Dallas Willard Quote on "Knowing God's Will"

I fear that many people seek to hear God solely as a
device for securing their own safety, comfort and
righteousness. For those who busy themselves to know the will
of God, however, it is still true that "those who want to save
their life will lose it." My extreme preoccupation with
knowing God's will for me may only indicate, contrary to what
is often thought, that I am overconcerned with myself, not a
Christlike interest in the well-being of others or in the
glory of God.
... Dallas Willard (b.1935), Hearing God [1999], p. 28

Eid Trip out to the Desert

We went to the desert for the first time two weeks ago. Fantastic time! We didn't spend the night but came back late. The desert is a beautiful place... God's handiwork is evident everywhere. Enjoy the pics.

Our favorite location almost all the way to Al Ain, UAE

My shadow!

A beautiful sunset.

Here's a cool video of the action of the fine sand as it cascades down the dunes.



More sand detail and a panorama

Incredible Palm Island Views!

A couple of weeks ago I took my daughters to babysit the child of some church friends. They live in one of the new, super-tall high rises in the Dubai Marina. And their view is directly overlooking Palm Island and the beachfront of the Marina. I snapped some pictures and a video as well. Leaning over the railing to get the best camera angle was a little unnerving. But worth it :)

Looking down the coast you see the trunk of Palm Island and the Burj Al Arab faintly in the distance

A more direct view of Palm Island and the coast. That's the beach for the Ritz Carlton

Closer view of the Palm Island Trunk and the 'decorative' island just off the end of the pictured marina

The Ritz Carton Beach and if you look closely you can see the para-sailer just off the beach!

Looking down on the Ocean Beach Hotel

Zooming in on the para-sailer

The tower I was in was on the right

Again, the towers from the beach

Khaleeji Club Iftar at American University of Dubai

My company does some business at American University of Dubai and in the past we've been a corporate sponsor of the I.T. Club. Lately, the Khaleeji Club has contacted me about helping them out with some leadership training or just coaching. Khaleej means "Gulf" as in the Arabian Gulf. So the Khaleeji Club is essentially the "Gulf Arab Club". Students from the UAE, Oman, Saudi, Bahrain, Qatar, and Kuwait could be a part of it.

Tuesday night they had an iftar dinner (the meal to break the Ramadan fast each day) and I was invited as a guest. In addition, two local TV personalities were invited. These guys are local storytellers and reciters of poetry.

As soon as they entered the tent they came to me and wouldn't let me just kiss their cheeks... they pulled me closer and face to face for a "local - only" nose to nose touch. That's the way the locals kiss. And they were laughing hard the whole time. These guys were hilarious and couldn't understand 98% of what they were saying! Every once in a while they pointed at me and said something like "America".

Later that evening they left for the TV studio to broadcast their program. It was a great evening of fun and cultural enlightenment.

The two TV personalities... a hilarious pair!

Gulf Arab students from AUD

The guy on the floor in front of the coffee pot is a Saudi student who tells poems himself!

My friend Yaser on the left is a recent graduate of AUD.

Shoulder update: A Fracture too!

My x-rays from last week got lost and sent to the wrong clinic. So the doctor just called this morning to give me an update. Seems I might have a torn ligament but definitely have a fracture in my clavicle or collar bone. She re-emphasized that there could be no exercise, save running, until 6 weeks had passed.

Somehow knowing it's fractured makes it hurt more :)