What is your image of heaven?

Do you envision fluffy clouds and harps? Green meadows and mountains? Do you think of reuniting with loved ones? Theologian NT Wright was interviewed by TIME magazine about heaven. He explores what he sees are common misconceptions that many christians have about heaven. It is an interesting and fairly short read.

Mother Nature reminds us of her destructive power

The big news this week in La Coruña was a shockingly big wave that came ashore during a storm on Monday. It destroyed a part of the pedestrian walkway that is above a rather large beach, and flooded out the busy road that runs along the beach and some of the businesses. It is a place that we often have visited and I would have never thought it was possible. Some of the youtube videos are calling it a 10 or 20 meter wave. That is a big difference, but that probably puts the wave somewhere between 30 - 60 feet high. I'm not very good with gauging that kind of thing, but I do know it would take a huge wave to do this. Thankfully, there were no fatalities that I have heard of. But some were injured. It broke a solid cement fence and some rather large cement benches as well.

Here is a link to a short video of a Spanish news report about the wave.

10 Millones

In November US News and World Report published this article about Santiago de Compostela, and El Camino de Santiago. It is a nice, short, and informative read about the phenomena of the pilgrimage to Santiago.

One part of the article says this:

"A lot of people set out not being really sure what they are looking for," says Laurie Dennett, a former chairman of the London-based Confraternity of Saint James, which promotes knowledge of the Camino. Dennett says that, like many others, she didn't embark on her first pilgrimage 21 years ago as a religious undertaking.

I like this quote because it brings light to the fact that many travelers, backpackers, and pilgrims are looking for something. Many of these people recognize the reality that there is something missing in their lives that is worth searching for. And many don't know what they are looking for. It often reminds me of when Paul visited the Areopagus in Acts - he recognized that some in Athens were searching for something more than the numerous gods they worshiped. He used it as an opportunity to share the answer he had found in Christ. There is a tremendous opportunity in Galicia to reach out and help these pilgrims in their search for something more.

It also says that "some 10 million visitors are expected in Santiago for the 2010 Holy Year." That's a lot of visitors for a city with around 100,000 residents.

Faith and I took this picture in 2005 of the cathedral overlooking the rooftops in Santiago.

The picture at the top of this post was lifted from the linked article.

I Live Here

Today I am in awe of the beauty of this place. Brennan and I visited a park on top of a local mountain overlooking the city and the ocean. It was an absolutely perfect clear and sunny day that highlighted the beauty of creation, and by extension, of the creator. Somewhere inside this midwesterner, there is a voice that regularly states in disbelief, "I can't believe I live here... I can't believe I live HERE!!"

Note Brennan in the foreground moving lickety-split to the park. There might not be a playground on earth with a better view.

I have no words

Seriously.... I live here.

And I love it.

Stuff White People Like

There is something about satire done well that is just so... funny.

I ran across this blog entitled Stuff White People Like, and it had me snickering. Here is a short snippet from #11: Asian Girls.

"95% of white males have at one point in their lives, experienced yellow fever. Many factors have contributed to this phenomenon such as guilt from head taxes, internment camps, dropping the Nuclear bomb and the Viet Nam War . This exchange works both ways as asian girls have a tendency to go for white guys. (White girls never go for asian guys. Bruce Lee and Paul Kariya’s dad are the only recorded instances in modern history). Asian girls often to do this to get back at their strict traditional fathers. There is also the option of dating black guys, but they know deep down that this would give their non-english speaking grandmother(s) a heart attack."

Faith and I found that particular 'thing' (they have 81 and counting so far) pretty amusing. Of the posts I've read so far, my personal favorites are: Graduate School, Multilingual Children, Study Abroad, and Standing Still at Concerts.

It's good to not take yourself (or others) too seriously.