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📸 [Photos] We visited this hidden prayer shrine
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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 sometimes have a scoop of ice cream on the top). But we ordered the healthy option: the fruit plate. Though one did have chocolate syrup on the top.😁 Down the street from this place is another restaurant that, in the basement, has a "secret" prayer room--a Christian shrine. The prayer shrine is a small space, with lit candles and icons of Mary, Jesus, and saints. It's only open on Mondays. When we arrived, two people were there. When we left, one was waiting on us to leave so she could go in. From the entrance to the shrine, you walk down a few steps, and enter a small room. You can pray or light a candle. Or you can turn on the faucet to get water from the natural spring that is part of the shrine. I suppose people go there for many reasons, just like people pray for different things. I wonder if some people who visit this place go every week. Maybe it's something they look forward to--setting aside time to visit, almost like a mini pilgrimage. Maybe they anticipate the experience they'll have there: the prayers they'll say, the candle they'll light. There is value, I think, in having a place to go to pray. But many people don't have that. And going to a specific place to pray isn't part of everyone's tradition. Yet, we can all learn something from a place like this about the importance of intentional, devotional practices (whatever they are). Maybe you don't have a specific place you go to light a candle or talk to God. But do you (or could you) have a time each day where you pray or read a devotion? Here's something that can help you get started with that: It's a free, 7-day devotional. If you've already read it, could you do me a favor and share it with someone you think may like it--such as a friend or your pastor--by copying and pasting the link below? Link to copy and paste: https://johnchristopherframe.kit.com/adbd230a72 While it's great for individual reading for your own quiet times, the 7 days can be lengthened to 7 weeks for a small group study or Sunday School class. It's free for everyone and easily accessible. And you can type directly into it. Or you can print it, if you'd like. Here's the link again to share: https://johnchristopherframe.kit.com/adbd230a72 Thanks for being part of my reader community. John Christopher Frame If a friend or family member forwarded this email to you, and you'd like to receive my emails, too, just click this link and add your email address: https://www.johnchristopherframe.com/get-johns-emails _____________________________________________________________________ |
John Christopher Frame.
Join my reader community to see forgotten places in the Bible I've traveled, and to be inspired to better live out your faith!
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