Our Family Circus

A few years ago, My Dear and I along with Billy were gifted an amazing gift-a trip to Israel. While on the trip we were able to see so much and learn even more! We of course went to the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem. Interesting enough, any place thought to be holy has a church built on top of it. This was the believed birth place of Christ. It was heavily decorated and it was impossible to visualize it as a stable with all of the candles, paintings, and fancy lighting which was needed since we were in a basement. Yep, that is it in the picture above. The location was crowded and people were packed in for a Christmas carol and then lead out like an elementary field trip. Our guide then took us next door. It was not crowded at all, actually our group was the only one there. It looked far more like a stable of that time would appear, stone and cave like. The guide then shared that most groups did not go there but he wanted us to see it. The place where we were was where the Inn wou...

Walking through the Old City of Jerusalem within the walls. Typical day of shopping for these folks-welcome to their Wal Mart, Kroger, and Mall where pushing, price negotiations, fast moving carts, and raw meat hanging around is all allowed! Did I mention I LOVED this part of the trip?! Of all the things that I learned in Israel and continue to learn now that I am home, this is the one I can not forget-the PEOPLE. I have a friend that prays for the people of Israel. She and her husband own a series of DVDs on the country. I have to admit, I thought it was strange to own such DVDs but as I watch them, I get it. Children are being groomed to hate. It is actually part of their education. That is sad to me but the hardest part for me is that these people live in the Holy Land. Only 2% of these people are Christians. I listened as my husband talked with our tour guide who professed to be a Christian. He was baptized as an infant. It is just what they do. He was born in the Holy Land, they...

Little man baptized in the Jordan along with his cousin by daddy. He said it was worth the wait! Daddy serving his first communion at the garden tomb and getting to keep the Olive Wood cup!

We returned yesterday from a trip to Israel with our family! My head is FULL of stuff I want to follow up on and study more of. I have so much to learn! Of all that I saw and heard, this one mini-conversation is really on my heart. I do not even recall how the conversation started but Nana T., as our kids call her, shared how we limit God. Someone had shared this same fact with her. Have you noticed that when we pray, we ask God that He would just do this thing or that He would just give enough? We ask for JUST instead of allowing God to fully bless us! What if God wants to do more? You see, Nana T. went to the Holy Land in 2006 when someone in her church donated money for others to go. While there, she felt God calling her to bring her family. She knew it was a huge order and had no idea what God had in store to provide the finances for 10 of us, including our 7 year old son, to go to the Holy Land-but He did. I am pretty sure it was not a JUST prayer that Nana praye...