9 Months Already?

My little bug was 9 months old yesterday! Where did the time go??? It's so hard to believe that we are quickly approaching the one year mark. He's crawling all over the place, pulling himself up to stand, saying "mama" and "dada" occasionally (though not when we want him to), understanding and obeying "No" and he finally got some teeth! I'm really surprised it took so long but kinda cute that he got his two front teeth for Christmas. ;) 

I love you, Bug! And I thank you for the laughter that you have added to my life!

After-Christmas Glow

We had a WON-DER-FUL holiday. It could only have been better if my little mister had not been sick. I so enjoy the cold weather, the decorating and baking, and the warm cozy feeling of bundling up under a blanket and watching the Christmas lights twinkle and glow. It's almost magical. I have always been mindful however, that there is a reason behind all of this fuss and that reason is Jesus. Having just returned from Israel a few weeks ago, this feeling was magnified a hundred fold for me this year.

Now don't get me wrong, the Mister and I did put up twinkle lights outside and wrap our columns with red garland turning them into giant candy-canes. We also put up a tree with tons of ornaments that I've collected over the years, and we hung stockings on the mantle. We even bought a few presents... the difference this year was a matter of the heart. Having visited the land where Jesus was born, reared, where He walked, taught, performed miracles, and where He gave His life for me and for you... I'm not sure I can put into words what that does to a person.

For some reason it seems this trip helped me come to a deeper realization of Jesus the man. It has been somewhat difficult for me in the past to grasp the God and man thing. I took it at face value and didn't question it; I just couldn't quite get that picture in my head. I can now.   

I'm not sure if it was visiting The Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem where it's believed that Jesus was born, or standing next to 'The Gates of Hell' in Caesarea Philippi where Peter acknowledged Jesus as the Son of the living God (Matthew 16:13-20), or visiting Skull Mountain and the Garden Tomb where it is believed Jesus was crucified, entombed, and where He rose again... but somewhere along the way Jesus the man was revealed to me in a much deeper sense. He isn't a character out of a novel or an exaggerated depiction of a good man. God and Man, Holy and Human; He is our connection and our hope. How else could we relate to a perfect God?  

I am still processing my trip and still discovering ways that I have grown or been changed by it. I'm sure I'll continue to do that for a long time. All I can say for sure right now is that I am extremely thankful for the opportunity to visit the Holy Land and I continue to be amazed by God's goodness, by His faithfulness, by His unending love for us. I am so extremely blessed... so intensely happy... so completely soaked in love... so eternally grateful... that I honestly feel like I'm glowing.

Israel - Simply AMAZING!

What a wonderful trip! I can hardly stand myself!! I certainly missed my little man but I was changed by this experience. God told me he wanted to do something in my heart and He did. I saw so much, learned so much, felt soooo much... and the best part about it all is that I returned home with a new hunger for His Word.

I'm sure you're eager to hear all the details so keep reading. : )

Day 1
The day started with a great view of Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives. Camel rides were available but we passed on that. We stood and looked out at the beautiful city, the Temple Mount just before us, the hill below lined with grave stones. We learned that according to Jewish tradition, the Messiah will appear here through the golden gate and bring the dead to life. For this reason, this is one of the holiest cemeteries with thousands of graves (estimates exceed 100,000) with all the graves oriented toward the Temple Mount. The earliest tombs are located at the foot of the mountain in the Kidron Valley. One tomb is attributed to the rebellious Absalom and another to Zechariah, the first temple priest.

View of Jerusalem and Temple Mount from Mount of Olives.

Note that stones are placed on graves in Israel not flowers. And yes, that is a cat. 

We then walked down the steep and narrow Palm Sunday Road occasionally hugging the wall as cars tried to get by and came to a stop at the Garden of Gethsemane which is connected to The Church of All Nations or the Basilica of the Agony. The church enshrines a section of stone within the garden which is believed to be the spot where Jesus prayed on the night of His arrest. Unfortunately, the only pictures that really turned out were of the statue of Anna and Mary. I took a new camera and probably should have taken my old one too. The church has some really beautiful mosaics that I would have liked to share with you.

We ended the day at the Western Wall. Women went to the right, men to the left side to pray. Ladies, our side is considerably smaller. You can see the fence that separates the men from the women in the photo below. I managed to scribble a prayer on a piece of paper and weave my way through the crowd and around the women who were backing away from the wall until I was finally able to reach above someone's head to touch the wall myself (so glad I'm tall).

There were so many prayers in every crack and crevice. That alone was pretty overwhelming and it reminded me of a vision I had in church several years ago. I was flying over different landscapes, canyons, green fields, mountains, the ocean -- I could hear the roar of the waters below me -- then there was silence and I was in space looking at the earth from a distance. I began to hear one cry after another, people from all over the world crying out to God for help. Everything sped up and the cries were coming so fast and there were so many that you couldn't make them out; it was just noise, deafening noise. I saw their faces flash before me, elderly women, young girls, broken men, one after another after another... and then there was silence again and one face was before me, the face of a young African boy maybe two years old. I watched as a tear ran down cheek. I could actually hear the tear roll and drop from his face. It was like for just a moment I felt the weight of the world, the pain, the need... and then for just a moment I felt the Lord's response to that. I felt His pain for us and then His love for us. Oh how He loves us! I felt that the Lord was telling me that He not only hears EVERY prayer, but He hears EVERY tear that we shed. It was one of the most powerful things I have ever experienced and I was unable to stand under its weight. This is what I thought of as I looked at all those prayers folded and tucked inside this wall. I tucked my prayer inside as well and slipped away.

Croatia??!!!

I just wanted to share that I recently had blog visitors from the United Kingdom, Vietnam, and CROATIA! Can you believe it??? I was so excited. Just in case they pop back in, let me say a big fat W-E-L-C-O-M-E!! I'm so glad you stopped by. Please come in, have a seat, and let's spend some time getting to know each other. 

To be honest, the only thing I knew about Croatia before today is that Goran Visjnjic is from there. Remember him from ER? He played Dr. Luka Kovac. Well I learned today that we can also thank Croatia for Dalmatians and the necktie.

Thank you, thank you to everyone who has visited My Little Lovely. And hey guys, NOT ONE PERSON has left a comment yet so you could be the very first!! I might even have to blog about it. :)
 
YAY!!! I'm just so excited that I'm still getting some traffic!

Happy Monday to you all!

Another Little Pretty

Here's another little pretty that I made with Polyvore for the Anthropologie contest. I'm telling you, it's really fun!

I couldn't edit the text so I added to it in the notes section:

... away from the city, away from the lights, just me and you, a fire and moonlight.

My Escape by Rhyea

Holiday Fashion Fun!

Here's a little something I put together with Polyvore for the Anthropologie contest. I had so much fun putting it together that I'm going to create some more holiday looks. I'm sure I'll get better with a little practice! ; )  Oh how I love Anthropologie!!

Friday Favorites!

I'm working on blogging about my recent trip but that might take a while. So in the meantime I thought I'd share one of my new favorite things with you.

Lalaloopsy Dolls
I saw these in a toy store in the Tel Aviv airport. I hadn't seen them yet although I now know that they are quite the hot item for Christmas this year. I think they are adorable and somewhat reminiscent of Coraline. Right now the only downfall I see is that they aren't true rag dolls. It would be great if they were cuddly soft but oh well... they sure are SuPeR CuTe! : )

I'm trying to decide between Bea Spells A Lot with her funky style and winking owl friend, Pillow Featherbed with her blankie-soft pjs and purple hair, or Peanut Big Top - she has striped tights, an orange tutu AND purple pigtails! : ) And no, I'm not kidding. I really do want one.