Category Archives: Something Jewish

Christian Living, KWT Paraphrasing, Something Jewish

Forced Rest

Gallery 4 Comments

It is late in the day for posting this, especially since I may not post tomorrow but perhaps some will read it today and others tomorrow. I hope so.

I think I have a better understanding of a practical purpose for the Sabbath.  Let me explain.

Friday (9.20.13) I made a simple awkward movement; the sharp stabbing pain immediately told me it was not good; but it was only for a moment and I went on with my business. However a slow-growing pain and stiffness made my business less enjoyable for the next several hours; and then by Saturday morning I was  — well let me just say giving birth to my daughters was more enjoyable; contractions do give you a break in between.  Aspirin and another much TV promoted product did little to nothing to combat the pain. Sunday came with minor and I do mean minor relief. I began a regime of large doses of ibuprofen and a cartilage building supplement as well as heat/cold pain patches applied every 8 hours.  Late into Sunday evening I began to think it might be okay if I lived. :)

Monday was a new world; still pain, still stiffness; but still a new world for me from Saturday and Sunday.  I rested and I rested and I rested. And that resting included sleeping – hours of it – day and night.  Then came Tuesday morning – better but still some serious stiffness and continuing reduced range of motion. More resting, more sleeping.

As I sit/recline to write this piece I am gratefully aware of my heat/cold patch and I am mindful that I will not be reclining at this angle for an extended period. But for some minutes I wanted to share a word or two with you. 

For more than a year now I have been dragging myself through my life on borrowed strength. Every day the same; tired and sleepy from morning till I fell into bed at night; all to begin again the next day.  I knew I needed rest but just how was I suppose to get it? Really? Our few days away was great and it had a ring of rest to it but there were places we wanted to see and there were trails to walk and waterfalls to ooh and aha over. And we did.  And then we came home to the same old grind.  And then . . . this!  A Forced Rest.

GOD knew better from the beginning. 

Deuteronomy 5:13-15 Complete Jewish Bible (CJB)

13 You have six days to labor and do all your work,

14 but the seventh day is a Shabbat for Adonai your God. On it you are not to do any kind of work — not you, your son or your daughter, not your male or female slave, not your ox, your donkey or any of your other livestock, and not the foreigner staying with you inside the gates to your property — so that your male and female servants can rest just as you do.

15 You are to remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and Adonai your God brought you out from there with a strong hand and an outstretched arm. Therefore Adonai your God has ordered you to keep the day of Shabbat.

 

Egypt worked them 7 days a week, from can to can’t and beyond.  This world will work us the same with its activities, achievements and entertainments.  It is up to us who have been set free in CHRIST JESUS to say No I will not live that way. We can choose it or we can be blessed enough to be forced.  :)

JESUS, I truly prefer to say YESHUA but for the sake of my audience I most often say JESUS.  JESUS said:

Mark 2:Complete Jewish Bible (CJB)

27 Then he said to them, “Shabbat was made for mankind, not mankind for Shabbat; 28 So the Son of Man is Lord even of Shabbat.”

 

In reading a Rabbi’s comment (I am not familiar with this Rabbi or teachings but)  I thought I’d share this comment here:

Shabbat is a covenant sign between G-d and His people of their relationship and sanctification.  . . .  welcome this appointed time created for us to reconnect and to be recreated[source]

I know for sure that Shabbat (Sabbath) however you choose to speak it is for reconnecting and recreation and we need it!! How you reconnect with Him and other relationships is for you and HE to decide I think and the re-creation of our souls is another choice that HE and you should make together.  At least that’s my paraphrasing. 

I’m still meditating on what a Shabbat should look like for me but this I know unless I want to wear out before my time I must observe this appointed time.  And for it to be on Sunday will take some planning; for you see Sunday as practiced now is the least restful of all days of the week at our house.  NO! I am not advocating staying home from Sunday School and  services but I am thinking some changes are in order. 

When you have had some moments to ponder this what changes could you make and would you consider it and would you consider sharing your thoughts with me?

Thank You ABBA ADONAI.  Thank You for this forced rest. And I know me well enough to know without Your help and reminders I will be before too long head long again into tiredness if You do not help me.  I don’t know what Shabbat should look like for this little Christian with only spiritual Jewish roots girl but this I know I want it to please You. So I pray my back will continue to heal; that my range of motion will become flexible again, even more than before; I pray for wisdom to exercise and sleep properly. I pray for the will to attend this ‘temple’ in ways that please You.  And I pray for means of reconnecting and re-creation that pleases You. I pray these things not just for me but for my family and friends. I pray You will forgive us for our pride and sin that has driven us to be proud of our busy-ness. I pray Your Church LORD JESUS will embrace that You are YESHUA and Your Feasts, Dress Rehearsals and Appointed Times are for us too and we are the losers when we refuse to learn, observe and give You proper reverence. Thank You ABBA ADONAI in JESUS name.

Kathie

Celebrations, Christian Living, Forgiveness, Repentance, Salvation, Something Jewish

Humor Me with a Honey Cake

Gallery Leave a comment

Perhaps you will humor me today; or perhaps by post’s end you will have adopted an appreciation for an uncommon to us Observance.

Yom Kippur, also referred to as The Day of Atonement, begins at 6:00 pm tonight.  I can think of nothing we need more than to be reminded of our need for Atonement.  As I said, humor me.

[source] (I encourage you to read the article in its entirety from which I took this paragraph.):

Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement) is one of two Jewish High Holy Days. The first High Holy Day is Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish New Year). Yom Kippur falls ten days after Rosh Hashanah on the 10th of Tishrei, which is a Hebrew month that correlates with September-October on the secular calendar. The purpose of Yom Kippur is to bring about reconciliation between people and between individuals and God.

Reconciliation between people to people and individuals to GOD. Can you think of anything needed more? Neither can I!

And if you want a more ‘religious’ view of Yom Kipper, I invite you to the Bible Gateway Blog. There you will read in part:

While most Christians today don’t observe the Day of Atonement, it remains significant because, like many events and ordinances in the Old Testament, it foreshadows the redeeming work of Jesus Christ.

The Day of Atonement was an annual reminder of God’s grace and of man’s need for forgiveness. Reading it in the light of the New Testament, seeing it also as a signpost pointing ahead to Christ, lends it even more significance. With the sacrifice of Easter well behind us and the promise of Christmas still months away, Yom Kippur is a good opportunity for Christians to reflect on the atonement God offers to us through Jesus Christ.

Am I advocating a 25 hour fast beginning this early evening? Not necessarily. But I am advocating that we who are Christians would be blessed to commemorate Yom Kippur with reverence, with something out of the ordinary to call attention to JESUS our Savior, our ATONEMENT; to carefully, lovingly and with cheerfulness bring JESUS to the minds of our family and friends; to pray aloud together as a family; to read the Scripture together detailing this most Holy Observance. Something to honor JESUS and represent to our families that HE is our Atonement and we are indeed grateful!!

Another tradition I just learned about today that I wish I had known earlier – I would so like to do a modified rendition of this Observance. I’d have to get it prepared and delivered before 6:00 pm tonight. It is the baking of Lekach (Honey Cake) and giving it to your family as a symbol and a reminder of God’s SWEET provisions for His people in the coming year.  Read more HERE.

I even have some links for recipes. I hope you will read and enjoy. Perhaps even bake a honey cake for your family today.

Rosh Hashanah Recipes

Honey Cake for Rosh Hashanah

Easy to make Honey Cake

 11 And not only that, but we shall also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement. [source]

ABBA, thank You. Thank You LORD YESHUA for becoming our Atonement. Thank You HOLY SPIRIT for quickening this Revelation of Salvation to us and thank You for allowing me to hear and learn of this rich and blessed and wonderful Observance and not just this one but all of them. Thank You for blessed and holy traditions. And help me as a Christian, non-Jewish by birth, but at my re-birth coming into the family of Abraham to give You and Your Feasts reverence and honor.  I suspect I am not saying that just right but You know what I mean; I have said it so many times, I mean to me being a Messiah Jew would be the best of both. So thank You for allowing me to learn and thank You for increasing my AWE of You; for You are indeed AWESOME; smarter, wiser, more wonderful and glorious than I have yet to see and experience. But I am learning and I am so grateful. Thank You LORD.

Kathie