My Desert Journey, cont'd

       When I was in the world, I loved to dance and I believe it was a God given gift. So I started to take Hebraic Dance at the Synagogue. I got to use the gift He gave me for Him. This was awesome.
       During this time I met my husband and we got married under the Chuppah, which we borrowed from the Messianic Synagogue.  It was a Hebraic Wedding of sorts. 
      Due to my husband being in the Military and transferred to Kentucky, I moved there.  We were now in the Bible Belt and not a Messianic Synagogue in sight.  It was hard to find a place of fellowship.  But my stay didn't last too long there.  My mother, whom I left behind in our home, became ill and I had to go back and take care of her. 
      My time in Kentucky was fruitful as I was now pregnant.  Even though I came home due to my mothers illness, my husband of 4 months is 2000 miles away, and no car (in Kentucky), I did get to attend my Church and have fellowship again.
     My husband got out of the Military and was driving home (cross country in December in a Bug).  It happened to be during the coldest spells in Colorado we had when he drives up and then only about an hour later the house next door starts going up in flames.   We took in our neighbors while they called relatives.  Everyone got out safely but the house was gone.
   
     After the birth of our firstborn son we wanted to buy our house to raise a family.  We finally found one 50 miles away in the country and moved when I was 8 months pregnant with our second son.   Trying to go to Shabbat services and church every weekend was a bit much so we had to pray and decide where we were to be.  The Lord had us continue fellowship at the synagogue.  However in the winter even that was trying.  So we tried to see about a fellowship locally.  We ended up at this little Baptist church.  We felt this is where the Lord wanted us for now.
     While attended we got to share the Passover every year during Easter.  I was involved with the children's ministry and shared a little of the Hebraic Lifestyle during Sunday School.   But the main reason I believe we were there is for one lady.  She was married to a Jewish man and didn't know how to share her faith in Jesus with him.  You never know where God is going to lead you.  I felt, just as if I were the only person alive Jesus would have died for my sins, we were there for this one lady. 
     Over the 3 years we had 3 different Pastors.  At Easter time we invited everyone to a Passover Seder Demonstration at the Church.  Unfortunately there was only one person besides the Pastor and his family.  When we got to the story of when you open the door to check for Elijah (Rabbinic Tradition), it happened to be dusk. We shared at this time is when Mary went to the tomb to annointed Jesus' (Yeshua's) body.  Well needless to say that put a bug in the Pastors ointment, and as he was going to be the Pastor from then on, we knew we would be shut down in sharing the Hebrew Roots of the Christian Faith.
     
      So back to driving the 100 mile round trips into the city.  After awhile it didn't seem all that bad and was well worth it.  Shortly after attending regularly the the fellowship started a Yeshiva.  We immediately signed up the oldest 3.  It was wonderful they were taught Hebrew, Torah & Brit Chadashah.  The classes were one day a week so homeschooled as well as Public school children could attend.
     The Yeshiva grew and the next year we had to move it to the building where we worshiped.  We share a church with a Sunday meeting church.  As it grew they added Speech, Music, PE, HomeEc, Leadership and more.  In Drama they put on Fiddler on the Roof, the Sound of Music, and Israel: the People, the Promise and the Land.
      It is such a blessing to have the Yeshiva because our children would grow up knowing their Hebrew Heritage.  Our oldest graduated and had his Bar Mitzvah (2 years of other studies on top of Yeshiva and PS).  Our second child does sound for the Children's Ministry and was just asked to co-lead the preteeners. 
  
   I have had the opportunity to go to Israel twice, once with my husband and once with eldest.  Both times were so awesome.  And I would go back in a heartbeat.  I loved everything about it.

     Well that is where we stand today.  If you would like to see some of the teachings we get please go to http://www.torah.tv/

My Desert Journey

    I found the Lord when I was 23 years old, attended a Chrismatic church, was classified as a "Spirit filled, tongue talking, hands laying on" Christian, and went to a local Bible College. 
     After a couple of years I felt like I was becoming a spoiled "Kings" kid.  Mainly because I saw, a lot of "name it and claim it".  God became my 'sugar daddy'.  My focus was becoming, more on what He could give me, what I was "entitled" to, than on Who He is. 
        A friend of mine, who also went to school and church with me, would go to a synagogue now and then and had a love for the people of Israel. He took me to a place that had local Christian bands play and I signed up for updates. They also had church services in this warehouse. Their mission was to kids and young adults, the unchurched or ones rejected by mainstream ones. 
        My roommate and best friend also attended the same church, I watched myself so not to take her on the same road as I felt I was being lead down.  Everyones walk is different.  However as time went on I could see she was feeling the same way and we findly discussed what God was doing in our lives.  It was an awesome time.  We both couldn't wait to get home from work to delve into His Word every night for hours.  We had to make ourselves go to bed.  This study/prayer time was more intense than I had in College.   We had spread out on the dining room table our Strongs, the Hebrew and Greek Lexicons, our Bibles and notebook.  It was intense. 
     About 3-4 months had gone by and I got a newsletter in the mail from the church in the warehouse.  Reading through it I notice they had moved to a building two blocks away.  One Sunday I decided to see what they were doing.   They were a  group of humble believers in awe of how God could use them for His Glory.  I then started attending and became an active member.
     It was this Fellowship that had my first encounter with a Messianic Rabbi.  He came to speak one Sunday and it was a delight to hear how the New Testament (Brit Chadashah) was reinterating the Old Testament (The Tanakh).  To see a glimpse into the life of Jesus (Yeshua), as a Jewish man, in His culture and day.  This spoke to me and I started to attend the Messianic Synagogue on Friday nights and Saturdays and Church on Sundays. 
          
        To be continued......

Torah portions

The Bible was broken down into "bite size" portions, called Parsha's, that are to be read throughout the year. If you were to go to any Synagogue in the world, you'd be on the same portion. Being believers in the Meshiach (Yeshua/Jesus) we include the Brit Chadashah (New Testament). Every Sunday, on the left hand side I will post the Torah portion for the week.  I have broken it down by days, however, you could read the whole portion several times during the week as well. Our Brit Chadashah portions are from the Complete Jewish Bible by David H. Stern.

The beginning of the Torah readings begins on Simchat Torah, which usually is in the month of October a couple of weeks after Rosh HaShanah (The New Year). Simchat Torah (Rejoicing in the Law/Joy of the Torah) is the day you read the last chapter of Deuteronomy and immediately start with the first chapter of Genesis. This symbolizes a circle or never ending of God's word.

The "Jewish" Bible is called the Tanakh which is an acronym. It includes the first five books of Moses or Law (Torah), the Prophets (Nevi'im) and the Writings (Kethuvim). In some instances the word Torah can be used to represent what Christians call the Old Testament. On this blog this is how the word Torah will be used.

Our portions include the Torah (one of the five books of Moses), the Haftorah (meaning which comes from "concluding portion") and Brit Chadashah (New Testament).

Day 1

I am finally starting a blog. I have to admit my children are more tech saavy than me. But I will try.

Just a week ago we needed hat and gloves and today it's in the 60's. Well, what do you want for Colorado.