words

I've been so moved by words lately. Poetry, lyrics, thoughts written by people who are inspired to share what is one their heart... I'm just gonna share a few that have resonated with me lately and hope you are moved by them as well.


"I'm going to live my life inspired
Look for the holy in the common place
Open the windows and feel all that's honest and real until I'm truly amazed
I'm going to feel all my emotions
I'm going to look you in the eyes
I'm going to listen and hear until it's finally clear and it changes our lives

There are so many ways to hide
There are so many ways not to feel
There are so many ways to deny what is real

And I just showed up for my own life
And I'm standing here taking it in and it sure looks bright

Oh the glory of God is man fully alive"
-sara groves


"Let your kingdom come in my world and in my life
You give me the food I need to live through the day
And forgive me as I forgive the people that wronged me
Lead me far from temptation
Deliver me from the evil one
I look out the window the birds are composing
Not a note is out of tune or out of place
I look at the meadow and stare at the flowers
Better dressed than any girl on her wedding day

So why do I worry?
Why do I freak out?
God knows what I need
You know what I need"
-jon foreman


"baptize my mind
baptize my eyes
baptize my mind
For these seeds to give birth to life
First it must die"
- jon foreman


This is from a Donald Miller book called "searching for God knows what" - this is the ending of the introduction

"On this journey, you may travel through the same dark night of the soul through which I have come. But on the other side, I assure you, is Christ, and you will love him for what He has done. You will stand bloodied from the battle, kneeling before Him, knowing He is all the hope you had, and hopefully, in a delightful moment of freedom, realize He is always the only hope you need."


“If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough”- albert einstein

“Adopt the pace of nature; her secret is patience.”- ralph waldo emerson

“When Christ taught that God commanded people to "love each other as I have loved you," He didn't add a footnote that said, "except for the gays, the people of other religions, the people of other colors, the poor, or those who don't live up to your expectations."”- Cindi Wafstet



I think so many of our issues with each other and each others doctrine or theology on life and God is a language and ego issue. Yes some issues are black and white and should be able to be presented with our words as such. But some things just are not. We all come from different life experiences and journeys so how could we expect to all be able to express our feelings on God, politics, relationships, or health in the same way. We also inherently have the desire to be right, so when we express ourselves there is often no room for humility. And when we hear others thoughts we immediately compare them to how we would express the same idea. I want to learn to listen better and truly see where the writer is coming from. Really try to hear what they are saying with my ego on the back burner. But at the same time knowing what the Spirit tells me and what God has set in stone.

Just some thoughts. Words.

Today, I love growing up. I love that I am growing up (although some days I wish I didn't have to.) Learning. Searching. Being molded and refined. Defining who I am in this world. I see the growth from the years that have passed and I am excited to see what the next chapters hold. I want a teachable heart. A humble spirit. Thank you God for your teaching and leading.

peace.

raw

Today is day 5 of my mom and my 10 day raw food "diet"

I have been sharing with mom about a raw and living food way of life and how I have become more and more passionate about heathy/natural eating. I asked her "if I cook for you for 10 days, will you eat what I make?" She said yes and I went to Publix.

Many people cringe or worry when I say raw food, so I will explain.

Raw foodism is a lifestyle promoting the consumption of uncooked, unprocessed, and living foods as a high percentage of your diet.

It is eating food in its most natural and nutritional state. No raw meat...don't worry.

When we cook our food a large part of the nutritional value is depleted from it or the chemistry of the food is changed. Eating raw veggies, fruits, seeds, and whole grains is the best way to get all the nutrition that God intended for us to have when he designed these amazing foods that come from the earth.

I have been on a healthy eating journey since my last semester of college. I look back at the crazy food I was eating during senior year and all the stress I was under. No wonder I had back pain beyond my years and muscle pain all over my body. Yes, I am out of the stressful environment now, but I believe the way I feel now has a great deal to do with diet (and exercise.) The past 2 years have been an evolution of thought and revelation. I am learning so much and I have never felt better or been more convinced that eating healthy is vital to living a healthy life.

Imagine with me a ripe juicy orange. The color. The fragrance. The zest. The juice. This incredible fruit grew from a tree and man had little to do with it( other than the wonderful men who take care,pick, and juice them.) It was designed by a perfect creator that knew that our bodies would need vitamins and minerals and enzymes that this piece of fruit would supply. It is perfect.

I am astounded by fruits and veggies. How they grow from the earth and offer us everything we need.

In our world today that is full of processed foods, and refined flours and sugars it is no wonder we suffer from pain, illness, and most of our nation is overweight. Now this is a touchy subject but I think it is always worth discussing.

Our bodies are temples and we are only given one of these miraculous pieces of art. It is amazing to me how we have become so accustomed to junk food. When our diet contains more processed, messed with, and fake food than natural living green food, something is off.

I am out to seek a way to live that is glorifying to my temple and creator and healing and nutritional.

Ok so the point is I am learning that all natural is the best for my body. And I believe for yours as well. I understand that everyone has to come to a point where they desire to learn about and make changes in their diet. Well my time is now. And I am loving it.

A dear friend of mine introduced this "Raw" way of eating and at times it seems extreme. But at times it makes all the sense in the world.

I have never been one to rush into the kitchen or even crack open a cookbook, but this week I have been making all of mom and my meals from scratch. It has been a challenge and a joy. She is a delight to cook for, even when its not the best tasting dish. (Im still learning:)

Believe it or not there are countless entrees, snacks, desserts, and soups that can be made without heating anything over 118 degrees. I have truly fallen in love with vegetables.

Our first dish was walnut tacos...

Romaine lettuce leaves as the taco shell

Soaked crushed walnuts mixed in cheyenne/taco seasoning/cumin

guacamole (maybe my favorite food of all time)
avocados
tomato/chopped
onion
cilantro
Sea salt to taste
Pinch of Cayenne

So easy and so savory. And so raw. Dad even ate it!!

I have been making juice for us every morning for breakfast.

Carrots, apples, ginger, kale, spinach, lemon...all together or in combination.

Ground Flaxseed mixed in is also a plus! In smoothies as well.

Also a great superfood type powder that I got is called Spirulina. It is a blue green algae packed with goodies for our bodies! You can get it at local health food stores.

Another dish I made was a zucchini pesto salad. This is moms favorite.

I have also experimented with falafel balls, zucchini hummus, Red pepper based soup, and quinoa salad with arugula.

I am by NO means an expert on this at all. Or am I convinced that I will go 100% raw. I measure along with the rookies at this point but I have learned from watching one of the best. I am passionate about learning how to feed my body what it needs to stay well and functioning on the most glorifying level it can.

I was just introduced to a book called "Plan-D" by Dee McCaffrey. Worth a look.

"Processed-Free Livingg is the nomenclature we have coined to describe the philosophy of Plan-D. Others have described it as holistic nutrition or clean eating. The nutshell of processed-free living is this: Eat foods in their closest to natural form as possible, avoid processed and refined foods, artificial sweeteners, and chemical preservatives, and you will reap the benefits of a healthy and happy body. "

"A person who eats processed-free generally adopts the following practices:

Eliminates white sugar and white flour
Eliminates artificial sweeteners
Eliminates trans-fats and foods fried in unhealthy oils
Eats a variety of whole grains
Minimizes consumption of dairy products
Minimizes exposure to pesticides
Always eats breakfast and never skips meals
Reads food ingredient lists and avoids as many chemical additives as possible
Eats an abundance of vegetables and fruits
Incorporates legumes, nuts, and seeds into their daily meals and snacks
Cooks healthy meals
Packs healthy meals and snacks
Makes healthy choices when dining out
Drinks an adequate amount of water
Eliminates alcoholic beverages (or significantly limits it)
Stays within healthy portion guidelines, but does not obsess about calories
Has a healthy relationship with food and approaches it with reverence
Surrounds themselves with a social community supportive to healthy eating"


YES! I am trying to implement this. Trying. It takes and has taken time.





All this raw talk got me thinking deeper than just food.

I want to live "in the raw."
I crave honesty and truth.
I want to be able to be raw with my loved ones and even strangers.
To be "me" living in my most natural form.
Un-proccesed,.
Not messed with.
Pure.
And in turn, just as raw vegetables have the best effect on our bodies, being a raw being will have the best effect on the ones we love around us.
The most effective for those who take us in.
Not compromised of altered to make us something we are not.
I want to live that way.

I hope you don't see this as crazy, but as an attempt to seek out some truth and health in a blinded world.



love.

sc

Recap

Well we are home!!! After a half a day of traveling I unpacked, organized my room for my life in Winter Haven this summer, slept for a while and now I cant sleep. So I will finish up this blog in regards to Israel.

Our guide Jossi was such a highlight to the trip. He was a wealth of knowledge into the land, history and culture. He was also Jewish. Meaning he does not believe Jesus to be Lord... which was fascinating. He knew so much about Jesus and was better versed in the New Testament than I am but did not have the belief and faith. It is still difficult for Jewish people to accept that Jesus was Messiah. I met a guy who said it was like breaking one of the 10 Commandments " You shall have no other Gods before me." Interesting. I just loved talking to Jossi. He was incredibly in shape for being 70 years old. Just a peach of a man. So proud. So full of life. So thankful he was our guide.

Not sure if I wrote about Caesarea. It is right on the Mediterranean Sea and was built as a port city which really grew in the 3rd century in the Byzantine era. Amazing. Roman style. Was like we stepped back in time again. Those are the pics of all of us at the beach near the water. The theatre was incredible as well. I loved seeing the old old old old theatres! The one in Caesarea is the one where Paul gave his testimony to Felix in Acts 24. We were there. WHOA.


Here is the passage

Paul Before Felix at Caesarea
24:1 And after five days the high priest Ananias came down with some elders and a spokesman, one Tertullus. They laid before the governor their case against Paul. 2 And when he had been summoned, Tertullus began to accuse him, saying:

“Since through you we enjoy much peace, and since by your foresight, most excellent Felix, reforms are being made for this nation, 3 in every way and everywhere we accept this with all gratitude. 4 But, to detain you no further, I beg you in your kindness to hear us briefly. 5 For we have found this man a plague, one who stirs up riots among all the Jews throughout the world and is a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes. 6 He even tried to profane the temple, but we seized him. 8 By examining him yourself you will be able to find out from him about everything of which we accuse him.”

9 The Jews also joined in the charge, affirming that all these things were so.

10 And when the governor had nodded to him to speak, Paul replied:

“Knowing that for many years you have been a judge over this nation, I cheerfully make my defense. 11 You can verify that it is not more than twelve days since I went up to worship in Jerusalem, 12 and they did not find me disputing with anyone or stirring up a crowd, either in the temple or in the synagogues or in the city. 13 Neither can they prove to you what they now bring up against me. 14 But this I confess to you, that according to the Way, which they call a sect, I worship the God of our fathers, believing everything laid down by the Law and written in the Prophets, 15 having a hope in God, which these men themselves accept, that there will be a resurrection of both the just and the unjust. 16 So I always take pains to have a clear conscience toward both God and man. 17 Now after several years I came to bring alms to my nation and to present offerings. 18 While I was doing this, they found me purified in the temple, without any crowd or tumult. But some Jews from Asia— 19 they ought to be here before you and to make an accusation, should they have anything against me. 20 Or else let these men themselves say what wrongdoing they found when I stood before the council, 21 other than this one thing that I cried out while standing among them: ‘It is with respect to the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial before you this day.’”

That happened.

ok moving on....

to Mt Carmel

1 Kings 18- look it up...

where He "turned their hearts back to Him"
Where Elijiah asked God to show himself to the pagan believers by sending fire from heaven and He did. Powerful. I ask God to show himself to us as well.

We also stopped at a bunker in the Golan Heights near Syria where the 6 day war in 67 was fought. God protected His people. Neat walking down in the army bunkers understanding that the Israelis fought for their country with the same pride as our soldiers did and do to defend their land.

We went to Qumran where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found. We actually saw them in Jerusalem. Proof.

We seriously did so much. Im still processing all of it.

I have seen a different side to my God. He transcends time. I am stil blown over by how we were seeing sites and buildings from 3000 years ago. And God was God then too. The same yesterday, today, and forever.

I loved being awakened to the Jewish culture and religion. I am going to study up on the Feasts.
I want to understand my Hebraic roots better. I think it is worth it for all of us to explore what that means to us. Just because Christianity started with Jesus being born, dying and rising doesn't mean He wasn't present (through the Trinity) in all of the time before that.

It will also be interesting to watch what happens with the politics in the Middle East. Lets pray for the leadership of our country to make wise decisions and to live with honesty and integrity.

I was so thankful to have been there with mom!! and Aunt Susan, Aunt Cathy, and Catie Claire. It was quite an adventure. Each of these women have such a special place in my heart and purpose in my life. So blessed by them. Just so blessed to have had that experience. And at a young age. I feel covered in such grace.

Eph 2:8 For by grace are you are saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God, not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do"

Mark 13:32-33 "But of that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone. Take heed, keep on the alert; for you do not know when the appointed time will come. "

I am sure I have left something out but I tried my best to recall all the wonderful things we did and experienced.

Oh here is a quote I wrote down from the Holocaust Museum.

" We became aware that our language lacks words to express this offense. The demolition of man. We had reached the bottom"

Heavy.
It wasnt just Jews either. Gypsies, homosexuals, handicapped people, Polish people.

The art in the museum was almost better than the actual photographs. Captured feelings as well as what it looked like. I can't say enough about this museum.

another quote
"ones need for art, music, theatre, grows when times are miserable."
There was a whole section about theatre and the arts in this horrible time and how it lifted the spirits, as much as it could.

I could write a whole blog on the notes I took in the museum. I saw a young boy walking around the museum with his parents. Maybe 10 years old. What must that be like to be introduced to this at such a young age? How do you take it in? I appreciate the parents teaching him though.

psm 129
They have greatly oppressed me from my youth—
let Israel say-
they have greatly oppressed me from my youth,
but they have not gained the victory over me.



When we sat on the southern steps of the temple we read the Psalms of Ascent. (psalm 120-134) Those are also worth a read. The steps were constructed so you had to walk slowly into the temple. Couldn't rush. God as the designer wanted His people to come into his presence in meditation.
Psalm 122
I rejoiced with those who said to me,
"Let us go to the house of the LORD."
Our feet are standing
in your gates, O Jerusalem.
Jerusalem is built like a city
that is closely compacted together.
That is where the tribes go up,
the tribes of the LORD,
to praise the name of the LORD
according to the statute given to Israel.
There the thrones for judgment stand,
the thrones of the house of David.
Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:
"May those who love you be secure.
May there be peace within your walls
and security within your citadels."
For the sake of my brothers and friends,
I will say, "Peace be within you."
For the sake of the house of the LORD our God,
I will seek your prosperity.

psm 125
Those who trust in the LORD are like Mount Zion,
which cannot be shaken but endures forever.
As the mountains surround Jerusalem,
so the LORD surrounds his people
both now and forevermore.

Well I thank you for your prayers and interest in our journey. I am thinking about carrying on this blog for other adventures so stay updated!

Mom and I are going to do a raw food detox experiment for a week or so... I am going to attempt to keep a journal of it and recipes if you are interested. I have found such passion and joy in health and live, beneficial foods and I am going to love sharing it with my mom this coming week.

Be blessed. Draw close to God. Eat well. Seek. Dream. Love. Listen. Explore.

Shalom!

sarah claire

Rewind

I am going to just post a bunch of pictures.

Hopefully they will speak for themselves. I love how a picture can say a thousand words.

A few videos too.

We are in the Tel Avive Airport waiting to get on our flight back to the states.

Thanks for following us on our journey to this Holy Land. I might do a recap when I get home on final thoughts about the trip.

May grace and peace abound to you!!

shalom,

sc and punkin

shalom Israel

We are in the airport in Eliat, Israel. Kinda like Vegas met Daytona. We swam in the Red Sea, shopped, eat, and kinda unwound from a wonderful trip. Yesterday we went to Petra in Jordan. Quite an experience. The security alone was an experience. Ill have pictures of Petra soon. also worth googling. Or watching Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. Ill let the pictures tell the story. We road camels. Legit. My computer is about to die so I have to be brief.

I feel so very blessed to have been in this land. With these people. My eyes have been opened to Gods heart for His Holy Land and the reality of politics and religious realities in the middle east. I dont watch the news often for a few reasons and I almost cringe when people begin to argue or make angry statements about one way or the other. But I do want truth in my life. In my mind.

My prayer is that we seek truth and hear it. Regardless of our political standing.

Israel is way more important than I knew. And just a beautiful country filled with beautiful people.

This trip has reminded me how much I love to travel.

It has also opened my eyes to how real the Bible is. Being in all these hugely important places to the Jewish and Christian people. Wow. When I read about Mt.Caramel, or the Mt of Olives, or the Sea of Galilee or Jerusalem.... I will have a true mental picture because I was there. Thats cool.


gotta board the plane!!

love.

whew....

I feel like I need to play catch up. The last 2 days have been JAM PACKED! We left the Dead Sea and headed to The Sea of Galilee. It is almost a blur. So many important sites. So much information and teaching. Okay I will try to highlight but know I will leave something out.
We went to the Mt of the Beatitudes. This was neat. There is a Catholic church on the site and the garden was exquisite. We read part of the Beatitudes in Matthew 5. Again I felt rushed. I’m not sure if it has really hit me that I am in the land of Jesus. This man, God, deity, lover, savior that I have spent my life worshipping and getting to know and wrestling with. This is His land. Where He was born and lived and planted the seeds for the largest and most influential religion in the world. This is where it began, and I am learning that this is where it will begin to end as well. There has been lots of talk of the “end times.” Revelation and much of the Old testament tells us that this is where Jesus will return for His people and where the battle of Armageddon will take place. I am going to need to do my own study into all this but I trust in the teachers I am with. There is also teaching about how vital it is as Christians that we support and show our love to the Jewish nation and people. We met this really fascinating guy who was actually an actor in the show at our hotel in the Dead Sea. He was interested to see Christian girls from America interested in and loving the Jewish nation. We had the most incredible 3 hour conversation with this man. We talked religion, Jesus, theatre, politics, and pop culture and it was so honest and educational. A few things I learned…

1. He is over the “tradition and rules” of Judaism . He is Jewish by birth and culture but not religion. He sees the hypocrisy and emptiness of it. Sounds like a lot of Christians I know as well. It challenged me again to really seek the depth in my faith. The honesty in it. To live it with joy and not out of tradition, or because I have too.

2. He believes that the world knows that Obama is a Muslim. We asked what he thinks of America and he told us he is worried about our current leadership and how they are treating Israel.The first thing he said was "well your president is Muslim. We told him that he claims Christianity and he was dumbfounded. He thought everyone knew he was Muslim and we told him most of our nation does not believe that to be true. Interesting. I am not a Obama basher but this was quite curious and many things about his recent dealings with the nation of Israel. This guy understands better than even I do about how swayed our media can be. He understands so much more about my countries politics and policies than I do. He is quite aware of the vital role that America plays in his nation. From a biblical standpoint we as Christians must support Israel and the Jewish people over the Muslim world. This land belongs to the Jews and it must stay in their hands. Islam has swept over the world and really taken over many European countries and is now trying to take Israel. The Dome of the Rock is a perfect example. A Muslim Mosque in the center of the Promised Land of Gods people. I don’t pretend to actually understand all that I am saying or hearing but it is starting to make more sense to me. This is a deep and wide topic that Christians need to be more aware of than we are. Than I am. Than I was.

3. He is so proud of his nation. He loves Israel. He served his 3 years in the IDK) their army that all 18-21 year olds have to serve in) and he is quite aware of the treat that is over his precious land of Israel. He said something that is quite profound. He said “ on 9-11 America felt for a short time how Israel feels everyday.” Whoa. There are huge, angry, powerful terrorist groups in their backyard and they live with that. We are so blessed to have not had that threat for most of our history as a nation.
4. He started out resistant to us because we told him we were Christians and then he really softened up to us and talking about anything and everything. We told him we were of the mind and heart that we are to love above all and life and joy can come from “religion.” We also shared our thoughts on that word. I have always had a negative reaction to the word religion. Its way more about relationship to me.


But now learning about all this Jewish stuff it is a whole other ball game. We as the American church have really turned away from the roots of our “religion.” Jesus was not a Christian. He was a Jewish boy, man, Rabbi, vagabond, friend. We forget that He lived the life of a Jewish man for the most part, except he came to fulfill the law of the prophets not to abolish them.


I have seen more OLD rock ruins in the last few days! Lordy!! 3000 year old synagogues, homes and villages. Even a theatre!!! Ohh that was cool. A Roman style theatre. Catie and I sang on it and danced and it was really amazing.

We toured an Olive Oil factory today. Very cool. The Olive tree and fruit is a huge part of this country. Fascinating to learn how they used to press it and what the oil was used for.

We went to Capernum where they have excavated the synagogue and even Peter’s house, which is where they also believe on of the first Christian home church was. Neat.

Ok I could go and on and on and I know I’m leaving out so much great stuff but I am getting exhausted even reliving all that I have done.

Its mothers day. Mom is still in 7th heaven. I am so thankful to be here with her on this day. Happy mothers day to all mothers reading this. You are a blessing.

Our last night on the Sea of Galilee. We are in a Kubbitz…which is like a little community like hotel. Spread out. Casual. Quaint. We have loved it. I think we are going to Mt. Caramel tomorrow along with lots of other really old places. Hahaha. Im still in awe that I am here. That this is all happening. Not sure if Im ready to understand and take it all in but I am desiring an open heart and mind.

Ohh gosh we got baptized in the Jordan River. I was not sure if I felt great that I had to pay 10 dollars to do it and how commercialized it was but mom really wanted to do it. I kept asking God what I should do…and wasn’t getting any dove from heaven… so I did it anyway. And I am so glad. It was emotional watching mom fulfill a dream and to be by her side knowing what that meant to her. It was also a reminder of what it means to be cleansed in Christ. “An outward symbol of an inward reality” as they say. I got over myself and I am glad. I hate when I can get in the way of something God wants to bless me with.


ANYWAY …. Good stuff.


Ahava and Shalom to all.

Masada and The Dead Sea

Masada. Worth googling, but I will share what I learned. It is a cliff mountain where King Herod build a fortress and getaway community when he reigned sometime from 36 BCE to 4 AD...



Only actually 6 ft above sea level, but you feel like you are on top of the world.

When Rome took Israel around 70 AD... some Jews fled to Masada and lived there to escape the Romans. They lived there for 3 years while the Romans tried to attack and capture them for their own use (slaves.) After 3 years of watching the Romans below them making advancements they had finally seen that they had two options...to be taken by the Romans and loose their lives or identities, or to take their own lives with their honor. They chose honor. The men took the lives of his families and then each others lives until the last man took his own. When the Romans reached the top of this plateau they found all the remains of this moving and bold statement...These Jews felt so strongly about not allowing their families to be taken, beaten, raped and enslaved they chose death over it. What would you do? Such a vital part of Jewish history. I loved being there and learning about Masada and what it means to the Jewish people.

Powerful stuff. The renovations are incredible. Much of it was original though. Living places, cisterns, the oldest synagogue (they believe), a Roman style bath house(complete with tile and etchings from 2000 years ago!)

Then we headed to the hotel to take a dip in the dead sea!

This place is incredible. In the middle of the dessert, the lowest place on earth...1300 ft below sea level, 33% salt and blue like the Bahamas! Once you are in you begin to float. No need for tubes here. Its so fun. But beware if you have a cut on your skin...it burns. But the oils and salt combine to heal and rejuvenate your skin. I sound like a commercial but its all true.

OK so I didnt share about the Holocaust museum Yad Vashem.

I sound like my dad but EVERYONE should go and see a Holocaust museum. It was almost unbearable to walk through and see what the world allowed and what human kind is capable of. I had tears in my eyes half the time. It took about 2 hours to walk through this BRILLIANTLY created museum. Video, art. newspapers, artifacts. I was blown over. I thought I knew a good deal about WWII and the Holocaust but I was wrong. There is so much more. I enjoyed it for many reasons and I think it is vital for anyone whatever your belief or station in life but I ate it up because ( and this might sound silly) of my love for Musical Theatre. Just coming out of doing the show CABARET I was immersed in Nazi Germany for a few weeks. But I was hit by how much theatre there is that comes from the pages of this history. Sound of Music, Fiddler on the Roof, Cabaret, The Producers, The Diary of Anne Frank, South Pacific, just to name a few. As an actress I want to be able to understand every character I play and where they have been. There is more drama in this era than any since then, I believe. My heart hurts still seeing those images and hearing the stories. I am so very thankful to have had the chance to experience this and in ISRAEL no less. Powerful.

I can not fathom how we as humans can be capable of believing that because someone is of a certain race or religion that they are less, scum, vermin, not worthy of life and liberty. The Jewish people have had a history of being at the end of this spear. Almost unbelievable. We must love above all else. The lies and hate that permeated from the Nazi's (and crusaders,christians, muslims even soviets) tried to take out the Jewish people. But they have survived and the pride you see in this nation from the Jewish people is quite a tribute to that.

We who call ourselves Christians must keep ourselves away from any kind of hate or lies that would lead us to do our fellow man harm. It hurts me to know that Christians are responsible for a large part of the persecution of the Jews. They are our roots. We must remember and love. Ahava

Last day in the City of David

Today we went to the "Garden Tomb." I put quotes around it because it is merely a site where they think it could be. None the less there is some convincing arguments for it... outside the city walls... on a hill... shaped like a skull...

Aunt Cathy believes the site of the crucifixion and resurrection to be on the Mt of Olives. She shared with us much more convincing informations for this site. But the Garden Tomb was nice. Natural. Not like the Church of the Holy Seplecure which was erected in 300 AD by Constantine's mother and is now a huge almost ostentatious catholic cathedral. Not as much my style... or how I imagine Jesus to have wanted it. The Garden Tomb was a humble, beautiful memorial to what Christ did for us. There was a man from Holland that led us through the garden and then we took communion together celebrating the body and the blood.

Then we headed into the City walls again to visit "Caiaphus's house", "Davids Tomb", and the "Upper Room." Again notice the quotes. These were less moving. But nice to remember and understand that these places did exist and important things happened in places similar. We ate lunch in the market area again. YUM! The city is so precious. Old. Quaint. You can only walk. No cars. So many shops and people. Then we went shopping. This was an experience. I felt accosted.SO many beautiful things but dang!! The men were kind but SO eager to sell you something... anything!!! I did a good job at bargaining today. I will explain...

You ask how much. They tell you $20... you ask $15? they say $18....you walk away... they call after you and say ok! 15... works like a charm... most of the time.

The men are very aware of young american girls like myself. Had to move my ring to my left hand to run off some of the interest. They too are kind... but much to eager. Too much.

Now we are in the Dead Sea. Our hotel is too good. We floated in the SALTY water tonight. Amazing. Catie gets in tonight! Cant wait to share this with her.

I loved Jerusalem. I love cities. And that city has so much history and life that it is irresistible.I would have liked to take more time at certain spots. To really meditate. I hope to come back one day. I like being with a tour because I am getting LOTS of information and going to places I might not have on my own but I hope to explore it on my own one day. Or with friends or a special someone. Being here with Mom is special though. She is in 7th Heaven. She saw sheep today on the side of the road. You can only imagine. :)

I feel really blessed to be here. Learning. Seeing. Experiencing. Not something I would have chosen for myself at this point and Im not sure it is all sinking in yet but I know it was in God's plan for my journey right now. He is good.

ohhh we met these amazing Messianic Jews last night. They owned a beautiful antique and jewelry store. I got a necklace that has the Hebrew letter"Chai" that means "life." They were AMAZING. Jesus love just POURED out of them. We quickly assesed that we were all believers and they asked to pray with us. IN HEBREW. Whew. It was amazing. We sat and had tea with them in their shop and shopped and shared about the life and the Lord. So amazing to see people SO very different from us believing in the same God. I get narrow minded sometimes about American Christianity. But seeing these men living as christians in a VERY Jewish and Muslim city with such love and boldness... moving. They told us that it is difficult to be a messianic believer there. Business sufferers. Exclusion in some areas and by family. But they trust in Yeshua (Jesus) to meet their needs. It was amazing how we stumbled upon them. I think we were led by the Spirit to meet them. I needed to be reminded of how big our God is. I forget so often. Please pray for them... Jonathan and his brother... I forget the other guys name. thanks!

ohh they put fresh mint leaves in the tea here, I want to start doing that!

ok dinner time.

ahava (love)