Easter

Easter is approaching rather quickly this year as I realize its quite early. April 4th this year I'm feeling its rather rushed with everything else that's been going on in our lives. I reminds me of last year super busy as we arrived home from the Holy Land just prior to the holiday.

Easter means a great deal more to me know that I've been to the Holy Land, Christmas as well but I've been revisiting my scrapbook trying to get it finished really and it has got me remembering some amazing moments and feelings from the journey that we had. I can't believe it's been a year already.

Seeing as I never posted pictures on my blog from that trip and the season of remembering is once again upon us I thought I'd share a few of my favorite moments and why. ( Also including our stops in Egypt and Jordan, it's hard to pick just a few but I will try!).

All though you can't see exactly the whole picture this is me sitting on one of the great Giza Pyramids. This was an amazing feeling being in the land of Bible times, The Israelite's built these, the stones are massive and never did I think we would be able to get as close as to actually climb part of them. Wow!This is a warn spot at the Supposed place of the Red Sea Parting. This was really neat stop to just walk in the water and think of what happened here(or near here).

This was a 2am wake up as we took camels up the majority of Mount Sinai then climbed the rest of the steps to wait for the sun to rise. It was beautiful, cold, but breathtaking. A quite ride up in the starry sky with nothing but me, a camel, and God!

Wadi Rum the Seven pillars. What an incredible red sand dessert. We climbed a sand dune and sat in the back of open jeeps for a fun ride. We also had tea in a Bedouin camp(the locals) which was an awesome culture experience. Petra! The architecture was like nothing you have ever seen. A whole hidden city, we spent the day there and still didn't see everything.

The Sea of Galilee. The area where Jesus lived and taught. We took a boat ride and had a service on the sea, a very special moment as we took in where we where and what happen in the area and out at sea.

This is at the Mount of Olives 2000 year old Olive trees! An actual garden of trees where Jesus would have come to pray. Just a little further down the road we stopped to see the view of the city. Welcome to Jerusalem! The city streets, the ruins, the real wall, the Via dela Rosa, and the history of this place is remarkable. Being a Canadian there is truly very little history in this land but to be in Israel its all around you, you can't help but feel as if you've gone a bit back in time.

Other big stops for me included Jericho and some of it's newly found ruins, and the Sicamore tree which reminds me of the kids song about Zacheus. Seeing the Dead Sea scrolls original hidding place, The amazement of Masada, and of course floating in the Dead Sea! I loved floating this was an incredible experience and a chance to fulfill a dream, seriously you really do float:0)

Certainly not the last(but so as to not bore you further the last for know) but one of the biggest moments for me was being at the Garden tomb. A time of reflection as the trip came to a close, taking communion and focusing on the fact that the tomb is empty he has risen and we live because of him! Being there in a place that could have been the very site fills you with emotion that is unspeakable but will touch you for the rest of time.

A great trip and one to remember as we head in to the Easter Season. What seems like the same old days ahead, with our busy life schedules may we find time to sit back and reflect on Our Creator and what He did for us!