According to the Meyer-Briggs tests I've taken, I'm a solid INFP. Introverted first. I tend to get all wrapped up in my own thoughts and then realize I haven't talked to the world for a while. I think that's where I got this past week or so - into my own head!
Do you do that, too?
In anycase, have a fantastic weekend! Shabbat Shalom
paying attention to the fingerprints and footprints of God, the miracles that are with us in the evening, the morning, and in the afternoon
Showing posts with label RealLifeShabbat. Show all posts
Showing posts with label RealLifeShabbat. Show all posts
Friday, May 1, 2015
Friday, April 3, 2015
And Now To Recline
In all this preparation for Passover, it is easy to get
busy. I get rather bogged down cleaning the house to get rid of the chametz. It
is chaotic trying to figure out what needs to be stored and what cannot be
eaten. Then there is the effort it takes to host a meal for family and friends.
If you are like me, a social introvert, it may not be the easiest thing to
accomplish. So the last few days before Passover are full of things to do. It’s a very Martha way of
being.
Do you remember the story of Mary to be with
Him. Martha snaps at her sister (are we told if she is the older? She acts
older.) Mary should be helping with all the work. But Yeshua says that Mary has
chosen what is important.
and Martha in the Bible? In
Luke 10:38-42, sisters Mary and Martha are hosting Yeshua in their home. Martha
is in hustle mode – everything must be perfect for this amazing teacher. Mary,
on the other hand, sits at His feet to learn from Him and just
It reminds me also of things I’ve heard online recently to
not be doing for your children when
you are with them, but to truly be
with them. Martha was doing for Yeshua; Mary was being with Him.
I have just about always related to Mary. The work can wait.
The important part is learning and spending time with Yeshua at His feet.
And then there is Passover. The process of getting ready for
Passover consists of a lot of work, trying to get the house “just right”. The
thing is, though, no matter how hard you try, no matter which set of rules you
follow, you will always fall short. In my own power – in your own power- there
will always be something forgotten. There will be a cabinet that is not
perfect, or a bag of goldfish you didn’t notice in the car. Something. And
that’s the key. The physical prepartion for Passover is useful in just that –
it shows us how much we are in need of God’s grace and mercy.
The redemption that happened so many thousands of years ago
is timeless. When we finally let out a breath and sit at dinner, we must allow
the story to wash over us. God heard the cry of His people. God still hears the
cry of His people, down to the groans we cannot articulate.
So Martha, dearest, whatever your name is, sit down and
recline at the table next to your sister Mary. Let the story of redemption
pierce your soul. The message is for us all. It is not just those who were
redeemed way back when, it as if we all crossed the Red Sea and were redeemed.
We have been redeemed by the blood of the lamb!
Chag Sameach, dear ones!
Friday, March 27, 2015
Shabbat Shalom and Passover links
This has been a crazy week! Field trips and volunteering and shopping and planning oh my!
Passover is in one week, and despite my brainiac attempts to organize, I am hardly ready, so this coming week will be a heavy push to get things done. I think I can do it. The checklist I made will certainly come in handy!
I've been spending my "down" moments in research and planning. I have the starts of a menu for next week, but nothing concrete yet. I have been setting aside some great Passover resources from various sources.
Here is a great resource for Passover planning, kosher on a budget, Kosher on a Budget is a great website that sends all sorts of amazing daily deals. I have been following this blog for probably two years now, and I love reading a saving/organization blog from a Jewish perspective. This year she put together her Passover Menu and published it. I love her.
If you are interested in learning more about Yeshua in the Passover, Chosen People has a free resource here.
This is an older Messianic Haggadah, but it does the trick. I remember using it at our Synagogue for many years.
First Fruits of Zion is publishes and sells the most beautiful Messianic Jewish resources. I have their Erev Shabbat Siddur. I have not seen their Haggadah, but if it is as beautiful as their other resources, I would highly reccomend it.
What is the difference between a Messianic Haggadah and a non-Messianic Haggadah?
I'm glad you asked :) A Messianic Haggadah mentions the redemption brought by Yeshua, whereas a non-Messianic is about the departure from Egypt.
Should Messianic Jews only use a Messianic Haggadah?.
Not always. The redemption of the Jewish people from Egypt is a powerful story to remember, and stands on its own. The story of Yeshua is not meant to overshadow that story, but to bring even more meaning to the story of God's redemption.
So. If you are like me, and think about which Haggadah to use very last minute, have no fear. The Maxwell House Haggadah that you see in your local grocery store will work just fine. The language is a little archaic, but the story gets told.
Oh! And if you are crunched for time, the 30 minute seder looks pretty incredible. Even though many traditional seders last into the wee hours of the morning, it may be a challenge to do so with little ones running about. Our seders tend to run short, but we tell the story in such a way that the kids know what is going on.
(And then there was last year. That was one short seder. You can read that story here.)
Shabbat Shalom dear ones and Happy getting ready for Passover!
Passover is in one week, and despite my brainiac attempts to organize, I am hardly ready, so this coming week will be a heavy push to get things done. I think I can do it. The checklist I made will certainly come in handy!
I've been spending my "down" moments in research and planning. I have the starts of a menu for next week, but nothing concrete yet. I have been setting aside some great Passover resources from various sources.
Here is a great resource for Passover planning, kosher on a budget, Kosher on a Budget is a great website that sends all sorts of amazing daily deals. I have been following this blog for probably two years now, and I love reading a saving/organization blog from a Jewish perspective. This year she put together her Passover Menu and published it. I love her.
If you are interested in learning more about Yeshua in the Passover, Chosen People has a free resource here.
This is an older Messianic Haggadah, but it does the trick. I remember using it at our Synagogue for many years.First Fruits of Zion is publishes and sells the most beautiful Messianic Jewish resources. I have their Erev Shabbat Siddur. I have not seen their Haggadah, but if it is as beautiful as their other resources, I would highly reccomend it.I'm glad you asked :) A Messianic Haggadah mentions the redemption brought by Yeshua, whereas a non-Messianic is about the departure from Egypt.
Should Messianic Jews only use a Messianic Haggadah?.
Not always. The redemption of the Jewish people from Egypt is a powerful story to remember, and stands on its own. The story of Yeshua is not meant to overshadow that story, but to bring even more meaning to the story of God's redemption.
So. If you are like me, and think about which Haggadah to use very last minute, have no fear. The Maxwell House Haggadah that you see in your local grocery store will work just fine. The language is a little archaic, but the story gets told.Oh! And if you are crunched for time, the 30 minute seder looks pretty incredible. Even though many traditional seders last into the wee hours of the morning, it may be a challenge to do so with little ones running about. Our seders tend to run short, but we tell the story in such a way that the kids know what is going on.
(And then there was last year. That was one short seder. You can read that story here.)
Shabbat Shalom dear ones and Happy getting ready for Passover!
Friday, March 20, 2015
Parasha Vayikra: 5775
This week's portion is on Vayikra. As I looked at the scriptures, I realized that I had written on this passage before. (You can find it here.) The beauty of studying scripture over and over again is finding new gems of knowledge each time.
Vayikra is the first portion of the book that bears its name in Hebrew, Vayikra, Leviticus in the English. The book starts off giving dirctions that pertain to the priesthood, the Levis.
The Torah portion, the haftorah portion, and our besorah portion all pertain to the priesthood and sacrifices. It is interesting to note line of development starting with Torah, moving to Haftorah, and ending in the Besorah. It is in things like this that I see a completion of the Torah in Besorah.
In Torah, we are told in some depth, what is necessary to present the proper offerings before God for all sorts of offences. Amidst the descriptions of blood and guts, Leviticus 3:17 says, “It is to be a perpetual statute throughout your generations in all your dwellings, that you must eat neither fat nor blood.” (Leviticus 3:17 TLV). Other instances in Torah where the text says a perpetual statute, it refers to the High Holidays, and other celebrations such as Shabbat. I had not realized that eating blood, and FAT were prohibitied. Well, I knew the blood part. That is discussed at length in the Noahide covenant, which is reitierated in Acts. But I had forgotten about not eating fat. It brings a different reason to cut fat off your meat before serving.
After each of the bloody, messy sacrifices was made, Torah says, "The kohen should make atonement for him before Adonai, and he will be forgiven concerning whatever he may have done to become guilty.” (Leviticus 5:26 TLV). This was the original system put into place for the Jewish people.
The HafTorah addresses the sanctity of the Temple and the Levitial roles. At this point in Ezekial, flaws in the system were found. Keeping Torah was not as "easy" as it had perhaps seemed originally. After a long period of time, we see the Jewish people fail at their service to God, over and over again. After the temple had been desacrated, they are instructed, "Thus says Adonai Elohim: “No foreigner, uncircumcised in heart and uncircumcised in flesh, may enter My Sanctuary, not any foreigner who is among Bnei-Yisrael." (Ezekiel 44:9 TLV). We see now, at the time of these Prophets, a focus not only on being circumcised in the flesh, but also the idea of being circumcised in the heart.
The directions are to return to the ways of Torah. The Levites are to continue in their original roles. "So the Levitical kohanim, the sons of Zadok who kept charge of My Sanctuary when Bnei-Yisrael wandered from Me, will draw near to Me to minister to Me. They will stand before Me to offer Me the fat and the blood”—it is declaration of Adonai." ( Ezekiel 44:15 TLV) They are to deal with that perpectual statue of sacrificing the fat and blood to God. Also, “They will teach My people the difference between the holy and the common and explain to them the difference between the unclean and the clean." ( Ezekiel 44:23 TLV). The Levites are to continue to reconcile between the Jewish people and God, but we are starting to see the longing for a more complete system.
The Besorah portion shows us a new way. The temple sacrifices are no longer necessary, because Yeshua's sacrifice settled things once and for all.
"The Torah has a shadow of the good things to come—not the form itself of the realities. For this reason it can never, by means of the same sacrifices they offer constantly year after year, make perfect those who draw near. Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered, since the worshipers—cleansed once and for all—would no longer have consciousness of sins? But in these sacrifices is a reminder of sins year after year— for it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins." (Hebrews 10:1-4 TLV)
The author of Hebrews exposes the faults in the original system. It was not permanent. Only by the sacrifice of Yeshua can our sins be forgiven perfectly.
"For by one offering He has perfected forever those being made holy. The Ruach ha-Kodesh also testifies to us—for after saying, “This is the covenant that I will cut with them: ‘After those days,’ says Adonai, ‘I will put My Torah upon their hearts, and upon their minds I will write it,’” then He says, “I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more.” Now where there is removal of these, there is no longer an offering for sin."(Hebrews 10:14-18 TLV)
This is powerful stuff. Instead of a perpetual cycle of sacrifices as in Torah, the desires of Haftorah has been fulfilled in a once and for all sacrifice. There is no longer any offering for sin because it has been done.
The passage continues, "Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have boldness to enter into the Holies by the blood of Yeshua." (Hebrews 10:19 TLV)
Yeshua told his followers that the kingdom was here. If it was here on earth when He walked on Earth 2000 years ago, the kingdom is here now. We just need to hold tight to His promises and proceed in faith that the things the Scriptures say are true.
Today, let us enter boldly into the presence of the Holy One. Let us boldly pray for healing and our needs. Let us boldly love one another, and pray for our enemies. Let us boldly venture into the world around us and allow Messiah Yeshua to change the world through us.
Shabbat Shalom dear ones!
Vayikra is the first portion of the book that bears its name in Hebrew, Vayikra, Leviticus in the English. The book starts off giving dirctions that pertain to the priesthood, the Levis.
The Torah portion, the haftorah portion, and our besorah portion all pertain to the priesthood and sacrifices. It is interesting to note line of development starting with Torah, moving to Haftorah, and ending in the Besorah. It is in things like this that I see a completion of the Torah in Besorah.
In Torah, we are told in some depth, what is necessary to present the proper offerings before God for all sorts of offences. Amidst the descriptions of blood and guts, Leviticus 3:17 says, “It is to be a perpetual statute throughout your generations in all your dwellings, that you must eat neither fat nor blood.” (Leviticus 3:17 TLV). Other instances in Torah where the text says a perpetual statute, it refers to the High Holidays, and other celebrations such as Shabbat. I had not realized that eating blood, and FAT were prohibitied. Well, I knew the blood part. That is discussed at length in the Noahide covenant, which is reitierated in Acts. But I had forgotten about not eating fat. It brings a different reason to cut fat off your meat before serving.
After each of the bloody, messy sacrifices was made, Torah says, "The kohen should make atonement for him before Adonai, and he will be forgiven concerning whatever he may have done to become guilty.” (Leviticus 5:26 TLV). This was the original system put into place for the Jewish people.
The HafTorah addresses the sanctity of the Temple and the Levitial roles. At this point in Ezekial, flaws in the system were found. Keeping Torah was not as "easy" as it had perhaps seemed originally. After a long period of time, we see the Jewish people fail at their service to God, over and over again. After the temple had been desacrated, they are instructed, "Thus says Adonai Elohim: “No foreigner, uncircumcised in heart and uncircumcised in flesh, may enter My Sanctuary, not any foreigner who is among Bnei-Yisrael." (Ezekiel 44:9 TLV). We see now, at the time of these Prophets, a focus not only on being circumcised in the flesh, but also the idea of being circumcised in the heart.
The directions are to return to the ways of Torah. The Levites are to continue in their original roles. "So the Levitical kohanim, the sons of Zadok who kept charge of My Sanctuary when Bnei-Yisrael wandered from Me, will draw near to Me to minister to Me. They will stand before Me to offer Me the fat and the blood”—it is declaration of Adonai." ( Ezekiel 44:15 TLV) They are to deal with that perpectual statue of sacrificing the fat and blood to God. Also, “They will teach My people the difference between the holy and the common and explain to them the difference between the unclean and the clean." ( Ezekiel 44:23 TLV). The Levites are to continue to reconcile between the Jewish people and God, but we are starting to see the longing for a more complete system.
The Besorah portion shows us a new way. The temple sacrifices are no longer necessary, because Yeshua's sacrifice settled things once and for all.
"The Torah has a shadow of the good things to come—not the form itself of the realities. For this reason it can never, by means of the same sacrifices they offer constantly year after year, make perfect those who draw near. Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered, since the worshipers—cleansed once and for all—would no longer have consciousness of sins? But in these sacrifices is a reminder of sins year after year— for it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins." (Hebrews 10:1-4 TLV)
The author of Hebrews exposes the faults in the original system. It was not permanent. Only by the sacrifice of Yeshua can our sins be forgiven perfectly.
"For by one offering He has perfected forever those being made holy. The Ruach ha-Kodesh also testifies to us—for after saying, “This is the covenant that I will cut with them: ‘After those days,’ says Adonai, ‘I will put My Torah upon their hearts, and upon their minds I will write it,’” then He says, “I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more.” Now where there is removal of these, there is no longer an offering for sin."(Hebrews 10:14-18 TLV)
This is powerful stuff. Instead of a perpetual cycle of sacrifices as in Torah, the desires of Haftorah has been fulfilled in a once and for all sacrifice. There is no longer any offering for sin because it has been done.
The passage continues, "Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have boldness to enter into the Holies by the blood of Yeshua." (Hebrews 10:19 TLV)
Yeshua told his followers that the kingdom was here. If it was here on earth when He walked on Earth 2000 years ago, the kingdom is here now. We just need to hold tight to His promises and proceed in faith that the things the Scriptures say are true.
Today, let us enter boldly into the presence of the Holy One. Let us boldly pray for healing and our needs. Let us boldly love one another, and pray for our enemies. Let us boldly venture into the world around us and allow Messiah Yeshua to change the world through us.
Shabbat Shalom dear ones!
Friday, June 27, 2014
Real Life Shabbat - Picnic on the Green
What constitutes a perfect Shabbat?
There are many opinions as to what elements are important for an Erev Shabbat dinner. Different forms of Judaism call for different levels of ritual and routine for the dinner. Having a set table, complete with candle-lighting and prayers is beautiful, and is my goal for a normal week. Some Friday nights call for something a little different, and I'm not opposed to messing with routine a smidgen.
Last Friday, we took our Shabbat dinner and picnicked. There have been dinnertime concerts on our Green all week, and we love sitting outside, eating, and listening to good music.
What was in my dinner bag?
- Fresh challah that I cut before bringing. It was still warm.
- Pieces of butter that I'd frozen in an ice cube tray. I put them in a thermos to keep cool. They were still frozen when we tried using them!!
- Baked sweet potatoes (my 8-year old daughter ate 3!)
- Tomato/cucumber salad
- Bucket of Fried Chicken from KFC.
I used paper plates and plastic silverware. We thanked God for our food, and enjoyed the evening.
What makes the perfect Shabbat evening? Rest. And a Picnic Shabbat dinner can certainly be restful and peaceful!
Shabbat Shalom, friends!
Friday, June 13, 2014
Real life shabbat: If You Want to do it the Easy Way
I wrote this in around 2006 when I had a 2-year old and a newborn. Have you ever seen The Fresh Beat Band? My kids loved watching this show. To solve a problem, Twist would always concoct some crazy scheme to make things happen, often involving something flying or rolling. Then, one of the other kids would state the obvious solution, and Twist says, "If you want to do it the easy way!"
That's how I feel about Erev Shabbat dinner. All too often, we concoct solutions to make things perfect, but it detracts from what is important. Look for the obvious, simplified solutions..."If you want to do it the easy way!"
I have to say that I totally understand the trials of getting Shabbat on the table on a consistant basis. For my family, Shabbat started happening consistantly after Daniel was born. But I don't think it was so much of having a child, but rather where I was in my walk.
There are a couple of important things that I started to remember that helped me start begin consistant with Erev Shabbat. Think: Baby Steps!
1. It does not have to be perfect. The point of an Erev Shabbat dinner is to remember and observe, not to be perfect. Our children will remember the candles and the family...what they're eating won't matter so much.
2. Plan, plan, plan. Throw something simple into the crock-pot for dinner. Make a meal on Thursday night to reheat. Cut up all of the veggies on Wednesday or Thursday. Buy your challah...or better yet, just get rolls.
When I first was determined to celebrate Erev Shabbat consistantly, I gave myself allowances: I didn't have to have chicken soup, homemade challah, and a 3 course meal. I just had to have dinner, bread, grape juice, and candles. I'm sure there was at least one week that I've made boxed maccaroni and cheese (yeah...nutrition's
worst nightmare) with rolls from the bakery at the grocery store and frozen veggies. But we had a Shabbat dinner, and I know that the purpose was met.
Now, 2-1/2 years later, there are still days that the dinner is unplanned, but I find it easier to get to making the homemade challah in the bread machine...even on those challenging days. Daniel knows what time it is when I get the candle sticks out. In fact, I can't get them out too far in advance, or he'll sit in his chair at the table waiting for Shabbat to start. Maybe in a few months, he'll want to help me make the challah. I don't know. But I know that I'm building memories for my children. We're also setting the stage for moments our children can learn about Torah, HaShem, and Y'shua. If they are comfortable talking to us at the age of 2, and things are consistent, they will know that we're here when they are saying the blessings for us as they approach their Bar Mitzvah.
The first step to being consistant in celebrating Erev Shabbat is your desire to do so. The next step is to strip things to the bare bones. We have little ones...do what you can do. Keep it simple: candles, grape juice (ok, or wine), Challah, and Dinner. The rest will come.
Let me challenge you to start thinking about Shabbat today. When you do your shopping, plan a simple and quick meal,(who wouldn't like burgers on the grill?) and pick up a challah and rolls. Set the table, and light the candles. I've taken to putting out a tablecloth. The first night I did that, my husband had taken off his shoes before dinner, came in, and went to put his shoes back on. The extra minute I took to put the cloth on the table set the tone for a special evening.
Shabbat Shalom, Friends!
That's how I feel about Erev Shabbat dinner. All too often, we concoct solutions to make things perfect, but it detracts from what is important. Look for the obvious, simplified solutions..."If you want to do it the easy way!"
I have to say that I totally understand the trials of getting Shabbat on the table on a consistant basis. For my family, Shabbat started happening consistantly after Daniel was born. But I don't think it was so much of having a child, but rather where I was in my walk.
There are a couple of important things that I started to remember that helped me start begin consistant with Erev Shabbat. Think: Baby Steps!
1. It does not have to be perfect. The point of an Erev Shabbat dinner is to remember and observe, not to be perfect. Our children will remember the candles and the family...what they're eating won't matter so much.
2. Plan, plan, plan. Throw something simple into the crock-pot for dinner. Make a meal on Thursday night to reheat. Cut up all of the veggies on Wednesday or Thursday. Buy your challah...or better yet, just get rolls.
When I first was determined to celebrate Erev Shabbat consistantly, I gave myself allowances: I didn't have to have chicken soup, homemade challah, and a 3 course meal. I just had to have dinner, bread, grape juice, and candles. I'm sure there was at least one week that I've made boxed maccaroni and cheese (yeah...nutrition's
worst nightmare) with rolls from the bakery at the grocery store and frozen veggies. But we had a Shabbat dinner, and I know that the purpose was met.
Now, 2-1/2 years later, there are still days that the dinner is unplanned, but I find it easier to get to making the homemade challah in the bread machine...even on those challenging days. Daniel knows what time it is when I get the candle sticks out. In fact, I can't get them out too far in advance, or he'll sit in his chair at the table waiting for Shabbat to start. Maybe in a few months, he'll want to help me make the challah. I don't know. But I know that I'm building memories for my children. We're also setting the stage for moments our children can learn about Torah, HaShem, and Y'shua. If they are comfortable talking to us at the age of 2, and things are consistent, they will know that we're here when they are saying the blessings for us as they approach their Bar Mitzvah.
The first step to being consistant in celebrating Erev Shabbat is your desire to do so. The next step is to strip things to the bare bones. We have little ones...do what you can do. Keep it simple: candles, grape juice (ok, or wine), Challah, and Dinner. The rest will come.
Let me challenge you to start thinking about Shabbat today. When you do your shopping, plan a simple and quick meal,(who wouldn't like burgers on the grill?) and pick up a challah and rolls. Set the table, and light the candles. I've taken to putting out a tablecloth. The first night I did that, my husband had taken off his shoes before dinner, came in, and went to put his shoes back on. The extra minute I took to put the cloth on the table set the tone for a special evening.
Shabbat Shalom, Friends!
Friday, June 6, 2014
Real Life Shabbat
Many years ago, when my oldest was two and I had a newborn, I attempted to create a network of Messianic Mothers. I put it on Yahoo groups, and garnered a small -tiny- following. I called it, "Messi-Moms". I wanted so badly to have a fellowship of other young, Messianic Jewish women. My Messianic Synagogue is small - less that 100 people on any given Shabbat. Only a few of the them were mothers. I was starving for others walking a similar walk of faith in a similar life stage. With a newborn and a 2-year old with medical needs, I quickly lost track of my writing, and let the Yahoo group dwindle.
I still wish to connect with other Messianic Jewish women. It can be hard, and somewhat isolating, to live a Messianic Jewish life. Those who understand Jewish practice generally don't understand faith in Yeshua. Those who understand our faith in Yeshua don't generally understand Jewish practice. I understand a need to have a broad friendship base, but it is really comforting to fellowship with others when you share common struggles.
Having said all this, I'm starting a series called Real Life Shabbat. I suspect we all have ideals on what our Shabbats should look like. I know I do. Then, when we examine reality we wonder why it doesn't quite look like our ideals.
So as we enter into Shabbat this evening, embrace the real life that is and turn your hearts to God.
Shabbat Shalom!
I still wish to connect with other Messianic Jewish women. It can be hard, and somewhat isolating, to live a Messianic Jewish life. Those who understand Jewish practice generally don't understand faith in Yeshua. Those who understand our faith in Yeshua don't generally understand Jewish practice. I understand a need to have a broad friendship base, but it is really comforting to fellowship with others when you share common struggles.
Having said all this, I'm starting a series called Real Life Shabbat. I suspect we all have ideals on what our Shabbats should look like. I know I do. Then, when we examine reality we wonder why it doesn't quite look like our ideals.
So as we enter into Shabbat this evening, embrace the real life that is and turn your hearts to God.
Shabbat Shalom!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)