Well, after spending the past two weeks in the Middle East in Muslim, Christian, and Jewish communities we have had many different experiences. We drank tea with polite Muslim men in carpet shops all over Istanbul. We spent a week with Jewish guides. We spent time in Palestinian areas moving among with both Muslims and Arab Christians. We had some amazing conversations that I am still pondering upon.

Two kinds of memories come to mind to characterize my experience. In the first one, I was trying to eat a peach walking through a market and I had one arm in a sling. The peach juice was dripping off my chin and a waiter in a nearby restaurant grabbed some napkins and ran to the place in the road where I was headed to put them in my hands. How thoughtful! Amazingly tuned in to my needs. What an example of grace and hospitality!

On the other hand, I had young men in Istanbul talk dirty to my wife repeatedly whenever I was not standing at her side. Gangs of young boys would come and mock us and hit us with their palms laughing. Twice we had the experience of little boys with toy machine guns sitting on balconies pretending to shoot us. Their young minds are being programmed to hate and to kill. It concerned me because I saw so much of it. The older generation has a deep sincere politeness and respect for others. These young boys, however, seem to have a much different mindset. What they will be capable of in the future is troubling to consider.

OK, we finally made it to the holy land courtesy of United Christian Broadcasters on whose international board I sit. We held our board meeting and got acquainted with life in the middle east in the process, visiting historical sites and modern Jewish developments hosted by Jewish guides, then visited restricted Palestinian areas hosted by Palestinians to get their perspective. Then Sherry and I went to Istanbul for the Muslim point of view and were able to enter the Blue Mosque and spend some time with some interesting Muslim people for a couple of days. There are beautiful people everywhere and if you will just listen to them they have something to say that you need to listen to and learn. To see more photos click here.

We have done quite a bit of work behind the scenes updating our podcast feed so you can listen to my sermons from Lighthouse Church in Manila where we served as Sr. Pastor for 15 years. These messages are geared to touch real life needs and to show you how God’s word can provide you the wisdom you need to deal with life successfully.

Just click the link in the right hand column to visit the podcast site.

OK, that’s my broken collarbone, actually, not broken, but separated from the joint where it’s supposed to be (that’s the little circle on top of my shoulder to the left side). I did it, believe it or not, teaching my kids how to safely ride a 250 CC motocross trail bike up a steep hill. Did fine the first two times, then got confident and busted it at 90% up the hill when the tires got into a deeply eroded rut on the hill. Ugh! Pray for my recovery. The doctor said just to live with the bone out of joint as the surgery might create arthritis later and the need for another surgery.

It is slowing me down, but i will be back, just a bit more subdued for a while. You gotta live before you die. :-)

I have never met an excellent family that got that way accidently.  Sometimes I hear someone say how “lucky” someone is to have the husband or orderly children that they have.  There’s no luck to it.  Strong marriages come to those who want it and order their lives around it.  You sacrifice time, energy and money. You cut out TV and busyness.  You make daily choices to die to yourself and put each other first.  YOu hold your tongue.  You work through your emotions and choose to live in grace and forgiveness.  You control your words so that you only speak what is edifying.  You rebuke yourself for whining or complaining and determine each day to be a positive, engaged person adding value to your family.  That’s how it happens.  Everyone can have a strong marriage if they will pay the price.

Thanks to all of you who have joined since we visited South Africa and Jamaica.  It will be so great to stay connected this way.  We are interested in what is happening in your journey as well as sharing what’s going on in our lives.  Once a month I will send out a family news e-letter.  If you are interested please sign up in the box in the left hand corner.  

Thanks!

CQ

We are now en route from Cape Town to Atlanta (in London, Heathrow at the moment). We have spent the past week teaching Internet media and personal spiritual formation at Media Village, my alma mater. This is an amazing school with a fresh approach. Just 12 weeks of training and students are making their own videos at an amazingly advanced level. Some even go into the industry and outpace some who have graduated from four year degree pograms in communication. It is an intense, immersion style of learning, one I truly believe in.

Cape Town may well be the most beautiful spot on the planet, an awe inspiring mix of mountains, plain and sea. Sweet people too. Much diversity. Anyone searching for a place to receive media training need look no further than MediaVillage.info. Graham and Diane Vermooten are true professionals with a pastoral heart. It has been a joy to work with them.

Thanks to all of you who have joined the Quinley Tribe social network recently.  We hope this site will help us interact with you and help you know how to pray for us.  We also hope that you will enter blog entries, pics, and videos so we can know your world too.  You might also make an amazing friend on the site.  We know so many incredibly amazing and gifted people and we would love to be the connection that helps you all get to know each other as well.  We love our friends!

Well, only a day from our departure from sunny Jamaica Sherry tripped going down a small set of stairs (really small…like two steps).  Splatted face first on the tile floor and had a “blunt force trauma” to her nose and broke her big toe.  Crutches for a month and a cast.

We are to leave for South Africa in about four days so this will make travel to there…interesting.

Tomorrow I will officiate the wedding of my firstborn, Andrew, about 50 meters from the very spot where on the same college campus I first met Sherry.  It is wonderful how God has designed life to reproduce itself.  We do not survive, but life does.  It just keeps bursting forth. 

This past week I was doing some yard work and had to keep cutting down little hickory trees that just keep sprouting up everywhere, even in cracks in the concrete.  The earth is energized by the first breath of God and his command to live, be fruitful and multiply.

I praise you, Father, for the gift of life and for Zoe, real life, that comes into us through the quickening power of your Holy Spirit at the new birth!  And thank you Father, for allowing me to see the day when my children also begin to marry and have children of their own.  Celebrate with us friends!