driving around

this video was taken on the way to the tangenziale - the highway (it is only called the autostrada when you pay a toll - or at least i think that is the way it works...) we were on our way to pick up Josh, Brooke & Bekah after their flight to Rome was canceled. this day must have been an Italian holiday or day of rest of some sort because it was around 8:30 in the morning and normally the traffic would have been much heavier in this area.

driving around will get your blood circulating!! after a while you get used to it but you always have to stay alert because the motorcycles and scooters can come from any direction to pass you - even on the left when you are turning left! and people open car doors or walk out from behind cars and there are dogs running around. and of course the other drivers are out there and you never quite know if they are going to pull out from a parking place, turn in front of you, stop short to park or tailgate you on the most twisting curves. it is not for the faint of heart...

i'm so glad that God is the ultimate pilot!!!

we will take more videos of driving in Sicily through some of the little towns during the busy times of day. it is fascinating all of the things you can see.

Sicilian Puppet Show (UPDATE #2)

This is an updated version of the original post. Everything that is new is in this color.

Puppetry in Sicily has a long history. Currently it is an endangered art form with not many people remaining in the business. Here is a link to a brief piece of information from UNESCO on the history and origins of the puppet theatres. http://www.unesco.org/bpi/intangible_heritage/italy.htm

But there are still a few that are operational out there and I was able to go and see my first show last Friday night. The theatre we went to was operated by a very kind and talented family and there was a young man learning to do it from two older men. It was really incredible. They said they even make smaller versions and a miniature theatre so that they are able to practice it when they are small.

Brad was at a men's workshop with the chapel, but we are able to go and see another, different presentation this coming weekend. The show I saw last Friday was about the battle between the Paladins of Emporer Carlo Magno and the Saracens of King Marsilio. It was a 7-year war. The hero was the the famous Count Rolando. The traitor was Gano di Magonza. (There was also a fight with a dragon by Rolando.) At the end, before he dies, Rolando implores God to save the souls of his soldiers that died in this battle and the appearance of the angel bring him the presence of God.

We went again to the puppet show and it was the same story as last week, but this time our friends were able to go along. Our wonderful best friend Mario made up little booklets that had a pictures of the puppets on the front and the story in English on the inside so everyone would know what was going on. Next time we will see a love story, then that will probably be the last one we see for a while - unless there is one while our family is visiting.

Before the show we were able to go back stage and see the puppets up close, and also one of the men let me try to hold one up - they are extremely heavy - I could not hold it up. (this is why they make the smaller ones for the younger kids). They showed me where the puppeteers stand - above the stage - and how the puppets are maneuvered. They use some ropes and strings for intricate moves but long metal poles that are attached to the puppets for most of the major movements.

It is fascinating to watch them and they can make quite elaborate motions, including putting down their face plates on their helmuts, waving their swords around, etc. I loved every moment of it even though I did not understand what they were saying. It was kind of a violent story and during the worst part where the battles were being fought, quite a few puppets lost their heads (which is typical). One of them even was cut in half. The hero died in the end and coughed up a lot of blood (red paint?). But it was a really incredible show and I was totally engaged the entire time and found it extremely entertaining. Highly recommended as something to see if you ever have a chance to see an authentic show.

If you have high speed internet, it's worth clicking on the pictures of the puppets to see them up close. They are really elaborate and beautifully made. And you can see the girl soldier too (she was not in this particular story however...)

These puppets were made in WWII. When the Americans came to Sicily, the puppet masters would take the used soup cans of the soldiers, make the puppets and sell them to the soldiers. A single puppet could feed their family for an entire week.

mount etna

WOW!! Mount Etna was erupting like crazy the other night. It has now been reported that lava was shooting 700 meters into the air. Most of the Sicilians we know say that they have NEVER seen it like this. Here are a few pics compliments of others who live closer than we do. The first pic gives a cool perspective with the city below. Makes you realize how small you are when a gigantic mountain of hot lava is blowing up over such a large city (that is Catania in the foreground). The second pic shows some incredible detail.

tiramisu

our wonderful friend Mario stopped by the other night to bring us a present. freshly made tiramisu! wow it is delicious!!! we did NOT eat this all in one night....but now i'll have to go for another slice... good thing we are both working out these days.

fireworks

this is something interesting about living in the Aci's in Sicily (we live in Aci Catena, near Aci Trezza). last night we had actually gone to bed around 10:30 or 11pm. at 11:30 these loud 'booms' like bombs going off made me jump out of bed. and i stood there looking out from the balcony and watched the best fireworks display i've had the privilege to see all summer. (this is a regular occurence around here...!) i was oohing and aahing so much (they even had purple ones which i don't see very often) that Brad got up and watched too. Ringo was hiding under the bed by that time. Zelda barks a little to let us know she is ready to fight to defend us...

earlier in the day we had just gone down to walk around by the sea and try out the gelato (yum!) and actually ended up right in the middle of a festival but i am not 100% sure what it was all about. they - there were about 20 young men - were pulling the madonna and child from the sanctuary of the church through the streets on a very large cart. oh, and i think a priest and another man were also up there on the cart. there was a band playing and they took the cart down by the water and they were blessing something by the sprinkling of the holy water (i could not understand what they were saying). after that they were going to take the statue back to the church.

there are a lot of very steep hills in the area, so they had to get a running start to get the cart and its precious cargo up the hill but they made it on the first try much to the delight of the crowd. they were closely followed by the marching band, accompanied by loud ringing of the church bells in the main piazza (town square) where we were standing. it was so exciting to just be there by the water, watching all of this take place.

they have these really large fixtures that they put up all through the streets of the town and they are covered in colored lights. very festive. there were vendors selling all kinds of treats and toys and we ended up buying some pistachios and some peanuts in the shells. after that we went to one of the pizzerias right by the main piazza - so we sat outside by the sea and ate pizza in Sicily, Italy. i could cry right now just thinking about how incredible that is and how blessed we are to be here and experience this. it is not because of anything we did to deserve it and we are just so grateful and thankful to be here. it is very humbling.

the only bad part is that we did not bring our camera because we had no clue what was going to be going on down there. our deal to each other is this - if we go out the door, we're taking the camera!

we have not had an opportunity to see any of the recent meteor shower activity which is even MORE exciting. i have been awake every night for the past 5-6 nights until 2:30 or 3am - just wide awake--but i didn't think of going on the roof to look for the meteors. maybe that's not until next weekend, i'll have to check the news.

while i was awake last night i wrote down some ideas i was given for my first Sunday School class that starts in 2 weeks. i cannot wait!

okay, i need to go and practice the violin for a little while. i did not play yesterday and i have a lesson tomorrow and several rather complex pieces (for me). arrividerla...

Catania market

Saturday we went to the market in Catania. It runs every day of the week. You can get pretty much anything you want - there is a fresh fish market and then the regular market with food, clothing and various other items. Saturday is obviously a very busy day. I have not been during the week, but definitely plan on it soon. Everything that we bought there was delicious!

Here are a couple of pics of the market. There were quite a few others (Brad had the camera) of the fish w/heads on or off and sitting beside the fish for the spada (swordfish). I never liked swordfish until I came here. I really like it now. They slice it pretty thin. The fresh tuna is incredible too. The other somewhat disturbing pics were of the fresh meat - all kinds of stuff literally 'hanging around'. Mostly I still stick to veges, pastas, and FRESH seafood - with an occasional chicken or veal cutlet...

fresh grapes and apples.......and lots of cheeses!!!!!!!!

there is nothing back home like this olive oil...and the olives as well....incredible!

there may be someone you know in this picture....

i love God

the title says it all really. He loves me, He gave me a new heart and a new life, He changed me. He cares about everything in my life no matter how small. He loves me like no one else. He uses His living Word to speak to me and to teach me. thanks to Jesus He does not hold my past against me (like I sometimes do to myself). and any time i make a mistake, He forgives me and shows me how to overcome it so i do not have to continue to make the same ones over and over. He comforts me in my pain and He gives me the most precious gifts. when i look around i see His glory - the sky, the clouds, the sun, the moon, the sea, the trees, the flowers, the butterflies, the fruits and the vegetables to sustain me, and especially all of the people He has allowed into my life - so many beautiful, loving people. a husband to share my life with. family to nurture and grow with. friends to laugh and cry and explore with. brothers and sisters to praise Him with. He gives me my very breath and all that is beautiful inside of me. i adore my God. He is everything to me.

iron chef

Brad and I watched 2 cooking shows in the last few days that reminded us of the apprentice. first we watched Hells Kitchen. i liked the part where they are cooking individually but the restaurant part really didn't do much for me, mainly because it was more about who they were than what they were cooking. too much drama. not sure why all the bleeping was needed but i guess it's supposed to be funny.

then we watched Iron Chef. what i liked about it was that they had a box of random ingredients and a short time to create a masterpiece with it. i thought one of the guys in particular was a little too emotional. if you are trying to be a top chef in a really busy and exclusive restaurant, you need to have your act together. if you can't take the heat, get out of the kitchen. hahaha.

the reason i like shows like this because it gives me great ideas for throwing things together at the house. meal planning? what's that??? i will say that i will never have frogs legs laying around the house so i don't need to worry about what to do with those. the frog needs them more than i do...

so last night, my iron chef challenge was some fresh pasta, shrimp, red pepper, one tomato, one red onion and some sliced mushrooms. so i decided to use the wok and i used the lemon olive oil since there would be shrimp, then i threw in 3 cloves of minced garlic, the small red onion, the red pepper and the mushrooms. i let those cook for a little while and then threw in the fresh pasta (this stuff is awesome - we don't have it in the states), then of course i had to add more lemon olive oil, ground sea salt, lemon pepper, and regular ground pepper. let that cook a bit and then threw in the shrimp for the last few minutes, a bit more pepper and a little tobasco. after i turned off the gas burner, then i threw in the diced tomatoes and some fresh basil. the only thing i wish i had would have been some scallions and some fresh lemon to squeeze over the top. otherwise it was really good! it got rave reviews from Brad and that's all that matters!

along the way

just some beautiful views on the way to/from church on Sundays...

hunting lizards

or maybe they are salamanders. i do not know since i was more interested in geology and computers than anything else in college.

anyway, the kids are always hunting for lizards in the yard. especially Ringo. every time he goes out the door he races right to some of their favorite hang outs.

we also have baby birds on the roof so i'm trying to keep him away from them until they can fly off on their own. you can hear them chirping away at a very high pitch when you are up there...

living room before and after...

well, we finally have at least one room that is close to finished. we could almost have people over. if it wasn't for the 3 wild and crazy dogs that live in this house!!!

anyway, i have a series that depicts the transformation of the living room... which probably no one else in the world cares about besides me (and maybe my Mom)...! thank you for caring Mom!!

before we moved in...

when we had the loaner stuff...and.....when we first got our stuff

before we got the buffet

(that Brad modified into a tv/media/storage cabinet)

and finally....ta da.....................

now before you wonder what all of that clutter is in the far left corner, i will tell you that is my area and i was busily working when i decided i should take a picture before i forget again. so my violin is out on the chair along with my journals and notebooks, my laptop and purse and Bible are on my ottoman, the box for my new sewing machine is on the floor (yay - another dream come true thank you God - i've been wanting this for the longest time) and my music stand and my water bottle and coffee cup.

besides my mess though, the room has come a long way and we are really happy with the results. just need to put some family photos on the wall around the tv and we will be finished.

the guest room/Brad's exercise room is almost ready. the office in in progress. one step at a time. we are very grateful for what we have been blessed with and i refuse to complain just because we're a few cabinets shy of a kitchen! :-)

oh, here are a couple of pics outside...

ciliegie e fragolini

better late than never....! this will be a rather long post because so many amazing things happened on this day.

last saturday, june 30, we were invited by Sebastiano, a friend that works with Brad to his fiancee's family farm to pick cherries and grill out. it was a hot day but as we drove up into the mountain it cooled off nicely. we were invited because another couple we know are very good friends with him and his family - they have been celebrating with them in the past. so it was them and their daughter, another American couple and their daughter, and Brad and me, in addition to the Sicilians.

first Sebastiano took us to a place on the way where there is the oldest living chestnut tree in europe/the world. it was extremely large, but it is beginning to die off. you can see it in this picture with Brad and several of our friends. it is all around behind them. it is called the Castagno dei Cento Cavalli (The One Hundred Horse's chestnut tree) and you can learn more about the history of it at this web site: http://sicilia.indettaglio.it/eng/comuni/ct/santalfio/turismo/turismo.html

we actually parked up the trail in the 'official' parking area for viewing the tree. there was a truck with a man selling some fruit which is very common in Sicily. we will have to get some pictures of these because this is one of the things i really love about living here. makes me sad just thinking of the day i will not experience that anymore. so i will not think about that now.

anyway...there was also a small outdoor cafe - these are also very common all around. it was a small pentagonal-(or some geometric)-shaped building made of wood with wood shutters that open and inside is where the owner and workers make and serve whatever they have to offer. also there is a large canopy with tables and chairs for you to sit and relax while you eat.

this is a permanent stand. there are some that are integrated into vehicles and travel around to offer their delicious treats in various places around the area. this particular stand had granite e brioche, which is a breakfast ice-creamy type food along with a freshly baked sweet croissant that usually has creme or chocolate inside or can be plain with powdered sugar on top. YUM! this is also something i absolutely love. they have all different flavors of granita - limone, fragola (strawberry), mandorle (almond - my favorite), pistachio and possibly others - i cannot remember... we ordered limone con brioche (lemon without) because we knew we would eat later. the limone is SO refreshing. anything with lemons in Sicily is going to be fantastic. our friends' daughter ordered a fragola (strawberry) but didn't like it so Brad traded with her and so we kind of shared the limone and the fragola - i liked them both. the owner also had a foosball table and so a couple of the guys were playing against the owner and possibly his son - i am not sure - but they had a great time.

after walking around the park area and seeing the tree, we went back to the stand and noticed that he was also selling honey and marmalade from Mt. Etna (something else they are famous for...) he allowed us to taste several flavors which were all good. i bought some lemon honey (of course!) which will be incredible in hot tea and maybe for cooking as well, and some with actual almonds and pistachios in the jar which should be good with cheese as a friend of ours observed. we will report later on that. also, this is something that we could easily ship to the US, so if anyone reading this is interested in anything mentioned on this site, let us know and we will happily ship it to you!

after this it was time to go to the farm area. they have a house there and use that to eat and it is where they prepare the cherries (and whatever else they grow) to go to market. i know they also have vineyards, and some other fruit trees. hopefully we will learn more about them at a future date. but today was for the cherries (ciliegie) and for eating! oh yeah, there is no running water or electricity but there is a really deep well with cold water but you do not drink it.

this is Sebastiano showing the ciliegie, ready for harvesting

there were also many fragolini (mini strawberries) in the area

here is Sebastiano's fiancee's father with tools for harvesting - a bucket, a ladder and a pole to pull down branches to get the cherries

we picked enough to fill a couple of these buckets

Sebastiano's parents were also there. his fiancee, her 2 sisters and their mother, along with his mother prepared the most fantastic meal we have eaten since arriving in Sicily. mainly because everything was made by them from their garden...first we had some pasta with homemade sauce which was delicious and simple. they had made that from their own pomodori (tomatoes) just that morning! along with that was the grated fresh parmigiano cheese. then we had 2 kinds of melanzane (eggplant) - one grilled hot, thinly sliced to go with the pasta and one that had been marinated and was cool to go with the salad. the bread (several different kinds) was all home made. the salad was fantastic too - there was a giant bowl of lettuce and then another bowl with the marinaded tomatoes, carrots, onions and i'm not sure what else but it was incredible. there were also some green beans that were cold and marinated and they were some of my favorites - i have to learn how to make those.

then they started bringing out all the grilled meats...they had sausages, steaks, veal, lamb - all grilled and fantastic!! we were all so full but could not resist the cake that Sebastiano's fiancee made. it had fresh pineapple and pecans and he said he had sliced the pineapple and shelled the nuts - she did the rest.

this is a view from the window of the room where we ate - up on the 2nd floor. there was a cool breeze blowing the whole time.

you can see the tops of some of the olive trees, part of the city below and the Mediterranean Sea. they also had a small bowl of fresh gardenias on the window sill and so you could smell their fragrance throughout the room. gardenias are my favorite flowers. it was dreamy.

oh i almost forgot - we also had ice cold watermelon - they had lowered it down into the cold well water to chill while we picked cherries and ate...

such a wonderful experience. we have been so blessed since we have been here with such good friends and memories that will last a lifetime.

Sicily on fire

tuesday, june 26, was quite a day. started out like any other. until i went to take a shower so i could go and have my first violin lesson. as i wrote in one of those misc. posts, there was no water. so i could not go to the lesson at 12:00 or to the red cross training at 4:30.

late in the afternoon, around 5pm i went outside with the dogs. and i saw ashes in the yard...i thought...is Etna erupting? then i smelled the smoke. i got the dogs back in the house. went out on the street and could see thick smoke not very far from our house. so i went up on the top deck. i took these pictures from there a few minutes later.



the fires were burning about 3 houses up the hill. i walked up that direction and could see a medium sized tree on fire and a lot of other flames behind it. the fire was going back away from the street - which is what you can see in the pictures. it was very smoky and my eyes were burning.

i was not sure what to do. when i called Brad's cell, he was trying to get onto our street but it was blocked off at the top of the hill. i just got the dogs in the car and drove to the bottom of the hill. he parked his car and we drove mine back up to the house, packed up a few items - laptops, clothes and toiletries and our Bibles.

we were praying as we left (had already been praying). we both knew that it was possible that the next time we saw the house, our stuff could be destroyed. we both received an amazing peace knowing that God had it all under His control. no matter what happened, we were okay with it.

we tried to drive up the hill a little ways to see what was going on. there were big flames on the side of the road and the caribinieri started madly waving for Brad to drive up past the barricade. at that point we could not get back onto our street. Brad called several Sicilian friends trying to find out what they knew about the fires. he also talked to the police and caribinieri even though they did not speak much english. they all thought at that point that they had everything under control. we decided to go around the long way to the bottom of our street since they would not let us drive back past the open flames (i wonder why not!?).

when we got down there, we could see that the fire was worse than before - it was blazing out of control. but there was nothing we could do and it was starting to get late. luckily our very dear friends said, come on over and bring the dogs. so the dogs and i followed Brad. when we got there they had food and water for all of us. and a comfy place to stay.

Brad got a call from our friend Mario and he was talking to our landlord who was with the caribinieri out in front of the house. they were concerned about us and the dogs. so it was perfect timing because otherwise they were going to try to get in to make sure the dogs were okay. they said the house was fine and the fires were out. so we thanked God for His blessing of saving the house and that none of the neighbors were injured (that we know of).

here is something that is also amazing - in the morning, i was upset about missing my violin lesson. but if i had gone to the lesson and then stayed on base until the red cross training, we would not have known about the fire or been able to get the dogs or any of our belongings out. the dogs would have been home alone with all the smoke and fire engines going by. they would have been really freaking out. more praises to God for that...!! plus since we were with our friends and Brad had a change of work clothes, he could go right to work in the morning.

we later found out that there fires burning all day and they had skipped up the hills into our neighborhood. there were many other fires throughout Sicily. it was the worst they had seen in over 50 years. the temperature had been 115 on monday and 116 on tuesday and the island was so very dry. one of the men that works with Brad told him yesterday that he had huge palm trees in his yard that were 'burning like candlesticks'.

we read an article saying that the heat was endangering the lemon trees and some of the other fruit and vegetable crops. but then yesterday and today it has been much cooler - probably over 20 degrees. so hopefully everything will be okay.

[i was able to reschedule my violin lesson for Weds, to!!!]

misc post #4 - short trip to Caltagirone

a week ago Sunday (the 17th) i thought there was an antique market in Caltagirone which is a city famous for it's beautiful staircase that has colored tiles that are decorated in diferent ways for different festivals and for Christmas. we went with our good friends after church to check it out. oh, the other thing that Caltagirone is famous for is ceramic arts. so we shopped around a bit. some of the stores were closed on Sunday. some closed for riposo and we did not stay until after it was over so we did not see those shops.

what i really wanted was a clock, but i did not find the exact one i wanted. so i bought a pair of dolphins and a butterfly that i will put a wire through and hang on the kitchen wall. our friends bought us the olio, aceto, sale e pepe set. it was a very nice gift and we are so thankful. it was my favorite set there that i found in the places we looked and i really have needed one so badly. it is not as easy to limit your quantities of oil and vinegar when you are pouring out of big bottles!

we all forgot to bring our cameras. but we will go there again probably a number of times - besides the shopping, etc., it is a beautiful city and there are surprises down every alley - a steep, narrow stairway, a view of the valley - it is incredible. so we will have pics later to share.

misc post #3 - heat and fireworks

wow, yesterday it was 115 degrees here!!! Brad said we could cook on the sidewalk, but we didn't. after being unusually cloudy, cool and rainy it has now become hotter than usual for June. i do not mind it so much because there's not much humidity, but even with a/c units the house does not get very cool. i need to learn how to make gazpacho. that's my goal for today is to find a good recipe and maybe if we can get the water back on, then i can shower and shop for ingredients....

this past weekend was the festival of San Giovanni in Aci Trezza and there were fireworks all day and night. i never saw fireworks in the daytime before but basically they are the 'bombs' that i posted a picture of before. even last night they had them. at midnight i suddenly was awake and hearing all of these loud blasts that rattled the windows and doors. so i jumped up, ran downstairs and grabbed my mosquito wipes that smell like citronella and went outside and watched the last 10 minutes of the show. it was fantastic. so many bright, glittery, colorful and huge fireworks. they were beautiful. and did i mention that they were loud? dogs were barking all over the place (not mine though - they were right inside the door waiting for me. except ringo who was under the bed scared for the millionth time). car alarms were going off too. it was comical in a way. i did not see the neighbor, Guiseppe, or anyone in his family outside.

wish i had pictures...

misc post #2 - caprese

this will be a really short post - just so you can see these lovely caprese salads that i made for us the other night. it is our favorite salad - made with tomatoes fresh off the vine and Sicilian buffala mozzarela that comes in a bag of some sort of liquid which i think is like a mild brine solution. the cheese is not salty and is extremely soft and fresh. i never had anything like it before coming here. when i lived in Germany i remember traveling and having caprese before, but i cannot remember it being this good!

the ingredients: pomodori (fresh, vine-ripened tomatoes), Siciliana buffala mozzerella, olio di oliva (olive oil - also much better fresh!), aceto balsamico di modena (balsamic vinegar from Modena - really delicious...), sale (sea salt - but we have not had a chance to buy any of the good stuff made right here in Sicily yet) e pepe (pepper - fresh ground)

oh, and fresh basil from my plant in the window sill! :-)

....and buono appetit

misc post #1 - no aqua

right now there is no running water in the house. could be that the town is working on the water and has it posted somewhere that there will not be water between certain hours today. of course, i do not know this, so i had to turn off our water collector (a giant vat of water that is constantly refilled supposedly for emergencies and which we must have gone through earlier this morning) so that the motor does not burn up.

this is a bummer because i am supposed to pick up my violin and have my very first lesson today from Isadore, a Sicilian violinist who plays during the chapel services and is extremely talented. i begged Brad to pick it up for me since he repaired it and will be waiting for me and i have no way to contact him. i am not sure if Brad is going to make it since when i called he was in a 'really intense meeting' and was not sure he could get there.

this will be the first of a series of short, misc. posts because i have a lot of little things to talk about.

this picture i am attaching is one from a few weeks ago that i thought i might draw or paint or something. Brad picked up the bread, tomatoes, apples and cherries right down the street. the wine was a gift and the olive oil is just an essential in the kitchen!! the cherries are just in season and so sweet and delicious!

Father's Day

it's not Father's Day yet but it's close and it is on my mind because I have not sent my Dad his card yet which will never make it to the States in time now. partly because it is in a box with stuff i am mailing, one thing i did not get until this past thursday. but that is something for my Mom... Dad is a hard guy to buy for. he's got everything he needs and pretty much everything he wants. except maybe a million or so dollars so he can just have someone else to mow the yard and do the projects around the house. i don't think he minds that too much anyway.

so i'm probably going to end up getting him something like a best buy gift card (shhh...don't tell). that will get there before the Father's Day card itself in the box. he always seems to be able to find something he likes there and he can pick something for his camera, or movies or most likely a computer program.

some people just have a gift (for lack of a better word) for giving great gifts. gifts that capture the hearts of the recipients. wish i was one of those people... Brad's brother Bruce and his wife Alice are like that. their gifts are always so special and meaningful...absolutely perfect! it is like they have such incredible insight into the people they are buying for - they just KNOW.

speaking of gift-giving and Fathers, it would be just absolutely impossible to write about these things and not write about my Father in heaven, who gave me the most meaningful gift i've ever received. even though i did some really horrible things (in other words sinned!) as a teenager, and when i was older even. things i'm not proud of.

yes it is in the past, but it was still hanging over me. still 'out there'. even though i was really sorry for them and even though some people in my life had forgiven me. even though my life had changed a lot, there was still sin there. (details omitted!) but when i learned that Jesus' dying for the sins of the world meant MY sins...i knew i needed that gift from God. and when i asked for it. He gave it to me.

all sins forgiven, all errors forgiven. past, present and future. does this mean i would never do anything wrong again and live happily ever after...? no. but He did not just leave me floundering. He gave me His Spirit within me to change me. in the Gospel of John, chapter 16, before Jesus was crucified he told the apostles, 'It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.' and later he also said 'when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth.'

doesn't happen overnight. doesn't happen for a really long time if i insist on being bull-headed or deny my wrong thoughts and actions. but the Spirit is always there. and now if i do something sinful, like think something bad towards someone, immediately the Spirit makes me sensitive to it. He is changing my heart and healing me. day by day, little by little. the goal is ultimately to be 'conformed to the image of His Son' - which takes a lifetime.

Jesus said in Matthew 5: 21,22 "You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.' But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment."

God told the Israelites the same thing after they left the slavery in Egypt. In the Ten Commandments He said 'Thou shalt not kill', but He gave the Israelites many other commands that He gave to His people so that they would be different than the rest of the world. set apart. holy. (e.g. Leviticus 19:16-18)

so God has never changed His stance on what is sinful. He is holy and unchanging. He just so dramatically changed how we can be forgiven. way back in the day, sin was forgiven by the shedding of blood. even Adam and Eve were forgiven by God - He did the sacrifice for He clothed them in animal skins - so blood was shed for the covering of their sin. then for the Israelites it was the sacrificing of animals, which had to be done over and over again.

in Hebrews 10:3-4 it says 'But those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins, because it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.' that is why the people kept on sinning and kept on sacrificing.

Jesus is the perfect sacrifice. once and for all. does not matter who you are or what you have done. once you accept this gift, God gives you His love to give to others, His ability to forgive - and so on. it is called the 'fruit of the Spirit'. in Galatians 5:22-23 it says 'For the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against these things there is no law.' So the longer the Spirit works in you, this fruit should become more evident.

my life has never been more challenging, more exciting, more fulfilling, more beautiful, more difficult or more real.

Father God I pray for all of those who do not know you as Father, that they would see the beauty and perfection of Your gift. nothing we can do to earn it. but it is freely available to all who seek it and accept it. who repent and live for You. thank You for Your perfect love, and for setting the example of what a Father should be so that no one should feel unloved or unwanted in this world if they know You. Amen.

sunshine and scrabble

Thank you God for giving us some sunshine today! It has been cold and rainy here for the last 3 days, which was totally amazing to me. We are in Sicily...it is June...and we have been expecting some serious heat.

The Sicilians we know have been telling us that this year is very unusual weather and it has not been like this in over 30 years. This does not surprise me. As part of my adventurous journey from Brighton TN to Sicily, I did a lot of driving. When I left my friend Vicki's house in SC, I had to drive to Raleigh, NC then on to Norfolk, VA. That day there was a storm, but not just any storm - the worst storm of the entire YEAR! It was pouring down rain, thunder and lightning and lots of traffic on the highways. There I was driving - me and our 3 dogs that have to stop to go to the bathroom more than little kids on vacation. Do I see a pattern developing?

Since we are not just here on a Mediterranean vacation for a week or so, we were quite thankful for the rain. We planted (read: the landscaper planted) a new lawn here from seeds about a month ago, and there are a lot of new trees and plants. The existing sprinkler system only works for part of the yard and the rest must be manually watered. I stand outside for what feels like hours using various settings on the spray nozzle attachment. No complaints though - it is really a peaceful time of my day. There are a lot of birds and butterflies (answered prayers!) around here. But no matter how long I stand there watering, those areas always need more water!! I just took these pics of the yard from the kitchen door - it is really green out there now!

Check this out - last night I looked over at my scrabble tiles from a game we had started the night before. Immediately these letters jumped out at me so I had to take a picture!!!

Click here if you want to learn more about Adonai.