Friday, December 12, 2008

Israel '08 - Sunrises and Sunsets




At the end of the first day, we were driving from Mount Carmel towards Haifa, Israel and then to turn in towards the Sea of Galilee - we drove along the Meditarranean Sea as the sun was setting. How Beautiful!! To see the sea where the Apostle Paul began his missionary journey, to try to imagine his shipwreck on this sea...the days he spent on these waters as he journeyed across to bring the Gospel to others across his world. What a sight to behold. I was so pleased when the bus driver let us off the bus to drink more of the sights and the smells of the first sunset we were to witness in the land of Israel. How breaktakingly beautiful! Sunsets and sunrises are a couple of my most favorite things that I enjoy of God's creation.



Spending 4 nights on the Sea of Galilee was absolutely spectacular!! Wakening each morning to step out onto our small deck just outside of our room and watching the sunrise over the sea was incredibly moving! Sitting there with my Bible in my lap, just me and God.....and my camera of course. :-) Every couple of minutes, the horizon would change so I had no choice but to capture it. God was so close, just a whisper away, displaying his beauty throughout the skies before me, painting absolutely gorgeous canvases across the heavens for me to inhale and savor - each precious moment out there on the deck or sitting by the water's edge. As I sat there, remembering all the stories I have read of the many events that took place around this lake. How does one describe what your heart goes through? How do I put into words the stirrings that took place in my heart? You don't understand until you've gone through it. To smell the air of the sea and the breakfast cooking down below, to hear the sounds of the birds and the wind
through the trees and the gentle lapping of the water on the shore, to see the handiwork of God stretched across the ever expanding horizon, to feel the breeze surrounding you with God's Holy presence, to touch the warm water that Jesus walked on so many many years ago.....all of my senses were taking in the wonder of it all...my heart was so full each morning. Something I've noticed after we got back and looking at these photos, so many pictures have a palm tree and a type of pine/fir tree side by side - just look at the photos above. :-) Only God can do that. Isn't He great?

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