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Ash Wednesday: keeping in step with the seasons of the Holy Spirit.

Four years later: man’s inhumanity to man still atrociously and viciously apparent, locally and worldwide; Ukraine’s deadly invasion by Russia dominating the world news. Although i did not take time out to attend an Ash Wednesday service, today and in the 40 days of this Lenten season, I will take time for self- examination, repentance ( as the line between good and evil runs through EVERY HUMAN HEART) and will remind myself to be thankful daily for a loving Redeemer God whose mercies are new every morning and who remains faithful even when we are faithless, because of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection. I need this yearly reminder!!!

JenniEliz

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“‘And yet even now,’ says the Lord, ‘return to me with all your heart . . .’”
– Joel 2:12

The morning was grey and dark….”as usual”, I said to myself. The almost daily greyness matched my low feelings which had settled in to stay, it seemed, over the past several weeks, or was it already months….?

I took the dog out, and at Dude Chilling Park he enjoyed playing “catch me if you can” with a couple of dogs and a tattered but strong stick.

I had texts and a phone call with a struggling student. I’m slowly getting used to being on call basically 24/7 for campus ministry. Including my own three sons, this year I have many many “kids” 🙂

A bit later, i headed for downtown in the car to meet Gary for lunch…it was also Valentine’s Day, and he was excited to walk together from The…

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Friday afternoon in Beer Sheva

In our white Nissan Micra, jet- lagged Gary drove us safely on the new highway 6, from Ben Gurion airport south into the Negev Desert.

In 1 1/2 hours, we arrived at our air B&B in a lovely peaceful neighbourhood of Beer Sheva. We were very hungry, and our hostess, Inna, walked us down the road and pointed us toward the Old City, across the Beer Sheva river, where she hoped there may be some restaurants open. It was already close to 3 pm and Shabbat was quickly approaching. We walked on a pretty path above the wide river bed ( which had a very small river in it this time of year!), across a bridge and in to the Old City.

Most shops were already closed, or were closing; we bought some delicious cherries and apricots from a fruit stand as they were packing up, and when we asked around for food, a kind man in a coffee shop asked if we ate couscous…..sure, we said!….he walked us over to a small bar which served drinks and Moroccan couscous which was delicious 🙂

On return to the house, our kind hosts, Pavel and Inna, took us to a grocery store and we bought bread, cheeses, tuna and veggies to eat for the evening and next day.

We ate in the cooler evening air on their back patio, and enjoyed chatting with them and their daughter Yael, studying hard for a Mathematics exam.  Their son had just begun his army service and was not home. We  were also introduced to Louis, their white cat!

Gary did valiantly….and managed to keep moving and awake until about 9:30; then slept for 12 hours!!!

Yesterday, biked to Ein Gev, 28 km round trip. Pleasant and safe bike path on east coast of Kinneret. Hills of haGalil to west; Golan Heights to east. Once at 80 year old Kibbutz Ein Gev, had a St. Peter’s fish n potatoes takeout, thankfully avoiding hundreds of tourists in dining room…yikes!! Highlights: a long solitary, peaceful bike-ride with stunning views and 3 dips in Sea of Galilee….balm to body, mind and spirit, and dream come true :) And thank you for your prayers and well wishes for my safety travelling alone….

Sunset on Kinneret from Ma’agan

Can you spot the heron?
Dinner with Bikey

Feels so normal being on two wheels here, though it’s my first time biking in Israel….sidewalks wide and safe for riding in this area, and kibbutz roads quiet.

Having the bike in my room with me at night now, I’m recalling my various student “digs” over the years, and my struggles lugging my Bikey awkwardly up and down steps and through doors. ( in fact, in our present Marpole apartment, I’m still lugging my bike up the front steps, and then down steps to our first floor laundry room where it sits in a corner, it’s wheels locked together….some things don’t change 🙂

Always felt good and comforting though, and does even today, to have the bike safe close by me. Hmm, I might get Gary to bring mine up into our apartment while we’re away this month…then I won’t worry.

A bike has been a part of my life since age 6….and became my main transport, day or night, all through my mid- teens to mid- twenties in Vancouver. A significant and important bond!

I feel free to move when on a bike, love the panorama view from the handlebars and still love going fast! Remember the movie Breaking Away??

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