Gateway to Heaven

Our world is broken.  Our world is full of pain.  We all want freedom and escape from the pain & suffering.   We want escape from the brokenness.  Surely there must be some sort of beautiful paradise where we can live forever.  Our hearts long for this.  Because God created us for this. God created us…

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Yesterday we considered the question:  How do we get to paradise?? We all long for paradise.  We long for escape from the brokenness of the world we are living in.  We long for escape from the chaos, the pain, and the suffering. We try lots of different paths … looking for the gateway to paradise. …

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When we think of a gateway to Heaven, we instantly imagine a spectacularly grand gate … leading to a setting of indescribable beauty beyond. However, you will notice that the gate pictured in today’s background photo is not spectacularly grand, nor does it lead to a setting of indescribable beauty beyond.  Rather, the gate is…

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Yesterday we pondered how that when we come to Jesus, the Gateway to Heaven, we will not be instantly swept through a spectacularly grand gate into a paradise of indescribable beauty.  No.  When we come to Jesus, the Gateway to Heaven, it might look a lot like the gate pictured in today’s background photo.   There…

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The very first book of the Bible, Genesis, opens with God creating the most wonderful paradise! Imagine for a moment the most fabulous vacation resort ever … can you see the immaculate, beautifully landscaped grounds … lush green foliage, filled with the sounds of tropical birds.  Delicate flowers spill in profusion over hedges and walkways,…

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Our background photo for today features a farm gate … it is clear that hard work is done here! The book of Exodus opens with the people of Israel under the oppression of hard labor!!  Their freedom has been taken away.  Their life has become one of slavery.  They are mistreated and abused!  They are…

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It is significant that the gate in today’s background photo is flanked on either side by large garbage cans. The people of Israel were miraculously delivered from oppression and slavery in Egypt.  No longer were they marginalized, mistreated, and abused.  God had rescued them!   They were now God’s very own chosen people.  God loved them!…

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As we open the book of Numbers, it is time for the people of Israel to enter and settle in the special homeland God promised to give them.  But when the people of Israel reach the special land promised specifically for them … there are already people living there! Just like our background photo for…

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Our background photo for today shows a gate leading from one pasture … to another pasture.  But, as you can tell, it is a long way off.    Barbed wire is prominent in the foreground of our background photo. The people of Israel had rejected the fabulous land God promised to give them.  As a result,…

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In our background photo for today a beautiful paradise awaits just beyond the gate.  Brilliant sunshine beckons … just beyond the gate.  Glimpses of the Pacific Ocean can be seen … deep blue waters stretching far away to the horizon.   There is anticipation of sweeping panoramic views … views of dramatic volcanic ridges and breathtaking…

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In the book of Joshua we saw great success!  Tremendous victory! God was with His people Israel in mighty power!  God was faithful to bring His people into the fabulous land He had promised to give them! But what is up with our background photo for today??  A muddy lane, crossed by a measly gate,…

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Our background photo for today features a lovely pink gate.  However, if you look closely, you might notice that the photo seems slightly off-tilt.  Things don’t seem to be quite level.  This is because the road in front of this particular gate is on a very steep downhill slope!  And so we introduce the book…

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Our background photo for today was taken from a high place.  So also, as we read through the first half of the book of 1 Samuel, we see that the nation of Israel is at a high point.  The disobedience which was prevalent during the time of the Judges has turned to obedience under the…

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The prominent design element in today’s gate is … a Branch.  This is hugely significant! The book of 2 Samuel is a biographical account of the life of the greatest king of Israel … King David.  David is one of the most important people in the Bible because his life, more than any other person…

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How do you follow the Greatest King of Israel??   …  the Great King David! *  A man after God’s own heart (1 Samuel 13:14;   Acts 13:22)   *  Greatest among warriors!  (1 Samuel 18:7)    *  40 years of experience ruling the kingdom! *  Loyal, devoted subjects! *  Honored & respected by surrounding nations. How do you…

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The gate in today’s background photo is flanked on either side by imposing heads of stern-looking statuary.  No doubt prominent, influential heads-of-state back in their day. And so, just as the imposing head-statuary stretches away on either side of today’s gate, so also we see stretched out before us, in the book of 2 Kings,…

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The gate in today’s background photo speaks to the fact that the people of Israel have been carried away into captivity in a far-away foreign land.  70 years is a long time to live as exiles in a foreign land.  An entirely new generation has been born and has grown up in captivity.  The books…

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The books of 1 & 2 Chronicles are written to the first remnant of Jews returning back to their homeland after 70 years of captivity in the far-away land of Babylon.  The very first group to return comes with the express purpose and intent of rebuilding the Temple. Jerusalem is in ruins!  The wall around…

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Our background photo for today was taken in a botanical garden … one which is filled with a dazzling array of gorgeous plants showcasing vibrant blooms.  But this gate??    Where are the dazzling plants with vibrant blooms?? This gate is located along the outer edge of the botanical garden … in an area which has…

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As we look at today’s background photo, to be honest, it means nothing to us.  A crumbling wall … there isn’t even a gate … the gate is completely gone.  So what. Now think for a moment to the time your email account was hacked.  Does that bring up any emotions?   Oh yes.   How about…

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The gate for today’s background photo is located along a paved walking path.  Every day, a sea of humanity passes by this gate … normal, common, ordinary people … passing by on the walking path. So it was that from the “sea of humanity” in the Persian empire, a normal, common, ordinary Jewish girl was…

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Music is powerful!   Music can capture the emotions like nothing else!   Music can pull us in through meter, tempo, rhythm.  It can get our hands clapping!  It can get us up on our feet and dancing!  The joy!  The happiness!  Only music can move us to celebrate with such wholehearted abandon! Music can capture dissonance…

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Today’s background photo was taken while whizzing down the road.   A quick glance off to the side and in a blink, we see a gate flash by.  The book of Proverbs is the gateway to wisdom.  Wisdom calls out to humanity whizzing by on life’s highway: “Wisdom calls aloud in the street, she raises her…

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Our background photo shows a wearisome set of stairs.  What you can’t see is that these stairs extend endlessly higher than can be seen in the photo.  Up, up, and further up … they climb!!   Exhausting! The gate to the left of the photo looks tired and weary!  The surrounding walls look tired and weary! …

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Our background photo today looks through a gate … far down the road, into the future.  So also, the book of Isaiah is a prophetic book, which looks through the gate of “here and now” … far down the road into the future.  The prophet Isaiah delivered a bold message to the rebellious nations of…

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As we look at our gate in today’s background photo we notice a couple of things.   First off, we see that the ground right around the gate is marshy and muddy.  Our gaze travels past the gate to notice, hazy in the background, a very huge power transmission tower looming close at hand! This image…

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Ezekiel lived during the same time and through the same circumstances as Jeremiah and Daniel.  All three were great prophets of God!  Yet all three had completely different ministries. Jeremiah prophesied to the people prior to their captivity.  He prophesied that the captivity would last exactly 70 years (Jeremiah 25:11-12;  Jeremiah 29:10-14).  Jeremiah also wrote…

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The book of Daniel opens in a scene of military conquest, as Nebuchadnezzar invades Jerusalem and carries off to Babylon both treasures and captives.  (see 2 Kings 42:1-4)   Among the captives taken away was a young teenager … Daniel, who was probably around 15 years old at the time. From the very opening verses of…

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As we look at our gate for today, the thought comes to mind that this location would be a beautiful venue for a wedding.  In fact, this very gate has been seen strung with ribbons and wedding décor.   A perfect venue for a perfect wedding! The book of Hosea opens with the announcement of a…

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Probably none of us have ever experienced a plague of locusts.   Most of us have never even seen locusts.  Laura Ingalls Wilder, in her writings about growing up in the American Midwest during the late 1800’s, gives us a really good feel for what a plague of locusts is like.   (excerpted from “On The Banks…

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What a gate!   Lavish opulence  …  can be found beyond the gate. The wealthiest of the wealthiest enjoy luxurious homes and properties with sweeping dramatic views of the valley and mountain range  …  beyond the gate.  Private and reserved. However …  …  the forces of nature which caused the dramatic sweeping views, hold a silent…

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Our background gate today leads upward, to the “heights” (so to speak), to lovely living accommodations.  The gate could almost look like a copper gate (if we were to use our imagination). The ancient nation of Edom was located where current-day Petra is now located.  The Edomites were known for their magnificent cities and dwellings…

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God loves all people!  God wants all people of the earth to repent and turn to Him! *   The prophet Isaiah delivered many messages from God to the surrounding nations warning them to repent!  *   The prophets Jeremiah and Ezekiel also delivered warnings from God to the surrounding nations:  Repent!  Disobedience will result in consequences! …

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Our background gate today is located in a courtroom.  If you look closely at the banister in the foreground you will notice two distinct breaks in the banister where a gateway opens so that witnesses may pass through to the witness stand.  This courtroom and “gateway to justice” is located in a city which once…

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The gate in our background photo today speaks a very clear, very direct message:  If you keep proceeding down this road, it will cost! The Assyrian people, living in the capital city of Nineveh, had been traveling for years down the road of violence and sin!  God sent his prophet, Jonah, to warn the people…

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Have you ever found yourself trying to exit a parking lot, but when you reach the gate … it won’t go up.  For some reason the gate won’t go up.  So, there you sit … stuck … and waiting. Habakkuk lived during the final waning days of the southern kingdom of Judah.  Already, the northern…

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Our background photo today features a gate, whereupon passing through, one encounters rows upon rows of lounge chairs … all lined up for people to relax and enjoy life.   Sunshine and palm trees.  Gentle breezes and not a care in the world. This picture sums up what the southern kingdom of Judah was like during…

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Our background photo today shows a road which, at some point in the past, was almost completed.  Only a little bit more was left.  But the surrounding neighbors did not want the road to be completed.  The surrounding neighbors petitioned the government for the project to be stopped.  And as a result, the project was…

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The road beyond the gate is long … so long.  “Home” waits at the end of the road – beautiful and peaceful.  But the road is so long! It had already been a long wearisome journey just to get to the gate!   For the people of Israel, their journey had taken them to Babylon, into…

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Over the past 43 days we have been pondering the question:  What is the gateway to Heaven?  How can I get to Paradise? This question has led us on a journey through each book of the Old Testament. Our journey began in the book of Genesis, where our background image found us outside a gate,…

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We all long for Paradise. God created us to live forever in a beautiful paradise, in perfect loving relationship with Him!  This is what we were made for.  But alas, we stand outside the gate … with no way to get past the barrier of sin.  We gaze longingly towards paradise … as if gazing…

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It’s time! Spring is here … the plants are beginning to come back to life.  Now is the time.  It’s time to prepare the way. Move the huge boulders from out of the way. Pull up the blackberry vines and briars! Level out the ground. Lay down weed-blocker. Gather gravel for the pathway. It’s time…

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It had been 400 years since God had spoken to the Jewish people through His prophets. 400 years of silence. So, in that time of silence, the Jewish people poured over the words God had already given them.  It was during this 400-year time span that the writings of the Old Testament were compiled together…

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When we open the pages of the New Testament, we notice right away that the times are Roman.  The Roman empire is at its height!  The long-awaited promised Savior has arrived!  Jesus Christ!   Jesus has broken down the barrier of sin and has opened the gateway to Heaven!  Everyone needs to hear the good news!…

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Our background photo today shows the entrance gate to a hospital.  This particular hospital is located in a third world country in southeast Asia. On any given morning, this very gate at this hospital is crowded with hundreds of people  … all hoping to be able to see a physician.  There are only 2 or…

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Our background photo for today was taken from a boat … and, as you can see, the gate is made from netting.  The book of John was written by a fisherman, John, who before meeting Jesus spent his life on the water casting nets.  After meeting Jesus, John became one of Jesus’s closest disciples and…

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Our background gate today is the entrance to a Power Substation.  Here great amounts of power are brought in from the generation facilities in the foothills of the Cascades.  And from here the power is disseminated and sent throughout the region … ultimately reaching each and every home. The book of Acts is about Power!  …

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Today’s gateway arch is reminiscent of a Roman-era Triumphal Arch.  This particular gateway arch spans a major thoroughfare in a prominent capital city of Europe. And so we come to the book of Romans.  We have seen already that the Gospel of Mark was written specifically to Roman peoples throughout the Roman empire.  The book…

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Today we see a beautiful arched gateway … leading from one area of a lovely shopping center to another.   What a wonderful place.  Palm trees and sunshine!  Warm gentle breezes! The city of Corinth was much like our background photo today.  Sunshine and palm trees!  Wonderful climate!  Fabulous shopping!  In fact, the city of Corinth…

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Our beautiful arched gateway today is leading us to a church worship center.  We are still in the same region as yesterday … warm breezes and palm trees.  But today’s gateway is overcast and cloudy.  The book of 2 Corinthians is a follow-up letter, written by the Apostle Paul, to the believers in Jesus who…

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The region of Galatia was located in today’s central area of modern-day Turkey.  The Apostle Paul had traveled throughout the region of Galatia preaching the Good News of Jesus Christ:  Jesus has come from Heaven!  Jesus has broken down the barrier of sin!  Jesus has opened the gateway to Heaven! Many people in the region…

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Our gateway today leads to the United States Mint.  Abundant riches can be found beyond this gate. So also, when we open the book of Ephesians, we see that God’s abundant riches are freely available to us, through the gateway of Jesus Christ.  Jesus has broken down the barrier of sin.  Jesus has torn down…

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Today’s gateway is the boarding gate at an airport.  We are boarding the plane of Salvation, through the boarding gate of Jesus Christ.  We’re headed for the Kingdom of Heaven!   As we settle into our seat, we notice an instruction manual in the seatback pocket in front of us … it is the book of…

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What does it mean to be a Christian? What does the Christian life look like?? The people of the city of Colossae (in the area of southwest modern-day Turkey) had heard the Good News about Jesus Christ!  They had believed in Jesus.  And their lives had been radically changed by their faith and hope in…

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Our gateway today is the entrance to Glacier National Park.  As is obvious, everyone cannot freely enter into the Park.  A fee must be paid to enter.  Imagine for a moment that someone graciously paid the fee for everyone in the entire country.  The fee has been paid, and everyone is offered a Yearly National…

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Our background photo today follows the same theme as yesterday.  Once again, our gateway leads to a National Park.  And as is obvious, everyone cannot freely enter into the Park.  A fee must be paid to enter. Neither size nor importance matters.  Whether a large truck, a convertible, or even a bicycle … everyone must…

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Throughout the Bible, the people of God are often referred to as “sheep.” –  Isaiah 53:6 – “We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way.” –  Matthew 9:36 – “When Jesus saw the crowds, He had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep…

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Our gate today is a lonely gate … near the bottom of a steep hill.  It is a chained gate. In the book of 2 Timothy, we see that the Apostle Paul is lonely.  Everyone has deserted him. (2 Timothy 1:15;  2 Timothy 4:9-16) His life is at the end of a steep downhill ……

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What does it mean to be a Christian??   What does it look like to live the Christian life?? The book of Titus offers the answer. The island of Crete is located in the Mediterranean Sea, below Greece and Turkey.  The Apostle Paul had spent some time on the island of Crete sharing the Good News…

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Our gate today is a very warm welcoming gate.  It looks like we are coming home. As humans we are well-aware that we make mistakes.  We fail.  We mess up. Yet God offers us grace and forgiveness. Because Jesus paid the penalty for our sin  –  God forgives us.  Because of Jesus  –  the gateway…

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Our background gate today is weary.  It is weathered and worn down. So also the book of Hebrews was written to people who were weary.  They were being persecuted for their faith in Jesus.  They were worn out. The recipients of the book of Hebrews were Jewish Christians.  These people had devoted their entire lives…

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Taking a quick glance at our background photo today, one would not even question whether or not this is a gate. However … upon taking a closer look, the question arises:  Is this really a gate??  It doesn’t appear that this gate could even clear the driveway.  But wait … there is a hinge.  Still,…

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Our gate today is not a fancy gate.  It does not even have a hinge.  Nevertheless, this gate is very effective at doing the work of a gate. –  It swings open and shut. –  It provides protection. –  It provides a boundary. This gate is very important because it protects the garden from being…

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Our background gate today sits on a piece of property which once used to be vacant and barren.  It was just a lonely empty field, on the corner of a busy street … with a dilapidated house and a run-down barn.  However, now … after months upon months of hard work, this property has been…

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Perhaps you might be wondering why there are so many books of the Bible with the title of “John.”    Already we have looked at the book of John near the beginning of the New Testament.  Now, here at the end of the New Testament, there are three more books with the titles of: “1st”…

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The book of 1 John emphasized “walking in the Light” …  therefore our background photo for 1 John emphasized a gateway which sat upon a dividing line between the shadows and the light. Pass through the gateway of Jesus … from the “shadows” of sin … and “walk in the Light” of Jesus Christ! Our…

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The book of 3 John is another short letter written by the Apostle John, with the emphasis of “walking in the Light.”    The book of 3 John opens with commendation for “walking in the Light” … in particular, a man named Gaius is highly commended for: –  being faithful to the Truth  – 3…

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What is the Bible about? The Bible is God revealing to humanity: –  who God is  –  how the world came into existence  –  how humanity came into existence  –  what is wrong with the world – sin!   –  how Jesus came from Heaven to earth to solve the sin problem  –  how humanity…

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Our background gateway today is the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, Missouri.  For the people who lived in the early 1800’s, St. Louis was the “Gateway to the West” … the gateway to faraway lands where there existed things which could not even be imagined! Imagine trying to describe to someone, using only words, the…

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Our background photo today features a lovely shiny gate with a keypad.  Many people think that as long as they get the correct combination entered into the keypad, then the gateway to Heaven will open … right??    All that is needed is the correct combination of good deeds, moral living, prayer, fasting, giving to the…

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Over the past 2 ½ months we have been pondering the question:  What is the gateway to Heaven?  How can I get to Paradise? This question has led us on a journey through each book of the Bible.     Throughout our journey, we have seen:   *   All 39 books of the Old Testament…

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During hubby’s and my travels the past two weeks we were in three different countries:  Greece, Turkiye, and Italy.   The people of Greece were wonderfully kind.  The country was beautiful.  The food was delicious.  The historical sights were fascinating.  But Greece wasn’t home.   We were only visiting for a brief time.   Our time in Turkiye…

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Hubby took me down to his work to see the treehouses on Sunday afternoon. It was great fun! Here you can see treehouse #1 … this was the original treehouse. In the back, behind the treehouse you can see a sloping ramp going up to the treehouse. The treehouse is accessible for everyone. But ……

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The Peace Arch sits on the 49th Parallel and straddles the international border between the United States and Canada.   Here in this photo, you can see two International Boundary markers – one on this side of the road, and another on the far side of the road.    These markers indicate the 49th Parallel.   Here is…

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