Sabbath Music - A Southern Celtic Christmas

We watched a wonderful concert on PBS last week called A Southern Celtic Christmas, and I loved it because it had two Celtic harps, fiddle music, and dancing.  America's southern bluegrass music, which I love, has roots in the Scotch-Irish music brought here by immigrants.  Here's a playlist with short clips of the music on the show.  A Southern Celtic Christmas

Hanukkah and Christmas don't have to be over, my friends.  We can keep the peace, love, and JOY in our hearts all year long.  That's what it's all about.  Yeshua is Immanuel -- G-d With Us.  We can celebrate Him 365 days a year!  I do, and I hope you do.  The Sabbath is very much like Christmas -- a time to be still, draw near to Him, and enjoy the beauty of His presence and His love for us.  

Shabbat Shalom, dear Gail-Friends, and may your time with Him be sweet.

~~~
I sometimes share my posts with these friends:
  Spiritual Sundays  GRAND Social      Modest Mom Monday Link-up      The Art of Homemaking Mondays
   BLOGGING GRANDMOTHERS LINK PARTY     Share Your Cup Wednesday Wordless Wednesdays    Classical Homemaking Link-Up     
    Favorite Things Home and Garden Thursday at Delightsome Life  Paula's Weekend No Rules Blog Party Friendship Friday 
Sunday Thoughts Link-Up

Thankful Thursday - Christmas Blessings

Greetings, Gail-Friends.  I hope your Christmas was filled with peace, love, and JOY.  Our's certainly was. 

This is the first time in years that we didn't get to attend any Christmas concerts or a candlelight service.  We did, however, have a peace-filled Christmas at home, worshipping the Messiah through some wonderful concerts on television.  At our synagogue, we had a Christmas carol sing-along during our Friday night Sabbath service before Christmas. 

Our little doxie is blind, but she loves music.  She sat stock-still and listened to this whole show as they sang Christmas carols.  She was worshipping, too.

I also kept I Heart Radio going for a week, playing bluegrass Christmas carols and soft, gentle worship music.  

I'm so thankful that Yeshua came, even if December 25 is not the date of His birth.  I saw this quote this week:

It doesn't matter the date He came.

What matters is that He came.

On Christmas day, we went to a Chinese restaurant for lunch. It's a Jewish tradition.  As we drove around, we talked about how glad we are that Yeshua's birth is observed in America. December 25 is the only day when (almost) everything is closed down.  During Christmas, His name is lifted up.  His story is told.  He is remembered, reverenced, and lauded.  That fills my heart with JOY!

I'm also very thankful that President Trump is leading our country to say Merry Christmas and speaking of G-d.  He truly is making America great again, and I admire the stand he's taking.

On Christmas Eve, we had a family get together and enjoyed some good food and some silly selfie-taking.  Amanda took this one because Rabbi Jem can't smile while doing the camera (as you can see in the second picture):

 My loves <3 p="">

Do you see that wall hanging behind us?  It says, "In this home, we are thankful, grateful, and blessed."  My dear friend, Barbara, gave me that, and I dearly love it because it speaks my heart.

The kids thought it was really funny that we gave them hats and gloves - but, hey, it's been down in the 60's this week in central Florida.  That's COLD to me.  Amanda didn't have her's on, but she got a set, too.  Jon wore his all night!

Amanda has a new album coming out with a song she wrote called Flo-Grown, so we thought that called for matching shirts.

I've discovered a great dessert for the holidays: sugar-free vanilla ice cream with a teaspoon (or two) of Irish Cream.  It's yummy!

We went to see the movie, The Darkest Hour, which was about Winston Churchill and the Dunkirk Miracle of World War II.  It was great, and the audience applauded at the end which is very rare these days. President Trump reminds me of Churchill.  What a blessing his leadership is for America.

My heart is full to overflowing with peace, love, and JOY this week.  This has been a special season.  Celebrating Hanukkah and Christmas is a wonderful, awesome double blessing.

~~~
I sometimes share my posts with these friends:
  Spiritual Sundays  GRAND Social      Modest Mom Monday Link-up      The Art of Homemaking Mondays
   BLOGGING GRANDMOTHERS LINK PARTY     Share Your Cup Wednesday Wordless Wednesdays    Classical Homemaking Link-Up     
    Favorite Things Home and Garden Thursday at Delightsome Life  Paula's Weekend No Rules Blog Party Friendship Friday 
Sunday Thoughts Link-Up

Music for Christmas

Today is Christmas Eve, and I'm getting ready for a family celebration.  I'm wearing flip-flops, a sleeveless shirt, and "glistening" because it's so hot (over 80 degrees).  But, that's what I love about where I live, so I'm not complaining!  It doesn't dampen my holiday spirit one bit.

Here's a playlist of eight songs for you to enjoy, sung and played by my daughter, Amanda.  The playlist is titled Reverance of the Night. Videos are done by her husband, William.  Such talent in my family - OY VEY! 

My dear Gail-Friends, I pray you have a happy Christmas, filled with worship, and peace.  I pray you will focus on Yeshua, our Messiah.





Click on this POST to see how we celebrate Christmas as Messianic Jews.


~~~
I sometimes share my posts with these friends:
  Spiritual Sundays  GRAND Social      Modest Mom Monday Link-up      The Art of Homemaking Mondays
   BLOGGING GRANDMOTHERS LINK PARTY     Share Your Cup Wednesday Wordless Wednesdays    Classical Homemaking Link-Up     
    Favorite Things Home and Garden Thursday at Delightsome Life  Paula's Weekend No Rules Blog Party Friendship Friday 
Sunday Thoughts Link-Up

Sabbath Music - Beautiful Star of Bethlehem

 Greetings, Gail-Friends!  

Shabbat begins this evening and what a wonderful way to begin our celebration

and remembrance of the birth of Yeshua, our Messiah.  

We will bring in the Sabbath with praise and worship

and singing of long-loved songs about Him.

We'll be singing Joy To The World, my favorite of all time.

I've been listening to bluegrass Christmas music lately, and this song has brought back sweet memories of my parents.  They both loved that style of country music, and I grew up listening to Ralph Stanley and Earl Scruggs.  I didn't care for that music then,

 but as I've grown older I've begun to return to my country roots.

This song, Beautiful Star of Bethlehem, sung by Ralph Stanley

has a good message and the linked playlist is good for the whole year long.

Oh Beautiful Star, the hope of rest

for the redeemed, the good and blest

Yonder in glory when the crown is won

 For Jesus is now that Star divine

brighter and brighter He will shine

Oh Beautiful Star of Bethlehem, shine on

I pray you have a good Sabbath, focusing on the glories and wonders of ADONAI,

especially the gift of His son, Yeshua the Messiah.

Let's remember His birth, yes!  

But let's also follow Him and walk in His ways - 

the paths of righteousness and truth.

 

Thankful Thursday - This Week at Golden Cottage

Hanukkah lights shining bright

It's been a busy week at Golden Cottage.  Here are a few photos of the happenings.

The ladies did a great job of decorating for our congregation's Hanukkah party:

  Rabbi Jem read this book to the children.

We had fun taking pictures with this frame.  Have you ever tried to get four wiggly, giggly little ones and daddy to fit in such a small space for a photo?  I tried, really I did!

Lots of dreidl playing and gelt eating, too!

We had lots of good food.  I made my world famous menorah dip.

 Lots of Hanukkah cookies, doughnuts, and kugel.  No worries -- we had plenty of healthy food, too.

At Golden Cottage, we lit our menorahs each night for eight nights.

And enjoyed time with our grandson.

Our cookie-making is an annual tradition:

We had one perfectly round cookie - the others, not so much.  But, they tasted good!  I thought it was neat how the photos above appeared "golden" because it's the Golden Cottage kitchen after all.

His apron says, "I'M A HAPPY COOKER." 

THIS BOY GIVES US SO MUCH JOY! ! !

We have so much to be thankful for.

Happy Hanukkah and Happy Christmas to you all.

!

Sabbath Music - Hanukkah Blessings

Tonight we'll have a double blessing because we celebrate the Sabbath as well as the fourth night of Chanukkah.    Here's a song for the Festival of Lights.  Enjoy!  Hanukkah Blessings 

Shabbat Shalom and Chag Sameach. . . (Have a good Sabbath and a joyous festival) . . .(and don't eat too many latkes, Gail-Friends.)


~~~
I sometimes share my posts with these friends:
  Spiritual Sundays  GRAND Social      Modest Mom Monday Link-up      The Art of Homemaking Mondays
   BLOGGING GRANDMOTHERS LINK PARTY     Share Your Cup Wednesday Wordless Wednesdays    Classical Homemaking Link-Up     
    Favorite Things Home and Garden Thursday at Delightsome Life  Paula's Weekend No Rules Blog Party Friendship Friday 
Sunday Thoughts Link-Up

Thankful Thursday - Wonder and Awe

graphic courtesy of Garden of Bright Images on Facebook

This is me.  I'm always so filled with awe.  For most of my life, I had a recurring dream that I relate to this graphic.

In my dream, I am walking down a sidewalk covered with leaves.  They are so beautiful, green, gold, red, yellow . . . and I am filled with JOY.  I begin to kick the leaves up in the air, enjoying the sight of them drifting back down.  The leaves become piles, and as I kick them, the leaves reveal gold and silver coins -- lots of coins piled on top of each other.  I've discovered a hidden treasure!  I smile and laugh and throw the leaves up in the air.  It's such a happy dream.

When I wake up, I always know what it means -- that JOY is in the little things.

I've never been rich in money, but I'm filthy rich in JOY.  Simple things make me happy.  I've never hungered for fancy clothes or houses or even dreamed of being rich.  I've always FELT rich.

The Scriptures say, "Now godliness with contentment is great gain." That's what makes me rich, Gail-Friends.

Here are some photos of the things that fill me with wonder and awe and make me feel rich.

I call this Florida snow because that's what it looks like to me.  These tiny pink flowers are covering our whole neighborhood right now.  Here's a close-up.  That blur is the tip of my finger. 

Don't they look like tiny lilies? 

I'm filled with awe, when someone is on my heart,

and I see her name right in front of me:

The beauty of the river when a storm is on the way.

A hidden surprise:

A rose-colored sunset on the lake:

Our fur baby, celebrating the Sabbath with us.  

She sat very still, in that same spot, 

through our whole Sabbath service at home that night.

Living long enough to see my children's children.  I have one grandchild, and what a blessing and joy he is.  I'm filled with wonder every time I see his precious face.

Being married to a man who is Godly, wise, kind, and brave.  

Men like him are very rare.  I'm in awe of how God brought us together.  

For all of these things, I'm filled with wonder and gratitude.  I'm so very rich.

What fills you with awe and wonder, Gail-Friends?


Blessings to you!

~~~
I sometimes share my posts with these friends:
  Spiritual Sundays  GRAND Social      Modest Mom Monday Link-up      The Art of Homemaking Mondays
   BLOGGING GRANDMOTHERS LINK PARTY     Share Your Cup Wednesday Wordless Wednesdays    Classical Homemaking Link-Up     
    Favorite Things Home and Garden Thursday at Delightsome Life  Paula's Weekend No Rules Blog Party Friendship Friday 
Sunday Thoughts Link-Up

Tablescapes Event

Last month, I attended a wonderful event featuring tablescapes at the Cocoa Community Women's Club.  I loved seeing the lovely china, crystal, silver, and linens on display.  I also enjoyed the flower arrangments that included common Florida plants.  I hope you enjoy seeing the photos as much as I enjoyed my visit.

The event was publicized in our local paper.

Lawndale around 1895

The funds raised from the event went to help in the renovation of Lawndale, a local historic home.  The photos below show the Limoges china, silver, and linens that were like those used by the former owners of the house.

It was a lovely tablescape event that I hope will become an annual tradition. 

While there, I picked up a flier about a historic home tour in the area.  My next post will be about these beautiful homes built around the 1890's. 

Blessings to you!

~~~
I sometimes share my posts with these friends:
  Spiritual Sundays  GRAND Social      Modest Mom Monday Link-up      The Art of Homemaking Mondays
   BLOGGING GRANDMOTHERS LINK PARTY     Share Your Cup Wednesday Wordless Wednesdays    Classical Homemaking Link-Up     
    Favorite Things Home and Garden Thursday at Delightsome Life  Paula's Weekend No Rules Blog Party Friendship Friday 
Sunday Thoughts Link-Up