Last weekend, the world learned that the United States bombed Iran’s three nuclear sites that were involved in upgrading uranium to possibly make a nuclear bomb. For most of my life, the United States and Iran have been in conflict. When I was in engineering school, there were Iranian engineering …
Diet Coke
My wife and I enjoy traveling internationally. We have a global wall map upstairs and have placed push pins on the locations where we have visited. The map is covered with push pins, and we add new locations each year. One ritual that we have shared during our travels is a Diet Coke break. Diet Coke …
Pentecost
This past Sunday was the day of Pentecost and the start of Ordinary Time, the last period in the Christian calendar. Pentecost is recorded in Acts 2:1–41. Jesus’ disciples were told to stay in Jerusalem “until you have been clothed with power from on high.” (Luke 24:49) Jews were celebrating the …
Cross and Sword
During the second half of May, I traveled to Portugal with my family for a two-week vacation. We flew to Lisbon and toured the city for four days. For two of the days, we employed a local guide who first gave us an in-depth tour of Lisbon and later took us to the region around Setubal, a lovely city …
Caravaggio
My first trip to Italy was during the spring of 1995. I was living in London as an ex-pat and my children were on Spring Break. We booked a hotel in Florence and flew there for five days. I planned to visit the top museums, walk the ancient streets, and visit the outdoor markets. My daughter was in …
The Audacity of Hope
My wife and I returned from two-year European expatriate assignment and we looked forward to conveniently driving to my parent’s home on Christmas Day to see family rather than flying international. My siblings and their spouses previously agreed to draw names for gifts, and to limiting gifts to a …
Blockage
My physical strength and endurance is slowly waning as I age. My easy running pace gradually slowed from 7 minutes per mile during my prime to currently around 9 minutes. The pace feels the same, yet the times are noticeably slower. During the first quarter of this year, my running has been poor. My …
Mrs. Simon
This past week, I hosted in my home three high school friends for a day. We are approaching our 50th high school graduation anniversary and it was fun reminiscing. We are growing older and now discuss our various ailments, doctor visits, and surgeries. We don’t move as fast as we did in high school …
Ordo Amoris
For the last couple of years, I have been reading Saint Augustine’s City of God (Concerning the City of God against the Pagans, translated by Henry Bettenson, Penguin Books, 1972). The reason it is taking me so long to finish his book is that Augustin’s book is 1091 pages of theological writings. I …
O Canada
When I was in elementary school, my parents took us to visit relatives in Illinois and Pennsylvania. After visiting family, we drove north to Buffalo and visited Niagara Falls, then crossed the Canadian border and visited historical forts and parks. It was my first time in another country. There was …