It is astonishing how the rules in Portugal can be so different, with no clue what the rule is. When we drive or park, we run afoul of the rules. Eating out often leaves us mystified. Even hiking on the trails is a game of guess what they mean. For many people, religion has... Continue Reading →
Astonished to See the Past: Travel Photos from Faro, Portugal
'What I love about being here in Portugal is the preservation of the past, which allows us to connect the past to today, and it will allow future generations to experience the beauty and engineering expertise of generations that lived long before them. In Faro, I was astonished to see the juxtaposition of modern and... Continue Reading →
Romans 3 The Peak of Despondency Lit by a Ray of Sunshine. A Study for the Seriously Religious.
Romans 2 leaves off seeming to condemn the Jews the most. Paul starts there, and starts the questions that he’ll continues in the next few chapters. He quickly, though, goes to the conclusion that he has been headed toward in chapters 1 & 2. Since this conclusion, this peak, only leads to despair, he... Continue Reading →
Adult Tantrums Are Not Pretty
As we enjoyed lunch at one of the restaurants on the beach here in Quarteria, I noticed a little girl and her mother having an encounter. The little girl, about age 6 or 7, was wearing a helmet and had been riding a scooter. The mother had just taken the scooter and placed it in... Continue Reading →
In the Beauty of God’s Holiness: Travel Photos from Portugal
On Friday, we went to Faro, which is the main city in the part of the Algarve of Portugal where we are. Because it has an airport, train station, a huge bus terminal, and a marina, the city is big, compared to the little city we are staying in. The diversity of people was greater,... Continue Reading →
Speaking Truth, as Rivulets of Sweat Ran Down My Back
We sat in on a Bible study on Thursday at the International Evangelical Church here in Quateria, Portugal. I was quite surprised by the combination of a mostly British study group led by two young men with Irish ancestry. Indeed, one of the young men was headed back to Belfast, Ireland in the next week.... Continue Reading →
A Notable Exception to the Church.
We sallied forth to Faro to explore the Cidade Velha (old Town.) We entered through the old walls by means of Arco da Vila (The Town Arch.) In addition to a nice museum, and a small castle, we went to the Se, the cathedral. It was posh, truly elegant, gilded to the max, and ornate... Continue Reading →
Even A Cur Needs God’s Love
From experience, I know that the old saying that every man is a dog is simply not true, but I have, unfortunately, met men who qualify as curs, mean and cowardly persons, as unfriendly as mongrel dogs. Having been raised only by women, and never having lived in a house with a male and female... Continue Reading →
Costing Less Bestows Equality of Access Across Social Status
I am experiencing what many people fear: needing a doctor in a foreign land where you cannot speak the language. But, praise God, the body is the same wherever you go, so you only have to point to what hurts. Or, as in my case, the doctor could see that I would not move my... Continue Reading →
What Title has been Bestowed on You?
When it came to sailing, my dad was a crafty old fox. He was not the most daring, so he never tried to time it so he was one of the first across the starting line. Starting with a 5 to 10 minute deficit meant he had to scheme and plot how to catch up.... Continue Reading →