A Song for Hanukkah

 

 We are getting ready for Hanukkah 'cause we light the first candle on Sunday, December 18 at sundown.  I love this time of year, and especially when it coincides with Christmas.  We'll be celebrating both at our synagogue on Shabbat / Christmas Eve.  So, really, we'll be celebrating three things.  

I wanted to encourage all who don't know about Hanukkah to click on the links to the right of this page.  Lots of info there:  the story, the food (with recipes), the songs, the decorations, and the fun.  It's all there for you to enjoy.  (click Hanukkah, Chanukah, and Christmas)

Here's my favorite Hanukkah song for your enjoyment:  Hanukkah Song by Marty Goetz

 And - my most favorite singer - a playlist that will bless your heart:   Reverence of the Night by Amanda Wilson

Have a wonderful, happy, worshipful holiday season, Gail-Friends.

 

 

 

Happy Thanksgiving

 

Mama's table and china cabinet

 

Are you cooking like a mad woman?  I am, and I love it!  I always bring out my mama's recipe for southern style cornbread dressing with giblet gravy.  I'll be cooking that along with a roasted turkey, turnip greens with rutabagas, and sweet potato pie (Jem's favorite).  My daughter will be making Mama's broccoli casserole, her paternal grandmother's squash casserole, and her own yummy grape salad. 

Tomorrow as we sit around her table (which I cherish), these traditions will bring back sweet memories of the  many holiday meals we've shared.  She's been gone for seven years now and my memories of her grow sweeter every year.  She was quite a lady and a wonderful cook.  Daddy never did like to go to restaurants, and why would he when he had the best cook in the world?

We had a wonderful experience this week.  We delivered food baskets with the Basket Brigade to needy families in our community.  The gratitude and joyful tears of the people we met really blessed our hearts.  We're going to make it a Thanksgiving tradition.

One of the things I'm thankful for on this holiday is that we still have a holiday that acknowledges God.  Growing up in the pubic school system, I was taught about the Pilgrims and how they thanked Him for the blessings of making it to a country with religious freedom.  I wonder if that's sstill being taught today.  I read this very interesting article today about the history of the first settlers and their connection to Judaism.  Here's the link -  First Fruits of Zion

I've found FFOZ to be a great resource.  Check it out!

Some of the things I'm thankful for this year are:

• our family - especially our new grandson
• our health and strength - we're doing very well for our age. 
  
• our synagogue family - such a precious, loving, caring group we have
  
• life in America - in spite of all the terrible things that have happened over the last two years.  We still live in the best country of all.
  
• God's Word - oh, how I thank Him for preserving it over thousands of years and how accessible it is now - especially all of the translations available on Bible Gateway
• our neighbors and community - we live in a small town and I love it
• for my state (Florida) which I call paradise - and for our governor (DeSantis).  I hope he runs for president one day.  Jem got to meet him recently when he came to the museum to make a commercial for his campaign.  The Gov. gave Jem a hat, a t-shirt, and then they had photos taken together.
  
• religious freedom - let's never take that for granted, Gail-Friends. 
   

   I'd love to know what you'll be doing for Thanksgiving, and what you're thankful for.  

FOCUS!

 

This Facebook article (below) spoke to me this week and I hope it helps you or someone who's struggling with distractions.   I'd been struggling with keeping up with all the things on my plate lately.  I prayed about this and God showed me several things to do.

First, I looked at all of the duties I have as a wife, mother, grandmother, rebbetzin, artist, and writer.  I decided to give up some of my duties at the synagogue.  This helped tremendously.  God bless the members of our congregation.  They have such tender, willing hearts to help us and others.  We are blessed to have such a loving family.

Taking the many synagogue duties off my plate has allowed me to have much more clarity so that I can now focus on my writing.  I have six books that are critiqued, edited, and ready to format for publication.  I'm also working on a project about my paternal grandmother that I'm enjoying greatly.  And I have a book that I illustrated over thirty years ago that I ran across when I was organizing my writing files!  I'm really excited about that project. 

 

The second thing I've done is to write a daily, weekly, and monthly list of things to do.  I learned as a Mary Kay sales director to analyze that list and decide which were the six most important things I'd listed.  After my daily quiet time, I start with number one on the daily list and don't stop until the six things are done.  Yes, there are times I don't finish the list.  No worries!  I just put that thing as number one on the next day's list.  This works.  

 

The third thing God showed me was to stay focused.  Maybe I have a touch of ADD, but I can think about as well as do several things at one time.  I'm learning to write the idea down for later instead of losing focus on the most important task at hand.  

 

The final thing is to put my phone on silent and stay off the internet.  Talk about distractions! These are the worst.  Another thing I learned in Mary Kay is to be proactive instead of reactive.  My focus has to be on the important, not the distraction. So, I'm learning to be like my dear, sweet husband who checks his mail and internet priorities twice a day only. 

 

 This article by Nancy Campbell was a confirmation that God was guiding me.  He is a good and faithful father who answers our prayers and guides us when we come to Him with our problems.

 

ARE YOU FOCUSED?

by Nancy Campbell of Above Rubies

 (used by permission)

In order to counteract distractions this we must get into the habit of becoming disciplined and focused. How can we FOCUS? I'll share an acrostic with you, and as I do, I'll point three fingers back at me!

 

F FOLLOW the Lord closely. Don't lag behind where you are too far away to hear His voice. When distractions get in between you and the Lord, be ruthless and shove them out of the way. What are the things that you have allowed to come in that have dimmed His voice? Are you a Facebook timewaster? Addicted to movies? Whatever it may be, take stock and discipline your time. Stipulate what time you allow yourself to use your electronics.

 

O OPEN your heart to the Holy Spirit instead of all the media and technology all around you (James 4:8). Open your heart to God's Word, which means you must discipline yourself to read it.

 

C CALL upon the Lord to help you (Romans 10:13). You can't do it in your own strength.

 

U UNDERSTAND your calling (Ephesians 5:17). If God has blessed you with children, motherhood is your highest calling. The devil will tempt you to get involved with so many extra "good" things, but they will weaken your power and influence as a mother.

 

S SIMPLIFY your life. The more stuff you have the more it fills up your life, and the more work it takes to look after it all. Get rid of everything you don't need (more fingers pointing back at me)! My daughter, Evangeline, loves to say: "I'm not wasting my time running around after stuff; I'm using my time for God and my children." But it's not only material stuff we must throw out. It's all the time-wasting hours we spend on so many other things. Knock off some things you are involved in. Go out less. Focus on the important. Eliminate the less important. Discipline your life.

 

Keep focused. Blessings from Nancy Campbell

 

P.S. Read these Scriptures: Numbers 14:24; Psalm 57:7; 63:8; 108:1; Proverbs 4:25-27; 16:32; 25:28; 1 Corinthians 9:24-27; Philippians 3:12-14; and Titus 2:12.

 

The Struggle Makes You Stronger

 

Years ago, I read the story of a man who found a butterfly struggling to get out of its cocoon.  He took the cocoon home and put it on his desk where he could watch the butterfly emerge.  He could see the mighty effort being made for release, but it seemed the butterfly needed help.  So, he took a tiny pair of scissors and cut the cocoon open very carefully, releasing the butterfly.  It tried to walk, but was unable to do so.  Its wings were matted together, making them useless to fly.  The butterfly died.

The man found out later that the struggle to get out of the cocoon was vital to the life and strength of the butterfly.  The process, though painful looking, had to play out in order for it to survive and thrive.  

Over time, I've realized that we are the same.  Struggles develop our faith and character IF we understand that God is doing something in our lives.  When we surrender the situation to Him, He will teach us powerful lessons - things no one can take away from us.  

I know this about my own life.  However, I sometimes forget that about my loved ones.  My personality is that of a fixer - a rescuer.  I want to protect them from pain.  But, like the butterfly, that can be damaging.  This week, I read something on a blog that really spoke to me on this point.  I hope it will help you if you relate.  This is powerful:

“I would have pulled Joseph out. Out of that pit. Out of that prison. Out of that pain. And I would have cheated nations out of the one God would use to deliver them from famine.

 

I would have pulled David out. Out of Saul’s spear-throwing presence. Out of the caves he hid away in. Out of the pain of rejection. And I would have cheated Israel out of a God-hearted king.

 

I would have pulled Esther out. Out of being snatched from her only family. Out of being placed in a position she never asked for. Out of the path of a vicious, power-hungry foe. And I would have cheated a people out of the woman God would use to save their very lives.

 

And I would have pulled Jesus off. Off of the cross. Off of the road that led to suffering and pain. Off of the path that would mean nakedness and beatings, nails and thorns. And I would have cheated the entire world out of a Savior. Out of salvation. Out of an eternity filled with no more suffering and no more pain.

 

And oh friend. I want to pull you out. I want to change your path. I want to stop your pain. But right now I know I would be wrong. I would be out of line. I would be cheating you and cheating the world out of so much good. Because God knows. He knows the good this pain will produce. He knows the beauty this hard will grow. He’s watching over you and keeping you even in the midst of this. And He’s promising you that you can trust Him. Even when it all feels like more than you can bear.

 

So instead of trying to pull you out, I’m lifting you up. I’m kneeling before the Father and I’m asking Him to give you strength. To give you hope. I’m asking Him to protect you and to move you when the time is right. I'm asking Him to help you stay prayerful and discerning. I'm asking Him how I can best love you and be a help to you. And I’m believing He’s going to use your life in powerful and beautiful ways. Ways that will leave your heart grateful and humbly thankful for this road you’ve been on.”

 - Kimberly D. Henderson

I would add this:  I would have probably chased after the prodigal son.  Paid a detective to find him if I couldn't.  Paid his bills, etc.  Done everything to keep him from going through the painful lessons he needed to learn.  

The prodigal's father didn't do any of those things.  He waited.  He waited in faith - looking down the road, expecting his son to come home.  

His son had to suffer.  Living in a pig pen is pretty low for a Jewish boy!  But that suffering brought him to his senses.  He went back to his father's house, and he didn't bring the pig pen home with him.  He learned his lessons through the things he experienced.

I've learned mine, too.  God's in the business of working with people to teach and shape them into His image.  IF he needs my help with my loved ones, He'll let me know.

Sukkot Reflections

 

 

 Today is the fifth day of Sukkot - the time of our rejoicing!!  I love this week of spending time in the sukkah - meditating on the goodness of ADONAI and of soaking in His presence.  I turn on beautiful music and listen to the music in my beautiful Golden Cottage Garden.  That garden music is the songs of the birds, bees, and the soft sound of falling flowers from our Golden Rain trees.  Oh, what a wonderful time of stillness is Sukkot.  

I take my cup of coffee, my Bible and journal, along with my favorite daily meditation books*, and sit at the table in our sukkah.  I pray, meditate on what I've read, and then write my thoughts on the readings.  I listen to my Heavenly Father speak to my heart, and record His words in my journal. My soul is restored and full of JOY!

One morning this week, I was making a video of the golden rain falling and I heard something different from the normal garden songs.  I heard a shofar blowing.  It seemed very far off, but I recognized that beautiful sound immediately.  Here is the video.  It's not very loud, so I hope you can hear it:

Did you know that the Scripture says that when Yeshua returns, a trumpet will sound.  I believe that trumpet is the shofar.  It's a very unique sound.  Here's a video of shofar blowing that I love to listen to. 

Sound of the shofar

This year (for the first time), we built our sukkah on the patio (first pic in this post).  We did it because rain was forecast.  I've really enjoyed it, too.  Haven't had to fight the mosquitos or keep brushing away the golden rain blossoms.  I kind of miss that part, though!  Oh, another thing I like about it is I don't have to be wary of Sam, our "pet" black racer that lives in our yard.  He's been here for years and is about four feet long.  Here's a recent pic of him gliding through the flowers around the pond.  

 

That's Sam - or could be Samantha!  We recently had a baby snake out back, which tells me there's a family.  I'm not afraid of snakes, especially this kind, because they eat frogs, lizards, rodents, and other creepy, crawly visitors to the pond.  I just don't like the idea of one crawling over my foot while I'm meditating.  

This week, I found a YT video that really blessed me.  It's about the Fall Holidays, describing a king who visits his kingdom and spends time with those He loves.  I love thinking of these appointed times in the way she describes.  Our King of Kings, Yeshua Hamashiach, draws near to us and "tabernacles" with us during Sukkot.  The video mentions the extra day that He lingers, enjoying fellowship with us.  I want to linger, too, and often keep the sukkah up for another week or two because I enjoy doing my daily quiet time there.  

Why Celebrate Sukkot

The Feast of Tabernacles will be celebrated in Heaven.  Did you know that?  All of the Holidays are picture of our Messiah.  They are physical, tactile symbols to deepen our understanding of spiritual concepts, and I deeply love them. 

To learn more about Sukkot, you can read my previous posts.  Just look on the right side of the page and click on Sukkot.  

Blessings to you, dear Gail-Friends.  Chag Sukkot!

*Streams in the Desert and Come Away My Beloved

Yom Kippur Reflections

 

 

May you and your dear ones be blessed on this Day of Atonement! It is a time of meditation, fasting, and soul searching. 

We confess and repent from our sins and ask ADONAI to write our names in the Book of Life for the coming year. 

We rejoice and praise Him for the blood of Yeshua that pays for our sins when we turn from them. 

We also ask forgiveness of those we've sinned against, and forgive those who've hurt us, doing our best to mend any broken relationships.

To learn more about this commanded observance, visit these posts from the past:  https://gailgolden.blogspot.com/search/label/Yom%20Kippur

 To learn more about Rosh Hashanah click here:  https://gailgolden.blogspot.com/search/label/Rosh%20Hashanah

To learn more about the next feast of the High Holy Days, click here:  https://gailgolden.blogspot.com/search/label/Sukkot

Getting Ready for Hurricane Ian

 

**

 

We're getting ready for Hurricane Ian. Battening down the hatches as the old saying goes. Having lived in Florida all of my life, I've been through so many I've lost count.  You can read about my recent experiences at this link:   hurricanes

And here's a post about how to get ready when a hurricane is coming your way.  hurricane prep

But, the most important thing about my hurricane experience is the comfort I've found in Psalm 91. my hurricane psalm

I'm praying for all in the path of the storm.  Most likely, Ian will affect the whole state of Florida.  So, please join me in those prayers, Gail-Friends.  Let me know if you have any special prayer requests.  

Blessings to you all, with love. 

** photos from Pixabay with permission

So Many Bible Versions - What's the Difference?

 

free image source: Pixabay

Recently, a Gail-Friends reader asked this question:  "What's the difference between the Torah and the King James Version?"  I thought I'd share my answer as a blog post.

This was my response:

Thank you for asking this question.  It's a good one.  The Torah contains the first five books of the Old Testament.  In many translations, it is called "the law."  It is the basis of Jewish belief and practice.  It is the lens through which we find understanding of the New Testament.  Once I learned this, I began to understand many things that formerly puzzled me,

My rabbi (and husband) teaches the following to those who are beginning study of the Torah:  

The Bible was written in Hebrew and Aramaic.  The words were then translated as follows:

into Greek
then into Latin
then German (when the Gutenberg Bible was printed)
then French
then Old English (KJV- please note it is a version)
then modern English and then to the many versions of today

As you can imagine, some things became lost through translation.  For instance, some Hebrew words cannot be translated into Greek. Example: in Proverbs 31:10 (KJV), the word "rubies" is actually "pearls" in Hebrew.  And that is only a minor difference.  There are more.  The important thing is that the Torah has been "thrown behind the back" as unimportant. 

I was using the KJV when I began my search/study to KNOW that I was following Him and only Him.  As I continued my study,  Adonai led me to the Complete Jewish Bible and the companion Complete Jewish Study Bible.  These are very enlightening and helpful.

My challenge  to the women of our synagogue, and to you, dear Gail-Friends, is to begin a faithful, prayerful reading and then a deep study of the Torah.  Also, to pray for wisdom and understanding.  Seek Him - not a church, a religion, a denomination, or a preacher/teacher.  Ask Him for ears to hear and eyes to see.    

Shalom and blessings to you.

P.S.  My husband/rabbi uses only the Hebrew translation, from the Tanach and/or the Chumash.  These have the Hebrew on the right page, and the English on the left.  

I recommend using online Bible reference tools such as Bible Gateway to compare different translations/versions.  It can be very eye-opening.

A Threat to America?

 

 

 I woke this morning to learn that the current president hates me. Calls me a threat to America. I haven't listened to his speech, but my friend, Betty Jackson, shared her thoughts, and I agree:

www.bettyjackson.net

 

"Words matter.  (used with Betty's permission)

 

I was dismayed as we listened to news broadcasts last evening after the President had given his "Unity" speech. It was anything but unifying. Words matter. Attitudes matter. Our nation matters. I had trouble getting to sleep, even after Ev and I prayed about it. We are taught to pray for our leaders, and we do. But our hearts were heavy with the denouncement of all who refuse his progressive agenda with which we adamantly disagree. The last I heard and understood, healthy debate is what keeps this country free, and honest discourse allows for respect for others' opinions and viewpoints.

 

I abhor the idea that this administration is denying constitutional freedoms in the guise of either we all agree or we will destroy the opposition by using the power of government to do so. Our founding fathers are shivering in their graves that in eighteen months, and administration can run roughshod over the freedoms the nation has embraced. Words matter. Government does not subject its people to such rancor.

 

I respect the Presidency. I respect that an executive branch is necessary as a coequal. I admit that party loyalty takes over so that nothing much can get accomplished legislatively, and that the complexity of bills necessitates voting for or against the whole bill whether its provisions are good or bad. But characterizing a party and half the country's patriots as those to be hated is frightening. The President has the opportunity and the bully pulpit to unite us to fight the elephants (not the symbol of the GOP) in the room: illegal immigration, drugs killing our children, homelessness, crime, energy, inflation, corruption, etc. What good does it do to throw terms like ultra-maga (Make America Great Again) and fascist, a term we octogenarians know all too well by the setting behind the speech last night. The symbolism of uniformed soldiers and red and black sent chills through me. I've lived through the cold war, the communist era, and seen what socialism has done to the world's great nations. I watched in horror as cities burned because violence reigned instead of discussion and problem solving. I've seen the demeaning of officials by both political parties, and it hurts my soul. I've seen the justice system used to demonize, demoralize, and dismiss truth.

I'm praying for peace today."

 

I join Betty's prayer, and also ask you, dear Gail-Friends, to join us.  I also pray for national repentance - a return to obedience to Torah.  Righteousness exalts a nation!

 

Blessings to you all.

 

P.S. I've been working on several projects over the last few months, but I haven't forgotten y'all.  I'll b e posting more often in the future.

God Bless the USA

 

We have much to celebrate this 4th of July.  Most certainly, we remember and celebrate our founders, and their decisions and actions that freed us from British rule, but this, Gail-Friends, is a very happy, special celebration for us.  God Has blessed America with three very important SCOTUS decisions:

• The overthrow of Roe v Wade - I'm especially praising Him for this decision.  I've been praying for this to happen for decades - ever since abortion was made the law of the land in the 1970's.  Millions of babies died.  Millions of women have suffered mental problems because of those decisions.  I do feel for the women who want to abort their babies.  I found this on Focus on the Family:
  
  "In light of the historic Roe Vs. Wade decision made today, we want you to know that we are here to provide compassionate care for you and your baby.

  To find a local Pregnancy Resource Center near you, please visit https://bddy.me/3blqpGR
• The preservation of American gun rights.  
• The reigning in of the EPA.  This decision should set precedent for the removal of edicts from other government agencies that have made far-reaching decisions without the process of legislation.   
  

Let's give ADONAI praise!!!   HALLELUYAH!!!

At Golden Cottage, we celebrate Independence Day by putting out 100+ American flags (Jem does it), by going to a parade, and then joining friends for a meal at the American Legion.  We always watch the fireworks in our neighborhood - lots and lots of them.  Then we watch the celebration in Washington D.C, called A Capitol Fourth, on PBS.

 

I think I will add one more to that list - to read the Declaration of Independence, Constitution and the Bill of Rights. Have you ever read them?  Have you read them since your high school civics class?  Here's  a link for you. Founding documents

God bless you all, and God Bless the USA.  Here's a link to my favorite patriotic song.  I'll never forget when my daughter, Melissa, sang this song in front of thousands of people.  She did such a great job.God Bless the USA with lyrics - by Lee Greenwood 

 I'd love to hear what you do to celebrate Independence Day, Gail-Friends.

Time To Say No

 

Dear Gail-Friends:

Nancy Campbell is a mentor to me and scores of other women.  This is her most recent email devotional.  It's so important.  Please share it.  She has given me permission to share her writings with others.  I recommend her website and her podcast.  I pray for her mantle to fall on each of us.  We were born for such a time as this - to stand strong against the evil one's plans to steal, kill, and destroy. 

June 02, 2022

Dear Gail, This is the latest Women's Devotional.

Time To Say No “Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them” (Ephesians 5:11).

The devil wants our children. He will take the souls, minds, and hearts of our children if we let him. He wants to take them down his road of destruction. We cannot give him an inch, or he takes a mile. We must be fierce guarders! Because the devil hates everything that God loves and planned for His creation, he robs women of their God-given home and mothering by wooing them into their careers. He robs children of being raised in the home which is their inheritance. He robs families of children that God has eternally destined for them by contraception, sterilization, and abortion. He robs marriages through pornography and adultery. He robs our silver and gold by tempting us to spend it on wasted material pleasures instead of God’s kingdom. We see an example in the life of King Ahab in 1 Kings 20:2, 3. Ben-Hadad, king of Syria sent messengers to king Ahab of Israel: “Thy silver and thy gold is mine; thy wives also and thy children, even the goodliest, are mine.” How dare he take ownership! They did not belong to him. But what did king Ahab answer? “My lord, O king, according to thy saying, I am thine, and all that I have.” He even stated: “I denied him not” (1 Kings 20: 4, 7). Can you believe it? Because of the fear of man, or because he didn’t have the courage to stand up against king Ben-Hadad, he surrendered to him. He gave up everything that was most precious to him. How sad to read such a testimony? And yet we can so easily get caught. God gives us our children to raise for Him and for God’s destiny. And yet we give them to daycares and hand them over to the state education system. Somehow, even some Christian parents don’t mind that their children are taught that Islam is a peaceful religion (while we watch Islamic terror on TV). Many children in state schools have been asked to draw posters of the Five Pillars of Islam and pictures of the Prophet Muhammad, sing Islamic songs, wear Islamic clothes, construct a 3-D model of a mosque, design an Islamic prayer rug, and do calligraphy for “There is no God but Allah and Mohammed is his prophet.” Yes, this is in American schools. They don’t seem to mind that their children are openly taught about alternative lifestyles and that transgenderism is a choice for them. They may even be ignorant that the gay agenda now pushes their lifestyle in our state schools through books and curriculums (even on-line school). One of their latest books available to schools is “It’s Perfectly Normal” which contains material so sexually explicit that, according to the American Life League, it has been ruled inappropriate for prisoners by a Washington State court. Did you know that Ontario (Canada) passed a bill where children could be taken from the parents if they oppose their wanting to change their gender? Some parents don’t mind that their children are taught that abortion is a woman’s right. They don’t seem to mind that their children are brainwashed in socialism.  Let’s not give in like Ahab. Let’s have the courage to rise up and say No to the enemy! No to his robbing of all that God has given us. Speak your confession out loud: “I will not give anything to the devil. He has no right over me. I am God’s possession. He has no right over my children, and I will not give him any authority over them. They are God’s possession, and I am their guardian.” It’s time to say No. Nancy Campbell www.aboverubies.org PRAYER: “Dear Father God, please give me courage in this hour. Please save me from handing over my children to the devil’s plans. Help me to stand strong against liberalism and socialism and the lies and deception of the devil who wants to steal my children’s mind and hearts. Help me to guard them well. Amen.” AFFIRMATION: As a mother, I am on the guard against all deception and lies from the enemy. I say No to liberalism, socialism, progressivism and all plans steal my children from their God-given destiny. New Ontario law allows govt to seize children if parents oppose their ‘gender identity’ — RT World News

LIFE TO THE FULL w/ Nancy Campbell. I know you will be so blessed. A new podcast comes out each Tuesday morning. You can go to the home page of Above Rubies to click on to it or go to: http://ARPoddy.buzzsprout.com

Reflections of a Mother

 

"Reflections Of A Mother"

(author unknown)

 

I gave you life,

but cannot live it for you..

I can give you directions,

but I cannot be there to lead you..

I can take you to church,

but I cannot make you believe..

I can teach you right from wrong,

but I cannot always decide for you..

I can buy you beautiful clothes,

but I cannot make you beautiful inside..

I can offer you advice,

but I cannot accept it for you..

I can give you love,

but I cannot force it upon you..

I can teach you to share,

but I cannot make you unselfish.

I can teach you respect,

but I cannot force you to show honor..

I can advise you about friends,

but cannot choose them for you..

I can advise you about sex,

but I cannot keep you pure..

I can tell you about alcohol & drugs,

but I can't say "No" for you..

I can tell you about lofty goals,

but I can't achieve them for you..

I can teach you about kindness,

but I can't force you to be gracious

I can pray for you,

but I cannot make you walk with God...

I can tell you how to live,

but I cannot give you eternal life.

I can love you with unconditional love all of

my life... and I will...

All the days of my life..

Boundaries for Women

 

Nancy Campbell posts are filled with abundant wisdom.  This article is spot on, as I think about and do my best, to teach younger women.  I pray you will read and share it.

 

 

REVOLTED AND GONE 

by Nancy Campbell 

(used by permission)

I am a freedom lover. In fact, I am a freedom fighter. However, I also believe in boundaries. True freedom is only found in the boundaries that God assigns for us. A train running on its tracks is free to go anywhere the tracks take it. However, if the train decides it doesn’t want the confinement of tracks and veers off, it would be its destruction.

 

God puts boundaries on nature. God has put limits on the seas and the oceans. Psalm 104:9 says: “Thou hast set a bound (for the waters) that they may not pass over.” Proverbs 8:29 says: “He gave to the sea his decree, that the waters should not pass his commandment . . . “

 

God gave the angels of Heaven their boundary. Jude 1:6 (GW) tells us: “They (the angels) were held in darkness, bound by eternal chains. These are the angels who didn’t keep their position of authority but abandoned their assigned place.”

 

God masterminded the holy estate of marriage, the most beautiful estate on earth when we live it according to God’s plans. But God has placed boundaries on marriage. When a couple are joined as one on their wedding day, they enter into the exclusivity of marriage. We don’t share our marriage with anyone else. Oh yes, we open our homes and lives to encompass people, but our marriage is sacred. We will never embark on a personal relationship with someone of the opposite sex apart from with our husband.

 

God has given to women a powerful domain over which to rule. God planned for women to be queen of their homes and be the continuers of godly generations revealing the likeness and image of God.

 

God does not intend us to enter the realm of the male domain. Of course, we can if we want, but it will be to our detriment. God’s blessings are poured out in the domain that He gives to us.

 

And our domain, mother, is a glorious domain. Did you read my article, LET’S GET BACK THE GLORY, in the current issue of Above Rubies?

 

I love David’s confession in Psalm 6:5, 6 (GW): Your boundary lines mark out pleasant (delightful) places for me. Indeed, my inheritance is something beautiful.”

 

I love the *CJB version: “Pleasant places were measured out for me; I am CONTENT with my heritage.” It is a beautiful thing when we are content within the boundaries that God assigns to us. In these boundary lines we have the greatest freedom because God is also the author of freedom. He wants us to live free.

 

The words of Jeremiah 5:22, 23 are challenging: “Fear ye not me? saith the LORD: will ye not tremble at my presence, which have placed the sand for the bound of the sea by a perpetual decree, that it cannot pass it: and though the waves thereof toss themselves, yet can they not prevail; though they roar, yet can they not pass over it? But this people hath a revolting and rebellious heart; they are revolted and gone.”

 

Wow, God uses the example of how even the oceans, although they roar and toss, cannot pass God’s boundary lines. And yet, unbelievably, His people do it. God mandated boundaries for His people Israel. He gave them laws and decrees, not to imprison them but to bless them, to make them healthy, and to make them His special and chosen people in all the world. But they didn’t want it. “THEY ARE REVOLTED AND GONE!”

 

This is often our testimony of many women in the church today. They don’t understand that God’s truths do not inhibit us. They set us free. But they don’t want freedom within their boundaries. They want their own kind of freedom. God mandated for women to be in the home. But where are they? Most homes in America are empty today. The mothers have REVOLTED AND GONE!

 

This passage continues in verse 25. “Your sins have withholden GOOD THINGS from you.” We miss out on the “GOOD THINGS” when we move away from the boundaries God has assigned for us.

 

Let’s embrace all that God has for us and live in the fullness of the blessings He longs for us.

 

Drawing you back to His glorious ways, Nancy Campbell

Painting by Jessica Zemsky

 

P.S. Oh help! I can imagine the reaction to some of my above statements. I must say that I know that most women today are brainwashed by our humanistic society. They have beautiful hearts, would never want to do anything to offend God, and think their lifestyle is absolutely normal because that is all they know. Most women today are ignorant of God’s Word and His plan for women and so they are ignorantly living their lives outside the home. Others are in very difficult financial situations and are forced, often against their will, to vacate the home. Feminism has been very successful in making it more difficult for women as they have lowered men’s wages and advocated for their so-called women’s rights.

 

I understand the many reasons, dear mothers, but at the same time, as an older mother, I must be faithful to teach what God says from His Word. I know that our society is so far away from God’s original intention that it’s a long road back. To some it even looks impossible. But ultimate revival is for us to turn back. We cannot live under the fount of His full blessings unless we live in the boundary lines He has designated for us.

 

* CJB is the Complete Jewish Bible, which I use and highly recommend.  I especially like the CJB Study Bible. 

Nancy Campbell's website is a gold mine of wisdom and encouragement: ABOVE RUBIES.