ExPat Life

I was working on some things related to the renewal of our residency permit (visa) this morning. If you've ever lived in a foreign country, you know that this is not a simple process. If you have never experienced this, you really have no clue.

This can be a daunting and frustrating experience. Once accomplished, there is a sense of accomplishment, maybe even exhilaration. But, if you are going to live in a foreign country legally (the recommended way) you simply have to go through the bureaucratic steps.

• First, in our situation at least, the rules change frequently. You must have a knowledgeable national working for you as a visa agent. 
• Costs can be high. You must pay the agent, of course. You will also have fees to pay to the government and pay for translation services of various documents you will need to supply.
• Time frames are fluid. You may meet all your deadlines, but be frustrated by the fact that the government in question does not.
• In our case, we need to have health insurance, from a company approved by the Czech government. The policy must cover the entire period of the visa and has to be paid for up front. For us that's four years worth of insurance premiums at one time. When you reach our ages, the premiums skyrocket.

These are just a few of the regular issues being faced by your friends who live in countries of which they are not citizens. Please don't get the idea that I am complaining! These are simply part of the cost of living (legally!) in another country. The rewards are also great.

Chelsea Fagan wrote this about the experience of being an expat (expatriate; one living in a country away from his/her own place of birth and citizenship)

When you live abroad, you realize that, no matter where you are, you will always be an ex-pat. There will always be a part of you that is far away from its home and is lying dormant until it can breathe and live in full color back in the country where it belongs. To live in a new place is a beautiful, thrilling thing, and it can show you that you can be whoever you want — on your own terms. It can give you the gift of freedom, of new beginnings, of curiosity and excitement. But to start over, to get on that plane, doesn’t come without a price.

To read the entire article, click here. I don't agree with everything she writes, but it is a good look at expat life.

I will follow up in coming weeks with some more snippets of life in a foreign milieu. Let me know what you think and what you may have experienced.

What a Nag!

So, you think you may have a bit of a problem. She' always on your case, you perceive. Well, maybe Ben has some thoughts for you to consider. He starts his latest blog entry this way:

Uh-oh. Your spouse is at it again, telling you what you’ve done (or not) and what you need to do to fix it. Like some sort of self-appointed personal improvement counselor, your spouse thinks they know exactly what’s wrong with you and is not afraid to tell you what you need to do to fix it. They then get angrily frustrated that you just won’t listen!

Maybe we should read this together. To join me go to  http://tinyurl.com/ppdbxek.

The Greening of America

A few months back, I began a series of blog entries regarding global warming and associated myths. Titled "Is God Green," the series was truncated by a number of factors, including my recent illnesses. Now it's time to start back in on this important subject.

As I type these words, the temperature outside has warmed up to 30 degrees fahrenheit. This "warming trend" is only expected to last one day, then it's back to single digits. The relationship between the Global Warming alarmists and the environmentalist movement is well-documented. In this installment I'd like to give some attention to historical examples of environmentalism, primarily in the American experience.

While I’m sure that there have always been those who were interested in cleaning the cave or saving some aspect of life that seemed to be going extinct, we should probably date what we would call Modern Environmentalism from the industrial revolution. New levels of pollution and disease caused by manufacturing and living in close quarters sparked protests and attempts to mitigate the ill effects.

In the US, the philosophical foundations for environmentalism were established by such men as Thomas Jefferson, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, Theodore Roosevelt and Gifford Pinchot.   

Organized environmentalism began with the conservation movement in the late 19th century.  State and national parks and forests, wildlife refuges, and national monuments were created to preserve natural treasures. Early American conservationists included President Roosevelt, Pinchot, and John Muir, the founder of the Sierra Club. Several other groups, such as the Audubon Society were created early in the 20^th century.  With WWII behind us, and many folks beginning to feel the freedom of the post-war world, activism began to become commonplace with some projects such as dams, being halted due to the outcry. Environmentalists do not like dams.

In the 1950s and 1960s, the public was becoming aware that conservation of wilderness and wildlife was but one aspect of protecting an endangered environment. Concern about air pollution , water pollution , solid waste disposal, dwindling energy resources, radiation, pesticide poisoning (particularly as described in Rachel Carson's influential Silent Spring, 1962), noise pollution , and other environmental problems engaged a broadening number of sympathizers and gave rise to what became known as the "new environmentalism." Public support for these issues culminated in the Earth Day demonstrations of 1970.

The new movement had a broader goal—to preserve life on the planet. The more radical groups believe that continued industrial development is incompatible with environmentalism. Other groups, notably Greenpeace , which advocated direct action to preserve endangered species, often clashed violently with opponents. Less militant organizations called for sustainable development and the need to balance environmentalism with economic development. 

Environmentalists like to call upon scientists – and pseudo (non-)scientists (think Al Gore and Michael Moore) to provide a foundation for their claims.  

Since the late 1960's and early 1970's, environmentalist scientists have been predicting various ecological doomsdays. Very few, if any, of these disasters have befallen mankind. In another blog entry we will take a look at some of the hot-button issues.

Dear Tom Brady

Next week, the Super Bowl, the grand championship of American football will be played. Tom Brady, the quarterback of my favorite team, will not be playing. His team was eliminated in the semi-final game (AFC Championship, for those who understand American football). 

Brady has not been without success, however. He is one of the best to ever play the game and will be enshrined in the Football Hall of Fame as soon as he is eligible. So why does he have unfulfilled, though unspecified, desires?

Just a few years ago another Tom, Tom Ascol wrote an open letter to Brady about this. In part, he stated

Tom, I appreciate your honesty in admitting on national TV that Super Bowl championships and Pro Bowl appearances do not ultimately satisfy what you long for from somewhere deep inside. What you feel is not unique. And your questions really do have answers. Others have asked them throughout history. Many have found the answer in what God has revealed in the Bible. 

Augustine, an African Christian leader from the 5th century is an example. During his years of pursuing sensual pleasure and knowledge, he experienced that longing for something more that you described. Later, as he reflected on it, he expressed it like this in a prayer, “Lord, you made us for yourself and our hearts are restless until they rest in you.”

I can certainly relate to Brady's situation. I've been there (not with all the football glory, though!!). But that is a story for another day. In the meantime, I encourage you to read the rest of this article, which can be found here.
Enjoy.

In Spirit and in Truth

I have been away for several months. My health has improved and I feel a need to return to this forum.

Today, in a doctor's office, of all places, the subject of proper worship came up.  Here's a response to the question of "How Should We Worship a Holy God"?

There are two generally-accepted and practiced views of worship in American Evangelicalism today. Each undervalues Biblical worship.  The more austere forms of worship may emphasize the preaching of the Word, but do not glorify God with beauty. The modern “Praise and Worship” movement overemphasizes singing and emotionalism to the exclusion, at times, of meaningful interaction with the Word.

The Westminster Shorter Catechism teaches that “Man’s chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever.” The corporate worship of the church should meet both ends of that equation. To this end Christian worship should be organized around the Word and sacraments.

Music is an important emotional

and intellectual element of the worship of the church. Equally valuable are the hymns translated from Greek and Latin, classical sacred music and contemporary hymns. Whatever music is employed should be worshipful and should help focus the worshippers on the goodness of God and the theme of the sermon.

Liturgy is a way of organizing the worship. Even those churches that deny liturgy employ it. It is merely the order of worship. It should be meaningful and thoughtful, not merely thrown together or template-based. While I am not comfortable with overly emotional expressions of worship in the context of corporate worship, I encourage responding to the movement of the Holy Spirit, especially as a response to the Word of God, read or preached.

Preaching should be Biblical. That seems self-evident, but what I mean is that it is not intended to be a weekly lesson on pop-psychology or politics. It should come directly from exegesis of the Scripture and engage the hearers. Preaching needs to touch worshippers where they live, not simply be either an intellectual exercise or an emotional presentation. I tend to preach through books, though I also preach topically at times. I find that the Holy Spirit directs the timing of the Scripture portions. By preaching through books, it is also not likely that I can skip the hard portions.

Sacraments are more than mere ritual. Baptism is the one-time initiatory rite of the church, indicating an affirmation of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord’s Supper, which should be celebrated regularly, is a spiritual participation in the body and blood of Christ (1 Corinthians 10:16). I accept the view known as “the real spiritual presence,” of Christ in the sacrament.

Corporate worship, the preaching of the Word, and the administration of the sacraments are each means of grace given to the church as gifts of God.

What do you think about worship?

No Rest for the Infirm

Most folks who've ever been in a hospital know that it's no place to rest up. Hospitals in Prague are no different. During the day there are long periods of time for naps, but the beginning and end of each day are packed with tests, shots, and poking and prodding. Here's a typical start to my day while I was at Fakultni Nemocnice Motol:

5:30- 6amTemp, blood pressure, 4 vials of blood, small amount for glucose monitor, EKG. 

Then, around 7amBreakfast, usually consisting of a large amount of white bread (a "no-no" for this diabetic), some butter, maybe some jam, and something called "white coffee" which is not coffee. 

Between 8 and 10 amVelke Vizita (Grand Rounds). The head doctor goes around the ward with younger doctors and students, talking about each patient.  Often, they take the opportunity for poking and prodding exactly where you hurt.

Meals are at 7, 12, and 5. Fruit tea (a ghastly beverage) is available at all times). 

Lights out at 11pm - after evening shots, temp, blood pressure, adjustments to IV bags, etc.

Obviously, one needs to go home to get any rest, unless the Red Sox are playing in game six of the World Series on another continent and the game begins at 1am.

Off Chicanery (temporarily)

My younger daughter has always had a way with words (her sister's no slouch either). She's also a librarian, so she reads books with big words, sometimes. Just after I had my emergency surgery (Oct. 3), she called me from Connecticut. Part of the conversation went like this.

Librarian: So, he disemboweled you. 

Me: I guess you could put that way. 

Librarian: You know, I've heard that when pirates got disemboweled they took at least a year off from all chicanery.

 So, I guess I have to swear off all chicanery. 

BTW, a reminder that a full explanation of the health trials and hospital stay can be found at http://viewsfromtheloft.blogspot.com.