Ata Tzuri

I woke up Monday morning with this song going thru my head. Karen Davis’s songs are very beautiful. Most of her songs are from scripture. I get filled with peace when I hear her songs. God is my rock!



Ata Tzuri (You Are My Rock)
Psalm 23

Ata Tzuri(You are my rock)
Vi'yeshuati (and my salvation)
Ata hu shir levavi (You are the song of my heart)
You are my rock
You are my strength
You are the song of my heart
Though I walk through
the valley of the shadow of death
I will fear no evil, for You are with me
Goodness and mercy shall follow me
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever
Gam ki elech (though I walk)
B'gei tzalmavet , (in the valley of thre shadow of death)
Lo irah rah (I will fear no evil)
Ki Ata imadi (for You are with me)
Chesed v'tov yirdafuni (mercy and goodness shall follow me)
V'eshev b'veit Adonai l'olam (And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever)

Psalm 1
Blessed is the man
Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly,
Nor stands in the path of sinners,
Nor sits in the seat of the scornful;
But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
And in His law he meditates day and night.
He shall be like a tree
Planted by the rivers of water,
That brings forth its fruit in its season,
Whose leaf also shall not wither;
And whatever he does shall prosper.
The ungodly are not so,
But are like the chaff which the wind drives away.
Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment,
Nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.
For the LORD knows the way of the righteous,
But the way of the ungodly shall perish.

Upgrade

Last year in September, my nephew Steven washed his IPod by mistake and had to buy a new one. He bought an IPod touch and taught me how to use it. Wow. I thought my little mp3 player is nothing compared to this. My nephew wanted me to get one. I said “No way, knowing me, I probably would drop it. Too expensive for my taste.” One of the nicknames my family gives me is “Bank of Theresa” because the way I handle money and I can pinch a penny and make copper wire. I’m very stingy with myself also. Couple of weeks later Abba starts bugging me to get one. What? Why? I said “I already have a mp3 player plus work is getting real bad and I don’t want to waste money at a time like this.”Abba said ”You will enjoy it. You can do many things with it.” I couldn’t understand why but I knew He wanted me to get one. I said “Ok fine, then who gets my mp3?”He says “Your brother Peter.” I found out later my brother had just thrown out his bad music CD’s. A week later I bought the 8G IPod touch. I couldn’t believe how many songs I put on there and I had to take some off just to have room for apps. It also makes bible reading easier because I can look stuff up while in my room instead of being downstairs at the computer. I don’t half to wait to use the computer either. I can check my emails. It’s like carrying my computer around the house. I also just found out Wednesday, I can put Kindle books on it Woohoo! My first book I bought was “Godprint” by Skip Heitzig. Really good, I read it in two days. I actually splurged 8 bucks for myself. I’m still finding out new stuff about it. Funny thing is it never came with a manual. They make you read it online. Abba has given us an instruction booklet "The Bible" We need to obey Him no matter what. We lose out on so much by not being obedient. In John 10:10 Yeshua says "The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly." We need to have His word in us and obey Him. Abba knows what’s best for us, even if it is an Ipod touch.

"Is anything too hard for the Lord?"

One day when I was around 8 years old, I asked God if he could stop letting it rain. It was raining a lot and I wanted to play outside. Being cooped up in the house with 3 brothers and 2 sisters was not fun. I asked Abba to make it stop and the next day it stopped raining. For three days it wouldn’t rain and News channel 13 weatherman Bob Kovachick couldn’t understand why it stopped raining and why the air mass wasn’t moving. I told my mom it wasn’t going to rain because I asked Abba. She knew God was stopping the rain because of me. My mom told me it wasn’t good to do that. Farmers and trees need the water. I reluctantly agreed and said to Abba, He can let it rain now. The next day it rained. The weatherman was relieved and happy. What makes us lose our child like faith? God is still the same. He hasn’t change only we have. We are now more aware of our sins and think God doesn’t love us as much anymore. God’s love for us isn’t based on how good we are. Nothing we could ever do ourselves would ever justify us in His sight. Yeshua willingly took God's righteous indignation against us upon Himself so that we don't have to be separated from Abba anymore. Yeshua became our Pesach lamb when we accepted His death on the cross as payment for our sins. We are now reconciled to God whom we have offended. "All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ…God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them…God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God" (2 Corinthians 5:18-19, 21). He loves us and there is no more anger toward us it was satisfied by Yeshua. We are now in right relationship with Abba if we surrender to and obey Him. “Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:14-16). Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, and having a High Priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful (Hebrews 10:19-23). So is anything too hard for the Lord?

Isaiah 12
A Hymn of Praise

And in that day you will say:
“O LORD, I will praise You;
Though You were angry with me,
Your anger is turned away, and You comfort me.
Behold, God is my salvation,
I will trust and not be afraid;
For YAH, the LORD, is my strength and song;
He also has become my salvation.”
Therefore with joy you will draw water
From the wells of salvation.
And in that day you will say:
“Praise the LORD, call upon His name;
Declare His deeds among the peoples,
Make mention that His name is exalted.
Sing to the LORD,
For He has done excellent things;
This is known in all the earth.
Cry out and shout, O inhabitant of Zion,
For great is the Holy One of Israel in your midst!”

"Whom Do You Serve?"

I refuse to get cable so I replaced it with Sky Angel. It is just like having cable without the bad stuff but I do half to be very careful of the teachings that are on there. At least 98% of the teaching is denominational and agenda driven and not Holy Spirit driven but just like anything else Abba will use it to his glory. He can and will use anything to get our attention. Before I got Sky Angel, TBN was on my local TV. Most of the shows on there are not good but a week before my dad died he gave himself to the Lord because I was watching a story on The 700 club. Trust me I do not advocate people getting their spiritual nourishment from these shows but just like in Yeshua’s time people were being healed by others and not by Yeshua or the apostles. Yeshua addresses this by saying to John:

Mark 9:38-40 38 Now John answered Him, saying, “Teacher, we saw someone who does not follow us casting out demons in Your name, and we forbade him because he does not follow us.”
39 But Jesus said, “Do not forbid him, for no one who works a miracle in My name can soon afterward speak evil of Me. 40 For he who is not against us is on our side.

In Luke 13:14-16 Yeshua condemns the Pharisees for loving their righteousness rather than having compassion with spiritual discernment. 14 But the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath; and he said to the crowd, “There are six days on which men ought to work; therefore come and be healed on them, and not on the Sabbath day.”
15 The Lord then answered him and said, “Hypocrite! Does not each one of you on the Sabbath loose his ox or donkey from the stall, and lead it away to water it? 16 So ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound—think of it—for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath?” We need to have compassion for thoes who need God.

 I’m not happy that false teachers can cast out demons and show healings but Abba will still use those situations. If just one more person can hear about God and get saved or healed, is it worth having to deal with it? People like that are all around us whether we like it or not. We need to speak truth to people who are in bondage. Every person is going to have a different view and different levels of understanding of who God is. Now I know there are limits but we need to have compassion with spiritual discernment. I go out and witness with a different church that loves the Lord but we definitely have different viewpoints not as far as salvation but other things. We don’t save people or heal the sick, Abba does that thru us. In Matthew 7:21-23 Yeshua makes it very clear, if we do not seek to have a personal relationship and don’t grow, we’ll stay lukewarm and fall into sin. He will chew us up and spit us out. Each one of us needs to grow. We will be held accountable for our own walk. We need to be in fellowship with Abba and have discernment. 21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22 Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’ There will definitely be a price to be paid for people who claim to know Abba and don’t. Just like in the times of the early church they cast out demons but didn’t have a relationship with Abba. They have little concern for God or respect for His power following the lusts of their flesh. There are so many books out there that talk about how to heal people. I don’t doubt that it has happened but are these people truly walking with Abba? When we see them or read their books we need to have discernment, to know who these people are and what god they serve. In 2 Timothy 3:5-7, Paul talks about these people “5 And from such people turn away! 6 For of this sort are those who creep into households and make captives of gullible women loaded down with sins, led away by various lusts, 7 always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.”
Joshua 24:14-15 14 “Now therefore, fear the LORD, serve Him in sincerity and in truth, and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the River and in Egypt. Serve the LORD! 15 And if it seems evil to you to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.” Whom do you serve?

"We are His"

        In a basic game of solitaire, sometimes you are set up by the cards and you can't win. The cards were just shuffled that way. This whole month has felt that way. No matter what I did things would just turn out upside down. Then about a week ago, I woke up early and before I fell back asleep I was thinking about all the things that have been happening and wondering why. Thinking “What do I need to learn? Why does Abba need to use those circumstances? Am I not doing his will? Am I making things worse?” I fell back asleep and started to dream about the apartment. The apt. house is over 95 years old and down the street they have been removing about 5 acres of trees. The house shakes all day. I started to dream the house was separating. The north wall started to crack and separate. My nephew would not listen and get out. I rescued him and was in a safe area. I had gone to a place where I had to wait for my brother to give me help and info for things to get done. He was wasting time. I started to get upset and was crying frustrated with everything that was happening. I woke up upset thinking "Now even in my dreams I cannot escape problems." Then the Holy Spirit said “God is also in your dreams. People need to exalt Him in their every thought, action, and deed. So much so that they are so saturated by Him that He just comes out of you including in your dreams.” I laid there thinking about each word "thought, action and deed." I couldn’t understand the word deed. The Holy Spirit said “the written words when you write.” Every part of who we are, what we do and what we say has to be of God. Abba wants every ounce of our life. We are not our own anymore we are His and we gave our life over to Him. 1 Corinthians 6:20 “For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.”

The Signs of the Times

Back in the spring of 2002, on a Saturday morning early, I was getting ready for football practice and there was a small earthquake. New York doesn’t have many earthquakes. I felt only 4 in my lifetime but this one was different and I will never forget it. Several days before it, there were about 30 or more spiders in the family room and kitchen and not upstairs or in the cellar where I think they came from. Before I was able to get rid of them they left after the earthquake. I have no problem with bugs but spiders just eek me out. Anyway, the spiders knew something was coming. We are also to be ready at all times, to know the signs of the times of his coming. In Matthew 24 we see this analogy. In the end there will be many deceivers boasting their theology but it is up to us to be in Abba’s presence, to have discernment and “to know the signs of the times.”

Matthew 24
3 Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?” 4 And Jesus answered and said to them: “Take heed that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many. 6 And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of sorrows. 9 “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake. 10 And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. 11 Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. 12 And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. 13 But he who endures to the end shall be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come. 15 “Therefore when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place” (whoever reads, let him understand), 16 “then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 17 Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take anything out of his house. 18 And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes. 19 But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! 20 And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath. 21 For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. 22 And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened. 23 “Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There!’ do not believe it. 24 For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. 25 See, I have told you beforehand. 26 “Therefore if they say to you, ‘Look, He is in the desert!’ do not go out; or ‘Look, He is in the inner rooms!’ do not believe it. 27 For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. 28 For wherever the carcass is, there the eagles will be gathered together. 29 “Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 30 Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 31 And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. 32 “Now learn this parable from the fig tree: When its branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near. 33 So you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near—at the doors! 34 Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place. 35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away. 36 “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only. 37 But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. 38 For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, 39 and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. 40 Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and the other left. 41 Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and the other left. 42 Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming. 43 But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. 44 Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect. 45 “Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his master made ruler over his household, to give them food in due season? 46 Blessed is that servant whom his master, when he comes, will find so doing. 47 Assuredly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all his goods. 48 But if that evil servant says in his heart, ‘My master is delaying his coming,’ 49 and begins to beat his fellow servants, and to eat and drink with the drunkards, 50 the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him and at an hour that he is not aware of, 51 and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

"Christmas Eve dinner"

On every Christmas Eve, all the kids come home to mom’s house and we all exchange our gifts. There is also dinner made for everyone. In the past I’ve made homemade pizza, lasagna, mac & cheese etc… but lately everybody wants my chili. So again this year I made my firehouse chili. It is a lot faster and easier than my regular one. I use salsa, can tomatoes and frozen veggies to save on prep time. So as a extra gift to my family and all of you - I’ve finally put it on paper. Here it is enjoy! :O)


Tisa’s Firehouse Chili A La Hot

- 4lb of 85% hamburger
- 1 large 28oz can of organic crushed tomatoes - “Cento” brand good
- 2 large 28oz cans of organic diced tomatoes – don’t drain
- 2 large 26oz cans of Campbell’s tomato soup
- 1 cup of Worcestershire sauce – “cheap kind” store brand only
- 6 - 15oz cans of organic red kidney beans -rinse & drain
- 2 - 29oz cans of organic black beans -rinse & drain “Goya” brand good
- 1/4 cup of chili powder
- 2 - 12oz bags frozen diced peppers
- 2 - 12oz bags frozen onions
- 1 jar each of Green Mountain Gringo Salsa – Mild, Roasted Garlic, Medium, Hot

* This is a big recipe, please use a stock pot around 20-24qt
1. Cook the hamburger until crumbled but not all the way (slight pink) and drain.
2. In a large pot add all the ingredients together except the hot salsa. Med heat until simmering - keep stirring
3. Add the chili power to ½ cup of boiling water mix and stir into chili and simmer for at least 2 hours - more the better – it will taste sweet at first but don’t worry.
4. Add hot salsa slowly to taste – depending on how hot you want the chili - I suggest having the rest of the hot salsa in a separate bowl for the hot mouths to add for themselves. Remember with Green Mountain Salsa MED is hot and HOT is really really really hot!!!(sorry they don't make the hot salsa w/ habaneros anymore. If more heat is needed, please only use a little bit of the "Habanero Hotsauce" thanks.)
5. Serve w/ shredded toco cheese, Cheez-Its, crackers etc.

For all the real hot mouths, here is "Habanero Hotsauce" to replace the hot salsa *PLEASE USE WITH EXTREME CAUTION*

- 8 orange habanero peppers (whole)
- 3 cloves garlic
- ½ cup cilantro leaves
- 2 small ripe tomatoes
- ½ cup chopped onions
- ¼ cup real lime juice
- Mix in blender- be careful of the fumes when opening the blender.

"You know better than I"

Every year for Mother’s day my Fire House holds a flower fundraiser. Two doz roses for 19.99 and a variety of plants and hanging baskets. Two years ago at the fundraiser, I bought a hibiscus bush for my mom. Hibiscuses are tropical plants. They cannot handle temperatures under 40. In early fall that year; there was a very cold night. I did bring it in that night but the damage was already done. By the third day every leaf and branch was damaged except one it was still alive. I was so happy. I nurtured it back to health and I am still getting flowers (see pic) and it is December. This is way better than poinsettias. This reminds me of a part in the movie “Joseph king of dreams” where Joseph fixes a plant and it gets strong again. This is a great analogy from both plants. Abba will not let us go beyond the point of no return. He will always give us a way to grow but we must choose that and He will give us the desire and hope to get up and go again no matter what.

First Fruits of Zion

I subscribe to the weekly edrash also. Enjoy! :O)


23 November 09

Parashat Hashavuah

Vayetze - ויצא : "And he went out"
Torah : Genesis 28:10-32:3
Haftarah : Hosea 12:12-14:10
Gospel : Matthew 15-16

Rachel and Leah

Thought for the Week:
"A man can receive nothing unless it has been given him from heaven." (John 3:27)

Commentary:
"And Leah's eyes were weak, but Rachel was beautiful of form and face." (Genesis 29:17)

Laban had two daughters: Rachel and Leah. Leah was older, but the Torah says that she had weak eyes. Rachel, on the other hand, was beautiful. What does it mean that Leah had weak eyes? The Hebrew word translated here as "weak" can also mean delicate, tender or soft. Some translations understand it in the sense of "beautiful eyes." In that case, the Torah would be saying, "Leah had beautiful eyes, but Rachel had a beautiful figure and face." Leah had beautiful eyes, but was not as attractive as her sister.

Rashi explains that Leah's eyes were weak because she thought she was destined to marry Esau and therefore she was constantly crying.

She believed that she was destined to marry Esau. She would cry because everybody said, "Rebekah has two sons and Laban has two daughters. The older will marry the older and the younger the younger." (Rashi on Genesis 29:17)

This is probably not the real reason for Leah's weak eyes, but it does raise an interesting point. We know that Esau married Canaanite girls. We know that his mother and father would have preferred him to marry within the greater Abrahamic family. Leah would have been the logical choice for him. It seems natural that the firstborn would have married the firstborn and the second-born the second-born.

Jacob fell in love with the second-born Rachel. But legally, he had already taken Esau's position as firstborn over the family when he purchased the birthright. Leah was the one God had chosen to be the wife of the progenitor of Abrahamic blessing. When Jacob took that position from Esau, he unwittingly acquired Leah as well. Jacob worked seven years to pay the bride price for Rachel. On their wedding night, Laban surreptitiously switched his daughters. He disguised Leah as Rachel, just as Jacob had disguised himself as Esau to trick Isaac. The ruse worked. Jacob accidentally married Leah.

Laban switched his daughters on the wedding night simply to get another seven years of work out of Jacob. Executing the swap would not have been difficult. In the custom of the ancient world, the bride would have been completely veiled and in extravagant dress, unrecognizable. Her unveiling would have happened only in the bridal chamber and in the dark.

Many orthodox Jewish communities today still have the tradition of completely veiling the bride on her wedding day. However, the bridegroom is allowed to lift the veil just prior to the ceremony to make sure he is marrying the right girl.

Jacob's accidental marriage to Leah is a good example of how God works in our lives. We make plans, dream dreams and set out to accomplish certain things. Then our plans are frustrated, our dreams come to naught and we find ourselves far away from our original goals. But this does not mean that God has abandoned us. Your plans for your life may not necessarily be His plans. God may be attempting to work something great through your situation that you never expected.

Through Leah, Jacob sired Judah and Levi, who in turn fathered the line of the Davidic monarchy and the Aaronic priesthood. He never intended to marry her, but the spiritual greatness of Israel came through Leah.

"Routine"

It has now been a month since my last day at work. I have been trying to stay busy. I’ve put a big dent in my job jar but the worst thing is I don’t have a routine anymore. My day use to start around 5am and end around 11pm. Now I usually fall asleep around 2am. and wake up whenever. Don’t get me wrong, going to bed at any time is kind of cool but it is still not good. This reminds me of summer vacation when I was a kid. The first month of summer vacation, there was no bedtime curfew but then in the last couple of weeks before school would start my mom would have us go back to our bedtime curfews. Not having a routine for the day messes me up. Abba wants us to have a purpose and not waste what he has given us. Each day should be considered as a gift Abba has given to us.
Every month I receive the FFOZ monthly ERosh. They are really good and have great info. This month’s ERosh is called “The miracles Of Kislev”


17 November 09

As the rains that started during Cheshvan continue to nourish the land of Israel, the temperatures begin to drop. Daylight hours dwindle away and the long, dark nights of Kislev begin. One cannot help but naturally feel slightly melancholy and glum during the winter seasons. Thankfully, God has given us many reasons to rejoice during this season.

On the 25th of Kislev, the anniversary of the rededication of the Temple is celebrated for eight days. This festival is customarily known as Hanukkah. For thousands of years, the Jewish people have remembered the miracles God performed for the Maccabees. They were not only able to stand up to the persecution of the Syrian-Greeks, but were also able to rededicate the defiled Temple. A frequent phrase heard during this season is "nes gadol hayah sham," a great miracle happened there.

Though this has been a time-honored celebration by the Jewish people, the earliest attestation to the celebration of Hanukkah is not from Josephus or the Mishnah, but the Gospel of John. In John 10:22-42, the Master was present at Temple in Jerusalem during Hanukkah. Just like his previous visit during Sukkot, the crowds were eager for him to announce his kingship as the Messiah. "If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly" (John 10:24).

Relating to the story of Hanukkah, the Master points out that he had already told them, "the works that I do in my Father's name, these testify of me" (10:25). For both the Maccabees and the Master, the presence of God's miracles signified his approval of their efforts. Both sought to uphold the true standard of Torah in the face of opposition. For the Maccabees, Hellenist Jews and Syrian-Greek persecutors opposed them. For the Master, unbelieving Pharisees and Sadducees challenged his teaching of Torah and the Kingdom of God.

In both situations, the miracles were present for all to see. Unfortunately, miracles do not produce faith; they sustain faith already existent. In the days of the Maccabees, the Hellenists refused to remain true to Torah. In the days of the Master, the unbelievers refused to believe in the One sent from the Father.

The same is true in our day. Miracles are there if one chooses to recognize them. The Amidah prayer expresses it this way: God's miracles are "with us every day" and his wonders and favors are "in every season." Yet, many ignore the miracles that sustain us day in, day out. It takes great faith to acknowledge miracles.

May your Hanukkah be filled with the remembrance of the miracles in the lives of our forefathers, the miracles present in our daily lives, and most of all, the miracle of the salvation made available through the One who was sent from the Father-Yeshua the Messiah!

"How big?"

I have been cleaning my computer desk today, when I came across one of my SD memory cards. I couldn’t remember what was on it. I found out it was mostly fill with my NYC pics, but my mom took these pics of my cat Chance. Chance is clueless on how big he really is. It doesn’t matter what it is, he will always try to fit into it. It seems like he always has to be first before the other cats so he can watch them in his little hide out. Anyway we seem to do that with Abba at times. We try to keep Abba in our little boxes. Abba’s ways are higher than our ways and His way doesn’t fit in our little box.
- Isaiah 40:12, 15
“Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand and marked off the heavens with a span, enclosed the dust of the earth in a measure and weighed the mountains in scales and the hills in a balance? Behold, the nations are like a drop from a bucket, and are accounted as the dust on the scales; behold, he takes up the coastlands like fine dust.”
- Psalm 139:2-16
You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways. Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O Lord , you know it altogether. You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high; I cannot attain it. Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there! If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me. If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me, and the light about me be night,” even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is bright as the day, for darkness is as light with you. For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there were none of them. How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! If I would count them, they are more than the sand. I awake, and I am still with you.
So how big is Abba?

“This is my destiny”

For the past couple of weeks, I have been trying to finish this blog. At the beginning my thoughts would change and the titles would change. It felt like it was in a holding pattern, nothing was coming out. Plus I have also been busy witnessing in Albany on Friday nights. I felt peaceful even more so because I know I’m doing what Abba wants me to do. I didn’t really care at first, I don’t really need to do a blog all the time anyway but as I was listening to one of Dennis Jernigan’s songs “This Is My Destiny” I started to get that desire to write again. I typed in this title and started working on it that day. I tried getting back to it but things were just popping up taking my time. Then on Tues Oct 20, 2009 me and two other drafters were let go. I’m actually calm about it now but when I got home Tue, I really didn’t want to talk to anybody but my brother Joe, who was thru it before, was downloading everything to me telling me what to do and getting me to start the process that day. Then yesterday, I was called by one of the drafters that was let go and also I had tons of stuff to do, driving all over the place. Then today I got a call from my former boss who wasn’t there that day we were all let go. Also for the past two nights, I have been talking to my 23 year old nephew till 4:00am in the morning. I took care of him since he was 4, I was his surrogate mom at that time and next week he wants to take me to his favorite karaoke/ burrito bar with his friends. Can you imagine me singing in front of people? YIPE! Anyway, so I really haven’t been getting any time to feel sorry for myself, Abba has been pulling me forward whether I like to or not. What is even weirder, I have been with the company 11years 9months. I don’t know, but to me it's just weird. I started drafting for the company on Jan 20, 1998. So finishing this blog today feels like my journal. I don’t know what Abba has in store for me, but knowing what he has already done for me in my life, I can say this with confidence, Abba is up to something. This is part of the beginning of the song “This Is My Destiny” on the We Will Worship Album. Enjoy :O)
“But I don’t half to wait until Heaven to enjoy that intimate relationship. He delights in my presence. His thoughts toward me outnumber the very sands of the sea and before He laid the foundations of the earth, before time began, I was in His mind and He destined me to be His very own and He says this “Child, I know the plans I have for you, plans to give you a hope and a future” oh Lord we love you, we bless you and crown you king. We proclaim that you are the Lord and the destiny of every believer’s heart.

"Ambushed"

For the past week I have been trying to play catch-up w/ my chores. I usually do my laundry on the weekends but last week I was at the women’s retreat. It was my first one and it was good. I actually wasn’t too quiet and talked to people. On the first night, they played Anita Renfroe’s “It's Probably Just My Thyroid” dvd. Wow, she is really good. I laughed almost the whole time. But what was better than that, the next day, I met someone who is going to help me. Funny thing is she doesn’t really come to Seed’s too often because of school and work but for some reason she came to the retreat. She told me she goes out on Friday nights with a group of her friends to witness. When I heard that my mouth dropped opened. I have been praying to Abba to help me with that because Abba has been bugging me to go but I have been just to chicken to go out alone. I did it once last year but that was it. I knew Abba had ambushed me at that moment. Several years ago, Abba took me to a place and showed me speaking to a crowd. The place looked like an airport. It had a huge 40’ glass wall and I was standing on top of a white plastic picnic table. At first I was behind myself. Then I was me listening to myself surprised on how I sounded “That came out of me?” I then was off to the side of me standing on the ground looking up and I was actually normal weight again. Was I happy when I saw that! It has been 10 years and they still don’t have the right level of thyroid medicine in me yet. Auggh! I hope that when I go out and speak to people it will be all Abba. Now I can finally say “Here I am Lord, send me”

"Ladies Escape retreat"

This Sat/Sun, Sept 19 & 20, I'll be going to Seed’s Ladies Escape retreat at Christ the King Spiritual Life Center in Greenwich, New York. It wiggs me out that we are going there because it is a catholic place. I grew up being catholic and was even confirmed. I can gratefully say now "I am a born again spirit filled true believer." As a kid I went to Christ the King school in Albany, how ironic. The bondage and suffering I went thru at that school...I still have bad dreams from that. I almost didn't sign up but I know Abba is with me plus I need to be with my church family. No excuses, I just need to suck it up.

“Push Buttons”

My engineer came into my office room today to tell me that on my job Garvey Ave,(aka Gravy Ave from the guys at work because the first 5 floors are typ. Hey, you snooze, you lose) the structural steel post for the elevator needs to be moved because it is in the way of the elevator push buttons. The concrete product I draft will also need to be moved too on every drawing, but I still sat there laughing. How could something so small be such a problem? This also reminds me of what we see and hear. A bad movie, people degrading other people or bad situations can still influence us. In Galatians 5:9 says "A little leaven leavens the whole lump." and in Proverbs 4:23 ”Keep your heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life” We need to guard our hearts. If not, the little things in life will just be able to control and “push our buttons.”

"The battle is not ours"

Four months ago, my sister Becky gave me "VeggieTales - Esther, The Girl Who Became Queen" DVD. I took Becky last year to see "The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything: A VeggieTales Movie" It was a really good movie and I loved the song "YoHo Hero" Becky told me I would like Esther. She was right and it really hit home for me w/ the layoffs at work. Yes, I know it is a veggietale cartoon but sometimes Abba will use simple things to strengthen us. Here is a song from it.



Mordecai: You wanted to know why you
became queen. I told you God must have a reason.
Esther, perhaps he put you here, for such a time as this.
Perhaps this is the reason.

Ester: Tell me why, I don't understand.
Tell me why, or show me your hand.
Tell me why because I can't see my way through
What now...should I...do

The battle is not ours

We look to God above~

For he will guide us safely through

and guard us with his love

I will not be afraid

I will not run and hide~

For there is nothing I can't face

when God is at my side

No, there is nothing I can't face

when God is at my side

The battle is not ours

We look to God above

For he will guide us safely through

and guard us with his love ~

Narrator: Queen Esther just learned that sometimes God has
plans so big only he can see 'em! All she had to do was believe.

"He is Holy!"

A couple of years after I graduated from college, I took a second job working for the Albany Times Union News Paper. I had a paper route when I was 12, but this was different. I would fill about 30 boxes(see pic) along Central Ave @ 5:30am. It would only take about a hour to do. It was my responsibility to clean, fix, and move to a better place these boxes to sell my papers inside. I took this job to pay for my school loan from JCA that Abba did not want me to go to in the first place. Anyway, one day in April, it had lightly snowed and the boxes had a light coating on them. I used my hands to wipe off the snow because I had ran out that morning forgetting my Mechanix gloves. I would wear the gloves for gripping the papers and for no ink to get on my fingers. I was half way through my route when my hands were starting to get numb. As I was loading the box, I held the door with my knee and would let the door swing up and hit my left hand so the door would not slam shut. At that moment I had my fingers too close to the opening and the door came up and squished them. I yanked out my hand and yelled,” God!” A few seconds later Yeshua said in a facetious chided tone, “ I suppose you want Me to heal you now.” I said, ”no??” I got in my truck thinking, why is He mad, what did I do?” Then Yeshua said "Theresa, think of it this way, at least you have ice." Sometime later, I started thinking about what had happened that day and why He was mad at me. Abba reminded me of what I had said. I was so sorry, I didn’t realize what I had said. I had called His name without regard. I am determined not hurt Abba again. For He is Holy!

Psalm 99 - Praise to the LORD for His Holiness
The LORD reigns;
Let the peoples tremble!
He dwells between the cherubim;
Let the earth be moved!
The LORD is great in Zion,
And He is high above all the peoples.
Let them praise Your great and awesome name—
He is holy.

The King’s strength also loves justice;
You have established equity;
You have executed justice and righteousness in Jacob.
Exalt the LORD our God,
And worship at His footstool—
He is holy.

Moses and Aaron were among His priests,
And Samuel was among those who called upon His name;
They called upon the LORD, and He answered them.
He spoke to them in the cloudy pillar;
They kept His testimonies and the ordinance He gave them.

You answered them, O LORD our God;
You were to them God-Who-Forgives,
Though You took vengeance on their deeds.
Exalt the LORD our God,
And worship at His holy hill;
For the LORD our God is holy.

“Come, my child, come.”

Abba has wanted me to write this for a very long time. I have been putting this one off for a while because I know people are going to be angry, discount me or even curse at me for this one. About ten years ago on a Saturday morning in my bedroom, I was preparing a lesson for the next day. I taught the 8yr – 12yr kids at the church me and my brother attended at that time. As I was sitting there, I was caught up into the spirit to a place I do not know. From above inside I saw it was a warehouse packed with people in a radial symmetrical group. Rows and rows of people just walking towards a small hole in the center and just falling in. Then I became one of them walking towards that hole. I could see the hole but I didn’t care if I fell in. Then I heard a voice in a distance behind me saying “Come, my child, come.” I turned for a moment but then I still was walking towards the hole. The voice got louder and stronger “Come, my child, come.” I turned around and started walking toward the voice. It was easy at first but as I started getting to the middle part of the group they started to grab me knocking me down trying to turn me around forcing me to walk their way, I started to give in and then I heard again “Come, my child, come.” I force my way thru and was getting toward the outer edge of the people. They tried to hold me but they seemed to be getting weaker as I was reaching to the outer edge of the group. I leaped out and saw who was calling me. There was a person in a white robe sitting on a large white marble throne. From the chest up there was a cloud. I focused on his right hand. It was a human adult hand. I could sense someone to my left I turned my head and saw Yeshua. I ran to him. He grabbed me and hugged me. As I was in his arms, I looked to my left and saw the outer edge of the group. Their backs were facing me. They were so close, I reach to touch one but couldn't. I asked Yeshua “Do they not hear you?” He says “They hear me, but do not listen.” I was then back sitting on my bed. I sat there amazed and stunned. I was grateful to be saved. Now there are many ways to explain what each area meant but I going to let Abba tell you this one. He wants to rescue you. He is tugging at your heart to seek him, to become intimate “Come, my child, come.”

"What a mess!"

These pics are from my grape vine I planted 12yrs ago. (click on pic to see better) The vine was a little over a foot tall and I used a tomato cage for support. I wanted it to grow a little first before I start to prune it and tie it to a wire fence. As you can see I haven't touched it in about 10 years. The Blackberry vine bushes are now mixed in with the grape vines. Ouch! Serves me right for letting it grow that wild. In the next couple of weeks, I will try to cut back the berry vines and in Feb I'll be able to start pruning the vine. Having a grape vine requires a lot of attention. Just in the first year of its growth, the vine requires constant watering for root development. Also the vine in the next 3 years also requires to be shaped, pruned, & molded on the wire fence to continue to grow in that direction. In John ch 15, I understand more now what Yeshua is saying "I am the true vine, and My Father is the vine dresser" Abba cares for us. Just like a vine we require a lot of attention too. If we let Abba shape, prune, & mold us, we will bear much fruit for Him. He wants to see His vine branches grow and takes delight in us when we do.

"The Ultimate Gift"

I finally got to watch this movie. It has been in my Netflix que for over 6 months. 11bucks a month for unlimited Netflix is worth it. This movie cannot be missed it is 2 hours long but well worth the time.

"He Will Carry You"

Last night at Seed's bible study, Rabbi Steve had us break into groups and pray for each other. Milli and Nick were with me. Milli had some of these words in her head "If He carried the weight of the world, He will carry me" for a week and I told her it was a song. I also told her I would get it for her. This 80yr old prayer warrior started to praise and thanked Yeshua. That's cool. Abba put us together just so she could know what it was and I bet he is going to have her bless me somehow too. Rabbi Steve was teaching about the love factor in faith. 1 Corinthians 13:13 "And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. Something has been going thru my head also. Some people say they love Yeshua but then they have this book of stamps against Abba. He never answered my prayer, He didn't save this person and they died, or I trusted him but I got hurt. People act as if Abba has sinned against them. Abba has never SINNED! Only we have. Holding this unforgiveness against Abba will only separate you from him. Abba is in control, not by our standards but his. If we trust Abba to take real control over our life we need to have real faith (a love for him) that "he will carry you."


"He Will Carry You"

There is no problem too big
God cannot solve it
There is no mountain too tall
He cannot move it
There is no storm too dark
God cannot calm it
There is no sorrow too deep
He cannot soothe it

If He carried the weight of the world upon His shoulders
I know, my brother that He will carry you
If He carried the weight of the world upon His shoulders
I know, my sister that He will carry you

He said come on to me all who are weary
And I will give you rest

There is no problem too big
God cannot solve it
There is no mountain too tall
He cannot move it
There is no storm too dark
God cannot calm it
There is no sorrow too deep
He cannot soothe it

If He carried the weight of the world upon His shoulders
I know, my brother that He will carry you
If He carried the weight of the world upon His shoulders
I know, my sister that He will carry you

If He carried the weight of the world upon His shoulders
I know, my brother that He will carry you
If He carried the weight of the world upon His shoulders
I know, my sister that He will carry you

He will carry you, He will carry you