Joining the Heavens

Well, I have made it back to the states. Passing security on the way here was a bit of a fiasco. They, of course, had to search all my bags. Numerous times. They also had to scan/examine/take apart all my electronic equipment. Several times. In the end they did give everything back. Except the power cable for my laptop. Apparently, it wasn't safe enough to have it travel with me...but its safe enough for them to send on the next plane. Supposedly it's to follow me home. I won't be surprised if it doesn't make it, but one can hope. (So at the moment I'm borrowing my brother's computer.) On the plus side, as I was waiting for them to examine my belongings for the upteenth time, one of the gals had me go through a metal detector. So when they finally finished and I got checked in and everything, she walked me to security and I got to by-pass that whole procedure.

Anyway, it's interesting being back in the states. I'm not really "home" yet... But then again, I'm not really quite sure where home is any more. I guess it's a good reminder that my permanent home is not anywhere on earth. :) However, I think I've decided that I could consider about any place a temporary home so long as I had a week or so to settle in.

But back to the US of A... Let's see....
~It's kind of nice to be able to understand all the conversations around me.
~Visited my first Walmart in months yesterday. Just a small one, and just for a moment...but so different from every store I've been to in Israel.
~I could have had hamburgers for two meals yesterday (but I had a hot dog for the second instead.) And I had mexican for both meals today. Nothing related to goat. So weird. :)
~For all that I'm a rather fair-skinned red-head...I'm darker that a lot of people here.
~I think I've turned into a wimp, and I'll freeze back in MT.
~I miss a lot of people from JUC, many of whom are still back in Israel. :(

I went to my brother's church today, which was enjoyable and interesting. It's so very different from the church(es) I normally attend in Jerusalem. Not necessarily better or worse, just different. The sermon was on Revelation 18, and it really made me think...though probably not entirely for the reasons the pastor was aiming at. No, it made me think because his approach to the Bible was so different from everything I've experienced this last year at school. The emphasis at school is to understand the Bible in its historical context, which includes history, geography, archaeology, and culture. The pastor's emphasis was definitely on application - how it applies today. It was an interesting contrast. When the verse said, "the sound of a millstone shall not be heard in you anymore," I thought, "Millstone. Making flour. Necessary for daily life. In ancient Israel you know when someone is home by the constant sound of the millstone. It only ceases when a place is deserted." And the pastor said, "No more factories, no manufacturing, no electricity." Yeah, a bit of a different perspective. Which can be good. It made me think about preaching and teaching and how much should be and explanation of the text and how much should be an application.

Well, enough of my facinating thoughts and impressions of life back in the states. It's bedtime for this jetlagged girl. I'll leave you with yet another promise of a blog posting or two on Jordan...eventually...