Embrace Yourself Today

Driving into my small, gated community, I noticed a HUGE sign. There were two things I could read, the date and the time. I had no clue what it was for, but natural curiosity lead me to ask a lot of questions until I found it was for a Hanukkah celebration in our neighborhood, also known as the Festival of Lights.I decided I would go to the celebration...I'm in Israel so I knew there would be coffee and dessert at some point, if for nothing else, it is a must to go for coffee and dessert! Let me begin my explaining what Hanukkah is and what it is not: IT IS NOT CHRISTMAS though many treat it that way because if falls around Christmas time. The origin of the two holidays is very different. Hanukkah celebrates the triumph of faith and courage over military might. It is the classic underdog story. It is eight-day Jewish holiday commemorating the re-dedication of the Holy Temple (the second temple) in Jerusalem at the time of the Maccabean Revolt of the 2nd century BCE. ...

The Shepherd Living here in Israel brings the Bible to life in every aspect. For us Christians, it is impossible to come here and not imagine what the "Bible days" must have been like. Personally, I know that I have played imaginary scenes in my head dozens of times...Often when I hike the trails here in northern Israel I find myself thinking of David in his shepherd days as I often see goats, sheep and cows roaming the land freely. Just last week I stumbled upon a trail I had never known before. Those of you who know me best, know I love taking the small trails that look like they lead to nothing...Josh on the other hand is not comfortable with those types of trails...that is why I usually discover them when I am walking alone ;) So one day while walking I noticed a piece of the fence pulled back and it looked as though someone had pushed back the bushes a bit....so I went a head and squeezed through (which is hard to do these days). I found PURE beauty. I somehow have misse...

So we are on our newest adventure which is finding the perfect place to bring Rosie into the world. Now I have been asking God to just tell me where I need to go...I know He already knows the time and the place, he has known since before time began according to Psalm 139. We visited 2 hospitals, I am in love with one, and on Thursday we will be visiting a birthing center. I was going to visit one more hospital but I am very satisfied with one in Haifa if the birthing center doesn't work out. Unfortunately, we are still waiting on the proper paperwork from Josh's team to process insurance paperwork. What this means is that we have been paying out of pocket for all pregnancy appointments and will have to pay for her birth out of pocket as well if this is not taken care of. I had a little break down the other day about it and just cried...Josh told the management so they talked to me today about it, I guess we will see where we get this week with it all. Had we won tonight it woul...

I wish that I had people to show me and tell me how to live life effectively and to the fullest while living overseas. There is no guide to help you learn how to take life by the reigns in a foreign land. Truth be told, living overseas or in a foreign land is challenging. There is no 'right way' to do it, but there are a lot of 'wrong ways' to do it. Something I have never been comfortable with is change, adjusting and inconsistency. I grew up with a very predictable life. There were no real worries. I went to the same school, lived in the same town, had the same friends, played the same sports with the same people, had the same teachers as my siblings...I knew just what to expect. Life was easy, it came naturally. Fast forward years later, post college and grad school, enter married life with a baby on the way moving from country to country. How do you manage change, lack of consistency, uncertainty and life in a foreign place? I am still looking for that answer, but a...