Dirksey Blog

The Garden Tomb

2009-11-21T15:36:00.000-08:00

No words to express what we were feeling...

Golgotha, Place of the Skull

2009-11-21T15:32:00.000-08:00

This is a picture of a hill that is to the left. It looks like a skull which is why they called it Golgotha.

You can sort of see it behind John. We are convinced that Jesus was crucified on that hill behind John. This was one of the most moving places for me.

David and Goliath

2009-11-21T15:28:00.000-08:00

This is the hill that David came down to fight Goliath. He got his stone from the now dried out brook where the people are getting rocks from.

John, James, and Ron

Dirkses and Zaps

The Dead Sea

2009-11-21T15:26:00.000-08:00

A Dead Sea Mud wrap!

You really do float!

Check out Stan...it was even in his hair!

The Purple Bus #2

2009-11-21T15:23:00.001-08:00

The Zappia's

The Jennings and DeJesus'

Ed and Suzie

Rachel, Junice, and Laura

John and Julie, Stan and Kathleen

The Purple Bus

2009-11-21T15:21:00.000-08:00

Masada

2009-11-21T15:15:00.000-08:00

Masada is one of Herod's 3 fortress cities built around 37 BC. It's located in the wilderness of Judea just off of the Dead Sea and 15 miles north of Sodom

The view of the Dead Sea from Masada

The Cable car that took us to the top.

Random

2009-11-21T15:11:00.001-08:00

You can see the bottom layer is part of the original Wall.

You can see the archway that was an original gate into the city.

My Dude with the El Oksa Mosque behind him.

Kathy, me, and Jody

Same pic accept with John and Ron too

More of the Wall

2009-11-21T15:08:00.001-08:00

The Dirkse's and the Zappia's at at Historical Monument

The Western/Wailing Wall

2009-11-21T15:04:00.000-08:00

This wall is the remains of the wall that Herod built around the temple. The Jewish people come here to stick their prayers in the wall and pray and cry.

The Via Delarosa

2009-11-21T15:01:00.000-08:00

This is the street that Jesus walked down as He carried the cross.

The very road that He stepped on.

The Temple Mount

2009-11-21T14:51:00.000-08:00

This is where the original Temple used to be. It was intended that the Dome of the Rock be built over it but mistakenly they miscalculated. The Dome is just a few hundred feet to the left.

It was amazing to actually go onto the temple Mount. This is one angle on the Dome of the Rock. You had to enter through very high security to go here.

This is the Lion's Gate into the Muslim Quarter of Jerusalem.

Mt. of Olives

2009-11-21T14:46:00.000-08:00

James blessing us with the Word while we were on the Mt. of Olives.

Later on we had some quiet time to reflect. I loved being here. It's where Jesus went to pray often. It's also where the disciples fell asleep while Jesus was praying, and where He was arrested.

There were about 12 Olive trees in this gated off area. Some of them are dated back 2400 years! They were just baby trees at the time of Jesus.

Jerusalem

2009-11-21T14:41:00.000-08:00

On our way to Jerusalem we had to stop and see this guy.

Overlooking the city

This pic has the Sealed Gate in it...that's the one that the Messiah will stand in when He comes again!

Bet Shean

2009-11-21T14:35:00.000-08:00

Bet Shean is one of the largist archeological sites in Israel. Recent excavations are revealing a beautiful city that dates back to the 4th century.

Fish at the Sea of Galilee

2009-11-21T14:32:00.001-08:00

They serve it with the head and tail!

A little out of my comfort zone...

Being a big girl...eating what's on my plate!

Jordan River

2009-11-21T13:11:00.000-08:00

They think that Jesus was baptized not far from this part of the Jordan.

James the Baptist :)

Worship time before the baptisms.

Semon on the Mount

2009-11-21T13:03:00.001-08:00

Over looking the Sea of Galilee...although it was pretty hazy that day.

Pastor James blessing us from the Word.

James had Harvest Pastors and wives read through Matt 5-7 which was spoken for the first time near this very spot.

Me, Maureen, and Jody

Day #3 part 2

2009-11-17T12:29:00.000-08:00

This is the store that you go thru before you get on the boat to go out on the Sea of Galilee. Of course John had to stop and play the Shofar. :)

John and Ron and Jody Zappia just before our ride on the Sea of Galilee.

A boat on the Sea of Galilee. To be able to be on the water that Jesus was on was unreal.

Pastor James shared with us that night and we worshipped together on the boat. Will never forget that.

Me and my Love on the boat.

Day #3

2009-11-17T11:58:00.000-08:00

This is Capernaum which is on the Sea of Galilee. Jesus came to this area because Nazereth rejected Him. It is where He spent the most of His time ministering. He did most of His miracles here. It's where He called the disciples to be fisher's of men. This is the synogogue in Capernaum where Jesus taught.

It's hard to see but these are the remains of Capernaum. Up close we could see the way the homes were broken up into living areas.

Underneath the Catholic structure built above is the house of Peter's mother. Jesus healed her.

The darker layer is the actual synagogue wall from the time of Jesus.

Day #2 part 3

2009-11-17T11:34:00.001-08:00

Here John and I are on Mt. Carmel. This is where in the OT that Elijah called down fire on 850 prophets of Baal. This was an amazing place to stand on. We read the story out loud which was very moving.

Mt. Carmel over looks the Jezreel Valley which in end times is the valley of Armageddon. Thinking about what will happen in this valley in the very near future was sobering.

We left Mt. Carmel and headed toward Meggido. On the way there we saw some tombs along the side of the road that were recently discovered. Even the stone that they used to roll over the front is still there.

Meggido was occupied as early as 4000 BC. In 1925 excavations revealed 20 layers of civilization. Here John and I are 120 feet down in the depths of a water system dated to 2800 BC.

From Meggido we drove through the Valley of Armageddon and stopped on the other side in Nazareth. This city is the hometown of Jesus and is known for rejecting Him. It is currently 60% Muslim.

Day #2 part 2

2009-11-17T11:30:00.001-08:00

An aqueduct built by Herod the Great.

More ancient ruins.

5 Harvest Pastors. Doug Hellmer, John, Ron Zappia, John Gaus, and Buddy Riddle

Day #2

2009-11-17T11:21:00.000-08:00

This is Caesarea. Founded by Herod the Great in 22 BC. It was the center of Roman Government for over 500 years. In Jesus' times, this is where Peter shared the gospel with Cornelius, the first Gentile.

Tons of history here as well as ancient ruins. This is a Roman amphitheater.

Ruins from Herod's palace.

The place where Chariot Races took place in Herod's time.

Israel Trip #1

2009-11-17T10:57:00.000-08:00

First stop was Tel Aviv which is ancient Joppa. It is on the Eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea. This is where Jonah got on a boat to run from God.

The weather was in the 70's and 80's the entire time we were there.

Here I am playing in the Mediterranean Sea for the first time in my life!

Lincoln Park Zoo

2009-10-11T16:11:00.000-07:00

My birthday in Chicago

2009-10-11T16:05:00.000-07:00

More Lake Michigan Fun

2009-10-11T16:01:00.000-07:00

Lake Michigan Fun

2009-10-11T15:51:00.000-07:00

School started today.

2009-08-24T13:52:00.001-07:00

John and Luke (Mr. Freshman!)

Alyssa and Lauren (my junior highers)

Olivia and Emma 2nd and 4th grades

Mary(Thompson) and Ralph Etter were here!

2009-08-24T13:49:00.000-07:00

John and the kids went four wheeling!

2009-08-24T13:45:00.000-07:00

Last Days of the 2009 Vacation

2009-08-06T20:07:00.001-07:00

Moms against Sons water basketball :)

Cleaning the trailor

Oceanside #3

2009-08-06T19:59:00.000-07:00

Nate getting a hot stone massage via Hannah

Check out this pizza!

Oceanside, CA #2

2009-08-06T19:54:00.000-07:00

Oceanside, CA

2009-08-06T19:50:00.000-07:00

Brother Nate's Fam...

2009-08-05T21:08:00.000-07:00

Nate's beauty Gina. This is the only picture I have of her! What a bummer!

Hannah, their oldest. Almost 5.

Rebekah eating a bagel

Isaiah 3 1/2

Their newest little guy, Elijah

More Yosemite...can't help

2009-08-05T21:05:00.001-07:00

Sequoias...they're huge!

El Capitan and Half Dome in the far distance. Shot from the Tunnel View.

The Fam!

Lunch at the Awhanee Hotel, Yosemite

2009-08-05T20:59:00.000-07:00

Yosemite Falls

2009-08-05T20:53:00.000-07:00

Liv with the falls in the background

Lauren and Liv

Luke and Lis...look at those boulders!

Me in awe again.

Yosemite #1

2009-08-05T20:48:00.001-07:00

Half Dome...and no that's not our van in the background. :)

Heading to Yosemite Falls

Me and my other Half...ha ha ha. Isn't that background amazing?

The Fam with Half Dome in the background.

El Capitan

Driving Pix

2009-08-05T20:46:00.000-07:00

Of course we had this as soon as we got into Calif.

I switched with Lauren to change it up a little. No...she's not driving. :)

Mt. Shasta, Northern California

2009-08-05T20:40:00.001-07:00

Mt. Shasta is in the distance here...look beyond the little mound.

Otter Rock #2

2009-08-05T20:37:00.001-07:00

Otter Rock

2009-08-05T20:29:00.000-07:00

Cousins

Luke

Crazy ladies!

Jill, Taawney, and me.

The Stead's and Dirkses.

Depot Bay on the Oregon Coast

2009-08-05T20:20:00.001-07:00

Jonathan and I grew up coming here every summer. We watched the fishing boats come in the harbor with waves crashing everywhere. We also watched them clean the fish.

Teenagers now...can't you tell? Luke and JT

My neice Sarah and me.

We sat here when we were little tykes!

Tillamook Cheese Factory

2009-08-05T20:18:00.001-07:00

Tillamook is a favorite of ours to stop at. YUMMY!

Cannon Beach July 29

2009-08-05T20:13:00.001-07:00

Cannon Beach

Me and the girls with Haystack rock behind us.

The Bakery

The Lake Chelan fan club. Jill, John, and Tawney...and my big brother Jon in the background.

Seattle and the Ferry Ride

2009-07-29T09:38:00.000-07:00

Pikes Place Market downtown Seattle

The kids are intensely watching the guys that throw the fish through the air. :)

North Cascades Highway

2009-07-29T09:00:00.000-07:00

Winthrop!

2009-07-28T07:59:00.000-07:00

Lauren, Sarah, and Lis

Me and my Daddy

LOVE this picture of Tawney and Lis

Me and Lis

Most of the Fam

The Canadians in Chelan

2009-07-28T07:53:00.000-07:00

These are our dear friends whom we affectionately call the Canadians. Every year we end up right next to them in our campsites at Lake Chelan. This year they allowed Luke and JT to cook up a HUGE breakfast including Luke's favorite....BACON!!!!

Lake Chelan

2009-07-27T23:47:00.000-07:00

Half of the Stead Fam

One of my FAVORITE beaches!

Big brother Jonathan

Revelation lesson, part two with Grandma

2009-07-27T23:41:00.000-07:00

The girls doing their lesson

My Sweet Daddy

Mom and Joey

Olivia blowing the Shofar(which signalled the beginning of the lesson each morning).

Leavenworth Backpacking 2009

2009-07-27T23:32:00.001-07:00

Jay taking it easy after a tough hike up.

John, Luke, Lis, Jay, Daniel, JT , and Jon

Luke and Lis fishing

Lis and cousin Daniel

Lake Lichtenwasser

Spokane Fun

2009-07-27T23:27:00.001-07:00

Alyssa and Annsley

Olivia and Coby

Lauren and Naomi

Luke and Evan

Stu Stiles and 16 kids lol! We went to Lake Coure de lane to play at the beach.

Visiting Becky and the girls

2009-07-09T23:04:00.000-07:00

Ella and Gracie Brinkman

Ella and Olivia

Gracie and Olivia

Gracie and Emma

Gracie and Lauren

Road Trip with Amy, Naomi, and my 3 youngest

2009-07-08T22:47:00.001-07:00

Gigantic jawbreakers....

Fun and games with the jawbreakers

Wal Drug goofy jack rabbit

Early morning at the hotel

Buying gigantic jaw breakers at Wal Drug

Amy helped with the girl's bath and rooms

2009-07-08T22:45:00.001-07:00

Amy's been here... :)

2009-07-08T22:43:00.000-07:00

Bullers in Chicago

2009-07-08T22:39:00.001-07:00

Emma and Lauren Swim team June 18 2009

2009-07-08T22:36:00.001-07:00

Isaiah Kolcharno

2009-06-26T20:29:00.000-07:00

Lauren's 11th birthday

2009-06-26T20:25:00.000-07:00

Luke's Graduation #1

2009-06-26T20:21:00.001-07:00

Liam and Asher Tobin

2009-06-26T20:17:00.001-07:00

First Cubs Game...Dodgers win. :)

2009-06-26T20:14:00.000-07:00

Honor's Night for Luke and Lis

2009-06-26T20:12:00.000-07:00

Trampoline Fun #1

2009-06-26T20:06:00.001-07:00

Downtown with the Zappias. May 09

2009-06-26T20:02:00.000-07:00

The Bean!

The skyline

Renting bikes to ride up and down Lake shore! Fabulous!!!!

Me and Jody

John taking a nap...

2009-06-26T20:00:00.000-07:00

Luke's 14th birthday

2009-06-26T19:54:00.001-07:00

Scott, Amanda, Isaiah, and Luke

Luke, Tom and Sara

Taylor and Luke

Jonny and Luke

Tobins and Luke

Spring Break with Harvest Staff

2009-06-26T19:48:00.000-07:00

Liv and Asher

Isaiah

Liam loving Luke

Lis on the Jr High basketball team

2009-06-26T19:46:00.001-07:00

Liv's 2nd grade concert

2009-06-26T19:42:00.000-07:00

Found the girls reading like this...seriously!

2009-06-26T19:40:00.001-07:00

Liv's first tooth

2009-06-26T19:37:00.000-07:00

My Dad was here! Feb 09

2009-06-26T19:32:00.000-07:00

Out to dinner

Grandpa, Luaren, and Lis

Me and my Daddy!

Facebook and Blogger????

2009-04-03T18:25:00.000-07:00

Emma and LiamJohn and Liam

Lis and Liam at the indoor waterpark. He was LOVIN this.

Lauren and Liam

Sorry, I haven't been very good about updating blogger. I got caught up in Facebook and my computer crashed. So...i am hoping to download more pix from our Spring Break trip this weekend. Okie dokie? Here's a few...

What I found on my doorstep yesterday...

2009-01-27T13:28:00.001-08:00

For you Facebookers....this is what I found on my doorstep yesterday. A very sweet friend surprised me and sent this handbag to me. Don't surprises from dear friends just brighten your day? It's called the "Betseyville handbag" and it says so on that little metal tag. No one will have to guess whose it is. :) Isn't it fun?

I love Jesus Christ

2009-01-03T15:20:00.000-08:00

A clarification of what it means to love Jesus Christ from John Piper:

I admire Jesus Christ more than any other human or angelic being.
I enjoy his ways and his words more than I enjoy the ways and words of anyone else.
I want his approval more than I want the approval of anyone else.
I want to be with him more than I want to be with anyone else.
I feel more grateful to him for what he has done for me than I do to anyone else.
I trust his words more fully than I trust what anyone else says.
I am more glad in his exaltation than in the exaltation of anyone else, including me.

More Love to Thee oh Christ, more love to Thee...

Luke and Sam

2008-12-28T19:22:00.000-08:00

John had today off and so we went to Racine, WI to hear our dear friend Spencer DeBurgh preach. It was awesome and afterward we spent the afternoon together. The boys had time to jam together. Check it out. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o_mSat0qmBU

Christmas with Friends

2008-12-28T19:16:00.000-08:00

Lis and Mr. Tobin
Amy and Carly

Lauren P, Bets, and Tanya

Todd, Sam, Spencer, Amy, and Carly

Liam, Tan, and Amy

Snow Forts!

2008-12-28T19:11:00.000-08:00

Lis hiding inside her fort

Lauren

Lis, Luke and Lauren

Grandma and Grandpa Dirkse were here!

2008-12-28T19:07:00.000-08:00

The kids were gifted a season of The Cosby Show from Grandma and Grandpa. This is a hit already! Thank you!
Grandpa and Emma

Grandma and some of the girls

Gingerbread house making contest

2008-12-28T18:57:00.000-08:00

Mid December we had friends over for this annual Dirkse contest. We had 8 teams. Very Fun!

This almost won except that it needed more icing coverage. Note the red swedish fish in the river.

Mellie and Kristin partner up

Scott and Seth

John

2008-12-25T11:31:00.000-08:00

Connoissuer:

One who understands the details, technique, or principles of an art and is competent to act as a critical judge 2: one who enjoys with discrimination and has an appreciation for subtleties.

I had no idea how much this word describes my husband. Think coffee, music, paint colors, clothes, page layout, cooking, and the list could go on. Anyone agree?

I love this about him.

The Kim's were here! Part 2

2008-12-11T12:43:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving with the Kim's and the Tobin's and Arianna's folks. The kids were right across the way in the foyer.
Group Pic

The Girls

Noah and Luke

We had an absolute blast with our dear friends the Kim's over Thanksgiving. They came out so Michael could take some continuing Ed courses in the windy city. Smart of them to tack on a vacation at the Dirkses! Amy whipped my home into shape with finishing big jobs that were too overwhelming for me (dusting the curtain rods ha ha ha, washing the curtains, hanging light fixtures, pictures and mirrors, hemming, sewing, buying :) etc ). We had yummy food and great conversations...just like old times. How we miss our sweet friends!

The Kim's were here! Part 1

2008-12-11T12:40:00.000-08:00

Naomi and Lauren hi fivin
John and Naomi

Best Friends!

Chocolate at the Hershey store, downtown Chicago

Advent starts tomorrow

2008-11-29T19:50:00.000-08:00

Each year for the last 5 years we have celebrated Advent in our family. I have come to love this time in the year as it gives me a month to meditate on the birth of my Savior as well as look expectantly toward His return. We celebrate each of the four Sundays leading up to Christmas as well as everyday with the reading of one of the stories above. Jotham's Journey is our favorite but Bartholomew's Passage is pretty good as well. Our kids have grown to love these stories and I have grown to love the built in reminders their daily readings provide. Don't let Christmas 2008 slip by without slowing down to meditate on the Savior. John 1:14

We love Liam!

2008-11-16T20:34:00.000-08:00

Liam brushing his teeth.
Trails of Liam...he was no where to be found. :)

Emma feeding him lunch. I think he had a different helper each time he ate.

All done brushing...good job Liam!

Emma giving a famous "Dirkse magic carpet ride" to Liam. He eventually got the hang of it and started loving it!

This last weekend we got to have Liam Tobin at our house for an extended visit. Andy and Arianna are friends of ours from Spokane who are now on staff with us here at Harvest. They took a couple of nights away as a last hurrah before baby #2 arrives this week! Liam, 13 months old and their firstborn, is a favorite around our home. He is a great kid, lots of energy, lots of will, but has been trained very well. He was a joy to have! Here are some pics of his time here.

a quote that made me smile

2008-11-12T12:48:00.000-08:00

"You don't know what a mink coat does for a girl's morale".

Uncle Jonathan

2008-11-06T13:07:00.000-08:00

Uncle Jona(pronounced Johna...I've called him that forever) came out for a visit earlier this month and we enjoyed him so much! Of course I hadn't changed my oil since our trip this summer and so he did it for me. Luke was at basketball practice during the oil change lesson but 4 curious girls stuck around to learn! :)

Team mowing between Lauren and Jonathan.

Here we are at Lake Michigan....oops his eyes are closed. We toured the north shore and then downtown Chicago.

Good times with my big brother!

He came out to see us as well as Love the Least by abort73 which Harvest Rockford hosted. Thanks to Auntie Jill, J.T., Sarah, Joey, and Jackson for letting us have him for 5 days!

Pumpkins

2008-11-02T18:14:00.000-08:00

It was the first year ever that we were able to go to the pumpkin patch in shorts. Even in all our years in the Northwest this never happened! It is unseasonably warm for this time of year. We were in the 70's today.

Potatoes

2008-11-02T17:53:00.001-08:00

On many occasions Luke comes home from school and makes his specialty, "tiny tots". They are a version of hashbrowns...two potatoes cut up in tiny pieces, sauteed ever so carefully with just the right seasoning and a little(ha ha ha) ketchup. He makes me smile. :)

Help!

2008-10-14T14:27:00.000-07:00

I have tried to upload some video footage a few times lately but am having a very difficult time....any blogspot wisdom out there for me?

The other day I was in the kitchen and turned around to find this...

2008-09-21T13:03:00.000-07:00

My creative and resourceful daughters. This is a mix of our dress up and regular clothes.
They decided to take it outside...
and walk around the yard.

I LOVE the life they bring into our home. :)

Cucumbers,pickels, and Emma

2008-09-16T15:09:00.001-07:00

Emma's pride and joy.
A proud gardner!
Cucumbers...
plus a few extra ingredients ...
and you get Pickels!
Emma is my little green thumb. She has been playing in the dirt since she was sitting up. One of my favorite pics of Em is where she is about 6 months old and has a fistfull of dirt in her mouth. It's a pre-digital camera pic and I don't have a scanner to show you. Maybe someday. Anyhow, each year she is determined to grow anything and everything. It all depends on how much space we find for her. It's not much but she loves it. This year we grew cucumbers for the first time and we have been delighted with the results.

Scavenger Hunt in Chicago

2008-09-13T13:16:00.001-07:00

Our team with the Sears Tower behind us.

Hitchhiking on Michigan Avenue
Getting ready to jump into Buckingham Fountain.

Here we are at our small group leader's retreat in downtown Chicago. There were 40 of us that gathered together in the windy city. Only where John Dirkse is the senior pastor is there a scavenger hunt on the agenda for a "training" weekend! I laughed so hard when I looked at the schedule. With John, having "fun" is always mixed in with all the serious stuff. I love that about my him.

LAME-O

2008-09-13T13:06:00.000-07:00

Alright, there's is just no good excuse why I haven't posted in 5 weeks! Of course, I'd like to blame my lameness on being attached to full time ministry. September is always crazy around our house(like it is for most of you). Add life in the ministry to that and you get INSANITY. :)

We did take a few pix in the meantime. Enjoy!

After 6300 miles and 15 states we are home!!!

2008-08-07T09:18:00.000-07:00

I can't say all of the ways that God blessed us on this trip...but I will list a few random memories:

Driving out west and seeing so much of God's diverse and amazing creation...forests, high lakes in WA, beaches, redwoods, cypress trees, white sand, black sand, sunsets, rivers, red rocks, Mt. Hood, Mt. Adams, Mt. Rainier, and so much more.
Playing with my family and friends.
Watching John (and the kids) boogie board for hours in the Pacific Ocean. I think he was in the water more than out of it. :)
Listening to music on the road from Hillsong, Matthew West, Norah Jones, John Mayer and Seabird. (We always buy new music for the road and really enjoyed these albums, especially Hillsong's new Live album.
Spending time with both of our families. As the years go on I am reminded of how special these relationships are. We miss them so much!
Studying the 7 churches in Revelation with the Stead family at Lake Chelan. I learned a lot that I had never known. Thanks Mom!
Gas prices at 3.85-4.49. Crazy how it changed from day to day!
Floating the Wenatchee river with family and friends.
Running and biking with sister in law, Jill. We logged some serious miles together. I love being pushed by her whether spiritually or physically, she is a blessing to me!
Chi Chi's pizza with Mom, Dad, Nate, and Steve.
Laughing at Nate and Jon's jokes.
Playing with Hannah, and Olivia in the waves.