As He Loved

“God loved us, and through his grace he gave us a good hope and encouragement that continues for ever.” 2 Thess. 2:17

How does a Holy, Perfect, Good, All-Powerful God love? Certainly not like someone like me, a sinner plagued by selfishness and pride. We can feel the love of our God, our Savior, and sometimes can grasp part of it, but do we fully comprehend the awesome love of our Father? The clearest glimpse we can have of it is when we look at Christ, the Creator of the Universe humbling Himself to become a man and die on a cross. He is our peace; He is our righteousness; He is our hope; He is our joy; He is our Love. “And I pray that you and all God’s holy people will have the power to understand the greatness of Christ’s love- how wide and how long and how high and how deep that love is. Christ’s love is greater that anyone can ever know, but I pray that you will be able to know that love. Then you can be filled with the fullness of God.”-Eph 3:18-19 The only way someone like me, a sinner plagued by selfishness and pride, can truly love is to let the Sacrificial Lover, Jesus Christ, love through me. To let him use my full person, actions and words, tears and smiles, life and death, to love as He loved.

"I know of nothing so utterly exciting as being a Christian, sharing the very Life of Jesus Christ on earth right here and now, being caught up with Him into the relentless, invincible purposes of the almighty God, and having available to us all the limitless resources of Deity for accomplishing those purposes.
    Can you imagine anything more exciting than that?"
-The Indwelling Life of Christ by Major W. Ian Thomas

Smiling :)

Matthew 8: 14-17
14 And when Jesus entered Peter's house, he saw his mother-in-law lying sick with a fever. 15 He touched her hand, and the fever left her, and she rose and began to serve him. 16 That evening they brought to him many who were oppressed by demons, and he cast out the spirits with a word and healed all who were sick. 17 This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah: “He took our illnesses and bore our diseases.”


I just read this passage while I am sick with a fever and it just made me smile. :) 
Someday no one will ever face sickness, sorrow, or death again thanks to the love and grace of our Savior Jesus Christ. :) 

Yesterday, my sis, bro and I went down to the lake for a swim in the late afternoon. We went off the rope swing a million times. Kath and I were trying to get the momentum right to do a back flip off the rope swing. Couldn't quite get up the nerve to actually go through with it, especially after the three face plants when I was trying to flip last year. Someday...maybe this summer. Maybe next summer. :)

Drove out to my grandparents last night with my sister. We put the windows down and blared some Rascal Flatts as we drove through the summer heat down the dirt roads. When we started down there long driveway, we were faced with the tranquil field dotted with hay bales and the blue sky dotted with puffy white clouds. So beautiful. :)

This morning my brother and sister-in-law came in from a walk. They had discovered a baby water turtle. He had little green stripes all down his tiny legs. Probably one of the cutest things I've ever seen. :)

I have a babysitting job. There are two kids, a brother and sister.  They normally live in California, but come to Missouri to spend the summers with their dad.  I've only spent two days with them, but I am already so attached. More than anything, I want to show them the love of Christ and speak truth into their lives. Samaria is so quiet and serious for her age; I feel like I've just been given a very special gift when she laughs or smiles at me. Silas is such a sharp cookie and loves explaining stuff to me. :) On Tuesday I was with them all day. They have a trampoline in their back yard so we went out to jump on it for a while. During my growing up years, I really never had the opportunity to be around trampolines, so I was actually kind of nervous and untrusting of it. We swept all the tree particles off of it and began to bounce. Silas showed me how he could flip and Samaria showed me how to bounce back up from a sitting position to a standing position. Being a lot bigger than them, they kept wanting me to jump more so they would bounce even higher. I started to relax a little, and the three of us held hands in a circle and started to bounce around together. It was so much fun and we ended in a fit of giggles. :) I am excited about going back to school in August, but I know that it will mean saying goodbye to two kids who are already becoming very special to me.

The Return

Well, I'm back.

Jasmine and I got up around 5:30 am on Monday morning in Cairo. When we got to the airport, we found out they had overbooked our flight, so in the end our group had to be split up onto two different flights. Eleven of us went from Cairo to Munich, then Chicago, then St. Louis. The other seven of us kept the original flight track to Paris, then Atlanta, then St. Louis. We were all sad because we all thought we would   say goodbye to eachother in St. Louis, but my group of seven were supposed to arrive two hours later than the other group.
So we said hasty goodbyes, and then we seven (and the airport people) were scrambling to get our baggage checked to make the flight to Paris. It was delayed getting off the ground. Then we had an hour or two in the Paris airport. I could see the Eiffel tower and the river Seine in the distance when we landed.
As it turns out, AirFrance went on strike, so the flight from Paris to Atlanta was also delayed.
Eventually we took off for Atlanta in a 777. We each had our own tvs, which had a bunch of movies to choose from, games, and music. BUT, even though the technology was great, that was the LONGEST plane ride I have ever been on in my life. I got REALLY stir-crazy. I was by the window in a row of three, so I couldn't get up without majorly disturbing the two ladies next to me. And, oddly and unfortunately, my normal I-can-sleep-anywhere abilities failed me. I may have slept a half-hour total.
Anyway, I have never been so glad to get off a plane. We landed around 9:30 pm and were all worried that we were going to miss our connection to Atlanta, which was supposed to leave at 10:10 pm. And we had to go through customs and security. Pretty much impossible. But then we found out that all flights had been delayed due to a storm! It was rather strange to be happy about another delay! :)
So we made it through customs in a jiffy, then waited in the airport until our plane could finally take off around midnight ( 11 pm. MO time). After an hour and a half flight, we were finally in St. Louis.
Poor Jasmine had been in the other group and was waiting in the airport for about 5 hours.
We hit the road for home, and got in about 4:30 am, and made it to bed by 5 am Tuesday. In Cairo time, that's about 1 pm. So I had been on the go for over 24 hours.

Thanks to all of you who have been praying for me while I have been gone! :) Glad to be home. :) Still recovering from jet lag. I could barely keep my eyes open yesterday afternoon.
Thankfully, my sister is here and she has been a big help, dragging me off on four-wheeler rides or swimming in the lake.
I love the Lake of the Ozarks, but its not quite like the Sea of Galilee.
I love Sabra hummus from Walmart, but its not quite like eating hummus in Bethlehem.
I love looking at my photos of the Nile, but its not quite like dragging my fingers in it as we sailed along.

I love the Middle East, but its not quite like being home with my family. :) :)

Salt and Mud to Come!

Last post from the Middle East most likely! :)

Bethlehem has been great, but we are all rather travel worn. We have been enjoying delicious shawarmas and falafel for only 5 to 10 shekels!! So cheap! :) Had to savor my last bites...don't know when I will taste that again.
 We have been eating meals at a Lutheran International Center. In the evenings they have been having a series of concerts with Palestinian and Swedish bands. We went last night and it was quite the experience! :) A break dancing group also performed which was pretty awesome to watch live. :)
Today we visited the supposed Shepherds' Field (apparently there are 4 in Bethlehem) and then we went to Hebron. Visited the mosque and saw what is supposed to be Abraham's tomb. Walked through the streets of Hebron, vendors, donkeys pulling carts of potatoes, the most adorable children wandering along or riding their bikes.
Tomorrow we leave at 5 am to start the trek back to Cairo. The journey home will begin bright and early. We will stop along the way to swim in the Dead Sea and plaster ourselves in its mud. :) That will be fun!! :D I think it is an 8 hr bus ride excluding the swimming. I am charging my ipod in preparation.

I feel very ready to be home in some ways, and not so ready in others. I am SO ready to see all of you that I miss so much. Ready to give Mom and Dad the biggest hugs I can give with my new sifting muscles. Ready to sleep for more than 6 or 7 hours. Ready to eat the most amazing cook in the world's food. Ready to not be moving from one place to another.
But.
I will miss the close-knit group we have formed on this trip.  I will miss the mountain tops. The falafel and shawarmas. Lemon Drank!! Real hummus! I will miss seeing the beautiful Arabic script and the Hebrew plastered all over everything. The Shekels!!! :) Taking way too many camel photos. Hearing the call to prayer at 4 am.  Ambling through the streets of Old Jerusalem.
I already miss the Sea of Galilee. :) I will miss seeing the hustle and bustle of another way of life.

I want to come back here again some day.
Some day after I have caught up on all my sleep :) :)

Hot Tea and Typing in the Pilgrim's House

Yesterday morning we went to the Holocaust Museum. Probably one of the most memorable events of the trip. One of the most heart-wrenching. I know nothing of sorrow. Absolutely nothing.
Next was the Israel Museum in the afternoon. We went to the Shrine of the Book and saw the Dead Sea scrolls (already visited Qumran where they were found) and the Aleppo codex. Awesome!!! :)
This morning we walked Hezekiah's Tunnel. It was very narrow and ankle deep cold water. :) Anything with water is fun! :)
Free time this afternoon! Shopped with Amy, Jazz, Jenna, and Allison in New and Old Jerusalem. Wandered around, ate a strawberry popsicle for  6 shekels, came in and out of the Damascus gate.
Tomorrow we leave for Bethlehem! Its actually only a 20 minute drive from here. Its bittersweet once again. The convent is a pretty sweet place. I just sat on the lower balcony before dinner for a while, journaling and looking out over the city, the golden Dome shining just a little ways away.
Wow am I blessed.

Pushing Dirt Instead of Daisies :)

Often times while we dig in the mornings, we hear what sounds like thunder. It's actually tanks going off while the military practice. We also had a "national emergency practice" thing where sirens went off all over the place. At the graveyard dig site in the past two days we have finished up with Manuel for the year and are working on Tony. We finally found his skull, which had a tree root growing through it. :)
The Jordan River is much smaller than I imagined it, but beautiful, with tall cane growing along the banks where we rafted today. We went about 3 km downriver.
Tomorrow is our last day on the dig. I will actually miss the five oclock mornings....just a little bit. There is something about watching the sun come up through the haze over the Sea of Galilee while we ride to Bethsaida. I will definitely miss the kibbutz! We are leaving on Sunday to head to Jerusalem. On the way there we will climb Masada and swim in the Dead Sea.
Last Sunday we visited Caesarea Maritima and swam in the Mediterranean by the aquaducts. I floated on the waves, got salt water all in my eyes, and picked up sea shells along the shore. :) :)We also saw the stone that is the only non-biblical reference to Pontius Pilate.
Yesterday I got to talk with a Jewish woman named Rahel when we were swimming down at the Sea. She is living at the kibbutz and looking for work while she studies to be a masseuse. She was born in Jerusalem.
It is definitely going to be bittersweet to leave. I'm going to miss the dirt, the millions of cats that roam the kibbutz, the free water, our little kibbutz dorm, the nice pattern we have settled into here, and most of all, the Sea.

Dirt, Bones, and Enticing Flowers

The first week of the dig is officially over! Its been a lot of 4,000 year old pottery shards and bones, some Russian bullets, and a TON of dirt. :) Most of which ends up on me. :) I've been having a blast, but have decided archeology is not for me. Nothing is alive, green, growing...:)
I have enjoyed the plant and animal life outside the dig too! :) I was blissfully picking some BEAUTIFUL pink nerium oleander and plumeria to press in my Bible, when a Kiwi woman who is also on the dig came out and told me, "Those are very very poisonous. If you get them near your mouth your throat could swell shut. Get rid of those and go wash your hands!" I thanked her profusely and went to wash my hands about three times all the way up to my elbows. :) That has been my most dangerous experience in the Middle East thus far!!!! :D
There are also these colonies of hyrax that live in the rocks at Bethsaida. They are a small ground hoggish, rabbitish looking rodent. They stare down at us when we walk to the dig site around 6 am.
Speaking of animals, there is a what I think is some kind of white heron looking in at me right now through the glass wall of the hotel. :)
Israel is one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen. The Sea of Galilee is incredible and the surrounding mountains just add to the beauty. Two night ago, we watched the lunar eclipse over the swaying palm trees edging the soccer field. Absolutely incredible.

Blessed

Swam in the Sea of Galilee today!! :) It was incredible!! We also went to Capernaum, Nazareth, Mount of Beatitudes, and Tiberius. We read Matthew 5: 1-17 while looking at the Sea from the Mount. Tomorrow we have our first introduction to the Bethsaida dig site. :) Starting Tuesday it will be 5:00 mornings! :)

This is my first time where I really have time to write more. So I'm going to take you back to Egypt for a bit. While we were in Egypt we had a tour guide named Izat. He is the coolest guy ever, a Presbyterian, and we all loved him and were sad to say goodbye to him at the border. One night on the train back from Luxor, Jasmine and I had a long conversation with him about how he became a Christian and how that has impacted his life. One thing he said that really stuck out to me. He told us how previously he had been talking with his wife about being able to lose everything in this world and still be content, and he said,"The Creator of the Universe is right here with me...What more could I want? What more could anyone want??"
It is so true.We worship a God who is good and who loves us beyond measure. He creates sunsets for us, beautiful seas to swim in, peanut butter, and gives us grace upon grace. He will never leave me. What more could I want? :) :)

We conquered Petra today!!!!!!!! So incredible! Jasmine and I, along with two other members of our group, climbed to the top of a mountain where there a "monastery" is carved into the rock.The 156 square miled of red sandstone is beautiful! When we got to the monastery, we met a little boy who took us off trail to see his herd of goats and a spring and a camel carved into the rock. Then we followed the sandy trail all the way up to the very very top of the mountain. You could see for miles around, mountains and more trails and caves. Probably one of the most awe-inspiring views I've ever seen. Totally worth the sunburn and killer steps to the top. :) :)
Which leads me to some another killer climb...Started the climb the top of Mt. Sinai yesterday at 1230 am, made it to the top around 4! 7 km camel trail and then 750 uneven steps! The sunrise was incredible!!!!!!!! Headed down around 5 and made it back around 630 am with the sun high in the sky! :) Running out of internet time but when we are in Israel in about a week, Ill be able to update then. :)

About a river...

"...and he lifted up the rod and smote the waters that were in the river, in the sight of Pharoah and the sight of his servants; and all the waters that were in the river turned to blood."
Exodus 7:20
We are here in Egypt! :) Just got back from a dinner cruise on the Nile River. Kept thinking of the above passage. Our God is incredibly powerful and always accomplishes His purpose.
Its been essentially two days since I've had more than a few cat naps. I am seriously looking forward to climbing in my low to the ground bed and sleeping after I finish writing this. Tomorrow is the Pyramids and camel riding and then eventually an overnight train to Luxor!
I have been impacted by the poverty I've already seen in the city. I saw the poverty of a tribal village in Brasil, but the poverty in a city is very different. But just as heart-wrenching. Today has been a mix of sadness over these scenes of poverty and awe over the incredible strange beauty of Egypt and her people.
This is rather scattered I know...not sure when I will be able to update again. Maybe not till the kibbutz.
'Night All!

Leaving tomorrow! By 8 am we will have left the house! Our flight leaves the St. Louis Lambert Airport at 2:12 pm. We have a connection in Detroit and then on to Cairo! Prayers would be muchos appreciated.
It's exciting to think that tomorrow night, Jasmine and I, along with our other group members, will be floating down the Nile River Lord willing! Ah! Crazy!!
Not sure when I will be able to update this, but hopefully when I do, there will be some pics. :)

Something from Spurgeon

This a somewhat lengthy quote from Spurgeon, but I think anyone who reads it will find it to be a wonderful encouragement. I have it saved on my computer and pull it out every so-often to reread. :) 

I added the emphasis. :) :)

"It is ever the Holy Spirit’s work to turn our eyes away from self to Jesus; but Satan’s work is just the opposite of this, for he is constantly trying to make us regard ourselves instead of Christ. He insinuates, “Your sins are too great for pardon; you have no faith; you do not repent enough; you will never be able to continue to the end; you have not the joy of His children; you have such a wavering hold on Jesus.” All these are thoughts about self, and we will never find comfort or assurance by looking within. But the Holy Spirit turns our eyes entirely away from self: He tells us that we are nothing, but that “Christ is all in all.” Remember, therefore, it is not your hold on Christ that saves you—it is Christ; it is not your joy in Christ that saves you—it is Christ; it is not even faith in Christ, though that be the instrument—it is Christ’s blood and merits; therefore, look not so much to your hand with which you are grasping Christ, as to Christ; look not to your hope, but to Jesus, the source of your hope; look not to your faith, but to Jesus, the author and finisher of your faith. We will never find happiness by looking at our prayers, our doings, or our feelings; it is what Jesus is, not what we are, that gives rest to the soul. If we would at once overcome Satan and have peace with God, it must be by “looking unto Jesus.” Keep your eye simply on Him; let His death, His sufferings, His merits, His glories, His intercession, be fresh on your mind; when you wake in the morning look to Him; when you lie down at night look to Him. Oh! let not your hopes or fears come between you and Jesus; follow hard after Him, and He will never fail you." -C.H. Spurgeon

This evening I have been hanging with my siblings while parents are gone. There is always the debate about whether the youngest, oldest, or middle child has it the easiest or the best. I have come to a conclusion on this matter. As a youngest child, I find that I am incredibly blessed and so thankful to have three older Godly examples in my life who continue to love me unconditionally and to encourage me to "look to Him." I can see Christ so clearly in their lives. I think that is one of the coolest things about fellowship with brothers and sisters in Christ. As we see them grow and become more like Christ, we too desire and are encouraged to grow in the same way. 

Even Strangers

These past few days with my family have been wonderful. I just watched my sisters graduate from CofO and couldn't be more proud of them. Wiss is now officially a nurse and Kathy is going to pursue a counseling degree after she spends a year at a Bible school in England.
After the graduation, I was sitting in a hammock on my brother's porch wondering, "How is the Lord going to use my life? What is His plan for me?" Right now I am in the process of becoming a math teacher. As I thought of that, something that I hadn't really thought about came to mind: How can I be more passionate, more dedicated to teaching children how to solve an equation than making sure they know how much their Creator love them?? Thousands of children across the world have no knowledge of how to read and write, let alone do algebra; they don't have clean water to drink, live in huts with no walls and only a dirt floor...yet their most desperate, urgent need is to understand who God is and what He has done for them. It makes me want to abandon everything here and run boldly over there to do something, anything.
But, even with these thoughts, I am confident of where the Lord has placed me for the time being. Sometimes...oftentimes it hard to be patient. I went to class this past semester and will go to class again this coming fall wondering, "What am I doing here?" Then I remind myself that someday I will be able to teachmath, but more importantly I will be building relationships with special people God has created, encouraging them in the truth of God's Word. But that's not all. I know God has a purpose in me being at Truman. It isn't the someday, but the present. I can't do anything myself, but each and every day, He is making me more like Christ, and each and every day He can use me to show Himself to my friends, aquaintances, and even strangers. There are professors who are so blinded by their own wisdom and experience, they cannot see the futility of their lives.There are students sitting next to me in lecture hall who may have more clothes than they can possibly wear in a month and  all the food they could want in the cafeteria, but just like those children, they have no understanding of who God really is and how much they need Him.
The biggest question in my mind is something my Dad told me a while ago, something I should ask myself this summer while I am in the Middle East and next year at Truman, and in the years beyond that are still unclear. "What is God doing here, and how can I be a part of it?" How can I glorify Him here?

Dark Chocolate for My Soul

Why do I forget how blessed I am? Why does it take sunshine, no classes, and the prospect of chocolate for me to remember that?
Today I finished my last class of my sophomore year. I just hiked around in the beautiful spring weather with good friends. The words of this song are playing in my head: "Blessed be Your name when the sun's shining down on me...when the world's all as it should be..."This is where I am right now, and yet even still I am weary. How can I expect to praise the Lord in the dark times when there is tragedy and pain if I can't even do it now?
It is only by His grace, by His life. His life in mine. His life is mine. Love is defined by the way my Savior, Father, and Creator loves me. He will give me strength and I can rest in his unconditional grace and love toward me. Jesus, help me to remember who I am You; how You have blessed me!