We hadn’t intended to travel to Bamberg, Germany but when we went to Wurzburg, we met two very nice ladies who said Wurzburg had been demolished in the war and most of the beautiful architecture was not ancient but rebuilt to look the same as it had… meaning it wasn’t authentic. We were disappointed but that’s another adventure story. They said to visit Bamberg because it had the historical buildings we adored. We scheduled a trip at a later date to see Bamberg. And we were so glad we did! There just wasn’t enough time to see everything.
There’s a base in Bamberg so we checked it out since our military credentials would allow us to go on base and shop at the base exchange. We were less than impressed after having spent time on the four bases in Stuttgart which were much more impressive.
A cold and cloudy day met us as we made our way to this lovely city. Although it is not on Germany’s famous Romantic Road, personally, I think it should be. It’s picturesque and quaint. Since we got a late start, and it was a little further afield we opted to stay the night and return to our home in Plieningen in the morning.
Unfortunately, we did not plan on staying the night so we had no luggage, toiletries or medication. But we decided to tough it out for one night. We located an IBIS hotel which we thought would be nice because my husband’s sister had stayed in one and she doesn’t stay in any junkie places. While it was “nice” for European standards, it wasn’t what I would call a great hotel. If a micro-hotel is like this, then I’d be claustrophobic. But for one night…what the heck! The bathroom was so small you could barely get to the toilet. And the shower was a tiny triangular shaped thing. The only saving grace was it had a very cool sink! But I worried about getting up in the night and bumping my head against the wall when I got out of bed. There was less than ten inches between the bed and the wall.
After checking into the hotel, we tooled around town on foot. It’s an absolutely lovely city and one I’d like to revisit, but not stay at the IBIS.
We ate at a local restaurant called the Schlenkerla which had a pub-like atmosphere and we sat at a long trestle table with another couple at the other end. It appeared you sat wherever there were seats, and it didn’t matter if you didn’t know the person or not! We had their local specialty: stuffed onions with potatoes. We weren’t disappointed with the fare offered. The building drew us in!
The buildings in the old city were beautiful, especially the old courthouse which was built right in the middle of the river and accessible by two bridges. An amazing feat for the year 1386! Its medieval buildings were authentic and water surrounds the old city with its water canals. It reminds me of Venice. The old town is actually a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
I wished we’d had more time to visit the seven churches on the seven hills surrounding Bamberg, but we didn’t. If you ever get to Bamberg, make plans to stay for at least three or four days to see everything…but don’t stay at an IBIS!
Another adventure awaits! Next time…who knows?
Let’s look at the context of this verse: At the time of the book of 2 Kings, Israel had been divided into two kingdoms: The Northern Kingdom or Israel (made up of ten of the original 12 tribes of Israel) and the Southern kingdom or Judah (made up of the remaining two tribes). The King of the North, Ahaziah, was an evil king in the sight of the Lord because he worshipped pagan gods. Twice the King of Israel sent a captain and fifty men to the mountaintop to summon Elijah to bring him to the King. Both contingents of men died because Elijah called down fire from heaven. And that brings us to this verse.
Whether you are a leader or you are not, it’s a great thing to be humble. Here are five traits of a humble person:
We decided to take a Mediterranean cruise because we were in Europe already and we might never get the chance to go again. Plus, my husband wanted to show me where the Air Force stationed him in Turkey when he was in the military. The three places on the seven-day cruise would be Croatia (Yugoslavia when I traveled to Italy as a girl), Greece, and Turkey. I was excited to go to Turkey and Greece but Croatia? Who goes to Croatia? But it was on the itinerary so what do I know?
I didn’t realize it but Dubrovnik was not a deep-water port so the captain docked the ship a ways away from the port but we could see the port and marina from the ship’s deck. I thought we’d just sail right up to the port and disembark as we did when we got on in Venice. Not so. We’d have to take little boats called “tenders” to the port. I also didn’t realize these boats doubled as lifeboats. The tenders are enclosed and get quite hot for the short trip to shore. I can’t imagine being on that tender that held 150 people if something happened to the ship. Since we had other shore excursions planned, and I wasn’t keen about going to Croatia in the first place, we opted to just hang out in the old city and find things to do until we got back on the ship.
We tooled around the old town walking through the vast array of alleyways between buildings that led to quaint restaurants with outdoor seating. We looked at the architecture of the square’s many buildings and the churches.
We still had time to kill, so we took a ride on another type of ship ride around the bay. An 18th-century fishing ship! Getting on and off that ship was harrowing not anything like the big cruise ship but then why would it be?
From the sailboat, we could see the summer sun-worshippers didn’t have much sand, but they made the most of what they had. There was one sandy beach, but it was in a cove and it appeared the only way to get to it was by boat. The old city’s massive fortress walls were awe-inspiring. Makes you want to study the history of the city.
This verse calls to mind that when we make a promise, we must keep it. It doesn’t matter if it’s a small promise to go to lunch with a friend or if you’ve promised to take care of a task for a sibling or parent or if you have pledged a possession. It doesn’t matter. When a person breaks a promise, it’s hard to trust that person again.
And it’s especially hard when we give promises to our small children and break them. Children depend on their parents and guardians to tell the truth and not break a promise, no matter how insignificant that promise may be. Our children are our greatest resource. We must treat them with kindness and care where our promises are concerned.
David was the King, a leader. It calls to mind our leaders today. They rarely keep their promises and wonder why their constituents don’t trust them. In today’s world, it’s all right to break a promise if it furthers that leader’s career goals.
S
The context of this verse is that King Saul of Israel and his son Jonathan died in battle with the Philistines. David, who would be the next King of Israel, and his men are those who are mourning, fasting and weeping for the two men.
It seems fitting that we talk about men and women lost in battle. Any family who loses a loved one in war is a tragedy. But a family who loses all of their children at one time is unthinkable. That’s just what happened to the Sullivan family during World War II.
Parents who lose a baby or a child are overwrought with the pain of loss but to lose five sons in one fell swoop, I can’t even imagine the pain of suffering that family endured. Some may say, it was a long time ago or time has a way of healing. That may be true to some extent but a parent who loses a child whether that child is a baby, child or an adult, can’t ever be consoled and time doesn’t heal. It only covers the grief until the anniversary of their child’s birth or death.
May we all have an extra measure of compassion for those parents who have lost a child.
Let’s put this verse in context first and I’m paraphrasing here:
That’s what this verse is about. Hannah begged God to give her a child who she promised would be given to Him, consecrated as a Nazarite and set apart for God.
What heartbreak the woman must have endured at the hands of not only her husband’s other wife but all the women in her community! And yet, she went directly to God for help. It reminds us to look to God when situations are dire.
Never underestimate the power of the human spirit! There are those who, when burdened with an overwhelming life event come through it stronger and more able to stand against the next crazy life event that could have them crawling on their knees. Then there are others who, when dealt a crushing blow, are devastated to the point of immobility and can’t rise above the situation.
In a health crisis, we never see those who have lost their battle to cancer without a fight. Some retreat into themselves to waste away and die with their family and friends dismayed they wouldn’t fight to live…not only for their family and friends but for themselves. Some give up when their friends and family never wanted them to give up. Others fight until their last breath. Even though they lose the battle, they have fought. Even through death, they have risen above their circumstances. If you’re suffering from cancer, fight the good fight, be strong, and give yourself and your family hope!
But what about the kids who rise above the bullying? Why don’t we hear about those kids? Today I watched a video of an 11-year-old kid who took free violin lessons because the kids at school bullied him because he had cancer. Kids can be cruel and merciless. They have no filters or have not been taught any filters. But this boy made my heart sing. He appeared on America’s Got Talent and blew everyone away with his violin playing. He made it to the television show. What an example of how the human spirit can overcome. This boy chose music to overcome his heartache over being bullied. Other’s may choose sports or some other positive way to overcome.
What about when a person has lost every possession to a hurricane, tornado, or flooding? Does the person retreat to a homeless shelter never to be heard from again or does he take action and rebuild his home and his life?
Several years ago, my 61-year-old husband lost his job. I was afraid at first then I remembered God had it all in the palm of His hand. I told my husband we’d pray about it and let God lead us. And lead us, He did. My husband got a job offer not three weeks later. To say it was a miracle is an understatement. Who hires a 61-year-old man who is almost ready to retire in a few years? God can do anything, even heal the sick and restore a home.
To make the verse more personal, substitute “God” or “Jesus” for “I” and your name or “me” for “you” making it a personal verse to memorize and repeat when in a trial.
Even in my darkest hours and there were many over the years, I always knew God was with me. And I know He’ll be with me until I breathe my last breath.
This verse is definitely a life verse when considering career choices or stepping out in Faith. That was me when I wrote inspirational romances. I felt ill-equipped to write. I needed instruction on how to write and how to use the language to its fullest potential. But, God gave me a vision, and I have stepped out and worked many hours to learn the craft and I’m still learning and I will continue to learn every time my fingers hit the keyboard.
I faced discouragement from fellow writers who critiqued my work, from instructors who made it clear it was difficult to get an agent in this day and age let alone find a publisher willing to take on a new author. But the reason for writing was so strong none of those naysayers would keep me from my purpose for writing.