Tomorrow we leave for Florence in the morning, so I wanted to get this post in before the weekend. Nothing super profound, just some musings I've had...
Before I get to the "deep stuff", I forgot a great part of the Forum/Emperor's grounds. So there was this round building, I didn't get a picture of it, but just imagine a medium sized church with pillars and a dome...Our professor pointed it out and said that was formerly the "Temple of Cupid" and they had yearly festivals where they would come together and dance. The ritual was pretty simple; it went like this: A destra, a destra, a destra, a destra, a sinistra, a sinistra, a sinistra, a sinistra, kicka kicka..........(translated: to the right to the right to the right to the right, to the left, to the left, to the left, to the left, now kick....)
Haha - he had some in our group going for a little bit, and he claimed it was the original "Cupid Shuffle." I started cracking up and loved it. Hope that gave you a laugh as well, but maybe you had to be there :/
So what I've been thinking about is the concept that talked about in the movie Midnight in Paris. The idea of "golden age thinking" where people in a certain era or location think that life in another time period or setting would be so much better than their present. These people end us always thinking the grass is greener, but don't realize that every era and place has its drawbacks and people are always longing for something else.
This hit me a couple times while I'm here. First, when people (including me) in our group travel on the weekend, and feel like we love the region were we visit and "don't want to go back" to Rome. As silly as that sounds, the weekend retreat is often a breath of fresh air away from the bustling streets of Rome. But that's all it is - a retreat. If we actually were in that spot for a prolonged time we would feel comfortable, get frustrated and want to go somewhere else. This also happens when we think that we "don't want to go back to the US." Most people in our group are loving Rome - its history, public transportation, cafe culture, food, and class structure, etc is awesome. But we aren't truly experiencing what it's like to live here as a citizen and feel the everyday grind that locals have. We don't have to pay taxes or deal with the high unemployment rates and struggle to keep up with the standard of living.
Granted, my semester is incredible, and I am nowhere near ready to come back to the US, but as far as wanting to live here, I don't think I could make the switch. Here's what the locals have to deal with that I'm thankful we don't have (for the most part) in America:
-Incredibly corrupt and disorganized presidents/politics - in the recent election, none of the candidates received the majority, so what did they do? All 3 candidates are now in power. What genius thought that would ever be a good idea? (I am still incredulous about this, and it's kinda the crux to my writing this)
-An unemployment rate of 11.2%, and rising...
-A constant presence of tourists and therefore, ethnocentric people imposing on your culture. I know I'm one of them, but I think it'd be tough being an Italian on the other side of it.
America certainly has its flaws too, don't get me wrong, but I guess I'm just flushing out that much of the Romanticism is gone. I think it'd be fun to live here for an extended time, but I don't think it is something I would want to make permanent. It is a spiritually deprived city and needs people to help ignite a fire across the country, so that could be an opportunity that God may work in later, but with these new feelings, I don't think that's my direction of the future. I want to come back for sure, and I want to travel much, much more in Europe. But live here for good? Ehhh...
In other news, today was the last day for the Pope. Some people in our group saw him fly away in his helicopter, but I didn't make it out to see him. But, I was in St. Peter's Square when he was delivering his final "angelus" message on Sunday. In case you didn't pick up on my equivocation, that was a euphemism to say that "I actually didn't see the Pope. I got there 5 minutes after he finished and when 2,000 people were leaving St. Peter's." Still, it was incredible to see so many people pilgrimage and flock to the Vatican for his farewell.
I am going to see a ton of art and architecture at Florence, so the next post will have more pictures, but I cannot guarantee that I'll be able to describe everything lucidly. But that's okay. In our reading for the week I was reminded that God is indescribable, beyond any words or concepts or theology that we can muster.
I don't know how this ties in, but I love it, and I'll leave you with this:
Zephaniah 3:17 "The Lord your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, He will quiet you with His love, he will rejoice over you with singing. "
Thursday, February 28, 2013
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
It's a Great Day to Be Alive...
^^Those lines from the country singer Travis Tritt are how I felt today. I mean everyday is a good gift from God, but the past few days have been rainy, so it's tough to soak up the beauty. So today, we got a sunny, absolutely gorgeous day in the Roman Forum and Colosseum, which couldn't have been more perfect. When we weren't walking around and learning about the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire, I took time to rest in the sunshine and just "bask". Yes, bask. As I type it and say it more, it sounds weird. "Bask". My two friends, John and John, would always bask before baseball practice. No, I don't only have friends named John. Back to "basking." Basically it involves finding a comfortable place to sit, or preferably lay, down in the grass or on a bench on a sunny day. That's it, just bask. Let the UV rays hit you hard and damage your skin cells. Feel the Vitamin D being made in your cells. Okay, you can't feel that, but when you've been bundled up and your skin hasn't seen the sun in a while, it's nice. I mean, Ah, it's incredible!
Okay, so about today. The Forum was the epicenter of all things economic, political and religious for the Roman Republic. We walked on the Sacred Road built in 600 BC where generals did their victory marches. We stood in the building where the Senate met and where the Emperors canceled debts and distributed edicts. We saw the plateau where great orators like Cicero and Julius Caesar would speak. We saw the "belly-button" column of Rome that signified that, truly, "all roads lead to Rome."
What am I doing? I have pictures. Let me just show you rather than bore you with my verbiage :)
The aforementioned "Via Sacra"(I know that stone says 1902, but that's not a misprint :) haha it's just a pipe/electricity line that was added later)
Original floor of the Senate of the Rome
Julius Caesar's tomb - a J.C. who's still dead an buried...
Outside of a the prison where Peter and Paul were imprisoned - might go in another day...
The remains of Saturn's Column. Their festival involved bringing gifts to the god Saturn and was held at the end of December. Interestingly enough, the Christianized Romans replaced this festival with Christmas and preserved the tradition of exchanging gifts.
Where the throne would've been at the Emperor's palace.
Inside the Colosseum, whaadup?!
I liked this. Amidst the brutality is the forgiveness and sacrifice of the cross. Contrary to popular belief, Christians weren't persecuted here; they were persecuted at the Circus Maximus under
Emperors Nero and Diocletian.
Ya boy just "basking" in the sunshine at the Colosseum.
(No it wasn't cold; my jacket just has a lot of pockets, so I bring it with me)
So that was today's excursion in a nut-shell. I took more pictures, but there's more to today that I want to show you. This weekend we are going to Florence and then to an AS Roma game on Sunday when we get back!! We got our tickets for the game today, and it's quite a big ordeal to get tickets. There is no scalping or stub-hub really for the games. You have to go to the official team store and buy tickets with your official ID, so we needed our passports. Tight security I guess to protect something that's so important to their culture...
Tonight we had community dinner and before testimony night, we had some incredibly memorable 80s lip-syncing performances that were a hilarious way to cap off the day. I can't believe the Florence trip is here, and Spring Break is next week! I'll probably post a few more times before Spring Break, so stay tuned. For all of you beginning your Spring Breaks this Friday, enjoy your time with friends. Chill-out, relax, "bask" in the moments and treasure your loved ones. For those of you without Spring Breaks - I'm sorry....you still should chill-out and take time to "bask" and love on others still :)
I came across this quote today in reading for class, and it stuck out to me. I'm pretty good at leaving things in God's hands and understanding that He is going to carry-out His plan for my life and that He's in control. My roommate Owen has exemplified this for me in his "chill" demeanor. Still, this quote reminded me and made me realize that God's hands are on the reins of my future. It's from St. Augustine, so I hope you like it. In his Confessions, Augustine is talking to God, and he says "He is your best servant who is not so eager to hear from you what he himself wills as to will what he hears from you." In all of my planning for my time here, in my relationships and in my schooling, I need to listen more to where God is directing my heart. He's got more than sunshine for me to bask in...
Sunday, February 24, 2013
Always Something There to Remind Me
The past few days have been slow, but incredibly relaxing. Slow is good, don't let anyone tell you otherwise... Well, it's mainly been quiet and slow because I didn't travel this weekend, but also because it rained for a good part of the weekend. Quick, what are some of your favorites past times to do when its raining? Go bowling? Watching a movie? Playing cards? Reading a book? Drinking a hot cup of tea?
Okay times up. Let's see what the survey says: Watching movies...Bingo! thats our number one answer for 100 points, followed closely behind drinking a hot cup of tea/hot chocolate for 75 points.
We do plenty of reading for class and didn't feel like taking a bus and walking to go bowling, so our weekend was filled with lounging and movies. A group of us saw a movie called Il Principe Abusivo...I don't think you need to know Italian to figure that one out :)
The Italian theatre was fairly simple, but it didn't feel that much different than an American theatre, except for the obvious language barrier. The movie was a comedic fairytale, so the plot was generally easy to follow and enjoyable.
Later that night guess what we did? We watched more movies, how creative right? Cut us some slack, we needed a lazy activity to just chill out. With 17 girls on the floor, naturally we watched Girls Just Want to Have Fun...Ever heard of it? Haha - classic 80s movie, so naturally we loved it...
Oh yeah, more movies! Our weekend actually started with a movie that Kristen showed us on Thursday night called Nefarious. It's a pretty heavy movie about sex-trafficking and shows how innocent girls are manipulated and victimized into becoming prostitutes for these brutal, heartless, and abusive men. Recently, my heart has been broken for this cause and watching that movie definitely made me angry, helpless and upset all at once. Luckily, the movie showed the redemptive work that God is doing through his people, especially in Europe and Asia and the word is getting out. Don't be fooled; this is a terrible issue that happens all the time, even in the US.
Please pray for these girls and situations and for the governments who may turn a blind eye to this issue. Get involved with a safe-house if possible. But if nothing else, again, pray.
The weekend continued with dreary weather and we served the Afghan refugees lunch underneath of a tunnel/overpass type area amidst the pouring rain. We had some extra help from some new Dutch friends Myrthe and Ells who work with Athletes in Action, and with a guy named Rick who is studying for his MBA in Rome. He said that his university is small with about 7,000 people..haha. But no, really, he said there's one university in Rome with 140,000 people!! Say what?!? UMD-College Park has nothing on that! The thing is though, that 140,000 people university probably isn't much of a unified campus. The students probably just live in their own apartments, come to class and peace out. I prefer the American college experience personally, even if it is a "bubble" and isn't quite real life...Anyway, back to my new friends. They have great hearts and they showed the biggest smiles that were awesome to see when we served the refugees. They live nearby too, so that's even cooler!
I haven't really been homesick because I'm accustomed to being away from home for nearly the whole semester because of soccer, but it's been cool to rest and see what words God put in my mind or on my heart. Today, it was so nice to worship at RBC because I've traveled the past two weekends and missed church...Don't ever underestimate the power of being with other believers and the teaching God has in store for you when you come together to worship. Recently, he's put some fun lyrics on my lips that remind me of my early days as a Christian. He was giving me some 80s throwbacks if you will; just a little something to remind me of Him and how my story with life in Him began. They made me smile to sing them and think of my days in youth group or at PCTC/CIY. I'll leave you with some of the hooks, and you can either sing-along at home, or look them up if you're interested....
-"Every move I make, I make in you, you make me move Jesus. Every breath I take, I breathe in you..."
-"Indescribable, Uncontainable. You placed the stars in the sky and you know them by name. You are amazing God. All powerful, untamable. Awestruck we fall to our knees as we humbly proclaim - You are amazing God..."
-"Find rest, my soul. In Christ alone. Know His pow'r in quietness...When the oceans rise and thunders roar. I will soar with you above the storm. Father, you are King over the flood. I will be still and know you are God..."
Okay times up. Let's see what the survey says: Watching movies...Bingo! thats our number one answer for 100 points, followed closely behind drinking a hot cup of tea/hot chocolate for 75 points.
We do plenty of reading for class and didn't feel like taking a bus and walking to go bowling, so our weekend was filled with lounging and movies. A group of us saw a movie called Il Principe Abusivo...I don't think you need to know Italian to figure that one out :)
The main character was also the director, pretty talented and funny guy!
The Italian theatre was fairly simple, but it didn't feel that much different than an American theatre, except for the obvious language barrier. The movie was a comedic fairytale, so the plot was generally easy to follow and enjoyable.
Later that night guess what we did? We watched more movies, how creative right? Cut us some slack, we needed a lazy activity to just chill out. With 17 girls on the floor, naturally we watched Girls Just Want to Have Fun...Ever heard of it? Haha - classic 80s movie, so naturally we loved it...
The soundtrack and dancing were the highlights for me; the dialogue was average at best.
Oh yeah, more movies! Our weekend actually started with a movie that Kristen showed us on Thursday night called Nefarious. It's a pretty heavy movie about sex-trafficking and shows how innocent girls are manipulated and victimized into becoming prostitutes for these brutal, heartless, and abusive men. Recently, my heart has been broken for this cause and watching that movie definitely made me angry, helpless and upset all at once. Luckily, the movie showed the redemptive work that God is doing through his people, especially in Europe and Asia and the word is getting out. Don't be fooled; this is a terrible issue that happens all the time, even in the US.
Please pray for these girls and situations and for the governments who may turn a blind eye to this issue. Get involved with a safe-house if possible. But if nothing else, again, pray.
The weekend continued with dreary weather and we served the Afghan refugees lunch underneath of a tunnel/overpass type area amidst the pouring rain. We had some extra help from some new Dutch friends Myrthe and Ells who work with Athletes in Action, and with a guy named Rick who is studying for his MBA in Rome. He said that his university is small with about 7,000 people..haha. But no, really, he said there's one university in Rome with 140,000 people!! Say what?!? UMD-College Park has nothing on that! The thing is though, that 140,000 people university probably isn't much of a unified campus. The students probably just live in their own apartments, come to class and peace out. I prefer the American college experience personally, even if it is a "bubble" and isn't quite real life...Anyway, back to my new friends. They have great hearts and they showed the biggest smiles that were awesome to see when we served the refugees. They live nearby too, so that's even cooler!
I haven't really been homesick because I'm accustomed to being away from home for nearly the whole semester because of soccer, but it's been cool to rest and see what words God put in my mind or on my heart. Today, it was so nice to worship at RBC because I've traveled the past two weekends and missed church...Don't ever underestimate the power of being with other believers and the teaching God has in store for you when you come together to worship. Recently, he's put some fun lyrics on my lips that remind me of my early days as a Christian. He was giving me some 80s throwbacks if you will; just a little something to remind me of Him and how my story with life in Him began. They made me smile to sing them and think of my days in youth group or at PCTC/CIY. I'll leave you with some of the hooks, and you can either sing-along at home, or look them up if you're interested....
-"Every move I make, I make in you, you make me move Jesus. Every breath I take, I breathe in you..."
-"Indescribable, Uncontainable. You placed the stars in the sky and you know them by name. You are amazing God. All powerful, untamable. Awestruck we fall to our knees as we humbly proclaim - You are amazing God..."
-"Find rest, my soul. In Christ alone. Know His pow'r in quietness...When the oceans rise and thunders roar. I will soar with you above the storm. Father, you are King over the flood. I will be still and know you are God..."
Thursday, February 21, 2013
Vatican City
It's the smallest country in the world, but has some of the greatest artwork known to man-kind. On Wednesday, we toured the Vatican Museum, which concluded essentially at the Sistine Chapel. The Museum was enormous! There were so many different exhibits that we kind of just stuck to the main one's that Dr. Doyle highlighted, but I tried to see as much as I could see without being overwhelmed. I thought that the marble sculptures and frescoes of other museums were impressive (and they still are), but the stuff I saw today was some of my favorite artwork. These works and The Book of Kells cannot really be compared; they're both breathtaking, but because their styles are so different, they're both my favorite. Yes, I am allowed to have two favorites. Who said you can't like gold and silver? Anyway, the Sistine Chapel was incredible as well, but slightly irritating as this was the only place where the security wanted to enforce the "No Photo" rule, and they were constantly yelling "Silence" and other rude things that kindof rushed our visit along. It's crazy that the conclave for the new Pope is going to happen there soon. Wild.
Enough of my rambling. I know what you came to see, so here ya go...
Those were some of my favorites. I didn't want to post all of them because my camera skills are lacking and I might not have captured the beauty of the immaculate artwork. When I marvel at this stuff, I feel so insignificant and wonder if we've lost an appreciation for beauty and a dedication to creating quality in our culture? I know we spend our time with loads of other stuff that is brilliant and cutting edge for technology and society, but art, and especially Christian art, was these men's livelihood. It was given highest priority, and I don't know if anything that we make now-a-days is as beautiful or has as much detail, passion and dedication as back then... I don't know. What do you think?
After the Vatican Museum, we grabbed lunch and I went into Peter's Basilica where the Pope normally hosts mass. This is the biggest and baddest church you'll ever see. Imagine ceilings with domes probably 200 feet high, massive sculptures of smooth marble that is all surrounded by an abundance of gold trimmings. Now imagine having church inside of there...Yea. I grabbed a few pictures, but again, forgive me for my lacking camera abilities.
We made it back to the convent and rested for a minute before going out to find a soccer game. Finally, I know. First time playing in Rome! So, Karmyn and I went to the Colosseum, and we were the only ones playing on a little field there, so we were just kicking it around for about 30 minutes. The surface was a dirt and gravel- like. It was tough to keep traction and change direction. Then, about 7 Italian teenage guys walk over and say something in broken English. I responded with "giocare" which means 'to play' and of course they were excited and ready to play. I asked some other soccer stuff, and surprisingly, they didn't like Messi, but they liked Ronaldo and some other English players. So we got to playing, but here's the thing though. They were all wearing jeans, sweat pants, coats and Nike Air-Force One shoes. I thought to myself, "these guys are going to play in this stuff?" Of course they did. It almost was Sandlot-esque. Each of the guys had his own personality, they didn't really care about the score, and ragged on each other the whole time.
One guy carried an unlit cigarette in his hand the whole time, which was funny, but he was a surprisingly decent player. Of course the Italian guys had better chemistry with each other, but they weren't anything special. They weren't selfish and passed to me and Karmyn, so it was good to get involved and combine, but everybody wanted to attack all the time; defense was of little importance. All in all, it was a fantastic experience. I got to play with locals in Italy! Ahhh!
It's wild to think that we've been here for one month. Everyday has been incredible. I don't want to use these experiences to brag how great it is here. I just want to share the richness of this trip with you guys who are following along. I am truly blessed to have this opportunity from God and am enjoying taking in what He has to show me. I enjoy reflecting on all of the trips and resting in God as my rock in unsure circumstances that come with traveling and the unknown.
1 Corinthians 1:30-31"It is because of Him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God- that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: Let him who boasts boast in the Lord."
Enough of my rambling. I know what you came to see, so here ya go...
Belvedere Apollo. Look at the detailed drapery and realism.
Laocoon and sons. This is my favorite sculpture. There's so much emotion, definition and power.
Do you like daugs?
I said do you like dogs? Cause I do :)
Cuneiform script. Earliest written language ever!
School of Athens by Raphael. Majestic and vibrant color.
Another brilliant fresco by Raphael showing Aeneas escaping from the Battle of Troy.
Those were some of my favorites. I didn't want to post all of them because my camera skills are lacking and I might not have captured the beauty of the immaculate artwork. When I marvel at this stuff, I feel so insignificant and wonder if we've lost an appreciation for beauty and a dedication to creating quality in our culture? I know we spend our time with loads of other stuff that is brilliant and cutting edge for technology and society, but art, and especially Christian art, was these men's livelihood. It was given highest priority, and I don't know if anything that we make now-a-days is as beautiful or has as much detail, passion and dedication as back then... I don't know. What do you think?
After the Vatican Museum, we grabbed lunch and I went into Peter's Basilica where the Pope normally hosts mass. This is the biggest and baddest church you'll ever see. Imagine ceilings with domes probably 200 feet high, massive sculptures of smooth marble that is all surrounded by an abundance of gold trimmings. Now imagine having church inside of there...Yea. I grabbed a few pictures, but again, forgive me for my lacking camera abilities.
Saint Peter's (incredible) Bascilica.
We made it back to the convent and rested for a minute before going out to find a soccer game. Finally, I know. First time playing in Rome! So, Karmyn and I went to the Colosseum, and we were the only ones playing on a little field there, so we were just kicking it around for about 30 minutes. The surface was a dirt and gravel- like. It was tough to keep traction and change direction. Then, about 7 Italian teenage guys walk over and say something in broken English. I responded with "giocare" which means 'to play' and of course they were excited and ready to play. I asked some other soccer stuff, and surprisingly, they didn't like Messi, but they liked Ronaldo and some other English players. So we got to playing, but here's the thing though. They were all wearing jeans, sweat pants, coats and Nike Air-Force One shoes. I thought to myself, "these guys are going to play in this stuff?" Of course they did. It almost was Sandlot-esque. Each of the guys had his own personality, they didn't really care about the score, and ragged on each other the whole time.
One guy carried an unlit cigarette in his hand the whole time, which was funny, but he was a surprisingly decent player. Of course the Italian guys had better chemistry with each other, but they weren't anything special. They weren't selfish and passed to me and Karmyn, so it was good to get involved and combine, but everybody wanted to attack all the time; defense was of little importance. All in all, it was a fantastic experience. I got to play with locals in Italy! Ahhh!
It's wild to think that we've been here for one month. Everyday has been incredible. I don't want to use these experiences to brag how great it is here. I just want to share the richness of this trip with you guys who are following along. I am truly blessed to have this opportunity from God and am enjoying taking in what He has to show me. I enjoy reflecting on all of the trips and resting in God as my rock in unsure circumstances that come with traveling and the unknown.
1 Corinthians 1:30-31"It is because of Him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God- that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: Let him who boasts boast in the Lord."
Monday, February 18, 2013
Céad Mile Fáilte!
Nope. That's not Italian. Not French either. It's Gaelic for Ireland's motto of "A Hundred Thousand Welcomes!" I learned that on my flight to Dublin from talking to a couple who speak Gaelic and who were very helpful in enlightening my about the Irish culture and their lives. Before I go on about my weekend in Ireland, I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge what a great birthday I had over here.
My birthday is February 13th, obviously the day before Valentine's day, so I'm used to chocolate or hearts as gifts :). My birthday, much like the past few weeks, came up fast. It was on a Wednesday and on Sunday when people asked "Are you excited for Wednesday?" I responded with "For what?" Yup. It didn't fully sink in until I celebrated with some friends inside the convent or when I was wished Happy BIrthday by so many smiling faces and beautiful people.
The day was spectacular. I didn't know how it would be celebrating away from my family and roommates, but it was great. We went to the Catacombs of Priscilla, but couldn't take any pictures, so you'll just have to imagine. The areas has 40,000 tombs, which are excavated now, and the volcanic rock "tuff" emits radiation (YIKES), so we were only allowed down there for 45 minutes. The frescoes and symbology were wild to see. Nothing super mind blowing, but it was still cool to see. We saw some early "IXOYE fish" symbols and saw a super early fresco of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the furnace.
After our underground tour, we were free for the day. Some of us walked in the largest public park in Rome. I don't know the name, but for those of you who know something about Rome, yes, this park is larger than Villa Borghese. Anyway, it was muddy, but there was playground equipment that we messed around on and Mother Nature treated me with a special message:
We went to a Chinese restaurant for lunch. Yes Chinese in Rome, I know, but we were craving something different. We had a great dinner - soup in bread bowls and cake to celebrate. I Skyped home and later celebrated with Caitlin in Ireland! It was an incredible and memorable birthday here.
Onto Ireland...
My flight was at 6:40 AM Friday, so my taxi picked me up at 3:30 AM. What a start :) I practiced my Italian with the driver who was nice, but other people that we picked up were understandably upset that he was a little late for them, but we all made it to the airport in plenty of time. Once at the airport, traveling was a breeze. Just read the boards, look for the gate signs and go. I flew Swiss Air, which was nice, and they gave you free chocolate!
After a quick layover in Zurich, I flew to Dublin next to the aforementioned Gaelic couple. I could do a whole post on them but here are some of the things I remember about them: I learned some Gaelic phrases, they had 3 girls and a boy, just like our family, they won a 2 week trip to Disney World with their kids, their son is a professor in Switzerland and their daughter is a "food scientist" who is working in Australia. Unemployment is very bad in Ireland, so a lot of the younger generation has emigrated in search of work and a new start.
Anyway, landed in Dublin, ready to see Caitlin and the city...except I had to make it through Passport control first. It wasn't quite a horror story, but I did have to wait 2 hours behind a group of Brazilians who are studying in Ireland and there was a mix up with papers or something. I cleared Passport Control in less than one minute after they moved on.
To Dublin with Caitlin. Oh, it was so great to see her and see the city with her. Dublin was easy to get around, slightly more expensive then Rome surprisingly, and had plenty of pubs and things to see:
That night, I Skyped home to celebrate with my parents and we did some presents that Caitlin had brought over. I got a nice running watch, which I definitely needed and some very encouraging cards and a top-quality journal once I fill the other ones I'm working in. We watched part of an Irish movie The Guard before going out to a pub. Of course I had a Guinness at the pub, what else would I have gotten? The pub wasn't rowdy or even packed. It had people, but had an older population, mainly because a lot of younger people have left town for work. It was a great atmosphere to talk with our local friends and learn about Irish culture and what it was like growing up and how they view the US and Obama. Irish school seemed very different. There's no such thing as "No Child Left Behind" in Ireland. In fact, many teachers don't care and our friends' parents were not happy with how school went. Regardless, their kids turned out great and fit into roles in society nicely. There's not a large stigma if you don't go to college. I don't know what path I would've taken had I been in Ireland or how I would've turned out, but it made me think about how education, from early in life, can shape how you are motivated in school and in life.
I shoveled down as much porridge before leaving Ireland and said a farewell to my all-too brief stay with Caitlin in Ireland. It was great having a personal tour guide to show me around and share her love for Ireland with me.
My birthday is February 13th, obviously the day before Valentine's day, so I'm used to chocolate or hearts as gifts :). My birthday, much like the past few weeks, came up fast. It was on a Wednesday and on Sunday when people asked "Are you excited for Wednesday?" I responded with "For what?" Yup. It didn't fully sink in until I celebrated with some friends inside the convent or when I was wished Happy BIrthday by so many smiling faces and beautiful people.
The day was spectacular. I didn't know how it would be celebrating away from my family and roommates, but it was great. We went to the Catacombs of Priscilla, but couldn't take any pictures, so you'll just have to imagine. The areas has 40,000 tombs, which are excavated now, and the volcanic rock "tuff" emits radiation (YIKES), so we were only allowed down there for 45 minutes. The frescoes and symbology were wild to see. Nothing super mind blowing, but it was still cool to see. We saw some early "IXOYE fish" symbols and saw a super early fresco of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the furnace.
After our underground tour, we were free for the day. Some of us walked in the largest public park in Rome. I don't know the name, but for those of you who know something about Rome, yes, this park is larger than Villa Borghese. Anyway, it was muddy, but there was playground equipment that we messed around on and Mother Nature treated me with a special message:
A birthday wish from a good friend...
We went to a Chinese restaurant for lunch. Yes Chinese in Rome, I know, but we were craving something different. We had a great dinner - soup in bread bowls and cake to celebrate. I Skyped home and later celebrated with Caitlin in Ireland! It was an incredible and memorable birthday here.
Onto Ireland...
My flight was at 6:40 AM Friday, so my taxi picked me up at 3:30 AM. What a start :) I practiced my Italian with the driver who was nice, but other people that we picked up were understandably upset that he was a little late for them, but we all made it to the airport in plenty of time. Once at the airport, traveling was a breeze. Just read the boards, look for the gate signs and go. I flew Swiss Air, which was nice, and they gave you free chocolate!
After a quick layover in Zurich, I flew to Dublin next to the aforementioned Gaelic couple. I could do a whole post on them but here are some of the things I remember about them: I learned some Gaelic phrases, they had 3 girls and a boy, just like our family, they won a 2 week trip to Disney World with their kids, their son is a professor in Switzerland and their daughter is a "food scientist" who is working in Australia. Unemployment is very bad in Ireland, so a lot of the younger generation has emigrated in search of work and a new start.
Anyway, landed in Dublin, ready to see Caitlin and the city...except I had to make it through Passport control first. It wasn't quite a horror story, but I did have to wait 2 hours behind a group of Brazilians who are studying in Ireland and there was a mix up with papers or something. I cleared Passport Control in less than one minute after they moved on.
To Dublin with Caitlin. Oh, it was so great to see her and see the city with her. Dublin was easy to get around, slightly more expensive then Rome surprisingly, and had plenty of pubs and things to see:
Me on the Ha'Penny Bridge...
Fish and Chips from Leo Braddock's - one portion for two people!
Dumbfounded at Trinity College by the Book of Kells. Look it up.
Dublin isn't what you picture in Ireland. No green pastures, no heavy, mumbling accents. Nonetheless, the Irish are super nice and speak English, which was a relief haha...Anyway, we took the DART towards Greystones and stopped near Bono's house in Killiney. Yes, same guy from U2. We walked for about 30 minutes down the road where he lives and asked someone to help us because we knew we were close. Well, it turns out we passed it. Then passed it again on the way back. So, I never stopped at Bono's house, but I definitely passed it :) Caitlin has picture of me that is really similar to one on the internet, so take a look at her Facebook for it...
We made it to the Barrington's just in time for dinner. They are an incredible family. Super hospitable, loving and provided an authentic taste of the Irish culture. Their demeanor, sayings, their "brekki," their tea and their hospitality all lit up my face for the entire weekend. They are part of the scattered bright Christian lights throughout Ireland and helped shed light on the stagnant nature of many churches. They recently moved churches in searching for one that is actually carrying out the Great Commission, which forced me to examine my life and wonder if I have that same focus??
After plenty of rounds of tea and porridge the next day, Cait and I explored Greystones and ate at the Happy Pear, probably the most popular cafe spot in Greystones. Great food, great people, great atmosphere. It was a great place to soak up some relaxation and some delicious dark hot chocolate:
Belgium has some stiff competition for chocolate products...
We spent the rest of the day with the Barringtons, including their son and one of their daughters, hiking at a nearby old preserved national park in the town of Glendalough. Other than actual languages, I'm learning quite a bit about pronunciations of English words too. It's pronounced Glen-dul-ock. Interesting. It is a huge park, so our group only hiked one small portion of it. We passed by St. Kevin's bed and made it to a historic mine town.
The lake and two mountainsides where we began
View from the side of a mountainside. I climbed up some boulders to the entrance to an old mineshaft :)
So this is St. Kevin's Bed. The story goes larger hole is St. Patrick's because God and the Irish liked him better and St. Patrick struck the rock and created the small crevice beside his for St. Kevin to rest in. The spot of St. Kevin was not big enough, so he tunneled deeper below the lake and....Okay none of that is true. I was feeling some of the spillover from the Irish wit of the Barringtons, so I wanted to have some fun with you guys for a little bit. Really though, his "bed" is the smaller area next to the left of the larger cave.
Sitting in a window in the well preserved town church.
That night, I Skyped home to celebrate with my parents and we did some presents that Caitlin had brought over. I got a nice running watch, which I definitely needed and some very encouraging cards and a top-quality journal once I fill the other ones I'm working in. We watched part of an Irish movie The Guard before going out to a pub. Of course I had a Guinness at the pub, what else would I have gotten? The pub wasn't rowdy or even packed. It had people, but had an older population, mainly because a lot of younger people have left town for work. It was a great atmosphere to talk with our local friends and learn about Irish culture and what it was like growing up and how they view the US and Obama. Irish school seemed very different. There's no such thing as "No Child Left Behind" in Ireland. In fact, many teachers don't care and our friends' parents were not happy with how school went. Regardless, their kids turned out great and fit into roles in society nicely. There's not a large stigma if you don't go to college. I don't know what path I would've taken had I been in Ireland or how I would've turned out, but it made me think about how education, from early in life, can shape how you are motivated in school and in life.
I shoveled down as much porridge before leaving Ireland and said a farewell to my all-too brief stay with Caitlin in Ireland. It was great having a personal tour guide to show me around and share her love for Ireland with me.
The Dublin Airport had these models, and the scientist in me smiled.
Not that I loved O-Chem, but I miss taking science classes (but classes here are still sweet.) This is a model of the structure of caffeine; how appropriate considering all of the tea and cappuccino I've been drinking... The return to Rome was smooth as could be and I grabbed some more Swiss Chocolate on the way home.
Today was back to class :) and tonight we finalized essentially everything for Spring Break. What a relief. Miraculously, we found a drug free, CHRISTIAN hostel in Amsterdam. Considering Amsterdam, this was an answered prayer for sure.
I've been working at this post for a while, and I'm definitely needing some good sleep, so I will leave you with this verse in light of reading Dante's Inferno and our chat with the Barrington's. Not the most heart-warming verse, but this prophetic verse is blunt and wakes you up:
Revelation 3:16 - "So, because you are lukewarm - neither hot nor cold - I am about to spit you out of my mouth."
Thursday, February 14, 2013
Amazing Amalfi Coast
Okay, I know it's been a while, but I've been making the most of my time off in traveling, so I hope that you find these next few posts exciting. Some of this may seem journal-ish, so I hope you don't mind. Anyway, this past weekend after Pompeii, a group of us went to the Amalfi Coast. The Amalfi Coast is a coastline, not a singular location, in Italy. It's made of Sorrento, Positano, Agerola, and Amalfi and a few other small towns. After taking a windy bus from Pompeii through the mountains, we found our way to the town of Agerola. It's actually pronounced "aJERRola" which we comically learned in our attempts to find the right bus station. We got dropped in the center square of San Lazzaro and didn't know wear our B&B was. By God's grace alone, we stumbled upon the father of the owner of the B&B. He was incredible to say the least. He showed us to the B&B and welcomed us like family. He and his wife cooked for us and were the picture of hospitality. It could not have been a more perfect first night.
Gregorio was his name, provision is his game (sorry for the cheesy line, it's getting late)...I'll tell you a little about him real quick. He worked as a barber in NY for 20 years, has pretty good English and is quite a character. Now, he's retired and provides literally everything for his family by the sweat of his brow. He has cattle, pigs, chickens, a vegetable garden and a wine press. Yes, he butchers and prepares everything for his family and it tasted so fresh. I literally couldn't believe everything he did and how we had the experience to eat and stay with him. My words don't do their family justice, but they were so loving. I have a few pictures of the place:
Gregorio was his name, provision is his game (sorry for the cheesy line, it's getting late)...I'll tell you a little about him real quick. He worked as a barber in NY for 20 years, has pretty good English and is quite a character. Now, he's retired and provides literally everything for his family by the sweat of his brow. He has cattle, pigs, chickens, a vegetable garden and a wine press. Yes, he butchers and prepares everything for his family and it tasted so fresh. I literally couldn't believe everything he did and how we had the experience to eat and stay with him. My words don't do their family justice, but they were so loving. I have a few pictures of the place:
We dropped our stuff after a long day...
Italians don't smile much, but they were really loving.
The Path of the Gods started right near their house. It was a three and a half hour hike. We experienced every season - snow, rain, rind, and sun. It was an unforgettable experience. Take a look:
Hiked along the coastline, right through the mountains
Beginning the hike, ready to brave the elements.
Sunshine, and the end is in sight!
Positano, right on the beach!
Finished the hike in a T-shirt.
The fleeting beauty of the sunset over Positano.
Breathtaking, remarkable, however you call it, I will never forget that hike...
From Positano, we made it to Sorrento, which is a larger town right along the coast on the way back to Rome. Our B&B at Sorrento was adequate. The rooms were nothing special, but the breakfast was incredible. We walked around town in Sorrento and relaxed by the beach. Oh, I watched my first soccer game with the locals - we saw the first half of Napoli vs. Lazio. Rome is in the region of Lazio, so I was pulling for them. They were winning, but I didn't want to cheer for fear of the Napoli fans in Sorrento :)
We made it to Rome after a ferry ride in between to Napoli.
I'm on a BOAT!
We didn't see too much of Napoli, but it kindof felt like the Bronx of NY, so yea, make of that what you will. We got back without any issues and got to decompress a little before going back to "reality." I'm glad that my going back to reality is Rome. I realized that could get used to this.
I also realized that I could travel and do all of this without any thought for God. In our room last semester, we studied Respectable Sins by Jerry Bridges and the book asserted that the sin of ungodliness is the root of all sin. Ungodliness is basically the failure to recognize God in your life. In all of the great things and interactions I'm having, and will have, I continually need to take a step back and slow down and say "Thank You God." Even the warmth of the shower or the walk along the sights downtown is something that I could do and if I'm not careful, I would forget God. I love that our curriculum and discussions are Christ centered, and that we have the same perspective. I love community dinners and testimony night. These are great reminders of God and His love for His people. I want to continue to see God in the little things.
I love that we have a new chance to have another shot at life each day. To God, everything is new and it never gets old to him. I love this GK Chesterton quote (thank you Mr. Joe for sharing this in a sermon one day):
“Because children have abounding vitality, because they are in spirit fierce and free, therefore they want things repeated and unchanged. They always say, "Do it again"; and the grown-up person does it again until he is nearly dead. For grown-up people are not strong enough to exult in monotony. But perhaps God is strong enough to exult in monotony. It is possible that God says every morning, "Do it again" to the sun; and every evening, "Do it again" to the moon. It may not be automatic necessity that makes all daisies alike; it may be that God makes every daisy separately, but has never got tired of making them. It may be that He has the eternal appetite of infancy; for we have sinned and grown old, and our Father is younger than we.”
Monday, February 11, 2013
A Day in Pompeii
I know this a bit late, but I'll try and update you guys progressively so my posts don't get too long. Trivia night on Thursday was a blast! So much fun!!
Then, last Friday, we took a trip to Pompeii asa group. The history of Pompeii is so much more than just the volcanic eruption of the infamous Mt. Vesuvius. Oh, here it is if you were wondering what it looks like:
Then, last Friday, we took a trip to Pompeii asa group. The history of Pompeii is so much more than just the volcanic eruption of the infamous Mt. Vesuvius. Oh, here it is if you were wondering what it looks like:
Not a really big mountain, but you know the story...
So it turns out that Pompeii wasn't really a prominent city and is mainly renowned for the volcanic eruption and its preserved ruins. Interestingly enough, a few years before the eruption, there was an earthquake that destroyed a good part of the town. So, after that disaster the locals made a temple and dedicated sculptures and such to the gods hoping for safety and no more disasters. Well, in short, lava spewed for 12 feet up, for a total of 18 hours and covered the town in 30 ft of ashes.Yea. Talk about ironic.
The town was very quiet and most of the sites were generally open even though its the off-season. We did a good bit of exploring and it was incredible to see things that you read about in the textbook and to know that we were walking on ground that as covered in 30 feet of ash! Amazingly, most of the Forum, temples, amphitheater and art/frescoes were preserved. Here are some of my favorites:
In the corner of the wool market was an area for public urination, so we took advantage :)
People were killed instantly due of asphyxiation of poisonous gases.
Almost a perfectly preserved amphitheater.
Incredible (original, I think) mosaic of Alexander the Great and King Darius.
"Beware of Dog" is written below; I didn't know that this phrase was so old.
Pompeii is on the way to Sorrento and Agerola, which were part of the Amalfi Coast that some of us did as a side weekend excursion, but I will save that post for another day...
On the trip, I took along my Gideon Bible because of the size and ease for travel. I found myself reading Psalms (go figure) for encouragement and pleasure. I know that there are 150 Psalms, and they're all great, but my favorite to remember are Psalm 18 and 42 for different reasons...
Psalm 18:46 - "The LORD liveth; and blessed be my rock; and let the God of my salvation be exalted."
Wednesday, February 6, 2013
RAVENS
I must have been pretty tired last night because I forgot to comment on the incredible Superbowl victory for the Ravens. Me and my friend Josh are both from MD, so we decided to stay up from 12:30 - 4:30 am watching it, power outage and all. The Ravens came out and dominated the 49ers in every aspect. The suspicious power outage took the momentum out of our sails, but our defense was able to stand up to the task and make the plays when it counted.
Sorry Steeler fans, sorry Patriots fans, sorry Broncos fans - you can't say anything now. Nothing. Don't even try. Please leave all of your narrow-minded, home team comments at the door and let the victors enjoy their spoils. I've heard my share of "Oh, they're lucky" or "Flacco can't get it done" or "The refs were on their side." I've been honest the whole season about the Ravens. Mid way, and at the end of the regular season, I was worried. Once I saw them in the playoffs, they were a new team playing with a purpose. I like to think that I'm a reasonable guy, but I wouldn't even listen if you tried to complain or tell me that the Ravens did not deserve to win the Superbowl.
All in all, it was a great game right down to the finish. Sorry if, I may have come off a little bit strong up there ^^^ but it's good to know that finally, there are no more games to play, no more "next week" match-ups. That was it. One game for all the marbles. And the Ravens scooped up the marbles, slapped the 49ers in the face and dipped out of New Orleans. Sure, Colin Kaepernick got his yards as did Crabtree, but Flacco and Boldin couldn't be stopped. Watching it all happen was unbelievable. Like starting the second half with a 108 yd kickoff return, WOW! It still hasn't quite sunk in that they did it; they're the Championship team in the NFL. It is a great way to send off Ray Lewis, and it shows how a team can hit its stride in the playoffs, despite turmoil mid season. I knew that the 4th & 29 play against the Chargers was going to be crucial. Looking back, that play shows the gritty character of the Ravens that propelled them to become Champs.
I can't imagine what it was like in downtown Baltimore, or even at a Superbowl party. It must have been NUTS. Let me know what it was like watching the game where you were. Were you in Steeler country, hating you life? Or were you hooting and hollering with Ravens Nation at your Superbowl party? Or, as an impartial fan, did you appreciate the body of work that they Ravens put together in the playoffs? Or if you're not a football fan, how pathetic did you think the commercials were?
Until next time...Peace!
Sorry Steeler fans, sorry Patriots fans, sorry Broncos fans - you can't say anything now. Nothing. Don't even try. Please leave all of your narrow-minded, home team comments at the door and let the victors enjoy their spoils. I've heard my share of "Oh, they're lucky" or "Flacco can't get it done" or "The refs were on their side." I've been honest the whole season about the Ravens. Mid way, and at the end of the regular season, I was worried. Once I saw them in the playoffs, they were a new team playing with a purpose. I like to think that I'm a reasonable guy, but I wouldn't even listen if you tried to complain or tell me that the Ravens did not deserve to win the Superbowl.
All in all, it was a great game right down to the finish. Sorry if, I may have come off a little bit strong up there ^^^ but it's good to know that finally, there are no more games to play, no more "next week" match-ups. That was it. One game for all the marbles. And the Ravens scooped up the marbles, slapped the 49ers in the face and dipped out of New Orleans. Sure, Colin Kaepernick got his yards as did Crabtree, but Flacco and Boldin couldn't be stopped. Watching it all happen was unbelievable. Like starting the second half with a 108 yd kickoff return, WOW! It still hasn't quite sunk in that they did it; they're the Championship team in the NFL. It is a great way to send off Ray Lewis, and it shows how a team can hit its stride in the playoffs, despite turmoil mid season. I knew that the 4th & 29 play against the Chargers was going to be crucial. Looking back, that play shows the gritty character of the Ravens that propelled them to become Champs.
I can't imagine what it was like in downtown Baltimore, or even at a Superbowl party. It must have been NUTS. Let me know what it was like watching the game where you were. Were you in Steeler country, hating you life? Or were you hooting and hollering with Ravens Nation at your Superbowl party? Or, as an impartial fan, did you appreciate the body of work that they Ravens put together in the playoffs? Or if you're not a football fan, how pathetic did you think the commercials were?
Until next time...Peace!
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
To know and be known...
After Orvieto, most of my weekend and past few days have been spent around Rome.
Saturday began with sleep. What a great start right? It was the first time most of us could sleep in and we took advantage of it. After our late breakfast at 11:30, we headed down to a help distribute lunch to Afghan refugees. It was a very surprising experience. I had never just gone on the street and handed out food. But there they were, a mass of Afghani men, arranged in two quasi lines down a sidewalk off of a road. I was looking for a shelter building, and then realized this was it. I didn't question it though because the lady in charge was a pro - she's been doing this for 10 years and has a great heart and knows how to handle herself around them. We gave them a simple meal and something to drink, which may not seem like much, but these men are a needy, forgotten part of the city. I would have never known about them or their situation had I not been exposed to them in this manner. I think that serving, in what little way that we did, was a form of justice, and it was one of the first times that I have explicitly gone to meet the poor where they are. The language barrier made it tough to communicate at all, but I think the men know that we served out of love, not obligation or duty. We are broken people that God uses together to show others His loving face, and this was a great way for me to put faces to remember a forgotten population...
The rest of Saturday was uneventful, except, at night, there was a celebration for the Chinese New Year. I'm pretty sure it's the year of the water snake for those of you keeping track at home. We missed some of the festivities and dancing, but caught a fireworks show right over the Colosseum. Not too shabby...I couldn't help but think all night of my friend who is on an extended mission in East Asia. She went on her own, by faith, and left behind a comfortable college life. She trusted God and totally gave herself over to God's plan for her. He's moving in mysterious ways through her over there, and I know that she's shining the light of Jesus over there (along with her great smile).
Sunday was quiet, both on the town and in the convent. At church, I met a girl from Athletes in Action, and we are supposed to meet up to play soccer soon, which is sweet...I did some homework, but had spaced out my time so I didn't have much left for Sunday, so I went for a walk. The Italians seem to understand Sabbath better than Americans. Maybe they rejoice at having an excuse for a day off, but they at least understand the concept of rest. Nothing was open. Okay, I passed maybe 2 or 3 random stores that were open, but the streets were quiet, and I appreciated that. With all of our days filled with travel or activity, I have realized that I need to slow down and have rest. I've learned about rest before, but I still always need reminding. As C.S. Lewis said:"We need to be reminded more than instructed." In slowing down, I want to appreciate more of the small, pure gifts and intricacies of what is around me.
In talking with Kristen today, she said that everyone wants to know and be known. I think she's right. So, I am going to take the time to investigate this in my relationships. As for me, I want to know and be known by others too, but I want to know and learn from my surroundings too. I want to know Rome feels and sounds like when I take a step back; I want to know the pleasure of reading a book on a quiet afternoon; I want to know my classmates; I want to know the joy of spending time with good friends; I want to know what it means to love God with all of my heart...The great thing is that I am already known by God:
Psalm 139:1-14
Saturday began with sleep. What a great start right? It was the first time most of us could sleep in and we took advantage of it. After our late breakfast at 11:30, we headed down to a help distribute lunch to Afghan refugees. It was a very surprising experience. I had never just gone on the street and handed out food. But there they were, a mass of Afghani men, arranged in two quasi lines down a sidewalk off of a road. I was looking for a shelter building, and then realized this was it. I didn't question it though because the lady in charge was a pro - she's been doing this for 10 years and has a great heart and knows how to handle herself around them. We gave them a simple meal and something to drink, which may not seem like much, but these men are a needy, forgotten part of the city. I would have never known about them or their situation had I not been exposed to them in this manner. I think that serving, in what little way that we did, was a form of justice, and it was one of the first times that I have explicitly gone to meet the poor where they are. The language barrier made it tough to communicate at all, but I think the men know that we served out of love, not obligation or duty. We are broken people that God uses together to show others His loving face, and this was a great way for me to put faces to remember a forgotten population...
The rest of Saturday was uneventful, except, at night, there was a celebration for the Chinese New Year. I'm pretty sure it's the year of the water snake for those of you keeping track at home. We missed some of the festivities and dancing, but caught a fireworks show right over the Colosseum. Not too shabby...I couldn't help but think all night of my friend who is on an extended mission in East Asia. She went on her own, by faith, and left behind a comfortable college life. She trusted God and totally gave herself over to God's plan for her. He's moving in mysterious ways through her over there, and I know that she's shining the light of Jesus over there (along with her great smile).
Sunday was quiet, both on the town and in the convent. At church, I met a girl from Athletes in Action, and we are supposed to meet up to play soccer soon, which is sweet...I did some homework, but had spaced out my time so I didn't have much left for Sunday, so I went for a walk. The Italians seem to understand Sabbath better than Americans. Maybe they rejoice at having an excuse for a day off, but they at least understand the concept of rest. Nothing was open. Okay, I passed maybe 2 or 3 random stores that were open, but the streets were quiet, and I appreciated that. With all of our days filled with travel or activity, I have realized that I need to slow down and have rest. I've learned about rest before, but I still always need reminding. As C.S. Lewis said:"We need to be reminded more than instructed." In slowing down, I want to appreciate more of the small, pure gifts and intricacies of what is around me.
In talking with Kristen today, she said that everyone wants to know and be known. I think she's right. So, I am going to take the time to investigate this in my relationships. As for me, I want to know and be known by others too, but I want to know and learn from my surroundings too. I want to know Rome feels and sounds like when I take a step back; I want to know the pleasure of reading a book on a quiet afternoon; I want to know my classmates; I want to know the joy of spending time with good friends; I want to know what it means to love God with all of my heart...The great thing is that I am already known by God:
Psalm 139:1-14
1 You have searched me, Lord,
and you know me.
2 You know when I sit and when I rise;
you perceive my thoughts from afar.
3 You discern my going out and my lying down;
you are familiar with all my ways.
4 Before a word is on my tongue
you, Lord, know it completely.
5 You hem me in behind and before,
and you lay your hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
too lofty for me to attain.
and you know me.
2 You know when I sit and when I rise;
you perceive my thoughts from afar.
3 You discern my going out and my lying down;
you are familiar with all my ways.
4 Before a word is on my tongue
you, Lord, know it completely.
5 You hem me in behind and before,
and you lay your hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
too lofty for me to attain.
7 Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?
8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
if I settle on the far side of the sea,
10 even there your hand will guide me,
your right hand will hold me fast.
11 If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me
and the light become night around me,”
12 even the darkness will not be dark to you;
the night will shine like the day,
for darkness is as light to you.
Where can I flee from your presence?
8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
if I settle on the far side of the sea,
10 even there your hand will guide me,
your right hand will hold me fast.
11 If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me
and the light become night around me,”
12 even the darkness will not be dark to you;
the night will shine like the day,
for darkness is as light to you.
13 For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.
Friday, February 1, 2013
A City on a Hill...
Rick Steves and other travel experts tell me that Rome has six or seven major hills. I feel like there has got to be more than seven large hills, but who's counting? I guess it's like the "Seven Sisters" of continual serpentine curves along Harford Road. Today we had quite an adventure in the small hill town of Orvieto. Before that, I will provide a brief update on an event we did last (Thursday) night. We walked the streets of Rome at night, and it is almost a totally different city. Powerful, but less busy and we moved at a slower pace, which was nice to see things anew. Okay, my words won't suffice, so I'll stop talking now:
I try not to live through my camera lens, so I could have taken many more pictures of last night. And I have to admit, I'm what you would call a novice when it comes to taking pictures. Or if you're a gamer, then you can call meed a NOOB. Whatever you choose to call a "beginner," that's me. What I see doesn't always match what I shoot on the camera. I've also found that the adept artists in our group can actually make pictures look better than how I see them with my own two eyes. Sounds weird, but it's true.
Anyway, Orvieto. We got there are like 8:45, and because it's in the hill country, most of the town in the early morning was covered in fog that cleared around 10. When the veil of fog lifted, we were treated to a serene and quaint town with plenty of small-town shops and historic sites. Take a look at some of my favorites scenes, then I'll get to some of our exciting adventures...
Josh's best turtle impression - very convincing...
Overlooking the town from a central tower
The huge Duomo in the afternoon
Mid-way up St. Patrick's Well...Dark Knight Rises anyone?
Clothes hanging in the street, up close and personal
Loved seeing this lab patrolling his wall as we passed
Walking on "La Rupe" around the entire town
There is also a network of underground caves, 1200 to be exact, throughout the town that are used for wine storage, but none of those pictuers turned out really. All in all, we probably walked at least 10 miles today, no joke. From 9 am to basically 7:30 pm we were on our feet every minute except for a meal and to sit briefly between the sites. I have to hand it to the group - we all held up well through all the hills and tiring stretches and some unexpected turn of events. About that. Well in the morning, we were planning on doing a wine tour and tasting just outside of the town, but we needed to take a taxi there. We called and had reservations for 10am. By 10:30 we called and supposedly the taxi could not do it anymore and there was some sort of mix up with the times. Or they were just on "Italian time," which is not as slow as "Island time," but more leisurely than America so it seems.
So whatever, we couldn't do the tour, but we had an all access pass to all the great sites in town so we're set right? Right. Except when you go to dinner at a nice place, find our that it's 22 euro for bread for the table, and you cannot get back to the train station!! :-O The trolley that would take us down an incline, and I mean a straight drop-off, from town to the train station was closed, and we thought all buses had stopped running. We see a road and begin to follow it, but we quickly ditch that idea. We try calling taxi numbers that were listed in the information station, but the cab drivers sounded like they just woke up and said they were somehow not in Orvieto...weird and incredibly inconvenient. We're crunched for time. Our train leaves at 9:27 and we've spent that past 40 minutes anxiously running around looking and thinking. At 9:10, a bus arrives and proceeds to blow right on by us and honk. Great. See ya later. After another 5 anxious minutes, the bus driver returns! He gladly opens the door at 9:21 and Josh says, "train, fast, rapido" (I don't think that's Italian, but whatever). Easily the most memorable bus ride in my life thus far. We're zooming, I mean flying at 60 mph down this winding hill, passing cars on a solid yellow line around curves. This guy meant business. We made it to the train station by 9:25, and we tried to tip him extravagantly, but he refused and said it was naturally his service. That was beautiful and a miraculously timed out by God.
We panicked, but He pulled through. Maybe the bus service always was running down to the train, but we didn't know that. He did. And he provided for us. His weakness is stronger than Man's strength. I have been reading 1 Samuel recently, and I love this scene in 1 Samuel 5:2-4: "2 Then they carried the ark into Dagon’s temple and set it beside Dagon. 3 When the people of Ashdod rose early the next day, there was Dagon, fallen on his face on the ground before the ark of the Lord! They took Dagon and put him back in his place. 4 But the following morning when they rose, there was Dagon, fallen on his face on the ground before the ark of the Lord!" All other gods pale in comparison to our one true God. The rest of the Earth can not help but fall before Him and worship the Almighty.
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