Footprints in the Sand

#67

2011-12-15T13:22:00.000-05:00

So, I completed another "task" on my list of 101 things to do in 1,001 days. I completed task #67...I fell in love. Needless to say, when I created this list, I was already in love with the guy; however, we're now taking our relationship to the next level by getting married.

I never thought that I'd get married. EVER. Before I was a believer, I practically vowed that I was never going to get married. People would always ask me when I thought I'd get married, and I would plainly respond that "I didn't want to." To be honest, the idea of marriage didn't even resonate with me until I got older, specifically when I came to faith.

I remember the day like it was yesterday. It was June 15, 2010. I was on a mission trip in Chicago with some really cool people that I had just met. We were going to get pizza - Chicago is known for it's fabulously tasting pizza. Anyway, while we're driving to our location, my friend Catherine (who is also getting married in 2012 - YAY!) and I strike up a conversation about marriage, children, etc. I explain to her how I never thought that I'd get married. If you don't know Catherine, she is a fabulous person to have a conversation with. She can get to the heart of almost any issue -- it's absolutely amazing. Anyway, by the end of the conversation, I'm in tears (Seriously: If you know me, you know me in one of two ways. You either a) think that I never cry, or b) think that I cry all the time. If you've been to Chicago or Israel with me, it's the latter). I'm crying because I realize that deep down, in my heart of hearts, I DO want to get married. I DO want to have kids. I want these things, but the problem is that I don't think I deserve them. Why would G-d bless me with marriage and children with a past like mine? All in all, I had doubts that G-d wanted me to get married and have kids. I didn't think it was possible. For the remainder of the summer, I read books and prayed about marriage. I remember writing in my journal that day (here's an excerpt):

"Catherine really helped me put my thoughts into words today, Lord. I don't know Your plan for my life. I don't know if it's a life of singleness or marriage or what. I don't know. I always thought that I wouldn't get married or have children. But, today, when Sandy talked about foster care, I cried. Catherine told me that this may have happened because it's my heart's desire. And maybe it is. Maybe I want a husband and children. Maybe it's Your will. But maybe it's not. I wish You would reveal it to me more clearly. If it's a life of singleness, I accept it fully. Same with marriage. I want to do what brings You glory. I pray that You will reveal Your plan for my life on earth to me. I only want to serve You, Lord."

Even though I desired marriage at this point, I still believed G-d was calling me to singleness. I was very confused. By the end of the summer, I was on top of the mountain (my relationship with G-d was amazing). That summer, G-d had blessed me with His calling for my life: teaching. So many things were coming together, that I didn't even think about marriage. I just felt totally blessed by my Creator.

By the end of 2010 and the beginning of 2011, life turned upside down for me. I started struggling a lot because "my plan" and "G-d's plan" were not the same. I felt let down, and confused. I didn't understand G-d's purpose in everything that was happening. So I did something radical: I applied for another mission trip.

Since "my plan" to move to Tennessee failed miserably, I had to go with Plan B and return to school. I wouldn't be starting until August 2011, so I knew I had an entire summer available to spend solely with G-d and His people. While in Chicago, I had a desire to visit Israel because of my Jewish heritage. My cousin had recently spent a year there, and I thought it would help me to understand my identity more clearly. I didn't think I'd be accepted to go on the trip, but I applied anyway.

Then I got accepted, which was confusing. Although I desired to go there, it wasn't really in "my plan." I thought I would apply and get rejected. Or I thought I'd apply, get accepted, and not be able to raise the financial support to go. I sent out my letters within a week of being accepted, and response cards were returned to me almost instantly. It was such a blessing that it was nothing more than G-d's plan.

I didn't know what to expect from the trip. But everything that happened exceeded my expectations by far (take a look at my blog posts from May to June). When I returned home from Israel, I was back on top of the mountain -- my relationship with G-d was awesome. While I was in Israel and when I returned home, I started thinking about marriage again. Although I was in no rush whatsoever, I knew that G-d wanted me to marry a Jewish man. I was certain that this was one of "His reasons" for sending me home to Israel. He wanted me to move there, too. I was so sure of all of these things when I returned home. So I was at peace.

But then G-d threw me a curveball: Michael. Michael, who is not Jewish, is the worship pastor at my church. He had been there for almost a year before I first talked to him. I didn't really like his voice compared to our last worship pastor, Chris. I was kind of upset that Chris was gone and that this guy, Michael, had replaced him. I was very critical. Anyway, one day (July 28th) Michael friends me on Facebook. I thought it was quite strange, but I accepted his request. Then he wrote on my Facebook Wall, and I thought that was weird. I hadn't actually met him yet. But he simply said, "Hope your trip to Israel was fantastical." He didn't even know me. He obviously knew I had gone to Israel, and he actually seemed to care. I almost felt bad that I couldn't stand him :-)

Finally, we talked to each other at our church picnic on August 7th. It was definitely weird, but we planned to go to lunch later that week (in which we did, and spent like three hours talking about everything). We became best friends instantly and, rather quickly (but what seemed like a long time), we fell for each other. He was not the man that I planned to fall in love with (obviously), but he is the man that G-d planned for me to fall in love with.

The moral of the story is to always give the worship guy a chance. Just kidding :-) The moral of the story is that G-d knows what's best for you. Your soulmate has already been picked for you by Your Creator. And it's almost never the person that you expect it to be. It's someone else, and it's someone better. No matter where you've been or what you've done, G-d wants to bless you. And He will bless you. But you have to let Him do it on His own, and in His timing. Be patient -- good things are waiting for you :-)

May G-d bless you and keep you,

Sarah :-)


WE'RE ENGAGED!! :-)

#81

2011-11-03T00:30:00.002-04:00

So, I started the Day Zero Challenge like a month ago. Basically, you make a list of 1,001 things you want to accomplish in 1,001 days (which is a little less than three years, by the way). A couple of my friends, whose blogs I follow (i.e. Lindsey and Megan), have done this already. Needless to say, it's been over a month and I've accomplished one goal. Regardless, I'm trying to be more goal-oriented (thanks to the newest addition in my life), and I couldn't think of a better place to start than with goal #81.

In a sense, goal #81 was the easiest task on my list. At the same time, it was also one of the most challenging. The goal was to ask someone out on a date. Since I have a boyfriend, this was rather simple in the fact that it was easy to ask him; however, the challenge lies within the date itself. For one, I cannot make decisions, like, at all. It helps if I can choose from two or three things, but to make a decision all by myself is really difficult. Secondly, I'm not creative. At all. I can't even color in the lines (don't laugh).

Overall, the date went pretty well. We went to a mexican restaurant called Zocalo (aka deliciousness) in downtown Cleveland followed by a concert at the House of Blues. It was a lot of fun. One of the reasons it was so fun was because it was a surprise. I mean, my boyfriend was blindfolded and everything. Although the entire night was a surprise for him, the night was surprising for me as well. This is because G-d threw us a curveball: Gary.

Honestly, besides the rainbow sherbet we had for dessert, Gary was my favorite part of the evening. After having dinner, we walked over to the House of Blues. On our way, we saw a homeless man asking for money. We were on our way to the show, so we didn't stop. Once we arrived and everything, however, we had plenty of time. So I asked my boyfriend [Michael] what he thought about the homeless man. We talked, and I shared with him how I felt convicted about giving him some money. A lot of people that I've been on mission trips with are very generous people. They love to give food or prayer or diapers, but they are not as much in favor of giving money. I can totally see where they're coming from, and people should do what they feel G-d is calling them to do. I usually feel that G-d is calling me to give what I can, which is usually in the form of cash. So we left.

We walked outside the House of Blues and the homeless man was still there, fifteen minutes later, asking people for cash. So we walked right on up to him and handed him some money (G-d's money. Nothing that we have is of our own doing). Gary explained to us how he needed to get on the bus to take him somewhere. It was quite difficult to understand him, because I think he had some type of disability. It took us awhile just to find out that his name is Gary. We introduced ourselves, and eventually he did the same. He talked with us for a little, and we told him that we would be praying for him. And, before we went our separate ways, Gary shared something with us too: his rosary. Gary is Catholic. Gary is our brother in Christ. I don't know where he is in his walk or anything like that, but I truly think that he is a believer. I took that as a sign of confirmation from G-d. I can't explain it, I guess it's just...faith.

G-d's always surprising me. When I least expect something, he shows up. Meeting Gary was not a coincidence. It was a divine intervention planned by the Maker of the earth. Just like I planned my surprise date with Michael, so G-d planned our meeting with Gary. G-d's surprises are probably my favorite thing about my walk with the Lord. They're never expected, they're just there.

In addition, meeting Gary brought Michael and I closer together. We talked about things like giving, and what that looks like to us individually. We shared our personal experiences from different parts of the States -- Los Angeles to Chicago to Cleveland. We shared our lives. Being in a relationship with someone who has such a strong faith is really amazing. It's truly a blessing when you think about it.

Please pray for Gary, our brother in Christ, that his physical, mental, and spiritual needs will be met.

Thank you. May G-d bless you and keep you.

<3 Sarah

Me & Michael at Zocalo (seriously, check it out - you won't be disappointed!)

Forgiveness

2011-09-06T18:13:00.000-04:00

Forgiveness is a tricky thing. And, for most of us, it's easier said than done.

I've been thinking about forgiveness for quite some time now. And, to be honest, it probably started with the result of the Casey Anthony trial. I don't want to open that can of worms right now; however, it truly affected me and the whole idea of forgiveness.

I went to visit my friend, Christie, in Cincinnati in July. My visit was shortly after Casey Anthony was found not guilty. That Sunday we went to a church service where the pastor somewhat addressed the issue of forgiveness. Here's one of the Bible verses that he mentioned:

"For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins."-Matthew 6:14-15

I've heard this verse many times, but I never really thought much about verse 15, "But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins."

These were the words that Jesus spoke. Questions starting rolling through my mind. What did Jesus mean by this? If I don't forgive someone, does that mean I'm not forgiven? Who haven't I forgiven? I know that I've said I've forgiven people, but have I really forgiven them in my heart of hearts? I knew the answer was no.

The very next Sunday, my home church started a 30 Day Prayer Challenge. I usually pray every day, but I decided to write down my prayers for the next 30 days. I wanted to really see what G-d would do if I truly prayed about specific things, for specific people. Our pastor gave us specific things to pray about, and I added a few things to the list as well. Almost every day I repented for the unforgiveness that was in my heart. I didn't really know what to do about it, but I prayed that G-d would help me to forgive people. Toward the end of the prayer challenge, which ended today, I felt that G-d was calling me to take the time to try and forgive specific people for specific things. So I wrote down names. At the top of my paper, I wrote FORGIVENESS. I wrote down names of people that I felt I hadn't truly forgiven. One by one, I said their names aloud and said the specific things I forgave them for. One by one, I crossed their name off the list. But forgiveness is two-fold -- you also have to forget. I used to think that I could forgive, but I couldn't forget. But I've learned that forgetting is part of forgiveness. Here's a few quotes that make this point clear:

"Forgotten is forgiven."-F. Scott Fitzgerald

"I can forgive, but I cannot forget, is only another way of saying, I will not forgive. Forgiveness ought to be like a cancelled note - torn in two, and burned up, so that it never can be shown against one."-Henry Ward Beecher

After I went through all the names, I turned the paper over. On the top of the other side I wrote FORGOTTEN. I wrote down the same names that I had written on the FORGIVENESS side of the paper. I went through the names again. This time I prayed for the person that I had just forgiven. I prayed for their lives and their futures. I prayed that if I saw them again, I would respond in a positive way that showed that I had forgiven them; that I had moved forward. Here are a few more quotes:

"When you forgive, you in no way change the past - but you sure do change the future."-Bernard Meltzer

"You will know that forgiveness has begun when you recall those who hurt you and feel the power to wish them well."-Lewis B. Smedes

One by one, I prayed for the person and, again, crossed their names off the list. After I finished, I ripped the paper up. I told G-d that I had given them a clean slate, just like the one that He so graciously gave me when I came to faith. The process was by no means easy. It was quite difficult actually. But, to be honest, the most difficult person to forgive on that list was not my worst enemy. The most difficult person to forgive was ME. With each name I wrote on that list, I knew that I wasn't innocent in any of the situations. I knew that I had more than likely hurt that person just as much as he/she had hurt me. And that really hurt. The thing that hurt the most was that I had held on for such a long time to all these situations, these people. I could have moved forward a long time ago. I could have been freed.

Like I said, forgiveness is a tricky thing. You may not think it weighs on you, but it does. Even if you don't think often about the people of your past that have hurt you, it eventually catches up to you. One day you wake up and you randomly remember someone; you flashback to an awful memory. In that moment, you know whether or not you've truly forgiven them. And, if you realize you haven't, your heart sinks. It weighs you down. You realize that you're still broken.

Forgiveness is not easy. It's not something that happens overnight. And it's not magical. You have to pray about it. You have to open up some of those old wounds. You have to address them in order to move forward. Forgiving AND forgetting offers a great freedom that I can't explain. When I ripped up that sheet of paper today, I felt free. I felt happy. It wasn't something random either. I prayed for 30 days for G-d to help me to forgive people that hurt me. One of the situations I had been holding onto for 16 years. And G-d followed through -- like He always does. He helped me to move forward.

It's important to know that forgiveness is not the same for everyone. There are people who have been deeply wounded -- physically, emotionally, etc. It was hard for me to forgive people for what now seems insignificant compared to what other people go through during their lives. But I believe that forgiveness is possible for everyone, no matter what you've been through. Every situation is different, but it all starts with prayer. G-d offers us the opportunity to forgive. It's free will. It's a choice. You can choose to forgive or you can choose to hold on. Whatever you do, it's your choice.

In closing, I'm going to quote a parable from Matthew. These were the words of Jesus:

Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, "Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?" Jesus answered, "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times. Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him. Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt. The servant fell on his knees before him. 'Be patient with me,' he begged, 'and I will pay back everything.' The servant's master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go. But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii. He grabbed him and began to choke him. 'Pay back what you owe me!' he demanded. His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, 'Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.' But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. When the other servants saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed and went and told their master everything that had happened. Then the master called the servant in. 'You wicked servant,' he said. 'I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. Shouldn't you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?' In anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed. This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart."-Matthew 18:21-35

G-d calls us to forgive our brother from our HEART. It's something internal, not external. Words won't cut it. Secondly, who is our brother? Is it a relative? Is it our neighbor? Is it our brother in Christ? Yes and no. It's all of those people -- yes -- and it's also those who do not believe as well.

As believers, we will be recognized by our fruit (Matthew 7:16-20). And what is our fruit?

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control" (Galatians 5:22-23).

And what is one way we can express our faithfulness?

By forgiveness.

G-d Bless,

Sarah

Final Israel Updates...FINALLY!

2011-08-19T23:14:00.007-04:00

After being home for nearly two months, I am finally finishing my blog entries from my trip. So here you go -- and thanks for your patience :-)

Thursday, June 16th - Today we woke up and Lisa shared her devotion. It was really good. I believe it was from 2 Samuel. We had a really great discussion. We also had a Bible Study with the staff from The Shelter. We read from 2 Corinthians 2, which was interesting. Then we had lunch and talked about Messianic prophecies from the Old Covenant -- which was amazingly helpful. Following our discussion, we went to the beach -- The Read Sea! -- which was so much fun. Then we went to Aroma...so good! I had a good time with the girls -- fun times :-) Then we went to play and sing with Sudanese refugee children. It was a really emotional experience, but one of the best parts of my trip to Israel!

Friday, June 17th - Today we went snorkeling at the beach. It was such a blast! A lot of us got burned, but it was fun nonetheless. We had lunch on the beach too. Then we came back and worked on the skit for tonight's Shabbat service. It's really cool, I think. After our late dinner/clean up, we walked through this shopping/food strip. Hannah and Kelly went on the slingshot -- which was hilarious. We also got really good ice cream. It's crazy how quickly our time is winding down...

Saturday, June 18th - Some of the girls woke up very early to look at the sunrise from the mountaintop. I heard it was beautiful. When they returned, we woke up and went to congregation near the kibbutz. Then we got falafel before Raphael picked us up. It was a long ride back and we went to Burger Barn when we returned to Jerusalem. All in all, it was a good day.

Sunday, June 19th - Today is Father's Day in the United States. I sent my daddy an e-card. Anyway, today some of us -- the boys, me and Laura -- went to the Jerusalem Distribution Center. It was a really good experience and we had so much fun! Today was our last day of service. Tomorrow we are going to Galilee for our last day of travel.

Monday, June 20th - Today we wen to Galilee. We toured ALL over -- literally. It was a lot of fun even though we left very early and got home very late. Of course, I "made my mark" in Galilee -- this time by falling and scraping my knee severely. Our tour guide friend was super sweet and I will miss him very much. Tomorrow is our last day in Israel which is very bittersweet -- more bitter than sweet.

Tuesday, June 21st - Last day. Enough said. That's literally what I wrote in my journal. Of course we did some debriefing, some notes of encouragement, some cleaning/packing, and some shopping. Hannah, me and Laura even hailed a taxi by ourselves. I was very proud of us. Saying our goodbyes was so sad. We had trouble in the airport and nearly missed our flight, but made it back to JFK safe and sound.

Even still, I miss Israel very much. I sent a newsletter the day after I returned to my supporters, which I posted below for you all to see. I look forward to the day I will return to Israel. I'm not sure when that will be, but I know it will be in G-d's perfect timing -- as is everything. I feel blessed and thankful to have had this opportunity.

Greetings! Thank you so much for your help, support and prayers over the past few months. I want you to know that my trip to Israel would not have been possible without the generosity of people like you. I really appreciate everything that you’ve done to make this a reality for me.

I arrived back to the States only yesterday so I’m still adjusting to the time, the weather and the culture of Ohio. Although I miss Israel and its people very much, I am happy to be back to share my experience with you. If you have the time this summer, I’d love to visit with you to share more details about my trip as well as answer any questions that you may have.

To summarize my experience, I’m going to divide this newsletter into three sections: Tourism, Service and Growth. I hope that this will give you a nice glimpse of how I spent my time over the past four weeks.

Tourism was such an amazing aspect of this trip. Not only did we have the opportunity to travel to the Holy Land, but we were able to visit many places throughout Israel. For most of the time, we stayed in the German Colony in Jerusalem. To give you some perspective, it only took 30 minutes to walk to the Western Wall. It was amazing. In Jerusalem, we toured the City of David. During this time, we walked through the Western Wall Tunnels and Hezekiah’s Tunnel. We also viewed the Eastern Gate and the Temple Mount. We learned about the history of these places which have so much Biblical importance in the Old Covenant as well as the future times.

In addition to touring Jerusalem, we visited places like Ammunition Hill (where one of the fiercest battles took place in the 1967 Six Day War) and Yad Vashem (Israel’s Holocaust Memorial). Yad Vashem comes from Isaiah 56:5, "to them I will give within my temple and its walls a memorial and a name (a "yad vashem") better than sons and daughters; I will give them an everlasting name that will not be cut off.”

In addition, we were able to visit every major body of water that touches Israel: the Dead Sea (the lowest point on Earth), the Red Sea, the Mediterranean Sea, the Jordan River, and the Sea of Galilee. It was such an amazing experience, especially with all of the Biblical history that is involved with them.

Although touring was an exciting aspect of the trip, the most rewarding parts were when we were serving Israel’s people. You can read more about this portion of the trip in the next section.

Service was a huge component of the trip as well. Helping people is extremely rewarding and I felt blessed to be able to have that opportunity while abroad.

A couple of our service projects involved cleaning houses. We helped a man named Mayer pack because his family is moving back to the States. We also helped a few single moms, which we met through Mike, by cleaning their homes. Cleaning a house can sometimes feel trivial in the scheme of things but, to the people that we were helping, it was extremely helpful. We also made dinner for a single mom and her son that was in the hospital. He went through surgery so hopefully he’s on the path to recovery.

Nearly our entire group had an opportunity to serve at the Jerusalem Distribution Center with Jenya. While we were there, we made packages of groceries to give to people who can’t afford to buy them. The center distributes food every Sunday and different people go on different weeks depending on their situation. Most people go once a month. We also volunteered twice at the Gospel Café in Tel Aviv with Jason. At the Café, we did packaging, cleaning, organizing and, of course, making coffee! The Café usually has some type of performer and people come to listen, learn and talk.

We also had the opportunity to go to Netanya to work with Brian and his 10-year-old daughter Ras. In Netanya, they run a soup kitchen and distribute food and clothes as well. Many of the people that go here are elderly. Some are Holocaust survivors. Some struggle with drugs and alcohol. Most of them don’t speak any English so it was quite a remarkable experience. I really enjoyed it.

In some of our final days in Israel, we went to Eilat. While we were there, we had the opportunity to visit with Sudanese refugee children. It was one of my favorite parts of the entire trip. The kids were so precious and some of them attend the congregation in Eilat. They don't know English, but they know some songs in Hebrew. We sand with them, played with them, and showered them with love. It was so much fun. The kids were a huge blessing to us, and I know that I will never forget them.

We had many opportunities to serve in Israel. In addition, we heard stories from many of the people that live there. They truly shared their lives with us, and it was such an amazing privilege to be a part of it.

Personal growth was another important aspect of the trip. This section needs more time to develop since I am still processing; however, there were many things that we did on the trip that enhanced my personal growth.

It’s kind of hard to imagine how 11 strangers can go from not knowing each other at all to becoming such close friends in a matter of four weeks. I don’t know how to explain it, it just happens. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that we had a common language and knew very little Hebrew. Maybe it was the fact that we had little contact with our family and friends in the States. Maybe it was a little bit of both or maybe it had nothing to do with that whatsoever. Regardless of what it was, we all became extremely good friends over such a short period of time.

Since this was a mission trip to the Holy Land, we did study the Bible and share devotions nearly every morning. We learned a lot about the Messianic prophecies and touched on many Biblical topics. I learned a great deal about people, including myself, and I feel that I have grown a lot with regard to my identity in Yeshua.

I would definitely recommend, if you have the opportunity, to visit Israel. I know that trips like this require time and money, but it is such an amazing experience that I cannot describe in words. The history that is present in Israel is so vast and many of the people that live there have such a strong devotion for G-d. It’s truly remarkable.

In closing, I am going to share a few verses that G-d really laid on my heart throughout my time in Israel:

1 Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? 2 He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. 3 He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces and he was despised, and we esteemed him not. 4 Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by G-d, smitten by him, and afflicted. 5 But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. 6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. 7 He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth. 8 By oppression and judgement he was taken away. And who can speak of his descendants? For he was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people he was stricken. 9 He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was deceit in his mouth. 10 Yet it was the LORD’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the LORD makes his life a guilt offering, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand. 11 After the suffering of his soul, he will see the light of life and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities. 12 Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.”-Isaiah 53:1-12

Thanks again for all of your help and support. To see pictures, please visit the following link:

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.175063889221152.44564.100001526252590&l=d0d2291b4b

Week 3, Part 2: Sunday, June 12th - Wednesday, June 15th

2011-08-16T21:02:00.002-04:00

Sunday - Today we took a tour of the Western Wall tunnels which was really fascinating. It's amazing to see the history and the archeological findings. I know that sounds nerdy, but it is really neat. I d not know a lot about history, but I do find it interesting. Again, our group split up. Some of us went to Ben Yehuda to try to get into conversations with Israeli people, while everyone else went to the food distribution center. We also went to King of Kings, which is a Messianic congregation in Israel. There was an exceptional violinist in the band and I enjoyed it.

Monday - Today we went to Caesarea, which was a total surprise! It was such a great time. We saw where Saul (Paul) appealed to Caesar and some of the city that Herod created. Then we served at a soup kitchen in Netanya with Brian and his daughter, Ras. This was one of my favorite days in Israel thus far. It was a really great experience. After serving, we went to the Caesarea aqueduct at sunset, which was beautiful. See for yourself!

The Mediterranean Sea at sunset!

Tuesday - Today we took a tour of the Old City -- the City of David -- with Amit. It was awesome. We went through Hezekiah's Tunnel, which was by far the best tourism aspect of this trip. It was crazy, but fun! We walked under a dark tunnel with very cold water in it. We had to use flashlights, but it was totally worth it. We also had the best lunch and dinner -- plus cheesecake and ice cafe! It was a phenomenal day. I also shared a devotion today which, I was told, went quite well.

Wednesday - Today we drove down to Eilat (southern Israel). Well, Raphael drove. We are all staying in one room -- well, the girls anyway. We will definitely bond. The room is about the size of my college dorm room except it had four bunk beds -- 8 people and one toilet. It's crazy, but fun. We went to the Red Sea. It was so cold, but it was a blast We had dinner at Burger Bar, which was delicious.

I'm sorry...

2011-07-20T12:56:00.001-04:00

...that I'm totally behind on this blog-thing! Since I didn't have time to blog in Israel, I wrote everything down in a journal and decided to post it all when I got back. However, I've been home for almost a month and I'm only on my second entry...oops! So here we go:

Week 2, Part 1 (Thursday, June 2nd-Saturday, June 4th): Shalom, Israel!

As I mentioned in my last entry, we arrived in Israel on Wednesday, June 1st. The following day, we served at the Gospel Cafe in Tel Aviv. In order to get there, we took a sherut (shuttle/mini van). It took about 30 minutes to get to the sherut, walking down Ben Yehuda Street. After the 30 minute walk, the ride was about 45 minutes. At the cafe, we packed goods, made cafe (coffee), washed dishes, moved furniture, etc. We also had our first opportunity to talk with some Israeli people. It was really fun. Jason's luggage was also found and delivered to our house in the German Colony. It was truly a blessing!

The next day, Friday, we prepared for the Sabbath. Following our training session, we exchanged our U.S. dollars for some SHEKELS! It was probably the easiest thing in the world. I simply put my ATM card into the machine and out spilled the shekels. It was very convenient. Following our shekel exchange, we went to the Shook (the Market) and bought food for the Sabbath. It was extremely busy but very unique and fun. As I said in my journal, I loved the chaos. Loved it. Following our first trip to the Shook, we divided into groups. My group went to a coffee shop that played beautiful music. It was very relaxing and fun. Kelly accidentally ordered alcohol instead of water - which was quite humorous. After our break, we walked back home and prepared dinner for the Sabbath. It was so much fun! I learned how to cut vegetables -- which was a big step for me. I really enjoy learning so it makes me feel competent when people show me things and trust me to do them. We had guests for dinner and it was a really fun time. After dinner, most of our group went to the Western Wall for the first time. I can't even describe the emotions that went through me while I was there. Dan, one of our dinner guests, shared his testimony with us. It was an amazing testimony and I continue to find the way that G-d works in each of our lives to be completely different yet completely awesome! Praying at the Wall was one of the most amazing experiences that I've ever had.

The next day was...MASADA. It was also the Sabbath. However, our day was packed from the beginning: we went to Masada, Ein Gedi and the Dead Sea. Masada has a lot of significance. Many Jews died there - actually, they commited suicide in order to avoid slavery by the Romans. It actually used to be one of King Herod's palaces prior to that and there is still a synagouge and baths at the top. It's really cool. Anyway, we walked up Masada. It took over an hour. It is very hard because it is so hot -- even with the slight breeze. Our group looked around the top of Masada which was very cool. Next we went to Ein Gedi. It is said that King David wrote many of his Psalms at Ein Gedi. There are waterfalls there and it is really beautiful. We ate lunch there and most of the group went into the water. Last but not least we went to the Dead Sea, which is the lowest point on the Earth. The Dead Sea is also known as the Salt Sea. You cannot get the water in your eyes or mouth. You also cannot swim. You can only float. It's kind of miraculous actually. The mud is also full of minerals so it is good for your skin. We covered ourselves with mud and took pictures. It was a lot of fun. Unfortunately, I got extremely sick after climbing Masada. I was overheated and, later realized, that I drank a lot of water that was toxic. The water was so warm and I drank so much of it that I got sick. I took a nap at Ein Gedi but really wanted to go into the Dead Sea. After floating and putting mud all over my body, I washed off, grabbed my towel and SPRINTED to the trash can. I can't even explain how sick I was. But the team was great. We left immediately after and, when we arrived home, I showered and got a wonderful back massage from Lisa. I slept nearly the rest of the night and felt much better in the morning.

Our team in the Dead Sea (minus Marshall, Lisa & Robynne)

I honestly had the best group of people surrounding me on this trip. After Masada, I realized that it would be extremely difficult to leave such a wonderful group of people. And it was. It still is.

Until next time...(I promise it won't be three weeks!)

I'm back...

2011-06-27T19:30:00.000-04:00

So I returned from Israel less than a week ago. It's a bittersweet feeling to be back in the States but I'm trying to figure it out one step at a time. Anywho, I didn't have too much time to update my blog while I was abroad; however, I did keep journal entries during my time there. In the next week or so, I hope to have posted my weekly summaries from my trip. Thanks for reading!

Week 1: New York, Simcha and Israel

I arrived to NYC on Wednesday, May 25th. I took the metro from JFK to the CPM office in Manhattan. I was only the second member of the team to arrive, so I did a little sightseeing while waiting for everyone else who was meeting in NYC to arrive. Once everyone arrived, we went to dinner. The wait was long but the food was good. Even though we were pretty hungry, most of us couldn't finish the food we ordered. After we ate, we were tired. We spent the night at the YMCA. The following morning we met at the CPM office and had REAL bagels. If you've never had a New York bagel, you've never had a real bagel. The bagels were from Ess-a-Bagel (translation: Eat-a-Bagel - simple enough, eh?) and I also tried scallion scream cheese for the first time. Amazing.

Following our amazing breakfast, we left for Simcha in Pennsylvania. Simcha, which means "joy" in Hebrew, is a Messianic Conference. To clarify, it's basically a conference for Jewish people who believe in Jesus (Yeshua). Shortly after arriving, emptying the vans and setting up a little for the conference, we went to dinner at Red Robin. We were quite excited for endless fries and burgers. Unfortunately, however, there was a HUGE storm right before we ordered our food. The power went out and we had to hide in the bathroom. It was kind of scary, especially for a couple of people in our group who are from Alabama. They had recently gone through damaging weather in their hometowns as well. Eventually the weather subsided but the power did not come back on. After an hour or so, we left and went to Applebee's.

The next few days (Friday, Saturday and Sunday) we spent working with Richelle, Mallory and all the kids (see picture below). One of the kids, Sidney, accepted Yeshua as her Savior at the conference -- PTL! We also met a lot of people from Moody who were working at the conference (two of them being my very own cousins, Hannah and Michael). Jason and Marshall met us at the conference so nearly all of our team was there - with the exception of Amy who was already in Israel: Robynne, Lisa, Hannah, Laura, Stephy, Kelly, Andrew, Jason, Marshall, and me. Our team really started to bond at Simcha.


Simcha Conference!

On Monday, we helped clean up at the conference and returned to NYC. We had dinner at Katz's (yes, from the movie When Harry Met Sally) followed by a walk through Times Square. It was absolutely beautiful. The following day, Tuesday, we left for Israel and (finally) arrived at Tel Aviv airport on the afternoon of June 1st.

More to come...!

I'm converting...

2011-05-19T02:09:00.004-04:00

...to Blogger!

Like many of my friends, or people whose blogs I follow, I am converting to Blogger. But, I must say, it's a little more complicated than you'd think.

First of all, I had to get a Gmail Account (I know, I know: I'm the only person that doesn't have a Gmail Account). Evidently I'm not the only person with my first and last name that has a Gmail Account either; therefore, I had to come up with something a little more "creative." I added my birth date digits to the end and ... voila! Instant Gmail access. Well, not quite.

After coming up with my "unique" user name, I had to give Google my cell number so that "they" (who "they" are, I am not certain) could text me my verification code. Supposedly this has something to do with Google's "less spam" guarantee. After receiving the 6-digit verification code (no spaces, by the way), I was able to sign in to Gmail.

Once I got my Gmail Account, it was all downhill from there. I simply signed in to Blogger and was introduced to a blank white page. The creative juices started flowing -- or at least they were supposed to. I couldn't even think of a name for my blog let alone what template, background and font I wanted to use.

Finally, I remembered one of my favorite poems called Footprints in the Sand. It's also the name of a Leona Lewis song based on the same poem (Footprints in the Sand - Leona Lewis). The first time I read the poem was on Christmas one year. I think I was in high school, maybe college. Anyway, my mom bought me this stained-glass picture frame that had the following poem written on it:

One night a man had a dream.
He dreamed he was walking along
the beach with the LORD.
Across the sky flashed scenes from
his life. For each scene he noticed two
sets of footprints in the sand,
one belonging to him and the other
to the LORD.

When the last scene of his
life flashed before him, he looked
back at the footprints in the sand.
He noticed that many times along
the path of his life there was only
one set of footprints. He also noticed
that it happened at the very lowest
and saddest times of his life.

This really bothered him and he
questioned the LORD about it.
"LORD, you said that once I decided
to follow you, you'd walk with me
all the way. But I have noticed that
during the most troublesome times
in my life there is only one
set of footprints. I don't understand
why when I needed you the most
you would leave me."

The LORD replied, "my precious, precious child,
I love you and I would never leave you!
During your times of trial and suffering
when you see only one set of footprints,
it was then that I carried you."

Since the poem is religious, there is a bit of irony attached to this story. I grew up in a non-religious home by all means. My mom is Jewish and my Dad is Christian. Neither attended any type of religious service while I was growing up. I celebrated Christmas and Hanukkah without the religious element. So, when my mom bought me this for Christmas, I was surprised. Clearly so was she. She didn't know that there were words printed on the stain-glassed picture frame. But I didn't care. I loved the gift and now, more than ever, the words are footprints stamped across my heart.

The frame broke during my senior year of college. I was moving a lamp in my apartment and the frame fell down. I was heartbroken. I picked up the pieces and threw them in the trash. I looked for the poem online and typed it up in a Word document so that it would always be accessible to me. They're still there.

Less than a year after the frame broke, I was introduced to the world of Christianity. More specifically, I was introduced to my Savior, Jesus Christ. There have been many times throughout my life when He has carried me. He's carrying me right now.

I've been a believer for over two years and was baptized about a year and a half ago. The first ten to twelve months after my baptism were nothing short of amazing. One of the first things He did was get me connected to a one-of-a-kind church in my hometown. The church has really helped me grow closer to Him. God also gave me the opportunity to live in Chicago last summer to serve many broken-hearted people. It was a wonderful experience that I will never forget. Last but not least, He gave me my calling. A recent graduate with a Business degree, God has called me to become a teacher. I will be returning to school in the fall.

Although I have been blessed in many ways, the walk has not been so easy lately. I've really been struggling the past four or five months with many of the same things that I struggled with before I came to know the Lord. Things have not always gone the way I had planned either. For example, in the past seven months I've had three different jobs. I was rejected by a teaching program that I was certain was God's plan for my life. I've also been rejected by people -- which is one of the worst feelings in the world.

But just because life is hard doesn't mean that God isn't there. I think a lot of people believe that, "Life is unfair. God isn't there." But that's a lie. In those trying times, I believe that God is there more than ever. I mean, let's think about it: Jesus was rejected by the exact people that He came to save. What makes people, especially believers, think that our lives will be any different? Life happens. It happens fast. We can't change that. We can't plan it out. All we can do is live it. The only control that we have it how we react to the things that happen. Do we choose to quit or choose to fight? Do we give up or do we persevere? Do we choose to love or do we choose to hate? It's a choice that we make every day.

Despite everything that has happened and that will happen, I am blessed to have the opportunity to go to Israel this summer. I actually leave next Wednesday. I will be in New York for a week and in Israel for three weeks. I will try to keep you updated via blog but, if I don't, I will update my blog when I return. Although I feel very unprepared for this trip, I know that God has called me to go. I am sure that this will be a great learning experience and I pray that I will grow even closer to Him through this part of our journey together.

God Bless!