the mind of jay

Israel & Jordan Top Ten (Part 2)

noreply@blogger.com (jay smith) — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 23:21:00 +0000

So we have been home for a week now. I have thought about our trip a bit more, and here is part 2 of the list:

5. Meeting new people and making new friends.
Ok, so I didn't have to ride on a plane for 20 hours to do this, but there is something about seeing people on the other side of the world, shaking their hands, sharing a meal with them, hearing their stories, seeing them laugh, that makes you realize how many interesting people there are. I loved talking to our tour guide Ikey Korin, and our bus driver David, learning some Hebrew phrases (butchering it, I am sure). It was interesting to talk to our Jordanian guide, Jamil, and hearing about his life an family. Trips like this are cool for their Biblical and historical significance, but also for their "people significance."

Plus, I loved getting to know the other 28 people that were on the trip with us. I have a lot of new friends all over now! That's cool.

4. Standing in the place where Paul appealed to Caesar

And thereby brought the witness of Christ and the Good News of the Gospel to the most influential city on earth. It was from Rome that the church grew to reach every corner of the earth. This is in the palace of Herod in the port town of Caesarea. This is the story recorded in Acts 25.

Paul knew that his life and ministry would be difficult and that he must suffer, but he also knew that he was to testify to the gentiles and the leaders of the gentiles. He knew that he wasn't meant to die on a backroad between Caesarea and Jerusalem at the hands of murderers. He knew that the Good News would be preached all over the world, and he was determined to engage himself in the promise of Christ (that is in the next point).

3. Caeserea Philippi--The Gates of Hell and the promise of Christ

It was in this place that Jesus made his promise to build his church, and even the very gates of Hell could't prevail against it. Behind me in the picture is the cave from where a river in ancient times flowed, and was referred to as the "gates of Hell." This was a center of pagan worship, and a pretty dark place (although impressive), yet it was here that Jesus gave his promise to build his unstoppable church. I love this place because it reminds me that to be involved in building the Church, we are living the fulfillment of Jesus own prophecy. Whenever the Church grows, and salvation comes to one more, Jesus is building his Church. What Jesus says can be counted on!

2. Perspective
Ok, so this is a bit less concrete than the others on the list, but one thing about traveling around the world that I love is the change you can feel in yourself. I have walked where Jesus, the disciples, the prophets walked. I have experienced new cultures, met new people, eaten new foods. I am a different person. I read the Bible differently. I see people differently. I watch the news differently. I have a new lens through which I can view the world. I can relate to my own struggles and experiences with greater clarity. I can see myself as a part of a bigger world. I think that's cool, and I am glad to have been able to share that experience with my wife, and with my oldest daughter. Sandy and I hope to take all of our kids in the future.

1. Baptizing my daughter Talia in the Jordan River.
I can't express adequately how happy I am that our girls are growing in their faith and are wanting to serve the Lord for themselves. All of our girls have been baptized in water, and now one of the four have been baptized in the Jordan River. I can't wait to baptize the other three in the Jordan some day.

Israel & Jordan Top Ten (Part 1)

noreply@blogger.com (jay smith) — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 06:05:00 +0000

In the wake of our recent trip to Israel and Jordan I have been going over the places and experiences and trying to sort out what would be on my top ten list. This was my second trip to the "Holy Land" (the first was in 2007), and even though there were many repeat sites, I was able to absorb so much more the second time around.

10. Falafel.
So this may be a shallow favorite, but I seriously love this stuff. I know you can get it in America, but it's truly different. For those of you who have never had it, it's a deep fried chickpea mixed with garlic, parsley, etc, then stuffed in a pita with salad, dressing, and sometimes a few french fries stuffed in there. It's really good. Here is a video of a guy making falafel in a small Druze village near Mt. Carmel. They make thousands every day at this place, and it was one of the best on our trip. They let us into the kitchen to take a look.

Mt. Carmel Filafel from Jay Smith on Vimeo.

9. Climbing the cliffs of Petra.

Since this was my first visit to Jordan, it was also my first visit to Petra, the Nabatean city that was carved out of the sandstone cliffs. If you have seen Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, you know the place that I am talking about. It is really impressive to approach the city through the only entrance (the Siq) which is a 2.5 km walk through a narrow sandstone canyon with the cliff walls ascending up to 250 feet above your head, then to come around the final bend and see the Treasury rising from the ground to the top of the cliff. But what surprised me most about Petra was how big it was beyond that. There are nearly 300 other carved tombs in the valley, but the treasury is the most well preserved. There is a 3,000 seat theater carved into the rock which was expanded by the Romans in the 2nd Century AD, and so many cool places to explore. We started climbing the cliffs to see one sight, and quickly discovered a trail or staircase that lead to another. You could literally spend days exploring that valley and not see it all. I even met some new Bedouin friends who invited me to join them for some traditional music.

Bedouins in Petra from Jay Smith on Vimeo.

8. Visiting Bethany beyond Jordan from the Jordanian side of the border.

Here I am standing in Jordan, and the people on the other
side are standing in Israel.

The site along the Jordan River where John the Baptist was actually baptizing, and where he baptized Jesus, is a sleepy little spot along the river across from Jericho. When the Bible says John was in the wilderness, it isn't kidding. This spot is pretty much in the middle of nowhere. In 2007, when we were in Israel we visited this spot from the Israeli side of the Jordan (which serves as the border between Israel and Jordan in this area). At that time our group needed a military escort, and when we arrived we could see just across the river, a Jordanian soldier with his machine gun standing guard. The river is literally only about 20 feet wide at this point, the the soldiers on either side can clearly see what each other are having for lunch. This time we visited the site from the Jordanian side. There is a cool Orthodox church there, and down at the river you can see over to the Israeli side, where this time I could see the Israeli soldiers. Cool site, because Jesus was baptized there, but also cool because of the political realities that are overlaid on it.

7. Turkish Coffee.

Ok, time for a confession: it is currently the Lenten season, and technically I should be fasting coffee, since that's what I determined to do, but I made some exceptions on this trip. Hey after all God desires obedience more than sacrifice (not sure how me drinking coffee works out as obedience, but it certainly would have been sacrifice to pass this up). Living in the land of Starbucks, Ladro, Zoka, and a coffee shop on every corner, we Pacific Northwesterners pride ourselves on having the corner on the market when it comes to coffee, but until you have tasted a good cup of Turkish coffee from the tent of a Bedouin, your list of coffee experiences isn't complete. It is great to see the beans roasted over the fire right in front of you, then hear the coffee be ground in a musical fashion, and hear the symbolism of Bedouin hospitality in the traditions of coffee consumption. I have always thought that coffee should be enjoyed as more than just a beverage, but as an experience--and this just confirms my thoughts.

6. Wandering the streets of Jerusalem's Old City.

I love hanging out in cities. I love walking through downtown areas, watching people, shopping, eating, and all that good stuff. Jerusalem has all of those elements, but there is something about the Old City of Jerusalem that is unlike any other city. You have all the modern accents of life in the city, but all right next to and mixed in with thousands of years of history. You have churches, mosques, synagogues, shops, restaurants, museums, archaeological sites, kids playing soccer, houses, apartments, all jammed into the most interesting city in the world. It's almost as if you could imagine King David walking right next to the electronics shops, or Jesus and his disciples stopping at the Falafel stand, or playing soccer with the kids. There are a number of things to see in Jerusalem that are worth seeing, but just being there is a feast for the imagination and senses.

Jordanian Farewell Dinner

noreply@blogger.com (jay smith) — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 10:29:00 +0000

So our last memory of Jordan is a great one....with the exception of the 5 airport security screenings that is!

Untitled from Jay Smith on Vimeo.

A Few More Israeli Days & a Jordanian Sunset

noreply@blogger.com (jay smith) — Sun, 27 Mar 2011 19:42:00 +0000

So we didn't have good wi-fi access the last few days, so here are a few pictures from our recent adventures from the Dead Sea, Qumran, Masada, Beit Shean, and a few more. We currently are in Amman, Jordan and are headed south to the city of Petra, which I am quite excited about.

As we left the Galilee region we stopped at the peak of Mt. Arbel for the view. I wonder if this could be one of the mountain tops that Jesus often retreated to in order to pray.

The ancient ruins of Beit Shean are cool. Here I am at the Roman restroom.. not the most comfortable, but you get the idea.

Sandy and Talia looking over the ruins of the ancient city of Jericho....and the walls came a tumbling down.

Looking down on the Roman city for Beit Shean from the top of the Ancient city, where Saul and Jonathan's bodies were hung after their deaths, until the men from Jabesh Gilead came to resue them and treat them with respect.

Talia and I on the balcony of our hotel room overlooking the Dead Sea.

And a few more pictures:

A Bedouin roasting coffee for his guests...us!

Our first Jordanian sunset....beautiful.

Galilean Adventure

noreply@blogger.com (jay smith) — Thu, 24 Mar 2011 18:06:00 +0000

So we had a pretty cool day today. We visited the mount of Beatitudes, Peters house in Capernaum, and a few other places around the sea of Galilee, then we went for a boat ride on the sea. We had a cool time of prayer and worship. I shared from Mark 6 which is where Jesus walked out to the disciples on the water...and right in the middle of our ride the wind and waves got crazy and the weather took a crazy turn.

Here is a video of sandy leading a few songs.

Untitled from Jay Smith on Vimeo.

Then on the way to Nazareth we hit some crazy rain and hail. Here is the view from our bus.

Untitled from Jay Smith on Vimeo.

Final days in Jerusalem

noreply@blogger.com (jay smith) — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 15:38:00 +0000

Here are a few last pics from Jerusalem. We had such a great time in this amazing city. We had a free afternoon on Tuesday and explored some more of the Old City and made it back to the hotel just in time for dinner. I can't wait to vet back to this city soon!

More Jerusalem Fun

noreply@blogger.com (jay smith) — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 15:22:00 +0000

This is me standing in front of the Western wall of Jerusalem. It is considered the most holy site for Jews since it is closest to where the Temple stood prior to its destruction in 70 A.D. just as Jesus prophesied.

My ladies standing in one of the streets in the Jewish Quarter of the city. Such a cool place.

Here is Talia in the Upper Room, which is not the exact room, however it is built over the site where the original stood. It is also the site where the 120 waited and received the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost. We spent a few moments praying there. It is a pretty cool place with so many people from all over coming to see and pray there.

What a cute girl!

Monday Night Adventure Ben Yehuda Style

noreply@blogger.com (jay smith) — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 04:35:00 +0000

So written headed out last night for a visit to the always exciting Ben Yehuda street. It was especially exciting since everyone was celebrating Purim (the holiday that marks the deliverance from Haman by queen Esther). We even met some new friends who wanted to join in our picture! Gotta love it.

It was a bit crazy down there. Everyone was partying and lighting fireworks, and having a good time.

Israel Days 1-3

noreply@blogger.com (jay smith) — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 04:31:00 +0000

Our arrival at Ben Gurion International Airport. Don't let the smiles fool you....we were tired! That is a lot of flying, but glad to be finally in Israel!

Sandy, Talia and I standing out front of the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem. It was a great visit to Bethlehem to see the church that was built 1700 years ago (then destroyed, then rebuilt, etc) that marks the spot where Jesus was born.

We had a moment of prayer inside the Grotto that marks the very spot where Christ was born to the Virgin Mary. What a true show of the humility of the Son of God, to be born in a cave.

The view from the top of the Mt. of Olives. You can see the golden Dome on the Rock which stands in the place where the Jewish Temple used to be until the Romans destroyed it in 70 AD. What a cool city Jerusalem is.

Sandy and Talia standing at the edge of the pool of Siloam. Doesn't look much like a pool now, but this is the place where Jesus placed mud on the blind man's eyes and healed him.

We spent some time praying in the private garden at Gethsemane where Jesus prayed the night he was betrayed.

Ready to board

noreply@blogger.com (jay smith) — Fri, 18 Mar 2011 12:15:00 +0000

Here we are at seatac ready to board. Just think...after 23 hours of flying and layovers we'll be there in Jerusalem! Oh and a moment of confession: since we had to be at the airport at 3:30 am i broke my Lenten fast and went for a nice cup of coffee. Remember, God wants obedience more than sacrifice!

New Blog Layout and Forthcoming Exciting Content

noreply@blogger.com (jay smith) — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 01:20:00 +0000

I know, it's not much of a post to talk about things that you are going to do, but I thought I would send out a heads up about Sandy and Talia and my trip to Israel and Jordan. We will be posting videos, pictures and thoughts throughout the trip, and if you wanted to follow along feel free.

It is an exciting thing to see with your own eyes, to feel with your own hands the very places where the stories of the Bible were born. It is quite a faith building experience to put real places and experiences on things that you have only believed in without seeing. We feel quite blessed to be leading this tour and hope that there will be many to come...who knows, maybe you may join us on a future trip to the Holy Land.

Rice Crispy Treat Chaos

noreply@blogger.com (jay smith) — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 02:35:00 +0000

So it was a crazy afternoon at the Smith house filled with marshmallows, food coloring, dots, red hots, licorice, and rice crispies. Rice Crispy Treat Snowmen, Rice Crispy Treat Wreaths, Rice Crispy Treat Regrets.

Just another Reason I love Clearwire

noreply@blogger.com (jay smith) — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 20:49:00 +0000

A week or so ago I got a notification saying that I was able to upgrade my clearwire internet service to their new "clear" service, which is a 4G WiMax network. So I signed up, a couple days later my new modem arrived, I plugged it in, and what do you know? I got a connection at least 5 times faster for the same price!

What an effective customer service model; they upgrade their service, give you more for the same price, and do it all in a few short days! I know they are the new guys in the ISP world and they have a lot of work to do to build a customer base when they are up against the big guns of Verizon, Comcast, etc....but they actually seem to make the customer experience pleasant and painless (a claim that neither of the aforementioned giants can claim).

Attention to anyone who provides a service to people: make people feel good about the service you provide AND the way you provide it. That's what drives repeat business and referrals.

Get Low & Get Mean

noreply@blogger.com (jay smith) — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 16:57:00 +0000

Olivia is at her basketball clinic this morning and they were doing some drills. The coach said,"get low and get mean." Well Olivia got low, but the smile never left her face...not so much mean, but that's ok with me.

Basketball Tryouts part 2

noreply@blogger.com (jay smith) — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 02:25:00 +0000

Ok so Jaz is at night two. It's a new experience for her but it is always good to get stretched. I totally remember trying out for the basketball team in junior high.

It's pretty cute to see abunch of 5th and 6th grade girls who think they are Lebron.

Heavenly Date

noreply@blogger.com (jay smith) — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 21:49:00 +0000

So Sandy and I took advantage of the fact that all of our kids are in school, and Ava is in Idaho, and went out for a lunch date to Pen Thai in downtown Bothell..great food. She had the heavenly beef and I had the garlic loverls delight. So good! We sat right in front of the window and watched all the cars and people go by. Great food, great entertainment, heavenly date!

Oh and btw we had back to back dentist appointments this morning and tied on the plaque score...a whopping 92%, thus the celebration.

5th & 6th Grand Girls Basketball tryouts

noreply@blogger.com (jay smith) — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 02:24:00 +0000

Jazzy is trying out tonight for the girls select team. What the Smith girls lack in height, they make up for in hustle!

$35 and Counting

noreply@blogger.com (jay smith) — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 23:34:00 +0000

Olivia just pulled out her SEVENTH tooth up at grandma and granpas house after Easter lunch. Grandpa pays Five bucks Per tooth! I remember as a kid getting a quarter from the tooth fairy...so much for the down economy. I need to go borrow some money from my kids.

Everything in Moderation...except Catfood!

noreply@blogger.com (jay smith) — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 01:53:00 +0000

We believe in letting our kids take responsibility for thier animals, however the darkside of that is sometimes ugly! Needless to say the cat was happy for about a week (just kidding...we made the kids clean it up right away)!

I should get Frequent Filler Points at the Dentist.

noreply@blogger.com (jay smith) — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 17:07:00 +0000

I took Olivia to the dentist today, and with a family of 6 and all of the appointments and follow ups, I think we have been here every other day for the last three weeks!

No big deal because we love our dentist, Dr. Raymond Hsu in Redmond. He's great, especialy with the kids.

Fire Makes Lunch More Exciting

noreply@blogger.com (jay smith) — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 23:22:00 +0000

Sandy and I had a great lunch with some of our favorite people in the world--Jason and Mar Shirley. We went to the Tokyo Steak House in Woodinville, which is always fun. The chef made an onion volcano on the grill, and proceeded to light it on fire! Good lunch, and more importantly, great friends!

Jay

Palm Sunday Options

noreply@blogger.com (jay smith) — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 23:59:00 +0000

Praise or sword fight, it's your choice. Today is Palm Sunday so fittingly we had palm fronds for everyone at church. I always love this day because of how it reminds us of the return of Jesus someday, that will be on a much more magnificent scale!
As you can see, my neice and daughters were enjoying the palms too!

Happy Birthday Bryan

noreply@blogger.com (jay smith) — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 01:12:00 +0000

Celebrating my good friend Bryan Wall's 30th birthday! You are a good man Bryan Wall.

Why I love Clearwire.

noreply@blogger.com (jay smith) — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 21:36:00 +0000

So the power is out here again (stop putting powerlines next to trees on hills) and I figured out how to stay connected!

(Clearwire + wifi + ac to dc converter) - electricity = me connected!

The end looks different up close.

noreply@blogger.com (jay smith) — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 17:41:00 +0000

For those friends and family who haven't heard yet, Sandy and I, after nearly TEN years of youth ministry here at Cedar Park, are taking a senior pastor role beginning in May. Now don't worry, because it isn't far away (sorry to disappoint a few of you)--we are going to be lead pastors at Cedar Park NorthShore, over in Kenmore (only 4.5 miles away, which greatly increases my commute)!

Over the past few months as we have been a part of this process of transition, we have spent most of our time thinking about what we are going to rather that what we are leaving from. However, this being my last official week as youth pastor at Cedar Park Bothell, I am experiencing a few different emotions. While I am more than excited about our future at NorthShore, and so glad that Brad and Leah Fox will be following us as youth pastors here, it is difficult to leave. As we say our goodbyes, and pack up the office, and give everyone hugs, things look a little different. Not bad different, just different different.

It really reminds me of the difference between making plans, and making progress. The latter does not always tranlate into the former. God has called us to be people of action, not just plans!