About the Sabbath

       After several years of study, prayer, and deep seeking I have embraced the belief that GOD loves the Sabbath.  He loves it, and He expects us to love it and observe it.   I used to think that Sunday was the Sabbath, because that's the day most churches gather together to worship.  But, the more I studied, the more evidence I found that the Sabbath always was and still is Saturday.  (I won't go into all the details of how this can be proven, but it is provable.)
       And so we observe the Sabbath (Shabbat in the Hebrew language).  We observe Shabbat by resting - not doing "ordinary work".  Although cooking isn't expressly forbidden, I try to prepare most of our food on Friday so that I don't have to cook much on Shabbat.  I don't clean house on Shabbat.  We feed the animals, of course, but we don't clean their coops on Saturday; this is "ordinary work" and can be done the day before or the day after... It's okay to do work that is life-saving.  Just think about it: God chooses life for people - not death.

        Of course, we also observe the Sabbath by studying God's word and by praising Him.  No need to wait until Thanksgiving... go ahead and give Him thanks and praise today!



Our Shabbat table



       Well, I could go on and on about Shabbat - what to do, what not to do, various opinions, etc.  But, what I really want to talk about is how we bring in Shabbat on Friday evening.  It's a beautiful ceremony, and it can be very meaningful.  The lighting of the Sabbath candles is a centuries-old tradition.  Moshe blows the Shofar before we gather at the table.  Tzedakah is given (this is a collection for charity). We read Scriptures ,we recite prayers  in both Hebrew and English,  and blessings are proclaimed over each other and the family. I light the candles;  there are special prayers/and/or songs, and we also read a poem about welcoming Shabbat into our home.  After the candles are lit, Moshe gives the blessings over the wine (grape juice) and the bread. 

     Then, we say "Shabbat Shalom", and it is time to have a nice dinner by candlelight, followed by at least 25 hours of rest.  Nice, huh?

       I didn't go into much detail, but, if you are interested, you can Google Shabbat and get more information on how to celebrate it.  Another time I'll write more about it and include photos of our dining room table when the Shabbat candles are lit and all the Shabbat items are in place.
     Shalom Y'all - Twyla



       

Rosh Hashanah - Happy New Year!

      This morning, along with our eggs and  toast, I fixed a plate of apple wedges and a bowl of honey for dipping;  these are the traditional food for Rosh Hashana - one tastes the sweetness and ask G-d to bring that sweetness into the next year. Rosh Hashana is the REAL new year's day,  Per the LORD's calendar, the Hebrew calendar, this is the first day of a new year.  Like most things  today, the worldly idea of New Year's day is rowdy music, lots of alcohol, frantic dancing, etc. - We live in what I call "opposite world". Almost everything has gotten warped and twisted, so that what people consider "normal" is, in fact, anti-G-d. Things are the opposite of what they were created to be...
     Rosh Hashana is a high Holy day.  An "extra Sabbath" this week. A day to thank Abba Father for  His many blessings, and, to ask  His blessing on the new year to come.  Last night we lit the Sabbath candles, and "took communion" - Kiddush - to host in the new year.  We prayed together and separately that the LORD will protect us this year and make us a blessing to others.
     Above is another of my paintings. A Torah scroll, opened to the ten commandments.  I painstakingly copied the commandments letter-by-letter, in Hebrew, just as the anciect scribes were required to do with the entire Torah.  Rosh Hashana is the day of Teshuva - repentance and the turning back to Torah... Not quite the same as the revelry of "opposite world".
     We are going to the beach today.  We're taking a picnic lunch and lots of food for the fish and ducks.
And our devotions books  (communing with each other and God on a beach all to ourselves is awesome!)
When we come home this afternoon we will watch a movie and graze on various snacks in the fridge and cupboards.  Relaxation. Meditation. Adoration.
     Shanah Tovah!  (Happy New Year!)
                                                                                           Shalom y'all,     Twyla

Friday - The Eve of Shabbat

as paraphrased from the Website, OU.org


          Friday is Yom HaShishi - The Sixth "Day"   Saturday is Shabbat, or Sabbath.  Human beings need a transition  between holy and worldly. When one speaks of the Holy Shabbat, that transition is provided by Erev Shabbat, Shabbat  Eve. What occurred on the first Erev Shabbat? Let us look at the Bible, where that event is described.
     "…And Hashem said, 'Let us make Man in our image and in our form, and let them rule over the fish in the sea, and the birds in the sky, and over the cattle and over all creatures that are above the earth, and over all things that creep upon the earth.' And the L-rd created Man in His image; He created him in the image of G-d; male and female did He create them…"
     "…And G-d saw all that He had done, and behold it was very good; and it was evening and it was morning; the Sixth "Day."
     Paraphrasing Rabbi Kaplan : "…Shabbat must also be a do-it-yourself project. In order to really feel the Sabbath, you cannot wait for it to come to you. You must get into it. Every person must make his own Shabbat. You must prepare yourself and get into the mood. Only then will you be able to feel its true significance. True understanding only comes from doing and feeling. In a way, Shabbat is like (being in) love. You can talk about love for the rest of your life, but if you have never experienced it, you will never understand it. Once you have been in love though, no further discussion is necessary."
     Sabbath is a bond of love between people and Adonai.
    And so I am setting up the Shabbat table, and looking forward to  lighting the candles, reading scriptures, saying blessings, partaking of the grape juice and the challah bread - all in preparation for tomorrow - the Sabbath, a day of rest and pleasure.

                                                    My watercolor, " Aaronic Blessing"

                                                      Shabbat Shalom!          Twyla