Today we visited a little folk festival being held at a local State park just down the road from our house. It was fun, T made a beautiful corn husk doll that I'll forever treasure. N won second place in the greased watermelon race, and Chris learned how to make rope from poplar bark. We all chased baby S around. I especially enjoyed watching her dance and visit with all the people sitting in the open-air chapel, as we listened to the Gospel Bluegrass band playing their mountain melodies.

It has been a good weekend... a restful Sabbath. I'm finally starting to get used to Chris's being home on Fridays. It's a lovely arrangement, makes the whole weekend feel longer. Lately he's been working 10 hr. days (some days more), getting his 40 hrs. in Mon.-Thurs., which gives us longer weekends, and has been nice.

Last night we had a big Shabbat dinner, basked in the warmth of our special time together, with our Lord, by the calm glow of the candles and our blessings one for another. N remarked upon how much he loves the Sabbath traditions. T asked how we came to know about it. We talked, we laughed, and I thanked our Lord inwardly for the binding of our hearts together that I was feeling as my heartstrings were being tugged upon.

Thursday morning, the kids and I spent at the lake with friends, and then I was pleasantly surprised by Chris's early return home from work. Then on Thursday evening we were blessed by the music of Ted Pearce, live! I've been a fan of this singer/songwriter/guitarist for some time, so when I received an email from a friend (thanks Crystal!) letting me know that he and his sons (who are traveling and rocking with him, the "bearded band" as they call themselves) would be playing at a local coffee shop last Thursday evening, I was a wee bit excited. Chris and I took the kids along and went to the "Manna Bagel Shop", where we were warmly welcomed by a host of new faces.

We all had a wonderful time of worship with these fellow Believers, many of whom were members of a local Messianic congregation other than the one that we've fellowshipped with, all of whom we met for the first time there. Baby S, who loves to dance at the sound of music, did just that and at one point a gentleman handed her a tambourine, which she knew exactly what to do with! It was all that I could do to keep her corralled and out of the circle of dancers on the floor, lest she trip them up. It was a night of Hebraic dance, singing, clapping, testimony and heart-felt praise as we worshiped the God of Israel in the unity of the Holy Spirit.

I love the way that Ted explained the meaning of our Lord Jesus's name in Hebrew, which you may view here: Yeshua (wish I could figure out how to embed youtube on my blog here!) Many (most?) of his songs are taken straight from the Scriptures... as he said wryly, "Everyone please open your hymnals to the Book of Isaiah!" LOL

We bought his album, Hallelu et Adonai (Hebrew for Praise the Lord), which I've wanted for some time and absolutely LOVE! I think that I like it even better than his other one we have, Zealous Over Zion, which is also wonderful.

We'd almost taken the kids to a friend's house, but I'm actually glad that it didn't work out that way and they came along with us instead. Yesterday N told me that he was inspired by Ted Pearce, to diligently pursue his own guitar practice. That's good. T says that she'd like to learn to play "those drums", the bongoes, now. Hmmmm... we'll have to stick with the violin for starters, for now. We were all inspired by Ted's wonderful testimony of how he went from Atheist to Messianic Gentile Believer in Jesus/Yeshua, as well as that of a ministry close to his heart: March of Life.

My heart was encouraged. This has  been timely nourishment to my spirit, filling our home and our children's hearts with enthusiastic praise and worship of our beloved King as we sing and dance together. The Lord has really richly blessed us through His ministers lately, over here in NE TN, both local and from abroad.

I haven't even gotten around to blogging about how blessed Chris and I were to be able to go listen to and meet esteemed Biblical scholar, Dr. John Garr, at a little church in Jasper, VA. Many of his articles and books are available to read right online for free. I cannot recommend his well-researched and inspired teachings highly enough! How wonderful it was to meet he and his wife, and to personally thank them for the invaluable contributions his work has made not only in my own spiritual walk, but to the whole Body of Messiah. I'm eagerly anticipating the publication of the books that he mentioned he's working on.

Tomorrow I shall begin my week out right, with digging in the dirt as T and I tend to the garden (we've some squares to re-plant) and hanging laundry out on the line. Yes, this weekend has been music to my soul so far...

  

On Sept. 15, during the Days of Awe, we dedicated and blessed our baby S during our Messianic fellowship's Shabbat service, under the chuppah, which is actually a tallit (prayer shawl) right after we all sang the Sabbath Prayer of blessings over our children (the same one sang in The Fiddler on the Roof, beautiful!).

Then little children were brought to Him that He might put His hands on them and pray, but the disciples rebuked them. But Jesus said, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven.”

Matthew 19:13-14

[MOTHERS AND FATHERS]

May the Lord protect and defend you.
May He always shield you from shame.
May you come to be
In Israel a shining name.

May you be like Ruth and like David.
May you be deserving of praise.
Strengthen us, Oh Lord,
And keep us in Messiah's ways.

May God bless you and grant you long lives.
(May the Lord fulfill our Sabbath prayer for you.)
May God make you good husbands and wives.

May the Lord protect and defend you.
May the Lord preserve you from pain.
Favor them, Oh Lord, with happiness and peace.
Oh, hear our Sabbath prayer. Amen.

Thank you Father for our children, and for this new blessing in all our lives. Guide and direct us Lord, that we may be the parents you've called us to be. Draw our childrens' hearts to Yourself. May they follow hard after You alone. May Your hand of protection be upon this precious little life, which we offer back to You.

Click here to read more about the Sabbath blessings for children, customarily given by the parents on Friday evening.

Click here and here to see more pics of baby S.

  

God raised him to the highest place and gave him the name above every name (Philippians 2:9).

Although Chanukkah (the Feast of Dedication) is not a festival specifically commanded in the Scriptures, we are told that Yeshua observed it in first-century Jerusalem (John 10:22). He certainly affirmed the importance of the Maccabean victory of 164 B. C. E. and celebrated the preservation of his people, Israel. A central part of the observance is the lighting of the nine-branched chanukkiyah (Chanukkah menorah, or lampstand) to commemorate the miracle of the oil.

We are told in the Talmud that as the Maccabees kindled the Menorah in the restored Temple, one day's worth of oil lasted for eight days until a new supply could be produced. Hence, we light one candle for each of the eight days. Why the ninth candle? We call this candle the shammash (servant). It is the first candle lit, kindled by the match; in turn, it gives light to the other eight candles. Although shammash means "servant," it is clearly exalted above the rest of the candles of the chanukkiyah. It stands taller than the others.

The shammash candle is a perfect picture of Yeshua the Messiah. He left his glory in heaven and humbled himself to become a shammash to mankind. Yet after his death, he was raised by the Father and exalted. We can only experience the light of God as we receive it from his Son, Yeshua, the Servant.

Thank you, Abba, for the light of your exalted servant, Yeshua HaMashiach (the Messiah)!

Today I will...seek to be a light in the world as I have received the light of Messiah.

~excerpted from the devotional book, The Voice of The Lord

 

 

T last night, on the first night of Hanukkah 2006, which was also the beginning of Shabbat.

We said our Sabbath blessings over eachother first. Chris and I laid hands on each of the kids, and prayed for them, blessed them. Then I read Psalm 112 over Chris, and he read Proverbs 31 over me (the kids love that part, they get downright giddy). We said the blessings of "the bread from the earth" and wine (kiddush) "the fruit of the vine", read and talked about His being the the Bread of Life (the Word made flesh), and He the vine, and we, the branches. I then lit our Sabbath candles and I prayed aloud for Yeshua's Sabbath peace and light to fill our home this day and always. We then remembered our Lord's work on the cross as we partook of the bread and wine (grape juice, it's cheaper) together. Afterwards, N recited aloud (read) the Hanukkah blessings as T and I lit the menorrahs.

 

 

  

In the last couple of weeks, I have been meditating upon thoughts of thanksgiving. I have been especially aware of blessings all around me this last week... gifts from my Father above. As I've been mentally taking note, I've given up on trying to scribble them all down as I think of them... too many, at all points during the day. Here are a few quietly whispered "thank yous" to Adonai... for His vast outpouring of love and mercies. When I take the time to notice, my spirit does sense His hand on my life, His fashioning of my days, calming of my soul... may I live in these realizations of His Presence~ fuller, slower, less of rushing off to the next thing.

Truly, He is immense, and leaves me speechless... one moment pouring blessings to the next, gifts heaping upon gifts. Life is full... without even trying. He is Rest...

I am thankful for...

64. sleeping in on rainy days

65. flannel sheets and pulled shades

66. rumbling box fan and the pitter-patter of little feet

67. hearing a busy shuffling outside the bathroom door, giggles and an explosion of "Surprise" and proudly uplifted giftbag as I open the door, "Happy Birthday Momma" sung gleefully through the brightest of smiles

68. my Chris's sense of humor

69. his love, and the way he says "I love You" when he calls me during the days

70. his words thoughtfully written on a perfect card

71. the way my son always draws a heart with an arrow through it next to his cursive signature when signing cards

72. my daughter's honesty as she writes in her journal

73. her creativity and zeal for life

74. our family's love... cultivated, sacred and shared.

75. Open windows in the Spring and Fall

76. my heavy suede jacket that my sister gave to me, all well worn and perfect for Autumn days spent outside

77. slow roadtrips through these hills of TN

78. stopping to meander through old shops along the way, enjoying Chris's company and that he loves it as much as I do.

79. comfortable jeans that fit just right

80. a new shirt in my favorite color, sky blue

81. Eternity~ my husband's favorite perfume

82. comfy white tennies

83. flip flops and toe rings

84. wearing Chris's flannel shirts

85. freshly laid eggs for breakfast

86. the sour sweetness of my morning lemonade (freshly squeezed lemon with raw apple cider vinegar and honey in cold, filtered water)

87. coffee with cream

88. lazy mornings watching the old b&w cartoons with my kids

89. that my kids like the old b&w cartoons

90. early morning quiet, when everyone else is still asleep

91. hanging laundry on the line, and its crispness when taken down,

92. the wind swirling, wrapping itself around me...

93. freshness in the smell of rain, a soaked ground and wet leaves

94. a car that's running good (still)

95. our friendly neighbors

96. having a house, our home, and the refuge it provides within

97. Chris's thoughtfulness in occasionally asking me if I'm happy, and telling me that he is

98. warmth and familiarity felt while snuggling on a cushy couch with Chris and our children, thick socks and sweatpants, legs sprawling and arms tangling under the blankets, watching and discussing movies, playing games, letting the world go by without us for awhile

99. baking chocolate chip cookies for my birthday, at my son's suggestion

100. the way my daughter measures the ingredients so very carefully, choosing to help me rather than watch the movie, grooving as she works to the jazz music dancing in our ears

101. the sincere praises of the family as they trimphantly dip and munch warm chocolate bites, hot chocolate...

102. sharing a blessing and plates at the Olive Garden, green salads with onions

103. chocolate mints

104. the moon rising, smiling down upon us as we travel

105. my Grandma's voice, sure and strong

106. my Mothers' prayers, lifting us up when we don't even know it.

107. my favorite blue and green turquoise earrings that look like little globes set in silver, and the turquoise bear necklace, birthday gifts from Chris, which he bought for me during our first dreamy trip out here to NE TN, where we hid away in remote cabin on a mountain three years ago.

108. My Beloved~ Dreams we share, the way we know eachother's thoughts, and finish eachother's sentences... his faithfulness, his strong arms around me, his breath beside me in the dark, our marriage bed, his steady ways, likemindedness and comradery in convictions and passion.

109. Soft and cozy, warm sweaters

110. walking through the mall with my family, with us all linked together as we naturally hold hands in a way that I could not have understood 15 years ago... and would have mocked.

111. that my heart is not full of the rebellion and bitterness that it was then.

112. memories of living close to the road, the train rumbling past our dark room in the night, bellowing its familiar warning into the stillness... shaking our little house, with my sister and I snuggled close in our shared bed

113. a childhood of adventure and intrigue

114. sketching my imagination

115. soul healing

116. freshly sharpened pencils and clean, white paper

117. the smell of tobacco burning in a pipe

118. thick beards on the weathered faces of men whose eyes shine with laughter

119. the crackling of leaping flames, a fire in the fire pit

120. snow on the groud, crunching beneath my feet, sleds and snowballs, wet gloves, socks hung by the fireplace, hot chocolate and marshmallows

121. Carefully handed to me, a cup of herbal tea my daughter brewed for me, sweetened with too much honey, in the new over-sized chicken mug she bought me for my birthday~ with her own money saved up.

122. Love letters my children write to me

123. evening rituals, requests for nightly lullabies and laying in the dark singing to those who love me unconditionally (and like my singing voice), just glad to be together, another day closing.

124. heat radiating from wood stoves and baking biscuits

125. home-made fig preserves, from Grandma's fruit trees

126. sitting around the table with family, bowed heads and hearts

127. Grandma's gravy over biscuits, she sitting in her chair, watching the news, across from Papaw~ always, their generosity, hospitality

128. home-made peanut butter ice cream and fish fries, with french fries and family

129. Aunt Ann's seven layer salad, her artistic talents

130. Mom's paintings on the wall, inspiring, stories of their childhood, so fascinating to me, family reunions, my siblings' children, blonde hair, black and red hair, and glowing cheeks, time passing and returning.

131. Papers in heavy baskets

132. bruised herbs between my fingers, lingering scent

133. flowered curtains, and freshly painted walls.

134. Holly hobbie and

135. scented candles

136. dried flowers from years of bouquets, glass hearts with long stems

137. satin ribbons recycled adorning freshly cut braids, flaxen, chestnut and golden hairs on the bathroom floor...

138. sharp scissors.

139. Quiet of staying up late alone, or with Chris, private pleasures, still moments.

140. simple FOLK music, acoustic guitar and violins, earthy voices, harmonica keeping time

141. coffee stains and smile lines, Dad coming home

142. getting ready to go out

143. clean floors, freshly mopped floors

144. painted toe nails

145. plush bath robes

146. antique dressers with beveled mirrors

147. deep bath tubs

148. big brown eyes peeking out from behind bubbles, hair swirling in the water

149. pony tails and jean over-alls

150. rope and tire swings

151. straight rows in the garden

152. waiting for and watching the deer together, rabbits bounding to and fro

153. tree forts

154. two-story houses with glass door knobs and creaky staircases

155. old porches

156. spider plants and ferns

157. the morning dew

158. begonias and pansies in planters

159. fresh thyme and oregano

160. heavy marble mortar and pestle

161. cold-pressed EVO and fresh squash from seeds we planted.

162. The joy of cooking with friends, family, comparing and learning new recipes

163. spontaneous picnics outside on a blanket, under the apple tree

164. watering our garden

165. gathering apples and peppers

166. walking down to the creek with Chris, and the kids

167. a new day, and another, beginning again

168. dreams that awaken and inspire, trembling expectation

169. a good story, a living book

170. learning from others, discoving new-to-me truths

171. how the seasons change, but stay the same, more noticeable to me every year, awareness that grows, ebbs and flows, Life cycles.

172. generations before me that have brought me here...

173. legends of those who walked this ground in ages past, remembrances that challenge my ways.

174. Our son~ with his goofy grin, perceptive soul, forgiving nature, strawberry-golden hair, blue eyes with sincere intents

175. seeing him engrossed in the pages of a book

176. the breakfasts he cooks

177. his gentle way with little children, like his Father, his desire for us to have more children...

178. the faith that I hear in his prayers, trembling voice as he prays for others

179. his love of nature, and tendency to find quiet places "just to think".

180. Thank you Father for giving him to us, before we knew how much we needed him, our son.

181. His brotherly love towards his sister

182. his love for animals and desire to be a good man.

183. I'm thankful for how he's been able to learn to ride horses well

184. for friends we have who love him, and teach him wonderful things that we couldn't offer

185. community

186. seeing him excel at something that he loves (riding horses) and win blue ribbons and Grand Champion at a large competition.

187. how he likes to write thank you notes

188. and reads his Bible each evening in bed (his idea)

189. how he hugs his sister after a squabble

190. how he (usually) listens to me reading aloud to him

191. how much he loves the baby we lost, hopes for another, prays for others

192. how so many of his mannerisms remind me of my youngest brother...

193. my three brothers, beautiful and each so different, reminding me of our father...

194. Newness of life, the way that the crocus and daffodils curl out from under the snow in Spring

195. honey bees buzzing busily in the meadow

196. wildflowers

197. black dirt

198. earthworms

199. worn garden gloves

200. gardening tools to use

201. our old apple tree blossoming in all her glory.

202. Our daughter~ her comradery and inspiration, her nurturing way, meticulous drawings, fancy letters and colorful personality

203. her exuberance as she plans our menu for visiting friends or family, or excitedly dawns "her best dress" for our Sabbath meals, carefully setting our table, relishing the beauty and ceremony, asking to light the candles and wear the scarf, and "Momma, don't forget to wave the candles..."

204. hearing traditional Sabbath blessings sang in Hebrew by a friend

205. my daughter's love for the language and desire to learn Hebrew

206. her initiative to get things done, which moves me.

207. I cherish memories of long nights that I've comforted her after nightmares, tending her fevers, singing in hushed tones together

208. holding hands and knowing glances

209. teaching her to be a better wife and mother than I, imparting patience and femininity

210. seeing that her strength is greater than mine

211. praying protection over my children, and knowing He listens.

212. long, flowing skirts, lacy cotton shirts with princess sleeves

213. bare feet

214. strappy sandals

215. heavy buckles and leather fringes

216. Rolling down hills in tall, cool grass

217. rock collections

218. seashells

219. and riding bikes down dirt roads

220. long hair braided

221. tiny glass beads strung with bells

222. poetry read aloud, over and over again

223. polished silver and porcelain plates

224. tiny tea cups

225. hand-thrown earthen vessels, glazed in blues and grays

226. the smell of linseed oil and turpentine, blank canvas, visions of grandeur

227. sunlight streaming through sheer curtains dancing on the summer breeze

228. listening to the clock tick-tocking in the silence... time passing

229. icicles growing upside-down

230. evergreens and holly berries, vibrantly red against an otherwise muted winter's pallete.

231. Perfectly unique snowflakes.

232. A summer etched in our family's collective memory... abandoned unity solidified, nights of camping-out, journeying down new roads, between homes, states, our existence like a single knot on an infinite string. Breakfast on shaky tables, lunch packed in a cooler, sleeping bags, motel beds and dinner on sticks, roasted over camp-fires, our family sharing a single, small tent, listening to the tap, tap of the raindrops outside, feeling eachother's warmth, melting into slumber together, the comfort of shared dreams, morning light and woodland noises, breathing in the fresh, green air, flashlight journeys and inchworms saved... reading the map, meeting surreal characters, seeing the inked lines materialize before us into road signs and new horizons.

233. Homeschooling with our children is a tremendous gift... is there any other way, choice, but to live together each and every day, to learn and grow in love... with time unfettered. Not for us.

234. We've always had what we needed, and more. The lean times have enlarged our table, plenteous has been our legacy thusfar.

235. Our wondering together over our wandering heritage, history, mountainous microcosms in everyday miracles.

236. God's Word stored up in my heart, which gives me faith to pray. Life is rich.

For to which of the angels did God ever say,
"You are my Son;
today I have become your Father"? Or again,
"I will be his Father,
and he will be my Son"? And again, when God brings his firstborn into the world, he says,
"Let all God's angels worship him." In speaking of the angels he says,
"He makes his angels winds,
his servants flames of fire." But about the Son he says,
"Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever,
and righteousness will be the scepter of your kingdom.
You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness;
therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions
by anointing you with the oil of joy." He also says,
"In the beginning, O Lord, you laid the foundations of the earth,
and the heavens are the work of your hands.
They will perish, but you remain;
they will all wear out like a garment.
You will roll them up like a robe;
like a garment they will be changed.
But you remain the same,
and your years will never end." To which of the angels did God ever say,
"Sit at my right hand
until I make your enemies
a footstool for your feet"? Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?

~ Hebrews 1.5-14

237. a Sabbath rest....

It still remains that some will enter that rest, and those who formerly had the gospel preached to them did not go in, because of their disobedience. Therefore God again set a certain day, calling it Today, when a long time later he spoke through David, as was said before:
"Today, if you hear his voice,
do not harden your hearts." For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken later about another day. There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God's rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from his. Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall by following their example of disobedience.

~ Hebrews 4.6-11

 

  

Thus the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array.

By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested ^[a] from all his work. And God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done. ~ Genesis 2.1-3

 

"If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath
and from doing as you please on my holy day,
if you call the Sabbath a delight
and the LORD's holy day honorable,
and if you honor it by not going your own way
and not doing as you please or speaking idle words, then you will find your joy in the LORD,
and I will cause you to ride on the heights of the land
and to feast on the inheritance of your father Jacob."
The mouth of the LORD has spoken.

~Isaiah 58.13,14

"Blessed are you O Lord our God, King of the universe, who has sancitfied the Sabbath as a special day of rest. We praise you for your mighty act that brought light out of darkness and your miracle of redemption through Jesus who is the light of the world.

As I cover my eyes, may we be reminded that before Messiah opens our spiritual eyes we cannot see your glory. But as I spread the light of these candles with my hands, may the Holy Spirit spread Your light throghout our home on this Sabbath day."

~ Erev Sabbath, Shabbat Shalom: A Christian Guide to Understand the Sabbath by Richard Booker

Yeshua (Jesus), the Light of the world, is the Lord of the Sabbath. (click to read more)

 

CURRENT Theme is "LIGHT"
(Fire, Candle, Flame, Sun, Light Bulb, Spot Light, Sparks,...)

Photo Theme for Thursday

  

The other night (when Chris was on the 'puter) my brain was so full of swirling ideas- thoughts I wanted to write about, and now here I sit, totally blank. So, I'll just share randomly about my life lately.

The house is quiet... I'm so glad that Chris was able to take the kids to their riding lessons this evening. *sighs* It's so nice to be alone for awhile, even though I spent the majority of the time adding all the necessaries to a big pot of chili, and mixing up some buttermilk cornbread. But now, dinner's on... and I'm alone with my thoughts...

After awhile the *noise* level of a 3yo, and 4yo seemingly simultaneously squabbling and then shrieking with delight over their toys, and wanting this, or that, all day, gets to ya if you're not used to it. I'm not used to it yet! LOL And it does make it especially hard to read aloud for any length of time to your 7 and 10yo! *sighs* T and N have been such a big help though, taking them outside to play, and helping to entertain them as needed. Of course, my kids are still needing their own normal amounts of Mama time and attentions as well, and then the sweet little 3 month old baby (who is really the easiest and quietest of them all) crying out for her bottle... it's just enough to tire my mind. My hat's off to you Moms of big families... Yeah, I'm still not accustomed to the added decibels during my days of having these extra kiddos here. Yet, I/we find ourselves growing quite fond of them all too.

And oh yes! Let me not forget our Rosh Hashanah celebration this weekend. It was a lovely, quiet time spent together. For our Sabbath meal, I baked my first round challah, and it turned out beautifully, if I do say so myself. Chris and the kids all agreed that it was the best tasting challah recipe that I've tried so far.

Blessed son and (goofy) daughter...

This particular Saturday was busy, with my all-morning CPR certification class (small class, got done early!), N's annual 20+ mile bike ride down a mountain with his AWANAs group, and T's riding horses all day with friends. When we all got home, we went over to visit with some friends for the evening. Sunday I baked a couple of apple crisps, put on some coffee, and we relaxed together during the entire cozy, rainy day. Eventually we all walked down to the creek, and read Michah 7:18-20, Psalm 118:5-9, and Psalms 33 aloud, shared about repentance, and thoughtfully threw bread crumbs and stones into the water, each one symbolizing a sin or regret that we were confessing privately to the Lord, never to be remembered, or brought up again... This is an ancient Jewish custom associated with Rosh Hashanah, called tashlich. We thanked Him for His forgiveness, for our redemption in Yeshua, our Messiah. Then we let Samson jump in, and laughed over his romping through the water antics. Notice him here in this picture, obediently waiting... so very patiently... oh, he wants in that water so very badly... and then with us throwing things in there, that he couldn't immediately dive in after... I'm sure that he thought we were torturing him...

Who is a God like You,
Pardoning iniquity
And passing over the transgression of the remnant of His heritage?

He does not retain His anger forever,
Because He delights in mercy.
He will again have compassion on us,
And will subdue our iniquities.

You will cast all our^[a] sins
Into the depths of the sea.
You will give truth to Jacob
And mercy to Abraham,
Which You have sworn to our fathers
From days of old.

How our children glow during our Sabbath dinners. They enjoy the day of preparation, the expectancy, getting cleaned up and dressed up for a formal dinner (candles, special tablecloth, linen napkins, and our fine china) with *eachother*, and our Lord.

Friday evening I'd simply told the kids to get cleaned up for dinner, and Tabitha came out with one of her fanciest dresses on, had brushed and pulled her hair back and even put on perfume! She must have said "Shabbat Shalom" about ten times after dinner. LOL

I think we're all really learning to love the ceremonial familiarity of it all, and relish the blessings we pronounce upon eachother especially. It's been a wonderful new family tradition to share, and we are truly reaping a harvest of blessings from honoring the Sabbath more literally together. We're beginning to better understand the importance of it, why God made it such a priority as to model it Himself in the first Creation week.

So, I've finally gotten around to trying to finish my pinwheel quilt (a neglected project from back in January!), but had to stop before I hurt someone, due to my dinosaur of a sewing machine continually locking up on me every few stitches, which meant that I then had to totally dismantle the shuttle and all of its other immediately affected components. Now I remember why I didn't finish already! It's the machine's fault, of course! After about the tenth time of putting it all back together, I was throwing in the towel when Chris returned home from an appointment, and offered to try his hand at fixing it. So, by the time he'd finished his jerry-rigging (yes, it's truly jerry-rigged, with plastic shims now in place to *theoretically* keep it from jiggling and jamming again), I was already over it, and reading my book. Tonight, I'm tired- and reading my book. Tomorrow, I may try it out again. What's really pathetic is that I'm at the very end of the project- last step, sewing on the binding, but I'm just too lazy to do it by hand! Well, actually I'll have to do the *very* last stitches on the back by hand anyways, but hopefully not the entire binding itself. Anyways, that's my latest bit of excitement.

Chris has taken all of the doors inside of our house off their hinges- earlier last week, and we both worked on getting them all sanded and ready for him to paint them last weekend with his sprayer, but alas, it ended up raining ALL weekend long here... so our breezeway is full of doors, waiting for Chris to have another full day available for painting (hopefully this week!). We're trying to get that and some other esthetic things around here done in the next two weeks, before his Mom and step-Dad come over for a visit from central FL, during part of their vacation time. Goals are good. We're meeting them halfway between here and their time-share in Sky Valley, at a favorite restaraunt in Pigeon Forge for lunch. Then they'll follow us back here to spend a night with us, and then they're taking our kids back with them to spend a few days in their lovely cabin, sight-seeing and enjoying eachother. N and T are counting the days! Originally, the plan was that I would be going with, but since I'm babysitting these kids now, I can't. *sniff*

Oh yeah, I finally got to see the new Pride and Prejudice movie! We'd gone over to some friends' house, my friend Robin and I having the intention of scrapbooking, but since we hadn't seen eachother in so long, we just ended up talking and talking. Eventually she made mention of the fact that she'd gotten the new P&P movie for her b-day, but hadn't opened it yet, and I was ecstatic! Once she realized that I hadn't even seen it yet, we ditched the guys (who we'd planned to play cards with up till that point) and watched the movie. She hadn't seen it since it came out in the theatres, and was just as excited to watch it again as I was. Chris watched part of it with us (he's a fan of the A&E P&P), and said that it felt "adulterous to watch the parts being played by these other actors"! LOL I enjoyed it, was entranced the entire time...
Well, the kids and Chris are home, time for dinner. Later!

*Bonus, great article: Restoring that which was lost!

  

And as Chris would say... "That's a mighty deep subject..."

Our big dinner plans didn't go exactly as planned last night afterall... Chris unfortunately ended up working later than expected, and didn't get home until after 9:00 pm. He felt horrible about it, but I had no hard feelings of course, since I realize he had no way of knowing the job would take longer than he'd expected. Actually we're glad for the work!

So, I was all dressed up, sharing asian stir-fry with the kiddos. We took this pic of us to commemorate the evening. I tucked them in, and shared a special couple of hours with Chris when he got home. He apologetically explained about all of the plans he'd had to surprise me, and how working late had messed them all up. I was just glad to finally have him home. He was absolutely exhausted, and had to turn around and get up at 6:30 am this morning for another long day of work. He just called me to let me know he had finished his job and was starting for home (has a 2 hr. drive), which will put him getting home after 8 pm tonight.

Last night, the kids and I decided to wait until next week to light the candles of Shabbat for the first time, as a family (with Daddy). But we did read some more about the fascinating Jewish customs of Shabbat and their Messianic symbolism (click those highlighted words for more info.) from our Biblical Holidays book.

My challah loaves were disappointing to say the least. They just didn't rise very much at all. I didn't proof my yeast since it's brand new, and had kept it in the freezer until I used it. Could it's being still cold when I used it in my recipe (even though I'd put it in warm water) have kept it from activating properly? I'll certainly be sure and proof my yeast next time...arrrgh!;) Aaaah well, there's always next week... I'm now so especially glad that Chris and I had that lovely day date the day before our anniversary.

  

Yes, today is our wedding anniversary... Chris and I have been married for 11 adventurous years!

Yesterday, while our kids spent the day with some friends, we shared a nice and slow few hours together. We grabbed lunch-to-go at a favorite Mom & Pop's burger joint. Then we eagerly set out for our drive down a favorite stretch toward country roads and sun-drenched hillsides, as we relished our hopes for the future together. We stopped at a big antique store and waded through the booths together, looking for treasures, calling eachother's attention to interesting finds... stacks of old books, worn quilts, aged pictures and antique farming tools... gleefully realizing how well we know eachother.

We journeyed on, meandering down the streets of the lovely little town of Rogersville, holding hands, admiring the old buildings, dreaming our dreams of the future, ducking into an art gallery here, an antique store there, and then a thrift store, just cherishing our shared moments, a day, our life together.

After picking up the kids, I baked up a batch of my snickerdoodles real quick, and we headed out to spend the evening talking, laughing, praying and eating with a wonderful group of friends, our "homegroup".

I love my life with this man, my husband ~ I told him. Tonight our anniversary falls on Shabbat, and we'll share a nice dinner with our children. We'll bless eachother as we thank our Lord for this life together, and we'll bless our children. We find our rest in Him, once again, and in knowing eachother more completely.

*Note: We intend to more purposely "honor the Sabbath" each week, by having a more fomally set aside time on Friday evenings, complete with a meal, family blessings, lighting of the candles and reading of the Word together. It's been on my heart to do this for some time, and then earlier this week our 10yo son says to me "We need to start keeping the Sabbath"... *ahem*smiles* "Yes, I've been thinking the same thing..." I said, nodding my agreement. And I knew that this week, with our anniversary falling on Friday, and my plans to have a nice dinner falling together, it would be a perfect night to *officially* start the habit. And thus, we commence.

In Jewish tradition, it is customary for the husband to read Proverbs 31, aka. the "Eshet Chayil" (A Woman of Valor) hymn over his wife on Shabbat. I think it would be fitting to start by incoorperating this into our Sabbath meal-time, today, on our wedding anniversary...

More Sabbath Blessings

I know that some of you are in the habit of having a set aside Sabbath meal/time. I would love to hear what you and your family do to make this time special (regardless of which day you choose to honor it on; Friday evening, Sat. or Sun.), and how it's blessed you. Or, maybe, like me, it's something you've wanted to do for some time. What are your thoughts and ideas? Please share...

I'm off to make our "Family Challah" bread, and then going outside to do some more pruning and cleaning out of my garden beds in this beautiful sunny weather we're having today! Shabbat Shalom! Sabbath peace to you and yours~

  

Pete and Maribel Hernandez have a wonderfully informative blog, Family Medicine. Every time I visit there I am so greatly encouraged, and always learn something as well! I appreciate them so much, you ought to go visit them for yourselves.

This morning I was pleasantly treated to a great article they linked to on the intrinsic values and reasons for pursuing Homesteading - Agrarian Life vs. Industrial Life. It's a great read, and falls in line with the very thoughts Chris and I have been ruminating over for the past few years. We're working towards this goal... to SIMPLIFY, live on less $, get rid of all debts, live at, in and from our home, grow our own food... Granted, it's all a bit daunting to green horns like ourselves, but it's a great adventure, we'll just take one day at a time as we move forward in baby steps toward our goals (which I'll share more on later). We believe the dividends will far outweigh any felt sacrifices.

Be sure and check out Chad's other related article; The Lament of a Repentant Capitalist, and the Hope of Christian Agrarianism
I just love his writings. He also shares some interesting thoughts on the Sabbath, Where is His Honor?.

Thanks for sharing Pete and Maribel!