“My story is of such marvel that if it were written with a needle on the corner of an eye, it would yet serve as a lesson to those who seek wisdom.” ~ The Arabian Nights
Beautiful and tender story of adventurous kids, very evocative. You said you loved that world until you learned the truth, and then you could no longer tolerate it. Is it because the way Islam permeated that world and oppressed the people (Sharia Law)? Or was it something else?
As a parent, I am encouraged to read of your mom and dad’s correction of you and your siblings during your necessary exposure to the occult, and evil. Many times I second guess “how much it matters” to protect my children from what I know is evil in media and our culture. We live out in the country, where the Lord let us, and my children are, thankfully, isolated from much of it.
But when we are confronted by the evil in the world, I am constantly explaining and pointing things out. It can start to feel too strict. Paranoid.
But I’m not led by fear. I am led by The Truth, The Light, and teaching my children The Way. As Deut. 6:7 commands “You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.”
I am grateful you wrote this article, along with the others about your family life. I’m so impressed with your parents, and encouraged by them, and the way it has influenced you. Praise be to God!
Your writing is always Intriguing and thought-provoking. I’m grateful you mentioned your children’s books a couple of months ago so I can share them with my children. I can’t wait to read more of the story and your perspective on Egypt.
The Greatest Story of Reality ever told: The Sovereign Creator of the Universe left His Throne to pay for a debt He didn't owe. Why? Because He was the only One who could take responsibility for His creation that owed a debt IT COULD NOT PAY! The Love Story Begins In Genesis and ends in Revelation. " In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God., and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. ALL things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it"(John 1:1-5) Why? " And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed."(John 3:19-20). Understanding reality can only be achieved by faith; faith requires an object. " So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God "(Romans 10:17). " But without faith it is impossible to please God, for he who comes to God must believe that
He is, and that He is a rewarder of those that diligently seek Him" (Hebrews 11:6). " But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God , THROUGH FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST[Object of Faith], to all and on all who BELIEVE. For there is no difference; for ALL HAVE SINNED and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His GRACE through the redemption[PAID OUR SIN DEBT] that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood["And according to the law almost all things are purified with blood, and WITHOUT SHEDDING OF BLOOD THERE IS NO REMISSION[
'FORGVENESS]-Hebrews 9:22. Reality resides in Jesus Christ! 'Jesus said to him, I AM THE WAY, THE TRUTH, AND THE LIFE. NO ONE COMES TO THE FATHER EXCEPT THROUGH ME"(John 14:6), " And He said to them, you are from beneath; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world. Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins, for if you do not believe that I am He (MESSIAH, CHRIST, SAVIOR), YOU WILL DIE IN YOUR SINS" (John 8:23,24). Reality: THERE IS A GOD...AND WE ARE NOT HIM! BELIEVE(Faith) that God in the person of Jesus Christ; uniquely born physically without an inherent sin nature; lived a perfect sinless life which qualified HIM & HIM ALONE; to pay the penalty of all the sins of the human race["For as in Adam(original sin, progenitor of inherent sin) ALL die, even so in CHRIST ALL SHALL BE MADE ALIVE[spiritual death/separation from God to spiritual life/eternal life]' (1 CORINITHIANS 15:22)." FOR THE WAGES OF SIN IS DEATH[separation from God eternally], BUT THE GIFT OF GOD IS ETERNAL LIFEI IN CHRIST JESUS OUR LORD" (Romans 6:23). ' knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, BUT WITH THE PRECIOUS BLOOD OF CHRIST, as with a lamb without blemish[innocent/sinless] and without spot[perfection] He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world[John 1:1-3], but was manifest in these last times for you who through Him believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope[absolute assurance] ARE IN GOD[JESUS]." (1 Peter 18-21). Reality: Put your faith ALONE, for eternal salvation, in CHRIST ALONE; Learn about God by studying HIS WORD; Tell others about HIM; Live each day to SERVE HIM; That is our purpose & destiny; THAT IS WHY WE ARE HERE; THAT IS REALITY. " Jesus said to him, ' You shall love the Lord your God with ALL your heart, with ALL your soul, and with ALL your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments hang ALL the Law and the Prophets."(Matthew 22:37-40). Reality: Volition is the issue! There are NO second chances after physical death. " For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten[uniquely born] Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting[eternal] life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved" (John 3:16,17).
Thank you once again for a great post, Ms. Hunt. The Moroccan professor you met in Fez reminded me very much of the role played by Omar Sharif in the film Monsieur Ibrahim et les fleurs du Coran (Mister Ibrahim and the Flowers of the Qur'an). If you have not seen it, I cannot recommend it highly enough, in particular the scene where Monsieur Ibrahim, a Turkish Sufi, sits in a sidewalk cafe and enjoys a glass of wine. The Jewish boy he has taken under his wing says “I thought Muslims are not allowed to drink alcohol!” And Monsieur Ibrahim replies “I am Sufi, Momo”. A beautiful film that celebrates our capacity for love that transcends religious divides. Sufism is something very close to my heart, for its beauty. Before returning to the Christian faith, for several years I practiced Sufism with great devotion, studied the Quran, and belonged to a Sufi “tariqah”. Our dhikr gatherings were very beautiful celebrations of the divine. Sufis are the antithesis of “Muslims” who appear in headlines, who are consumed with hatred and thirst for war and subjugation of all non-Muslims. One would never know it from reading content here on Substack or in countless other media, but the radical Jihadi, the suicide bomber, the violent psycopaths who have repeatedly carried out horrible attacks on the innocent — such people are by no means representative of the average Muslim. This I say based on long years of experience. Here in Germany, where I have lived for over 20 years, I have come to know many Muslims quite well. They are sober, rational people practicing their faith, going off to work every day, trying to raise their children as best they can, as appalled by the worst trends today as we are. The sad fact of the matter is that religion in general seems to trigger in many individuals reactions that I cannot help but think are often rooted in the desire to be better than my neighbor, to insist that I and my fellow faithful alone know the real truth of God. Finally, there is much worthy of criticism in Islamic culture, that I would not dispute. But it is very easy to forget radical and even violent, hateful “Christians”, e.g. so called Christians who were delighted that AIDS killed many people. The Book of Joshua in the Bible contains incitement to extreme violence, murder of innocents, that is horrifying. Religion, as ever, is still today used as a means to divide and conquer humanity. A great tragedy.
“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” Ephesians 6:12
Beautiful and tender story of adventurous kids, very evocative. You said you loved that world until you learned the truth, and then you could no longer tolerate it. Is it because the way Islam permeated that world and oppressed the people (Sharia Law)? Or was it something else?
As a parent, I am encouraged to read of your mom and dad’s correction of you and your siblings during your necessary exposure to the occult, and evil. Many times I second guess “how much it matters” to protect my children from what I know is evil in media and our culture. We live out in the country, where the Lord let us, and my children are, thankfully, isolated from much of it.
But when we are confronted by the evil in the world, I am constantly explaining and pointing things out. It can start to feel too strict. Paranoid.
But I’m not led by fear. I am led by The Truth, The Light, and teaching my children The Way. As Deut. 6:7 commands “You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.”
I am grateful you wrote this article, along with the others about your family life. I’m so impressed with your parents, and encouraged by them, and the way it has influenced you. Praise be to God!
Your writing is always Intriguing and thought-provoking. I’m grateful you mentioned your children’s books a couple of months ago so I can share them with my children. I can’t wait to read more of the story and your perspective on Egypt.
Thank you, sister.
mesmerizing story telling. I read it and listened twice. Can't wait for the next installment. Cheers!
The Greatest Story of Reality ever told: The Sovereign Creator of the Universe left His Throne to pay for a debt He didn't owe. Why? Because He was the only One who could take responsibility for His creation that owed a debt IT COULD NOT PAY! The Love Story Begins In Genesis and ends in Revelation. " In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God., and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. ALL things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it"(John 1:1-5) Why? " And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed."(John 3:19-20). Understanding reality can only be achieved by faith; faith requires an object. " So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God "(Romans 10:17). " But without faith it is impossible to please God, for he who comes to God must believe that
He is, and that He is a rewarder of those that diligently seek Him" (Hebrews 11:6). " But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God , THROUGH FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST[Object of Faith], to all and on all who BELIEVE. For there is no difference; for ALL HAVE SINNED and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His GRACE through the redemption[PAID OUR SIN DEBT] that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood["And according to the law almost all things are purified with blood, and WITHOUT SHEDDING OF BLOOD THERE IS NO REMISSION[
'FORGVENESS]-Hebrews 9:22. Reality resides in Jesus Christ! 'Jesus said to him, I AM THE WAY, THE TRUTH, AND THE LIFE. NO ONE COMES TO THE FATHER EXCEPT THROUGH ME"(John 14:6), " And He said to them, you are from beneath; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world. Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins, for if you do not believe that I am He (MESSIAH, CHRIST, SAVIOR), YOU WILL DIE IN YOUR SINS" (John 8:23,24). Reality: THERE IS A GOD...AND WE ARE NOT HIM! BELIEVE(Faith) that God in the person of Jesus Christ; uniquely born physically without an inherent sin nature; lived a perfect sinless life which qualified HIM & HIM ALONE; to pay the penalty of all the sins of the human race["For as in Adam(original sin, progenitor of inherent sin) ALL die, even so in CHRIST ALL SHALL BE MADE ALIVE[spiritual death/separation from God to spiritual life/eternal life]' (1 CORINITHIANS 15:22)." FOR THE WAGES OF SIN IS DEATH[separation from God eternally], BUT THE GIFT OF GOD IS ETERNAL LIFEI IN CHRIST JESUS OUR LORD" (Romans 6:23). ' knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, BUT WITH THE PRECIOUS BLOOD OF CHRIST, as with a lamb without blemish[innocent/sinless] and without spot[perfection] He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world[John 1:1-3], but was manifest in these last times for you who through Him believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope[absolute assurance] ARE IN GOD[JESUS]." (1 Peter 18-21). Reality: Put your faith ALONE, for eternal salvation, in CHRIST ALONE; Learn about God by studying HIS WORD; Tell others about HIM; Live each day to SERVE HIM; That is our purpose & destiny; THAT IS WHY WE ARE HERE; THAT IS REALITY. " Jesus said to him, ' You shall love the Lord your God with ALL your heart, with ALL your soul, and with ALL your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments hang ALL the Law and the Prophets."(Matthew 22:37-40). Reality: Volition is the issue! There are NO second chances after physical death. " For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten[uniquely born] Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting[eternal] life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved" (John 3:16,17).
Thank you once again for a great post, Ms. Hunt. The Moroccan professor you met in Fez reminded me very much of the role played by Omar Sharif in the film Monsieur Ibrahim et les fleurs du Coran (Mister Ibrahim and the Flowers of the Qur'an). If you have not seen it, I cannot recommend it highly enough, in particular the scene where Monsieur Ibrahim, a Turkish Sufi, sits in a sidewalk cafe and enjoys a glass of wine. The Jewish boy he has taken under his wing says “I thought Muslims are not allowed to drink alcohol!” And Monsieur Ibrahim replies “I am Sufi, Momo”. A beautiful film that celebrates our capacity for love that transcends religious divides. Sufism is something very close to my heart, for its beauty. Before returning to the Christian faith, for several years I practiced Sufism with great devotion, studied the Quran, and belonged to a Sufi “tariqah”. Our dhikr gatherings were very beautiful celebrations of the divine. Sufis are the antithesis of “Muslims” who appear in headlines, who are consumed with hatred and thirst for war and subjugation of all non-Muslims. One would never know it from reading content here on Substack or in countless other media, but the radical Jihadi, the suicide bomber, the violent psycopaths who have repeatedly carried out horrible attacks on the innocent — such people are by no means representative of the average Muslim. This I say based on long years of experience. Here in Germany, where I have lived for over 20 years, I have come to know many Muslims quite well. They are sober, rational people practicing their faith, going off to work every day, trying to raise their children as best they can, as appalled by the worst trends today as we are. The sad fact of the matter is that religion in general seems to trigger in many individuals reactions that I cannot help but think are often rooted in the desire to be better than my neighbor, to insist that I and my fellow faithful alone know the real truth of God. Finally, there is much worthy of criticism in Islamic culture, that I would not dispute. But it is very easy to forget radical and even violent, hateful “Christians”, e.g. so called Christians who were delighted that AIDS killed many people. The Book of Joshua in the Bible contains incitement to extreme violence, murder of innocents, that is horrifying. Religion, as ever, is still today used as a means to divide and conquer humanity. A great tragedy.
“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” Ephesians 6:12
Fascinating and beautiful. Makes me want to travel with my children! And then I come to my senses 😂
Nice "vw farfegnugen".
Wonderful story, wonderful family. Thank you.