Story From Europe #3 - The Oculus of the Pantheon

One of Rome's wonders is the Pantheon. Emperor Phocas donated this pagan temple to Pope Boniface IV in 608. It ensured that one of the marvels of ancient Rome would be preserved, virtually unaltered, as the Christian Church of Santa Maria ad Martyres. The most unique feature of the Pantheon is the Oculus. The Oculus is a 27 foot hole in the middle of the dome. The dome itself is the largest masonry dome in Europe. It is precisely as high as it is wide at 142 feet. The Oculus provides light and structural support to the dome. When it rains or snows you can see it fall inside the Pantheon, cascading to the floor. When Pat and I visited the Pantheon, I was intrigued by the shaft of light that entered in through the Oculus. The light provided means by which to see and made the entire church brighten up with life. This reminded me of what Jesus said in John 8:12, "I am the light of the world; he who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life." As we follow Jesus, His light streams into the very middle of our lives. His light allows the "eye" to see and creates His beauty in our lives. The shaft of light provided by Jesus cannot be ignored and will be visible to all. May His light brighten your life for His glory. Let the "Son shine" in!
These are the days my friend,
Jim "Train"

Story From Europe #2 - Venice

Our first stop in Italy was Venice. Venice is one of the most unique places in all the world. It's a city built on water. It's not a large city by any means, as you can walk practically anywhere you need to go. But it's most unique feature is the fact there's no car or truck traffic. You either walk or take a boat. That's right you take a boat. Venice is crisscrossed with canals that are used just like streets. You have private boats, gondolas, and public transportation boats. People get to work on boats. People go to stores by use of boats. We even saw fruit and vegetables being delivered by boats. Venice thrives on water. This made me think of the words of Jesus who said, "Everyone who drinks this water will get thirsty again and again. Anyone who drinks the water I give will never thirst—not ever. The water I give will be an artesian spring within, gushing fountains of endless life." Venice's life depends on water. Likewise, our lives need to be built on Jesus who gives us living water that brings gushing fountains of endless life. In Jesus we experience life. May you build you life on the living water and thrive!
These are the days my friend,
Jim "Train"

Story From Europe #1 - Stupid Sheep

One morning while working at the France YFC Training Center in Sandernach, I noticed a neighbor's sheep eating some grass on the other side of the fence. The unfortunate animal however, had put his head through an opening in the fence and now couldn't retract his head. The sheep struggled to withdraw his woolly head, even jumping in the air trying to get loose. Soon he was baaing in misery. He was stuck. And why was he stuck? It wasn't like there wasn't plenty of grass inside the pasture. For some reason this sheep thought the grass was greener on the other side of the fence. Then it struck me! We're like the sheep. In fact the Scriptures say, "We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way;"-Isaiah 53:6a
We have this disease or sickness called sin, that makes us think we know better than the Lord and the boundaries that He has established for us. So we get stuck and mired in sin.
After watching the sheep try and try to get loose, I got Jerry Wheeler and Judy Thorn to help me free the sheep from his dilemma. We were able to calm the sheep and cut one of the plastic cords (yes this fence was made of plastic!) to release the sheep. The sheep was free and ran off to join the rest of the flock. As we helped "rescue" the sheep, that reminded me of what God promises to do for us. The second part of Isiah 53:6 says, " and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all." Our tendency to go for what we think is greener grass gets us into a jam which Jesus will rescue us from! The promise found in Isaiah tells us that a Savior will free us from the fences we get stuck in. What a gift found in the person of Jesus Christ. May this story help you to renew your faith in Him. If you're stuck in a fence, call (baa) on His name. Then you'll be free to run around with His people and feed on His pasture.
These are the days my friend,
Jim "Train"

Rome, Italy

On Sunday we left Venice for Rome. We had an enjoyable 5 hour train through the Italian countryside to Rome. After exiting the train we made way to the Metro system to find our hotel. Rome only has two Metro lines and we found the stop we needed to get to our hotel. The Metro left us off at a busy Rome intersection and after asking some locals we made our way to the Waldorf B&H Hotel. Our room was very comfortable and the breakfast buffet they served was amazing with eggs, assorted rolls, cereal, ham, cheese, and drinks. The first night we ate at a local restaurant and had pizza and salad. It tasted so good on our taste buds.
On Monday, we basically toured Ancient Rome. Visits to the Colosseum, Palentine Hill, and the Roman Forum. It boggles the mind to think what life must have looked like 2,000 years ago by viewing these ancient ruins. You could almost see a Triumphal Procession by a conquering general marching down the Via Sacra.
On Tuesday we focused on the Vatican Museums and St. Peter's Cathedral. Afterwards we did the touristy thing of eating at the Rome Hard Rock Cafe. Later in the evening we walked the neighborhood where our hotel was located, browsing in shops and eateries. The fish market was unlike anything I've even seen. The shrimp were still moving in the buckets and we saw one of the workers slice up a huge swordfish. He had to use a hammer to get through its spine. We bought some pizza and roasted chicken at a market and ate in our hotel rooms.
Wednesday was consumed by our flight back. All flights were ahead of schedule and we were back in Bluffton by 9 pm. What an adventure! In the days ahead I'll be blogging about spiritual insights I gleaned along the way. In the meantime, I'm coping with jet lag and getting adjusted to being back home.
These are the days my friend,
Jim "Train"

Venice

We finally have an internet connection for about an hour while sitting in the lobby of our hotel in Rome. Our Venice experince was a great one. We're enjoying our vacation after our work project in France. On Friday we left Sondernach for Venice. The train ride through Switzerland was amazing. The snow covered mountains were a sight to see. The train snaked along mountains with numerous tunnels to go through. Unfortunately, when we got to Italy we learned there was a national transportation strike. The train stopped at the Swiss-Italian border where they unloaded us to a waiting bus. From there we spent 5 hours on a bus until the last train station outside of Venice. We then took a short train ride across the lagoon to Venice. Venice is built on top of water. No cars are allowed. This makes Venice unique. No cars. You either walk the narrow streets and alleys or take a boat to where you want to go. The building our fascinating and with so much water around it makes for a unique experience. Our main visits were made on Saturday to the Basillica and the Doge Palace. What a wonderful time! Doug Carr and Adam Wireman are with us and they are enjoying themselves too! The days are rapidly flying by. We home all are well at home. It's amazing the people you meet from all over the world. It is truly a global village. The people we run into have been very friendly and helpful with directions. Most speak English. Pat and I are blessed to have this time together.
These are the days my friend,
Jim "Train"

Our Last Work Day

Today the entire French- American team was together. The highlight was our lunch together. Patrick's wife, Danielle, made the meal for us. It was a great time of fellowship. We worked and accomplished much around the training center today. But it wasn't the work, it was the relationships strengthened between us that was the bigger work. Our time together gave us a glimpse of the passage in Revelation 5:9,10..."And they sang a new song: You are worthy to open the scroll and to open the seals, because you were slain, and with your body you purchased men for God from every tribe, and language and people and nation. You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God and they will reign upon the earth." Yes, we come from two different countries, but in Christ we are brought into one kingdom, the Kingdom of Christ. This is what we experience as we serve Him together. Only a glimpse now, but what a future lies ahead.
These are the days my friend,
Jim "Train"

Wednesday at Sondernach

We woke up to a cold morning with frost on the ground, but by midday the sun was shining bright with warm temperatures. Progress continued on our project. There was painting, pouring concrete, cleaning, and mudding to be done. The guys even dug an 5X4 area in the basement entry way to pour concrete tomorrow. In the meantime I finished reading my second book of the trip, "Ancient Future Faith" by Robert Webber. Robert Webber recently passed away. He was a professor at Northern Seminary. He contends that our times (future) are similar to the times of the early church (ancient) and we can learn much from how the early Christians lived their faith. I really liked the part where he explained creed (the basics of the faith), confessions (what makes denominations different from each other), and personal opinion (of course that's your opinion). Creeds are what everyone needs to believe as followers of Jesus. Confessions are what makes denominations different and we need to be careful not to put them on the same level as creeds. Of course personal opinion is just that and you really need to be humble with that. Now I picked up the book "Picturing the Gospel." Images that the Bible uses to explain the Christian faith. Well, it's almost time for supper so I'll say goodbye for now. Until tomorrow.
These are the days my friend,
Jim "Train"