His Cherry Blossom

Heat, burning sun, dusty haze, tired legs - running 21k in a desert country is far from ideal. I approached 16k and my stamina began to wane. Why was the way so far and my feet so sore? I'm used to being able to tell my body to just keep going and it will, but I was starting to have second thoughts. My right calf was in pain every time I extended it too quickly or too far. My head felt a bit faint from the heat of the sun. I began to wonder what would happen if I lost the willpower to go on. Who would stop for me? Who would know that I wasn't ok?  Our path marked out for us ran between construction sites and flat arid desert. Occasionally we were running by store fronts or across a main street, but otherwise the way stretched ahead void of pleasant distractions or interesting views. The mental battle raged on as I tried to push on, to hold onto some pleasant thought that might give me stamina to go on. The silence in my mind was deafening.Though music bounced off my ear drums f...

"Why did you come here? Everyone here is trying to go to America," one Pakistani nurse queried as she she took my vitals. "You're an American citizen! You could just live there!" stated one of my friends jealous that she could not stay due to visa issues. On the other side of the ocean: "Aren't you scared? Can't you just let the people who are natives do the work there?"  These conversation fragments among others float back into my head when I'm already feeling insecure, along with my own thoughts: "I was just feeling settled! Why did I up and leave?" "I had an amazing community and steady job if I wanted to stay." "I had so many opportunities!" "I had relational credibility and a name for myself through years of laborious time and investment." Why did I throw it all to the wind? Or did I?  Recently on our last trip back to the States, my husband and I had the opportunity to share with the Wildheart s...

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...