My First Favorite Day in Israel

This is my first morning to wake up in Israel--the Holy Land.
I never even dreamed throughout most of

my life of being able to be here.
It seemed impossible.
And yet, here I am.  Looking out of my window on the
Sea of Galilee.

Did you know that Jesus spent approximately 70% of His 

earthly ministry in this area?
  I didn't.

Our first activity for the day was one I had greatly anticipated.

We took this wooden boat across the "sea," which is known as 
Lake Kenneret to the Israeli people.

Something unforgettable happened after we were all aboard.
A beautiful rendition of The Star Spangled Banner
was played as the American flag was slowly raised to fly
beside the flag of Israel.
I thought my heart would burst.

 My friend Jan McMinn and I sailing on calm water.
Later in the day something interesting will happen to that calm!

We were blessed to have three of our pastors on this trip!
In addition to Gary and Sandy Smith,
 we had Jason and Virginia Paredes
and Mike Satterfield!
  Each and every one was a tremendous
blessing to me, and it was such a privilege to get to 
know all of them better. 

We were looking forward to "St. Peter's fish" for lunch.
When we ordered, we had to state whether we wanted the head
of the fish removed or left on.
I'm no sissy.  I ordered "with the head!"
Oh, yeah. I moved way up the coolness scale (no pun intended)
with that.

It was delicious!  

After lunch we noticed that the Sea of Galilee had become 
very choppy.  Yuval had told us that this could happen, 
but that he doesn't see it often.  We felt blessed to get to see
 this, but after our sailing.
Yes, this is the same body of water that was smooth
as glass this morning!

I can't show you everything we saw, but I must show you this:
This Catholic church is built on a rock which is half inside and
half outside the building.

It is on the shore of the Sea of Galilee.

There is very good evidence that this is where the 
"Reinstatement of Peter" took place.
The story is found in John 21, starting with Verse 4.
This rock is likely where Jesus cooked fish on a charcoal fire
for the disciples.
Exciting beyond description.

Standing in this part of the Sea of Galilee was very
memorable and important to me.
However, this is the day my camera was missing!
Here is a picture of precious Kelly, who was the first to generously
share her pictures with me.

You'll just have to take my word for it.
I stood there, too!
It was one of those moments that took my breath away. 
I could look out on the water and picture the events of
John 21. 
(I hate to be pushy, (not really) but READ THIS!)


As we headed for the baptismal sight, we passed this
gathering of Israeli tanks beneath the Golan Heights.

As I told you HERE this was not frightening to me.

And here is our wonderful bus driver, Eleazar, after giving the
young guard bottles of ice water from our bus.
It was so spontaneous and touching.

Now the event about which I talked more than any other
before the trip.
Baptism in the Jordan River.
 

We each spoke from our hearts before being baptized.
I said that I had been baptized as a child but didn't really remember
it. I felt like I really gave my life to Christ when I was 16 years 
old and had had a desire to be baptized again ever since.
I was being baptized to show everyone that
"For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain."
Philippians 1:21

We share such a bond of friendship in Christ Jesus!

What a day.
I walked today where Jesus walked, and felt His Presence there. 

Prepare for Takeoff--We're Going to Israel

Ladies and gents...

Fasten your seatbelts.  Put your tray tables up and turn off your cell phones!  I want to tell you about this marvelous

adventure--one day at a time.

After flying to New York,

we took off about 7:00 P.M. from JFK on this big dude.

I felt totally at ease on El Al--one of the world's safest airlines.

 

 My beloved pastor and trip leader, Gary Smith, and I wait with great anticipation and excitement to board, along with 20

 fellow pilgrims.  I think only 3 of the group had ever been to the Holy Land before.

After about 10 hours and 25 minutes of smooth flying, we stepped off the plane in

Tel Aviv, Israel.  Can you believe it?  I hardly can!  Amazing!!! 

That says Ben Gurion--the airport in Tel Aviv.

And I don't recognize any words here, just that little yellow
picture right in the center.  See?  It's a bag!
We're headed to baggage claim!
And every last one of our bags was there on the carousel!
Big blessing!

So...
 we were off!  We headed north in our lovely, air-conditioned
purple bus.  

As we leave the airport this sign makes me feel so welcome!
I know...I can't read it either, but I just know it says,
"Welcome to Israel, Linda!"

Soon we arrive at our first exciting stop:
 
Caesarea

 Herod the Great began building Caesarea in 22 B.C.
The apostle Paul visited and was later imprisoned here.
But it was most impressive to me because of the great harbor Herod built. 

That's it behind me.  
It was an architectural achievement, as it was protected from the waves by a massive breakwater which was built by letting down huge stones into the water, 20 fathoms deep.
It was the best in the world at that time.
There are still submerged remains of the breakwater.

By the way, the sea upon which Herod's port was built is the beautiful Mediterranean.

 And this is Yuval, our guide.  Yuval is a legend at Fielder Church, and I finally got to meet him!
I know that everyone thinks his or her guide is the best.  But if that guide is not Yuval, sorry, he or she is just mistaken!
Yuvall is a Jewish man who knew all about Jesus when Gary started having him as a guide twenty years ago.
Now Yuval is a man who IS all about Jesus.  He is a believer whose faith is infectious!
You'll be hearing and seeing much more of Yuval!

Back on the bus we head toward our destination for the night--
Tiberias, and the Leonardo Hotel on the Sea of Tiberias, 
also known as
The Sea of Galilee.
A gorgeous spread of food awaited us along with a very welcome night of rest in a real bed overlooking this beautiful sea.

Sleep well!
Tomorrow is a very exciting day!

 

This is So Unlike Me

I have been back from the trip of my lifetime for almost a month!

Where in the world are my pictures, I'm sure you are asking.

I know...you can hardly carry on your daily life for worrying about 

my pictures!

Well, here's what happened.

In my wisdom (?) I decided that I was not going to be determined to take pictures of everything, since I knew there would be

thousands taken by the group.

While this was true, it didn't take into account a couple of things.

First, how do I get all those pictures that others take?

Second, (and this one is rather embarrassing), (I guess I might as well just come out and say it), others' pictures might not

include moi!  Yes, as unbelievable as it might seem, those 21 other photographers did not want me in all their pictures.

Bummer.

O.K.  That's just problem #1 with my pictures.

When I got up after our first night in Israel, I couldn't find my camera.  I knew it had to be in that hotel.  We hadn't been
 anywhere else, for Pete's sake.  I remembered taking it down to

dinner, knowing that I probably shouldn't.

And remembered that I failed to take a single picture with it!

But no one had seen my camera.  Boo hoo.

So for our first full trip day, I had no camera.  Boo hoo hoo. Everyone knew and was so kind to take lots of pictures of me.

When we got back to the hotel, I thought of the one place I had not looked for my camera--the pocket of the jacket I had worn

to dinner the night before.  And there it was.

I told the group I wished I could come up with some exotic, 

mysterious tale of how the camera was found.

But, not having a vivid enough imagination, I just fessed up.

When I finally get my pictures posted, I'll tell you which day

that was.  You're not going to believe how much happened.

But, again, my fellow photographers had me covered!

There was actually a third camera catastrophe.

I have said that I was never afraid in Israel.

Much thought, however, did have to be given to going to

The Dome on the Rock, the Muslim shrine.

Almost every inch of skin had to be covered.

We knew we would be metal detected, etc.

For some kooky reason, I decided to carry nothing with me, just to be safe.  That meant no camera.  

Thank goodness, I was the only kook!

This was a VID!  A Very Important Day!!!

Our group got together last Wednesday night and shared pics.

That was really the first time I had any pictures of me.

I am now working on sharing these with you.
(Not JUST the ones of me, of course!)

But it's taking me forever.

I owe a huge THANK YOU to Kelly and Sandy who made flash

drives of their wonderful pictures and gave them to me.

And to all my other new best friends who shared pictures!

You were a wonderful group with which to travel.

Oh, and on top of everything else, I'm taking a little break

for July 4th.  So...

Please work on keeping your level of interest in my pictures up.  O.K.?

They're going to be sooo good!!!

Honest.  I promise.

The YMAWHSAH Syndrome

You've never heard of it?  Let me explain...

So you take a great trip and come home all excited to share 

your adventures and experiences.

Before you even get started good, your listener says,

"Did you see such and such?"

And, wouldn't you know.  It's the one thing you did NOT see.

Their reaction:

"You do not mean to tell me you traveled all that distance and
 didn't see such and such?"
Well,

"You Might As Well Have Stayed At Home."

"But wait.  We went here and saw this and did that, and it was just GREAT!"

"But...you didn't see such and such.

YMAWHSAH."


****************************

 

I originally wrote this in 2013 

after my trip to Israel.

I am reprising it because of something that

happened at bridge club recently.

 

 

 

One of our member made the mistake of saying,

"I have seen everything in Rome there is to see!"

(She has been there several if not many times.)

So...guess what someone else said?

You've got it.

"Have you seen the catacombs?"

Well, fine.

The one thing she hasn't seen!

 

 

So...please don't ask me about the catacombs.

I haven't seen them either.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Skinny On Father's Day 2013

Actually that should be "The Fatty On Father's Day 2013."

This is how it went.

Yesterday my friend Becky and I were at University Park Village.

Now Becky and I like to eat most anywhere and everywhere,

but...

we passed the Blue Mesa Grill and agreed that was one place

we just didn't like.

(I can't even remember eating there but once.)

So later I get a text from Susan saying that Rob has selected...

you guessed it...Blue Mesa Grill (the new one in Arlington)

for his Father's Day lunch.

I was a very good mother-in-law and said "Great!"

(But I'm not going to like it)

I was the first to arrive and found the wait to be 1 hour!

I thought surely that would discourage Rob.

It didn't.

We only waited about 35 minutes.

Then I found out why he wanted to eat there.

They had "Brunch."  Interpretation: Everything imaginable!

It was WONDERFUL!

Everything breakfast; everything Mexican; Belgian waffles with orange butter; flan and tres leches cake and lemon bars!

We ate til we could eat no more!

I can't wait to take Becky there!

After brunch I stopped by the cemetery, which is very close.

Every time I go my heart is warmed all over again.

I just love everything I chose for Jack's final resting place.

My father is buried here, too, but I couldn't find his grave.  

I had directions at home, so I came to get them and returned.

Here it is:

  

I took my personal bodyguard with me this time.

Here she is by the grave of someone she adored and who adored her.

See that intimidating look?  It says, "Don't mess with my 

Mimi!" (That's what she calls me.)

No kidding...you don't think she looks scary?

Well, she's actually not in the least.

 

I've been blessed to have wonderful fathers in my life.

My father...my children's father...my grandchildren's father.

But most of all...

My Heavenly Father.

On Second Thought, I Did Have Fear

This morning I need to tell you something about my trip to Israel.
I told you HERE that I was never afraid while there.

The last couple of days before we left, however, I did get rather overcome with fear.

I was not afraid for my safety.

I was afraid for my health and stamina.

God blessed me with a method of overcoming that fear.

You know what it was?

He placed a song on my heart.

I must have sung it a hundred times.

God will take care of me...through every day, o'er all the way.

He will take care of me.

God will take care...of me.

(The actual words are "take care of you," but I substituted me.)

I felt a perfect peace, as well I should have!  

Now I joke about my age, but that *# stands for 75!  That will soon be 76!

If I had known how far I would have to walk, how many steps I would have to climb, how rough the terrain would be on occasion, how early I would have to get up every morning, 

and how uncharacteristically hot it would be,

I might not have gone.

What a shame that would have been!

I made it fine!  I don't think I ever slowed the group down.

I only "wimped out" once--at Qumran--for a very short time.  

Was this a miracle?  Yes...but remember Ephesians 3:20-21:

Now to Him who by the power at work within us is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think...to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, for ever and ever.

Amen.

He told me He would take care of me.

The only thing I was not taking into consideration was that

He would do far more than I asked or even imagined. 

This has become a theme in my life.

The Times I Was Afraid in Israel

There weren't any.

 That's right.  I was never afraid for one second.

So that title should really be:

The Times I Was NOT Afraid in Israel.

If I had had time, and if my beloved pastor had not been with me, I think I might have been afraid HERE.

But I didn't and he was, so instead it became the stuff of which legends are made!

By the way, we had an armed guard with us on that trip to Petra, which is in Jordan.

  I hardly saw him.  I was neither particularly comforted nor afraid.

We also passed what our guide told us was an unusual rendezvous of Israeli troops and tanks beside the highway 

beneath the Golan Heights.

I was not afraid; I was touched.

Our driver, Eleazar, pulled off to the shoulder, hopped off the bus, and took the kid standing guard two bottles of cold water.

He was drinking from one as we pulled away.

Going to the Dome of the Rock, which is under Muslim control, 

is certainly serious business, but I was not afraid.

We had to be very covered (I wore my jogging suit with jacket).

We could not bow our heads or close or eyes--no prayer allowed?

We prayed with our eyes open and forward!

In the Holy of Holies!

Without fear!

I was certainly not afraid to climb on that big 777 at Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv. Their security is so much more sensible than ours.

They almost laughed at my little bag of 3 ounce liquids!

None of us had to remove our shoes or jackets!

But some suitcases were checked very extensively--not mine, however.

I did not look around at my fellow passengers with as much fear as I have been known to do here in the USA!

If you get an opportunity to go to Israel, please do not pass it up because you think it is too dangerous.

I did that for years and missed the opportunity to go with Jack.

I do not, however, wish to question God's timing.

It was His time for me to go.

Thank you, God!

I'll Never Be The Same Again.