They Turned the World Upside Down

AHHHHH!!!!

So, last Saturday was my birthday and I just found out that Charles Martin has a sequel to What If It's True? coming out! HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME! It's called:

 They Turned the World Upside Down: A storyteller's journey with those who dared to follow Jesus

3 guesses as to who this is about (*ahem* Early Church *ahem*)!

I'm SO EXCITED! And wondering how I'll be able to wait an entire year to get my hands on this book, because its release date is January 5, 2021. (Yes, I've already purchased it; no I do not need to calm down!).

So, go check it out and even pre-order it... you can bet we'll have a series on it next year! WHY IS IT SO FAR AWAY?!? This is almost as hard as waiting for my Israel trip... which is a little over 2 months away! AHH!!! I'm so excited!!!

Behold Israel: The state of modern day Israel

So, in the last post, I talked about a ministry I recently discovered called Behold Israel.

He's been fascinating to listen to, because in addition to his deep knowledge of the Bible, he has an invaluable perspective as a Messianic Jew.

In addition to learning more about God and deeper cultural/Eastern meanings, I've also learned a lot about Israel along the way, just by listening to Amir.

Here are a few of the things I've learned:

Since Israel's independence on May 14, 1948 (just 72 years!), Israel has:

• seen an never-before-witnessed return to Israel by Jews from around the world
• the 8th largest economy in the world
• is top in the world for defense (the IDF) and security (cyber-security)
• a top manufacturer of arms (and diamonds!)
• seen not only a return of its people but also a return of the land as even the desert is blooming
• more varieties of fruits and vegetables than any other country in the world
• the world's most productive cows
• invented the drip irrigation technique, and between this and other incredible inventions, is literally able to harvest water from the air
• discovered the Leviathan oil field (2010 and began exporting it in 2019; now they have enough oil to last for 40 years—and are exporting it to Europe, making it the largest energy project in the nation's history.

Wow! Did you know all of this? What in this list was a surprise to you?

That's it for now for my posts on Behold Israel, but I know I'll come back to discuss more... there's some amazing teachings on things like Jewish holidays, the menorah, and so much more that I can't wait to share!

Behold Israel

So, recently I discovered this amazing ministry called Behold Israel. Have you ever heard of it?

When a friend told me about Amir Tsarfarti and his ministry, I was in a season where I had some free time on my hands. So I took the time to listen to many of his teachings on youtube. Soon, I'd signed up for his newsletters and social media. The things I've learned from him are incredible! 

What I love about Amir's teachings is how he really knows the Bible and teaches from it—and his perspective as a Messianic Jew is invaluable. I love it when I hear a Bible teacher who encourages me not to take his word for it, but to go to the Word of God. Any teacher whose teachings make me want to study the Bible is worth listening to, in my book!

I'll talk some more about things I've learned from Amir Tsarfarti in future posts; this week I just wanted to introduce him and his ministry because of how cool it is. If you have a few moments, definitely check out his videos!

BIG NEWS!!!

Hi, Everyone! I'm starting the year off with AMAZING NEWS!!!!

I'm going back to Israel! I'll be there March 31-April 13, 2020, and to say that I'm excited is a HUGE understatement. I CAN'T WAIT!!!

And it's so fun, because not only will I arrive 3 years to the day that I left Israel in 2017, but this time I'll be able to spend Passover in Jerusalem! Y'all know exactly where I'll be on Easter Sunday!

And... since the Saturday of Passover weekend is the Sabbath, and all the big sites will be closed... I'm going to take a day trip to Jordan to explore Petra! AHHH!!! That's something I didn't get to do last time and I am SOOOOOOOOO EXCITED!