How do we now respond?

I discovered the Supreme Court's ruling while waiting at the theater, checking Facebook one last time before the move started.  My newsfeed exploded with status updates, articles, and videos about gay marriage.   Controversy flowed freely.  Facebook isn't a great forum for controversy - we don't have people in front of us that force us to filter what we say.  We are disconnected from the immediate consequences of rudeness. 

The following are my thoughts as Christians seek to engage with the wider culture, with our friends, colleagues, and family on the issue of gay marriage.  This is not all there is to say.  Kevin De Young and John Piper also have some good things to say.  I encourage you to read them.

Here are four things to think about: 

1. If we express truth without love, we are a clanging symbol.  So much that is written and said is written and said without love.  Matt Walsh is a good example.  I get sucked into his articles whenever they are posted on Facebook.  While often I find myself agreeing with the ideas, I am often repulsed by the snark, the arrogance, and the distinct lack of love.  He neither reaches out to people on the other side, nor encouraged people to love their neighbor.   His raucous blather is a clanging symbol that neither exhorts nor edifies.
   
   Why should we be loving?  First, because God commands it.  Scripture does not say "love, unless someone disagrees with you" or "love, unless someone disparages you for your beliefs".   Second, while being loving will not win everyone, vitriolic writing and conversations will win no one for the Kingdom.
   
   What does love look like?  Love looks like truth spoken with patience, kindness, and without boasting.  It means speaking truth without pride, and communicating without arrogance.  It means engaging our friends and family in truth without being rude.  It means that we are not irritable with people who don't believe what we do.  It means doing these things without end.
   
   There will still be people who revile Christians for their view.  But let the reviling be because we believe in Truth.  Not because we were unloving in our conversation.
2. Reducing the experience of people with homosexual desires to simple choice is demeaning and insulting.  I'm not an expert on homosexuality, but I've done a fair amount of reading in books and articles, and talking with friends.  Homosexual desire is a complex issue.   While it is not right, it is not completely a choice, either.  People who have these desires don't wake up one morning and say "hmm... I'm not having any luck with the ladies... maybe I'll switch teams." 
   
   Why do people have homosexual desires and others not?  I'm not completely sure.  Maybe it has to do with developmental issues as a child.  Maybe its partially genetic.  Maybe it has to do with adult relationships as a child.   I'm not completely sure.  This does not excuse behavior.  We all have sinful tendencies and proclivities.  All of us have issues of sin in our lives that we fight every day.  Anger, malice, greed, and the list could go on.   We must face the fact that scripture condemns behavior, and for a reason.
   
   But we must recognize that our friends with homosexual desires have walked a long, often painful path of rejection, isolation, and misunderstanding.  Teenagers who don't have the same impulses as their friends, or men who don't experience the relational intimacy with a woman.  People who fear rejection from their family and friends for even admitting they might be gay.  Christians who fear expulsion from the Church for even admitting they might have the desires.
   
   Shame on any church that cannot engage in loving ways with believers in their congregations who wrestle with this.  Shame on any church that creates an environment where our brothers and sisters who struggle with this are afraid of being shamed and run out.
3. Arguments against gay marriage do not stand up outside of the context of scripture.  I listened to the oral arguments  of this case before the Supreme Court via podcast.  I was struck at the difficulty that the defendants had in explaining why gay marriage is not acceptable.  There were all sorts of arguments, such as it is not the marriage definition in any society at any time until 15 years ago. 
   
   One argument is that marriage is for making families.  That's true, but not everything.  Do we tell couples who can't have children that they can't get married?  Is marriage simply a production agreement between a man and a woman? Does not Song of Solomon teach us that marriage has a romantic element, completely separate from children?   Does Paul describe the model of marriage as God's way of populating the earth?  Or does he use it as a model of the relationship between Christ and the church?
   
   The bottom line is that the marriage relationship - and the sexual and emotional intimacy that goes with it - is reserved for one man and one woman.  This is how God has designed marriage.  Trying to remove that from the discussion will make it difficult, if not impossible.  And when it is removed from the discussion, we shouldn't be surprised when a secular government doesn't agree with our world view.
4. We should care about this issue because we want people to know and experience God's love. People have all sorts of reasons for opposing same-sex marriage.  Maybe it is different and weird to some.  Maybe it is repulsive to others.  But that's not why we, as Christians, should care.  We should care because our hearts break at a broken world and desire to see that ALL experience the height, depth, width, and breadth of the love of God.  We desire to see people fulfilled in a relationship with God.
   
   There is a time for protecting our churches and our families from deterioration around us by exercising proper church discipline and casting out sinners who refuse to repent and work out their salvation.  But it should only be done with heavy hearts, always ready to welcome back the repentant sinner, and seeing people restored in their relationship with God.
   
   We desire to see God glorified through people - all people - being most satisfied in Him.

These are not the only thoughts.  And these are not the only feelings.  Many are feeling frustrated, angry, or confusion.  These need to be addressed and expressed in the right way, in the right time.  But as we engage with those outside the church, let us do so in love. 

A Father/Daughter Trip to the US

Eva and I will be heading to the US for 3 weeks this summer!  We'll be in Michigan for 2 weeks and Illinois for one week.  It's a fairly quick trip, and one that will not include Alison and Gabe.   So for those three weeks, I will be responsible for Eva all by myself.  

Of course, mothers and fathers provide something unique to the parenting relationship, and this trip will allow me to showcase that which comes more naturally to me.  Some of the things I'm looking forward to are: 

• Making the hard call to, once again, go out to eat because we are tired of cheap spaghetti or peanut butter and jelly (and I can't make anything else). 
• Wearing dirty clothes because no clean ones are left, which allows us to conserve water.  NOT, as Alison might think, simply because laundry didn't get done.  
• Pushing Eva to stay up later instead of going to bed on time.  For her own growth, not because there's one more book to read, one more family member to cuddle, or one song to sing. 
• Educating her on what life used to be like in the frontier days by not giving her a bath as regularly as Alison does. 
• Allowing Eva greater freedom to pick out her dresses.  For the sake of learning independence.  Not because she may or may not be more qualified than me to mix and match her clothes.  

Of course, there are a few things Eva and I want to accomplish.  Our list includes, but is certainly not limited to: 

• pick blueberries
• walk Koda (my brother-in-law's very large dog)
• Help Aunt Liz with her twin infant girls
• Get ice cream with Grandpa
• Bake cookies with Grandma
• Visit Great Grandma in with Nana and pick fruit
• Wearing pink sandles (that's one of Eva's goals, though I'm sure she'll want me to get 
• Taking pictures of all of our experiences
• Skyping reguarly with Mommy and Gabe

So why not Alison and Gabe?  Alison would not be able to fly back to Bahrain on account of her pregnancy (she can't fly after 7 months), and Gabe because we're each taking one.  Alison will get her own mini-break:  Gabe will go into a summer camp of sorts for two weeks in the mornings, so she'll have four hours by herself every day to read, relax, get a coffee or meet a friend without little hands grabbing her or other things. 

Happy Birthday Alison!

Today, Alison turns 30, a milestone.  Happy Birthday!  In honor of her (and my) passing of any semblance of being young, hip, and cool, I would like to pay homage to Alison's wild and crazy days - when she was in high school.  Apparently she was quite the concert go-er, seeing all the big names of the christian music scene in the mid to late nineties.  She saw Supertones four times in concert.  I think I WENT to four concerts in my entire middle/high school concert career.  She knew all the music, saw all the latest music videos.

But you know what makes someone REALLY hard core?  Not just attending a concert. Not just seeing a music video.  Being IN the music video.

That's right, my friends.  Alison was IN a music video.  A Newsboys video, to be precise.  "Love, Liberty, Disco", to be precisely precise.  The video is at the bottom, and you can make her out at 3:28 - left center, about 2/3 of the way up.  A blond chic hopping up and down.  You can't see it at the real time - you actually have to pause it at 3:27 or so, and go through frame by frame (use the space bar to unpause/pause quickly).


You would think that something like this would be first date material.  But lo, Alison has kept it from me for almost 6 years.  Its as if she was waiting for a poetic moment to tell me one of the big highlights of her youth.

Third Time's a Charm

If you have come to the blog before, you probably are already aware that we are expecting our third child. That's right!  Apparently we are like gold fish.  Gold fish grow to fit the size of the tank.  If you put them in a bigger tank, they'll grow bigger (I think it's gold fish... just pick the right animal).  We are now in a bigger house, and so our family is expanding. 

The new baby is due in September, so we will not be making the trek back to the US this summer (Alison wouldn't allowed to fly in August as she'd be around 8 months).  Instead, we'll take things a bit easier in Bahrain.  We've already stayed one summer after Gabe was born, and we enjoyed the quietness that comes over Bahrain in July and August.  This summer will be particularly quiet as many Bahrainis will celebrate Ramadhan during July.  It will also be a chance to spend time with our Bahraini friends and break the fast with them over Ramadhan. 

We don't know the gender, and we haven't picked out any names.  In fact, we're a little more laid back with this one.  People ask me how far along Alison is, and I'm never sure.  I don't know the exact due date - just sometime in late September.  I'm not even concerned about getting that down because Eva was two weeks early, and Gabe 5 weeks early.  I'm sure Alison won't let me miss the event. 

I do know that the baby is currently the size of an orange.  

One advantage to our new place is that we are right next to the hospital.  Alison likes to wait until the very last minute to go to the hospital, and with Gabe, we had less than one hour between arrival at the AMH and his delivery.  I get nervous that we'll have a car birth.  Cool story.  Not something on my bucket list. 

For now, Alison is starting to show, and starting to wear her pregnancy clothes more.  We try to prep Eva and Gabe for the arrival of the new baby, which sometimes prompts Eva to say that she also has a baby in her tummy, and so does Gabe.  We'll get there. 

In The Neighborhood - NEC and AMH

It has been a while since I've consistently written, so here's a quick update.  I'm now the principal at Al Raja School, where Alison and I have been involved since we first met.  There are lots of fantastic perks, but one of them is that we have moved into the house designated for the principal - more pictures later. 

The house is in the center of Manama, which means a completely new neighborhood (actually, it's the neighborhood that Alison lived in when she first moved here, so its a bit of a homecoming for us).  Traffic is heavier, but there is lots within walking distance. 

One of my favorite landmarks is just across the street from us - the American Mission Hospital (AMH) and the National Evangelical Church (NEC).  Both of those institutions are sister institutions of Al Raja School.  All three were started by Reformed Church of America missionaries in the late 1800's or early 1900's.  Al Raja was started in 1899, the church in 1906, and the hospital in 1902.  They all leave a legacy that is respected by Bahrainis and expatriates. 

A panoramic shot of the church (center left) and the hospital (right).  Our house is on the far, far left, behind the trees.

The hospital is special to us as it is the place that both of our children were born.  When you enter the lobby of the hospital, the walls are filled with pictures of doctors and patients from across the century - including members of the royal family that were born at the hospital.  

Entrance to the hospital.  The brown structures are "mushrabiyyas", traditional Bahraini  architecture.  Most likely, they were intended to keep out the harsh, summer sun while still letting the breeze through. 

The pedestrian bridge that connects the two main hospital buildings.  Eva likes to watch the cars  from the bridge. 

The church is also special to us because we still retain a lot of friendships from there.  Alison attended the NEC when she first arrived, until I stole her away to Saar Fellowship, where we currently attend.  Beyond the personal links, there are a variety of language congregations. 

This tower with the clock has been a fixture of Manama for over a century, and is recognizable to many people. 

We are excited to continue our involvement - however small - with both of these communities, and consider it an honor to be here. 

Happy National Day!

December 16th is National Day in Bahrain.  Around Bahrain, trees and buildings are decorated with red and white lights.  On December 13th, we celebrated national day at school with a festival that celebrated Bahrain's culture, heritage, and history.  Little kids played traditional games, painted pottery, ate traditional food and came dressed in traditional clothes.  They even had a play that showcased a traditional wedding!  The older kids went on field trips around Bahrain to places that showcased Bahrain's culture and contribution to the world.  All in all, it was a wonderful day.

Bahrain was a British protectorate from 1820 till 1971, when the British pulled out of the Middle East in general.  On August 15th, 1971, Bahrain gained independence from the British, and on December 16th, 1971, Bahrain formalized its structure as the State of Bahrain, with the formal ascension of Sheikh Isa (the current King's father) as the Emir of Bahrain.

So for your listening and viewing pleasure, I present to you the national anthem of Bahrain.

Arabic	Transliteration	Translation
بحريننا	Baḥraynunā	Our Bahrain
مليكنا	Malīkunā	Our King
رمز الوئام	Ramzu l-wi’ām	A symbol of harmony
دستورها عالي المكانة والمقام	Dustūruhā ‘ālī 'l-makānati wa-l-maqām	Its constitution is high in the place and the position
ميثاقها نهج الشريعة والعروبة والقيم	Mītāquhā nahgu s-sarī‘ati wa-l-‘urūbati wa-l-qiyam	Its charter is the way of (method of) Shari'a, Arabism, and the values
عاشت مملكة البحرين	‘Āshat mamlakatu al-Baḥrayn	Long live the Kingdom of Bahrain!
بلد الكرام	Baladu 'l-kirām	Country of nobles,
مهد السلام	Mahdu 's-salām	Cradle of peace,
دستورها عالي المكانة والمقام	Dustūruhā ‘ālī 'l-makānati wa-l-maqām	Its constitution is high in the place and the position
ميثاقها نهج الشريعة والعروبة والقيم	Mītāquhā nahgu s-sarī‘ati wa-l-‘urūbati wa-l-qiyam	Its charter is the way of (method of) Shari'a, Arabism, and the values
عاشت مملكة البحرين	‘Āshat mamlakatu al-Baḥrayn	Long live the Kingdom of Bahrain!

Ashura 2012

You may hear that there are different sects of Muslims - Sunni and Shia.  This last week was the Ashura holiday that Shia Muslims participate in.  During this holiday, they remember the deaths of Hussain and Ali, the son and grandson of Mohammed.  They were killed in the Battle of Karbala, which took place in Iraq.  This is a 10 day long ritual that happens every year.  The last two days - the 9th and 10th of Muharram - are usually days off for most schools, businesses and government offices. 

This year we experienced it a little more closely.  As the week goes on, more and more people participate in the rituals in the Manama center, which is right next two where we now live.  (oh yeah, we've moved!  I'll post pictures another time).  Because people from all over Bahrain, and other Gulf countries, come to Manama center to participate, we end up being in lock-down mode.  Which means there are so many cars that we have difficulty driving out.  And if we do, there's no guarantee that someone won't park in front of our garage entrance while we're away. 

Since we live so close, I've been able to visit the Ashura activities a couple of times over the last week and show my New Zealand and American friends around (I've been down before, so I have a general sense of what is going on, and where things are at).  Even though it is a more sombre event, people are quite welcoming towards us.  

Some key experiences of Ashura: 

• Families (and by family I mean hoards of cousins, aunts, uncles, etc) will stay in a familiy house in Manama and prepare food and snacks that people can freely take.  We sampled tea, various dates, falafal and other treats. 
• Aza'a:  the men will march while hitting themselves (sometimes lightly, some times not) and listening to someone recite various aspects of the story of Hussain and Ali.
• Art:  the Islamic Art Society of Bahrain hosts an art gallery every year with art depicting various scenes from the Battle of Karbala.

Unfortunately, I didn't take any pictures, but I will certainly take my camera next year and share with a little more color. 

Thanksgiving 2012

One of my favorite memories growing up - and one of the things I miss most about being away from the US - is thanksgiving at my aunt and uncle's house.  My mom's side of the family would gather, and a hoard of us boys would romp, wrestle, and ruckus for three days (my poor cousin, Alice, was the lone girl among 11 boys).  However, we are not deprived of Thanksgiving thrills! There are enough Americans around to make an evening of it.

Last year, we had a pretty big thanksgiving with lots of friends hosted by us and a neighbor.  Alison did a lot of the cooking and prep, and was pretty exhausted afterwards.  Earlier this year, she vowed that she would not host thanksgiving this year.  As November neared, she softened and was ready to host thanksgiving for our family and some of the American teachers from school.  Add a few people here, a few people there and, bang - 27 people for Thanksgiving.  So much for a small, intimate meal!

However, we were not disappointed on several fronts.

• First, our neighbors graciously agreed to host, lifting one of the biggest burdens from Alison (and myself, but mostly Alison).  
• Second, many people were willing to help out with food.  Alison cooked (baked?  I don't know the difference) the turkeys, along with home made cranberry sauce and sweet potatoes.  
• Third, our hosts, Jim and Beth, asked everyone to say one thing they were thankful for.  It was encouraging to hear from so many people.  
• Fourth, Alison made a pumpkin pie and an apple pie.  We still have leftovers in the fridge.  
• Fifth, I was able to watch the Lions game.  We never watched football on Thanksgiving growing up, but watching football made me feel American.  It's good to have that from time to time. 

Coincidentally, Thanksgiving weekend occurs the same weekend as the Shia Muslim time of Ashura, so we also have a four day weekend, having Sunday and Monday off. 

Back from Blogging Oblivion

It has been two months since this blog has been updated, and almost twice as long since I have written anything.  A lot has happened in the last four months: 

• We visited America in all its glory.  Frog jumping contests, children's museums, family pets, and of course, family. 
• I spent 1 month away in Bahrain while Alison and the kids remained in the US.  It was good to have time to get lots of stuff done, but I also missed them.  
• Gabe may have an allergy to gluten and/or dairy.  Uff.  Breads and Dairy products?  Poor kid. 
• Eva is being potty trained!  I'll spare you the details. 
• The Packers lost to the Seahawks on a horrible call 
• My parents have a foreign exchange student from - wait for it... - Bahrain!  Alison and I have had the chance to meet her familiy here, which has been a lot of fun. 

Away to Chicago

Alison and I left the kids with my parents for three days and headed to the Windy City (named for its long winded politicians, not for excess amounts of wind).  We walked around downtown, at Chicago style pizza, visited a few museums, went for bike rides, took tours, and visited the U505 submarine.  As the nerds we are, we even visited a couple bookshops and I found a book on Bahrain from the 1980's!  I am still working my way through it. 

We have moved!

One of the perks of being the Principal is moving into the house reserved for the Principal.  It's actually a duplex, and we occupy the second floor.  The first floor is occupied by the pastor of the National Evangelical Church and his family.  They have already been wonderful neighbors, and their four teenage/adult children living at home provide ample baby-sitting opportunities. 

The house provides more room for our family and, most significantly, a yard!  The kids love being outside.  We are within walking distance of quite a bit, and I am within walking distance of the school.  This cuts my commute down by an hour.   There are a lot of small things I need to come to the school for, so it is nice that I can pop over for an hour if I need to without taking up my entire day. 

On Being Principal

I have learned more in the last three months than I anticipated.  I have learned about how air conditioners and electrical wiring work, set ups of industrial fire alarms, labor law, organizational design and a plethora of other things.   And of course, when someone comes to me, I can no longer pass the buck if I don't want to deal with it.  I have had to learn better time management, to prioritize, and to slow down a bit.  I may have some ideas, but changing institutions takes time - even if everyone inside wants to change with you.  Fortunately, I have a great staff.  Everyone is hard working and dedicated, and I am encouraged every day by the work that they do.  

Another first day of school

Tomorrow is another first day of school for students at Al Raja.  Every new school year has it's own element of excitement, however, it is particularly exciting for our family as Joshua Perkins, will be the one greeting all those eager to learn faces in his new role as principal.

Al Raja (Arabic for The Hope School) was formed on the porch of a young mother who came alongside her husband  more than 100 years ago, to serve the community of Bahrain. At the time Samuel and Amy Zwemer were primarily working on establishing a hospital and church, however, in my mindseye I can imagine Amy's young school (which most likely started as an extention of homeschooling her own children) grow as her pupils eagerly embraced her lessons and love for them.  The Zwemer family sacrificed much, not only because they lived in Bahrain before planes, skype, and air conditioning, but the graves of their two daughters are located less than a mile from the hospital, school, and church they established.  Their estblishments are still standing, and their love and self sacrifice for a people not their own, is still inspiring.  

Al Raja has rich roots.  I'm so proud to have worked there, and I'm excited that Josh will be able to continue the legacy of faithful service that has marked the work of so many  of Al Raja's principals before him.

America!

Many of you know that we've successfully made it back to the States.  We are currently at my parents house in Aledo, IL, a small town about three hours west of Chicago.  Since being here, we have enjoyed: 

• A frog jumping contest
• walking to get ice cream
• meeting our sister-in-law, Jenn, in person for the first time!
• bike riding, with the kids in a bike trailer
• getting lost on my bike at 10pm at night on dark country roads, while deer with large antlers stalk me from the treeline
• reading books leisurely
• walking with the kids to parks 
• sitting on the porch in the morning before breakfast
• thunderstorms 
• playing with the kids in the kiddie pool outside
• showing Eva all the plants and flowers
• Watching Gabe eat the flowers given to him by Eva
• playing with my parents dog, Toby.  Actually Eva has enjoyed this the most and she has declared, twice now, that Toby is her best friend. 
• family pictures taken by my brother, David.  

There's probably more, and I'll post them later.  With pictures!

Happy Father's Day!

For Father’s day, I (Alison) thought I would list 10 of the things our family loves about Josh Perkins.  

10.  He often will help with dishes and sweep floors without being asked.  He works hard at his job, but he also works hard at serving us at home.

9.  He reads books.  He is one of the most avid readers I’ve known, and that has translated to regularly and consistently reading books to Gabe and Eva (which they both love).  Eva loves nothing better than to snuggle up with a good book, and Daddy is one of her favorite snuggle partners. Gabe has also been getting a lot more interested in books – especially if Josh is involved.  Josh has also been known to read a Harriet Beecher Stowe novel, simply because she’s one of my favorite authors and I like to talk about it with him.  We all love that he involves us in one of his favorite hobbies.

8.  Most afternoons after work, he can be found lying on the floor.  Eva will almost always try to ride him like a horse, and Gabe will put his slobbery face on his and pull his hair.  Needless to say, Eva and Gabe LOVE this time, and it usually gives me a little break from them which I love.

7.  He makes coffee and pancakes on Saturday mornings.  Okay, maybe I appreciate the former more than the rest of the family, but Gabe and Eva definitely enjoy their break from oatmeal when Daddy makes breakfast.  Eva has particularly enjoyed “helping” Daddy recently. 

6. He thinks of fun ‘outdoorsy’ things to do.  It’s always Josh’s idea to go to the beach.  He’s also usually the one to suggest going to the park, or going to a pool or on a walk.  We’re always grateful for his creative ideas to get us outside and moving.

5.  He offers to carry heavy things.  Like children.  Granted baby-lifting is my primary source of exercise, (I consider putting away toys as my cardio workout…which is why I only feel the need do it 1 – 2 times a week) I still appreciate when Josh offers to take a kid (or two) when we’re out and about.  And I know they always prefer him.

4. He is ambitious about godly things.  He always has a vision for the future that I’m excited to be a part of and work towards with him.  While he is ambitious at his job, since I’ve known him, his primary ambitions have always centered on ways and methods for serving God in a hurt and dying world. 

3. He shoulders responsibility like a man. I have never known Josh to shirk from any responsibility – rather he always takes it up ungrudgingly whenever he sees it.  He does this at home with sorting out our finances, insurance, car maintenance, and a whole host of other things that I have nothing to do with but Josh regularly takes care of.  He does this at work as the math coordinator and has already started doing it with anticipating the new responsibilities of being a principal next year.  He has also consistently done this at church.  This year he has served as an elder, has preached several times, is regularly scheduled to be the service leader, as well as running powerpoint, helps with the church website, and most recently has added working in the children’s church with the 2&1/2 – 3 yr olds class which Eva is in. He doesn’t volunteer for these for any other reason than it needs to be done, and his sincere love for the church.  I’m sure that watching his own godly father perform the same unselfish service in the church while growing up has played a huge part in Josh’s heart to take on many of these needed responsibilities.  I can’t think of anyone else I would rather point my own son to and say “follow him as he follows Christ” than Josh.      

2. He arranges date nights.  This past year has been wonderful, but at times highly stressful with the demands of young children.  During those times when my next plan of action was to fed-ex one or two of my children to my mother-in-law, Josh has often suggested and arranged that we do the next best thing – get a sitter and escape for a few hours.  Everyone in the family ends up much happier for this. 

1.  He is a very attractive man.    

Happy Father's Day Josh!

Alison Graduates!

At the beginning of May, Alison turned in her last assignments for her last classes in her masters program. She has toiled for the year and a half - reading books, writing papers and solving problems. All of that while caring for two kids at home, supporting me in my work, and being involved in various church activities. The fruit of the labor is an MA in Curriculum and Instruction, and a wealth of ideas for education development.  You can see some labor bearing fruit here and here.

Alison Perkins, MA Teaching and Curriculum

To celebrate, I arranged a surprise party for Alison.  It was the complete package - a graduation gown, marching to "pomp and circumstance" and Alison giving the key note address.  Since Alison was unaware of the prestigious responsibility, I took the pains to write a commencement speech for her.  She was eloquent, if I do say so myself.  If you have a minute, send Alison an email or FB message of congratulations.

Giving the commencement address.

The question is, of course, "What will she do now?"  The possibilities are endless.  There are naps to be taken, recipes to be explored and books to be acquainted with.  I also have ideas to have her help me at school.  Well, she already has helped me, but now she'll have a bit more time and energy to contribute to my own development as a teacher. Below is the copy of her well-written and eloquent speech:

Alison's Graduation Speech
"We are never more than we were, than before we started the journey" - cheesy and meaningless inspirational quote #426

This month marks a month of many exciting milestones.  My son Gabriel, is celebrating his first birthday, I finished my masters degree, and most important, I am still not pregnant.  As exciting as that last point is, the reason we are gathered here today is to mark the milestone of having finished my masters (and partially to celebrate Gabe's birthday).

The question everyone asks now is "What are you going to do?" I have a lot of dreams and ambitions.  I expect those dreams to come during my afternoon naps which I now have time to take.  I also expect to do most of Josh's lesson planning for him, since I'm so skilled and masterful at planning lessons.  Lastly, I am going to work on getting everyone to call me "Master Alison".

Of course, I would like to thank those here who made that possible.  First, Gabriel, who took 30 minute naps during the afternoon.  Those short times forced me to become a better quicker writer.  Second, Eva, who occasionally shared "her" ipad with me so that I could read my articles.  Lastly, and most importantly, I would like to thank my strong, handsome, winsome, cool husband from whom I gained all my inspiration.  He even wrote a bunch of papers for me and basically did everything.

I would like to close by saying how thankful I am for everyone here.  Each of you has played a part in my life in some way, and I am grateful that you are here to celebrate with me.

Happy Birthday Gabe!

On Thursday, May 10, Gabe passed the milestone of his first birthday.  Those harried days when he was a month earlier than expected and mad rush to organize our lives before he arrived seem so long ago and yesterday at the same time.  He's gone from a frail newborn...

From Gabriel

...to a chunker that will someday be a linebacker for the Green Bay Packers. 

From Easter 2012

In true Perkins tradition (and tradition and tradition), we made our trek to Dairy Queen to give Gabe his first taste of ice cream.  

But true to the climate he has grown up in, he seems to have difficulty handling anything that is less than 75 degrees.  

We didn't get him any presents - but some friends saved the day.  Even though Gabe was a little unsure of his role with the crinkly box, Eva knew exactly what to do and was more than willing to lend her services.

Easter from the Muslim Perspective

This is a bit old, but I'll forget about it by this time next year.  The New Yorker published an article on how Muslim's view Easter.  The article does a good job of summing up the basic beliefs of Muslims regarding Jesus - that Jesus...

• does not hold divinity.
• was not crucified, but possibly someone else was (see the article for the range of explanations)
• did not die, but descended into heaven.  He will return at some point. 
• by extension, did not rise from the dead. 

There are more things in the article, but I wanted to focus on what the author says towards the end of the article, quoting an Imam (i.e. religious leader of a mosque):

"When Muslims and Christians meet, Sayer said, the Jesus connection can only take them so far. Getting into a deep conversation about exactly what happened to the Jesus in the Gospels versus the Jesus in the Koran only ends up emphasizing the gulf."

Anyone who says that Islam and Christianity are really the same have not taken a serious look at one of the (or probably both) belief systems.  This is not the only difference in theology, but it is possibly the most important.  And its true that it does emphasize the gulf between Muslims and Christians.  Not only that, but all the aspects of Jesus' life and nature that Muslims deny above have grave consequences:

• If Jesus was not divine, he did not bear the punishment for the sins of humanity. 
• If Jesus did not die, he did not bear the punishment for the entirety of humanity. 
• If Jesus did not rise again, he did not truly defeat the death of sin.  And followers of Jesus have no hope. 

And if any one of these are not true, we cannot enter into the holy presence of a sinless God.  (for a full discussion on that issue, see this video). 

The author concludes:

" [Sayer continues] 'In the afterlife we’ll see anyway who is wrong, who is right, what is Jesus—we will learn everything there.' Until that time comes, it might be best to focus on the kebabs."

He is half right - we will find out who is right and who is not in the afterlife (he also makes a good point that we should focus on kebabs).  When we stand before God, we will find out who and what Jesus really is.  However, leaving the discussion and focusing on "getting along" puts people in danger, from a Christian perspective.  Jesus states quite clearly in the John 14:6,

"I am the way, the truth and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me."

So it is immensely important what people believe about Jesus in this life.  Because it has eternal consequences.  And I praise God for His provision.

1 Peter 1:3-5  "³ Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, ⁴ and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, ⁵ who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvationthat is ready to be revealed in the last time." 

Easter

This is a little late in coming, but better late than never.  Every year we've gone over to a friend's house for Easter, and every year they do the same thing.  Tell the Easter story for all the kids and then do an Easter egg hunt in their back yard.  Now their kids are teenagers, but they've done it so often that they can't NOT do it.  So all of us with little kids gather anyways, and the Taylors organize a fantastic afternoon.  Their own teenage kids (and other teenagers) help out.  Eva and Gabe participated this year, and collected their own stash of candy.

Subway Expansion

When Subway first expanded outside of North America in 1984, do you know the first place a franchise was opened?  I'll give you one guess.



I hope you didn't guess anything other than Bahrain.   The picture above was posted by Subway Arabia's facebook page.  I don't know where this is, but now I'm curious to try and find it.

Bahrain by Bahrain

As a history geek, I am always on the lookout for books or websites on the history of Bahrain. Unfortunately, there's not a whole lot in English, and the books in English I do find are often long, expensive and dry. Not only that, they are rarely by Bahrainis. Often they are written historians and archaeologists who have come to Bahrain.

To my great delight, I found out that my friend Ahmed is working on a translation project doing just that. He is taking a history of Bahrain written by a well respected Bahraini historian and translating it into English. Even better, he is doing translating bit by bit and publishing it on his blog. You can see it here at Ahmed's Translations.

Cover of the Book: Masjid Al-Khamees (Khamees Mosque)

The first translation post is about Khamis mosque, one of the oldest mosques in Bahrain. In fact, this mosque is just up the road from us and we drive by it relatively frequently. Check back to the blog every once in a while (or subscribe, like I've done) to read more about the history of Bahrain. By Bahrainis.

Good Friday

Today is the day when many Christians celebrate the death of Jesus (I say many because orthodox believers will celebrate Easter next week).  There is lots to say about why Jesus died, but I would like to just leave two parts of a document called the Heidelberg Catechism: 

Why did Christ have to go all the way to death?  Because God's truth and justice demanded it: only the death of God's perfect Son could pay for the shame of our sin. 

What advantage do we receive from Christ's sacrifice and death on the cross? Through Christ's death our old selves are crucified, put to death, and buried with Him, so that the evil desires of the flesh may no longer rule us, but that instead we may dedicate ourselves as an offering of gratitude to Him. 

But Good Friday - the day of Christ's death - is only good because of Easter Sunday.  As the old preaching cadence reminds... it's Friday, but Sunday's a comin'!

Donald Peterson: 1917 - 2012

My grandfather, my mothers father, passed away yesterday at the age of 95. While the death carries sadness, the memories and legacy of my grandfather far outweigh any sadness. 

A Patriarch: my grandpa did not grow up in a Christian home, and he saw first hand the destructive power that alcohol can have on a family. However, he became a follower of Jesus in his teenage years, and after serving in the military during World War II in Morrocco, married and returned as a pastor. After Morrocco, they moved to Alaska and then on to retirement. But it was with him that God's faithfulness finds one of its key starting points in my line of the family. Three daughters, 11 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren (and counting!) are the legacy that he leaves behind.  And while I saw his frail body with my physical eyes, my mind's eye saw a titan - not because he was strong (physically or otherwise) in his own right, but a titan of the faith.  Someone who loved God and served him fiercely.

"Well done, good and faithful servant." 8 years ago I traveled to Florida to visit my grandparents on both sides to attempt to get some family history. I heard all about how my grandpa became a Christian, how he met my grandma, moved overseas and back, and raised three daughters. While he talked about their time in Morrocco, his heart became heavy as he wondered whether the 20 years they spent there even made a difference. He and my grandmother toiled in the Gospel for two decades, sharing the love of Jesus, but seeing little fruit. Phrases like "when seeds are planted, we don't always see the fruit" didn't seem to have much comfort, true they may be. But I am confident that now, as he stands before God in heaven, that the loving Father will look upon him and say, "Well done, good and faithful servant. Enter into the joy of your master." All question of the Father's approval have been laid to rest that affirmation. All wonder at whether it 'was enough' is answered with that invitation. My grandfather now knows, fully, the width, height, and breadth that is the love of Christ.

There is always sadness that accompanies death, but my grandpa's passing into God's presence is also a cause for happiness. He led a life that was faithful to his calling from God as a father, husband, and pastor. His fruit is seen in his children, his children's children, and as far as I can tell now, even in his children's children's children. Four generations of faithfulness flowing out of his start. Praise God for long, faithful lineages.

Eva with her Great Grandfather, July 2010

From Summer '10