Let Us Not Forget

B'reisheet 3:13  'And YHVH saith to the woman, 'What is this thou hast done?' and the woman saith, 'The serpent hath caused me to FORGET - and I do eat.' - Youngs Literal Translation

I really like this translation....... 'the serpent caused me to FORGET'.

YHVH wants us to remember.

All through the Torah Avinu Melchenu (our Father, our King) exhorts us to remember. We are to remember His commandments and His ways. We are to remember who we are, the journey we are on and the work that is to be done. We are to remember that He has given us His heart (Torah) and we are to remember to constantly, daily make the choice to give Him ours.

We are also commanded to remember His Shabbat.

To keep this day 'Holy' - set apart unto Him. Shabbat is a beautiful time of rest..... the one day of the seven day cycle that we have the Creator of the universes permission to take time out. To recharge our batteries. To reflect on the days that have been and perhaps the days that are ahead. To spend time in the presence of the King of Kings. This is the one day that has promise and blessing attached to it ... if we will hear and obey .....

Chava (Eve) 'forgot' and blessing was taken from her.

Let us choose not to 'forget', instead let us strive to always remember...

This Shabbat may you and I refresh and renew ourselves in YHVH
May His blessing rest upon each one of us
and may we know and understand the blessing of His Shalom!

Shabbat Shalom

Shabbat Shalom

I lift up my eyes to the hills;
e-sa einai el he-ha-rim
Where will my help come from?
mei-a-yin ya-vo ez-ri
My help comes from Adonai
ez-ri mei-im HaShem
Maker of heaven and earth!
o-sei sha-ma-im va-aretz

Teenage Affluenza

Is there any-thing to praise YHVH for today???

Those stubborn facts

The Oxford School Dictionary states that a fact is 'Something that is certainly true'.
Does this not define the Torah of YHVH?.....TRUTH.
If the Torah is the truth....and we know it is then... we can conclude that it is also fact.
The problem with fact is that it won't budge, it won't disappear just because we don't like it. Fact makes us uncomfortable. Fact (if we are honest) will always force us to change the way we that we think, because no matter how hard one may believe that the sky is green, the fact/truth remains that it is not. The sad truth however, is that many prefer to continue on in their fantasy than allow the truth/fact, to set them free. We find it very hard now-days to distinguish between fact and opinion.
The Torah is NOT YHVH's opinion, it is NOT open for debate and it is NOT an invitation.
The Torah IS YHVH'S truth, it IS what YHVH commands and we ARE covenantly obligated to keep His commandments. We do not keep His commandments for salvation but because we are saved....are we not called the sons and daughters of YHVH? Is it not our deepest desire to please Him and to bring honour to His name....it should be.
I believe that the greatest tool the enemy uses with which to deceive us is our emotions. We are governed by our emotions, they fuel our desires and influence our decision making. YHVH knows that our heart/emotions will lead us atray if they are not brought under the authority of His word....our hearts have the greatest potential to deceive and become our number one enemy . This is why He has given us the clear boundaries of His Torah, if we remain within these boundaries we are kept safe. He has given us beautiful reminders, physical reminders (tzitzi mezuzah to name just two),to remind us daily that His Torah must govern and lead our emotions ....our lives. To remind us that we are set apart people, called out from this world to be seperate unto Him.

Just this week I have had two conversations with two dear christian friends, in which, they both commented that the path I am on (Torah observant) is not necessarily for them...they do not FEEL 'led' to walk  along the same path. They feel that YHVH has asked these things specifically of me...and not of them (sounds very much like opinion to me). The one commented and said 'as long as I am true to my heart'......really?? Can ones heart really be 'true' outside of the guidelines of truth/Torah? Does YHVH have different standards for His children.....different household rules that only apply to some?

I believe the FACTS speak for themselves.

Blessings

A Cup of Tea with Beautiful Sophia

Meet my beautiful friend and sister Sophia, in the ten years that I have known and loved her she has been such an inspiration to me. Without her knowing she has taught me much about love, prayer and forgiveness. Thank you Sophia for being a woman of YHVH, and for teaching precious lessons to me on this journey that we are on to becoming.....Our Fathers Daughters!!


The Power of Forgiveness

It was October 1978, I had just met the love and Lord of my life......Jesus, and I was born again!! My life would never be the same.....
I was married to a wonderful, hard-working, gentle man, a man of character. I was a baby in my faith. My idea of being a godly wife was far from being what God wanted it to be. Whenever my husband was at home I was singing, praying and listening to praise music. My priorities were so wrong!!
During this time, he started coming home late at night. It became so bad, three or four o'clock in the morning was the usual time. He eventually left me for his best friends wife.
My divorce was the most devastating experience I could ever have imagined. Unforgiveness and bitterness made its way right into the centre of my broken heart. A wonderful and dear friend of mine told me that I must forgive them....but....I was angry and I ignored her words of wisdom for a while.
But then the Holy Spirit started dealing with me, gently showing me all the sin in my heart. He showed me that I was 'religious' and very far from being as 'holy' as I though I was. What a process I went through as God started changing my heart and my attitude. I trusted, and started the process of forgiving them. At first it was only from my lips, but after four years of letting go on a daily basis, crying and wrestling with God....I finally felt that the forgiveness was starting to come from my soul....my heart.
Then one day, God's plan for me to meet this lady, to stand before her face to face, came about unexpectedly. I can still clearly hear God's voice saying to me..."Have you forgiven her?" I replied "Yes, Lord, I have". With my arms around her, embracing her, I told her that I forgive her...that I set her free from blame. If she would love him and be good to him...then...I would stand back.
That day God showed me that not only she was set free but I was now also free...victoriously! Free from all bitterness and unforgivenss. 2 Corinthians 2:10 gave me hope "To whom ye forgive any-thing, I forgive also...".
It is not always easy to forgive some-one, but God helps and strengthens us and as we make the choice...daily, it does become easier.
I learned a valuable life (heart) lesson.....never ever allow bitterness or unforgivenss to harden your heart, it prevents the Holy Spirit from working inside of you.
David wrote a Psalm, Ps 51:10 "Create in me a clean heart oh God, and renew a right spirit within me..."
My loss was great. Eventhough I live a life of victory...I cannot turn back the hands of time.

Forgive and be blessed!!

Mrs Sophia C

Shannah Tova!!

Yom Teruah!! This feast marks the beginning of the moedim (appointed times), that lasts through the twenty-second day of the seventh month, ending after the eighth day of Sukkot (Feast of Tabernacles/Booths). This is a joyous time of celebration and worship of our Father...our King!!

Generally speaking, Yon Teruah comes at the time of the last harvest of the year, so in Exodus 34:22 this season is referred to as the end of the year. Yom Teruah is also called Rosh Hashannah, meaning the New (civil) Year. However we must remember that the Lord specifically states that the year begins in Nisan (or Aviv), the month of Passover.

'Teruah' is traditionally understood as the blowing of the shofar, specifically the ram's horn, but it is also translated as joyful noise. In the English Bible it is referred to as the Feast of Trumpets and comes at the end of the fruit harvest in Israel. - Pastor Mark Biltz (El Shaddai ministries)

We are still learning and growing in our knowledge of the feasts. This is the first year that we are actually celebrating them! The actual 'doing' and keeping of them has helped to take us into a deeper  relationship with YHVH. I feel like a little one taking her first steps at times....and stumbling seems to be very much a part of this learning process. But we have the most wonderful teacher, who is right beside us ....guiding and teaching us at all times, upholding us with His strong right hand!

We received our very first Shofar yesterday, and look forward to making some noise. Although this seems like quite a task in itself (I don't know if any of you find blowing the Shofar an easy thing to do), let's just say that I don't think our blowing would've brought the walls of Jericho down!! :o)

I wish all of you a wonderful Yom Teruah and a very very sweet New Year!!

Blessings and Shalom

What's Cooking in your Kitchen?!

Rachel and I found this really lovely book while out and about this week. It was on sale in one of our local bookstores.....and of course I couldn't resist!!
It has some really lovely new recipes (well, new to me!), and it has some lovely suggestions for the menu over the Feast Days.
For this Shabbat we will be trying the 'Friday night rosemary and lemon roast chicken' and the 'chocolate marble cake'. Rachel has been in charge of all the preparations in the kitchen up to now, as I have not had a chance to get to the two baskets of ironing that just seem to be growing ever higher this week so far. Well....ironing done.....and now I can turn my attention to joining her in the kitchen and hopefully getting things done smoothly and in good time.
I send Shabbat blessings to all my Torah observant sisters and your families.......
May the Shabbat lights bring into your home the beauty of truth and the radiance of YHVH's love
May YHVH bless you with Shabbat Joy
May YHVH bless you with Shabbat Holiness
May YHVH bless you with Shabbat Peace

Blessings