So I am behind a little I suppose. Time to play a little catch-up. (Just in case you didn't get the connection, the title and playing catch-up together make up a rather cheesy, but nonetheless effective, pun of rather great proportions. 1. we don't really have much ketchup over here, 2. I'm behind 3. I have a story about a bottle I will tell later)
Anyway, so this little post is not going to be anything like the last one. For one thing I couldn't stand being convicted/challenged/whatever better word there is for that very often or I would collapse and maybe even die. Neither option works very well for a life of service to the Lord.
The rest of the Dead Sea adventure was awesome. We hiked over the ridge to the wadi David, where En Gedi is - you know, where David hung out and cut Saul's robe... Anyway, it was beautiful and we got to swim! Which was real good because when we came to En Gedi last March I didn't swim, not a day that I think about that trip went by without feeling some regret on that choice. So I rectified that situation and swam lots. It was great. And I did a real big cannonball in honor of all my friends from that trip. "Here's to you, one and all," I thought to myself as I splashed the rock walls.
Moving on, this week was pretty busy yet pretty laid back. We had less to do in general, but like always, life is always busy. Wednesday wasn't a mandatory trip, it was for the Modern History class, but anyone could go. I needed a day off real bad, so I hung out around here in the nice weather and got some things done. Oh taxes, how I wish you were done.
It's been a good week, but it's also the week where people are becoming 100% themselves, they're getting somewhat tired, we're more or less comfortable around each other and lots of people are hacking up their lungs, no thanks to the guy who has had a cough for a month and hasn't just taken a day to get better - so he got worse - and now lots of people have been infected, great. I have a sore throat, my nose is running like a track star and I hope I get better before we go to the Negev, but Bill and Abner both have touch of it too, so I don't feel as bad about it.
Today was cool, cool and weird. We went to a Conservative Jewish Synagogue (Conservative = Liberal in Judaism because conservative as we think of it is fulfilled over here by the orthodox jews. In essence, orthodox = USA conservative religious person; conservative = liberals in USA) So we got to listen to the reading of the Torah, the prayers and songs. Oh my goodness, the woman who led all the prayer/songs has an amazingly powerful voice, it dominated the whole "sanctuary" or whatever they call it there. It was really cool, she's the first joyful Jew I've seen I think. Then the rabbi gave a sermon - English, which was part of why we went, that and they are the only ones who would let us come :) - which was really good actually. He talked about giving and how it's outlined in the Torah (slash in our Bibles too) and people question why it's a mandate instead of something that we are just trusted to do of our own good will. The point was that we stink at being selfless on our own and we need the obligation. But much more than that we should give beyond the 10% tithe, we should give as much as we possibly can, not just what is comfortable. Give so that it is a sacrifice. That is a line I want to hang on to in my life. It was neat and sad, there were people who were so genuine, and yet so off. Oh that they would see the True Messiah...
Then we walked over to the Old City and had luch, hardly any shops were open, we thought it might be because we were there earlier than normal, but we found out from our friend Shabaan that the shopkeepers were on strike because the government wants to evacuate and bulldoze a palestinian area so that can develop the area (though we're not really sure what that means). Somewhere between 800 and 1,500 palestinians would be ousted, so finding an open shop was pretty rare, but we did find food.
Then we went to a man's house in the Jewish quarter, he was an advisor to the mayor of Jerusalem a while ago, the mayor who is now (or just was?) the prime minister of Israel. He talked about all sorts of things, it was really interesting to get his perspective on politics in the middle east and religion and all the other topics that make people mad in America. It was an neat experience, though my rear end hurt real bad afterwards, almost two hours on a tile floor, I'm still feeling it. It is sort of like watching basketball games in high school. So much time on a hard wooden bench. At least this time I got something out of it instead of sitting on the bench during all four games, even the game I was theoretically playing in :)
And here's something that is good. Yesh geshem, there is rain! (I felt like I was in Salem today, we had hard rain, mist rain, clouds on your face rain, etc.) It's wet and cold, but the Lord is gracious and is giving this land some badly needed H2O.
Here's a little product of my Hebrew learning for you (though not written in Hebrew because I can't do it with this blog, though in real life I could write it for you):
Yesh geshem baheretz shel Israel, hodu l'adonai ki who tov. "There is rain in the land of Israel, give thanks to the Lord because He is good!"
Showing posts with label rain. Show all posts
Showing posts with label rain. Show all posts
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Saturday, February 21, 2009
The Itsy Bitsy Spider
... Then down came the rain and soaked the land of Israel, Sploosh!
So our En Gedi campout was cancelled. Something about rain and flash-floods I heard. But tomorrow we are going to En Gedi for a hike, Lord willing. Right before we hike we get to "swim" in the Dead Sea. That will be fun/cleanse all of my pores beyond repair. Dr. Anderson, I will do my best to organize some synchronized swimming :)
Today I got to sleep in again, hooray. After a week of busy and a day of sick it was much needed. And this afternoon we sorted the sissies from the diehards. Before it rained we took a poll of who was going to the Old City. Today when there was rain our numbers dropped by almost half. Go figure.
But I like the Old City in the rain. There are fewer people, more time to see things, and less of the tourist feel when I walk around with my counterparts because we look like we know what we're doing now. I like it. So today was a day of sitting, drinking cocoa, reading, walking, eating falafel and enjoying life as a whole.
Here's something absolutely unbelievable: I am one-third of the way done with this semester. Only a "few" weeks left and we go on two more big trips (like 5-7 days big) and then have a week for travel/study break. There's like no time left, oh how fast it goes.
And oh how much I should get done! I am, shall we say, "behind" on reading. I say "behind" because it's all due at the end of the semester, but there is a lot to do. So I should go do some of that now. Have a good weekend.
So our En Gedi campout was cancelled. Something about rain and flash-floods I heard. But tomorrow we are going to En Gedi for a hike, Lord willing. Right before we hike we get to "swim" in the Dead Sea. That will be fun/cleanse all of my pores beyond repair. Dr. Anderson, I will do my best to organize some synchronized swimming :)
Today I got to sleep in again, hooray. After a week of busy and a day of sick it was much needed. And this afternoon we sorted the sissies from the diehards. Before it rained we took a poll of who was going to the Old City. Today when there was rain our numbers dropped by almost half. Go figure.
But I like the Old City in the rain. There are fewer people, more time to see things, and less of the tourist feel when I walk around with my counterparts because we look like we know what we're doing now. I like it. So today was a day of sitting, drinking cocoa, reading, walking, eating falafel and enjoying life as a whole.
Here's something absolutely unbelievable: I am one-third of the way done with this semester. Only a "few" weeks left and we go on two more big trips (like 5-7 days big) and then have a week for travel/study break. There's like no time left, oh how fast it goes.
And oh how much I should get done! I am, shall we say, "behind" on reading. I say "behind" because it's all due at the end of the semester, but there is a lot to do. So I should go do some of that now. Have a good weekend.
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Broken Skies and Tired Hearts
It was a dark and stormy night...
Wrote Snoopy from the top of his red dog house. Or was it his WWI Sopwith Camel? Was that the sound of the Red Baron bearing down on him yet again? Would he be shot down behind enemy lines yet again? Alas, it was not to be. But there are some parallels, in the words of another classic character (but one experienced through a different medium), please, "let me 'splain."
Part I: Broken skies, crackling fires, and wet flip-flops.
It was a cool and cloudy afternoon. They said it would rain. (That's why we have our field trip tomorrow instead of today.) The skies said it would too. There I was, cramming my brain with more vocabulary in Hebrew class on Tuesday afternoon when there was a huge CRACK! followed by one of those "BOOM's" that keeps rolling around and around, sort of like when you're at a bowling alley and 7 people hit the pins at just about the same time. Talk about thunderclaps, that was thunder-applause.
Bill said that when there's thunder in Israel it means there will be rain. He didn't lie. Within 2 minutes it was pouring. Cats and Dogs-type pouring. But we were inside, so we just got to listen to the thunder and see an occasional flash. It was sort of like when jets were flying over and bombs were being dropped in Gaza, only much louder and much wetter :) In the hours that followed, it rained, and rained, and rained some more. Just before sleep it was raining some (like Salem fogging instead of real raining) and then it there was a flash and a crack-boom and it turned into Splash Mountain. It shook the windows and lit up the sky for over an hour, but it was late, so I put in earplugs and went to sleep to the gentle thud of thunder. Amazing weather from and amazing God. And He knows that Israel needs the rain. Pray that after tomorrow the rain hits again, it's SO important for this country to survive.
-If you're curious why part of this subtitle is wet flip flips let me give you one line that will help it all make sense: I live with a bunch of Californians. Enough said.
Part II: Sunset skies, red eyes, and tired hearts.
It all began with a shift. Not the little key on your computer that makes letters bigger than the rest. Not even that stick in your car, for those of you who actually go that route. I mean a shift in mindset. Actually, a shift in heartmind-set is maybe more accurate. I don't need to remind you of just yesterday and Bible study and all that. But I will explain the meaning of this subtitled section.
Number one: When I started this post before dinner the sun was beginning to set after a day of clouds. It was a beautiful pink and orange-pink that bathed my room in that glow that is all the better when you have just woken up from a nap (that's where the red eyes part comes in, even though it was just a half hour nap). I like sunsets a lot. I like naps a lot. A dynamic duo if I do say so myself.
Number two: tired hearts. That's what I have. Well, not tired hearts, but rather a tired heart. Since I only have one, contrary to what some might say - check the x-rays. I was sitting in class this morning, having everything I have ever really understood about reading the Bible challenged and being convicted and aching that I have wasted so much time in my life with dumb things. But I said that all too quickly, let me slow down.
One at a time... I had both of my Abner classes today, History of Ancient Israel and Life of Christ, which I absolutely love. They aren't hard by school standards. But they are killer by spiritual growth standards. I am constantly challenged to think harder than I do, to see what on my own I would never be able to see. When you see connections in Scripture that you could never find but once they are pointed out you think to yourself, "Self, duh, it's clear." But then you think back two hours later and remember the conclusion of it all but not the reasoning and you wonder how in the world your brain gets any of it, let alone how it will survive during 80 more days.
It's convicting in that it shows how little about the Scripture I know. The Old Testament is huge in our faith. The life of Christ is more than we really ever learn or teach it to be. There are amazing connections and inherent things that play huge roles in God's plan when you "look at it from a History of Ancient Israel perspective." (Abner's favorite line in that class). And certainly, "there are no mistakes in the life of Christ." (Abner's favorite line in that class :) Here's the clincher for me right now. I am realizing how much time I have wasted in my short life. (There is this good book by John Piper that comes to mind, read it if you can get your hands on it.)
I'm not at the end of my life where I look back and say in great pain, "I've wasted it! I've wasted it!" But I am at the 11th day of February in my 21st year of existence and I can look back over the last 10 years, even the last 7 (high school and later), and even worse, the last 2 and half spent in Bible college and I can see so many things that I have not done. So much of the Scripture that I do not know. So much of God that I just don't get because I haven't put in the time. I'm sick of it. Early today I felt so far behind that I don't know where to start. The jury is still out on that feeling. But I can say that a small cloud on the horizon is getting to be larger than a man's hand and soon I am going to have to hitch up my britches and outrun the chariot of an angry king. To dissect the metaphor inspired by my namesake: The cloud on the horizon is about rain some hope on me and I know the Spirit is good to help those who seek after the Lord and His Word. I just need to start moving my legs real fast and stay away from distractions and temptations. I'm hoping to avoid the depressed Elijah episode, but I would be ok with God speaking to me in a gentle whisper or still small voice or whatever your translation preference is.
That is sort of what a tired heart looks like in Israel right now.
Let us not worry about Eli, the red eyes line is not a subtle reference to crying about a rough day, nor is the above explanation a pity party. I told you from the start that you would hear about my life. What I learn, what I experience, what I struggle and wrestle with (oh! Mom! remind me to tell you about what I learned about Jacob wrestling with God!), what is on my mind and what is on my heart. Well you've gotten it in full force for the last couple of days. I do it for me, sure, but I do it so that maybe by tasting a bit of my life you can add some salt to your life. In the words of a little man named Paul, it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always (still working on that courage part:) Christ will be honored in my body (and mind!) whether by life or by death. For to me to live is Christ and to die is gain. May that be me. Let's pray that I get better at studying the Word -- for His glory.
Wrote Snoopy from the top of his red dog house. Or was it his WWI Sopwith Camel? Was that the sound of the Red Baron bearing down on him yet again? Would he be shot down behind enemy lines yet again? Alas, it was not to be. But there are some parallels, in the words of another classic character (but one experienced through a different medium), please, "let me 'splain."
Part I: Broken skies, crackling fires, and wet flip-flops.
It was a cool and cloudy afternoon. They said it would rain. (That's why we have our field trip tomorrow instead of today.) The skies said it would too. There I was, cramming my brain with more vocabulary in Hebrew class on Tuesday afternoon when there was a huge CRACK! followed by one of those "BOOM's" that keeps rolling around and around, sort of like when you're at a bowling alley and 7 people hit the pins at just about the same time. Talk about thunderclaps, that was thunder-applause.
Bill said that when there's thunder in Israel it means there will be rain. He didn't lie. Within 2 minutes it was pouring. Cats and Dogs-type pouring. But we were inside, so we just got to listen to the thunder and see an occasional flash. It was sort of like when jets were flying over and bombs were being dropped in Gaza, only much louder and much wetter :) In the hours that followed, it rained, and rained, and rained some more. Just before sleep it was raining some (like Salem fogging instead of real raining) and then it there was a flash and a crack-boom and it turned into Splash Mountain. It shook the windows and lit up the sky for over an hour, but it was late, so I put in earplugs and went to sleep to the gentle thud of thunder. Amazing weather from and amazing God. And He knows that Israel needs the rain. Pray that after tomorrow the rain hits again, it's SO important for this country to survive.
-If you're curious why part of this subtitle is wet flip flips let me give you one line that will help it all make sense: I live with a bunch of Californians. Enough said.
Part II: Sunset skies, red eyes, and tired hearts.
It all began with a shift. Not the little key on your computer that makes letters bigger than the rest. Not even that stick in your car, for those of you who actually go that route. I mean a shift in mindset. Actually, a shift in heartmind-set is maybe more accurate. I don't need to remind you of just yesterday and Bible study and all that. But I will explain the meaning of this subtitled section.
Number one: When I started this post before dinner the sun was beginning to set after a day of clouds. It was a beautiful pink and orange-pink that bathed my room in that glow that is all the better when you have just woken up from a nap (that's where the red eyes part comes in, even though it was just a half hour nap). I like sunsets a lot. I like naps a lot. A dynamic duo if I do say so myself.
Number two: tired hearts. That's what I have. Well, not tired hearts, but rather a tired heart. Since I only have one, contrary to what some might say - check the x-rays. I was sitting in class this morning, having everything I have ever really understood about reading the Bible challenged and being convicted and aching that I have wasted so much time in my life with dumb things. But I said that all too quickly, let me slow down.
One at a time... I had both of my Abner classes today, History of Ancient Israel and Life of Christ, which I absolutely love. They aren't hard by school standards. But they are killer by spiritual growth standards. I am constantly challenged to think harder than I do, to see what on my own I would never be able to see. When you see connections in Scripture that you could never find but once they are pointed out you think to yourself, "Self, duh, it's clear." But then you think back two hours later and remember the conclusion of it all but not the reasoning and you wonder how in the world your brain gets any of it, let alone how it will survive during 80 more days.
It's convicting in that it shows how little about the Scripture I know. The Old Testament is huge in our faith. The life of Christ is more than we really ever learn or teach it to be. There are amazing connections and inherent things that play huge roles in God's plan when you "look at it from a History of Ancient Israel perspective." (Abner's favorite line in that class). And certainly, "there are no mistakes in the life of Christ." (Abner's favorite line in that class :) Here's the clincher for me right now. I am realizing how much time I have wasted in my short life. (There is this good book by John Piper that comes to mind, read it if you can get your hands on it.)
I'm not at the end of my life where I look back and say in great pain, "I've wasted it! I've wasted it!" But I am at the 11th day of February in my 21st year of existence and I can look back over the last 10 years, even the last 7 (high school and later), and even worse, the last 2 and half spent in Bible college and I can see so many things that I have not done. So much of the Scripture that I do not know. So much of God that I just don't get because I haven't put in the time. I'm sick of it. Early today I felt so far behind that I don't know where to start. The jury is still out on that feeling. But I can say that a small cloud on the horizon is getting to be larger than a man's hand and soon I am going to have to hitch up my britches and outrun the chariot of an angry king. To dissect the metaphor inspired by my namesake: The cloud on the horizon is about rain some hope on me and I know the Spirit is good to help those who seek after the Lord and His Word. I just need to start moving my legs real fast and stay away from distractions and temptations. I'm hoping to avoid the depressed Elijah episode, but I would be ok with God speaking to me in a gentle whisper or still small voice or whatever your translation preference is.
That is sort of what a tired heart looks like in Israel right now.
Let us not worry about Eli, the red eyes line is not a subtle reference to crying about a rough day, nor is the above explanation a pity party. I told you from the start that you would hear about my life. What I learn, what I experience, what I struggle and wrestle with (oh! Mom! remind me to tell you about what I learned about Jacob wrestling with God!), what is on my mind and what is on my heart. Well you've gotten it in full force for the last couple of days. I do it for me, sure, but I do it so that maybe by tasting a bit of my life you can add some salt to your life. In the words of a little man named Paul, it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always (still working on that courage part:) Christ will be honored in my body (and mind!) whether by life or by death. For to me to live is Christ and to die is gain. May that be me. Let's pray that I get better at studying the Word -- for His glory.
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