Apple Matzah and the book of Ruth

 

Apple Matzah Kugel! Dreaming of Jewish comfort foods in Japan!

 

Who is this coming up from the wilderness leaning on her lover? Under the apple tree I awakened you...  Song of Songs 8:5

I had a dream during the days of the counting of the Omer.   The dream was a close up of  a blog post!! The post ( in the dream, note: it wasn`t a `real life` post!) was on one of our dear friends`s Blog and it was a post on "Apple Matzah and the Book of Ruth".  Maybe  I had this dream to remind me to come back to the blog, as it was during my extended break!!

In any case I ended up making Apple Matzah (Kugel!) thanks to the dream and will just share a little about the dream and the Apple Matzah here and see where the post will take us!

The post in the dream was written and formatted different from her usual posts. It was in text colors like pink and orange and she shared about apple matzah and interspersed the post with insights from the book of Ruth!!

Ruth was an eishet chayil, a woman of valor (from Ruth 3:11)

I woke up in the morning wondering about this apple matzah!! I had never heard of it, and now I wanted to make it!  And yet I had no matzah, so I  settled for looking to see if there was such a thing `out there`.  When I googled `apple matzah` I found something called Apple Matzah Kugel!!! I wanted to make it but had no more matzah after Passover has passed, and I don`t know where to get it in Japan after Passover.  So I decided to do something extravagant, and ordered Matzah from the US by Amazon!! 

 Boaz was an ish gibbor chayil, a prominent man of valor (from Ruth 2:1)

The matzah arrived during the last few days of the omer count, actually it was on Ascension Day (40 days into counting the Omer, see Acts 1), so that excited me! I had been fasting for a 3-day  fast to seek the LORD about some things related to Shavuot, so I had a matzah `break-fast` communion with Yeshua on the day the matzah arrived!!

Naomi`s bitterness was changed to joy by the union of Ruth and Boaz and her return to the land of Israel and to God`s covenant promises for her life.  The people prayed that her household prosper in Ephrath and be renowned in Bethlehem (from Ruth 4:11).   Again the word Chayil is used here to mean `prosper`.

During the last days of the Omer count, I made Apple Matzah and brought it to a friends house for the Shabbat before Shavuot!!  The taste was not what everyone is used to, though thankfully some liked it!! I loved it, it was like a Jewish comfort food that I might have tasted in my childhood, and it was somehow the perfect Shavuot dish to add to a repertoire.  It only contains a little milk so it is not too heavy, and has apples and cinnamon so can be a good desert not too sweet but enough sweetness to taste and see how good the LORD is.  Try it at your Shabbat or Feasts! And notice I have sprinkled a few insights from the book of Ruth just like in the dream!

The geneology that ends the book of Ruth (Ruth 4:18~22)  is the geneology that starts the book of Matthew (Matthew 1:1~6), showing the seamless way God has given us the story of Ruth and her Kinsman redeemer, Boaz, and connected us to the genealogy of Yeshua who comes from their union.  Yeshua is the Redeemer, or Goel of Israel!!  It is a beautiful story of covenant love and chesed.  We can also learn from the way Ruth accepted God`s commandments and identified with Israel。 We can also see in it the beauty of Jew and Gentile coming together to help us understand the purposes of God for Israel,  as Ruth, who was a Moabite,  loved Israel and the God of Israel and joined herself with Naomi with the famous verse,

Where you go I will go, and where you stay, I will stay.

Your people will be my people, and your God my God.  

Ruth 1:16~17

Below I will share the name of a book I read this season in regards to  Messianic insights into the book of Ruth. It was good and a recommendation during this season or anytime as a devotional study!

I pray you had a blessed time of Shavuot.  And now, the revelation that I was waiting to see where this post will lead!  The Holy Spirit showed me to wonderful scriptures about apples and relating to Shavuot!! As Shavuot is the holiday where we  We thank God and receive His revelation anew,  we celebrate the giving of the Torah at Mt. Sinai and over 1000 years later on the very same day the Holy Spirit was poured out on the disciples of Yeshua (Greek, Pentecost)!!

SO I will end the post with these verses about apples and Torah and God`s Love!

Like an apple tree among the trees of the forest, so is my lover among the sons.  In his shadow I delighted to sit, and his fruit was sweet to my taste.  Song of Songs 2:3

Sustain me with raisin cakes, refresh me with apples ~ for I am weak with love.  Song of Songs 2:5 (you may recognize this verse from my famous raisin cakes which just happen to be the bread I often make in the period leading up to Shavuot!)

 Keep my mitzvot and live, my teaching as the apple of your eye.  Proverbs 7:2

Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings, Psalm 17:8

Like apples of gold in settings of silver is a word aptly spoken.  Proverbs 25:11

For thus says ADONAI-Tzva`ot, He has sent me after glory to the nations that plundered you --because whoever touches you touches the apple of His eye --   Zechariah 2:12

Oh and last but not least! 

The recipe, HERE is the one  I used .  It was  easy and good, though of course you will need to obtain 4 sheets of matzah.  Enjoy!

The book I recommended above, Messianic Life Lessons from the Book of Ruth can be found HERE

Thank you DUTA for inspiring the dream,  and that I was able to express it in a post and hopefully return to more regularly blogging again!! 

Blessings and Shabbat Shalom!

Love,💕

Shayndel

Chag Shavuot Sameach from Japan! Love, Shayndel💖

 

 

 

Today`s Shabbat~ It`s all about Shalom!

Let the Shalom of Messiah rule in your hearts -- to this shalom you were surely called in one body.  Also be thankful.    Colossians 3:15

Shabbat Shalom friends.

Shalom.  Yes, that is the word for today! We read in this week`s Torah portion about Phineas, the grandson of the High Priest Aaron, who took matters in his own hands upon encountering an Israelite prince having sexual relations with a Midianite princess in front of the Tent of Meeting.  He took a spear and ran it right through both people together and killed them. 

This was a zealous act by Phineas who saw that things were going too far and the people were practicing blatant idolatry and abomination againt God and His Torah.  After his act of violence, the plague that was set upon the people was stopped although already 24000 had died.

After this Phineas was given a B`rit Shalom by God, a Covenant of Peace and everlasting priesthood.  Although it was a violent act, and not something that we are to follow, it was pleasing to the LORD as he was acting in accordance with God`s heart for His people.

We read this and are reminded as the people of God to be zealous for the things of God and for the word of God.  Being careful not to be zealous for our own motives, but to be in alignment with God`s heart.

May the shalom that is beyond all understanding be with you and your family in Messiah Yeshua! 

 Love ,

Shayndel💕

 

PS if anyone has not yet signed up for my AHAVA Parsha prayer sheet and would like to receive it weekly, please let my know either in a comment or send a note to me at:

ahavaprayerandmovement@gmail.com

Shalom!! Shalom!

💕

 

PS note for my records, today, just as I am writing this morning this post, I heard the first sound of a `cemi` , cicada.  For us in Japan that means summer is here!

Blessings and love, Happy summer or whatever season it is where you are!!

 

PSS Note my original `Shalom Pillow` is available for sale at ZAZZLE!!! bring Shalom to your home and share it with others!

https://www.zazzle.com/shalom_pillow-189452432299271970?social=true&rf=238618325929740286

 

 

Two Shavuot Loaves! (1) A story of AHAVA in the time of Harvest!

 

wheat sheaves from Japan!

  

You are to bring out of your houses two loaves of bread for a wave offering, made of two tenths of an ephah of fine flour.  They are to be baked with hametz as firstfruits to ADONAI.  Leviticus 23:17

 

This year was the second time I made the two Shavuot loaves with my AHAVA Prayer partner in Japan.   We are in  2 different parts of Japan, so we made them together as we met on Zoom!!

We had  an intimate and wonderful time making them.  The night before our meeting, we had met with friends from our AHAVA fellowship and read the book of Ruth together (also on Zoom!*).   Being able to connect around the world on Zoom has been such an amazing blessing during this time of `shutdown`.  We read about the meeting and marriage of Ruth and Boaz in sonorous voices with accents from many nations.  God showed us revelations in His word as we read about Ruth the Moabite (as she is called in the early part of the story) and Boaz, the Goel (kinsman redeemer) from the line of Judah~~ and how they came together in this beautiful love story in the time of the Harvest!! Of course, from their union came Messiah Yeshua ...(how many?) generations later!!

So back to the loaves ( I hope to share some of the insights from book of Ruth on another post!).  

We came together as Jew and Gentile to make and lift up two loaves to Yeshua!  We were getting a little giddy as everything came together in His AHAVA.  As we counted 6 Tablespoons of sugar, Aimei said, `6 Tablespoons, 6 weeks!`.  and when we put in the 2 eggs we said, `2 eggs, 2 loaves!`.  We were counting numbers and counting omer as we also are reading in the Torah just now in starting in the book of Numbers!!

We Praise you LORD for your Love!

AHAVA in Hebrew means, Love.

Our Thanksgiving verse this week was perfect for the Bride.

Counting up to the day of Shavuot we invite the Holy Spirit to pour out afresh on us and on the Body of Messiah. To bring His Shalom upon Israel.

Reading the Word of God and making Challah go together well!  Man cannot live by bread alone!  So in the time when the bread was rising and when it was baking we prayed through our prayer sheet for our children and loved ones and Israel and nations.  

You can find our prayer sheet from the parsha Bamidbar HERE, which is the week we were in when making the loaves.

As I had a little dough left out from the loaves, I made a heart challah to represent two loaves becoming one!! (more on that in the next post). 

May we be One in Yeshua in this season of Shavuot/Pentecost and may the harvest be great and an outpouring of God`s love as brothers come to together and dwell together!! May we see the true peace in Yeshua, Prince of Peace, upon Israel!

Much Love and blessings,

Shayndel (Joanne)　❤️

 

I in them and You in Me-- that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me and loved them as You loved Me.

John 17:24

❤️

 

＊reminder if you missed this post, please check it out HERE and receive the AHAVA prayer sheets weekly, and invitation links to AHAVA zoom meetings which we hope to do more of periodically!! Thank you sister blogfriends who have joined! Blessings and AHAVA , Love, to all !

 

Beha'alotcha, Menorah and cloud-like Challah!

a little souvenir menorah from Israel!

♥cloudy and fluffy Challah.♥

One challah for flowers!!

The challah this week came out looking  a little like clouds!!

Reading in the book of Numbers, can you see even on my mini Torah scroll how the Torah is getting thicker on the right which means we are getting nearer to the end of this cycle and already nearer to the Fall Feasts!!

cloud motif on the challah cover !

Shabbat continues into the week with challah for breakfast and a peace that endures:))

 The steadfast Love of the LORD never ceases.  His mercies never come to an end.  They are new every morning.  

Great is Your faithfulness.  

Lamentations 3:22~23

In this weeks parsha Beha'alotcha we read about the cloud of God's presence that signaled the Children of Israel to move or stay. 

The Challah this week came out looking a little like clouds.  I learned recently if you knead the dough longer it makes the challah come out more fluffy!! So my challah do have a slightly more fluffy look and taste!!  Fitting I thought for the reading about the Cloud of Glory this week!.

On Friday morning  I ran into one of my neighbors in the building outside at our bicycles and said I`d be making challah and asked to give her a challah and she said she'd be glad to receive it, and we set a time in the evening that I would give it to her.  When I stopped by just before sunset on the evening, and gave her the challah, she gave me these beautiful hydrangeas!!

In the opening of the parsha we read about keeping the menorah lit, and how it was actively kept lit and set up by Aaron the High Priest.  Interestingly, the Jewish sages tell us that the continuation of this service thru the generations of Kohen (of the tribe of Levi who are the *Kohanim*, or high priests) goes forward to the Hasmoneans (Maccabees, led by Judah Maccabee) who you may recall fought and won the victory against  Greeks in the story of Hannukah.  As we all know the story, they got back the Menorah and re-dedicated the Temple after the Greeks desecration and attempt to take it.   I found that  illuminating to the Hannukah story, not having realized that connection of the Maccabees to the descendants of Aaron and His service to the LORD  in keeping the Menorah lit!!  They had this in their  history to be in charge of menorah and that sheds light on their zeal when they saw the temple being desecrated and that the Menorah was threatened to go out.  

So even today the Menorah is always lit and we see it connecting back to the commandment given to Aaron that we read in this parsha.   Through Yeshua we are commanded to be the Light of the World!! To me it is meaningful to know how the spiritual light has been lit all these thousands of years and how we connect to the whole of God`s plan for worship and for keeping Him at the center of our lives and being responsible to dispel the darkness and keep the light kindled continually!!  The symbolism is so beautiful as even in the description of the Menorah the lamps are all pointing in towards the center.

Like Aaron who prepared the lamps of the Menorah and did His service with a passion for serving the LORD, we too have to keep the light of God shining in this world, focused on Him,  and to be zealous in our keeping it shine.  Reading about Aaron  reminded me that the command to us to be the light of the world comes with generations before us who were keeping the literal and spiritual light lit and keeping the world going through that spiritual light in ways we probably  don't even know!!   Shining our light can be a very `humble` gesture but the acts of kindness make a spark that makes the light increase!!  It reminds me in our parsha too how Moshe is described as the most humble of all people!  And of course Yeshua tells us that it is in our service to others that we shine.

Just some Shabbat thoughts to leave you with! Have a blessed week!! Let your light shine!  

♡♡

Bamidbar- Wilderness and Clouds

  וַעֲנַן יְהוָה עֲלֵיהֶם, יוֹמָם, בְּנָסְעָם, מִן-הַמַּחֲנֶה

And the cloud of the LORD was over them by day, when they set forward from the camp.   Numbers 10:34

And sometimes the cloud was a few days upon the tabernacle; according to the commandment of the LORD they remained encamped, and according to the commandment of the LORD they journeyed.
כא  וְיֵשׁ אֲשֶׁר-יִהְיֶה הֶעָנָן, מֵעֶרֶב עַד-בֹּקֶר, וְנַעֲלָה הֶעָנָן בַּבֹּקֶר, וְנָסָעוּ; אוֹ יוֹמָם וָלַיְלָה, וְנַעֲלָה הֶעָנָן וְנָסָעוּ.	9:21 And sometimes the cloud was from evening until morning; and when the cloud was taken up in the morning, they journeyed; or if it continued by day and by night, when the cloud was taken up, they journeyed.
כב  אוֹ-יֹמַיִם אוֹ-חֹדֶשׁ אוֹ-יָמִים, בְּהַאֲרִיךְ הֶעָנָן עַל-הַמִּשְׁכָּן לִשְׁכֹּן עָלָיו, יַחֲנוּ בְנֵי-יִשְׂרָאֵל, וְלֹא יִסָּעוּ; וּבְהֵעָלֹתוֹ, יִסָּעוּ.	9:22 Whether it were two days, or a month, or a year, that the cloud tarried upon the tabernacle, abiding thereon, the children of Israel remained encamped, and journeyed not; but when it was taken up, they journeyed.

In the wilderness, the Children of Israel were guided by the cloud by day and a fire by night.  The menorah in the tabernacle was kept lit diligently and continually by Aaron.  It was his continuous service throughout the generations.  
 In the wilderness time we all have gone through, perfectly between Purim and Shavuot, and are coming out of--and there are and will be wilderness times time and again until we reach the promised land--- may we be reminded of God`s presence so close to us.  He tells us when to move and when to stay.  We  had a period of 3 months when He told us to stay.  I find it wonder-ous to see that cloud, smiling down on us, and to know that the One who created the world with His word is very much taking us through.  May we listen and watch for when to move.  May His glorious Name fill the earth.  

The sky looks clearer than ever before.  LORD, You fill our screens (!)  and our hearts with hope.  May we keep our lamps continually lit as we are commanded to be the light of the world.   Help us LORD  to be more kind and loving as You are.  Thank you LORD for guiding us and for shining Your face upon us 
and for giving us peace.

♡

In progress on a Torah class for kids!! And kids at heart!!

This week`s Torah readings were in the Book of Numbers,
 in Parsha Beha’alotcha
(or for those in Israel, one Parsha ahead, Shelach Lecha)

Banner of Love!

 HIS BANNER


Over Me

Over YOU

Over US

can you see the Hebrew letters, AHAVA, they spell *love*

 IS

LOVE!!!!

וְדִגְלוֹ עָלַי אַהֲבָה

song of songs 2:4  His Banner over me is LOVE

In Hebrew *LOVE* is AHAVA
I received this banner on the morning of Shavout, a Shavuot gift from Heaven.

brought forth from a creative collaboration on earth!
I had drawn a drawing of an AHAVA banner inspired from a photo I took in Israel least year, and have always wanted to make it into an actual banner.  During this season I remembered it as I was preparing for something I will be participating in with the theme *His Banner over me is Love* and sent my drawing to a worship sister who makes banners.   She took on the challenge and made it so beautiful with the hand-painted Hebrew letters!!

I am happy to return after a few weeks away from the blog with the Banner!! I started to post the two Shavuot loaves first, but The Holy Spirit reminds me that the last postings I did were of the message, His Banner over *us* is Love, and that this post comes first!!

When the banner arrived, the first thing I did on Shavuot morning was to take it out for a spin(click for view)!!!

Thank you to ALL FOR HIS GLORY Ministries!!

And now, stay tuned after all the unleavened posts, for the two LEAVENED Shavuot loaves!!

Blessings and Love!
AHAVA!!

SHayndel

Part 3 of the Raisin Cakes Trilogy--A Sonnet, A Challah-cast and a Recipe!

He brought me to the banquet house

and His banner over me is Love! 
Song of Songs 2:4

Dear Friends, for those who have been wondering will there be a third in the series of Victorious Raisin Cakes posts, I am happy to tell you that yes, there is, and Here it is!! With a wonderful "conclusion":  The raisin cakes became Heart-shaped!
And another verse revealed.
His Banner Over us is Love!!

So without further ado, in this post you will find three  expressions of Raisin Cakes:

A Sonnet, a Challah-cast, and a Recipe! 

1.
This special guest sonnet was written by one of our fellow faith bloggers, thank you David from Grace Notes for this beautiful sonnet!!  I was so blessed to receive it, and am honored to share it here.  Readers you can see more of David's verse at http://dcbverse.blogspot.com/

RAISIN-CAKES

The vine had budded, blossomed and produced
Its grapes; they had been picked, and dried and pressed
And brought to David’s men, where they conduced
To show the graces Abigail expressed.
So some were given to the Egyptian slave
In his distress, so that his soul grew strong;
As brought back from the frontier of the grave,
He led against those who did David wrong.

Thus David, when he came to celebrate
The ark of God borne to a settled place
Gave with the bread and wine, to show his joy,
A raisin-cake as token of God’s grace.

And now sustaining food from the True Vine
Through grace and pressure may be yours and mine!

Genesis 40 10-11
1 Samuel 25:18
1 Samuel 30:12
1 Chronicles 16:3
John 15:1

2.
My Challah-Cast part 3 on the Raisin Cakes can be seen here, with new insights, and waving a banner,  as we count up to Shavuot! Enjoy and may we all be strengthened as we continue to encourage one another!!





3. 
Recipe for Shayndel's Heart-Shaped Victorious Raisin cakes!! 

based on the recipe here from Nazarane Israel for Cinnamon Matzah


 
This Recipe is for 12 Heart-shaped Raisin Cakes !!

3 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
3/8 teaspoon cloves
3/8 teaspoon nutmeg
3 tablespoons sugar (note: I use a kind of sugar we can find here in Japan called Ten-sai Tou, it is a healthy sugar made from radish (I think that is the base!) and is gentle on the stomach!  Use your preferred type of sugar if you cannot find Ten-sai Tou where you are
3/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons grapeseed oil
  2 cups water (approx.)

1/3 cup of raisins

Preheat oven to 200 degrees C (390~400 degrees F)
Prepare baking sheets with waxed paper.

Mix together flour, spices, sugar, and salt.
Mix in the grapeseed oil.
Add water gradually and mix until it makes a soft and kneadable dough.  

Fold in the raisins!

Roll out onto a floured surface.
Roll out in to a large thin circle or oval.
Cut in half and then divide into "pie-shaped" 6ths on each side, so you have 12 pieces total from the "circle".
Separate each piece and shape into a heart by hand.
Line on baking sheets.
Bake for 28 minutes, turning the baking sheet once in the middle

Serve with delight, en-joy!

Shabbat Shalom!!

♡

Shayndel