Was the Innkeeper Really So Unwelcoming?

I've been "gifting" in my blogs the last few days AND gifting is what I’m doing at my dining room table. No food allowed on that table right now because it's loaded with wrapping paper, ribbon, scissors, tape, gift cards and gift items to wrap. I’m getting my Christmas gift list checked off, one-by-one.

Speaking of lists, this time of year stirs up memories from my Holy Lands bucket list trip in 2017. Celebrating Christmas in June in Bethlehem at the Church of the Nativity was awe-inspiring. Singing "Oh Little Town of Bethlehem", receiving Holy Communion and worshipping the King in the actual cave of His birth and the opportunity to go down to the grotto where a star is embedded in the floor that recognizes the actual birthplace of our Savior. We bent low to touch or kiss the star. It was a profoundly emotional and spiritual experience. Our guide said, "Say thank You, Jesus, for my salvation!" We did.

So what about that innkeeper? I've always thought he must have lived with regrets for turning down the “royal” family to stay in his inn. He appears to be cold-hearted. After all, he's the guy that shut the door on Joseph and Mary, right? I read this beautiful contradiction to that mindset by Jeff Taylor.

"I had never thought much about the innkeeper. He is depicted in Christmas stories and pageants generally in one of two ways. Either he closes his door in the faces of the couple, or he shows them around back to the stables with the animals. What is the truth about the innkeeper?

None of the biblical accounts of the birth of Jesus even mentions the innkeeper. In fact, the only reference to a manger or an inn is in the Book of Luke. “And she brought forth her first-born son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.” (Luke.2:7). On the basis of that single sentence, we convict the innkeeper of shutting Jesus out. Perhaps we have been too hard on him.

I think the innkeeper is an improbable hero. He had no reason to know that the strangers at his door were about to bring the Messiah into the world. Had he known, perhaps he would have made room for them, but that would have meant that some other weary travelers would need to be displaced. Yet, rather than making excuses, the innkeeper was resourceful, and gave what he could give -- not a room or even a corner in his already crowded inn, but the stable (or cave) that demonstrates that the King of the world is at home with the humblest of the humble.

The arrival of the long-expected Messiah stood out in contrast to peoples’ expectations. He did not come in a manner befitting of a king. No pomp and circumstance, no great earthquake, no thunder and lightning, no burning bush, but anonymously and humbly. Jesus born in those surroundings would grow up to teach us to believe the unbelievable, to be prepared for the unexpected, and that the poor and meek will occupy a prominent place in the Kingdom of Heaven.

Less prominent than even the lowly shepherds and animals, the innkeeper is neither mentioned by the writers of the Gospel nor placed in the crèches that adorn our mantels and tables during Christmastime. Rather, he was and is behind the scenes, humbly and anonymously playing a major part in God’s great plan. He serves as a reminder to us that God uses what we have. Perhaps we should be more like the innkeeper.

Dear God, please give me the compassion of the innkeeper. Even when circumstances indicate that I have used up everything I have to give, give me the courage to stand out in contrast to the status quo, and the awareness and the resourcefulness to make room for Christ. Amen."

Our Rich Family Heritage

My friend posted this beautiful photo on her timeline a few days ago. She was in Pocahontas, Illinois. I commented: “I have family roots that go back to John Rolfe and Pocahontas. They were our 10th generation grandparents. Yay! I'm multi-racial! There's a tiny percentage of Native American in me! And I thought I had no famous folks in my family lineage."

That lineage is on my Mom's side of the family. When she was up in years, I realized I knew little of her family history -- stories about her 10 siblings, what it was like living in a large family, how their parents made ends meet, how she met my Dad, their first kiss, their wedding, and what it was like to have us kids. What a shame I waited so long to find out. I realized that I was so "me" focused that I didn't treasure and appreciate where I came from. So, I did something about it. I took my camcorder, set it on a tripod and spent many hours and days (but a few minutes at a time) interviewing her. Her stories were so precious. Fortunately, I stopped to spend quality time with her that resulted in VHS tapes that I gave out to my siblings and their kids when Mom passed away at age 94 in 2004. I was able to pass on our rich (not in money, but in faith and fortitude) family history.

As I type this today, my Holy Lands “bucket list” pilgrimage three years ago comes to my mind. The more we delved into the rich history of Christianity in the tours that explained so many of our “Family of God’s” history, the more I realized how much I need to be living everyday with great appreciation and gratitude for what our fore-fathers and mothers gave us. How can I do that unless I make the effort to know that heritage? Thankfully, I have a dear cousin, just a few years older than me, that kept up so much better than I did with our family. She accentuates all the positives – the blessings – of our rich family history of faith.

Imagine the wisdom that’s stored up in our elderly family members that could give us so much insight to how rich we are today because of the price they paid to get us here. My children are getting the best of me as I archive so many of my personal life experiences as well as all that rich family heritage that I recall to them. Now, take that even further in realizing the rich family history that goes back to our first “mother and father” (Adam and Eve), studying the scriptures to see where they went right…and where they went wrong – lessons they learned that we sure don’t want to repeat. So much wisdom to learn all throughout the Bible that can keep us pointed in the direction of peace, comfort and joy in our lifelong faith journeys.

I assure you that my Christian walk has been so faith-filled because of what I’ve learned in scripture from our “family heritage”. There have been times in my life where I’ve experienced the pain of my poor choices or actions. In those moments, it can be easy to entertain a notion that I have blown it, that God can’t use me and there’s no hope for restoration. I think we all face those feelings when we fail. During these times, I draw strength from God’s Word, where He tells the stories of heroes of the faith who blew it, like King David, Moses, Peter, Saul (Paul), Abraham and even more. In some cases, their failures were so extreme, it would be natural to say that God would have a right to turn His back on them. But that isn’t God’s nature. He is all about redemption. So when we fail, we can be thankful that God loves a good comeback story.

Paul reminds us that “in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to His purpose.” (Rom. 8:28) This should give us hope that no matter what we may have done, our adventure isn’t over. God’s at work reclaiming our story. Failure doesn’t disqualify us, even if we’ve been following Jesus for some time. Our story is still being written. The only way that failure can get the last word in our life is if we choose to let it. We serve a God who is able to take our defeats and missteps and still use us to bring glory to his name. Whether we’re walking with Him faithfully or we’ve had a few stumbles along the way, God continues to encourage us to get up, brush ourselves off and build His kingdom.

I started this post with talking about my own family history and how it has affected my life for so much good. But our rich family history of faith is the yesterday, today and forevermore news and if we continue to review it, rehearse it, and make it known to our children and our children's children, we will carry on our rich family history until we all join together in one big, rich family reunion in heaven. What a day of rejoicing that will be!

I’m Still Under the Influence

Yesterday my grandson came over to help me get all my Christmas tubs back down so I can start reorganizing and filling them back up with all my Christmas treasures. But, this morning I’m still under the influence of Christmas and want it to last a little longer. Of course, my family tradition is to keep all the Christmas décor up until after Epiphany (January 6th) when the Magi came to the home of the Holy Family in Jerusalem so I’ll not use those tubs just yet.

I scanned the news headlines and was appalled by the rancor going on about our beautiful first lady. This time it was negativity about the shoes she wore while visiting the troops in Iraq! Lord, have mercy! I quickly shut down those stories because I felt a knot in my tummy! I was suddenly under the influence of the negativity of the world instead of under the influence of the love and light of Christmas.

In June 2017, I was blessed to go on a trip to the Holy Lands. It was a trip of a lifetime and during this wonderful time of the year the memories of so many holy places are stirred up within me. On the bus, as we made our way to Bethlehem, we sang "Oh Little Town of Bethlehem". The "littleness" was made real to us as Bethlehem really is a very small town. We celebrated "Christmas" in the Church of the Nativity. How meaningful it was to sing "Oh Come All Ye Faithful", receive Holy Communion and worship the King in the actual cave of Christ's birth.

Just think of it -- God, from the beginning of time Who created everything, was born in that cave. We were among many Christian pilgrims from around the world who came to pay tribute and honor to God for the birth of His Son there. Truly a STAR was born when Christ was born, and we made our way down to the grotto via narrow stairs to get inside the quiet cave where a star is embedded in the floor that recognizes the actual place of the birth of our Savior. In our deepest humility and thanksgiving for the Star of all Stars, we had to bend low to touch or kiss that star. "Bending low" seems the operative word for bowing before our Creator to give Him our worship and praise. It was a profoundly emotional and spiritual experience, to say the least -- the birthplace of our Savior over 2000 years ago. Our guide said, "Say thank You, Jesus, for my salvation!" We did.

Back to the start of this post and being “under the influence”. We have been "under the influence" of He Who is the originator of joy, peace, and love, so, of course, we are "high" on all that this beautiful season has held. At the announcement of Jesus' birth, the shepherds were under the influence of the angels. The magi were under the influence of HOPE and the Star they saw in the East. I, too, have been “under the influence” of this beautiful season where I heard God's voice in the music and in the lights shining so brightly and in my friends and family as we opened our hearts to His love.

No one has influenced and changed the world the way Jesus has done. And under His influence, more lives have been positively changed than by anyone else in history. People who encounter the risen Christ are totally transformed. Their outlook on life is altered forever. Many devote their lives to serving others, minimizing their own needs and desires -- all because of Christ's influence on them.

I don’t want to be counted among those who are under the influence of negativity and hatred and, quite frankly, the enemy of our souls. My desire is to always check out what, or WHO is influencing me. AND, what does MY influence look like in impacting others in a positive way? Perhaps it's time we all took a trip to the cave or stable. It just might be that we'll be influenced by the precious baby in the manger and we'll have a "STABLE" influence, not just in our own lives, but all those we influence, too.

Passion Week -- Holy Monday

At this time in March, last year, I was inquiring about a Holy Lands trip. The "inquiring" became a PASSIONATE “YES, I'm going!" and soon I made my full payment for the trip. That full payment changed my life forever. I was THERE where my Lord walked, taught, healed and most importantly became my Savior. He made full payment for me by sacrificing His life on Calvary. I believed that with all my heart, and I gave Him my heart when I was 8 years ago. He paid my debt that He did not even owe.

Passion: strong and barely controllable emotion; the suffering and death of Jesus.The focus of Passion Week is the Passion and Resurrection of Jesus and the events that led up to it.

The first day of my arrival to Israel, I posted this: "I walked today where Jesus walked and felt Him close to me". That trip created a real, live and in color “YOU ARE THERE” moments to that song “Were You There When They Crucified My Lord?” I believe I was there, because Jesus had you AND me in mind as He hung on the cross. From the moment I sat foot in Israel, I was overwhelmed with gratitude and awe that I was treading on the land of my Lord. My PASSION for Jesus was so enriched as I witnessed, through many tears, the awe-inspiring scenery and landscapes, breathtaking seas, opulent churches and holy sites where He had been. I know I didn’t have to go to Israel to know He lives in me, but there I felt a tangible connection with those women at His tomb -- "I know He lives!" My spiritual eyes saw Him there, but even better, I see Him every day, right here in Frisco, TX or wherever I am – in His creation, in His Word, in YOU. Holy Week, also known as Passion Week will never be the same for me.

Today is Holy Monday of Holy Week. At the heart of our faith is the passion, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ. This week, I'll be purposely posting to remind us of what this week looked like. We’ve read those stories in the Bible and. we’ve heard many sermons and messages about the events, but have we sincerely pondered and noticed ALL that Jesus accomplished in this one week? He was on purpose with every act, healing, and teaching. If we knew it was our final week of life, wouldn’t we be taking care of “loose ends”, giving family and friends some of our wisdom from life, encouraging and giving clear thought-out messages to encourage them to carry on? If He knew He would soon lay down His life for us, then wouldn’t He make sure that everything He did was for our good to be used as visual references for us to follow?

Holy Week began yesterday, Palm Sunday, when Jesus triumphantly entered Jerusalem, with crowds cheering for Him, but He already knew it would be the toughest week of His 33 years of life -- when the cheering crowds became jeering crowds.

According to Matthew 21, Mark 11 and Luke 19, Jesus had gone to Bethany and returned to Jerusalem today. Imagine his thoughts about what He was about to face and then, casually coming upon the shameful practices at the Temple. Greed had altered the character of the Temple. He was so passionate about His Father’s House of Prayer being abused. Cleansing the Temple was a scene of chaos, but those who had needs knew what the Temple was for. First, the blind and lame came when they heard Jesus was in the Temple. As the children saw Jesus standing there and teaching, they began to shout again, “Hosanna, to the Son of David.”

I mentioned about my Holy Lands trip and the full payment I made to ensure my trip was “locked and loaded”. I think about the full payment Christ made for you and me. “He paid a debt He did not owe. I owed a debt I could not pay. I needed someone to wash my sins away. Now I sing a brand new song “Amazing Grace”. Christ Jesus paid a debt that I could never pay.”

I pray that my words awaken you with the desire to consider Christ’s journey to Calvary throughout this week and mostly, I pray you open your heart and mind to THE ONE – who loved you enough to give His all for you. On this Holy Monday, He cleansed the temple. I pray that He cleanses and purifies our hearts and minds so that we are more like Him – in our thoughts, our words and our actions.

The World Needs a STABLE Influence

In June, an item on my bucket list, “Take a trip to the Holy Lands” was checked off. It was a trip of a lifetime and during this wonderful time of the year, the memories of so many holy places are stirred up within me. On the bus, as we made our way to Bethlehem, we sang "Oh Little Town of Bethlehem". The "littleness" was made real to us as. Bethlehem really is a very small town. We celebrated "Christmas" in the Church of the Nativity. How meaningful it was to sing "Oh Come All Ye Faithful" and "Silent Night" there. Christmas Carols, Communion, and worshiping the King in the actual cave of Christ's birth -- made for a heavenly Christmas in June! By the way, it was a cave – not a stable. That's where most animals were kept back then.

Just think of it -- God, from the beginning of time Who created everything, was born in that cave. We were among many Christian pilgrims from around the world who come to pay tribute and honor to God for the birth of His Son there. Truly a STAR was born when Christ was born, and we made our way down to the grotto via narrow stairs to get inside the quiet cave where a star is embedded in the floor that recognizes the actual place of the birth of our Savior. In our deepest humility and thanksgiving for the Star of all Stars, we had to bend low to touch or kiss that star. "Bending low" seems the operative word for bowing before our Creator to give Him our worship and praise. It was a profoundly emotional and spiritual experience, to say the least -- the birthplace of our Savior over 2000 years ago. Our guide said, "Say thank You, Jesus, for my salvation!" We did.

I started this post today with "The World Needs a Stable Influence". "Under the influence" is a phrase that is typically used in defining someone's mental or physical faculties that are impaired because they are intoxicated or on drugs. That phrase can also be used to describe those of us who are "high" on the Christmas spirit. We are "under the influence" of He Who is the originator of joy, peace, and love, so, of course, we are "high" on all that this beautiful season holds.

No one has influenced and changed the world the way Jesus has. And UNDER HIS INFLUENCE, more lives have been positively changed than by anything or anyone else in history. People who encounter the risen Christ are totally transformed. Their outlook on life is altered forever. Many devote their lives to serving others, minimizing their own needs and desires -- all because of Christ's influence on them.

At the announcement of Jesus' birth, the shepherds were under the influence of the angels. The magi were under the influence of HOPE and the Star they saw in the East. I, too, am UNDER THE INFLUENCE of this beautiful season where I hear God's voice in the music and in the squeals and delights of children. I see Him in in the lights shining so brightly and in my friends and family as we open our hearts to His love. I smell Him in the sweet aromas of holly, evergreen, cinnamon and spice. I taste Him in the yummy delicacies of fresh baked cookies and treats. I am under the influence of the REASON for this beautiful season when I hold a friend's hand, when I touch a pine cone or garland or tinsel or wrapping paper, when I write a love note to a friend or when I send them a Christmas card.

Not in the Christmas spirit this year? Then, better check out what, or WHO, is influencing you. AND, what does YOUR influence look like in impacting others in a positive way? Perhaps it's time we all took a trip to the cave or stable -- it just might be that we'll be influenced by the precious baby in the manger and we'll have a "STABLE" influence, not just in our own lives, but all those we influence, too.

Please Let Me Introduce You to Rimon!

If you follow my daily FB posts or my blog, you’ll remember my Holy Lands' daily log of awe-inspiring, faith-filled experiences that I and my fellow travelers savored from the moment we landed at the Israel Ben Gurion Airport. The reason, was in large part because of our tour guide, Rimon. If you were planning this trip of a lifetime that would ensure you of a greater depth of love for Jesus Christ and one that would take your Bible readings to a whole new level of appreciation, I would have urged you to choose Rimon as your Tour Guide.

Rimon was Jerusalem-born-and-raised and seemed to speak a dozen languages because no matter who we encountered along the way, he'd speak fluently with them. Rimon opened our eyes and hearts to the places where Jesus lived, healed, forgave, transformed, raised the dead, set captives free, suffered, died, was buried and rose to heaven. Rimon knew and loved his land AND the Bible. He quoted so many scriptures and let the Bible unfold as we saw places we had only read and heard about. Rimon really was a "living stone" among the ancient stones of the land, as an ambassador of the land, its people, culture, religious traditions, their history, and their suffering and hopes. Born on the Mt of Olives, he lived in Jerusalem all his life. His father is buried on Mt Zion. His grandfather’s tomb is in the Garden of Gethsemane. As a child, Rimon was fascinated by tour guides. He'd follow tourists inside the church and offered to guide them. So, in the holiest place of Christianity, his "ministry" as a Christian tour guide took off.

How can you spend only a few days of your life with someone and be impacted in such a way that your life would be forever changed? Rimon shined so brightly as a reflection of our Lord’s light and that light penetrated into our souls and we knew that those few days together were but a foretaste of the joys that await us when we gather together in heaven.

I'm sure many would like to have Rimon's info so you can find out about his next tour. You will have to wait in line with patience as a loving, joyful, fully devoted follower of Christ, because the line you’ll be waiting in is the one in which you'll get the ultimate “Grand Tour” of heaven. I, and my fellow travelers and thousands of others, were shocked when we received word on Monday that Rimon had a fatal heart attack on Monday. No doubt he received a “Fast Pass” to heaven. I could hardly believe that this beautiful servant of Christ could have left us so soon. In June, when a group of Texans, a few Arkansans and Oklahomans traveled to Jerusalem, it was Rimon that met us. From the moment we met him, we knew he wasn’t a typical tour guide, simply doing his “tour guide” job. It really was his ministry to represent Christ’s homeland on this earth, and, what an extraordinary representative he was.

The question is “What will we be remembered for? What will we leave our heirs and those who know us? Lately, there have been many well-known celebrities who passed away and great accolades were given for their talents and success stories I can't imagine that any of those people could top beautiful people like Rimon whose lives and stories of great faith, character and service impacted us for eternity. More than the tangible inheritances, our good character is creating a legacy that will continue to speak long after our life on this earth has ended. "Unquestionable character" is one of the greatest gifts we can leave for others....and that comes as we embrace the character of our Father God.

Charles Spurgeon said, “A good character is the best tombstone. Those who loved you and were helped by you will remember you when forget-me-nots have withered. Carve your name on hearts – not on marble.” Rimon carved his name on our hearts – he will be remembered as one who loved the Lord with all his heart, soul and mind – and we’ll never be the same because we took a little "heavenly" journey with him on this earth. We'll see you later, Rimon! RIP!

Don’t STOP Now!!! Just Keep Swimming!

Don’t STOP Now!!! Just Keep Swimming!
I've watched so many animated movies with my grandchildren that I have plenty of material for my blogs/posts for a long time. Hence, today's inspiration was the hilarious “Finding Nemo” movie., Dory said to Nemo when he was down about his circumstances “"When life gets you down, you know what you gotta do? Just keep swimming."

In other words....DON'T STOP! Keep going to the finish line!
You know what I mean. We start a new fitness routine or a new diet or join a gym or a new healthy-eating regime…..and after a few weeks, when we didn’t get the results as fast as we thought we would…..we quit. It was either too hard, too restrictive, didn’t have enough time to fit it into our schedule, or life happened and it just didn’t pan out.

Or maybe it looks like this. We start praying for something or someone, and when the answer doesn't come sooner than later, we quit praying about that something or someone.
Maybe in our marriage or other relationship, we start having relationship "issues", so we decide to write them off because it just isn't worth the frustration to deal another day with that someone.

I read this scripture and it says (my paraphrase) “DON’T STOP NOW”!! Actually, these are the words from Hebrews 10:35-36 “Do not throw away your confidence. You need to persevere so you believe what God has promised.”

The question is "How relentless are we?" How willing are we to continue seeking God for the answers to our most complex problems? How often do we throw in the towel and abort our dreams because nothing is assuring us of the finish line?

Not an animated film -- but a TRUE story in a REAL place was when I was in the Holy Lands last June, I had my feet on the ground where the walls of Jericho came tumbling down, when at God’s command, Joshua and his troops marched once around those walls for six days and then on the 7th day – walked around them seven times on that one day And those walls did come tumbling down. What a great victory story!!! But, the story wouldn’t be told today if Joshua and his men had stopped short of completing their task. If they stopped on the 3rd time around – there would be no story. They didn't stop!

Instead of quitting on our projects, our goals, our dreams and our relationships, we, too, must just keep marching, just keep walking, just keep exercising, just keep praying,, just keep loving, just keep crawling…..and inching our way to the finish line. With diligence and a lot of hard work, we’ll unlock the potential inside of us to accomplish whatever we set our hearts, hands and mind to. That's when we'll succeed. We determined that GIVING UP and stopping short is NOT an option.
Philippians 1:6 “6 And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you is faithful to complete it.”

JUST KEEP SWIMMING!!!

Not Saying Good-Bye -- Just, "See You Later", Jerusalem!

Our wonderful faith pilgrimage of the Holy Lands comes to an end tonight as we board our plane for our home sweet homes in the U.S. The 8-hour difference in time should have us back on central time zone around 1:45 pm tomorrow afternoon. In the meantime, we are all reflecting on this most amazing journey that took us, not only where Jesus walked, but today's adventures took us to 1251 BC when Joshua led the Israelites in their conquest against Jericho....and WON! Thanks be to God for our forefathers who didn't have the many proofs of faith like we have today, yet they were obeying God in the midst of conflict and peril, and they prevailed.

Our travels, up to now, have taken us to the lush gardens at the Mount of Beatitudes, the Garden of Gethsamane and its beauty, the Mount of Olives (of course there are plenty of Olive Trees there), and the splendor of the Sea of Galilee. But, this day, we experienced the heart of the wilderness. We witnessed the change of topography as our motorcoach drove out of Jerusalem to the desert. You can see in these photos how dry the land is....but out of what seems nowhere, is the Jordan River. What a thrill to start our last day with such a place of monumental importance to our Christian faith. Fr Paul read from scriptures in Matthew, Luke and John about this "desert man", John the Baptist, who seemed to be one of those "Hail, Fire and Brimstone" kind of preachers. Matthew 3 says "In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah: “A voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.’” People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River. But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he said to them: “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Produce fruit in keeping with repentance."

Lord, have mercy! He certainly "told it like it was", didn't he? I reread those scriptures as I typed this post, and I thought how alive those words are to me now that I've seen and been to those places -- the wilderness of Judea, Jerusalem, Galilee AND the Jordan River, and here's the next part of that scripture that we encountered today, as we were able to join with Christ in His baptism. WE WERE THERE!

Matthew 3:13 "But then in the midst of John's preaching and teaching, when Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. But John tried to deter him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” Jesus replied, “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John consented. As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”

As we left the motorcoach and approached the Jordan River, of course, there were doves that made me think of the one that descended on Jesus at his baptism. Since all of us, in our group, have been baptized, Fr Paul led us in a renewal of our baptism vows, then, with an olive branch, doused it in the river and sprinkled us all with it. What a holy moment it was, but that wasn't enough for some of us -- we just had to get into that river -- at least to get our feet wet! It was a sacred, beautiful, and scorching hot in that desert!

From there, we travelled pass Mount Nebo where in Number 13, we learn that Moses looked at the Promised Land and sent over spies to check it out. Though they came back with the best of the fruit of the land, they also came back with a negative report "There are giants in the land and we look like grasshoppers compared to them." Thankfully, Joshua didn't see the negative situation, he saw the possibilities with God's help.....and we see the conquest and destruction of the walls of Jericho by Joshua and the Israelite army as they marched around the city 7 times and those walls came tumbling down (roughly around 1251 BC).

Jericho was a wonderful place for our morning Mass and communion at the Church of the Good Shepherd. Our tour guide, Ramone, had just spoken to us about how Jesus was referred to as the Good Shepherd who so lovingly leads his sheep to green pastures. Of course, our scripture reading was from Psalm 23 -- "The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want....." I can imagine that walking through this desert was a work out for the shepherds and the sheep in Jesus' day. Seeing the beautiful painting over the altar of the church of Jesus as the Good Shepherd certainly gave us a visual of His loving and tender care for us.

In Jericho, we had a look/see at the ancient sycamore tree. The Book of Luke tells the story of Zacchaeus, who climbed a sycamore tree to see Jesus as he entered the city of Jericho. Zacchaeus was a chief tax collector and a rich man. He was also fairly short. He tried to get a look at Jesus but couldn't see him over the heads of the crowd, so he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore to get a glimpse. Some have claimed that the Jericho tree is the oldest existing sycamore, and possibly even the one that Zacchaeus climbed. This type of sycamore tree is unique to Israel, growing only in the Jordan Valley and along the Mediterranean coast. It has low branches, which can easily be climbed. Ramone pointed it out to us and reminded us that when Jesus saw Zacchaeus in the sycamore tree and told him He was going to dinner at his house, Zacchaeus gave up his "shifty" taxing schemes and salvation came to he and his whole household that day. Also, blind Bartimaeus was healed by Jesus as He was leaving Jericho. Ramone pointed out the Mount of Temptation to us (where Jesus was tempted by Satan) as we stood over the ground where the walls of Jericho fell. That desert region surrounding Jericho and the Jordan can appear so barren and empty and the idea that Jesus spent 40 days in this area living just on water (and we complain living in comfort of fasting for a day or two!!) Such monumental times in our history. We learned that Jericho is the oldest city in the world.

Then it was off to a great lunch at an Aramaic restaurant and we had makloba (makloba means "upside down"). The meal of rice and chicken and spices are prepared in a huge pot and then it's flipped over and served. It was delicious! As we came out of the restaurant, a young boy was outside with his camel. Of course, some of us just had to have our "camel" experience! I found out, with a little urging by the boy -- he can bolt out with a fast gallop. I had to get the boy to slow down Charlie the camel", but we watched that boy get on the camel and he took to the road like lightning. He knew that we were headed to the Mount of Temptation so he got there before we did and more people had their experience with Charlie the camel, too! Quite a little business that boy has!

The finale of our trip was to the Dead Sea where many of our pilgrims just had to have their Dead Sea experience. The Dead Sea (the Sea of Salt) is surrounded by the stunning desert. We learned that the shores of the Dead Sea are the lowest point on the surface of the earth, and the saline water of the lake gives lead to the name ‘Dead Sea’ because no fish can survive in the salty waters. The other result of the salty water of the Dead Sea are their renowned health and healing properties and the unique feature that one can float naturally in them. That's exactly what happened for those who took the plunge...rather, ...buoy experience. You just can't dive in those waters -- or neither would you want to because of its saltiness. A few of us only walked out into the water and lathered up with the mud. It was blistering hot in the desert -- when we took our shoes off to walk to the water, it was like a hot stove. We had to wait to take our shoes off at the water edge! What an experience!

So wrapping up this incredible experience, I pause to find the words that could adequately convey my heart. We have to remember that there is a living context to the sights and sounds of these Holy Lands. The Holy Land isn’t a theme park created for Christian pilgrims. I assure you of that, but these places were just words on the pages of Jesus’ life before to me. The stories I read in scripture, the stories I learned from my Sunday School teachers, and my pastors were beautiful, but like a puzzle, the pieces didn't really connect visually. But then and now, I've been to Israel and it's all changed. While we've been to holy places, touched and seen holy things, and heard many, many scriptures and overviews of where we've been, my final analysis and conclusion is this. Almighty God became human flesh via the incarnation of His Son, Jesus Christ. He was a real man who was tempted in all points as I have been tempted. Without a doubt, I know He lived, He died, He was buried in a tomb and He was raised from the dead and ascended into heaven and is now seated at the right hand of the Father. Not only do I know He lives because I sense Him in my heart, I know He lives because I've been to the empty tomb. I do hope that you'll be able to make this pilgrimage some day, but if you don't, our NEW Jerusalem is on the horizon, and if you turn your life over to our Risen Lord, confess Him as Lord and Savior, get baptized in YOUR own River Jordan and join our great big family in our home sweet home in the New Jerusalem some day. What a reunion that will be!

Revelations 21 -- Then I (John) saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

I love you, Jerusalem!!! See you later!!

My Faith Journey Pilgrimage Begins TODAY!

ucket list) trip. I’ve prayed that it would exceed being a tourist. I am purposefully seeking a spiritual experience and deepening of my faith that as I’ve heard others say “You’ll never be the same.”

Our first four days will be in Rome. Though my Sweetheart and I were there for our 40th anniversary, and had so many “God” moments, especially the opportunity to be on the fourth row, embracing the incredible opportunity of attending the ordination service for deacons and priests at St. Peter’s Basilica that was celebrated by Pope Benedict. We visited so many of Rome’s historical and holy treasures. But, on this trip, I’ve purposefully been studying the Apostle Paul, his missionary journey to Rome, his hardships, imprisonments for his faith, his accomplishments, his writings and staying steadfast in his faith. This time I expect a grace-filled and joyful experience of breathing in the spirit of Paul. He was a former persecutor and tormentor of Christians and through his conversion, became the greatest advocate for Christ, writing nearly 1/3 of the New Testament. BTW -- if Paul could become a stalwart and committed follower of Christ, don't give up on those you are praying for to become believers!!

I’m joining with my besties, Charles Michie and Sheila Michie, and others on a pilgrimage, from our faith and for our faith – not for deepening of more theological insight or becoming more knowledgeable about the facts and beliefs of our Christian faith. Like Abraham (the Father of our Faith), who was the first to call the land “Holy” who was driven by his faith and “seeking the face of God”, I pray that for myself and our travel companions. More than anything, I know Jesus will be our companion on this pilgrimage to the places that were made holy by His life. He is the goal of my pilgrimage – a deeper and more faith-filled life as I walk where He walked, as I envision Him walking on the Sea of Galilee when we are there, and as my heart burns with passion for Him as I walk the Via Delarosa where He carried the cross for my sins and for my eternal life with Him.

I’ll be praying for you, my faithful and dear FB friends and family, and though I know Christ sent the Holy Spirit to live in us and it doesn't matter where we are, our prayers are as effective, I am still expecting that being where Jesus was on this earth, my faith will be “turbo-charged” to agree with you for answers to your prayers. My “expector” is off-the-charts, so I might as well EXPECT that since the Word declares it, I might as well believe it….”NOTHING is impossible with God”.

Our itinerary today is Dallas to Houston; Houston to Frankfurt, Germany; Frankfurt to Rome. I hope that I’ll be able to take you with me on this pilgrimage as I plan to journal my experience right here on my daily post. My posting time, most likely, will be random, unlike my 6 am (+/-) daily posting I make in the central time zone. Now, in the meantime.......
"The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you; The Lord lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace." Numbers 6:24-26
XOXOXO