Travel with Us to Turkey

 

TRAVEL WITH US TO TURKEY

In October 2025, my sister Ava and I took a cruise that included a port stop in Kusadasi Turkey. It was a beautiful sunny day and we had the whole day to explore this exotic city along waterfront. We spent about 45 minutes wandering the grounds of this fascinating island with an ancient fort.  We walked across the causeway to get onto Pigeon island.  You can see a cruise ship behind the island -- it's not our ship, but that's where our Azamara ship was docked.

We walked all along the sidewalks you can see in the picture above, admiring the wonderful views of the sea and surrounding town.  There were monuments here and there, exotic trees, and the fortified walls surrounding this rugged island fort.  The large building is also a museum with interesting exhibits inside.  We had a guide who led us around -- rather led Ava, because I kind of went my own way, taking pictures and soaking in the surroundings.  She enjoys listening to guides - I like to do my own thing.

We really enjoyed our time at the Byzantine Castle/Fort on Pigeon Island (ca 13th century).  I wish I could have spent another hour there soaking in the beauty and going at a slower pace.  But, we had to go to a carpet store (it's always expected).  I always feel bad, because I'm not going to buy anything in these stores - even though their carpets are beautiful and finely made.  They costs thousands of dollars!

After viewing many beautiful carpets and drinking some delicious apple juice, we left the carpet store and walked into the "bazaar" area of shops and restaurants.  We also were able to go inside Kaleichi mosque - which was quite exciting.  It is the oldest mosque (ca 1618) in Turkey, built in classical Ottoman architecture.  There is a fountain with many spigots outside where the men must wash up before they come inside to worship.

We got to hear the chanting during their call to worship and it was very interesting.

One of the famous colorful stairs leading up to a higher level of the city.  If you lived here, you would get a workout every day you left your home.  Lots of motorcycles everywhere, although not as many as in Italy, which must be the motorcycle capital of Europe!

Let It Go!

 

This is a devotional I wrote that appeared this month in Arise Daily, a publication of AWSA, a professional writers' group I belong to:

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths. Proverbs 3: 5–6

One of my favorite T-shirts is printed on the front with a silhouette of Elsa and Anna from the movie Frozen, and they’re surrounded by the words, “Trust your journey.”

I enjoy visiting the Disney parks, especially with my grandkids! I don’t agree with all of Disney’s policies, but there is one phrase in one song that I’m in total agreement with: “Let it go!”

Before you cringe and cover your ears, hear me out. There is great value in the meaning of those three words (not to mention, I happen to love hearing them sung!).

The wisdom in those words is far-reaching. There are many struggles, dilemmas and obstacles in life that can be overcome if you just let go of your fear, your bitterness, your anger, your sorrow, your pride, your hatred—whatever it is that you’re holding onto that’s causing internal and/or external damage to your peace, purpose and power. The truth is you need to let it go!

The negative issues we hold onto can be like a tiny pebble in a shoe that irritates with each step and makes serious walking almost impossible. The pebble needs to be removed before you can make significant progress in your life journey.

Like getting rid of an annoying pebble, we can hold our issue up to the light of God’s love and ask Him to take it away. You may need to forgive someone, and God is there to help. Then—here’s where that famous phrase comes into play—let it go! Throw that now-resolved issue out into the cosmos and watch it disappear.

It doesn’t mean that issue never happened; it doesn’t mean someone was not in the wrong for hurting you; it doesn’t mean your heart wasn’t broken. In no way does it negate whatever happened to you, but it does allow you to heal and move on with your life, freed from that nagging burden. Let it go and wave a joyous “good-bye and good riddance!” Praise God! The freedom you will feel after letting go is amazing!

When we trust our journey to God as we’re told in Proverbs, the joy, freedom, peace, power, purpose and direction we’ll enjoy in our lives will be so much greater.  We need to trust our journey to our Heavenly Father - who knows the end from the beginning and everything in between!

Disney doesn’t always get it right and neither do we, but we know who does. If we’ll seek the Lord and His ways, He tells us that He will be found by us. He’ll help us to let go what we need to let go of and grasp onto what we need to hold onto—and that would be Him, our Lord Jesus, who loves us with an everlasting love! Now that’s something we must never let go of!

Prayer: O Lord, help me to be kind and forgiving in all my relationships, even as you have loved and forgiven me.