Wednesday, October 7, 2009

my thoughts on life...

I feel like a true blogger now that I am sharing "my thoughts on life" as if I have anything profound to add to the world full of sayings, advice, thoughts, quotes, mottos... etc. Even though I've reached the ripe old age of 21, I know that I have a lot to learn and a lot of growing up left to do, but here are some conclusions that I've recently come to.


Life changes fast
People are inherently good but it is impossible to see that if you never look at life through their eyes.
It's important to give those around you a break, because probably sooner than later you're going to need one yourself.
It's important to give yourself a break.
Talking helps.
Sometimes life needs to be treated like an automatic instead of a manual.
Utah weather makes my skin break out.
Don't expect anything.
Listen.
Broken hearts help us understand ourselves and others better.
Life isn't perfect, no matter how much we plan, prepare and hope for the best.
People aren't perfect.
Love is a powerful thing.
There's a weird sort of healing power in driving around town, belting music and doing absolutely nothing, but doing it with really good company.
Life requires friends.
Apt. 98 is where the best support system of friends and roommates a girl could ask for was born.
My mom wasn't crazy or OCD when she said a house needed to be cleaned once a week...
People are the same everywhere you go.
You can love a someone you have never met that is over a thousand miles away just by seeing a picture of her face.
Taking time to think is crucial to life.
No matter where you are in the world, you can bet there are people thinking of you, loving you and supporting you.
My parents are a couple of geniuses.
Life is to be enjoyed. People are to be loved. Opportunities are to be taken.

Life is a crazy good thing.

Sunday, October 4, 2009

GaLiLeE - on the way back home...

We left the Sea of Galilee on the morning of the 23rd and headed back to Jerusalem. We visited the place where Elijah brought down fire from heaven and killed all the priests of ba'al. We also went to Haifa and visited the Templar Cemetery. 2 missionaries are buried there from before Israel was a country. Without these missionaries' graves, which proved the church had a presence in Israel prior to 1948, the Jerusalem Center would not have been allowed to be built.

On the long drive back, me and Aubs entertained ourselves with some bus dancing.

Tea party with Amy in the Bahai Garden
The Bahai Gardens in Haifa = beautiful.

At Muhraqa (fire, Elijah, dead priests, etc.) - unfortunately my stance in the corner of the picture was not ununsual... and probably shows pretty well how I was feeling...
Imitating the statue. Amy was burning down there on the hot ground, we had to take the picture as quickly as possible so her arm skin didn't bake to the ground.

GaLiLeE day 10

This was our last full day and night in Galilee (July 22nd). The morning of the 23rd we headed back to Jerusalem. Basically I'm just going to put up a lot of pictures of the Sea of Galilee.... so enjoy :)

We went to Sephoris (a city that Christ may have gone to to work with Joseph as a boy), Akko (this really cool sea side city that has a lot of crusader history) and then we went to visit ancient Jewish tombs. It was a pretty good day. That night we had a testimony meeting. We thought a lot about Christ's last night in Galilee. This place was His home. After He left Galilee it was on to Jerusalem to preform the greatest act of love that has ever been done in the history of anything.

Akko has a lot of fish.
and a lot of spices
and a lot of hooka...
Studying on the beach... Kristin, Marie, Katie, Aubs, me, Emily and Amy

Aubs, Amy, me and Rachel
Thank you!
So this one time Aubs got sick in Galilee.... and Amy was nice enough to make her a sign.
I love Mary Lou Funk!
Dan always gives me lots of positive encouragement... I was never really sure what he was trying to say...
I love the Browns!
Flower girls!
Akko
Crazy boy
This antelope guy was all over Israel - I finally took a picture with him. He's like their national parks symbol.


GaLiLeE day 9

So... I'm finally going to finish blogging about Galilee... 2+ months after the fact....

Day 9 (July 21st) - We went to Tel Hazor and Tel Dan - both really old, really ancient cities. I have to admit, I have grown to appreciate places like this so much more now that I'm not around them anymore. I'm a little ashamed to say it, but we got kinda tired of seeing just another really old city by the end of the summer. In America we get really excited when we see something that's 100 years old. In Israel, at least 2000 years old is the norm. We actually got to the point where things we'd see from the time of Christ didn't really seem "that old." Basically Israel is so cool.

After Hazor and Dan we went to Caesarea Philippi where Peter testified of Christ and Christ promises him the sealing keys (Matthew 16:13-19). The cave in the picture of this place below was literally believed by the pagans at the time to be the gates of Hades.

After that we visited a pretty waterfall, visited Nimrod's castle and looked at the Syrian border. We had a campfire, smores and a talent show that night.


Tea party at Nimrod's castle... after 4 months and 6,000+ pictures, you start getting creative.

Caesarea Philippi with Aubrey and our ancient near east teacher Brother Skinner

Tel Dan sinkhole (?)
Tels are hot. Fanning is necessary.

Hazor

Paisley