Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Lebanon
Hey guys! I'm in Lebanon. I only have one thing to say about this place: the culture is verry different. Period.
Sunday, May 23, 2010
sojourner
The Israel portion of the trip is officially over, and tomorrow morning the group is going home (it's 10:00 PM over here, although only 2:00 for you guys in Houston). I, however, am going to Lebanon with my dad. We will be there for another five days.
I am officially a fan of the Bible now that I've been in Israel this past week. I am a proud witness of such incredible sights as The Sea of Galilee, the Mount of Olives, Golgotha, the Garden of Gethsemane, the Garden Tomb, the road leading into Jerusalem, the Upper Room, the Jordan River, the Elah Valley, and many, many, many more!! I have thoroughly enjoyed my stay in Israel and Jordan, and I know I will leave a piece of my heart behind me when I leave. I am realizing more and more that I am very adaptable and adventurous, and I feel at home here in a foreign country. It's amazing how this has only become apparent to me over the past year, and how much I've changed for the better in that short space of time, praise Adonai. I feel almost as "at home" in Israel as I do in Houston. The only thing missing is the ability to communicate with the people here, and that just poses a challenge I wish to conquer. I feel alive and content, and while I would not like to live here permanently, I could totally get used to it.
I guess what I'm realizing is that I am a "sojourner"; I have yet to find a place that I would like to call "home".
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Middle East Update
Hey guys - Eric here, reporting live from the Middle East! I am nestled very comfortably between four great countries: Israel, Syria, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia. I am currently 2000 feet from the eastern side of the Dead Sea. Wanna guess where I am? Yep; I'm in Jordan.
Now before I get to that, let me tell you about some of my experiences.
For starters, the 11 hour flight didn't find me sleeping much, and that's a mistake when you're going "hard-core" touring style. When we left Houston, it was very early morning; when we touched down at Ben Gurion airport in Israel, 13 hours later, it was late morning, and we hit the ground running. Stowing all our bags in a tour bus, we spent the entire day touring the Holy Land. I was jet-lagged, weary, and thirsty before we cleared the airport, and it didn't help much that our tour guide, "Uncle Kenny", unloaded information at ninety miles per hour, non-stop, for the rest of the day. I wanted to learn everything I could, so I listened intently, but my brain was clearly screaming at me to rest. Needless to say, I was very glad when we finally checked in to our hotel on the bank of the Sea of Galilee at the end of that unordinarily-long day.
I slept.
The next morning, I realized that I was awake while everyone back home was getting ready to go to bed. We are eight hours ahead of everyone in Texas. That means that I get to experience life before you guys; does that mean I'm living in your future? Can I tell you what today brings before you get to learn it? That's awesome.
Ok, so we toured Israel for the following two days, and today we crossed into Jordan to experience the Dead Sea and some other amazing sites. Oh yeah, the hotel I'm staying in is on the bank of the Dead Sea; I can see it from the hotel. The difference between Israel and Jordan is night and day. Imagine driving from mid-nineteenth-century Texas directly into Haiti. The poverty in Jordan is incredible. I am staying in a very nice, four-star Holiday Inn, and directly across from the hotel is a Bedouin shepherd family living in a tent, moving daily with its flock of sheep and goats. The majority of the houses in Jordan are made of concrete or cinder blocks, very poorly constructed, no larger than my room, and without modern commodities (although some houses did have TV satellites and one had a water hose). They tend to live in clusters on the very sides of the desert-ous mountains. They know how to take care of themselves and they definitely fend for themselves. The families are always outside, and the communities are tight. Jordan is an Arab nation and their current dictator is beloved by everyone, for he gives Jordan money to survive, inasmuch as Jordan can not properly take care of herself. It is strange, but these people not only accept their lot in life, but that adapt quite nicely, and as they know no other way of life, they know how to enjoy it. Obviously, they have essential priorities in the right place, and that convicts me. As we drove through trash-infested streets and watched such suppressed people live their lives unconcerned, the children smiling, laughing, and waving at our tour bus, my stomach turned about face and remained under pressure for the remainder of the day. I can't believe how much I have.
Anyway, it's on to some more cool sites tomorrow, and I don't know when I'll have internet access next - maybe not again - so I'll leave you with this thought:
You are more blessed than you realize; be thankful!
Now before I get to that, let me tell you about some of my experiences.
For starters, the 11 hour flight didn't find me sleeping much, and that's a mistake when you're going "hard-core" touring style. When we left Houston, it was very early morning; when we touched down at Ben Gurion airport in Israel, 13 hours later, it was late morning, and we hit the ground running. Stowing all our bags in a tour bus, we spent the entire day touring the Holy Land. I was jet-lagged, weary, and thirsty before we cleared the airport, and it didn't help much that our tour guide, "Uncle Kenny", unloaded information at ninety miles per hour, non-stop, for the rest of the day. I wanted to learn everything I could, so I listened intently, but my brain was clearly screaming at me to rest. Needless to say, I was very glad when we finally checked in to our hotel on the bank of the Sea of Galilee at the end of that unordinarily-long day.
I slept.
The next morning, I realized that I was awake while everyone back home was getting ready to go to bed. We are eight hours ahead of everyone in Texas. That means that I get to experience life before you guys; does that mean I'm living in your future? Can I tell you what today brings before you get to learn it? That's awesome.
Ok, so we toured Israel for the following two days, and today we crossed into Jordan to experience the Dead Sea and some other amazing sites. Oh yeah, the hotel I'm staying in is on the bank of the Dead Sea; I can see it from the hotel. The difference between Israel and Jordan is night and day. Imagine driving from mid-nineteenth-century Texas directly into Haiti. The poverty in Jordan is incredible. I am staying in a very nice, four-star Holiday Inn, and directly across from the hotel is a Bedouin shepherd family living in a tent, moving daily with its flock of sheep and goats. The majority of the houses in Jordan are made of concrete or cinder blocks, very poorly constructed, no larger than my room, and without modern commodities (although some houses did have TV satellites and one had a water hose). They tend to live in clusters on the very sides of the desert-ous mountains. They know how to take care of themselves and they definitely fend for themselves. The families are always outside, and the communities are tight. Jordan is an Arab nation and their current dictator is beloved by everyone, for he gives Jordan money to survive, inasmuch as Jordan can not properly take care of herself. It is strange, but these people not only accept their lot in life, but that adapt quite nicely, and as they know no other way of life, they know how to enjoy it. Obviously, they have essential priorities in the right place, and that convicts me. As we drove through trash-infested streets and watched such suppressed people live their lives unconcerned, the children smiling, laughing, and waving at our tour bus, my stomach turned about face and remained under pressure for the remainder of the day. I can't believe how much I have.
Anyway, it's on to some more cool sites tomorrow, and I don't know when I'll have internet access next - maybe not again - so I'll leave you with this thought:
You are more blessed than you realize; be thankful!
Monday, May 3, 2010
success
I really dislike publicizing myself. Not only is it a daunting task, but it makes me feel like I'm imposing myself on others who may not even appreciate what I am trying to do. Sometimes I feel like quitting, and it's on those days that I have to consider the definition of success.
I have heard many people describe success as "achieving a goal". While this is certainly true, that "goal" must be clearly and specifically defined in order for such a definition to be useful. Here are some common goals for which people strive: "making money", "gaining followers", "feeling good", "not getting caught" and "public awareness".
Sometimes I am unsure what my goals are, and at such times, I am never successful. It's only when I understand for what I'm aiming that I shoot straight and get results. Interestingly, I have realized that the results can not define my success. I am only responsible for doing my part, and doing it to the best of my ability. I have found that this is the key to success.
I have heard many people describe success as "achieving a goal". While this is certainly true, that "goal" must be clearly and specifically defined in order for such a definition to be useful. Here are some common goals for which people strive: "making money", "gaining followers", "feeling good", "not getting caught" and "public awareness".
Sometimes I am unsure what my goals are, and at such times, I am never successful. It's only when I understand for what I'm aiming that I shoot straight and get results. Interestingly, I have realized that the results can not define my success. I am only responsible for doing my part, and doing it to the best of my ability. I have found that this is the key to success.
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