This is officially my [Jared's] first post to this travelogue. As an original member of the Kaessner Bro's Expeditions team, I haven't posted yet here because my abilities to travel have been somewhat limited. However, the next best thing to actually going there yourself... is reading about someone who has.
Therefore, in the spirit of exploration, I want to commend to you a book by Rory Stewart, The Places In Between. It's about his walk across Afghanistan shortly after the Taliban fell in 2o02. It's a fascinating read: his knowledge of the history of the area as well as his knowledge of several languages of the region make his book come alive. Anyone who loves adventure or wants to push a little further into the complexities of Afghanistan needs to read this book.
Thanks to our guide, Jed Kaessner, for finding this book.
22 December 2009
17 December 2009
Blessings
Blessings come in all different ways. There are blessings of brokenness, which are painfully bitter, yet exceedingly sweet as you drink deeply from unmatched reservoirs of grace. For such times, His grace is sufficient.
The dry, parched lands of the wilderness bring their own blessings. While they are seldom appreciated, the blessings of discipline, endurance, and strengthening often come during this time. These are the "Good Soldier Days," where His grace is sufficient to grind through the daily mundane of life, doing the next right thing, one step at a time.
But then there are blessings of blessings. While Americans are familiar with blessings, we often are not aware of the blessings of blessings. That is to say we often look at the blessings but no more, forgetting that there are lessons to be learned by responding correctly to blessings—things like holding them loosely, using them to serve God/others, not ourselves. But even with these times His grace is sufficient! So the real blessing is not the brokenness, the wilderness times, or the blessings themselves, it is the grace He gives to respond to each circumstance for His glory! And in each case, His grace is sufficient. It will never be found wanting, it will never be overdrawn—it is always enough! 2 Cor. 12:9
The dry, parched lands of the wilderness bring their own blessings. While they are seldom appreciated, the blessings of discipline, endurance, and strengthening often come during this time. These are the "Good Soldier Days," where His grace is sufficient to grind through the daily mundane of life, doing the next right thing, one step at a time.
But then there are blessings of blessings. While Americans are familiar with blessings, we often are not aware of the blessings of blessings. That is to say we often look at the blessings but no more, forgetting that there are lessons to be learned by responding correctly to blessings—things like holding them loosely, using them to serve God/others, not ourselves. But even with these times His grace is sufficient! So the real blessing is not the brokenness, the wilderness times, or the blessings themselves, it is the grace He gives to respond to each circumstance for His glory! And in each case, His grace is sufficient. It will never be found wanting, it will never be overdrawn—it is always enough! 2 Cor. 12:9
04 December 2009
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