Fall in love with ordinary

The Jerusalem Ramparts II

Braman's Wanderings

Today we walked on top of the walls of Jerusalem again.

Last year when I was digging here in Israel we also walked on The Jerusalem Ramparts.

This time we went in the opposite direction from the Jaffa Gate.

Of course the ramparts looked a lot the same. However, in this direction we did  not have to go up and down stairs as much.. There were stairs though.

Here is a view of the ramparts looking back toward the Jaffa Gate. You can see Luke walking on the wall. He is wearing the same color shirt as he did last year when we walked on the ramparts.

There are some areas of the wall where we saw barbed wire to keep people from climbing onto structures adjacent to the wall. In many areas there are buildings very close to the ramparts.

Here is a picture taken from the Damascus Gate…

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Privilege through birth

Cognitive Dissonance, 1.

Rassaphora: Musings from a (Recovering) Queen Mormon

But what if what you know is Right in your heart is cast as a Wrong?

First, to define: when two thoughts collide. Internal dilemma. Beliefs in conflict. Behaviors maligned, continually assessed and reassessed. The ultimate in self-doubt.

To make it clear for myself, here is the dilemma, two beliefs smashed together like two atoms coursing through miles of Swiss underground are smashed, producing filaments of subatomic particles in chaotic spin:

• That Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans*gendered, Queer, Questioning, Intersex, Asexual, ad Two-Spirited (in other words, Queer) persons are beloved children of God without need to defend their difference, beautiful children who are worthy of as many blessings as any other child;
• That “the Church is true.”

We Mormon’s say this all the time: “I know the Church is True.” It’s a code for us. It means that we know to be true what others may find strange: that God came to…

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Healthy Habits on Holiday

Healthy Habits for Humans

So two weeks in Greece sunning myself, months of making sure I’m the best I can be and I come back feeling great. So here are my tips to stay fit and healthy during a holiday. Holiday content
I love relaxing, while on holiday and I never go to they gym that’s because I always go on active holidays because my parents love active holidays and getting out and doing things. Sailing in Greece, skiing in America, walking in The Lake District. Your holiday is a time to relax so do that pick something you’ll enjoy. If you want to just relax by the pool then do it. Swimming is a very good form of exercise which works every muscle in your body so even if it’s just a float around the pool its better than nothing and it helps you relax. If you don’t want to do an active…

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A Multitude of Lessons

Living, Learning and Letting Go

(Because of the opening content, I will say at the beginning of this post, instead of at the end, that I originally published this article in the September 1998 volume of  The New Times newspaper. The first experience I describe in the article happened in the fall of 1997.)

As I sit here, only days away from undergoing surgery to remove an ovarian tumor, I find myself in a very reflective mood.  I read yesterday that the Chinese word for “crisis” is a combination of “danger” and “opportunity.” I can certainly see the potential for both in my current situation.  Since I do not yet know whether the tumor is benign or malignant, I am uncertain if I will simply experience a variation in the color of my day for a few weeks, or if this heralds the beginning of a major life change. The danger is obvious. So is…

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