Journaling Life...

Journals for the children

"Memory is the diary that we all carry about with us"

- Oscar Wilde

Though the above quote carries a degree of truth,

there are many advantages in keeping a written journal.

And this week we introduced our younger children to keeping one.

Once upon a time, I myself was a semi-faithful journaler.  

- a few old 'friends'

It always blessed me to re-visit my entries...

pondering on what I had learned...

gaining perspective of how I was growing 

in that season of my life...

visiting fond and not-so-fond memories alike...

taking note of my cries out to Yah...

praising Him, again, for praises I had recorded...

reminiscing how He was there....

guiding, teaching, loving, blessing...

I once read that it is believed that 

the "who" someone is writing to in journaling

is a mere personality of one's self...

I think it goes beyond that.

For me, journaling is my written thoughts and prayers...

sharing my life and heart...

with the Ruach {Spirit}that lives within me...

sharing with my Abba... the Lover of my soul...

... like having a casual or an intimate conversation...

with a friend...

... a Friend like no other.

As we enter into this transitional phase - season - in our lives,

I am praying our children are blessed 

as they record, share and think on all YHVH has done/is doing.

- Have you tried journaling?

 

Going and Growing... His Way...

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, 

neither are your ways My ways,” declares יהוה.
For as the heavens are higher than the earth, 

so are My ways higher than your ways, 

and My thoughts than your thoughts."

Isaiah 55:8-9

Abba reminds me of the above often...
for which I am thankful.
 

His thoughts are not our thoughts...

our ways are not His ways...

His are higher... so much higher...

so far above and beyond our own.

He put before us, again, a tangible reminder...
... as we, once again, began to contemplate and plan retirement
and settling here in California, where He brought us two years ago...

... yet, in a series of events, He has called us elsewhere...
again...

... not our thoughts... not our ways...
but His
.

I reflect on how something just like this happened 

just a little over two years ago...

as we were just about to buy a house and retire

... and received orders to go to California.

There was so much He was teaching me...

so much He is teaching me still...

and as I look back on all He did and how He lead us,

I am humbled and overwhelmed 

by the love of my Abba...

and how He works all things for good

to those that love Him.

And my heart fills with love... and praise.

 

 

... so we begin taking steps...

steps on this path that He has us on...

this time leading back to the east coast...

to Virginia.

... because His thoughts are not our thoughts...

and our ways are not His ways...

because He is good... 

He's just SO good.

His leading us to California will forever remain

branded in my heart...

for it is here that He opened my eyes ...

here where He removed the veil...

here He wiped away the scales...

where He, in lovingkindness and in His perfect timing...

 

led me ... and restored me... to His Torah...

 

... and changed my life...

for ever

... I look ahead with hope...
and with thanksgiving...

Baruch HaShem YHVH!

"All the paths of יהוה are kindness and truth, 
To those who guard His covenant and His witnesses."
Psalm 25:10

Let the Hearts of Those Seeking Rejoice!

  

Give thanks to יהוה, call upon His Name, 

Make known His deeds among the peoples!
Sing to Him, sing praise to Him, Speak of all His wonders!
Boast in His set-apart Name, 

Let the hearts of those seeking יהוה rejoice!
Seek יהוה and His strength, Seek His face continually!
Remember His wonders which He has done, 

His signs and the right-rulings of His mouth,
O seed of Yisra’ĕl, His servant; O children of Yaʽaqoḇ, His chosen ones!
He is יהוה our Elohim, His right-rulings are in all the earth.
Remember His covenant forever, 

The Word He commanded for a thousand generations,
Which He made with Aḇraham, And His oath to Yitsḥaq,
And He established it to Yaʽaqoḇ for a law, 

To Yisra’ĕl as an everlasting covenant

1 Chronicles 16:8-17

HalleluYah!

 

An Intimate Love

 I have a love... a love like no other...
a love like I have never had... nor ever will have.
My Love is One who loves me with an everlasting love...
He holds me... carries me... saves me... consumes me... fills me
His thoughts for me cannot even be numbered.
He leads me... understand me... comforts me... heals me
He knows my thoughts... my deepest secrets... my very core...
and He favors me... cares for me... loves me beyond measure.


It is the most intimate kind of love...
ever


My Love has set aside time for me each week...
a very special appointed time...
a day that is different from the rest...

a special time...

and He invites me... every week...
to join Him in this special place of time...
to step away from the things that distract me...
to set aside those things that take away from intimate time with Him...

an intimate time...

to just sit in His presence... to soak Him in...
to talk with Him... to hear Him... to know Him...
to really know Him.

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

Some times... oft times... I get wrapped up... in daily life... in other things.
But there are other times when it really hits me... really... and His love is truly overwhelming.

May we be overwhelmed by His love for us.
May we feel it... know it... understand it... treasure it... more.


I love that time each week. 
that appointed time - that intimate 'date' -
with my Creator... my Abba... my Redeemer... my Savior... 
the Lover of my soul. ♥ 
What a delight it is to honor Him and meet Him there! 

Shabbat Shalom, Israel {His set-apart people}!
May you find rest and peace in the intimacy of His presence!

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

Have you fallen into the greatest love... ever?
Do you know that He has a special time set aside for you?
... Just fall...
Oh, how He loves you. Oh, how He is waiting. ...
... Just fall... and be blessed...


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

♪Intimate Lover, I'm taken with You
Lost in your beauty, Yah.
Intimate Lover, my comfort, my shelter,
my refuge, my shepherd You are.
Your love is deep and wide like a canyon...
Too long have I stood on the edge...

But now I've fallen... I've fallen...
in your beautiful intimate love.
I have fallen... I've fallen...forever in intimate love...
with You... my intimate Lover

I'm consumed by You, over my head in Your love
Intimate Lover, I'm learning to trust You
I've tasted and seen You are good.
Your love is deep and vast as the ocean
Too long have i stood on the shore

But now I've fallen... I've fallen...
in your beautiful intimate love.
I have fallen... I've fallen... forever in intimate love

How deep and wide, how long and high
Your beautiful, intimate love!
How deep and wide, how long and high
Your beautiful, intimate love!
I've fallen... I've fallen... in your beautiful, intimate love!

Yahshua, intimate Lover. Yahshua, intimate Lover.

A Longing

The more I learn and walk in Abba's ways,

the more like a stranger I feel and become in this foreign land...

and the more I yearn... deeply yearn... for Home...

Strengthen us, Abba.

Strengthen Your people, Yisrael.

Restore and rebuild us soon...

and in our days, we pray.

"As the deer longs for the water streams,

So my being longs for You, O Elohim."

Tehillim 42:1