The Cup is Half-Full

MOVED!!!

2009-08-05T13:01:00.000-07:00

to here.

Stacyjo

The first FULL Holy Land day....

2008-12-10T10:05:00.000-08:00

Just to let you know, I am for some reason unable to attach pictures . . . I don't know if it's the connection or the computer. So, I will keep trying and when I am able to, I will come back and 'edit' these posts by adding the pictures.

Ok - our first full day began with a walk on the beach of the Eastern Mediterranean Sea at sunrise. We then re-loaded all of our luggage and got on the bus and headed to Caesarea. These are ruins from Crusader times, but what was from crusader times was built on top of a city built by King Herod in the 1st century bc. Peter stayed here with Cornelius, a Roman Centurion, and converted he and his family - the first Gentile converts. Paul was also imprisoned here and then sent from here to Rome as a Roman prisoner. (Acts 10:1-48; Acts 23;23 - 26:32; Acts 27:1-2)

From Caesarea, we went up to Mt. Carmel. It was amazing here, we could see Nazareth, Megiddo, the whole of the Valley of Jezreal, and on the other side, the Mediterranean. This is where the prophet Elijah has a contest with the prophets of Baal to prove who is God in Israel - it is a very entertaining passage. (I Kings 18:1-40)

After Mt. Carmel, we went on to Nazareth. We saw the Church of the Annunciation, a traditional site where Mary was visited by Gabriel and told she would be the mother of the Messiah... It was a very beautiful church. Next door was a St. Joseph something or other church, where they believe they had found Joseph's workshop and built a church over it. The big thing is - Jesus grew up here. This was where his childhood was spent that we know so little about - not much other than "...Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men." Luke 2:52 Our final visit in Nazareth was to the synagog where Jesus - after being baptised and spending the 40 days in the wilderness -returned to Nazareth and read the Isaiah passage, and said "Today, this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing." This was very cool - I know the actual building we were in was not the actual synagog; but had been recreated by one church or another, but it remained very simple and seemed realistic. Our pastor sat on the raised 'stage' upfront and explained how Jesus would have stood to read and then sat down to teach. . . (Luke 1:26-38; Luke 4:14-30; among others in Mathew and Mark)

After Nazareth, we drove to the Sea of Galilee, where we checked in to the Ein Gev, a very nice little resort on the East Shore of the Lake. I always think of the verse in Luke chapter 8 when Jesus says to his disciples "Let's go over to the other side of the lake." This is when Jesus calmed the storm and then met Legion on the other side - the man posessed by many demons - and Jesus drove the demons out of the man and into the herd of pigs and they rushed down the steep slope and were drowned.

I will continue with the rest of the trip soon, My internet connection is about up and we have our last full day tomorrow. As I said, I will edit the posts with pictures when I get a different connection and/or computer.

Love to all - can't wait to get home with Gage (the dogs too!)

Stacyjo

Hi From The HOLY LAND - General info and Day 1

2008-12-08T10:58:00.000-08:00

Well, I know it has been since August that I have posted, but I finally realized this would be a great way to not only share our trip, but to document it as well. It is now about 9 pm on December 8 (monday) in Jerusalem - I think it is about our 6th day here. It should be about 11 am on the 8th at home. I will start with the evening we arrived and continue on from there as I have time and access to an internet connection. We left Spokane very early on December 2 - Tuesday last week. After 2 plus hours to Denver; 2 plus hours to Chicago; 8 plus hours to Frankfurt, and another almost 4 hours, we arrived in Tel Aviv on the evening of the 3rd. Before checking into our hotel, the Metropolitan, in Tel Aviv, we went directly into Jaffa, the 'Old City' of Tel Aviv. This is the port through which logs came from Tyre and Sidon to build King Solomon's Temple and the 2nd Temple during Cyrus the great of Persia's reign - Solomon's rule was during 957 BC!!

Ok

wow

that's nearly 3ooo years people!! This is also the port from which Jonah fled and was swallowed by the 'great fish'. New Testament Times; this was where Peter healed Tabitha and stayed at Simon the Tanner's house and also had his vision on the roof - with the white sheet and the animals - you know, "Get up, Peter. Kill and eat" no more food restrictions. I don't have many pictures here, it was dark. But I do have a shot of Simon the Tanner's house:

OK - so very frustrating

Uploading pictures right now is a tremendous problem; so I will load the pictures I have of Jaffa later. Let me finish with a little perspective. The US is, what, about 240 years old? In less than 2 hours in Israel, we visited ONE site and connected incidents from 3000 years ago through about 1600 years ago.

Bible references for today's post: if you have interest and time :)
2 Chronicles 2:15-16
Ezra 3:7
Jonah 1:3
Acts 9:34-36
Acts 10:1-23

Blessings to you all from the Holy Land - we love you and are excited for the remainder of our trip, but also anxious to get home to everyone

Happy Birthday Friend Lynn!!

2008-08-06T07:18:00.000-07:00

Ok, ok. . . a little late on posting, I know - your birthday was Monday. At least I got your gift and card to you on time. . .

Lynn loved the Bella images I have been using (stampingbella.com) and was thinking outloud one day that she would love to have some that she could frame. . . so I made her a little giftcard set in colors that she loves. A little later today I will post images of all the cards and how I learned "mass production" from a fabulous little gal's blog I found. Her name is Michelle Wooderson and she ROCKS!!

Have a great Morning - check back later for the deets!

Oh - I suppose I should let you know . . . 'celebrate!' card was made with Cricut cut flowers and CTMH paper and ribbon. I believe the card base was Bazzill. I will give more info on the Bella card set when I post later.

Commissioned!!

2008-07-31T05:52:00.000-07:00

That's right!! My first 'card for hire'!

Lynn wanted something for a friend of hers retiring on Friday. . . which one do you think she'll pick??

The little gal on the left didn't have the right towel on her head when I took the pic; she now is a twin to the gal on the right. Also, the stickles smeared the ink. I know it was dry, because I stamped the image 3 days before. I did another card with glue and glitter and it turned out ok. . . maybe the stickles just reacts with the ink I used. I am going to redo the images with glue and glitter, but I was too excited to wait to post!

Anyway - maybe back later with more. . .

Stacy

I WILL NOT FALL!!

2008-07-28T09:22:00.000-07:00

I won't give in. I won't give in.

won't

give

in. . . . .

to those nasty little yummy frosted fruity sweet tasty Pop Tarts!!

Ok, I know - wierd, but I have so been craving them lately. But, I need to dump some weight, so I am not giving in. Not during this minute - not today either - LOL.

So, this weekend. . . Saturday was very uneventful. Cleaned a little. Did laundry a little. Napped a little :)

Yesterday we went to Yakima to pick up Jeremy's mom . . . Got to have lunch with Jesica and the kids and shop at the Craft Warehouse - WOOHOO. . .

That's about it for now. I have made more cards. And I must say cuter than the ones I previously posted. New stamps :) But Baxter got ahold of a couple of them. I need to inspect the damage and post those. I will get to it soon. Tomorrow is Silverwood - YAY - Lazy River and a floatie, here I come!!

Stace

Just had a FABULOUS thought. . .

2008-07-22T08:19:00.001-07:00

I don't have to stop to make dinner tonight!! Jeremy works late, not that I necessarily like it when he works late, and I can come home from work, let the buppers out, clean and pick up maybe a little, and PLAY!! WOOHOO, that means I can finish setting this thing up, and update it and figure it out; and I can stamp and scrap and whatever !!! So exciting to not have to let something silly like needing to eat read: make dinner for the fam interrupt me!!

2008-07-17T19:47:00.000-07:00

I think I might like this bloggin thing!! Playing a bit tonight. . . hope to do more after posting; I just had to try it out!

This adorable little guy is from C.C. Designs. I ordered him from allthatscraps.com

First card:

CTMH cardstock in Crystal Blue, Sunny Yellow and white for the base. I used the cuttlebug to emboss, some chalks for the sky and colored him in with Copics. Oh, and a couple of brads and some glitter on the 'waves'. just have to grin looking at him :)

Second Card: DCWV textured cardstock for the base, Chatterbox patterned paper, American Crafts ribbon and again, colored the little cutie with copics

Still grinning :) Int' he cute??

OK - back to playing hopefully - like I said, just wanted to give posting my artwork a try!!

'night

Last Night's Excellent Adventure

2008-07-16T06:53:00.000-07:00

OK, here it is. . . I'm gettin blog-gy wit' it. . . Doin' the blog thang. . . Gittin' down wit my blog self.

ooh, here's one: Watup blog? oooh or Yeeaaah blog!! (BLOG as in - DAWG !!))

Ok, ok. . . I know - enough already and on with last night's excellent adventures.

Well, it all started with an email. . .

Our dear Robbi sent me a link to a Craig's List post for a cabin at Priest Lake for sale by owner for $275,000!!! Ok, but unbelievable!! I am pretty sure that none of us has ever really thought of this as a reality. . . but here it is $275,000 and we can do this! So, after about an hour's worth of phone calls and questions, Jeremy and I drove up there last night (let's all throw up a quick shout of praise for a safe trip. . . there were no large animal encounters - either in the car or at the property -- Praise the Lord!) and looked at the little cabin near Indian Creek Campground. . .

Slide show will now commence. . .

oh, sorry, I don't know how to do a slide show yet - ok, here are the pics:

Here is a shot outside the cabin - this was after everything else, I wanted to make sure I got good shots of the beach and the slope, so it was near dark when I got pics of the cabin. . .

A few shots inside

The slope down

Here's one of Jeremy coming down - might give a better idea

This is the beach, I think the whole thing. When we talked to Eric today, he said the outcropping in the distance was one side of the property. . .

this is a nice little flat area right above the beach - has a fire pit; would be a nice little grassy area

Oh Steph - here is your luxury master bath shower!! :)

It's on the back OUTSIDE wall of the cabin!

mmmm, view from the deck; actually, I think the deck is bigger than the inside of the cabin!

And this my FF (that's fantastic family, in case you didn't know)

is what makes it all worth it. . . .

I'll leave you all with that thought for now. . .

Love ya!