House on the Rock

In my last post, I hinted at the fact that the sea was chaotic. It was filled with storms and surges and in the eyes of the Israelites, it was a place of sheer terror. Shocking, since the ocean is what I picture when I think of my happy place. But the waters that gleam as my place of peace are the same waters that brought about fear, inconsistency, storms, chaos, and wrath. So basically, sea = scary. In the same way, the wilderness was not a friendly jungle with laughing birds and singing bears. It is a scorpion-infested death trap marked by treacherous slopes and steep valleys. Wilderness = also scary. The people of Israel had to face a lot of unknowns, and a lot of scary places. As we hiked these hills and waded through these waters, we got a taste of the fearsome endeavors they were forced to endure. However, despite the difficulty of nature's obstacles, one thing was certain: If you got up high enough on a rock, the obstacles were no match for you. The sea could...

Toward the end of the trip, we stayed at a resort on the shore of Lake Galilee (more commonly known as the Sea of Galilee). My friends and I decided to do devotions one morning as the sun rose. When we woke up, however, a rainstorm was shaking our resort and there was no hope of spending any time outside. Disappointed, I prayed that God would give us a break in the rain to sit by the sea. As I spoke, the sky broke open and the rain stopped. The most beautiful sunrise kissed the morning sky above us and we had over an hour of clear skies to spend time with God. During the quiet time, I studied the story of Jesus walking on the same sea that was in front of me. In Matthew 14, there was a tumultuous storm that brought about mighty wind and waves, and the disciples in the boat were terrified. However, Peter had faith enough to say, "Jesus, let me come to you on the water." Peter gets out of the boat in the midst of the wind and the waves and the raging sea because to him,...

We had been exploring Jerusalem for a few days, and let me tell you, it was cool. Despite a little rain, the weather was beautiful and we got to see the sites that we had been reading about in the Bible for all of our lives. We touched the tomb where Jesus was buried. We took selfies in Bethlehem where they believe the Savior was born. We even did devotions at the trial place of Jesus, where people cried out, "Crucify him!" before sending him to the cross. And while all of that was absolutely awe-inspiring, there was an unfortunate sense of ostentation. These sites had been under the care of various religions, many of which turned these holy places to pretentious displays meant to attract tourists rather than Biblical revelations. That is not to say that I wasn't amazed by the Church of the Holy Sepulcher or the Garden of Gethsemane...because trust me, that was amazing. But the sites were so flashy that I did not experience the fullness of God like I thought I would. ...

On New Year's Eve, thirty-five students from Taylor (most of whom I did not know) flew out of O'Hare and headed toward the Holy Land. I was full of excitement, nervousness, and a feeling of overwhelming peace. I knew that this was where I was supposed to be and God put me on this trip for a reason. I didn't know what he was going to do, but I knew it was going to be big. I suppose I should've been a little more prepared for how big the trip was going to be. Leading up to Israel, I had taken an intense Old Testament Survey course. I had also completed over twenty-seven hours of detailed map work. Academically, I was set. I packed almost my entire bedroom into a suitcase and carry-on. I was prepared for all sorts of weather and every event imaginable - from hiking clothes to swimwear to formal attire to snow gear, I had everything I could possibly think of needing. I thought I was all good. I just simply had no idea that my world was going to be rocked. I was go...

I will NEVER forget the morning of...... okay well I forget the date but I will never forget the morning that God woke me from my sleep with five words on my heart: go sign up for Israel.  Israel??? Where was this coming from??? I mean, I went to the informational meeting. Obviously I wanted to travel to the Holy Land, but I knew that there was no way I would have the money or time to commit to such a challenging trip. At that meeting, two things were confirmed: 1. It was far more money than I was willing to pay. 2. It was far more academically rigorous than I was willing to commit to. So, I threw out the informational packed on my way out the door and considered the whole idea a wash. There was no way I was going to Israel. But God. God got my attention one morning and I saw it clearer than I had ever seen anything before. I knew I had to go to Israel. So I rushed to the Bursar's office and immediately asked to put down a deposit. I hadn't even talked to my paren...