Reflections on the loss of the Garden of Eden

We went to this absolutely idyllic spot in the north of Israel. The water was supposed to be a "warm spring" yet it was cool enough to be refreshing on a very hot day. Pefect, actually. It was so beautiful we allowed ourselves to think about whether the Garden of Eden might have been a little like this. When I got home and began to reflect on all the pictures we took I thought about how after man was kicked out of the Garden of Eden he was told "Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life." So look at the land in the second picture just a few short miles from the first. Then reflect on the life of the child who is tending goats in that region.

Have you wondered about the Jordan River?

At the very source, a spring in the north, at Ceseara Philipi, at the foot of Mt Hermon, near the border with Lebanon, we filled empty water bottles to take Jordan River water home with us. Then farther downstream in a beautiful place that has been arranged for the convenience of tourists to we went in to celebrate our baptisms.

I'd walk a mile for a .....

This is a very "tourist" thing to do, AND very fun! You get on while the camel is down on all fours. First the hind legs stand up then the front legs. It seems tricky to just stay in the saddle. Then you lope along jolting in the most marvelous way!! This is my favorite thing to do next to snorkeling!!!

Dead Sea Tales

These people have covered themselves with mud gathered from the shore of the Dead Sea by digging below the salt layer (about 2 inches deep at the place where we were) I guess it has healing powers!

Walking Where Jesus Walked

Ralph and I along with 9 other pilgrims recently went on a trip to Israel. Since I want to learn how to blog AND I want to share our experience, this is a win-win adventure! On the first day we started at the Mount of Olives overlooking the Old City and then walked into the city the way Jesus did on a donkey 4 days before Passover. The VERY interesting thing we learned is that on that same day the High Priest paraded his perfect passover lamb into the city as well coming from another direction and through another gate.