May 6. Words cannot begin to express what we experienced in Hebron; with the aid of a guide from Christian Peacemakers Team (CPT), we walked through the Old City, experiencing vibrant markets, overshadowed by settlements on either side. The market streets are covered with a cage-like structure to prevent the debris sometimes showered from above from hitting the people below. We passed through two consecutive checkpoints to enter the mosque which houses the traditional grave sites of Abraham, Isaac, and Rebekah. Then, we continued on to market streets that have been closed off from Palestinians, with many of the buildings’... Continue reading

May 6. On Wednesday (May 5), Emily turned 27. That was also the day we arrived in Bethlehem, Palestine, where she was treated to a surprise birthday celebration after dinner. Happy birthday, Emily! Re-post from http://www.bethlehem-church.org Continue reading

May 5. Wednesday was another really full day. We spent the first half of the day in Jerusalem learning about the current situation in Israel and Palestine. At the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, we met Abir, a woman from Gaza who works for the UN. She hadn't been out of Gaza in 3 years because the Israeli-controlled checkpoints are nearly impossible for Gaza residents to cross. They also showed us a PowerPoint presentation discussing the humanitarian issues created by road and checkpoint closures and the wall that's being built to separate Israel from the West Bank.... Continue reading

May 4. Today was a full day. We got a look at the Old Testament by traveling into the Negev desert to discover places like these: Tel Be'er Sheva (which appears in many Genesis texts--from Abraham to Jacob--and was the southern border of the Kingdom of Judah) Tel Arad (which includes the only Judean temple that's been uncovered with the Holy of Holies intact) Dead Sea (which gets its name because its 33% salt and nothing can live in it--compared to oceans which contain 2-4% salt; we also got to float in it!) Masada (which was Herod's fortress and was... Continue reading

May 3. As Ann, Katy, and Pastor Beth offset jetlag from their big day of travel, the other five of us (Betsy, Emily, Jenna, Bethany, and Matt) have already adjusted to the time change after arriving in Amman, Jordan two days ago. First, we traveled to Mt. Nebo and visited the site where Moses saw the Promised Land but couldn’t enter. Then we journeyed down to Petra and walked the Siq and beyond, in awe of the ancient ruins that were carved into the stone. We even climbed up 800 steps to the Monastery near the peak of one hill... Continue reading

April 26. Bethlehem Young Adults are getting exciting about their upcoming trip to Israel and the Palestinian Territories. Yesterday, April 25, our group of 8 individuals who are going (Bethany, Betsy, Ann, Katy, Emily, Jenna, Matt, and Pastor Beth) was commissioned during the morning worship services for the work that they will be doing while overseas. The group will be traveling to Israel/Palestine from May 2-14. We will be meet with young adults from the town of Bethlehem, specifically those doing ministry at Christmas Lutheran Church and students from Dar al-Kalima College, a ministry of the church. We will be... Continue reading

February 22. Catch-up on publishing some blog posts...and a little frustration because I saved a bunch of posts as drafts, and now they appear out of order. I also need to go back through and add the daily images because I've gotten behind on uploading from my camera to my laptop. I'm definitely looking forward to two weeks from now. Between now and March 6, I'm teaching FLOW, continuing my Lenten practices group, editing like a mad-woman for the new confirmation resource we're developing at sparkhouse, studying for my ACE Group Fitness certification exam, and participating in the JoPa First... Continue reading

February 21. Lots of little stuff today... Meeting at church about our Israel/Palestine trip (whoa--only a couple months away!) Running errands/grocery shopping with Brent Going to small group at Chris and Kati's Studying for the ACE Group Fitness exam in less than two weeks Checking off a few household chores (dishes, food prep, baking) Watching the last few minutes of the USA/Canada Olympic hockey game (woo-hoo!) Catching up on Facebook, Twitter, and blog Here we go, Monday. Continue reading

February 20. The Bethlehem youth participated in the 30 Hour Famine this weekend. Starting after lunch on Friday, they didn't eat anything for 30 hours. Along with the usual youth group games, the kids also spend a lot of time serving and learning about hunger, both local and global. So today I worked with the kids to sort food and stock the food shelf at CES, which gives out 50,000+ pounds of food each month in addition to many other amazing services for the local community. I definitely want to volunteer there again. Then we took the group to Feed... Continue reading

February 19. Brent and two other buddies had a hockey game tonight, so I pulled together a quick triple-date. We went to Chatterbox Pub for dinner and a little Apples to Apples action before their game in Highland Park. And the best set of cards for the evening: Unhealthy: Exorcism, Spontaneous Combustion, Celine Dion, Detroit, and My Love Life*. Continue reading

February 18. This is what productivity looks like. + read a chapter from Celebration of Discipline to explore my Lent spiritual practices further + wash, fold, and put away 3 loads of laundry (with Brent's help!) + change bed sheets and bathroom linens + reorganize towels in linen closet and kitchen drawer + corral out-of-control mail and set up a way to manage the in-flow + clean off dining room table + cook dinner* (which included trying out a new recipe for baked "fried" chicken) + wash dishes * unintentionally completed bonus task: test smoke detectors on main floor Continue reading

February 17. Ashes to ashes, dust to dust. Grateful to intentionally journey through Lent with 4 other people from church. Prayer, fasting, and giving. Re-orienting myself in this season of preparation as we move toward Holy Week. Continue reading

February 16. I don't think I'll be able to settle for generic grocery-story brand hummus* again after making my own tonight. Who knew chickpeas, tahini, lemon, garlic, olive oil, and a little salt could combine to create something so delicious? * Exception: Holy Land hummus. Delicious! Continue reading

February 15. Walked from my car into the building at work. Remnants of fallen icicles beneath my feet. Row of icy stalactites dripping from the roof's overhang. Visualizing them crashing to the ground. Just call me Indiana Minnesota Jones. Continue reading

February 14. Valentine's Day. Brent: Hey, Bethany, can you help me with the groceries? Found him standing in the doorway with flowers and M&M cookies. He's still got it. Continue reading

February 13. I think I'm finally finding my groove as a BODYFLOW instructor. A week after the big launch, I taught a medium-sized class. Even with clients who were new to the release, I still felt like I had control of the room and was able to lead a positive class. Now, I just need to keep learning more names... Continue reading

February 12. Lara and I talked and walked laps around the mall tonight. Several hours and close to 4 miles. I do laugh every now and then when I'm talking to friends who live further away. The mall--the one I consider my mall--is actually Mall of America. Am I losing my "country girl" cred? Continue reading