For those of you who have not noticed: blogging, in its more traditional sense, isn’t my favorite thing. I like to write in the moment and I do not like to come back to things and try to write on them too often.
This is why I love Instagram so much. I can take a photo, edit it, then immediately write my thoughts and feelings down or share what quote has inspired me recently. Then it’s done. The end. On to the next one. Reflection is key, but intense blogging is just not my cup of tea.
So I’m trying something a little different. Here are some recent Instagram posts I’ve made and the captions that accompany them:
(or you could just follow me on Instagram: @RafikiJ)
hello Israel ///
That’s right. #TheWhey is taking on Israel this month! We will be spending the month with a few different contacts and hopefully doing a lot of research on other contacts for future World Race teams. We are about as giddy as you can be, and so stoked to see what God has for us and for Israel this next month!
Please pray alongside us as we try and make this the most fruitful trip possible. (P. S. The instagrammer in me is on Cloud 9)
August 3rd, 2016 ///
Today we went to a tomb.
It was empty.
He is moving ///
“Maybe it’s time we all stop trying to outsmart the truth and let it have its day.”
– Alfred Pennyworth
Something big is happening here in Jerusalem. We are practicing faithfulness in the small things until. Prayer is the biggest weapon. Join us in being a part of making Jesus’ name known more and more even in such a place as this!
wilderness ///
“Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God, who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began, and which now has been manifested through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel”
– 2 Timothy 1:8-10
This is the very wilderness Jesus was led out into by the Holy Spirit after being baptized.
read this ///
“For what it’s worth: it’s never too late or, in my case, too early to be whoever you want to be. There’s no time limit, stop whenever you want. You can change or stay the same, there are no rules to this thing. We can make the best or the worst of it. I hope you make the best of it. And I hope you see things that startle you. I hope you feel things you never felt before. I hope you meet people with a different point of view. I hope you live a life you’re proud of. If you find that you’re not, I hope you have the courage to start all over again.”
– F. Scott Fitzgerald
/// read it again
challah ///
Challah bread commemorates manna from heaven which fell while the Israelites wandered in the wilderness after their Exodus from Egypt. The manna would not fall on the Sabbath, so a double portion would fall the day before as provision for the coming days.
Our team made challah bread with our hosts recently in a very special way, utilizing each ingredient to remind us of a specific thing to pray for within our families! It was a beautiful and fun experience and the bread definitely sustained us for days to come. Praising the Lord every day here for these opportunities to learn with our hands and our eyes.
#tbt ///
Sometimes on the Race we like to take things all the way back to our roots.
I want to explain, but I’m honestly still just as confused about what happened today.
fill ///
I’ve begun to really contemplate post-World Race life and long-term goals, and it’s even brought me to the point of exploring personal branding and freelance work as I hone certain artistic and media skills I want to use for future Kingdom business.
But God has slowed me down a little to remember:
“Let us never imagine the fast-paced globalized nature of a technology-driven world would fill the emptiness of the human heart.”
– Paul Borthwick
What are your thoughts?
interactive theater art piece ///
After about a week of volunteering at Nazareth Village we are back in Jerusalem. We spent our time there destroying and rebuilding a first century style roof for one of the homes on display. It was a painful, dusty, hot few days that I would not trade. Our time with the staff and the team, sharing the misery of the heat and the joy of the hard work, had me thinking a lot about things like active prayer, really listening to the people you’re talking to, and the benefits of a hard day’s work on your soul.
And yeah, we were dressed as first century shepherds the entire time to keep the image up. That had me thinking about a favorite movie quote of all time:
“Is this some sort of interactive theater art piece?”
– Hot Rod
What do you think of this style of blog? Informative? Pointless? Too much? Too little? I welcome the feedback!
In Christ,
JCRB
