Where God Leads

Blog Slug Again??

2009-11-12T05:17:00.002+02:00

I know... it's been so long already now... almost a month... and there's always excuses as to why no postings... work... unpacking... laziness... all of the above... and indeed... now that we're into the house and trying to get situated things are indeed pretty crazy in general. Even though we've been in the house now for what... 3 weeks... we're still digging through boxes and looking for things... but even today was a positive day as more boxes were emptied and move junk was put in its rightful place... and more and more the house here is feeling like home as stuff we haven't seen in more than 3 years is coming out of boxes from its storage time ... and well... it's just nice to be settling in for a now. The tower computer is up ... and every time it goes to screen saver we see pictures of the last 3 years and are reminded of all our great friends in Egypt and wish oh so much that we were still there... but alas... this is where we're suppose to be for now... and then on a day like today... Armistice Day as our Brit friends would call it... so many memories of Active Duty military days now gone day... wow... hard to believe that those days are memories and not days that I'm actively living... but irregardless... times being stationed in the U.K. with memorial parades and the after parade gatherings with other vets ... and then there's the transition to here... the kids are in school... but they're finding it difficult without any friends ... and yes... in time they will choose friends here... but for now... they have each other....

Colors of the Season

2009-10-19T03:34:00.003+02:00

The colors that come out during the fall season are great to see... and the red heart below is on the tree in our new front yard...

Even Trixie Gets to Make the Trip

2009-10-11T23:44:00.002+02:00

Trixie will get to the make the trip... and there's a few things to be said about this statement... 1st of all she has indeed become a member of the family... and we've made a commitment to her too to take care of her... because we all have faults... including the dog... but that's not a reason to cast her out of the family... so she's with us... now to set this story straight... I had taken her back to the Humane Society that we got her from... 6 weeks after we'd had her... but went back to get her 2 days later because I knew she was suppose to be with us... God had given her to us... so... she's our dog. This is the day Sandra and I went and got her back while the girls were at school and here they are enjoying her again.

Rappahannock River

2009-10-11T23:34:00.003+02:00

Just a simple view of the Rappahannock River from RT 3 (taken on a bridge... out the window at 45 mph...) and then from the landing close to the train station in downtown Frederickburg. This will be a great view in another week or two as the leaves change colors.

Sings of Change

2009-10-11T23:26:00.003+02:00

Usually you don't think of the sings on the freeway as "signs of change" but tomorrow they will signify the beginning of a change of location for our family as Sandra and the girls begin heading to Virginia and join me here... it's been a long 6 weeks apart with a few visits and webcams everyday but those days are going to be behind us tomorrow.

Pic's of Possible House 5

2009-09-06T05:57:00.001+02:00

Pic's 4

2009-09-06T05:55:00.002+02:00

Pic's 3

2009-09-06T05:54:00.002+02:00

Pics 2

2009-09-06T05:52:00.001+02:00

Pics of Possible House

2009-09-06T05:46:00.002+02:00

Trixie Workout

2009-08-29T00:29:00.004+02:00

The girls were throwing the little squeaky toy in the back yard that the dog likes and "The Blur" (Trixie) is running to get the toy (she's hard to see but is there between the girls) ... the girls are truly loving their dog that's for sure.

Heading to the Bus ... Waiting for the Bus

2009-08-29T00:26:00.003+02:00

Both girls are catching the bus... but in both cases they were all smiles as they headed out for their first day of school... uh, no Trixie did not go to school with Mia... but she has waited for the bus the last few days now.

Can An Older Dog Still Learn??

2009-08-18T05:01:00.002+02:00

This is a question that I first thought applied to our new dog... which had shown us that she knows NOTHING about doing the business of a dog outside that all other dogs inherently understand... but as I was thinking of the title of this... I realized that it was really just as applicable to me as to the dog... Indeed the dog has already shown that she understands where to "go" when it comes to training pads by the door (although she has yet to "go" outside yet) but even for me... can I learn to be the person God has called me to be... or better yet... not can I learn to be who God has called me to be... can I just simply turn from my rebellious ways and just do what's right?

Success in Doggie Hunting

2009-08-15T02:16:00.003+02:00

We made a trip yesterday to the Humane Society... and found the same set of dogs as before... with no new prospect from the current "line-up" of dogs there... but there was a rope across the isle that said "quarantined, keep out" that we just "had" to stretch our necks across and look to see what kind of dogs might soon be shown to the public that were currently "off limits"?? Well... we went back this morning for a better look at the "off limit" dogs ... only to find that the Humane Societies power had been off so they weren't quite ready for "guests"... so we went back home... and came back in the early afternoon... this time though... we found God's Blessings when it came to getting a dog... yes Daisy the Beagle was still there... (and yes.. .she was being adopted by another family while we were there)... we saw a Beagle that was just a little smaller than Daisy and was in perfect health named Trixie... so ... Trixie came home with us today straight away... 3 years ago when we left for Egypt we gave our poor ole Bassethound named Ben away (yeah the pic on the left) ... but today... the girls were all smiles (yeah.. the right side pic) as the house now has a new dog that really seems to be warming up to all of us.. and the house as well :-)

Employement Opportunities

2009-08-14T01:45:00.002+02:00

It's a weird world... a very good friend told me that God always opens two doors when an opportunity arises... and I thought that was kind of crazy when he first told me... but oddly enough... ever since then I've noticed on major things... this very thing is so very true... for now I've applied for a job with the State Department in New York... and received notice that I've made the first cut for interviews.... and then just yesterday there was the posting of a job in Athens Greece... which would be a pretty cool assignment too... neither job is an offer... but both are possibilities... and indeed we're excited about both... may God's leading be divine and true to where we're suppose to be... oh yeah... even with that very prayer.... I've applied for a few jobs locally too... so if God doesn't want us to move any more... that's cool too... we're just waiting for the revelation of all...

Doggie Hunting

2009-08-10T02:38:00.002+02:00

We had made 2 trips to the local Humane Society... and saw a Beagle that we liked and were told late last week that the soonest she'd a available for adoption would be today... so we were there over an hour before they opened to try to be the one's to get her... only to find out once we had her in the room for observation that she is currently not available for adoption because she has heartworms... she really seems like a great dog... we hope she'll recover so we could still have a shot a having her... time will tell though...

At the Beach

2009-08-09T06:00:00.004+02:00

Our neighbor Jay invited us to join him on a trip down to the Waterford beach today... it was a very nice afternoon out... of course I forgot what time we were going to leave... so... we ended up leaving a few hours later than originally scheduled... which led to a much less crowded beach... which was just fine for us

Shave or Go Long....

2009-08-09T05:53:00.003+02:00

Ok... so now it's been a month since I've shaved... it's been pretty neat to not have to worry about shaving because of work... but now the real question is ... keep it and go long or ... shave it off??

Rain Delay

2009-08-09T05:46:00.003+02:00

While at Epcot... and during an afternoon downpour... we were in the international section of Epcot and went into one of the Moroccan stores... I know they don't look like something you'd get in Morocco... or at least I never thought you'd find these kind of Rhasta Man looking hats there...

Good Scan...

2009-08-07T23:34:00.001+02:00

The scanning went well... but the urologist won't know anything for another 2 weeks... but his preliminary view of everything today was positive...

First CatScan

2009-08-07T03:58:00.003+02:00

Ok... I have to admit... I've never had a CATSCAN before... and there were times that I've thought to myself... wow... so and so had a catscan.... they must be important.... but now that it's my turn... well... I can't say that I feel important... but more concerned that they even think a catscan is even necassary... well... it's a funny thing... I pee'd in a cup... which led to me pee'ing in another cup because they found trace amounts of blood in my urine.... now... after having an ultra sound... it appears that there is some form of growth on my left kidney... so they are going to dye me and run me through the catscan machine tomorrow morning... all we're doing here is asking for God's hand to be upon my body....

Camping In the Back Yard

2009-08-06T03:36:00.003+02:00

Now that we're back home in CT... the girls and I decided to "camp" in the back yard... I know... just putting up the tent and sleeping in it does not really count as camping... but it was still nice to see the girls learning to put the tent up on their own and being excited about doing something different... we also made a trip to the Humane Society... on Thursday the vet visits the society and will actually be checking out two different dogs we saw that we were interested in... one's a Jack Russel and the other is a Black Lab... we'll see if any of these guys make it home with us tomorrow...

Lights, Motors, Action... Disney Style

2009-07-30T06:33:00.002+02:00

WoW... if you're a guy... and you enjoy driving your car as fast as you can.... then this is the attraction for you... I have to admit that I was memorized by the action as thes "little" Opel's that have been severely modified by Disney to meet their needs did their tricks on the set... and to see how many of the camera trick are carried out wa pretty cool indeed to see... maybe the most impressive stunt was the parellel parking of FIVE MOVING CARS to a dead stop!!! Truly Amazing!! I'm told that this attraction actually came from Disney land in Paris... no matter... it's a GREAT show!!

Florida ... Relatives

2009-07-30T06:28:00.003+02:00

Even coming to Florida is about seeing relatives... and in this case we were able to meet Tyler... my brother's son for the first time... even if it rained a lot of the day in the Magic Kingdom... it still didn't detract from the fun of being at Disney.... it just reminded us of the Philippines :-0

Visit to Tara

2009-07-30T06:22:00.003+02:00

After leaving Rushmore... we headed to Tara's (my youngest sister...) on the way to Florida... only God really knows how many years its been since we've seen each other... but for sure it's been more than 16 years (since Sandra and I got married)... it's amazing that it's been so very long...

Mt. Rushmore

2009-07-30T06:18:00.003+02:00

It's was great to be able to stop by and see Mount Rushmore again after many years... and it was actually amazing to see how the National Parks and Services has added an amphitheater along with a walking path that allows you to get right underneath the carvings... I know for myself I had visited this sight as a young child and it created a lifetime memory... so I'm hoping the same holds true for my kids today...

Yellowstone... amazing colors

2009-07-30T06:08:00.002+02:00

At the Midway Geyser Basin we saw the most amazing colors that nature creates... this picture is of the "grand Prismatic Spring" ... and keep in mind that I am NOT a professional photographer... nor was the stage set for this picture... it's just a capturing of God's handy work in His creation by a novice!! and even this picture does not do the actual landscape justice as to its full beauty.

Yellowstone... Are We Still On Earth??

2009-07-30T06:04:00.003+02:00

Yellowstone National Park is quite an interesting and exciting place to visit... you come around the corner and see this scene and you have to wonder if you've departed earth for another planet somewhere else in the universe... because we "know" that our earth does not steam and shoot steam vents into the air like we see at Yellowstone...

Dust Devils

2009-07-30T05:07:00.003+02:00

I've seen "Dust Devils" before... but had never had the opportunity to capture one on picture before... this was as we were crossing Idaho... and it might actually be the best defined dust devil I've actually seen... sorry... no video of the event...

Magtuba Beauties

2009-07-18T21:38:00.004+02:00

Here we have 3 of the 4 Magtuba girls together ... and it's so great to see them enjoying each others company so very much in person as opposed to web-cams and phone calls!! Yes... it's been too long since they've been together physically... but by God's Grace they're together today... and for the next few days!!

We're SOOOOO Bad.....

2009-07-18T21:31:00.004+02:00

We didn't tell Sandra's sister (Endi) that we'd be coming to her house two days early... because we wanted to surprise her... and indeed we did just that... here we have Endi... En-En... Mia... Ahte... Manang Esther and Manong James... at 1am.... it's been 4 years since we've seen Endi and about 6 years since seeing Manang and Manong...

Rugged Beauty

2009-07-18T21:23:00.003+02:00

God has created so much Rugged Beauty that when we see it ... so many times we actually take it for granted and miss the moment... I'm not talking about worshiping the creation... I'm talking about worshiping the Creator!! How many times have you missed the chance to worship the Creator? .. as for me... please don't ask... because I miss the opportunity to worship the Creator so many times ( be them known to me or just overlooked because of my own agenda) ... but here at an Idaho rest stop... we did indeed take a few minutes to marvel at our Creators handywork!!

Kids Getting On Together

2009-07-18T21:17:00.004+02:00

As I had mentioned the kids got on so well it was truly amazing... and here we see Morgan being "Lucky the Dog"... as opposed to a Dinosaur as in another pic... but the bottom line is the same... the kids got on so well together it was heartbreaking to leave as Sid... playing with Angela in the pic on the left... to not leave and then actually broke down into true tears as we loaded up into the car... So sorry Darling that we had to go so soon... hopefully we can visit again much sooner than this trip allowed!!

Can't See "MY" Eyes!!

2009-07-18T21:10:00.009+02:00

I noticed a funny thing about Shana on this trip... she knew the "exact" moment to close her eyes so as to shield the world from their beauty... it was great to visit Sis....

Red is so IN

2009-07-18T21:02:00.003+02:00

Although Sidney and I didn't know each other well... there's something about colors that can make people instant friends... and here I have found a friend for life .... as Sidney was displaying her "Pujols" jersey and of course I had on the Ohio State gear!! I have to admit how surprised I was to see how much Sid looks like my sister did when she was young :-0

Visit to Shana...

2009-07-18T20:55:00.003+02:00

It was great to stop and see Shana and her family for a day... honestly the time we visited was just way too short considering all the years we haven't seen each other... and amazingly the kids got on as if they'd played together every day of their lives!! In this pic we have Morgan (hiding his body... yet still gracing us with his smile)... Sidney... Angela... Sandra... Maxine and Mia...

St Louis... The Arch is still There

2009-07-18T20:46:00.003+02:00

We really didn't plan to go through downtown St Louis on the way to Shana's house (my oldest... youngest sister... if that isn't confusing already...)... but we took a chance that traffic wouldn't be as bad as advertised... and it wasn't at all... and we were rewarded with this great view of the St. Louis Arch on the Mississippi...

Hayden and the Keffer's

2009-07-14T05:49:00.004+02:00

It was so funny... Hayden really warmed up to everyone in the family... (Sandra... Angela... Mia)... except for Grandpa... Sandra was holding her in less than an hour... and Hayden was enjoying the girls company most of the day... especially Mia's since they were the closest in age and Mia seemed to know how to connect more with Hayden... Grandpa Burr suggested we go to the Jersey Dairy just "down the way" from the house... and we did. We fed the goats and had homemade ice cream along with playing a round of putt-putt golf... on a perfect day!!

Four Generations!

2009-07-14T05:40:00.003+02:00

Liana and Hayden came to Ohio to Grandma Burr's house to visit us today... and it was a very special day!! Here we have four generations in the picture with Great Grandma... Daddy (opps... Grandpa)... Mom (Liana) and ... Hayden (yeah... the 4th gen now)... it's so hard to believe that we're all this old (well... besides Hayden of course) to be in this position... but it is indeed by God's Grace that we are.... Li is doing a great job and we're so very proud of her!! And Hayden really enjoyed playing with her Aunt's and Lola Sandra :-)

Still Waters May Calm the Soul but...

2009-07-14T05:33:00.003+02:00

... Rushing waters ignite the heart! That's for sure... and getting the chance to stop by Niagara Falls on our way across country was great indeed! The view is spectacular but even more so the sound of the rushing water is amazing... coupled with all the mist... the demonstration of the power of these falls was simply amazing to see the handy work of our Creator!

The Stage is Calling

2009-07-11T02:35:00.003+02:00

All the worlds a stage when you're heading to your seat for commencement... it was great to get to experience crossing the stage and shaking the hands of the school president along with many of the alumni and to "feel" the feeling of a college graduation... even though we don't live by feelings ... and that's even more apparent today as we trust that God has our path planned out without us seeing where that map is leading us yet :-)

Jean M. Smith Award

2009-07-11T02:30:00.002+02:00

It was great to get to meet Jean Smith today after receiving the Jean M. Smith award sponsored by her at Excelsior College for business and professional achievement. It was indeed an honor to be selected as the award recipient but even more of an honor to get to meet Ms. Smith herself.

Commencement Day at Excelsior

2009-07-10T14:36:00.003+02:00

It's Commencement Day here at Excelsior ... and it's a little hard to believe that all the days of study are done for the degree... but learning in life doesn't end there that's for sure. The commencement will be broadcast live in the web at 3pm est...

www.excelsior.edu/webcast

It Really IS SO Green...

2009-07-10T14:21:00.003+02:00

Something we've noticed even since coming back to the states from Cairo is how GREEN Connecticut is... and now that we're starting our vacation we're still seeing the same thing here in Mass... because for the last 3 years if you drive more than a half hour you're out of the city and all you see is Brown Sand... and some brown mountains too... but one thing you don't see tons of is green... of course all we hear people complaining about is how much it's rained and how chilly it is... but we're just happy to be experiencing it... also the cool summer kind of reminds us of living in London ...

Walk by the Sea

2009-07-10T14:18:00.002+02:00

After our movie the other day (ok... 6 days ago now...) we remembered that the sea was right across the street from the theater so we should go for a stroll ... and here we are at McCooks beach... I think we'll have to spend a little more time at the beach here in CT...

Maybe it Realy is Home Improvement

2009-07-10T14:12:00.003+02:00

It was much harder work than I expected... but it seems to have come out pretty well in the end... and when I took the finished picture I thought to myself... ohh... I didn't take a pic of the floor I took out... of well... the kitchen is so much brighter now with these tiles in.

Shopkeeper... Cage Your Animals

2009-07-03T04:58:00.003+02:00

We went to the Subase tonight for the military appreciation night of Subfest... Subfest is a traveling carnival road show group with the standard midway rides and games booths with a firework show on the 4th that is open to the public on the Subase... and the girls did get their share of rides in... but when you see the girls getting into this ride... and then their faces later on during the ride (getting a focused pic was NOT easy on our camera.. it wasn't made for action pics)... well... it just made me think of the title of this post today. I can remember days lone ago that I'd get into such a contraption... but those days are indeed long gone! Funny thing today... we took the girls for dental check ups after 3 years in Egypt... and neither one of them had any cavities ... Yeah!! it was good to get the U.S. verification of their dental work done over there... just goes to show that both dentists that we used that were trained in the U.S. actually did very good work! (Osman Dental and Michigan Dental in Maadi).

Weather Report... Rain!

2009-07-02T05:26:00.003+02:00

One thing we've seen lots of here in Connecticut.. and that's rain... but today was one of the strongest rains with loads of thunder and lightening... kind of reminded us of those rains in the Philippines... but when the rain broke the girls were outside playing... I was just a few seconds too slow to catch Mia dancing in the bigger puddle here...

The Foolish Man??

2009-07-02T05:07:00.003+02:00

There's the proverb that talks about the wise man considers all that is required before he begins to build his house... and the fool... well... doesn 't... so he comes "I"... thinking that the tiling job from the bathroom went pretty easy... all things considered... and that encouraged me to press on and do the kitchen next... because the tile was starting to come up ... but boy did I have the wrong weapon for the "tile war" here on the left (small hand scraper)... after doing six or seven tiles I realized I needed another trip to Home Depot for the right "gun" for the job at hand... if you look just left of the door the "manly" tile remover... 2/3's of the way now... but still so much to do... for sure it's more than I expected...

So That's What New Tile Looks Like

2009-06-30T15:16:00.002+02:00

Well... I'm a little surprised how easy it was to lay the tile once I got going with it... loads easier than taking out the old tile or preparing the floor to receive the new tile... now as long as the wax ring does what it's suppose to do... we'll be back in business...

Monkeys at Play

2009-06-30T15:11:00.005+02:00

The girls are enjoying the tree in the back yard as all good
monkeys would... but looking
at the size of the branches tells me they've reached about as high as they can go in this new-born tree...

I must Be Retired.... 'Cause I'm Blogging Again

2009-06-29T04:46:00.003+02:00

Funny... now that we're back here in the states... and the dust from retiring from the Navy is starting to settle... I'm feeling a little more "at ease" and yes... starting to blog again... I have to admit that leading up to the retirement I had so many thoughts on my mind... and mostly from my younger days in the military... days being the Master Helmsman of a U.S. ship pulling out of port or arriving into port... or while refueling while sailing out at sea... or while attempting to get very close to another larger ship so we could throw lines across to the other ship so we could tow them to port... my oh my... so very many memories come to mind when I think of 24 years of service to the U.S. Navy... deployments to so many different countries that I'd love to go back to.... visits to so many different cities ... Bali, Townsville, Darwin, Singapore, Hong Kong, Kure, Okinawa, Hobart (Australia), Nukualofa (Tonga), Noumea (New Caledonia), Yokosuka, Pusan, Phuket, Kwajalein and Majuro (Marshal Islands), and of course the places that we've lived... London, Naples, Manila, and Cairo... what's amazing is how much the Lord was able to use me (or us) despite of myself... I've attached a silhouette pic of the USS Fletcher DD-992 ... I spent 5 years on the "Fighting Jack" and it was there that I matured as a Sailor while gaining a new love for the sea....

Running Waters

2009-06-29T04:39:00.002+02:00

Where do the waters that run within you go?? I know for me this is the question of my life... you see.. Trent means "running river"... so rushing water is something that I'm always pulled to... and dealing with... here we went for an evening stroll and captured this pic from our local creek as the evening advanced upon us and I had to use a lower setting on the camera to actually capture the stream... and when all was said and done... I believe it actually came out quite well.... but Wally will have to be the final judge of that :-)

Home improvement or Home Destruction??

2009-06-29T01:26:00.003+02:00

Ok... I'm not really the handy-man type or DYI kind of guy... but in these times... with a very tight budget call for more self action and well ... what can I say... our tenant turned off the downstairs toilet because it was overflowing... so I replaced all the guts in the water tank... and things were running like they were suppose to for more than a week... then came the wet floor... for no apparent reason... the floor was wet... so I asked a neighbor that does DYI stuff to look at the situation and he suggested replacing the "wax ring"... wax ring?? What in the world is that... is that a squall to the "Lord of the Rings??" Well... what you see here is the aftermath of taking the "loo" apart and isolating the leak... and yes... this does seem to have stopped the leaking that was showing itself in the basement... another friend suggested that because the toilet was not being used for an unknown amount of time that the wax ring dried out and then once we started using the toilet ... a leak developed... oh the joys of home-ownership :-) If you've even been to Korea this kind of toilet might look familiar... hahahaha

Here's The Girl's at Rehearsal

2009-06-28T05:29:00.002+02:00

I took this of the girls during the rehearsal ... because I knew I couldn't take it during the actual ceremony :-) hopefully I can get the pics from the official photographer sometime in the first few days of next week.

Looking West

2009-06-28T05:25:00.001+02:00

Then when we looked west we saw this great refraction of light and brilliant colors as the sun disappeared ... that actually did come out pretty well...

God's Glory

2009-06-28T05:23:00.002+02:00

I've seen a lot of rainbows in my days... but this one was pretty amazing... I've never seen one where the whole sky inside the rainbow arches actually turned colors... this picture doesn't do justice to the "live" view...

Navy Retirement

2009-06-28T05:11:00.003+02:00

It's so hard to believe that my time in the Navy is up and I'm retiring from active duty... this part of the ceremony was the passing of the flag... I'm so thankful to Michelle and Commander Hartzell for asking if I'd like to have a ceremony here and then Michelle was willing to put everything together... it really is great to put closure to a 24 year career that had so many positive points to look back on fondly. Although I won't be working for the Navy anymore it does not mean that I won't be working somewhere :-) We're still looking to see what God wants us to do next.

The Unpacking Continues

2009-06-20T00:56:00.003+02:00

It's funny... watching stuff come off the moving truck from storage only to ask... what's that? or even worse... I don't remember that... where'd we get that?? But anyways... that's what happens when you stuff is in storage for 3 years... you realize how much stuff you have that you didn't really need like you thought when you packed it way thinking... oh I'll need this "someday"... still loads to do but it's coming along... one box at a time.

Look the Sun

2009-06-20T00:50:00.003+02:00

It's a funny thing... our first day back in the states and it rained all day... cool to us... we haven't seen rain like that since our vacation in 2007 to the Philippines... our stuff from storage arrived the next day and thankfully it didn't rain - although it was cloudy all day (so not too hot for the movers... see how we care for the movers (smile))... then finally the sun came out. Folks here have seen a wetter and cooler than normal spring. For us... it's so weird to see ALL THE GREEN here! Almost everywhere is green. God's creation simply is amazing!

Sunset On the Nile

2009-06-20T00:40:00.003+02:00

Adel had us over for one last evening tea and sunset on the Nile... There's really something about the Nile that's for sure... watching the sunset with the Giza pyramids in the background and then to watch the fulucas race back and forth on the river was a great way to spend an evening... but even more enjoyable that the views was the company!

What Will I Miss??

2009-06-17T04:06:00.003+02:00

This is one of the main things I'll miss... my good Mate Mark doing the announcements... and asking for those that are attending for the first time to stand up and shout out the county they are form... it's always amazing to hear the places people are from... of course we get people from Texas (yes the people from Texas think they are a country) and Canada... but actually we get people from all over the world visiting and regularly attending MCC... our last weekend there were some Germans, Americans, Nigerians, and Egyptians that were new to the service.... the beauty about MCC is every service there was someone new from somewhere else!! Proof of God's work around the globe!!

Saying Good Bye Isn't Easy

2009-06-17T03:38:00.003+02:00

Arie and I have been at each other for the last two years on stage... and there are those times when Mark had wondered if we will actually control ourselves when it comes time to "go live"... but of course we knew our limits... and all the jousting was before it was crowds came under the tent... Arie... I miss our times together already!!

Sights of Cairo Driving

2009-02-27T18:43:00.005+02:00

One thing about driving in Cairo is for sure... you never know what you're going to see. On the left we have the "Beverly Hillbillies" moving company while on the right... well, if you were wondering how to get "Dwon Twon" then you go straight...

Hosting a Teen Mystery

2009-02-22T19:13:00.004+02:00

Angela also just had her birthday... now gaining access to those sacred teen years... as she hosted a "teen mystery" birthday party with a few of her closest friends ... they really seemed the enjoy to game, but more importantly they enjoyed each others company.

Not Dancing with the Stars

2009-02-22T19:03:00.002+02:00

Although we are not going to be on Dancing with the Stars ... we did enjoy our 5 ballroom dance lessons this last month... it's kind of funny... I've always found a reason to put off going to dancing lessons... but actually... once En got me to go... I found the steps to actually be very easy to learn... we just needed time on the dance floor with proper instruction... goodness... we might even remember some of these steps so we could use them some time in the future.

Worshipping with Unveiled Faces

2009-02-22T18:52:00.005+02:00

People grow to believe that worship is something that we only do in church... and only when we're singing songs in church. Graham reminded us that worship is so much more than just singing songs to the Lord... yes indeed singing is an act of worship... but to stop here is to under value what worship is really about. It's about giving praise to God... in all circumstances and for all things... good times... bad times... great times... hard times... and in ALL THAT WE DO! That's the part that is really missed by so many. How we work... at work... if we do it as "unto the Lord" then that is an act of worship... how we treat our spouse... and kids... with the Lord of Christ... that is an act of worship. Studying the Word of God... or praying... these are all acts of worship.

This painting was done by a guy that never went to an art school... but it's surely a testament of the way God gives gifts to us... the picture became the backdrop for our communion service...

MCC Woships with Graham & Company

2009-02-22T18:44:00.004+02:00

It was really neat to see parts of the MCC worship team joining Graham Kendrick and Gabi and Andy in leading worship for the many attendees for this worship conference. Indeed there were some great times of worship and the movement of the spirit!

Gathering to worship... we find something something special happening... we are encouraged by each other... and even more so we are built up in what Christ is doing in each of us... independently and corporately as the body of Christ. As worship is always ongoing in heaven... when we worship here on earth... we're just "joining in" on what's already taking place in heaven!

Wadi Natrun Sunrise

2009-02-22T18:36:00.002+02:00

There was a worship retreat the weekend before last and this was the backside of the sunrise... with the painted colors of a sunrise as the moon was still high above

Style Police

2009-02-22T18:31:00.003+02:00

Yes... today was opposite day... or maybe more appropriately it was "fashion police" day... a day where the fashion police should come to school and issue tickets for heinous crimes such as this... yes... in honor of "spirit week" we let Angela leave the house... looking like this :-)

She did help in earning her "house" one more point by her attire.

Mia's Birthday

2009-02-22T18:24:00.003+02:00

Mia turned 9 two weeks ago. Mia decided to have a more subdued gathering this year with just a few friends... and what was suppose to be a "craft party" ended up turning into a HSM3 dance party by the end of the evening... with the girls dancing and singing to HSM3...

Who is My Neighbor?

2009-02-07T17:18:00.002+02:00

This weekend we saw a short video that asked the question "Who is my neighbor?" And the answer was one I don't think I had ever heard before... we always hear that the neighbor on that road to Jericho was a Samaritan, who were the mix of two different races... they were outcasts... and in the end, this person was the least like the person that needed help than the two that passed him by. So who is my real neighbor? More likely than not it's someone that is NOTHING like me at all!! They probably don't go to my church or work where I work... but they need my help none the less. These folks in the pic... I believe they would qualify as a neighbor... what neighbors do you see in your area that you can reach out to?

Josh McDowell at MCC

2009-02-07T17:03:00.002+02:00

Josh McDowell paid a visit to Maadi Community Church last weekend and spoke about how we as Christians need to have a proper view of ourselves ... from God's point of view ... he talked about how we're moved by our emotions while God is faithful to His word. Many of us see ourselves as less and then transfer those same thoughts to where we think God thinks less of us... but that could not be further from the truth... Christ died for us while we were still sinners... not when we were saved... so how much more does God love us once we're adopted into His family? He rescued us because we are special to Him.

Brownies Father & Daughter dance

2009-02-07T16:53:00.002+02:00

Last weekend on Saturday night Mia and Dad went to the Father Daughter dance sponsored by the Brownie troop here... and it was really a great time. Thanks to Mommy and Daddy's recent ballroom dance lessons Mia and I were able to do the American progressive waltz and the Rumba... along with the standard just free-style dancing too. This is our 3rd Father Daughter dance and for sure I've enjoyed every one of them...

Bowling in the Wii Generation

2009-02-07T16:50:00.002+02:00

Mia and I have become quite the Wii bowlers... now what would be nice is if we could bowl as well in real life at the real bowling ally as we do on the tv in the living room. Here's Mia getting yet another strike!

Marriage Congratulations

2009-01-24T20:58:00.002+02:00

Liana... congrats on your marriage to Clay yesterday! May God's blessings be upon you two all your days!

Graduation is Here

2009-01-24T20:09:00.003+02:00

It's so hard to believe that this day has finally come... the completion of the degree... it's actually been 5 years of college work to achieve a Bachelors Degree in Business... and really... as hard as it is to believe that this day is here... all I'm really reminded of is all the prayers that so many people prayed and all the time that my family willingly scarified so I could work on homework to complete this project!! Thank you to everyone that prayed for God's wisdom to be upon me... because I know that without those prayers this day would not have come!! All Glory Is HIS alone!! Oh the ring? Well... Sandra felt that because this was such a major accomplishment in our lives that I should have a reminder of how much sacrifice was involved in this achievement she gave me this ring!

Art of Trading Pins

2009-01-17T00:46:00.005+02:00

So... what else did we learn while in Florida (besides the weather is nice for this time of year) ? Oh yeah... the art of trading pins... oh boy... talk about something that can become quite addictive.... trading pins with cast members was indeed a lot of fun... and the girls became quite good at it...

Pluto Love's Ohio State

2009-01-17T00:40:00.003+02:00

What was really cool was to learn the Pluto is a BIG Ohio State fan!! How do I know such a thing?? When Pluto saw my shirt... he made the "O" for Ohio... if Pluto had been a fan of any other school.... the "O" would not have come naturally... but as it is... "Go Bucks!!"

Who You See

2009-01-17T00:34:00.005+02:00

Of course.. when you go to Disneyland or Disneyworld you are suppose to meet the two that are the official representatives of Disney... Mickey and Mini...

Time with Grandpa and MiMa

2009-01-17T00:27:00.003+02:00

Although we spent plenty of our time at the "Mouses' House"... it was time made special because of who we were there with... and that was Grandpa and MiMa... all we can say is thank you for a great time at the parks... and for sure after seeing you guys in action together after all these years... you two were (are... whatever the right term is) really meant to be together ... and we're so glad you are :-)

Disney and Epcot

2009-01-11T22:39:00.004+02:00

No trip to Florida would be complete without a trip to Disneyland... on the left is the beginning of the day and on the right... the end of the day :-) at Epcot we all seemed to thing that Soarin' just might have been the best ride in the park... but the whole day was great... and there were still 3 other parks to go to :-)

So This is Clearwater

2009-01-11T22:16:00.003+02:00

Indeed it was... and welcome to the Gulf of Mexico... yes it was December... and the water felt a little chilly when you first got in but once your legs got use to it... it was ok. It was funny... seems there were a lot of people that were looking to go to the beach this day and enjoy the sunny Florida beach weather ... as you can see Mia is was willing to head into deeper water (she actually swam) while Angela was content with just getting her legs wet in the "liquid cold stuff".

I Hear it's Warmer Down South...

2009-01-11T21:57:00.003+02:00

... And so it was... we headed down to Florida to visit Dad and Mom over New Years for the first time in... well... more years than I'd like to admit (about 12...) and they were so glad we had made the trip... and we were too. Although the warmer weather was more akin to what we're accustom to here in Egypt... the warmth in their home was what really made the trip special.

Stingy on the Snow

2009-01-11T21:39:00.003+02:00

Although we didn't have a White Christmas where we were in Ohio... when we drove up to Michigan to see Josh and Liana just before Christmas... we found the snow that was used for a White Christmas... and it was all up there in Michigan... here we were at a rest stop on our way up... as you can see... snow and all this "lovely" cold air is quite a novelty to us... by the way... we were toying with the idea of spending the night in Michigan and driving back the next day... but it was suppose to snow the same night we drove up... 8 to 10 inches ... so instead of staying we decided to drive as far south as we could to "out run" the impending snowstorm. After we were on the road for 30 minutes it started... and within 15 minutes the roads were had a nice coating on them... the good thing is it was so cold the snow was frozen powered instead of slushy mush... so once we were on the interstate... there were lanes where the snow had been "whisked" off the road by the speed of the cars... and again by God's grace we drove far enough south to outrun the snowstorm before taking a real rest and heading the rest of the way home in Ohio... oh yeah, it actually snowed 10 to 12 inches in the storm so... it was the right decision to try to outrun the storm.

Vacations are also for Togetherness too

2009-01-11T21:19:00.003+02:00

It was great to see Josh and Liana together.... funny thing about brothers and sisters and how they get along (or don't) when they grow up...

Vacations are Also for Meeting New Relatives

2009-01-11T21:07:00.003+02:00

In this case... it was the first meeting of baby Hayden with Liana... yep... this makes me a Grand-Daddy now... hard to believe how kids have a way of "aging" a parent...

New Glasses after Eye Test

2009-01-11T20:51:00.002+02:00

How about these glasses? One of the things we attempted to do on this trip was to eat at places we don't have back home in Cairo... and these were given to Mia by a waitress at a Waffle House (yes we at at W.H. twice, Taco Bell 2x's, Wendy's... and BK onion rings just to name a few)... with these glasses though went you look at lights everything looks like snowflakes ... all together now... aaahhhhh....

Visit to Ohio

2009-01-11T20:33:00.003+02:00

Although there was no snow in Ohio for Christmas... it was still plenty cold enough for the white stuff... more importantly though it was great to see Mom doing so well after the last year of fighting cancer... her ability to get around was great considering how she was fighting for her life last Christmas.

Vacations are for Visiting Friends

2009-01-11T20:21:00.002+02:00

Our vacation to the states was pretty busy considering everywhere we went... but what else are vacations back home for but to see as many of the people that are important to you as possible... Bentley... you're hat is in the mail...

Seventh Grade Art

2009-01-11T20:08:00.004+02:00

Our kids seem to be fairly artistic... these are genes that go further back than "mom and pops" because neither of us are very artistic ... here's a few pieces of Angela's art work... the guy in the center was a art project that went bad... and now has a sort of "disturbing" look to it...

Good Bye Adrian

2009-01-11T19:56:00.002+02:00

One of those things that happens when you move around the world... either you move yourself or people that become close to you move before you do... in this case it is Adrian that is moving on and a few of Adrian's friends gathered to wish him God's blessings on the next journey God is leading him on. It's funny... for a lot of the time while Adrian was here in Egypt a prayer for him was for God to provide him with employment... and God did provide enough employment for Adrian to subsist here in Egypt... but when God provided a full time job, who would have known that it would have been in another country... still... we were very glad to have a man of God like Adrian around and look forward to being reunited again.

Hard Time Just Getting in to Blog

2009-01-11T19:48:00.002+02:00

Yeah... that's what happens when it's been ages since posting anything on the site... the entry to the site is changed around now and I had a hard time just finding my way back to blog here... but why no postings for so long... well... the excuse I'm sticking to is all the work that was needed on the last two courses (with a 16 week semester) that are now complete with passing grades... all by the grace of God... and now... not just are these two courses done but the entire degree is now complete... Thank you to everyone that prayed for God's wisdom to be upon me during this time (yeah... I still need wisdom... but now for practical purposes...). If anyone wonders what I've been reading for the last 2 1/2 years... here's a pic of the last 15 or 16 courses.

Beauty Never Changes

2008-10-05T19:50:00.003+02:00

Although the land seems to have taken on a blue-cheese tone.... there is still no change in beauty... with En here :-)

White Desert Convoy

2008-10-05T19:46:00.002+02:00

It's funny... as soon as we checked into our hotel we went back out front to where we parked... asking for directions to the "black desert" and ended up following this group from the hotel to the black and white desert... here we are following the trail of the lead group... through the middle of the white desert.... thank you Loli and Seriff..

Not Your Kitchen Mushroom

2008-10-05T19:40:00.002+02:00

This is not your kitchen mushroom ... the girls are trying to hold this "beast" up... White Desert ... Egypt

So What Does the White Desert Look Like

2008-10-05T19:37:00.002+02:00

After seeing so much "regular" (brown or tan) desert... it is very interesting to see the While Desert... and the formations out there....

White Desert Photo Op

2008-10-05T19:33:00.003+02:00

So... when you think of the White Desert what do you think of? Well... this is the Egyptian version of "snow".... the white desert..... the substance was very weird to say the least... it was like black board chalk all over the ground... but it still wasn't quite the same consistency as chalk.... for those that actually check this site... you might have actually seem the 2008 Christmas card background :-) ... where else are we going to find a "white" background where we can where shorts?

Protect the White Desert

2008-10-05T19:30:00.003+02:00

A 1983 text seems to emphasis how important it is to protect the "White Desert".... never mind that fact that it's 2008...

Black Desert

2008-10-05T19:19:00.003+02:00

So what would you expect the black desert to look like? Well... from my perspective I expected a little more "black"... but hey... what do I know... when all the sand around you looks yellow (tan)... to see something different really IS a big deal... although the guy with us (as a tour guide) told us these hills are not volcanic... I have trouble believing that one... they look very volcanic to me