Via Dolorosa

by | Oct 15, 2010 | Israel

Our trip turns homeward. Or is it that our trip will actually take us away from home? The first words of our tour guide 13 days ago were, “Welcome home!” It took a few days for what he said to sink in, but the more I walked and looked and prayed, the more I realized...

The Garden

by | Oct 14, 2010 | Israel

We spent time in the Garden of Gethsemane. For us this morning it was a sunny day, and the time flew by. For Jesus, it was a long, dark night. A large grove of olive trees set the scene for the betrayal. It was hours from His ultimate sacrifice. It was the place where...

Inside the walls…

by | Oct 13, 2010 | Israel, Uncategorized

Before we entered the Jerusalem city walls on temple mount, we were given a list of do’s and don’ts… Do not wear jewelry or clothing with any religious symbols Do not bring a “holy book” – in our case, a Bible (Since the 23rd psalm is printed on the cover of my...

Bethlehem

by | Oct 12, 2010 | Israel

“Happy Birtday!” Today is Craig’s “birtday” – at least that’s how it was spelled on his cake tonight at dinner. A portion of our day today was spent at a shepherd’s well on a hill that faced Bethlehem. We stood and wondered what it may have been like for the shepherds...

Shortcuts

by | Oct 11, 2010 | Israel

From our hotel at the Dead Sea we drove a short ways north to Masada. If you are not familiar with the story of Masada, then you can surf over to Wikipedia, or Google it. If you have about 6 hours, rent the movie starring Peter O’Toole. Here is the main thing I want...