Passover

One of the things that I have been looking forward to over the last year is Passover! Im excited for the holiday, but Im also thankful for the cleaning. Yes, the cleaning! I am so greatful that there is a time set aside each year that is specifically dedicated to deep cleaning my home! I cant explain how the kind of blessing this is, knowing that the rest of the year I dont have to stress, I can just do my best at that time, and be comforted by the knowledge that there will be time that I can tackle all those little things I cant do right now. I can paint the chipped doorways. I can clean my oven! Mind you, I take a month before Passover because it is still a very large job to take on.

So today I started my Passover cleaning. I started with the bedrooms. They are easy and kind of like a warm up for the rest of the house. I get really serious as I move toward the main living areas, being sure to scrub every corner (looking for leaven!). This year I made a printable checklist, which you can have also if you email me and ask for it. I think it will make things a lot easier.

I wrote about this last year, so if you havent read that, you should! My cleaning for Passover is rooted a little deeper than just a need for cleanliness. Shabbat Shalom...

Preparing for the Passover

I have spent the last week cleaning my house top to bottom. It is the first night of Passover, and it is not exactly done. Im not Jewish, so why do I worry? I dont know. I thought that this would be a good time to do spring cleaning and to observe some of the laws and decrees set forth in the old testament by God. I am seeking to know more about why God established them and also to find the fulfillment of those traditions and customs in the fulfillment of prophecy and redemption thru Yeshua, the Messiah. I know him as my savior, but I want to know him as he was revealed before his advent. Anyway, that is some of why I tried to clean my house for Passover.

I finally finished my kitchen today. I understand now why it takes an orthodox Jewess 3 weeks to clean her home! In under a week, I have done 2 bedrooms, a bathroom, the living and dining room, and after 2 days, the kitchen. We did manage to get all the leavening out of the kitchen, which I consider a success in itself. Maybe next year we will get the other rooms done - the offices and garage. It was a good practice run.

Thru this week, one of the things that I meditated on (while cleaning) is the idea that if the Messiah appears at my door for dinner tonight, on Passover, I want my home to be ready - cleaned, welcoming, fit for a king. I dont want anything to be repulsive or detestable. I did fail in that this year, but it was something to think on. In Jewish tradition, the feast of unleavened bread (Pesach, i.e. Passover) is a time to eradicate our homes, our domains, of all leavening, which represents sin. The yeast or leavening is a symbol of pride and hidden, fermenting sin. Again, I failed to do that in all rooms in my home. I know that any one of us would be understanding if our neighbor failed to clean every room in their house to perfection, but would Yeshua? Does God tolerate sin in our hearts, even the ones we claim we cant see? I was reminded that even the corners I couldnt reach or the backs of shelves that no one would see, God sees. Yeshua would know that filth was there. I know that filth is there, and I have a responsibility to remove it. Traditionally, after the ceremony of "searching out the leaven" , a prayer would be said that asks that all leaven that was overlooked be considered null and void.
I am so grateful that I have that too! That even the sins that I dont see or cant understand or refuse to acknowledge are forgiven, covered by the blood of Messiah. Thank God that the blood of Yeshua covers all sins, if only we admit it and ask for that forgiveness.

Another drive to preparing for Passover was the idea that should we be raptured tonight, my house would be clean. HA ha ha ha! Didnt quite happen that way, and if it had, would I even care that my house is dirty? I doubt it!

Im going to continue to clean my house over the Passover, seeing as I am nearly finished :) Im looking forward to a leaven free diet for the next week. I am so excited that the celebration of the resurrection of Yeshua falls in Passover, as his death and resurrection occurred during Passover.
I pray that you all will see more of the Messiah this week, that you would feel the weight and importance of his sacrifice, the blessing and peace of his gift of salvation, and rejoice and celebrate in the occurrence of his resurrection - each a piece of the merciful, eternal grace of God we have been given.

Tu B'Shevat: The Fruit of the Spirit

It is so hard to get going with school on Mondays sometimes! Yesterday I was reading thru the book Walk thru the Year with Y'shua, planning ahead for how we would observe the next holy day, when I noticed a holiday that I had never heard of before: Tu B'Shevat! I looked online and imagine my surprise, it was today! In Jewish tradition, it is the New Year for Trees - a time to prepare for spring and planting, and to observe how we all grow by Gods leading. In my book, which is aimed at Messianic Jews, it is a time to reflect on how we are nurtured in Gods word and how all of our lives bear fruit when we abide in Christ.

We were really blessed to be able to use this day to accomplish things around the house and complete several subjects for school while observing this holiday. We talked about how trees are alive and how they change during the seasons, what trees mean to people for food and air, and how we are branches of the vine (a tree in our lesson) of Christ. We had figs, raisens and pistachio's for a snack (all fruits!), we made a HUGE tree on our dining room wall with contact paper and then decorated it with heart shaped "fruit" (like valentines... :) ) which we wrote the names of fruits of the spirit on (Galatians 5:22). We even split my suffering aloe plant into new pots, with the hope that they would thrive and we could give them away (kind of like the fruits are meant to be shared..... are you seeing the pattern?...ha!) Does anyone know - does aloe grow in the desert in Israel? LOL

Right: Our tree with "fruits of the spirit"!

While we were cutting out our heart fruits for the tree (stay tuned for the tree decorated for a myriad of holidays and occassions this coming year!), Brody, who has been very sick since Saturday evening (his fever broke early this morning, praise the Lord!) had a short burst of energy and insisted in participating. Maybe it was the promise of using scissors! Anyway, Brody wanted to cut out hearts for our fruits. I helped him trace the first one and then left him to cut it out. He was able to cut around half of it raggedly, but then began asking for help. I put my hand over his and we finished it together, a nice smooth cut.

It struck me that this is much like the help we get from the Father. Without His help, our efforts are sincere, but not nearly as perfect (or completed) as it is WITH Him. How much we need His help to grow perfect fruit! He instructs us, guides us and is the one to nurish us and the result is a fruit more perfect than we can ever accomplish on our own. I dont think we will be overlooking Tu B'Shevat again!

I pray that all our lives will be fruitful this year, that we will seek to grow in God's ways and we will abide in Christ.

Suggested reading: John 15

Right: Boys repotting aloe, Brody sleeping!

By the way, that HUGE rubber plant behind the boys needs a home... Any takers!?

Holiday Review

So below are some snippets of what we have been up to over the "holiday" season. But first I want to pose this question: Its not really a holiday, is it? I found myself slightly overwhelmed (I get a little more organized and a little more laid back every year, so i am improving my coping during this time, but....) and beginning to snap at my husband! I actually looked at him and said " you have it so easy, a wife who does all the work to prepare for the holidays, and you just sit around, sleeping in!" And then it hit me: THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT HE DOES FOR ME EVERY DAY!!

Yeah, I had to just shut my mouth after that. He goes to work every day, breaks his back so I can stay home with the kids! And he deserves to rest during the holidays. I should, instead, be GRATEFUL that I can do all these arts and crafts, baking and gift making that I do during the holidays, that we have food for plenty of guests during that time. That my home is comfortable and WARM when its -25F outside! Thank you Lord that you are opening my eyes to what you do for us and to the real gifts of the husband you chose for me.

Anyway, here are some pictures of our holidays... Enjoy!

From Top Left, to bottom:

The boys posing for Christmas card pictures;

Cal stirring chocolate for brownies;

Making ornaments!;

Hanging out with Uncle O;

Thanksgiving Day treats - cherry preserve pies!