Elvis

I've never understood the obsession people have with Elvis Presley. I used to think that it was due to my youth, but my friend Kelley who graduated from high school this week is obsessed with him. I've never met such a big fan. Prior to our friendship I couldn't have named one Elvis song. Tonight at her graduation party there was an Elvis impersonator. I have a few thoughts:

• Who decides that becoming an Elvis impersonator is a valid option for making money? Do they do it out of desperation, the love of tight clothing, or are they too just obsessed with Elvis?
• Has anyone who drove to an event in costume been pulled over? How did that interaction go?
• What does the wife think of all this?
• Viagra sure did ruin "Viva Las Vegas"
  
• I don't understand the scarf thing. Who wants the nasty/sweaty scarf that some random man had around his neck?

Regardless Kelley seemed to have a great time tonight. During one song "Elvis" got on his knees right in front of her and sang an entire (very lengthy) song with about a foot separating their faces. It was so awkward and unending. I couldn't tell if Kelley enjoyed it or found it to be uncomfortable. All in all it was a great night to celebrate Kelley.

Almost a Homeowner

Tomorrow morning I close on my first house. I am so excited and ready to be a homeowner! Ever since match day things have been fairly chaotic as I arranged all the details of a move (not to mention finishing med school, graduation, and a two week trip to Israel). In theory everything should go without a problem in the next couple of days with movers and deliveries of furniture and my dishwasher. The good news is that I am a laid back person, so as long as Harris bank doesn't decide I am unworthy of the loan it should be a fun few days regardless of the inevitable complications!

The Dead Sea

This morning we got up early and went to the house of Caiaphas for some great teaching by Kay Arthur on the last couple of days in the life of Jesus. There were roosters crowing which was incredible since that was the location where Peter denied Jesus three times before the rooster crowed. We have just a short break before we go to the Garden of Gethsemane and the Garden Tomb. It is quite a day!

Yesterday we went to Qumran where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found, the Dead Sea, and took a cable car to the top of Masada. It was a really interesting and fun day. Here are a few pictures from the Dead Sea (fyi-a place I would love to come for a spa vacation someday). The "icebergs" are actually salt. That is how concentrated the water is. Instead of sand the bottom is salt chunks. It was a wild experience. It was nearly impossible to stand up because your feet would keep getting pulled up to the surface. My hair is softer than ever!

The Western Wall

I don't have time to say much, but the Western Wall has been one of the highlights of the trip for me. It is the most visited sight in Israel. It is incredible and immensely sad to watch devout Jews cry out to God for the Messiah to come. It causes me to ask myself how earnestly I am seeking out the God I know and love.

If you're reading this blog your name is likely in the wall now! It was amazing to write out my prayer and stick it in the wall. God is good!

Camel Jockey

Today I rode a camel. It was really fun until the camel stood up which was terrifying. I couldn't stop imaging me as the next Christopher Reeves. When the camel was done the process of getting off was even more frightening. Regardless, it was a great experience and earned me the nickname "Camel Jockey" from the other people in our group.

Later on mom and I were having our picture taken in front of a few camels which mom was very hesitant about. While we were standing there I grabbed her rear in a way that I thought was similar to a camel's bite and she jumped really high. She thought the camel was right behind her and starting to grab at her. It was hilarious!

For a quick update: we are in Jerusalem now (and exhausted). We have had an incredible time and have learned so much! Today we rode through the West Bank (I didn't know that it is really the only way into Jerusalem). We had a fun "authentic" Bedouin style lunch. It was really fun. Now we are trying to get rested up for a big few days in the City of David.

In case you are wondering, even though there are almost 300 of us we have spent a fair amount of time with Kay Arthur in smaller settings. I rode in a car and shopped for jewelry with her tonight. When we met someone exclaimed to her that I was a doctor and so she has remembered that and references that regularly with me. She is trying to network me with some of Precept International for when I am a surgeon. It has been really neat getting to know her and I look forward to spending more time talking with her in the coming days.

Well we're off to bed. Shalom!

Day 2

Today was a great day. We started at Mt Carmel (in the first picture) where Elijah called down fire from heaven (1 Kings 18). We sang "The Days of Elijah" as I stood on the edge of the mountain. It was an amazing moment. It is phenomenal to have context for some of the great moments recorded in the Bible.

After that we went to Caesarea by the Mediterranean Sea. It was beautiful! Mom and I waded in the water a little and enjoyed the clear blue water. I want to vacation on the Mediterranean Sea someday. We sat in the ampitheater where Paul defended himself in Acts 26. Kay Arthur taught about what it means to be grafted in as Gentiles.

Tomorrow is a neat down. We are going to Megiddo where Armageddon is to occur. Apparently we will have lots of teaching on the book of Revelation. After that we are getting baptized in the Jordan River (the River Jesus was baptized in- Luke 3:21-22). It should be an incredible day.

We are having a great time, although still slightly jet-lagged. I want to take some time this evening to enjoy our location- on the Sea of Galilee. It is beautiful!

Day One

We have completed one day of touring in Israel. It was a great day. We went to Chorazim where Kay Arthur gave an overview of the entire Old Testament. It was phenomenal! For the first time I understand the story of the Old Testament in chronological order and tied in with the history of Israel.

After that we went to Dan which was really neat especially once I had some understanding of the significance of the area (1 Kings 12 if you are interested). Basically Jeroboam built two golden calves for the people to worship so they wouldn't travel to Jerusalem to worship. He didn't trust that God would continue to use him as King over the northern kingdom and feared that Rehoboam would steal the Israelites from his kingdom if they traveled to Jerusalem (in the southern kingdom) for the feasts and times of worship and sacrifice. Because of his lack of trust he led the people astray and sacrificed his position of influence.

We traveled up to the borders with Lebanon (the picture of the rock with chains around it) and Syria, which seemed a little alarming to me. We heard military exercises (ie. bombs) near Chorazim. Later on we'll go down to the border with Egypt for those of you who want to begin worrying now. I'm pulling for a field trip to either the West Bank or the Gaza Strip.

We also went to Caesarea Philippi which is where the following event (one of my favorites) recorded in Matthew 16 occurred.

13When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "Who do people say the Son of Man is?"

14They replied, "Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets."

15"But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?"

16Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."

17Jesus replied, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven. 18And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.

It was very meaningful, but I'll let you read my mom's blog if you want to know more.

We're Here

Shalom! We arrived safely in Israel today. We are at the Gai Beach Hotel next to the Sea of Galilee. It is pretty amazing. I got robbed on some diet cokes at the airport. I didn't know the exchange rate between Shekels and the dollar so I just swiped my credit card assuming it would be comparable to the price in the US. Apparently they were nearly $4 each. Whoops. My computer has morphed into Hebrew so I need to figure out how to return my buttons into English, but other than that all is well!

I spent some time this evening just sitting on the shore watching two fishermen in their boat throwing their nets into the Sea. I was struck by the similarity between these two men smoking cigarettes and drinking alcohol and the disciples whom Jesus called. He didn't call the men that society revered as the smartest or most qualified. He called ordinary people and changed the world through them.

I must say I was disappointed that I was unable to walk on the water tonight. Maybe tomorrow. The water is fairly cool so if I was Jesus I would walk on it too. Well we have an early start tomorrow so I am going to try and get some rest.

Mom's Blog

My mom has started a blog! She will be updating it regularly while we are in Israel for everyone to follow along on our trip. Bon voyage!

Graduation

There is so much that I want to say about this day, but since we are flying out on our trip to Israel in a few hours and I need to pack let me just make a few quick observations ( I promise I will say far more than anyone cares to know later):

• God is good!
• This was by far the most significant and memorable day of my life
• I am incredibly blessed to be surrounded by such loving and encouraging family and friends
• Thank you to everyone who came. I am truly humbled and amazed by your support and encouragement.
  
• I am so excited to be a doctor!!!

The Clintons

I have never been a huge fan of the Clinton family and all the drama, but it was fun tonight to shake their hands and watch the celebration unfold (even though Indiana hasn't been called yet for Hillary). Once again, I support Hillary over Obama but it ends there. I just like excitement and watching history being made and so I have taken advantage of several opportunities to get in on the action.

Celebration with the Clintons???

Tonight I am going with a classmate to the Murat (across the road from my apartment) to participate in the political festivities on the Clinton side. I'm going for the experience of it, not because I support her that strongly. It should be fun. Here is what it looks like from my porch already. It should be a fun way to spend a few hours!

Why I voted for Hillary

A few months ago it never occurred to me that I would vote for Clinton or Obama in the primary. I tend to share similar viewpoints on the major issues with republicans and hadn't given either democrat much thought. Once McCain secured the republican nod and it became evident that Indiana mattered for once it seemed silly to me to vote for any republican unless you felt strongly about some of the other races on the ballot.

My vote is purely for the candidate who I think would be the better POTUS. I think "operation chaos" is a dangerous risk and not a responsible way to vote.

I have tried to be open-minded to both candidates and honestly my initial opinion was to steer clear of the Clinton family. I attended rallies for both candidates and heard both of them speak. I have read their websites at great length to understand their stance on major issues. I have interacted with their volunteer supporters.

I think Obama is an intelligent man with a gift for public speaking. Unfortunately for me it seems to be a lot of talking without saying much. Last night he talked about how they have tried to run a positive campaign and then he went negative about Bush, Hillary and others. He spent far more time talking about the campaign and all the things wrong with our country than he did addressing what he would actually do to improve things. If I hear one more person defend him by using the words "change" or "hope" or "believe" I might go nuts.

I talked with a supporter last night who knew he had my attention for 1-2 minutes at most because of the circumstances. I told him I was on the fence and his argument for why I should vote for Obama went something like this,

"I consider myself to be an intelligent person and several months ago I quit my job and have been working without pay for the Obama campaign in 10 cities. This man is the greatest thing since sliced-bread."

We were already being quite honest so I said,

"Well you quitting your job to work for him could have just been stupidity. That tells me nothing about why I should vote for him. I want to know where he stands on the issues which is why I am here."

Some bystanders accused me of being rude which was just funny. I didn't call him stupid, I helped to point out the philosophical flaw in his reasoning. Tara Mix and I were laughing hysterically and I walked away frustrated (and concerned for our country) that no one around us could defend why Obama should be president beyond that "he is the greatest thing since sliced bread".

When I went to the Hillary Clinton rally she spent very little time talking about Barack, Bush or McCain and instead focused on how her past experiences will help her address specific problems with our country. It was a very focused and intelligent presentation of what she will do and what her timeframe will be. Will she accomplish all of it? No way, but at least she's telling us what she intends to do. Could some of it be lies? Yes, but Barack isn't telling us much of anything for which he can be held accountable for. Is her gas tax holiday ridiculous? Yes, but that isn't the defining issue in her campaign.

I don't agree with her on every issue, but between her and Obama I think she is more equipped and qualified to lead our country. She has experience, vision, and tangible goals. If she wins the nomination does she have my vote in November? It's doubtful, but I will continue to learn about her and McCain and reassess.

Fun Politics

I have been completely caught up in the political festivities in Indy recently. I live right downtown and so I have seen both candidates speak within 2 blocks of my apartment. Tonight Hillary will be across the road from my apartment for the results. I'll be there with her. I have two tickets to be with Obama if anyone wants them. It has been a circus for over a week now with CNN and other news agencies all over the place but yesterday and today have been nuts. I love it! Here are some pictures from the recent events.

You've got 3 hours left to vote in Indiana. Get out there and let your voice be heard!

Best Buddies Ball

Tonight Tara came as my guest to the gala for Best Buddies International, the organization that paired me up with my friend Kelley who has Down syndrome. It is a fun black-tie event at the Indiana State Museum. Last year and this year I was one of the invited guests at the Riley Children's Hospital table since Kelley's dad is the Physician-in-chief at Riley. Basically it is an evening full of great food, free alcohol, tons of auctions (hence the alcohol), live music and dancing. Here are a few pictures from the night.

Tara

I'm so proud of my friend Tara Mix who ran her first mini-marathon today. She pushed herself to a further distance than she's ever run before and did it in a great time. She's a little sore tonight, but enjoying the runner's euphoria. The pictures are of her and her brother David before the race, her at the finish line, and then the elite runners at the start.