Hi Friends, I hope you are all well. Without planning it, I have taken a little unofficial blog break.
Sorry for my absence for a little while. I am hoping to be back soon officially and just popping in to
say HI and send love and show you my Blossoming Menorah Challah that I made this past Shabbat for a special `commission`!!! I hope to be be back again soon with some new words in
challah and Chanukah posts and soon!! Meanwhile wishing you all -a light-filled season and much love!!
But this I call to mind. Therefore I have hope. The kindness of the LORD has not ended, His mercies are not spent.
They are renewed every morning! Ample is your grace! Lamentations 3:21~23
The steadfast Love of the LORD never ceases.
May we put our faith in the One who is Faithful!!
We are looking at the Parsha Lech Lecha.
The Hebrew word I made in challah in the week of Parsha Lech Lecha (last week`s parsha, I am catching up on the weeks!) is `Emunah` , or, `faith`. In the Biblical Hebrew concordance, Strongs (#530), it is defined as firm, steady, steadfast.
Interestingly, the word "Emunah"does not occur until Exodus 17:12, where Moses has to keep his hands raised and steady to win the battle against Amelek. Aaron and Hur hold up his arms until the sun set.
How much we can learn from this in being steadfast and steady in the battles we face and the battles we fight. May we hold up each others arms steady in support, in prayer, and in faith.
Where we see the word `faith` in the Parsha is from the root word of Emunah which is Aman. Does Aman sound like any word you know!! Yes! Amen!!
Amen and Amen!! and Aman and Emunah!
Abraham, our Father in faith, goes forth (LECH LECHA) on the promises he has not yet seen, purely by faith.
I hope this Challah cast blesses you. In addition I have a short part I will add about Exodus 17:12 and that revelation! And also will add some of the scriptures and Strong`s Biblical Hebrew references. But meanwhile, maybe there is someone out there who would be blessed by this message today, so I am posting this post `in progress`before going to sleep tonight!!
Biblical Hebrew Notes, Strongs Hebrews First occurrences for Emunah, Aman, Amen
Emunah Strongs # 530 Definition: firmness, steadfastness, fidelity First occurrence: Exodus 17:12 Moses`
hands grew heavy, so they took a stone, put it under him, and he sat
down. Aaron and Hur held up his hands, one on each side. So his hands
were steady until the sun went down.
Aman Strongs #539 Definition: to confirm, support First occurrence: Genesis 15:6 And because he put his trust in the LORD, He reckoned it to him as righteousness.
Aman Strongs #540 Definition: to trust First occurence: Daniel 2:45 Now the dream is certain, and its interpretation is trustworthy.
Amen Strongs #543 Definition: Verily, Truly First occurrence: Numbers 5:22 The woman is to say `Amen, amen!`
To friends interested in Biblical Hebrew, For a related upload about the word Emunah in Challah, enjoy this link to a Biblical Hebrew class at Tav TEACH where I am given the opportunity to teach a short segment on the Challah Alef-bet,!! You can find it HERE!
As well as other teachings on Biblical Hebrew words!!
Come to me... and I will give you rest! Matthew 11:28
In this Challah-cast we look again at Parsha Noah. Do you know what Noah means?
A hint is in the above scripture!!
Come along and learn some new Hebrew words in challah as we enter into one more exciting Challah-cast with new discoveries in Parsha Noah before going forth into this week`s Parsha, Lech Lecha!!
In a surge of anger I hid My face from you for a moment,
but with everlasting kindness
I will have compassion on you, says ADONAI your Redeemer. Isaiah 54:8 from this week`s Haftarah in the Parsha Noah
I am sharing this recent Challah-cast which is a continuation of looking at Hebrew words in Challah!!
This upload we are looking at the words that express the Everlasting Kindness of God, as we see in the Haftarah portion in this week`s Parsha Noah. In Hebrew it is the words `Chesed` and `Olam` together.
The more we cycle around on the Torah the more God`s Everlasting Kindness comes alive through His word and it is a special time spent with Him to look anew into the readings in each week. Hope you enjoy this week`s study!
Please SHARE !!! CHESED OLAM!! May we release more of God`s
Lovingkindness into the world by speaking of His Lovingkindness and by
partnering with Him by the words that we speak ...and write... and form
in challah (or whatever your form of creative worship expression)!!! He created the world with His word.
Blessings and Shalom! Shavu`a Tov!! Have a blessed week!
Shabbat Menucha and Noah and Rest in Yeshua --post in progress , Shabbat Shalom!!
Sorry
friends I temporarily took down the post and am re-constructing it!!
Just wanted to let you know if you come back and see its not here!! Stay tuned for the updated post(s) on Parsha Noach!!
Blessings and Shabbat Shalom!!
I am also including here an early Challah -Cast, one of my first, from the beginning of the cycle in last year. Amazingly its already a full year plus since I started the Challah-casts so I am already on a second year of looking at the parsha Noah through the media of `Challah-cast!!`. The one I did last year is a kind of wild an funky ride Challah-cast as I was just getting into the swing of doing them. This one was done on a weekend trip with my brother when we were on the way to a family wedding. Weddings and Noah?! Anyone seeing a connection?!!
Some of the things I learned from doing it, and some of the connections in the scriptures, helped to bring me forward to the new revelations that God showed me in this year, which I will share to follow. Meanwhile, if you would like to see this early Challah-cast on Parsha Noah, please enjoy it for your viewing pleasure and hope there might be some new insights in it for you too, or share any of yours please!!!
Something new is happening from making the Hebrew letters in challah. I am drawing nearer to God through them. When I recently made the word `chesed` (in challah! post to follow!) , which means lovingkindness, as soon as I picked up the `chet` ח (the first letter of `chesed` חסד) , I realized this is a letter to handle with care. This is a word that is the signature of God`s attributes.
The Hebrew words in challah in this post`s upload are `good` and `light`.
Good= טוב = TOV Light = אור = OHR
I haven`t done an upload yet about `chesed`, (lovingkindness), but I just had that realization about the letters. His goodness and lovingkindness will pursue us all the days of our lives...
The word there too in Psalm 23 is `Tov`, the same `good` that He proclaimed when He made the world and said each thing that was `Good`...the world He made `Good` is the `good` or `Tov` that is His attribute.
More than food for thought, we actually taste and see how good---Tov--- the LORD is!!
Enjoy! This is a light hearted upload with a story about the first words God said, Let there be ...Light!! אור
Have a good day and let your light shine and give glory to our Father in Heaven!! Much love, Shabbat Shalom!♡Shayndel ,d.u.a. (doing uploads as)
Who would have thought, on this year when I couldn`t return home to travel to see my
family in the U.S. or even to visit my daughter here in Japan, and was feeling a sense of sadness before the holidays, not
really being able to imagine being on my own to celebrate
the Feasts of Simcha... and yet, and yet God... and God!!! Yes, He sees
our heart and he assured me with His banner of Love and with the words
that said "You will rejoice in your festival and your joy will be
complete." He sent me that word, literally, as you have seen in the
posts below, on the banner that came in the box with the tent poles and
sh`cach.
And after all, it turned out to be a a wonderful season of the Feasts--- the tent from Abraham, the challah casts with all you, and rejoicing and celebrating with new ministries that the LORD has opened the doors to in Asia and Australia....dwelling in the succah...all things new...and now we come out of the `succah`, we are ready to start again from the beginning!!
Enjoy this short upload, Scrolling back the Torah scroll to the
In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
Genesis 1:1
Invitation to new beginnings!
If you haven`t read on the Torah cycle and you have had it in your heart to start, there is no better time then now, as today, this very day we are starting again in the book of Genesis!!!
Here is a list of Torah readings and related readings for the year 2020~2021, beginning today in Bereshit, Genesis: HERE
And if you haven`t said yes to Messiah Yeshua, I would like to share a prayer that would bring you into a new beginning in Messiah Yeshua!! He is the Torah made flesh!!! I pray at this new beginning of the Torah cycle, oh LORD, that there will be many people who will recognize the need for You in our lives. That You are our Salvation!!!
Dear LORD Yeshua,
I invite you into my heart.
I receive you as my Saviour. I want to start a new beginning with you.
I ask you to Be my Saviour and the LORD of my Life!
PS the word in challah at the header is `OHR` which means LIGHT!! As in Let there be LIGHT! As in Genesi 1:3, and in the photo above you can see it in `Light of the World`, as in John 8:12!!
HI
friends! Chag Sameach Sukkot! Happy Succot! Hello from the succah !
Sharing a few stories from the week in the succah. Hope you are having
an amazing week of dwelling in His presence, and tabernacling with
HIm!!! I may come back and add a few photos and scriptures to the post, but meanwhile wanted to invite you to come in to the succa and share a few stories and praise while it is still Sukkot!!! And if we don`t get the typhoon too strong and if I can be in the succa tomorrow, I will invite you again for succot communion with the Hebrew letters challah that you will see in this upload!! I welcome your prayers that the typhoon will change course and we can keep the succah up till the end of the feast!!! Enjoy!! This is part 2!! Part 1 can be seen HERE!
You are to live in sukkot for seven days. All the native-born in Israel are to live in sukkot, so that your generations may know that I had Bnei-Yisrael to dwell in sukkot when I brought them out of the land of Egypt. I am ADONAI your God.
Leviticus 23:42
♡
Happy Sukkot!
Please join me for a few more days and have some challah (Hebrew letters challah spelling Succah!) and visit in the Succa! So much I want to write but for now just sharing a few views from the balcony succa!
One thing I have asked of ADONAI, that will I seek: to dwell in the House of ADONAI all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of ADONAI, and to meditate in His Temple.
For in the day of trouble
He will hide me in His sukkah
conceal me in the shelter of His tent, and set me high upon a rock. Then will my head be high above my enemies around me. In His Tabernacle I will offer sacrifices with shouts of joy.
I am happy to share a project that God has put on my heart, that I will be sharing/ introducing at the Pure Heart E-conference that I posted about HERE!
Just wanted to give you one reminder that this is the last week to register for Free, and also in this post just to give you a little more detail of what I will be sharing about, and invite you to rejoice with me on completing the first phase of this AHAVA Prayer project, that I hope will bless you!!! Also to thank you always for your encouragement along the way!
My session will be sharing about this AHAVA prayer ministry, which is based on a year of prayer sheets, to go with every week in a year to pray for our children, families, loved ones, schools, teachers, congregations, Israel, and the nations. It has been a labor of LOVE, or in Hebrew AHAVA, that I have completed and compiled in collaboration with a prayer partner together over three years and am excited to share and bring forth starting here!
This Worship Arts conference is Free for three days this weekend. There is also an option to get a paid Anytime Pass--which by the way I got because I will want to watch it all leisurely and may not get to be there fully this weekend which is Succot!! as
there are many wonderful teachings on worship and life and balance, by
my DFH sisters who will be sharing, anointed teachers whom I have gotten to know
and learn from through the school--- Also note that it is open for three days, but you can just watch for one day, or one hour, or as many as you would like and on the days that you would like--thats the beauty of the on-line format and watching from your own home!!
Anyway, I leave you with that and thank you for listening and for all your support just by reading. Of course no pressure and I just wanted to share it with my blog friends here! Sorry for always the last minute, but if you do decide you would like to register, there are still a few days, so please do it soon-ish (today or tomorrow!!) as to be sure to get the links in time for the start. I`d also like to offer to anyone who goes ahead to sign up for the paid ANYTIME Pass, a free gift of one month of PDFs of the weekly prayer sheets, as well as a zoom enhanced coaching session with me on how to use the prayer sheets in a one-on one session!!
Let Your ears be attentive to the sound of my supplications. Psalm 130:1~2
On the day before Yom Kippur, I saw this little girl feeding pigeons out of her hand. I stopped on my bicycle, and asked her mom if I could take a picture, and she said it was ok.
Just earlier in that morning I had been reading the book of Jonah, because the book of Jonah is read in the synagogue on Yom Kippur services, so I wanted to read it in advance. When I was reading it this time, I saw more than ever how amazing it is as a story of `Teshuvah`. That of course is why it is read at this time of year. I love hearing it, and reading it , partly because I relate to Jonah in my own story of `teshuvah`, or `return. I relate especially to how he thought he could run away from God, and of course, was found! This year after having been thinking a lot about Teshuvah, I noticed in the text of Jonah`s prayer how it is such an amazing `model` of teshuvah with the way the `turn` back to God is so clearly depicted in that prayer.
When I saw the girl with the pigeons I knew God was making a connection that He wanted me to see see in that moment!
He knew that I knew that I would see the connection of Jonah and the pigeons!!
Jonah and the pigeons, you ask?
well, yes! Because in Hebrew, the word Jonah
(actually its Yonah in Hebrew), means dove, or pigeon!!
dove, pigeon = יוֹנָה
Its something I learned this year, and I even call pigeons now `Yonahי
So I saw something in the little girl that was this peace she had and joy in feeding the pigeons, in being so at one with God`s creation!
Part of our `Teshuvah` is a sense of coming home to who we are in Him, or returning to God as who He meant for us to be, and it can be a little like connecting to the childlike parts of ourselves. I think that in showing me that little girl, He wanted to show me something of the joy that He has been wanting to return in me.
I made an on-the-spot upload to express something about that, and just to share a little `pre-Yom Kippur` message, here is the upload and the scenes of little girl!!
G`mar Chatima Tovah!
May you be inscribed and sealed in the Book of Life for a good year!
Hope you have/had a good and smooth fast and meaningful Yom Kippur!! Blessings and Love, Shayndel
Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow. James 1:17
Would you believe it, this challah was a gift, sent to me from Tokyo!! A good and perfect gift from our Father in Heaven, who sent it through the synagogue , surprise and touched my heart in ways that only He knows how!! (the perfect round challah in a perfect square box, the box had my name on it hand written all around the box!!!)
L`Shana Tova! A card for you!
This one I made! A three strand braid shaped in a circle like a crown
.
Praise is awaiting You in Zion, O God,
and to You the vow will be fulfilled.
Psalm 65:2
A few friends asked about how to make the round challah and to see `part 2` of shaping the challah, so I am popping in to share the upload for Part 2, and share a few reflections on the Feast days and the Ten days of Awe that we are in, as well as about the challah!!
So without further ado, here is Part 2. Sorry it doesn`t include the receiving of the challah gift described and pictured in top photos above!! I had already filmed the video!! But if you can, just imagine another doorbell ring, like in Part 1 when the sukkah was delivered from Abram the tent maker. This time it was a Japan postman at the door delivering a Round challah from the King!!!
As I have shared before, the round challah is my recommendation for all the fall `chag` (chag-im) feasts!! I am thankful for master challah teacher Tamar, who I got a lot of tips from for making the challah this year. I learned a few new things, including sifting the flour first, using oil instead of flour on the board for rolling and kneading if needed. I made three of the shapes she taught about (see upload!). I gave the ones I made to others, including of course one for my daughter, and to neighbors or friends to share about the holiday and God`s goodness. So I was extra grateful for receiving the challah (from) above!
The next feast is Yom Kippur, the day of Atonement, and the holiest day on the Kingdom calendar, with the Shabbat of Return (Shabbat Shuvah, or Shabbat Teshuvah!) before that. It is very wonderful to see this year here in Asia, and many people now in the body of Messiah everywhere around the world, are beginning to more and more understand and enter into God`s appointed feasts. And to pray for Israel during these days. Many Jewish people still do not know their (our) Messiah Yeshua. Over hundreds, thousands, of years of history, He has become unrecognizable to the Jewish people, so removed even from His own feasts (*actually another word is `moedim` which means God`s appointed times and seasons). The Feasts of the LORD are the appointed days that Yeshua made as part of His plan of creation and redemption and for heaven and earth to meet in Him. From the beginning it was all in place. At the Restoration of the Kingdom of God on earth they will be continue to be celebrated and they will be fulfilled by Yeshua Himself, the coming King. On this Shabbat of Return, and in this year 5781, May He reveal Himself to the Jewish people and to the world that He is the Messiah of Israel and Savior of the World!! This is a time of restoration of all things and its exciting that we each have a part to play!!!
And in this way all Israel will be saved, as it is written,
" The Deliverer shall come out of Zion.
He shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob.
And this is My covenant with them, when I take away their sins."
Romans 11:26~27 (referencing Isaiah 59:20~21, 27:9, and Jeremiah 31:31~34)
Oh, so of course no challah on Yom Kippur as it is a complete fast, for 25 hours, but you can have a challah prepared in advance for the break-fast, or for the continuing days of the feasts through Succot!!
By the way I started putting up my Succah today!! Its my first real succah, and I can recall how it harkens back to the Tabernacle and forward to the wonderful day when God will dwell with us here on earth!!!
The LORD your God is in your midst. He is mighty to save. He will rejoice over you with gladness. He will quiet you with His love. He will rejoice over you with singing.
Zephaniah 3:17
Hi Friends and Happy 5781!! Thank you for your kind greetings and comments!!! Thanks to you, and all your encouragement on my challah adventures, at the start of the year I will be assisting in a class of Biblical Hebrew, using the Hebrew letters in Challah as part of the class.
The class is open to all who are interested to start learning Biblical Hebrew in this new season, you are welcome to join! Please let me know if you would like more details, as it is still open to join up to this coming week.
The class will meet for 9 Sundays at 8:30 PM Japan time, that is 7:30 AM Eastern Standard time, and for other time zones according to where you are. I will be sharing for part of the lesson by using the Hebrew letters in challah to introduce words, in this class given by TAV Ministries in Western Australia. I`m excited to be starting the season using the challah, bread of life to teach the Hebrew letters and to being able share the Word of God in this way.
Does anyone know the word in Challah above? You have seen it before in recent posts. Yes, it is Simcha! It means `joy`, or as in the scripture above, gladness!!
May your JOY be full and your New Year Sweet!
♡
Love, Shayndel
These things have I spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you
Shanah
Tovah u`metukah! K`sivah vechasimah tovah. Wishing everyone a good and sweet, healthy, fruitful and joyous New
Year 5781! May God`s peace and Salvation be upon all Israel and all
the world and may He bless us all for a good year in His great Shalom!
Much Love! ♡ Shayndel
And assemble the banished ones of Israel, And will gather the dispersed of Judah.
From the four corners of the earth. Isaiah 11:12
This week I took a challah class on line through a master challah maker named Tamarin Israel.
She taught how to make 10 shapes of round challah!!
For my “round one” (first round!) I just made it to three variations. My favorite is this four strand that weaves together on a crown-like round. I like to see it also as expressing the gathering of all Gods people from the four corners of the earth to bring us back to Him and to the land of Israel!!!
This year when I read these scriptures about Him gathering us back, here in Japan, sometimes wondering how ever did I get here--reading these words of the scripture helps me to understand that we do get where we are in the four corneres of the world by His hand and are waiting to be brought back!
I made a few! (round challah)
I made a Challah-cast too but only got as far as getting ready so far!! You can see that Part 1 below. It has the scene where the succah delivery comes, so the mood is one of getting ready. With the added suspense of whether all the dough for this full recipe will fit into my bowl!! The actual shaping/making will be in Part 2! Enjoy, and stay tuned!!
As we are coming around to the end of 5780 and preparation for the New Year on the biblical calendar of God, may we stand solid in the center of His love. Abide in His Love!
Shana Tova! Wishing you A good year!! May it be a healthy, fruitful, sweet, and joyous year for you and your Loved ones.
May we pray for all Israel and the world for Salvation, for healing, for Shalom.
Pray for the peace of Jerusalem.
May those who love you be at peace.
Psalm 122:6
The challah master teacher I took the course from is named Tamar, which means Palm Tree! So I just put in this photo (above top) as I was sitting by the `palm tree` when making the challah!! The photo directly above shows how to braid the first four strand variation. And below, is my original `Hebrew letters` in Challah in anticipation of the beginning of the new year and new start of the Torah cycle !!
The word above is `Bara` and it is the second word of the Torah (in the Hebrew line up).
In the beginning, God created...
(note* the making of Hebrew letters in challah is my own variation, and was not something that was taught in the Master class! )
This day, making round challah (above), when the doorbell rang and a `sukkah` package arrived from Abram the tent maker
Today is the 25th of Elul, in Jewish history this day marks the first day of creation
Just as I was starting to make a
round challah to practice for Rosh Hashanah, I remembered that Elul 25th
is said to be the first day God created the world, and I thought, oh, I better
check what day today is, and I looked, and I saw on the Hebrew calendar...!! It is Elul 25th.
On Friday sundown it will be Rosh Hashanah--called Yom Teruah or Day of Trumpets in the Biblical Feasts, and known as the New Year on the Jewish calendar. We celebrate the anniversary of when God created the world, by honoring Him, the creator and King! It is also the day of the coronation of the King and of course will be the Coronation of the King and Messiah upon His return. Every year there is this Coronation celebration honoring the King of Glory, the Maker of Heaven and Earth.
I hadn`t realized though until this year, that this anniversary of creation, is actually day 6, when God created mankind!
Of course we, mankind, were banished the
next day from the Garden, but if not for that, we wouldn`t have this
amazing time of Return! All a part of God`s great plan of redemption.
I`m starting a little early on the Rosh Hashanah round Challah!!! We make a round challah at this time of year shaped like a crown. The round shape also could be said to represent the cycle of time. Our Eternal Creator is without beginning and without end!
As I was starting the challah---and yes, a new challah-cast--- the doorbell rang!! A delivery of the building materials for the succah!! Sent from Abram!! Abram, the tent maker. Yes, this is all true!!
Praise God!! The Maker of Heaven and Earth, the Master of all things!!
Stay tuned for more on the round challah (challot!!) for Rosh Hashanah!! Back to the making, and hopefully there will be a challah-cast to follow as well!!!
Many blessings to you on this day
Love and Blessings,
Shayndel/Joanne
PS officially my first post (in progress) on the `new blogger`!!! Thank you friends for the encouragements in your postings!! xoxo
Lift up a song and sound a tambourine, a sweet lyre with a harp.
Blow the shofar at the New Moon,
at the full moon for the day of our festival.
Psalm 81:2~4
Dear friends,
I will be sharing a testimony this Shabbat at Tav about my story of `Teshuvah`, Return!
If you are in a time zone that you are up during these hours, please do stop in!! The time is 3PM in Japan, and sorry friends in the U.S. as its middle of the night, 2AM in the morning!! For other time zones, please check and if its a reasonable time zone, hope to see you then !!
＊
Enjoy the Elul Moon! Below is another on the spot upload, the exciting thing is how while there I saw the full moon coming up as I was blowing the shofar. It felt like something out of a Psalm!!! Shabbat Shalom!!
