Italian dressing, Greek yogurt and French fries

Well, It is 5 am and the time has almost arrived. We are packed and ready to leave for Rome. In a few hours, we will be on a plane flying over the Atlantic. I am a little nervous today. I don't know Italian, Greek or French. I like Italian dressing, Greek yogurt, and French fries but when it comes to their language; just not happening. I was laying in bed last night wondering who had this idea of flying half way around the world to see the places the Apostle Paul walked anyway. Then I realized it was me.

My nerves seem to be superseded by the expectations. I read through the book of Acts this week and kept having this thought, "I will be standing there next week." Ephesus, Philippi, Rome, Athens, Crete, Corinth and Patmos just to name a few. Then there is Saint Peter Cathedral, The Sistine Chapel, the Pantheon and the Coliseum.  I just wish that they would unearth the lost letter of Paul to the French so I could justify spending three days in Paris Biblically. LOL!!! Maybe a few days holding hands with the love of my life in Paris is just what this trip needs.

I have two prayer requests as I end this post. I ask for you to pray for us to have a great time away from the cares of this world. Pray for good weather, a safe trip, not to get homesick, for the kids to get along well at the grandparents house, and all those other things that go into a great trip. Believe me, there has been lots to think about and plan for in something like this and I want it to go well. But more importantly, pray that this is the spiritual experience of a lifetime. I want Peggy and I to see Jesus time and time again over the course of the next 15 days. I want to shed tears of joy and sorrow in sacred places. I want the Bible to come alive again and again. I want to think thoughts that deepen my faith and trust in Jesus. I want to come home more like Christ than I have ever been in my life.

My commitment to you is this. In the coming days, I will be praying for you in places where the veil between heaven and earth is very thin. I have picked out some special spots to pray for each of you by name and I will send you all pictures of those spots on the day that it was completed. So, grab a bottle of Italian dressing, plunge your spoon into some Greek yogurt or pull into the drive-through for some hot and delicious French fries and lets start this journey together.