Isla del Coco / Cocos Island

I promised myself and some of my blog readers to continue my virtual island hopping tour this month. Okay, just before April 1, I hop on to my next island (click on the virtual island hopping label below this post if you want to know more about Jan Mayen - the icy volcanic island where this tour started!)

Just a couple of things that I found out about this beautiful island just by doing some in-depth desk research (I admit, I only looked at some Google links):

Isla del Coco or Cocos Island belongs to Costa Rica and is located five hundred kilometers off the Pacific coast. It is remote, mysterious, and teeming with sea life. Hammerhead sharks, giant manta rays, marine turtles, and schools of huge fish are only a few of the creatures you'll see - if you can go there! On land, the island has 200 waterfalls, some of which plunge dramatically into the sea. There are tales of buried treasure on the island, which at one time was a respite for pirates.

Now this is the idea: I want to receive some comments from people who visited this island and I want to find out if there is a living soul on Isla del Coco with internet access. If so, I would like him or her to leave a comment and tell us more about this pearl of the Pacific...

Stay tuned, I will try to find out more about Isla del Coco and in the next couple of days I will send some emails to people who could be able to tell us more. Feel free to help me with this project and tell treasure island enthusiasts, rangers and scuba divers to visit my blog and share their experiences about their stay on Isla del Coco.

These are my questions:
1. What is it like to live on / visit this island?
2. Can you tell me some interesting things about yourself?
3. Is it any fun to be on this island? (If yes, why? If no, why not?)
4. Can you tell me a little bit more about the animals, the scenery and the vegetation and about the protection of nature?
5. If there's anything you could take with you from this island to share with the 'civilized' world, what would it be?
6. And finally, if you look at the animals and the vegetation on this island, do you believe that all this beauty is the product of time, natural selection and pure coincidence?

Whatever the costs

Watch Mary pouring
Blessing her Saviour
Her heart full of love
Beating with passion
Ready to give
Whatever the costs

Hear Judas complaining
Looking for profit
His greedy hands
Grasping for silver
Ready for betrayal
Whatever the costs

Beware of the priests
Whitewashed tombs
Grinding their teeth
Searching for chances
Ready for the kill
Whatever the costs

Look at my Master
Crying and bleeding
Two outstretched arms
Signs of His mercy
Ready to forgive
Whatever the costs

Lord, we your people
No longer slaves now
Our heads lifted higher
Waiting to see you
Faithfully working
Whatever the costs

Inspired by John 12:1-19
© PAUL ABSPOEL

Dangerous Intruder?

No! This is not Santa Claus on his new reindeer - this is my big bro Kees on his new Suzuki C800 LC Intruder. Trust me, he is not as mean as he looks. Please don't tell Kees I said this, but I still believe that my bike (pic right) is way cooler.

Big son, brother & nephew!

Today we celebrate Robin's 15th birthday! Yesterday these three little girls posed for this picture, but they were already sitting there with their big nephew and friend... (Left to right: Stéphanie, Maaike and Daniek)

Both sides of the Truth

Jesus, You are
A humble Servant
And a warrior King
Both sides of the Truth
Meek and strong
As only Love can be

Jesus, You are
The sacrificed Lamb
My faithful Shepherd
Both human and God
Painful and perfect
As only Love can be

Jesus, You are
Bright as the sunshine
Mysterious as the night
Both secure and dangerous
Free and protective
As only Love can be

© PAUL ABSPOEL

What's in a Name?

Two thousand years later...
Now we call our dogs
Caesar and Nero
But our kids Mary, Martha, Peter, John or Paul
And we still worship Jesus
Our King forever
There's power in His name!

“And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:8-11). Read more Good News here

Find a job you like, and you'll never work a day in your life

Short Serenade

look at me
standing here
under your balcony
a confused lover

not knowing
where to look
too shy to talk

i brought you nothing
but the roses which i picked
from your own
bloodstained
garden

stammering
i can only give you my
yes

Welcome to my world!

This is posting # 100 on this blog. Hip hip hooray! And I do intend to go on with this time-consuming habit called blogging. Why? Because it sure beats watching tv; because I love writing and because I like to communicate with like-minded people from around the globe. And even if your mind is not like mine at all - you are still very welcome to leave a comment on one of my postings. If you have some time left, please also have a look at the Frappr map way down at the bottom of this page. Welcome to my world, friends - feel free to add yourself to my list and put your pin on my map!

"Do you want to get well?"

What a question. What an answer!
Update March 21
Read more here and feel free to join the interesting discussion that is going on right now in the comments section of my Reflections devotional blog. It's great to ponder about God's Word and his amazing grace with fellow believers. We don't know all the right answers, but it is good to ask all the right questions. Blessings to all of you!

Simply taking Him at His word

The royal official said, "Sir, come down before my child dies."
Jesus replied, "You may go. Your son will live."
The man took Jesus at his word and departed.

Sometimes you touched people, sometimes they desperately tried to get near to you to be touched and healed – but this time you performed a long distance healing...

Read more here

Pure Coincidence

Our son Robin (14, right) playing the electric guitar in his school band Pure Coincidence - his first live gig! The band was performing a song by Kelly Clarkson, called Addicted. Every year his school is organising a show called On Stage where students can show their talents.

The strangest thing...

Sure, I know I can trust him. He only has to ask one little question and I will share all my deepest thoughts, secrets and desires with him. I feel so empty and exhausted. But he sees right through me - the strangest thing... Read more here