Israel - Day #6

Have you missed me? Sorry, I haven't blogged for the last couple of days, but we haven't had an internet connection. Let me start with answering Kara's question - Yes, you can get a diet Coke but I haven't seen any fountain ones since we left the Sea of Galilee. I wish they had a 7-11 here!

We have seen so many things in the last 3 days - my head is spinning. I can't even count the number of Bible stories that we've actually seen the locations of - touched the same rocks, walked on the same streets, etc. We are still posting pictures from each day, so don't forget to check them out. I know many of them are hard to understand without an explanation, but some of them are self-explanatory, especially if you read the signs tha go with them.

We ended our day today at the Western Wall or the "Wailing" Wall. The Jews pray at the Western Wall because it is the closest location to the Holy of Holys on the Temple Mount. Because they are not allowed on the Temple Mount - the muslims are in possession of the Temple Mount - this is as close as they can get to where the Holy of Holys would have been - and to where God's presence was in the temple.

It was an awesome experience to sit within feet of the wall - the actual wall that was there in the day of Jesus - and then to go up to the wall and pray and put the prayers I had brought with me in the wall. I was surrounded by women on each side - young and old - praying to God. Some of them prayed in silence, others out loud. Some stood still, while others rocked back and forth "Love the Lord your God with all your body, mind and strength" Deuteronomy 6.

Words really can't express everything I have experienced here in Israel. Shalom!

Random thoughts about Israel

1. Mc Donald's does not have a Dollar Menu here - it cost us $15.00 to buy dinner tonight.
2. Nazareth is up on a hill and very rocky.
3. People use their car horns to communicate.
4. You can't get cheese on a hamburger here - it's not kosher.
5. The pigeons have big poop - trust me, I was blessed by a Nazarene bird today - down my shirt, arm, hand, etc.
6. You don't want to live near a mosque. The muslims pray 5 times a day - over a loud speaker - it's really loud.

Israel - Day #3

Do you know what this is? It is a feeding trough and it's thousands of years old - I'm serious. It's also known as a manger. This is our guide Elan, explaining that this is most likely what Jesus was put in after he was born. Wood, like we see in our manger scenes, was not used as frequently as stone because it was very expensive and stone was very plentiful. Here's a thought for you... the "Bread of Life" was placed in a "feeding trough" when he was born - there's some symbolism for you.

One of my favorite things from today was sitting in a synagogue in Nazareth and reading Luke 4, beginning with verse 14. The synagogue is believed to be where Jesus actually said the words you read in Luke 4 - "The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor..." All I can really say is "WOW!" I am definitely at a loss for words when it comes to explaining most of my experiences here in Israel.

Israel - Day #2

Today we visited Acco - a port on the Mediterranean Sea, Mt. Carmel and Ceasarea. This is a picture from the top of Mount Carmel. It was absolutely beautiful and you could see for miles. The picture is taken facing the west with the Mediterranean in the distance. While we were up there, Ed read from I Kings 18 - story of Elijah and the prophets of Baal. This is where Elijah calls down fire from heaven after the prophets of Baal are unable to call fire down from their god. The prophets danced and cut themselves in an effort to get Baal's attention, but nothing happened. We were reminded of how the God of heaven is always there for us, listening for our voice. He's never too busy or out of reach. Elijah called out to God with a quiet confidence, knowing that God would answer him. It was a great time of reflection.

We also visited Ceasarea - a city that Herod created for himself on the coast of the Mediterranean. It's no wonder he picked this location! It is like a tropical resort. The remains of his palace sit right on the waters edge. Ceasarea is also where Paul was imprisoned.

If you would like to see the pictures we have taken so far, you can go to HERE.

Israel - Day #1

I am overwhelmed, but in a good way! Today was awesome and full of great sites. We started the day at the Mount of Beatitudes. That's the Mt. behind me where you see the line of trees on the ridge. The picture was taken as we were traveling along the coast of the Sea of Galilee in a boat similar to what the fishermen in Jesus' day would have used. My favorite part of the day was our visit to Capernaum. Capernaum is where Jesus lived for a while, ministered and healed people toward the beginning of his ministry. It was a great time of reflecting and experiencing a city where Jesus actually lived. We stood in the synagogue where he preached to the people and saw the remains of the house of Peter's mother-in-law. What a day! There is so much more I could say, but I am too tired and I'm off to bed. Tomorrow I will post a link - if you would like to see the pictures we have taken so far. Until tomorrow - Shalom!

Off To Israel

Hi Everybody! I'm off to Israel! I can't believe the trip is finally here. You know I'm a terrible blogger, but I have promised to blog at least a couple of times while I am there. So.... check my blog in a couple of days and see what we're up to in the "Holy Land".