Standing in His Presence on Holy Ground

This morning I woke up the song "Holy Ground" running through my head. I sang it in the shower. Yes, it is true, I sing in the shower. Good acoustics. Anyway, this song was what greeted me as a started my morning. I thank it was a gift from God and a promise about my day.

I started the day out in the same way as yesterday. After wishing the kids and Nicole good night, (Tucker, my oldest, thinks it is weird that I am getting up as he goes to sleep) I went down to the sea of Galilee to watch the sunrise. Today, my friends Richard and Connie went with me. It was a beautiful sunrise and for the second day in a row I had trouble with the camera taking pictures that early. I did get some shots but I think Connie got the good ones on her camera. Our tour today was all about walking in the places where Jesus walked. It is amazing, the sense that I have of Jesus presence around the sea of Galilee. This area is where Jesus spent much of his ministry.

We went to the Jordan River and a couple of people from our group remembered their baptisms by being immersed in the river. I chose to allow the water to run through my fingers and i drew a cross on my forehead with my wet hand to remember my baptism and be thankful. I filled a bottle with water so that I can mix it in with our baptismal water at home. Maybe a bit for Brown's lake?

The next thing that we did was get on a boat and sail across the sea of Galilee. We had worship in the middle of the lake and we were challenged to keep stepping out toward Jesus all the days of our lives. Thanks Richard. This was a beautiful, Spirit filled time of worship.

We then visited Bethsaida & Capernaum. Capernaum is the city where Jesus lived with Peter and his family. It is where the house is that four friends brought their paralyzed buddy and lowered him down through a hole in the roof so that they could get him to the feet of Jesus. This city also has a synagogue that Jesus taught in. We also saw the place that Jesus fed the 5,ooo and where he reinstated Peter after the resurrection. We ended our day atop the Mount of Beatitudes. This is the place that Jesus gave the Sermon on the Mount.

It was a day spent standing in his presence on holy ground.

When we were on the sea shore at the place where Jesus reinstates Peter there were several different tour groups there at the same time. It was incredible. There were groups of people from, I believe, Nigeria, Korea, the USA, Belarus, and probably other parts of the world. All there walking in the footsteps of Jesus. A beautiful thing happened in this diversity on this holy ground. I was getting my picture taken by the rock that they believe Jesus was standing on when he waved to the disciples on the water. A man from a different tour group came to me and asked me if I would take a picture with him. I had never met him before. I may never see him again. But he came to me and ask me, not to take a picture of him and his friend, but to be the friend with him in the picture. He threw his arm around me and we got our picture taken.

The body of Christ. It is a beautiful thing.

Love today.

In Christ's love and mine,

Doug