Culture Shock

If you were to scroll down the right side of this blog and look for our kids names among the labels, you'd notice that Enoh is included in (by far) the most posts. David, on the other hand, has just a few. Obviously, there are good reasons for that. But since this blog is just as much a collection of some of our favorite memories as anything else, I realized we need to include a little more David. Here's David making faces: Here's David running around with his brothers and sister.  And here's David getting a ride with his sister. 

The other day, Ian mentioned he would like to make a short video for mommy. Emily agreed and David didn't disagree so I started recording. This is what came out.

The honeymoon period was over long ago. I've lived in Croatia for seven years. My wife and I have settled down. We have a family, jobs and everyday responsibilities. Naturally, I don't experience the country I live in the same way I did when I first arrived. But every now and then there are days like yesterday. Due to a meeting I had in Istra two days ago, I woke up in  Poreč - the westernmost Croatian city. Not having been to the oldest structure in Croatia yet, I drove an hour with my friend to Pula: (red arrow on the left of the map). The Arena in Pula , the only completely preserved of six remaining Roman arenas in the world, is 2,000 years old. Two Thousand Years Old!  I'm not sure that's even possible for an American to fathom. Anyway, the structure that has seen gladiators, martyrs, knights and Elton John is located right off the water where fishing boats were coming in from their overnight haul. Between the antiquity of the architecture and the ...

It's not until the aroma of roasting chestnuts fills streets and kitchens throughout Croatia that autumn has really arrived. This year, for the first time, we found a vender selling chestnuts in Orahovica. Although we hope to take a trip the woods to look for chestnuts ourselves we were excited to get our hands on them without the effort. Here's David's first taste of chestnuts. 

Heard a song that made some sense out of the world There are a lot of things on U2's latest album I can relate to. (Hence the series of Songs of Innocence  related posts ). But the influence the Ramones had on Bono - as sung about on the first track of the album - is impossible for me to resonate with. Instead, I'll reflect on an early and constant influence on my life. I was raised on the Bible. My first memories of church are filled predominately with listening to Bible stories and memorizing Bible verses. Most evenings after dinner we read devotionals and memorized some more. Besides my family, there was nothing that influenced my childhood more than the Bible. Over time, my identity was shaped by the stories and principles the Bible teaches. Of course the verses that summarize our beliefs most concisely (ie John 3:16) were the ones at the foundation of my memory base. But the Lord as a shepherd, Scripture as a lamp and righteousness as a breastplate were pictures...

Last year, I asked our kids to pick out a few of their favorite things; 1 book, 1 movie and 1 toy they really like. I recorded them telling about their choices. You can watch it here . As it turns out, watching themselves talk about their favorite things is one of their favorite things to do. So, we decided to do it again. Here's an updated version of their favorite things: Enoh's Favorite Things Ian's Favorite Things Emily's Favorite Things David's Favorite Things (According to his siblings)

You've got a face not spoiled by beauty Your eyes, blue heat Fueled by pure joy Melt the iciest of emotions Your jagged smile underlining And curling around  Up to the top with giggles Flanked on both sides  The flames are untamed Sparks too bright for sight If there is a light you can't always see And there is a world we can't always be If there is a dark that we shouldn't doubt And there is a light don't let it go out Excitement personified Comes from a mysterious source Still unknown to the mediator And though obliviously You are leading the believer To the way away from doubt You let me into a conversation A conversation only we could make You break and enter my imagination Whatever's in there it's yours to take Like a child Words spill teasingly stylized imperfection Thoughts bound only by innocence Spoken freely yet expecting Confirmation, redemption If there is a light you...

Every Breaking Wave (Best if read while listening to the 2nd track on U2's Songs of Innocence - still free on iTunes) Levin had been married for three months. He was happy, but not at all in the way he had expected. Every breaking wave on the shore Tells the next one there'll be one more At every step he felt like a man who, after having admired a little boat going smoothly and happily on a lake, then got into this boat. He saw that it was not enough to sit straight without rocking; he also had to keep in mind, not forgetting for a minute, where he was going, that there was water underneath, that he had to row and his unaccustomed hands hurt, that it was easy only to look at, but doing it, while very joyful, was also very difficult. If you go your way and I go mine Are we so helpless against the tide? Baby, every dog on the street Knows that we're in love with defeat Are we ready to be swept off our feet And stop chasing every breaking wave? As a bachelor, seeing...

The thing about music is that you can always describe it to someone, but they can never listen to it through your ears. Sure, we have ways of comparing bands, singers, styles, genres, tones, textures, and to some extent they help a listener know what to expect. Yet it will always be possible for two people to hear the exact same song/piece and come away with two completely different reactions. That's one of the characteristics of music I treasure most. You cannot tell me whether a song will stir something inside me or not. I won't know until I listen to it. A few days ago, U2 released their new album,  Songs of Innocence , without a buildup preceding it. The price for 11 songs and a booklet was a few minutes of my time. Yet I valued it because reviewers hadn't gotten their hands on it yet. They hadn't had time to judge whether the melodies were ready for pop radio or if the lyrics measured up to whatever standards they defined. Bono's vocals and The Edge's ...

“In the morning you can sleep as late as you want,” our leader announced in Serbo-Croatian, “Just know that you need to be at your next location at 07:30 and it takes two hours to get there.” We were in the middle of nowhere. Over 60 teenage and adult Royal Rangers from more than 10 different European countries had gathered for the National Training Trail (NTT). Our assignment, simply put, was to hike from place to place around a village in Serbia called Krivi Vir while carrying all the food, shelter and supplies we would need throughout the four day expedition. Our camp sight on the second night was a place even our leaders had trouble finding. There was no way to get there by car. And the map we were using was over 40 years old. Still, we found it. And once we did the exhaustion we felt after our 15 kilometer hike set in; we were ready for food and water.   But we would need to make fires and cook our food before we could eat. We also learned that we’d need ...

A running theme throughout the "signs" series is that often signs don't make it easier to understand what's trying to be communicated despite the intention of their illustrators. Our recent trip to Budapest is a great example.  A. This sign is a classic. It's found in airports and public spaces all over Europe. Yet the arrow pointing up while the stick figure runs down makes it confusing.  B. The easiest of the bunch, the simplicity of this sign stands in stark contrast to the bright complexity of St. Stephen's Basilica.  C. What I originally thought were quotation marks are actually graffiti. Yet the X on the yield sign is intentional.  D. I don't think context helps here, but this sign is on the lower part of a wall facing the sidewalk. There are no electric, plumbing or other devices close to the sign at all.   I think I have the first three figured out. Any guesses on the last one?

Dear Grandma, Today is your day! I wish our family could be there to celebrate with you. While it would be a bit noisy and chaotic with four kids five and under, we would love to share in the festivities. My wife and I are in the middle of a phase when our children change so quickly. It seems like they learn or do something new everyday. Things are always changing around us. But when I think of you, I see an example of faithfulness. You are a polio survivor. You and grandpa raised three children - one of whom has Down's syndrome. Various situations caused you to move numerous times in your lives, often at times when it became increasingly difficult. You've faced many forms of adversity throughout your life. Yet, your faith hasn't wavered. You continue to put your trust in the One who is faithful. And doing so has allowed your face to radiate with God's faithfulness. Since I've known you, I've seen that come out in your selflessness. You played end...

Now the oldest brother was more crafty than any other offspring of the home that the Bohall Family lived in. He said to the little brother, "Did daddy actually say, 'You shall not touch anything in the yard'?" And the little brother said to the oldest brother, "We may touch any of the toys in the yard, but daddy said, "You shall not turn the handle of the faucet that is on the side of the house, neither shall you touch it, lest you be sent to the naughty corner." But the older brother said to the younger brother, "You will not surely be sent to the naughty corner. For daddy knows that when you turn the handle your hands will be skillful, and you will be like daddy, able to fill the swimming pool." So when the younger brother saw that the faucet was good for drink, and that its red handle was a delight to the eyes, and that the faucet was to be desired to make one powerful, he turned the handle and drank and he also gave some to his litt...

What if our idea of ownership had less to do with money and more to do with enjoyment? This morning I had the privilege of running around the Orahovica lake. From our house it's a slight incline all the way to the lake and a decline back. But the half mile run around the lake is flat, peaceful and, on days like today, a pure delight. I was the only one there this morning - save for the frogs who lined the rocks at the deep section. As I approached they began jumping in the water as if I had arranged a synchronized diving competition for them. My ever moving shadow provided the signal for their staggered plunges. The water had just been let into the lake so it was as fresh as could be. Prompted by the wind, it lapped over the man-made banks of the lake inviting me to refresh myself. The reflection of the sky was warped but it still pointed me to the beautiful patterns of clouds overhead. The various trees crowning the hills around me made the visual treat complete. The lake w...

I told your mommy it was one of the highlights of my life so far. When you asked if we could kiss between each bar of your crib, me on my side, you on yours. I didn't think you'd have the patience to accomplish your goal. You squeezed your head into the small space as hard as you could. Then you invited me: Just a small kiss. "One". Another one. "Two." Still another, but this time you pulled my head closer. "Three." A fourth kiss. "Sixteen." Then "Twenty!" You continued all the way until the end. Sweet innocent kisses, smiles. And your beautiful blond hair tickling each of our noses as we went. You wanted to be close to your daddy. I know there'll be a time when you won't. And it grieves me already that these moments come and go so quickly. Yet this one is there forever. You and me. You are my Lovely Little Lady.

One of the things I've learned about myself recently is that I love finding things in everyday life that lead me to contemplation but ultimately point right back to everyday life. Like most people, I like to escape. But I don't simply escape for the sake of leaving. For me, the attractive part of escaping is being stronger when I'm present. This part of me showed up a few weeks ago in the middle of Wroclaw , Poland - a city of over 700,000 people. The group I was with had the opportunity to sight-see in the old town. When I learned that Wroclaw was the birthplace of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, I immediately made up my mind to do whatever I could to see whatever it was that commemorated his life. When I got there though, I found myself frustrated by the fact that so many others were also interested in the Bonhoeffer Memorial. So, staying in the vicinity, I walked around a bit, keeping my eye on the memorial but also looking for other things that might catch my attention. Then...

The fish my son received for his birthday is only free if it's in water, if it has food to eat, and if it eats the food it's given. "Greenlighty", the name our oldest son gave his new fish, died three days after it arrived to our house. Enoh wasn't devastated though. The fact that Greenlighty wasn't eating gave him a few days to prepare for his death. _________________________________________________________________________________ Last week, I spent a couple days up in the northern part of Hungary with some guys from America, Hungary, Serbia and Croatia. For the second time in three years, we were gathered with the intent of being renewed. Our conversations were centered around the New Testament book of First Peter. In the second chapter of this letter, Peter calls the Church to live as free people. I wonder how foreign that must have sounded to this persecuted group of exiles. Yet as we continue reading, we find that the freedom they are to live ou...