Brett Illig
In search of the good, the true, and the beautiful. Here are some moments along the way.
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Hope and Home
Walking through the familiar door into the place that I called home for most of my childhood and teenage years brought contentment and a sense of peace, yet also confliction. I knew what stair created the loudest creak. I knew what seat gave the best view of the TV. Looking up at night, I knew the shadows on the ceiling before I fell asleep. This was my home during some of the most influential times of my life. This was my home that gave birth to great joy, great sorrow, and great love. This was my home. And yet, I was a visitor. For this was my parent’s home. Pulling…
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Human, A Christmas Carol
Last week while driving home from dropping the kids off at school, I heard the first Christmas carol of the season. Well, sort of. It was an accident, and it wasn’t necessarily a Christmas carol by nature. Because Switzerland does not inundate their radio stations and stores with traditional Christmas songs weeks before Christmas, Human by the Human League, at least on one level, served to be the first one I heard all season. Now before you think I have been drinking too much Gluhwein, let me try to explain. I admit that I am an 80’s freak, so anything from the 1980s is ranked high on my list. The…
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The Mountains and the Divine
Why do I need more? There is a profound yearning within me when I see such beauty. There is a profound desire within my soul in the face of such majestic sights. I want more. I desire more. Why isn’t this enough? The sight of such creation seems to come in the form of an invitation rather than a sense of contentment. For the beauty in front of me I see. I touch. I climb. I smell. And yet my senses can’t fill the holes of my desire. My eyes can’t lessen the deep yearning with that in which I can see. Creation is inviting my humanity into the mystery…
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Christmas Market
Switzerland is known for their beautiful Christmas Markets. With this being our first Christmas Season in Switzerland we are excited to visit many markets around the country. Here are some pictures from our first Christmas Market in Brienz, Switzerland. “The season of Advent is like springtime in nature, when everything is renewed and so is fresh and healthy. Advent is also meant to do this to us — to refresh us and make us healthy, to be able to receive Christ in whatever form he may come to us.” -Blessed Teresa of Calcutta
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Happy Thursday
Happy Thanksgiving to all of our American family and friends both at home and abroad. For us, it was our first Thanksgiving living in a country that doesn’t celebrate the holiday. As a result, yesterday was a normal day for us here in Switzerland. It was a school day for my boys. It was a work day for my wife Amy. And it was a grocery store and laundry day for me. It was a Thursday. There were no high school football games to attend. There were no parade’s to watch. There was not an all-day eating and drinking binge. And there will be no leftovers for today. There was…
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Paris, Death, and Uncertainty
It has been one week since evil raised its head in Paris. One week. One week of news reports about those who carried out these attacks. One week of wondering how this could happen again. One week of speculating what and who is next. There was a moment last Saturday afternoon, less than 24 hours from the time the first bullets flew and the first bombs detonated, that I watched my four year old son play outside as if there was no evil in the world. He played with such intensity. He played with such vigor. He played as if death did not show its head less than 4 hours away in a city…
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The Crumbs of Holiness
A couple of days ago, I had a bit of a temper tantrum over the ever-present crumbs that continue to find their home in our house. Some like to live on our kitchen floor. Some would rather stay on the countertops. And some like the view of our dining area from underneath the table. As much as I try to escort them out of our house with a ride in the vacuum, their friends seem to take their places immediately. It is a battle that is never ending. And one that triggers things within me that are not pleasant. Now, I don’t have to look very far to see who…
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The Emmental
One of the great things about exploring a new country is that you never know what you are going to find. I set out today to explore a part of the country known as the Emmental. The Emmental is a valley in west central Switzerland that is made up of hilly country sides and lush forests. After driving through and then up some roads that were a bit scary, I came upon some trails and a beautiful view of the Bernese Alps. I couldn’t help but to be in awe of the beauty. “Nature is the art of God.” –Dante Alghieri
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Worb, Switzerland in Fall
We are experiencing our first “fall” living in Worb, Switzerland. The changes have been beautiful to watch. “To live is to change, and to be perfect is to have changed often” Blessed John Henry Newman
