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Saturday, April 30, 2011

Untitled

I don't know why I do this to myself. I know that I am graduating in like 2 weeks, but I have become closer friends with my freshman, Sarah. We spend so much time together, hanging out, texting and just doing whatever. But I leave soon.

Tonight, Katie B. had a girl's night at her apartment. It was me, Katie B., Sarah, Katie's freshman Kate, Amanda, and Sarah's roommate Kateri. We had a really good time watching RENT then Tangled. It was good quality time.

When we had gone our separate ways, I got a text from Sarah. "You are leaving. :(" That text broke my heart. I remember what it felt like when Kate Longtin graduated and left me behind. I really don't want Sarah to have to deal with that. Kate and I have grown apart. I hate that so much. I had hoped we would get back to how it used to be when she came to my graduation, but it turns out she can't come. I didn't realize how upset I am about that until tonight. I know it is 100% out of Kate's hands, and I'm not upset with her. I just wish I would get to see and hangout with her.

I'm one of the speakers for the Baccalaureate service here at Witt. I really wanted Kate to come hear me speak. But I guess I will just have to get used to the idea that it isn't going to happen.

To top that all off, I went to my last CWS rehearsal ever. After this Sunday, I will never be the drummer for CWS again. It hasn't quite hit me yet. I think it will soon though.

Well, it's WittFest weekend, and I really want to hear Just Eve and Wittmen Crew sing tomorrow morning, so I'm going to go to bed. I will try to finish the Easter Sunday post soon and get that up. Sorry for the delay.

Good Night!

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Friday

We arrived at Pilate’s palace soon after I realized it was Friday. We were not the only ones who were there. Many people were gathered in the courtyard. They were all a buzz with the possibility of a crucifixion.

Soon the praetor came out onto the balcony. Jesus was escorted out shortly after. He looked even more beat up than he had when he arrived. Pilate motioned for the crowd to quiet down.

“This man is from Galilee. Why do you send him to me? Take him to Herod. Herod rules in Galilee.”

With that the Roman guards who flanked Pilate grabbed Jesus and dragged him off, presumably to Herod’s Palace.

A while later Jesus and Pilate re-appeared on the Balcony.

“I find no guilt in this man, and clearly Herod agrees. See, he sends him back to us. Now, it is customary for me to release a prisoner to you for Passover. I suggest you take Jesus.” Pilate lobbied.

His suggestion was not received well. Some of the men who worked at the Temple started shouting, “Crucify him!!! He is a trouble maker! Kill him and be done with it!!!” The crowd soon joined in. Soon the roar was so loud that I was afraid I would never hear again. At this point Pilate motioned for another man to come out.

“Who would you rather have; Jesus, who is your messiah, or Barabbas, the murderous thief?” Pilate asked.

The people screamed, “Give us Barabbas! We want Barabbas!” The crowd was starting to get riled up. Little skirmishes were beginning to break out among those who wanted Barabbas and those few who wanted Jesus. Roman guards moved in and out of the crowd squashing any signs of violence with a swift blow to the gut.

“What then should I do with your messiah?”

Still the crowd grew louder. “Crucify him! Crucify him! He is not our messiah! He is an imposter! Crucify the traitor!”

As the noise swelled around me I could feel my knees buckle from the overwhelming heartbreak I was feeling. As I started to sink to the floor two strong arms caught me and held me up. The man whispered in my ear, and as soon as he did I knew it was Peter. “Little sister, he needs us. You can do this. Stay strong.” He continued to hold me until I felt my strength return.

As I was able to hold myself up, I heard Pilate say that he was going to punish Jesus then let him go. I watched then as the guards dragged Jesus off to be flogged. I moved to follow, but Peter held me in my place.

“Kate, don’t. It will be too much for you.”

“Will you stay with me Peter?” I asked.

He shook his head, no. “Mary will be with you. I need to be there for him. He will be looking for me.”

As I opened my mouth to protest, Peter slipped through the crowd. Mary grabbed my arm and wouldn’t let me follow. We waited there in the crowd for what felt like forever. Finally, Jesus re-appeared. At least, I thought that was who it was. He was covered in blood and when he turned at one point I could see part of his ribs. They had beaten him raw to the point that some of his flesh had been removed. Just seeing the bloody mess he had become made me feel as if I would get sick. I began to cry uncontrollably. I turned to Mary and saw that she too was sobbing.

“Now, I will release him, for I find no guilt in him!” Pilate proclaimed to the angry throng.

“No! Crucify him! We don’t want him back! Kill him Pilate; that is what you do best!” The mob screamed back at him. Pilate shifted uneasily, knowing that if he didn’t give in they would revolt and he would have a massacre on his hands.

Pilate called for a bowl of water. As he washed his hands he announced, “Fine! But do it yourself! I am innocent of this man’s blood!”

With that the crowd roared in approval. The guards dragged Jesus off to be crucified.

We followed the angry mob out to the road. There we waited for our messiah to walk by carrying his cross to his death. As he came near us, I saw people spit on him and slap him with long reed sticks. With every insult his face grew sadder and sadder. The people who were crying for his death were the same people who had cheered for him and welcomed him into Jerusalem days earlier. These people were fickle and ruthless.

Mary and I fought our way to the place Jesus was going to be crucified, pushing our way through the crowd. We eventually met up with the other women and with John. The rest of the disciples were nowhere to be found. Jesus must have fallen somewhere along the way because we made it to the hill before he did and when he did arrive some other man was carrying his cross for him.

The guard who had been supporting Jesus the rest of the way the hill, which was called Golgotha, dropped him to the ground. He and another guard took the cross from the man and laid it down on the ground. Then Jesus was placed, with arms outstretched, on the cross. The guard lined the nail up on Jesus’ hand and swung the hammer down. With a sickening crunch the nail went through his hand and into the wood. After three more, the guard moved on to the other hand. Each swing resulted in a disgusting crunch and a scream from the man on the cross. Each pound in the hammer made me lightheaded and sick.

When the guard moved to Jesus’ feet he had to have someone else hold Jesus still. The guard’s hand was slippery with the blood that had been pouring from Jesus’ wounded hands. His face and armor was covered in spattered blood. It was a gruesome as any horror film I had seen in my own time. Jesus’ face contorted in pain, he opened his mouth to scream, but no sound came out. He had screamed himself hoarse. Once his feet were nailed and his arms lashed to the cross, they raised him up.

While they had been nailing Jesus to his cross, two thieves were being nailed to their own crosses and raised up beside him. As they all hung there, the crowd jeered and taunted Jesus.

“If you are the son of god, come down from that cross! Save yourself! Some king you are, you couldn’t even save yourself from a little crucifixion.”

Jesus said, “father, forgive them. They do not know what they are doing.”

Yet, the insults went on and on. One of the thieves next to him joined the taunts. The other admonished him, to which Jesus replied,

“My friend, today you will be with me in paradise.”

As he was becoming weaker, Jesus turned to John and his mother, Mary.

“John, take care of my mother as if she were your own. Mom, love John as you have loved me.” He gasped to them. John embraced Mary and didn’t let her go until the bitter end. After that, Jesus seemed to lose consciousness. His blood dripped down his arms, pooling under the cross. The ground did not seem to be able to soak it up.

Jesus suddenly lifted his head to the sky, “My God! My God! Why have you forsaken me?” He cried out. My heart broke when I heard that. Mary Magdalene’s face drained of all color, and Mary the mother’s knees buckled.

The crowd began to disperse. Only those of us who were mourning his death and a few soldiers were left at the foot of the cross. When Jesus said he was thirsty, one man brought him something to drink on a sponge stuck on a reed. It was vinegar wine, and Jesus spit it back out. He whispered, “It is finished.” And with a loud cry he died.

The sky turned black as night, even though it was the middle of the day. The earth started to shake, knocking all of us to the ground. I heard stories later in the day of some graves near Jerusalem split open and those who were buried inside climbed out and walked among the living. I was also told that the curtain in the inner sanctuary of the Temple was torn in two from top to bottom in the quake.

The soldiers, unsure of if Jesus had died, took a spear and shoved it through his side. Blood and water poured from the new wound covering the ground. About this time I realized I could hear screaming. Mary took me by the shoulders and shook me. Then I knew the screaming I was hearing was coming from me. I collapsed into a pile on the ground by the cross, sobbing and beating the ground with my fist. By the time I was done, my hand was covered in blood. I didn’t know if the blood was mine or Jesus’. Mary held me, and slowly helped me to my feet. They took me back to Joseph’s house.

By the time we had arrived, I was out of tears. I just stared straight ahead. I had known what was going to happen to him, but I didn’t believe it. He had really just died. He was gone. I spent the rest of the night staring. At some point I dozed off to sleep.

My dreams were haunted with the image of the laughing eyes of Jesus I had seen earlier this week. Those eyes would change into the eyes swollen shut, black and blue, from the beatings he had endured. Every instance of my dream was punctuated with the crack of the nail entering Jesus’ hands and feet. After that I slipped into a dreamless, restless sleep.

Thursday

When dawn broke on Thursday I didn’t feel much like talking. I sat on my own trying to figure out what to do. Do I tell Jesus what I heard? Do I just sit by and watch Judas ruin Jesus? While I was trying to sort out what to do I felt a hand rest on my shoulder.

“Kate, I know you are worried, and I know you want to do something. I already know what Judas is going to do. He has to do it. It will be hard on you, but you need to just let everything happen the way it needs to happen.” Jesus said.

“But how can I? It is going to be so painful for you.”

“You just will have to trust me. I know what I’m doing.”

We got up and went with the other. Today was the day we would celebrate Passover, so we had a lot of preparations attend to. I worked with the other women to get the food ready, while the men went to the Temple to offer the sacrifice needed.

We all convened in the upper room of the house we had been staying in. The house belonged to a man named Joseph. He was a very powerful man. The Romans were considering making him a Roman citizen, and he was also well like in the Temple. We didn’t know it then, but this man would become our protector in the days to come.

I had never been to a Passover meal before, but the men and women around me knew every word to every ritual aspect of the meal. The youngest, John, asked the questions to Jesus flawlessly. No good natured ribbing was needed tonight. However, I could tell that Jesus had abandoned the script toward the end of the meal.

”My friends, you have heard me say that if you want to be first, you must be last. May I show you what I mean? Please, let me wash your feet.” Jesus said as he stood and stripped to his undergarments. Joseph brought him a bowl of water and a towel. Jesus knelt at every man and woman’ feet; taking them in his hands he gently and intently washed every foot. He was meticulous, as if the only thing in the whole world that mattered was the cleanliness of the feet in front of him.

When he had, at last, finished washing every foot in the room he put his robe back on and turned to us saying, “I have washed your feet. Now you are to wash one another’s feet too.” Sitting down, he said, “My friends, one of you in this room will betray me tonight.”

Silence fell over the room. Peter was the first to speak, as usual. “Is it me master?” As soon as he said it all the rest of the men followed suit asking the same thing. Everyone, except Judas that is.

Eventually, Judas spoke up. “Is it me, Rabbi?” Judas asked. I wanted to strangle him. Of course Judas knew it was him. He had already agreed!

“Yes, friend, it is you. Go do what you have to do.” Jesus answered with a hug. Judas broke out of the hug, grabbed his overlay and staggered out of the room in shock.

“And Peter,” Jesus added, “before the rooster crows you will have denied knowing me three times.”

Once Judas was gone, Jesus picked up the bread in front of him. He looked around the room, meeting everyone’s eyes. “Tonight I will be arrested and then tried. They will find me guilty and I will be crucified. But this bread in my hand, this bread is my body, given for you. Eat it, and remember me.” As he said this, he split it in two and passed it around the room. The group was unsure what that meant, so they were very cautious about eating it. Once Peter took a bite he confirmed that it was still bread.

Once everyone had had some of the bread, Jesus continued. Grabbing the cup of wine in front of him he said, “This wine is my blood. Whenever you drink it, remember me.” The same the group had the same tentative attitude until the first person said it was still just wine. With that, Jesus gathered up his overcoat and walked out of the building.

We all followed him. He led us out of the city to the Mount of Olives. He took James, John and Peter with him to the clearing and told everyone else to stay awake and pray. No sooner had he left us, than everyone fell asleep. I dozed in and out. At one point I heard sobbing, and woke up unsure of where it was coming from. I got up and walked toward the clearing. I realized it was coming from Jesus. He was on the ground convulsing with sobs. He was praying so hard that his sweat looked like blood crowning his forehead. I wanted to go comfort him, but before I could his head snapped up and he was looking down the path. There were people coming. I shot up and went to wake the others. Jesus did the same.

“Wake up! Wake up! They have come to arrest Jesus! Get up you lump! He needs your help!” I scurried around kicking and thumping the others awake.

As they all woke up, the men were getting closer. Judas was leading them. He went up to Jesus dropped to his knees. Jesus reached down and pulled him to his feet. “Friend, do quickly what you have come to do.”

With that Judas kissed Jesus on the cheek and the Temple guards and others who were with him grabbed Jesus and all of the rest of us. Some of the disciples fled, while Peter drew his sword and cut off his attacker’s ear. Jesus called to Peter to put the sword down. He reached over to the injured man and touched the bleeding place that his ear had once been. As he withdrew his hand, I saw that the man’s ear had grown back. Jesus then turned to his arresters. “You have who you are looking for. Please, let the other’s go, they have done nothing wrong.” The lead guard nodded to the others and they let us go and marched off with Jesus.

I was stuck in my place. It was all happening how I remember being told it did. Now what do I do. As I doubled over in terror and sadness I felt two arms around me. It was Mary Magdalene. She had noticed that I had not fled with the other, and worried that the guards would come back for us. She steered me toward the city and ultimately toward the Temple courtyard.

“Kate,” she whispered, “you need to be strong. We may have a long night ahead of us and I need you to stay with me.” As she said this we got closer to one of the fires that was lit in the courtyard.

Nearby I could hear Peter’s booming voice. “No, I don’t know who you are talking about… I don’t know they man… God damnit! Listen to me! I have never seen that man before!” As he said that last part, a rooster crowed in the distance. I could see Peter’s face now. All of the color drained out of it and he collapsed in a pile. Mary, seeing what happened as well went over to comfort Peter. She led him off to Joseph’s house, but whispered she would be right back as she passed.

I couldn’t stand still, so I walked around the courtyard. Every few yards I would walk I would see someone I recognize. John and Simon were sitting in a corner pretending to sleep. Andrew and Bartholomew were gambling by one of the central fires. And the others were spread out trying to blend into the crowd that was gathering.

Having everyone so close by was comforting. If anything happened, they would be by my side in an instant. While I was thinking about that, the doors to the Temple opened and I saw the Temple guards leading Jesus out. Jesus’ hands were tied and his eye has swollen shut from a well aimed hit from someone inside.

I started to follow the guard and Jesus, and I was not the only person following them. The entire group of people who were in the Temple courtyard seemed to be following after them. I felt a hand on my wrist. I turned and it was Mary again.

“We are going to Pilate’s palace. The teacher is to be tried for blasphemy and treason. The Sanhedrin had lined up fake witnesses, and they voted on his death. However Pilate has the last say.”

As we followed the guard and Jesus I noticed that dawn was breaking. It was Friday.

Sunday, April 24, 2011

Wednesday

Tuesday and Wednesday started the same as Monday. I met Jesus outside of the house we were staying; watching the sun rise over the Temple in the distance. As the sky exploded in brilliant pinks and oranges I turned to Jesus.

“How can you be so ok with what is going to happen?” I asked.

“What makes you think I’m ok with it?” Jesus responded with a sheepish grin. “I don’t want to do it, but I know I need to. I have to show my dad that there is no more need for blood. The only way to do that is for it to be my blood; then He will see.”

I looked at him for a long time. I don’t know if I would be willing to do the same. I didn’t have much longer to think about it until the others came out to join us, rubbing their eyes and yawning.

“So, what are we doing today?” Peter asked.

“We pray. And when the people come, we teach.” And with that we all went inside, ate breakfast and went out to the garden where we had gone to pray the night before.

By the middle of the day a crowd had gathered. Jesus did what he did best. He taught.

“There once was a man who owned a vineyard. On the land was a hedge, a wine press and a watchtower. At one point he was called away on business and so he left the vineyard under the control of his workers. The time came for him to collect his earnings so he sent a servant to them. The workers beat him and threw him out of the vineyard. The owner sent another servant but had the same results. The owner, fed up with the disobedient workers, sent his son to get the job done. When the workers found out that the son was coming they said to one another, ‘this is the heir to the vineyard, if we kill him there is no one to inherit this place. We would get the vineyard then.’ And that is exactly what they did. If you were the owner, what would you do?”

The hand of one little boy who was sitting at Jesus’ feet shot up in the air. “I know, I know!”

Jesus tousled the boy’s hair with a smile. “What would you do kiddo?” He asked.

“I would put the butt-munchers to death and hire new workers.”

"Ha ha ha, yes. I tell you the truth, the stone which the builders rejected will become the cornerstone.” Jesus said.

As he said this, the Pharisees in the crowd were agitated. They stood up and began to interrogate Jesus. “By what authority do you do these things? And who gave you that authority.”

Jesus turned to them and said, “I have a question for you too, answer mine and I will answer yours. Did John baptize by God or by Man?”

The Pharisees turned to one another; I was close enough to hear them discuss. “If we say John baptized by God then he will ask why we didn’t believe him. However if we say of men we will lose the respect of the people because they held him as a prophet.” After a time they turned back to Jesus and said they did not have an answer.

“Then I won’t answer you.” The Pharisees didn’t respond well to that. Immediately they started to fire off other questions to Jesus.

“Should we pay taxes to Caesar?” They asked hoping to get him to commit treason.

“Whose face is on the coin?” Jesus asked.

“Caesar’s.” They replied.

“Well, there is your answer. Give to Caesar what is his, and give to God what is God’s.”

This went on for a while until Jesus got fed up. His face turned red and he exploded. “Alas to you scribes and Pharisees! Blind guides! Hypocrites! You don’t love God you only hope you can appease him!”

As soon as he was done, the Pharisees left in a hurry. They were followed by two of the younger Sadducees. Judas hopped up and said something in Jesus’ ear. Jesus shook his head, and with that we all left.

While we were walking back to the place we were staying, I noticed Judas looking sketchy. While the rest were farther ahead of us, Judas slipped into an alley. I followed him, and he led me to a really nice house by the temple. I sat down by a window as Judas greeted the men inside, who happened to be the younger Sadducees. The men were discussing how to get rid of Jesus. One of the Sadducees addressed Judas. “We need you to turn him over Judas. We know you care about him, but your people are at risk. If they crown him king, Pilate will send in troops and slaughter everyone. Do the right thing, Judas.”

“What will you give me to do what you are asking? I mean, he is my teacher you know.” Judas replied.

I heard them toss a bag of money to Judas. “Really? Twenty pieces of silver? I don’t think so, but if you make it thirty it can be arranged.” I heard more money being dropped in the bag and then Judas continued, “I’ll come get you and your guards when it is the right time.” And with that, Judas left.

I waited a few minutes then followed back to the house. My mind was racing. It’s not like I didn’t know that Judas would betray Jesus; I just didn’t think about it. Eventually I was able to fall asleep, but it wasn’t very restful. I woke up sweaty and panicked more than once.

Thursday, April 21, 2011

Maundy Thursday

Ok, I'm going to post more of the story later.  My life got a little hectic, so that had to go on the back burner. 

I've been up all night writing papers, and as usual the exhaustion means that I do things that are a little out of the oridinary.  As I write this I am sitting ar the reservior watching the sun rise.  As the sky lights up with fiery oranges and pinks I can't help but wonder if this is something Jesus did.  Did he wake up at the crack of dawn and watch as God painted the sky with colors envied by artists everywhere?  Did he do this on the his last Thursday before all hell broke loose? 

I don't know.  But I do know that as I see the sun begin to peek through the clouds I can honestly say that today I know where I came from and that is more than enought for me.


Monday, April 18, 2011

Monday

When I woke up the next day the sun was still low in the sky. Low enough for it seem like a night with a full moon. It took me a few minutes to remember where I was. Once I had remembered the strange day before, my mind started to go a mile a minute. How had I gotten here? Why was I here? Did anyone back home know I was gone? Could this possibly be a dream? I only had an answer to the last question. It was most definitely not a dream. I could feel the cool air that was surrounding me. I could smell the animals and un-bathed people all around me. I could hear the rooster crow to wake the neighborhood to the new day. No, this was not a dream.

While I was still thinking I noticed a shadowy figure cross in front of a window. It appeared to be looking for me. Once the figure had gotten closer I realized it was Jesus. He motioned for me to stay quiet, but to follow him outside.

Once outside, he turned to me and said, "Kate, I'm sure you have many questions. I will answer the ones I can. Others you will have to figure out yourself."

I nodded, and started to ask everything that had come to mind earlier.

"I cannot answer how, but as far as why goes, you are here to learn something. Only you can know what it is. You were wise not to try to explain where you were from to John last night. I suggest you keep it secret. I want you to stay with my disciples. My mother and the other women will look after you. There will be a lot that happens this week that you already know about. Be sure not to tell anyone. They will take you for mad, or demon possessed." When he said this last part I realized how dangerous this could be if I didn't keep a guard on my tongue.

The two of us just sat there for a few more minutes taking in the sunrise that somehow seemed much more vibrant than the sunrises I had seen back home. Soon, the shadows began to shorten. The street was silent and still; very different from how I remembered it from the night before. As I was taking in the scene I felt Jesus rise.

"It is about the time the others will be getting up. We should go back in and meet them." He said as he held his hand out to me. As he pulled me up, I could feel his hands, rough from working with wood for so many years. I thought how ironic it was that he would soon die of the very thing his father had made a living from. As though he read my thoughts, Jesus turned to me and said, "Remember, don't tell people what you know. It will only put you in danger."

Once the others were up we all headed out to the Temple. Once we arrived I was overwhelmed by the chaos that was going on around me.
“Get your Temple sanctioned doves hear, guaranteed to be accepted by the high priest!” “Passover lambs for sale! Get them before they are gone!” “Don’t be refused service, change those Roman coins for the coins of the chosen people!”

Everywhere I looked there was someone selling something. People were dragging their offerings in, and the sales men were telling them that they wouldn't be good enough and they should just buy from the temple. And there were money changers at the entrance. I even saw a woman trying to sell herself to any man who walked by.

As the woman came up to James to try and conduct business I could see Jesus tense up. Out of nowhere he went to the nearest moneychanger's booth and with a soul wrenching yell he flipped it, sending the coins scattering through the crowd. People scramble to pick them up while the moneychanger stood in shock. Jesus proceeded to do the same thing to the rest of the booths nearby. He released the doves a man was selling to sacrifice and he untied the other livestock, all the while Jesus continued to yell. “You ungrateful thieves! Get out of my Father’s house! Get out! Don’t ever come back!” He grabbed a rope and began whipping the moneychanger, tax collectors and merchants; driving them out of the Temple courtyard.

Jesus threw the prostitute out and when the Pharisees had come over to see what the commotion was about. Jesus turned to them. He was panting and sweating from the anger and exertion. "It is written ' My house shall be called a house of prayer' but you have made it a den of thieves. Destroy this temple and in three days I will make it rise." With that he threw the whip down and walked toward the Temple. Jesus noticed and old woman who had been knocked over in the commotion. He reached down to help an old woman up. Once he was sure she was ok, we turned and left.

We didn't go back to the temple that day; instead we went out to a garden and prayed. We stayed there for the rest of the day and went back to the place we were staying that night. We all immediately fell asleep.

Sunday, April 17, 2011

Sunday

** When I was looking for a file on my computer I came across this story I wrote a couple of years ago. I edited it and have decided to share. Hopefully I will have time to write the rest this week along with catching up from being sick last week. I hope you enjoy, and keep looking out for the rest of them.**

As an American teenager I never gave much thought to religion. It was always just something that made me get up early on a Sunday. I would rarely wake up for church, and if I did it usually to scope out the boy in the nearby pew. I tuned out every word that was said to me about being a Christian, or about Jesus' life. It's not that I didn't care… I just didn't get it. I didn't understand how a man who lived so long ago mattered now, two thousand years later. Well that all changed last year.

On this particular Sunday I was motivated to go out for a run before I had to go sit still in church for an hour. I tied my sneakers, put my head phones in and attached my iPod to my upper arm, grabbed my keys and headed out the door. As I looked out the door, my little suburban neighborhood looked nothing like it did when I went to bed the night before.

My street looked like a couple tons of sand had been dumped on it. The brick house that used to be a crossed the street now looked to be made of mud or something, almost like it was a pueblo. The street it's self looked to be just packed down sand and dirt. The kids playing tag down the street weren’t in jeans and a t-shirt like normal, but were wearing very simple dresses, complete with a rope belt. I looked to the west and saw what looked like a temple fortress.
I soon realized that my iPod wasn't playing and went to check it, but it wasn’t on my arm anymore. I looked down and saw I was wearing the same style clothes as the kids. Determined to find out what was going on, I left my house and started looking for someone to ask.

As I got closer to the main road I could see a large crowd of people gathered around it. They were holding big leafy palm branches and shouting. The energy that exuded from the crowd was like nothing I’ve ever experienced. The best way I have to describe it is imagine the Ball drop in Times Square. It was that kind of excitement and clamor that this crowd was showing.

Turning to the man closest to me, I tapped him on the shoulder; I asked "What is happening? Why is everyone cheering and waving branches in the air?"
Looking back at me the man exclaimed, "Our Messiah has come, our new King, we came out to meet him. He is going to conquer the Romans and save us from their bullshit!" As he finished saying this he took off this outer coat and laid it out over the road along with the other coats and palm leaves.

The familiarity of what the man said hit me. I knew this story. Mom would read it to me every Palm Sunday.

As I realized what was going on, I saw him riding in on a donkey. As the crowd roared around him he had a peaceful smile on his face. His eyes told another story. . There was no way this was the powerful soon to be conqueror of Romans that the man had just claimed him to be. I watched as he smiled to the little children who ran out to meet him. He messed one of the little boy's hair and kept riding. The boy looked as though he had been touched by a king. This huge snaggle-toothed grin stretched a crossed his face as he ran back to his companions.

Soon I could hear what the people were yelling; they were saying "Hosanna! Hosanna in the highest! Blessed be the Son of David!"

I knew without a doubt that the man riding the donkey was Jesus. But, I wasn't supposed to be there. I was from the year 2007, what was I doing in Jesus' time? As these thoughts were racing through my head Jesus turned his head and looked back at me. He knew who I was. As I looked into his eyes it was as if he were saying, "Don't worry. Follow me.”

Before I realized it, I started to walk after Him. I wanted to see what his story was all about. That evening, when I had found where Jesus was I went up to one of the men traveling with Him.

"Sir," I said, "may I stay with your group? I have nowhere else to go." I didn't want to give too much away, so to dodge any unwanted questions I added, "I don't belong here."

The man smiled, "woman," he said, "I will check with my master, but I am sure you can stay with us." With that he went to Jesus and whispered something in his ear. Jesus smiled and nodded. Then the man came back over. "Woman, my master agrees. You are more than welcome to travel with us. My name is John. I am a disciple of that man, Jesus, along with these other eleven men." He then proceeded to point to each man as he called them by name. "Here is my brother James. This is Peter and his brother Andrew. Over there is Simon, and Bartholomew. Over watering the Donkey is Thomas, and next to him is Philip. Over talking with Jesus now is James of Alphaeus, and Simon the Zealot. The three men who are talking to each other are Judas of James, Matthew, and Judas Iscariot. We have been traveling together for a while now; all of us were called together by the teacher himself. Some of us were fishing while others were doing their everyday job. Oh, I don't think I caught your name."

Trying to take it all in I almost missed his question. "Oh, uh, my name is Kate." I stuttered. John smiled warmly as I continued to look around.

"The crowd is overwhelming at first, but you will get used to it. Although I will admit none of us were expecting that welcome. No of us, except maybe Jesus." John added. As he finished saying this one of the other men, the one I think he called Peter came over to him and said, "We are going to stay here tonight. The women will be with us. Do make sure you introduce the new one, Kate I think," looking at me to make sure. Once I nodded he continued, "make sure Kate meets the other women." John, who seems to be forever smiling, nodded, "Thank you for reminding me Peter. I shall do that right now." He said as he steered me over to a group of women that I hadn't noticed until now.

The women all varied in age, though most were much older than the others. As I approached, John called out to one of the younger ones, "Mary, we have a new member of our band. Would you mind looking out for her?" The young woman replied, "John, of course not." With that she confidently strode over to me and hugged me. "I am Mary Magdalene," she said, "why don't I introduce you to the rest of the girls?" Pointing at one of the elderly ladies, she said " this is Salome, She is James and John's mother. Over here are the sisters Mary and Martha, and with them is Johanna." Mary paused as the women said hello, but I noticed she hadn't introduced one old woman.

"Mary, did you forget me?" the old woman chided with a grin on her face.

Mary laughed, "Of course not, I was leaving you for last." then turning to me she said, "And this, Kate, is Jesus' mother, her name is also Mary."

"Welcome to our travel group." Mother Mary said warmly, coming forward to hug me. "You will fit right in with us; whether you belong in Jerusalem, or not. But now the sun is going down. We all need to get to bed. Don't forget to say your prayers ladies." And with that, Mary Magdalene took me by the hand and guided me to where she was sleeping, "you can stay by me tonight." And with that, my day was over.

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Stomach Flu Update

Well, this evening mom came and got me from school and brought me home.  After spending the entire ride home fighting off feeling like I was going to puke mom asked me if I thought I should go to the hospital right away.  My head was throbbing, I was incredibly dizzy, and overall sick.  I told her yes.I checked in and they put a fluid IV in.  After that I felt much better.  Still not great, but better.  Now I am heading to bed.

Monday, April 11, 2011

Stomach Flu

I went to bed last night feeling like shit and woke up this morning feeling no different.  After an entire day of being by myself to sleep I really just want to be around people, but I have a fever.  Out of love for my friends I am quarentining myself in my room, at the expense of my sanity.  I want to go home and be with my mom, but dad will get sick if I do that.  I just feel like I need to taken care of, but won't ask anyone to do that.  I hate being sick.  It turns me into a small child.  :(

Friday, April 8, 2011

Beautiful Things

***First, let me preface the double post today by saying that I downloaded the Blogger app for my droid, so now it is so much easier for me to post here when I think to do so.***

At Soma on Wednesday we sang a song called Beautiful Things and I was totally digging it.  Ever since then, the chorus has been stuck in my head (when Be A Man isn't there, that is).  It goes something like:

"You make beautiful things,
You make beautiful things out of the dust.
You make beautiful things,
You make beautiful things out of us."

I just love that.  Genesis (the book, not the band) tells us that we were formed from dirt.  God took something that we try our best to keep out of our house, clothes and kids mouths and he used that to create us.  And there is more than just that.  God uses us to do things we never thought we could.  He uses us to touch people's live in a way that let's the see the beauty and wonder of the world.  He uses us to show people how life should have, and still could, be.  I don't know anything more beautiful than that.

That is my happy thought for today.  If you have a couple minutes I suggest you go listen to Beautiful Things by the band Gungor.  Really listen to the words and try to truly understand that it is not just about sunsets and daisies, but about you and me.

Thursday, April 7, 2011

Spring time!

I always spend more time at the reservoir during the spring than any other time of the year. 

It just makes me happy.