Greetings from Israel!
I am in Tiberias. I am having trouble posting to my normal blogspot at
timbslim.blogspot.com. So, I have pasted it into this e-mail. I'll try to get
the blog up soon. Otherwise I will e-mail it to you.
I must first tell you about our stop in Paris. We planned to ride into downtown
Paris due to the fact that we had about 7 hours between flights. I want to go
ahead and go on record to say that driving from the airport (which takes 45
minutes) into Paris to tour the city is not, I repeat, not a good idea. I will
attempt to convey all of the reasons for this. Remember we were on a bus.
I think our most obvious obstacle was the fact that when we got off the plane,
we were immediately forced to interact with French people. This in and off
itself is a recipe for disaster. Might I add that French people don’t make a
whole lot of effort to speak good English. It could be because their heads are
so far up their own butts that even their ears are covered. But, who am I to judge. Back to the story. When we got off the plane, the two people with us that needed wheel chairs were just crap out of luck. In all of the times that I
traveled with these people, the French were the first and only to muck this one
up. Once we got them their wheels, we then ran into a lady who wouldn’t let us
go to our bus. The guide was waiting for us. But, she said we need a Visa.
She was wrong. But, you try to tell a French person that he or she is wrong.
We finally made it out of the airport late cutting our time to take in the 82
museums and other landmarks. I think you are becom
ing aware of the situation.
We light out toward the city. As we round corners on two wheels our guide is
shouting through the speaker system the names of each place in just enough time
for us to see it disappear out the back window of the bus. We drive buy Notre
Dame, The Louvre (that broke my heart), the Seine River, and much more. I am
being a bit facetious. We did cram a lot in if you count seeing things through a bus window. Managed to se a soccer stadium that seated 100,000 (Sutton, Pohly’s and everyone else I forgot to mention). We also got to go up
in The Eiffel Tower. That was pretty sweet. But, I saved the best for last.
Paris is known for its food. People go there just to eat. I was looking
forward to such a wonderful meal. We managed to find the only pathetic
restaurant in the entire city. We ate at the equivalent of the American Ryan’s.
Now if you know me, you know that I hate Ryan’s. I hate anything where you eat
out of a trough like horses. The guide took us to this awful place right down
the street from The Louvre. I am actually surprised that the owners have not
been arrested for doing to food what they have done in the city of Pairs.
I have already determined that I will have to return to Paris on my own. It was
clear that I needed more time. I thought initially that I had more.
We arrived in Tel Aviv on Wednesday night at 12:00am. I was pretty tired. We
drove to our hotel in Netanya. We got up this morning and drove to up to Ceasarea
Maritime, a city that Herod the Great built. It was quite amazing. I quite
nearly killed myself climbing to the top of the aqueducts. I think I have a
sprained wrist. I know I have a bruised shin. By the way, I hurt my shins when
I was 14 (This line is for Jeremy P.) From there we went to Mount Carmel. This
is where Elijah made a sacrifice to God in front of the priests of Baal. We
covered a lot of ground today. I am now laid up in my room on the Sea of
Galilee. Tomorrow we will take a boat ride.
I am very blessed. I have traveled and seen so much of the world. I have met
some amazing people. I have incredible friends. I have watched as a life was
brought into this world; I saw my niece breath her first breath. Only people
who have seen this can know how that feels. I have climbed to tall peaks,
Colorado to Switzerland. I have trekked into the deepest of holes from
Jerusalem to Jericho and from the top of the Grand Canyon to the bottom and back up. I have cruised the Nile. I have rafted
the mightiest rivers in America. I have skied the most beautiful mountains in
the world. I have jumped from a plane and dived to the earth from 14,000 feet.
I have jumped from an Italian hillside 50 feet into the Ligurian Sea. I have
seen 45 states. I have journeyed through vineyards and meditated by the seas.
I have been on five continents. I have tasted the finest foods. I have imbibed
the best fruit of the vine. And this is only the tip of the iceberg.
I have made money and lost money. I have worked hard and worked smart. I have
pursued dreams and watched dreams crumble. I have made some laugh; I have made
some cry. I have brought joy; I have brought pain. I have walked close the
God; I have walked at a distance. I have seen great days; I have seen sad days.
I have embraced education. I yearn for wisdom that often seems just out of
reach, at other times well within grasp. I learn some days; other days I don’t. I give some days. Some days I take.
All in all, I have lived a full life, 36 years last week. Now, I might have 36
more, or 56 more, or 1 more. I certainly know that I have this moment.
The ancient Egyptians believed that once you made the journey from this life to
the afterlife that you must answer two questions. One, “Did you find Joy?”
Two, “Did you bring joy to others?” I find those questions to be quite simple.
You would think that at this moment in one’s life the questions to get into
heaven would be more difficult. The truth: This isn’t what happens when you
take this journey to heaven. But, indulge me to imagine that we would be asked
these questions.
I have found joy. I also have brought joy to others, not to all. But, I have
known that I shared joy. Everything that has been afforded to me has been a
gracious gift from God. I am truly blessed. I am blessed to have the
opportunities, and blessed to have those who have loved me well. I am a blessed
man.
When I was found by God, I found the source of my joy. I was 15 years old. I was
not looking for any help. I felt fully capable of helping myself. But, God
clearly showed me that this was not sufficient. I was transformed in that
moment. I was changed forever.
Some of you reading this are older. You have made your lives. You have kicked
it into neutral. My advice to you: Soak up every moment of life like a sponge.
Extract the joy from everything.
Some of you are older and your dreams have been crushed. You have been isolated
and alone. My advice to you: Soak up every moment of life like a sponge.
Extract the joy from everything.
Some of you are younger and you think you have joy, but you substitute real joy
for temporary satisfaction. My advice to you: Soak up every moment of life
like a sponge. Extract the joy from everything.
Some of you live life to the fullest. You step out on the edge. You see the
majesty of a sunrise and the glory in a bird. My advice to you: Continue to soak up every moment of life like a sponge. Extract the joy from everything.
I leave you with Paul’s words: “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say
rejoice.”
Your servant, your friend,
Tim
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