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Weary travelers, Mary and Joseph have arrived The time to deliver her babe has come No room in the Bethlehem inn No doctors, no nurses Only local women with room in their hearts to help Joseph paces outside, the townsmen encouraging him "Maybe your child will be a son!" He already knows Groaning, sweating, straining Mary gives birth The women assemble a saltwater bath for the babe Then Mary swaddles the baby, tightly In cloths and love "His name is Jesus," she declares Jesus, wrapped now in cloths and placed in a manger Later, wrapped in a linen cloth and laid in a tomb The angels give the shepherds nearby a sign "Find the swaddled baby lying in a manger" Swaddled babies don't usually sleep

Several weeks have passed since we returned home from our trip to Israel. The suitcases are stored away for the next adventure, I've readjusted from the time change, and I continue organizing my impressions, thoughts, and photos. Many friends have asked about my favorite parts of the trip. I readily answer, "The Sea of Galilee, Magdala, the Mount of Beatitudes, the Mount of Olives, the Garden of Gethsemane, Capernaum, and the Garden Tomb." Analyzing my list a bit, I've come to the conclusion that each of these places has two things in common. First, each is connected in some way with the life of Jesus. And second, none of them are obscured in any way by a church or religious shrine. Those si

One of the most special parts of my recent travels in Israel was a cruise on the Sea of Galilee. Many of the historical spots of this Holy Land are now covered by large basilicas - the place of Jesus' first miracle in Cana, the place of Jesus' birth, John the Baptist's birthplace, and the location where Jesus fed the 5000, to name a few. However, the Sea of Galilee cannot be covered by a shrine of any sorts, and so there I knew I'd be seeing and experiencing just what Jesus saw when he sailed the Sea with his fishermen disciples. I'm so grateful I had this experience. We boarded the boat at a dock just across from Tiberias, the town where our hotel was located. We were sailing along the nor