Momiji and Joseph's coat of many colors

underneath the red canopy, were all the colors of autumn!

The colors made me think of this week's Torah reading about Joseph and his coat of many colors

Now Israel loved Joseph best of all his sons, for he was the child of his old age; and he made him a coat of many colors.
--Genesis 37:3 

That morning I had shared about Joseph in an English class, and used the lyrics to this song

The very same tree, here orange (above, view under the canopy), here red (below, view from the path), and in between, all the colors of autumn

How sweet is the light, 

what a delight for the eyes to behold the sun!

Ecclesiastes 11:7

Today when I saw this Momiji tree (Japanese maple)  I went up closer to it so I could see
its beautiful red coat.    Under its canopy there were every color of the autumn leaves, red and yellows and orange and greens.  The most beautiful momiji
I'd ever seen. I sat down underneath its leaves, looking up and marveling at the colors,

its exquisite sublimity.

Just this morning I had Joseph's song
on my heart so all the colors gave me a start to think of how
Joseph didn't try to hide the colors that he had inside.

 The afternoon light came in through the leaves.
I made this little quick sketch and share it for you if you would like to
 color Joseph's coat in the color of the leaves!! Enjoy!

As the upcoming season approaches and the celebration of the miracle of light at Hannukah brings increasing light into the darkening days,  shine your light in all you do!!

Here is a prayer if you would like to,  pray it for  loved ones! (Put the name of the one you are praying for)

May............let his/her light shine before men so they may see his/her good works and glorify your Father in heaven.     ---Matthew 5:16

Blessings and Shalom! 

Love,

Shayndel

♡

PS after posting this I showed the photos to someone, my Japanese teacher, and he told me that the momoji leaves change color in stages, and eventually all the leaves will turn the same red as the outer canopy of red, and then they fall off the tree.  This shows what a city girl I am, I hadn't realized that they will all change to red.   I'm a little embarrassed, but at the same time  the moment had a certain excitement in the not knowing...

 It seemed a miracle that there were all those colors on one tree with an outside canopy color, and then a whole world of colors unseen inside the canopy!!  As I experienced it (in my innocence or naivety about how things in nature work!!) it was  like God gave me the chance to witness that miracle and His hand on the whole thing!!  Which is what it is to see the changing colors, isn't it!!!  More than a PS, rather a Pretty Sensational!!! He is amazing!!  Give thanks to the Creator of Heaven and Earth!  Enjoy the colors of where you are.♡

heart and treasure

for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.    --Matthew 6:31

Blessings and Shalom!

A Happy Thanksgiving!

Love,
♡
Shayndel

*(Post note from the blog author!, You`re not seeing double! Thank you for your comments on the original post! I re-posted it and lost the original.  )

The Wonderful thing about Shabbos (posted mid-week!)

1.
The wonderful thing about Shabbos is
once the sun goes down, the table's set,
and the candles lit,
there's nothing else to
do

2.
The wonderful thing about Shabbos is
there's no where else to go
but into Your presence
The most wonderful place to
be

3.
The wonderful thing about Shabbos is
once we are there
in the time set by You
it's a taste of eternity

by Shayndel
with Love
♡

Seeing Ladders! Shabbat Shalom!!

Jacob woke up from his sleep and said, 

"Undoubtedly, ADONAI is in this place---and I was unaware." 

Genesis ２８：１６

Its that time of the year
I start
seeing ladders!

This week is Parsha Vayetze, the reading in the week of Jacob's Ladder.

Wanted to wish you a Shabbat Shalom before the sun goes down!!


Shabbat Shalom!!

If you look closely in this picture you can see the light making stripes in rainbow colors, going along the same lines as the ....ladder! ! !

Love,

Shayndel  ♡

Call for Prayer and Miracles for Gaza and Siderot!

The Lord shall go forth like a mighty man; 
He shall stir up His zeal like a man of war.  
He shall cry out, yes, shout aloud; He shall prevail against His enemies.  

--Isaiah 42:13

I am not sure if everyone is aware of the situation in Gaza and Siderot and towns along the southern border of Israel.  From what I understand it is not being given attention to in the US media.
I am sharing HERE a post by Sharon at Real Jerusalem streets, and HERE a link for Intercessors to pray with prayer requests from JNN, Jerusalem News Network, Vision for Israel's page.

The details are better outlined there, but just from what I understand, there were 400 or 500 rockets   fired just the other day and children and families have been living with violence and rocket attacks from Hamas terrorist aggression  for seventeen years.  It is only escalating, and sadly there is not much coverage about it and these communities are being literally bombarded with incendiary rockets, resulting in deaths as well as constant fear and shock to children and families.   Schools were cancelled this week (and I don"t know how many other weeks)  for safety reasons and to be in bomb shelters for protection.

Please pray in this season of miracles for ongoing miracles! And for the international community to see that this needs to be given attention and called to a halt.

Blessings and Shalom,

Love,

♡

Shayndel

I Have a Little Dreidel

It's the month of Kislev,  the 9th month of the Hebrew Calendar.  In this month the days grow darker and we have the holiday of Hannukah in which we celebrate the miracle of light, and the victory of the Jewish people led by the small group of Maccabees.  Today I shared about the Hannukah story at a small "book reading" at a cafe as part of an arts festival. The book is called "I Have a Little Dreidel" by Maxime Baum.Its really cute and gives good illustrations of gathering at a family house for Hannukah and making latkes (see posts Here) and playing dreidel.  Many people where we live do not know of Hannukah, they do not know of the miracle of the lights, and also do not have very much knowledge of Israel or the Jewish people, all things which they have no immediate connection with.  Today I will take the book and  hand made menorah and little gift boxes of dreidels.  Dear Holy Spirit please pour Your oil of anointing on the event to shine Your light and share something of the message of Hannukah.

I made this menorah out of kami nen-do, which is paper clay.  I didn't get to make the candles yet.  As its not yet Hannukah* and we won't actually be lighting candles, I will bring some "real" candles to show about the menorah, and some paper clay if any participants want to try making a "candle" ...or a dreidel! ...out of the paper clay!

The menorah is just about dry,  and I hope it stands up and doesn't crumble on the way to then next town where I have to go for the reading!!

Oh, dreidel dreidel dreidel! Do you know the song?
This is it with my translation into Japanese for tonights reading!!

 ♬小さいなドレイドル🎵

これは小さなドレイドル
私が粘土で作ったの
かわいて　出来上がったら
楽しくドレイドルで遊びましょう

オオ、ドレイドル　ドレイドル　ドレイドル
私が粘土で作ったの
オオ、ドレイドル　ドレイドル　ドレイドル
楽しくドレイドルで遊びましょう

I have a little dreidel 

I made it out of clay

and when its dry and ready
Oh Dreidel I shall play


Oh dreidel dreidel dreidel
I made it out of clay
Oh dreidel dreidel dreidel

Now  Dreidel I shall play

 by "The Blossoming Challah"!

Reading at the Onigiri Cafe.  (photos too)

Blessings and Shalom. ♡ Love, Shayndel

*Hannukah this year begins the night of Dec. 2, and lasts for 8 nights

Shayndel's Jacob's Red Stew--Parsha Toldot

From Abraham and Sarah, to Isaac and Rebecca, embroidered on the Challah cover cloth, this week in the Torah we read parsha Toldot, the story of the generations of Isaac.

Once when Jacob was cooking a stew, Esau came in from the open, famished.  And Esau said to Jacob, "Give me some of that red stuff to gulp down, for I am famished"--which is why he was named Edom.  Jacob said, "First sell me your birthright."                   ---Genesis 25:29~31

This past week in the Torah we read parsha Toldot.  The story of the generations of Isaac.

If you come by my house for Shabbat on erev Shabbat for this parsha, you can try some of Shayndel's Jacob's red stew!!

I can't help it, I just have to make a red stew on this day!!

As you know in this parsha Rebecca finds out that she will have twins, two nations, who are struggling with each other in her womb.  There is the  story in the parsha of Jacob and Esau and the birthright and the blessing and  two meals --- Lentil soup for the birthright; fresh Game stew for the blessing  --- Gen. 25:27~34, and Gen. 27.   Two hearty meals through which the Torah reveals how the course of the generations was destined.
 There is a lot to digest in this parsha,  with the deceptions involved, what it must have been for Rebecca for giving birth to twins who would come to be two opposing nations.  How we can understand it is always difficult each time we read it, but also in the Torah the things that are written are there tell us things that we don't always understand.  But it gives us a place from which to seek God's heart in everything,  and surely each reading can teach us things and help in our prayers for reconciliation and seeking Shalom in the world. 

So I won't  talk a lot, but will rather will share an original recipe inspired by the parsha.

Please  have some , try making it, share any thoughts what the parsha speaks to you, or  how you like the stew.

 ＊

For today I will share with you how to make a stew that will bring on blessing, as its taste is really quite heavenly, in an earthy kind of way!

To make Shayndel's Jacob's Red Stew
You will need:
1.  Red Lentil Curly Pasta, or if you cannot find it near you, look for any pasta or legume that is made from red lentils.

2. Other Ingredients:
Beef for stew
Vegetables
      Note: you can adapt by using the vegetables local to your area and in season, as this stew should bring about the tastes of freshly brought in ingredients, as Isaac sent out Esau to gather the game for the stew! Isaac has a good tongue to know what he likes, so when making this, bring home the ingredients that are fresh to where you live!
We used these local / Japan grown vegetables in season.  Cut them in appropriate stew sized pieces:

Pumpkin
Mushrooms
Spinach
Ginger

Olive oil
Can tomatoes
Sake or red wine
 Salt and pepper, spices

3. Boullion or soup stock of your choice

4. Also include any spices you like , rosemary , thyme, and again if any from your garden or local that is even better!

How to make:

1.  Cut ginger into small sliced pieces and sautee in olive oil.  Add beef chunks and sautee until brown on all sides.
2.  Add soup stock to cover and with enough liquid to accommodate vegetables and pasta.  You might need to add more soup stock as you add the other ingredients.
3.  Add sake or red wine and canned tomatoes (and or fresh tomatoes if you prefer!)
4.  Once it all boils, lower heat to medium to simmer
5.  Add salt, pepper and spices
6.  Add vegetables by stages, the longer cooking ones first.  Spinach and green leaves can wait to go in at the very end.

7. Here you will have to time with the pasta cooking instructions.  When you sense that everything should be at the right softness and perfectly cooked  in 5 to 7 minutes, add the pasta.  You don't want the pasta to cook too long, but has to be long enough to be the perfect consistency.  Also you want to make sure the vegetables and meat will be cooked just right in timing with the pasta!! Alternatively, you could cook the pasta separately and add at the last minute, but I recommend the precision timing method, as it cooks together more like a stew.

8.  Put on the finishing touches on the table.
Gather to light the candles.   Recite the Kiddush and Sabbath prayers.

9.  Serve and enjoy with a beautiful and fragrant Challah!!

10.  Be blessed!!

Note  This week I used Dassie's recipe for the Challah from HIS ISRAEL.
Thank you His Israel for THIS POST and video about CHALLAH and for sharing your recipe!!

 Note on the red lentil pasta (pictured above and a main ingredient in the recipe):  There is background story HERE if you would like to read it , from last year, the surprise of finding this pasta in our local shopping mall.  I had been looking everywhere for red lentils, to make a red stew, but to no avail.  So it definitely seemed to have put there by the heavenly hosts for this Parsha.!!  It made me to think that on Shabbat Toldot, everyone in heaven is around a table eating the red lentil stew with curly red lentil pasta.  All parties reconciled and rejoicing in the knowing that everything was planned for a purpose and will turn out for the good. 

I have observed the business that God gave man to be concerned with: He brings everything to pass precisely at its time; He also puts eternity in their mind, but without man ever guessing, from first to last, all the things that God brings to pass.

Ecclesiastes 3:10~11

♡

Rainbow in Sand

My son, give your heart to me,

and let your eyes observe my ways.

 Proverbs 23:26

Recently I told my daughter about sand art and showed her a picture of rainbow colors in a bottle and she had never seen it before.  So when I passed by a table today of all these bottles of colored sand,  advertising, Make your own "Sand Art", I felt drawn to make something for her.

And soon knew what I wanted to make, and you can surely know too from the title of the post,
a rainbow!!
A rainbow in sand!!

As I was pouring in the colors little by little, and the instructor was showing me how to do it carefully, grains by grains, it struck me as the perfect expression of God's heart in the conversation we have been having this week and that has been in my creative consciousness, about  rainbows (here) and sand (here).
From Noah to Abraham, the rainbow "smile", to the generations.

Who could resist all the sand in all those colors of the rainbow!!

A little girl was making one near me, she was diligently working on it.  Her mother was by her a little distance away as she worked on it.  Mine was for my daughter, who is now a farther distance away but it was a nice connection to connect to a childlike heart while working on it.  And as it is a little delicate and would be hard to send, I may just have to hand deliver it to her!!

The little girl next to me made this!!

in progress, a smile!!!, adding a "bouquet" and some finishing touches

♡

My heart trusts in Him.

 PS  A Shayndel Torah "takeaway" from these weeks since beginning the book of Genesis, as seen in the experiences with the Rainbow this week and what I felt the Holy Spirit speaking through this sand art rainbow. (see two posts below for background story)
God connects the generations through His rainbow (a.k.a., covenant) and through His promises.  And it is through the faith of Abraham and the Holy Spirit given us through Yeshua that we can enter into a living relationship with the Creator of the Universe.  He is the one who made us and multiplies us like the sands on the seashore.   Each of us, like each of  those "grains" are unique.   I realized too that it is a "circle" rainbow, going around the glass which is also something He showed me in the rainbow going around the whole sky and making an opening for Him to throw down to us the bouquet.  If we look into a minute infinitesimal picture it can expand exponentially to the hugeness of His heart, as He will show us things in a size and scale that we can hold on it.  And then enlarge it for us to walk into .  Honestly, I am not quite at that point yet, and sense He is teaching me to  be ready to walk into all that He has to offer!   He is a loving Father who longs to pour out His love for us.   Now I am also realizing the rainbow was in a glass, as we are a vessel  to receive His Holy Spirit through whom we give our selves to Him and then we can be co-creators using all the amazing colors and resources that He opens up. This coming week there is Jacob's dream of the ladder, and I remember last year in this parsha He showed me a rainbow, and that the ladder is Yeshua, who makes it possible for us to connect to Heaven, here on earth, and bring the things of Heaven down through our prayer and worship.   Oh , and in the sand art we could give it a "use", and so I made it a "memo holder", there is a little clip that can hold a memo, or a drawing, postcard, picture etc.  What will then be created from the loving connection with Him.
Later in the book of Exodus, He says to Let my people go so that they can Worship Me.  It is not just that we are set free, but it is so we can make our lives into lives of worship, in everything we do.  Oh, and lastly, I am not sure if you can see it in the photo, but nestled behind the heart, there is a shimmering present wrapped in turquoise blue the color of the New Jeruslaem.  Yes, He thinks of everything!!

Blessings and Shalom!

❤️

I also saw the holy city---the New Jerusalem---coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
                  ---Revelation 21:2