London, England

It wasn't part of our itinerary but here we are in Heathrow Airport, London, England because Lufhansa cancelled our flight to Tel Aviv when some of their employees went on strike - just as we were about to board our plane in Portland.  This alternative route includes a 12 hour layover.  We won't miss any of our tour, only the sleep the night before.  Several of our group chose to head downtown and tour the city.  Others are sitting around trying to get the sleep we're missing.  Life is good and the stomach is full.

Challenge Number One

As we sat down to wait at the airport, Gail's phone rattled.  After digging it out from the bottom of her bag she read that they were sorry but the flight from Frankfurt, Germany to Tel Aviv, Israel was cancelled.  So we waiting for an alternative, possibly from Denver to London to Tel Aviv.  Check back for an update.

Traditional Sites vs Historical Sites

A trip to Israel for us is the product of many reasons.  I suppose foremost would be that all Christians would have such a trip on their wish list or bucket list.  That would not be one of the reasons for us to travel there.  To relive the stories of the Old and New Testament, not much different than the first reason, may be the second reason.  That's more feasible.

Probably the foremost reason for us is that Pastor Dave Pederson, a local pastor and friend, is leading a tour and we were ready for another trip to another culture to experience something new.  Personally I think we hope to understand more about the people and in this case why there is such a struggle on the basis of religion.  We grew up with Christian parents in a "Christian" country, and hence for a good part, that's who we are, but there's no great reason why other religions don't have validity.  Each religion has it good points, each has its followers and believers, and those followers and believers believe their way is the best way.  If we all could just know that there is one God for all.

Something that both Gail and I enjoy when traveling is sharing our experiences with others.  So this will be our avenue to share stories and pictures with friends, family and other interested persons, if and when Internet is available.  See you around.

Spikes and Valleys

Periodically spikes and valleys of life are extreme and compressed.  So seems the last three days.  First the shootings at Umpqua Community College where nine victims died, nine were wounded and one more left this world a lost distressed soul.  It was far from my home, my work and my life, but once my head wrapped around the event, so very close to my soul.  Again the state, the country, the whole world was assaulted by an all too frequent and routine massacre of innocent people.  Again, the argument about guns came to surface, some seeking more restrictions on available of guns while others defending the privilege of owning and using guns of all types.

This was just a day after my last cancer treatment leaving me free of the disease.  That was a day after my first class teaching this term at the university; typically the favorite day of my year and if this was an exception to the routine, it was on the high side.

Today, two days after the shooting, the Polk Community Free Clinic was open.  Fifteen persons were available see providers and receive some care.  It was a good day, busy, positive feedback, laughter, smiling faces and content patients.  Stories were cared about past notable patients.  Fifteen patients and some twenty volunteers went home feeling better about life, their health and their community than when they awoke.

And then there was this evening.  We put together an opportunity for college students and community to gather at dusk with candles, song, prayers and readings to stand together in solidarity and support for those affected by the shooting.  First there were five, then six.  Soon there were seven, and then ten.  More came from the resident halls, others from the parking lot.  They can in pairs and groups of six or seven.  Finally when only candlelight could be seen, some 60 stood in a circle singing and sharing silence, even as they heard the names of the victims.  As the group melted into the darkness, same groups hugged and shared their support for each other.

A staff member of WOU shared with me that after checking out some details, discovered when we attended the high school graduation of his nephew, he attended the graduation of the soldier who confronted the shooter.  A student standing alone as the crowd left, when asked how she was doing, said that she was a freshman from Roseburg where the shooting occurred and several of the deceased were freshman from Roseburg.  I've not recovered from her pain yet.

Participation at the vigil displayed the solidarity so important at a time like this.  What strength we could feel.  And what pain we felt.  May we all work in community to avoid this situation again.

More Straight Forward but Simpler?

This post is being attempted with the iPad and bluetooth keyboard.  And that's all I'm going to write.

My Wish List

I claim that I don't watch much television, and only go to a movie about once a year, but the truth be known, the television is the background noise much of the day, especially in the evening.  The evening meal entertainment is the news, weather forecast and sports, but after the news no one touches the off button and the noise continues.

We do surf the three channels that come through the antenna on our roof and choose the least annoying sound.  As a result we often land on a program featuring a variety of locations around the world.  This evening it was Kenya with wildebeests, zebras, giraffes, elephants, cheetahs and many other beautiful African animals.  My reaction, not unlike that of many people, is to wish that I could be there to experience that.  And then I remember, I have been there and I have experienced this.  It was great.

This situation is an example that reoccurs regularly.  These are hints of things I would like to do, or places I would like to visit, and then I remember I've already done that.  How blessed and fortunate I have been.  Now I can move on to do something else.  There are so many places on this great globe called Earth that I have not experienced, so I move on: Italy, Ireland, Australia, Switzerland, India, South America, and maybe even New York or Boston.

Tonight it's just dreaming about the morning.

Morning Again

I asked the Eskimo from Barrow, Alaska sitting across our kitchen table from me a question about time, years of time, and I illustrated the question with a timeline, a straight line with dates listed from left to right.  He responded that in his culture time is illustrated not in lines but in circles, in cycles such as days from morning to morning, or months from new moon to new moon, or years from snowfall to snowfall.

As the sun rises in the east coming in through our bedroom and kitchen windows, I know that another day lies before me.  It will be different from the days in the past and those in the future and yet it's the same.  Both are are valuable.  The fresh air of the morning, even on a hot day, feels like medicine as I step out with the dog to feed him.  Checking the bird feeder and the humming bird water is much like yesterday, and the day before.  Feeding and watering the chickens and peacock and peahens is another part of the cycle of the day; observing the new chicks from hatching to coming out from under mom to scratching up some feed to watching them jump up on the roost the first time is the unique part of the day.

For most of us most of the time another day is just that, another day.  We forget, or at least I have often, how special is it to be alive, to feel the cool morning, to taste the fresh tomato just off the vine, to share a moment with one's best friend.

At this moment the sun is dipping behind the tree, even after spending the afternoon hiding behind a series of clouds.  Finally at this stage in my life, I say thank you for this day, for my ability to eat without discomfort and enjoy the taste, to walk without pain, to sleep without hestitation and to remember why I entered the room.  As it stands tonight I look forward to another deep breath of fresh morning air and the surprises that will follow.  I regret the chaos in the world and am so thankful for the peace that envelopes my life.  My wish today, that is, at this stage in my life, I wish that everyone could experience that calm, that peace.

So is the cycle of life.  Thank you everyone.