Month: May 2021

Shabbat

Uncategorized Leave a comment

For those that don’t know, Shabbat is the Hebrew word for Sabbath. Sabbath is the last day of the week (Saturday) where we are commanded to do no work, rest, enjoy family, and honor God, the Father. A Hebrew day begins at sundown the day prior, therefore, Shabbat begins at sunset Friday night. Many years ago, the Lord led us to begin observing this special time in much the same way as Jewish people. Keeping the Lord’s Sabbath and His Holy Feasts is such a blessing! Not only do we learn more about our Jewish Messiah, but they become special family memories and traditions with our children.

Speaking of blessings…that is what this post is all about. The Jewish people has such a rich tradition of blessing each other, their children, food, creation, etc. Notice the Patriarchs in the Old Testament, how they blessed their children. This very spiritual pastime has been mostly lost, to our detriment. Speaking blessings over a person releases such profound power in a life and can open doors for God to fulfill wonderful purpose in him/her. I encourage anyone seeking to go further with God, to explore the spiritual concept of blessing.

Back to Shabbat…every Friday night typically Hebrew, and Messianic Observers, light candles, speak blessings, and enjoy a lovely meal with their family concluding another busy week. These blessings include the blessing of the children, the Aaronic (priestly) blessing, the blessing of the wife, and concludes with a blessing of the bread and wine. This is our family’s favorite night of the week. Our kids love it, because everyone sits at the dining table. We play worship music, and there’s complete focus on family with no distractions. This is my favorite night of the week, because my husband reads Proverbs 31 as a blessing over me. The Jews call this Eshet Chayil, Woman of Valor. It’s a beautiful practice as a husband reads these precious godly qualities over his wife. I absorb the words every week, praying the Lord makes me into this ideal woman. Through the years, I’ve seen improvements, but God still has His work cut out! I also speak a blessing over my husband from Psalm 1. I’m not convinced everyone does this, or is as traditional as the Eshet Chayil, but I do it. It’s much shorter than Proverbs 31 and feels more rote than personal. For awhile now, I’ve wanted to compile verses together to speak specifically into my husband’s life (and actually ours as well). Yesterday, I finally took the time to write a more personal blessing. I share it here to help anyone else wanting to begin blessing their husband. Any portion can be edited to include other verses a wife so chooses or deleted if it doesn’t pertain. As always, I hope it helps!

Shabbat Blessing of the Husband

I bless my husband in many areas of his life. I acknowledge that as I bless my husband and he increases in these areas, so too, will I and our children increase and be blessed for he is our head and authority. 

I bless you with LOVE: John Wesley, may you love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. (Mk 12:30) To love me, your wife, as yourself (Eph 5:28) and bring up our children in the training and instruction of the Lord (Eph 6:4).

I bless you with FAITH as a mustard seed, so you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you. (Mat 17:20) That the Father increases your faith (Luk 17:5) more and more.

I bless you with FEARLESSNESS: There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. (1Jo 4:18) For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. (2Ti 1:7)

I bless you with FRUIT: Love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control (Gal 5:22-23)

I bless you with WISDOM and to have the mind of Christ. (1Co 2:16) God grant you wisdom so that it brings success. (Ecc 10:10) That you abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good. (Rom 12:9) And whatever things are true, noble, just, pure, lovely, of good report, has any virtue and is praiseworthy that you think on these things. (Phl 4:8)

I bless you to PROSPER: Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and in His law he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper. (Psa 1:1-3) Keep the charge of the LORD your God: to walk in His ways, to keep His statutes, His commandments, His judgments, and His testimonies, that you may prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn; (1Ki 2:3) The LORD be with you; and whatever you do, the LORD make it prosper. (Gen 39:23) That as the Lord has brought all this great calamity on us, so He will give us all the prosperity He has promised us. (Jer 32:42)

I bless you with God’s PROTECTION: May no weapon formed against you prosper (Isa 54:17) May God be for you, and therefore, no one can stand against you (Rom 8:31) Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your heart and mind through Christ Jesus. (Phl 4:6-7) The LORD be with you as a mighty, awesome One (Jer 20:11)

I release God’s PURPOSE in you: Although many are the plans in your heart, may it be the LORD’s purpose that prevails (Pro 19:21) May God count you worthy of this calling, and fulfill all the good pleasure of His goodness and the work of faith with power, that the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ. (2Th 1:11-12) May you be planted in the house of the LORD and flourish in the courts of our God. May you still bear fruit in old age; to be fresh and flourishing, To declare that the LORD is upright (Psa 92:13-15) And may He grant you according to your heart’s desire, and fulfill all your purpose. (Psa 20:4)

Jesus promised you would do even greater works than He did on earth, because He goes to the Father (Jn 14:12) I bless you with His POWER and authority over evil. That you will drive out demons; speak in new tongues; place your hands on sick people, and they will get well.” (Mar 16:17-18) That you walk in the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.(Luk 10:19) Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. (Eph 6:10)

I bless you with God’s PROVISION, to seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. (Mat 6:33) I pray God will never stop doing good to you, and will inspire you to fear Him, so that you will never turn away from Him. (Jer 32:40) That you may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of your life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to inquire in His temple. (Psa 27:4)

Fight for Your Marriage RMM Podcast

Uncategorized Leave a comment

I realized I never copied our testimony podcast from Rejoice Marriage Ministries. We had the honor of sharing our testimony on their wonderful Fight For Your Marriage Podcast February 2020. Then coronavirus hit and things were even more crazy! So I’m posting it here now and recommending this wonderful new resource for marriages! Hope you enjoy! 💖

https://www.rejoiceministries.org/media/session/74820

God-Given Tools for Decision Making

Uncategorized Leave a comment

Having a conversation with the kids this morning explaining that just like the Lord, I don’t want them to be forced to love me because I‘m their mom. I explained that now they love me because I’m their mom and they don’t know any differently.  However, one day, I want them (once they are grown and gone and in charge of their own lives) to choose to love me. I will no longer be a parent to them, always their mom, but rather (hopefully) a friend. I want them to grow up to see all the things I did and said and realize it was for their good and to love me for it. And then I want them to choose the right way I’ve taught them for themselves. I tried to explain that one day they will make decisions for themselves and I won’t be around to help them make those decisions. They must decide to use what they have learned from me to make the best decisions.

While having this conversation, it reminded me of something I’ve been questioning for quite awhile. I even talked about it this past weekend with a friend. Why doesn’t God just tell me what He wants me to do? I’d happily do it…well I’d at least do it because I have learned His way is best…so why doesn’t He just tell me instead of me trying to guess what the right thing is or what direction I should take? Then it dawned on me, God is doing the very thing I just explained to the kids.

God has walked me through many situations in the past that have taught me much about His ways. When my husband left me, God told me to stand. I had to decide to obey the command, but I was in no doubt of the command. Then there are times like when we had to decide to leave a job or not. We felt like it was the right thing, but had no clear command. So then we wondered if it was the right thing to do or not. It was. We had to trust. I believe those times of no clear direction are moments when God steps back to see what we are going to do based on what we’ve learned from Him, just like the parent He is.

All this contemplation made me want to compile a list of just what lessons I’ve learned from God that I would need to make the best decisions when He decides to step back and watch me make them.

Lessons I’ve learned from Abba in decision making:

1. Alignment to God’s Word. If it goes against the Word of God, it’s already a mistake.

2. Pray for guidance and His best (Jam 1:5). God may step back, but He never leaves us alone (Deut 31:6). Pray He closes doors that aren’t His best, and opens doors that He wants us to walk through (Rev 3:7-8). Also don’t pray for God’s permissive will. Sometimes, it’s permissible, but not God’s best for us (1 Cor 10:23).

3. Submit to authority (1 Pet 2:13). Children obey parents (Col 3:20). Wives submit to husbands (Col 3:18).

4. Spousal agreement. Usually when we need to make decisions, we need to wait to find agreement with our spouse (Eph 4:3; 1 Pet 3:7-8; Rom 15:5-6).

5. Utilize God-given counsel. Ask those I know that walk closely with the Lord (Prov 19:20).

6. Follow the peace. If something doesn’t feel right, it’s usually not (1 Cor 14:33).

7. Take my time. Rushed decisions tend to be poor decisions (Jam 5:7)

8. Avoid pressure. This is a combination of 6 & 7. When we make a decision purely out of pressure, something gets missed (Philippians 4:6).

9. Wait till I hear. Sometimes it just takes longer to hear God (Ps 85:8).

10. Listen better. Remove distractions so I can ACTUALLY hear the voice of God (1 Kings 19:12)

11. Check myself. If I’m not actively pursuing God and walking close to Him, decisions made won’t be good (2 Cor 13:5).

12. Let God move me. Honestly, not doing anything is doing something. Sometimes we must let God change circumstances. Trust His timing. (Ps 130:5)

13. Make the hard decisions. A lot of times we know what we are to do, we just don’t like it or want to do it. We must accept that God’s will is best, even if hard. (Rom 8:28)

14. Don’t get upset. I’m still working on this one. I have to remember that no purpose of God’s can be thwarted (Job 42:2). That tells me God will either prevent a bad decision or He’s gonna walk with me through one, because I got things to learn!

Hope this is helpful to any and all. If anyone has any other tools to share to this post, please do! We welcome anything that helps us make godly decisions and ways to follow Him! God bless!

Superpowers

Uncategorized View all 2 comments

What if our biggest flaw was actually our greatest superpower? I met a woman today with a limp. She didn’t seemed disturbed by it. It didn’t seem like it was from a recent accident, disease, etc. Maybe it was something she was born with, or perhaps polio had messed up her leg as a child. I don’t know. She seemed like a normal, capable person otherwise. Then I thought, perhaps I should’ve asked to pray for healing – but just as quickly the thought came: “What if that limp isn’t something she needs to be healed from? Who says a flaw must be a bad thing? What if she relates better to others because of that limp?”
Then I thought of my youngest daughter’s speech delay. What if she always has difficulties, but why would that be bad? What about my son’s crossed eyes? What if they never became perfectly straight? Finally, I thought of my oldest daughter’s leukemia diagnosis. What if these flaws, or defects, weren’t something to be ashamed of, hidden away hoping no one discovers or points out, but instead were our greatest triumphs? To be the very things that make us who we are? Who we are meant to be? What if those shameful defects became our superpowers? How we view the world? How we see people? And instead of shame or bitterness and anger because of them, they help us see the weakness in others to grow within us compassion, grace, mercy, & empathy.
I believe all these perceived “negative” issues arise, not to harm us, but to empower us. They give us the ability to see people better. To be the kindness we want from others. I believe our defects can be super, if we find the power within them: LOVE.

I know it’s been a long time since we’ve posted anything, but life has been hard for awhile. I don’t know if I mentioned we found out we were pregnant with our 4th child shortly after Ariel’s diagnosis. While it has made a bright spot during an otherwise dark time, it has added quite a level of complexity…leukemia treatments at the same time of having a newborn! Then my dad died suddenly after the baby’s birth. So, it’s been a rough few years to say the least. We appreciate any and all prayers! However, the best news is Ariel has completed treatment and her immunity is almost back to normal. She is now a beautiful active healthy 6 year old little girl! We still must keep check ups on her blood and body frequently, but all is well. Praise the Lord!