Reflecting on 2011

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As the end of the year calls, I turn to reflect on the year I just journeyed through.  Did I learn what I was supposed to learn?  Did I grow spiritually, physically and emotionally or did I get stuck?

The year had begun with great expectations as I entered my 50's the first part of January.  I had settled into our new way of life with a new level of contentment which allowed me to start reaching outside myself, along with my word for the year, "bloom where you are planted".  I was anxious to see the seeds I had begun to sow with my neighbors take root and hopefully blossom.  While planting seeds in getting to know and ministering to my neighbors, Benjamin and I planted seeds for a wonderful garden in our backyard.  The year was progressing very gently.

God decided to stir the pot.  In May, while looking forward to a harvest from both our backyard garden and neighbor relationships, we had the unexpected opportunity to move.  Opportunity is the word I use today...then, it was the horrible news of an unplanned move.

What was happening?  I had heard to "bloom where I was planted" and now I was to be transplanted?

Benjamin and I gently transplanted our garden into pots.  This was therapy for both him and me.  I was able to talk to him and help him adjust to our new transplanting.  We closed down his "Batman Cave" closet while making up stories of "what would the walls tell the new renters if they could talk?".  It was fun to imagine the walls telling the new children about a boy that lived in the house who had a Batman Cave in this closet.


Summer brought record heat and drought.  Our carefully transplanted garden died.  I tried to stay encouraged through this unwanted transition by decorating my new dwelling.  The next change - moving another one out of his pot - came as we heard God tell us to put our son in public school.  He would be our first child to enter public school and attend high school through graduation.


Adjustments began for all.

Our pastor began a study on Habakkuk.  I don't know if I have ever heard a complete study on all the verses of Habakkuk, but it was where I was and I soaked in every teaching.


Now I end the year still trying to transplant myself in unfamiliar territory.  A new neighborhood, two new school experiences while adjusting to changes in my adult children's lives among  my own physical changes.

I close out the year reading Kay Arthurs' Learning to Embrace Life's Disappointments: As Silver Refined.  I ask God  questions as I end the year and as I listen, I find myself in a chapter of her book where she is discussing... guess which book of the Bible?  Habakkuk.

Advent reading on hope and waiting tied up the end of the year with bows of encouragement.

As I read my post at the beginning of 2011, I see that what I thought it was going to mean and what the Lord had planned were very different...but His plans are always better.  I feel I learned a lot this year...there was tilling, weeding, planting and I believe some harvest in my life.

  Thanks for joining me on my journey this past year and for ALWAYS giving encouraging words and comments.

My verse for 2011 -  “Forget the former things; 
   do not dwell on the past. 
¹⁹ See, I am doing a new thing! 
   Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? 
I am making a way in the wilderness 
   and streams in the wasteland.
I am still in the middle of Him doing a new thing...and I am continuing to learn to not dwell on the past.

My verse for 2012

He has made my feet like hind's feet, And makes me walk on my high places. Hab. 3: 19

Non-Photo Shop Christmas

This year, photo-shopped pictures have been on my mind.  You can take a not-so-flattering picture and, with technology, have a whole new look after the talents of photo-shop have gotten hold of you.  In the end, the final results usually aren't anything like the real person or event.  I am just real...no photo shop here...or you would see me looking years younger and pounds lighter.  My family is what it is...with all the ups and downs of life.  Sometimes we could be put on the "America's Top Family" magazine and other times "America's Most Wanted" due to the sin in our life.

Today, I celebrate our strengths in our photos... the times we put hurt feelings, offenses...well, our sins, aside and allow God's grace and mercy to shine through.  Only He sees us as we are.  He sees us through the cross.  I am so glad when He looks down He is pleased with the unfinished work that is before Him.  I am glad He promises that He will complete what He has began.

Christmas was celebrated with the extended family on Friday night.  The winner of the cooking contest was our married son and his wife...well, she did the work...her Turkducken. (Ever had it? AMAZING!!)

Benjamin allowed all of his siblings to sleep later than his siblings ever allowed us to sleep.  So instead of a four or five o'clock wake up, he waited until almost 8:00 before getting them all out of bed to unwrap gifts and celebrate again through food.  Our North Pole drink from Pinterest was a HUGE hit!

I couldn't resist...so I leave you with  my cartoon strip ("For Better or for Worse") which sums it all up.  May you all continue to enjoy your family time during this season as you prepare for a New Year.  May the Lord give you a time to reflect on His faithfulness this past year while giving you vision for the year to come.  I will be reflecting this week.

Yeshua in Hanukkah

One of my greatest joys while home schooling is what I learn.  In my early days of home schooling, I became very interested in the Biblical Feasts and Jewish History.  A home school curriculum has allowed me to further my knowledge while giving practical forms of teaching to my children.

Last night at sunset began the Feast of Hanukkah.  This is one of the seven feasts Jesus celebrated during His life in the Bible.
Each feast points to Christ... either His fulfillment of scripture in His first coming or His fulfillment in His second coming. Those that don't point to Christ are Purim and Hanukkah, as far as fulfillment, which are both based on Jewish historical events - the life of Esther and the Maccabbees.

The history behind Hanukkah is the miracle that took place under the leadership of Judas Maccabee and his followers when they drove out the Syrians and regained control of the Holy Temple.  The altar of the temple had been defiled by the sacrifice of pigs.  After their victory, they cleaned out the temple idols and found one day's supply of oil for the holy lamps.  The miracle that occurred was that the oil burned for eight days. Thus Israel decreed that the re-dedication of the altar be observed each year for eight days.

Many believe that Jesus (the light of the world) could have been conceived during Hanukkah.  The Bible doesn't tell us the exact date. But since the sheep were in the pasture (Luke 2:8), he probably wasn't born in the winter months.  If he was conceived during Hanukkah, then his birth would line up with the Feast of Tabernacles....when Christ came to "tabernacle" with us.

I have tried to bring the feasts into our home.I am not legalistic about this. It is a form of learning more about our Savior.  It has increased my understanding of scripture.  If I am not able to celebrate them to their fullest, I have tried to take time to read with my children the significance of the feasts with the emphasis being that Jesus celebrated them. I want them to understand that Jesus always taught through the feasts to bring the Jews to the understanding that He was the Messiah.

Hanukkah Readings when Lighting a Candle

• Night One - The Lord is Our Light - Is. 60:19; Ps. 27:1; 2 Sam 21:17
• Night Two - The Word is Our Light - Ps 119;105; Ps 119:130; Prov. 6:23
• Night Three - We Should be a Light to Others - Matt 5:16; Luke 11:33; Eph. 5:8; Phil 2:15
• Night Four - The Light of the Body is the Eye - Luke 11:34; Acts 26:18 
• Night Five - The Messiah is the Light of the World - John 1:4-5; John 8:12; John 12;35-36
• Night Six - Paul Saw the Light - Acts 26;12-18
• Night Seven - If Christ is Your Light, You are No Longer in the Darkness of This World - Eph 5:8-11; I Thess. 5:4-6; I Peter 2:9; Eph 5:11-15; I John 1:5-9
• We Need to Shine - Phil 2:14-16;

My family and I pray you have a wonderful Christmas/Hanukkah season.  May you meet the Light of the World face to face and allow Him to shine through you.  

I have collected many sources through the years on Biblical Feasts and Jewish history.  Today, I used Biblical Holidays by Robin Scarlata...you can click on her name to find more info on her blog.