Dreams, cool weather and reality --- all together?

Dreams, cool weather and reality…do or can they all go together?  In my world they do…and they all met head on this past month and week! 

Each person has dreams…and one of my dreams that I really thought was probably not going to happen very soon was to go to Israel.  I have a Hungarian friend that absolutely loves Israel.  He works in a kibbutz there usually each summer and he is crazy about the place.  I enjoy listening to his passion for the country and the people of the country…it’s good.  So when my sister and her husband said they were meeting their son (my nephew David) in Israel and asked if I would like to join them; I couldn’t believe it!  Not sure how it all worked out but I found my self on a plane to TelAviv last Thursday and returning on Sunday.  Dreams come true!  We saw many amazing sites; walking tour of the Old City, hiked Masada (where King Herod built a palace and the path up was no easy feat by the way…took me way longer than most but thank God I made it up and back), saw Ein Gedi Reserve (where David hid from Saul), floated in the Dead Sea (elevation -430 meters or -1410 feet, lowest place on earth), stood on the Mount of Olives and walked the road Jesus rode the donkey on Palm Sunday down to the Garden of Gethsemane, touched the Western Wall and other humbling experiences.  Life is good…and this past week once again affirmed that God is waaaay betterJ.
So where does cool weather come in? Budapest has it – and it is wonderful!  The plane yesterday landed in windy conditions after a big thunderstorm the night before…I was doing my happy dance getting off the plane!  I could breathe, walk without sweating and didn’t even wear my visor!  As opposed to Israel…seriously folks – that was HOT.  Judean desert at 5:30 in the morning (when we arrived to the base of Masada) it was 90 degrees, by 10:30 (when we arrived to the Dead Sea) it was 104.  Can you say drink gallons of water?  So I appreciate the cool weather in BudapestJ
And what about reality?  Welllllll….this is always a fun one and I’m still processing some of it but it hit me hard in Israel.  See…I was expecting to fall in love with Israel.  It was the homeland of Jesus…all the scripture verses would come to life for me and I would fall in love – right?  I’ve gone to several countries and generally I do fall in love…I love traveling and seeing the beauty and cultures – all so great.  Ummmm; not exactly this time around.  The city of Jerusalem is beautiful – it is law to build all the buildings out of the white stone that is called ‘Jerusalem stone’ and quarried in the area.  But the area is hot, dry, arid, a few plants and trees and even some flowers around but very desolate in my mind.  So it is not beautiful to me…and I didn’t fall in love.  And that reality hit me hard while I was hiking, swimming, seeing sites and talking about my trip with others.  Those Israelites that wandered in the desert for 40 years and whined and complained to Moses and God?...I’m thinking that would be me!  That is the harsh reality I came home with – I love Jesus but I don’t love his homeland!  So I’m thankful that His grace is available and that allows me to re-confirm that life is good and God is waay better (but not His earthly homeland). 

So dreams do and are coming true, cool weather is awesome and reality is just that – sometimes it’s rough and tough but sometimes easy peasyJ.  Thanks for reading…have a great month!

Would you like an email each time I post a blog?...enter your email to the right on this website (http://yesletusgive.blogspot.com).
How about donating to my volunteer work in Central Europe?... click on this link please:)...web.nazarene.org/goto/carolskinner   


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

So it begins...Ethiopia

Image
New blogger here.  Not sure what I'm doing but I have some amazing people in my life that seem interested in 'following' me during my adventures this summer.  The name of this blog (letusgive) may seem odd but hopefully it will become clear through my subsequent posts - to me as I write it and also to those that read!  Here we go...together! Ethiopia...that is the place I am going for 5 weeks starting June 17th.  I cannot wait and I must admit I'm a bit nervous as well!  Have I been there before?  Yes...once in 2005 for 2 weeks and once in 2007 for 3 weeks.  The 3 week trip was to teach English to high school students.  I fell in love with their beautiful faces, smiles and ambition to learn.  I'm definitely looking forward to seeing them again! This whole year has been a whirlwind so far but bottom line is - I'm preparing to leave Pacific Coast (having worked there for 27 years) and moving onto more mission oriented work - more or less a second career!  Th
Read more

Thank you Momma

December 31, 2015 Life is good, God is waaaay better.   I’m starting with that statement this time – I am reassured of that each day – really each hour these past couple of days.   People – family, friends, folks on the street or in the store have all been incredible.   People know – they ‘sense’ hurt and respond appropriately.   That is so very treasured.   My Momma died on Tuesday, December 29th at 13:49 PST.   Dad, Phyllis, Bob via FaceTime, Susan, Nathan, Jesse and I were all there…holding her hand, stroking her arm, leg, shoulder, forehead, making sure she could ‘feel’ us and hoping she could hear us.   I whispered to her a lot that day…the nurses would kind of talk loudly to her as they swabbed out her mouth or did some routine on her.   I couldn’t do that – I wanted to be gentle with my Momma…loud noises would startle her at home recently.   She would wake up and say ‘what was that’…I didn’t want her startled.   I wanted her to go from this world gently, peacefully and walk
Read more

Giving

I must say that early in my life my Grandmother (Gram) and my parents  were amazing role models to follow for giving.  These amazing people in my life gave, gave and gave some more! My Gram invited all her grandkids when they were 8 years old to her summer cabin in the 'UP' (Upper Peninsula of Michigan) for the entire summer!  We learned to fish, row boats, shoot a BB gun, and most importantly, to me anyway, we learned to water ski!  What an amazing summer...so many memories with cousins, Aunts, Uncles and most of all my Gram.  What an awesome role model. My parents gave when they had nothing!  We learned it was important to get creative in our giving - it doesn't have to be in cash...it can be providing wood for those that needed it for their fireplaces to keep them warm in the winter or my personal favorite (feel the sarcasm here)weeding and taking care of the church grounds each week.  Maybe its taking a plate of cookies to somebody that is lonely and staying to cha
Read more