a refreshing saturday.

i went to nomad's land.

it's about 45 min from bham.
the whole time the only word that came to mind was
"dreamy."
i need to spend more time there.

i had my first hammocking adventure next to a creek.
it was short, but pretty prefect.
could have laid there for hours.
have a feeling some good jesus time will go down in that thing.
it's like a cocoon.
my new little hiding spot.

i also spent a few hours with this little girl, hope.
halfway through our time i asked her if she knew my name.
"mm..no."
"do you want to know my name?"
"i mean, whatever."
i love kids.
this was her "hot tub."

a few of us hung out at stuarts that night & made cinnamon items (aka rolls).
its tradition.
and tommy brought his flip so of course
videos were made.
i love my friends.
so much.
these are good men. :)

snuggle puggle

he's not the best snuggler. and doesnt really like to be pet (which i dont mind),
but early in the morning or late at night (aka when he's really sleepy) i can get some pug lovin.
love hugging that mug.
so much.

passover seder

this
will be a
day for you
to remember and
celebrate as a festival to
ADONAI,
from generation to
generation you are
to celebrate it..
Ex 12:14

the matzah reminds us of the haste in which our ancestors left egypt,
for the dough had not the time to rise, but baked hard and flat in the desert sun.
the parsley reminds us of the bitterness of the bondage of slavery.
we remember also that messiah, our passover, set us free from the bondage of sin.
we dip twice --first as a symbol of replacing our tears with joy,
and second to season the taste of bitterness,
knowing that Yeshua is our sweetness in the bitter times of life.
reclining is a symbol of the free man who can eat in leisure.
so this pillow reminds us of our freedom,
for in trusting God we are secure.

blessed are you,
o lord our God,
king of the universe,
who sustains the world with goodness,
with grace and with infinite mercy..
through your great goodness,
provision has not failed us.
may it never fail us at any time,
for the sake of your great name.

may our eyes behold your return to jerusalem in holiness.

blessed are you, o lord, who rebuilds jerusalem in his mercy.
amen.

at each passover since the children of israel were in exile in strange lands, it has been traditional to say,
"this year here, but next year, lord willing, we will celebrate it in jerusalem."
for a long time, that was just a dream. now since the lord has restored the land of israel, it is possible.
jerusalem is being rebuilt and the desert has begun to bloom.
the second coming of messiah yeshua is drawing near.
when he comes, there will be a new jeruslaem as he establishes his kingdom here on earth.

n e x t y e a r i n j e r u s a l e m ! ! !

(i got all of these excerpts from jewishvoice.org)

graham cooke

it is in the valley
that our lives are truly adjusted to
the pleasure of god.
on the mountain
we have sovereign encounters
with majesty and beauty,
and then we must return to the scene of the devastation
and begin to plant what god has sown into us.
this is where we encounter the incomparable delight of the comforter,
who steps into our devastation with his own precious touch
and renovates us from the inside out.