An award-how cool!

One of my homeschool friends gave me this award. Isn't that cool?! I love the flower on this award....I love orange flowers. They're unusual and always beautiful. Doesn't Papa do great work?! LOL!

Well, I suppose this means I should write something cheerful and sunny, eh? This past week has been kinda tough...although not really in a bad way. I put up 4 qts of green beans, (gave one to Rabbi for first fruits), 3 gallons of spinach, made up three trays of zucchini pizzas, found a new recipe and made scalloped zucchini, a huge batch of yellow squash sauteed with onions, garlic and butter, and still have 10 zucchini sitting on my counter waiting for me to put them up. We now need to repick green beans, zucchini, yellow squash, dill, parsley, onions and broccoli and cucumbers. Whew! So while it's been really tough, it's in a good way. This is our sixth year to plant, so we expected a large crop.....just didn't think it would all come ready at the same time! LOL! For those wondering what the sixth year has to do with it, let me explain. In Torah, it tells us that just as we are to have our weekly Shabbot, and our harvest Sabboths (at Pesach or Passover, Shavuot or Pentecost and Sukkot or Tabernacles) and our Jubliee years (every 50th year), the land is to have a Shabbot every 7th year. So you plant on the sixth year, do NOT plant on the 7th year and let the land rest, then plant again on the 8th year. And YHWH promised the land would produce enough on the sixth year to last until the harvest on the 8th year. So we expected a large crop of  veggies this year,  but whew!!!! I even have lettuce coming up from last year!!!! And our blackberries we planted in March are fruiting!!!!! Isn't Papa wonderful!?! Just as His Love Letter to us says, we're having a HUGE crop and if I can just figure out how to put everything up, we'll have veggies for the next year easily! I'm just blown away by His blessings to us. 

What was that? Where in Torah does it say that? Well, silly me. I'm sorry. You can find this commandment in Leviticus 25:1-7. Now I know many folks will say they are under grace and not law....that the "Old Testament" doesn't apply to them. But I would respectfully ask those who think this way to reread the Book of Leviticus. You'll find several places in there where it says "this is to be for all generations". I believe we're one of those "all generations." Also, while I agree that our sins are covered by the Grace of Yah, I don't know that I understand what you are using to do away with the "Old Testament". Yeshua said He didn't come to do away with the Law (poor translation, really said Torah which means instruction) but to bring it to fruition. He was a Jewish Rabbi.....don't you think it would be a really bad example if He didn't follow Torah?! Well, those are just my thoughts. Please feel free to respectfully explain your thoughts if you so desire. 

Now, if I understand this award, I need to pass it on to some of you! How cool is that?!?! So here goes, I joyfully pass this award on to:

1.Conservative Outrage-
Pops does a great job on his blog and is such a sweetie!
2.ahavah-Emunah
Ahavah has another blog that will lift your spirits and often make you giggle! 
3.hadassahthetraveler
Hasassah is such an inspiration! How this woman does all she does is amazing!!!!
4.ohboomoments
Nanc is a hoot and a half! If you don't giggle at her site, you need to check your giggler! She's a joy!!!!
5.Skippy
This friend of mine is kinda new at blogging, but is doing a great job. I'm proud of him as he searches his way to fulfilling YHWH's plan for his life.
6. Is It Only For Jews?
This is another friend who's a bit new to blogging, but is doing a great job! I'm impressed with his energy.

I have a couple of other folks I'd love to give an award to, but they haven't blogged for several weeks or months....so James, Chris, Malcontent, Gayle and Abouna....know you're winners in my book!!!

So I hope each of you have a great week, are blessed beyond belief and take the time to find those little Love Letters Papa sends each of us daily to remind us how much He loves us. Shalom.

2010 begins....and a note to my friends

Sure hope everyone had a great holiday season. We had a great Hanukkah! Lots of food, fun and family time. We also had a great time with both families. Just returned from the hinterlands where we spent almost a week with the in-laws and Little Critter got spoiled rotten!!! (It'll take me weeks to unspoil him! Oy vey!) MIL was so sweet, she cooked for us several nights up there and kept asking if her menu was acceptable to us. Bless her heart, I know from experience, that trying to cook healthy food that's both Kosher AND on Dodi's diet is a trick!!! But she did a good job. Of course there were far too many carbs, but we adapted. We also got to see some snow! It was after dark, so hard to see, but I went out and played in big, wet, gloppy snowflakes until I was soaking wet and freezing cold. (Being a lizard by nature that didn't take long.....oh boo!)

Now we're home again and getting ready for school to restart, tax season to begin and all the great things Papa has planned for us for this year. I predict things will get more and more crazy in the world around us, the economy will most likely NOT get alot better for the time being, and there will be plenty of things to really make my blood boil if I let it. (I've read the back of the book....it could get downright scary for a bit! You should read it too....just know the 'good guys' win, the 'calvary' comes in just the right moment and things WILL get better....eventually) But I propose to remain as calm as my nature will allow as I let Papa handle things as only He can. I propose to do all I can to make my little space in this world as peaceful and loving as I possibly can....knowing Nana, dear sister and asundry others will make that as difficult as possible. LOL! But Papa calls me to love Him with all my heart, mind, soul and strength...and to love my neighbors as myself. So all I can do is my best to live up to that mitzvot (commandment).

My wish for all my readers, friends and family is that this year 2010, will see all of you so covered in Papa's love that you not only grow closer to Him with every breath you take, but are so covered in His blessings you can't hold them all and have to share them with others. May each one know His love, His word, His rest as you follow your journeys towards Him. And may His plans for each of us come to fruition so that we each become more and more the people He ordained us to be before the beginning of time. Shalom my friends.

OH, PS....I almost forgot. I need to warn you that my posts may continue to be rather sporadic for the next few months. I am not only the office manager, lead tax preparer but also owner in training of a tax office. And tax season has begun here in the US. So I'll be working horrible hours, while continuing to homeschool Little Critter, keep the house as best I can, and still take care of my folks and cousin. So my life will become hectic on steroids for a few months.. I love what I do (especially during the 'off season' which is after April 15th. LOL!), I'm good at it, and Dodi and I both feel this is where Papa wants us to be right now. So if I'm not here as often, don't fret....feel free to leave messages, and I'll answer as I can or email me. Again, it may take a couple days to hear back from me, but I WILL get back to you. I'll be praying for you daily as I always do and will post as I can. So enjoy these winter/spring months and I'll be back ASAP.
Pops, that means you take care of yourself!!!! Don't make me have to come fuss at you!!!!! There's still adventure out there for you Honey.. enjoy the adventure. I'll be checking on you....and praying for you.
Gayle, don't work so hard! Enjoy the life you have....it's a great life! Come see me, I miss you!!!
AOW, hug Mr. AOW for Little Critter and I and know we still pray for you both.
Abouna...do NOT let the turkeys get you down...you know what's coming and it will be good in the end!
Skippy, keep writing...you're doing a great job and don't worry about your needs. Papa WILL supply them!!!! Keep searching, looking and knocking. He'll answer you. If we can help, just call!
Nanc, darling girl, you keep being you and know I'll be here if you need me Sweetie. You are a jewel!!!
Ahava, I'll be checking on you....and fussing if necessary. You take care of yourself Sweetheart. You're precious...to me and to HIM!
Local Malcontent, I miss hearing from you dear friend. Hope you're well. I pray for you and Leti daily and know He'll take care of you both....and Dillon too!
Christopher, I haven't seen anything from you in months....I pray your health issues aren't preventing you from posting. You have wonderful things to share and there's tons of folks who need your wisdom. Be blessed.
Quiet Life, I pray things are easier for you now that husband is home and that you're having the time of your life! I enjoy your occasional posts and pray His blessings on you and your family. And thanks to your husband for keeping us safe and doing what he does! He's awesome and you're more awesome for being a military wife!!!!I know how hard that is, and the sacrifices you make on a daily basis. Thank you for being you.
If I missed anyone, please forgive me....I'm only on my second cup of coffee and not functioning well yet. Just know you're prayed for and wished all His best for you. Shalom

Thanksgiving wishes for all!

My thanks to Mr. Norman Rockwell for his wonderful talent in painting the essence of Thanksgiving. I want to wish all my friends and readers a most blessed and wonderful Thanksgiving. This is the day that we in the US pause to thank Papa for all the marvelous blessings He's given us. We are free to worship as we wish, to gather together in groups to share our blessings with each other, to celebrate our successes in our own way, to pray to YHWH in our own ways, to express our love for each other in our own ways, and to live in this country where we can pursue our own ideas of happiness freely. This is a day when all business usually closes (except hospitals, fire departments and police stations of course), families gather together and share love, food and fellowship.  It's a grand and wonderful holiday....although there's really nothing holy about it...except we're to be thanking Papa. But it works for us.

So as we all gather together, eat entirely too much food, watch football games or play our own family games, and enjoy making wonderful memories together, I want each of  you to know I count you among my blessings. Papa has blessed me with some of the best friends in the entire world and I am SO thankful for each and every one of you. The blessings you've given me as you share parts of yourselves and your lives with me are so precious and dear to me. Often your examples of Yeshua's love to me have brought tears to my eyes. I thank Papa for blessing me with your friendships-whether close, sharing food together type friendships or over the internet only type friendships-each one has made my life richer for you being in it. May Papa give you the best of His blessings not only this day, but each of your days here on this planet. I love you each and can hardly believe how gifted I've been by having you in my life. Mozel Tov! (Happy Celebration) and Happy Thanksgiving to you each. Shalom, Spitfire

New Month, New post

OK, I realize most of you are questioning my sanity with the title of this post....but tonight was the start of a new Hebraic month. The month of Elul. The sixth month of the calendar YHWH gave to man. In Nehemiah 6:15, it talks about the walls of Jerusalem being built during the month of Elul. The meaning of the Hebrew word Elul is nothingness. Where the walls of Jerusalem were nothingness, (due to being torn down during the Persian invasion) Nehemiah had been sent by King Darius to rebuild them. The month of Elul then is a month when Hebrew people world wide look into their own hearts, see the emptiness, and begin to rebuild. Pretty cool, huh.

This month is also regarded as the month 'the King is in the field." Now most folks would say 'HUH?!" But let me explain, it's really awesome! When a King of a country would go about to visit his subjects, as he neared a town, the servants would pitch the King's tent out in a field near the town while the emissaries (or ambassadors) would go into the town to notify them the King was waiting for them to finish preparations for his entrance and he was 'in the field'. Now while the King was in the field waiting for the townsfolk to prepare for him, he was relaxed and the 'regular joe's' (and joie's LOL!) could go visit him in the field without all the pomp and circumstance. So in Hebraic thought, this is the month The King is in the field....He's waiting for us to come to visit with Him in a relaxed and neighborly manner. Isn't that an awesome idea?! The Creator of the Universe is waiting for us to visit without having to worry about proper Court Etiquette. Wohoo, Papa, I'm working my way to ya!

This is also the month when orthodox Jews will look at this past year, ascertain where they've offended someone, and do what they can to make amends or restitution. Now, we are NOT orthodox Jews.....OK, I'm not real sure we're orthodox anythings!!!! But to me, this sounds like a wonderful idea. It's kinda like Elul is the Hebrew form of Lent....except that instead of giving something up, we're spending 40 days preparing our hearts for the meeting with the King in the field and we're repairing relationships with all we know. Whoo. Boy, do I have lots to think about! So as I prepare my heart, and help Little Critter prepare his heart....and we think back over our year....if I (or we) have offended anyone, please tell me. I wish to seek your forgiveness and make amends. It just wouldn't do to go to the field to visit with my King and have ought that a brother (or sister) has against me. I do not believe any one has offended me....except those people in Washington DC....and somehow I just don't see them seeking to make amends for offending me. So I'll have to work on forgiving them on my own I suppose. Oohh, this could get tough! Well, I know Papa will help me with this....after all we'll have 40 days to work on it! And if He can create all we see and more in only 6 days, I have no doubts He can help me fix this in 40 days.

So, my sweet friends, may you find this month with relationships strengthened, hearts filled with Papa's love for yourself and all you know and may you also spend time with The King who's waiting in the field for you. Shalom. Spitfire

PS Please don't forget to tell me if I've offended any of you. I truly have not meant to, but want to ask your forgiveness. And Pops, that includes you Sweetheart! ;-)Thanks. (Toda.)

I've been tagged!

This is just too cool! While on vacation, Ahava tagged me for having an inspirational blog. This just blows my mind! So thank you Ahava for your kind comments....just remember, you were the one who pushed and prodded me into starting a blog! (You are a Sweetheart and I'm blessed to know you and count you as a friend!hugs)

So, in response to the tag, I'm to list several groups of eights....this should give you a chance to know me a little better and perhaps understand how my little 2 cylinder brain functions. (or not-sometimes I don't understand how my little pea brain functions!) Here we go:

8 things I'm looking forward to:
1. Dancing with Papa everyday, whenever I want (while in heaven with Him!)
2. Meeting the 4 children I had to return to Heaven before getting to know them.
3. Asking SO many questions of the great men and women of the Torah about their faith, their lives and their families.
4. Being able to be debt free in the next year (except our house...that will take 3 more years!WOHOO!!!!)
5. Being able to have Dodi retire and enjoy being home with Little Critter and I...(that's in the plans as soon as Papa releases him from his current job as coach!)
6. Being able to move outside of town and have as many chickens and goats and kitties and puppies and horses and .....well, as many critters as we can feed and a garden to feed us.
7. Becoming the woman Papa intended me to be....sometimes I feel I haven't even begun the journey, otherdays I feel the journey has been going on forever and I haven't made any progress. sigh.
8. Reuniting with family and friends that have already returned to Papa and seeing so many friends I have all over the world that I've never met except online. (Lookout Ahava, Cindy, Alaska Bea, Steph, Rachel-I'll be looking for you my sweeties!! Can hardly wait to sit down with a great big cuppa and some serious girl talk!!!!)


8 things I wish I could do:
1. Ease the pain of all the moms and children of the world....sigh
2. Learn Hebrew.....this has been a couple years I've worked at it and still don't have it down yet...I'd love to learn the language Yeshua used when here. Perhaps one day.
3. Influence one life a day to learn more about our loving Papa so that they'd follow Him.
4. Be more like that Proverbs 31 woman that so often makes me feel like I'm not beginning to stack up....
5. Bring a smile and a giggle to Papa at least once a day.
6. Be the wife, mother, and grammie my Dodi, children and grandchildren need me to be.
7. Have a house outside of town that is big enough to provide a safe haven for any and all who'd need it with a huge garden, lots of critters and enough joy, peace and nurturing to repair the hurts this world dishes out.
8. Bring all I meet into a real relationship with Papa so we can spend eternity together with Him.


8 things I love:
1. Abba, Ben Adam, Ruach HaKodesh (Father, Son and Holy Spirit)
2. Dodi, Little Critter and the rest of my family
3. Being able to do things for my parents to make their lives easier in their elder years. (They're both in the Hebraic age of "The Gray Age" being in their 70's)
4. Being able to teach Little Critter and the kids at church about their wonderful Papa!
5. Gardening, growing, canning, freezing, cooking, preparing new foods...Ok, if it deals with food, I love it!!!!! (Hence the 40 lb weight gain in the last 17 years!!!!! Grin)
6. Critters....especially the unconditional love they share with us for such little things as providing food and water for them. Not to mention the lessons about Papa I learn from them!
7. Learning new things and being able to do them reasonably well.
8. The wonder in children's eyes when they see something or learn something new and understand it. The excitement of splashing in rain puddles, chasing and catching 'lightening' bugs, seeing a green stem suddenly have a beautiful flower the next morning, learning to read...I could go on far too long. I reckon I just love children....


8 things I did yesterday:
1. Taught the children at church about their nearing age of accountability and the many faces of Papa.
2. Visited with my parents and did the ironing for Nana. (She's blind, ironing is a real trick when you can't see what you're ironing! Smile.)
3. Read a few blog entries of my friends and posted some responses.
4. Got most the laundry done....(we celebrate Shabbat so Sunday is a work day, we rest on Saturday)
5. Prepared an early dinner of corned beef, steamed cabbage and broccili with cheese.
6. Went to evening services at the church Dodi enjoys going to. (I get bored...they spend 20 minutes talking about 1 Tanak verse....But Dodi enjoys it and I like the people there. So we go.)
7. Prepared a care package for eldest son who's now stationed in Colorado. (He just returned from Iraq a couple months ago.)
8. Read some interesting articles and posts on some favorite Messianic sites and studied Torah before bed.


8 shows I watch:
yikes, this is gonna be hard....we don't watch that much TV.
1. Little House on the Prairie ( Little Critter loves to watch this one....)
2. The Rifleman (another of Little Critter's favorites....I'm not overly excited about it....I usually doze thru it. smile)
3. Beck (on FoxNews channel....I agree with him that we need far less government and far more personal responsiblity!)
4. MannaFest with Perry Stone (lost of interesting digging into our Hebraic roots)
5. Saturday mornings we watch several cartoons and shows on the Christian stations.....
That's about it....we watch the Hallmark channel some, the history channel some, the FoxNews channel some.....the Food Network some, HGTV some.....but not really anything we have to rearrange the schedules for.
Oh, I was watching Spiritual Warfare with Rabbi Moshe Laurie almost daily until they changed the time he's one....now I seldom get to watch him. Sniff, sniff. I love his show!!!
I think that's it. sorry, couldn't come up with 8. Oh well.

Ok, last but not least, I get to tag some of you!!! So, let's see......
1. Heart of Wisdom blog...Robin is an inspiration to all! I always gain something good from her blog on any one of several areas.
2. Blasting Caps and Dynamite....My friend and her husband are a hoot! They're full of spit and vinager and that's one reason we like each other so much....if she weren't a brunette, I just know she'd be a red head!!!
3. Conservative Outrage... Pops is a real Sweetie who loves Papa dearly.

4. Nazarene Chabad This is a friend from Tabernacle. He doesn't post real often, but they're pretty meaty and interesting.
5. The Door Post This is a great place to learn more about our Hebraic Roots. You have to join to look thru everything, but it's free and easy to join. It's more of a webring (I think) than a blog, but I've enjoyed it.
6. Let the Truth Be Known This is a blog run by an Orthodox Catholic Priest. But he's a hoot. Sometimes he gets really angry about things, but his love for Papa is evident in all he writes. And his puppy Munchie gets to put in some really fun posts too!
7. Recovering Christians This is Ahava's blog. It's wonderful!!!!

8. The Quiet Life-A work in Progress This is the blog of an army wife with three small kids. She's inspiring as she does all that she does with a quiet spirit. Truly amazing!

Well, as you can see I have an eclectic list of folks I keep track of. I hope you enjoy them too if you choose to visit them. Now, I have to get to work today.....before the day is over!
Thanks again Ahava for tagging me. You've blessed me Sweetie. I hope this has been interesting for you and that those of you who were tagged are blessed also. Look for the little Love Letters from Papa... He sends them everyday if we'll only look for them. Shalom, Spitfire

A new love letter today

This is Shabbot. For those who don't undestand, it's the sabboth day. A day of rest, family, fun and listening to Papa. And yes, Papa is what I call G-d. To me, G-d is formal and stiff. I know Him to be much more than that. He is my Abba, (Hebrew for Daddy). Since Daddy is what young children call their Father, I call Him Papa. It conveys much the same things as Daddy, but even more. To me, Papa is a combination of that grandfather we all loved so much who spoiled us rotten and then sent us home, and our earthly fathers who we wrapped around our little fingers the first time we smiled at them. Papa loves to spoil us rotten, but won't hesitate to discipline us either. His discipline is always done with love and while sometimes painful at first, is for our own good. To help us become the people He created us to be, to live into our potentials. So, now that we understand each other.....here's the love letter I got today from Papa.
Each day, I believe, Papa sends us little love letters to remind us how precious we are to Him and how much He wants to talk with us and spend time with us. Today was a typical Shabbot prep day. Lots of cooking and cleaning to get done in between homeschooling my Little Critter. (He's a typical wormy, squirmy little boy of 8 who thinks he's part Superman, part 2 yr old.) As I began to feel that nothing was going to work out 'right' and I'd never figure out what to cook for Shabbot dinner, a friend I used to teach with called. She just wanted to check on me and make sure we were all doing well. I haven't heard from her in several months, so this phone call was both a surprise and a joy. We chatted for almost an hour, caught up on each others news and then vowed we'd stay in closer contact. As I hung up, I thought what a nice surprise...someone calling to tell me I'm important to them. Important enough to stay in touch with. WoW! I'm just a simple homekeeper who homeschools in a small town in the middle of nowhere. Then it dawned on me, Papa feels that way about me too! I'm important to Him. Important enough to stay in touch with. Too Cool! I quickly thanked Him for this little love letter and quiet reminder that no matter how insignificant we feel or how invisible we think we are to others, He never forgets us or looses track of us. I hope you learn to see the love letters He sends you also. He loves you! Shalom, Joie