Hi, my family in Jesus.  I have been touched to see the comments I have received here and I am very appreciative. Life is complicated right now and I've not been able to spend much time here. I am taking some down time and then I'll be back and revamp here a bit.  I will let you know when I am back.

Thanks again for  your friendship. I will return.

Melanie

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Hi all,

I just wanted to let you know that I have not been ignoring you all. To all of you who have been sending comments, thank you so much. I have had a sinus infection that went to my ear. From that , it progressed to Bells Palsy on the left side.  That means that the left side of my face doesn't work. I can't blink and there is no movement. It is temporary and manageable but I have had to limit my time on the computer due to the eye strain of the left eye.

I hope to get to visiting you all in a few days.  Thanks again.

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There is something to me, so special about the Hebrew language. It  has a richness that others can't seem to capture. There are words in Hebrew that cannot be translated into just one English word but need several words to convey the meaning.  Teshuvah is one of those words. It can mean "repent" but also to "restore", to "turn back". It's more than just saying "I'm sorry for my sins" but more of a turning away from those sins and endeavoring to not do them again.

I don't know if you're like me - but I seem to fall so many times. I'll do or say or think something and immediately the Holy Spirit will call me on it. If I'm in a pliant mood, I will confess right then and there and purpose in my heart to not repeat the offense. And then the next day (or the next hour or minute...) comes along and I'm right back there.  But, it at least makes me feel a bit better to read that Paul had the same problem.  He said that the very things he shouldn't do - those he does and those things he should do - he doesn't.  So, I guess I'm in good company.

The last few months have been a bit different for me. I've been examining my motives - or rather the Lord has been shedding some light on them.  He's showing me that in the past, my main concern when I repented was that I didn't want to "get in trouble". It was like the little child with her hand in the cookie jar as Mom walks in the room. Was the child sorry because she had disobeyed - or because she had been caught! 

My relationship with my Savior, Yeshua has been deepening these last few months and I've discovered somewhat of a treasure. I'm beginning to feel bad and repentant when I've done wrong - not because I've been "caught" - but because I've disobeyed. I've let the One I love most of all down. Perhaps I've brought discredit to His precious name. Or realized that once again, I put myself before Him with my actions and words. I've found in my heart an increasing desire to please God in all that I do. And I've found that involves a lot of repenting because I seem to be a very stiff-necked daughter at times!

During this season of Teshuvah and this sunset being the beginning of Yom Kippur, I have felt the need to become quiet before my God so that He can shine his light on my hidden sins. Before Yeshua, our Lamb was slain, the Jewish people depended on the blood of a little lamb to be sprinkled on the mercy seat to atone for their sins. When the high priest entered the Holy of Holies once a  year on Yom Kippur, he did so with trembling and awe. The entire Jewish nation depended on him to present the blood sacrifice to the Lord so that their sins would be covered for another year.  Then 2000 odd years ago, at the feast of Unleavened Bread, Yeshua, our Lamb of God shed His innocent blood on a cruel Roman cross, taking our sins onto Himself.  He paid the penalty for those sins.  He then, as our High Priest, went to the Father and sprinkled His blood on the Mercy Seat of heaven. This sacrifice was different. Instead of an atonement or covering of our sins - they were taken away completely - to be remembered no more. Hallelujah!

We no longer need to wait for a certain day to repent of our sins. Our "teshuvah" is ongoing. As the Holy Spirit convicts us of a wrong doing - whether a deed, a spoken word, a motive, a thought,- we can go to God right then and there and receive our forgiveness. He is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins when we come to Him and repent.

Let this High Holy Season remind us that our Father is always ready to forgive us.  Our High Priest, Yeshua Ha Machiach is at the right hand of the Father making intercession for us. His blood has been sprinkled on the Mercy Seat and we are forgiven!

O Father, remind us to keep You ever in our minds as we go about our day. May our thoughts, words and deeds be pleasing in Your sight. May we be a sweet smelling savor in our nostrils and may we ever praise Your Holy Name.

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It's been a busy week but it was fun. My son and family from Vermont visited over Labor Day weekend. He and my DIL Tina went to his high school reunion activties part of the time and so I had some Grandma time with the little ones. It was a full house on Sunday night because my mother came over to see the gang as well as my youngest son and his wife. The house felt quite emtpy when everyone was gone. Monday, we went to Disney World since Jim didn't know when they ever would get back down here again to do it. I definitely do not recommend a Disney day in the summer especially on Labor Day but we built some memories and that is what is important.

I would appreciate your prayer cover this next week. I lost my husband to cancer 6 years ago. Each year is a bit easier - the memories bring more smiles and less tears. However, this September 11 marks what would have been our 25th wedding anniversary.  It was an occasion that we had planned to mark with something really special. The emotions I am feeling are so mixed right now.  It's like I'm going through the grieving process all over again. I know where Alan is now and I celebrate the fact that I will see him again. But still, I miss him and all we were planning on doing together.

Hope everyone is well. Take care.

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Hi, Friends.

Just wanted to let you know that I will not be checking in here for a few days. I have family from Vermont coming tomorrow to visit and it will be busy - busy - busy.

Thanks to all of you who have been leaving messages for me. I intend to visit back soon - probably sometime next week.

Shalom and have a safe and happy Labor Day Weekend.

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I'm not sure really how I found this place but I'm sure glad I did!  I had a MySpace site before, had some strange people asking to be my friend and eventually deleted it because it just made me uncomfortable. I hate to label people "strange" but some just were - gory, sinister graphics on their site and it just didn't go well with what I wanted to do with my site and that was to lift up the name of Yeshua.  I felt bad denying them as a friend and just decided to forget the whole thing.

I did recreate my site again because I wanted it to be a witness. When I found JCFaith I was so happy. I felt like I was home - amongst people of like faith and I didn't have to sort through garbage to fellowship online with anyone.  I signed up, didn't do much with it for a few days but kept getting comments from members welcoming me. So today I decorated my new home and have it ready to go. Thus the reason for this first blog entry.

I gave my heart to the Lord in '72 and since that time have run "hot and cold" in my faith walk.  Much of the time, it just didn't feel real to me. But as time went on and life experiences made me desperate, I began to re-evaluate my relationship with Jesus. And at close examination, it was sadly lacking. Certainly it was not on His part.  It was me not taking Him at His word and not trusting Him.  There was a point when I wasn't even sure I was saved.

Praise His name for the wooing of the Holy Spirit. He has never given up on me and slowly I've decided to let go of the reins of control over my life and handed it over to Him. It has been a slow process - certainly not an overnight miracle but a miracle none the less.

One of my greatest joys has been investigating my faith and my Savior through Messianic Jewish eyes. This all started with my mother who began to attend a Messianic Jewish congregation.  To make her happy, I accompanied her one Friday evening to her Shabbat service and I came away with many questions but an excitement I hadn't felt in a long time. I have discovered my Savior in a whole new light. I have delighted in using his Hebrew name, Yeshua and celebating some of the Jewish feasts.  I've learned to look at scriptures from a Jewish cultural prospective and they have come alive.

Please understand that I am not like some Messianic believers that you may have encountered. I am talking about the ones who will try to convince you that your "gentile, Christian" beliefs are off the mark.  Each believer in Jesus must approach Him as He leads them. The Holy Spirit places in each of our spirits and hearts the desire for intimacy and relationship with our Messiah and it can be expressed in many ways.  I believe that God has placed in me a "Jewish" heart - a heart and desire for His chosen people.  My spirit leaps at the sound of a praise and worship song sung in Hebrew or at the sound of a shofar. 

I'm thankful to meet all my new friends here and I hope to learn a lot from you all and perhaps I can even share a few things with you. As with any blog though, please respect my thoughts and beliefs. I will never try to push my beliefs off on you and I ask that you respect mine as well.

I believe that we are all "one in Messiah" and a thousand years from now when we are living with and serving our Messiah Jesus, it won't matter what label we had on earth.

Shalom to you all.

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