Bit Twenty-Four

So, it's been over a month since I wrote my last blog. Perhaps this would be a good time to mention what an awful procrastinator I am. Things have definitely gotten pretty busy around here. I watched a couple of weeks go by, then a couple more, and now I guess I'll have to summarize the whole last month in one blog! Here's what has been happening recently:

1. Haddad, Zahrah, & Kedar invited Josh and me over to their apartment for Fotoor, the evening meal to break the Ramadan fast each day. Another Iraqi family was able to join us as well, and Zahrah made an incredible feast. We had several Iraqi dishes, including soup, rice, bread, dates, and of course Sunny D! Then, we sat back and enjoyed some sweet Iraqi tea (Shai). Next, we had some ice cream, followed by chips, popcorn, and bubble gum (because we really needed some snacks...)! It was such a blast talking with our new friends and learning some things about Iraqi traditions and adjusting to life in America. The highlight was when one of the men began to speak about what he knew of the Prophet Isa (Jesus) and began explaining, to me, the similarities between Islam and Christianity!



2. After several weeks of intense preparation, I flew out to California for our Adventist Muslim Relations Summit West at La Sierra University. The event consisted of two days of guest speakers addressing the similarites that we have with Muslims, and how we can use that common ground to develop relationships of love and peace. Mark Siljander, a former Congressman, and Jon Paulien, the Dean of Religion at LLU, presented some very interesting information on Friday. And we spent Saturday listening to several people share how they have encountered Islam in America. (Each session was recorded, so if you are interested, I can send you a link to watch them online.)



3. Immediately after the Summit, I flew back to Atlanta and met up with my parents. We all drove to Augusta to support Josh as he competed in his first Half-Ironman! We spent the whole day enjoying ourselves on the sidelines while Josh and 2,999 other people wore themselves out on a 1.2 mile swim, a 56 mile bike ride, and a 13.1 mile run! (Josh finished in 5 hours, 42 minutes!) From there, the four of us went to Savannah for a couple of days to relax and enjoy the beauty of the South!
   



4. The first weekend of October was our AMR Family Retreat. AMFA Atlanta and AMFA Chattanooga met for a weekend of prayer and fellowship in a small town near Adairsville. We had a lot of fun getting better acquainted with old and new team members. (It's always an interesting experience when you have almost the same amount of kids as you do adults...)

Currently, I am sitting on the couch, enjoying the fact that I will not be going ANYWHERE this weekend. I was able to see some friends this week while celebrating my birthday in Chattanooga, and I thoroughly enjoyed being around some familiar faces, but I am in need of some quiet solitary time for me and my God. The sun is setting, and Sabbath awaits!