Hebrew Word of the Week

Olah: Offering of rising or ascent. An offering made by fire unto YHWH, the highest order of sacrifice. Meaning ascention. It represents complete submission to YHWH's will because the ENTIRE offering is given to YHWH. Greek translation= holocaustos (holocaust/sacrifice).

Sunday, April 22, 2012

Excerpts on Forgiveness: Part2


An Excerpt from "Living A Life That Matters, ch. 4"

"Are you strong enough to forgive?  Or is the notion of getting even the only power you have over someone who has hurt you?"  Forgiveness, I try to tell them, is a favor we do ourselves, not a favor we do the the other guy.

...you read in the book of Deuteronomy (23:7), "You shall not hate an Egyptian because you were strangers in his land."  You are not to hate the Egyptians for having mistreated you so badly, not because they deserve your forgiveness but because you deserve better than to be permanently mired in the bitterness of the past.  As long as your soul is corroded by hatred, you are still their slave. 

At the Passover Seder, when (we) celebrate the memory of the Exodus from Egypt, we taste a bitter herb before the meal to recall the bitterness of slavery, then immediately override the bitter taste with matzo and wine, which are symbols of liberation (freedom!).  (we are now free from all bondage because of YHWH's words to us...don't hate, forgive!)

Once we realize that the thirst for revenge is really a need to reclaim power (that the person or situation held over us) and shed the role of victim, we can find ways of meeting that need without hurting another person and compromising our own goodness.


Note:


I like the words about not having to compromise our own good.  I have read that the Jewish people believe that it is their duty (since they were chosen to receive YHWH's instructions) to bring good (G-D) into the world.  So likewise, if we are the children of Israel it is our job as well and when we lash out and do hurtful things, we are not fulfilling that role.  


Please understand when I make this note, I do understand how complicated it is to work through situations where forgiveness is required.  I do know that deep hurt is often involved along with many other emotions.  I will not attempt to minimize this topic...it is not small.  We too have had to deal with these topics. I write these words to myself, to remember and encourage myself that we must move forward.  When I stop being able to move forward, then I am bound.  YHWH doesn't want me bound to anyone or anything but Him.  I am thankful knows our needs.


I thought this was a timely observation, being so close to Passover.


Blessings 





Saturday, April 21, 2012

An Excerpt from: Living A Life That Matters





What is the difference between revenge and bearing a grudge?


This is an excerpt from the book, "Living A Life That Matters."

Jews are told in the Torah, "You shall not hate your brother in your heart," and the great commandment in Leviticus 19:18, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself," is preceded by the words "You shall not take revenge or bear a grudge."  A commentator on the Jewish legal code defines taking revenge as saying, "I won't lend you my garden hose, because when you borrowed my shovel, you broke it."
And bearing a grudge is saying, "I'll lend you my garden hose, even though when you borrowed my shovel you broke it."
BUT the attitude we should strive for is to say "I'll lend you my garden hose because you're my neighbor."

It is cleansing to forgive, to rid your soul of bitterness which is an inevitable ingredient of plotting revenge against the person who has hurt you.  If we fantasize about getting even and never act on it, which is what most of us do, we end up embittering ourselves and not affecting the other person at all.  I remember telling a divorcee who was still angry at her ex-husband for having left her ten years earlier, "Look at what you've been doing all these years.  You've been standing here in Massachusetts holding a hot coal in our hand, waiting for your ex-husband to walk by so you can throw it at him.  Meanwhile, he has been living happily in New Jersey with his new family, and you've burned your hand waiting."


A few thoughts


I like the description above because I think sometimes when we try to understand our own hearts it's hard to do because we're unsure what some sins really look like if I don't have a clear definition.   I also like the reminder given in the description of the woman holding the hot coal.  The only one being hurt by the anger or desire for revenge she is holding onto is her.  It's so sad, but it's her.  It's so odd that we will hold onto things like that.  You'd think we'd want to drop them and run from them as fast as possible but our first child like response is for me to hit you  because you hit me!



"Forgive" defined
1.  To give up resentment
2.  To grant relief from payment


I think, in a way, forgiveness is a form a acceptance of YHWH's will.  When we do it, we agree that He is in control of all things and that He knows what is best.  We accept that He will judge righteously one day. And if we are following Him, He will direct our steps and He will provide what we need.  If we have strayed away from Him, He will allow us to reap what we sew...but He will forgive us and heal us if we return.  


Forgiveness is such a big subject, I just wanted to remember this tid bit from the book.  I love inspiring thoughts. 


Ps 103:12 As far as the east is from the west...that's how far YHWH has moved our transgressions from us.


He has put our wrong doing against Him in a place that I and my wrong doing never shall meet. He wants us to be like Him.



Saturday, April 14, 2012

Passover 2012

Passover 2012 has come and gone, once again.  As always, I had a great time with the family here.  Craig opened the evening with blessings for each of us and Megan lit the candles, which was a special blessing for me:)

We are blessed to be allowed this time together.  And more than that, we are blessed for the reason we come together...to remember.  We remember the freedom given to the children of Israel by YHWH through the hand of Moses.  We remember the redemption given to the children of Israel by YHWH through Yahushuah's death.   And, we look forward to the final restoration of all things given by YHWH at Yahshuah's final return.  This season is really an amazing time of remembering what has been and what is yet to be!

Thanks for spending it with me, family.  It was a blessing to share it with you!

Here are a few pics of our preparation for the Passover as we teach our little ones to remember, also...




No Passover story is complete without Moses and Pharoah.


Cut out foam figures of...well, you know.



The water turns to blood !


Here's B after completing the "plagues of Egypt"  She's not happy about the plagues, just smiling for the camera:)


And, my all time favorite this year is this one,  the house with the blood painted on the mantle.  B liked doing this one the best.  She said she was painting "brud" (aka blood) on the mantle.


This one is funny.  We had a little trouble getting in position for our family photo this year and we just couldn't get ourselves in the right place at the right time.  It was a hoot and we laughed at ourselves but we will remember it just fine:)


Corey, Megan and B together before Corey and Megan head off for TX for a few days of sun...and to scope out the land!

Abba, thank you for what you have provided for us:  the gift of Yahushuah.
Yahushuah, thank you for what you have sacrificed for us:  Your life, so that we might have eternal life.
Passover, an amazing gift worthy to be remembered...the REAL STORY that links the past to the future because He is "The Beginning and the End."

May we be found worthy because of the Lamb of YHWH

Next Year in Jerusalem!

Thursday, April 5, 2012

Passover, it's almost here! Preparing to "Remove the Leaven From Our Lives" (a video worth your time)

Passover is almost here!  I'm get so excited over all the preparation and anticipation, I love this time of year!  I love our family getting together for this set- apart time to remember the sacrifice that covers us.  I thought about how we are actually entering the time of the season that Yahshuah gave His life in such a violent sacrifice for us all!  What a time it must of been for Him and all who knew or knew of Him!!  It's really quite hard to consider.  Since we are remembering such an awesome, AWESOME sacrifice, we have to ask ourselves if we REALLY understand what removing leaven (sin) from our lives, not just our homes, means...I have something for you (and it was for me, too)!

Removing the Leaven From Your Life (a 50 min. video, worthy of your time.)
I just watched this video from Jim Staley at Passion For Truth  It is a very eye opening teaching.  It hurt me a little because I know that his words addressed my own heart.  In the video called "Removing the Leaven From Your Life", Jim explains what leaven is (pride and arrogance) and he also likens it to the scripture that says, "all the commandments hang on these two commandments: love YHWH with all your heart and love your neighbor as yourself, which, if we do, leads to blessings.  Because, likewise, all the sins (in our lives) hang off the sin of pride (doing things my way), which leads to the curses.

This video is worth the watch and opened my eyes to a practical understanding of leaven in our lives.  I hope you can watch this before the Feast!




Psa 139:23  Search me, O Ěl, and know my heart; Try me, and know my thoughts; 
Psa 139:24  And see if an idolatrous way is in me, And lead me in the way everlasting. 

Wednesday, April 4, 2012

Porch of Dreams...

I LOVE screened in porches!!!  We recently had some damage done to a wall on the South side of our house where our deck is.  We have to remove some windows and ( a lot of stuff) were thinking that an area for a summer kitchen would be nice, NOTHING expensive  FANCY!  Then I saw this...Okay, now "I HAVE A DREAM!"  I ran across this picture (it came in my e-mail from BHG...No, I didn't go looking for it, (smile) and thought, "oh, wouldn't that be just nice."  As I mused all the possibilities, no bugs to bother me while I sit out side...the little ones could play out there...cool evenings, cool mornings, dinner, breakfast, snacks, cards, fickering lights, no bugs, did I say that already?...must I go on?

Natural Wonder Porch

Here she is, aint she a beauty?  Just what the doctor ordered.

Now, actually we really do have to fix that wall but it will be something VERY non-extravagant, so, I'm just messin' around a little here BUT it is nice to look at, isn't it?

Sunday, April 1, 2012

Passover 2012 Menu Plan

 Passover is quickly approaching:)  
and we will be observing it on the eve of Friday, April 6 this year.  Having all our children celebrating it with us is a most blessed occasion in our lives.  

We served this tenderloin recipe last year and really liked it and the molten lava cake has been served at our Passover table for the last 3 years now.  This is such an amazing occasion in so many ways, I can't help but be excited by it's coming each year!

The Menu
Peppered Horseradish Beef Tenderloin
Mashed potatoes 
Molten lava cake
Wine 
Sparkling grape juice
Salad
(And, of coarse, the usual seder elements:)

The Recipes
Peppered Horseradish Tenderloin
1  2-3# Beef tenderloin
(rub with coarse sea salt the night before and place in refrig. uncovered...about 18 hrs. or so total)
2 Tbsp. prepared horse radish
1 Tbsp. Evoo
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 tsp Kosher salt (I use sea salt)
2 tsp fresh ground pepper
Creamy horse radish sauce (recipe to follow)

Preheat oven to 400*
Combine horseradish, evoo and dijon mustard in a bowl
Mix the salt and pepper, then rub it all over the top of the tenderloin
Coat the top of the meat with the horse radish mixture.  (I let this sit on the meat for about an hr. before cooking the meat)

Then I cooked the meat for about 1 hr. to an internal temp of about 155*.  This may be to well done for some, however, we do not like the meat bloody or too pink)
Remove from the oven and tent with foil for about 10 min. in which the internal temp will raise another 5* bringing it to 160*.

Your meat should be very tender and well flavored.

Creamy Horse Radish Sauce
1&1/4 c sour cream
1/3 cup prepared horse radish
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp fresh ground pepper

Mix all ingredients in a bowl and chill until ready to serve.  Serve with tenderloin.
(*This may be made in advance and kept in the fridg. for up to 3 days)

Molten Lava Cake
6 sq. Bakers semi sweet chocolate
10 Tbsp butter
1 1/2c powdered sugar
1/2 c flour
3 whole eggs
3 egg yokes

Heat oven to 425*
Butter and flour 5- 6 remakins and place on a cookie sheet.
whisk your eggs well and set aside.
Put powdered sugar and flour into a mixing bowl and mix well.
Melt butter and chocolate together and whisk till mixed well then add to sugar and flour mix and add eggs and beat until well blended.
Pour into prepared remakins (just about half way) and place in preheated oven for 14-15 min., until outside is firm around the edges but will be gooey (lava like) in the center.
You can serve in the remakin or loosen edges and serve on plates while still warm.
Top with powdered sugar or home made whipped topping if you'd like...but it's just as yummy all by itself!







My younger boys and Craig really like this cake and I think it pretty darn tasty...rich but very tasty!

If you've never cooked a tenderloin before check out some instructions for removing the silverskin or have your butcher remove it for you.  

Here's a ditty on how to remove silverskin from tenderloin
Tenderloins all have an area of connective tissue known as silverskin for its silvery-white appearance. Silverskin doesn't dissolve when the tenderloin is cooked, so it needs to be trimmed away.

Position the tip of a boning knife about 1/2 to 1 inch from one end of the visible silverskin. Push the tip under a strip of silverskin about 1/2 to 3/4 inch wide. Angle the knife slightly up toward the silverskin as you slide the knife down the tenderloin, freeing the silverskin. Use your free hand to hold the silverskin taut as you cut. If your knife isn't extremely sharp, you may need to use a slight sawing motion to work down the tenderloin. Once you've cut all the way through the end of the strip, turn the knife around and cut off the end that's still attached. Repeat until all the silverskin is gone.

Happy Passover (Pesach) planning and preparation!

Exo 12:48  And when a stranger shall sojourn with thee, and will keep the passover to the LORD, let all his males be circumcised, and then let him come near and keep it; and he shall be as one that is born in the land: for no uncircumcised person shall eat thereof.