Tending the Temple Daily

  The other day I had a brief conversation with a young man that I just can't get out of my head. I replay the interaction over and over. I feel like I should be seeing something "between the lines", if you will. A deeper meaning, another layer of understanding perhaps. Writing down my thoughts helps, so here goes.  We traveled to Missouri to meet with our assembly for Shabbat. Fortunately, my youngest granddaughter was allowed to go with us. She was especially excited to go because she could meet some people she had only seen on video and heard through the car speakers. She knows all their songs and boldly sings them from her booster seat as we roll down the road. These people are the praise/worship leaders of the assembly. They are a couple known as Linden and Ruth of Left and Right Ministries. I ran into Linden in the parking lot. I told him my granddaughter was excited to meet him. He was always a person on a screen, and now he's right in front of her. He responde...

  Have you heard about the drones? News reports the drones are appearing over more and more cities and military bases across the USA and Eutope. Lots of speculation as to who is responsible for the drones, but seems no one really knows.  Are they alien? Black Ops? Iran? Watchers? Regardless of what they are and who is responsible, as a redeemed child of the Most High you have security.  A great deception is prophesied to come on the earth. A deception so great even the elect might be deceived.  ( 2 Thessalonians 2:3-12, Revelation13, 2 Timothy 4:3-4). I understand this to mean that even those we hold in high esteem for their knowledge, wisdom, spirituality and experience could fall victim to the deception.  Our only life line here is to know the Word of Yah. Listen intently to what is being presented and weigh it against the Word of Yah. Do not waiver to the left or to the right.  Yahusha told us that His own (sheep) will know His voice. Truly this means to...

I have had a few hard to explain experiences in my lifetime. I know what I know, but sounds crazy when I try to explain it to others. Like that time I was rescued by an angel:   This was way back in the 1980's. I was living in Fayetteville NC near Ft Bragg and Pope AFB. It had been reported in the news that summer about several women being attacked along this certain stretch of road. These women were in car breakdown situations when a carload of men would arrive. The women thought they were going to be helped, but instead they were brutally attacked. I had a job in the mall working evening hours to close. This schedule had me leaving work pretty late at night. One evening as I'm driving down that stretch of road the alternator in my car went out. Lights started to dim, car coasts to a stop in the parking lot of a business. Remember no cell phones, I look around, no payphone, no people, nothing but darkness. Then I hear music, car radio, and see headlights heading towards me. Bu...

  To my Sons: Chaz and Caleb (and my grandsons Charlie and Johnny, and Ethan) Boys, please forgive me for the many times I have failed you as a parent. I have had moments of selfishness, depression, fear, ignorance, and denial,  in these moments I have failed you as your mother. I could have and should have done better. Please forgive me.  I am beyond proud of you.  Both of you have overcome great obstacles and have grown into good men. You are wonderful dads, attentive and supportive husbands, and respectful sons. You are such a blessing to me. I am grateful to be a part of your lives.  Do you remember our bedtime routine when you were little? I would read to you, then we prayed together and I said blessings over you.  Such sweet memories. I still pray for you and now I want to say blessings over you again.  May Yah bless you and keep you, may His Face shine upon you and bring you peace. May Yah grant you favor in all you do, with everyone you meet, a...

  I have been legally married according to the laws of my state and federal government three times. Only one of these unions is a covenant marriage grounded in Yahuah and His instructions for life.  Until recently I have carried such guilt and shame for my past failed marriages.  I have had really skewed understanding of the Scriptures about marriage,  divorce,  and remarriage. And I clearly received poor counsel from well meaning church leaders.  I found myself in the Pastor's office frequently during my second marriage seeking help. The fact that there was abuse in my marriage was not a secret.  My ex attended church with me often enough that people could see we had problems. Each time I asked for counsel, I was proposed the same question: are you being stiff-necked? The verses about being submissive and having an unbelieving spouse were quoted, and I was dismissed.  Not sure why I kept going back, maybe because I knew the answers were in my Bib...

  For several years I have been praying that the corruption in our world be exposed. I didn't pray for what should come next, repentance, but the election results have given me some encouragement.  I honestly didn't put much faith in the recent US Presidential Election, but my faith has been somewhat restored in the citizens of the United States. I'm also seeing this resurgence of family morals all over the world.  Everywhere people are rejecting "progessive"/antihuman policies.  It is without doubt that Donald J Trump has unified this counrty like no one else in my lifetime.  Many self important "celebrities" tried to convince the masses to not choose this unifying individual, and they failed miserably. So either the celebrities weren't as influential as they thought or the people are waking up and opening their eyes to the evil and darkness trying to take over. Both are most likely true. This waking up and opening eyes is also moving people to seek...

  I have one really great Christmas memory. I was elementary school age. After the Christmas parade, in which I had marched with my baton twirling class, my best friend and I were allowed to run around downtown enjoying our giant candy canes. This was 1970's, it was a real downtown, lights, music, happy shoppers, the works, an American Christmas!  For about 35 years of my life I believed Christmas was a Holy Day, an important Christian celebration, and as an adult, I religiously put up those decorations.  I accumulated debt to buy the gifts I was expected to provide in the family gift exchange, plus the excessive gifts for my kids, I attended Christmas Eve candlelight ceremony, I did all the stuff and found myself feeling empty and discontented every year. I was expecting more. I was expecting an encounter with God.  While raising my boys I couldn't bring myself to lie to them about Santa (or Easter bunny, or tooth fairy either). I had planned to do the whole Santa t...

 Dear Daughters: Harlie, Sarah, Britny, Millie, Tatum, Amy You are beautiful,  intelligent,  kind, and worthy. Don't let anyone tell you different.  If you will allow me, I'd love to share some wisdom with you.   Know your worth and don't look for acceptance or validation from someone who is incapable of giving it. Not everyone wants to see you succeed.  But your heavenly Father does. You were fearfully and wonderfully made. You were created on purpose with purpose. And I think you're pretty wonderful.  A man's greatest need in a relationship is respect. A woman's greatest need in a relationship is security, everything from finances to her friendship with her man. When there are conflicts, take a step back,  and see what needs are not being met. If you simplify the problem, then it's easier to find the solution.  Talk to your man, feed him information. The more he knows the better he can love you.  The Bible tells us: husbands love ...

The gift of the word of wisdom, the gift of the word of knowledge, the gift of faith, the gift of healing, the gift of doing miracles, the gift of prophecy or speaking Yah's words, the gift of discernment of spirits, the gift of different languages, both the speaking and interpretation. Acts 2:1-47, 1 Corinthians 12:1 -14:40, 1 Peter 4:10-11, Romans 12:1-21, Isaiah 11:1-3, 1 Timothy 4:14-16, Hebrews 2:4, Mark 16:17 is where we read about the Gifts of The Spirit. These verses cover what the Gifts are, how you receive a Gift, structure for using the Gifts in an assembly, purpose for the Gifts, and warnings and assurances about the Gifts. Yet, I still have questions.  First question: why don't we see believers in Messiah operating in these gifts in mass currently? A internet search says there are 2.38 billion Christians in the world. That's a lot of believers. So why aren't we seeing folks healing like Peter and Paul did? Why is there so little words of wisdom and knowledg...

 I began this blog/online diary during the Hanukkah season, with a rededication of the temple, aka my body, to Yah in mind. Well, as things go I've learned more about Hanukkah. The more you know,  the better you do.  I've changed how I handle Hanukkah due to the things I've learned.  Hopefully, I'm doing better. First  I learned that there likely was no miracle involving the oil to light the menorahs in the temple. This story was recorded in the talmud between 100 and 600 AD, but is not found in any historical documents.  Considering that this event happened approximately 160 years before the birth of Messiah, seems like it would have been recorded before 100 - 600 AD.  Even the Jewish historian Josephus excludes the oil miracle in his account of the Maccabean revolt. Second, I learned that the descendents of Zadok were not serving as temple high priests with the rededication of the temple (Ezekiel 44:15-16). The Hasmoneans, a Maccabean family, were pl...

I know folks say never talk about religion or politics, but I  do it anyway.  The upcoming US Presidential Election is 5 days away at the time of this writing.  The tensions are high,  the propaganda is deep, the lies are astronomical, and folks are at extreme odds with one another.  I've seen a dozen or so YouTube videos from respected Bible teachers talking about the election,  half say Christians have a moral responsibility to vote,  and the other half say Christians should have nothing to do with this corrupt system. I'm not going to advise anyone on that.  Make a decision with which you can live. That's what I will do.  I would like to bring one thing to your attention: left wing, right wing = one eagle The more I learn, the clearer this comes into focus. The pendulum swings, and it's likely to swing wide. Right now we've got far "left/ progressive" rulership. The swing far "right/conservative" will be bad too, just different. In a fair ...

 Sukkot 2024 Part Deux: what I learned, because it's all a learning process.  In a nutshell I learned that I still have a lot of baggage. Ewww yucky things that I hide away in my regular life. Self protecting stuff that I tend to give myself excuses to use. I desire relationship with other believers yet I am still so guarded. I keep much of myself behind curtains of quiet defensive behaviors. I feel like I'm always on the outside looking in,  and am convinced that I do it to myself.  Well rejection hurts, that's why.   Bill and I tend to be reclusive in general. We don't have many "friends" we have over for dinner.  When we do anything,  it's with family. And our family members are not living as Grafted in Believers of Yahusha. Bill and I are the odd men out, so to speak.  Our family tolerates the differences, so that's great,  but it does instill in us a desire for fellowship with like minded people.  Our prayers of course are for ...

  Sitting in my sukkah (travel trailer) this morning,  sipping coffee and listening to the sounds of the camp waking up. It's reported that there's around 300 people registered this Sukkot, and soooooo many new babies.  I heard a praise report last evening that prayers were offered last Sukkot for fertility in our young women.  Lo and behold many families were blessed with babies this year, including one who was believed to be barren and another who had suffered a few miscarriages. Yah is Good all the time.   We've reconnected with loved ones we met last year, and made new relationships we hope to nurture and consider brothers and sisters.  It genuinely feels like family we never knew we had. I've been Torah pursuant for over 25 years, sure wish I could remember exact dates, but it's been a journey.  In this time I have kept the Feasts sometimes  alone, most times in my backyard,  but always desiring to keep this feast with other like-mi...

  Fasting is an important part of discipleship of which I never received instruction when I attended regular Sunday go-to-meeting Church. Why? It didn't seem to be given any value in a believer's walk.  I have since learned that fasting is not only important,  it's necessary.  I used to be convinced that I couldn't fast. I got nauseous before 24 hours had passed and would cave and give up.  But when I got determined, I was able to press thru, the nausea would pass, I didn't barf. Once I got passed that I began to notice how great I felt. I also had clarity of mind that I hadn't experienced before. I still struggle thru the first 24 hours, but the next 24 hours are so encouraging.  But the best thing was hearing from Yah. No, not an audible voice, yet I do have a story for that I'll tell later, but a clear message either thru a person, the Scriptures, or an enlightening on a subject I'd been studying but I hadn't seen before.  Confirmation, understand...

  It's been 3 years since I first blogged about head covering. Primarily I am speaking of head covering for women who are followers of Yahusha/Jesus. I am still covering for Holy Days including every Shabbat. As I was studying this subject 3 years ago, I was listening to other women's testimonies regarding head covering. One comment stood out to me: be consistent. Whichever way I decide to implement covering in my life, I'm to be consistent.  And I have been.   I still feel (my personal beliefs, not Scripture) that covering is one way I make the Holy Days more special.  I wear a variety of styles and colors of head coverings, so to me it's fun to coordinate my clothing with my scarfs. Lately I've been sorting my outfits for Sukkot, and matching scarfs to them. When I'm at Sukkot I blend in, many ladies cover, but in regular life, I'm always the only one.  And I don't mind.  Clearly, I am set apart from the others. I still enjoy the sense of security my...

  I often think to myself, "it's all a test".  Every interaction with another being, every choice, every moment of every day we are being tested. These tests are sometimes obvious and other times hard to detect. But as a Believer in Yahusha, we usually quickly notice when we've failed a test.   Recently I have been tested by forgetting to ring up my carbonated drink, got all the way out to my pickup before I noticed.  After I loaded my paid for purchases, I took my cart back thru the self checkout and paid for that carton of drinks. I could have talked myself into just loading up those drinks and head home: the door checker person should have caught it, it's inconvenient to go back in and pay, oh I could probably come up with some great excuses to keep from doing the right thing. But I would have failed the test.  Also this week I saw a post on Facebook that reminded me of a deep wounding I received this year. I claim to forgive this offense, but I reposted...

  Have you been listening to all the warnings about October? #1 the signs in the heavenly bodies that reflect messages in the Book of Revelation,  #2 election cycle October surprise,  #3 escalating military operations in Ukraine and the Middle East What if October is when End Times events actually take off? Are you ready? Are you grieved by what's going on in our world? Is your heart in the right place? Have you warned everyone? These are my internal questions.   Yah, His Son Yahusha, and the faithful prophets told us what to look for to know that the Day of Yahuah is at hand.  Wars, rumors of wars, like in the days of Noah, people will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy. Unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self control,  brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong,  haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of Yah. We are told that the sun, moon and st...

  I was listening to Tucker Carlson speak with John Rich and Russell Brand ( don't judge lol), and they were speaking about a Christian awakening they claim is happening all around the world ( I sure hope so). Tucker Carlson said, "when you hear truth it resounds within you like a bell". Then Russell said, " it's discernment, and not everyone has it". Those statements hit me like a lightning bolt. I, 100%,  agree with them.  Have you ever tried to share truth with someone and they cocked their head like a confused dog? Or you share a truth and they wish to argue the point? They don't have discernment.  Try as you like,  until they ask for discernment from Yah, they won't get it.  This is so logical,  the things of Yah seldom make sense to us, after all His ways are not our ways, the wisdom of this world is foolishness with Elohim, but if He's given us discernment, we can make some sense of it.  Don't waste your time with frustration or anger,...

  Have you seen these videos? Parasites are demons?!?!?! I'm just blown away.  I'll leave links here: https://youtu.be/1iQF5xv7PXE?si=yW-6Jp8QXewHFpgk https://www.youtube.com/live/GMO9lrohW6Q?si=2JprqoVedapez1Pu This is terrifying and makes so much sense.  The videos present the data correlating the commonalities between the behaviors of demons and parasites.  The Holy Scriptures are also presented as evidence.  Yah gave us instructions regarding diet that would protect us against parasites if properly followed.  Isn't He awesome.  Even Yahusha/Jesus told His disciples that some demons are only removed by prayer and fasting. Fasting is a method to remove parasites from the human body. Ding ding ding. Bells are ringing. All of Yah's instructions are for our well-being.   A few years ago I was visiting with a friend who suffered from rheumatoid arthritis.  I had learned from another friend, Lucinda Robinson, that arthritis or joint inflamm...

  I planted a garden this Spring. It was the first planting after observing the Sabbatical Year. I added copper grounding to my garden, I am not sure what exactly contributed to it,  but I had/have an abundance of tomatoes.  I planted 5 and had 3 volunteers.  This weekend I harvested 22 lbs of tomatoes and 4 lbs of peppers.  Oh and my garden is probably 12'x12'.  What do I do with so many tomatoes? I taught myself how to water bath can/preserve. So far I have 6 pints of roasted poblano/nacho salsa and 9 pints of stewed tomatoes.  I'm pretty proud of my accomplishment.  Google, YouTube, and my wonderful husband were my partners in this endeavor.  Now I've got the canning bug and am looking for what else I can can... lol can can. For sure I plan to grow lots of okra next year and will pickle okra for my granddaughter who loves that stuff.   I was pretty intimidated by the thought of canning. Seemed like a complicated thing, this prese...

Lately I've been binge watching this popular medical drama that has over 20 seasons. I had never seen it before. I feel like it's a window into the left- liberal- progressive- woke- world. Every possible woke agenda is front and center to every episode, their world view, what they view as the acceptable perspective, and how they view other perspectives. Medical issues tend to be secondary, but definitely part of each storyline.  As this program spans over the C0vid era, medical issues are woke issues.  There is one character in particular that annoys me like crazy.  She says "I, me, and mine" countless times in her dialog. She is never happy or content for long, she is fearful of commitment, self absorbed, self aggrandizing, self serving, believes self comes first,  her fullment and identy comes from her work. I find myself yelling at the TV, 'get your eyes off yourself'. Yeah, I know... it's just a fictional tv show. But it reveals a darkness. Art imitate...

  I am beyond grateful for my husband.  I tell him he's like Mary Poppins:  practically perfect in every way . We laugh, but in my eyes it's true. I've known Bill since we were kids, 12 and 14 years of age. He started chasing me at that time.   He told my parents he had been in love with me since he was 12. Looking back it seems like Yah was trying to put us together since then.   Bill chased and I ran. I think I was looking for the wrong qualities in a guy. I knew Bill had the good qualities,  we had grown very close and considered each other friends.  Yet, I didn't consider him for myself,  I actually married his best friend. This was a two year long disaster.  We divorced,  I moved to the city for a job and to get more education.  Bill found me.  I rejected him again.  We both married other people, moved back to our home town, and raised families.  My second marriage. We found ourselves attending the same...

  Has it occurred to you that the Statue of Liberty is a pagan goddess? Most of my life I never gave it much thought.  She is an iconic symbol of the United States.  She was a gift from the counrty of France in 1876, the 100th anniversary of American independence, as a symbol of friendship between the two countries.  She stands on Liberty Island in the Upper New York Bay. She is 305 feet high, she holds a torch in her right hand, and a tablet in her left. Growing up in the 60's-80's, I was taught that this statue represents our country and the USA is a Christian nation. But that's a problem. How can a pagan goddess represent a Christian nation?  I was serving as a Youth Pastor when I came to the realization that Lady Libery is a pagan goddess. I asked my senior pastor if he knew,  he did indeed know this and was not bothered by it.  But I was.  How can we, a Christian Nation, embrace a pagan diety as our representative, our mascot? A statue of a p...

  Years ago Yah showed me that I had some things wrong. I had the wrong understanding on some things, which affected my understanding of other things. Some of the skewed notions I had came from teachers who also misunderstood, some came from me not doing the research, some came from traditions handed down to me.  I'll share with you and maybe I can give some insight, or prompt someone to do the research themselves.   Did you know that Judaism is not taught from the Old Testament? Jews do not lean upon the Holy Scriptures: Genesis thru Malachi. They learn from books called the Talmud which contains Gemara and the Mishnah. These are books containing what is referred to as the Oral Traditions/law. The practice of holding Talmud over OT Scriptures began around 200 years before Yahusha/ Jesus was born after the Maccabean Revolt. The priests who were installed into Temple after the Maccabean war were not of the Levitical line of Zadok as commanded by Yahuah. (Numbers 20:24...

  “Again, you heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform your oaths to יהוה.’But I say to you, do not swear [vainly] at all, neither by the heaven, because it is Elohim’s throne; nor by the earth, for it is His footstool nor by Yerushalayim, for it is the city of the great Sovereign; nor swear by your head, because you are not able to make one hair white or black. “But let your word ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No’ be ‘No.’ And what goes beyond these is from the wicked one. (Matt 5:33-37) Integrity in our speech. Have you ever paid close attention to the speech of yourself and others looking for the ways we emphasize, exaggerate, and highlight what is being said? So many times we are adding an element of dishonesty to the conversation when we employ these tactics to express the ideas we are communicating.  Years ago Yah showed this to me.  I do try to be honest and not exaggerate when conveying a message, but it's something we are...

  Two things required to grow in faith are reverent fear and humility. What is reverent fear? It is a deep respect and awe of The Most High Elohim. Not to be equated with being terrified of something evil, but more like a dread of displeasing or disappointing Yah. Ok, now,  what is humility? Humility is being humble in your view of yourself.  Not thinking too highly of yourself,  not being prideful or arrogant.  To understand that you are the created, not the Creator.  Job was a humble man but he also received a lesson in humility. In Job 38, Yah responds to Job's queries regarding the trials Job had endured. Job didn't understand why he had gone thru so much loss when he viewed himself as one who walked the narrow path and wasn't deserving of the difficulties and losses in which he had experienced.   Iyoḇ (Job) 38:2 TS2009 [2] “Who is this who darkens counsel by words without knowledge? Iyoḇ (Job) 38:4 TS2009 [4] Where were you when I laid the ...

  The Fall Holy Feasts are coming up soon. I'm super excited for the Feast of Tabernacles aka Sukkot. We have our reservations for Lebanon Missouri, I'm planning our menu,  making blackout curtains for my Sukkah(travel trailer) and looking inward to the condition of my heart.  Before we get to the blessed celebration of Sukkot we must go thru Feast of Trumpets, Ten Days of Awe, and Yom Kippur(Day of Atonement). These Feasts are to purify us, weed out the tares, bring about great repentance and lead us into the Bridal Feast of the Lamb (Sukkot).  This has been a crazy year so far,  and I have no doubt it will get crazier before the election and after.  As I mull over my heart,  what wounds and conflicts my heart has encountered, I want to see into the nooks and crannies. Gotta make sure the Light reaches every area.  No holding onto grudges, no self pitty or self preservation, no worry and doubt, no darkness. To be clean and free from all that bagg...

Sin, such a vague word. If you ask 20 people "what is sin?", you may get 20 different answers. In church we are taught DO NOT SIN. But seldom do we get a definition for sin, even though the New Testament Scriptures give a finite definition: 1 John 3:4 KJV[4] Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law. Doesn't seem so vague there. Let's look deeper.   If it looks like Greek, it is. That word for sin is #266. Let's see what that means.   https://biblehub.com/thayers/266.htm We can see from a deep search that sin is: missing the mark, an error. The mark being the law. Ok now what constitutes "the law" here?  The word for lawlessness here is #458 anomia, from #459 anomos. https://biblehub.com/strongs/greek/459.htm Do you see it? Without law, particularly the "Jewish" law? You are lawless when you transgress the "Jewish" law...the Torah given by Yahuah.   At this point you will hear from Bi...