Ireland - Day 1

This series on Ireland is running about ten days behind actual events.

I left the house at 12:30 to drive to Orlando.
I caught a 4:00pm flight to Newark.

In Newark I saw, hugged, and caught up with many of my old friends.
Our plane took off at 10pm.
There is a 6 hour difference.
I slept for 1 hour on the plane.

We met our guide, Jerry.
We drove 90 minutes to the town of Galway.
Here are some pictures of the typical medieval Irish town.

Lew Jones in Mizzou jacket.  Bill Pogson in KU hat.

Guide Jerry in black hat.

Old Galway medieval street.

store fronts in Ireland are colorful.

It's Ireland, there are lots of pubs.

Colorful medieval street

Building from the 1500's still being used today.

Lots of street musicians.  They were good.  

I could have stayed and listened for a long time.

St Nicholas Church built around 1200ad

Stone work on Cathedral 

Cathedral interior.

stone work on a building from the 1400s

Buildings build in the 1200-1400 were often plastered over to look

like bricks.... to look modern.  Recent work has chiseled

away part of the plaster to show the buildings as the were originally.

old city wall from 1100ad

We took a boat ride on the Corrib river.  

This is one of many old abandoned castles.

Galway City Cathedral, built 1965

very beautiful.

Although everyone is tired, it was a wonderful day one.

It's a beautiful day in God's world be sure to see the good.
Send replies to jsbrink57@gmail.com

- - - - - - - - -

I am leading some trips this year and next. If you are interested in reading about them, or joining in, the links are below.....

Holy Land Tour - includes my favorite spots
with optional Jerusalem extension
March 4-13, 2019

http://www.eo.travelwithus.com/tours/hl19030419g17768#.Wt84h7lRHcs

Paris-Normandy River Cruise

October 23-31, 2019

http://www.eo.travelwithus.com/tours/rc19102319x17768#.W3avNFJK3cs

Advertising Jesus

I don't believe that we should hide our faith under a bushel basket.  I believe that we should share God's love. 

But.  But.  But we need to be very careful about how we do that.   There are some advertisements that are not helpful.

What would you think of wearing a shirt like this?   How would it make you feel if you were talking to someone who was wearing one?  Well meaning Christians often do not think about how their notions of winning others actually makes people feel.  I am not sure that they care.

What about someone who is wearing a nice cross around their neck but acting like a hateful jerk?  What of the Christian on facebook that is posting judgmental things? 

And then there is this license plate.  My daughter Jennifer is moving to Jacksonville 😡.  Cathy and I

drove up there with her to help her find a place to live.  On the 3 hour trip back, we were annoyed by this car.  The driver snuck up on the shoulder and forced his way in.  He was weaving back and forth in traffic and changing lanes without a signal and with very little room.  Note the slogan on his licence plate: "Jesus- all his ways, all my days."

I wonder how many people will want to go to church with them?  I wonder how many people will want to believe in their Jesus?

If Jesus were here in person, I think that he would wear a shirt that said, "I love Pharisees too."  I think that he would be a very respectful driver, and would drive a Prius.  Or maybe like the early disciples in Acts 2, he would simply drive in one Accord.

It's a beautiful day in God's world be sure to see the good.
Send replies to jsbrink57@gmail.com

- - - - - - - - -

I am leading some trips this year and next. If you are interested in reading about them, or joining in, the links are below.....

Holy Land Tour - includes my favorite spots
with optional Jerusalem extension
March 4-13, 2019

http://www.eo.travelwithus.com/tours/hl19030419g17768#.Wt84h7lRHcs

Paris-Normandy River Cruise

October 23-31, 2019

http://www.eo.travelwithus.com/tours/rc19102319x17768#.W3avNFJK3cs

Uncle

A funny memory that makes me smile...

When I was a kid my Dad would occasionally tickle us until we said the magic word.

"Uncle."

Somewhere along the line, I added to this humiliating phrase that children must say to escape the tickle fest.  This is what the kids had to say in order to "tap out" or give up and be free of my torture.

"Uncle.  Dad you're the master."

As they got older, they caught on to the humor.
I would be tickling them and they would say, "ok ok ok, Dad.... you are the........ Dad you are the poop-head."
And the tickling would continue.

I loved those times when the kids were young.  Life is good now as well.  Maybe I will get some grand kids soon.

Uncle.  Grandpa.  You are the master!

It's a beautiful day in God's world be sure to see the good.
Send replies to jsbrink57@gmail.com

- - - - - - - - -

I am leading some trips this year and next. If you are interested in reading about them, or joining in, the links are below.....

Holy Land Tour - includes my favorite spots
with optional Jerusalem extension
March 4-13, 2019

http://www.eo.travelwithus.com/tours/hl19030419g17768#.Wt84h7lRHcs

Paris-Normandy River Cruise

October 23-31, 2019

http://www.eo.travelwithus.com/tours/rc19102319x17768#.W3avNFJK3cs

an inspiration

From my friend Pat...

My wife and I were dining at our favorite restaurant in Coronado. Its set in an old house, so the dining areas are small and several. We happened to be in a room with three tables, one empty, us and an older couple.

I watched them through dinner, they didn’t talk much, each lost in their own thoughts. Probably their generation’s version of looking at an iPhone at dinner I thought. Once in a while, they talked, occasionally they laughed.

The bill came while she was in the ladies room. I watched him struggle with it. When she returned, he handed it to her and a long discussion about the amount of the tip began. They worked it out and she finished paying. Only then did I notice his white cane on the floor.

Later as they left we struck up a conversation with them. He was 94, she was 90. They were starting to feel their aches and pains she said, starting to feel their aches and pains. They had been married 67 years, had lived in Arizona(its too hot) and wished they’d moved to Coronado years before(the weather is perfect). He fought 3 years in WWII as an infantryman, she loved Cape Cod where they were from. He had been a doctor. They held hands as they left.

What an inspiration. At 90, they were just starting to feel their aches and pains. Mine remind me I’m alive each morning, and I’m a third of their life behind them. But after 67 years of marriage, they could sit quietly with one another, work out a minor disagreement, and help one another. And they held hands as they left.

They made me want to be a better husband for my wife, a happier man for those around me.
God’s world is full of inspiration. We just have to open our eyes to it.

It's a beautiful day in God's world be sure to see the good.
Send replies to jsbrink57@gmail.com

- - - - - - - - -

I am leading some trips this year and next. If you are interested in reading about them, or joining in, the links are below.....

Holy Land Tour - includes my favorite spots
with optional Jerusalem extension
March 4-13, 2019

http://www.eo.travelwithus.com/tours/hl19030419g17768#.Wt84h7lRHcs

Paris-Normandy River Cruise
October 23-31, 2019

Cuba Cruise Pt 3 - Havana

The Cuba Cruise took out of Port Canaveral, a short drive from Orlando.  It sailed to Key West and then to Havana.  There were many questions about whether or not we would be able to get off the ship and walk  around freely in Havana.  Yes there are some laws on the books that restrict US visitors in Cuba, but they are easily complied with.  Don't let the cruise line force you into paying for an expensive shore excursion.  We walked right off the boat with no problem.

statue of Jesus overlooking Havana Bay

fort at entrance to Havana Bay

there are many small squares where people
find water, a bench and music

typical street in Havana

off the beaten bath it gets pretty bad

some buildings looked bombed out

lots of street vendors

open air market

meat for sale

there are many nice areas of Havana

lunch included singers

beautiful church

more music

old Spanish fort

back to the boat

back to Jesus

We had a great time.  I hope to go back some day.

It's a beautiful day in God's world be sure to see the good.
Send replies to jsbrink57@gmail.com

- - - - - - - - -

I am leading some trips this year and next. If you are interested in reading about them, or joining in, the links are below.....

Holy Land Tour - includes my favorite spots
with optional Jerusalem extension
March 4-13, 2019

http://www.eo.travelwithus.com/tours/hl19030419g17768#.Wt84h7lRHcs

Paris-Normandy River Cruise

October 23-31, 2019

http://www.eo.travelwithus.com/tours/rc19102319x17768#.W3avNFJK3cs

Cuba Cruise Pt 2 Key West

Key West is the southern most part of the Untied States.  They have a nice little museum of boats and rafts that people have ridden on to get to the US.  They have shopping and restaurants.  They have a rocky beach with no waves.  They have jet skis and other water sports. 

And they have Duval Street.  Duval Street is like Bourbon Street in New Orleans, only not quite as bad.

The boat docks in Key West and a tram takes you to Duval Street where you shop and eventually end up in a restaurant listening to some old guy playing Margaritaville.

We had a blast.

Tram from the boat to Duval Street

USCGC Ingham - Part of the Key West maritime museum

Duval St.

typical Key West joint

lots of attractive architecture

restaurnt where we finally crashed

Irene Price listens to Margaritaville.  Note dog on guitar case.

The dog was a real hit!

Jenny and Chrystal.  Oh how great to be young.

It's a beautiful day in God's world be sure to see the good.
Send replies to jsbrink57@gmail.com

- - - - - - - - -

I am leading some trips this year and next. If you are interested in reading about them, or joining in, the links are below.....

Holy Land Tour - includes my favorite spots
with optional Jerusalem extension
March 4-13, 2019

http://www.eo.travelwithus.com/tours/hl19030419g17768#.Wt84h7lRHcs

Paris-Normandy River Cruise

October 23-31, 2019

http://www.eo.travelwithus.com/tours/rc19102319x17768#.W3avNFJK3cs

Cuba Cruise

A few months ago I went on a cruise to Key West and Cuba.  My wife Cathy, daughter Jennifer, her friend Chrystal and Fred and Irene Price all went along.  We had a marvelous time.

When Fidel Castro took over Cuba he nationalized all of America's gambling houses in Cuba.  Consequently we shut them out and embargoed them.  They went over to the Russians.

The embargo ended American goods and American cars going into Cuba.  If you go to Cuba today, you see a few new American cars, lots of foreign cars, lots of Russian cars, and plenty of beautiful American cars from pre-embargo days.

I love cars.  I loved seeing the old cars in Cuba.  Every street was a car show.

Note statue of Jesus in the background

It's a beautiful day in God's world be sure to see the good.
Send replies to jsbrink57@gmail.com

- - - - - - - - -

I am leading some trips this year and next. If you are interested in reading about them, or joining in, the links are below.....

Holy Land Tour - includes my favorite spots
with optional Jerusalem extension
March 4-13, 2019

http://www.eo.travelwithus.com/tours/hl19030419g17768#.Wt84h7lRHcs

Paris-Normandy River Cruise

October 23-31, 2019

http://www.eo.travelwithus.com/tours/rc19102319x17768#.W3avNFJK3cs

Why don't my children go to church?

My kids, for the most part, do not go to church.  Although raised in church, they choose as young adults, not to go.

Why.

They would tell you that they are tired of the judgmental and homophobic attitudes.  They would tell you that they are tired of rituals and sermons that are irrelevant.

People talk to me all the time about how worried they are about their children.  My children don't go to church! They tell me.

I think they are worried that their kids will go to hell.  They feel that they have failed their children.  They want me to go convert their kids. 

Let me ask a question.  Is it our job to get out kids into church or to love them?  Is it our job to make them think the way that we do or to love them?  Is it our job to press them into our mold or to love them?

Maybe if we just focused on loving them, our relationship with them would improve.  They don't need our invitations to church.  They need our love.  God is sometimes in the middle of church.  God is always in the middle of love.

It's a beautiful day in God's world be sure to see the good.
Send replies to jsbrink57@gmail.com

- - - - - - - - -

I am leading some trips this year and next. If you are interested in reading about them, or joining in, the links are below.....

Holy Land Tour - includes my favorite spots
with optional Jerusalem extension
March 4-13, 2019

http://www.eo.travelwithus.com/tours/hl19030419g17768#.Wt84h7lRHcs

Paris-Normandy River Cruise

October 23-31, 2019

http://www.eo.travelwithus.com/tours/rc19102319x17768#.W3avNFJK3cs