wakeboarding with Jesus

Yesterday I was at Simon Peter's house in Capernaum. You may remember stories in the books of Luke and Matthew that reference some of Jesus' time spent there. Although once a thriving city, it's all in ruins now except for the new fences and plaques that keep tourists out. Over Peter's house is a beautiful chapel with a glass floor to look down on the house from above. The windows of the chapel look out over the Sea of Galilee only about 200 yards from the house. I paused for a few minutes there to pray and try to make sense of the scene below... Jesus had been in this place. He had healed here, taught here, eaten here, and blessed many in this very place. Wow... and then a wakeboard boat passed by. I love to wakeboard in the summer. And somehow it all connected - God's presence, his joy and delight that he takes in me, in this modern day today while standing over a house where He once stood 2000 years ago. Jesus is alive. He is still present with his people and takes delight in them. I love this about God - how He has always been present and takes great delight in His creation.

with love from Spain

as usual i feel this is a bit overdue. there is so much i'd like to write in here. how do i sum up my time in the islands of lake victoria in Uganda? how can i fully express the contrasts of morocco? how do i put into words all that's in my head and heart that needs to be sorted?
i'm in Spain now, typing from a beautiful home on a hill that overlooks the Mediterranean. the temptation is simply to watch the ocean and not think, not process, simply flatline my brain. but my coffee buzz is just right, so i'm writing to you, my general public. actually, whoever is reading this probably holds a special place in my heart so that means you're not 'general'.
the extremes of emotion after 3 months of intense travel have me feeling bi-polar. one moment i'm so grateful, thrilled, and feeling blessed for all i've beheld. the next i'm internally whining about wanting to settle down and stay put for a while. can i please have some constant relationships in my life? lately that's what i've found most difficult. i mean, i love the life track God has me on, but i find it most difficult to change my deepest friendships every few months. i mean, true friends always hang on through all my world exploration, but my heart longs to have more consistency.
on the other hand, i've met more amazing people can i can possibly describe this little blog space. how else would i have sat next to a teenage boy from a slum area of Johannesburg and found out about his dreams of business and housing ideas for people in his position? if i had not departed, i would not have met Pam, a Kenyan woman with 2 children suffering from AIDS. her husband passed away last year and now she struggles to physically get out of bed each day, let alone pay for her children to attend school and face her family that shuns her. if i had not left my home, i would have never met Sam who works to bring the good news of God's love and freedom to the Muslim world in Morocco. his cover is his business there and he prays for opportunities that these beautiful Berber people would know the fullness of God's salvation.
so once again, my heart is full. every time i feel i can't take any more in, God enlarges my vision and my capacity for more. i wish i could show you somehow through videos or photos or moving poems all i've seen and heard. i'm not sure exactly what inspiration it may bring, but i can tell you nothing is like seeing it firsthand yourself.
maybe you want to depart too. either you're planning it in your heart or you're going to leave for ____________ [insert location here] soon. but in past months you've have amazing 'ah, ha!' moments yourself. if you've read this far, then you may have time to type out one of your own below. i'd love to hear it. being this far from home and stability, it's soo good to hear what new things you've discovered.
sending blessings and love from Malaga....