Progress...and More

Thesis writing...Rough drafts are reaching final stages...

Trip within a trip about to start...

Pictures to come...

This has been a brief update.

Thesis-ing

Late Night Ruminations

It's late here. 12am. Or 0:00. 6 to one half dozen to another.

I'm writing. Still. Will be for awhile.

It's times like this when my mind can get stuck. Not in a bad way necessarily, though not always in a good way either. Sometimes it is just best to stop for a few minutes. Recharge. Regroup. Clear my mind.

Ask for peace.

I know I haven't written much on here in the past weeks other than a few pictures and some brief lines. More will come in future. It may take a week or two due to the nature of the amount of other writing I have to do...but rest assured, more will come.

I have one hope, one prayer for you all right now.

Peace.

As you go about your daily lives, some busy, some not busy, ask yourselves a question...

Are you at peace?

I mean really at peace. Do you have any assurance about tomorrow? Do you know for what purpose you live and draw breath? Are you secure...really?

Ask for peace.

Isaiah 26:3

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-FaBiVCFMyE

Greater...

Greater love has no one that this, that he lay down his life for a friends. ~ John 15:13

Song and Photo #1

I have nothing more profound to say at this very moment. So I instead share a song...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oSuY2XqhHys

...and a picture...

Turkish breakfasts are incredible

The Power of Water

Our God is great and worthy to be praised

Time

Time is different here. Now, don't get me wrong, there are still twenty-four hours in a day, just like everywhere else. An hour is still and hour. A minute still consists of sixty seconds. Just like the rest of the world, time has a brillianly frustrating ability to pass quickly or slowly depending on the circumstances...

That is not how it is different...it is not that they use military time, nor that the days are shorter or longer, nor that there is no concept of time.

Time is ancient here.

I know that the earth is all the same age, that civilizations stretches back on all continents, but here, in Turkey, you can feel an oldness that you don't notice as much in the states. At least, not a feeling I get all the time. Now, when I go to the mountanis at home, I get this feeling. An oldness that rises from the craggy rocks, stretching into the sky, a testament to the Hand that formed them. Here in Turkey, the land feels ancient in much the same way. Not everywhere mind you.

A few weeks ago I spent some time in Ephesus, and that city is washed with the paint of time. Multiple ancient cities dot the now silted ancient bay. The busy streets that once housed one of if not the greatest city of Asia...

...that guarded the Temple of Artemis known as one of the wonders of the ancient world...

...that spread the word of the Way throughout the rest of that region...

...now lies empty except for tourists, cats, and sheep.

The streets lie in ruins.

The pillared ways have collapsed.

Once strong buildings are a shadow of their former selves.

And yet, it still remains. Time is different here.

Psalm 130

Heyo!

So, Ephesus pictures and a more lengthy post to come...but I wanted to share this...

Out of the depths I cry to you, Lord; Lord hear my voice. Let your ears be attentive to my cry for mercy. Lord, who could stand? But with you there is forgiveness, so that we can, with reverence, serve you. And in His word I put my hope. I wait for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning, more than watchmen wait for the morning. For with the Lord is unfailing love and with Him is full redemption. He Himself will redeem Israel from all their sins. ~ Psalm 130