greetings...

Turns out, I still have my fingers despite Kate's vicious threat of biting them off with her teeth... thus, new post.

Kate and I went to Rothenburg earlier this week... it is one of three walled cities left in Germany and is situated along the "Romantic Road" which stretches from Fussen in south (Foothills of the Alps) to Wurtzburg in the north. Situated at the intersection of two important trade routes, the city prospered in the early days. In 1274, Rothenburg was designated a "Free Imperial City" and was one of the 20 largest cities in the Holy Roman Empire. The Thirty Years War (Catholics vs. Protestants) began in 1618 and in 1631, General Tilly of the Imperial Catholic Army chose Rothenburg for a winter quarters. The people of Rothenbrug chose to fight (5,500 vs. Gen. Tilly's 40,000 men). However, the main storehouse of gunpowder situated in a tower on the exterior wall exploded and Rothenburg's chances went up in smoke. Tilly's men pillaged the town and in 1634 the Black Plague took what Tilly's army didn't. Rothenburg would sit dormant for 250 years before before being rediscovered in the late 1880's. Fast forward to World War II...in March of 1945 a German general and his troops left battered Nuremberg and moved to Rothenburg where the order was given to defend the town to the last man. On March 31st, 16 planes dropped bombs on Rothenburg killing 39 people and destroying six public buildings and over 300 houses. However, due to fog, the bombs had missed the city's center. It was further preserved by Deputy Secretary of State, General John McCloy. He knew of the city's beauty from his mother's paintings, who had visited before the war. He gave the order that the town should be spared if the citizens could guarantee that the town would no longer be used for further resistance. Negotiators caught the German General out of town and the German Major left in command, knowing the war was lost, agreed to surrender. The date was April 17th.

Rothenburg's wall is 4.2 kilometers (2.6 miles) long and 6 meters (nearly 20 feet) high.

Now that you know the history, how about some pictures...

Looking into the city center with Christmas booths lining the market 

Similar picture to the first the next day... that first building is the Rathaus (City Hall)

Outside one of the towers along the gate.

Kate + The Night Watchmen before the tour.

Night Watchmen in his shop the next day.

Looking along the gate much of which can be walked.

St. Jakobs Luthern Church... this is the masterpiece by famous sculptor Tilman Riemenschneider completed over six years in 1505.  You'll see the scene is of the Last Supper where Jesus is giving Judas a morsel of bread.  John is laying in Jesus' lap although its hard to see in this picture.  Judas is actually removable and they typically remove him between Good Friday and Easter.

Dinkelbuhl, another town along the Romantic Road

Opening night at the Nuremberg Christmas market.

Be blessed,

Jason

pictures...

Actually, only one.  But there will be many more in the new post which is coming soon (which will probably replace this one... if I'm still alive...)  If you don't get a post by the end of the weekend, definitely send your inquiries...

Seriously though, I love my wife.  She basically rules.  I'm not seeing the congruence between this face and Tinker Bell, though....

Kate and I wish everyone a very Merry Christmas.  May it be filled with joy, peace, relaxation and the realization that Jesus is truly the greatest gift of all.

Love.

Rollo May said, " Care is a state in which something does matter."  Care is the foundation of love... its active, it steamrolls apathy, etc... At the end of the day, people just want to matter.  If we don't care, how can we love them?

LONG LIVE LOVE!

I hope my readership of 3 had a good weekend.

Be blessed,

Jason

Other Munich Pictures

Castle +  my girl

Dog in Starbucks

ARBEIT MACHT FREI (Work will [not] set you free)

Kate and I went to Munich this last weekend. Sunday we went to Dachau.

The first of what would become an extensive network of concentration camps, Dachau was opened in the spring of 1933 and served as a prototype for those that would follow. Interestingly, it was the only camp that existed all 12 years of the Nazi rule. The weather seemed fitting for the occasion- cold, drizzly, and overcast. I'm fascinated with this part of history so I was excited to learn more and to see things with my own eyes. The museum was well done, extensive but to the point, with little wasted space or information. The 20 minute video consisting of live footage was a nice touch.

The thing that really struck me at the time... and perhaps it's the biggest thing that strikes me a week later: INDIFFERENCE. while the violence, torture, and other evils became systematic, I found the indifference staggering and quite remarkable. It was truly amazing. It really leaves you shaking your head...

Torture is in the simplest things, it seems. Besides solitary confinement in total darkness for weeks or months at a time, the Nazi's set up standing cells which were about 2x6 foot. Simple, Mean, cruel... indifferent. Pole hanging was common where the prisoners were suspended for hours with their hands tied behind their backs.

The medical experiments are hard to forget. Sea Water, hypothermia, and altitude experiments tested the limits of man in the most cruel of ways.

Under the weight of international pressure, Hitler "stopped" the use of ethunasia in 1938. By that time, 70,000 had already been killed.

The Jews often had to work in the crematorium where the work was particularly grueling. The work was often continuous day and night and when exhaustion took over, they were simple shot on spot to prevent knowledge of what would happen there.

Kate read where 7,000 women were brought in, some forced into prostitution to help the morale of the SS, etc...

In 1941, there was a scabies epidemic in which 4,000 prisoners were placed on a "scabies diet" and threatened with starvation. They had to stand on the block and stand at attention for hours at a time during the heart of winter (in their underwear). Many died from the exposure.

A little more than 38,000 people were officially died here. No doubt, many, many more perished here and countless others had their lives radically altered. Its strange, on one hand it seems like yesterday and on the other it seems so long ago. While "how could they..." permeates your mind, I think we are never too far removed from such horrors. It's niave to think something like this could never happen again. Horrible stuff is happening all around the world even if it isn't here in the US. Without God, we truly have the capacity to sink to the depths. The Nazi's were a case in point and they ran themselves (and unfortunately, so many others) into the ground. I suspect God's grace holds more in place than we'll ever know... until we die and have the opportunity to see it for ourselves.

Jason

The front gate

"The Bunker" (the worst of the worst went on here)

Kate being studious at the museum

This little creek runs under a bridge right before you go into the gate.  It was so tranquil and beautiful

Our Last Hope, Hitler

Center Row with the rows of housing that used to be on each side.  There were 32 structures- all that remain now is the concrete foundation

Perimeter fence with a watch tower; the grass before you got to the ditch was the kill zone.  Kate and I read where some intentionally charged the fence to get shot and end their suffering

Building on the site

Looking through a prison cell.  The windows were covered with a white paste from outside and the bars on the door that allow for this picture were not added until the Americans took over and held the Nazi criminals.

Ansbach Castle

Kate and I went to the Ansbach Castle yesterday afternoon- it's more of a museum now and offices including the governor's employ about 250 people. Typically, the tour is given in German and although they have a handout you can read in English. However, since Kate and I were the only ones touring, one of the German tour guides who spoke fairly good English did the tour in English. It was pretty cool. I'm not sure when the castle was actually built but the general time frame was during the 1700's into the very early 1800's before the Prussian Empire took over thereafter.

The last margrave before the Prussians (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margrave) was Alexander (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margrave). He had sold some soldiers to Britain to fight the Americans during the Revolutionary War. Anyway, they had a painting there that showed a blonde haired Indian talking with some Americans... and a rouge alligator was painted across the bottom of the painting... that looked somewhat like an alligator??? I'm not sure if the painting was done first hand by someone who had been in America or if it was done by a painter based on description he was told. Interesting nonetheless.

Kate and I are hoping to go to Munich this weekend.

Love you guys,

Jason

Prague Pictures

I thought I would post some my favorite pictures from our trip to Prague. I'm sure as soon as Kate gets the computer back with the pictures, (I'm in AZ) she'll do a more comprehensive review and post tons more pictures (and videos?)...

I'll come back and add some commentary on my favorite parts of the trip as well...

Be blessed,

Jason

Prague Pictures Continued

falling up

Don't you crave efficiency and order? Given my disposition and tendency toward things that are wasteful and frustrating, I constantly have this desire. We struggle so much to connect the dots, to make things work, and to keep things organized. We long for perfection, for it's fullness to be displayed (and one day it will happen). Until that day, it seems the best course of action is to let the creator of perfection and order, the author of our lives, help us through this fallen world. It's difficult but it's infinitely more difficult when we rely on ourselves for these things... and that is the crazy part- I (we?) do it all the time! We are very nearly content with inefficiency as long as we are the ones making it harder on ourselves- as long as we are in control, even to our detriment. My dad used to always say to me and my sister.. "you are killing me." I'm fairly certain that the cigarettes were killing him more than us (but then again, I'm not a parent yet). Do we see the double standard in our lives? It's selfishness. It's the desire to be in control. We have the right to self-destruct ourselves but when someone else does a fraction of the damage, all the sudden its unacceptable. God's yolk is easy, His burden is light. Are we willing to experience something more promising- stability, order, etc... at the cost of relinquishing our control? Trust me, I'm on the front lines of this battle... perhaps we are at war together.

Otherwise, Kate and I are doing well... having the time of our lives, I guess?

Did you guys watch the VP debate last night? I didn't get a chance to see it but I plan on doing so this weekend. What are your thoughts on Palin and/or Biden- two interesting characters I think. I just got my absentee ballot in the mail the other day and I'm still undecided.

Everyone should comment Kate and tell her she needs to make a new post.

Love you guys,

jason

last lecture

Randy passed away in late July and the lecture was made into a popular book and this video has been seen by many... If you have the time to watch it, it's time well spent.

Be blessed,

jason

K.T. come home...

K.T. come home...

K.T. come home...

K.T. come home...

K.T. come home...

K.T. come home...

love,

jason

My sister and I at my Dad's wedding.

Nuremberg...

I won't lie... this was a forced picture- but Kate pulls it off well, no?

Kate and I at the Ranger game... want to know the shock of all shocks?  The rangers lost! (you may begin laughing now...)

Kate just took this yesterday... WC indicates it is a bathroom although this is the first time we've seen this little addition.

long time, no post.

Kate and I went to the zoo yesterday in Nuremberg.  I think warthogs are some of the coolest animals!  This one actually has a likeness to my mom's dog, Jake.

Ahh, gorillas.  Awesome, no?  This was one big beast.  He was definitely running the show...

Having fun at my dad's wedding.

same...

the bride and the groom.

I hope everyone is doing well.

be blessed,

Jason

Misc.

I'm nearing the end of my inductive Bible study class... which means I'm in a serious time crunch... which means I was doing some serious late night reading last night.  Just a few statements out of the book (Grasping God's Word) that kind of struck me:

"God made himself vulnerable to our unfaithfulness"- Ha, this seems so simple but what a unique and incredible position we are in.  It seems that we have so much trouble opening ourselves up to people... or once we get hurt, we're done.  Kind of lame, really.  It is just another way that God relates to us perfectly and shows us how to live by example...

"Comforting and explaining are quite different"

"Wisdom does not explain the contradictions of life; it only points them out.  Therefore people should simply trust God"- Interesting, no?

Otherwise, I'm kind of interested in reading Obama Nation, written by Jerome Corsi.  I think he is the guy that wrote a book about John Kerry and the swift boat craziness the last election which kind of makes me think, ehhh... but I heard it is well researched with lots of documentation and references.  Predictably, the reviews on Amazon were either 1 or 5 stars for the most part.  If any has read it, please let me know what you thought.

I kind of like watching people sleep... isn't it such a great gift from God?  When you don't sleep, are you not a miserable human being?  Yes, you are... and when that is the case, there is very little you want more than a good nights rest.  I LOVE to see Kate sleeping soundly.  Truly, it is a very beautiful thing, I think.  It truly is a beautiful gift from God.

Otherwise, if there is anything Kate and I can pray for you about, please let me know... I'm especially good at committing to a specific amount of time so that might be good to include (1 week, 3 weeks, 2 months, etc...)

A few concerns for myself...

1.  finishing this semester well

2. i'm actually going to be traveling a good amount this month

3. strength for Kate and I to be there for God and each other

be blessed,

jason 

trustworthy...

in all I say, I assure you....

THEY'RE GGGRRRR... ehhh, OK

As a self-described cereal connaisseur (if the amount you eat is any sort of qualification.... well, then I'm qualified!) I think I'll post a review from time to time.  

Let me start by saying Tony the Tiger was the man... when I was 8.  He was by the far the best character to grace any of the cereal boxes.  Anyway... The NEW! Frosted Flakes GOLD features a nice shiny box, more energy (whole grain baked with honey), and extra-robust flakes (as compared with the original) that hold up well in milk.  Sounds pretty good, huh?  Some may enjoy the honey addition but I think it falls flat.  If you have grown up on the original Frosted Flakes you will most likely feel the same way.  There also seems to be a mild, lingering after taste that sticks around in your stomach.  Nobody wants that.  Frosted Flakes GOLD seems to be caught up in an identify crisis between the sugary cereals and those which are quite healthy.  You won't gain any taste for the sacrifice in healthiness in this one, though.  In fact, I would venture to say that at least 1/2 of the cereals that have less than 8 grams of sugar at 1 cup a serving are better tasting than this (3/4 a cup serving btw).  Sorry, Frosted Flakes GOLD does not earn their stripes this go around.

Otherwise, Kate and I (mostly Kate) have been getting used to this pronoun called "our."  Kate likes to go around and proclaim things like, "This is my notebook, quite writing in it" (its quite threatening I assure you).  Pray for her.  Pray for me.

Aside from Kate's random bouts of rage, things are going well.

Jason

Oooo, that's pretty!!!

These pictures aren't in order but I guess the first one is fitting... today has been an awesome day and this picture probably captures it best...

The day began with a 10K I volunteered to run in at one of the other bases about 45 minutes away- I did it in 42 min. and some change so I was pretty pleased (my goal was 45 min.)  In the picture below, I'm serenading Kate with some U2.

Mmm, cereal (and crackers).  I like sacks that look like this!

You want to know what is good for morale?  Someone taking pride in making sandwiches... check out these bad-boys!!! ($1.50 btw and the picture does not do it justice).  The guy finished making Kate's sandwich smiling with satisfaction... "Oooo, thats pretty!!!"  Pretty sure you don't get that at Subway-

This view overlooks the town of Lichtenau... when you come out of our neighborhood before going down the hill into town, this is the view- it was cloudy when I took this picture but it is quite beautiful.

I actually found something tonight!  That was pretty awesome, quite remarkable actually (in case you're wondering, it was cord to the camera which is required to upload pictures).  Seriously, exciting.

be blessed,

Jason