View from Mt. Tabor

Yes, I meant that literally.  These are views from Mt. Tabor.  I was overwhelmingly honored, blessed, and unspeakably delighted to go on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land in the year 2000 (i.e. before it became overwhelmingly and unspeakably dangerous to go there.) And I have this professor to thank for the opportunity, the man who founded my college and changed so many lives: Dr. Warren H. Carroll. 

That's him on Mt. Tabor too... he came with the college group of us.  Unless you are familiar with the traditional Catholic schools in this country, you may not have heard of him... but have you heard of "As the World Turns"?  His mom wrote the book that series was loosely based on.  :)  As for Dr. Carroll, who passed away two years ago, he was a historian whose classes I got to take, and he liked my writing and wanted to encourage me to keep at it.  So Dr. Carroll, here I am trying! :)  A blog is only two letters away from a book, right?

But I'm losing my focus on the view...  Since today's Gospel was about the Transfiguration, I figured it made sense to share my non-digital, roll of film camera pictures of this transforming place with you. 

The view was amazing.  And deathly frightening to get to.  Maniac drivers speed-raced panicked tourists in Mercedes E-class taxis to the summit, spinning around dirt roads and hairpin turns.  So the feeling of "I'm still alive" and "I never want to go back down" definitely added to the mountain top experience of Tabor.  I was certainly ready to pitch a tent and never leave... at least not until a trustworthy helicopter could be acquired. 

But once I stopped shaking and feelings of nausea passed, I remember praying to the Lord who once stood there in glory to transform me to the person He created me to be.  I'm still praying that prayer today. 

"Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.
Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me. 
Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit."  Psalm 51:10-12