Home again....... so nice to be back.  The trip had some nice experiences.  Visited some neighbors/friends from the 70's.  They had us over for dinner.  They live in Surprise, AZ.  It was a very good time.  We also got to visit our cousins who live only 3 minutes from Uncle Doug.  That was a good time also.  We took Uncle Doug on two drives for sight seeing.  Got him a milkshake, which is his favorite.  Took some pictures for your viewing pleasure.  See below.

Uncle Doug

Uncle Dougs Room

Out Front

A cool duck we saw.  He has a puff on his head.

View out the window in hall by Doug's room

One of many elderly Cactus' in AZ

Cousin John & Tom

Notice how the Palm Tree Trunks turn.  Tom thought that was very interesting.

Below is a song that plays in my heart frequently.  We bought it in Israel last month.  May it play in your heart also, enjoy!

I heard a quote this morning that really blessed me and helped a lot.  It was this, "God is the only one who can break something and make it more valuable!".  He breaks us inorder to increase our value.  How awesome is that!?!?!?!?

   Well, we must do the right thing.  What is the right thing?  The right thing is the thing one does that benefits others.  In other words it would "seem" the right thing is to just want peace with all.  I will just mind my own business and be nice to everyone.  And kindness is a wonderful gift to give someone, but it turns out to be a very selfish thing most of the time, many times, or sometimes because it is based on self centeredness.  In other words... I just want to love so I will be loved in return.  I sure don't want to meddle.  On the flip side people can meddle and butt in where they should not be.  The whole point is motive.  What is the motive behind getting involved or staying out of it?   Is it to benefit others or to just express yourself?  Is it just to make some trouble for someone who has made trouble for you?  I guess what I am saying is we can so easily deceive our own selves into believing we are "right" when our motive makes whatever  we are involved in...so wrong! 

   My great grandma used to say, "one side or a wheel off" when she wanted to get past you.  And that is our attitude so much of the time.  We don't want to lose our wheel so we move aside.  Or we are the one saying "one side or a wheel off" to someone standing in the way of our goal.  Both can be selfish actions all depending on the motive.  But I have to add what the scriptures say that the prudent man sees trouble and hides himself from it.  So in other words don't be stupid and pretend trouble isn't coming. 

   I heard a message years ago that still bothers me to this very day.  It was a message on the "spirit of non-commitment" which says "you don't bug me and I won't bug you".  The point was that attitude is not the peace God calls us to embrace or promote.  We will have to account for the things we have done in this body... and the basis will be the "motive".  Did I do what I did for the eyes of men?  Did I do what I did for the love of me?  Did I do what I did to save me from trouble and if so does that leave others vulnerable to that same trouble?  

   I have done everything wrong and a few times I have done something right.  I think this heart issue or motive is the reason God is the only righteous judge.  For our hearts are laid bare before Him.  We cannot deceive Him.  He knows.

   This whole post stems from some soul searching regarding our Uncle.  When I think of him and the things that have been done I am saddened through and through.  If we could go back and do things differently.. but I think my motive definitely wasn't right.  Another thing I have learned is that so many times when our motive is right, we won't want to do what we are being called to do.  But this is the way to see God's power released in our life.  It is the narrow road that leads to life and few there are that go that way.  Broad is the road that leads to destruction and many there are who go that way.  WE CAN DO HARD THINGS!  Lord help us!

  Well, we need to fly to Arizona on Thursday.  I wish it was a trip for fun but unfortunately that is not the case.  We are so worn down by the continual lies and deception that has gone on in regard to our Uncle.  We don't know whether he is just going along because as some have said, he has been brain washed.  Unfortunately it is looking like that is true.  Poor Uncle.... I cannot tolerate liars.  My sister used to have a poster that said something like, "Yes, the truth will set you free, but first it will make you miserable."   As I recall, it had a picture of a person going through an old fashioned washing machine wringer and coming out flat as a graphic. 

Here is a recording of an elderly lady as she says, "well seasoned and into her 80's".  She was so entertaining.  I loved listening to her talk.  This will give you a pretty good idea of what I am talking about.  Here is a re-inactment of Marguerite talking to me last Fall:

PS.  I wanted to share this with you last Fall, but my voice recorder cord was missing.  I asked the Lord to show me where it was a few days ago and He did yesterday.  It was in the case with our video camera. 

What is the meaning behind April Fool's Day?  Have you ever been an April Fool?  Any good April Fool's stories to tell?

Can anyone read this sign?............  Me either.   

What is the name of the river below? 

(If you said "The Jordan River" you are correct.)

Do you know what this is?

(If you said "olive press" you are correct.) DUH - I first said "winepress"... April Fools!!! 

Thanks Martna!

Below are pictures of one of the hikes we took in Petra.  Lots of fun!!! 

Tom said he was gonna buy me this outfit for next Valentines Day!  See the hearts?

I better go now.  Lots to get done, but I just read that "multitasking" they now believe is connected to memory loss.

Hello Friends and Family!  I went to the doctor yesterday cause I had a few questions, but was feeling better than two days earlier when I made the appointment.  He checked me out, listened to me and then said with a puzzled look on his face:  "you are very sick, yet you don't act sick!"  I don't know what I should have been acting like.  Maybe groaning or something.  Anyway, I have pneumonia in my lower lungs and so need to take it easy, keep out of the wind, drinks lots of fluids, and use a vaporizer.  He gave me a couple prescriptions too.  So this is my excuse for not keeping up with you all, who I do care about a lot. 

Some more pictures are next.

Nimrod (Sounds like a name you would call someone doing something stupid!)

The Sea of Galilee Trip

These birds were flying right beside us, really close.  (see video)

Our lunch after our Sea of Galilee Trip.  One guy was eating the eye balls!!!

A string of pictures of Israel... I have 1700.  As you can see Israel Rocks all over the place!  And we were continually getting high!   

This first picture is Uncle Tom.  There were rock walls made of stacked rocks held up by wire fencing material in many places.

More rocks plus a cool sign x 2 pictures.

Tom Up High.

This is me following Brad, a guy from our church body, on the trail.  Tom was always telling me to stop and then he would snap my picture or he would tell me to go over here or there, snap.  At first I was uncomfortable being put in so many pictures, always wondering if my hair was a mess, etc.  But after awhile I didn't care anymore.  (Well, maybe a little.)

Here's another one, "Kath, stop!" snap! 

Here is cute little Christy & Zach her husband x 2 years.  She did most of the work putting the trip together.  She is the one who nagged us into going.  She prefers to have me say she "encouraged" us to go.    I have some really neat pictures of them swimming at the pools of Bethesda and Zach taking a shower in a waterfall to post later. 

We did a lot of hiking.  I loved that.  Here are a couple of pictures of one of the hikes we took.

Here we are up on Mt. Carmel singing.  We read about Elijah and the Prophets of Baal here.  It was gorgeous and I got some nice flowers to press.  Have more pictures of this to put up.

Here's Nancy and me. 

This was a surprise to me.  Israel has lots of banana orchards.  They cover the bananas with plastic to protect them.  Usually bright blue, but sometimes gray or black bags.

These next pictures were snapped from the bus as we traveled.

   Well, we were just there last week and we do have some pictures.  The guide said, of course, no one knows for absolute positive which of the multiple sites is for sure the right one.  But the one we visited does have all the descriptive things that scripture states.  One of the most profound would have to be the fact that the tomb would normally have the place for the body directly in front when you walk in, yet scripture says the angel was on the right saying "Why do you look for the living amoung the dead.  He is not here, but risen".  This one does have only one place for a body which is on the right when you walk in.  It also was unfinished in the sense that it only has one location for a body, indicating it was a new grave.  (This according to the guide and there was much more.)

Our Guide talking to us just before lining up to go into the tomb.

Us in line, along with many others, outside the tomb waiting to go inside.

Inside the tomb on the right where the body of Jesus would have been layed.

They have put in a door, but the groove outside for the stone is still very visible.

And a few more pictures in the tomb area.

I will start by saying it was more than I ever dreamed.  It was fantastic. 

Next here is a picture of our tour bus.

Next our theme song for the bus with us doing it.   People began demanding this song.  The whole bus was rocking back & forth.  You should have seen the faces of the people in the cars beside us while at a light. 

Next here is the whole song... it really grows on you.

We have about 1700 pictures and videos.  I am sorting through them now.  Uncle Tom & I are trying to get our days and nights turned around again.   It took us over 24 hours to get back home.  Security was over the top coming this way.