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!

Hang On!! Help is Coming!!

Yesterday morning was wonderfully cooler and cloudy so Bentley (the family dog) and I embraced the opportunity to just bathe in God’s creative beauty from the patio. As I looked out at the hills of Austin, immediately the scripture in Psalm 121:1,2 came to mind: “I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth.” THAT’S the answer yesterday, today and forever to our plea for help in the moment of distress, worry, concern, fear, and pain. That scripture is our emergency 911 call number 24/7. It should be our first line-of-defense – NOT when all else fails. We are reminded many times in God’s Word to “Seek FIRST….the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things (finances, healing of relationships, physical healing, decision-making), will be added to us.

I know there are those of us who have a built-in positive attitude. We are like the little engine that pushed up THAT hill saying “I think I can. I think I can.” And, indeed a positive attitude is what we achieve when we get the right order: First God, in first place in all matters of our lives. Not just "I think I can", I KNOW "I can do all things through Christ Who strengthens me." Philippians 4:13. My HELP comes from the Lord.

My "teacher" instincts drive me to know more about scriptures and their meaning. I checked out this one from a Bible commentary. This chapter was called the Song of Ascents as Jews made their pilgrimage to Jerusalem for annual feast days. With that in mind, it is plain to see that this is a pilgrim's song that speaks of the dangers of the journey, and of the help, God provides along the way. This verse is first a cry of despair. "Where does my help come from?" Obviously, there is danger lurking in the hills above and is waiting for an opportunity to pounce upon the weary traveler. When that happens, where can the pilgrim turn to for help? The psalmist answers his own question by reminding us that "the Lord is our help"!

Yesterday morning, I wasn’t worshipping the hills I saw, but I was certainly appreciating their beauty as I worshipped my Father Who created them. Here’s the value of looking to God for help. Like I said earlier, He is available to us 24/7. He is always with us. Relying on friends for advice and comfort can be a problem. They are not always there when we need them. But, God is!

We are all pilgrims on our own pilgrimage that began the very moment that we received Jesus as our Lord and Savior and it will continue until we step out of this life and into eternity. In the meantime, we're still here and no doubt there are dangers lurking all around. There are enemies that desire to rob us of peace, joy, and victory. There are problems that try to strip us of trusting in God’s power. I've been through those difficult times myself. Times when dangers surrounded my life and I wondered where my help would come from. You might be there right now! If so, maybe you're the reason for God giving me these words today. Please take them to heart. The HELP the Psalmist is referring to is the source of help Who is greater than any problem we can imagine. The HELP is our friend, our ally, our Father AND the Creator of the hills and the universe. If God can make this world, then surely, He has the power to take care of me! Our Helper is none other than the very One who stood on the edge of nothing and made everything with His words. Hang On. Our HELP comes from the Lord and HELP is coming!none other than the very One who stood on the edge of nothing and made everything with His words. Hang On. Our HELP comes from the Lord and HELP is coming!

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!

And the Walls Came Tumbling Down!

Several years ago, my husband and I really needed to sell some highway frontage property that we owned. He was very ill and we needed the sale in order to help make ends meet at that challenging time in our lives. My husband’s sister grabbed my hand and said “Come on. We’re going to do the "Jericho March" around the property. We patterned our walk from Joshua's valiant walk around Jericho 3,000 years ago. As we walked, we were asking God for divine intervention and for those ominous financial walls to come down. Only a few days later, a pastor in the city called and asked to come by to see us. Long story made short, he wanted to purchase the property for his church – putting a pavilion and other facilities there for the church. The rest of the story is history because we sold the property to them and we all rejoiced that the property was going to be used for God’s purposes. Win. Win.

When my Sweetheart was in the hospital for yet another “emergency” surgery, my prayer pals -- my sis-in-law and another friend said “Let’s walk around the hospital 7 times and pray and praise for God’s divine intervention. We went by my Sweetheart’s hospital room and gave him the “V” is for victory hand sign. As we started out on that walk, it was lightning. We said, “God is giving us a “light” show! It was sultry hot at first and then it turned to a sweet, cool breeze. Again, we sensed God was sending us the cool air of His Spirit. Another loop around, and a flock of geese, in V-formation, flew over our heads – another sign of VICTORY ahead for us. That’s the way God rolled for us in some of our most faith-challenging times. Sounds a little fanatical, doesn’t it? But I assure you when God sees our willingness to be fanatical for Him and truly believe that “Nothing is impossible with Him”, He’ll answer our prayers – maybe with a “Yes; No; or “Hang on – not right now, but later!” but He still answers. My Sweetheart survived another critical surgery and we had him with us a while longer.

Does that sound radical to you? That is just the way we rolled and it’s the way I still roll. I have audacious faith in my “unlimited” God and in His love for me. So, when we were in Jericho at the site of the original walls coming down last week, I was quiet on the outside, but inside – I was doing cartwheels. Before, my faith was based on the story in God’s Word. He said it and we believed it, but now I had the actual reference for Joshua’s audacious obedience to God’s commands. Along with the other pilgrims on our journey, we were standing on the site of Jericho's walls coming down. Here’s what I found out in my Bible studies (yes, this pilgrimage is causing me to reference back to how God brought about so many miracles and if scripture says “He’s the same, yesterday, today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8), then why wouldn’t I stand solid on what He did “yesterday”?).

Here’s the deal….if Joshua had met with his military advisors, no one would have come up with this seemingly “wacko” plan of walking around the walls 7 days in a row and on the 7th day to walk 7 times around and then blow the trumpets and shout and the walls would come down. Most certainly THAT plan was NOT one that man would design. It was a definite FAITH plan and we read in Hebrews 11:30, “by faith, the walls of Jericho fell down …” In spite of the taunts that were perhaps hurled down at them from the walls as they marched silently around Jericho, they were willing to look foolish and simply rest in the Lord. He was their source of strength.

Every day we have options –- to expect the worst or to truly place our trust in our God who loves us so passionately and desires to bring us through every test, trial and challenge in this life. Oh, we may have some bumps and bruises along the way, but we'll weather the storms, the conflicts and the tests as we place our trust in God's game plan for our lives! When we do that -- those walls will come tumbling down!

The Via Dolorosa & The Holy Sepulchre

I had a very different kind of excitement about yesterday's pilgrimage. We all dressed in black to express our respect for the holiness of what we were about to experience. If we were representing the resurrection of our Lord, I'm sure we would have been in the brightest of colors. Think about how we dress up for Easter to declare and celebrate our risen Lord. But this day we were in solemnity as we walked where Jesus walked, carried His cross, where He fell from the weight of the cross and the weight of His pain after being scourged and flogged brutally. How could we be bouncy and flambuoyant when we remembered the price He paid for us -- the debt He didn't owe. Yes, we know we serve a risen Lord, but I sincerely often think we forget what He endured for our salvation. He didn't have to go this way. In Matthew 26:53, He said "Don't you think that I could call on my Father and He would send me more than twelve legions of angels now?" But, He didn't. He loved you and me too much to leave us without a Savior.


We began the walk Via Dolorosa Stations of the Cross. The Via Dolorosa, winds along narrow streets of Jerusalem's Old City and leads to the Basilica of the Holy Sepulchre. This is the route Jesus followed bearing His cross from Pilate's Judgement Hall to Calvary Hill, the site of the crucifixion. Along this route are the Fourteen Stations of the Cross and each station marks an event of sacred memory.

Fr. Paul led us through each station with prayers and encouragement for our own daily walk with Christ. Through each station we commemorated our Lord's pathway to the cross. For example at Station 1: Jesus is condemned to death. We say with Fr Paul "We adore you, O Christ, for by your holy Cross you have redeemed the world." Then, a brief encouragement to take this station personally, for example: "Perhaps there are times when we, like Jesus, are condemned unjustly, Help me, O Lord, to be silent in the face of pain and suffering. Make me steadfast in my faith when I'm accused unjustly." Then we say "The Lord's Prayer". It is such a beautiful way of remembering.

For the last three stations, we climbed up many stairs onto the roof of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, which is one of the holiest sites for Christians, because it represent Calvary. We looked up at the gold cross that is at the top of the dome of this beautiful holy place and thanked our Lord for saying "Nevertheless, not my will but Thine be done."

Then, we went up a steep staircase to the Altar of Calvary, which rises above the rock on which Jesus’ cross was raised. The rock is visible through glass plates on either side of the altar. I'll admit this was my greatest place of emotions. We were able to touch the rock through an opening in the silver disk beneath the altar, the point where the Cross stood, according to tradition. How could I not experience such gratitude for my Savior's love for me? It was so much to bear, and then I felt Fr Paul place his hand on my shoulder to comfort me. That hand represented my Savior's hand and oh the tenderness and love I sensed.

Outside that area is a slab of marble that people were kissing and then I realized that this is a replica of the slab that Jesus' body was laid on so that his body could be anointed before moving him to the tomb. I kissed it too. I didn't want to miss any opportunity of savoring every thing I could in honor of my Lord and Savior.

And, if it could get any better, then we descended down many stairs into the courtyard of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. The history of this building goes back hundreds and hundreds of years and even if you weren't a fully devoted follower of Christ, I think you would sense this is a place of deep spirituality because of the number of pilgrims here that are praying, kissing and embracing these holy places and objects. With the thousands and thousands of people that visit this site, our group was fortunate enough to experience our own private Mass and communion in the Holy Sepulcher which is a chapel called the Aedicule which contains the Holy Sepulchre itself. The Aedicule has two rooms, the first holding the Angel's Stone, which is believed to be a fragment of the large stone that sealed the tomb; the second is the tomb itself. We were each able to go in and touch the altar above the tomb. Fr Paul's message was beautiful. He said, "As we are in this holiest place on earth, He is risen. Our hopes and dreams are are all renewed in light of the resurrection. It is the Easter of our Lord, Jesus Christ.

After this heavenly time on earth we were taken to Notre Dame Pontifical Institute for a lovely reception.

Yesterday, we had to put the royal cart before our King and Savior died in our pilgrimage today, as the day before, we went to the Mount of Olives where He ascended into heaven after His resurrection. So the good, great and greatest news after a day of paying homage to our Lord......we know WITHOUT a DOUBT.....He LIVES. He LIVES. Christ Jesus lives today. He walks with me and talks with me along life's narrow way. He lives. He lives....salvation to impart. You ask me how I know He lives. He lives within my heart!

We were fortunate to attend a beautiful ceremony of several men and women from our pilgrimage who are Knights and Ladies of the Holy Sepluchre of Jerusalem and whose mission is to help to sustain and assist the religious, spiritual, charitable and social works of Christians in the Holy Land. They were addressed by the Latin Archbishop and given commemorated shell pins. So happy for Charles Michie and Sheila Michie for their work with the order.

Today is our last day here and we're heading to the wilderness of Bethany, Jericho, the Mount of Temptation and the Dead Sea. Headed home at midnight tonight! Talk about RED EYE!! What an amazing, never-to-be-forgotten, trip-of-a-lifetme, meeting precious brothers and sisters in the Lord who became family. Check out the sweet young man with me. That's Everett, and he'll soon be joining a monastery in Arkansas. What a blessing he has been to me -- being my escort and protector as we walked up so many stairs and rough roads. This faith journey pilgrimage is not for the faint-hearted. It's a work-out, but so worth it. Really.....I'll never read the Bible again without having so many beautiful images and memories of the Holy Lands.

Do You Have a Rich Family History and You Don't Know It?

When my mother was up in years, I realized I didn't know much about her history -- stories about her 12 siblings, what it was like living in a large family, how their parents were able to support them financially, how she met my dad, and what it was like for them to have children, etc. What a shame it was that 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 took my camcorder and set it on a tripod and spent many hours (a few at a time) and days interviewing her. Oh, how precious and dear were her stories. Fortunately, I finally stopped to spend quality time with her that resulted in VHS tapes that I could give out to my siblings and their kids when mom passed away at age 94 in 2004.. I was able to pass on to my kids and siblings the rich (not in money, but in faith and fortitude) family history.

That's the message I received yesterday as we continued on our Day 4 Rome pilgrimage. The more we have delved into the rich history of Christianity in our tours that explained so many of OUR "God's" family history, the more I realized how much I need to be living everyday with great appreciation and gratitude for what our forefathers and foremothers gave us. How can I do that unless I make the effort to know that heritage?

Our day, yesterday, started out with Holy Communion in St. Peter's Basilica before the crowds started. The songs we sang were heaven-on-earth with the spectacular acoustics in that magnificent Holy Place that took 120 years to complete. The scriptures we read came alive in that place of history that is dedicated to keeping the Church alive and the Gospel message declared. It is arguably the greatest achievement of late-Renaissance architecture. I assure you that my Christian walk has become richer because of the traditions and symbols that opened my eyes to the reality of God's incredible plan to perpetuate His word to the world.

It is like that "city on a hill" that Christ talked about when He was speaking about letting our lights shine. Peter the Apostle, now St. Peter, is buried in a tomb under St. Peter's. Remembering St. Peter moves us to remember the earliest days of the church. After the Council of Jerusalem in AD 49, Peter returned to Rome. There he served as the bishop of the small Christian community, holding mass in homes. During this time, he also dictated the Gospel, ascribed by name to his secretary, St. Mark, and his two letters are included in our New Testament.

Tradition holds that when the Roman Emporer, Nero, arrested Peter for his faith, Peter protested that he was not worthy to die as the Lord and so was crucified upside down. After his death, the faithful recovered St. Peter’s body and buried it in what is the present site of St. Peter's Basilica.

St. Peter's Basilica houses the grandeur of the magnificent marble sculptures, one of which is Michelangelo's statute, the Pieta (Mary holding her son at his death), the solemnity of the many chapel areas where you can hear pilgrims from all of the world in their native languages praying, praising and bowing before our Holy God.

The message that resonated with me is "The Lord is the same yesterday (the Church's history), today (continuing today the purposeful sharing of the good news of Christ's love for us), and forever (loudly communicating that the Lord really is the same yesterday, today, and forever more).

In Rome, you hear the bells echoing through the ancient streets with a crispness of joy and thanksgiving. The bells somehow ring in our hearts that He is alive, and that we are His people, coming forth in the name of the Lord. The art in the church — enveloped in paintings, stained glass windows, sculptures, and the like — caused me to meditate and bring to life the birth, life, death, and resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I find myself observing others prayerfully taking in these images, which so vividly remind me of Jesus. To me this experience is not even close to becoming boring or a ritual, but instead breeds life. He is far from boring.

I started this post with talking about my own family history and how it has affected my life for so much good. But on this faith journey and pilgrimage, the history of our faith isn't OLD NEWS. It 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 all be living in the plans and purposes of God's great love for mankind.

Much more to share about yesterday, but for another day. Today we're heading to Assisi to the Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi. Love to you, until tomorrow!

Next Stop: Rome

Good Tuesday Morning, dear friends and family! We've just landed in Frankfurt, Germany for our transfer to Rome. We should be in Rome by noon (we're 7 hours ahead of you while we're in Rome.

God does orchestrate our steps because the first couple I met in Houston on this tour, is a lovely Philippino couple who are absolutely God-sent. Mick & Sheila went to Rome three days ago to be with Pope Francis in celebration of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal Golden Jubilee -- the 50th Anniversary of the beginning of the Charismatic Renewal in the Catholic Church that started during the "Duquesne Weekend" on February 17-19, 1967, so we'll meet up with them there. So God sent me two precious angels to sincerely treat me like a family member. Ruby, exuded such joy as we casually talked in the beginning. I learned of their love for God and serving Him in so many capacities. Tony is a Director of Christian Education at their church, sings in the choir and she is a teacher in a Christian school. As I learned more, I learned that Ruby just received the "all clear" report from her long treatments of cancer. She never stopped teaching and serving in their church and now, they are celebrating their faith and answers to prayer on this pilgrimage. What a blessing to have met them.
While we waited for our departure from Houston to Frankfurt, I became known already as Miss Congeniality (as dubbed by my fellow travelers.) LOL!. I figure "If you want friends, show yourself friend!" I introduced myself to all those going on the pilgrimage. So, on our long 10 hour flight, all those folks would pass my seat and say "Hi Donna!" We all agreed, "for all the things we've ever done wrong in our lives, we must have done something right for God to afford us this amazing pilgrimage opportunity."

As only God could orchestrate, the seat between myself and another tour traveler, a handsome young 20-year old man, Omar, sat between us. He fasted through our dinner meal, refused water or drinks of any kind. I asked, "Did you eat before the flight?" He said, "No, I'm fasting." My curiosity peaked! "Why are you fasting -- a health issue or spiritual?" His reply..."Spiritual. It's Ramadan (a month-long, sun up to sundown fasting) and I'm Muslem and I am searching for the truth. I want to read the Bible. I sincerely want a spiritual life again." Me: "What does your fasting accomplish?" Omar: "I fast for those who have no food or who live in poverty." Me: "I admire your dedication and your quest for truth." Our conversation continued with his view of Christ as a prophet, and my faith and knowing Christ as Messiah and Lord of all. Then, as only God would line up -- he read his Quran in Arabic as I read my Bible. As we parted ways, I sensed God's love for that young man and I encouraged him to read our New Testament so he will come to know Christ as more than a prophet. I pray Holy Spirit draws Omar to Himself.

As we waited for our flight to board, this beautiful Swahili girl sat across from me. She knew just a little English, and when I asked about her huge trophy, she just won it in the Marseille France OLYMPIQUE DE MARSEILLE for first place in running.

Here's what I've come to KNOW and declare so far: "Jesus loves the little children. All the children of the world. Red and yellow, black and white -- they are precious in His sight. Jesus loves the little children of the world!"
Until tomorrow......my love to all!

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

The Great Unknown But Great Friends Behind

So I’m in the final countdown to two big events next Tuesday, November 8th:
1) The election – I’ll be voting based on my conscience and aiming for the party and its candidate that aligns closest to my belief system. I sure don’t know what November 9th will hold, but I know that no matter which party is elected, God will still reign and He will be in control. What assurance that is!!

2) My saying “See ya’ later!” to Tulsa as I make my “pilgrimage” home to Texas. I’m leaving based on my conscience, God’s very obvious nudges, and aiming for the work God will have for me there. I sure don’t know what tomorrow will hold, but I know that no matter where God leads, I’ll follow; where He guides, He’ll provide. He is so trustworthy – of course I can place my confidence in Him.

Reality that I'm leaving really set in over the last couple of days with so much love shown me by dear friends. Precious giirl friends, my Hyde Park Family and my Church OfThe Madalene Women of the Madalene. I am indeed a most blessed gal that have walked and run this journey of faith with me and all are so valuable to me. I'm so thankful for the memories as an Oklahoman -- that started way back in 1971.....a 7-year stint in Canada in between but back here in Tulsa since 1993. I cherish that season and now a whole new adventure awaits me . My hope is built on the faithfulness of God. He's been with me every step of the way, so why would I expect that to change?

Maybe your focus isn’t on the election or a big move, but we are all in need of God’s guidance in our lives—when to move forward, when to slow down, when to wait, when to say “yes” and when to say “no.” The most important thing in knowing God’s guidance is not about knowing a formula, but knowing God; not about hearing opinions, but hearing God’s voice; not about striving, but resting in God’s wise and wonderful will.

Here are some affirmations of faith that we can ALL speak over our lives:
~ I don’t know the next step on the path, but I know the Guide. “ I will instruct you and teach you concerning the path you should walk; I will direct you with my eye.” Psalm 32:8
~ I don’t know the next chapter in the book of my journey of faith, but I know the Author and Finisher. “Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith” Hebrews 12:2
~ I don’t know the best decision to make, but I know the Counselor “And he will be called Wonderful Counselor.” Isaiah 9:6
~ I don’t know how the need will be met, but I know the Provider. “And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:19

NO FEAR….only great hope and expectancy....SOMETHING GOOD is gonna happen for you and me!

Sweet "going away" photos of my dear friends attached!

Disengage that EJECT Button!

Pilots push the EJECT button when their planes are about to crash, and to save their lives -- they have no other choice. They MUST take action…FAST! But, what about those of us who are birthing a dream and it’s just too difficult to keep pushing. Or toughing it out in the middle of a project or venture that seems quitting is the obvious thing to do. Or we have given our all to accomplish some task or goal, and the going gets just too tough. All of the negative voices and circumstances, seem to indicate…. QUIT -- give up the fight – you can’t take this any more.

Yesterday, I heard Father Bryan Brooks expound on his recent trip to Spain where he walked the Way of St. James (a 200+ mile pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela -- the burial place of St James) – a journey he had prepared and trained for, prayed earnestly about for a very long time, and undertook as a celebration of his 20-years as a priest, to pray for us, and as penance because he knows he could be a better priest (some would argue about that as we’ve only seen the remarkable, devoted and tremendously dedicated man of God that he is). Nevertheless this was his goal and mission. He shared how many times, over the 200+ miles of walking in a matter of 18 days, he was faced with the notion of quitting, when, physically, it didn’t seem he could take another step, when the rainy weather impeded his progress, but no time greater than only one hour into his journey after he arrived in Spain. He was pickpocketed on the subway – his credit card, ATM card, his identification, and his money was stolen. He had every reason to push the EJECT button to take him back to the comfort of his home and church family. But, he wouldn’t accept defeat. He continued his journey through to completion.

I can understand the part of wanting to EJECT from situations, circumstances, dreams, goals and ventures. Taking the path of less resistance is so much easier. But why choose the easy way out, instead of knowing the thrill of conquest and victory? Why do Olympians train for years, for “one moment in time”? Why do leaders have to make tough decisions every day when it would be so easy to throw in the towel – to press the EJECT button? Vince Lombardi said it perfectly “Winners never quit; quitters never win!” Perhaps this is a message we all needed to hear today – the message that says, “Dig a little deeper; walk a little further; climb a little higher; push a little harder -- you AND God have got this! . Now let's all DISENGAGE the EJECT button!