Hi Reader, I like the worship song "Living Hope," by Phil Wickham - a song that focuses on the hope and freedom that Christ gives. "Jesus Christ, my living hope," the song says. You may have moments in life where you feel desperate in some way or another - spiritually, physically, emotionally, financially... You may feel hopeless. Maybe you read the news and hear about all that goes on in the world, and you're like... Credit: Tenor There's just so much crime, war, illness, poverty, sadness......
about 1 month ago • 1 min read
Hi Reader, About three weeks ago, I woke up on a Saturday with a headache. It had been a hot night and I hadn't slept well. I did my normal morning routine, including going downstairs to the café in our building for an iced latte. But I didn't feel like myself. A little while later, I walked to the electrical shop that sells lightbulbs and light fixtures, and bought a fan (yes, that probably sounds a little bit strange - we live in the center of Istanbul, and everything we need is in our...
2 months ago • 2 min read
Hi Reader, I'm working on writing a book with my parents. It's a 50-day devotional about their travels to all 50 states in the USA. A while back, when I was working on the devotion for the state of Alaska, I was looking at some Bible verses appropriate for that devotion. The theme is change. I came across the verse below (which I remember I sent in an email last year to all of you who were on my list then)... "This is my prayer for you: that your love will grow more and more; that you will...
3 months ago • 1 min read
Hi Reader, My wife and I adopted a dog on April 1. She seems to melt hearts wherever we take her. Here's the short version of the story: My wife saw pictures of the dog on Instagram. She was found a few months ago and needed a new home. Because we live on the third floor and we travel quite a lot, I didn't want a dog. Actually, I've always been firmly against it. "The dog will pee on the floor and it will go into the neighbor's ceiling downstairs," I'd tell my wife, who had wanted a dog for a...
4 months ago • 2 min read
Hi Reader, A real quick email, sharing a short prayer and a link to a few no-cost ebooks. A few days ago, I was watching a worship song video on YouTube by the Dwelling Place Church. I scrolled down on the page and saw this comment under the video: If you can't see the image, it says: "To anybody who's reading this, I pray that whatever is hurting you or whatever you are constantly stressing about gets better. May the dark thoughts, the overthinking, and the doubt exit your mind right now....
5 months ago • 1 min read
Hi Reader, I recently returned from a solo retreat where I got away to complete a few things. On the first day, I noticed this dog resting on a couch in the lobby of the hotel. (It's common to see cats inside hotels in Turkey, but not dogs.) I spoke to the dog and sent a picture to my wife, saying I wanted to learn something from this dog about rest. It was probably just bored, but it seemed to enjoy resting. It spent time having rest. It rested regularly. I applied what the dog was somehow...
6 months ago • 1 min read
Hi Reader, My wife and I recently returned from a trip to Egypt. One afternoon, we walked through neighborhoods to find local shops and markets - something we enjoy exploring. On the way, I had to go to the bathroom so badly that I held my stomach, hunched over slightly, and walked like an elderly person. Finally, we stopped at a restaurant to use their bathroom, and ordered something light. Thankfully, they had a "western toilet" rather than a squat toilet that looks something like this:...
7 months ago • 1 min read
Hi Reader, This past Monday, my wife and I walked to my favorite place to eat fruit. I was glad they still had their Christmas decorations up. (Actually, here in Turkey, they're New Year's decorations.) It's a fun waffle restaurant, with huge plastic strawberries hanging from the ceiling, and pictures on the walls of the owner with famous people. There's even a chocolate waterfall. Here in Turkey, waffles aren't eaten with maple syrup for breakfast. They're covered in chocolate and fruit (and...
8 months ago • 2 min read
Hi Reader, I once asked my wife, "What's your favorite part about going to a restaurant." "Eating," she said. We can all relate. Credit: Tenor I laughed a little. The response was so honest. It's probably what most people would say. Don't get me wrong. I like eating, too. But my favorite part about going to a restaurant is that time between when I order and when the food arrives. That time of anticipation. Credit: Giphy The "in-between" time. When I eat alone, I usually do work while I'm...
8 months ago • 1 min read
