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