Shalom Israel

Well, I made it to Israel. After all the planning and preparation, it's weird to think that I'm finally here. I don't know what it is, but the whole process of traveling feels very strange to me. You get into a plane and several hours later you step out into a muggy walkway through the airport and out into a completely different culture.
As most of you probably know, I have a lot of love for Israel and Jewish people. Figuring out more about how God is calling me to respond to this aspect of my nature is one of the main reasons I decided to come to Israel. However, there are certainly a lot of things that seem to be standing in the way of this. For one, it's pretty hard for me to be around lots of people I don't know and that makes me feel a little anxious about traveling around in Israel. Here I feel like most people will see me as just another tourist here to buy trinkets and get my taste of the Holy Land.

On the other hand there are definitely a lot of things that have gone really well so far. I was met in the airport by a friend of mine named Dalton, who is also in Israel for a while. He and I have been staying in the attic of a grocery store, owned by a couple Israeli guys Dalton met. The store is located in a moshav near Tel Aviv. Both of the guys are really cool and I have been learning a lot from them. There names are Amir and Regev.

I don't know what I thought Israel would feel like, but right now its hard for me to tell how I feel. The constant decisions that I am having to make have been making it difficult to be present and connected.

Where we going? When are we going there? How are we going to get there? Where are we going to stay? These questions linger in my mind, demanding to be answered.

All I really want to do though is somehow just live in the moment and trust the Lord to guide my paths and my conversations. I think that this is the only way that I will be able to experience the presence of God on a moment by moment basis.

I don't know if any of this makes sense to anyone who might be reading this. In truth my writing is probably pretty scattered, partially because my thoughts themselves are pretty scattered.

Anyway I feel like the Lord is leading me to Galilee right now so I've got to be going.

Thank you Jesus, for the ways that you've guided me, the ways you spoken to me and revealed yourself to me. You have always been faithful to me and you've always provided for me. I say that I trust you now for everything that I have and everything that I'm doing, even the little things. Thank you for the people you've put in my life. Thank you for Blake, for awesome heart that you've put in him, and the way that you have used him so powerfully to encourage and inspire me. Thank you for all of the Norman Community people, and how they are somehow completely different than me, and a lot like me at the same time. Most of all thank you for all of your presence, your glory, your goodness, and your love. You are everything to me.

Psalm 25: 8-10

Good and upright is the LORD;
therefore he instructs sinners in his ways.

He guides the humble in what is right
and teaches them his way.

All the ways of the LORD are loving and faithful
for those who keep the demands of his covenant.