HsKubes Haven at Home

Once Upon a Time... The End... It Continues

2011-12-31T16:34:00.000-08:00

Once upon a time...

a blogging journey was born...
as a young married woman and new homeschooling mom
sought to keep in touch with distant family and make new friends
by journaling her thoughts, her faith, and life experiences.
It was an amazing journey... one that cannot be described in few words.

The End...

After 6 years, prayer and contemplation and many life changes
the blogging journey had reached the end.

The end is now.

It is time to say good-bye to HsKubes' Haven at Home.

It's a strange thing to end a blog.
It is not a person and, therefore, it is not the same
as saying good-bye to a loved one...
but it is still a bittersweet departure,
as much of my life has been documented here,
as well as my heart, my thoughts, my faith... me.
I've been HsKubes long before I began blogging.
Seems odd to bring it to an end.

But for everything there is a season.
And the season for HsKubes' Haven at Home
has come to the end.

I am thankful for the friends I have met and made,
the experiences I have had and shared,
and the many lessons He has taught me.

But the time has come to say...

Good bye, HsKubes' Haven at Home.

Yet...

It Continues...

Perhaps not in the same exact way...
but as there have been many changes this past year and a half,
new changes have brought forth a new journey...
and a new blog.

Friends and family,
Thank you for spending the time you have with us here.

I invite you to join us at our new blogging home...

It Is Your Life

Shalom Aleichem!
~ Christina

Tradition Over Truth?

2011-12-22T20:11:00.000-08:00

"And in vain {to no purpose} do they worship Me,
teaching as teachings {doctrines} the commands of men.
Forsaking {laying aside} the command of Elohim {God},
you hold fast {seize; hold to; keep} the tradition of men."
Mark 7:-8

What strong words from our Messiah.
How easy to read those words and assume
that they apply to others and not ourselves.

Over the past year and a half,
my Abba Father has revealed a lot to me...
a lot about myself... a lot about Himself...
a lot about His Word...
and a lot about the way I worshiped Him.

There have been a lot of bitter pills to swallow...
and a lot of bitter tears in doing so.

But I am thankful...
because Yeshua told us
that the Truth
can set us free.

I want to know Truth.

We need to know Truth.

We ought to want to continually check our belief system,
making sure it lines up with Scripture...
so that we may worship Him in spirit AND in Truth.

We need to understand WHY we do the things we do.
And WHY we believe what we believe.
May we not just blindly worship a certain way
because we have inherited those ways.

The heart is NOT the only things that matters.
Every religion is sincere in their heart.
It doesn't matter how sincere we are.
We can be sincerely wrong.
Our sincerity needs to line up with obedience.

It does not matter what it means to us.
It only matters what it means to HIM.
He doesn't want us to worship Him OUR way.
He wants to be worshiped HIS way.

“When {YHVH} יהוה your Elohim
does cut off from before you
the nations which you go to dispossess,
and you dispossess them
and dwell in their land,
guard yourself
that you are not ensnared to follow them,
after they are destroyed from before you,
and that you do not inquire
about their mighty ones,
saying,
‘How did these nations serve their mighty ones?
And let me do so too.’
Do not do so to {YHVH} יהוה your Elohim,
for every abomination which {YHVH} יהוה hates
they have done to their mighty ones,
for they even burn their sons and daughters
in the fire to their mighty ones.
All the words I am commanding you, guard to do it –
do not add to it nor take away from it."
Deuteronomy 12:29-32

-------------------------------------

That being said... I am compelled to share.
For 30+ years of my life,
there are facts... truths...
that I did not know.

Like the facts, history, and truths
that surround one of the most beloved holidays...
Christmas

And just in case there are others that are unaware
AND have a desire to know...
I am sharing here so that others can have to choice
to know and pray.

IF someone does NOT want to know,
do not read further.

------------------------------------------

Christmas is NOT about the birth of Christ...
at least not the Christ that is spoken of in the Bible.
The Christ of the Bible was not born on December 25th.

December 25th has everything to do with
pagan rituals such as cutting down evergreens
& decking them with silver & gold;
and a day designated {before Messiah's birth}
as the birth of other gods
(research "Nimrod", "Tammuz", and "Mithra").

We have inherited lies from our fathers.
And we, many times, blindly follow tradition
simply because it is all we've known.

We NEED to research, study, pray, obey...
"Come out of her, My people..." Revelation 18:4-5

Prayerfully consider watching the following,
which presents the numerous facts
found in history
and various Scripture
regarding what our Creator has said...

--------------------------------------------

---------------------------------------------

Yes, He does know the heart.
But we do not... our hearts are deceitful.
I understand that christians may not be worshiping
the gods of the pagans {as I celebrated christmas many years
and did not worship pagan gods, but the One True God}...
BUT our Creator desires to be worshiped
the way HE has commanded
and has, specifically, commanded us to NOT worship Him
the way the pagans worship their gods. {Deut. 12:29-32}

OH, Abba, help us!
Reveal our own hearts to us.
May we be humble before You.
May we always seek a better way to worship You.
May we not hold what we've always known,
what we've been taught, our ways and traditions
above YOUR ways and commands.
May we seek YOUR way to worship YOU...
NOT our own way.
May we worship YOU in spirit AND in Truth.
Help us, Abba. Reveal to us. Restore us.

With sincere love for my fellow brethren,

Know. Speak. Guard. Teach. Torah.

2011-12-06T14:04:00.001-08:00

"For He raised a witness in {Jacob} Yaʽaqoḇ,
And set a Torah in Yisra’ĕl,
Which He commanded our fathers,
To TEACH THEM TO THEIR CHILDREN;
That it might be known to a generation to come,
To children who would be born,
To rise up and relate {DECLARE; SPEAK} them
to their children, And place their trust in Elohim,
And NOT FORGET the works of Ěl,
But watch over {GUARD; KEEP} His commands,
And NOT be like their fathers,
A stubborn and rebellious generation,
A generation which did not prepare its heart,
Whose spirit was not steadfast to Ěl."
~ Psalm 78:5-8

Oh, Abba, help us to break the chains.
Help us to not be a stubborn and rebellious generation.
Reveal Your Truth to us.
Teach us Your Torah {instructions} ...
May we know it, understand it, walk in it...
that we may teach and speak of it our children,
that they will guard, keep, and walk in it.
May we be steadfast... faithful.
Teach and strengthen us, O YHVH.

Haven at Home Happenings

2011-11-20T20:12:00.000-08:00

It's been a busy couple of weeks

and I haven't had (rather set aside)

as much time as I would like to blog.

It seems when I sit at the computer,

research and facebooking takes up much of my time

and it leaves little for blogging.

I miss blogging in many ways,

though there are things I do like about facebook.

Here are a few photos from our past weeks...

Homeschooling together in the dining room/kitchen...

I've always loved this :)

Our youngest (7) has become quite fixated

on catching yard critters and studying them.

It has made for some great nature studies!

She collected some snails a couple of weeks ago

and was delight to keep them as "pets"...

watching them slime across the jars, coming out of their 'houses',

feeding them, reading about them, drawing them...

It has been a joy to see our children

develop relationships with YHVH's creation...

even if they are snails. ;-)

We loved using our Nature Readers

to learn more about Yah's slimey creatures...

She illustrated the snails

and did some copywork...

"A snail carries its home with him so if there is danger he will be safe.

All kinds of snails look different.

Did you know that snails have one foot?"

We will work on the spelling

but love to encourage this type of narration :)

We, also, love to encourage reading aloud...

which we *try* to do daily...

And math copywork...

We, also, enjoy drawing and/or coloring illustrations

from the Torah portions we read.

These were when Lot, his wife, and two daughters

had to leave Sodom and Gomorrah

because it was destroyed...

It was interesting to study this passage together...

"But his wife looked back from behind him,

and she became a post of salt."

Genesis 19:26

"looked back"...

In Hebrew it is the word" nabat"...

meaning to "look intently at; by implication,

to regard with pleasure, favor or care...

regard, have respect..."

We discussed how we need to regard, find pleasure in,

and love the will, way, and things of YHVH

more than self and our wants

and that we need to be mindful to not look/turn back.

-------------------------------------------

The children enjoyed a little astronomy

over breakfast together...

They enjoyed making volcanoes with baking soda and vinegar

with the neighbor children.

The fun way to do "science" for the day. ;)

Hebrew copywork on the carpet...

coloring history at the kitchen counter...

More nature study when our youngest (the "pet finder")

found another insect to add to her collection...

a Jerualem cricket.

We were hoping to teach it

how to sing Hava Nagila and to do the Hora...

but there has been no success. ;)

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We, also, enjoyed reading our Torah portion

on Shabbat in front of the fire...

That was a blessing, to be sure!

"Show me Your ways, O יהוה {YHVH}; Teach me Your paths.
Lead me in Your truth and teach me,

For You are the Elohim of my deliverance;

On You I wait all the day."

~ Psalm 25:4-5

Blessings and Shalom!

All About Creation...

2011-11-15T08:08:00.000-08:00

A couple of weeks ago,
(I'm a bit behind on posting)
we gathered with some friends
and visited the Creation Museum.

It was a blessing to walk through the days of creation
(and throughout the whole museum)
and see Scripture on the walls
referencing the events of creation and history...

By the Word of יהוה {YHVH} the heavens were made,
And all their host by the Spirit of His mouth
Psalm 33:6

Lift up your eyes on high and see.
Who has created these?
He who is bringing out their host by number,
He calls them all by name,
by the greatness of His might
and the strength of His power
– not one is missing.
Isaiah 40:26

At the time of our visit,
we were reading about Noah in our Torah portion,
so it was a special treat to visit the ark... ;)

dino print

Tower of Babel

Rosetta Stone

You did found the earth of old,
And the heavens are the work of Your hands.
Psalm 102:25

Blessings and Shalom!

As the Stars of the Sky

2011-11-08T15:21:00.000-08:00

Last week, it was a blessing to get together with friends
to read a section of our Torah portion
and do a project!

We read how YHVH made a covenant with Abram,
to multiply his seed... as the dust of the earth.
How unfathomable that is!

Praise YHVH that He keeps His covenants...
ALL of them.

“And I shall make your seed as the dust of the earth,
so that, if a man could count the dust of the earth,
then your seed also could be counted."
Genesis 13:16

"And He brought him outside and said,
“Look now toward the heavens,
and count the stars if you are able to count them.”
And He said to him, “So are your seed.”
Genesis 15:5

------------------------------------------------

We illustrated what we read
using glitter and sand
(from our recent trip to the beach).

"... that I shall certainly bless you,
and I shall certainly increase your seed
as the stars of the heavens
and as the sand which is on the seashore,
and let your seed possess the gate of their enemies.
And in your seed all the nations
of the earth shall be blessed,
because you have obeyed My voice.”
Genesis 22:17-18

"And if you are of Messiah,
then you are seed of Aḇraham,
and heirs according to promise."
~ Galatians 3:29

Blessings and Shalom!

Pacific Afternoon

2011-11-07T18:46:00.000-08:00

Last week we took some time
to enjoy the ocean
and gather sand for a project.

Though the water was quite cold,
the weather was beautiful
and we enjoyed our time
in the fresh salt air!

"Let the heavens and earth praise Him,
The seas and all that moves in them."
Psalm 69:34

Blessings and Shalom!

Sukkot Snapshots

2011-11-06T18:22:00.000-08:00

It's been a couple of weeks since Sukkot ended
and we took lots of photos...
but wanted to share a few here
that I compiled into collages.

It was such a delight to celebrate YHVH's feast days
with fellow believers this year!
Thank You, Abba! ♥

{click on the photos to enlarge}

The top two left photos are at our home,
when we hosted a game night fellowship.
The bottom left is from our afternoon of
shabbattin' in a sukkah at the seashore
(as are the top and bottom right photos),
and the one in the middle left is
when we visited friends in their sukkah. :)

We didn't do as much homeschool work
in the sukkah as I would have liked,
but we did do some...

We enjoyed reading Scriptures
and making mini Torah scrolls

We look forward to the spring feasts next year!

Blessings and Shalom!

Covenantal Signs

2011-11-04T23:51:00.000-07:00

Does it just thrill you to see
a rainbow in the sky!?

It does me!

What a beautiful reminder, an unmistakable sign,
of one of YHVH's everlasting covenants!

I shall set My rainbow in the cloud,
and it shall be for the sign
of the covenant between Me and the earth.
And it shall be, when I bring a cloud over the earth,
that the rainbow shall be seen in the cloud,
and I shall remember {think on} My covenant
which is between Me and you
and every living creature of all flesh,
and never again let the waters
become a flood to destroy all flesh.

Genesis 9:13-15

-----------------------------------------------

Does it just thrill you
to welcome in the 7th day Sabbath!?

It does me!

What a beautiful reminder, an unmistakable sign,
of one of YHVH's everlasting covenants!

I am יהוה {YHVH} your Elohim.
Walk in My laws, and guard My right-rulings,
and do them.
And set apart My Sabbaths,
and they shall be a sign between Me and you,
to know that I am יהוה {YHVH} your Elohim.

Ezekiel 20:19 -20

Shabbat Shalom!

Happy Sukkot!

2011-10-14T10:15:00.000-07:00

Chag Sukkot Sameach!
Happy Sukkot Feast!

Our finished sukkah and giant menorah :)

The Feast of Tabernacles {Sukkot} has begun!
We look forward to this week long celebration
as we rejoice in our redemption from Egypt {sin},
how we dwell in temporary dwellings now
but that one day we will dwell eternally with Him...
rejoicing in our Messiah's birth,
how He came and tabernacled {dwelt} among us...
rejoicing that one day He will return
and tabernacle among us once again...
rejoicing in the coming marriage supper of the Lamb...
and so much more He has done
and what is to come!!

There is SO much to learn from His feast days!
May we choose to learn...
choose to seek His ways.

May you be blessed
as you rejoice in His moedim {appointed times}!

Shalom!

-------------------------------------

Enjoy this wonderful song of rejoicing!

chag haSukkot Hazeh,
Z'man simchatenu.

This is the time of our rejoicing,
Z'man simchatenu
baruch ata Adonai {YHVH} Eloheinu,
melech haOlam, shehecheyanu,
v'kiyemanu, v'hegianu lazman hazeh.

Halleluyah, Sukkot has come, halleluyah!

Feast of Tabernacles

2011-10-12T07:27:00.000-07:00

This week we begin observing and celebrating
The Feast of Tabernacles.
This is only our second year of learning about
and keeping the feast days of our Creator
and we continue to learn so much...
and continue to find them such a delight!

I came across this video,
which I thought did a very good job
explaining more about The Feast of Tabernacles.

Please watch. Please share.
Learn about these feast days,
that one day ALL mankind will observe!
They are amazing!

"And it shall be that all who are left from all the gentiles
which came up against Yerushalayim {Jerusalem},
shall go up from year to year to bow themselves
to the Sovereign, יהוה {YHVH} of hosts,
and to observe the Festival of Booths {Tabernacles}."
~ Zechariah 14:16

Blessings and Shalom!

Haven at Home Happenings: Yom Teruah and Yom Kippur

2011-10-10T21:41:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe it's been a month
since my last blog post.
There have been busy, busy days around here.

Things still continue to be busy
as we prepare for Sukkot/The Feast of Tabernacles this week!
We are VERY excited about this joyous time of year!!
And hope to share about it and pics soon.

Until then...
here's a little snippet of what we've been up to...

Celebrating Yom Teruah/The Feast of Trumpets...
with our fellowship group...

LOVE to hear those shofars!
What a joyous day it will be when we hear the final trumpet call
and our Savior, Yeshua, returns!

And we had the privilege to celebrate
with a few online friends that were visiting from out of town!

------------------------------------------------

This past weekend, we observed Yom Kippur.
It was a delight to meet with our fellowship group...

... and, also, a special time of self-examination and repentance
and rejoicing in Yeshua, our atonement.

Here's a video I put together with some Scripture
about Yom Kippur...

I hope to share, again, soon as we enter into Sukkot!

Blessings and Shalom!

Be Blessed!

2011-09-07T08:58:00.000-07:00

Blessed are
the perfect {upright, wholehearted} in the way,
who walk in the Torah {law; instructions}
of יהוה {YHVH; the LORD}!
Blessed are those who observe {keep; guard}
His witnesses {testimonies},
who seek Him with all the heart!
Yea, they shall do no unrighteousness;
they shall walk in His ways.
You have commanded us
to guard {keep; observe} Your orders diligently.
Oh, that my ways were established {directed}
To guard {keep} Your laws!
Psalm 119:1-5

Be blessed.
Walk in His ways... Torah.

Haven at Home Happenings... Of ravens, thumbprints, snakes, war, and more

2011-09-04T22:41:00.000-07:00

We were blessed with a very full week,
as we attempted to 'pick up the pace'
with our learning at home.

It began with waking Monday morning
to discover our lil' girls had found a bird in the backyard...
a DEAD bird.

I was SO glad to see they were wearing gloves ;)

This, of course, led to a nature study.
We researched to discover what kind of bird it was
and found it to be a baby raven.
Somehow it ended up dead in our pool overnight...
poor thing.
But we made the best of it :)

We looked in our field guide and read about ravens
and, also, read some portions of Scripture pertaining to ravens...

like when they brought food to Elijah
{1 Kings 17:4}
and when Noah sent the raven from the ark
{Genesis 8}
and what YHVH says about those
that despise and mock their parents
{Proverbs 30:17}
and how YHVH cares for the ravens
and even more so for us
{Luke 12:24}

Then the children drew illustrations of the raven...

And, of course, we disposed of the raven ;)

-----------------------------------------

We, also, enjoyed digging into our Torah study this week,
along with our discussion, worksheets,
and copywork {like this one}.
We are, also, working at memorizing a couple of verses,
including the Shema
(and we plan to learn to sing it, as well). :)

color pages illustrating how kings were to write out the Torah
{good idea for believers, too}

Hebrew copywork

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We, also, took out our McGuffey Readers
and each one began reading aloud from them this week,
as well as doing some copywork from them.
And each child worked on other various subjects, too.

World War 2 living book

workbook about our 50 states

And a little art, too :)

-------------------------------------------------------

One day, while running errands, we enjoyed a day of Yuki-schooling
(our version of vanschooling, which I hope to write a post about soon).
We enjoyed listening to a cd of science songs...
singing about YHVH's wonderful creation!

And there were times of play and miscellaneous activities, too...

strategy... playing Axis and Allies

Fingerprint art...

I just LOVED all of their thumbprint animals!

Mixing and baking cookies...

When I was making my challah
in the shape of a menorah this week,
the girls wanted to shape their own dough, too...
...
...
...
...
And they made...
...
...
...
...

Snakes!

LOL

They enjoyed eating their snakes
and sharing pieces of them, too. :)

I thank and praise YHVH for the week He gave us.
His goodness is so evident every day.
What an amazing and awesome Elohim we have!

Thank you, Abba!

Shabbat Shalom!

2011-09-03T12:18:00.001-07:00

“And you shall make a lampstand of clean gold –
the lampstand is made of beaten work.
Its base and its shaft, its cups,
its ornamental knobs and blossoms are from it,
and six branches shall come out of its sides:
three branches of the lampstand out of one side,
and three branches of the lampstand out of the other side"
Exodus 25:31-32

Therefore יהושע {Yeshua} spoke to them again, saying,
“I am the light of the world.
He who follows Me shall by no means walk in darkness,
but possess the light of life.”
John 8:12

Shabbat Shalom!

Together...

2011-09-01T13:43:00.000-07:00

Though, everyday, I walk past
an empty bedroom, once again...
I am so full of thanksgiving
for the week we had
all of our eggs in one basket.

What a joy it was to have our eldest home...
to be together as a complete family...
for a whole week.

Oh, thank you, Abba!

Though we didn't do anything that was
"out-of-the-ordinary special",
it was a delight to just spend our days together...
daily activities, running errands, talking,
eating, playing, singing, laughing... just being...
together.

*happy sigh*

---------------------------------------------------

Snapshots from our week...

Walking out of the grocery store...
together

Trying something new...
together

Taking a walk...
together

Studying Scriptures...
together

Playing...
together

Singing...
together

Teetering...
together

{after family pics together}

Gathering around the table...
together

*smiles*

Abba, thank you
for Your abundant goodness.
Thank You for the relationships
You have blessed us with.
May we never take our family
nor our days with them for granted.
May we love them, Father, as You love us.
May we soak up every moment with them
and may our hearts be full
of thanksgiving and praise to You.
Blessed is Your Name, O YHVH!

"Because Thy lovingkindness is better than life,
my lips shall praise Thee.
Thus will I bless Thee while I live:
I will lift up my hands in Thy Name."
Psalm 63:3-4

"We Are Family" ... Family Pics 2011

2011-08-30T16:48:00.000-07:00

Having our eldest home for a week
was the perfect time to update our family picture! :)

"Except YHVH build the house,
they labour in vain that build it..."
Psalm 127:1

Written in Our Heart?

2011-08-30T09:39:00.000-07:00

photo credit: One in Focus

"And I will give them one heart,
and I will put a new spirit within you;
and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh,
and will give them an heart of flesh:
That they may walk in My statutes {laws},
and keep {guard} mine ordinances {right-rulings},
and DO them:
and they shall be My people,
and I will be their {Elohim} God."
Ezekiel 11:19-20

"For this is the covenant that I will make
with the house of Israel after those days,
saith {YHVH} the Lord;
I will put My laws into their mind,
and write them in their hearts:
and I will be to them a God {their Elohim},
and they shall be to Me a people {My people}"
Hebrews 8:10

The renewed covenant is so
we can walk in YHVH's statutes, His laws, His commands...
so we can keep/guard His ordinances and DO them...

To write
His laws... His instructions... His Torah...
in our hearts... so we can DO them.

They are NOT done away with...

they are to be written on our hearts...
that we may walk in obedience.

Consider...
Are you part of His covenant?
Is He writing His law/Torah in our hearts?
Are we walking in it?

All My Eggs in a Basket...

2011-08-21T19:45:00.000-07:00

Okay, perhaps not the cleverest post title
but, this week, we have all of our "eggs in our basket"...
ALL of our children are home!

Our eldest returned home Saturday afternoon
after spending the summer in Miami
on a work scholarship.

We are SO tickled to have her home...
even if only for a week!

What a joy!

Thank you, Abba! ♥

A Land of Giants... Our Visit to Sequoia National Park

2011-08-16T16:12:00.000-07:00

{caution: photo intense post}

Last week, we were blessed with the opportunity
to travel North for a few days
to see the much heard about Sequoia Trees!

I have wanted to see the Sequoias since I was a little girl.
Something about the thought of such old and giant trees
always fascinated me... and I was so thrilled to see them.

And, yes, they were... BIG
And they are tucked away up in the mountains...
which are so beautiful, as well.

Something about mountains...
and these giant trees...
that seem to declare the overwhelming
glory of YHVH!
Just... AMAZING!

---------------------------------------

Three Rivers, California

There were miles and miles and miles
of sharp, curvy roads as we traveled up the mountain

The trees were overwhelmingly huge...
a reminder of YHVH's incomprehensible glory

Blessed is the man that walketh not
in the counsel of the ungodly,
nor standeth in the way of sinners,
nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.
But his delight is in the {Torah} law of {YHVH} the LORD;
and in his {Torah} law doth he meditate day and night.
And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water,
that bringeth forth his fruit in his season;
his leaf also shall not wither;
and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.
Psalm 1:1-3

This was a not-so-comforting sign
as we entered the park... lol

We had no problems in complying with the sign. ;)

------------------------------------

As the trees were SO huge,
it was difficult to get the whole tree into photos.
And, as you'll notice, we looked quite small in comparison...

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The children's reaction to walking Bear Hill...

LOL

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Walking trails...

Let the field be joyful, and all that is therein:
then shall all the trees of the wood rejoice
Psalm 96:12

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This is the biggest tree...
The General Sherman Tree...
see the children looking oh-so-small at the trunk?

Yep, there's a daddy and a mama in this pic... somewhere. ;)

----------------------------------

The width of one sequioa tree...

----------------------------

Lots and lots and lots of walking...

For ye shall go out with joy,
and be led forth with peace:
the mountains and the hills shall break forth
before you into singing,
and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.
Isaiah 55:12

-----------------------------------------

And lots of resting, too...

------------------------------------

Enjoying the view back down the mountain...

How amazing YHVH's handiwork is displayed
in His creation!
... whether our backyard
or somewhere else...
like this National Park.

May we stand in awe of Him... always.
May we praise Him... always.

And my tongue shall speak of thy righteousness
and of thy praise all the day long.
Psalm 35:28

O {YHVH} Lord, open thou my lips;
and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise.
Psalm 51:15

Shalom!

Learning Logistics: 2011-2012

2011-08-14T20:41:00.000-07:00

Learning Logistics...
... the planning, implementation, and cooridination
of the details of... our learning at home.
----------------------------------------

Each year I try to share
what our intended resources are for our homeschool.
Somehow I skipped last year (oops)
but this past week, I was able to sit down
and plan a rough draft of our intended curriculum.

I say intended because, many times,
we follow rabbit trails in our learning...
sometimes we add resources...
sometimes we decide not to use certain resources...
it just depends on our school year.

And though I like to have a plan,
I, also, like to be flexible with it
and follow where YHVH leads. :)
Below, is our list of our learning logistics
for this upcoming year of learning at home.

Scripture Study

This is THE MOST IMPORTANT part
and focal point of our educating our children at home.
It is through Scripture that
knowledge, understanding, and wisdom are gained...
which are of far greater eternal value than any academics.

Not all resources are listed here, but these are some
that we either have used, currently use, or will use.

Daily Torah portion readings
currently using schedule found here
considering this schedule

Five Book Walk! Series
{not adhering to some of the rabbinical teachings therein}

Messianic Family Fellowship Parsha Printouts

One Torah for All Parsha Printouts

possible various other Torah/Scripture
printouts and copywork

(additional for 13 year old)
Classbook to go along with Torah portions
Torah Explorers

Character Study

For Instruction in Righteousness

Character Sketches

Character Cards

Polite Moments

(additional for 13 year old son)

Anecdotes for Boys by Harvey Newcomb

How to Be a Man by Harvey Newcomb

copywork pertaining to set-apart men for Yah

(for 7 and 8 year old girls)

Little Lady Series by Sandi Queen

copywork pertaining to set-apart ladies for Yah

History/Geography

Book of Centuries

Ancient History study with Torah portions

A WIDE variety of living books from our shelves

various U.S. history/geography workbooks from store

Classical Kids and Old Testament Days activity guides

possible notebooking

Victor's Journey Through the Bible

A Child's Geography: Explore the Holy Land

Blackline Maps of World History

Charlotte Mason's Elementary Geography

Language/Grammar

Language Lessons by Queen Homeschool

copywork for all

spelling and vocab from Torah portions

various Abeka readers from our shelves

McGuffey Readers from our shelves - oral reading

(additional for 13 year old)

Grammar Land

written narrations
{via notebook, Word, or blog}

Science/Creation Study

Nature/Creation journaling

Handbook of Nature Study
by Anna Botsford Comstock
(also available online)

Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady
by Edith Holden

Variety of Burgess Books for Children
by Thornton W. Burgess

WIDE variety of living books from our shelves

Considering God's Creation CD
(and possibly book with 7 and 8 year olds)

Kent Hovind Creation Series videos

Nature Readers
by Christian Liberty Press

Wildcraft: An Herbal Adventure Game

{additional for 13 year old}

Land Animals of the Sixth Day:
Exploring Creation with Zoology 3
by Jeannie Fulbright

Mathematics

Ray's Arithmetic Series
{oral and copywork}

Math Facts to Classical Music

Life of Fred Math
{used by 13 year old
but possible for younger ones}

Living books from shelves
{Equal Smequel; A Place for Zero;
Tell Time with Thomas; Multiplying Menace;
Sir Cumference Series}

Music/Composer study

family singing
violin/piano practice/lessons
music flashcards

Spiritual Lives of the Great Composers

Living books from our shelves
to accompany above book

various videos and cds
to accompany above book

Art/Artist Study

Nature/creation sketches

Various "how to draw" books
from our shelves

Various living books about various artists
{Mary Cassatt; Edgar Degas; Monet;
Jean Francois Millet; Benjamin West,
and possibly others}

Various coloring books
to accompany artist study
from dover publications

Poetry

Various poems by various poets
{including Robert Louis Stevenson/Emily Dickinson}

Poems for Memorization book

Linguistic Development Through Poetry Memorization
{we just LOVE to listen to the cd of poems read}

Literature

We will aim to keep a list of all the books read...
we go through lots!
Here are a few books I hope to cover this year
but am not limited to these.

A Girl of Limberlost

Swiss Family Robinson

Various Lamplighter books

More to be added and assigned :)

Life Skills

Prepare and Pray!

Keepers/Contenders of the Faith projects

videos from YouTube

attempt to begin a small garden

Hebrew

Holy Language online

Hebrew Homeschool printouts
at Hebrew4Christians

-------------------------------------------

Again, this is not an all inclusive list.
Some things we may not get to,
some things we may add.

Not all of these resources will be used on a daily basis
and some of them will be.

May YHVH guide us and bless us
as we train them up in the way they should go...
and may they not part from it.

Shalom!

Howdy... Just a Little Check In...

2011-08-11T22:09:00.000-07:00

It's been a couple of weeks since I've shared
what's been going on in our Haven at Home...

Daddy has had the past couple of weeks off of work
and we have enjoyed having him here...
needless to say, time for blogging has been even less.

But I just wanted to pop in to say hello... southern style...
Howdy!
*waves and smiles*

This week we took a special trip north
to see the Sequoia Trees
and I hope to share photos soon...
just have to sort through the 300+ pics.

... posts to come soon...

Shalom!

Oh yeah! The above photo is from our visit
to see the Sequoia Trees...
We thought it looked like a face ;)

It Is Shabbat!

2011-08-05T19:25:00.000-07:00

I came across this song today...
Ah, I LOVE Shabbat!!
Thank YHVH for His Shabbat!
HalleluYAH!!

{don't forget to stop the music in the sidebar first}

It is Shabbat, Thank {YHVH} the LORD
It is Shabbat, Thank {YHVH} the LORD
It is Shabbat, Thank {YHVH} the LORD
It is Shabbat

It is Shabbat, Thank {YHVH} the LORD
It is Shabbat, Thank {YHVH} the LORD
It is Shabbat, Thank {YHVH} the LORD
It is Shabbat

Six days of the week
Anticipate and seek
The first of His feasts
It is Shabbat

It is Shabbat, Thank {YHVH} the LORD
It is Shabbat, Thank {YHVH} the LORD
It is Shabbat, Thank {YHVH} the LORD
It is Shabbat

It was given as a sign
To His people for all time
Yes, a covenantal sign
It is Shabbat

It is Shabbat, Thank {YHVH} the LORD
It is Shabbat, Thank {YHVH} the LORD
It is Shabbat, Thank {YHVH} the LORD
It is Shabbat

He gave it to the world,
A day of rest, in His Word
And sing praises to {YHVH} the LORD
It is Shabbat

It is Shabbat, Thank {YHVH} the LORD
It is Shabbat, Thank {YHVH} the LORD
It is Shabbat, Thank {YHVH} the LORD
It is Shabbat

He tells us in His word
To remember and observe
To honor and delight
It is Shabbat

It is Shabbat, Thank {YHVH} the LORD
It is Shabbat, Thank {YHVH} the LORD
It is Shabbat, Thank {YHVH} the LORD
It is Shabbat

It is Shabbat, Thank {YHVH} the LORD
It is Shabbat, Thank {YHVH} the LORD
It is Shabbat, Thank {YHVH} the LORD
It is Shabbat

It is Shabbat, Thank {YHVH} the LORD
It is Shabbat, Thank {YHVH} the LORD
It is Shabbat, Thank {YHVH} the LORD
It is Shabbat

{song by Lenny and Verda}

Shabbat Shalom!

Sin No More?

2011-07-31T20:52:00.000-07:00

"Whosoever committeth sin
transgresseth also the law {Torah}:
for sin is the transgression of the law {Torah}."
1 John 3:4

Soooooooo...

Sin is transgressing/violating the Torah

And...

"Whosoever abideth in Him
sinneth {transgresses against the Torah} not:
whosoever sinneth {transgresses the Torah}
hath not seen Him,
neither known Him."
1 John 3:6

Hmmmmmmmm...

So, according to Scripture,

IF we KNOW Him, ABIDE in Him,
THEN we will NOT continue in sin...
SIN...
which is
LAWLESSNESS...
TORAHLESSNESS.

Yes, things that make you go "Hmmmmm"...

Haven at Home Happenings... 7-25-11

2011-07-25T23:52:00.000-07:00

Another week has passed...
it was full but it was, also, full of blessings.

Before another week or so gets away from me,
I just wanted to share some pics from this past week...

cheery bouquet from my beloved ♥

This week was, particularly, exciting
because we were able to meet with an online friend
and her two boys... who will be homeschooling this year!
We are praising YHVH for this new, like-minded friendship!
It is an answer to prayer! HalleluYAH!

We met with them downtown
and spent the whole day outdoors!
It was wonderful!

on our way to meet them

a little stop along the way

waiting by the fountain... but not long ;o)

hours and hours of fellowship and play :-)

Thank you, Abba! ♥

-------------------------------------

At home, we enjoyed the routine and non-routine of daily life...

Seat work together
and our Torah portion study {posted here}

Reading about the character traits of YHVH's little girls

watching Daddy clean the carpets

helping Mama in the kitchen

-----------------------------

We ended the week with Shabbat {Sabbath}
and enjoyed reading and studying Scripture
and fellowshipping with friends...

Thank you, Abba, for your many blessings!

Shalom!

Learning Moments... Importance of Keeping Your Word

2011-07-22T08:57:00.001-07:00

It was a blessing this week as we studied through our Torah portion.
One of the topics we discussed was the importance
of being careful when making an oath, a vow, a promise
and about keeping your word.

Copywork of instructions that YHVH gave
and how Yeshua taught to 'go the extra mile'.

Copywork page that I put together to use with the children...

Parsha Mattot: Vow, Oath Copywork Numbers30

Also this week, we had TONS of fun
creating a little jingle to go along
with the lesson we discussed about keeping our word.

Here's a little video I put together,
with the song we wrote...

What a blessing it is to train our children up
in the way they should go!

Shalom!

Was It Changed??

2011-07-15T22:39:00.000-07:00

Have you ever REALLY looked into
IF the Sabbath was changed?

Not one Scripture in the Bible
says Jesus changed the Sabbath to Sunday.

We NEED to seek Truth.
We NEED to search the Scriptures diligently.
We NEED to study.

Just because we have heard it all of our lives,
doesn't make it true.
Just because everyone else is doing it,
doesn't make it right.

When we put aside man's doctrine,
the Scriptures speak for themselves.

Be brave.
SEEK TRUTH.

Grab your Bible...
Consider this...

‎"We are told to be separate and holy.
We can keep the other nine (commandments) and still blend in.
Keeping the Sabbath means coming out and being separate to God.
That's why God says the Sabbath is a sign between Him and His people. "
{via the video}

Open our eyes, Oh YHVH, to Your Truth.

Hot? Cold? Pick One.

2011-07-12T14:06:00.000-07:00

"So then because thou art lukewarm,
and neither cold nor hot,
I will spue thee out of MY mouth."
Revelation 3:16

YHVH does NOT desire our apathy and mediocrity.
He wants our whole heart.
He wants us to love Him with all of our heart,
soul, might, strength...

When is the last time we evaluated
how much we love Him?
Does it really show in our lives?
Are we "straddling fences"?
Do we sit in complacency?
Not caring? Putting it off?
Mixing? Mingling? Compromising?

May the fire for Him and His ways
be strengthened and may it burn within us.
May it be evident in our lives...
for His Name's sake...
for His glory.

Haven at Home Happenings...7-10-11

2011-07-10T13:54:00.000-07:00

Blessed and busy this week in our home.
Just sharing a few pics. :)

Hebrew copywork

copywork and Torah portion study

Our youngest's very happy TAV...

Phonics game...

Learning math through a living book...

Reading about World War II... again...

Cooling off on a hot day
with lots and lots of water play...

"Blessed be {YHVH} the Lord,
who daily loadeth us with benefits
{bears our burdens},
even the {El} God of our salvation. Selah."
Psalm 68:19

Ahem, Citizens...

2011-07-09T21:28:00.000-07:00

As a citizen of the Kingdom of Heaven,
a holy {set-apart} Nation, a royal priesthood...

be sure to know the rules of the Kingdom
in which we are subject to...

the Kingdom's "constitution"...
the Torah.

Learn it.
Know it.
Guard it.
Live it.

"But in the last days it shall come to pass,
that the mountain of the house of {YHVH} the LORD
shall be established in the top of the mountains,
and it shall be exalted above the hills;
and people shall flow unto it.
And many nations shall come, and say,
Come, and let us go up to the mountain of {YHVH} the LORD,
and to the house of the {Elohim} God of Jacob;
and He will teach us of His ways,
and we will walk in His paths:
for the {Torah} law shall go forth of Zion,
and the word of {YHVH} the LORD from Jerusalem."
Micah 4:1-2

A Sign of a Covenant

2011-07-08T21:36:00.001-07:00

And Elohim said,
"This is the sign of the covenant
which I make between Me and you,
and every living creature that is with you,
for all generations to come:
I shall set My rainbow in the cloud,
and it shall be for the sign of the covenant
between Me and the earth."
Genesis 9:12-13

We were blessed with this rainbow this week.
What a blessing it was to see!
What a visually beautiful sign
of one of YHVH's covenants
that He has made with man!

Praise YHVH for His covenants!
Blessed is He who is faithful!

Baruch HaShem YHVH!
Blessed be the Name of YHVH!

Capturing California... Through the Fog

2011-07-05T19:26:00.000-07:00

Last week when I rose up early,
there was a fog across the land.
Fog is very common here in southern California,
particularly, in the early mornings.
I like fog...
It's like a blanket that YHVH covers His earth in.
Even the fog is beautiful.

I took a few pics that morning,
even though the fog was lifting...

over the tree tops lies a patch of golden hills
and beyond that lies more of the city on a hill

A view between the trees
and down the golden hill

A cactus plant and looking up the hill

One of the beautiful white flowers just beyond our yard

A view of the hill and the pretty white flowers
through our fence

A red/orange blossom on one of our trees

My country windmill
I love to watch it spin in the wind

The fog lifting

"Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad;
let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof.
Let the field be joyful, and all that is therein:
then shall all the trees of the wood rejoice
Before {YHVH} the LORD:
for He cometh, for He cometh to judge the earth:
He shall judge the world with righteousness,
and the people with His truth."
Psalm {Tehillim} 96:11-13

Delighting in His Set-Apart Day

2011-07-01T21:54:00.000-07:00

"If you do turn back your foot from the Sabbath,
from doing your pleasure on My set-apart day,
and shall call the Sabbath ‘a delight,’
the set-apart day of {YHVH} יהוה ‘esteemed,’ and shall esteem it,
not doing your own ways, nor finding your own pleasure,
nor speaking your own words,
then you shall delight yourself in {YHVH} יהוה.
And I shall cause you to ride on the heights of the earth,
and feed you with the inheritance of Yaʽaqoḇ your father.
For the mouth of {YHVH} יהוה has spoken!”
Yesha'Yahu {Isaiah} 58:13-14

{The Scriptures version}

Recent Sewing Project: Camouflage Femininity

2011-06-28T19:13:00.000-07:00

Yes. They are girls.
They are active girls.
And they are girls with an older brother...
and camouflage can come in handy during play. ;)

"The king's daughter is all glorious within..."
Psalm 45:13

Recent Sewing Projects

2011-06-28T11:51:00.000-07:00

Skirt and shirt outfit...

Square neck design... fun print...
elastic puff sleeves... elastic two panel skirt

The 'new-to-me' shirt pattern...

Another square neck shirt...
the first prototype... ;o)

with ribbon attached under the hem for tzitzit

And after wanting one for many months,
I was able to purchase some linen and make
a six panel, navy blue linen skirt...

'Tis the season to be sewing...

Shalom!

"The king's daughter is all glorious within..."
Psalm 45:13

For the Love of Tea Giveaway... Selected

2011-06-27T11:19:00.000-07:00

Selected from the teapot...

Congrats, Amy of Making a Joyful Home! :)
May you enjoy many, lovely tea time moments!

Special thanks to everyone that participated!

Shalom!

Applesauce Muffins

2011-06-26T16:37:00.000-07:00

We've enjoyed this recipe for years...

These are muffins our 8 year old daughter
made for Shabbat last week

Applesauce Muffins

2 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. sea salt
1 TBS cinnamon
1 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup olive oil
3/4 cup applesauce
3 eggs
1 cups chopped pecans (optional)

Preheat oven to 400.
Mix all of dry ingredients together.
Add oil, applesauce, and eggs. Mix.
Stir in nuts, if desired.
Fill greased muffin tins about 2/3 full.
Bake 12 to 15 minutes.

Enjoy!

You can, also, sprinkle brown or raw sugar
on top before baking...
or add a powder sugar glaze afterwards.

Set Your Heart... Choose Life

2011-06-24T08:45:00.000-07:00

"And Moses made an end of speaking
all these words to all Israel:
And he said unto them,
Set your hearts unto all the words
which I testify among you this day,
which ye shall command your children
to observe to do, all the words of this {Torah} law.
For it is not a vain thing for you;
because it is your life:
and through this thing ye shall
prolong your days in the land,
whither ye go over Jordan to possess it."
Deuteronomy 32:45 -47

Set your heart unto ALL His Word...
Command/teach them to your children...
To guard/keep/DO them...
ALL the words of His Torah... instructions...
It is not vain... trivial and for nothing...
It is your LIFE.

Have at Home Happenings... 6-21-11

2011-06-21T14:45:00.000-07:00

It occurred to me that I hadn't updated our blog,
in regards to our happenings and such,
since our eldest daughter was home...
almost a month ago! oy!

I confess that I have found facebook
so much easier to 'keep up with'...
but I do love blogging...
it has been like a journal for me
these past years...
and I love to reminisce. ;)

---------------------------------------

Though I don't recall all that we have been up to
this past month, it seems to have been busy...
as life often is.

Below are a some snapshots
from our daily life...

-----------------------

Enjoying the sprinkler on a warm day

Afternoons of drawing

-------------------------------------

watercoloring...

puzzles...

Riding bikes together
on a summer day...

Taking a break from Shabbat preparations...
to go to the theater...
at home...

Bravo!!

------------------------------

A young lad and his quest to protect and defend ...

Young ladies reading together
about the qualities of YHVH's little girls...

Nurturing relationships...
in love and joy...

"They shall abundantly utter the memory
of Thy great goodness,
and shall sing of Thy righteousness."
Psalm 145:7

Shalom!

For the Love of Tea Giveaway

2011-06-16T19:50:00.000-07:00

Ah... I love tea.
Growing up in the south,
I had such a love for iced sweet tea.

But, as an adult, I have developed
such a love for drinking hot tea
and, almost daily, tea times.

“There are few hours in life more agreeable
than the hour dedicated to the ceremony
known as afternoon tea”
Henry James

-------------------------------------------

I thought of what a delight it would be
to share my love for tea!

And what fun to do so with a giveaway!
(It's been a long time since I've had one of those!)

The Giveaway...

A box of one of my favorite teas
{which a friend and I fondly call a 'liquid hug'}...
Scripture Tea's Chai Green Tea
and
a homemade tea wallet

To Enter:

*Just leave a comment here
with a way to contact you*

*Due to this being lightweight,
I am willing to ship overseas. :)

Entering will end at midnight on
Sunday, June 26, 2011
and a name will be drawn
and shared on
Monday, June 27th

Giveaway has ended

Happy tea drinking!

Psst... Please be sure to spread the word! ;o)

Feast of Weeks/Shavuot/Pentecost

2011-06-09T14:28:00.000-07:00

{photo credit: here}

With Shavuot/Pentecost upon us,
I wanted to share a few Scripture verses
and some links I've come across.

This is our first year
observing/celebrating Shavuot/Pentecost
and I am still learning SO much
and it has been, and continues to be, such a joy!

I am continually amazed
by YHVH's feast days!

------------------------------------

Shavuot means 'weeks' in Hebrew.
It is The Feast of Weeks.
7 weeks (49 completed days),
counted from the Sabbath day
after the first day of The Feast of Unleavened Bread.

In Scripture it is a feast of harvest.
It is, also, the celebration of
the giving of the written Torah,
by YHVH at Mount Sinai.

It is, also, the time of Pentecost.
Pentecost means "fiftieth" in Greek.
It is when the promise of the giving
of the Set-Apart Spirit was fulfilled.

-----------------------------------

"And the feast of harvest,
the firstfruits of thy labours,
which thou hast sown in the field:
and the feast of ingathering,
which is in the end of the year,
when thou hast gathered in
thy labours out of the field."
Exodus 23:16

"And thou shalt observe the feast of weeks,
of the firstfruits of wheat harvest,
and the feast of ingathering at the year's end."
Exodus 34:22

"And ye shall count unto you
from the morrow after the sabbath,
from the day that ye brought
the sheaf of the wave offering;
seven sabbaths shall be complete:
Even unto the morrow
after the seventh sabbath
shall ye number fifty days;
and ye shall offer a new meat offering
unto {YHVH} the LORD.
Ye shall bring out of your habitations
two wave loaves of two tenth deals:
they shall be of fine flour;
they shall be baken with leaven;
they are the firstfruits unto {YHVH} the LORD."
Leviticus 23:15-17 {and to verse 21}

"Also in the day of the firstfruits,
when ye bring a new meat offering
unto {YHVH} the LORD,
after your weeks be out,
ye shall have an holy convocation;
ye shall do no servile work"
Numbers 28:26

"And thou shalt keep the feast of weeks
unto {YHVH} the LORD thy {Elohim} God
with a tribute of a freewill offering
of thine hand, which thou shalt give
unto {YHVH} the LORD thy {Elohim} God,
according as {YHVH} the LORD
thy {Elohim} God hath blessed thee:
And thou shalt rejoice before
{YHVH} the LORD thy {Elohim} God,
thou, and thy son, and thy daughter,
and thy manservant, and thy maidservant,
and the Levite that is within thy gates,
and the stranger, and the fatherless,
and the widow, that are among you,
in the place which {YHVH} the LORD thy {Elohim}God
hath chosen to place his name there.
Deuteronomy 16:10-11

"And when the day of Pentecost was fully come,
they were all with one accord in one place.
And suddenly there came a sound from heaven
as of a rushing mighty wind,
and it filled all the house
where they were sitting.
And there appeared unto them
cloven tongues like as of fire,
and it sat upon each of them.
And they were all filled with
the Holy {Spirit} Ghost,
and began to speak with other tongues,
as the Spirit gave them utterance."
Acts 2:1-4

---------------------------------

By sharing the following links,
I am, in no way, declaring
that I agree wholeheartedly with all of the content.
Also, some of the links may contain
references to Jewish tradition
and not, necessarily, Scriptural command.
As with anything, read with Scriptural discernment.

A few links to consider:

Shavuot - Pentecost - Feast of Weeks {PDF file}
(article from Hoshana Rabbah site)

Shavuot - "Feast of Weeks" {PDF file}
(a little more 'simplified' article at Restoring the Way)

All About Shavuot
{Emet (Truth) Ministries}

Why Shavuot Matters
(online article at Hebrew4Christians)

What is Shavuot?
(online article at Judaism site, Chabad.com)

Activities and Coloring:

Shavuot coloring pages
{at Aish.com}

Crafts and Coloring pages
{at Challah Crumbs.com}

Shavuot Recipes and Crafts
{at HebrewPodcasts.com}

Shavuot Lapbook/Lapfolder

And what's a celebration without music?!

Songs:

Rejoicing in the giving of the Torah...

Love the Torah

I Love Torah

Oh, How I Love Your Torah

The Ten Commandments

Rejoicing in the Set-Apart Spirit,
Who writes Torah in our hearts...

Bo, Ruach Elohim {Come, Spirit of Elohim}

Chag Sameach Shavuot!
{Joyous Festival of Shavuot!}

A Broken Spirit and A Contrite Heart

2011-06-05T20:22:00.000-07:00

The subject of humbleness and brokenness before YHVH
has weighed heavily on me for many months now.

"The meek will He guide in judgment:
and the meek will He teach His way."
Psalm 25:9

It is the meek, the humble, the lowly
that YHVH speaks to and teaches His way.
It is the meek, the humble, the lowly
that will draw near to Him.

Abba Father,
may we be meek, humble and lowly before You,
that you may lead us in judgment and righteousness
and that You may teach us Your way.

---------------------------------------------

One of my favorite psalms
that speaks in and of humility,
is Psalm 51

I couple of months ago,
I heard this psalm in a song
and am compelled to share it here.

May we offer up to YHVH a sacrifice that pleases Him.
One of a broken spirit and a contrite heart.

----------------------------------------

Have mercy on me, O {Elohim} God,
according to Your unfailing love;
according to Your great compassion
blot out my transgressions.

Wash away all my iniquity
and cleanse me from all my sin.

For I know my transgressions,
and my sin is always before me.

Against You only have I sinned
and done what is evil in Your sight,
so that You are proved right when You speak
and justified when You judge.

Surely I was sinful at birth
Surely I was sinful at birth.

Surely You desire truth, truth in the inward parts;
And You teach me wisdom,
wisdom in the innermost place.

With hyssop make me clean,
wash me whiter than snow.

Oh, Let me hear joy and gladness;
let the bones you have crushed rejoice.

And hide Your face from my sins,
blot out all my iniquity.

Create in me a clean heart, O {Elohim} God,
and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Create in me a clean heart, O {Elohim} God,
and renew a right spirit within me.

Cast me not away from Your presence, O {YHVH}LORD
and take not Your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore unto me the joy of Your salvation
and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

Then I will teach transgressors Your ways
and sinners will turn back to You.

Save me from the guilt upon me,
{YHVH} LORD who saves me,
and my tongue will sing of Your righteousness
O {YHVH} LORD the {Elohim} God who saves me.

Open up my lips,
and I will declare Your praise.

You do not delight in sacrifices,
or surely I would bring it;
You do not take pleasure in offerings, O {YHVH} LORD

but the sacrifices of {Elohim} God
are a broken spirit and a contrite heart.
{YHVH} The LORD will never despise a broken spirit
and a contrite heart.

And the sacrifices of {Elohim} God
are a broken spirit and a contrite heart.
{YHVH} The LORD will never despise a broken spirit
and a contrite heart.

In Your good pleasure make Zion prosper;
build up the walls of Jerusalem.

Then there will be righteous sacrifices,
whole burnt offerings to delight You;
then bulls will be offered on Your altar.

Build up the walls of Jerusalem.

{by Sons of Korah, based on Psalm 51}

To listen to this video here,
you can stop the blog's background music
in the right sidebar :)

Haven at Home Happenings... 5-24-11

2011-05-24T23:20:00.000-07:00

The past two weeks have been
those that pass by slowly, but quickly.
We have been home bound,
as our Yuki is in the shop getting a new transmission.

But we haven't minded, at all, being at home.

There is nothing like staying at home
for real comfort.
Jane Austen

And it's been such a blessing having our eldest here...
spending time with her... together...
as a family.

----------------------------------------------

Surprisingly, I haven't taken many photos lately
but here are some I have gotten...
just enjoying daily life together...

--------------------------

working...

----------------------------------------

playing, too...

Daddy is the Pharaoh-ist of them all ;o)

------------------------------------------

and snuggling...

Shalom!

Regency Dress... Flowers and Cream

2011-05-23T22:51:00.000-07:00

In time for summer...

She seeketh wool, and flax,
and worketh willingly with her hands.
Proverbs 31:13

Civil Wear, Y'all

2011-05-17T20:31:00.001-07:00

A recent project I worked on
for our eldest...

Not an exact replica
but my version
of a Scarlett O'Hara/civil war
green and white picnic dress

Our southern belle...

She seeketh wool, and flax,
and worketh willingly with her hands.
Proverbs 31:13

What Do You Pant For?

2011-05-10T17:21:00.000-07:00

photo credit: allposters

You're in the wilderness. It's hot and it's dry.
The heat has been beating down upon you.
You've been walking.
You've been walking a really, long time.
You've even run some of the time.
Sometimes it seemed so unbearable
that you even crawled.

Your mouth is opened and you're panting.
What do you pant for?

photo credit: allposters

"Water!",
the children answer unanimously,
as they sit at the table, Bibles open,
as we are reading through Scriptures
and listening to Mama's illustration...

-----------------------------------------

"How bad do you want that water?",
Mama asks.
"Really bad, huh?
You thirst, you long, you ache for it, right?"

They all heartily agree,
"Yes! Really bad!"

-----------------------------------------

Mama shares the Scripture, again,
that they had just read aloud...

"I opened my mouth, and panted:
for I longed for Thy commandments."
Psalm 119:131

-----------------------------------------

"Do you see how YHVH wants us
to pant after His commands? His Word?",
Mama questions...

"Just as much as if
you were running in a desert wilderness,
with no water...
but you thirsted and panted for it... badly."

"He wants us
to want His commandments, His Torah, that badly.
Even more!"

"He wants us to open our mouths...
ready to receive it and drink it in.
Just like we would that beautiful glass of water!"

-----------------------------------------

It was a good illustration for the children.
They understood.

It was a good illustration for me.
I was reminded.

It is a good illustration for all of us.

-----------------------------------------

I wonder...
What do we pant for?
What do we have such a desperate longing for?
What do we open our mouths for to receive?

Abba, may I always thirst, long, and pant
after Your commandments, Your Torah...
Your beautiful commandments, beautiful Torah,
full of revelation of You and Your heart.

"I opened my mouth, and panted:
for I longed for Thy commandments."
Psalm 119:131

Trip to Sea World

2011-05-07T22:59:00.000-07:00

One of the many advantages of homeschooling
is that we often have the ability
to get certain discounts, as educators...
And one of the few advantages of living in the city
is the variety of local attractions.

Well, this past week was one of those times
when the advantages collided. :)

Earlier this week, we had the opportunity
to visit the local Sea World for the first time
and at a great educator's rate. :)

There were many wonderful sights to see!

We began with going to the sea lion show...

It was very interesting to watch the sea lion
and the trainer interact with each other.

----------------------------------

After the sea lion show,
we watched the seals nearby,
some swimming, some begging for food,
and some soaking up the sunshine...

A little learning, too...

----------------------------------

We, also, ventured our way to the dolphins...

It was a lot of fun to watch them jump and play...

----------------------------------

When we stumbled upon the tidal pool,
everyone was thrilled.
We enjoyed learning about what creatures
lurked within and how all of them
were safe to touch and handle.

sea urchins

Starfish
Notice the one on the bottom right?
It has six arms instead of five. Neat, huh?

Our Carolynne was the one that could have stayed
at the tidal pool all day...
or, at least, until she touched every starfish...
which she tried. ;o)

----------------------------------

The aquariums were lots of fun, too!
I was thrilled to hear all three of them
identifying the different fish
(most from memory!).

Okay, the size of this grouper fish was just... wow!

See the fish? See the stone? See the stone fish?
Weird huh?

Isn't YHVH's creation amazing?!

And, yes, we found Nemo...
and he really does love the anemone. ;o)

----------------------------------

It was a day of delightful learning!
We just love days like those!

O {YHVH} LORD, how great are thy works!
Psalm 92:5

Our Neighbors... African Turtles

2011-05-04T08:26:00.000-07:00

We noticed our neighbors were outside
in their front yard the other day
so we took the opportunity
to go as a family to greet them.

They weren't very chatty
but the were lots of fun to meet!

Hi. We're Bismark and Hood.
named after two battleships...
(which our son, surprisingly to us, already knew
those were the names of battleships!
I love homeschool!)

A picnic lunch on the lawn

You never know what sort of neighbors you have...
be sure to get to know them. ;o)

Haven at Home Happenings... 5-3-11

2011-05-03T16:01:00.000-07:00

Phew! It seems life has been such a whirlwind lately...
which isn't, necessarily, a 'bad' thing,
just a reminder at how quickly life happens.

Daddy was gone for a few weeks due to work
and we are always thrilled to welcome him home, again. :)
Also, these past few weeks,
we have been continuing with our learning at home,
including learning more about YHVH's appointed times
(specifically these ones that have been
taking place during these spring months).
It continues to be a delight to learn
so much more about our Creator!

Learning about counting the omer

Reading passages of Scripture
about YHVH's Torah

Copy work

-------------------------------------------------

One day, as our youngest was working through her Language Lesson book,
she declared, from the other room,
"Wow! This Richard paints real good!
His bird looks real!"

LOL
Picture study has many perks. ;o)

She shared one of her masterpieces this week, too...

Our neighbor's dog, who just had puppies

I just love how relationships are formed through learning!

---------------------------------------------

We have had many warm, sunny days
here in southern California
and being outdoors just cannot be resisted...
nor should it be. ;-)

Bike riding down a dirt hill
has been the new favorite thing...

And, of course, it's always more interesting
when Daddy plays...

------------------------

This past week, we took a walk up the hill,
which was very enjoyable!

Even Suzie enjoyed it
and liked to stop to smell the 'roses'
(well, they weren't roses...
and she didn't really smell them anyway
but it made for a cute photo of her)...

And at the end of April, beginning of May,
the grass here is already turning
from green to golden brown...

Hence, The Golden State :o)

After a few pics,
the children REALLY loved going down the hill.
But we're not sure if they were obeying the speed limit or not. ;o)

Daddy and Will enjoyed some basketball time...

And our youngest learned how to ride a two wheel bike.
*sigh* They sure grow fast...

She was tickled to ride bikes with her sister...

Yes... busy days... a busy life...
but we're busy making memories...
and YHVH's blessings are abundant each day.
May we always be pausing in the busyness of life
to give Him thanks and praise. :)

"Let the people praise thee,
O {Elohim} God;
let all the people praise thee."
Psalm 67:5

Shalom!

Matzah Brunch Bake

2011-04-21T11:59:00.000-07:00

As the Feast of Unleavened Bread continues,
we are learning ways to eat accordingly...
which can be both fun and challenging.

This morning we experimented with a brunch bake.
Apparently the experiment went well
as the following came from the table when eating...

"Mmmmm!"

"Ooooh! Yum!"

"This is awesome, Mom! I want more!"

"You HAVE to make this again!"

lol... Ah, the accolades of being a keeper of my home. :)

Matzah Brunch Bake

Line a greased 9x13 in baking dish with Matzah bread/crackers.
Beat 8 eggs with a little milk (about 1/4 cup)
and pour over matzah crackers.
Sprinkle with onion powder and sea salt.
You can, also, add chopped onion, bell peppers, etc...
but I kept it plain and simple for our children.
Then sprinkle with cheese of choice
(I used cheddar here).
Top with more matzah.
Put slices of butter on top of matzah layer
and sprinkle a little sea salt.
Bake at 375 for about 25 minutes.
Serve hot and say "Mmmm!"

"And on the fifteenth day of the same month
is the feast of unleavened bread
unto {YHVH} the LORD:
seven days ye must eat unleavened bread."
Leviticus 23:6

Shalom!

Passover (Pesach)

2011-04-18T20:34:00.000-07:00

"Observe the month of Abib,
and keep the passover
unto {YHVH} the LORD thy {Elohim} God:
for in the month of Abib
{YHVH} the LORD thy {Elohim} God
brought thee forth out of Egypt by night."
Deuteronomy 16:1

"And the blood shall be to you for a token
upon the houses where ye are:
and when I see the blood, I will pass over you,
and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you,
when I smite the land of Egypt.
And this day shall be unto you for a memorial;
and ye shall keep it a feast to {YHVH} the LORD
throughout your generations;
ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance for ever."
Exodus 12:13-14

"And looking upon {Yeshua} Jesus as he walked,
he saith, Behold the Lamb of {Elohim} God!"
John 1:36

"Saying with a loud voice,
Worthy is the Lamb that was slain
to receive power, and riches, and wisdom,
and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.
And every creature which is in heaven,
and on the earth, and under the earth,
and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them,
heard I saying,
Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power,
be unto him that sitteth upon the throne,
and unto the Lamb for ever and ever."
Revelation 5:12-13

"Purge out therefore the old leaven,
that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened.
For even {Messiah} Christ our passover
is sacrificed for us:
Therefore let us keep the feast,
not with old leaven,
neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness;
but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth."
1 Corinthians 5:7-8

Shalom!

Cleaning of Home and Heart

2011-04-13T19:54:00.000-07:00

This week we are devoting time
to diligently search our home and hearts
for any leaven that is hidden therein.

We do this in preparation to YHVH's feast next week...
Passover and The Feast of Unleavened Bread

"And this day shall be unto you for a memorial;
and ye shall keep it a feast to {YHVH} the LORD
throughout your generations;
ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance for ever.
Seven days shall ye eat unleavened bread;
even the first day ye shall put away
leaven out of your houses..."
Exodus 12:14-15

"Therefore let us keep the feast,
not with old leaven, neither with
the leaven of malice and wickedness;
but with the unleavened bread
of sincerity and truth."
1 Corinthians 5:8

What a blessing it has been to use this opportunity
of cleaning the leaven out of our home,
to teach our children the picture
of how sin can hide in the corners of our hearts.

Thank you, Father,
for the many opportunities, the beautiful pictures,
You have given to us to teach our children
(and to learn for ourselves).

"Search me, O {Elohim} God,
and know my heart:
try me, and know my thoughts:
And see if there be any wicked way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting."
Psalm 139:23-24

"Create in me a clean heart, O {Elohim} God;
and renew a right {resolute} spirit within me."
Psalm 51:10

Zucchini Pasta Dish

2011-04-06T22:35:00.000-07:00

I wouldn't call myself a raw foodie
but I am interested in and learning
how to make better choices in my eating.
Choices that will honor YHVH
and benefit my health, too. :o)

After doing some browsing online,
looking for non-cooking inspiration,
I came across a recipe for a spaghetti substitute...
all raw food... no cooking involved.

We tried it for supper tonight.
I thought it turned out to be pretty tasty,
though a little tarty, which can be remedied
with some natural sweetner or carrot
(I hope to add carrot next time).

Mmmmm...

Zucchini pasta with marinara sauce

Zucchini Pasta:

2 zucchini (I grated them for easy eating)
1/4 cup olive oil
1 TBS basil
1 TBS oregano

Mix basil and oregano with oil.
Combine oil mixture and zucchini, to marinade.

Marinara sauce:

1 pint grape tomatoes
1/4 cup water (to thin), optional
1/2 sweet onion
1 clove garlic
1/2 red bell pepper
1 TBS coconut oil
2 TBS olive oil
2 tsp basil
2 tsp oregano
1 tsp salt

Puree sauce ingredients in food processor or blender
(I used my Magic Bullet).
Let process/blend until creamy
or until your liked consistency.
Serve with zucchini pasta.

Sauce can be done a variety of ways,
to add more nutrients and more flavor,
all to your liking. :o)

Eat! Enjoy! Give thanks!

recipe adapted from HERE

Blessings in Cooperation

2011-04-05T22:32:00.000-07:00

How many homeschool children does it take
to change a light bulb?
|
|
|
Three at our house...

This evening we discovered our back porch light was out.
I watched the children as they worked together
to discuss, delegate, and determine the course of action
to change the outside light bulb...
Our son did the actual light bulb swap,
one daughter held the bulb that wasn't being used,
and the other held the flashlight...

What a blessing it was to see them
work together!

Thank you, Father,
for their willingness
to cooperate with one another
in love and kindness.

"Two are better than one;
because they have a good reward for their labour."
Ecclesiastes 4:9

Full Nest Blessings

2011-03-24T19:24:00.000-07:00

Last week we were blessed
to be able to have a full nest...
all of our children were once again home.
It was a blessing to have our eldest here...
and an additional blessing to host her friend,
who's parents are missionaries in Germany
and was unable to go home for spring break.
The more the merrier. :-D

There were many things we did...
and many we did not...
but whatever it was that we did or did not do,
we enjoyed the moments of being together...
even if it wasn't in the same room
but just in the same house.

The details of the week
may be a little vague in my mind,
but the memory and the joy in my heart
will remain.

I didn't plan to share our whole week,
but wanted to share some snapshots
from one of our days together
as we enjoyed a day around the city...

Thank you, Father, for the time we had together.
Thank you for your many blessings and tendermercies.

"{YHVH} The LORD is good to all:
and His tender mercies are over all His works."
Psalm 145:9

Haven at Home Happenings: March Beginnings

2011-03-09T20:52:00.000-08:00

A new month has already begun...
and, once again, I am reminded
of how fast time goes by.

We've been enjoying signs of the new season
and the warmer temps!

The children spent much time outdoors last week,
soaking in the sunshine.
They've enjoyed being able
to ride their bikes and scooters,
playing ball and tag,
watching the lizards and the birds,
and this past week they enjoyed
creating outdoor art...

{Carolynne - age 7}

{Beth - age 8}

{Will - age 12}

Though much of their time was spent outside,
we, also, continued in our studies at home.
{I STILL, after 13 years,
love homeschooling, by the way!!}

Manuscript and Scripture copywork

Language Lessons, copywork

Language and character study

Reading our Torah portions together...

Worksheets and copywork
to go along with our reading...

It continues to be such a blessing
to learn so much of YHVH's Word together!

We closed the week, entering into Shabbat,
and were blessed with such a beautiful sunset
over the Pacific Ocean...

YHVH is good!
And His blessings are so numerous every day!
May we purpose to see them
and take time to praise and thank Him.

"Many, O {YHVH} LORD my {Elohim} God,
are Thy wonderful works which Thou hast done,
and Thy thoughts which are to us-ward:
they cannot be reckoned up in order unto Thee:
if I would declare and speak of them,
they are more than can be numbered."
Psalm 40:5

Season of Life

2011-03-09T12:03:00.000-08:00

Another season is upon us
and we have been blessed with
the many signs of springtime recently...

Blossoms opening...
birds singing...
breezes filled with the smell
of new beginnings...

Though I love each season,
there is something special about spring.
Where the things of creation that have been sleeping
are awakened and produce new life.

It makes me ponder the many ways
that the seasons of creation
parallel the seasons of life.

And just as in creation,
the season of winter in my life
is never void of beauty...
but it can sometimes seem
long, cold, barren, and lonely.

And that is when the next season
is anticipated with a greater longing.

I look forward to spring...
the beauty... the cheer...
the fresh breath of life
and all things new.

Thank you, Abba,
for the seasons of your creation...
for the seasons of life.

Thank you for the life You give
and for making all things new.

"Therefore if any man be in {Messiah} Christ,
he is a new creature:
old things are passed away;
behold, all things are become new."
2 Corinthians 5:17

Capturing California... Mountains and Skies

2011-03-01T20:51:00.000-08:00

One thing I was quick to realize
when we first moved to California
is that it, in no way, lacks in beauty!
We are surrounded
by constant, visual reminders
of our Creator's glory!

And when we travel to visit our eldest,
I always return home with a camera
full of snapshots from our trip...
and that's exactly what happened
when we surprised our eldest
a little over a week ago.

Miles and miles of YHVH's
beautiful handiwork!
And snapshots to share...

"The heavens declare his righteousness,
and all the people see his glory."
Psalm 97:6

His bow in the sky...
a reminder of His promises

As we drove, the children
noticed the clouds atop the mountains
and thought of what we've been
reading in Scripture lately...

"And mount Sinai
was altogether on a smoke,
because {YHVH} the LORD
descended upon it in fire:
and the smoke thereof ascended
as the smoke of a furnace,
and the whole mount quaked greatly."
Exodus 19:18

... The desert and mountains meet...

Joshua trees

Many of the mountains had beautiful
blankets of snow...

And here is where we enjoyed playing in the snow

"The works of {YHVH} the LORD are great,
sought out of all them that have pleasure therein."
Psalm 111:2

"...stand still, and consider
the wondrous works of {Elohim} God."
Job 37:14

Shabbat is Coming

2011-02-25T11:46:00.000-08:00

Shabbat comes every week!
And every week, we delight in it!
And every week, we welcome it with singing...
and sometimes dancing, too...

Shabbat is Coming

Circle to the right, Shabbat is coming
Circle to the right, Shabbat is coming
Circle to the right, Shabbat is coming

Shabbat is coming.

Circle to the left, Shabbat is coming
Circle to the left, Shabbat is coming
Circle to the left, Shabbat is coming

Shabbat is coming.

Clap your hands, Shabbat is coming
Clap your hands, Shabbat is coming
Clap your hands, Shabbat is coming

Shabbat is coming

Stomp your feet, Shabbat is coming
Stomp your feet, Shabbat is coming
Stomp your feet, Shabbat is coming

Shabbat is coming

Have a seat, Shabbat is coming
Have a seat, Shabbat is coming
Have a seat, Shabbat is coming

Shabbat is coming

American folk tune - “The Old Brass Wagon”
Lyrics by Judy Caplan Ginsburgh

Can listen here:
Shabbat is Coming

Shabbat Shalom!

"And {Elohim} God blessed the seventh day,
and sanctified it {set it apart}:
because that in it He had rested
from all His work
which {Elohim} God created and made."
Genesis 2:3

Shabbat Link Up

Snow Much Fun!

2011-02-23T22:09:00.000-08:00

On our way home Sunday afternoon,
we took a little time to pull over
on the side of the road
to admire the mountains
and play in the snow...

The hill we hiked up
(well, not ALL the way)

We were all thrilled to see snow, again,
and to play in it,
since we do not get it where we are
in southern California...

And, of course, you can't play in the snow...
without a snowball fight...

"A merry heart doeth good like a medicine..."
Proverbs 17:22

Sweet Surprises

2011-02-23T09:28:00.000-08:00

Our eldest turned 18 this past Sunday.
It was a perfect opportunity
to surprise her at college.

After some hours of driving,
we arrived and arranged for her
to pick 'her gift' up at her door.

Curious, she walked to her door,
looking for a box
only to have herself pursued
by running children...
which she did not expect...

Seeing her... the smiles... the joy...
the embracing... the tears...
It melts this mama's heart.

The longing and the aching
of being apart from a loved one,
especially a child (who is, also, a friend),
may sometimes reside
in a small corner of the heart...
but it never goes away.

That we were glad to see her...
would be a great understatement.

We whisked her away,
off to enjoy lunch and a couple of hours with her...

A couple of hours is all we had,
but we were thankful for them...

Watching them grow
isn't easy.

It's difficult to remember that
His ways are not our ways.

It can be fearful to
release arrows.

But...
Fear of the unknown is conquered
by faith in the Unseen.

"... Be not afraid,
only believe."
~ Yeshua
Mark 5:36

Spiritual Snacking

2011-02-17T19:34:00.000-08:00

Morning dawns and, with sleep still in my eyes,
I make my way down the stairs.
I walk past the computer,
noticing the photos on the screensaver,
making my way to the kitchen cupboard.

I grab one of my favorite mugs
and take it to the coffee pot on the counter,
which has been storing hot coffee for me.
The sleepy eyes begin to widen
as the steam from the coffee reaches my nose.
I add a little cream, a little sugar, and lift my mug
as I shuffle to the computer chair.

As I begin sipping my hot coffee,
waiting for that moment when I feel more awake,
I start to read various things online...
discussions of spiritual things on Facebook,
composing an email or message to encourage others,
verses here and there from the Bible program on my computer.

The children come down the stairs to greet me
and to grab a quick breakfast,
then head back upstairs to play for a while.

I'm awake now and focusing very intently on
the spiritual discussions, composing emails,
and searching verses on my computer.

The children come down, again...
this time ready for lunch.
Wow! Have I been sitting here that long?

There's much to get done
before the afternoon arrives and passes...
so I head to the kitchen to make lunch,
then work to get some things accomplished,
checking those spiritual conversations and verses,
that I left at the computer, in between tasks.
I continue on in our afternoon activities.

Evening arrives, supper is made,
husband walks through the door.
We enjoy our meal
and share about our day.
Supper is finished,
we clean up our supper mess,
load the dishwasher,
and some time together as a family
before it's time to put the children to bed.

We finish a few tasks here and there
and sit to spend the evening with my husband,
to check the computer for the
spiritual conversations from earlier, as well as new ones,
and a few more searches
for Scripture on the computer program,
before we head to bed for the night.

We turn out the lights,
make our way up the stairs,
and retire for the night...
wake in the morning...
repeat cycle.

Some time passes and I start noticing
how I seem to be struggling more often...
easily angered, not getting much accomplished,
feeling defeated, depressed, robbed of joy...

I don't understand. What's going on?
Why do I feel as though
I'm just not satisfied in my soul?

How did that happen?
I've been feeding myself with His Word...
haven't I?

But I'm hungry.
I'm starving.

His still, small voice speaks to me,
"My child,
I offer a feast to you each day...
but you, dear one,
have only been spiritually snacking...
In the midst of your busyness,
your distractions,
your own interests and pursuits,
you have only been taking nibbles
of spiritual fast food.
You lack nourishment, strength,
and health from your spiritual snacking.
You have missed the meals
I have prepared for you.
Meals of the meat from My Word.

Sit, My child, and eat.
Daily, sit at the table of My Word
and let Me feed you
with the spiritual food
you need for life and health.
Eat."

"And He humbled thee,
and suffered thee to hunger,
and fed thee with manna,
which thou knewest not,
neither did thy fathers know;
that He might make thee know
that man doth not live by bread only,
but by every word that proceedeth out
of the mouth of {YHVH} the LORD
doth man live."
Deuteronomy 8:3

"... I have esteemed the words of His mouth
more than my necessary food."
Job 23:12

The Storms... of Life

2011-02-14T16:51:00.000-08:00

repost... to encourage my heart

"And, behold, there arose
a great tempest in the sea,
insomuch that the ship
was covered with the waves:
but He was asleep.
And his disciples came to Him,
and awoke him, saying,
{Master} Lord, save us: we perish.
And He saith unto them,
Why are ye fearful,
O ye of little faith?
Then He arose, and
rebuked the winds and the sea;
and there was a great calm.
But the men marvelled, saying,
What manner of man is this,
hat even the winds and the sea obey Him!"
(Matthew 8:24-27)

Sometimes, in this ship of Life,
storms come...
opposing winds are blowing strong...
fear of tipping, of being blown off course,
of being torn apart...
may begin to take over...
water may be rushing in...
fear of sinking, of drowning...
feeling of defeat...
of crushing disappointment...
of despair...
begin to circle around and overtake.

Yet, HE speaks...
"Why are ye fearful,
O ye of little faith?"

HE speaks further...
You know Who I am.
You trust me with your soul...
Can you not trust me in this storm?

Yes, Master, I do know...
But, shamefully,
the fear and the feelings
remain.

The wind stops...
The waves cease...
The water no longer floods in...
HE spoke it.
HIS hand was in it.

I marvel...
regrettably, I marvel in surprise...

Despite my weak faith,
HE shows me...
proves to me, mercifully,
when HE does not have to...
reassures me in a way I can see...
because of my little faith.

Humbled... repentant...
HIS forgiveness I seek...
and HE freely gives...
and HE warms my heart
as if I can feel HIM
embrace me...
patiently and lovingly
telling me to believe.
Just believe.

Even when it seems like
HE is sleeping on the ship
in the middle of the storm...
HE is still on the ship.
HE does not leave me alone.

The storms come and go...
HE remains... the same.
And even better...
HE controls the storms that come...
and HE has a purpose...
a loving purpose...
and it's for my own good...
for HE is Good.

Thank you, YHVH...
for Your goodness,
beyond my understanding...
for Your faithfulness
when I am faithless...

for lovingly, mercifully, graciously
teaching me, growing me,
and leading me along...

that though I am unworthy,
I am precious in Your sight.
I thank
and praise You.

{photo courtesy of allposters.com}

Haven at Home Happenings... 2-11-11

2011-02-11T09:45:00.000-08:00

I rejoice at Thy word,
as one that findeth great spoil {treasure}.
Psalm 119:165

YHVH's Word becomes increasingly precious to me...
so does studying it with my children...

{and old photo.. but a precious one}

This week we learned more about the tabernacle
and how YHVH commanded it to be built.
We discussed the symbolism of the tabernacle
and how it was a shadow of our Messiah, Yeshua.
A beautiful picture, indeed!

tabernacle and priestly garment coloring pages

Scripture copywork

And there I will meet with thee,
and I will commune with thee
from above the mercy seat...
Exodus 25:22

Comparing Scripture and illustrating tabernacle furnishings

How sweet are Thy words unto my taste!
yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth!
Psalm 119:103

Snuggling is a great comfort when one doesn't feel well.
One of the great blessing for mama is the snuggling.

He shall feed his flock like a shepherd:
he shall gather the lambs with his arm,
and carry them in his bosom,
and shall gently lead those that are with young.
Isaiah 40:11

One of the many tabernacle worksheets we enjoyed...

Diagram of the tabernacle, furnishings, and the tribes

We enjoyed this video about the tabernacle:
Tabernacle: part 1
Tabernacle: part 2

And let them make me a sanctuary;
that I may dwell among them.
Exodus 25:8

What a continually humbling thought
that the Creator of all loves us
and desires to dwell with us!

Lego tabernacle

Thinking of big sis this week, missing her...
we gathered together to make cards ...

...The LORD {YHVH} watch between me and thee,
when we are absent one from another.
Genesis 31:49

Shalom!

Haven at Home Happenings

2011-02-05T22:11:00.000-08:00

I know I said it last week,
but another week has breezed past us.
You would think that after so many years
of experiencing time,
I would comprehend it a little better.
But I do not.
Each week, it flies by.
Time...
Life...
It is a vapor.

"... For what is your life?
It is even a vapour,
that appeareth for a little time,
and then vanisheth away."
James 4:14

This week we focused on catching up
in our Torah portions.

We enjoyed spending much time reading the Scriptures,
discussing them, and illustrating them.

There was so much to be learned!
His Word is like that, though...
No matter how many times you've read it,
there's always something more to learn.

Copywork

Illustrations depicting how we are to
care for and be kind to the widows and fatherless...

"Ye shall not afflict any widow, or fatherless child."
Exodus 22:22

Coloring pages illustrating
some of YHVH's other commands
that we discussed this week...

After watching a music clip singing the Shema,
and seeing the stringed instruments being played,
Beth was compelled to dust off her violin...

What a blessing it was to hear her
playing Suzuki's Twinkle Variation
throughout the house!

This week on Shabbat
was, also, the new moon...
the beginning of a new month
according to YHVH's calendar!

It was a beautiful sight to see!

Blessed are You, O YHVH,
Who maketh all things new!

Shalom!

Haven at Home Happenings

2011-01-30T15:01:00.000-08:00

Another week has breezed by us...
Sharing snapshots...

Learning moments...

quail coloring pages
as we learned about how
YHVH provided quail and manna
for the children of Israel

Around the house...

singing while putting away the dishes

playing the sock matching game
while listening to Beethoven

learning to braid
a six strand challah bread
with Mama

all by herself

Making memories..

creative play with lego blocks

playing Guess Who

Checkmate ;)

Chess with Daddy
and playing with Shabbat candles... lol

learning to juggle... Mama's produce :)

Soaking up the sunshine

We are thankful for the many blessings
the Father daily gives.
May we see them.
May we thank Him.
May we teach
our children His ways
and be an example to them
in our daily walk.

"And all thy children shall be taught
of the LORD {YHVH};
and great shall be the peace of thy children."
Isaiah 54:13

Shalom!