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Showing posts from July, 2006

Sidon, Lebanon - last summer

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I felt a need to post this in light of recent events.... This is a view of the old and new in Sidon, southern Lebanon, when I was there last summer. Standing on an old fort, accessed by a bridge across the water, looking at the city, I remember the quiet of that hot summer day. The skies were clear and so blue; the water was clear too, and just as blue. Today? I'm sure, unfortunately, it is a very different situation.... 
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And more of the ocean blue at Eagle Beach in Aruba. "Dive in!" was always a call I heard when staring at this lovely water. 
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Alto Vista Chapel in Aruba. Very cute and quite small. It is a chapel after all, not a church. Anyway, it took us what seemed like forever to find this chapel but we were so excited when we did. It's like looking for treasure, almost.... We started out in the city and drove around, returning to the city center at least once, almost twice (I say almost because we recognized which way we were going before we actually hit the city center).  
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Dig your toes into this... :) Sand on the beaches of Aruba. 

Comfortable Faith

I find myself at some unusual crossroads. Most of it is a similar experience to what I've encountered before - transitioning from one place to the next, from the end of one thing to the beginning of another, from the known to the unknown. Usually I've been transitioning from being a student to starting a job. But this time, things seem to be slightly different. I'm transitioning from a job to no job.... My mom worries, she told me, because I'm leaving a perfectly wonderful, well-paying job for no good reason at all. I mean, where else can you work 11 months out of the year, be paid pretty well, and find time to travel? Why do you want to give that up? My mom has often asked me these questions hoping that I might come to my senses and change my mind. I don't admit it to her but I understand her perfectly. I mean, it doesn't make sense - from the surface. I question myself sometimes because I am, truly, leaving my comfort zone. If you look at it, at age 30, why wo
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Sunset sky in Aruba 

Aruba Ariba!

My trip to Aruba was a celebration of my 30th birthday! Yes, me... 30. I hardly look it. I got a few puzzled looks when people asked me what school I went to and I said that I have been out of school for a while. At the airport, a lady was taking statistical surveys and asking some questions. When it came to the age question, she asked me to point to an age group. I pointed to the "30 - 39" since I turned 30 a couple of weeks ago, and she had this look on her face, fleeting but there nonetheless, like I had chosen the wrong age bracket. But she had enough calm and poise not to question my choice. Anyway, our trip to Aruba was great! It was quite an adventure, with bumpy rides, mysterious roads, quiet towns, blue and beautiful beaches, windy and humid weather, laughs, tans, sunburns, and much much more! There will be several more posts to come with respect to our trip, be sure! :)
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The blue waters of Aruba 

Middle East Crisis

It is a terrible thing to watch this war unfold between Israel and the Hezbollah and to watch the innocent people caught in the crossfire. Casualties arise on both sides and I'm sure that both are equally as heartbreaking. My heart breaks, though, mostly for the beautiful country of Lebanon that I have fallen in love with. I was there last year and I cannot help but think about the people I have met and the places I have visited. I pray for the safety of those I met in Lebanon last year and their families. Pray....that's all I can do as I check my email day in and day out for news from my friend....or stare at my phone.....