Random Photos from Ein Kerem

Moscovia Monastery


A small church in Ein Kerem



View from Church of the Visitation


Daycare center


Paintings in a restaurant


On the way home...

St. John the Baptist Church

Like the Magnificat at the Church of the Visitation, Zechariah's prophecy is printed on large placques at the church of St. John the Baptist in many different languages.
Here it is in English,



and Lucanda. Has anyone heard of Lucanda? Where is it?

Poland

This is also at the St. John the Baptist Church, but in a little different category.

The sign says, "HERE IN AIN-KAREM, CHILDREN FROM THE POLISH SCHOOL OFFERED THEIR THANKS TO GOD FOR DELIVERANCE FROM EXILE IN SOVIET RUSSIA."

St. John the Baptist Church

This is an educational post. Meaning, it has information, in the form of pictures, so that you will know a little about the Roman church. Also known by some as a "Christian" church. I couldn't bring myself to post some other pictures, because they had figures of people and angels. I saw them with my own eyes, but I feel funny about publishing them.

This is what you see in the front of the hall, along with a statue of Mary.

A baptismal.


I have nothing against good wood doors.

And good wood pews.


Luk 1:67 And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost, and prophesied...

This is a confessional. A man inside claims to be able forgive your sins or something like that.

They Come, They Go

Many of the services held at the Y are attended by only four or five people. But quite often there are visitors and they are from all over -- Poland, Canada, Holland, Italy, Scotland, England, France, Dominican Republic, India. Maybe others I have forgotten. Once we had over 30 people. Some are familiar with reformed worship, others are not.
When I think back over important moments in my life, certain events come to mind. The people involved in them weren't aware that their words or their actions would have a lasting effect on me, or that they were used by God for my lasting good. And other events just as important I have completely forgotten. So it may be with some of the visitors.
We make our plans and labor over hard decisions and sometimes feel we are in the dark. The whale that swallowed Jonah just... happened to be there at the right time and open his mouth at the right time? No, nothing just happens.
"They have sought out many inventions."
but
"A righteous man's steps are ordered by the Lord."
"The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and his ears are open to their cry."

Clouds

Clouds do weird things to you. Like they can make you extremely tired. This morning in class I was strongly tempted to leave and lie down on the floor somewhere. But the feeling soon passed and the rest of the day was good.
Maybe it wasn't the clouds, maybe it was the cornmeal pancakes with blackstrap molasses that I had for breakfast. Or maybe it was the combination.
But I'm home now and feeling really lazy. Feel like reading poetry, but that's not always edifying. Thinking about how odd the present is. Imagining my father holding Noah on his lap. Thinking how my mother would have liked my son-in-law and my daughter-in-law. Thinking about how all the things that I consider reality aren't all present reality.

Here is a good poem by Ogden Nash:

The Middle

When I remember bygone days
I think how evening follows morn;
So many I loved were not yet dead,
So many I love were not yet born.

December

I should try to get at least one post done for December. Let's see, it's winter, the snow is beautiful in the moonlight, and the house is warm and cozy and there are cookies in the oven. No, that's not it. It's winter, and it's not quite cold enough for my winter coat, but I wear it innyway, just in case. I'd rather be too hot than too cold. No snow, no rain, not much different than usual, except some trees have lost their leaves.

Christmas passed and so did Hanukkah. I didn't see much evidence of either. A few Christmas trees, and one hannukiah with two candles leaning over in it.

Famous (or not-so-famous) quotes:

Without geography, you're nowhere.

Change is inevitable, except from a vending machine.

That'll have to do for tonight. I have a terrible headache and computers are bad for headaches, or great for headaches, which means the same thing.

November 29, 1989

On this date the Hembd family became complete.

A few days before that we were trying to think of names. We didn't know if we would have a boy or a girl. We didn't have a girl's name picked out. I was considering Josiah Benjamin, but I wasn't completely sure of Benjamin. At the last minute Dad suggested Ebenezer -- "Hitherto hath the Lord helped us." And we had recently heard or read some excellent sermons by Ebenezer Erskine. So we named him Ebenezer Josiah and called him by his middle name for a number of years, until he decided he wanted to be called Ben. So Benjamin would have worked, too.

So that's the r-r-r-rest of the story!

(Until grandchildren.)

Ben, do you remember being attacked by a rooster when you were about 2?

Cheer Up

One way to cheer yourself up on a bad day--

Look for a cute puppy picture.

This was taken by Petr Kratochvil of the UK. I don't know how to get paypal to work or I'd buy him a cup of coffee.

Church of Saint John the Baptist

I was going to put pictures up, but it's not working. I'll try again tomorrow.

Church of the Visitation II

The best part of this place is all the Bible verses. The Magnificat in 70 different languages.

Swahili???


Vietnamese???


Portugese


Hebrew


Arabic??

Church of the Visitation

Mary and Elizabeth

Mary's Spring

As the story goes, Mary stopped to drink at this spring on the way to see Elizabeth. While we were there a man diligently washed his face and arms in the water, and then took off his shoes and socks and washed his feet. Trying to wash away his sins? The water is considered holy.

Part of a mosque remains, with this nice tower.

Ethiopian Church

From our class tour that we took way back.




I find these pictures interesting, not meaning that I actually like them, but they're interesting. However, when they are found inside a church, there is immediately a problem, and I think it's called idolatry. I edited one photo, because it had something that looked like angels at the top, and sometimes those are meant to be representations of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, which we know is forbidden.
I wonder who the little guy in blue is behind the big guy and what is that little creature between them. And who are the two guys on the wall in the background.


This could be Elijah getting fed by a raven. Who knows.



the "holy place" no caps because I disagree




Nice-looking drums.

Honeysuckle

This is our home. There are eleven other apartments in this building.
This honeysuckle bloomed well earlier this year. The lot in the foreground is completely bare now. It was full of interesting weeds for a while, but eventually filled up with thorns and burs, so I was glad when they mowed it down. I was surprised, though, that in all these months not one speck of anything has sprouted. There must be millions of weed seeds in that lot, but with no rain not even weeds can grow.

Beware of the Orange

Beware of the orange,
For in his bright peel
Is acid so strong
It will make your throat peel.
And how does that feel?
Not too good. Pretty bad.
Why ate I an orange?
Twasn't all that I had--
I had grapes and bananas,
Tomatoes and bread,
But for some strange reason
I had "orange" in my head.
I removed the orange part
(But not quite enough)
Trying to save
The nutritious white stuff,
Leaving some of the dents,
And that was my error,
For d-limonene
To me is a terror.

I have this weird way of peeling an orange. I use a knife. But if you don't get down to the smooth white part, you can get some pretty strong acid-y stuff. I have heard of orange peel being used as an acne remedy, a heartburn remedy, a de-greaser, and a stain remover. (But not necessarily straight from the orange.) My experience is that it burns! My throat started burning immediately, and within an hour I had all the symptoms of the flu. Maybe it was an allergic reaction. By evening it was affecting my breathing. But I had a good night's sleep and today I am much better.

This is the second week of Hebrew level 3. As in the last level, we have two days with a slow teacher and two days with a fast teacher. Or rather, one teacher speaks moderately fast and the other speaks extremely fast. There are two new countries represented, Finland and Czech Republic. There is one super-brain in the class who knows all the answers and gets them out before anyone else has a chance to think. A bit annoying. So far I have written a story and an essay. I like doing this, and look forward to getting papers back with red marks all over them. That's how you learn--make lots of mistakes!

"Experience is that marvelous thing that enables you to recognize a mistake when you make it again." Franklin P. Jones

October 12, 1979

One of the happiest days of my life -- Sharon was born.

Isaiah 35:1-2
"The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose.
"It shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice even with joy and singing: the glory of Lebanon shall be given unto it, the excellency of Carmel and Sharon, they shall see the glory of the LORD and the excellency of our God."

I got her name from this verse, with the hope that there would be created in her that excellent work of the Holy Spirit, without which we are all ruined sinners.

יומ הולדת שמח שָרוֹנ





An evening primrose. Different varieties of these grow anywhere from a few inches to six feet tall. Some are pink. And some of them bloom all day.

Many evening primrose, like this one, have reflexed sepals and an X-shaped stigma.

An unidentified flower. I believe I also saw these in England.

October

Muffix is just about the perfect dog. He belongs to a neighbor, who says he behaves better than her children ever did. I ran across Muffix on another street the other day, and told him to come, sit, and shake hands, and he did.

One who possesses beauty without vanity,
Strength without insolence,
Courage without ferocity,
And all the virtues of man without his vices,
This praise, which would be unmeaning flattery
If said of a human,
Is but a just tribute to my dog.

~~Lord Bryon

I wonder if he wrote a poem about cats.

Young.

Old.

There are lots of beautiful dogs in Jerusalem. And potentially beautiful cats. And people too. But I don't feel free to take pictures of people. But maybe they wouldn't mind. A true photographer sticks his nose in about anywhere to get a good photo. This person consented to having her picture taken -- just this once.