When You Are Pressed, Crushed, Or Tested

 Good evening everyone,

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       I pray you are all doing well on this Shabbat. I am doing well and I am soaking up the final days of Summer before we start school again. This is a spontaneous post which means you know it's going to be good because it was orchestrated by the Lord. So, I was reading earlier about the process of olives and grapes and I could not help but see it in a spiritual sense. When I think about what an olive or a grape has to go through to produce the sweet juice or the precious oil, the process is so valuable. An olive is pressed using a large stone wheel that squeezes out the pure oil and a grape literally has to be crushed several times to produce the juice that is squeezed out. 

  Similar to our lives, we go through times of crushing and being pressed. Those times when we feel all alone or in a great trial that we have no answers for, but to hold onto His every promise in our lives. Those times when it feels like the whole world is against us and when we look around us, it feels as if there is no help inside until we look up. Where does our help come from, it comes from the Lord who is the Maker of heaven and earth. Those times of pressing and crushing are valuable times in our lives. Why, because this is where the gold comes forth in our lives, we have to be under some sort of pressure to be able bring forth the good that He is wanting to come out of us. Is it easy, absolutely not, but it is needed. He wants us to produce that sweet smelling of savor that can only come forth through times of pressure. 

     If you are feeling you are being tested, crushed, or pressed, remember it's only for a season and when He is finished, you are going to be so much more stronger than before and it's only through Him that we can bring forth the good. Remember He is not against us, He is for us and will never leave us nor forsake us even when we cannot feel Him near us or see His hand. It's through the intense times of pressure that He is the closest to us. So be encouraged dear friends and allow Him to do what He only He can do in your lives. May the Lord bless you and keep you. Until next time, Shalom.

We Have All Gone Astray..

 Good evening everyone,

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    I hope you are all doing well. I should be winding down, but I was reading my Bible and there were a couple of scriptures that really stood out to me. They really jumped off the page at me and I thought, I need to write a blog post about this. So here I am at 9:00 at night writing a blog post. This was indeed a spontaneous post and usually, these are the best posts. I pray that this post encourages you with whatever you may be facing right now in your life. I hope you have your cup of coffee or tea with you. I am currently drinking some lemon ginger tea because my throat is a bit sore this evening. Without further ado, let's begin.

     The book of Psalms or Tehillim brings me so much comfort whenever I am having an off day like today. I was on the verge of tears and the Lord spoke to my heart saying, go to My word so without hesitation, I picked up my Bible and flipped it open. I came across Psalms 119:67 and it jumped off the page at me and brought me so much peace and comfort which I needed at that moment. It says, "Before I was humbled, I used to go astray; but now I observe Your word." As soon as I read those words, all I could think about was what I used to be before I gave my heart and life to the Lord. How many times do we need a little reminder of who we used to be before He came into our lives and turned us around? No, we are not supposed to live in the past, but sometimes we need to be reminded and be thankful that we are not who we used to be.

      Like wandering sheep that go astray and veer off the path, He comes running after us to get us back on the path with Him. Friends, I must say that as I am typing this, I have tears running down my face because I am so thankful that He came looking for me even when I did not know Him and now I want to observe His word still. I want Him to be close to me, I want Him to love me even in the worst moments of my life and He will never reject me or turn me away. We serve a loving Father and He is truly faithful even when we are not faithful to Him. He still has His arms wide open waiting for us to come running back to Him when we mess up, when we have bad days, when we don't even know what to do with ourselves. He created us and our hearts and He is the only One who knows us inside and out. He knows more about us than we do. How comforting it is to know that we have a Father who has created us and loved us so much to keep chasing and running after us. 

   I truly love Him and I give my life to Him as a living sacrifice, to be used for His glory. He has truly changed my life for the better and nothing in this world can satisfy the true longing in our hearts like He can. There is anfills emptiness in each one of our hearts and He is the only One that fill that empty space. A beautiful love story between Creator and creation. He is the Potter and we are the clay and He is never finished with molding and shaping us into what He wants us to be. We are a work in progress until He calls each and every one of us home. So friends, now that I have poured out my heart, I want you to know that He loves you too and He too wants to change your lives for the better. There is truly nothing like serving the One true God, the God of Israel. I love Him so very much and I would not be here today had it not been for Him. He has preserved my life time and time again. Oh friends, I wish I had the words to describe how I love Him, but there are no earthly words to describe my love for Him. It really is a beautiful love story between Creator and creation, maybe this will be my next blog post. So be encouraged my dear friends, He loves you so very much! Shabbat shalom dear friends, until next time!

It's Time to Wake Up From Your Slumber

Good afternoon everyone,

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     This is a spontaneous post which means you know it's from the Lord. Just a couple of hours ago, I watched the horrific video of what Hamas did to Israeli female soldiers. I am about to be very raw here, I became angry, disgusted, and hurt. To see young women being treated in such a fashion should not be, this is against all human rights and Hamas should be held accountable for their barbaric actions. No one should ever be mistreated this way, they spoke to them worse than an animal and pure hatred was spewed out of not only their mouths but their hearts. This brings me to my point, it's time for not only society to wake up, but America to wake up and realize to side with evil is evil. We are in not only a physical war but a spiritual war of good and evil. I want us to take a walk down memory lane all the way back to 9/11. I will never forget, I was about 11 years old and I was home sick from school. My mother had received a phone call and the next thing I knew, my mom turned on the tv and I saw the planes go into the twin towers. Now as a child, I knew something was wrong, way wrong. We were being attacked on our own soil and innocent people's lives were in jeopardy. 

    My questions to America and those who support terrorism are, have you forgotten what happened in our nation? Have you forgotten who we pledge allegiance to every single day? We are supposed to be one nation under God, the God of Israel. Tell me how is supporting a terrorist organization okay? Why do we insist on telling Israel how to fight this war with Hamas when really we should just support her no matter what. Tell me why do we think siding with evil is not evil? Why are we condemning Israel instead of supporting her? Hamas stepped onto Israel's land and did what they did and took innocent lives and we honestly think she should stand by and let them do whatever and not defend herself? Have we lost all our moral common sense? What is going to take for us to wake up and realize that this is not okay and that we need to stand and fight for what is right? If you are like me and you serve the God of Israel, then it is your duty, it is a command from God to pray and support Israel. It's not an option, it's a command and if you have the love of the Lord within you, you will not keep silent. I know I cannot, I have been speaking up ever since October 7th and will continue to do so until I take my last breath. 

     Israel needs people to stand with her and support her and speak up on her behalf. Will you be one of the ones to speak up? Will you be like Esther and take a stand for her people? Where are the modern Esthers of this day and time, how long will you be silent on this matter? Can you not see the evil that is taking place, let us not be silent in the face of evil. The Bible says there is a time to speak and a time to be silent. This is not the time to be silent, this is the time to speak loudly. How can we do this? We should pray to our heavenly Father about how we can speak up. Going along to get along is out of the question, this will not help anything and besides this is compromising the truth. Take a stand for the truth and not the lies. Find out the truth, the Lord said, He will lead us into all truth and that is through His word. Find out in His word what He thinks and how he sees the innocent being mistreated. God's word allows us to see His heart and how he feels about things that matter to Him and if it matters to Him, how much more should it matter to us? Friends, please do not think that I am condemning anyone because I am not, I just really feel a call to action in my heart. We can first get on our knees and pray for the peace of Jerusalem. Right now they are hurting and we should be there to comfort them and pray for them. I pray that these words will cause you to pray like never before for our Jewish brothers and sisters and that you will stand with them. May the Lord bless you and keep you. Until next time, Shalom!

What I Learned Recently Changed My Perspective and I Pray It Changes Yours Too.

 Good evening everyone,

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     I hope you are all doing well! I am doing well, we just finished the school year and I am on Summer break. After a busy school year with a lot of changes, I welcome a much-needed break. I wanted to hop on here quickly to share something that has really helped me to see things in a different light. I love how the Lord will cause us to stumble across something that will make us think and reconsider our mindset. He has a way of doing that and leading us to walk closer to Him in these instances. Before we begin, I hope you have your cup of coffee or tea with you. I am drinking a cup of Lady Grey tea with a slice of lemon. Without further ado, let's begin!

Yesterday, I stumbled across an interview with an IDF soldier and what he said really impacted me. Someone asked him what does he do when he goes into Gaza and has feelings of sadness or anger. His reply was that he takes those negative feelings and uses them as motivation. I have not forgotten those words and I could not help but begin to pray asking God, how much more do we need to do this in our daily walk with You? I began to ponder this thought and I thought to myself, "You know Lord, I need to do better in this area." Life can throw some curve balls, but it's our reactions that speak volumes. The Lord says in His word that we will have trials and tribulations, but we are never alone. He is with us through the valleys in life, the mountaintop experiences and even in the dark places in life when we cannot see Him or feel Him close by. 

   He says in His word that He will never leave us nor forsake us, He is with us always. God is not a person that He should lie, His word is faithful and true. So, the next time you are faced with a situation and you are experiencing negative feelings, take those feelings and use them to propel you forward. This is why we walk by faith and not by sight. Feelings are fickle and will deceive you, but the word of God will guide you in the right direction and keep you moving forward. May the Lord bless you and keep you. Shabbat Shalom!

The Keeper of Israel

Good morning everyone,

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I hope you are all doing well today. I am doing well, I have just finished the second semester of my schooling and we are just a couple of weeks going home for the Summer. My four-year-olds are ready and I must say so, am I. This school year has really flown by and it's hard to believe that we are wrapping up another year. I look back and see so much growth not only in my children but also in myself. Today, I wanted to hop on here and write about something so near and dear to my heart. I keep up with what is going on in Israel every day and I will be honest, it's hard to listen and watch the news sometimes. The Lord reminded me of a passage of scripture that has allowed me to see this situation from a different perspective and I would love to share it with you. Before we begin, I hope you have your favorite cup of coffee or tea with you. I am drinking a caramel waffle cookie this morning with oat milk and I must say, it is absolutely delicious! Let's begin!

Israel has enemies on all sides of her, but I am amazed at how the Lord always helps her and protects her despite her enemies. In 2 Kings chapter 6 verses 14 through 20, we see Elisha and the servant. Aram sent horses and chariots to surround the city and they had a large army. The servant went outside and came back to Elisha and said, "Master, this is terrible, what are we going to do?" Elisha prayed and asked the Lord that his eyes be opened so that he could see." Then the Lord opened this young man's eyes and he saw before him the mountain was covered with horses and fiery chariots. As the Lord reminded me of this powerful story, the Lord made me realize it does not matter how many are against you, if the Lord is for you then who can be against you. 

The enemy wants us to fear in the natural realm that sometimes we can lose sight of God's word and what He has promised. God's word is so powerful and it does not change, what He said then is still for today. No matter what you face in this life, God is always present and will never forsake His people. Though the enemy rages, the Lord is still on His throne and He will keep us in the palm of His hand no matter what. It says in the word, that when the enemy comes in like a flood, the Lord will lift up a standard against him. He will make him flee if we resist the enemy and keep our eyes upon the One who holds our life in His hands. So, let us continue to pray for Israel and for the hostages to be returned to their families, and let us not forget that He is the keeper of Israel. He who is the keeper of Israel neither slumbers nor sleeps. He has given Israel victory in every battle and this is no different, what He has done before, He will do again. Let God arise and let His enemies be scattered! May the Lord bless you and keep you. Shalom.

God's Unseen Hand In The Feast of Purim

 Good morning everyone,

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    I pray you are all doing well. I am doing well, I have been extremely busy with work and school work. This weekend, I have been trying to focus on resting and recharging my batteries. We can go and go and go until we absolutely have no more to go on. So, it is so important to take time to rest, your body and your mind needs to rest. This morning, I have been thinking about the holiday, Purim. Purim began yesterday evening and I remember always steering away from Purim because I thought it was like Halloween. Well, it is not Halloween, it's a beautiful story of God's unseen hand moving on behalf of His people. If you have never read the story of Esther, I encourage you to read it, it's one of my favorites in the Bible. Before we begin, I hope you have your favorite cup of coffee or tea with you. I am drinking a salted caramel latte that I made this morning, it's delicious! Let's begin!

  In this book of Esther, we never not one time see the name of God mentioned in this story (If you do not believe me, check it out for yourself). A young woman named Hadassah is taken to the king's palace after he ousted Vashti. She is groomed for one year to prepare for her one night with the king. She is chosen to become queen. Now Haman the Agagite is an old foe that is wiping out the Jews right and left. He ends up moving up in position from the captain of the guard to prince which is the right-hand man to the king. This is the point of the story of the story where she realizes that she can no longer be silent and her uncle Mordechai tells her, "Perhaps you were born for such a time as this." Esther 4:14 She calls for every Jew to fast and pray even herself. She decides to go before the king unsummoned and if she perishes, she perishes. She goes before the king and as she is walking towards him, he raises his royal scepter over her because to come before the king unsummoned, you were killed. A banquet is prepared for the king and Haman and this is where she reveals to the king her true identity. She reveals to him that her real name is Hadassah which is a Jewish name. He runs out and she is left alone with Haman. built Haman tries to kill her and the king comes and sees what he is doing. The king becomes angry and orders him to be hung on the gallows that he built for her uncle Mordechai. 

    In the end, the Jewish people were saved by the unseen hand of God. We see this over and over in scripture. Time and time again, the Lord has rescued His chosen people with His mighty hand. What happened on October 7th, the Lord has not forgotten and he will save His people again. He made a covenant with His people and He will keep His covenant and His promise. So, you may not see the Lord's hand right now, but it is there, we just cannot see it. He will act and judge according to what has been done. We are to continue to pray and believe for the salvation of the Jewish people and pray for peace in Jerusalem. So, with that being said, Happy Purim or Chag Purim Sameach! May the Lord bless you and keep you! Until next time, shalom!

The Beauty Of Shabbat

 Hello everyone,

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        I hope you are all doing well this morning. It's been a while since I have written a blog post, I have been very busy with school and my job. I wanted to hop on here and write what the Lord has put on my heart the last two days. This past Friday evening began Shabbat or the Sabbath. I have been trying to make an effort to make sure that I observe this special day that the Lord so graciously gave to us. As I was cleaning and preparing for Shabbat on Friday, the Lord made me realize something that I hadn't noticed before. I was preparing the rooms, making sure everything was clean and as I was thinking about Shabbat approaching, I began to prepare my heart. As I was preparing my heart, I felt the peace or shalom overwhelm my heart. It was such a beautiful shalom that surpassed all my understanding. Before I go any further, I hope you have your favorite cup of coffee or tea with you. I am currently drinking peppermint tea because I am dealing with some congestion from the temperatures going up and down. 

    When I think about Shabbat, it is truly a beauty to prepare for each week. As I make the challah each week, it makes me excited for Friday evening, when I pull out the candles, the Kiddish cup, the grape juice, my prayer book, and my Bible. Everything is so beautiful, but the most beautiful is when I prepare my heart before the Lord. When I make an effort to refocus back on Him. That is the whole point of the beautiful day is to bring our focus back on Him. This is true resting in the Lord. I am reminded of what Jesus or Yeshua said, "Come to Me all who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest." There is beauty in resting, a resting in the Lord that only He can give to us. As I partake of the challah, I am reminded that I need the bread of life which is Yeshua. When I partake of the fruit of the vine or the grape juice, I am reminded that I need Yeshua because He is the vine and I am to abide in Him. 

    When I light the candles and say a blessing over them, I am reminded that I need the Light of the world. Everything points to our Lord and Savior so why not celebrate the day that He ordained as the day of rest, the day to refocus our hearts on Him. Oh, my dear friends, Shabbat is beautiful and holy. It was designed by the hand of the Lord and He wants us to partake, to keep Shabbat as one of His holy days. Pray and ask the Lord about Shabbat and let Him lead and guide you. May the Lord bless you and keep you. Until next time, Shalom!