31May2016 Quickthought: Saved!

As I watched this unbelievable video, ​ I couldn't help but think of our kids and the thousands of refugee children we have seen, met, played with, hugged, shared Truth with. 

What an amazing picture of EXACTLY how Jesus pulls us from the grip of hell! PRAISE HIM and continue praying that many of our neighbors and friends find salvation in Him!

20May2016 You're climbing on 200 BC!

We spent the day exploring.  There is just so much ANCIENT stuff nearby.  We stumbled upon a Byzantine castle dating back 200 years before Christ.  No barricades, no security, not even a sign say, "Don't touch!"  So what do the kids do?  An impromptu game of freeze-tag breaks out.  I just looked and there's absolutely zero reference to the phrase, "Would you guys get down?  You're climbing on 200 BC!" in the parent handbook.

12May2016 der Jahrestag

Happy anniversary yall!  Well, it may not be your wedding anniversary but please join us in celebrating ours.  We actually sneaked away, far away, for a couple days thanks to some very kind friends watching our children, and frequent flier miles!  It truly is a gift from God that after all these years we still love going on adventures together.  

Below are a few more pictures.

Wienerschnitzel! Almost as fun saying it as it is eating it.

Not exactly something we'd see in our neighborhood.

The beautiful scenery and amount of green nearly took our breath away.

If you live in the desert, you dont mind a rainy day so much.

6May2016 Quickshot: Connected

Think your iPhone is important?  Refugees depend on their mobile phones to stay connected to family back home, learn of safe routes to their next location, document their arduous journeys, translate Greek, Turkish, English etc. into Arabic, store treasured memories and so many other things.  Many are even hearing and learning about the Truth for the first time in their lives because of apps, sites and other tools.

In the photo above a group of men make good use of a charging stations to keep their devices powered.  Another interesting tidbit from the refugee highway.

1May2016 Quickshot: Not here, Risen!

Happy Easter! Orthodox Easter is today. It used to feel strange when holidays (Independence Day, Christmas, Mother's Day and today, Easter) were celebrated on different dates than the US. But really it's an opportunity to celebrate on multiple occasions. Is commemorating the risen Messiah ever a bad thing?