From Mainstream Christianity to Torah Truth Seeker

I was extremely moved by this mans testimony.

Out of Africa - Shabbat Shalom!!

A young Zimbabwean girl my husband photographed on a recent trip.

'...Neither let the son of the stranger, that hath joined himself to the Lord, speak, saying, The Lord hath utterly separated me from his people: neither let the eunuch say, Behold, I am a dry tree. For this saith the Lord unto the eunuchs that keep my Sabbaths, and choose the things that please me, and take hold of my covenant, Even unto them will I give in mine house and within my walls a place and a name better than of sons and of daughters: I will give them an everlasting name,that shall not be cut off. Also the sons of the stranger, that join themselves to the Lord, to serve Him, and to love the name of the Lord, to be His servants, every one that keepeth the Sabbath from polluting it, and taketh hold of my covenant, Even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer: their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon mine altar, for MINE HOUSE SHALL BE CALLED AN HOUSE OF PRAYER FOR ALL PEOPLE. The Lord God which gathereth the outcasts of Israel saith, Yet will I GATHER OTHERS TO HIM, BESIDE THOSE THAT ARE GATHERED UNTO HIM.'  - Isaiah 56: 1-7

"And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation" - Revelation 5:9

I think Africa is a place where the above verse comes alive!! YHVH is moving tremendously in the hearts of the African people. And some of the greatest blessings I have experienced is sharing with and seeing the hearts of these very people. In fact ... YHVH used a very precious African woman as one of the instruments in teaching me about head-covering and modesty :o). The 'called out' of God .... the 'grafted in of Israel'. I surely cannot comprehend what the new Jerusalem will be like in the day when we are all (every nation tribe and tongue - together with and part of Israel) praising Him and revelling in His presence.

We long for His return!!

This Shabbat I praise Him .... for all His goodness and faithfulness ... we are the generation to see the unfolding of prophecy and the truth of His word and character revealed!!

May your Shabbat be filled with the full revelation of His goodness,faithfulness and great love!

May our hearts soar in praise and may our words glorify His great name.

Shabbat Shalom from Africa!!

Created In The Image Of YHVH

"The woman was made out of Adam's side. She was not made out of his head to rule over him, nor out of his feet to be trampled upon by him, but out of his side to be equal with him, under his arm to be protected, and near his heart to be loved."  - Matthew Henry

Lighting The Shabbat Candles

No-where in the Torah are we commanded to light the Shabbat candles.
 The traditional prayer that can be heard in any Jewish home on the Shabbat will probably sound like this:

'Blessed are you, Adonai
our God, King of the Universe
Who sanctifies us
with His commandments
and commanded us to kindle
the lights of Shabbat'.

 The lighting of the Shabbat candles is not a commandment but more of a tradition. We need to realise that not all tradition is bad ... and yes, Yeshua did come against the traditions of man ... the traditions that violated or were/are held in greater regard than YHVH's Torah. Some traditions how-ever can help us to understand something in a deeper way, to help us understand the 'holiness - setting apart' of an activity or commandment we may take upon ourselves to keep. For me ... this is what the lighting of the Shabbat candles does. It is a beautiful time of the week ... and when the candles are lit it fills the room and home with a beautiful reminder of what the next 24 hrs is all about. There is nothing quite as beautiful as the darkened room being lit up by the flame of the candles ... which also serves to remind us that we are meant to be lights in this ever darkening world ... lights that burn with the life of YHVH'S Torah :o)

Maybe we can change the tradition a bit :o) .... and as we light the Shabbat candles we can pray...

'Blessed are You, Adonai
our God, King of the Universe
Who sanctified us
with His commandments
and commanded us to sanctify
the Shabbat day'.

With much Blessing

Simcha Esther

I am posting this video as part of the 'Women of YHVH' series. Sadly ... Esther is no longer with us, but her life has spoken into mine in a very profound way. I would like to add her name to the women whose lives have touched my own, who have taught me something and given me treasure to enrich my life. This is a tribute to a remarkable woman.




http://www.timeofmylife.us/blog.asp

Channukah and Head-Coverings

I found this really cute Channukiah at the mall the other day. It's not the traditional kind ... but really really cute. The pots are made out of pewter and look like they could've been dug up in an archeological dig!

This is a closer shot of the detail on the pots. Isn't it just so cute?! :o)

This is a wonderful time of the year. We get to celebrate the defending of the Torah ... and remember YHVH's provision for His people. It is also a time of contemplation as we commit to rededicating our lives in service to Yah just as the temple too was rededicated!
I hope that you are all having a wonderful time of celebration!!

I thought I would share some pictures of two new head-coverings that I am experimenting with. I like this hat ...more like a snood really. It is comfortable and light-weight. I still need to get used to wearing a new type of head-covering as I have always and only worn Tichels. I love the Tichels, but felt I could do with a bit more variety :o)

This wide head-band I really really like :o)  The fabric is super light-weight (which is really necessary for an African summer!). And they come in really bright colours, which I love!! I have also found some cute hats that provide really good coverage and have an old world kind of feel. I will be posting some pictures of those shortly.

Once again ... Shabbat Shalom!!

Blessings

Friday Night Roast Chicken

This recipe has become one of our favourites ... especially for Shabbat :o)
Chicken, particularly this one, has become one of our favourite Friday night Shabbat dinners. It is really good accompanied with Potatoe salad with a lemon mayonnaise dressing. Both these recipes follow below :o)

Friday Night Roast Chicken

Prep time : 15 mins
Cooking time: approx 85mins
Serves: 6

2-2.5 kg roasting chicken (giblets removed)
1 bunch (about 25g) fresh rosemary
1 lemon, sliced into wedges
3 garlic cloves, peeled
2 onions, peeled and roughly chopped
250ml dry red win
salt
freshly ground black pepper

1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees C / 400 degrees F/Gas mark 6. Pull the skin from the breast of the chicken and slip some rosemary, lemon wedges and garlic cloves under it. Place the rest of these ingredients in the chicken cavity.

2. Arrange the onion in a roasting tin. Pour the wine over the onions. Add enough water so the tin is three-quarters full.

3. Place the chicken breast-side down in the tin. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover the pan with foil.

4. Bake for 80-85 mins. Remove from the oven and leave to rest for 10-15 mins. Carve into portions and transfer to a serving platter.

Keep the bird covered until the last 15 mins of cooking time. Remove the foil and place back into oven for the remaining 15 mins allowing the skin to crisp. Adding the red wine and water to the roasting tin keeps the chicken succulent and prevents the flesh from drying out.

Potatoe Salad with Lemon Mayonnaise

Prep time: 10 mins
Cooking time: 20 mins
Serves: 8

2 teaspoons sea salt
750g baby new potatoes, cleaned and halved
2 large egg yolks
Juice and zest of 1/2 med organic lemon
1 teaspoon dry mustard (any variety)
1 tablespoon castor sugar
Freshly ground black pepper
300ml vegetable oil
Snipped chives to garnish

1. Fill a large saucepan with water. Add 1 tspn salt. Bring to the boil over med heat. Add the potatoes and cook until tender (approx 20 mins). Drain and leave to cool.

2. Place the egg yolks. lemon Juice and zest, mustard and sugar in a blender or food processor. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Blend ro process until the mixture is smooth.

3. With the blender running, slowly add the vegetable oil. Blend or process until the oil is thoroughly blended into the mixture. Adjust the seasoning as desired.

4. Mix together the mayonnaise and cooled potatoes. Transfer to a serving bowl, garnish with chives and serve.



Of course this is served with gorgeous home-made Challah and fresh green salad :o)

Shabbat Shalom to you all!!

Blessings