~Thankful Thursdays with JC~

My dear reader as you read this post, I will be in Israel. Today will be my first full day there so I decided to share with you what the group will be doing. We will be leaving Tel Aviv this morning and traveling along the coastal road to Mount Carmel. That is where Elijah confronted the prophets of Baal. We will visit Caesarea on the beautiful Mediterranean Sea. Our leader will lead us in prayer for the land of Israel, while in the western region. We will see the Jezreel Valley, Mt. Tabor and the Mountains of Gilboa from Megiddo, and view the Valley of Armageddon, the site of the final great battle. We will conclude our day at Nazareth Village, and view Cana the site of Jesus’ first miracle. Tonight I will hopefully sleep peacefully in a room at the Sheraton Tiberias.

You may be asking why is she sharing? I’m sharing this because at the time I’m writing this post I am in the mist of getting ready to go. I haven’t travel a great distance in almost 5 years and never out of the country. To say that I’m stressing is a huge understatement. I’m looking forward to being in Israel, I’m not at all fearful about being there, but the getting there is another story completely. On my blog I’ve done some post on the subject, if you care to go there.

As I’m waiting for pictures to save on my computer, I’m running through all the last minute stuff I had to buy today and hoping I haven’t forgotten something. I decided to put it behind me for a little while. I picked up a songbook I have because I love the old hymns I grew up on. I opened it to page 56 to a song written by Will M. Ramsey first copyrighted in 1932 titled He Whispers Sweet Peace to Me. The words to the first verse and chorus are:

“Sometime when misgivings darken the day,
and faith’s light I cannot see;
I ask the dear Lord to bright-en the way,
He whispers sweet peace to me.”
Chorus: He whispers sweet peace to me…
He whispers sweet peace to me,
When I am cast down in spirit and soul,
He whispers sweet peace to me."

The song has four verses and each one is sweeter than the one before.

Abba, Father, Daddy, THANK YOU for whispering sweet peace to me today. Father forgive me for getting too busy with getting ready to see ancient places that I haven’t spent time with the Ancient of Days. I am so very sorry. THANK YOU for using the slowness of the computer and this old hymn as a reminder of what is truly important. YOU.

Just being in Your presence.

Father I ask you to tell me what to take and what to leave behind. Father, I know you will be with me each and every step. THANK YOU for the opportunity to go there. To see with my own eyes places my Savior saw. To walk where He walked. There just aren’t enough words in the English language to express my gratitude.

Father bless each and every person that reads this post with a hunger to draw closer to You. In Jesus’ powerful, holy and precious name I pray.

Amen