I've been...

...MIA again, it seems.  *grin*  I am four weeks deep into being 29 and enjoying every minute of it! Dan and I spent a few days in Florida visiting family, a welcomed break from the craziness of life. I love Michigan and I love winter, but there are days when a little sunshine and 65 in the middle of January just does a person good. On the Friday before we left to come home I received a call from, well, I'll say a friend. He is much more than just a friend to Dan and I -- a real encourager in the faith and someone from whom we have learned much about Christ and authentic Christianity -- but somewhere in there, he is also our friend.

And, he's on the board of the high school where I graduated from (1999! Ten years ago! Well, almost 11 now...)

And the school is putting together a trip to ISRAEL...

And he thought we'd like to go...

And he offered to pay our way.

I kid you not!

I prayed long and hard over the weekend, just not finding peace about going. I realize it's a once in a lifetime kind of opportunity, but there were things to consider --- this wasn't just any trip. This was a hiking/study tour trip. Miles and miles of "backwoods" in Israel; desert; heat; hills; rocky shale; uneven ground. Not to mention 11 days in a foreign country in the Middle East. I did a pretty good job of talking myself out of the idea by Saturday night. *grin*  And then in the middle of the night, I remembered something else: Tax Day this year isn't just for taxes...it's also the day of the biggest fund raiser for the non-profit I serve with. Ouch! I was supposed to give my answer by Sunday afternoon, but I begged off until Monday so I could talk things over with my superior.

A long story short --- all of my concerns and objections, anything and everything I could think of that could possibly keep me from going to Israel, up and disappeared. Funny how the Lord works that way sometimes...

So...come spring break, I'll be on a plane to Tel Aviv-Yafo to hike the Holy Land -- and to hopefully experience the places of Scripture in a new and very different way. And I couldn't be more happy!

p.s. Dan is super geeked, too. It's a good thing I graduated or he wouldn't be going... *grin*