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: 
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!
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.)
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!
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!
Ramadan (رمضان)
ram-uh-dahnAlso written Ramazan, Ramadhan, Ramadaan
This will be my first year attempting to observe Ramadan. It’s also the first year I have heard of it. Therefore, I have been doing a little bit of research recently on the origins and meaning of this month-long holiday.
The month of Ramadan has been around since before Islam appeared on the Arabian Penninsula. It is the 9th month on the Arabic lunar calendar and is believed to be the month in which the prophet Mohammed received the Qur’an. During this month, Muslims around the world practice fasting, prayer, and self-sacrifice as a way to cleanse themselves physically, mentally, and spiritually.
The Qur’an encourages those who are able to abstain from food, drink, smoking, and sex from sunrise to sunset for the 30 or 31 days of Ramadan. If you look deeper into the purpose of this time of fasting, it could also be interpreted as a month to reject evil. Therefore one might refrain from such things as cursing, fighting, arguing, and other negative behaviors. The Qur’an makes it clear that this is not a time when God wishes to place a burden on His followers. This is an opportunity to exercise self-control and patience by restraining one’s self from the natural desires of the flesh, and it also helps one to understand what life is like for those who do not have these comforts.
Along with fasting, more emphasis is placed on prayer and service to the needy during this time. Therefore, Ramadan is a month to sacrifice one’s personal wants and desires in order to sympathize with those less fortunate, serve the community, and ultimately draw closer in communion with our Creator and Sustainer, God. After all, true worship is serving others.
As I examined the purpose of Ramadan, I noticed that this is something I can appreciate as well. Jesus also encouraged His followers to fast, pray, and serve those less fortunate. In his letters, Paul wrote of the tremendous challenge we have in denying the selfish desires of the flesh. Therefore, intentionally choosing to serve God rather than ourselves brings us closer to a life of submission to God. If this is a month of physical, mental, and spiritual cleansing for our Muslim neighbors, why don’t we make it a time to fast from something that keeps us from better communion with God?
During these 30-31 days of Ramadan, about 1.6 billion people around the world are earnestly seeking a closer, more devoted relationship with their Creator. Nearly 2 million of them are in the United States. If these Muslims are seeking a deeper connection with Allah, what better time would there be for us to lift them up in prayer that God might encounter them in a deeper and more personal way than they have even imagined? Perhaps God might choose this month to reveal Himself to those who are seeking him.
Sources:
www.wikipedia.com
www.holidays.net
www.factbook.net
