by jphilo | Jul 7, 2016 | Three Thoughts for Thursday
- If you want to avoid crowds in Istanbul, schedule your sight seeing between thunderstorms on the morning Ramadan ends. The streets will be completely deserted.
- If you want to stay awake on the drive home from the airport after a 11 hour flight from Istanbul, schedule your return trip for a sultry July night when thunderstorms are building before your eyes.
- If you want to feel loved, schedule a trip to Latvia with Istanbul lay overs that bookend a terrorist attack in the airport where you are flying in and out, and know that your friends and family are praying you home.
Thanks to all of you and to the great God who chose to spare my life when others perished. Please pray for the victims of the bombing and for the innocent people of Istanbul who have been tarred with the terrorist brush.
by jphilo | Jun 16, 2016 | Three Thoughts for Thursday
- Mom was reading Us magazine in the lobby before a recent doctor’s appointment. She looked at me and said, “This is a piece of junk.” Proof positive that short term memory loss ≠ loss of discernment.
- You know your efforts to baby proof are an epic fail when the 14-month old uses the outlet covers as teething rings.
- Fresh strawberries, wilted greens, and sugar snap peas at supper. What’s not to like about June eating in Iowa?
What’s your favorite June delicacy? Leave a comment.
by jphilo | Jun 9, 2016 | Three Thoughts for Thursday
- I am now a barista in training, thanks to the espresso maker received for Mother’s Day and tutelage of my daughter. No cute cap. No green apron. No benefit package. But I’m learning to make one mean latte.
- Who in the world thought a baby board book based on Les Miserables (see photo) was a wise publication choice? In my opinion, the concept of rebellion and the guillotine should be restricted to children old enough to handle books with care and and who are big enough to ride in a car without a car seat.
- I wish our pastor would quit recommending books and DVDs. Now he’s got me hooked on Band of Brothers miniseries. Once that’s done, I’ll want to read the book. It’s a vicious cycle.
What are you watching or reading these days? Leave a comment.
by jphilo | Jun 2, 2016 | Three Thoughts for Thursday
- The girl I mentored from when she was 7 until she was18 is now a junior in college. We went out to lunch a few days ago to catch up. What a joy to see the thriving, confident woman she’s become.
- Only 2 weeks until the first ever Wonderfully Made Family Camp at Hidden Acres Christian Center. The funding has come in, 32 families are registered, and more than 100 volunteers have been recruited, Please pray for the planning committee to have everything ready when camp begins on June 10.
- June means peonies and irises in bloom, the cherry trees setting fruit, the rhubarb is flourishing, and the summer a stretch of infinite possibilities. My favorite time of year. Yours?
by jphilo | May 26, 2016 | Three Thoughts for Thursday
Yesterday marked my return from Holland, Michigan after attending the Summer Institute on Theology and Disability hosted by Hope College and the Western Theological Seminary. The conference was very cerebral, very academic, and the opposite of this week’s 3 thoughts.
- What resulted in the most warm fuzzies during the trip? Seeing all three grandkids. Their hugs. Their smiles. The best.
- What brought me to tears at the conference? Hearing about the deep relationships forged at the Friendship House between seminarians and their roommates with intellectual disabilities. And hearing that the concept is being duplicated at Vanderbilt, Duke, and elsewhere!
- What was most surprising? Taking a morning walk with a friend along the lakefront and wondering why the air along the boardwalk had a vinegary tang. Until the boardwalk ended at the Heinz Pickle Factory.
What have you been thinking about this week? Leave a comment.
by jphilo | May 19, 2016 | Three Thoughts for Thursday
- I recently spent 10 days alone at our house while the Man of Steel visited his brothers in Alaska.
- Tomorrow my daughter and her family are moving into our empty upstairs.
- #1 & 2 explain why today is devoted to a crash course in remembering to shut the bathroom door before availing myself of the facilities.
What are your bad habits when you have the house to yourself? Leave a comment.
