My Summer Reading

 This is a book about a different way of looking at the Second Coming.  It is a hopeful book in that it is not scary, but instead encouraging, at least for me.  It posits that the earth and heaven will be reunited and resurrected, kind of like the Garden of Eden before the fall.  Meaning that all that is good will be redeemed, while all that is bad will pass away.  Wright is not the only one to think this way.  Randy Alcorn also did in his book, "Heaven."


I have read other Ortberg books, but I loved this one.  Like Dinesh D'Souza's story about how America changed the world, this is about how Jesus changed the world and how we all benefit from it, even if we don't believe in Him.  It is thought-provoking, and his writing style is smooth and funny.  He is pastor of Menlo Park church in CA.




  This book is about how to develop your relationship with God through Jesus Christ.  He provides examples of how to do this through scripture reading and prayer.  I know you and I have probably read tons of these types of books, but this was most helpful to me.  He has written many books and and has spoken at my church, Church of the Open Door.

Olympics

I watched the Olympics when it started and last week when my parents had company, my mom was recovering from her knee surgery, and I had last Tuesday night off of volunteering to watch the USA win the women's gymnastics team finals (GO FINAL 5!) 

What I realized that I was missing and that I really didn't miss, was politics.  And no terrorists attacks, as far as I know.  I didn't worry about who to vote for, or about terrorists committing another atrocity.  Instead I cheered for athletes.  I cheered when they won, I cried when they cried.  I felt like a part of something bigger.  I felt united with the world, which I had not felt for a long time.

Is this the secret?  Giving politicians and terrorists a game to play, instead of a battle to fight?  I saw images of sportsmanship, like when the 2 female runners fell and helped each other up, losing any chance at a medal.  I saw people cry as their anthems played, hug and congratulate each other.  I saw people celebrating with others around the world at the opening ceremony. I saw the refugee team, and cried.  

The Olympics gives us a chance to see that we are not enemies.  We are human, a part of the great race, made in the image of God.  Too often we don't reflect His glory.  But for these 2 short weeks, every other year, we can see the best of humanity.  We can see that we are not so different.  Most of us just want to live our lives, love our families, and be at peace.  That doesn't seem like much to ask for, but it becomes impossible to gain.  I suppose that after all we are human. It is easier to fight and hate than it is to love and be at peace.

I wish it was easier to love and be at peace.

Vieux Lyon

Old Lyon is the largest Renaissance district in Lyon.  Along with its many other artistic and architectural treasures, are the traboules (corridors, top) and the courtyards (bottom).  They date from the 4th century, and the French used them to to escape from the enemy during the French Revolution and WWII.  

They were originally used to transport silk from the factories to the silk merchants without the merchandise getting damaged from inclement weather.  The villagers used these passageways to get water from the river.

Finally, Lyon is an UNESCO World Heritage Site.  There is much more to see and do here that the one day we had was not enough.  I especially think it would be cool to be here during the Festival of Lights from December 6 to 9, every year.  It started as a thanks to Saint Mary for saving the city from the plague in the 17th century.  Every year the buildings are lit up.  Mere words cannot seem to describe it: http://www.fetedeslumieres.lyon.fr/en.

Lyon

famous Lyon writers

famous Lyon gastronomy

Lyon was the last city we visited on our Vikings river cruise.  It sits at the confluence of the Rhone and Saone rivers in France.  It was the biggest city we visited, the second largest after Paris.  And the only one with a Starbucks!  But no delicious desserts like in Paris.  And the bathroom was on the second floor.  My mom and I trudged up some narrow stairs to only reach the top and find that it had a lock combination!  So we trudged down and back up again, my mom's knees killing her and me out of breath.  And to find no toilet paper or soap!  Fortuitously, my mom had wet wipes so we were saved.

Basilica de Notre Dame de Fourvie

The three pictures are painted walls.  There are many in this city, and they are like murals that cover the whole building.  They actually look real, and are well done.

The church was built in thanks to Saint Mary for the eradication of the plague and in prevention of an invasion by the Prussians in the Franco-Prussian War.  

Vienne and wine tasting

Roman theater

temple of Augustus and Livia

cathedral of St.  Maurice

chapel of Notre-Dame de Pipet

At the Chateau de Piereeclos near Macon, we did a wine tasting. I was not too impressed as I have done other tastings and they tasted much better and had food with it.  This wine tasted like cough syrup, the old kind we had to take when we were kids before they sweetened it.  The only one I liked was at the end, a very sweet cordial.  The highlight of the trip was the farm dog that burst into our tasting.  She was very friendly and just wanted some loving!  It probably didn't help that I was starting to get sick, and starting to get my period.  Ah, mamma mia!

Viviers and Tournon

Viviers coat of arms.

Viviers plane trees.

Both these medieval towns are part of the Ardeche region, between Lyon and Avignon on the Rhone River.  I don't remember much about them, except that the plane trees are everywhere, not just in Viviers.  In Viviers we saw an elderly man feeding three cats. They sat in front of his door waiting.  Then he came out

Tournon war memorial.

Tournon on Rhone River.

with food for them.  I don't know if they were stray cats or not, but that was what I was interested in.  There is so much history and so many medieval towns like this everywhere in France.  I suppose they were built along the rivers, like our towns were built.  Maybe if I had written all this stuff down I could have remembered.  Not even wikipedia has much info about them.  Oh, well.  They were still pretty and quaint little towns to visit.  But I wouldn't want to live there, so far away from any big city.  Yikes.   

Avignon

 These pictures do not do it justice, but Avignon is known for the palace of the Popes.  From what I understand, during the 1300s, the pope at the Vatican was French, and he wanted to move the head of the papacy to his home country, especially as  the Roman Empire was crumbling by this time.  So for about a century,  

 the papacy was in Avignon.  Here they built a huge palace for the Pope, to rival the Vatican.  There was even a wall around the city, of which still is present today.  But the people wanted the Roman pope to be in Rome, so he moved back, and this palace is now a museum.  The town is 

somewhat now preserved as a medieval city, with some modern shops and restaurants.  Here my mom and I found the best biscuits, so we were happy to finally do some shopping, as in the day before in Arles, the shops and restaurants were closed.  I have no idea why.  They just seem to close up shop whenever they feel like it, and rue the poor tourist who is hungry!