curled up next to me. It is overcast outside with the occasional sprinkle. Jesse is peacefully laying on the floor and Max Kitty is curled up atop his 'Tower of Terror'. (Tower of Terror = Max attacks from his tower any hand that goes near him and woe to any lizard that enters Max's domain.) But even with all this warm fuzziness around me, there are times that I feel sad.

I love social media.  I will fully admit that I am a social media junkie. I check on things several times a day. My friends and family are scattered across the globe and social media is a way for me to stay connected with folks even when we are continents apart. I dearly love to read all the happy posts and look at all the happy photos. You know the ones I mean - kids at ball games, family vacations, family events like weddings. All that happy happy stuff. But, along with the happy comes the sad. There are links to news stories about dreadful things. There are things that folks post and/or chatter about that I find really distasteful and disrespectful of others. But, I believe that free speech is a fundamental right so even if I disagree with something, folks still have the right to use their voices.

Views on Eschatology and the movie Left Behind

I just came from a Sunday school class that was basically a lecture format.  The topic of the lesson was, essentially, a specific view on eschatology. The prompt for the lesson was the trailer for the upcoming Nicholas Cage movie "Left Behind."  It never ceases to amaze me how many times the subject of eschatology comes up in church. What is even more interesting to me is how much more frequently it seems to come up living here in the southern half of the U.S. versus being around Christians in Dubai. But, that would take an entire other blog post, so I better get back to the topic.

The bit of writing that you are about to read is a super simplified introduction into this particular topic. At the end of this, I added in a list of books and websites for further reading if you are interested in exploring this topic further. My list tends to show you the viewpoint I hold on the topic. So, please keep that in mind.

So, what in the world is eschatology? According to Merriam-Webster online:
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/eschatology

"1

:  a branch of theology concerned with the final events in the history of the world or of humankind

2

:  a belief concerning death, the end of the world, or the ultimate destiny of humankind; specifically :  any of various Christian doctrines concerning the Second Coming, the resurrection of the dead, or the Last Judgment"

 

So.....why I am I writing about this? Well....in the class, it kinda came across that there is only one 'truthful' way to interpret the book of Revelation in the New Testament. While folks may love to argue/discuss what is or is not 'truthful', I think it is very helpful to understand that there are MANY ways of approaching this particular text. I am not going to go into massive amounts of detail (there's lots of other places that do that), but I would like to go through a few basics. Before you read further, I would suggest you go watch on-line somewhere the trailer for the upcoming movie "Left Behind."

 

There are a full range of ways to interpret Revelation. And by interpret, I don't mean what language. What I do mean is what do we bring with us when we approach the text, and what do we take away with us after reading the text?   What do we personally get out of the text? What meaning does the text provide to us? Well, everyone is different. We all bring different stuff to the text therefore we are all going to get something different back. With that being said, let's get to some of those differences.

 

Some folks interpret the book of Revelation by looking at it from almost a historian's point of view. What was happening when the book was first written? Where was it written? Who was the author? What was the author's original intent? Other folks will look at the book and go, "What was the original language in which it was written? What other ways can the words be translated?"
And still others might read the text and ask, "How does this text compare to other texts? What style was used in writing it?" And still others might pick up the book and simply read it without asking other questions! Or even, some may read the book with all of this going on at the same time! And this is just the tip of the iceberg! Again there are MANY ways of approaching this particular text.

 

So, that brings us back to eschatology. Because there are so many ways of approaching and reading the text, it is logical that there are going to be different viewpoints on 'the end times' based on all the different ways of dealing with the text.

 

I pulled out the notes I wrote up from when I taught about Revelation previously (I've facilitated discussion on this book in several churches at this point). I can't tell you where these terms come from since I can't find the bibliography that should be attached to my notes, so if you find the origin of these terms, please feel free to post a comment.

 

Preterist - feels that the events of Revelation were mostly fulfilled in the first few hundred years or so of the Christian era

 

Historicist - sees the events of Revelation as happening in the course of history

 

Futurist - feels the events of Revelation as mostly have not happened yet

 

Idealist - this is someone who interprets Revelation spiritually and/or symbolically

 

Or....there are folks that see Revelation as being a combination of these 4 views! Complicated enough for ya?

 

This is where things get tricky. What is 'truthful'? Is 'truthful' only that with which we are familiar? Is 'truthful' only that which is based on research done by scholars with which we agree? How does one speak about what is 'truthful'? This last question is the most difficult.

 

For me, it is not the how a text is being interpreted, it is about how we are discussing the text.  Discussion can be a painful process when everyone holds a different viewpoint because having a true discussion, a true dialogue, means we must listen to and respect the viewpoints with which we don't agree. 

 

If you find yourself getting into a conversation over this topic, my hope is that it is a true dialogue where all viewpoints are respected.  And finally, what viewpoint(s) is the movie "Left Behind" based on?

 

Peace.

 

The reading list:

*The Revelation of John by William Barclay  (vols 1 and 2) from The New Daily Study Bible

*Breaking the Code: Understanding the Book of Revelation by Bruce M. Metzger

*A rather old curriculum called "Faith for Dangerous Times: The Book of Revelation" by Jeff and Shelia Campbell (the copyright on my copy is from 1976 and is from The United Methodist Publishing House)

*http://www.religioustolerance.org/millenni.htm

*Charts of Christian Theology and Doctrine by H. Wayne House

*http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/05528b.htm General discussion on eschatology

*http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/10307a.htm Millennium and Millenarianism

 

 

The News - Time to think about happy things

I am glad that the US government is communicating with the Iraqi government about the horrid things happening there. And, I am glad the my government seems willing to offer some help.

Because we lived in the Middle East for almost 6 years, I still find myself reading news coming out of the region. Being a news junkie, I find it hard not to pick up my phone or my iPad and not check the latest headlines. And right now, it just all feels so terribly depressing.  A good friend of mine is originally from Lebanon. She was concerned about going their for summer holiday to visit family because of things happening in the region.  I just read a news story about a bombing in Beirut. I read this morning that for the first time in 1600 years, no mass was said at church in Nineveh this past Sunday. Just depressing stuff.

So...along that line of thought....here are some happy thoughts....

My cat Max curled up peacefully asleep in a sunbeam.

My dog Jesse rolling on her back in the grass with all four legs in the air as she delights in all the outdoor green-ness

My kids trying to have a fight about who gets the TV but they end up trying to out-do each other with goofy voices thus the 'fight' ends in giggles.

The smell of rain right before the clouds let forth.

The sight of my daughter's hamster coming right up to her with no fear hoping for a hamster treat.

The joy of a cheap but totally delicious snow cone bought from a snow cone shack in a summer rain storm.

The smell of chocolate chip cookies just before they come out of the oven all warm and gooey.

Peace.

Volunteering at Vacation Bible School

Well, to show you my true stripes at the moment, I am ditching VBS. After working with kids through the year (and I do love working with kids), I desperately needed a break. A break for the not so important things in my life like plunking down at my computer and writing on my blog, for instance. And shoveling out my master bathroom. It was really gross. I probably should hire a housekeeper if I'm working full-time. The trash growled at me, and the air intakes on the whirlpool tub were breeding some interesting slimy life forms.

My offspring, on the other hand, are serving at VBS. They both are having fun, but they were both exhausted when I picked them up yesterday from church.  Munchkin #2 got in the car and proclaimed, "The kids - they're crazy."

Here are a few stories I heard from my munchkins about the little VBS students yesterday:
dumping sand down each others shirts
dumping sugar from the shaker in the craft room
chewing on name tags
stuffing entire name tag into mouth
landing on face after jumping from swing and getting a nose full of artificial grass bits

I asked my kids if they were interested in ever becoming teachers. They proclaimed rather quickly in unison, "NO."  I laughed and told them, "Now imagine trying to get those same kids to sit still 45+ minutes at a time and get them to learn math." My youngest actually shuddered. My eldest said, "Mom, there were some who couldn't sit still for even 5 minutes." Yup. I get it.

Both my kids, upon arriving at our home, grabbed a snack and headed off to separate sofas for long 3+ hour naps.

What is interesting to me about this, aside from the fact that I am proud my kids are serving in the community, is that my kids seem to quickly be gaining a deeper respect for the work that I do to help put money into the college savings accounts.

I can't wait to hear their stories today.

Peace.

 

Praying for those in harm's way

 

 

I had to post this picture of my snuggle monster, Max. As soon as I sit down on the sofa, Max moves in for the snuggle. Just needed to post something happy.

 

Well, about to have a lot of opinionated stuff flowing out of my fingertips as I type this. Are you ready?  Well, here goes.

 

 

I have been reading the news coming out of Iraq. Horrible stuff.  The first thing I read was a social networking/website post from Canon Andrew White (aka the Vicar of Baghdad). Here's an official Anglican church link to the latest:

http://cypgulf.org/urgent-prayer-needed-iraqi-christians/  For me, yes I do worry for the Christians since they are a minority, but I also worry for all the innocent people caught in the paths of extremists.

 

Next, here is a link to a Reuter's article that seemed reasonably comprehensive:

http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/06/13/us-iraq-violence-idUSKBN0EN0RV20140613

 

 

So, reading all this horrible news coming out of Iraq, I can't begin to imagine what goes through the minds of those who were part of the American forces stationed there for so long. So many Americans gave their all there, so much money was spent to teach/train Iraqi military. So many lives were lost - Iraqi and American.

 

I found another article from NBC news talking about this:

http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/iraq-turmoil/iraq-violence-opens-old-wounds-vets-n130161

 

So, now for my opinionated stuff......

 

I have a beautiful blue scarf that was made by women of the Mother's Union at St. George's Church in Baghdad. I gave a pink one to my own mother. For me, when I think of the horror of such a frightening militant group plowing towards the city these mothers live in, it is not just a story on NBC news. I have met some of the people from that church. I have shared a coffee with them, prayed with them, worshipped with them. Frankly, I don't know how the US can keep from getting involved again. I understand that it is not likely to have US 'boots on the ground' there, but if Iraq is willing to take help from 'the other side of the pond' over there, then it seems like diplomatically the US stands a lot to lose from not at the very least offering airstrikes. It just seems that the US should be doing something.

 

Do I feel that it is the job of the US to police the whole world? No, of course not. But, if a government is asking for our help, and we are already involved in that country, then don't we have a responsibility to help? Besides, what is going to happen if this dangerous group with the black flags gets greater support in terms of money and equipment? Can the US afford to take an 'isolationist' stance towards what is happening?

 

Praying for peace.





Am finally really home

Well, I have not blogged for a long time. I've been working as a full-time substitute teacher (long term kind of thing). But, the school year is winding down, thus I am feeling a bit reflective.

My name is 'in the system' so to speak as I look for a full-time teaching gig. Teaching here in the States is very different (I've been in public school lately) from teaching in an over-seas private school.  Over seas, private school seemed to give parents and teachers better access to each other. It felt so much easier to communicate with parents back over seas. Here, it feels like a solid wall of law-suit prevention rules. Really, that is not necessarily a bad thing, but it does take some getting used to.

But, like anywhere on the planet, the end of the school year feels like the last push in an up-hill mountain climbing marathon. I'm not sure who is more tired, the kids or the teachers. 

I am very much looking forward to closing out the classroom for the teacher whom I took over for, but it has been a good educational experience for me.

Next post will be 'during the summer'.  Almost there.

Peace.

It's not a girl thing!!!!!!!!

Ok, I seriously need to blow off some steam.

I am so seriously frustrated listening to folks 'around our area' talk about how 'girls should dress' and how 'girls should behave' so as not to attract unwanted attention from boys. Really? Seriously? Ok, let me elaborate.  I'm going to list out the comments I have heard that really make me squirm then give you my response.  These 'responses' from me I sometimes blurt out to people's faces, other times I have really held my tongue. I always try to be respectful of others opinions, culture and feelings.  I do, however, get seriously hot under the collar when others feel the need to foist their bits on me and my kids. With that said, read on but you've been warned.

#1 Girls shouldn't wear things with words or bling bling on their backsides. It's going to make the boys stare at their backsides.

I find this really something especially since I see so many moms wearing Miss Me brand jeans around here (ie bling all over the booty). I would ask, "Well, what does the word read? Do those athletic shorts read 'Hot' or 'Bootyliscious' or whatever, or do they read 'Florida' or 'New York' or something random and innocuous?"  And.....have you taught your son that he should never objectify girls?

#2 Those shorts that girl is wearing are too short. Those are going to make boys want to do bad things to her.

I ask, "Are her butt cheeks hanging out? Or are those shorts just really short?" There is a huge difference in my mind. Is she at the beach or walking to the pool or is she going to the shopping mall with a group of friends dressed like that? There is a time and a place for most clothing. And......have you taught your son that he should never objectify girls?

#3  Those high school girl cheerleader/girl drill team/band flag corps girls' uniforms are too sexy.

I seriously think that this is the most offensive to me. I pretty much NEVER hear anything about how tight football pants are. I NEVER hear anything about how football boys (well, male jocks in general) are always shifting around their 'private parts protection' in public. I've never heard comments like the above about female or males ballet dancers. And....have you taught your son that he should never objectify girls? And.....come to think of it.....what would make a mom say the above comment about high school girls? Are their husbands' eyes wandering? If that's the case....gross....wrong.  Were those men ever taught not to objectify girls?


People are 'cultured' to think some things are acceptable and some things are not. In Ethiopia, it was totally normal when I was there years ago to see two grown men who were close friends (not lovers) walking hand in hand.  But here in the States, folks would assume they were a couple. There are places where women go topless on the beaches - no big deal. If any woman went topless on a beach here, she's likely be arrested, or spoken badly about by other women at the very least. The beaches were I grew up in the States would arrest girls for wearing thong bikinis (ie shows a few more inches of butt cheek then a regular bikini or shows all the butt cheeks).  Other places, thong bikinis are no big deal. 

Having lived in Dubai, I've seen women fully covered in black stared at just as much as women who were in short skirts and high heels. It is all about what you are 'cultured' with growing up.

So how about this....can we just all please to teach our sons and our daughters not to objectify the opposite sex? Can we please teach our children to respect each other?

Thanks for the vent.

Peace.

And, please pardon my typos. I'm tired.

One year as a former ex-pat

I'm posting this photo of me snowboarding to show you just what a change my life is now from a year ago. Dramatically different life.

Now that I'm 'home' (whatever that means at this point), I find that I seriously miss international travel. I miss the excitement of it. I miss meeting so many different people. I miss the cultural encounters. Life here at 'home' seems so quiet and well, boring.

Unlike while we were living as ex-pats, money for travel is harder to come by. We are hoping to go visit family who live across the country this Spring, but the plane tickets are over $400 per person. That gets pricey when we have to buy four of them.

I still find that I am drawn to the news coming out of the 'Middle East'. I am so deeply saddened by the level of conflict. I think of my Lebanese girlfriends, fellow coffee drinking moms, and how we would sit around the lobby of the private school our children attended talking about everything and anything. When I see the news coming out of Lebanon about bombings and death, for me these news stories are not about random foreign countries. These are stories that bring up memories of listening to moms chat happily about family births, holiday breaks, paying for university, and great places to drink coffee of course. I don't read these news stories and just go, "Sad." I picture how these stories are affecting my friends. It can be a deeply painful experience. I can't imagine what my friends' families are going through.

It is the same seeing news coming out of Syria. Just before we re-patriated, I had a conversation with the mom of one of Munchkin #2's classmates. This particular mom was Syrian by birth but held a US passport. She was crying because she was unable to get her parents out of Syria.

Now....I am back 'home'.  Today Munchkin #1 is at a school activity, Munchkin #2 is cleaning out her desk and her hamster cages, and the Husband finished organizing our music room. I wanted the music room 'finished' before his side of family comes in a few weeks for a visit. We are planning our spring vacation (we finished the budget for the year) to visit family on the Pacific coast. Life is 'normal'.

There are days that I can't read anything, happy or sad, out of Dubai or anywhere in the vicinity. It's too bitter sweet. I miss our friends there so much, I miss the adventure, and of course I deeply miss our place of prayer there. But, we've built a 'new' life here, and I'm even working again.

I am deeply thankful for our experiences in Dubai. They have changed all of us forever and, I think, for the better.

Peace.