"Even there..."

"Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?

If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if I make my bed in the depths, [a] you are there.

If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
if I settle on the far side of the sea,

even there your hand will guide me,
your right hand will hold me fast."

-Psalm 139:9-10


What a promise! How sweet to know that no matter what the future holds- no matter how dark, no matter how far from home we end up, no matter how deep in the depths- always we know that God is there.

This past year I spent in Israel was surreal. It was challenging, sometimes lonely, dis-quieting and eye-opening to poverty and darkness; the kind seen in dusty little children with knocked-out teeth, and some forgotten parent to blame.

And yet it was also a beautiful time- some of the most beautiful days of my life, spent among the desert hills and ancient city stones, and golden sunsets flaming over a white city; narrow steets crowded with dust, people living, and hating, and loving; little boys with side-curls and kippas running past old arab men selling fresh juice, and their young boys pushing carts of sweet bread down the ragged steps of the shuk; purple flowers growing through the cracks and bringing colored hope to the windowsills as the sunset fades to dusk.

There are so many things I want to remember- so many places and dear lonely faces I never wish to forget. So many stories- so many friendships and laughter, so many times sitting down to a coffee with a friend- and with them countless stories, such lives lived, shared adventures, shared fears and sweet, sweet moments of shared remembering of God's goodness as we studied the promises in his word- like the one above. So many times God proved his love and faithfulness to me- always bringing me back to his grace and the fact that he is all I need, and he is always there. And he is strong.


I want to be able to remember these stories, to have them in mind so I can share them with others. And so I will share them with you! This blog will hopefully become a rough collection of this past year- and the story of how God was there throughout it all. Because he was there- and always abounding in grace! And always quieting my heart once again with his love.

So I hope this blog is somehow an encouragement to you! Perhaps as a reminder to pray, or maybe a motivation to travel yourself, or maybe just to make you think.....and remember. Remember the people who are suffering, the people who have less than you, the people who have cared. And remember God.....that he is loving, and he is strong, and he is always there.