Prayer for 3 Boys Kidnapped from Judea and Samaria

Please join with others in prayer for the safety and return of the 3 boys kidnapped. Toda Rivqa

ביטע פאַרבינדן מיט אנדערע אין תפילה פֿאַר די זיכערקייַט און
צוריקקער פון די 3 יינגלעך קידנאַפּט. דאַנקען איר ריווקאַ

Garden of Israel: A Little Move: Great Impact

Good day. Stopping by after a long absence to let you know I'm still here and thriving.
Garden of Israel is still alive and well but has now moved to Countrywhispers.org
I have much to do on the pages for Garden of Israel but I think your going to like what's coming forth. Stay tuned and see ya soon.
R

Happy Valentine's Day to You and to Y'shua

Grief in Losing Our Children

I just heard Janet Parshall lost her son to complications of cancer.
He leaves behind a wife and 3 children. The grief they must all experiencing is beyond words.
Janet considered a well-known christian, taking a stand against injustice and wrong happening in the world around us. I don't know her well but in years past used to listen to some of her programs.

I am forced again to deal with the grief at the loss of Jacinta.
Even though she was conceived out of ill circumstances and many would have aborted her, I chose to give her life.

She was the best and most beautiful Christmas present I ever received from God. This year I didn't talk about her much but felt my loss of her again. I reasoned who'd want to hear about it anyhow.

I pray the Parshall's don't do as I have done in keeping it to themselves.
I pray God bring people around them to be God's arms and words of comfort.

One never really gets over the loss of your child but we can have opportunity to heal from the pain as days and years go by. I think at times I've delayed my healing because I didn't want to feel the pain of her loss.

I'm thankful for those who stood with me and cared even though miles separated us. Those who felt like Jacinta was such a part of their lives. Hugs and much love to you.
I'm even thankful for those few who blamed me for her loss and dropped me like a hot potato.
They pushed me to trust Y'shua even more!

I remember every time I go out to do chores in the cold of wrapping her warm in my winter shawl, milking the cows and feeding all the animals.

One of the downfalls of living remote is in an emergency one can't always get to medical help in time. Jacinta suffered from respiratory distress and I couldn't get to a hospital in time nor could I do anything to save her.

I have come to terms with blaming myself as many probably go through when they can't do enough for those they love. Today I hold her memories of her smile, her laugh,her young brilliance dear to my heart.  I will probably even use the pictures of her room again on one of my websites.

In days to come even attempting to get to a hospital, let alone having insurance or even wanting to go to a place that could result in jeopardizing staying free and safe would be insane.
In that sense I'm thankful she's with the Lord and not here to deal with the garbage.

As Paul said, it was better to be with the Lord if having a choice. Well Jacinta didn't have a choice as probably Janet's son didn't but Jacinta and Janet's son are spared the chaos to come. (2 Cor.5:1-8)

There are times I hate my humanness in the sense I get so consumed with how things hurt and it bows me over for a time.

I've come a long way with knowing how valuable I am today so I will cherish whom Y'shua has made me and where He's brought me.

How about you? Have you suffered losses~a child, parent, brother, sister, a friend, a job...? Are you allowing yourself to heal?

Do You Eat Potato Chip Sandwiches?

This isn't an actual picture of me but

 when I saw it was reminded

 of sitting on steps outside waiting for papa to come home.

 I was daddy's girl!

Growing up my papa worked for a man that traveled and raised money for those who had strayed from their jewish roots and returned. Or maybe just those whose husbands had left or they had other hardships.

 But you had to be ultra orthodox or forget it.

With 12 mouths to feed sometimes we had little to eat because his salary wasn't enough.

I remember coming home from my studies and was so hungry.

So I liked to eat Potato Chip sandwiches.

Now my potato chip sandwiches weren't so ordinary. I think I called them that because a palestinian

boy down the street always had a bag of chips and I wanted to try some. lol

 

The above picture from http://bakedbree.com/homemade-matzo
who has a fantastic recipe for making your own matzo bread :)

My potato chip sandwiches were matzo bread and cheese or matzo bread and mayonaise. Yes Jews can eat mayonaise if it's kosher parve lol

 Today I don't eat my notorious "potato chip sandwiches"

But I do make my own matzo bread and yes in 18 minutes for passover to keep it kosher. I also create matzo bread for those who are gluten intolerant.

I find it much more tasty than what today comes in a box. :)

If you'd like to purchase yours please follow this link Matzo Bread


If you'd like to make your own you might like to try http://bakedbree.com/homemade-matzo

If you'd like to follow me at the on-site blog here ya go http://www.gardenofisrael.com/Garden-of-Israel-s-Blog.html

Do You Have Those Moments...

I find a lot of inspiration and comfort from the facebook page this graphic came from.
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mountain-wisdom/339468812752550

I don't know, maybe it's because I am becoming more diligent to blog these days as slow as it's been to conquer everything and still get to blog a bit. 

Lately I'm not just redoing cosmetically all my sites and compressing my niches but also facing head on what God has used to bring me to this place.
I mostly embrace what He's done and is doing but it can be kind of like, "can I quit now for awhile, daddy. It hurts reliving some of this sometimes".

Something that has happened in this journey is also that my Father has so enlarged my heart that sometimes I feel intense pain for others I love when they struggle and are so wronged by the so-called Body of Christ.

I full well know I can't fix them or things but I can lay them in His arms in prayer and intercession.

I remember like it was yesterday when I first came to the U.S. from Israel with my children, given a new identity and protection (as little as that turned out to be) from the islamic onslaught my converted husband brought upon me and my family.
Most people then didn't even comprehend what it means to have your life threatened if you didn't convert to islam. With the world today and our present administration, I doubt I'd be in the U.S. let alone get any protection or a new identity. 

I found a used book by Doris Ruscoe on the life of Rees Howells and bought a shoe box of candles from a 2nd hand store, St Vincent de Paul for 50 cents. My life was so transformed by Christ. Who would have thought. I'd never read the Bible in my life but no matter to God.

The rest of my family hadn't followed me yet and I felt very alone.

I had nothing and very little money.

 

Somehow (we know it was God's plan) I was drawn to Y'shua, the Christ Jesus.

I remember putting my kids to bed, covering them with every available blanket I had. (it was so cold) and turning the oven on to keep warm. 

I had this big picture window and a table in front of it. I lit a whole bunch of candles and sat there reading and praying every night after the kids were asleep. (Yes, I found a Bible that was free too :)

I wept intensly night after night begging God to help me connect with the right people. I knew inside of me there had to be people who could help me but where were they!

God had to have them out there somewhere!

Why do I think of this stuff tonight and why am I writing about it.

I have friends who like me and just in different circumstances that know God brought them to where they are for a reason and know He has people out there to come along side of them but where are they!

 One of them asked me to read Zechariah 4 (which I posted below) I will be spending some time on this for awhile. I don't think this is just for a few of us and even for the trials my sister is currently facing, she will find Truth clear into Chapter 5 and beyond.

Things have been tough for many of us financially and otherwise but as I reflect it is more than clear, God has brought me/others farther than I/we would have ever been able to imagine.

For me it's been 30 years of growing and growing that becomes obvious if I but look to Him!

Zechariah 4

Complete Jewish Bible (CJB)

4 Then the angel that had been speaking with me returned and roused me, as if he were waking someone up from being asleep, ² and asked me, “What do you see?” I answered, “I’ve been looking at a menorah; it’s all of gold, with a bowl at its top, seven lamps on it, and seven tubes leading to the lamps at its top. ³ Next to it are two olive trees, one on the right side of the bowl and the other on its left.” ⁴ I then asked the angel speaking with me, “What are these, my Lord?” The angel speaking with me said, ⁵ “Don’t you know what these are?” I said, “No, my Lord.” ⁶ Then he answered me, “This is the word of Adonai to Z’rubavel: ‘Not by force, and not by power, but by my Spirit,’ says Adonai-Tzva’ot. ⁷ ‘What are you, you big mountain? Before Z’rubavel you will become a plain; and he will put the capstone in place, as everyone shouts, “It’s beautiful! Beautiful!”’ ⁸ This message from Adonai came to me: ⁹ ‘The hands of Z’rubavel have laid the foundation of this house, and his hands will also finish it.’ Then you will know that Adonai-Tzva’ot sent me to you. ¹⁰ For even someone who doesn’t think much of a day when such minor events take place will rejoice at seeing the plumbline in the hand of Z’rubavel. So these seven are the eyes of Adonai that range about over all the earth.”

¹¹ I replied by asking him, “What are those two olive trees on the right and left sides of the menorah?” ¹² Then I asked the question again: “What are those two olive branches discharging gold[-colored oil] through the two gold spouts?” ¹³ He replied, “Don’t you know what they are?” I answered, “No, my Lord.” ¹⁴ He said, “Those are the two who have been anointed with oil; they are standing with the Lord of all the land.”

Rees Howells and Intercession

I've been well aware for sometime how the word "intercession" can be thrown around so lightly.

A very long time ago or so it seems I read a book, "The Intercession of Rees Howells. I remember being moved then and so taught of the Spirit of God.

I decided (as I don't often do) to reread the book again.
Why you may ask! I can tell you for certain it's not because I need my senses riled up or for a feel good. This book will do neither for me.

I simply have become convinced all over again there is a large difference between prayer and intercession.

After coming out of ultra orthodox judaism and having my life turned upside down by Y'shua, Christ My Lord, I went through a series of ups and downs and major battles. The greatest probably was being stalked by my ex-husband who had converted to islam and his vicious cohorts. Not too many stood with me in the religious church and doubt many would today. Some of those who came out of judaism and did so lost their lives in the process.
Given a new name/identity and some protection wasn't necessarily even a relief for awhile.

I did learn (and this is an understatement. I don't have words sometimes to convey what it is like) like I might not have otherwise that God is my very present help in time of trouble. (Ps. 46:1)

Most of the story is for another time and I have a life time to talk about it if the Lord Y'shua doesn't return first. I still reel at reliving it all over again but it's time to walk through in more depth.

Something beyond mere prayer carried me through those days as well as those who walked it out with me.

I will be taking my time and going through the book and sharing as I go.
I have a full plate and have been diligently defining my niches in the retail arena as well as just what do I want to do in life and online.
Because I will be carrying retail products here and sharing them as well, I'd hate my posts to get lost in the shuffle but should be a nice mix.
It's a tad easier to have separate pages on my blog at blogspot and your welcome to follow me there as well. http://garden-of-israel.blogspot.com/

The blog here as well as the entire site and my blog on blogger all are undergoing changes so bear with me as things are kind of bare at the moment.
Thanks
Rivqa

If your interested in obtaining the book, Amazon has the book in paper back for $7.20 and on Kindle for $6.84. I've placed a link below for your convenience from my affiliate account that helps support my endeavors.

Rees Howells