Monthly Archives: June 2015

Chapter-a-Day

Religion, Commerce, and the Soul

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cover-Time-19870406-66703A number of those who practiced magic collected their books and burned them publicly; when the value of these books was calculated, it was found to come to fifty thousand silver coins.

A man named Demetrius, a silversmith who made silver shrines of Artemis, brought no little business to the artisans. These he gathered together, with the workers of the same trade, and said, “Men, you know that we get our wealth from this business.”
Acts 19:19, 24-25 (NRSV)

Back when I was in high school and college there was a crazy period of time when there was no shortage of scandals centering around a group of prominent American televangelists. Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker were the couple that the media couldn’t seem to get enough of, but there was also Jimmy Swaggart and others who leveraged their television ministries into personal profit machines and media empires. A closer inspection of these ministry moguls produced plenty of odd and salacious fodder for the tabloids. Many televangelists fell in a strange train wreck of disgrace that was too compelling to look away.

I was reminded of the uncomfortable tension between faith and commerce this morning as I read today’s chapter. There were two groups of people described who stood in stark contrast to one another. I had never really noticed this in my previous journeys through the Book of Acts.

First, there are those who had vocationally practiced different types of exorcism, magic, and spiritism who became followers of Jesus (v. 18-20). Upon their choice to place their faith in and follow Jesus they abandoned their spiritually dark professions and burned down their old lives. This, of course, meant that would have to begin new lives and careers. This is a picture of Jesus’ consistent admonishment for people to repent (literally, to about face and go the opposite direction) and follow. Old things pass away, new things come. There is a spiritual rebirth evidenced by their willingness to experience a huge financial loss and, in faith, walk away from that which was spiritually dark to begin a new path following the Light.

Next, there is Demetrius and the guild of silversmiths tied to the temple of Artemis. The Temple of Artemis in Ephesus was one of the seven wonders of the ancient world and Artemis of Ephesus was a popular fertility idol, her long body covered in breasts (or perhaps their bull testicles, scholars aren’t quite sure). Not unlike the media empires of the televangelists, the Temple of Artemis was a tourist attraction and a lucrative, religious cash cow. With the trending of Jesus, His message, and His followers the business of Artemis idols, trinkets, and souvenirs  was taking a huge financial hit. The local metal workers union was not happy. The response of Demetrius and his fellow merchants was to create a public riot and threaten bodily harm to the followers of Jesus along with their forcible expulsion from Ephesus.

I consider one group has a spiritual transformation that results in a willingness to suffer financial and vocational loss. Then I think of the other group who are hardened to preserve their finances and vocation at all costs. Finally, I think about the disgraced televangelists from my youth. I’m not sitting in judgment of them, rather I ponder if spiritually I’m not more like them than I’d care to admit. I wonder if they didn’t start out with sincere hearts that were hardened over time by their lucrative, religious cash cows and personal empires.

Today, I am doing some soul searching. Which example in today’s chapter am I more like, and what is the condition of my heart? Am I willing to suffer temporal loss for eternal gain, or will I cling tightly to that which is temporal at the sacrifice of my soul?

Tom's Photos, Travel Journal, Wayfarer's Journal

Edinburgh Travel Journal: Day 5

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Almost there! Taylor climbs to the summit of Arthur’s Seat.
Taylor and Wendy climbing Arthur’s Seat.
Sitting on an old stone wall in Holy Rood Park, Edinburgh, Scotland.
Tom and Taylor in front of Elephant House, where J.K. Rowling wrote Harry Potter.
“She’s QUEEN OF THE WORLD!” Taylor having a “Titanic” moment atop Arthur’s Seat.
Lunch at the Red Squirrel was served on boards rather than plates!
St. John’s in Edinburgh, one of Taylor’s hangouts.
A common sight all week, Taylor on her phone checking the bus schedules and routes.
You can see part of Edinburgh Castle in the distance, past St. Cuthbert’s.
Taylor and Wendy in front of Elephant House Edinburgh
Lunch at the Red Squirrel.
St. John’s Church, where Taylor went for quiet and meditation.
Gorgeous views while climbing Arthur’s Seat.
We took a few breathers on the way up!
Taylor climbing the long, rock stair up Arthur’s Seat.
Tom and Tay at the top of Arthur’s Seat.
We were going to stop at the Sheep Heid Inn, but didn’t want to wait an hour for them to open.
Taylor walking several steps ahead of us was a common sight all week.
About half-way up Arthur’s Seat, a view of Edinburgh below.
The gorgeous view from the top of Arthur’s Seat.
The cafe at St. John’s in Edinburgh.
Elephant House coffee shop “the birthplace of Harry Potter” where Rowling wrote.
This is one of my favorite photos of the week. Wendy climbs the home stretch to the summit of Arthur’s Seat.
We found the lamp post, but Mr. Tumnus was nowhere to be seen.
Arthur’s Seat as seen from Holy Rood park.
Taylor took us in this hole-in-the-wall used book store on the way to lunch. We almost didn’t get Wendy out.
Arthur’s Seat from about half-way up.
The Red Squirrel Pub, where we had lunch.
Taylor walking in Holy Rood Park, Edinburgh.
Stained Glass window in St. John’s Edinburgh.
Taylor and Wendy climbing Arthur’s Seat.
Tom and Wendy atop Arthur’s Seat.
Taylor pointing out Edinburgh landmarks while climbing Arthur’s Seat.

I am publishing my travel journal from our trip to Edinburgh which  took place June 1-8, 2015. I am posting my journal entry and pictures from each day in chronological order.

The weather on this Friday morning was predicted to be better than usual, so we chose it to hike up Arthur’s Seat. Arthur’s Seat is a prominent hill in Holyrood (translated “Holy Cross” park that was a fortress in ancient times. The summit provides a breathtaking 360 degree view of Edinburgh, the North Sea and the surrounding region.

Taylor arrived at our hotel about 8:30. We hiked a few blocks to Elephant House, a coffee shop now famous for being the place J.K. Rowling sat and wrote Harry Potter. Taylor told us we had to visit the loo while we were there. The bathrooms were scrawled with Harry Potter graffiti (I regret now that I did not take a picture).  We grabbed the bus to Holyrood park. When Wendy saw what we were climbing she had a small heart attack. From the east there is a   smooth incline to the summit, but on the west, the direction from which we approached, there is a long, winding stone stair. It took us about 30-35 minutes to make the climb with a few brief stops to catch breath and look around. The summit was very windy and a bit chilly, but the view was incredible and we took plenty of time for photos and to enjoy the view.

We descended along the eastern slope and found ourselves in the picturesque, ancient village of Dudingston with a gorgeous little church that has been there since the 1200s. There is a pub here, the Sheep’s Heid that claims to be the oldest establishment in Scotland, dating from the 1300s. We had intended to pop in for a pint but they didn’t open until 11:30 and we didn’t feel like sitting around for an hour.

Taylor checked the bus schedule and figured in the 20 minutes we would wait for the next bus we could hike most of the way back. We trekked back towards the city on a road that wound around the bottom of Arthur’s Seat. It was a good couple of miles before we got to the buss top back to the hotel. Wendy’s Up Band said that we walked 9.2 miles that day!

At the hotel we freshened up and headed back out for a bite of lunch. Along the way we learned about the small triangle shopped city block that houses strip clubs known to locals as the “pubic triangle.” Taylor also took us into one of her favorite little used book stores. It was a hole in the wall labyrinth with books shelved from floor to tall ceiling. We really enjoyed looking around and could have spent a lot more time there if we weren’t so hungry. Taylor took us to the Red Squirrel, a nice little pub a mile or so from the hotel. We had traditional pub fare served on thick, cutting board type planks, and enjoyed our on-going conversation.

After lunch we walked to St. John’s Church, an old Scottish Episcopal church that felt more like a Catholic cathedral. Taylor said that she would often come to this church for quiet, prayer and meditation. There is a cafe in the lower level that emptied out into a beautiful garden and cemetery. She said that she was at the cafe this past year when she got my message that Grandpa Dean was diagnosed with cancer and she immediately walked up to the sanctuary to light a candle for him and to pray. I’m glad she was there when she heard the news. We walked around the gorgeous sanctuary and enjoyed a nice chat with an older woman who was one of the volunteer guides. We then took a stroll through the ancient cemetery.

Taylor had an appointment with her advisor that afternoon, so we gave Taylor a hug and she headed back to her flat. Wendy and I strolled back to Grassmarket via King’s Stable Row which winds around the base of Edinburgh Castle. We spent a few quiet hours in the hotel watching the French Open and relaxing.

We headed to the Royal Mile in the late afternoon to do souvenier shopping. The sun came out while we were doing so and it became a lovely afternoon. It took a while to gather everything and then we headed back to Grassmarket, strolling down the long row of pubs and restaurants to get a feel for where we’d like to eat that evening. Taylor was having dinner with her flatmates so Wendy and I were on our own. We went to Maggie Dickinson’s Pub, named for a famous (or infamous) survivor of public execution,  and got a table in the back where we could eat and watch Andy Murray and Novak Djokovich in the French Open semi-final. Wendy ordered fish n chips and got an absolutely huge filet. I had a burger and, of course, a pint.

It was Friday evening and you could tell that the weekend crowd had begun. The pubs were brimming with people from all over. There were a number of large groups of very loud young men who had already had too much to drink. Taylor told us that Edinburgh is a favorite destination for bachelor and bachelorette parties and we saw a number of these. The bride or groom to be are generally dressed up in silly costumes so they are easy to spot.

We wandered down to the White Hart Inn Pub after dinner to have another pint and watch what was left of the tennis match, which got called for rain. We then headed back to the hotel and got to bed early.

Edinburgh Travel Journal: Days 1-2
Edinburgh Travel Journal: Day 3
Edinburgh Travel Journal: Day 4
Edinburgh Travel Journal: Day 5
Edinburgh Travel Journal: Day 6
Edinburgh Travel Journal: Day 7

Wayfarer's Journal

Our Ninth Annual Kev & Beck Weekend

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What you need to know about this photo is that just a moment before it was taken Kev had grabbed Beck’s boob.
You see this a lot at the Playhouse. The “Puddle Effect.”

Speaking of our weekend at the lake, Wendy and I were sitting with Kevin and Becky around the table yesterday and realized that this was the ninth summer in a row that we have spent a weekend together at the lake. Next year will be the 10th anniversary of our annual Ozark pilgrimage.

This was a low-key year for the four of us. The weather forecast was a constant threat of rain and it did shower on an off the entire time we were there. Kev and Beck drove to Pella on Thursday evening and jumped in our car. We arrived at the Playhouse between 10:30 and 11:00. We unpacked, had a night cap, and headed to bed.

Friday morning we made our way down to the dock for conversation and soon realized we were all beginning to burn. It looked like the day might afford us our best opportunity to get out on the lake, and so we hopped in the boat and headed to Bear Bottom for a spot of lunch and a few hours in the pool there. It actually started raining as we ordered lunch and we were driven under cover from our table on the patio. By the time we finished lunch the shower had passed and the sun returned. We walked up to the pool and relaxed.

A gregarious couple from Kansas City came a short while later and struck up a conversation. The rest of the afternoon was spent talking to Chris and Brooke and enjoying the sunshine as it ducked in and out of the clouds. We were all various shades of sunburned pink as we hopped in the boat and headed back to the Playhouse. It was time for showers and a quick trip to Woods for supplies. Dinner was burgers on the grill (Tom grilled in the rain, which had returned) and the after dinner conversation lasted late into the night.

Saturday was, once again, a quiet morning as we chatted over coffee and breakfast and into the morning. Kev and I tackled mowing and trimming the lawn before lunch. The none of us really wanted to go into Osage Beach, so we played a little pool in the afternoon and watched Sabrina which Kev and Beck had never seen. We ordered take out pizza from Captain Ron’s for dinner. Kev and I went down to order the pizza and have a beer as we waited. The manager looked at me and said, “Pella, right?” Good memory. When one of the bartenders brought our pizzas out and began to ring us up he looked at the computer and asked, “Are you ‘Pella 1’ or ‘Pella 2’?” We had a enjoyed a sunset cruise after dinner, enjoyed a little scotch tasting, and broke out the cheesecake Wendy brought along.

Sunday morning we took a little trip down memory lane and figured out from my blog archives just how many years we’d been making our couples pilgrimage. We determined that 2007 was the first year or our annual trips and this year was our ninth (though in 2010 I’d clearly miscounted and wrote a post that said it was our 5th, but it was actually our 4th). We ended up back on the dock chatting away our remaining hours before packing up and heading for home. We stopped at Mickey D’s and Sonic (for shakes) in Jeff City on the way home. It was apropos that we drove through periods of driving rain and sunshine on the way home.

Chapter-a-Day

Breaking Points and Places of Restoration

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Lake Mug 2 Snapseed LRWhen [the members of the Corinthian synagogue] opposed and reviled him, in protest [Paul] shook the dust from his clothes and said to them, “Your blood be on your own heads! I am innocent. From now on I will go to the Gentiles.” Acts 18:6 (NRSV)

Wendy and I arrived home from the lake last night after a long weekend with friends. I tweeted yesterday that there are some weekends there that you just never want to end, and that’s truly the way I felt yesterday. I wasn’t ready to come home. Wendy and I have realized over time the same thing that my parents realized as they owned the place before us, that the lake is a place of soul restoration.

Our life journeys can wear us down at times. We get depleted. Our feet get dirty from walking through life’s muck. At some point, perhaps at many waypoints along the path, we reach a breaking point like Paul experienced in Corinth in today’s chapter. We can’t take any more of what life is throwing at us. We give up, give in and throw in the towel.

For Paul, showing love and kindness to those who reviled and hated him was wearying business. I think we all experience the breaking point from time to time when our spiritual, emotional, and mental reserves are tapped out. I get the feeling that the reason Jesus often stole away to a mountain side by Himself  was because He was driven by need to refresh His spiritual, emotional and mental batteries.

I’m reminded this morning that we all have breaking points. It’s part of the human journey. Jesus experienced it, Paul experienced it, I’m going to experience it too. The question isn’t “if” but “when.” Today, I’m grateful for places of restoration. I’m thankful for quiet and the encouragement of friends who recharge our soul batteries in ways that allow us to press on.

Tom's Photos, Travel Journal, Wayfarer's Journal

Edinburgh Travel Journal: Day 4

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Celtic Cross Headstone from the Holy Rude Church graveyard, Stirling, Scotland.
Tom, Wendy, and Taylor’s selfie in front of courtyard of Doune Castle.
Stirling, Scotland.
“X” marks the spot where public executions took place on Grassmarket in Edinburgh.
Taylor and Tom in Stirling, Scotland.
About once a day we rested in our hotel room to have a glass of wine, chat, and watch the French Open.
Taylor savors dessert at Pizza Express in Edinburgh.
View from Castle Hill, Stirling, Scotland
Taylor and Wendy in Stirling, Scotland.
Our selfie in front of Doune Castle, Scotland
Angel Headstone from the Holy Rude Church graveyard, Stirling, Scotland.
The picturesque town of Doune, Scotland.
If you want to recreate Monty Python and the Holy Grail, there are coconuts in the gift shop!
Angel in Holy Rude Church Graveyard, Stirling, Scotland.
It was a rainy entrance into the courtyard of Doune Castle.
Taylor looks out the window from the steep winding tower stair of Doune Castle.
Gorgeous stained glass in Holy Rude Church in Stirling, Scotland.
Taylor and Wendy on top of Doune Castle.
Taylor and Wendy sitting in a restored side bench in the Royal hall of Doune Castle.
Angel in Holy Rude Church Graveyard, Stirling, Scotland.
Taylor and Wendy outside Doune Castle.
The hewn oak timber roof of Holy Rude Church, held together with oak pins.
Tom and Wendy outside Doune Castle.
Selfie in front of Doune Castle.
View out from the Doune Castle tower.
Holy Rude Church and graveyard, Stirling, Scotland.
Mmmmm. Dessert at Pizza Express, Edinburgh.
Watch out for falling masonry, cows, and large wooden rabbits. Then, RUN AWAY!
Mmmmm. Dessert at Pizza Express, Edinburgh.
Walking up to Holy Rude church in Stirling, Scotland.
Walking around the outside of Doune Castle.
Taylor and Wendy on the battlements of Doune Castle.
Doune Castle battlement.
Holy Rude Church and Graveyard Stirling Scotland
Mmmmm. Dessert at Pizza Express, Edinburgh.
This was the kitchen fireplace, large enough to cook an entire hog on a spit.
The hewn oak timber roof of Holy Rude Church, held together with oak pins.
Walking back to town through the gate to the field that you walk through to get to Doune Castle.
Taylor and Wendy standing on the high place in Holy Rude Church graveyard.
Tom and Wendy outside Doune Castle.
Taylor and Wendy enjoy the entertaining audio tour of Doune Castle.
Chocolate makes Wendy very happy.
Wendy and were still not over our jet lag 🙂
Holy Rude Church and graveyard, Stirling, Scotland.

This week I am publishing my travel journal from our trip to Edinburgh which  took place this past week, June 1-8, 2015. I am posting my journal entry and pictures from each day in chronological order.

While Wendy slept I found my way to Starbucks on the Royal Mile to journal and have some coffee. I stopped by the La Barantine patisserie on Victoria Street to grab Wendy a chocolate croissant on my way back to the hotel. Upon my return Taylor texted to ask if I wanted to have coffee with her. We met me back at the patisserie for a cup of tea while Wendy got ready and we enjoyed a little father-daughter time together. It was nice to just sit and chat. We’re blessed to have enjoyed Skype and FaceTime calls this year, but there’s nothing like talking in person (especially when you’re in a quaint French patisserie in Scotland)!

Today was the day Taylor and planned a little adventure for us outside of Edinburgh. It was cloudy with light rain as we headed to the Waverly transport station to get tickets to Stirling, a medeival town and hour’s train ride west of Edinburgh. Stirling was an important gateway town to the highlands marked with a castle atop its prominent castle hill. It was about a 45 minute train ride and it was still raining when we arrived. We immediately walked to the bus station that was next to the train station and grabbed a bus for a 20 minute ride outside Stirling to the small town of Doune, home to Doune Castle where Monty Python and the Holy Grail was filmed.

The Stirling bus station reminded me a lot of the Greyhound station in Des Moines growing up. Unlike the major metropolitan transport stations we’d gotten used to, there was no doubt that we were in small town Scotland. There was a tiny corner news stand and very little cafe. The station was filled with locals. There was one gentleman who was mostly deaf (you could tell by the huge hearing aid behind each ear) who was conversing in his thick Scottish accent with such ear splitting volume that I think you’d soon join him in deafness if you stood to near for too long.

The bus to Doune was not going to arrive for about 20 minutes so we took our leave of our loud Scottish friend in the terminal and waited by the stop, under the awning. The bus ride to Doune was another 30 minutes and I think both Wendy and I were wondering, “where in the world are we going?” Taylor had never actually been to Doune Castle, so we were kind of flying blind. When we got off the bus Taylor asked the driver about where to get to the castle. An older local gentleman who was departing the bus gave us instructions though I’m not exactly sure what he said given his thick Scottish brogue. Nevertheless, he pointed down the street and mentioned something about signs.

We walked in the rain through the picturesque little town, following the somewhat cryptic signs pointing us towards the castle. We found ourselves at a small gate that opened onto a field. We were laughing so hard at this point because we didn’t have the slightest idea where we were going and the idea that we would have to walk through an unmarked field continued to fuel our fears that we would end up completely lost in an on-going downpour (with only one umbrella). To make matters worse, there were two paths in the field with no markings as to which of the two led to the castle! We chose the left path which turned out to be the correct path which led to another gate though the path continued past it and we weren’t sure if the gate led out of the field toward the castle of if we should continue on through the field. We could kind of see the castle through the trees, so made our way out the gate and down a steep embankment to the road which led to the castle.

It was cold and rainy as we made our way up to the castle. Seemed apropos for some reason. We paid for tickets and our audio tour. The small personal players with headphones included narration by Terry Gilliam of Monty Python. It was actually quite entertaining and he described where different scenes were filmed. We did a lot of laughing and when the audio players cut to some of our favorite parts of the movie I’m sure that the three of us were quite a site laughing and mouthing along with the timeless lines.

The castle was a lot of fun and we enjoyed the relative freedom you had to explore. I was surprised by how big it was and how much of the castle was open to explore. This included long winding stone staircases that led up to the battlements. We agreed that they would never have had so much of the castle open to tourists in the States for fear of a turned ankle and a lawsuit. The castle, despite the difficulty in getting to it (and perhaps, in part, because of it), ended up being one of our favorite experiences of the trip. By the time we finished our audio walking tour the sun was trying to come out and the rain finally subsided, allowing us to walk around the exterior of the castle and enjoy the breathtaking view of the Scottish countryside.

“My dad introduced Monty Python and the Holy Grail to Madison and I at a very young age and it has been quoted in our household for years. Therefore, its no surprise that I particularly loved the day trip we took to Doune Castle just outside of Stirling where most of Monty Python and the Holy Grail was filmed. The audio tour was equally historic and hilarious. Plus, it completely made my day that they had coconut halves available so you could gallop around and re-enact scenes.” – Taylor (from her blog: Love, Taylor)

We retraced our steps back to town and Taylor said she was hungry. We just happened, however, to catch our bus coming up to the bus stop and so ran to grab it while we could and headed back to Stirling. Upon arrival we hiked up the quaint medeival streets towards the castle, stopping at Holy Rude (derived from an old word meaning “cross”) church. The church has been there since the early middle ages and the roof is made of hewn oak timbers held by oak pins. The stained glass windows were gorgeous.

We enjoyed a stroll through the ancient graveyard and made our way to a “high place” with a commanding view of the surrounding region. It was so beautiful. We then started making our way back down the hill. There was an art center we were going to visit, but time was slipping by, Taylor was hungry, and a quick view of the art center’s website revealed that it wasn’t something we were really interested in seeing. So, Taylor stopped by the shopping mall to grab a quick bite to eat on the train, we used the loo, and caught the 4:07 back to Edinburgh.

We hiked back to the hotel room for a little breather and enjoyed a glass of wine in the room as we watched Serena Williams play in the French Open for a bit. We then made our way up to the top of Victoria Street to Pizza Express for dinner. Despite the name sounding like a fast food joint, Pizza Express is kind of an upscale pizza place where Taylor could get gluten free pizza. We were all hungry from our day’s adventure and enjoyed a leisurely meal together. We each ordered a pizza along with a bottle of wine and an appetizer of “dough balls.” We treated ourselves to a yummy dessert to cap off our adventurous day.

It has been enjoyable to catch up with Taylor. It’s been such a transitional year for all of us. For Taylor, it’s been a year of post-divorce searching, grad school, and blazing a new path in life with all the excitement, anxiety, and fear that goes with it. For Wendy and me it has been a stressful year of building, work challenges, and new directions. So, amidst the sightseeing we have really enjoyed just catching up and talking about our respective life journeys.

By the time we were finished with dinner we were all beat. We made plans for climbing Aurthur’s Seat on Friday morning. Taylor hugged us good night and caught the bus back to her flat while Wendy and I walked back to our hotel. I wrote a few postcards, but it wasn’t long before we were both sound asleep.

Edinburgh Travel Journal: Days 1-2
Edinburgh Travel Journal: Day 3
Edinburgh Travel Journal: Day 4
Edinburgh Travel Journal: Day 5
Edinburgh Travel Journal: Day 6
Edinburgh Travel Journal: Day 7

Tom's Photos, Travel Journal, Wayfarer's Journal

Edinburgh Travel Journal: Day 3

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Tom and Taylor at Queen’s Arms Pub.
Wendy conversing, hands always in constant motion, at the Queen’s Arms Pub.
Tom and Wendy at Queen’s Arms pub, Edinburgh.
Tom and Taylor at Queen’s Arms Pub.
You can almost always hear a piper on the Royal Mile.
Wendy at the White Hart pub.
Taylor in the Queen’s Arms Pub.
Royal Mile skyline.
St. Giles Cathedral interior.
Wendy admiring the interior of St. Giles.
The statuary sentinel of Edinburgh Castle.
Wrapped in tartan, letting my recessive Scotch-Irish genes out!
Wendy waiting for Taylor at Waverly station.
The front of St. Giles.
View from Edinburgh Castle.
Victoria Street Edinburgh
A view of Edinburgh Castle from castle hill.
Wendy at Queen’s Arms Pub.
Wild daisies on castle hill with Edinburgh Castle in the background.
Stained glass of St. Giles.
A wee taste of Caol Ila 12 year Scotch.
Walking to the Hanover Bus Stop.

This week I am publishing my travel journal from our trip to Edinburgh which  took place this past week, June 1-8, 2015. I am posting my journal entry and pictures from each day in chronological order.

Day 3 (June 3, 2015)

We were on our own as Taylor was working at Steampunk Coffee in North Berwick where she’s been employed for most of the year. It was probably a good thing as Wendy and I were still quite tired from our travels and slow to get moving.

I was up before Wendy and went to the hotel cafe downstairs in a search for coffee. Unlike the U.S. where coffee is considered a God-given right and every hotel has fresh coffee in the lobby for free, I’ve found that in the UK they make it really hard to get just a cup of coffee in the morning. You have to go to the cafe and be seated where they will be happy to provide coffee as part of the expensive continental breakfast or bundled with your ordered meal, but just a cup of coffee is something they don’t really do.

I journaled and checked my e-mail before returning to the room expecting that Wendy would be up and showered and ready for the day. Instead, I found her still asleep and struggling to wake up. I helped her get out of bed and into the shower and then went for a stroll while she readied herself for the day.

I walked up Victoria Street and then over to the Royal Mile. I did a little window shopping as I walked a good long ways down the mile before turning to make my way back up the other side of the street. The Royal Mile is packed with tourist shops, restaurants, whiskey shops, kilt makers, and pretty much any other kind of vendor catering to the whims of the large tourist trade. I found everything to be pretty expensive compared to the States, especially considering the exchange rate which meant that one pound cost us about $1.60 on average.

I returned to the hotel and found Wendy close to being ready. Once she was we headed out and made our way back to the Royal Mile, stopping at a small French patisserie, La Barantine, on Victoria Street to get Wendy a delicious chocolate pastry. It would prove to be a regular morning stop during our entire stay. We headed to the transit station to get our bus “ride cards” and then did some of our touristy shopping for postcards and such. I’ve been doing a little reading on my Scotch-Irish genes from my mother’s maternal great-grandfather who was a McCoy. It appears from my research that McCoy is a sept of the McKay clan and so I bought myself a McKay tartan scarf.

We toured St. Giles cathedral and I paid the 2 pounds for the right to take pictures inside. The stained glass windows were amazing as was the ornate decorative architecture. Wendy and I spent a good long time walking around and looking at everything.

We made our way up the Royal mile to Edinburgh Castle which sits on a tall hill with an expansive view of the city and the area. We opted not to spend the money to take the tour but looked around the entrance area and looked out at the scenery around.

It was getting to be mid-afternoon at this point and we were getting a little hungry. We made our way back to Grassmarket where our hotel is located and had lunch at the White Hart Inn Pub across the street where we’d had a pint with Taylor the night before. It was traditional pub fare but the food was good and they had the French Open playing on the telly. Novak Djokovich was taking it to Rafael Nadal while Andy Murray was making pretty quick work of David Ferrer.

After the leisurely lunch we walked a good hike to a Tesco grocery and got a few things to enjoy in our room. We returned to our room, stopping on the way inside an interesting little hat shop, Fabhatrix. We tried on a lot of hats and there several that looked adorable on Wendy, but we were just looking. Once back in the room we relaxed with tennis on and waited to hear from Taylor. She texted us to meet her at Waverly station at 6:15 and so we made the 15 minute hike to the station to meet her.

The weather had been much more pleasant. The sun was out most of the day with a high around 60 degrees. Wendy and I decided that Edinburgh reminds us a lot of Chicago as the wind off the North Sea feels a lot like the wind off Lake Michigan. When the sun was out it felt warm and the breeze didn’t bother us so much, but if the sun ducked behind some clouds the wind suddenly felt very chilly. I was amazed at how it could rain in fits and starts all day, even when the sun was shining.

Taylor had made reservations for us at a new restaurant called Maker’s Rest but upon our arrival and a view of the menu Taylor wondered what happened to the pizza that looked so good on their website. She inquired to find out that they changed their menu and, as the rest of the menu didn’t strike our fancy, we opted out and headed to the bus stop. Taylor led us to her favorite pub in Edinburgh, the Queen’s Arms where we had planned to have an after dinner drink. We ate there instead and were glad we did.

The Queens Arms has a warm, hospitable atmosphere and feels like a place you’d find on Diagon Alley. Edinburgh, by the way, is where J.K. Rowling lived and wrote Harry Potter, so the city is full of Harry Potter references wherever you go. The atmosphere she creates in the books in places like Hogwarts, Diagon Alley, and Hogsmead feel very reminiscent of Edinburgh.

The food was upscale pub fare. Wendy and I enjoyed some really good bread with dipping sauces (oil/vinegar, hummus, and salsa verde) which was very good. We split a delicious burger with Scottish cheddar. Taylor had some very interesting lamb bites on a bed of greens and hummus. I enjoyed a wee glass of Caol Ila  12 year single malt Scotch which was really potent, but extremely good. As with the day before we enjoyed conversation with Taylor. For me, the highlight of the week was simply to be with Taylor and to catch up on her year in Scotland. Her path has had some major twists, turns, inclines and valleys over the past couple of years and it was good just to hear her talk about the condition of her heart and how God has been growing her up. As the conversation flowed, dinner gave way to an after dinner bottle of wine and we found ourselves embraced in the Queen’s Arms a good long while that evening.

“It was really fun to have the ‘rents in the ‘burgh this past week. If you are lucky enough to know them personally, then you know that one thing they do very well is dinner. It is never a quick thing. It is an event. This is something I have especially missed about them: the way they engage in sitting around the table, filling stomachs and emptying wine glasses, laughing and sharing good conversation for hours late into the night. I was definitely thankful to partake in a lot of that while they were visiting.” – Taylor (from her blog Love, Taylor)

It was 10:30 when we finally left but the last light of day had not yet expired. The sun is up about 17.25 hours of the day at this time of year in Edinburgh which is a little hard to get used to. We walked back to the Hanover bus stop, said good night with a warm embrace and caught our respective buses. Wendy and I made it back to the hotel contentedly tired and ready for bed.

Edinburgh Travel Journal: Days 1-2
Edinburgh Travel Journal: Day 3
Edinburgh Travel Journal: Day 4
Edinburgh Travel Journal: Day 5
Edinburgh Travel Journal: Day 6
Edinburgh Travel Journal: Day 7

Chapter-a-Day

Carry On

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From one ancestor he made all nations to inhabit the whole earth, and he allotted the times of their existence and the boundaries of the places where they would live, so that they would search for God and perhaps grope for him and find him—though indeed he is not far from each one of us. Acts 17:26-27 (NRSV)

A few weeks ago Wendy and I were driving through Des Moines and she was handling the DJ duties on the radio. Carry on My Wayward Son by Kansas came on and we rocked out to it together. A flood of memories came rushing back to me. As a boy, Kansas was my favorite rock group and I wore out the needle on my cheap record player with their albums and 45s.

One of the things that I remember loving about Kansas was the meaning I found in their lyrics. Kansas was the first group that I remember truly paying attention to the lyrics and in Kerry Livgren’s spiritual groping I found a kindred spirit.

Masquerading as a man with a reason
My charade is the event of the season
And if I claim to be a wise man,
Well, it surely means that I don’t know

On a stormy sea of moving emotion
Tossed about, I’m like a ship on the ocean
I set a course for winds of fortune,
But I hear the voices say

Carry on my wayward son
There’ll be peace when you are done
Lay your weary head to rest
Don’t you cry no more no!

As I read Paul’s message to the people of Athens, my memory was suddenly stirred to my days of spiritual groping, setting my soul’s course to seek after God in song lyrics and wherever else I might find a hint of God’s presence. As Paul testified, I eventually found that God was not as far from me as I thought. It was a cold February night in 1981 that I opened my heart and began my relationship with Jesus. I stopped groping for Him and started growing in Him. I’ve been carrying on ever since. At times I merely stumble along, but I keep pressing forward none the less.

If you’re groping, carry on. He is not as far as you think.

Tom's Photos

Greyfriar’s Tombstone

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Greyfriar's TombstoneCall me strange, but there’s something I’ve always found peaceful about a cemetery. Greyfriar’s cemetery in Edinburgh, Scotland is an amazing, picturesque cemetery with ancient tombstones and gorgeous scenery. I loved this celtic cross headstone surrounded with wild vines and set against the prison-like bars of the fence.

 

Tom's Photos, Travel Journal, Wayfarer's Journal

Edinburgh Travel Journal: Days 1-2

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Our hotel on Grassmarket.
White Hart Inn Pub. One of the oldest in Edinburgh.
Taylor enjoying a drink with us at the White Hart Pub.
Walking. Walking. We did a lot of walking.
Playing at the Camera Obscura Museum.
Playing at the Camera Obscura Museum.
Playing at the Camera Obscura Museum.
Playing at the Camera Obscura Museum.
Playing at the Camera Obscura Museum.
Playing at the Camera Obscura Museum.
Playing at the Camera Obscura Museum.
Playing at the Camera Obscura Museum.
Playing at the Camera Obscura Museum.
Lunch at Arcade Bar, Haggis, and Whiskey House.
Lunch at Arcade Bar, Haggis, and Whiskey House.
Edinburgh is full of these tiny alleys between buildings which are shortcuts between major streets called a “Close.” They have their own names like “King’s Close.”
Coffee at the cafe in Dovecot Studios.
Greyfriar’s Cemetery.
Greyfriar’s Cemetery.
Greyfriar’s Cemetery.
Greyfriar’s Cemetery.
The entrance to Greyfriar’s Cemetery.
Armstrong Vintage Clothing
Armstrong Vintage Clothing
Armstrong Vintage Clothing
Armstrong Vintage Clothing
Greyfriar’s Bobby.
Wendy at White Hart pub.
Pints at the White Hart Pub
Tom and Wendy at the White Hart Pub
Flying into Edinburgh.
They have Amstel Light ON TAP!

Over the next week I will be publishing my travel journal from our trip to Edinburgh which  took place this past week, June 1-8, 2015. I am posting my journal entry and pictures from each day in chronological order.

Days 1-2

Wendy and I left Iowa on a gorgeous, cool, early summer afternoon. We flew United out of  Des Moines to Chicago O’Hare at 2:20 p.m. Had a 2.5 hour layover in Chicago before boarding a United 757-200 for our 6:00 p.m. flight to Edinburgh. We were in the next to last row of seats but thanks to a snafu there was no third traveler in our row so we were able to spread out a bit!

We both watched movies on the way over. Wendy watched “Still Alice” and I watched “Fury.” We tried to get some sleep but were largely unsuccessful. The result was that we landed in Edinburgh and our bodies were experiencing 12:30 a.m. ready for sleep but it was 7:30 a.m. in Edinburgh and we had a full day ahead. Hoo-boy! Here we go.

It was rainy, very windy and chilly when we arrived. The airline pilot in his final comments at descent said, “If you are golfing today I hope your tee time is in the late afternoon. Otherwise, it’s going to be a very windy round!”

Wendy and I collected our luggage and took turns cleaning up a bit in the airport loo. Per the excellent, detailed instructions Taylor sent us, we grabbed a tram from the airport to St. Andrews Square. Taylor texted that she might not beat us there and to hang out in the square to wait for her. It was very windy and chilly so we took up standing behind the square’s small cafe building for a wind break. It was only a couple of minutes before we spotted Taylor running towards us. Big hugs all around. It was so good to be hugging her.

We made a generous, up-hill hike towards our hotel. We stopped at the bus terminal to get a week “ride card” but there was a long line and the computers crashed, so we opted to stop later. We walked up castle hill against the wind pulling our suitcases. It was the best workout we’d had in a long time! Dropped our suitcases off at Apex City Hotel. The hotel is on Grassmarket, an old street at the base Edinburgh Castle known for being the site where people were executed. It’s not a gorgeous street lined with pubs and restaurants. Once our bags were dropped off for safekeeping we ventured out into Edinburgh for the first time.

We were both extremely impressed with Taylor’s knowledge of the city. She was an amazing guide and seemed to know every shortcut and back alley in the city. She said that most of her friends from Edinburgh laugh at her as she knows the city better than they do. Later in the week Wendy, Taylor and I were musing about the way we travel. I tend to be given to simple exploration rather than lots of detailed preparation. Taylor said that was how she learned the city. For weeks she simply walked, and walked, and walked everywhere and explored every nook and cranny. She obviously found a lot of cool things.

Our first unexpected stop was Armstrong’s, a vintage clothing store just down the street from our Hotel. It was like a crazy, huge costume shop filled with all sorts of historic and vintage clothing from different periods. We were stunned by all that they had and had a lot of fun exploring the shop.

Our next stop was a hike through Greyfriar’s graveyard. Taylor at first was going to walk past it, and then remembered that a couple of the graves in Greyfriar’s were how J.K. Rowling named a few characters in the Harry Potter books. We went looking for them and didn’t find them, but we enjoyed walking through the graveyard. It was so interesting to look at the different gravestones. At the top of the hill outside Greyfriar’s is a statue of a small dog known as Greyfriar’s Bobby. The story goes that the dog guarded the grave of his master for 14 years until his death and the locals would feed and care for him. His statue is a popular tourist attraction now.

We walked some more and Taylor led us to Dovecot Studios which is an old bathhouse now home to one of the world’s foremost tapestry studios. Master weavers at Dovecot team with the world’s leading contemporary artists to design and make some really amazing tapestries. We started by going through the gallery and then took a break for a cup of coffee in the coffee shop. By the time we were done the observation gallery was open and we were able to walk around on a balcony that surrounds the weavers’ studio and watch them work. It was fascinating. I’ve never really considered weaving tapestries as an art medium. Shame on me. I could have sat and watched them all day.

The sun was making intermittent appearances as we made our way to the Royal Mile. I needed to exchange some currency so the Bank of Scotland referred me to an exchange on the Mile. We found it and then decided it was time for lunch. Taylor led us to a pub just off the mile called Arcade Bar, Haggis, and Whiskey House. It was a lovely little pub. Taylor and Wendy had fish n’ chips. I opted for lighter fare and had a cup of cream of garlic soup. I was SO excited to find they had Amstel Light on tap. Amstel is one of my favorite beers and you can’t find it on tap anywhere in the U.S.

Wendy and I were starting to fade and needed a little break, so we headed back to the hotel to check-in. It is a nice boutique hotel and our room was very comfortable. Wendy found the French Open tennis tournament on the telly and the three of us curled up on the king sized bed for a cat nap. Taylor introduced us to an Irish comedian on YouTube which we really enjoyed.

It was enough of a rest to give us a second wind. We headed back out to visit the Camera Obscura museum which was more fun that I thought it would be. At the top of the museum is an antique camera obscura. Mirrors and lenses mounted on top of the tower project an image of the city onto a concave table many feet below. The operator can rotate the mirror/lenses which rotates the image on the table and you get a 360 degree view of Edinburgh. Each floor from the street to the tower is filled with different optical illusions, camera tricks, and hands-on exhibits which were a blast to experience.

It was late afternoon and both Wendy and I were feeling a bit zombie-like. We stopped at the White Hart pub across from our hotel and enjoyed a pint while we sat at the bar together. It was so good just to be with Taylor and to have conversation with her. We nursed our pints as we talked. It was 7:30 p.m. and Wendy and I had essentially been up and going without sleep for about 30 hours. We hugged Taylor good-night, staggered into our hotel room, and slept for 12+ hours.

Edinburgh Travel Journal: Days 1-2
Edinburgh Travel Journal: Day 3
Edinburgh Travel Journal: Day 4
Edinburgh Travel Journal: Day 5
Edinburgh Travel Journal: Day 6
Edinburgh Travel Journal: Day 7

Chapter-a-Day

Contrasting Events; Contrasting Outcomes

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prison2Suddenly there was an earthquake, so violent that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were unfastened. When the jailer woke up and saw the prison doors wide open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, since he supposed that the prisoners had escaped. But Paul shouted in a loud voice, “Do not harm yourself, for we are all here.”
Acts 16:26-28 (NRSV)

Earlier in the book of Acts, Luke chronicled the story of Peter being held in prison by Herod. When an angel appeared to Peter and led in his miraculous escape Herod quickly executed all of the guards for letting Peter escape (Acts 12:19). Justice in the Roman Empire in those days was swift, severe, and not always just. If your job was to guard a prisoner and the prisoner escaped, the penalty was death.

It was interesting to read a contrasting story in this morning’s chapter about Paul and Silas being thrown into prison in Philippi. When a violent earthquake frees them to make a run for it, Paul and Silas choose to stay in prison. They were, in effect, saving the jailer’s life, and their unexpected act of grace leads to the jailer and his household choosing to become followers of Jesus.

I find myself pondering the differences and the outcomes of these two stories this morning. Peter followed the angel to freedom and all of the guards were executed. When given an opportunity for escape, Paul and Silas chose to stay as an act of love and grace towards the jailer. Why didn’t Peter stay as a witness to his captors?

The situations were different. Peter was instructed to leave by the angel and was under heavy guard. He was in Jerusalem and being persecuted by Herod who was a ruthless, violent, insane dictator. In contrast, Paul and Silas were in a relatively small backwater Greek town being held in jail with only one jailor being mentioned. The stakes were much lower and Paul held a trump card which he plays at the end of the chapter. He was a Roman citizen which came with it a host of privileges that were being denied him. Despite the momentary suffering of incarceration, Paul knew that he actually held an unknown advantage.

Along life’s road I have observed that the institutional church and many Jesus followers desire faith and life to be simple and one-size-fits-all. As I wander through God’s Message I am reminded time and time again that following Jesus isn’t always that simple. God through Paul was merciful to the Philippian jailer, but all of Herod’s guards were summarily executed. Where was the mercy for them? Different time. Different place. Different circumstance. Different stakes. Different outcome.

Today, I’m pondering the reality that God sometimes chooses to move in different ways in different times, places, and circumstances. My job is not to try and categorize, confine, and control what God will do, but be open to the fact that God, His intentions, and His actions are beyond my categorization, confine, and control. My job is, by faith and obedience, to continue following where I am led and let God work as He wills.