Please send me a pic of you in your sukkah. Tell me where you are from and a name if it is okay to publish, and I will add it to this thread. Thank you Don and Priscilla Cohen, of lower state South Carolina for this first offer:
Last night, I dropped a quick post about sitting in the sukkah of Aharon. Today, the high Shabbat, was restful day with some surprises!
Everyone slept in, but by about 10 a.m., we were all up. Most found a quiet place for time in the Word as we have been pondering the reason Abba has placed us here for the feast. Clearly, He has a purpose, confirmed again by the connections and conversations we shared after Bible reading. Each of us had been led to similar or complimentary passages as we have pondered the significance of Giv’at (Gilead) in Scripture and the place of Benjamin and Ephraim.
Al, Dorothy and I shared an antipasto/tappas lunch on the porch, while most others napped. Our discussion was rich and fun as we compared more notes and thoughts. While I can’t really share the things Abba is revealing, I can tell you, I believe He has a Divine purpose for us right here and right now.
Early afternoon, we gathered in the main room for prayer and discussion of Scripture as well as some worship music, then we sang, danced and waved the lulav on the porch.
A late dinner and an evening walk wrapped up a restful Shabbat as we concluded the first day of the feast. Beautiful, clear, crisp evening air – unseasnonably warm at about 60 F – allowed a 
magnificent view for miles and miles around the overlook a couple hundred yards from the house. More pictures below. Continue reading
Chapter 63 is about the house of Israel…. read it for context.
For You are our Father, though Abraham does not know us And Israel does not recognize us. You, O Lord , are our Father, Our Redeemer from of old is Your name.
Isaiah 63 NASB
http://bible.com/100/isa.63.16.NASB
“Absalom’s Tomb” (Likely, not…)
Today has been a blessed day. We make a trip into Jerusalem and walked through the Old City to the Mount of Olives to read some Scripture and consider past and future historical/prophetic connections. A surprise I did not count on was seeing Absalom’s Tomb, a direct connection to a recent post.
A shot of an uncrowded section of the shuk…
Afterward, we went shopping for food and supplies in the Shuk between Yaffo and Ben Yehuda streets. It was PACKED and fun. So many things to see, smell and taste! Pictures of both the Mount of Olives and the Shuk follow, but neither was the highlight of the day…
Yesterday, our host, Tzemach, dropped by to invite us to join his family in their sukkah to welcome in the feast with the Kiddish Blessing. Again, this morning, he dropped by to confirm the time. As we shopped the Shuk, we made sure to pick up flowers and wine for his beautiful 80-something mother, the lady of the house.
After getting home from the run into the city we prepared our own dinner and showered up, then sat excitedly waiting for Tzemach to come by and get us. As the full moon rose over the horizon, we stood on the porch watching and waiting in anticipation. Shortly, Tzemach arrived to lead us around to the large sukkah in front of his parents next-door house. It was beautiful. Continue reading
Those who have been with me over the last couple months are familiar with AoG Pastor Scott Hillman and his recent interview by the Tennessee state AoG Board.
Well, I do not have any details, but his wife emailed me to ask for prayer because the Board is having him reappear before them tomorrow, October 17, 2016. It is the first day of Sukkot and a High Sabbath, certainly a significant day for them to have an obedient teacher of God’s Word stand before them. May Abba give Scott grace and wisdom as well as compassionate boldness!
Last night, as I put together a quick post, fellow traveler, AL McCarn crafted a special accounting of our Shabbat experience here and, in his introspective manner, connected it with so many important pieces, both recent and historical.
You will enjoy and be blessed by taking a couple minutes and reading his latest entry.
Israel 2016: Finding Shabbat in Gi’vat Ye’arim – http://wp.me/p4cMjG-1ep
Our first Shabbat on this trip has come to a close, we have finished the oneg (post shabbat 
dinner) and are relaxing. The Barking Fox and I are blogging, Silas has been drumming, Dorothy, Katie and Jeremiah are dancing while several conversations are going on between others in our group.
Last night was most interesting as we settled in for a wonderful dinner. My hope was that after dinner we could dance and worship, but what we got was so much better!!
Dinner was wrapping up when our host, Tzemach, and his girlfriend, Olga, dropped in. Immediately we seated them at the table with us, poured each a glass of wine and began to fellowship. The conversation turned to dancing and before you could snap off, ‘Shabbat shalom,’ we were pulling tables back and opening up a big dance floor. Fun!!
Initially, we danced one, then Tzemach excitedly exclaimed, ‘I must get my friend! He is a dance instructor. Very good!’ And, he ran out the door. Continue reading
Preparing to sit down with wonderful friends and family for our Shabbat dinner. How blessed we are. If this is bondage, please throw away the key!! 😉
All other adults in our group chose to help with the grocery run before Shabbat. I elected to stay with the boys and take a walk through the neighborhood. (Come to think of it, maybe they left me with the boys so they could get some peace and quiet…. Hmmm.)
We took a slow stroll around the neighborhood enjoying the views and taking many pictures. Because Shabbat is almost upon us, I will not take the time to write further. I just want to share these… Note the sukkahs, flowers, gardens, etc…
Shabbat Shalom from Gi’vat Ye’arim, Jerusalem District.
Our host is an amazing and gifted artist.
Last night, as we checked in, I noticed numerous insets in the walls surrounding the house that had various Hebrew passages or writing painstakingly inscribed. I did not think much about them until our host, Tzemach Ben Aharon told us that he is an artist. A bit later, as he relayed his excitement over Bob Dylan receiving a Nobel Prize earlier in the day, I got a little clue.
Well, after we were up and moving about this morning, he invited us downstairs into his home and display area. We were blown away by his craftsmanship! Continue reading
A glorious view welcomed us this morning.
Late last night, we drove into Giv’at Ye’arim in the dark and, after a Pink Panther-esque car parade through the village, several times, we found the house we have rented. Situated high in the hills west of Jerusalem, we have a wonderful view of mountains and rooftops. We were starving and the cupboards were bare, but patiently we listened to our excited host who showed us every nook and cranny while giving abundant detail for things to do and benefits of this location.
Once he realized we needed dinner, he phoned a friend and then led us to the village shook (market) where we loaded up a grocery cart with supplies to hold us through breakfast and today’s trip to a much larger market.
Upon our return from the market and getting luggage unloaded into the respective rooms, we began opening the various cans, jars and containers for a wonderful antipasto/tappas dinner. 
Olives, three cheeses, bread, sardines, dates, crackers, hummus and fruit as well as wine really hit the spot. The ladies gathered around the table and the men retired to the cool open air porch to bask in the tired glow of finished travel and discuss the coming week’s plans.
About midnight, after showers, we crashed. Hard.
I could hear voices and rolled over to Continue reading
James, a bond-servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes who are dispersed abroad: Greetings.
James 1 NASB
http://bible.com/100/jas.1.1.NASB
??. Why does James address the twelve tribes?
Marinate!
I was thinking yesterday how blessed we are to be taking three of our boys with us on this trip to Israel. For them it is their first international trip and for one it is his first commercial flight/airport experience.
Kelly and I have traveled overseas many times. My experience began with a bush pilot 
father and living in South America, then we share the military experience with overseas deployments and duty stations. Traveling with boys in tow is a first with some new lessons that I will share as we go along, but I thought for the many friends we have who would love to take a similar trip, I would offer some thoughts on how this came about and how we prepared, particularly for the expense.
Last year, Kelly and I traveled to Israel. All through the trip we ooVoo’ed our boys as well as sending texts and pictures. When we arrived home, well after their bedtime, they met us at the door with hugs and immediately expressed that we could not return to the Land without taking them. Easy for them to say!! I saw the cash register start spinning!!
Well, upon the announcement of the Congress late last year and the particular good news that it would be immediately following Sukkot, the Feast of Tabernacles, I knew we had to go! But, how? Continue reading
After months of preparation and anticipation, the time has come. I wrapped up things at work, cleaned my office and said a few ‘see you later’s, then walked out the door. 
Tomorrow morning, we board a flight to Toronto and then on to Tel Aviv. By Thursday, most of my family and I, along with a number of dear friends, will be in Jerusalem for Sukkot followed by the Second B’ney Yosef National Congress.
As I drove home, I received a simple text from Kelly, ‘Anxiety!’ I responded, ‘Relaxed!’
Indeed, I have watched the news and the craziness of the world, but I am in such a peaceful zone right now it feels surreal. It feels like Continue reading
Following in an amazing letter and response between two incredible and incredibly different men, both of whom I am privileged to call friends and co-laborers in the restoration of long broken relations. I first read Ken Rank’s letter a few days ago, and it drew tears because it expresses the cry of my heart. Imagine my surprise when writer and friend, Eliyahu Berkowitz of Breaking Israel News, reached across the fence with the kindest of responses that drew still more tears!!
Abba is doing something that is utterly amazing in our day. May we all not only be given eyes to see it, but may we also walk in this level of humility and repentance as we seek our Father’s face and his restoration of a long broken relationship!
I received this letter from Ken Rank last week. Rank founded United 2 Restore in order to bring Jews and Christians, or as he prefers to describe it, Judah and Ephraim closer together, in order to “re-build bridges of communication which have been previously burned”. He sent me this letter as part of his personal teshuvah (repentance) for Yom Kippur. My response to him was sincere, and I intend for it to be a part of my Yom Kippur prayers. Continue reading
Now available. Click image to order directly from Create Space. Use discount code FX5KDVSC on orders of 6 or more to save $2.50 each. Give copies away!!
natsab 