Shabbat Flowers ~ and an Elul Story

I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine.
    He browses among the lilies. 

Song of Songs 6:3

Chodesh Tov!

Blessings in the new month of Elul! （though already as I am posting this we are already well into the month and almost the full moon!!)  

The sixth month on the Hebrew calendar is a time of repentance and return to God, a time of preparation to meet our Messiah and crown Him as King, in anticipation of the Fall Feasts of Yom Teruah and Yom Kippur,  culminating with tabernacling with Him,  as One with each other at the Feast of Sukkot! 

Also in this month it is said to be a time of drawing near to the beloved and a time when `the King is in the Fields`.  The verse above from Song of Songs is also associated with Elul. *

* The 4 letters from the first letter of each word of the  verse,  spell out the word ELUL in the Hebrew! 

 I find that in this month the LORD speaks to me in intimate ways and even shows how He is hearing my heart and bringing things to pass in a way that is very .... Elul!

That`s the only way I can describe it! So let me give it a go with the Elul Story about the Shabbat Flowers!

Since I returned to celebrating the Shabbat, here in Japan, I always love to buy flowers on Friday afternoons to welcome the Shabbat. The joy of walking home with flowers through the city is a great delight.  I experience it as a wonderful time,  bathed in His love, like a child excited to give flowers to her Daddy or a wife to her husband on their special day.  Yeshua says keep My commandments, abide in My love, and make my joy complete!

So on with the story, 

When I  buy flowers on Friday afternoons,  I also try to  picture how it must be in Israel, the women scurrying to do their shopping and greeting one another with their bouquets on their way to their homes for Shabbat.  This picture of the city filled with joy for Shabbat and for honoring the beloved Yeshua, the LORD of Shabbat, bubbles up in my heart with joy!!   I have longed for my city that we would honor God`s Shabbat and the women would be out on the streets like that on Friday afternoon, doing their shopping to make a special meal for the family, and in the flower shop greeting each other with, Shabbat Shalom! In Japanese,

 シャバット・シャローム！

I have been going to the same flower shop that is close to where I live, and have developed a friendly relationship with them.  Over the years have shared a little about Shabbat with he staff since they always see me on Friday,  a few have asked about that!

Recently God has opened a door and answered a prayer to share about Shabbat in the local church.  They are a small congregation who loves Israel and has become interested in returning to do the things of God and connecting to our Jewish root in the faith, as `one new man` in Messiah.

We had our first Shabbat last month, and already the second one this past Shabbat which was also the beginning of the month of Elul.

This church is right down the street from the flower shop where I buy flowers, so I was excited both times to order a `delivery` of Shabbat flowers to the church to have for our Shabbat to honor the LORD  and make a beautiful table for our celebration.

The first time when I placed the order I asked if they could write `Shabbat Shalom` in Japanese on the card. And they did.

Then when I came again the next time I once again asked if they could write the same message.

When I came into the flower shop later that afternoon, I saw the arrangement was in the glass case, and the words `Shabbat Shalom` on the message card filled my heart with joy!!

It was like a first `drop` from Heaven of the glimmer of the vision of the Shabbat being honored in Japan! ( I shared a little about this vision of Shabbat in Japan in an early post HERE).   And more than that, it is the LORD of Shabbat, Yeshua,  being honored in Japan when we observe Shabbat we say clearly that we are giving honor and praise and glory to the God of the Bible, the God of Creation, the God of Israel who invites us all to be a part of His glorious Kingdom through Messiah Yeshua!!

Glory to His Name!!  Oh LORD how we pray for all the nations to know you, the Holy One, and the Maker of Heaven and Earth, Saviour of all the world..., maybe it will be one Shabbat bouquet at a time!!

Hence I call it an Elul story, as it takes place in this month of repentance and return! A month when `the King is in the fields` and where we seek the face of the beloved from the `fields` where we are and may He meet us here!

With love to all and to all be God`s Love!!❤️

Love, Shayndel

He has brought me to the banquet house
    and his banner over me is love.

Song of Songs 2:4 

pS i just found the post where I first had the prayer/vision about Shabbat in Japan, amazingly it was 6 years ago!! Thank you LORD for hearing my prayer and bringing such encouragement in this Elul!! I pray for multiplication and seeing it come about more and more by the power of Your Ruach Ha Chodesh, even to be a revival of the Shabbat Shalom ・Teshuvah kind!!

Quoting from the post, this line below: 

I am so excited for when the people of Japan will know ADONAI and will celebrate the Shabbat, and on Friday afternoons people will greet each other in the town with シャバット・シャローム ,
 Shabbat Shalom! As they scurry to buy food and flowers and prepare for Shabbat!

 

Justice and Shalom Kiss!

  צֶדֶק וְשָׁלוֹם נָשָׁקוּ

His help is very near to those who fear Him,
to make His glory dwell in our land.
Faithfulness and truth meet;                

justice and well-being kiss. 

                                                            Psalm 85:10~11

1.
I get excited when I see the word "well-being" in scripture as I know that it most probably is "Shalom" in the original!! When I read this scripture this morning I got so excited to see the Hebrew that indeed it is Shalom!!  I recently started keeping a notebook of when I come across the word "Shalom" in scriptures, and this verse surprised me to see with the special "kiss" between justice and shalom.

Justice = Tzadek and  well-being= Shalom

The Hebrew word for "kiss" is new to me, so I just looked for a few scripturew with the same word, and lo and behold, wouldn't you know, there is a verse in our very parsha this week where Joseph "kissed all his brothers and wept upon them; only then were his brothers able to talk to him."  Genesis 45:15

וַיְנַשֵּׁק לְכָל-אֶחָיו, וַיֵּבְךְּ עֲלֵהֶם; וְאַחֲרֵי כֵן, דִּבְּרוּ אֶחָיו אִתּוֹ

Shalom was restored with a kiss!!

 Remember in the beginning of meeting Joseph and his brothers the Torah tells us they couldn't speak to each other and there was "no shalom".  (Genesis 37:4)

 וַיִּרְאוּ אֶחָיו, כִּי-אֹתוֹ אָהַב אֲבִיהֶם מִכָּל-אֶחָיו--וַיִּשְׂנְאוּ, אֹתוֹ; וְלֹא יָכְלוּ

 דַּבְּרוֹ לְשָׁלֹם

 Justice and shalom, come together in this scene, when seen in the light of the psalm!!
Its so interesting and Torah-ly fascinating with the words used to see how at first the brothers couldn't speak to each other as there was "no shalom" before the episode of them throwing Joseph in a pit.  And years later after when they meet again after the brothers have had to understand the "injustice" that they did towards Joseph, it literally says the same word "talk", that after they kissed and wept, they were able to talk to each other again!!
(note:  always just a "caveat" that these are my personal explorations in Torah and in my study that I share here as a "journal", so I am sure there is much more depth in the meanings, as I just share these discoveries at the "level" that I am at!)

2.
It was a quiet morning with the light streaming in, and the fragrance of daffodils, in Japanese suisen, was filling the room.  Flowers given me by my friend yesterday, the daffodils release a delicate scent that brings out His fragrance of Shalom!! It even made the rose revive.  The soft sweet scent you wouldn't think it had that strength, but indeed the rose was wilted before the daffodils came.

A subtitle of this post, the fragrance of Shalom!!

And speaking of Shalom, I want to thank all of my blog friends who left a comment on my Shalom in Psalms giveaway post!! I am happy to announce there were two winners !!   Since the first year I did it, the prize was not redeemed, so this year I decided to make it  2.  Congratulations to Joyful and Hobbyloes, whose name was drawn from a Blossoming Challah bag with the names of those who left a comment on that post!!  I will hope to do other giveaways as it was fun to have the first one successfully go through!!

Blessings and well-being to all who read this.  Shalom Aleichem!
Peace be with you!
May justice and well-being kiss, as truth springs up from the earth and the LORD bestows His bounty!!

Truth springs up from the earth;
justice looks down from heaven.
The LORD also bestows His bounty;
our land yields its produce.
Justice goes before Him
as He sets out on His way.
                                                   Psalm 85:  12~14

3.
After writing the post, I opened up my copy of "Shalom in Psalms" to Psalm 85, which is the Psalm I talk about in this post. Apparently I am not the first to "discover" this beautiful Psalms 85 verse about Justice and Shalom kissing!! Though when I came across it today, its the excitement to discover a verse "for the first time" that it feels like it was there just for us to discover it!

This is a quote from Shalom in Psalms, beautifully referring to the verse about the attributes of Shalom and Tzedek kissing each other, and the commentator's prayer. 

O God, You have been restoring more and more of Your people to the land.  Now we appeal to You to revive more and more of Your people with Your Ruach.  Surely chesed and emet meet together in Messiah.  Surely tzekek and shalom kiss each other in Yeshua.  Revive us, ADONAI!

   Quoted from Shalom in Psalms, p. 202, commentary by Glenn Blank, I enlarged here for emphasis of the verse

 and we all say...Amen!!

♡

-----------------------------------------------------------
 PS a Challah and Cherry Blossoms Shalom QUIZ for anyone who might like to try!

We know Yeshua greets his disciples with "Shalom Aleichem",  Peace be with you, in many instances in the Brit Chadeshah (New Covenant) scriptures.  The quiz question is:  where in the Torah do we see this expression "Shalom (a)Lechem?

Hint: It also pertains to a recent reading !!

Hint:  It is said by someone who we see to have many parallels to Yeshua, so I found it exciting to find him use this greeting as it was a connection to our Messiah's greeting.

I will put the answer in the comments section in the post below so those who want to try it can check it!! (PS any Hebrew experts please correct me if I make any Hebrew mistakes or misunderstandings!! I am learning as I go along!)

Roses for who? for our neighbor, who else?!

Ok, so it looks like I am back with another story.
You encouraged me to go on.

You know, I buy flowers for Shabbat every Friday evening.  After I get the house (apartment) cleaned and have the challah dough ready and divided, and in the house (apartment!) its beginning to look a lot like Shabbos, I go out to the flower shop.

Its one of the exciting moments at the build up of the end of the week as the sun is still up in the sky, but you can feel that time of day when God is already in the readiness of bringing on the evening.  And of course on Shabbat there is that extra excitement in coming home to light the candles just before that happens,  to meet Him there and welcome the Shabbat!!

I have been going to the same flower shop on Fridays for probably a few years already!!! There was one person who worked there who I developed a friendship with , and she became interested in knowing about Shabbat and I had a chance to share with her about Shabbat.  She would always wish me a Shabbat Shalom when I left with flowers.

She has since had a schedule change and doesn't work on Fridays, so I miss her, but the other women are very nice and it started to become a place I feel at home.  They often tell me which flowers just arrived.

This day I was attracted to the pink roses that just arrived, so the woman at the flower shop who is there now on Fridays helped me.  As she put three together for me I asked her to add a few more so it was now 5, and then had an inspiration to ask for two more, to give to someone else.  Not knowing who, but wanting to share my joy in the coming of Shabbat.

The flower shop woman liked the idea of doing that and it even became a joyful moment in the flower shop as she wrapped one by one the two that would go to who? We both didn't know!  It was exciting to think who they might go to!! She wrapped each pink rose in clear plastic, and tied each with a bright pink thin ribbon the same color as the rose.  The ones for me she wrapped simply in brown paper.

I don't live far from the flower shop, so I wondered if I would find someone.  She said its hot out so people will probably be out going out or doing something.   I was encouraged and got on my bicycle and prayed that the Holy Spirit would show me to the people they were for!!

So I am riding with my eyes alert...and I was almost home but still hadn't found the person.   I  decided to give it one try around the block to a convenient store, and see if there would be someone on the way.  I saw a few potentials, but didn't sense the eye contact or timing was right.  I was focused on women, and saw two who were talking outside but no, it didn't seem that it was them as I approached nearer on my bicycle.  Oh dear, so now what! Dear LORD, I prayed, please show me someone !!!

Now I was at my apartment, pulling in to park my bicycle.  I was determined NOT to go into my apartment with the two gift wrapped roses, as they were clearly for someone else.  So, you know the LORD is faithful.  As I was walking into go into my building, out came a man.  There was a perfect moment of "intersection", and with enough of a clue as that, I stopped, and he stopped, almost as if on cue!!!  It was a neighbor on another floor who I know has a family.   We basically just are on the level of exchanging greetings, never past that.  So I wasn't quite sure how I was going to do it, but I knew I had to give him the flowers.  So here is the exchange!! (it was in Japanese of course0

Me:  Good evening

Neighbor:  Good evening

Me:  (watch what happens here!!)
Are you going out and coming back?

(Yes, I really said that!  I needed to know if he would be coming right back in which case I could give him the flowers to give to his wife.  IF he was going out for the evening, it wouldn't have worked).

Neighbor:  ( blank stare)

Me:  (trying again, and yet with all authority in Yeshua,  in knowing this was a divine encounter. Whereas ordinarily I would not ask such a pointed question to such a neighbor!!)

Will you be out for a short time and coming back?

Neighbor:  Yes

Me: (completely em-boldened to go on!)
Here! Please give these to your wife!  (and I handed to him the flowers!)

Neighbor:  (a little surprised, but not as much as you might think)  Thank you.

(so now this man, who is in a business suit but without the jacket, hence I sensed he might have just been going to the convenience store,  is holding two pink roses!!)

Then, the most beautiful thing happened.
Neither of us moved.  And then,
He smiled.
I smiled.
It was a smile that had come from an awareness of the divine in that moment.  Yeshua, Jesus, was with us for sure, the flower was from God, not from me.  He doesn't know Yeshua, but somehow I felt that he was meeting Him now. In that few seconds the light of heaven was there on us.

Then after the moment "finished" and the glow of heaven released us back into world time, I made a comment that was just a kind of "formality" but had a touch of lightness, and we both bowed as good neighbors do, and parted.

I realize today as I look at the pink roses in my apartment what a divine encounter it was, and how it took about three years to get to that moment.  From having a certain trust in one another from just plain living amicably in the same building at a respectable distance.

So that is the story, roses for my neighbor! Jesus knew who they were for!! And He gave me the words＊, in Japanese, to have the conversation and carry it out!

Shabbat Shalom!! Much love,
Jeremiah Shayndel Joanne  (wink to Sandi!)

♡

＊Since it is a Shabbat story, finding a way to enter back into the blog, and tie it into this weeks Parsha reading. This week's reading is Devarim, the first parsha in the Book of Deuteronomy.  Devarim means "words".  Will start again with pictures in posts to follow!

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

LIfe of Sarah, A bouquet, a Rainbow on a sunny day

The Lord is my strength and my shield.  My heart trusts in Him.  

I was helped, and my heart exulted, so I will glorify Him with my song.

---Psalm 28:7

Before I left the house to buy flowers for Shabbat, I made a prayer to ask God if my offerings are pleasing to Him.  I am just "holding down the fort" here and making my little Shabbat, and yet wonder, after being in a community of others on L.I. and feeling so filled there, I was questioning some things.

 So I asked Him, please LORD show me somehow if this is pleasing to You. 
Soon after I walked out of the house, I got to an intersection and felt to look up at the sky.  Almost as if there was a tap!  Saying, Look up!!
And there was the most subtle small strip of a rainbow!! I did a double take as there was no rain.
It was a clear day,  in a clear and beautiful sunny week.  A rainbow on a sunny sky?  And just before Shabbat!   I took off my glasses to see if maybe it was a refraction from my glasses or something.

And I  saw,  a rainbow!! I  stood there looking up,  the street light might have changed.
No one else was noticing it, so I mentioned to an older couple and they looked and the man saw it too, and showed his wife.  They were glad.  Then I crossed when it was green and continued on my way to the flower shop. and the rainbow went with me!! It got bigger and spread out into a wide rainbow smile!!

It echoed a rainbow "sign" painted on a building, and moved in the sky all the way there till I got to the flower shop and escorted me in,

When I entered the flower shop the woman there was holding a little bouquet, like the kind that is thrown at a wedding. She was in the middle of making some flower arrangements.  I said its so cute, it looks like a wedding!  And she threw the bouquet into my hands, and said, its for you!

(well, I exaggerated , she didn't really throw it, but she wrapped it in a little paper and handed it right to me and said she wanted to give it to me!)

"Sarah"

This week in the Parsha, The Life of Sarah, we read about the match made in heaven for Isaac, as Abraham sends his servant to go in search of a bride for Isaac.  I love this scene every time I read it , and how Rebecca runs out to greet him and give him a drink and for his camels too and is confirmed as the wife for Isaac.  Of course, all this has been planned well in advance, before the Creation even, as she will be the one who carries on the generations of Sarah and Abraham.   As the story enfolds anew each time it's still always a thrill to see her obediently running out and giving the water to Abraham`s servant and all the camels.  It was said to be a great amount of water that fed all those camels, and that showed the quality of goodness in Rebecca.

I like that wonderful story of meeting and beginning of her relationship into the family of God.
Its like a setting of what is to be when we enter into the family as believers and say yes to Yeshua.  He asks us to serve Him with all our hearts and soul.  And His Living Water pours out in abundance. 
He is looking for the bride who shows kindness (chesed, in Hebrew) and will give Him her all.

I am re-eposting this drawing that I made for this Parsha last year, maybe you recall it!
I hope it still delivers a fresh blessing even if you are seeing it again!

As I asked God if he accepts my offerings, and He showed me a rainbow.

Lord, may we enter this week more eager to serve You, our Beloved Lord and King of Kings.

 Thank you for the flowers.

Blessings and Shabbat Shalom!
Shavu'a Tov!

 Love, Shayndel

Drink, my lord, she said...I will also draw for your camels, until they finish drinking...and she drew for all his camels.  from Genesis 24:18~20

♡

Ajisai (Hydrangeas) and "Shalom"

 Yes, I have loved you

with an everlasting love.

Therefore I have drawn you with loving kindness.

Jeremiah 31:3

  

 ＊

わたしは、とこしえの愛をもってあなたを愛し
変わることなく慈しみを注ぐ。
エレミヤ書３１：３

＊

 

Shabbat Shalom, Shavu'a tov, depending on when you read this!!

Have a beautiful week!  

Blessings and Love,

♡

Shayndel

Postcard from today!

"It`s a nice sight to see a woman holding flowers."

--quote from a neighbor

Wishing you a wonderful day, from Challah and Cherry Blossoms!

Love,

♡

Shayndel

Shabbat Shalom and a new pink road for worshipers!

Isaiah 43:16

God makes a road where there is none!!

Shabbat Shalom! Shavu'a Tov! Have a blessed week!

Love,

Shayndel

Names--Shemot

"For I know the plans that I have in mind for you," declares ADONAI, "plans for shalom and not calamity---to give you a future and a hope.

"Then you will call on Me, and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.  You will seek Me and find Me, when you will search for Me with all your heart.      --from Jeremiah 29:11~14

you may recall this Second Challah Cover, for the book of Exodus.  In  Hebrew it is  the book called Shemot, which means Names.  I took it out again to use as we are beginning the book of Exodus.

My name, Shayndel, is there in pink under the pink dalia

On a white cloth, I put my name, Shayndel, in the middle of the names of the twelve tribes.  There beneath a pink dalia and between it`s green leaves.

When I read all the names of the tribes in this weeks Parsha, I think of each blessing that Jacob bestowed upon his sons in the ending of the book of Bereshit.  Each one so different, yet each with a specific purpose. 

For we too each have a name that is precious to God, and each of us a unique purpose in His Kingdom.

As we enter a new year on the calendar year, and read anew in the book of Exodus, which in Hebrew is called Shemot,  and means Names, I wonder what that special purpose is for me and how it will manifest in this year.

And what it is for you.

As we exit from Shabbat into a new week, may the purposes that He has for each of us become a little clearer.  May we experience God's great Love for us and and believe in the plans He has for us.  May we give that love back out into the world through our lives.

Shavu'a Tov! Have a great week!

PS related posts HERE.

Love,
Shayndel

＊

For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.

JOHN 3:16

Shalom Tenugui, Flowers from my daughter, and a Shalom gift for you...

menu notes:  `Thanksgiving` recipes for this Shabbat include cranberry sauce from dried cranberries, creamy sweet potatoes with cardomon, and perfect roast chicken

Shabbat Shalom!

About the Shalom Tenugui:

A Tenugui is a long rectangular shaped cloth with a long history, traditional in Japan.  

I designed this Shalom Tenugui, its something I have been wanting to do for long time, and recently had an opportunity to collaborate with a graphic designer who put my drawing into graphic form!

The design features the Hebrew letters which spell Shalom with a pattern of Cherry Blossoms in the letters. Around the Shalom in the background are graphics of Mt. Fuji, On-sen (hot spring mark), Challah (whole loaf), and a slice of challah.   It can be used as a Challah Cover, a table runner, a decorative cloth, or to wrap a gift or to be a gift in itself.

This past Shabbat I used it as a challah cover.  As you can see the little challah patterns reflect in the Challah itself.  It came about as a personal expression of how Japan and Israel have been coming together in my life.  A way to share a message of shalom and for all things to come together in God`s great Shalom!!

The flowers were gift from my daughter on thanksgiving day, though on that day it was actually Labor Day in Japan.  So I would like to give a gift to you, please read the end of the post to find a fun giveaway!!

Wishing you a belated Happy Thanksgiving! 

IF you are inspired to, please share your favorite scripture about Thanks or about Shalom (peace!)

I will share one too,

Blessings and ....Shalom!,

ADONAI bless you and keep you!
ADONAI make His face to shine on you 
and be gracious to you!
ADONAI turn His face toward you 
and grant you shalom!

---Aaronic Benediction, Numbers 6:24~26

♡

Shayndel

♡

Shalom in Psalms, A Giveaway gift for you!

  When I just went to look up a `Shalom` verse to share, a book came up!!   The title  is just so perfect, two of my most favorite themes, Shalom and Psalms, its called Shalom in the Psalms!

 So I did something impulsive and ordered it!

Then I saw there is a way to give this book to you too, so I set up a giveaway on Amazon, so it will be sent directly to one person in this week through Dec. 3!!
 Please if you would like to be eligible for a free gift giveaway copy,
click Here, 
I hope you will be the one who receives the free gift giveaway !!!!
  

2 Dahlias... and a Challah!

Two Dahlias

Two (pink) Dahlias and a pink tent!

Two Dahlias and a Challah!!

Shabbat Shalom!

♡

Shayndel

 
for Dahlia!*
(a friend from Israel!) 

and for Sandi!  when I saw the flowers today,  I  thought of  your 3 yellow roses!! ) 

He Straightens the Bent

 The LORD upholds all who fall and raises up all who are bowed down.

---Psalm 145:14

 1.

I planted seeds to grow morning glories on our balcony, and got so excited when some of the little green sprouted up from the soil!  I was so excited to watch them grow.  For a few days or so.

Then to my dismay,  I went out to check them one morning and they all were bent over and fallen down, I didn`t know if there was any chance that they could still have life.  I am not much of a gardener, I am of very little experience .  And almost no know how.



But I thought, as our G-d is a powerful God who straightens the bent, upholds all who fall, and raises up all who are bowed down (see scripture above, Psalm 145:14), perhaps I could use this Word and the power of He who lives in me,  and apply it for the morning glories.  I got a new hope! I ran desperately back into the house fueled by a passion to want to straighten them and bring them back to life.  I grabbed some wari-bashi from the cabinet (disposable wood chop sticks) and  nylon string and got to work.  I sat with the wilting stems and lifted them up onto the chopsticks.

The next day, they were still standing, and little by little, with adjustments here and there, they made it to the top of the chopsticks.  They have sprouted the `vine` and today, one of the vines made it to the net and is on its way up the trellis!! Praise God!!

       2.                              Another scene---a few days ago I was having a sandwich and coffee for lunch in a nearby park, but not so nearby.  I hadn`t been there for about a year.   When I looked around, I noticed the beautiful purple hydrangeas.  After eating I took a walk around  looking at the hydrangeas, when an amazing thing caught my eye!! I saw little green plants being held up with chopsticks!! And then I saw a net around the tree, and that these little plants were morning glory, and some were even growing up and around on the net around the tree!! There was one flower!!

can you see the greens around the tree, and growing up the tree and supported by a net, a vine of morning glories!!  There was even one flower that was open

I felt filled with such great hope and confirmation that my morning glories too would make it to flower ! Seeing that I wasn`t the only one who used chopsticks to straighten the bent morning glories,  I felt the great presence of the Almighty God, here in this tiny detail of those greens so close to the ground!!!  As I looked around the garden, it was like a miracle unfolding.  Next I saw there was a great tree in the middle of the garden.  It was a palm tree!  And then I noticed...yes!... a net around the base of the Palm Tree.... for morning glories to grow up around!!  I wondered who made this garden, and at the same  I loved just sensing it was put there  from the G-d of Heaven to reveal something about His love and kindness and mercies that are new every morning for us here on earth!!

At the base of this great, straight, Palm Tree in the ....middle of the Garden!!...someone had planted morning glories!!!

Before I left the garden I began to notice tucked here in there in between shrubs and in quiet corners, I saw a watering can here, a shovel there, and then a box of garden gloves and other garden tools.  The hand of the gardener was there, and yet so sweetly she/he tried to hide her presence.  Then I saw her there, in a corner, pruning some plants.  She must have been 100 years old, her face full of lines almost hidden by a bonnet, as though she had been there, in that garden, tending it for a lifetime, plus lifetimes, waiting for someone to notice it`s splendour, to  wander through the garden just marvelling at its wonders.

Blessings and Shabbat Shalom!

Much Love,

Shayndel

Because of the mercies of ADONAI we will not be consumed, for His compassions never fail.

They are new every morning!

Great is Your faithfulness.

--Lamentations  3:22~23 TLV