Ben Lomond

Lauri was in the States.  We had excellent weather last weekend (partly cloudy skies, 75 F (24 C), so I decided to take advantage and hike Ben Lomond.  This is a favorite walk for Glaswegians since Glasgow is only 30 miles away.  I think half the town was on Loch Lomond and Ben Lomond.  Must have about 300 people on the mountain.  Great views as you will see ....  

Amsterdam Day 5

This was our last day so we decided to do as the Dutch do ... ride bikes.  We rode for 7 hours exploring most of the city.  Amazingly, we didn't experience any accidents.  A bit scary though when you are competing with cars, buses, trams, and other cyclists.  It was a great time!  Certainly a very efficient way to move about the city.

Amsterdam Day 4

Unfortunately, Chase and Rachel had their priorities messed up ... they had to catch a plane to go back to work in Houston.  Lauri and I stayed around to continue playing ....  We took the train down to Delft (passed through Haarlem and The Hague).  Delft is known for the hand-painted blue pottery - delftware.  We toured the Royal Delft Factory and explored the town.  At 5:45, the church tower bells rang (Nieuwe Kerk) ... we answered and went to church!  Fortunately, they had an English interpreter for us (via headphones ... felt like the UN).  Delft was a wonderful, relaxing day.

Amsterdam Day 3

We started the day with a delightful breakfast, outdoors, at a cafe.  It afforded me the opportunity to shoot pictures of bicycle riders - quite interesting.  I wonder what happens when it is raining?  After breakfast, we went to the Dutch Resistance Museum.  The museum recreates the atmosphere of the streets of Amsterdam during the German occupation of the WWII. Big photographs, old posters, objects, films and sounds from that horrible time, help to recreate the scene. The background of the Holocaust is visualized to the visitor. This is an exhibition about the everyday life during that time, but also about exceptional historical events, resistance of the population against the Nazis and heroism.  From there, we took a 20 minute train-ride west Haarlem - quite an interesting history - click HERE.  We visited the Corrie ten Boom House (helped save 800 jews during WWII) and a windmill.

My Big God, How Small I See Him

My God is really bigger than I can conceive.  Yet daily, I put Him in a box that cannot contain Him.

Perhaps I should respond to God daily, as Job responded to God's speech below ... Job 40:4  "Behold, I am insignificant, what can I reply to thee?"

But then again, He did send His Son to die for me ...

Job 38

The LORD Speaks

 ¹ Then the LORD answered Job out of the storm. He said:  ² "Who is this that darkens my counsel
       with words without knowledge?
 ³ Brace yourself like a man;
       I will question you,
       and you shall answer me.
 ⁴ "Where were you when I laid the earth's foundation?
       Tell me, if you understand.
 ⁵ Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know!
       Who stretched a measuring line across it?
 ⁶ On what were its footings set,
       or who laid its cornerstone-
 ⁷ while the morning stars sang together
       and all the angels ^[a] shouted for joy?
 ⁸ "Who shut up the sea behind doors
       when it burst forth from the womb,
 ⁹ when I made the clouds its garment
       and wrapped it in thick darkness,
 ¹⁰ when I fixed limits for it
       and set its doors and bars in place,
 ¹¹ when I said, 'This far you may come and no farther;
       here is where your proud waves halt'?
 ¹² "Have you ever given orders to the morning,
       or shown the dawn its place,
 ¹³ that it might take the earth by the edges
       and shake the wicked out of it?
 ¹⁴ The earth takes shape like clay under a seal;
       its features stand out like those of a garment.
 ¹⁵ The wicked are denied their light,
       and their upraised arm is broken.
 ¹⁶ "Have you journeyed to the springs of the sea
       or walked in the recesses of the deep?
 ¹⁷ Have the gates of death been shown to you?
       Have you seen the gates of the shadow of death ^[b] ?
 ¹⁸ Have you comprehended the vast expanses of the earth?
       Tell me, if you know all this.
 ¹⁹ "What is the way to the abode of light?
       And where does darkness reside? .....

Just the Beiginning of the Ash Iritation ...

It appears that this is just beginning for Icelandic volcano activity (click HERE) ... oh goody ... :-(

Sistine Chapel

Great way to explore the Sistine Chapel.  Lauri and I were there a couple of years ago, and it was beautiful.  Crowded place though.  With looking up so much, your neck would ache.  Check out this WEBSITE.  Allow it load (takes a minute), then use your mouse to explore.  You can use the + and - in the lower left corner to magnify.

Video: Volcanic time lapse from Eyjafjallajökull

Some cool, time-lapsed video of the Iceland Volcano ....

Iceland, Eyjafjallajökull - May 1st and 2nd, 2010 from Sean Stiegemeier on Vimeo.

Earning a Gift?

Like everybody else, I like gift.  It is a surprise, a blessing, and a joy.  It shows the thoughtfulness of the giver.  Makes me feel special!  No matter whether the gift is large or small, the gift is appreciated.  I have positive feelings towards the giver and as a result, I want to reciprocate.  A true gift is given with no strings attached.  Otherwise, it is not a gift, but a contract ... a quid pro quo if you like.  Each party exchanges something it deems worth the price.  Dicionary.com defines a gift as "something given voluntarily without payment in return, as to show favor toward someone, honor an occasion, or make a gesture of assistance; present." The only thing you have to do with the gift is to make a decision to reject or accept it.

Amsterdam Day 2

The primary objectives of this day were Keukenhof Gardens, Anne Frank House, and Van Gogh Museum.  I'm not a flower guy, but even I was impressed with God's creative design of flowers.  Click HERE for the pictures.

Amsterdam Day 1

Amsterdam (AMS)

We planned this trip several months in advance.  Rachel and Chase were kind of enough to join us - that was the plan until the Eyjafjallajokull volcano (click to see cool pics) decided to make the trip interesting.  R&C found out for sure that they were flying on Wednesday morning, but we weren't sure.  As of noon on Wednesday, many KLM flights for Thursday were listed but not ours.  So we booked with EasyJet out of Edinburgh. Wouldn't you know, but two hours later our flight became listed.  Yes, we lost the money as it flew, but at least we made it to Amsterdam. (read more and for the pictures link).  Thank you Lord for allowing us all to go ....