Obedience

I have a pastor friend who tells the story of his five-year-old daughter riding her new “big wheel” tricycle on their driveway the day after Christmas.  He told her that she could ride the trike anywhere on the driveway all the way to the line that separated into a slope leading to the street but no further.  He was concerned that she would venture out into the danger of the street, so he wanted her well away from the slope.  The line was not to be messed with.  “If you cross it, you will get a spanking,” he warned her. 

Predictably, the girl (who, my friend says, was by very nature a “line pusher”) kept riding right up to the line and then looking back over her shoulder at her daddy to note his attentiveness.  He watched her intently as she kept trying to test the line.   Over and over she rode, circling and circling closer and closer to the limits of obedience.  Finally she stopped the big wheel and said emphatically and defiantly to her dad, “Well, I guess you had better start spanking because I’m gonna cross that line!” 

I love this story as a way to illustrate what is in the human heart.  The Bible teaches that our hearts are in open rebellion against God and that it is in our nature to say, “I’m gonna cross that line!” 

Our study this week is a lesson in obedience.  How often have we questioned God and wondered about His ways?  How often have we found it difficult to truly obey His will and subject ourselves to His word? And yet our lack of obedience is a sign of our lack of trust.  Just like a five year old who doesn’t understand the meaning of a parent’s hard line, we rebel against God because we see His ways as primitive or demanding.  And yet we know intuitively that a parent makes the rules because of love and sees that obedience is first and foremost an act of love and trust.  That is the deeper lesson of the text this week.     

2 Samuel 24:10-19:David was conscience-stricken after he had counted the fighting men, and he said to the Lord, “I have sinned greatly in what I have done. Now, Lord, I beg you, take away the guilt of your servant. I have done a very foolish thing.”
Before David got up the next morning, the word of the Lord had come to Gad the prophet, David’s seer: “Go and tell David, ‘This is what the Lord says: I am giving you three options. Choose one of them for me to carry out against you.’”
So Gad went to David and said to him, “Shall there come on you three years of famine in your land? Or three months of fleeing from your enemies while they pursue you? Or three days of plague in your land? Now then, think it over and decide how I should answer the one who sent me.”
David said to Gad, “I am in deep distress. Let us fall into the hands of the Lord, for his mercy is great; but do not let me fall into human hands.”
So the Lord sent a plague on Israel from that morning until the end of the time designated, and seventy thousand of the people from Dan to Beersheba died. When the angel stretched out his hand to destroy Jerusalem, the Lord relented concerning the disaster and said to the angel who was afflicting the people, “Enough! Withdraw your hand.” The angel of the Lord was then at the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.
When David saw the angel who was striking down the people, he said to the Lord, “I have sinned; I, the shepherd, have done wrong. These are but sheep. What have they done? Let your hand fall on me and my family.”
On that day Gad went to David and said to him, “Go up and build an altar to the Lord on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.” So David went up, as the Lord had commanded through Gad.

There and Back Again

By Kathleen Broadhurst

 Well, it has been over a month now since I have been home and I apologize that this is the first that you have heard anything from me in that time. Returning home after almost a year away is it’s own sort of adventure.

To those who have been waiting to see what happened next, I’m sorry for the delay, life has been rough and my landing bumpy. There is a lot of work to do once you return from a trip like ours, getting new jobs, finding a place to live, unpacking boxes, trying to find your rice-cooker, sneakers, favorite blanket, ect.

It seems like after a month things are starting to settle down, I’ve found work, doing some writing no less, so I’m starting to feel like I may actually be able to connect my experiences in the world to something at home.

We found a sweet little apartment that sits in between an old fashioned New England green and railroad tracks. Though the noise from the train is loud it helps me feel connected to the wider world. When it rushes by I can’t help but think about where it’s been and where it is going. It eases the feeling of claustrophobia that has been haunting me since my return.

Coming home is at once deeply satisfying and also sad. It has been a marvelous thing to see the faces of friends and family again, to recognize people on the street and to be greeted in old spaces. But it is hard not to think of those who I left behind in Melbourne, or those who are still traveling. The friends I made on the road are often in my mind and knowing how far away they all are is hard to come to terms with.

The silence that accompanied my return has also been a bit strange. I don’t know why, whether it’s because I’m in America, or because a year is a bit to long to really ask about or if people simply aren’t interested but surprisingly few people have wanted to hear about the trip.

Some days I wake up and wonder if it was all a dream. Its hard to believe, sitting here at my new kitchen table, listening to the cicadas outside that I have ridden on the rooftop of a bus climbing the Himalayas, or watched as mourners follows a funeral procession through the streets of Varanasi. The scents and smells of a Cambodian marketplace, all fish sauce and ice and cheap polyester, the way the sky looked from my apartment in Melbourne, seem like dreams as unreal as any I have at night.

This is the trip in travel. It’s a bit surreal.

Plans…. Where we go from here? It’s hard to say, we don’t yet know ourselves. At the moment we need rest, which is proving hard to come by with a busy summer social calendar, and money, which given the state of the American economy, is also a bit of a challenge. It looks like we intend to stay in one place for a while to attempt to invest ourselves in projects that will take a few years to really show their merit.

Some of those projects are related to travel, some are completely different. Stay tuned to this blog for updates. If you are just joining us now, please, feel free to start the story at the beginning.

I do know that despite my best intentions to love being home I’m already scanning the articles on travel websites and the perusing guidebooks in the local bookstore.

Somebody once said that their favorite place part of travel was imaging the next country and planning the next trip. I second that.

Because really, the trip never stops, the trip is life. The journey will continue. Travel on.

Repentance

The word “repent” means to “change directions.” I have always found that explanation of the word to be helpful. When I think of this word, I picture someone walking one direction and turning around and going the opposite direction. To repent means more than just stopping in your tracks, it means to set a new course. Another good picture is of someone making a u-turn in a car. As a guy who has always been directionally challenged, this explanation resonates with me.  God did not bless me with an internal compass like he has a lot of people, so I have spent a lot of time in my life looking at a map only to realize that I need to turn around and go the opposite way. 

There are a couple of things I’ve noticed about changing directions. One,something or someone needs to reveal that a change of course is needed. And two, one has to be humble enough to accept the fact that you are going the wrong way and be willing to make the change. 

I stress the word humble here, because it is never easy for me to admit to my wife that I’ve made a wrong turn or that I’m lost. It is hard for me to humble myself in this way. Even after all these years and both of us talking about and even laughing about me lacking a sense of direction, it’s still hard for me to admit! I’ve noticed this is a trait in a lot of men and a sore spot in a lot of marriages. Someone has said that the reason Moses wandered in the wilderness for 40 years is because he wasn’t willing to stop and ask directions. 

Several years ago, I got lost trying to find a new “short cut” driving from our home in Texas to my parents’ house in Oklahoma City. I was lost, but didn’t want to admit that I was lost. In the process of finding my way, I also lost track of my speed and got stopped by a “minister of reminder” (Texas Highway Patrol). While he was ticketing me for speeding, I asked him to settle an argument with my wife and me, and to tell her that I was on the right road and on the right track. He just laughed and said, “You are actually going the opposite direction from where you need to go if you want to go to Oklahoma City.” 

That is what it means to repent. It is authoritative information and humility. It means to learn definitively that you are going the opposite direction from where you need to go and to be humbled to the degree that you are willing to turn around and change course. The experience is a vivid illustration of the true meaning of this biblical concept. As we will see in our study of David this week, repentance is an essential aspect of the Christian life. 

2 Samuel 12:1-7

The Lord sent Nathan to David. When he came to him, he said, “There were two men in a certain town, one rich and the other poor. The rich man had a very large number of sheep and cattle, but the poor man had nothing except one little ewe lamb he had bought. He raised it, and it grew up with him and his children. It shared his food, drank from his cup and even slept in his arms. It was like a daughter to him.

“Now a traveler came to the rich man, but the rich man refrained from taking one of his own sheep or cattle to prepare a meal for the traveler who had come to him. Instead, he took the ewe lamb that belonged to the poor man and prepared it for the one who had come to him.”

David burned with anger against the man and said to Nathan, “As surely as the Lord lives, the man who did this must die! He must pay for that lamb four times over, because he did such a thing and had no pity.”

Then Nathan said to David, “You are the man! This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you from the hand of Saul.’”

Summary of Text: David is confronted in his sin.  

Memory Verse:  Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit (Psalm 51:10-12 ESV).

Monday:  Read the passage. How did Nathan confront David? In what ways do you think this confrontation was helpful to David? Why is it important to have people in your life speak truth? How does the word of God speak truth to you? 

Tuesday:  Read the passage. How was David impacted by the parable Nathan used? How did God use the story to change David’s heart?  

Wednesday:   Read the passage again. Memorize the memory verse. Read Psalm 51. What does this Psalm teach us about David’s ability to repent? Why is repentance so important? 

Thursday:  Read and memorize the memory verse. Read the passage. What kind of courage did it take for Nathan to confront David? Do you have this kind of courage? Where did Nathan get his sense of security and strength to make this confrontation?

Friday:  Read the passage again. Do you have a Nathan in your life? Do you have people in your life who tell you the truth? Ask God to lead you to greater accountability in your life. Ask Him to show you how you can be this for the people you love. 

Saturday:  Read the passage. Read Psalm 51 again. Write down any new thoughts you might have about these passages.       

Sunday:  Make today a day of rest and worship. Pray for the right attitude and an open heart and mind today. Come to church.

Glory

Glory is an overused word. People will say they are doing all kinds of things for “glory.” The result is that when most people hear the word these days, they think of everything from athletic fields to post cards, but likely don’t think of its most important meaning. It literally means “weight” in Hebrew (kabod) and has a connotation that is extraordinarily important to our understanding of the Gospel and our spiritual lives. 

When the Bible speaks of God’s glory, it is telling us that nothing in this life should carry more weight. His joy and presence in our lives should be more substantive and should matter more than anything else. Our search for glory is, in essence, our search for meaning and purpose. The greatest fear people have in life is not the fear of death or pain, but the fear that their lives won’t matter and is a result of the way God has created us. The result is that we search for those things that give our life meaning. If we try to find meaning in anything other than God, then we are seeking our own glory and not His. This is the essence of our sin, and the Bible teaches that it is the biggest struggle we have. 

Our Bible study this week, found in 1 and 2 Samuel, is a graphic example of man’s struggle with an understanding of the glory of God. In this story, the Ark of the Lord was a physical manifestation and representation of God’s glory. It was not a religious artifact as much as it was a transcendent embodiment of His presence. As such, it was both spectacular and unbelievably dangerous. The same can be said of our search for His glory. It is the most important pursuit in our lives, and its destructive power in us is impossible to comprehend.  

1 Samuel 5:1; 2 Samuel 6:1-15

After the Philistines had captured the Ark of God, they took it from Ebenezer to Ashdod. Then they carried the Ark into Dagon’s temple and set it beside Dagon. When the people of Ashdod rose early the next day, there was Dagon, fallen on his face on the ground before the Ark of the Lord! They took Dagon and put him back in his place. But the following morning when they rose, there was Dagon, fallen on his face on the ground before the Ark of the Lord! His head and hands had been broken off and were lying on the threshold; only his body remained. That is why to this day neither the priests of Dagon nor any others who enter Dagon’s temple at Ashdod step on the threshold.

David again brought together all the able young men of Israel—thirty thousand. He and all his men went to Baalah in Judah to bring up from there the Ark of God, which is called by the Name, the name of the Lord Almighty, who is enthroned between the cherubim on the Ark. They set the Ark of God on a new cart and brought it from the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill. Uzzah and Ahio, sons of Abinadab, were guiding the new cart with the Ark of God on it, and Ahio was walking in front of it. David and all Israel were celebrating with all their might before the Lord, with castanets, harps, lyres, timbrels, sistrums and cymbals.

When they came to the threshing floor of Nakon, Uzzah reached out and took hold of the Ark of God, because the oxen stumbled. The Lord’s anger burned against Uzzah because of his irreverent act; therefore God struck him down, and he died there beside the Ark of God.

Then David was angry because the Lord’s wrath had broken out against Uzzah, and to this day that place is called Perez Uzzah.

David was afraid of the Lord that day and said, “How can the Ark of the Lord ever come to me?” He was not willing to take the Ark of the Lord to be with him in the City of David. Instead, he took it to the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite. The Ark of the Lord remained in the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite for three months, and the Lord blessed him and his entire household. Now King David was told, “The Lord has blessed the household of Obed-Edom and everything he has, because of the Ark of God.” So David went to bring up the Ark of God from the house of Obed-Edom to the City of David with rejoicing. When those who were carrying the Ark of the Lord had taken six steps, he sacrificed a bull and a fattened calf. Wearing a linen ephod, David was dancing before the Lord with all his might, while he and all Israel were bringing up the Ark of the Lord with shouts and the sound of trumpets.

Summary of Text: David brings the Ark of the Lord back to Israel.

Memory Verse: "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth" (John 1:14).

Monday:  Read the passage.  If the ark of the Lord represents the glory of God, what does this tell us about His glory? How is it powerful? How is it dangerous? Why do people long for God’s glory? 

Tuesday:  Read the passage. In what ways is the ark a problem? How is it true that God’s glory is both essential to us and dangerous for us? How do people try to find glory in the wrong ways today? How does our search for His glory often lead us to religious works? In what ways do religious works destroy us?

Wednesday:   Read the passage again. Memorize the memory verse. How does David get it right by his celebration of the coming of the ark? In what ways do we find life and purpose and joy by celebrating His glory?

Thursday:  Read and memorize the memory verse. In what ways do we behold the glory of God in what we find in Christ? How does Christ lead us to His glory? The ark of the Lord is an illustration to us of the chasm between God and man. In the temple there had to be a sacrifice in order to come into His presence. In what ways does this point us to the truth that only Christ’s sacrifice brings us to His glory?

Friday:  Read the passage again. How does the ark of the Lord point us to Jesus? How is His glory satisfied in Christ’s work?

Saturday:  Read the passage. Read Exodus 33:19-21. How does this passage relate to the one we’ve studied this week?     

Sunday:  Make today a day of rest and worship. Pray for the right attitude and an open heart and mind today.  Come to church.

Christian Friendship

I remember years ago when I played high school football our team was watching films after a hard fought battle against a rival school.  Our team was always graded on film after each game and it was in this film grade that I got to see in retrospect a play I had completely missed.  The game was very aggressive and there were a lot of  “cheap shots”.  Especially from the other team!  (Of course that’s the way I remember it).  There was one particular play in the game in which I was waylaid after a play was over.  A guy hit me from blindside right in the ear hole and knocked me out cold.  All I remember was loud bells ringing and little birdies flying around my head when the play was over.  The result of the play was that about half our bench emptied and theirs to.  But of course I missed all that because I was on another planet at the time. 

But when the film was played back I got an insight.  Immediately after I was hit there was one player on our team who stepped in to get justice (notice how I don’t call it vengeance).  He happened to be my best friend, and in his attempt to hit the guy who hit me, he was blindsided to!  Our team had a big laugh playing that sequence of events over and over again at the films.  It really was quite funny watching me get laid out, and then my best friend right behind me.  Everyone was laughing in the film room but I sat there thinking about this verse:

6 Faithful are the wounds of a friend but
profuse are the kisses of an enemy.  (Proverbs 17:6)

It wasn’t so much the “kiss” from the enemy that affected me; it was the moving experience of seeing on film in front of my whole football team that I had a friend in the world who “had my back”.  I know it sounds somewhat simplistic and maybe a little profane, but the violent aftermath of that one play captured on reel to reel actually was very moving to me.  I’ve thought about that event many times when reflecting on the blessings of friendship. 

In our Bible study this week we see some examples of the attributes of Christian friendship in the relationship between David and Jonathan.   We see that this kind of friendship embodies the teaching of Jesus to “do unto others as you would have them do unto you…”  (Matthew 7:12).  Jesus concluded this teaching by saying that this way of living actually “fulfills the law”.  That can only mean that this is the way Jesus demonstrated His own love for us and that the work of Christ on the cross was the ultimate expression of this teaching.  As you read through the passage this week, look for expressions of the gospel in the friendship between David and Jonathan. 

This weeks Scripture:  1 Samuel 18:1-4; 19:1-7; 20:12-17

18:1 As soon as he had finished speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan (A)loved him as his own soul. 2 And Saul took him that day (B)and would not let him return to his father's house. 3 Then Jonathan made a covenant with David, because (C)he loved him as his own soul. 4 And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was on him and gave it to David, and his armor, and even his sword and his bow and his belt.  (1 Samuel 18:1-4)

19:1 And Saul spoke to Jonathan his son and to all his servants, that they should kill David. (A)But Jonathan, Saul's son, delighted much in David. 2 And Jonathan told David, “Saul my father seeks to kill you. Therefore be on your guard in the morning. Stay in a secret place and hide yourself. 3 And I will go out and stand beside my father in the field where you are, and I will speak to my father about you. And if I learn anything I will tell you.” 4 And Jonathan spoke well of David to Saul his father and said to him, “Let not the king (B)sin against his servant David, because he has not sinned against you, and because his deeds have brought good to you. 5 For (C)he took his life in his hand (D)and he struck down the Philistine, (E)and the Lord worked a great salvation for all Israel. You saw it, and rejoiced. Why then will you sin against (F)innocent blood by killing David without cause?” 6 And Saul listened to the voice of Jonathan. Saul swore, (G)“As the Lord lives, he shall not be put to death.” 7 And Jonathan called David, and Jonathan reported to him all these things. And Jonathan brought David to Saul, and he was in his presence (H)as before.  (1 Samuel 19:1-7)

20:12 And Jonathan said to David, “The Lord, the God of Israel, be witness![a] When I have sounded out my father, about this time tomorrow, or the third day, behold, if he is well disposed toward David, shall I not then send and disclose it to you? 13 But should it please my father to do you harm, (N)the Lord do so to Jonathan and more also if I do not disclose it to you and send you away, that you may go in safety. (O)May the Lord be with you, as he has been with my father. 14 If I am still alive, show me the steadfast love of the Lord, that I may not die; 15 (P)and do not cut off[b] your steadfast love from my house forever, when the Lord cuts off every one of the enemies of David from the face of the earth.” 16 And Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, (Q)“May[c]the Lord take vengeance on David's enemies.” 17 And Jonathan made David swear again by his love for him, (R)for he loved him as he loved his own soul.  (1 Samuel 20:12-17)

Summary of Text: Jonathan and David are drawn together as brothers.

Memory Verse: 6 Faithful are the wounds of a friend;
profuse are the kisses of an enemy.  (Proverbs 17:6)

Monday:  Read the passage.  How does this passage point us to true biblical friendship?  Why is important to have good Christian friends?

Tuesday:  Read the passage. How did Jonathan’s friendship with David protect David?  How do our Christian friendships provide protection for us?  Are you the kind of friend who look after the good in others?  Does your friendship protect?  Why or why not?

Wednesday:   Read the passage again.  Memorize the memory verse.  In what ways are the wounds of a friend beneficial?  How was Jonathan wounded by his friendship with David?  Friendship always involves risk. Why is it worth it?

Thursday:  Read and memorize the memory verse.  In order to have friends we have to be good friends.  Are you a good friend?  Why or why not?

Friday:  Read the passage again.  What qualities of friendship do you see in this story?  What does it mean to love others the way you want to be loved?  How does Christ demonstrate that quality to us?

Saturday:  Read the passage.  How can we find this kind love for others?  How does walking in His spirit help us with this?   What is it like to have friends like this?      

Sunday:  Make today a day of rest and worship.  Pray for the right attitude and an open heart and mind today.  Come to church.  

Bumpy Landing

My return was all set up to be a lovely festive re-entry into American life. We had tickets booked for a concert in upstate NY and a hotel for afterwards. Friends were meeting us at the show and it looked like it was shaping up to be the best coming home party yet.

My plane, with its half dead air reeking of babies and farts and cheap perfume, arrived a hour late. Our bags sauntered in at their leisure, making us twiddle our thumbs and gripe in baggage claim. By the time I walked through customs it was not the 4 o’clock I had been figuring on but closer to 6 pm. It’s all right we thought, we still have time.

So we hit the road and were delighting in each other’s company so much so that we somehow ended up not on 87 N but on 90W when we started seeing signs for Syracuse I began to wonder. We pulled over and looked at the map, yup we were going to have to back track. No worries, we’ll catch the second set.

We finally got to the hotel, threw my bags in the room and acquired directions from the front desk. Driving through dark winding NY country roads were everything looks the same we though, well, we still have an hour of the show, we’ll see some of it.

We arrived at the gate, panting holding out our tickets in triumph. Those eager to beat the traffic were already moving to their cars but the band was still going strong. We wouldn’t have much time, but it would still be worth it.

“ Your tickets have already been used.” The woman told us and we stared back at her.
 “That’s not possible, we just got here we drove all the way form New York.” I explained.
“ I’ll try them again. No, already been used. We can’t help you, can’t let you in.”
“ But I just flew here all the way from Bangkok!” I cried.
“ That’s a nice yarn.” The other ticket taker told me with a smile that said “get lost”
“ It’s true.” I wasn’t happy, not only were they not letting us in, they were calling a very jet lagged me a liar. Where was my passport when I needed it?

“ I have my ID and the credit card I bought the tickets with, here look, its even got my name on the receipt.” Fiz told them desperate to get us into the show. We did buy the tickets, a last indulgent luxury before I realize just how broke we were.

“ Sorry we could lose our jobs if we let you in.” Right, sure.

Welcome back to America,  one of my fears at least has been a reality. Australians have ruined me for friendliness, with their open smiles and laid-back attitudes. I now have a distorted impression of American hospitality.

My first impressions of home have been mixed. It has good to see my husband and family, but it all feels very surreal, like home is just another destination, one I have already seen. I haven’t had the chance to find my grove yet and we have a very nomadic summer planned. I don’t expect I’ll truly start to feel at home until fall, but that seems like a long time to be uncomfortable. 11 months is a long time to be away.

I’m getting ready now for another short trip. We are headed out to Ohio  this coming weekend. Honestly it will be a relief to be on the road for a bit. If only to put distance between me and this feeling of displacement.

Layover

I’m sitting in Jordan’s Queen Alia Airport which is half under reconstruction, in some strange place that is between being super slick and powerful and being a dodgy airport where they leave the door to the smoking room open and the janitors sit around and sing.

It’s like a metaphor for the Middle East, or at least my understanding of it. I’ve only ever transited through the ME which, considering my degree focused heavily on the politics and history of this region, is a bit ironic.

I’m waiting to board the final flight for home and it’s a mixed emotion I’m wrestling with now. There is of course the extreme excitement of returning and seeing my husband and family and friends again. There is the anticipation of really really good food, because lets face it, few countries do food like America.

But there is also a touch of wistfulness, I have no future international travel plans. This ritual of layovers and sleeping in awkward positions that has become second nature to me this year is coming to a close. Of all the aspects of travel, I like the travel itself the most, the being neither here no there the going somewhere part, the motion, the movement. I love airports. I’ve always thought that they are proof that humanity can exist peacefully together if they wanted to.

There is a touch of worry too. It hit me, only a few days ago that I’ll be going not just back home, but back to America. I don’t know if you noticed, but America has got some issues. Issues that I have, for the last 11 months been pretty happy to avoid. Especially the economic ones. Coming from Australia where right now things are rocking and rolling it will be an abrupt transition.

Then of course, there are Americans. I haven’t seen all that many of them in the last year, we don’t get out much as a collective culture. Compared to have many people from European countries travel, or Australians, Americans either can’t travel or don’t have much interest or both. So soon I will find myself surround fully by a culture which I have been apart from for some time. I hear reverse culture shock is a thing and I wonder if it will happen to me. I suppose I should expect it.

Then there is the great question of what next? Travel and especially this trip have taken a huge amount of energy to pull off and suddenly there will be a vacuum where once travel preparation/planning/doing have been. I spent a good deal of time in Melbourne coming up with a ‘landing plan’ and I’m hoping that will help ease the transition.

Its exciting too, to see what can come next, what I can pour all this energy into.

Spending the last few days talking with ex-pats in Bangkok has been interesting. For one, we all are pretty tired and we all have changed since the last we met. The trouble with travel is that it looks good from the outside. It looks if nothing else, somewhat impressive. The reality is more of a mixed bag, especially if you are busy living which after a year you have to do. I’ve tried to be honest in this blog about the up and downs that travel brings and not paint a picture to rosy when things have been grey but the fact of the matter is, unless somebody has been there, they just don’t know what it’s like.

All these thoughts, these hopes and dreams and worries and doubts float around in my mind. I can only hope that the transition is smooth.