partsofspeaking

My continued observations on my trip to the Netherlands, mostly the Amsterdam/den Haag/Delft/Haarlem region.   It is extremely picturesque. Absolutely charming, especially the "old towns" in each city.     However, it is also very gratiffi-ed in public places, which I found ugly but apparently it is valued; maybe a Banksy thing?   It is a haven for LGBTQ folks.The Pride theme in June extends beyond June.   Weed is not everywhere, and not all Dutch are crazy about the reputation. The legalized prostitution is not everywhere; it is concentrated.Most people think it's rampant because they only go to Amsterdam, and there of course it is more common.   Consequently, don’t go in a "coffee shop" for coffee. Go to a café or restaurant. (Coffee shops were the ones allowed to sell weed. So the coffee shops became something else.)   As a nation they have agreed to certain restrictions on freedoms for the sake of harmony, safety net,...

From July 21 to July 31 I was out of the country. My niece and her husband live near the Hague (den Haag from now on) and her parents were visiting, so I met them for part of their time and then spent some time alone in Amsterdam. That is the last trip I take to Europe on my own--I'm too old for this kind of adventure. Also, timing is everything, and the world is traveling post-COVID. That means the streets were packed, and the airport was a literal nightmare. More on that later.  So I am going to post my photos and thoughts over the next few days. I did not want to post while I was away for security reasons, but I am almost home now.  First, five things you need to know about the Netherlands: You need a smart phone. You will need to download apps, like the National Transportation System (NS) one. You will need help with directions and walking. You will have to show tickets to museums online because you can't just walk into them.   You have to ride the...

I found this depressing and yet truthful in the best way:   https://mikeglennonline.com/church-attendance-is-down-but-why/?fbclid=IwAR0zQlXnltUimucUgrPqWvyMJd76ylOzT7fMKGjaqXkg4r9QpEYV2U3H5V0 If we have no truth, no authentic faith and devotion to Jesus Christ to offer others, why shouldn't they go to their kid's travel team game? (my attitudes towards such things notwithstanding).

I added this Emotion Wheel for those who might be helped by it, but it is not in alignment with my view of Scripture and Bible. We don't read the Bible for little pills that help us when we are down, stressed, etc. We read it to learn Christ and become like Him.  R&J is my least favorite Shakespearean tragedy. Sorry not sorry.  

We hear about this a lot today in terms of gender. Biological sex is binary and non-changeable (DNA is DNA no matter what a person looks like). Gender expression is not, but that is where it gets complicated. I have written elsewhere that we are more entrapped by stereotypical thinking about gender than ever. If a little boy wants to play Barbies with his sister simply because he has no other playmate, that has nothing to do with his "gender expression." He just wants a playmate, for Pete's sake, like I did when I played with Erector Sets.  A female who like the outdoors and a man who arranges flowers are not to be seen as "abnormal." Why would we in a world of such beauty and diversity? (I recognize there are congenital and other conditions that complicate the sex/gender distinction We can also argue binaries in terms of theology. I spent most of my life with the "saved-unsaved" dichotomy.  The problem was that "saved" meant "your exper...

 Right now, this is what the Church (big and local) needs to display more than anything. And to display them with integrity, they must be real, internal, authentic.  Love is action springing from deepest awareness of God's love for us. Integrity is truth throughout, inside and outside.  Now that this is post 2701, I will strive to blog that way. Speaking the truth in love, yes. We humans have a hard time doing both. We either gush with love, or pronounce in judgment in adherence to truth and truths. Only the Holy Spirit and mindfulness of the right kind affirm and empower for both.

Yes, this is the 2700th entry to this blog. I've been typing away since 2006, now over 16 years.  I've also lived in my house for a year this week.  This morning in Life Group class, someone had left a "live" Alexa in the room. We played with it a bit, had a laugh, then unplugged it; Alexa protested when Yoka said she was going to turn her off. Good grief. One woman asked Alexa if she believed in Jesus. She gave a condescending answer about different religious viewpoints. Alexa is downright creepy. Big tech already knows too much! That being said, I could write more, but there are some parts of my life I would like private.   I did pick blackberries today, though; they weren't plump, and it was hot, but it's still a joy.