Daybook: Monday, March 9, 2015

The Okinawa Sunflower Festival

Outside my window... Thunderstorms with a high of 49 degrees.  With all of my complaining about winter, I sure better get out and enjoy the sunshine when it finally shows up.  

I am thinking... Very sporadically.  I definitely need sunshine to think effectively and I have not had enough of it.  

I am thankful... Always for our Shabbat gathering.  I talk, I listen, I laugh, I cry.  Highlight of my week.  

I am wearing... Just bumming around.  No plans to leave the house today.  

I am creating... I had planned to knit in the library while waiting for Boy Wonder to finish dance class, but the Grand Duchess sent me a video that almost made me laugh out loud in the library.  I'm going to miss knitting club until after Passover, likely.  

I am going... To start working in earnest for the IC contractor medical transcription position I got for the afternoons during the week.  I need to start preparing some meals and bread so I won't be distracted and can focus on working both jobs during the day.  

I am reading... Not much of anything going on.  I had to turn The Moor's Account back into the library for now.  I started reading The Emperor of Ocean Park.  

I am listening to....
 

I am hoping... That the money needed to be raised so that my friend's family will have what they need to bury her 19-year-old niece, who along with her 17-year-old niece was killed by a drunk driver a few days ago.  My heart is breaking for their family.  Please donate whatever you can.    

I am looking forward to... Celebrating the spring feasts.  Set-Apart People has a good blog that explains with Scripture what significance these Appointed Times have for believers today.  Though I don't Judaism's customs unless they line up with Scripture, I did read many years ago in a historical fiction novel about how Purim (though a holiday mentioned in Scripture, not an Appointed Time commanded by Yehovah for us to keep), marks the time to begin spring cleaning and preparing our homes for Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread.  

I am learning... Making connections in the Scripture.  

"Other activities of ‘Uziyahu [Uzziah], from beginning to end, were recorded by Yesha‘yahu [Isaiah] the prophet, the son of Amotz.  So ‘Uziyahu [Uzziah] slept with his ancestors, and they buried him with his ancestors in the graveyard belonging to the kings, because they said, “He had tzara‘at.” Then Yotam his son took his place as king." (2 Chronicles 26:22-23 CJB) - 

"This is the vision of Yesha‘yahu [Isaiah] the son of Amotz, which he saw concerning Y’hudah and Yerushalayim during the days of ‘Uziyahu [Uzziah], Yotam, Achaz and Y’chizkiyahu, kings of Y’hudah: (Isaiah 1:1 CJB)  

"In the year of King ‘Uziyahu’s [Uzziah's] death I saw Adonai sitting on a high, lofty throne! The hem of his robe filled the temple." (Isaiah 6:1 CJB) 

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Jasper - a precious stone frequently noticed in Scripture. It was the last of the twelve inserted in the high priest's breastplate, (Exodus 28:20; 39:13) and the first of the twelve used in the foundations of the new Jerusalem. (Revelation 21:19) ~ Smith's Bible Dictionary

“Thus the last shall be first, and the first last. For many are called, but few chosen.”  (Matthew 20:16 ISR98)  

One of my favorite things...  A friend who is more like family, Nande-san (I will call her because I met her in Japan and she always wants to know why things are done the way they are done.  Nande is a Japanese word for "why") came for Shabbat and stayed long past when she had planned to leave.  We talk far to little, but we have walked together through the valley of the shadow of death and back on more than one occasion.  

A few plans for the rest of the week:  The yearly well-woman exam.  If I didn't love my doctor, I probably would find all kinds of excuses not to go.        

From the learning rooms... Colds and whatnot have put a dent in our school day.  I am constantly feeling like I am so behind.   

  

Noticing that... The ladies in our fellowship agreed to add Psalm 128 to the blessing over our husbands, but only one of us Sister Suzuki (my special blog name for her since she was Dancing Angel's first piano teacher and she taught her the Suzuki method, plus I met her in Okinawa too), was the only one who noticed that when I copied it, I completely missed a verse!  I'm so glad she noticed!      

Pondering these words...  (2 Chronicles 26:15-16)  "And he made machines in Yerushalayim, devised by skilled men, to be on the towers and the corners, to shoot arrows and large stones. And his name spread far and wide, for he was marvellously helped till he became strong. But when he became strong his heart was lifted up, to his destruction, for he trespassed against יהוה his Elohim by entering the Hĕḵal of יהוה to burn incense on the altar of incense."

I don't ever want to think that I am so strong that I don't need Yehovah's help!    

From the kitchen... For Shabbat, I made Baked Parmesan Garlic Chicken Wings,  

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Cabbage and Pine Nuts

After Sabbath, my kids went into the kitchen and made Chili Cornbread Skillet.  

I need to start planning what we're going to be eating between Rosh Chodesh, which should fall somewhere around the 20th or 21st of this month and Passover, which will be around April 3rd or 4th.  

Around the house... Okay, so here's the plan, 1 hour a week in a focused room on Sunday and 15 minutes per day during the week.  Ready, set, go!  

   

Honor where honor is due:  http://thesimplewomansdaybook.blogspot.com/

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