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.