Saturday, April 25, 2015

Sabbath Music - Praise Adonai



Oh, Praise Adonai with me!  It is a beautiful Sabbath morning.  The birds are singing in the sunshine.  The butterflies are dancing.  Let's sing and dance with them.

Adonai inhabits the praises of His people.  When we praise, He comes near. What a glorious promise. 

Paul Wilbur's Desert Rain is a perfect accompaniment for worship. Welcome Adonai and His Sabbath with me today.






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I'm sharing this post with some of my friends at :
Jennifer Dukes Lee Tell His Story
Lyli at Thought Provoking Thursdays at 3D Lessons 4Life
Hope in Every Season Homemaking Party
Laura on Faith Filled Friday at Missional Women
Fellowship Fridays at Christian Mommy Blogger
Charlotte at Spiritual Sundays
My Fresh Brewed Life with Barbie – Weekend Brew

Friday, April 24, 2015

Thankful Thursday - Sentimentality






Years ago, one of my art teachers accused me of being sentimental because of the subjects I chose to draw and paint.  I didn't think it was something to disdain, so I continue to be hopelessly sentimental to this day.  I had a sentimental journey this week, as a matter of fact. We were blessed to visit my old stomping grounds of Jacksonville, in northeast Florida.  

The photo above is taken from the Ortega Bridge on the west side of the city, and has a nice view of the downtown skyline.  I love riding the roads of my memories, and this spot is one of my favorites.  I've spent many hours here writing, praying, meditating, and listening to G-d's voice.  

While in the neighborhood, we saw a nursery with hundreds of flowering plants for sale, so I just had to stop and take photos.  We also brought back some new ones for our yard.  Sorry I don't know the names of these, but aren't they joy giving?




We stopped in at my happy place, the Chamblin Book Mine.  This place is book lover's dream, and I've written about it in previous posts.  They sell used and new books in a grocery store sized building, with shelves from floor to ceiling and boxes of overflowing books lining the aisles.  It's worth the visit if you're ever near Jacksonville.  They do trades, so we always take some for credit on our next purchase.  I love this place!  See how happy I am?




Rabbi Jem is collecting adventure type books for our grandson, and he was tickled to add a couple of new ones to his collection.  I found a Susan Branch cookbook for my own stash.  I love her artwork, and am working at collecting all of her titles.   

I couldn't resist taking a picture of Jem and this sign.  How creepy is it to have a "horror" room?  You'd be amazed by how many books were in this section.  It reminded me of the Scripture, "All who hate me love death."  I want no part of it.


We stopped by mama's place to check on things, and I saw this happy little patio.  Isn't it inviting?   The lady who lives there is very creative and hospitable.  I enjoyed a visit with her.




Back at home, the Confederate jasmine is blooming, and the scent is so sweet.  Couple that with the orange blossoms in our area, and you have a purely heavenly perfume.



My cranberry hibiscus is also in bloom for the first time.  I bought the plant because of the medicinal properties of the leaves, not knowing it had such lovely flowers.  What a happy surprise.  



Our tomatoes are coming out.  This one will be a big beauty, if the bugs don't get it.  Farming is not easy, Gail-Friends.  Growing vegies has made me very thankful for the farmers.  



This week, I am very thankful for the strength of the L-rd.  My life has been super busy lately.  I'm also walking through the shadow of death.  My mother is eighty-four and in a nursing home near us.  She is declining rapidly, both mentally and physically.  Seeing her slip away is sad, and I constantly cling to Psalm 23: 

"Yea, though I walk through valley of the shadow of death, 
I will fear no evil.
His rod and His staff (the Word and Spirit) comfort me." 

His promise is real, Gail-Friends.  I don't know how people go through hard times without His love.

What are you thankful for this week?

Thankful Thursday is my day to focus on and be thankful for the good things in my life.
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I'm sharing this post with some of my friends at :
Jennifer Dukes Lee Tell His Story
Lyli at Thought Provoking Thursdays at 3D Lessons 4Life
Hope in Every Season Homemaking Party
Laura on Faith Filled Friday at Missional Women
Fellowship Fridays at Christian Mommy Blogger
Charlotte at Spiritual Sundays
My Fresh Brewed Life with Barbie – Weekend Brew

Friday, April 17, 2015

Sabbath Music

May your Sabbath rest be sweet, and may all the world know Sabbath peace one day.

The first song, Sim Shalom by Steve McConnell, is one of my favorites. 






I'm sharing this post with some of my friends at :
Jennifer Dukes Lee Tell His Story
Lyli at Thought Provoking Thursdays at 3D Lessons 4Life
Hope in Every Season Homemaking Party
Laura on Faith Filled Friday at Missional Women
Fellowship Fridays at Christian Mommy Blogger
Charlotte at Spiritual Sundays
My Fresh Brewed Life with Barbie – Weekend Brew


Thursday, April 16, 2015

Thankful Thursday - Music and Nature


Thankful Thursday is my day to focus on, and be thankful for, all of the beautiful things in my life.

Last month we attended a bluegrass concert at Fort Christmas, and enjoyed some good, old-timey picken' and grinnin' as we say down south.  The lady in the photo above is eighty-four years old and she can still play a guitar with gusto.  She was inspiring.




Here's a short clip of her band, Ramblin' Rose. All of the ladies in the band are her daughters, and they really put on a good show. Aren't they great?



Sitting under these moss covered oaks was relaxing and refreshing.  

My husband entered a drawing for a hand-carved walking stick, and he won!  It's a beauty and he was so excited to win it.





The man who carved the stick said the acorn is his "trademark".  We enjoyed talking to him about his craft.


Fort Christmas, Florida is a beautiful place to visit, with old houses and historical exhibits to explore.  We go there a several times a year for music and other artistic events. I'm thankful that we have such a place so close by.

And, finally, I'm so thankful for the beautiful music I hear every morning when I sit on my back porch. 


What are you thankful for this week?

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I'm sharing this post with some of my friends at :
Jennifer Dukes Lee Tell His Story
Lyli at Thought Provoking Thursdays at 3D Lessons 4Life
Hope in Every Season Homemaking Party
Laura on Faith Filled Friday at Missional Women
Fellowship Fridays at Christian Mommy Blogger
Charlotte at Spiritual Sundays
My Fresh Brewed Life with Barbie – Weekend Brew

Friday, April 10, 2015

Sabbath Music




Are you welcoming the Sabbath? 

Adonai, the Creator of the Universe is calling us into His presence at this set-apart time.  He invites us to join Him.  Joy awaits us because He inhabits the praises of His people. 

Join me in giving Him glory, honor and praise. 





                                                                                                                                                                                             


I'm sharing this post with some of my friends at :
Jennifer Dukes Lee Tell His Story
Lyli at Thought Provoking Thursdays at 3D Lessons 4Life
Hope in Every Season Homemaking Party
Laura on Faith Filled Friday at Missional Women
Fellowship Fridays at Christian Mommy Blogger
Charlotte at Spiritual Sundays
My Fresh Brewed Life with Barbie – Weekend Brew

Thursday, April 9, 2015

Thankful Thursday - April in Paradise

Thankful Thursday is the day I pause to be thankful for all the good things in my life.

My new flag reminds me to be thankful to live in America and for the freedoms we have.  

Passover, which ends tomorrow at sundown,  reminds me of freedom, too.  I'm thankful for our wonderful seder, and you can see photos in my previous post.  



It's been a busy week, preparing for Passover and other things going on in our lives. So this week, I'll high light some of the beauty I saw over the past couple of weeks.  I love living in paradise and our weather has been heavenly. I am so thankful for that and for the beauty of this wonderful state, especially the flowers, birds and water. 

We bought some flowers for the yard, and I fell in love with these.  I call them "bazingas", but that's not their real name.  They take the full sun and flower like crazy.  Aren't they beautiful?


We ate lunch one day at a restaurant on the river, and I caught this nice shot of a sail.  The plant in front is a sea grape, which grows wild along the river and the beach.  These were potted, and gave me the idea to do the same.  They change colors and are always delightful.  They do have grapes, and you can make jelly out of them.


I don't know the name of these trees, but they are glorious this time of year.


Lantana is common here and comes in several color varieties.  I have half a dozen bushes in my yard, and the butterflies love to visit them.  My backyard was full of visitors today.




We live near the headwaters of the St. Johns River, and there's so much beauty to see from this park along the banks.


The fishing is really good on the river and we saw several fishermen enjoying the day.  This man was seining for bait fish.


These cows were on an island in the river near them, but no worries.  The water is quite shallow and they can wade out.  They have food and water aplenty so there's no rush to head home.


The air boats skim over the top of the water. Riding one of these is on my bucket list.


A white heron and a flock of mud hens having a bountiful buffet along the river's edge.

  
There is beauty all around.  We just have to look for it, right?


What are you thankful for this week?

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I'm sharing this post with some of my friends at :
Jennifer Dukes Lee Tell His Story
Lyli at Thought Provoking Thursdays at 3D Lessons 4Life
Hope in Every Season Homemaking Party
Laura on Faith Filled Friday at Missional Women
Fellowship Fridays at Christian Mommy Blogger
Charlotte at Spiritual Sundays
My Fresh Brewed Life with Barbie – Weekend Brew

Wisdom Wednesday - Remembering Passover



Passover is about remembering the exodus from Egypt, and calling to mind the miracles G-d wrought for our salvation as a people.  Personally, this commanded Feast reminds me that my Heavenly Father will provide for me and guide me.

This reminder is comforting in this perilous time in America, as we see so many of our freedoms being destroyed.  When I get a bit overwhelmed by the news, I call to mind the Exodus story, and I remember He is with us

Here are a few pics of our Passover seder.  Our five year old grandson read the four questions:

 Why is this night different from all the rest? 
Why do we eat matzah?
 Why do we dip the bitter herbs twice?
 Why do we recline at the table tonight? .

We were very proud of him for reading so well and speaking loudly so everyone could hear.  We think he's remarkable, extremely intelligent and cute, too.  We may be a bit prejudiced and be bragging a bit, but if you're a grandparent, I know you understand.





Singing the traditional, "Dayanu".



The affikomen was wrapped in this towel.  It had been hidden before the service.


The children, looking for the affikomen.


   
Our grandson found it.



Then came the negotiation with Paw-Paw to redeem it.  This is a picture of the redemption from sin by Yeshua our Messiah.  The little one wanted $10, but Paw-Paw got him down to $5 .  



He was happy, happy, happy!



Looking for Elijah.  He wasn't there, but we believe he is coming soon. Very soon. With Mashiach ben David, Yeshua.



We always set a place for him at the table because we expect him to appear, and have faith that he will.  Soon. I am so ready for His appearing, and I say, "Come, L-rd!"

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We all sang the traditional song, "Eliyahu" and "At the Seder We Remember".  You can listen to that song in my previous post.


Then our Torah scroll was removed from the ark and paraded around the synagogue.  Tears glistened in so many eyes as they touched and kissed it.  We don't worship it as an icon, but we treasure it, and honor it because G-d's Word is sweet, like honey to our lips.


We ended the blessed and happy evening with the traditional saying, "Next year in Jerusalem."

Yeshua celebrated this feast on the night before He was crucified.  He told us to celebrate it, too, in remembrance of Him.  So much of the seder points to our Messiah.  To learn more about Passover and enjoy music from  my past posts, click on this LINK.

I'd love to hear about your Passover celebration, too.

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I'm sharing this post with some of my friends at :
Jennifer Dukes Lee Tell His Story
Lyli at Thought Provoking Thursdays at 3D Lessons 4Life
Hope in Every Season Homemaking Party
Laura on Faith Filled Friday at Missional Women
Fellowship Fridays at Christian Mommy Blogger
Charlotte at Spiritual Sundays
My Fresh Brewed Life with Barbie – Weekend Brew

Friday, April 3, 2015

Our Passover Lamb

As I prepare for Passover, I'm remembering the first time I attended a seder...about twenty years ago.  I'd just begun to learn about the Jewish roots of Christianity and was invited to attend the service at the home of a friend.  How vividly I remember holding the matzah in my hand, looking at the stripes and the holes.  Our host explained that the matzah is a picture of the Messiah Yeshua.  He was without sin (no leaven) and He was pierced for our sins, and took stripes for our healing.

 
graphic from MiYah music


Each year when we observe our seder, I hold the matzah and remember our redemption, and I thank Him. No more blood has to be shed.  He became sin for us so that we would not have to be punished.  I am grateful.

Hashem commanded us to observe this feast, and Yeshua obeyed.  On the night before He was crucified, He and His disciples held a seder.  That night, He said, "Do this (seder) in remembrance of Me."  If you are able to attend a Messianic seder in your area this week, you will be so blessed.


We will be singing this song at our seder tomorrow night.




I hope you enjoy the song list that includes the songs we traditionally sing on Passover - Eliyahu and Dayanu.  It also contains some silly songs that I think will tickle your funny bone (i.e. the puppets).

Our seder will be tomorrow afternoon, and I'll share photos and tell you about it in my next post. 

 I pray Passover blessings to you all. 

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I'm sharing this post with some of my friends at :
Jennifer Dukes Lee Tell His Story
Lyli at Thought Provoking Thursdays at 3D Lessons 4Life
Hope in Every Season Homemaking Party
Laura on Faith Filled Friday at Missional Women
Fellowship Fridays at Christian Mommy Blogger
Charlotte at Spiritual Sundays
My Fresh Brewed Life with Barbie – Weekend Brew