Joe Ragan

This morning I decided to visit the Synagogue in Budapest.  It is a beautiful, old building.  As I got on the tram, the snow began to fall, and by the time I got to the stop I needed, it was coming down quiet heavily.

It was cold, snowy and windy.  The synagogue was fairly cold inside.  It is a big building with 2 balconies.  I think I would have enjoyed it more had the weather cooperated a little more.

I left there to head to a shopping area and while the bus I was on was stopped to pick up passengers, a car slid into the back.  I knew what this would mean and after a couple of minutes, the driver came back and told all of us to get off the bus!  I wasn’t too sure where we were and so I asked a young couple and they spoke English and helped me get to where I was going!  BTW, the little car was no match for the bus!

After being indoors at the shopping center for a couple of hours, I got ready to head back to the place where I am staying and the sun was out.  Most of the sidewalks had been cleared and it was above freezing!  Quite a change from the morning.

By the time I reached the house, the sun was gone and the snow started falling again.  I shoveled some of the snow away from the entrance and then went inside.

Tomorrow (Thursday) I should have 3 new teeth (2 implants and a new crown) in my mouth, which means I will be heading home on Saturday.

The schedules came out today for the BIG 12 Conference.  Wish I could be in Austin later this year for the matchup between WVU and Texas.  Should be an interesting game if Texas can solve its QB issues.

The other great matchup in Austin is Texas playing TCU after Thanksgiving.  That should be packed with emotion as it will be the first time the two teams have played in Austin in a looong time.

Seeing the schedule brought back the realization that Texas and A&M will not be playing on Thanksgiving night.  It makes me all the more thankful for Kim Macklin, who worked some magic to get for her, her husband and me in 2009.  I will remember that game for a long time.

How long till college season begins?!?

Today I spent more than 2 hours in the dental chair.  I woke up very early this morning (try 3 a.m.) and couldn’t go back to sleep.  After sitting in the dental chair for that long, I waited for almost an hour before I had lunch.

In the fast food restaurant, I dozed off, I was so tired and was awaken when I received a text message!  Well, I am looking forward to next Thursday, as I will have my new implants and crowns in my mouth!  Let the chewing begin!

After spending almost 2 hours in the dental chair today, I went to Starbucks to treat myself and to visit a colleague who was there waiting on his wife.  I find great comfort in walking into a Starbucks in places outside of the US.

What I like about it is that no matter the decor of the store, it seems a little piece of Americana is there.  The smell of the coffee, the atmosphere: music playing but not so loud that you can talk to another person, etc.

I love walking into the store and knowing that whoever is behind the counter will be wearing that fashionable green apron and more than likely they will have a smile on their face and they will speak English!  There may be a Starbucks outside the US where they don’t speak English, but I have yet to find one!

The bags of coffee will be for sale, along with the various mugs, and the sandwiches and treats. It is just so expected in the Starbucks and it brings a slice of home to the heart of one so far away from home.  Thanks Starbucks for bringing a little bit of home to me today in Budapest!

P.S.  Later this week (probably Friday) I will write my 900th post on the Ragan Report…

As you may recall I am in Hungary taking some vacation time and getting some dental work done.  This past weekend I visited some colleagues in western Hungary.  It was good to get out of Budapest and see the “real” Hungary.

On Sunday, during house church, the young Hungarian leader taught out of Mark 3:22-35.  During this scene, Jesus’ mother and brothers came to see him and he was told that they were waiting for him outside.  Jesus asked those in attendance “Who are my mother and my brothers? And looking about at those who sat around him, he said, “here are my mother and my brothers.  For whoever does the will of God, he is my brother and sister and mother.”

Jesus was not “disowning” his family.  Instead he was making a great point for all of us who are in the family of God.  Those who have decided to follow Jesus and his commands are now part of his family.

As I sat around the room, I looked into the faces of an older Hungarian grandmother, a Hungarian leader and a young Hungarian man.  Three members of Jesus’ family and all three at different stages in their lives.  Yet, the Word is true.  Whoever does the will of God, he is part of God’s family.

As you consider the plans you have made for this week, dwell upon these words and do the will of God.

P.S.  Later this week I will be writing my 900th post.  Not sure what I will write about, praying for insight from the Father.

I witnessed an event yesterday that I desired to write about this morning.  However,  last night I read about Josh Hamilton’s relapse and some peoples comments on an ESPN blog that I decided I wanted to write about his relapse and his openness.

When I read about his relapse and his quick response to the press, I was reminded about several verses from Galatians 1: 1-3 “Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. (ESV)

I have grown to really like Josh Hamilton.  I am a huge Texas Rangers fan and watching him grow into his role for the Rangers has been exciting.  Even more so, I realize that he is living out his faith in Jesus Christ each and every day.  And when he has fallen, he has taken ownership and has asked for forgiveness from his family and fans.

Last year, Josh threw a baseball up to a little boy and and his dad reached over the railing to catch the ball, he fell and died.  I can’t begin to imagine the hurt that Josh and his family must have felt through that situation.  I think Nolan Ryan and the Rangers did a great job considering the hurt that family went through, even to this day.  I was sitting in the stadium last fall for the first playoff game when the little boy threw out the first pitch.  The emotions when Josh caught that pitch were electrifying.  It is a scene that I will cherish for a long time.

I have no idea the demons that Josh faces each and every day, but in some respect we all have those same demons trying to cause us to stumble and fall.  Due to Josh’s history, he must walk a tight rope each and every day.  After I read about Josh’s relapse (on Facebook, where else!?) I went to my Twitter account to see if his wife (who I follow) had said anything, and of course she had.

Both of them faced this situation head on.  I admire them for their ability to do this.  Too often as Christians, we face our demons alone.  I know I have and still do in many respects.  Galatians offers us some sage advice to help one another bear those burdens.

Through Josh’s relapse I pray that he will find victory over those demons, his family become even closer than it appears they are now and may Jesus Christ receive the glory.  I, like many others, will pray for Josh, his wife and his family.  That’s what the family of God should do.

I am taking several people through Experiencing God.  It is one of the best courses I know that challenges believers to new heights.

One of the young men studying with me grew up in a family of believers and I think he is the fourth generation Baptist.  After the first week, he shared with me how he was moved by some of the things he read.

One group is studying the Russian version and the other young man is studying in English.  It has been challenging for me as well to take two groups through the study in different languages and they are in different weeks.

I have challenged them to try to journal every day in February.  So, I decided to take the challenge myself.  Not sure that I will have internet every day in February, but I am going to try to blog as often as possible.

At this moment I am watching BBC news and they are reporting more than 70 people in Egypt have been killed in post match riots.  It is sad news for sure.

I am out of Ukraine at the moment, but have been keeping up with the weather situation in Donetsk.  At this moment, it is -8 F (-22 C).  Now for my Texas friends and others who live in the south, that is COLD!!!  Having lived in Kazakhstan, I have seen it much colder, but the difference is the humidity.  Kstan tends to be dry, and UA has more humidity.

Throughout the month of December I wondered if winter was ever going to arrive in Donestk.  Even though it was cold (by a Texans standards!), it was not as cold as it could have been.

As January 2012 rolled around, we had a few snow storms with a couple of heavy snowfalls.  Yet, after a few days, the temps would climb into the upper 30′s or so and the snow melted.  On January 13, I got on a train to go to western Ukraine and while it was cold, there was no snow on the ground.

All that changed as we traveled throughout Ukraine on a 22 hour ride to L’vov.  As we arrived in L’vov the snow was falling and it was decidedly cooler.  On the bus ride to our destination, the snow continued to fall.  It was a great trip to western UA and lots of snow and cold temps.

One phone call to Donetsk told me that temps had fallen and there was snow on the ground here as well.  When I arrived back in Donetsk on January 17, it was definitely colder and snow was on the ground.  Since then, it has snowed much more and the temps have fallen as well.

This morning I checked the temps online and it said that the current temp was zero F.  Thankfully, yesterday they sun was out all day and it was nice to talk a walk along Pushkina Boulevard to my first meeting of the day.  And, it appears the sun will shine again today.  Winter has finally arrived in Ukraine!

I have been in western Ukraine for the last few days and do not have regular internet.  Therefore, my usual Monday Morning Message will most likely appear on Tuesday night after I get home.

Eastern Europe celebrates Christmas according to the old Julian calendar date of January 7.  However, they celebrate New Years by the new Gregorian calender like most everyone else.

So, I went to church on January 7 to attend a Christmas Day celebration.  Toward the end of the service they had prepared a video that was taken at a local school.  The question: which celebration is more meaningful to you: New Years or Christmas?  Well, I knew what the bulk of the answers were going to be before they finished the video: New Years.

You see, Ukrainians, Russians and most of the former Soviet Union have huge celebrations on New Year’s eve or day.  They have a decorated tree for New Years so it is not called a “Christmas tree” like in the US.  (I am fully aware of some businesses trying to change the name of the tree to holiday…).  They give gifts, enjoy lots of food and beverages during their celebration as well.  Everything they do is tied around January 1.

So, seven days later when they celebrate Christmas, it is much more subdued with a few traditions as well.  One of those includes children going door to door to tell some story or sing a song and then get some kind of gift (candy or money).

By now, you probably have figured out which holiday is more meaningful to Ukrainians in the video: New Years.  There was only one person in the video that said that Christmas was more meaningful to them.  My heart was somewhat broken by the responses.

But it also caused me to ponder about Americans.  I know the vast majority of Americans would say Christmas is more meaningful.  However, suppose for a moment, that we placed more emphasis on New Years and gave gifts, had huge meals and all the traditions of Christmas and celebrated them on New Years.  Would most Americans still say that Christmas was more meaningful to them?

As we move into 2012, may we always remember the true reason, no matter the season.