Faith Over Fear

I was a greeter at my church last weekend. Arrayed in my mask in keeping with CDC guidelines, as well as six-feet social distancing, I was game-on! I love being a greeter, from my own experience of being greeted by a friendly face. It’s heart-warming to notice being noticed. At my church, which holds 1,200 people, we are at 50% -- following all the rules with an empty pew between pews and at least six-feet apart in the pews. I’m still trying to get used to the masks – especially when my breath fogs up my glasses. 🤓

I amused myself in between greeting people to take a look at our weekend bulletin. The title on the front of it was “Faith Over Fear”. I stopped in my tracks. “Faith Over Fear” is the caption on my black face mask. I think: “God, you are doing your best to get us, ME, to get that message, aren’t You?”

Of course He is. Our Gospel reading that weekend, was about the storm – the winds and the waves -- that increased in hostility to the boat that was carrying the disciples to the other side of the sea. Jesus was exhausted after feeding the 5,000+, but He couldn’t help but notice them struggling from His peaceful place on the mountain. I have a clear visual of this scene because of my trip to Israel and on my favorite place -- the Sea of Galilee. It still amazes me that that relatively small body of water could blow up such a storm – but it did that day. Jesus walked to them on water and the disciples thought He was a ghost. But, like He said time and again – through the angels who said at His birth “Do not be afraid” and to His Mother when Gabriel appeared to tell her she would be overshadowed by the Holy Spirit and bear a son, “Do not be afraid” and to us today and every day: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” -- Matthew 14:27

He is our same Lord and Savior today Who sees us -- right where we are and He knows our fears, concerns and anxieties. He speaks to us the same words of reassurance and hope that He spoke to His followers: "Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid." May we rest in His promise that He is with us and will faithfully take us through the storms and to the other side.

Rescued by the AMEN

By now, I’m sure you’ve heard about the rescue of two Florida teens in St. Augustine when the ocean’s strong currents pulled them two miles away from shore. Their faith in “God saves” was reassured when the captain of the yacht called “Amen” spotted them in the water when he was simply scanning the ocean for waves through his binoculars and heard their cries for help. High school senior, Tyler Smith, said, “We were just going to swim out to a small island we saw in the inlet. We thought, ‘That’s not far’. We’re athletes. No problem. We’re young teenagers. We don’t think about currents or anything like that. We’re like, ‘oh we can do this easy’, so we just swam out.”

The pair were stranded in the ocean for two hours (without life jackets) and were losing hope as the waves became rougher and the red buoy they were relying on as a point of reference and potential safety mark became out of reach. Tyler’s legs were cramping from swimming and treading water. Tyler said, “I started crying out to God, please send something, please send someone or some miracle to save us because I still want to see my family again.” That’s when it felt like a miracle occurred for the teens as a yacht, the AMEN, emerged about 200 yards from the desperate pair.

“At some point, it felt like it came out of nowhere. When I looked up I saw this big boat, I just had this feeling that I knew we were getting out of there,” Heather Brown said. She waved a stick she found in the water and started screaming as loud as she could. The Captain of the boat said, “Over the wind, waves, and engines, we thought we heard a desperate scream,” and we saw them.” Tyler said, recalling the memory, “"From us crying out to God, for Him to send someone for us to keep living and a boat named 'Amen,' there's no way that it wasn't Him," Tyler said.

Fear gripped the hearts of Christ’s disciples when the storms, the winds, and the waves came to them on the Sea of Galilee. Jesus saw them from afar and walked on the water to save them. (Matthew 14:22-33). Though this happened over 2,000 years ago, it is still relevant to us today, and particularly to those who need to be rescued. Maybe you are one of those who is paralyzed by fear that grips your heart about what tomorrow holds. That same fear may also be gripping those who are about to give up because matters have gotten worse and they fear for the loss of their marriage or their job or from a debilitating habit or illness or relationship breakdown.

Jesus still saves. Jesus – the same – yesterday, today and forever (Hebrews 13:8) has the ability and wants to come walking on the water into all of our lives. His grace. His love. His mercy. He’s reaching out even now to RESCUE you and me from whatever fear or situation we are facing today. We're crying out for help, Lord Jesus. As you are reaching out to us with your arms of love, we are reaching out to you. Jesus saves. AMEN!

At Least Take the First Step

In my “No Fear” post yesterday, I shared how proud I was of my granddaughter when we were at Six Flags Over Texas. Against her initial concerns about the wild rides that were there, she conquered her fears and in fact, exceeded our greatest expectations for her. After the first ride (her first step), she became an ambitious and relentless rider and wanted to keep riding more – long after Staci and I were ready to call it a day.
While that “no fear” story described overcoming fears about amusement park rides, I know that nowhere compares to certain fears that may be looming before you today. I know it sounds easy to say “Have no fear!” until we are facing some situations that have created fears of gigantic proportion.

In June this year, I had the time of my life and dream-come-true experience when I was riding in a boat on the Sea of Galilee and walking all over the region where Christ performed so many miracles – among which was the story of those seasoned fishermen (aka disciples) who knew the sea and everything there was to know about fishing. They had seen, survived and lived through many storms. But for all their experience and nautical knowledge, they needed to experience what it was to BELIEVE audaciously in Christ who was daily demonstrating to them on how to live with NO FEAR.

The story went like this in Matthew 14:22-33: Jesus was on the shore praying while the greatest storm of the disciples’ lives was upon them in the Sea of Galilee. They were scared out of their wits and at the end of their ropes when there came Jesus walking on the water to them. He called out to them “Take courage. It is I. Do not be afraid.” We know that Peter, as shifty in his faith as he was at times, had the courage to at least take a FIRST STEP. He didn’t have to get out of that boat to walk to Jesus. But he did. He took a chance. That was courage – holy audacity. He got out of the boat. I admire that courage and I sure can’t fault him for noticing the winds and waves even though Jesus was right in front of him. How many times have I shook from the winds and waves in my own life instead of staying constant in my laser focus on Jesus, the Peace Giver?

We know about first steps. It’s bold for a woman who is being abused to take the first step to get help. It’s bold for a man to quit his job or attend school for a better job. It’s bold for students to take the first step and stand in front of a room and give a speech. It’s bold for someone who has never traveled in an airplane, to take a flight. It’s bold for a couple to buy their first home.

Dear, try-to-do-good Peter has received so much critcism thrown at him for his failures, but you’ve got to hand it to him – he got out of the boat. He took the first step. We all need to get out of the safety of our boats. I’m not saying we should take wild chances or throw caution to the wind, but I am saying “If we hear the Master calling us to take a chance or change something in our life, then we need to get out of the boat." And when we get out of the boat, and stay focused on the Master, He will see us through to the other side. Peter met the storm head on, fought the waves and the winds and felt the awesome experience of touching the very hand of Christ – because Peter was the only one willing to get out of the boat and go toward Jesus. Peter had the courage to take that FIRST STEP out of the boat.

There are storms in every life and sometimes they feel like they’re drowning us, but in every storm, Christ is waiting with outstretched arms, to save us. If we really want water-walking faith, then it's time to get out of our boats of comfort and ease and take that FIRST STEP!

When You Pass Through the Waters, I Will Be With You

I showed this map of the Sea of Galilee and the places of many of Jesus' miracles to my kids when I was sharing with them about my recent trip to Israel.

The question most of our tour group had was how could there ever be such winds and waves in this small body of water that could cause such fear in those who were sailing from one side to the other? Our guide told us that there have been waves that exceeded eight stories on those waters. No wonder the disciples were concerned for their lives.

Over the years, our family has enjoyed every water feature you could imagine. We frequented lakes and rivers all over the U.S. and Canada where we camped, sailed, fished, river rafted, canoed, and kayaked, and there are no adequate words to convey about the majestic oceans and seas that we cruised.

I recall my Sweetheart sitting back, delighting in the stillness and beauty of those moments in all of those water places. He loved taking it all in. He was "home" by the water. I'm quite sure he's made sure that our mansion in heaven is right by the River of Life.

What if life was like living by a pond or lake? A lake can represent stability and tranquility. A lake doesn’t change much from year to year. With the exception of a severe storm (we were at the lake on plenty of occasions when a tornado was coming through), a lake is a secure place with clear boundaries, stable waters, and a quiet shore. There is a sense of order, control, and safe predictability about a lake, with few major surprises from day to day.

I have found life to be more like traveling down a river. It's extremely unpredictable and filled with many twists and turns, highs and lows, rapids and calms, unseen obstacles and unexpected objects that go drifting by. But, it can also be filled with exhilarating experiences that are packed full of adventure. You can ride the currents of a fast flowing river in a raft or kayak, but you have to avoid the potential dangers which can be devastating to a rider. We know that for a fact – when, one time, our kayaks tipped over and we were pulled into the rapids, and but for the grace of God, could have lost our lives. Our kayaks went on down the river….without us in them. Thank God, we had on life preservers.

As we journey on, we want life to be safe and secure for us and our loved ones, like that lake with borders -- no big changes or surprises. But, in reality, life is more like a river as it is continually moving in ways that we cannot control, predict, or expect.

The good news for us is that our security, stability, AND sanity are not found on the rivers of our lives, but in the Lord of of our lives. Our hope is in Him who knows the way through the obstacles and the twists and turns. Our peace is found in the One who directs our course. Our hope is fixed upon the One whose hands not only created the waters, but calms them, and He is THE ONE Who causes the unpredictability of the waters to work things together for our good.

Isaiah 43:2 "When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you....."

Been There, Bought the Olive Tree Wood Treasures

I’ve Been There, Bought the Olive Tree Wood Treasures, Seen the Places Where My Lord and Other Bible Heroes Walked, And I’ll Never Be the Same
It was great to be back home to celebrate Father's Day with my family here yesterday, talk about my trip, and to give them the little "treasures" I brought back for them from Israel.

Though I’ve journalized my Rome and Israel trip highlights on my Facebook wall since we left on June 5th, apparently, based on this post, I can’t stop thinking about where I’ve been and those who were with me on this journey. In fact, I will forever be influenced by my experiences.

My dear friends, Charles Michie and Sheila Michie, were the ones responsible for my decision to go on this pilgrimage. We had been discussing this trip for some time, looking for “the one” that would fit us best. Because Mick (Charles’ nickname) and Sheila are a Knight and Lady in the The Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem (they are vested in this group that are committed to supporting Christian presence in the Holy Land because their hearts are passionate about the protection of Christianity there). They were certainly vested in me because they watched over and cared for me like mother hens on this trip.

Without exception, everyone that I spoke to on the trip really were (in their hearts) pilgrims that were on this journey for their first time or were returning to the Holy Lands for their 2nd, 3rd and even 7th time. Each of us agreed that this journey added new dimensions to our personal lives of faith, to our theological education and understanding – and to our own fields of work and ministry. We had children from the ages of 10 years to 16 years of age (who, by the way, were as touched by the experience as the rest of us were), college students, a young man entering a monastery in September, business men and women, a U.S. District Judge, nine doctors, a few retirees, and two priests. We were from Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, New Mexico, California and Missouri. It was a wonderfully diverse group who were all “called” to this pilgrimage.

My sweetheart literally left this trip to me at his passing as we were soon going on this Holy Land journey. I wish we had made this trip many years ago because it would have certainly provided us with more insight and basis for our Bible teaching and ministry. Rome was beautiful and the ancient sites we visited took on a new meaning for me as the last time I was there it wasn’t about gaining as much spiritual insight as it was a romantic celebration of 40 years of marriage that my husband and I had long dreamed about. This time it was about gaining understanding of Paul’s journey there and the incredible influence he and other saints and martyrs had on our Christian lives today. But what struck me most, as I reflect on my week in Israel, is the array of experiences that would have been impossible, or at least improbable, if I had simply travelled to the country on a regular vacation. There is nothing like walking where David and Solomon walked and imagining the lives of Abraham and Sarah, Moses and Elijah. Walking where the Holy Family lived, struggled, walked and rejoiced. And walking the way Jesus walked in life, and to His cross. Standing at the basilicas and churches, and hearing His teaching with new ears. Being on mountaintops, at the sea, in the villages and towns where He was born, grew up, taught, healed, and cared for God’s people. There’s nothing like it.

Emotions were high for all of our pilgrims as we arrived at the Tel Aviv airport. Our tour guide,Rimon, right from the start, was more than a guide, he was from and lived in this country all his life and we became family with him. He was passionate about his Christian heritage and he desired that our biggest take-away from our time in Israel, was the take-away of love for his country.

The absolute perfect location to spend time at on the first couple of days was in Tiberias, at the Sea of Galilee. For me, it was one of my favorites because we weren’t amidst the hustle and bustle of the throngs of group tours there like there was in Jerusalem. The drives through the country in our tour bus impressed all of us with the stunning changes we would see in the topography of the land through our bus windows. We’d see lush green lands and waters and then we’d see desert wilderness. We’d see foreboding walls, and a number of security checkpoints with armed guards. We'd see traffic jams and we witnessed a bus driver that could easily drive in the Indy 500!!

This journey enlightened me to the need for our allegiance, our prayers and our support for Israel. I hope that you will get to journey there one day, but in the meantime, I pray that we all will pray for the peace of Israel. Rimon, our tour guide, asked us to pray that, like in America where all religions can abide together in peace and harmony, that Israel can dwell in peace also. If you plan on traveling there some day, be sure to check out our tour guide's info and video on his website at: https://www.rimonmakhlouf.com/

Psalm 122:6-9 "Pray for the peace of Jerusalem! May they be secure who love you! Peace be within your walls and security within your towers! For my brothers and companions’ sake
I will say, “Peace be within you!” For the sake of the house of the Lord our God, I will seek your good."

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!!

I Walked Today Where Jesus Walked and Felt His Presence There

I was up at 4:30 am to watch the sun rise over the Sea of Galilee. It didn't disappoint. When the breakfast buffet opened, I got my plate and took it outside to hover in God's presence. I shut my eyes to think about Jesus calming the winds & waves & walking on the waters. Is this for real that I'm in this place I've only read and heard others talk about?

I read my morning Gospel reading that brings together all the reasons for this faith journey: John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that He gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him might not perish but might have eternal life."

Soon, one my fellow travelers came and sat by me with a chair between us. Our conversation included who I knew on this pilgrimage, and why now? I told him this was my sweetheart and my "bucket list" trip and because he gave this to me at his passing, and I'm here with our dearest friends. He said, "I'm so sorry about your husband", and I said, "Oh, don't be. He earned his trip to heaven and besides that, we celebrated 44 years of marriage before he left, in addition to being together since we were 12 & 13 years old. He replied in the sweetest and tenderest way, "I'm going to go now and let you and your husband enjoy yourselves together. He's sitting right here beside you (in the empty seat between us). Then he gave me the biggest "daddy hug I could possibly take. Of course, my heart was tugged and my eyes were filled with tears at this "heaven-to-earth" moment.

Just a little later when we were on our large boat, riding the waves on the Sea of Galilee (I can hardly believe I just put those words in a sentence), and after we had heard scriptures that spoke of the miracles and works Christ did in this region, the sailors of the boat mentioned they were selling laminated maps of the region as well as stones necklaces with momentos of this experience.

A short while later, my friend from this morning, came over to me and said, "My wife and I looked for one of those stones that was the closest resemblance to a heart for you and this is it. It's from your husband." Oh my. This precious couple tugged at my heart strings that created "transcends earth" moments.

Nothing could be said that can compare to this day. Riding in a boat on the Sea of Galilee, hearing God's words to us from scripture that resonated in our hearts as we witnessed the sights and sounds. Our guide brings all this to life for us as he covers it all and explains it all with such wisdom and finesse. I sure didn't realize that the Sea of Galilee is so small. You can be in the boat in the middle of it and see land all around: It's only 8 miles wide and 13 miles long.

This post is longer because I have a good wifi connection and I could add more thoughts and photos!! YAY! The photos will best explain but cannot possibly provide adequate explanation of this experience. Highlights are:

1) On the Sea of Galilee (in John 6) we know that Jesus was above the waves as He walked on water. Seems remarkable as you look at the size of this sea, however our guide told us the waves have gone as high as 8 stories. No wonder the disciples were afraid when they were about to be overtaken by them. Our guide emphasized, "Since our Lord is higher than the waves, He can sure take care of any problems we may have. Peter, in his quest to walk on water with our Lord, took his eyes off the Lord, panicked and began to sink, but as he cried out to the Lord, "Save me!", the Lord did save him.. And that same Lord responds to our call when we cry out "Save me!" How beautiful it was when the boat stopped and we were told "Now, take in the peace of God that Peter must have felt when he gave up his will for Christ's will".

2) After this wonderful boat ride around the Sea of Galilee, the motorcoach took us to the Mountain of the Beatitudes where Christ gave His Sermon on the Mount. Our guide said the hills were the perfect spot for the sermon.

The mountain is so beautiful with lush plants, trees and birds chirping as the backdrop for our morning celebration of mass and communion.

4) We had lunch at a lovely restaurant at Magdala (the home of Mary Magdalene) and were served pita bread, hummus and so many veggies, PLUS a whole fish -- head and all (talapia). So delicious!

Of course that's what we ate. How could you just go see the mountain where Jesus gave His famous sermon and feed over 5,000 men, plus women and children with just 2 loaves of bread and 5 fish? At Magdala is where the Church of the Multiplication of Loaves and Fishes is located.

5) Then we went to Tabgha where we saw a primitive olive press (of course you need an olive press because of all these olive trees that grow here). Here is the Church of St. Peter's Call to Ministry. Remember after Peter completely "blew it" when he denied even knowing our Lord? We can only imagine the regret Peter had after that. How could he have rejected Christ so easily after he had a front row seat to every miracle and every outreach to others that Christ performed? So he was living in anquish, I'm sure, BUT, Christ forgave him -- so much so that He asked him "Do you love me" over and over and Peter's response was "Yes, Lord, you know I do!" And Christ's reply was "Feed my lambs. Feed my sheep." Once again, the beloved St. Peter went on to build God's church. The rock that Peter was standing on when Christ called him is here at this shrine.

6) Capernaum was our next stop -- Jesus' home town. Jesus' fame spread everywhere when He cast out the unclean spirits from the man. Mark 1:21-34 "Jesus and His companions went to the town of Capernaum. When the Sabbath day came, He went into the synagogue and began to teach. The people were amazed at His teaching, for He taught with real authority—quite unlike the teachers of religious law. Suddenly, a man in the synagogue who was possessed by an evil spirit cried out, “Why are you interfering with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!” But Jesus reprimanded him. “Be quiet! Come out of the man,” He ordered. At that, the evil spirit screamed, threw the man into a convulsion, and then came out of him.a Amazement gripped the audience, and they began to discuss what had happened. “What sort of new teaching is this?” they asked excitedly. “It has such authority! Even evil spirits obey His orders!” The news about Jesus spread quickly throughout the entire region of Galilee." Capernaum is where the remains of Peter's house, are located. The remains of the oldest synagogue that Jesus taught in is in Capernaum. Capernaum, at the Sea of Galilee, is the place Jesus called Peter, James and John to follow Him.

That was a power-packed day that leaves me overwhelmed at the end of this day. The finale of this day was stepping into the Sea of Galilee -- those waters aren't the same waters, but that place and that sea were once Jesus' place of ministry. In the coolness of the breeze at times, the sea and waters, the hillside, the restaurant, the motorcoach and the holy places......taking in the wonder..... this same Jesus lives in ME and YOU. I didn't need to come here to know that, but coming here has increased my faith in the Son of God, the saints and martyrs, Blessed Mary, Joseph, the apostles and my brothers and sisters on this pilgrimage -- everything and everyone has had a profound effect on my life. Yes, Il'll never be the same!

This morning we leave Tiberius for JERUSALEM! Shalom!

Pilgrimage Day 6 -- Rome to Israel

I woke yesterday morning, with tears starting to flow. We were flying to Israel. This long awaited day was finally coming to pass -- a day that my husband and I dreamed of. On the way to the airport, our fellow pilgrims sang "Jerusalem, Our Destiny!"
"I have fixed my eyes on your hills,
Jerusalem, my Destiny!
Though I cannot see the end for me,
I cannot turn away.
We have set our hearts for the way;
this journey is our destiny.
Let no one walk alone.
The journey makes us one."

We were all anticipating this special day when we would set our feet on the grounds that our Savior walked, healed, touch, restored, spoke to the winds to be still, turned water into wine, opened blind eyes and so much more that John 21:25 says "And there are also many other things which Jesus did, which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen."

Once we arrived at the Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv, we soon boarded our bus and our very knowledgeable guide (has been doing this for 35 years) began to talk about where we were headed. Again, I began to weep at the sheer thought that what I had read about for so many years and memorized the scriptures and invited this Jesus to be my Lord and Savior -- I was going to be where He was on this earth. It was overwhelming to say the least.

Our journey this day would take us to Tiberias and the Sea of Galilee. Just the thought of being where Jesus performed so many miracles, again, made my emotions and excitement run high. Along the way, we came to Samaria, then Joffa where Jesus asked Zaccheus to come down from that Sycamore Tree (BTW -- there are so many sycamore trees here) because he was going to his house that day and his entire family came to know Christ as Lord. We came to Caesarea where St. Paul departed from to travel to Rome.

I was especially touched when we arrived at Mount Carmel at Haifa. Mt Carmel is where Elijah indelibly associated with the mountain. In the Books of Kings, Elijah challenged 450 prophets of Baal to a contest at the altar on Mount Carmel to determine whose God was genuinely in control of the Kingdom of Israel. According to 1 Kings 18, the challenge was to see which God could light a sacrifice by fire. After the prophets of Baal had failed to achieve this, Elijah had water poured on his sacrifice to saturate the altar and then he prayed; fire fell and consumed the sacrifice, wood, stones, soil, and water which prompted the Israelite witnesses to proclaim, "The LORD, He is God! The LORD, He is God!". In the account, Elijah announced the end to a long drought; clouds gathered, the sky turned black, and it rained heavily. With the incredible manifestation of Elijah's God being our God to those prophets, still Elijah ran when word had it that Jezebel was after him to kill him. He ran to a cave at Mt. Carmel fo hide. A beautiful shrine is at Mt Carmel that commemorates the life and miracles of God through Elijah's faith (pictured below).. We enjoyed a beautiful mass and communion at a Carmelite chapel.

When we passed a sign that told how many miles to Nazareth, tears fell again. (BTW -- I won't be wearing eye make-up anymore on this journey. There's just no sense because I expect to be overwhelmed with love for my Savior so much I can't contain all that is welling up inside of me. I tend to think it's those "springs of living water" that I know will never run dry)..

We traveled by Cana where Jesus performed His first miracle of turning the water into wine at a marriage feast, then by Cyprus where his dad, Joseph, came to work. And in this region, Jesus learned his father's trade and worked alongside him.

Finally, at the end of the day, we arrived at our hotel right at the Sea of Galilee. Oh how my heart burns within me. No words can be offered that could explain my heartfelt gratitude that I know this Man personally. He walked here and He walks with me today. He's as close as the mention of His name. How thankful I am to be on this pilgrimage of faith that confirms this journey of faith that I've been on for so many years is worth it all.

This morning, we'll board a boat that takes us across the Sea of Galilee. I plan to envision Him walking on the water toward me and I'll say "My Lord, my Savior and my God! And, He'll say back to me...."Donna, peace be still" and I know all that is within me that often seems out of control.....will be still with the command of His words to my soul!"

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