Winter SIYH Newsletter

I just posted the Winter 2011 Standing in YHVH's Hand Ministries Newsletter to our website which you can find at www.standinginyhvhshand.org/newsletter_winter11.htm. Please be sure to take a few minutes to read it!

Can't Wait for Shabbat

This past week has been quiet in some ways...in other ways, it has been busy. I've really been enjoying working on Commandment Keepers. I'm very excited about the progress being made there and the awareness for the new project.

I've also gotten back into my writing on my book and finishing up my presentations. I'd really like to have them totally done - outlined, then details and Scriptures added, then the animation and pictures put into place by the Spring of 2012. I've got seven I've been working on and two are totally done. The third one is about half done and coming along really well.

I enjoyed some sewing this week. Daddy and I worked on hemming up some clothes that had been needing to be done for a bit. We worked together, and it did not take long at all.

Then too I have been enjoying reading more as well these past couple of weeks. I read a really good fiction book - first in a while - called Lion of Babylon by Davis Bunn. It is about a CIA agent who had lost his job because his wife had been ill then died; however, he get's called back to work when his best friend goes missing in Iraq. It is a Christian book, but it was amazing to me the details that he brought in that we even understand as Messianics such as a brief reference to the Salt Covenant! :) I would recommend reading it.

Well, the house is clean, dinner for Shabbat is ready, and I'm looking forward to a good preparation day.

Catch up...

Well, it has been a while since I have posted, and that makes me realize I need to get back writing! One thing I can say is that I'm doing better on making my family a focus and less time on the computer. :) And that is indeed a good thing. The time that I do spend on the computer is definitely ministry time.

I am making good progress on my ministry which I detailed in my latest newsletter. That newsletter will be posted on the SIYH website by the end of the month, and I'll put a link up here.

I am also now working for Richard Rives of www.toolong.com and helping him with his website Commandment Keepers which is a website where all Commandment Keeping people can post articles, read the many articles there and being posted daily, and find fellowship. Do be sure to check out www.commandmentkeepers.com.

Waiting, Watching, or Walking - Making the Most of My Single Years

We hear so much about "waiting for my future spouse"; however, I think there is so much more to it than just "waiting." In fact as singles, I believe there are three states we can be in - waiting, watching, or walking, but which state is right? Or are they all okay?

Waiting means I am in a state of rest and while we should be content or at rest in Yahweh's hands and His plan for our lives, there is connotation of sitting and "doing nothing but waiting." Should I be sitting and waiting as though my life has no value now as a single? Absolutely not! Our life does not begin when I get married. My life is going on now, and I need to be making the most of it. Some specific charges are given in Scripture - serving our family, serving our congregation, being productive, and being an example or testimony. 1 Timothy 4:15 tells us "Don't let anyone look down on you because of your youth; on the contrary, set the believers an example in your speech, behavior, love, trust and purity." Then in 1 Corinthians 12:14, we are told “And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it: or one member be honored, all the members rejoice with it.” Which means that as part of the body of our physical family and our spiritual family, we need to be involved and part of it. So in the overall picture, we see "waiting" is not a complete picture of where we should be as singles.

Watching is noticing every single species of the opposite sex. Is he the one? He might be! If that is your normal response to any that guy walks by or even gives you a second glance, you are definitely watching! And this goes for guys too! This is very emotionally distracting. You are so busy trying to impress this guy or that girl you miss out on the fun of being a single. You see Yahweh has given us the single years to establish our foundation in Him. Deuteronomy 6:5 says "and you are to love ADONAI your God with all your heart, all your being and all your resources." While we are single, we have the freedom to study, learn, and attend teaching events like we will not have the freedom to do once we are married and have commitments to fulfill. This is a time to enjoy being single and loving our Messiah!

Walking is a state of activity. It means that I am doing something. We are called to be pursuers of God always seeking Him according to Psalm 105:4 "Seek ADONAI and his strength; always seek his presence" and lights unto the world according to Matthew 5:16 "In the same way, let your light shine before people, so that they may see the good things you do and praise your Father in heaven." I need to focus on growing my relationship with Yahweh; then out of that growth, I need to seek to reach others for Yeshua. There are many ways you can do this. First of all, contentment and trust in Yahweh's plan and timing are key. Then doing what Yahweh has called me to is important. For each person, it will be something different. For one, it might be staying at home and serving my family. For another, it might be learning a trade and getting a job in that field. For yet another, it might be serving in a field of ministry. I have found that as I stay focused on what Yahweh has given me to do, it gives me freedom to focus on being the me that I am designed to be. Then in Yahweh's perfect timing, He will bring the perfect spouse into my life, and we will walk together and serve Him. I really love this quote by Dr. Don Raunikar which says “You don’t have to do anything but concentrate on being the right person – the person God wants you to be – instead of finding the right person. Godly marriages are made by first living Godly lives. It is God’s responsibility to whether you will marry and when you will marry. The arrangement is up to Him. How simple…God is [then] the matchmaker.”

So what are you doing right now - Waiting, Watching, or Walking? And what will you do to begin walking if you are not already?

Ministry Focused...

Well, this week I have been working to become more organized and focused on the ministry that YHVH has given me. I've written the first draft to an article that I'll be publishing either later this week or early next as well as worked on finishing up everything I can on the legal paperwork. That will hopefully soon be done. Now, to finish up the PowerPoints to go with the presentations I have so far, wrap up the planning for the women's retreat, write my winter newsletter, get better at having a Facebook presence, fund-raise, and begin recording for my upcoming internet shows! That wore me out writing that; however, I know this is what YHVH has given me to do. Not that I don't want to get married someday soon, but I know that as a single woman I need to be making the most of my time...and then even when I marry, I can still have a ministry...just may have to be structured differently. But I'm trusting YHVH and His timing! I'll keep focused on Him and serving Him until that time. :)

Monday, Gaga had his annual check up with his neurologist to check on his Alzeihmer's. They do 2 mental capacity tests. One remained the same, the other fell 64% which was not good. We've noticed that he's getting frustrated more...and has some days that are more clear...and others not so good. He has done well through the loss of Nana...but we know that could not have been easy on him. We got Taco Bell and took that in to the nursing home to eat. Yesterday, we were able to get his lift chair repaired. The remote had gone out on it, so that was an easy fix! Then yesterday and today, Momma and I have gotten a lot done around the house and began preparing for our Shabbat gathering of which I cannot wait. :)

Black Friday Shopping

While my family does not celebrate Christmas due to it's pagan origins and instead follow what Scripture commands (celebrate the 7 Biblical Feast Days), Black Friday is a good day to pick up some deals on items that you need. Walmart had what I was in need of - a nice camcorder for my ministry to be able to record videos for YouTube. It was normally $160, yet it was on sale for $99. It went on sale at midnight on Thursday, so we headed for Walmart late in the evening and got there at 15 till 12. It was CROWDED!!!! However, after asking a few people for help, I found the display for the camcorders I wanted. They only had twelve. All of the displays were still wrapped in plastic and would be ripped open at midnight. I asked the gentleman standing there watching over the display if he could turn one around in order for me to read the specs on the back and make sure this was the one I wanted. He not only did that, but he took it out and allowed me to easily read it before putting it back. When they started ripping open the displays, he ripped that one open and handed me the first one as we had been there politely talking with him while waiting. I was then looking for some memory cards. I asked people had they seen them, and they kindly directed me to them. It was interesting to me to see how pushy and shovey people were towards other yet they treated me with respect. Why? My mom and I were the only ones wearing skirts and headcoverings. That was very interesting to me. And I had a successful shopping trip - got the camcorder, the memory cards, and the board game I was after!

We got home around 1am and went to bed! The next day, Daddy went and got a few things he wanted from Dick's...while Momma and I stayed home and got ready for Shabbat. We then listened to Mike Clayton and Monte Judah. Shabbat morning, we listened to Eddie Chumney while I ran his PalTalk room. Then that night, Momma and Daddy ran their paper route while I talked with my "lil' sister" Laura which is our Saturday night tradition! Today has been a good day getting a lot done - fixing a skirt, cutting out a jumper, answering e-mails, meal planning for Shabbat, preparing herb orders, etc. Now it's time for supper!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Wow! My mom knows how to cook a feast! We had turkey, dressing, cranberry sauce, sweet potato casserole, green bean casserole, apple banana salad, and pumpkin pie with homemade whipped cream. Everything was from scratch and as fresh as possible. The pumpkin pie was from fresh pumpkins...and the sweet potato casserole was from fresh sweet potatoes. I enjoyed eating some of everything and yet did my best to not overeat. We are enjoying some good family time - eating, checking out the "Black Friday" sale ads, and now playing games. So a very Happy Thanksgiving Day to you! And did you realize that the first American Thanksgiving was really a Sukkot celebration???

Davidic Dance!

Shabbat was so relaxing. We listened to Eddie in the morning, then we enjoyed hearing Mike Clayton in the afternoon. It is so good to have him back after his "shabbatical" where he took a year off. If you have not had a chance to hear him teach, please check out his ministry - Joined to HaShem Ministries. I've had the opportunity to meet and work with him in person as well as work with him and his delightful wife, Kathy...and their youngest son, Daniel. Their entire family has such a love for serving YHVH!

Then on Sunday afternoon, I went to a Davidic Dance Camp taught by Ralph and Mindy Seta. Mindy does most of the teaching and was a very good teacher. She has a bit different style than I'm used to since all the dancing I've learned has been from Camp Yeshua/Ann Judah. I like the Camp Yeshua style more-so as 1. I'm used to it and 2. It is more general footwork versus working in more clogging/tap dance type steps. But it was great to learn a new version as well. And Mindy has such a heart for worship.

Yesterday was my every other week house cleaning job, so it was good to be up moving and work out my soreness from dancing! Then I got a lot done yesterday afternoon. Now today, Momma and I made a batch of cookies for Thanksgiving as well as worked on a few things around the house and sold a few items we had listed on Craigslist. We're off to see my Gaga now...so talk with you again soon as my goal is to get back to blogging twice a week now! :)

Family First...

Sorry for not being as faithful at blogging these past couple of weeks. I've been focusing again on balance of computer time and family time...and of course family comes first. :)

The week before last, my parents and I got to go up to Holmes County for Thursday and Friday. We had to go up and get chicken feed, but we decided to take some family time. We were able to get a hotel room using our points from our credit card rewards...then we packed our meals...so we ended up with no cost except for our gas which we were going to spend anyway to get the feed. We got to check out Lehman's, the thrift store (where I found a skirt for $2, a beautiful tea cup and saucer set with roses on it for 50 cents, and a book by Larry Burkett my favorite financial author for 10 cents!), the antique mall, and so much more! We figured out that we had not been off as a family and stayed overnight in at least 2 years! We really needed this special family time after all the changes that our family has been through this late Summer/Fall.

This past week was a normal week at home for our family busy getting a lot done. Now, we are enjoying a nice relaxing Shabbat as a family...

Holding Pattern

This was my daily encouragement from E-mail Ministry, and it was really encouraging...so I wanted to share it!

Many times God will allow a painful situation or a painful circumstance in

our life to "swallow us up." This season in our spiritual growth is a

holding pattern. We can't move to the left or the right. All we can do is

sit, like Jonah sat in the belly of that great fish, so God can have our

undivided attention and speak to us. God put Jonah in a holding pattern

because He needed to speak to his heart. Jonah was all alone. There were no

friends to call, no colleagues to drop by, no books to read, no food to eat,

no interference, and no interruptions. He had plenty of time to sit, think,

meditate, and pray.

When we're deep down in the midst of a difficult situation, God can talk to

us. When He has our undivided attention, He can show us things about

ourselves that we might not otherwise have seen.

A Few of God's Holding Patterns:

1. When you are sick in your physical body and you have prayed but God has

not healed you yet, you are in a holding pattern

2. When you are having problems with your children and you have put them on

the altar, but God has not delivered them yet, you are in a holding

pattern.

3. When you have been praying for the salvation of a loved one and they have

not been saved yet, you are in a holding pattern.

4. When you are in a broken relationship and you have given it over to God,

but it has not been restored yet, you are in a holding pattern.

5. When the doors slam shut before you can knock on them, you are in a

holding pattern.

When we are deep in the belly of a difficult situation, there are no

interruptions. God has our undivided attention. All we can do is sit, think,

meditate, and pray. We cannot run from God because there are no Mountains

that are high enough, valleys low enough, rooms that are dark enough, or

places that are hidden enough from Him. We must remember to praise Him while

we're waiting and remember three things:

1. The pattern has a purpose.

2. The pattern has a plan.

3. The pattern has a process.

So stop struggling and start listening, praying and trusting. He'll keep you

right where you are until you can clearly hear Him say, "I love you."

Prayer: Father, forgive my unbelief. I know You Love me and will turn

anything around to benefit me. You have planned nothing for me but victories

and I am ready to receive them regardless of how difficult the path. Amen

The shortest distance between a problem and a solution is the distance

between your knees and the floor. The one who kneels to the Lord can stand

up to anything.

-- Author Unknown

Good Week...

This past week was a good week. I had a couple of days where I struggled emotionally, but YHVH reminded me that He was there, it was really about walking by faith even when it doesn't all make sense, and that my Momma and Daddy love me! :)

Yesterday afternoon, we needed to run some errands, so we all went as a family. It was the most fun I've had since Sukkot, and the best family time we've had in a long time. We went and looked at bikes, got groceries, went shoe shopping, and ate supper out! It was such a nice time. I even finished tying my last tzitzit order to be done after Sukkot as I had come back to quite the pile of orders to do! :)

Today, we got the house cleaned before noon, the paper route done, and everything ready for our Shabbat Gathering tomorrow. I am looking forward to it.

Book Review: Life in Spite of Me

When I went to read Life in Spite of Me by Kristen Jane Anderson I wasn't sure if it would be "dark" or depressive due to the topic. And while you could feel Kristen's pain and understand it, she brought such a light to the healing process that you were uplifted by reading the book. I also felt like I could better recognize the signs of someone struggling with depression and suicidal thoughts. This is a must read for teens, parents, and anyone working with teens.

Sukkot was Amazing...Sukkot was Amazing...Sukkot was Amazing!!!!

Sukkot was absolutely amazing! I've been to 4 Sukkots including this year, and this one was the best of them all. It began by friends of ours coming up from Georgia on Tuesday. It was nice to be able to spend time with them. Then on Wednesday, Daria who is like an aunt to me came.

Thursday was when it all really began. We were busy getting the Turkey cooked for our Thanksgiving dinner which was our traditional opening meal. Then Daddy went to pick Richard Rives (our speaker) up from the airport. We really enjoyed having Richard here. He is a quiet and humble man with a huge heart for serving YHVH. You can check out his work at www.toolong.com.

We got all the food cooked and ready...then we all headed over to the Township Hall which we had set up earlier in the day. We fed 28 people at supper. Then we had a community wide event with Richard speaking on Biblical Archeology and the Biblical Covenant. We had 46 people in attendance for that. Jacob (who is 16 and my younger "brother") was there with his family. They had been planning to Sukkot with us; however, due to some health issues, they weren't going to be able to. Jacob and I were both very disappointed. We were washing dishes and discussing that. He told me, "I tried to talk my mom into letting me come up and camp that week, but she wasn't sure about me inviting myself." I told him, "I talked to my mom about you coming up for the week, but she wasn't sure how comfortable your mom would be about that." So we went to his parents together, and by the end of the night, it was planned that they would come up on Monday as a family and leave Jacob to stay until Thursday! Then we would later get it extended to Friday...then Shabbat. It was wonderful having him here. We had so much fun!

Anyway back to the chronology. Richard spoke on Friday and Saturday sharing about his archeology digs including finding Noah's Ark! He also explained the pagan origins of much of mainstream Christianity and how we need to return to the Truth of the Scriptures. It was very good! Plus I'll be working with Richard on a project called Commandment Keepers. More will be coming about that soon. Daddy took Richard back to the airport early Sunday morning for him to be able to return home, get his family, and head to speak at 3 more Sukkots!


Sunday was a relaxing more laid back day as we were all tired out after the busy weekend. We also lost our weekend folks and were down to our core group which was 14 of us. We had over doubled our core group from last year's Sukkot as well as tripled our weekend group. My chiropractor came and spoke on Living Well for the First 100 Years that afternoon.

Then on Monday morning, our toilet got stopped up. When Daddy went to plunge it, Daria saw water coming out of our laundry room. It was backing up our emergency drain in there. We called the plumber who told us what to check to determine if it was a plumbing line issue or a septic tank issue. It turned out to be the septic tank was full, so we needed to have it pumped. We called the company that our regular plumber recommended. We explained that we were hosting Sukkot with a house full of people, and they came in 1 hour to pump us out! So we were barely without a bathroom. Plus everyone pitched in to help us get cleaned up. It made a large job very manageable.

That afternoon, Mike taught a class on Introduction to Essential Oils. Jacob's family got here soon after lunch and joined us for the class. Then that night, we enjoyed being out around the campfire and fellowshipping. I also taught my first ever Davidic Dance Class. It went really well, and I was very pleased. I taught Old Friend and Dance with Me in this class after explaining the basic steps. Later in the week, Jacob and I would learn how to do the couples version of Dance with Me in order to show and explain to the dance class. It was nice to have my brother do it with me, and we got it down really quick. I'd have to say that is one of my crowning dance achievements. :)


Tuesday, Mike led the morning and afternoon sessions. Then he and Elaine (who are from GA) had to head on towards home due to them moving the end of this month. That evening, Daddy led the midrash on Nehemiah's Wall, and we watched Facing the Giants. Wednesday, Paul led our morning and evening midrashes. We did dance class that afternoon as we had been doing it each afternoon. Thursday morning, we had our breakfast brunch of eggs, hash browns, pancakes, fruit, turkey bacon, and cinnamon rolls. Boy was I full after that. Then Paul and Tamara had to head on home. They have animals and were only able to get animal care through that day. We did an evening midrash. Then we got down to my family, Daria, Jacob, and Joseph. Jacob's family would be coming on Shabbat...so we enjoyed just being "family." Daria also went and got her grandkids to come out and visit. Ashley and Matthew seemed to really take to Jacob and I. We got to be the "big sister and brother" to them. I really enjoyed them! Friday afternoon, Daddy led a midrash on "Are you sitting on your trunk - A Study of Rachel?" which was very good. Then Shabbat evening, Joseph headed for home. And after that Jacob and his family left. I was really sad by now. It was too quiet in the house! Daria and her grandkids stayed a bit longer and left Sunday after lunch. Then it was back to us. That was nice yet sad at the same time.

Now, I've begun the countdown to the next Shabbat Gathering, planning a youth/young adult outing, Passover, Shavuot, Camp Yeshua, and next Sukkot!!! :)

You can see pictures at http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.2354569377588.130923.1050784025&type=1&l=8c13a693d3.

Sukkot is Coming...Sukkot is Coming...Sukkot is Coming!!!

Sukkot is Coming...Sukkot is Coming...Sukkot is Coming!!!

It is hard to believe that Sukkot will be here in 9 days!!! The first family will arrive here in exactly a week. I cannot wait to see all my wonderful Torah observant friends and get to spend 10 days with them...worshiping YHVH, studying, Davidic dancing, and so much more. Even Kosher S'mores. :) But there is still a lot to do between now and then.

Today, we had a woodstove put in our home, and I'm so looking forward to enjoying that over the winter. It looks really nice and fits in our home so well.

This past Shabbat was our monthly gathering, and we welcomed a few new ones to our group. It is nice to be joined by new ones and continue to grow. For Sukkot, we are going to have 16-25 depending on the day which is 9 family groups and triple our numbers last year! That doesn't include our special event with Richard Rives which will be 40+ people...we have room for up to 160...so if you are reading this and want to join us to hear Richard's report on Biblical Archeology and his digs in Israel, please check out my Facebook or www.yaakovsflock.org.

We also put up 60+ jars of grape juice...now to do some squash and the last of the cucumbers...then the final sukkot prep...and our normal weekly things...life is busy, but I'm loving it!

Cedar Point and a "New Normal"

This past week was a good week finding a new normal. It was nice to be home the whole week and getting caught up on website work, uploading large files for that at the library, cleaning my much needing attention craft table, working on my ministry, my Paul work, and helping with the family bakery. I really enjoyed being home more and with my family.

Then on Sunday, a friend from our congregation, Joseph, and I went up to Cedar Point. For those of you who have never heard of Cedar Point, it is a large amusement park about 2 hours from my house. We drove there Sunday morning, had a picnic lunch, and then spent the entire day in the park. I don't like roller coasters; however, we found plenty of other rides I would ride such as the Scrambler, Super Himalaya, Cedar Downs, and Dodgem. I haven't had so much in such a long time! I can't wait to go back again sometime soon!

A New Normal

My family has been adjusting to a new normal. It still seems like the phone should ring and it should be Nana. I'd love to go watch a movie with her or eat dinner with her. Or just sit in her lap. But I can't do that now, so I choose to treasure those memories and live a life that would make her proud of me! And I can help take care of my Gaga to the best of my ability to honor both of them.

As we have adjusted, we have had a lot of catch up with our family bakery to play. We took that whole week off which put us behind, but by working together, we are getting more caught up and doing well these last couple of months of the Summer Farmer's Markets. Now to just find Winter outlets to help expand our reach in the Winter as well as to begin working on our website to be able to offer online orders for local pickup and mail order.

I enjoyed getting back into my cleaning jobs and getting my schedule fully situated to being away from home less. I'm now cleaning on Mondays for a weekly job and one Thursday a month for another job. I have a third job that is for an older couple who spends their summers here and winters in Florida, so they have already returned to Florida and that job is on hold until their return.

We had our Shabbat Gathering this past Shabbat, and it was so nice to once again gather with fellow believers. Almost all of our regulars were there as well as two new families. I shared about my trip to Camp Yeshua, and two of the families who have 16 year old sons hope to be able to send them this next year as well. We then discussed Sukkot and made more plans for that. It is hard to believe that in exactly one month from today, Sukkot will have started! Then we enjoyed a midrash on Who Owns It? We discussed how YHVH really owns everything, and we are the stewards. It was interesting how we were each able to bring out different insights from the various passages.

And today our house smells heavenly as we have baked Apple Pies, Peach Cobblers, Cinnamon Rolls, Orange Rolls, Cinnamon Swirl Bread, and Challah. Plus I've even gotten some work in too! :) Now, I'm off to finish my ministry newsletter!

What a Week It has Been

What a week it has been. I'm glad I did not know what this week held a few months ago. YHVH provided the grace I needed as I needed it. And his timing was absolutely perfect in so many ways. Nana graduated to her heavenly home just a little over a week ago...it's still hard to believe...and I miss her so much! Yet her homegoing was so peaceful. She knew us when we got there to the nursing home and told us she loved us. She stayed alert and was asking for my dad. Once he got there, she told him "take care" and he couldn't understand the rest of what she was trying to tell him. Her voice was getting so weak, she was hard to understand. What she always told him when we went to leave was "take care of my girls", so we know that was what she was trying to tell him. After that, she began sleeping much of the day.

She was alert enough to know us only two more times and very briefly. The first time, she knew both Momma and I...the second time was very brief when some of the staff were checking her condition. She gave me a very special gift. She wasn't responding to the staff, but when she heard my voice, she quirked her left eyebrow, then opened her eyes to look directly at me. She wasn't able to speak at that point, but she gave me a smile. I knew that she knew me and my voice and that I loved her very much.

Interestingly enough, my Gaga (grandfather) who has Alzheimer's wasn't understanding and accepting that she was dying. Around 4:15pm, it began to hit him. He went out of the room for a little bit crying...then he came back in. He gave her a kiss, told Nana he loved her, then sat down and began crying. It was as if Nana knew that he was accepting the physical loss of her and was going to be okay as she went to Messiah at 4:23pm. The nurse had been in with us for about a half hour and explaining everything that was going on. We had also had a very dear friend, Daria, with us. Daria is like a sister to my mom and an aunt to me. She too has walked this road as she lost her husband right after Sukkot two years ago. Her being with us and all the support she would provide over the next week was a total God send.

That evening, we went down to the internet cafe there in the nursing home and had supper with my Gaga and enjoyed some fellowship...it was a good mental distraction. My friend, Nicole, had also come to be with us and stayed for quite a while.

Then Shabbat was a down day at home as we began to let people know that Nana had passed away and think through arrangements. Then Sunday, we were surrounded by friends. That morning, we met with and made the arrangements with the funeral home. Then Uncle Mark and Aunt Debbie came over and brought lunch. Then we were joined that afternoon by Daria and Joseph (a young man from our congregation). Joseph came bearing supper. Monday, we went up to order the family flowers, check on Gaga, and then came back home for lunch. My friend, Nicole, had called wanting to bring lunch over...and from my favorite restaurant (Chick-fil-A)! She was able to stay and visit until we needed to head back up to Gaga's as my uncle (by blood) was coming in from Georgia. He's my mother's only brother...the rest of my "aunt's" and "uncle's" are of the spiritual family and adopted in. :) Uncle Bobby and his oldest son, Shannon, were coming in for the funeral and came to meet us at the nursing home where Gaga lives. After visiting there a bit, we all came out to our home for supper. Joseph brought in another delicious supper. Eddie came in about 8pm, and our neighbor across the street, Annie, brought over food and fellowshipped for a while.

It was a total answer to prayer as to the timing and that Eddie was able to come and do the service. He and I had spoken about it back a while; however, since he is on the road so much, schedule can sometimes become an issue. YHVH worked it all out perfectly. The funeral home told us to plan on a Tuesday or later funeral by the time they got everything ready. Eddie was flying home and getting in Monday evening from speaking in Tulsa, so he literally flew in and drove straight to our home. He was with us Monday evening and all day Tuesday. It was such a blessing, comfort, and strength to us. And even though Eddie didn't know my grandmother personally, he had encouraged us to talk about her with him Monday evening and Tuesday morning, so when he gave the message Tuesday morning at the funeral, he did a wonderful job of incorporating things about my grandmother...like the time she gave away her Bible to one of the aides in assisted living.

Tuesday morning, we had the funeral there at the graveside. One of the Mennonite families with a lot of children blessed us with some of Nana's favorite hymns. Eddie gave the message, I shared a few of my favorite memories, and Clyde (our previous Mennonite pastor and good friend) gave some closing words of encouragement. After the funeral, we all came back to the house where our congregation had brought in food to feed us all...we had a delicious meal of chicken, scalloped potatoes, green bean casserole, sweet potato casserole, salad, bread, and brownies. Special thanks to all who brought!

We then enjoyed fellowshipping, talking, showing family pictures, and relaxing. It was so good and healing for us as a family to be surrounded by fellow believers who were seeking to encourage us. I enjoyed playing some Phase 10 with some of the other young ones...then David, Eddie, and I played a round. Poor Eddie got quite well beat, but he had a blast at it! Then Eddie and I played a board game called Paul's Journeys. It was mid to late evening when everyone left.

Wednesday was a quiet day when we were all recovering physically from all the going and doing. Thursday the emotions hit us as we were physically recovered and could not really feel the emotions. I went up and spent some time with Gaga that evening, and it just didn't seem quite right to not have Nana there. Friday, Daria and her grandkids came over and helped us put up relish from the cucumbers our neighbor had let us pick from their garden which was a huge help. Then yesterday was a Shabbat...and Shabbat we did! Then I enjoyed a nice long conversation with my "sister" Laura...it was so nice...we had a great heart to heart girl conversation. :)

Please keep us in prayer as we adjust to a new normal...

My Beloved Nana is in the Messiah's Arms Now...

I'm sorry I have been remiss in posting on my blog...however, we did indeed lose my Nana (my grandmother - my mom's mom) this past Friday, August 26.

Friday Morning Update

We are with Nana right now...the hospice nurse said she'll be surprised if Nana makes it through the day. She is sleeping and only rarely opens her eyes. She is only recognizing family...not even friends she has known for 10 years. Please keep praying! And a special thanks to those who have called, posted, e-mail...and especially those who are with us in person!

Friday around 5pm

Nana passed away about 20 minutes ago. Please pray for my family as we move into the grieving process. She went so peacefully...it was very assuring...she just went to sleep as my mom sang to her...she's safe in the Messiah's arms now. Funeral info will be posted as soon as we know details.

Funeral Information

Thank you so much for your thoughts, prayers, and notes. As promised here are funeral arrangements for my grandmother/Nana – Lee Houchins…

Funeral will be Tuesday, August 30 at 10am

At Watkins Cemetery on Cemetery Rd right off of Watkins-California Rd, Ostrander, Ohio

Followed by visiting hours with the family at the home of Carol Boutet (daughter)

Arrangements are being handled by

Ingram Funeral Home, Marysville, OH

Cards and Notes may be mailed to:

The Houchins Family And The Boutet Family

8780 Long Rd, Ostrander, OH 43061

Family Prayer Request

I have been remiss in blogging lately...but I believe the below family prayer request will explain why. Would you please pray for and with us?

We wanted to share with you a bit of what our family is currently experiencing. Carol’s mom is really not doing well. She is failing and failing fast. We do not know how much longer we are going to have her. She is barely eating, has constant stomach pain, is generally in pain, and then fell out of bed Thursday night. As it stands, the doctor told us “There really isn’t much more we can do.” It is basically a matter of time. The doctor is not giving us a time frame, but unless she makes a drastic improvement, it does not look like we will have much more time with her. Please pray for her and for our family as we walk through this...

Life with Bronchitis

Well, I got home from Camp Yeshua in the wee hours of Saturday morning. My parents graciously picked us up at 1:30am! We had planned to be home right after Sunset Friday evening; however, our plane was delayed by three hours on top of our already long 3 hour layover. So Nicole and I ended up spending 6 hours in the St. Louis airport! At least, I had good company. :)

After getting home, we enjoyed some blissful rest, and then a wonderful relaxing Shabbat. I don't think I quit talking as I enjoyed telling Mommy and Daddy about Camp Yeshua so much. We also went up to see Nana and Gaga for a while which I greatly enjoyed as I had missed all my family while I was gone.

Then Sunday morning, I woke up not feeling so well. By that afternoon, we could certainly tell that I was coming down with something. I assumed it was a reaction to all the dust exposure we had at Camp Yeshua. Each evening when we enjoyed Starlight Dancing, we ended up kicking up a large red dust cloud due to the dryness caused by a 6 week drought there in Oklahoma. I continued to treat it as a reaction to that until Wednesday when it had become full blown bronchitis! And it lasted me a full 2 weeks...2 weeks of being sick is no fun! Nicole also came down with it...she shared it with her stepmom and grandma...I shared it with my dad. I don't think any of them appreciated our generosity.

I did have a chance to talk with a nurse and a massage therapist who confirmed that it was due to the high level of dust exposure which then inflamed the bronchi in my lungs and created the issue. Nicole and I then passed it on. I'm finally feeling better. I'm not contagious and no longer feel most of the symptoms. I just have that annoying lingering cough. As soon as I can get rid of it, then I'll finally have all my energy back. So my life has been filled with tissues, cough drops, and natural remedies these past few weeks along with the inability to talk due to the coughing. I'm just glad to be reclaiming life now and back to normal. The last few days I've been able to resume my normal work schedule and am looking forward to resuming my other regular activities this week including blogging. :)

An Injustice Done to Eddie Chumney

GLC has pulled Eddie Chumney's program on their channel all due to a false accusation. Here are the details about what has happened in Eddie's own words. PLEASE CALL GLC AND EXPRESS YOUR DISPLEASURE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Today, I have received notice from GLC (God's Learning Channel) that my weekly television program teaching Hebrew roots will be taken OFF THE AIR. This came as a TOTAL SHOCK to me. It was completely unexpected.

What is so SHOCKING is that the reason given was based upon FALSE ACCUSATIONS. These accusations are that I teach Ephraimite / Two House BLOODLINE IDENTITY. This is 100% false. I actually teach just the OPPOSITE.

I have about 26 minutes to do a weekly GLC program. I have done over 100 programs. I try to make a point to say that SAME thing over and over again for the first 12 minutes of the program. I teach that the ENTIRE BIBLE is written about Yeshua (Psalm 40:7, Hebrews 10;7). He said that the Torah, Prophets and Psalms are written of HIM (Luke 24:44)

I teach that Yeshua created the heavens and earth (John 1:3, 10, Colossians 2:16-17). I teach that Yeshua made covenant with Abraham (Galatians 3:16, 29). I teach that the ROCK that was with the children of Israel in the wilderness is Yeshua (I Corinthians 10:4). I teach the Yeshua is the RIGHT HAND that defeated Pharoah and his army in the Red Sea (Exodus 15:6).

I teach that the RIGHT HAND and ARM that defeated the enemies of the children of Israel in the promised land (Psalm 44:2-3) is Yeshua (Isaiah 53:1). I teach that Yeshua saves and is the Savior (Matthew 1:21) and (Luke 2:11). I teach that Yeshua is the lawgiver (James 4:12, Hebrews 12:24-26, John 14:15, Exodus 20:6).

I teach that a marriage took place at mount Sinai (Jeremiah 2:1-3, Ezekiel 16:8).

I teach that the 12 tribes of Israel broke the covenant at mount Sinai (Exodus 32) and were exiled into the nations of the world. Babylon took the Southern Kingdom captivity. Assyria took the Northern Kingdom captivity. The Northern Kingdom was judged by being scattered (Hosea 1:3) being given the status of "no mercy" (Hosea 1:6) and "not my people" (Hosea 1;9). Yet they would become sons of the living God (Hosea 1:10) and thus believers in Yeshua as the Messiah (John 1:12).

I teach that Messiah Yeshua died to gather and united the 12 tribes of Israel according to His own testimony (John 11:16-17) and repeated in (John 11:49-52). I teach that Yeshua RENEWED the covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah (Jeremiah 31:31, Hebrews 8:8) by writing the Torah upon our hearts (Jeremiah 31:33, Hebrews 8:10). I teach that the WILD branches are GRAFTED IN (Romans 11:17) and become members of the commonwealth of Israel (Ephesians 2:12).

I teach that Yeshua died for ALL people (John 3:16) and that ALL people can join his new covenant family. When they do, they are ADOPTED and GRAFTED into the family of Messiah which He will rule over forever which is the house of Jacob (Luke 1;33). I teach that BOTH Jew and non-Jew are to express their faith in Messiah by loving Him and keeping His commandments (John 14:15).

Plain and simply speaking, I teach that being a member of Messiah's family is NOT based upon BLOODLINE IDENTITY. Yet, this is the ACCUSATION and the reason given for my dismissal from being a programmer on God's Learning Channel. The EVIDENCE of my testimony is the weekly TV programs themselves and the "Light of the Southwest" program which I have been on numerous times.

I am NOT trying to defend what I teach on GLC because of financial gain. Except for the last visit to GLC, Hebraic Heritage Ministries has paid the travel expenses to be on GLC. I have been generous to GLC. I gave GLC 100 DVD's of "Yeshua: From Genesis to Revelation" to help raise $10,000 to upgrade a GLC satellite in the Philippines. Often when I am on "Light of the Southwest", GLC chooses to replay the program over and over again. They are quite popular.

IF the accusations were TRUE that I teach Ephraimite ./ Two House BLOODLINE IDENTITY and GLC didn't want this teached then this would be one thing BUT I DON'T teach this but this is the reason given for being taken off GLC.

Since I have not derived any substantial gain from being on GLC but on the contrary HHMI has paid much of the travel expenses for being at GLC and have given of the resources of HHMI to GLC to help them raise money for worthwhile projects, my complaint it NOT about money. It is about standing for TRUTH and RIGHTEOUSNESS.

The Torah requires us to STAND for TRUTH and RIGHTEOUSNESS. This is my motivation and this is the cause that I want you to join with me. I will stand that Yeshua died on the tree to gather and unite the 12 tribes of Israel. Since evangelical Christianity WON'T teach it and the MJAA, UMJC won't teach it. I WILL.

The SHEEP of Messiah has been LIED to LONG ENOUGH. The SHEEP of Messiah MUST know WHY Yeshua died on the tree at his first coming and WHY He is coming again. The BRIDE MUST MAKE HERSELF READY. So, FALSE ACCUSATIONS by the enemy against this message CANNOT be aloud to stand.

This is what I am requesting all my friends and my friends, friends to do. Call or write GLC and express your displeasure of this injustice. I am asking fellow Hebrew roots GLC programmers to stand with me regarding this issue. Please encourage them as you see them to make their voice heard and stand with me.

Please call or write Al and Tommie Cooper:

The GLC phone number is: 800-707-0420.

The e-mail address of Al Cooper is: ao@glc.us.com.

The e-mail of Tommie Cooper is: tlcglc82@yahoo.com.

Thank you for your support and your stance for TRUTH and RIGHTEOUSNESS !!!!