Thinking ahead

We can't cross that bridge until we come to it, but I always like to lay down a pontoon ahead of time. Bernard Baruch

Always do one thing less than you think you can do. Bernard Baruch

Let's show you around: IJmuiden Pier

This is my first 360° video clip - showing a view from the pier in IJmuiden. This clip was filmed during a walk with my son Robin on Sunday April 20, 2008. I want to upload more 360° clips on this blog, so that I can share some of the landscapes, interiors, surroundings, panoramic views and my favorite spots with the rest of the world.

So here goes: welcome to my brand new blog posting series called Let's show you around!

I am using a Sony Ericsson cell phone to make these clips. If you think this is a fun idea, please make your own 360° video clips and leave a comment here because I do want to see the locations that you like to visit in the place where you live on this beautiful globe.

Pic left: Google earth pic pier IJmuiden (red dot is the place where I made the video clip). Find this location on Google maps here. By the way, the IJmuiden pier is not a walkway with piles or pillars, but a breakwater with a solid foundation. As you can see in the pic left (click to enlarge) there are two piers in IJmuiden - they give some protection against the sea when ships enter the North Sea Canal, but I think that they are also constructed to keep the sea sand away from the port. It's nice to walk on these piers, but when the weather is bad, it can be very dangerous and you are not allowed to go there during a storm, of course. These piers are favorite spots for anglers too. See some pics on my photo blog.
Read more about piers and please do leave a comment here to tell me what you think!

Catching up...

I haven't been blogging too much lately - there were just too many other things to do! Last Saturday we finished the alpha in prison course. This course started in January and although the work was time and energy consuming, it was also very rewarding to be involved in this. The Good News still has the power to change lives and in a prison setting words like sin, guilt, forgiveness and grace are not just church lingo. I trust that this course was only the start of this work and I believe that both prisoners and volunteers have learned a lot. God will continue the good work which he has begun!

Below a couple of pics from my recent visit to the London Book Fair. I will also upload some other new pics on my photo blog - feel free to have a look!

Mindless matter or Creator?

Inevitably, of course, not only those of us who do science, but all of us, have to choose the presuppositions with which we start. There are not many options – essentially just two. Either human intelligence ultimately owes its origin to mindless matter; or there is a Creator. It is strange that some people claim that it is their intelligence that leads them to prefer the first to the second.
John Lennox, God’s Undertaker – Has Science Buried God? - Lion Hudson, Oxford 2008 - p. 179
I enjoyed reading this book, but it is not an easy read! John Lennox is a Reader (Professor) in Mathematics and Fellow of Green College, University of Oxford. He recently debated Richard Dawkins (The God Delusion - check this and listen to this debate here). If you want to find out more about the rationality of faith in a Creator God, this is a book that I can highly recommend.

Faith according to King

Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see
the whole staircase.

Martin Luther King, Jr.

Lindisfarne Revisited

Recently I received this comment on one of my earlier postings on Lindisfarne (part of my Virtual Island Hopping tour):

Visit to the Community of Aidan and Hilda on Lindisfarne, December 2007, impressions of a new Way - I have done a retreate with CAH on Lindisdfarne in December 2007 and decided to become an Explorer with the Community. To be an Explorer means to write a Way of Life for oneself with guidance of a Soul Friend. This are two basic, elements of the Celtic spirituality as practised at CAH: pilgrimage and Soulfriendship. This brought a great challenge to my life, and which resulted already in a better balance, and that is bringing out the full richness of life much more. Basically it comes down to Contemplation-in-Action, which is all about living a contemplative life in the midst of our own sometimes turbulent daily lifes. We don't need monastries for doing just that, do we?

I am looking for like-minded people that are interested in this kind of spirituality. If you are interested don't hesitate to get in touch and contact me at my email (jcborger at cs dot com) or by leaving a comment here. Lets bring Lindisfarne just a bit closer to the continent! Johannes Borger in The Hague

Johannes, thanks for commenting and maybe you will find linkeminded travelers, seekers and soulmates here! Blessings!

Stop and see

Pictures above and below: this is something that many people can see when they walk to the railway station in Hoofddorp - like I often do. But maybe we are all too busy to stop, see and enjoy the beauty of our everyday environment? Anyway, I am happy that this beauty caught my eyes today and that I carry a camera cell phone with me wherever I go! (Click on the pics to enlarge)

Old car, new car

We've traded in our good old red Mazda 626 for a newer Citroen Picasso. The Mazda looked so good after going through the car wash, I have to admit that I had some second thoughts... Until I saw how happy Pascalle was with our new car! Yeah - our new Citroen Picasso is so much cooler - now I totally agree.

Happy 29th Birthday, Lydia!

We are celebrating Lydia's 29th birthday for the 14th time! Yes, she still looks young - must be because of our kids. Happy birthday Lydia - we all love you very, very much!