His Cherry Blossom

I have heard many stories of the days before my time. I have seen many pictures of the way things used to be, but this weekend we are going to a big name music concert that smashes to smithereens any remnant of what that previous era stood for! Sometimes, I forget when I talk to the young women here that just one generation ago their mothers were completely hidden from view. Even to this day, many of the older generation still walk around completely covered head to toe. Meanwhile, their daughters are going with me to a famous rock band in their city!  This tension of the worlds that I live in causes some interesting results. On one hand, I go and teach piano to local women in their homes. I teach in English and I draw on my Western heritage and experience to tutor them in the basics of piano and music theory. This highlights where I'm from originally and the desire for these women to learn a new skill previously not allowed here. Learning music enables personal creative expression ...

"I didn't want my parents to see me taking my guitar out of the house" or "I can't sing at home because my family will hear" are common phrases I hear when I talk with my friends here. Learning to play an instrument or sing is often more complicated than just making the decision to take classes. Many layers lie underneath the idea of music here. One common thought is that music of any kind is a distraction from God. Therefore, if someone wants to be a devout follower of God they would not be involved with such frivolous activity. Another, often shared sentiment is that a woman should be seen and not heard. So even conversation, laughter or any noise she may make should be soft and subtle. You can imagine that with that mentality a "proper woman" would never consider the idea of singing and learning to project her voice. The mere idea is scandalous and seen by some as exposing a woman's nakedness.  With all that in the back of my mind, I was so ...

As the sun rises across the Arabian Peninsula today, the people of these nations enter fasting mode. They will not allow food or water to touch their lips. In fact, they will not allow anything at all to enter their mouths during the daylight hours, including gum, toothpaste, mouthwash, smoking or anything of the sort. The only thing they are allowed to chew on is a stick from a certain tree known for its resin flavor. They will continue throughout the day attempting work and study, sleeping and abstaining from anything considered a distraction from the holy including listening to music, physical intimacy, and any sort of entertainment. Instead they are to read through their holy book and pray more frequently.  Why do all this? Because they are following in the footsteps of their leader and believe God requires every devout believer to observe this type of fast for an entire month each year based off of the waxing and waning of the crescent moon. I asked one of my local friends as ...

Imagine a tall slim figure standing erect poised to start a dance. Everything from the tip of her curved hand to the bend of her toes speaks of grace and control. Then, suddenly, a note hits the air and she's off spinning, leaping, and dancing as though the music lived inside her. What is it that keeps our eyes fastened on her? What is it that speaks of beauty and freedom and hope? It is the divine mix of grace and power poured into one human being. The strength of her muscles and the self-control of the mind that calls her body to be fully alert and yet appear to be effortlessly floating.  I see it in the palm trees too. As the wind whips around them, they bend and sway just like that dancing figure. They appear to be effortlessly teased around by the wind, but their trunk stays sunk firm in the ground and deep below the surface their roots grow stronger still. There is an invitation for us as created beings to dance in rhythm with the song of our Creator.  Now I realize that...

The last rays of the sun glanced off of the rock walls of the wadi where Stephen and I had parked our car. After checking our apps and taking one last swig of water, we embarked on, for me, the longest run yet - 10 miles. The beginning of the path consisted of rough stones beside a windy road with cars flying around the corners. After about a hundred meters, we turned off the road and headed along a flat concrete shoulder which took us to a dam. The smell of campfires and grilling drifted through the air as we ran past families huddled around fires to stay warm and cook their food.  The street lights twinkled off of the glistening water and the cool temperature invigorated my body. I love the exhilaration of first starting to run. Past the other side of the dam we came across some more families camped by the side of the path having picnics. The children ran around exploring the rocks and water while the adults sat sipping tea on mats or camp chairs. Everyone paused and took a seco...

  “The metro is open” “Is it real?” “Has the long awaited moment finally arrived?” The whispers floated around on that first of December. For over 15 years people had been waiting for this momentous occasion and yet after many false start dates, doubt and questions began to creep in - would it ever be finished? What would it actually be like?  I, too, was one of those people wondering if Dec. 1st was another false date. It wasn’t until I started to see the posts on Instagram and hear from my friends that I actually believed the time had finally come to ride the metro. Everyone was raving about how at last a new era was dawning. The videos popping up on social media showed beautiful stations and sleek train cars. Even better than that was the potential of there being less traffic on the roads as commuters began utilizing this modern, self-driving metro.  About  a week later after downloading the metro app and checking the routes, Stephen and I decided to go with some ...