Thankful Thursday - Peace / Shalom

Golden Cottage peace lilies

Did you know that the Hebrew word for peace is "shalom"? We say shalom to say hello and shalom to say goodbye - thus always extending the desire for peace.  It's a lovely word.

One thing I've said over and over in my life is this:  "I prize peace above everything."  Peace is a beautiful, wonderful, and amazing thing in one's life.  To be at rest, without anxiety, with a grateful heart and sweet serenity.  I prize peace so dearly, I think because I lived without it for much of my life.  Now, I have peace and I am most grateful to God.  Here is how I found it:  

"Those who love your Torah have great peace; 

nothing makes them stumble."

Psalm 119:165

Here are a few of the peace-full things around Golden Cottage lately:

The view from my office desk

One of the birdbaths at Golden Cottage

The shadowbox Jem made for my daddy's military service

The view from my living room toward Golden Cottage Garden

The beauty of flowers and plants - tenderly cared for by Mr. Green Jeans (aka as my sweet hubby)

We have 36 blooms so far this year.

Our sweet fur-baby, napping peacefully

Mr. Blue Jay who loves to steal cat food

Another fur-baby, still in ICU, but doing so much better now.  Thank you, Father

And here's a photo taken on my second trip to Israel.  It's in the Garden of Gethsemane in Jerusalem.  The garden is a beautiful, peaceful place.  I'm longing to go there again . . . and it could be soon!  You can read about my visits at this link.

I found this meme about peace (Garden of Bright Images on Facebook).  I like it.  I found that rest in Adonai, through Yeshua and obedience to His Torah.  Shalom to you all, Gail-Friends. 

I sometimes share my posts with these friends:

  Spiritual Sundays  GRAND Social      Modest Mom Monday Link-up      The Art of Homemaking Mondays

 Hearth and Soul Link Party
   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
 OVER THE MOON LINKY PARTY!

31 Days of Garden Tours - Day 31

The Garden of Gethsemane, on the Mount of Olives, is my favorite garden in Israel.  Gethsemane is not known for its flowers because it's an olive grove.  The photo above shows bougainvillea that grows on the edge of the outside of the garden. 

In Matthew 26, we read that Yeshua and his talmidim (disciples) observed Passover in Jerusalem, and then went to this olive grove to pray.  Here, we read that He was in such anguish in prayer that His sweat became drops of blood.  Here is where He said, "Not my will, but Thine be done."  It was here that He was arrested and taken to prison.

I'd read this story many times in my life, and it was humbling to stand in the place where He prayed for me.  I was humbled even more, when my eighty-year-old traveling companion, Carmita, knelt and thanked Him for His sacrifice.  She's gone to be with her Savior now, and I look forward to seeing her one day.  She taught me so much about faith and prayer.




The olive trees here are very old, but none stood when Yeshua knelt in this place.  The trees can grow for a hundred years or more, and when they die, another tree emerges from the roots.  It teaches me a lesson that true faith never dies.  You can learn more about the olive tree in this POST.

On my first trip to Israel in 1996, we were able to walk through the grove and take pictures.

But on my last trip in 2012, there was a fence around the entire grove.  We could only take pictures from the walkway.

But, I was thankful to get the photo below, because the word was not there in 1996.  This is my favorite photo from the 2012 trip. 

Gardens are delightful to me, and I'm sure it's because I find sweet peace and joy when I visit them.

The photo reminds me of my daddy's favorite song, In The Garden.  He used to always ask me to play it on the piano for him.  I hope you enjoy the song, and I hope you've enjoyed the 31 Days of Garden Tours I've shared with you.  Thank you for stopping by, and blessings to you, Gail-Friends.




You may also enjoy my series 31 Days of the Holy Land.

I'm linking up to the 31 Day Blog Event.

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 I sometimes share my posts  with  friends at:
 

Charlotte a Spiritual SundaysSpiritual Sundays     Janis with Sunday Stillness       THE SUNDAY COMMUNITY – #GIVE ME GRACE @SEE SPEAK HEAR MAMA Kathy’s Return to Loveliness at A Delightsome Life     GRAND Social       The Beauty in His Grip Link-Up   

Modest Mom Monday Link-up         Growing Homemakers Link-Up        The Gathering Spot Link-Up 

MOTIVATION MONDAYS – @EMBRACINGHISWILL      SHARING HIS BEAUTY – @THEBEAUTYINHISGRIP

Titus 2 Tuesday     Share Your Stuff Tuesday    TITUS TUESDAYS @CORNERSTONE CONFESSIONS     

Wordless Wednesdays    Jennifer Dukes Lee Tell His Story  Teaching What Is Good Link-Up      

 A Hope in Every Season Homemaking Link-Up    Judith’s Wholehearted Wednesday     Raising Homemakers Wednesday     A Wise Woman Builds       Wake Up Wednesday     A Little R & R Wednesday     Wednesday's Prayer Girls & Link-Up Party

 Thought Provoking Thursdays at 3D Lessons 4Life     Thursday  Favorite Things Home and Garden Thursday at Delightsome Life

Friendship Friday 

STILL SATURDAYS @SANDRAHESKAKING     PLAYDATES @LAURABOGGESS

 My Fresh Brewed Life with Barbie – Weekend Brew

Wisdom Wednesdays - The Olive Tree

In my porch time this week, I read the above Scripture, and as I meditated on it and sat still to LISTEN, I  had to paint this picture.  In Judaism, the olive is very symbolic.  These are just a few interesting facts:

• The olive tree is symbolic of peace.  After the flood, a dove brought an olive branch to Noah to show that the waters had begun to recede. (Genesis 8:11)
• Olive oil was used to light the eternal flame in the Tabernacle and also to anoint it, along with all of the ritual items and the priests.  (Exodus 27-30) 
• The olive tree was listed as part of the "good land" the Israelites would be given. The good land (Exodus 8:8) was a "land of wheat, and barley, and vines, and fig trees, and pomegranates; a land of oil olive, and honey."
• Olive oil is used to light menorahs (the seven-branched candelabra) and is symbol of "the Light of the World".
• Olive trees bloom in spring and bear fruit around the time of Sukkot (Feast of Tabernacles)
• The trees can survive and thrive in poor soil, and can live 1,000 years or more.  

Olive trees in the Garden of Gethsemane, Mount of Olives, Jerusalem, Israel  (2013)

 

As I read these facts, I understood why Hashem had impressed this verse on my heart.  I realized that, like the Psalmist, He has made me very much like an olive tree because:

• Hashem has given me such glorious peace.  I am so enamored with peace and seek it above everything, both in my heart and in my home. I especially love the peace I feel when I sit on my porch and spend time alone with Him.
• Like the olive oil, I am a light to the world because the Light of the World lives in me.
• Just as Israel was given the "good land" and "good fruit", I have been given a good life through His grace and through obedience to His Truth.  I am good fruit because He lives in me, speaks to me, works in me, and moves through me, His servant.
• Just as the olive tree lives and bears fruit even though very old, I am bearing fruit in my old age.  My desire is to live even longer and bear much more fruit for His Kingdom.
• Like the olive tree, I was planted in rocky soil.  I've survived many storms and hardships, but am still alive, thriving, and bearing fruit for His glory.

• All of this is true because I trust in Him and His grace. Great trials have made me strong and have taught me truths about Hashem that no one can take from me.  I give Him all the glory and praise.  What a blessing to be a part of His family, and to call Him my Father.

We have many olive tree art pieces in our synagogue as a reminder of this blessing from Hashem. This is one of my favorites.
 
One of my favorite places in Israel was the Garden of Gethsemane, which is an olive grove on a hill across from the Eastern Gate of the Old City.  The photo above is from the Mount of Olives, and you can read about my visit and see more photos HERE.


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 I sometimes share my posts  with  friends at :

Charlotte at Spiritual Sundays

Janis with Sunday Stillness

THE SUNDAY COMMUNITY – #GIVE ME GRACE @SEE SPEAK HEAR MAMA

 Kathy’s Return to Loveliness at A Delightsome Life 

  All Things Bright and Beautiful Link-Up

 GRAND Social

Modest Mom Monday Link-up 

Growing Homemakers Link-Up

  The Gathering Spot Link-Up

MOTIVATION MONDAYS – @EMBRACINGHISWILL
SHARING HIS BEAUTY – @THEBEAUTYINHISGRIP

Share Your Stuff Tuesday 

TITUS TUESDAYS @CORNERSTONE CONFESSIONS 

Wordless Wednesdays   

 Jennifer Dukes Lee Tell His Story

Teaching What Is Good Link-Up

A Hope in Every Season Homemaking Link-Up 

Judith’s Wholehearted Wednesday   
Raising Homemakers Wednesday

A Wise Woman Builds

Wake Up Wednesday

A Little R & R Wednesday
 Wednesday's Prayer Girls & Link-Up Party!

  
Thought Provoking Thursdays at 3D Lessons 4Life

Thursday  Favorite Things

Home and Garden Thursday at Delightsome Life

Friendship Friday 
  Faith Filled Friday at Missional Women
 Fellowship Fridays at Christian Mommy Blogger

STILL SATURDAYS @SANDRAHESKAKING
PLAYDATES @LAURABOGGESS

 My Fresh Brewed Life with Barbie – Weekend Brew

Israel Trip - The Mount of Olives

The Mount of Olives is directly across from the Eastern Gate (or Golden Gate) of Jerusalem.  This gate is the one through which the Messiah will enter when he returns. You can read more about the history and prophecy regarding this gate in my previous post HERE.

The landscaping around the Garden of Gethsemane is beautiful with many bougainvillea bushes along the fence.  The picture above is the view from the garden, looking toward the Eastern Gate.

These olive trees are ancient, some as much as nine hundred years old.  The garden is on the grounds of a Catholic church, The Basilica of Agony.

This grove of trees is where Yeshua and his talmidim (disciples) went to pray following the Passover Seder in the Upper Room.  It is here that He struggled with the task of the cross set before him.  His prayer was so intense that drops of blood appeared on his body.  It is here that Yeshua was arrested and taken to prison.  The memories of the Bible stories I heard since childhood flooded back as I stood in this place. You can read about this in Matthew 26:36-56.

The Garden of Gethsemane is fenced and visitors aren't allowed to enter.  When I visited in 1996, we were able to walk down these paths.  It was an emotional visit for me then. My eighty-four year old traveling companion, Carmita Polson, knelt in this spot and praised Yeshua for His willingness to go to the cross. I will never forget that day. 

On this trip, I was able to visit the church next to the garden.  I didn't go inside on my previous trip, so this was a new experience.  This is a beautiful building inside and out.  The Basilica of Agony was designed by Antonio Barluzzi, and was built with donations from around the world.  Because of these contributions, the church is also known as the Church of All Nations.  The picture below is the front of the building showing the gorgeous mosaic.

photo from Wikipedia

 The inside is even more beautiful.  The ceiling is such a beautiful blue.  It looks like a night sky with stars twinkling down.

When we left, I admired this beautiful iron door leading to the outside.  

Shelby took a few moments to reflect while looking out over the city of Jerusalem.  I love this picture of her. Our moments to be still were few and far between because our schedule was packed full every day.  Shelby has Parkinson's and it was difficult for her to keep up, but she was a real trooper.  She said, "If I have to crawl, I will."  When I got weary, she was my inspiration.

In contrast to the beautiful art in this place, I thought you'd be amused by this sign at the entrance to the church. Catholics believe in quiet worship.  More than once while visiting various churches, we ran into nuns who were constantly saying, "Shhhh," with a finger to their lips.

When we left the Mount of Olives, we began our trek down the mountain to the Old City through the streets of the Arab quarter.  It was an adventure.  I'll tell you all about it in my next post.

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  I'm linking up today with:

 Spiritual Sunday

GRAND Social

All Things Bright and Beautiful Link-Up
 The Gathering Spot Link-Up

Modest Mom Monday Link-up 
Share Your Stuff Tuesday
Jenny's Monday Meet-Up



A Return to Loveliness

A Hope in Every Season Homemaking Link-Up   

 Wordless Wednesdays 

Winsome Wednesday A Wise Woman Builds
Whole Hearted Wednesday 
Wake Up Wednesday

Hearts for Home
Favorite Things 

Fab Creative Friday
Friendship Friday 
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