A world turned upside down, and the God who makes all things right.

It was the day before Thanksgiving 30 years ago that my world turned upside down.  There is no need to go into details; those days are long past.  But they are a part of who I am today.  

The Thanksgiving back then was a feeling of a gathering storm, and a desperate hoping it would pass by.  But days later it hit and nothing was left unchanged.  The following December, Christmas, and January held little to celebrate.  Each day seemed to bring more darkness than the day before.  Christmas didn’t feel like a time to rejoice the coming of the King of Kings, but rather a time to wonder if it even mattered.  

 It took many days of the darkness to see that God did care and the newborn King did matter.  My family, hurting as much as me, stood with me.  My family in Christ comforted me and held me close, even when not understanding.  The darkness was still overwhelming until the night I took God with me for an evening walk.

I’ve spoken of this to a few, but have never written it down.  That night, full of frustration, anger, and sadness, I vented to God all that was in my heart.  It must have been a sight to anyone nearby, my one-sided conversation.  Finally, in a burst of self-pity I yelled out loud, “God do you know what it is like to lose your child?!”  The words had scarcely passed my lips when I shuddered with the thought, “My God, what have I just said?”  

And almost instantly I heard God gently answer in my heart, “Yes. I do know.”

The rest of the walk was in silence and tears. Even 30 years later, remembering that moment still fills me with emotion.

That night the darkness began to lift.

I began to see that my faith was not in what I could do about the situation, but in the God who did understand and could make right what was upside down.  

I had wrestled with the Lord and would never be the same.  God has been gracious all these years since. Difficulties still come, but God is always with me and I hear and see reminders of His grace all around me. And I am thankful. Not for the scars, but for the Lord who saw me through, for the world He has brought me to, for the life He has created in me.

Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year holidays still harbor the distant memories of difficult days. But they also remind me that God is with us, and His son the newborn King, Immanuel “God with Us” will never leave us in the darkness.

“The people who walk in darkness

will see a great light.

For those who live in a land of deep darkness,

a light will shine.” (Isaiah 9:2)

Israel/Greece - It's not easy being One 6/15/2017

Our final day on this excursion/vacation/pilgrimage to the Holy Land and Greece. And it has been a ride.  

It was a simple day.  A hot day, but simple.  We got an early start for the Acropolis, only a 15 minute walk from our hotel.  Cindy's knee and asthma were bothering her, so we received permission to use the elevator to ascend to the top. It was really more like a funicular or one of those skyscraper construction lifts attached to the side.  It was fun.

The plateau atop the Acropolis was a rocky surface with a few gravel paths.  But the temples!  It was amazing that such grand work was performed thousands of years ago. And built in only 9 years! We circled the three temples and enjoyed the experience with our friends from the tour, nearly all fellow church members.  

I know the Apostle Paul was in Athens, but it's not certain he went to the top of the Acropolis.

One place we know he went to the was Mars Hill, a rocky hill on the western side of the Acropolis.  This is where the Apostle Paul spoke to the high council of Athens in Acts 17.   There is a tablet imbedded in the stone that contains his words in Greek.  

Two of our young students with us read Paul's words aloud to us very near the same spot he likely stood at. Then our tour co-host, Ronnie, also our preacher, added some brief thoughts.

Our local tour guide, Thenia, closed with the observation that part of Paul's message was that we are all equal in the eyes of God.  That was a well accepted message in Corinth, with its multi-levels of society.  But it was not a message well received among the elite of Athens.

My thoughts turned to, have I absorbed that same message well?  How well has anyone? I pray this trip has reinforced for me what is important to God.

"There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus." (Galatians 3:28)

Israel/Greece - Fake vs Real 6/14/2017

Alas, it was time to leave our idyllic coastal town and head for the capital city of Athens.

We wound our way through the country roads on the way to the main highway, passing olive orchards, vineyards, citrus trees, and ripening apricot trees.  The latter proved to be a temptation too great to pass-up.  The bus driver pulled over at a roadside fruit stand and bought a bag of freshly picked apricots.  At our next stop he washed them for a mid-morning snack for us all.  I'm not a big apricot fan, but these were great.  

As for our first scheduled stop, we once again had a chance to see the Corinth Canal.  Completed in 1893, it is about 4 miles long, connecting the Gulf of Corinth of the Ionian Sea (between Greece and Italy) with the Saronic Gulf of the Aegean Sea.  Because of narrowness of the isthmus, people have dreamed of digging a canal here for nearly 3000 years.  It's rather narrow for today's shipping, but still a marvel.

On to Athens.  We arrived along one of the city's main shopping streets, sort of a hodgepodge of resale and antique stores, and caught our first glimpse of the Acropolis (which we will visit tomorrow).  That was kind of exciting, leaving me to wonder what ancient visitors, such as the apostle Paul, felt when first seeing the hilltop buildings.

We disembarked on this street, making our way to the central market.  There we saw dozens of butcher stands, well stocked with freshly butchered, or about to be, goats, cattle, and poultry.  In some cases, heads and tails and feet still attached.  In the center of the market was Epirus Taverna where we had lunch. Now, imagine eating a fantastic goat or chicken soup, while looking just outside the glass walls of the taverna at a ready to be butchered goat or chicken.  It tasted great!

Following our lunch, we saw the fish market, with all the varieties of today's catch on ice before us, then headed for one the plazas in town, the Monastiraki.  It is the home of a large flea market, souvenir shops, a church, and a great view of the Acropolis.  

We walked past the ruins of a library built by the Roman Emperor Hadrian in the 2nd Century, the former Roman Agora (market), and many other ruins before returning to more of the shopping streets.

From our hotel, we can see the ruins of temple of Zeus.  Our dinner was nearby at a great little Greek (what else) restaurant.  We had gyros, and learned that the way we get them in the US would be considered street food in Athens.  Ours were served with the bread and yogurt on the side.  Very tasty.

As I mentioned above, as we walked today we passed many shops.  Those that sold "real" stuff - brass, old DVDs, vinyl records (remember those?), and clothes, for example - didn't get a whole lot of attention from the tourists.  Instead it was the gift shops selling magnets, t-shirts (including some promoting Sparta, a rather odd thing it seems to sell in Athens), and Grecian urn reproductions that got most of the traffic.  And I confess, we've spent some funds at places such as this.  But in this city of so much authentic Ancient Greece, one wonders why the inauthentic gets so much attention.

"I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done. Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord." (Philippians 3:7-8)

Israel/Greece - Refreshed 6/13/2017

Oh, what joy it was to once again get a full night's sleep without time pressures.  We had nothing planned until late morning, following a delicious Greek breakfast in our hotel courtyard.  First time to have honey-glazed orange cake (revani) and baklava for breakfast. 😋

We took a short walking tour through the old town of Nafplio, stopping first at the community Greek Orthodox Church.  The building was dark, lit mainly by what sunlight came through the doors and few windows, a few electric candle lights, and several oil lamps.  While looking at the art, almost all Greek Orthodox icon imagery, the priest came out to visit us.  When he found out we were from Texas, he explained the etymology of "Texas" and "freedom" that both can be traced to back to ancient Greek words.  Maybe so, maybe not.  But it was reminiscent of a scene from "My Big Fat Greek Wedding".

The town is a quiet and restful getaway after our "church camp" pilgrimage tour of Israel.  

A great medieval fortress sits on the mountain, looming over the town, but much of the buildings date to the mid-19th century when Nafplio briefly became the capital of Greece at the beginning of their independence from Turkey.  Sitting above the town square is an old Turkish mosque that was secularized as the home of the first Greek parliament.

We traveled from there to Epidaurus, home of the best preserved ancient Greek theater in the world.  The view from the top of the theater was breathtaking, and the acoustics were amazing.  From the center of the stage I could speak in a quiet voice to friends at the top of the seating section - 110 steps up - and they could hear me fine.  Quite impressive engineering.

We finished the travel with a refreshing excursion to the coastal town of Tolo for time in the crystal clear waters of the Aegean Sea.  

Then a long, relaxing lunch of 9 courses of great, home cooked, fresh Greek dishes.

We came back to the hotel with new energy for our last two days in Greece.  All-in-all, the day was a reminder of God bringing me to a place of rest to be refreshed.

"He leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul." (Psalm 23)

Israel/Greece - Renewal 6/12/2017

We were tired.  We had an very early flight from Tel Aviv to Athens.  Israeli security requests 3 hours minimum before a flight departs.  So we got up in the morning by 2 AM for our 3 AM checkout, one hour drive, and arrival for our 7 AM flight.  Everything went smoothly and helped with enough caffeine.  We were in Greece by mid morning.

Martha, our coordinator, and tour guide Thena, met us and we promptly headed south to the region of Ancient Corinth. 

We visited the old Corinth harbor at Cenchreae where the apostle Paul once arrived and sailed from.  

We lunched along the Corinth Canal, and lastly we walked the streets of Ancient Corinth.  

Paul was definitely here at one time, as were many other notable Bible followers of Christ. Many places he may have walked are conjecture - the forum, the main street to the port, perhaps the shops or places in the water district area.  But one place we know for sure Paul stood was the Beme, the judgement seat of Corinth.

Here Paul prepared to defend himself before the Roman pro counsel, only to see his case dismissed.

Paul’s influence and memory of what he taught (and the One he taught about) has long outlasted the city where he spent over 18 months.

Later we drove down the coast to Nafplio, a town along the shore of the Argolic Gulf in the Eastern Peloponnese in the south of Greece.  It had been a long but filling day, and we looked forward to a couple of days to reset and renew.

As the Apostle Paul once wrote to the very city we had just visited:  "That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day." (2 Corinthians 4:16)

Israel - Ascent 6/11/2017

On Sunday, we spent the day in the Temple Mount area.  It isn't easy to get up on the Temple Mount - heavy security, very limited hours - but it is something I've looked forward to for a long time.  And before we knew it, we are standing atop Mount Moriah.  Of course, it looks nothing like a mountain now, but it was here Abraham took Isaac to be sacrificed.  Here David sacrificed to stop the plague from devastating Jerusalem.  Here Solomon's Temple and the 2nd Temple once stood.  Jesus taught in these courtyards, and entered through the Golden Gate.  Peter healed the lame man and preached to many.

And in the place where multitudes have come to pray over thousands of years, we stood, too.

A short distance from the Temple Mount were beautiful gardens, a church with fine acoustics where we sang praises to God, and the remains of the pool where Jesus healed the man sick for thirty-eight years.  We left the old city through the gate Stephen was taken through when he was martyred.m

Later we prayed with others at Western Wall, the last remnants of the Temple Mount support walls from the time of Jesus, and walked on the same market streets and stones that the 1st century shoppers would have walked.

We lunched and shopped in the Jerusalem souks, dodging other shoppers, delivery carts, and overzealous shop owners.

A group of us went down to the old city of David and explored the Siloam pool tunnels.  One, possibly the tunnel Joab used to capture Jerusalem for David, the other built by King Hezekiah to ensure a steady water supply should the city be under siege. The waters of Siloam still flow quick and cool, and it felt  a bit like Indiana Jones wading through the ankle to knee deep water through the ancient tunnels.

But the highlight was ascending the southern steps of the Temple, steps built by King Herod, and almost certainly used by Jesus and Peter for going to the temple or teaching.  Walking up these ancient steps recalls the Psalms of Ascent (120-134), including, "I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go to the house of the Lord.”"

It was not hard to visualize Peter preach from these steps.  We worshipped here together today, broke bread and shared the Lord's Supper.  And I was honored to be able to read Peter's Pentecost sermon for our group.  A convicting message that concluded, “So let everyone in Israel know for certain that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, to be both Lord and Messiah!” (Acts 2:36)

Israel - Walking where Jesus walked 6/10/2017

One year ago today was a day focusing on Jesus.  We spent the morning in the Garden of Gethsemane where Jesus spent his last night in prayer and agony.  We spent time near the same olive trees that may been young saplings when Jesus was there. 

We looked over the Holy City where Jesus may have wept over Jerusalem, and where David may have, too, when he fled from Absalom.

We listened to the Lord's Prayer in Hebrew, then Latin, then all together in English.

We meditated on Psalm 88 in the dungeon where Jesus may have been held the night of his trial, and the nearby courtyard where Peter denied knowing Jesus.  We saw the Roman road that Jesus may have traveled down on the way to Caiphas and to Pilate.

We walked the path Jesus walked from his scourging and mocking to his death.  We saw and knelt and touched the rock that held his cross.  We stooped low to see a portion of the stone that sealed his tomb, and touched the now empty slab that once held his body.  We listened to the chants, songs, and prayers of his followers, and made friends with Italians, Greeks, Mexicans, French, and Peruvians who also came to honor our Lord.

Other places try to claim they have the correct location, but just don't have the history, archaeology, or tradition behind them.

But while all the places are interesting and quite moving, it isn't most important exactly where Jesus suffered, walked, prayed, was jailed, was beaten, died, or was buried.  Most important is that the tomb is empty, and our Lord has conquered death, is risen and lives!

"Don’t be alarmed. You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead!" (Mark 16:6)

Israel - Thirsty in a dry and weary land 6/9/2017

We began our day visiting the site on the Jordan River very near where John the Baptist did his baptizing, on the Israel/Jordan border, and possibly where Jesus was baptized.  As we posed for a group picture, a white dove flew overhead.  They are quite common in the area, but was still a unique experience.

We drove further south along the Dead Sea through the Judean Wilderness and soaring temperatures to Masada.  It is a mesa rising high above the sea, and was the location of one of Herod the Great's palaces.  The location in the arid wilderness was even possible because of the cisterns built within the palace complex that would capture the area's rare rainfall - 2 inches per year - and store it in caves and basins carved within the plateau.  Herod never lived there, but the cisterns enabled over 900 Jews fleeing the Romans to withstand a siege for nearly a year before they chose death over slavery.

We also visited Qumran, where many of the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered.  Temperatures here reached nearly 108°!  The Qumran residents of the 1st century also used cisterns to capture rainwater to meet their needs.

Our last stop was the Dead Sea itself where we floated - bobbed like a cork is more like it - in the very heavily salty water. It was hot, crowded, and the salt and mud felt odd to the skin.  It was fun.

All the while we drank several liters of water to stay hydrated.  

But despite the heat and lack of rainfall, it is amazing to see how much still grows there.  Through the millennia, humans have found a way to meet their thirst needs in this dry land.  And one man in particular wrote of what this need was like:

"O God, you are my God;

I earnestly search for you.

My soul thirsts for you;

my whole body longs for you

in this parched and weary land

where there is no water." (Psalm 63:1)

This picture was taken in En-Gedi, the area where David once hid.

Israel - Kings, Mountains, and Mustard Seeds 6/8/2017

Another full day, this time almost entirely in the region around Bethlehem.

We started the day first at the Israel Museum to see the scale model of 1st Century Jerusalem to gain perspective on what we will see later in the week.  The museum is also the keeper of some of the Dead Sea Scrolls, and many of these were on display.

We first did a bit of shopping in a Arab Christian shop in Bethlehem, run by the family of the man who first recognized the significance of the Dead Sea Scrolls.  They have many fine, hand carved olive wood pieces, jewelry, and certified antiquities.

We visited a cave in a park on the edge of town that has been preserved as an example of what a cave home looked like in the shepherds' fields.  

And the long-awaited stop was the church of the Nativity, built over the cave long revered as the birthplace of Jesus. One must stoop low to enter the church, then descend into a cave beneath the church to see the rock floor where tradition since the 1st century holds Jesus was born, and the nearby manger hewn from the original rock.  Cindy was quite moved by the experience.  Later we listened to the Armenian Apostolic priests sing their prayers, one responding to the other.

Finally, we ascended Herodium, the man-made mountain for one of the palaces of Herod the Great, and also the location of his tomb.  It is an active archaeological site, and it was fascinating to see the ruins and the views from the top - from Jerusalem to the Dead Sea.

As we headed down, we saw a mustard tree and were reminded of Jesus’ story on faith:

“I tell you the truth, if you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it would move. Nothing would be impossible.” (Matthew 17:20)

So on the side of the man-made mountain built by a human king over looking the birthplace of the King of kings, we saw the symbol of the faith Jesus wants us to have.

Israel - Oh, What a sip of water can do 6/7/2017

We had quite a few "Wow" moments on our trip, but the biggest for me so far was one year ago today.

I stood in the Jordan River and witnessed 14 of my fellow pilgrims reaffirm their commitment to Christ through immersion in the river.  It was a great moment.

Later we drove along the River Road, the same road Jesus and his family and disciples would've traveled between Galilee and Jerusalem.  We entered the Palestinian Territories and drove through the hills and canyons of Samaria, and had a feast of a lunch at a restaurant on the side of the hill where the Northern Kingdom capital of Samaria once stood.  

We descended through the Judean Wilderness back to the Jordan Valley to Jericho.  There we saw the spring tradition says was made pure by Elisha.  We walked up the Tel, the hill created over multiple civilizations, of Jericho where the people of Israel and Joshua achieved their first victory in the Promised Land.  From the Tel we could see the Dead Sea and Mount Nebo in the distance. And we could see the traditional site where Jesus was tempted atop a mountain.

It was moving when we caught our first glimpse of the towers of Jerusalem and our first look at the Holy City.

But for me, the biggest "Wow" so far in this trip was in the city of Nablus, the ancient site of Sychar, between the two peaks of Mt. Ebal and Mt. Gerizim.  There sits a Greek Orthodox Church, St. Photini Church at Bir Ya'qub.  Previous churches have existed at the site since the 4th century, and even long before that the site was known to pilgrims.  Because at that site is a well long attributed to Jacob, grandson of Abraham and the father of the 12 Patriarchs. And if this is indeed the well dug by Jacob, it is the same well Jesus sat at when the Samaritan woman came to draw water.

"Jesus had to go through Samaria on the way. Eventually he came to the Samaritan village of Sychar, near the field that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. Jacob’s well was there; and Jesus, tired from the long walk, sat wearily beside the well about noontime. Soon a Samaritan woman came to draw water, and Jesus said to her, “Please give me a drink.” He was alone at the time because his disciples had gone into the village to buy some food." (John 4:4-8)

We entered the church and descended into a room beneath the church.  A small stone well was there.  The well was deep - when water was poured back in, it was a few seconds before we heard the splash.  A bucket was lowered and a few of us took towards tuning the handle to crank the water back up. We drank from the water in the well, likely the same well Jesus ask for a drink from.  

WOW.  For the first time this trip, I was moved to tears as I helped raise the bucket and tasted the cool sweet water.  A moment I never dreamed I would have the opportunity to experience.

Israel - A touch of faith 6/6/2017

One year ago today was definitely a day of walking where Jesus walked.  And boated.

We began our day cruising in a wooden boat north along the western shore of the Sea of Galilee.  The water was almost a flat calm.  We sang, read scriptures, watched nets cast (no fish), danced to Jewish folk songs, and enjoyed the water Jesus and the Twelve spent so much time on.

We drove north into upper Galilee and the upper Jordan valley, a land rich in agriculture.  We could see the hills of Lebanon and we crossed into the Golan Heights.  We were reminded of the more recent unpleasantries as we saw still uncleared mine fields, barbed wire, and the border zone.  

Nearby were the ruins of Caesarea Philippi and the pagan temples of Banias.  Here springs from the base of Mt. Hermon mark the source of the Jordan River.  And in this area, Peter confessed Jesus as the Messiah, the Son of God.

On our return, we stopped and lunched near Magdala (we ate St. Peter’s fish), and walked the hilltop where Jesus may have preached his sermons and the Beatitudes.  We touched the sea where Peter three times reaffirmed his love to the Messiah, and visited the ancient traditional site of the feeding of the 5000.  Lastly we walked amidst the ruins of Capernaum, where Peter lived and Jesus spent much of his ministry.

As we finished the afternoon in Galilee, the wind had picked up significantly and the once calm lake was dotted in white-capped waves.  

Remembering the calm that morning, I was reminded of another day when the weather changed suddenly:  

"Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him. Suddenly a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!”

He replied, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm.

The men were amazed and asked, “What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!”" (Matthew 8:23-27)

Israel - Meeting Our Needs 6/5/2017

By the end of our first full day of touring, we were tired but very filled.  Where do we begin?  In less than 12 hours we traveled from sea level at Caesarea where Paul preached to governors and kings, to 1500 feet about sea level where Elijah proved to Israel that there is one god, and the Lord is that God.  We walked about the palace gates of Solomon (or could've been Ahab) in Megiddo, saw remnants of the ancient streets and homes where the child Jesus once played, and renewed our vows near the site where Jesus met the needs of a wedding host who had run out of wine. Our day has ended over 500 feet below sea level overlooking the Sea of Galilee where Jesus spent so much of his life.

But maybe the moment I treasure most today was resting in our room, looking at the blue of the Sea and the red of the cliffs and remembering a day when Jesus met another need. 

"Jesus was standing on the beach, but the disciples couldn’t see who he was. He called out, “Fellows, have you caught any fish?”

“No,” they replied.

Then he said, “Throw out your net on the right-hand side of the boat, and you’ll get some!” So they did, and they couldn’t haul in the net because there were so many fish in it." (John 21:4-6)

Israel - Land of many faces 6/4/2017

We’d been in the Holy Land three full days.  We’d met several people who lived there, and seen many others.  Our guide on the Judean hills tour is of Eastern Europe descent on his father's father's side.  His mother is Scottish.  His wife is from Morocco and she has family from India.

Our guide who would be with us for the first part of the tour week is an Arab Christian.  He welcomed us home as we are now pilgrims in the birthplace of our faith.

The Holy Land is a place of many faces from many nations.

I know we will see many more faces from diverse backgrounds and heritages, and each will remind me of God's promise to Abraham, "And through your descendants all the nations of the earth will be blessed—all because you have obeyed me.” (Genesis 22:18)

Israel - Paths of Giants 6/3/2017

The past two days have filled us.  We have walked the streets and along the harbor of Jaffa, where Jonah set sail trying to flee God, where the cedars of Lebanon arrived destined for Solomon’s Temple, and where Peter raised Dorcas and saw God's vision to teach the Good News to the Gentiles.  

We drove in the hills and valleys where Samson lived and wandered, the land of first allocated to the tribe of Dan.  Near the growing city of Bet Shemesh (in the left distant background in the picture below), whose predecessor village once housed the Ark of the Covenant.

But one highlight was climbing and standing atop the hill of Azekah, where the Philistines once camped, and overlooking the Elah Valley (behind me to the right) where David defeated Goliath.

“You come to me with sword, spear, and javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies—the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied." (1 Samuel 17:45)

The joy to walk the same paths as prophets, apostles, judges, shepherds, warriors, giants, and kings.

Israel - A land of Milk and Honey...and Wine, Olive Oil, and Grain 6/2/2017

Our friends had not yet arrived in Israel, so we made plans to see the Judean hills.  A guide, Barak, met us at our hotel and drove us south into the ancient land of milk & honey.

We drove south into the Judean hills and the land once allocated to the tribe of Dan. Often we were within sight of or a very short distance from towns once visited by Samson.  We skirted past Eshta’ol on the way to our first stop, an Israeli settlement called T’zora very near to the village where Samson was born.

We soon learned the land is abundant, not only in “milk and honey”’ but also in grain, vineyards, orchards, and other crops.  At each of our stops, we were offered fruits of the land, from the vineyards, the olive orchards, the grain fields.  We learned of the Jewish view of God's blessings on how the land will sustain His people.  They have a proverb:  "A liter of wine, a cup of olive oil, a bit of grain will sustain one each day."

It brought to mind the words of the psalmist, "You cause grass to grow for the livestock and plants for people to use. You allow them to produce food from the earth - wine to make them glad, olive oil to soothe their skin, and bread to give them strength" (Psalm 104:14-15).

We are looking forward to more of God's blessings.