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Happy, Happy, Happy! This month’s newsletter is full of Happies. First of all, I want to wish my parents a very Happy Anniversary. Today (the 23rd) is their 50th wedding anniversary. I am proud and blessed to be their 3rd daughter and so grateful for the choice they made to remain faithful to each other for such a long time. It is a rarity in this culture to find such as this. I know it took sacrifice and tears as well as laughter and joy to make it to this moment and I love them all the more for it!
Second, I want to wish a Happy Birthday (4th) to my wonderful hubby, Chris. He and I both had our 42nd birthday this month. I am blessed by his faithfulness to our family and myself. He works so hard to provide for us, both physically and spiritually. I don’t tell him near enough, but I love him immensely! Now for the upcoming happies! Fall is a time full of special Biblical days for the Jewish faith. Our family has celebrated these holidays for several years now in our home. This year, however, we will be celebrating them with others in our area. We are excited about that new opportunity. I want to take just a few moments to give you a BRIEF overview of each of the 3 Biblical holidays that will occur between now and our next newsletter. I also want to challenge you to celebrate them yourselves in some small way. I know you will enjoy and be blessed by remembering the LORD’s Holy Days. The first holiday falls on Sept 6 this year. It is called Rosh Hashanah, which means “head (or first) of the year”. The common Jewish greeting is “L'shanah tovah” which means “for a good year”. This holiday is given by the LORD in Leviticus 16:24. The Bible does not give it a specific name, only that it is a day of blowing the shofar and remembering. Jewish tradition states that it was on Rosh Hashanah that the LORD created the world. Other traditions for this holiday include blowing the shofar a total of 100 times, eating apples and honey, and making plans for a new year. “The Jewish New Year is a time to begin introspection, looking back at the mistakes of the past year and planning the changes to make in the new year.” (jewfaq.org). Jewish tradition holds that the LORD opens the Book of Life on Rosh Hashanah and begins writing down who will live or die the next year as well as whether you will have a good or bad year. |
Because of this, Jews all over the world will spend the 10 days between Rosh Hashanah and our next holiday, Yom Kippur, praying and seeking the LORD for His guidance in repentance and good deeds. I find this to be a sad holiday because instead of embracing the wonderful gift of forgiveness and grace through Yeshua, the Jewish people are trying to “save themselves” through their actions. So sad. Yet, sadly Christians often do the same. Our churches are FILLED with people living a works-based salvation mentality.
 Photo of Jewish man blowing shofar
As I mentioned, the 10 days following Rosh Hashanah are called the Days of Awe. They end on Yom Kippur, which falls on Sept 14 this year. This is a day of fasting and seeking the LORD. It is given by the LORD in Leviticus 23:26-28. This is a very solemn day. No work is done as they fast and try to atone for past sins. This is probably the holiest day of the year for the Jewish people. Some of you might remember in 1973 when Egyptian and Syrian forces launched a coordinated attack against Israel on Yom Kippur, taking the Israeli Defense Forces by surprise.
The final Happy of the fall is Sukkot, given by the LORD in Leviticus 23:33-43. This is one of my children’s absolute favorite holidays! The LORD commanded His children to live in a sukkah (or temporary dwelling) for 7 days to remember how He had taken care of them and sustain them as He brought them out of Egypt. We usually try to do some camping out in our yard during this time, thus the reason it is their favorite. It falls on Sept 19-25. |
Everyone is invited to join our Cleveland Gathering’s High Holy Days celebrations. If you are interested, please email or call us for more info. We would LOVE to have you join us!
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Prayer Praises:
*We had a wonderful trip to Nashville this month to celebrate a day long Sabbath with the congregation that sponsors our Chattanooga gathering. *The LORD brought us safely to Mississippi and home again for my parent’s 50th Wedding Anniversary celebration. (see photo at bottom of page) 
*Chris’ first report from his doctor’s check-up was really good. We are still waiting on a few more test results.
*Penny’s doctor’s check-up went really good as well. She has to have a follow-up thyroid test in 3 months. *Jonathan got his braces removed this month! 
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New Prayer Requests:
*Pray for our Cleveland gathering’s celebrations for the High Holidays. We will meet at our house for the Sukkot celebration so the children in our group can build a sukkah in our yard and have a cookout and bonfire. *Structural changes that are getting ready to take place in both the Cleveland gathering and the Chattanooga group. Pray everyone involved will have discernment from the LORD and follow His guidance. *Christopher has to have his wisdom teeth removed on Sept 9. *Please remember the remaining tests that Chris and Penny both have at the doctor. Pray for all the results to be favorable. *Pray for the Jewish people to realize their Messiah during this Holy season. Continuous Prayer Requests: *Pray for Jonathan’s health. His H-pylori from several years ago is flaring up again. Pray for the bacteria to be put under control by the Almighty’s hand and for the damage it creates to be erased. *Please covet to pray with us about our financial situation. Pray that the LORD will provide Chris with the job situation he needs to allow him not only the time he needs to study and prepare for the teachings he leads, but also meet our bills. (This is even more needed now that the summer is coming to a close and his yard jobs will be slowing down.) |
All Jewish holidays begin at sundown on the evening prior to the date given in the newsletter
