Google's Shout out to Bahrain National Day

Today (or possibly tomorrow - I'm not quite sure) is the 40th anniversary of Bahrain's break from the UK as a "protectorate".   But I was surprised to see that Google had a "Google Doodle" on its home page marking National Day.  Even more surprisingly, its visible on the main Google homepage (as opposed to just the Google Bahrain homepage).

I really like the picture.  Pearl diving is, historically, what Bahrain was known for.  Here are a couple of tidbits about diving:

• Divers would often stay out for days, even weeks at a time, searching for pearls.  They could stay out so long because they had access to fresh water. 
• Fresh water streams ran through the salt-water at the floor of the ocean, and divers could dive down and refill their water casks with fresh water without docking. (those fresh water streams no longer exist due to land reclamation). 
• Pearls were able to be bought and sold in Bahrain as traders went from modern day Kuwait, down through the gulf and on to India. 

When in Rome....

The longer I live here, the more Bahraini I become.  I've decided that the eating schedule my Bahraini friends follow is fantastic: 

• Breakfast:  10am-11am
• Lunch: 3pm-4pm 
• Dinner:  8pm-9pm

On Tuesday, we experienced this eating schedule.  We had breakfast with friends at Fudruckers at 10, and by the time we got home it was time to put the kids down for the afternoon nap.  We then went to someone else's house for lunch (we weren't actually expecting lunch, but a great spread was brought out after we arrived!)  So we munched on lunch while chatting.  I was content for the day, and had a light snack in the evening. 

Not only that, but it is traditional to give kids money during Eid.  so as we left, our friends (at both breakfast and lunch!) stuck a couple of dinars in Eva and Gabe's pockets!  They are still too little to understand what money is (thank goodness), but we've got a few ideas for things that they would both enjoy.   

Gabe Laughs, Eva Grows Up

I've not been writing a lot recently as we've been very busy.  Now that I've started school, I'm full on with teaching 7th grade math, 8th grade math, 12th grade advanced economics, advising the Model United Nations students, acting as math department coordinator, and working on various other projects.  But all work and no play makes for a very boring blog.

Its always a joy to come home and hear Alison say to Eva, "Who's a daddy?"  to which Eva replies:  "THERE'S A DADDY!!" Usually she runs to the door with something her hand, too excited to do anything but shake herself silly and start randomly doing a puzzle, lay on the floor or put kitty on Gabe's head.

Gabe has been endearing himself to us more and more lately.  He smiles a lot, and has taken to peak-a-boo.

He's also growing up - he's now eating solids and sitting in the high chair.

Which means Eva has gotten kicked out of her seat, but gets to sit at the table with the adults.

Gabe doesn't laugh or giggle (or at least very loudly), but he does like to be tickled on the ribs.  Enjoy!

And as a bonus:  Eva likes to wear empty yoghurt containers on her head.  Sadly, she is starting to get too big for them, so I grabbed this video before she passes out of this important developmental stage.

Jesus on Fasting, pt 3

(This is the third on a series of posts regarding Jesus and fasting.  It follows a series of posts on the Muslim month of Ramadhan).

The third of four times that Jesus encounters fasting in the New Testament is probably one of the most confusing.  I have a better sense of this story than the other three passages on fasting because I was privileged to preach on this passage at our church this last summer.  Here is the text:

Mark 2:18-22 (in Arabic)  ¹⁸ Now John’s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting. Some people came and asked Jesus, “How is it that John’s disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees are fasting, but yours are not?”  ¹⁹ Jesus answered, “How can the guests of the bridegroom fast while he is with them? They cannot, so long as they have him with them. ²⁰ But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them, and on that day they will fast.²¹ “No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. Otherwise, the new piece will pull away from the old, making the tear worse.²² And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins.”

Typically, I've given a sentence or two about the context, but I'm actually going to do that later on.  This passage can be split into two parts.  First, the part that is about NOT fasting.  Second, the part that IS about fasting.  

The Part that is about NOT Fasting - Joy in Jesus

Its important to realize how many of Jesus' listeners (and Mark's readers) would have understood fasting.  They would have most likely understood it from an Old Testament context.  In the Old Testament, a majority of verses on fasting can be put into three categories:  fasting as mourning, fasting as seeking God's forgiveness, fasting as seeking God's mercy after sinning.  Generally, when people were fasting, they were not happy.  

In this particular passage, I think it might be helpful to replace "fast" with "be sad" to give us an idea of what was being discussed. 

" ' How is it that John's disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees are sad, but yours are not?' Jesus Answered, 'How can the guests of the bridegroom be sad while he is with them?' "  

Jesus' analogy of a wedding (him being the groom) is poignant.  No one is sad at a wedding (unless you're the old boyfriend still in love with the bride). 

The point of this passage seems to be that, since Jesus is with his disciples, it is impossible for them to be sad.  But why is this true?  Why should people be so joyous by Jesus' presence that they simply can't be sad?  The answer comes from the preceding two stories.  I'm not going to go into these two stories in detail here, but here is the main point of each story: 

1. Jesus HIMSELF has the authority to forgive sins. (Mark 2:1-12)
2. Jesus has come to spend time with sinners! (Mark 2:13-17)

And then our current story - we have joy in the presence of Jesus!

The Part that IS About Fasting

However, Jesus was to leave at some point.  We know that he died on the cross, was raised and is now in heaven with our Father.  We have joy because our sins are forgiven.  We have joy because our shame is taken from us.  We have joy that someday we will be reunited with Jesus and God the Father.  However, right now, we still live in a sinful world.  There is sadness. 

And so we fast.  Here are three ways that I think Fasting helps illustrate this (these are not based on this passage, but my own experience and thoughts) 

1. When we fast, our hunger reminds us that we long for the presence of God - who satisfies our deepest desires.  
2. When we fast, our hunger reminds us that we don't live on bread alone

In reality, followers of Jesus live in an in-between state.  We have been saved from our sins by Jesus' death on the cross.  But we are in the process of becoming more and more like Jesus as the Holy Spirit changes our hearts. 

And What About That Last Part?

Ok - so this wasn't part of my original structure, but I'm going to be honest - I don't know what to make about this part of the story.  I read four different commentaries, all saying completely different (and sometimes opposite) things.  At the very least, it has to do with the place of fasting in the context of Old Testament traditions.  The Jews of the Old Testament times had lots of rules and ideas on fasting, and Jesus seems to be saying that its not important to follow all of those rules.  But I'll let you work that out for yourself. 

What we learn about Fasting

1. We fast because we want Jesus to come back.  We want to be in his presence, and in God's presence.  We are sad because we are not, and Fasting is a sign of that in our lives. 
2. All the rules and regulations of fasting (whatever those were) aren't required by those who follow Jesus now. 
3. When we join Jesus in heaven with God, there will be no more fasting.  We will be too happy. 

Holdim

It's been a while since I've posted anything about Eva and Gabe.  But here are two videos we took in the last couple of days

"Hold Him":  Eva often comes up to Alison or I saying "holdim", a request to hold Gabe.  Here she's actually holding him, but we'll often put a pillow on her lap and lay him on the pillow.  She will proceed to point out his various appendages, attempt to poke his eyes pet his face, and otherwise lovingly play with him.  Her new thing is "Patty Cake".

But Gabe - Buddy Brother to Eva and I - doesn't need to be held all the time anymore.  He's able to use the saucer to sit/stand and get a different view of the world.  We also need to watch him a little closer which  means that he gets a bit more attention.  (The quality isn't great, but until my brother David gives me the camera he uses, you're going to have to live with it).

Jesus on Fasting, pt 2

(This series follows a series on Ramadan – the Muslim month of fasting.  Click here to read those posts). 

The bible doesn’t record a whole of about what Jesus says about fasting.  In the last post, we saw an example of Jesus fasting.  In this post, I want to look at the first passage where Jesus talks about fasting directly. 

Setting:  Jesus is giving his famous “Sermon on the Mount”.  In this chapter (and the chapter before), there are a lot of teachings, including commands to love our enemies, giving to the needy, and how to pray.  In the middle of all of this, Jesus talks about fasting.

The Verse:  Matthew 6:16-19
 ¹⁶"And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. ¹⁷But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, ¹⁸that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

Here are three points Jesus is trying to make:

1.       We should fast.  Jesus assumes that people are fasting when he says “And when you fast…”.  Israelites fasted before Jesus came, and the Christians fasted after Jesus came.   This isn't as strong as a command as, say, "Love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you."  But I would assert that there is an expectation from Jesus that his followers spend time fasting. 

2.       Don’t fast for the praise of people.  If we fast for other people, we may get their attention.  Maybe even their praise.  But that is all we will get.  I wonder what it is that we do that will be seen by others?  Maybe we tell people we are fasting.  Maybe we act very hungry and extra unhappy at work and home. 

3.       God rewards those who fast for God.  Jesus doesn’t say what that reward is.  But I suspect that one reward is that we hear God more clearly in our hearts.  Personally, when I fast, I find myself more clearly able to distinguish between my own feelings and desires and the leading of the Holy Spirit.

To be honest, there’s not a lot here.  Conspicuously missing are the guidelines for when to fast (once a week?  A whole month once a year? 40 days?) and how to fast (just during the day? drink only water? Abstain from meat?)  But those things aren't the point of the passage.  They are secondary.  Rather, any fasting - whatever form it takes - should be done for God and not for man.  Even if there is a "right" way to fast, if our hearts are in the wrong place, our right method means nothing. 

Jesus on Fasting, pt. 1

We've just finished the month of Ramadan, the month of fasting for Muslims (interested? see those posts).  But it did make me wonder - what did Jesus say about fasting?  Not all that much, it turns out.  Of course, whatever Jesus says is of utmost importance, so 'not much' doesn't mean 'unimportant'.  In fact, they are very important.  The first isn't what Jesus says about fasting, but an example of Jesus fasting - which is just as important.

Matthew 4:1-4  (in Arabic) ¹Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. ²After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. ³The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”

 ⁴Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’ ”

Observations:  There are lots of things we could say about this story, such as, this story is not about fasting (its about Jesus' temptation).  But lets focus on the fasting aspect: 

• Jesus fasted.  For 40 days and nights.  In the desert.  Uff.  That's big stuff.
• Jesus (and all men) live by the words that come from God.  I suspect that this has lost some of its umph.  People talk about how someone "lives and breathes football" or "lives and breathes" for shopping.  But Jesus is making a direct connection - we must have food to live.  We must have God to live. 
• Jesus quotes scripture.  When Jesus says "it is written", he is quoting the Bible, specifically Deuteronomy 8:3 (in Arabic)

What we learn:  this is somewhat a recap from the previous, but its good to consolidate:

• Jesus fasted, therefore, we should fast (this becomes more clear later on). 
• Jesus teaches us that we must have the word of God to live.  I think that we learn that from fasting.  When we are fasting, we are not sustained by food, and we remember we need God. 
• Jesus teaches us to quote God's word when we are tempted. 

Ramadan: Eid Mubarak!

Eid Mubarak is the equivalent of Christians saying 'Merry Christmas' at Christmas time.  This is the last of a short series of posts on Ramadan

Yesterday was the last day of Ramadan, which means the last day of fasting for my Muslim friends.  The next three days are a holiday, and everyone will be off work, stores will be closed, etc.  Its a little bit like Christmas day, except 3 days long.  Many Bahrainis will be visiting family, giving gifts and relaxing after a month of fasting during the day.

A friend stands under the new moon between fishing traps on the coast

For us, it means that we can eat and drink in public during the day, go to the mall at 5:30pm for a coffee, and know that businesses will return to normal working hours (some businesses are open fewer hours during the day, and more hours during the night, sometimes till midnight or later).

Ramadan: Laylatul Quder

(If you've missed them, I've written three previous posts on Ramadan:  my experience of fasting during Ramadan, the ABCs of Ramadan and the 'fun stuff' of Ramadan.)

Tonight, August 26th, is the Night of Power.  The following is from the Quran:

Surat (chapter) 97
"In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful
1.  We have indeed revealed this (Message) in the Night of Power:
2.  And what will explain to thee what the Night of Power is?
3.  The Night of Power is better than a thousand Months.
4.  Therein come down the angels and the Spirit by Allah's permission, on every errand:
5.  Peace! ... This until the rise of Morn!"

Fasting during Ramadan has a spiritual purpose.  In fact, the whole origin of fasting during Ramadan is the belief among Muslims that, during this month, Mohammed received the revelation of the Quran from Gabriel.  The whole process of revelation took many, many years, but it began during Ramadan.  So Ramadan has a special place in all the (lunar) months of the year.

Ramadan: Iftar and other fun stuff

In some senses - and I stress some - Ramadan is comparable to Christmas in the US.  What I mean by that is that, over the month of December, there is a certain festivitity.  Stores have sales, there are decorations, this is a time when people visit family and give gifts (and like Christmas, there is a spiritual element that can get lost, but I'll touch on that in the next post).

Iftar - Iftar is the breaking of the fast.  Sometimes people will invite you over for Iftar.  I imagine that an Iftar event varies as widely as Christmas or Thanksgiving dinner does for people in the America.  However, there seem to be some certain similarities among Iftars.  Often the fast is broken with dates and labna (a drink that is half-way between milk and yoghurt).   The dates give some sugar to the body and its a relatively light snack to ease the stomach back into eating after not eating all day.

There are also Iftar tents set up all over Bahrain.  These are large tents often outside of 'local' (as opposed to foreign chains like Chilis or Applebees) restaurants and coffee shops.  I went to an Iftar tent a long time ago, and basically its a large buffet that opens after the breaking of the fast.  There are lots of tables and Arabic couches (

Family - I think that Bahrainis are more family oriented in general (often Friday is a day for visiting extended family), and Ramadan is even MORE so.  Instead of just Friday, one might spend 3 or 4 nights a week visiting various extended family.  Sometimes it is for the Iftar, and sometimes it is for an extended evening.  And so while those in America may spend 2 or 3 days 'putting up with' family, my Bahraini friends often spend the entire

Gifts - A couple of years ago in my economics class, I had the kids record what they spent their money on.  The unit happened to be during Ramadan, and I was surprised to find so much money going towards gifts, or, when recording assets, the new things that were added that were also for gifts.  This is something I don't know a whole lot about - such as when gifts are given.  My Bahraini friends can help me out.

Sales - Where two or more are gathered, some one else will come to sell them stuff.  Stores decorate their doors with signs advertising special sales just for Ramadan.  There are specials on TV for Ramadan, though they are all in Arabic, so I'm not sure if they are specials in the vein of Charlie Brown Christmas Special.  I imagine some of my Muslim friends would bemoan the way that commercialism has overshadowed Christmas (and even Easter) as celebrating the birth and resurrection of Jesus.

My Bahraini friends - are there other things that you would like to add about the fun side of Ramadan?  Send me a FB message, an email or give me a call and I can add (or write a new post if there's enough stuff).

Next week I'll post something about the spiritual side about Ramadan.

Ramadan: The ABC's

In the last post, I talked about my own experience of fasting during Ramadan.  In this post, I'd like to give just a brief overview of what Ramadan is, using the 5 basic questions that I'm sure appear in some elementary or middle school English curriculum:  how, who (and who does not), when, where, why, and what (else).

How:  How do Muslims Fast?

• from sunrise (around 4am) till sunset (around 6:30pm), Muslims abstain from eating, drinking, smoking and sex during those hours.  It's not as easy as it sounds, if you are on your regular work schedule. 

Who:  Who fasts during Ramadan?

When I Fasted For Ramadan - A True Story

When I first moved to Bahrain, everything was new and exciting - the classic first stage as someone enters a new culture.  I loved the food, the music, went to various events, had a great time with my students and couldn't get enough of Bahrain.  (I still like all those things, but its just... different, now).

So when Ramadan came around in November, I decided to participate.  I got up before the first call to prayer (4:30am or so) to eat some breakfast, and then went the rest of the day without eating, until about 5:30 or so when the sun sets.  The call to prayer was the signal that the fasting ended, and since there are mosques literally on every corner, it is easy to know when you can begin eating.

Three Years and Two Babies Ago...

...I married the best man I could find.  The past three years married to Josh have by far been the best three years of my life.  God answered (and continues to answer) all the things I prayed for in a husband; someone who is godly, kindhearted, compassionate, adventurous, loves children, adores me, and is exceptionally good looking.

Josh's parents have been married over 30 years and his grandparents have been married over 60 years, so I am joyfully looking forward to many many more years of adventure in my marriage to this wonderful man.

Happy Anniversary!

An Empty House

It's been a busy summer for us.  For 8 weeks in a row, we had visitors in our house.  Starting June 1st, my youngest brother, David, was here doing a project for Al Raja.

Uncle David looking cool with Eva. 

Exploring Bahrain

One of the great things about visitors is that it gives me an excuse to see things in Bahrain that I wouldn't normally do.  And since David has arrived, we've managed to get out and about.  I made a Google map of all the things that would be interesting to do (the yellow ones are places that I have actually visited).  I made it because 1) I like maps 2) I love Google and 3) I could better get a sense of what we should do with David here.

View Places to Visit in Bahrain in a larger map

Parables - The Kingdom of Heaven

Jesus told stories - parables.  What if he had come to Bahrain today?  What kind of stories would he tell?  If you want to know more about this project, then go here for a more thorough introduction.  

This week: The Kingdom of Heaven Parables from Matthew 13:24-33, 44-50.  Read them here in English. Read them here in Arabic. 

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Context:  In the previous passages, Jesus has been debating with the Jewish religious leaders.  Despite Jesus’ knowledge, wisdom and miraculous works, the leaders question how well he is following God’s law, accuse him of casting out demons in the name of Satan (which doesn’t make sense anyways) and then demand he show them a sign to prove he is from God!   Jesus is now speaking to the crowd around him, and here are six parables he tells to talk about the kingdom of heaven.   

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Jesus continued, "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a CEO who hired many men for his company.  However, once everyone started working, they found that some were working against the company.  The employees went to his CEO and said, “These men are worthless and some are even stealing from the company!  But if we remove them now, the burden will be to heavy on those who are working diligently. “  The CEO said, “our competitor has put them in our company to ruin us.” So the employees said, “What do you want us to do?  Fire them?”  But the CEO said, “No – don’t fire them.  That will cause too much of a burden on those who are left.  Let them all work together till the end of the project.  Then gather the worthless workers and fire them without pay.  But reward those who worked diligently for us.”

He told them another parable, saying, “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who plants a [weed tree] inside his house with his houseplants.  His wife wonders why he has done this, but soon the tree gives shade in the garden during the hottest part of the day.”

He continued with another, saying, “The kingdom of heaven is like the incense that a woman places before guests come to her house.  She hides the burner in a corner, but very soon the incense fills the entire house.

“The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure buried in a dirt lot next to a villa, which a man found and then covered up.  He was so happy that he sold everything he had and bought the whole compound.

“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, who, on finding one priceless pearl, went and sold all that he had and bought that one pearl.

“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and gathered fish of every kind.  When it was full, the men pulled the net onto the dhow, and sorted the good fish from the bad fish.  This is how it will be at the end of time.  The angels will come out and separate the evil from the good and throw the evil into a fiery furnace.  In that furnace there will be great sorrow and suffering."

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What do we learn: In this case, specifically about the kingdom of heaven?

• There are some who are chosen, and some who are not.  God will sort it in the end.
• The kingdom of heaven [God] may seem worthless, but it provides refuge for those who trust it.
• The kingdom of heaven starts small, but it will affect everything around it.
• The kingdom of heaven is of GREATEST value - more than anything we could ever have. 
• The kingdom of heaven [God] will give up everything it has when it finds the people it [He] wants.
• At the end, everyone will be gathered, but not everyone will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. 

What do you think?  How do you imagine Jesus would have told these parables if he had come to Bahrain? 

Parables in Bahrain

What if Jesus came to Bahrain?  One of Jesus’ ways to teach was to tell stories, or parables.   If He came to Bahrain during the summer of 2010, what would he say?  What illustrations would he use?  I can’t say for sure, of course, but I thought it would be an interesting exercise to imagine what parables Jesus would tell if He came here.  What would he say to those living in Tubli (where I live), or to those in Muhharaq?  Or to those in Riffaa or in Sanabis?   

Jesus was a master story teller.  In the four gospels (my Bahraini friends will know it as الإنجيل ), there are over 30 parables, mostly concentrated in the Gospel of Matthew and the Gospel of Luke.  These parables used imagery that the people he was speaking to would have immediately connected with.   True, the parables have a universal appeal, but there's something to being told a story with images, characters and situations that I am familiar with already. 

Tomorrow I'll re-tell the six parables Jesus tells about the Kingdom of Heaven in Matthew 13:24-33, 44-50.  Click here to read the passage.  Click here to read it in Arabic.

Comments welcome. 

Videos from Grandpa

My dad has an iPad - that Eva loves - and he has taken some video.  Enjoy!

Eva took a cloth and started wrapping up one of her stuffed animals the same way that Alison wraps up Gabe.  Very cute.



Here Eva wanted to hold Gabe, or so I thought.

Family Photos

One of the benefits of having a photographer brother are the free family photos.  Below are some of the pictures David took the other day.  Enjoy!

June Book Reviews

I mentioned in a previous post that one of my goals this summer is to read a book a week.  I may not stay that course completely, but here are the books that I read in June.

  1491: New Revelations of the Americas before Columbus - This is one of the best books I have read in a very long time.  It is about the America's before Columbus, and if you liked Jerod Diamond's "Guns, Germs and Steel", you will love this book.  The author has three basic premises.  1) That the America's population was significantly larger than has typically been thought 2) that Native Americans manipulated their environment significantly and 3) People have been in the Americas for much longer than is typically thought.  He takes archaeological research, disputes among scientists and historical records (particularly from the first Europeans who arrived - and have some of the only written records about the American societies) and weaves it together in a very readable book.

 Did the Chinese discover America?  This author thinks so.  He's not an academic historian, and it certainly reflects in the work. Most of the evidence is circumstantial, and a lot of is along the lines of "there's this map that Columbus had that seems to be America, so the Chinese MUST have drawn it!" Regardless, it reads quickly and has a story narrative and was generally interesting.  I would recommend it if you don't have a whole lot better to read or if you like left-field history theories.

This is a short, interesting book.  The author's premise is to alert readers to how statistics and charts can be manipulated.  It's a field guide in a real sense.  For instance - a bird field guide will list various kinds of birds and have a page description of the bird.  Similarly, the author lists around 30 ways that statistics can be distorted and gives a one or two page description of the distortion and an example from the news of the media, politicians, scientists, activists (or whoever) used that particular distortion.  One thing I liked is that he does not pick on conservatives or liberals in particular.  In fact, I'm not sure which side of the spectrum he comes from, at least from this book.  We bought a hard copy of this book, and I may be able to use it in a class, but I'm not sure I'd recommend buying it unless you would use it often.  Borrow it from the library.

 Blink:  Malcolm Gladwell has become one of my favorite authors.  I have heard him described as the master of the anecdote.  He is able to take complex social or psychological theories and boil them down into digestible ideas.  The experiments and studies that he finds are always absolutely fascinating.  In this particular book, he addresses the brains ability to "thin slice", or to take in a vast amount of data, process it, and come out with a decision or evaluation - all in our subconscious.  He talks about how it works, how it can be misunderstood, misused and what happens when that ability breaks down.

 The Minister's Wooing:  Alison's all time favorite author is Harriet Beecher Stowe (sometime I'll write about how my knowledge of Stowe helped win Alison's heart).  As a result I sometimes am forced privileged to read one of Stowe's books (I'll be honest, I started this one well before June).  She's known for Uncle Tom's Cabin, but has written many others - and Alison has them all.  In this particular book, the heroine - a strong believer - is in love with a boy who is not a Christian, and she dutifully rejects his offers of marriage.  The boy goes out to make his way in life as a sailor and apparently dies.  In the mean time, the heroine becomes engaged to a Minister, only to have the boy return a strong Christian!  Oh no!

Though these types of books aren't my first choice, Stowe does always have a witty writing style.  I'm also impressed with the way she is able to dissect feelings, emotions and motives.  She is also a preacher at heart, and so the truths of scripture shine forth brightly.  Lastly, her characters are always a hoot.  I may not be full on interested in Stowe, but I would be more than happy if Eva were to get hooked on Stowe like her mother.

 At the Back of the North Wind: My favorite author is CS Lewis, and CS Lewis' favorite author is George MacDonald.  So I decided to read one of his children's books from our school library.   The story is of , a boy, and his various adventures with the North Wind and other friends.  To be honest, I was a little disappointed, mainly because the story was somewhat disjointed (this one was also started well before June).  I think I was hoping I would like it as much as Chronicles of Narnia.  But to be fair, it is a children's book, and part of my love of Narnia may be because I liked it so much as a kid.  MacDonald does have some great themes, and a lot of great individual quotes.  Here was one of my favorites:

I never knew of any interference on the part of a wicked fairy that did not turn out to be a good thing in the end. What a good thing, for instance, it was that one princess should sleep for a hundred years! Was she not saved from all the plague of young men who were not worthy of her? And did she not come awake exactly the right moment when the right prince kissed her? For my part, i cannot help wishing a good many girls would sleep till just the same fate overtook them. It would be happier for them, and more agreeable to their friends.

Happy Birthday Alison!

Today, June 25th (which also happens to be the half birthday of Jesus) is Alison's birthday!  She turns 28 today, and in honor of that, here are 28 reasons I love Alison:

1. She keeps me honest and doesn't let me get away with mischief (most recently during a settlers match). 
2. She is smart. 
3. She reads books and has great opinions about them. 
4. She has introduced me to Harriet Beecher Stowe (as much as I bemoan having to read the books, I secretly do like them). 
5. She is patient with our son Gabe who seems to be crying more and more these days. 
6. She tirelessly takes care of two children. 
7. She has a kind and tender heart towards those in need. 
8. She loves Jesus and wants to follow Him with all her heart. 
9. Her knowledge of scripture is impressive.  
10. She makes AMAZING cakes for my birthdays!
11. She watches science fiction shows with me (LOST, Battle Star Galactica, Fringe) 
12. She strives to be the best mother she can be with Gabe and Eva - even though Eva is being more and more trying these days.
13. She loves to learn - and is taking great care to make the most of her masters classes (despite having an energetic little girl and being pregnant during the last semester). 
14. She picks out all of my clothes and makes me look good. 
15. She makes me look good simply by standing next to me. 
16. She loves to eat healthy and makes sure our children do.  She makes sure I do, too, but sometimes I sneak a little KFC. 
17. She is patient with me, especially on my not-so-good days. 
18. She's willing to talk about economics and politics with me, even though I don't think she always wants to. 
19. She loves the Law of the Lord.  Literally - she loves Leviticus and Deuteronomy.  In fact, she seeks out sermons on those books of the Bible and listens to them. 
20. She loves me unconditionally. 
21. She agreed to marry me. 
22. She challenges me, even when I don't want to be challenged. 
23. She is beautiful!
24. She laughs at all of my jokes, even when she says they're not funny. 
25. She is willing to learn my favorite recipes that my mom made growing up - specifically the candy cane cookies. 
26. She likes adventures (of which we would have more if we hadn't created our own little adventures!). 
27. She manages our household wisely. 
28. She gives wise counsel and is my confidant.

Happy Birthday Alison!  Gabe, Eva and I love you!

Sheila the Dog

One of the (many) great things about our stay-cation this summer is the dog.  Eva loves animals, and if we lived in a flat where we could have a dog, I would get Eva a puppy.  So it is our delight to be able to take care of this dog for the summer.

Eva loves Sheila.  She follows her around, pets her, snuggles up close to her.  She giggles when Sheila hits her face with the tail, when Sheila sneezes or when Sheila licks whatever food/beverage Eva has in her hands.  She cuddles up to her when Sheila tries to sleep in her doggie bed and cries when Sheila goes outside.  Which is more and more these days.

Sheila is a fairly old dog, and is very gentle with Eva.  However, you can tell that Sheila is not as enthusiastic about this friendship as Eva is.  And it seems that Sheila has a new found appreciation for the Bahrain summers and often wants to go out when Eva is awake.

I did manage to get some video of Eva playing with Sheila.  Enjoy.

Our Staycation

Staycations - a name that became popular in the US in the last couple of years - are basically when people don't go on some expensive, extravagant trip during their vacation times.  Or, as I prefer to say - what people normally did during their time off for work or school until relatively recently.  All that to say, Alison, the kids, and I are on a stay-cation this summer!

Because Gabe was born in May, we were not able to get a passport in time to travel for the summer. Our plan is to stay here in Bahrain and let family visit us.  My brother, David, is here visiting for six weeks, and my parents arrive in two weeks.  The day after they leave, Alison's mom visits for two weeks.  All will get plenty of cuddles and pictures with the children.  Thankfully, a family in church has gone away for the summer and has graciously lent us their villa while they are away (provided we feed their dog and water their plants - a sweet deal if you ask me!)

Staying in their house has a couple of benefits:

• It's nice to get a chance of scenery for us.  We love our apartment, but the house is great. 
• Again, our apartment is great, but not big enough to comfortably house 5 adults and 2 children.  The house has enough room for us to spread our proverbial legs.
• Eva loves animals, and is in love with the dog.  I'm not sure the dog knows what to do with her, but does enjoy the occasional snack that Eva shares. 
• Eva is loving the space.  She walks alll around with her play stroller loaded up with various toys. 

We've never stayed in Bahrain for the whole summer before, and we keep hearing about how hot it gets.  I'm both eager to experience the 'real' heat of Bahrain, and dreading it at the same time.  Praise the Lord for air conditioning!  It also means that the summer will be a little slower.  We love going to the States to visit family and friends, but it always ends up being 8 weeks of running around like chickens with our heads cut off.  It'll be nice to have some time to relax. 

So what will we be doing the next two months with so much time on our hands (or, with extra time for me - Alison doesn't really experience a change).  Here's a couple of goals that I have:

1. Read.  My goal is a book a week.  I have a host of books that I haven't read, and have so far lived up to this goal (we're not done with school yet, but things have slowed down now that the students are in finals).  Alison thinks I should post a book review of some of those books.  I may yet do that. 
2. Modern Parables:  I don't remember what put this in my head, but I'm going to try and 'retell' some of the parables of Jesus as if He were in Bahrain telling them to us.  I may find that the stories are not that different.  Or I may find that they are.  We'll have to see. 
3. Playing with my children:  I get to do this already, but now we'll have more time to go to the pool, go to parks, build blocks, etc.  Eva is in a really fun stage right now and I'll be soaking that up. 
4. Preaching:  Unfortunately, our pastor and his family are returning to Australia for good.  Our church is looking for a new pastor, but until then, the preaching responsibilities are being spread around some of the men in the church.  
5. School Projects:  I've got a couple of school projects that I'll be meandering through (nothing heavy duty, of course).  I don't plan on spending a whole lot of time on them, but a little bit here and there would be good. 
6. Blogging:  I haven't done a whole lot of this lately - it's been a busy last couple of weeks for us.  But hopefully I'll have something interesting to say over the summer!

Virtual Wedding Guests

This last weekend, my brother Stephen got married to Jenn!  Unfortunately, we couldn't be there.  I was really disappointed.  They offered to postpone the wedding till we could be there, but that wouldn't have been until Summer 2012.  No one wants to wait another year to get married!

HOWEVER, we were still able to 'attend' via Skype!  That's right, my dad set up a computer in the wedding hall (that already had wireless) and Alison and I got up at 1:30am to watch the festivities.  I was able to connect the computer to the TV as we stumbled out of bed and headed for the couches.  The computer on the other end was set up so we could see the bridal party and, most importantly, the bride and groom.  As Stephen and Jenn walked out at the end, I think they could see the computer.  I gave them a thumbs up, though I'm not sure that they could see it.  I didn't stay up for the rest of the festivities (I still had to be up for work the next day).

It's only been a couple of days since the wedding, so there aren't very many photos. In fact, this one is the only one I could find.  I'm sure more will pop up.

Congratulations, Stephen and Jenn! 

Christianity in the American Constitution

I like politics, Christianity and the biting humor of comedy news such as The Daily Show with John Stewart.  Below are three videos which comprise the full, unedited interview with John Stewart and David Barton, a constitutional scholar who works as an advocate in protecting religion.   He is conservative (and Stewart is certainly liberal), but the interview is really good.  I liked it for the following reasons.

• Steward doesn't play the 'gotcha' game.  He's quick to bring the discussion back to the relevant point and make sure he understands what Barton is saying without trying to take Barton out of context.  He allows Barton to clarify points of confusion.  Pundits, both liberal and conservative, often seem more intent on scoring quick points.  This is why I believe I am better off without cable news in Bahrain. 
• Both are polite, focused on the discussion and are genuinely kind towards each other.  So often interviews with opposing sides seem to turn into scoring points with cheap shots.  Neither do this. 
• Barton is extremely knowledgeable. He's also extremely consistent (which Stewart points out towards the end of the last video).  He's knowledgeable about the constitution and thousands of documents surrounding the constitution and the founding fathers. 
• Stewart is humble.  As Barton deconstructs some of the mis-characterizations that The Media has (based on the questions Stewart has for him) and Stewart is savy and humble enough to recognize that his own ideas about Barton were wrong and he needs to readjust his schema.
• Barton is genuinely polite.  Whenever Stewart presents a mis-characterization of Barton's ideas, or has a wrong idea about the constitution (see the third interview and the Treaty of Tripoli), Barton is quick correct what he believes is wrong, but in a kind and helpful manner. 

The videos are long, but they are really interesting. 

The Daily Show - Exclusive - David Barton Extended Interview Pt. 1
Tags: Daily Show Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,The Daily Show on Facebook

The Daily Show - Exclusive - David Barton Extended Interview Pt. 2
Tags: Daily Show Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,The Daily Show on Facebook

The Daily Show - Exclusive - David Barton Extended Interview Pt. 3
Tags: Daily Show Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,The Daily Show on Facebook

Ethan Coombridge Photography

There is a teenager in our small group, Ethan, who has taken up photography.  He and his dad came to the hospital to visit (with a fantastic gift for Eva, I might add!) and he snapped a couple of really great photos.  Below are my two favorite of Gabe and Eva.  You can see more of his work at his website: Ethan Coombridge Photography.  It also has great back ground music, so browsing his pictures is perfect for a lazy afternoon while your children and spouse take a nap. 

Ethan printed this photo and framed it for us.  It's sitting in our living room.  Absolutely fantastic picture. 

This one of Eva is also really great.  Such an innocent look for such a mischievous child!

Gabriel and Eva - the first momments

Alison has a reputation of being a tough big sister.  She is particularly fond of a picture of herself pouring a bucket of water on her little brother, Brian, when they were little kids.  One of my favorite stories is when she and her friends went into the kitchen to concoct various drinks made of random ingredients - pepper, sugar, various juices, random pieces of food - and made Brian drink it.

I'm sure Eva and Gabe will have a great relationship (or, I hope they do).  Already, we've seen various sides to their friendship.  Eva has been very kind and gentle with Gabe (in a 16 mo old sort of way)...

...and has already started giving Gabe kisses.




But she also asserts her dominance.




But you can see that she generally likes him and will grow to love him.

Pictures of Gabe!

Here are some of the pictures, I'm sure there'll be more to come!  If you are on FB and can't see the pictures, you'll need to go directly to my blog.  I'll also post a couple videos later on.

Gabriel Paul

Gabriel Paul was born on Tuesday at 8:30 am.  He is 2.6 kg and 42 cm.  He's small, but he's doing well.  The doctors have him on antibiotics and want him to stay till Thursday.  If he's showing no signs of infection, we'll all head home.  If he's showing signs of infections then we'll stay in the hospital for a couple more days.  

Gabe's due date wasn't until June 15, so this is a big surprise for us.  Alison's water broke last Friday, so we have been concerned since it was so early.  However, we think that Alison was further along than the initial scans indicated anyway, so the actual due date may have been earlier.  Either way, he's healthy and doing well, which is what we hoped for. 

Good news:  We, and some friends, have taken plenty of pictures. 

Bad News:  The camera is at the hospital with Alison - I forgot to bring it home with me.  

We also have a couple of videos Gabe with his big sister.  One of Eva giving Gabe kisses, and one of Eva slapping Gabe on the head.  A harbinger of what will most likely be at once a volatile and loving relationship between the two.  

It is a little strange with the second one.  We feel like we don't know Gabe at all.  How he works, what he likes, etc.  We know (or are learning) all those things about Eva.  I don't remember having these feelings with Eva, most likely because we had no other child relationship to compare her to.  

But it also makes us excited.  What will he like?  Will he be spunky like Eva or more chilled out?  Will he want to play paintball with me?  Will he want to read science books with Alison?  Will he want to chase cats with Eva?  Will he be completely different than all of us?  My favorite Pixar movie is The Incredibles, a story of a family of superheros, each with their own power.  The baby has a whole bunch of powers, which the writers talk about as representing the potential that the child has.  That's how I feel with Gabe.  Excited to see what he becomes as he grows. 

First Law of Perkins Dynamics

The first Law of Perkins dynamics:  the Perkins move with acceleration.  


Alison and I have already known this.  We started dating a month after we met, got engaged three months later and were married about 8 months after that.  We had our first child a mere 18 months into our marriage, and were pregnant again 9 months later.   This is all faster than I would have ever imagined.  But such is life.  It is a law of our family that we are learning to cope with. 


Now, even though Tiny Tiny is due June 15, s/he has decided to start making his/her way out.  What?!?!  We're still almost five weeks away from go time!  On Friday, Alison's water broke, so we went to the hospital to make sure everything is alright.  She stayed the night, got an ultrasound, and left the next day with orders to drink lots of water and wait for the actual contractions.  


Fortunately, it looks like our little buddy will start sometime this week!  We're hoping, at least.  According to our counter, Alison is 35 weeks 4 days (though we have a sneaking suspicion that we are further along).  Here is an update of what our little buddy is doinog inside the womb: 

• Tiny Tiny doesn't have much room to maneuver now 
• He's over 18 inches long and tips the scales at 5 1/4 pounds (pick up a honeydew melon)
• His kidneys are fully developed now, and his liver can process some waste products
• Most of his basic physical development is now complete — he'll spend the next few weeks putting on weight.

Going to the Beach

You think we'd go to the beach more often since we live on an island.  But we don't.  Today was Eva's first day in the ocean and she seemed to enjoy it.  It was the perfect day - a strong breeze, just warm enough in the sun, just cool enough in the shade.  The thing that stuck out the most to me was the silence.  It's a ways down on the island, and there's really nothing south of the beach for cars to go to.  It was very peaceful.  We couldn't believe we hadn't done it before! Anyways, here are some pictures (if you are viewing this on Facebook, you may need to go directly to my blog to view the pictures).

Following People I've Never Talked To: Observations of Non-Verbal Communication

Directions in Bahrain are difficult, and I've written about it before.  I was taking our car to a garage on the recommendation of a friend, and when I called the mechanic, he told me to meet him near the Gulf Air club.  I knew where that was, and was happy to meet him there.  As I pulled up and started to park in front of the club, I saw a car parked across the street with two men inside.  Before I had even stopped the car, they flashed their lights at me, I gave them a wave, and they pulled out.  I just followed them.

The oddity of it occurred to me as we followed the men the last mile to the garage.  We both just assumed we'd met the right people and went on with our business.  When we pulled up to the garage, then we got out, introduced ourselves and shook hands.  But it was just a knowing glance that confirmed I was the follower and he was the followee. 

So much is communicated non verbally, and I've noticed it other times.  I've seen men talk across a street, yelling just one or two words, giving hand gestures, but seeming to speak volumes to each other.  After a few back-and-forths, they all seem satisfied and will go on their way.  If I do catch the words they use, the words themselves are so ambiguous that an outsider - like myself - has absolutely no clue what's being discussed.  I've been trying to think of any sort of similar thing I've seen in the states, but nothing comes to mind.  

The New Fish

Eva absolutely loves animals.  Whenever we go out to the car, she wants to chase the stray cats.  She likes looking out the window at the birds, and loves looking at animals in books or on the internet.  So a week ago, we went to one of the fish shops to purchase a small tank and a couple of fish.  The tank came with four fish of our choice, and we decided to purchase a couple others.  Here were our purchase:

• Black Moor gold fish (bug eyed black fish) 
• A creepy white fish (I still don't know what it is) 
• two tiger fish
• two "angel" fish
• A gold fish 
• a fighter fish. 

The lady didn't say anything about them not going together, or about them not getting along, so I didn't think anything of our fish choice until a) my sister-in-law informed me that we would have problems and b) a friend told me that the tank was WAY too small for 8 fish.  (though I seem to remember A LOT of fish in the tank in Finding Nemo). 

Sure enough, we had problems.  

First, one of the angel fish was dumb enough to get himself stuck twice in the foliage.  He eventually died.  Then the tiger fish, angel fish and creepy white fish started picking at the Black Moor.  He lost an eye before he kicked the bucket.  They then started picking on the fighter fish.  That guy didn't deserve the title "fighter".  He was kind of a pansy.  Now they seem to have reached a happy equilibrium.  I've also since learned some tank-care things that will hopefully keep the rest of them alive.  As long as the gold fish stays alive, that would be great.  

Eva loves them, though.  The tank is right at her height, so she'll watch them in the morning (more accurately, yell at them), and she "helps" me feed them in the afternoons.  Her help consists of trying to get her fingers into the fish food and eating it herself.  I need to teach her how to feed the fish soon.  But all in all, she seems to enjoy them, which was the purpose in the first place.  Thank you for your sacrifices, Black Moore, Angel Fish and Fighter Fish. 

Sand Storm

I don't think we've experienced a true sand storm in Bahrain.  The closest I've come is a sand/dust storm my first year here.  During that one, I had to close my eyes while outside or particles of would get in them.  Its kind of like being at the beach on a windy day, except visibility is down to less than a couple meters and if you leave your windows open absolutely everything gets covered in a fine layer of dust.

However, this last weekend, we did get the tail end of a sand-storm coming off the Arabian peninsula.  I was sent this video taken on Friday (I think) by some guys in Kuwait.  It's quite an amazing and dramatic video.

This picture was also posted on the NASA website earlier this week.  You can see the sand blowing off the UAE into the Persian (Arabian?) Gulf.

Rock Star Teacher

Alison is working on her Masters in Curriculum and Instruction through Michigan State, and some of her assignments require her to complete projects in class.  Since she's not actually teaching at the moment, she used my class as her "lab" for her research project.  And because our classes our short, I told the students before hand that she was coming, that I expected their best behavior, etc. to cut down on the confusion and chaos and have more time for instruction.

I was surprised at how excited they were! Part of it is probably because I always use Alison and Eva as examples in class, so they hear about them a lot.  Alison was actually supposed to come a couple weeks ago, but because of the unrest, we had to reschedule a couple of times.  They were always disappointed.  

I had this conversation a couple of times with students:

Student:  Is Eva coming?
Me:  No.  Everyone would be too distracted.
Student:  Are you staying at home with her?
Me:  No, I'll be here at school.
Student: So where will Eva be?
Me.  Well... at home.
Student:  Alone!?!?!
Me.  Yeah.  If Mrs. Alison and I are both here, who else would be with her?
Student:  

Sometimes I came clean and sometimes I didn't. 

So today was the big day.  Alison didn't come to school right away, so when one girl came to my class before school even started, she panicked and asked, "Where is Ms. Alison!?!" I had to reassure her that she was coming a little later, but would be here for her math period.  She signed a sigh of relief.

Alison came, taught, and left.  The kids enjoyed it, or at least they pretended to for our sakes.  Alison also got to connect with the people she knows from working at Al Raja previously. Even some former students came to say hi.  Tomorrow the kids will have a test, and then it's back to the grind with their normal, boring teacher.  Well, as I tell my students, "whatever doesn't kill you only makes you stronger". 

Reflections on Valleys in Troubled Times

Because of this week's unrest, we weren't able to have church at our normal place today with everyone, so our church met in various places around Bahrain in people's homes.  Our flat was one of the gathering spots, and we had a couple people come.  It was a good time of worship, reading scripture and praying.  


The Valleys  We looked at a few verses from the Bible about the valleys - the difficult spots in our lives - and our response to those.  One of those verses came from Joshua 7:26 - "Over Achan they heaped up a large pile of rocks, which remains to this day. Then the LORD turned from his fierce anger. Therefore that place has been called the Valley of Achor [trouble] ever since."  This verse ends the story of Achan, who stole gold that was intended to be given to God.  The valley itself was named the "Valley of Trouble" as a reminder of what happened to God's people that day. 


Hosea's Take Fast forward to Hosea's time, a prophet who prophesied during the Northern Kingdom of Israel's troubled times.  They had turned away from God.  They were worshiping idols.  God is calling them back, and all of chapter 2 of Hosea is God's warning of punishment for deserting God, but a promise from God that He will allure them:

¹⁴"Therefore, behold, I will allure her,
   and bring her into the wilderness,
   and speak tenderly to her.
¹⁵And there I will give her her vineyards
   and make the Valley of Achor a door of hope.
And there she shall answer as in the days of her youth,
   as at the time when she came out of the land of Egypt.

We also looked at Psalm 23:1-4

¹The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
²He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters.
³He restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness
   for his name’s sake.
⁴Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
   I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
   your rod and your staff,
   they comfort me.

There are lots of applications that we could take from these passages, but we made a couple of observations and applications, particularly in light of our current situation in Bahrain.

Our Responsibility  There are two things we picked out from Psalm 23.  First, we don't hide from Valleys.  We shouldn't be paralyzed.  We shouldn't rush through them.  We are to walk through them.  And as we walk through them, our Shepherd walks with us. Second, we fear no evil.  Why?  Because our Father is with us.  Of course, Psalm 23 does not promise to be delivered from the Valley - only that God's rod and staff will be a comfort to us.

When Are We Done?  The Coombridges, who were with us today, did an across-Europe bike trip this summer.  As they went over hills and through valleys, they sometimes just thought they needed to make it over the hill to get out of a valley.  When they got to the top of the valley, they found that there was still more to go.  Often we can't see the end.  But God  promises that there is hope.

Dependence on Christ  The Valley of Achor became the door of hope that God brought his people through.  What hope do we have in this situation?  At the very least - and most important - we have the hope of Christ.  Whatever happens in this world, whatever happens in Bahrain, this valley pushes us to depend on Christ.  Scripture never promises that children of God will have an easy life.  In fact, God promises trouble.  But whatever trouble we face, our hope is Christ.

One of the songs we sang was Matt Redman's "You Never Let Go".  A very powerful song.  Enjoy.

Relfections in Psalm 91

(A guest post from Alison - who I wish would write more guests posts and become a regular poster).

Psalm 91

¹ Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High
   will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
² I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress,
   my God, in whom I trust.”

 ³ Surely he will save you
   from the fowler’s snare
   and from the deadly pestilence.
⁴ He will cover you with his feathers,
   and under his wings you will find refuge;
   his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.
⁵ You will not fear the terror of night,
   nor the arrow that flies by day,
⁶ nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness,
   nor the plague that destroys at midday.
⁷ A thousand may fall at your side,
   ten thousand at your right hand,
   but it will not come near you.
⁸ You will only observe with your eyes
   and see the punishment of the wicked.
 ⁹ If you say, “The LORD is my refuge,”
   and you make the Most High your dwelling,
¹⁰ no harm will overtake you,
   no disaster will come near your tent.
¹¹ For he will command his angels concerning you
   to guard you in all your ways;
¹² they will lift you up in their hands,
   so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.
¹³ You will tread on the lion and the cobra;
   you will trample the great lion and the serpent.
 ¹⁴ “Because he loves me,” says the LORD, “I will rescue him;
   I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.
¹⁵ He will call on me, and I will answer him;
   I will be with him in trouble,
   I will deliver him and honor him.
¹⁶ With long life I will satisfy him
   and show him my salvation.”

This week has been filled with a lot of uncertainty in Bahrain.  Earlier, Josh and I sat down together to pray for the village behind our flat and afterwards we read this Psalm together.  This psalm has been meaningful me in many different situations and stages of life, and no less today. 

On days when terrors by night and arrows by day seem a little closer to home than usual, what a comfort to know that God is still absolute monarch over all the happenings of people.  I don’t interpret this psalm to mean that God will always spare me from every discomfort, disease, or even death.  But I do find refuge in the fact that God sees all the perils that come near me, and that no stone is allowed to dash against my foot but that an impenetrable God has allowed it to according to His good will. 

I am also reminded in this psalm of the Jesus, the great King who rules with all authority and power over kings of this world.  How his deliverance from the destruction of sin is complete and unending for those who make him their refuge.  I’m grateful in knowing that by calling on his name, he satisfies me with eternal life and shows me his salvation.