Monday, December 31, 2012

ROSE AND LINDA;S BLOG HAPPY NEW YEAR


Think on this before you celebrate.  Remember whom it is that woke you this morning and has given you life.  Include Him tonight as you welcome the New Year in.  
 
JOB
1:1 There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil. 1:2 And there were born unto him seven sons and three daughters. 1:3 His substance also was seven thousand sheep, and three thousand camels, and five hundred yoke of oxen, and five hundred she asses, and a very great household; so that this man was the greatest of all the men of the east. 1:4 And his sons went and feasted in their houses, every one his day; and sent and called for their three sisters to eat and to drink with them. 1:5 And it was so, when the days of their feasting were gone about, that Job sent and sanctified them, and rose up early in the morning, and offered burnt offerings according to the number of them all: for Job said, It may be that my sons have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts. Thus did Job continually.
 
New Years Eve and many gather together to celebrate the ending of the Ole Year and the beginning of a New Year.  Is your celebrating, Joy to the Lord? We are afraid for many that the Lord will not be invited to their celebrations.  
 
We that are saved, are not under the Law that Job was under.  Thankfully Job was able to sanctifie his children and offer burnt offerings unto the Lord for them.  We that are saved are under the Promises given to us from Jesus Christ, as our Lord and Savior.  Acts 16:31 So they said, "believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.  He has paid the offering in full, for those that are saved and abide in Him.  Many of us come from Bible believing homes where our parents prayed for us, and we now pray for ourselves, and others.  Who is praying for you the day after? 
 
We all sin and fall short of His glory.  We are all responsible for our actions. Those that are saved have the privilege of going to Him and asking forgiveness.  What rights/privileges do you have today?   
 
How much will you lift up your voice in joy to the Lord tonight?  How much will you dance before Him?  Will you be high on Jesus?  How many times will you lift up your hands in praise for all He has done for you.  How much will you be pleased His eyes are upon you tonight as you celebrate?  Will you be lifted up with His Spirit, or spirits of this world?   
 
Our Blessing for you this year:  The kiss of Jesus be felt upon your cheek, His hand be upon your shoulder, His banner before you, Him guarding your back.  He opens your heart to the depth and strength of His love, which passes all human understanding.  Your eyes be opened to the wonders, grace and anointing of Him in all His Glory.  You grow in Him this year.  Be blessed, your territory enlarged to reach others for our King.  And that we are in agreement with, we say Amen-So Be It, too.  
 
recj/LJG
 

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Sunday, December 30, 2012

ROSE AND LINDA'S BLOG I WILL DO WHAT GOD HAS LED ME TO DO


SUNDAY EDITORIAL DECEMBER 30, 2012
 
The last Sunday of the year.  You know I love it when I hear a person say that on such and such a day in this or that year I did so and so. Me I don't remember like that,   I pinpoint by: one sunny day I walked to a friends and as we visited I asked does your computer work and she says she doesn't know , but 'you can have it'.  It worked and a complete new world opened up for me.  Pages of notes of scriptures and questions that God had laid on my heart now had a way to be shared.  Shared I did with one person, I call her my beloved, until one day I said maybe I should post these thoughts on a blog.  She in turn said 'I am glad, go to this site.'   I did and there were my words on-line with people reading them.  Five maybe six years with one break I have written of my love for the Lord.  There were times I did not want to write, even tried one time to run from it.  The harder I ran the more in pain was my soul.  This is why I write,  I have to add here that my beloved never gave up on me, she said nothing, and when I showed back up, God had her waiting for me.  Like God she asked no questions, forgave me and we picked up where we had stopped. 
 
I refuse to allow the devil to get any credit for my foolish mistakes.  I ran from life, family, everything that mattered to me.  Why, because I was searching for the very thing I was running from, the love of Christ.  Things in my life that I did not know how to handle, I ran from, instead of seeking Him.    I hurt many people that I loved.  How though could I love anyone else, when I did not love myself nor love God.  
 
Life is full of things that we can try to do to make ourselves happy, it was after those things that I went.  Am I ashamed of them.  My answer might surprise you.  It is because of what I experienced that I am able to know and understand much of what this life has to offer in ways of seeking the wrong thing.  
 
An example is what happened to me today.  As I walked outside today a young boy of 16/17 rode up on his bike.  He came to give me a hug and show me the pic of his new son.  He told me he could not come this close to my house without stopping to see me.  He is a survivor.  He is making it the only way he knows how.  What possible connection could this young black child have in common with a 60 year old white lady?  When we first met he rolled his eyes at me, and gave me a look that many would have backed up from.  I was an aid at a school for children that had been kicked out of the regular school system, the worst of the worst.  I asked him, who is your daddy? ' Aren't you J's son'?  He asked, 'How do you know my daddy?'   A door was opened as I told him how I knew not only his dad, but his uncle who is in prison for murder.  Here we are three years later, and he comes to visit me, because he knows I will not shut the door on him, because he sells drugs.  He knows that I will never look down on him, because I have done what he is now doing.  
 
The difference in us now,  God gave me something of better value to replace what I was doing.  And he knows this.  One day and I believe it is sooner now that he has a son, he will turn his life over to Christ.  This young man would never have talked to me if he did not know I understood his life.  There are a few other students from that school that run to hug me when they see me.  They know I do not judge them, that this old white lady does love them.  
 
My mistakes have given me the ability to know what many shoes feel like.  I know the feeling of someone saying to me "I know how you feel" and once asked have they ever gone through this, their answer is no.  
 
Jesus walked on this earth so that we could see it was possible to walk His walk without sin.  I have walked in sin, and I use that walk to reach out and say yes I know and God can forgive you just as He forgave me.  There is a way out. 
 
There is much I have never experienced, and I thank God for that.  He did promise He would never give me more than I could bear.  He gave me that promise when I asked Him into my life at thirteen.  I am so thankful that when I got off His path and went to live my own life my own way, He waited patiently for me to turn back to Him.  When I called out for Him, He was right there, He has never left me nor forsaken me.  
 
So I write.  I write what I am going through, what I see people around me going through, and always what He lays on my heart.  I have tablets of articles I have written or started to write that He has said No to.  It was not the time.  
 
If you have read this far, I am thankful for that.  Sunday is my day, He lets me share what is on my heart.  Someone this week told me I shouldn't write, I told them I would do what the Lord has led me to do and that is write.  If something I write stirs your heart, then you need to ask why.  Is it because you know that it is true or it causes you to question, is this you.  Is it an area of your life that you need to seek God on?  Does it cause you to question your relationship with Him?  
 
If we can encourage you to pick up your Bible, read His Word, seek His face, question why, then our purpose on this earth has been served. 
 
God Bless 
 
recj/LJG 

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Saturday, December 29, 2012

ROSE AND LINDA'S BLOG FORGIVENESS TO BE HEALED


Praise the Lord in All His Glory.  He that brings the dark into light.  He that heals the down trodden.  He that puts the past to rest.  He that comforts.  He that makes us laugh.  He that forgives us as we forgive others.  Thank You Christ for all Your love, and forgiveness.  
 
He that is without sin cast the first stone.   We thank the Lord that He has given us the strength to look inside ourselves, and to see and know the pain that we have done to others.  We are thankful that You Lord bring to mind the things we have forgotten, so that we can be healed in body and in mind.  You, Lord have given us a love that will continue to grow, until the day we can say of all, we do pray we shall see this one in heaven. 
 
Thanks to God that we have to answer to Him and not man.  We find our peace in Jesus Christ.  We are thankful that we have been able to use the mistakes we have made to reach out to others letting them know of our All Powerful God, who is the God that Healed thee of all that has ever come against  us that have a personal relationship with Him. 
 
Why do we speak so strongly about forgiveness?  Because forgiveness is freedom. We will not let the devil condemn us for what is behind us, nor shall we let the world.  We have been set free by the death of Our Savior.  
 
God Bless
recj/LJG

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Friday, December 28, 2012

THE GENTILES ARE FELLOW HEIRS OF GOD

Ephesians 3. The Gentiles are fellow Heirs Of God

by BUMMYLA
Detail - Glory of the New Born Christ in prese...
Ephesians 3.  The Gentiles are fellow Heirs Of God
1 For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles, 2 If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward: 3 How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words, 4 Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ) 5 Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit; 6 That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel: 7 Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power. 8 Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ; 9 And to make all men see what isthe fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ: 10 To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God, 11 According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord: 12 In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him. 13 Wherefore I desire that ye faint not at my tribulations for you, which is your glory.
14 For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, 16 That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; 17 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; 19 And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. 20 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, 21 Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.
May GOD bless NigeriaAmerica and Israel and take care of us; May GOD make His face shine upon us, And be gracious to us; May the LORD lift up His countenance upon us, And give us peace, In Jesus Christ Name, we pray! Amen!
http://bummyla.wordpress.com/2012/12/20/ephesians-3-the-gentiles-are-fellow-heirs-of-god/

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Thursday, December 27, 2012

ROSE AND LINDA'S BLOG TEACH US LORD


The Bible instructs us to love one another as He loves us.  Forgive others as He forgives.  To walk a walk that sets us apart from others.  Why we ask our selves didn't anyone tell us these things before we got roped into this live for Christ lifestyle.  We do not remember anyone standing up at the altar saying now that you are ready to make this decision, before you do let us teach you how to be strong in the Lord to walk the walk before you step into this.  

We thank God for the churches out there that do teach believers how to walk, to stand in this walk.  Most of the churches we have ran into want to preach, and we do not find fault with that.  There is one church in this area that I visited almost 30 years ago, and a few years ago I visited again.  It preaches salvation, preached it 30 years ago and is still preaching it today. Go to church and get saved, over and over again.  Don't ask questions, that is why they have a pastor.  He and he alone will tell them what to do.  Yes they are happy, happy as all get out-please I want to yell get out of this.  

There are many churches in this area, most seem to have called themselves to preach.  Maybe God did call some of them to preach, we wonder did He call them to preach now.  Maybe we are to picky?  Well we hope we stay that way.  We will question what is put before us, if it is new to us, or grow in our belief about it.  We will study and pray and seek God as to exactly what He means in His Word.  We are responsible for what we know, we are also responsible  to learn and grow in Him. 

Finding a church home has been a long journey, recently I joined a new church.  Is it perfect?  Of course not, and as long as people breathe it will not be.  If I was the Pastor there are a few people I would want to talk to.  BUT, that is why I am not a Pastor.  In fact as the devil brought a few people to my attention, God said 'Not your job.' and I promptly told the devil it wasn't, then thanked the Lord for reminding me of the beam in my own eye.  What I like is the love pouring forth from this Pastor as he speaks the truth.  Truth, that many churches would frown on, because it might hurt someone's feelings.  No, it is not to hurt ones feelings it is to bring the sin to light, that it is in fact a sin.

We like a good preaching, it stirs our soul.  We would rather be taught, so that we might grow.  

Did anyone stand at the altar and tell us of what was to come?  No, the desire at that moment was to have Jesus in our life's.  To bad many of us forget that as we started the walk.  The desire to totally surrender everything to Him.  Not caring what price we might have to pay, we simply wanted Him.   

Teach us Lord, allow us to continue to grow in You.  Let Your light in us shine, so others might see.  Let us always be surrendered to You.   Bring to light those things that will make us stronger.  Never stop Your work in us, until we hear those words, 'Well done, my good and faithful servant.' 

God Bless
recj/LJG

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Wednesday, December 26, 2012

CHANUKAH IN THE OLD TESTAMENT


After a detailed read, cover-to-cover, of the Hebrew Bible, there’s no sign of Chanukah. The Old Testament ends with Cyrus’ declaration which enabled the Jewish people to return from the exile to Jerusalem in order to build the Second Temple. There are some prophets in the beginning of the Second Temple Period, as well as leaders such as Ezra and Nehemiah, but there's no trace of the story about the victory of the Maccabees over the Assyrians (Greeks).
However, some aspects of the Chanukah story can be found in the Old Testament for sure. First of all, let's understand that the meaning of the word “Chanukah” is inauguration ordedication. In Jewish tradition, Chanukah is the sixth inauguration story. Five others can be found in the Bible, beginning with the creation of the world in Genesis 1. Then there are stories that are related to sacred places, from the inauguration of the Tabernacle in Numbers 7:1, to the first Temple in Psalms 30:1 and the second in Ezra 6:16:
"וַעֲבַדוּ בְנֵי-יִשְׂרָאֵל כָּהֲנַיָּא  וְלֵוָיֵא וּשְׁאָרבְּנֵי-גָלוּתָא, חֲנֻכַּת בֵּית-אֱלָהָא דְנָה  בְּחֶדְוָה."
"And the children of Israel, the priests and the Levites, and the rest of the children of the captivity, kept thededication of this house of God with joy."
The Re-building of the wallThe fifth inauguration is found in Nehemiah 12:27. In that episode, the Levites and the Priests (Kohanim) wanted to celebrate the new wall of Jerusalem that helped to protect the city. If you were wondering, the seventh inauguration is slated to be held in the next world (the world to come, generally understood as the Jewish afterlife); the clue for this event can be found in Isaiah 30:26.
Some scholars suggest that the Book of Daniel was written during the Maccabean revolt against the Assyrians, and as such, there are verses in the book that are likely related to the story of Chanukah.
One example is in at the end of Daniel 11, as written:
30 For ships of Kittim shall come against him, and he shall lose heart and withdraw. He shall be enraged and take action against the holy covenant. He shall turn back and pay heed to those who forsake the holy covenant.31 Forces sent by him shall occupy and profane the temple and fortress. They shall abolish the regular burnt offering and set up the abomination that makes desolate.32 He shall seduce with intrigue those who violate the covenant; but the people who are loyal to their God shall stand firm and take action.
ל  וּבָאוּ בוֹ צִיִּים כִּתִּים וְנִכְאָה  וְשָׁב וְזָעַם עַל
   -בְּרִית-קוֹדֶשׁ וְעָשָׂה; וְשָׁב וְיָבֵן, עַל-עֹזְבֵי
   בְּרִית  קֹדֶשׁ.
לא וּזְרֹעִים מִמֶּנּוּ יַעֲמֹדוּ; וְחִלְּלוּ  הַמִּקְדָּשׁ
    הַמָּעוֹז וְהֵסִירוּ הַתָּמִיד וְנָתְנוּ הַשִּׁקּוּץ
     מְשֹׁמֵם.
לב וּמַרְשִׁיעֵי בְרִית יַחֲנִיף  בַּחֲלַקּוֹת; וְעַם
     יֹדְעֵי אֱלֹהָיו יַחֲזִקוּ וְעָשׂוּ.
This passage revolves around the people who left the Temple, after they had abandoned the covenant or were forced by the ruling empire to leave it. Those people could be the people that the Book of Maccabees describes.
Another thought as a Biblical Hebrew teacher: One famous story about Chanukah is that of the small jar of oil that was presumed to only be able to last for one day  - the miracle is that the oil lasted for eight days. This story about the oil is also mentioned in the story of Elijah and the widow in 1 Kings 17:10-16. The last sentence of the story reminded me of Chanukah. The jar of oil was sufficient for eight days, enough time to re-purify the Temple; in the story of Elijah, the widow’s jar of oil lasted until God ended the drought, as written:
"The jar of meal was not spent, neither did the cruse of oil fail, according to the word of the LORD, which He spoke by Elijah"(1 Kings 17:16)
"כַּד הַקֶּמַח לֹא כָלָתָה, וְצַפַּחַת   הַשֶּׁמֶן לֹאחָסֵר   כִּדְבַר יְהוָה  אֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר בְּיַדאֵלִיָּהוּ."
Elijah and the widow
So, we can surmise that Chanukah actually is found in the Old Testament, if only in small clues and gentle motifs.
I wish you all Happy Chanukah!
Eli
http://mail.aol.com/37267-111/aol-6/en-us/mail/DisplayMessage.aspx?ws_popup=true

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Tuesday, December 25, 2012

YOU NEED TO RECEIVE JESUS AGAIN


Joe Thorn


You Need to Receive Jesus, Again


For many Christians the gospel is something for the uninitiated. It is a message of hope and forgiveness for the lost and condemned. The good news of Jesus' death and resurrection is often laid aside by believers looking to move on to deeper, more profound, and more practical truths. I fear a majority of Christians quickly tune out when an evangelistic message is given based on the idea that they have already received Jesus, thinking such a word is good for others but not necessary for themselves. It's impractical.
But the real reason a Christian isn't moved by an evangelistic message is precisely because he thinks he only needs to receive Christ once, believe in him once, turn to him once. This kind of thinking is one of the main reasons so many believers are cold in their affections for Jesus and weak in their obedience to him. They have stopped dwelling long and hard on the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus for them. They have stopped knowing and feeling that the good news of the gospel is good news for them--today!
Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door,
I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.
(Revelation 3:20 ESV)
These words of Jesus are not evangelistic in the sense that they are gospel words given to non-Christians. These words of invitation are in fact given to the church. Jesus tells the church that they must hear his voice, respond in faith, and maintain communion with him. There is a real sense in which we are to receive Jesus again, and again; not for the remission of our sin and guilt, but to maintain a vital connection with him, to abide with him. We are not called to believe on Christ once, but to rest on him by faith continually. We must go to him daily, always turning from our sins and toward him.
Why do some Christians tend toward legalism, either trusting in the merits of their own performance or despairing over their failure? It is often because the gospel has lost its significance to them. Why do some Christians lean into licentiousness, winking an eye at sin without pains of conviction? It is often because they have lost sight of the truths of their own sinfulness, God's holiness, and Jesus' atoning death.
Do you feel distant from the Savior? Cold in faith? Has your passion waned? The fundamental answer to your problem, dear Christian, is not new steps or a new program, but the old gospel message. There is no deeper doctrine than Jesus' love and sacrifice for sinners. There is nothing more practical to hear than this for the love of God in Christ is what defines and moves us.
Your need is to draw near to Christ, seeing the darkness of your sin, marveling at his love toward you in spite of your corruption. Your need is not to agree with these doctrines, but to embrace Jesus through them. You must return to Christ, walk with Christ, dine with Christ, and the one thing that will move you to stay close and cling tight to him is the very message that you believed in the beginning. You still need the gospel. You still need to believe it. You still need to come to Christ. Do not delay.
Joe Thorn is Lead Pastor of Redeemer Fellowship in St. Charles, IL and blogs at joethorn.net. His book, Note to Self: The Discipline of Preaching to Yourself, was released through Crossway/ReLit. You can follow him on Twitter @joethorn.
http://www.christianity.com/christian-life/spiritual-growth/you-need-to-receive-jesus-again.html

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Monday, December 24, 2012

THE SIMPLE LIFE


My daughter in our front yard
My daughter in our front yard
Every summer, before we leave, I ask myself the same question: what in the world are my kids going to do all day for six weeks? And every year, I am amazed at how their days are filled and full. A few years back, we were in a situation where we weren’t financially able to send our kids to summer camp. We knew that keeping them home all summer simply wasn’t an option when their friends would be out all day, so we made the decision to pack up and spend the summer near family in Vermont. It was the best decision we ever made. Since then, every summer my children refuse to go to camp, because they don’t want to miss out on a single minute in Vermont. And yet, every June I have the same fear that they will be bored, will have nothing to do and be miserable. I guess that sometimes I tend to underestimate my children. To be fair, they hadn’t been out of school a complete day when the whining began. There was nothing to do. There was no one around. They were bored. And no matter what I offered, it didn’t seem to do the trick. Yet we take that six-hour drive to Vermont, and everything changes. For all of us. Picture this: we are on the top of a mountain, on a dirt road five miles from the nearest house, with the national forest across from us. The only noise comes from the chirping of the birds and the occasional tractor that passes by. The air is clean and cooler, so we sleep with blankets at night (yes, while the rest of the East Coast is suffering from a heat wave). We get our vegetables from the garden and our eggs from the nearby chickens, and when my kids want to swim we go to the lake. We close the windows and shades during the day to keep the hot air out, and leave them open at night to let the cool air in. That is our air conditioning. Oh, and for a technologically obsessed family (with two parents who earn their livings through the Internet) we have no Internet connection from the home. (Which is why I am currently sitting in the Wardsboro Public Library, a transformed barn from the 1800s.) The simple life. There is something about getting away, getting back to basics, that puts everything in perspective. Here, all we do is an adventure. Everything takes planning and time, since the nearest “market” is a twenty-minute drive away, as is the dump where we must bring our garbage. But what a drive it is! The trees, grass, mountains are incredible. We wind through the beauty seen in postcards as we stop to snap and make our own. And, amazingly enough, the kids love it. Why? I think it’s because we utilize all of our time. We spend it together. We make it count. Back home, I waste a lot of time. Hate to admit it, but I do. There are so many errands to run and things to take care of that can drag out and fill much more time than needed. There is so much distraction that it can be hard to stay on track. And even when I work, I must check my e‑mail ten times an hour, and then respond when that little “ding” rings letting me know that someone sent me an instant message. But here, I don’t waste a second. I sign into the library computer and I focus. I don’t respond to anything unnecessary, I don’t look at sites to get that mental break, I just do what I need to do—and actually, I do it much faster and much better. And when I get back to our house in Vermont, I can’t check e‑mail, so I talk with my kids, eat with them, focus on them and nothing else, since there is nothing else to focus on. I was just speaking with a woman who is going through an extremely difficult time. I begged her to try to get away for a day, or even for a few hours, for a break. She needs some time for herself to refocus, regroup. She asked if I really thought that such a small break could make a difference, and I responded that I thought it could make all the difference. As we spoke, I realized that this is one of the beautiful meanings and benefits of Shabbat. For six days we work, we are immersed, we create. But for that one day, only 1/7 of our entire week, we stop. We live the simple life. We recognize and allow creation to happen without our input. We refocus. We regroup. And because we are not allowed to do anything else, we appreciate what not doing feels like, and how important it is. Shabbat is not the end of our week but the center of the week, the purpose of the week. This is why we say in the prayers, “Today is the first day of Shabbat . . . today is the second day of Shabbat . . .” The week revolves around Shabbat, not the other way around. I think for us Vermont is like the Shabbat of our year. For more than ten months we are crazy busy, immersed with work, teaching, schedules, school, errands and life in general. But then summer comes, and we get away. Each kids packs two small bags, and somehow it is enough, and more than enough, for the whole summer. We disconnect in more ways than one, which allows us to reconnect in the deepest of ways. And we once again learn what it means to fill a day without distraction. And then, when summer comes to an end, we will return home. Rejuvenated. Appreciative of what we have there, while remembering what we had here. And yes, those distractions will return, but so will having real air conditioning on a really hot day, and a supermarket around the corner when I forgot that one ingredient, and my garbage picked up from my back yard so that I need not fill my trunk with it for a twenty-minute drive! Will we miss Vermont? No doubt. But I think that is the beauty and lesson of it all. To learn to be present in the situation you are in. To take advantage of its advantages, while trying to minimize those disadvantages. And to always have something to look forward to, that reminds us of what really counts and what it is all about.

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Sunday, December 23, 2012

MS CHURCHIE LADY


Ms. Churchie Lady is my altar ego. LOL She is feisty, outspoken and carries a big Bible that she uses to fit to her life. Be Blessed she is a trip.
MS. CHURCHIE LADY here P-nut Praise the Lord Thank you Jesus had to take a break. She Prasiie the Lord got so upset and wet her pants when Grandson told her , she and Aunt Sandy looked like twins. Prasie the Lord thank You Jesus we all know that is not true.

Well Hallalouya I just wanta to come on here and let everyone know that God has blessed me this year. Thank You Lord I love You. Yes Jesus has let church get out early each Sunday so i can make the Bingo game at 1 noon. Oh the Lord is my strength adn faith, I have won more times then I can count. Prasie the Lord thank You Jesus.

Prasie the Lord He has not given me a new husband Yet, Praise the Lord, but I am faithfully waiting. This time I will get a bigger insurance policy. I am trying to catch up with Jack, But at this rate i will fail. Lord I do not want to fail. Bless me Lord indeed with a new husband.

Prasie the Lord thank You Jesus that I have loving Sisters, adn thank You Lord that none of them or Nuns. Prasie the Lord You are a great God.

Prasie the Lord and Thank You Jesus that with all those wifes I do have one I can claim. Thank You Lord Hallalouya for Louise.

Thank You for Lord for a wonderful daddy J and giving us so many to choose from. Praise the Lord adn thank You that neither him nor some of us will be married in heaven. Prasie the Lord OH Thank You Jesus for that.

Lord My God Jesus i thank You for the past year with all the ups and downs, sit ups are getting harder to do. Prasie the Lord but I will continue to follow You Lord My God in whom I trust.

Prasie the Lord my God inwhom i trust that Thank You Jesus I will get home this year to see my 7 favorite people reconjoined for a pic. Praise the Lord my God that You give me my hearts desire.

Prasie the Lord thank You Jesus that I am alive for another year. Thank you Lord Hallalouya prayfully with a new husband.

Prasie the Lord Thank you Jesus that I am alive to say Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all my family and friends.

Thank You Jesus that You will open the dor for those that need one opened adn closed the doors that need to be closed. Prasie the Lord Thank You Jesus.

God Bless

Ms Churchie Lady

[for those that have not met her she shows up from time to time, hope you will meet her someday soon]

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THE JEWISH HEART


The Secret of Elul (Elul usually occurs in August–September on the Gregorian calendar.  added by LJG)

By Sara Esther Crispe


 Love. It is the most powerful of human emotions. We all crave it. We cannot live without it. And yet it is so overwhelming, so all-encompassing, that there is no way to measure it, prove it, define it, or even describe it.When we speak of the intellect, it is represented by the mind. And when we speak of the emotions, specifically of love, they are represented by the heart. But why?

The symbol of the heart is probably one of the most well-known symbols. Spanning continents, cultures, religions, languages, that little red heart means love. It is used to sign letters, to represent the word “love” itself, and has inundated the buyers’ market by being plastered on cards, T-shirts, necklaces, balloons and just about everything else.

How is the image of the heart, as we most commonly know it, the symbol for this passionate experience of love?

The month that we are now in, Elul, is the key to unlocking the inner and most potent meaning of the heart. As is well known, the Hebrew letters that make the word “Elul,” alephlamedvav and lamed, are an acronym for the phrase (from the biblical Song of Songs) ani l’dodi v’dodi li, which means “I am to my beloved and my beloved is to me.”

This beautiful and romantic phrase is that which represents our relationship with our Creator, which is often paralleled to that of a husband and wife, a bride and groom, in our individual lives.

The Zohar explains that at the beginning of Elul we are achor el achor, meaning “back to back,” and by the end of Elul we are panim el panim, “face to face.” But how can it be that we are back to back? Wouldn’t that imply that G‑d has His back turned to us as well? How can we say such a thing, when this is the month in which—as chassidic master Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi teaches us—“the King is in the field”? Is it not the month when G‑d is more accessible than ever, when He is waiting for us to greet Him, when He is there for us in the “field” of our everyday lives?

The fact that we are described as “back to back” and then “face to face” is an incredible lesson. Often, when we feel angry, hurt, abandoned, whatever the root of our pain may be, we turn our back. When our back is turned, we have no idea of the state of the other. And it is often easier to believe that we are not the only one with a turned back. It is easier to think the other also turned around, that the other isn’t facing us at all, because if that is the case, then even if we turn around it won’t help, so why bother. Why make that first move only to turn around and see the back of the other?

But this rationalization is the cause of many unsettled arguments, hurt feelings, and broken relationships. How classic is the scene, played out endlessly in movies, of the couple who walk away from one another. At some point the man turns around, wanting to call her name, ask for another chance, beg for forgiveness. He is about to speak, but realizes that her back is turned. She is walking away. He tells himself that it is too late, she just doesn’t care. So he turns back around. Seconds later, she turns to look at him. She doesn’t want this to end. She wants to say something, but can’t garner the courage, doesn’t have the strength. And why, why should she, when his back is turned?  She looks at him longingly, but it just doesn’t matter—she assumes he couldn’t care less as he continues to walk away from her. And we, the viewers, sit on the edge of our seats, hoping that maybe they will both turn around at the same second, that they will finally realize that the other does care, that even though they appear to be back to back, they really want to be face to face. Sometimes that fairytale ending does happen; other times they simply continue to walk in opposite directions, right out of each other’s lives.
It is the month of Elul that teaches us the necessity of being willing to turn around. The King is in the field, our Creator is there, and no matter how we may feel, He has never had His back turned. All we need to do is turn ourselves around to realize that He is there and waiting for us. The “back to back” that we experience in the beginning of the month is based on our misperceptions, our fears, our assumptions. Only when we turn around do we realize the truth, the inner essence, and then we are “face to face,” which does not only mean that we can finally look at each other, but more so, that we can look in each other—for the root of the word for face, panim, is the same as pnimiyut, which means “innerness.”

So now the question is how this lesson is taught to us, not only in the month of Elul, but through the name “Elul” itself. A Hebrew name is not a mere way of referring to something, but actually represents its soul. Chassidut teaches that every parent is gifted with divine inspiration when he or she names a child. It is the name that represents the deepest aspects of this person. Kabbalah and Chassidut teach us that to uncover the essential meaning of a Hebrew word, we need to analyze the letters that comprise it, their numerical value, their form and their meaning.
As we said above, the word “Elul” is comprised of an aleph, followed by a lamed, followed by a vav, followed by the final letter, another lamed. The first letter in “Elul” is also the first letter in the Hebrew alphabet. The letter aleph is numerically equivalent to one, which represents the idea of G‑d’s total unity. 
So now we must answer how all of this is related to the heart. Here is where ourlameds are once again defined. At this point it is important to think again about the symbol of the heart and to question its origin. And so it should come as no surprise that the meaning of this symbol will once again be found in the word for “heart” itself.
In Hebrew, the word for heart is lev, which is spelled lamed-beit. Rabbi AbrahamAbulafia, in the year 1291, wrote a manuscript by the name of Imrei Shefer, in which he defines the meaning of the heart.
Rabbi Abulafia teaches that the word levlamed–beit, needs to be understood as two lameds. This is because the letter beit is the second letter in the alphabet, and is numerically equivalent to two. So he explains that the word needs to be read and understood as “two lameds.”
But it is not enough to have two lameds. As Rabbi Yitzchak Ginsburgh explains, in order for their to be a relationship, the two lameds need to be connected. They need to be face to face. When we turn around the second lamed to face the first, we form the image of the Jewish Heart (as seen in the picture at the beginning of this article). While the heart, as we are used to seeing it, is quite clear in this form, an entirely new part of the heart is also revealed.

This is because the letter lamed is the tallest of all the letters in the Hebrew alphabet. The reason is because thelamed represents the concept of breaking out of boundaries, of going beyond your potential, of entering the superconscious from the conscious. 
The lamed also means two things simultaneously. It means both “to learn” and “to teach,” which shows us that the two are intertwined and both are essential. In a relationship, I must be willing to learn from the other, thereby making myself a receiver. Yet the other person also must be able to learn from me, which then makes me the teacher, the giver.
Furthermore, the image of the lamed can be broken down into three other letters. The top part of the letter is that of a yud, the smallest of the Hebrew letters, and the letter that represents the head. The head contains the mind, the intellect, and also the face. 
The next letter in “Elul” is a vav. In Hebrew, the vav  serves as a conjuctive “and.” As a word, vav means “hook,” and in its form it looks like a hook. So in this case the vav is the hook which is connecting the yud, the mind, with the bottom letter, the chaf which represents the body. Physically speaking, it symbolizes the neck, which transports the flow of blood from the brain to the heart.
This teaches us that the heart, that the love that it represents, can thrive, can flourish, only when there is a totality in connection. The Jewish heart, true love, represents a mind-to-mind, face-to-face, eye-to-eye, body-to-body, soul-to-soul connection. The vav, the connection between the head and the heart, must always stay healthy, with a clear flow. If anything cuts it off, the relationship cannot continue. As we all know, one of the quickest ways to kill a person is a slit right across the neck. The neck is our lifeline. It ensures that our head, our intellect, rules above our emotions, and that there is a healthy interchange between the mind and the heart.
The heart that we are all familiar with, the symbol that represents love throughout the world, lacks the yud and the vav; it is missing the mind and the neck. The popular symbol represents only the physical connection between bodies.
So this is why and how Elul is the month that begins back to back and ends face to face. At the beginning of the month we are unaware of the reality that “I am to my beloved and my beloved is to me.” However, by working on ourselves during this month, by being willing to turn around and make changes, we come to realize that our Creator has never had His back turned. He has always been facing us, and just waiting for us to turn around. And once we do, we are then like two lameds that are face to face, which form the Jewish heart and which are the essence of the month of Elul.
Elul then must be understood as an aleph, representing G‑d, followed by alamedvavlamed—a lamed that is connected (vav) to the other lamed.
And the Jewish heart, this idea of love as a totality of connection, is not merely the work for the month of Elul, but is the entire purpose of our creation. This Jewish heart is a symbol for why we were created and what we are meant to accomplish. For the Torah is the blueprint of creation, and the guidebook of how we connect to the divine. And it is not a book that has a beginning, middle and end, but rather a scroll, since we are taught that the “end is wedged in the beginning, and the beginning in the end.”
So what do we find when the Torah scroll’s end rolls into the beginning? How does the Torah end and begin? The last word of the Torah is Yisrael, Israel, which ends with the letter lamed; and the first word is bereishit, meaning “in the beginning,” which begins with a beit. When we join the first and last letters of the Torah, we have lev, the Hebrew word for heart.
May we be blessed with the ability to tap into the powers of the month of Elul, to recognize and reveal our ability to both learn and teach, and through that, to come face to face with ourselves, with our loved ones and with our Creator, as we are taught through the Jewish heart.
The Jewish Heart design and jewelry is patented and copyrighted by Rabbi Yitzchak Ginsburgh.

BY SARA ESTHER CRISPE
Sara Esther Crispe, a writer, inspirational speaker and mother of four, is the editor of TheJewishWoman.org and writes the popular weekly blog, Musing for Meaning. To book Sara Esther for a speaking engagement, please click here.

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Saturday, December 22, 2012

ROSE AND LINDA'S BLOG AIN'T NO DEAD MEN ON MY BACK

Driving down the street you cringe, somebody has hit an animal. You try not to look, and the smell hits you. I think we have all been there. Not something we want to remember, certainly not pick up and carry it around with us. What am I talking about? Come on it is the holidays, after the tragic shooting last week, give us a break. Write happy thoughts!

Well I am trying to give you a gift that I know you need. I have carried a dead man on my back. In fact to be honest I have carried many dead men, and women on my back. I was so comfortable with the stench of their decaying flesh eating into my own, yes I even enjoyed it. My own flesh carried the odor deep into my soul, and I fed it. I hung onto it as if the aroma was sweet to my heart and my head. I would forget about them at times, but I continued to carry them. I would not, could not, did not want to let go of them. They deserved to be a part of my life. They had hurt me, harmed me, even paid no attention to me. Yes I hated them, but let go? Why should I let those memories retire, be washed away. I would like for you to picture that person tied onto your back. Their flesh is decaying, falling off. The rotting flesh causes my own flesh to begin to rot. They stink and yes I stink also. 

I began to have a relationship with the Lord. As I grew in His Word, the stink of those I carried became stronger. This is what my Lord smelt when He came close to me. He did not turn away, as bad as the stink was He loved me. He knew that for me to let go of the dead people I was carrying, I had to have something of equal or higher value to replace it. 

My Lord lead me to a scripture and I read. Ephesians 4:31-32 Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. 32 And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you. The Lord even showed me Mark 9:24..help me with mine unbelief. I asked God to forgive me and help me with my unbelief. 

At this point I thought God and I were okay on this matter. Years later as I laid talking to the Lord, He brought one man up before me. Lord I asked forgiveness and I forgave him. Search your heart He said. As I laid there many memories came to my mind of the kindness this man had done for me and to me. I remembered none of the pain I had carried for years, and I cried, as God showed me that this man did all he knew to do, he did not know how to show his love to those that he did in fact love. Then for the first time in a very long time I weep, not for me for him. 

Christmas is the time to give to others to show your love for them. I have no money, no gifts that I can impart to anyone. This is truly my happiest Christmas because for the first Christmas in my life I have no dead people on my back.

My gift to you is open your heart to the Lord and set yourself free. We can not change anyone else, we can only change ourselves. When we keep unforgiveness we are in fact carrying that dead act that person did to us, decaying on our back. Let go and let God.

God Bless you and God Bless those that hurt us.

recj/LJG

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