So at 11:30, I am sitting here amongst suitcases, piles of clothes, and other travel necessities, trying to get it all sorted and packed so that it won't exceed the 50-pound weight limit at the airport tomorrow. So, why am I sitting here blogging late at night when I should be packing? Well, when I got home from work this afternoon, I made some calls, and decided to check messages. I laid back on the bed to check, and that did it. I woke up 3 hours later! I had done absolutely nothing to get ready! Hence, I am not the least bit sleepy, and I think I want to be a bit drowsy for the many, many hours that I will be on the plane. Going to Israel takes a long time! This is the fulfillment of a life-long dream for me. I remember saying as a kid that I hoped that I could travel to see the place where Jesus lived on earth. Now it's finally happening. In the background, I have on "Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade," where they are searching for the Holy Grail. The final section of the movie is filmed in front of the Treasury, which looks like a giant church carved into the side of the cliff. The Treasury is just a part of an area called Petra (not the band, you 80's fans, Lol). I will be able to see this in real life! Maybe I can go in and grab that grail while I'm there? I will be able to stand in the Megiddo Valley, where the final conflict between God and Satan will take place. We will have Bible studies in the Garden of Gethsemane. We will get baptized in the Jordan River. It still doesn't seem quite real to me, and it may not sink in until we set foot in Tel Aviv and take the shuttle into Jerusalem.
I've had people tell me "Text me when you get there!" I will do what I can, but I can't spend all of my time texting. I'll simply post a Facebook message when we get to our different stopping points. I'm going to post as much as I can with whatever Wi-Fi I can manage to get hold of. I'll probably post the pics and then add descriptions later. I have a new up-to-date phone, so hopefully that will work to my advantage. I'm hoping to do some Facebook live events. If you want to follow my journey, feel free to stalk my Facebook. If you have no interest, just skim over my posts.
This will be a quick post, because I need to get moving again. I just want to close with some thank-yous. First of all, Thank you God for making this possible. My job at the Alley helped finance this trip. Second of all, a BIG thanks goes to YOU! Those of you who bought goodies, made donations, and prayed. That's a big part of it right there! Please don't quit praying. We will need them more than ever as we travel into what can be a very touchy political situation. If you watch the news, you know what I mean. Thank you, thank you, thank you! I can't wait. We leave tomorrow morning! Thanks for reading, and God bless you!
Shalom.
Monday, January 20, 2020
Wednesday, January 1, 2020
Reflecting and looking ahead....
Last night, as I awaited for midnight to arrive, I couldn't help but remember, with a smile, the crisis that led up to the year 2000...the Y2K bug. Computers would crash, and it would pretty much be "the end of the world." Well, here we are 20 years and still standing. People are pondering what kinds of resolutions they will make, and some are making resolutions to not make resolutions, Lol. I made a Facebook resolution to keep my postings clean and Christ-honoring. With all of the garbage slung on people's pages, it's a resolution I wish more people would make. Since I'm not on social media so much anymore, I'm also going to strive to be more positive in the real world as well.
2020 is very special to me because it holds the fulfillment of a lifelong dream. A dream that I've held onto since I was a little kid, and has been the #1 item on my bucket list for years. In just under 3 weeks, I will be boarding a plane with a group from my church and will be flying to Israel! I will have the opportunity to visit the holy sites where significant Biblical events took place. Highlights include being baptized in the Jordan River, a boat ride on the sea of Galilee, Petra, the Garden Tomb, Bethlehem, and more! I feel so blessed that God has given me this opportunity. He has blessed me with a raise at work and a job at the bowling alley. Some of the bowlers tip kindly, so that extra amount goes into the pot. I had more baking orders than ever before, and many of my customers gave me above and beyond that price I was asking. Anonymous gifts came into the church in my name, and many have come up, pushed money into my hand, and said they were going to be praying for me. It's undeniable that God wants me to take this trip! I have been able to channel income into both the Israel fund, as well as my fund for the next mission trip, wherever that may be. While this will be a sightseeing trip and spiritual pilgrimage, I'm not dismissing the fact that God could very possibly open my eyes to the work He wants me to do. Could God call me to Israel? He can do whatever He wants! God has not yet revealed to me where He wants me to go, so my radar is always open. So, to those people who are curious as to why I surrendered to missions, but have not yet gone, that is the answer to your question. God hasn't revealed where He wants me to go. Evidently, He has more work for me to do here. To close out this section...To those who have prayed and given, I thank you!
This past year I began my 18th year in the school district working some terrific kids with special needs. I began my 7th year with the Boys & Girls Club teaching young kids about making good choices, teaching a literacy program, and for kids who need a break from noise and chaos, I provide a quiet classroom for kids to chill out for a bit. And as I mentioned before, I work the snack bar at our local bowling alley. I am in my 3rd year there. When I tell people where I work, their reaction is "What, you work 3 jobs?" It's tiring at times, when I get up early in the morning, get home late at night, then get up and do it again the next day. God gives me the strength every day to do what I do, and it's Him who has allowed me these opportunities to make some extra $ so that I can fulfill my life dream. I continue to be deeply involved in the children's ministries at my church, teaching Sunday School on Sunday mornings, and working with the kiddos on Wednesday nights. I currently claim 6 grandkids who are a tremendous blessing to me. It's complicated describing how some of them are my grandchildren, but I love them all the same, and wouldn't trade them for anything. It's fun being a grandpa. I have to say I love my life!
For this year, beside my big trip to Israel, I will be turning 50 in October. I can hardly believe it. I'm not scared of 50. it's just a number, and a big excuse to really party! I remember turning 20, 30, 40, 45...and now I'm looking down the barrel of 50. When I turned 40, everyone said I was over the hill. So what is 50? I say, better over the hill than under it!
I have many, many decorations to take down, so I need to end this post and get busy. However, I could not end this day without updating all of you about my "exciting" life, and thanking you for your love, prayers, and support. I want to thank you for taking time out of your busy schedules to read my blog post. I pray that God will bless you this year, and that 2020 will be the best yet!
2020 is very special to me because it holds the fulfillment of a lifelong dream. A dream that I've held onto since I was a little kid, and has been the #1 item on my bucket list for years. In just under 3 weeks, I will be boarding a plane with a group from my church and will be flying to Israel! I will have the opportunity to visit the holy sites where significant Biblical events took place. Highlights include being baptized in the Jordan River, a boat ride on the sea of Galilee, Petra, the Garden Tomb, Bethlehem, and more! I feel so blessed that God has given me this opportunity. He has blessed me with a raise at work and a job at the bowling alley. Some of the bowlers tip kindly, so that extra amount goes into the pot. I had more baking orders than ever before, and many of my customers gave me above and beyond that price I was asking. Anonymous gifts came into the church in my name, and many have come up, pushed money into my hand, and said they were going to be praying for me. It's undeniable that God wants me to take this trip! I have been able to channel income into both the Israel fund, as well as my fund for the next mission trip, wherever that may be. While this will be a sightseeing trip and spiritual pilgrimage, I'm not dismissing the fact that God could very possibly open my eyes to the work He wants me to do. Could God call me to Israel? He can do whatever He wants! God has not yet revealed to me where He wants me to go, so my radar is always open. So, to those people who are curious as to why I surrendered to missions, but have not yet gone, that is the answer to your question. God hasn't revealed where He wants me to go. Evidently, He has more work for me to do here. To close out this section...To those who have prayed and given, I thank you!
This past year I began my 18th year in the school district working some terrific kids with special needs. I began my 7th year with the Boys & Girls Club teaching young kids about making good choices, teaching a literacy program, and for kids who need a break from noise and chaos, I provide a quiet classroom for kids to chill out for a bit. And as I mentioned before, I work the snack bar at our local bowling alley. I am in my 3rd year there. When I tell people where I work, their reaction is "What, you work 3 jobs?" It's tiring at times, when I get up early in the morning, get home late at night, then get up and do it again the next day. God gives me the strength every day to do what I do, and it's Him who has allowed me these opportunities to make some extra $ so that I can fulfill my life dream. I continue to be deeply involved in the children's ministries at my church, teaching Sunday School on Sunday mornings, and working with the kiddos on Wednesday nights. I currently claim 6 grandkids who are a tremendous blessing to me. It's complicated describing how some of them are my grandchildren, but I love them all the same, and wouldn't trade them for anything. It's fun being a grandpa. I have to say I love my life!
For this year, beside my big trip to Israel, I will be turning 50 in October. I can hardly believe it. I'm not scared of 50. it's just a number, and a big excuse to really party! I remember turning 20, 30, 40, 45...and now I'm looking down the barrel of 50. When I turned 40, everyone said I was over the hill. So what is 50? I say, better over the hill than under it!
I have many, many decorations to take down, so I need to end this post and get busy. However, I could not end this day without updating all of you about my "exciting" life, and thanking you for your love, prayers, and support. I want to thank you for taking time out of your busy schedules to read my blog post. I pray that God will bless you this year, and that 2020 will be the best yet!
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