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Pilgrimage or Tour?

When I head to Israel/Palestine/Jordan (via Turkey) tonight, I’ll be surrounded by my travel mates from Saint Mark’s Episcopal Cathedral in Seattle.

Recently, when I was asked if I’m a missionary, I was stunned. That word usually has an ambitious and judgmental tone to me. The short answer is no.

I am a pilgrim. While I am curious about the place to which I travel, homeland to three of the world’s largest religions, I seek more understanding about what is internal rather than external. In the next 14 days as I post this travelogue, I bet I’ll use the word “tour” for the sake of variety. Also, the 30 of us will be led and shepherded by guides. Thank God!

For your convenience, I plan to post links to Facebook daily. Even to Instagram, if I can get advice from the more e-facile amongst us.

Know this:

I am “positively drenched in enthusiasm,
I don’t know why. And yet, why not.
I wouldn’t persuade you from whatever you believe or whatever you don’t. That’s your business.” *

I hope you travel with us. Let’s see what happens.

*From Mary Oliver’s Poetry for Spring

From Piling to Packing

Tomorrow I head to the Holy Land so today is the day the piles get whittled down and contained. ¡Ojala! It helps that Philippians 4:13 was read aloud during the service this morning.

Israel, Palestine, Jordan. I’ll even add Turkey to my life list because we change planes in Istanbul on Saturday afternoon.

Tomorrow is the day my blog posts will start serving as my travelogue. I will repost on Facebook for the two week duration of our pilgrimage. I am looking forward to that.

Heart Healing

I had two heart healing experiences yesterday:

1. My friend, who is a medical doctor, called from New Zealand. Her understanding of elevated blood pressure—as we age and what we can do about it—had such a calming effect on me.

2. We learned our friends had donated to the cathedral in our honor because our 40th anniversary is coming up on Easter Sunday—April 9, 2023.

Who knows if healing will show up on my blood pressure cuff today or not. Peace and quiet in my mind is better anyway. Plus all these subtle wiggles of joy as I breathe and write again today.

Why do I scare myself like that, knowing basically All Is Well?

Post Script

I have many Jewels in my life. A Grand Happy Birthday to one of them❣️

My Diamonds

I got to play with each of my kids this weekend. They are loving, creative professionals—a musician and a host. Fun to be with and very generous.

After nearly 40 years of marriage, they are my finest gems.

Thanks be.