Category Archives: Memories

The Carpenter and Olive Wood

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Aside from the faith-based reasons I am closely committed to Jesus, I have one totally human connection to him – wood.

Jesus was a carpenter as was his father. My husband, father, and grandfather all worked with wood. My grandfather made a living as a carpenter. For my father and husband, woodworking was a profitable hobby.

On one of our trips to Israel, after a lot of haggling, my husband purchased a small piece of olive wood, too small for the carver we met to use.

After returning home, we gave the wood to a good friend who works on the lathe. He turned this little cup for me. I love the grain pattern.

The cup, with wood from the earthly home of my Savior, was created by a dear friend, and connected to my family.

It brings back loving memories every time I look at it.

This olive wood cup turned by Don Edwards is a constant reminder of how I am surrounded by love.

Behind the Scenes

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Last year, 2021, celebrated 75 years since the three bedouin cousins who were searching for a missing goat discovered ancient scrolls in a cave. These are known as the Dead Sea Scrolls.

I looked up and used my camera to get a picture of the entrance to one of the caves where scrolls have been found over the years. Visitors are not allowed close to the caves. The windblown paths are too delicate to allow tourist traffic.

These scrolls are famous and well known, but this cave and the mountain look down on something I found to be more interesting — the settlement of Qumran.

A Jewish sect called Essenes lived in Qumran. These men are believed to have copied the scrolls written prior to 68 A.D.

They lived a simple life of work and worship. They refused to participate in the politics and the religious ceremonies corrupted by the culture in Jerusalem. It is hard to see in my pictures, but the steps leading to the cleansing and purification baths are polished by men descending and ascending.

In the late 60’s A.D., Israel was in a revolt against their Roman conquerors. The Essenes knew they would soon be killed and their homes destroyed by the Roman soldiers putting down the revolution. They placed the scrolls with the sacred writings of their faith, the Tanakh, what we call the Old Testament in jars to be preserved in the dry desert air. They worked on this until the very end.

As I sat on a bench overlooking some of the excavation, I visualized these men laboring only for their God and their faith, not concerned about their lives.

How would it feel to live away from the political and religious division in my world today? Do I have the faith to be this faithful?

Entrance to one of the caves above Qumran where the jars of scrolls were found.
These steps lead down to baths where the men would purify themselves as part of their worship. Note the steps split at the top. Men would enter on one side to go down the stairs. Others coming up the stairs would exit on the other side. If someone coming up after purification touched one going down, they would have to begin the purification process again.
In the closer, smaller room, was a cell where the Essenes would sleep. The larger room toward the top of the picture was where the community would eat and work.

Changes in Appearance, but not the Message.

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As I’ve faced challenges over the last few weeks, I’ve spent a lot of time seeking the answer for the challenges in prayer.

As I look through pictures of my time in Israel, I remember when I took my pictures of the pool of Bethesda.

Jesus healed a man here according to John 5:15. A man who learned Jesus could heal him rather than wait for a man to help him get into the pool when it was stirred by an angel.

It still portrays a message to hope. It reminds me God is ready to show me the answer through the work of His Son.

I try to imagine what this looked like in the time of Jesus. I’m sure it was much different than today. Standing at the railing which prevents anyone from climbing down to the pool, I was reminded once more that what this looks like is not as important as the saving message of Jesus.

The pool of Bethesda doesn’t look much like a pool to me. It’s hard to imagine a multitude of people here. I’m rethinking the different definitions of “multitude.”
The water looks brown in this picture and very small. Scripture tells us there were five porches filled with people around the pool. Scientists tell us ground level is higher today than it was in Jesus’ time. But I still think it is a long way down there.

My Broken Heart

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In my post on November 12th, I showed you the Yad Vashem pin I purchased and I promised to write more about the holocaust this month. January 27th is International Holocaust Remembrance Day. This day has several names, all meaning the same thing. Yad Vashem is the Holocaust Museum in Jerusalem, Israel.

The Children’s Memorial is a small building on the Yad Vashem Campus.

Cut into the outside wall is a sculpture of an adult surrounded by several children. This man was a Christian teacher of several Jewish children. When the soldiers came to take the children he refused to let them go. He was told if he didn’t let them go, he would die. He went with the children and died with them in a concentration camp.

As I entered the building there were signs saying to keep hold of the railing, keep walking, and do not stop.

A few steps later I was in a dark room. There are no pictures in the room as shown in this picture,

There was a single candle in the middle of the room and, I think, hundreds of small mirrors. The mirrors reflected the one candle and they reflect the lights of other mirrors.

The reflected lights symbolize all the future generations who never lived due to the death of one child.

As I walked along the path through the memorial (about 60 feet), I hear the name, age, and hometown of one child killed in the Holocaust. There is an estimated 1.5 million children who died during WWII.

One of the people in my group did some calculations. It would take over seven years before the names would start being repeated.

Many, many of the people coming out of the memorial, including myself, are wiping tears from their eyes. I have tears now as I remember that memorial.

This is not one of my pictures. It is from the Yad Vashem museum. I chose this picture because it better shows the deep meanings of the Children’s memorial. Visitors are not allowed to take pictures inside the memorial and most of my own from outside the memorial did not come out well because I had trouble focusing my camera.

Checking off the boxes … or Not.

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One Saturday evening, while in Israel, our group was invited to attend the last meal of Shabbat at the home of a friend named Jeremy. He is an orthodox Jew who teaches the Torah.


We walked to his home in the Old City of Jerusalem. The entrance is in what looks like a wall on a street too small for a car. There are walls with doors on both sides.


I didn’t take my camera because orthodox Jews believe no work can be done on the Sabbath. Also, the Jewish individual cannot ask someone else to work. Taking a picture is considered work. So is turning on or off any switches is considered work.

With all of us in the small apartment, it was getting too warm.


Jeremy started talking about the new air conditioner he installed and how he put the switch close to where one of our leaders, Marty, was standing. It took a little time, but Marty finally figured out Jeremy wanted the air conditioner turned on. Since Marty was not an orthodox Jew and was not specifically asked, he turned it on.


Throughout the excellent meal, Jeremy taught us about the various meanings of different actions.


At the end of the meal, sweet herbs were passed around. Shabbat, a special time with God was coming to an end. The spices were to help us deal with the grief of ending our time with only God and going back to our duties in this world.


That day, and many days since, I think about how easy it can be to be busy, rushing through my time of worship and prayer. I can then check off the box marked prayer and worship to go on to all the other things on my To-Do list.


There is nothing as sweet and wonderful as my time with God. And I am sad when that To-Do list pulls me away.

Since I couldn’t take pictures that night, I later purchased this bag of sweet herbs. There is no specific list of herbs used to ward off the sadness of leaving time with God. Lavender is one ingredient included in most mixes. I keep this small bag of herbs on my desk to remind me to slow down and focus on my prayer and worship time.