A continuation of "The Glass Box".

Good afternoon to you.

Remember I told you this new blog would be a change from the old one?

I will still be sharing projects from the cottage from time to time. Showing improvements we are making here and there.

Most of the posts will be about what is truly important to me....God, and family.

Today's post is a continuation of the post about "The Glass Box" that I did recently.

It's a study that I did, a few years ago, about "The Bride of Christ", taken from the teachings of a born-again Jewish teacher named Zola Levitt.

The study is about Old Testament wedding traditions, and how they correlate to Jesus, and the New Testament.

It was the Jewish custom to pay a price for a bride. She was purchased, with gifts to the family.

The Jewish groom would present a Katuba to the bride.  It was filled with his promises to her.

It was considered a wedding contract.

Our Katuba is the New Testament.

It contains promises for us from our soon coming bridegroom, Yeshua.

We receive these promises by faith.

The Jewish bride could hold her Katuba during the engagement period.  She could read it, and be encouraged.

We can hold our "Katuba".  It's a physical part of God that we can see, and hold close to our hearts. It's tangible, it's touchable, it's physical.  It makes God real to us.

Remember the oil, and the lamp the bride kept lit in her window?

Always wearing her veil to show she was spoken for?

We are the lamp, carrying the oil.  The "oil" in our lamp is the Holy Spirit.

Are we living Godly lives, bearing fruit for the Glory of the Lord?

If we are....we are sanctified...set apart.

The bride wears a veil setting her apart from the rest.

Are we committed in our walk with God?  Setting us apart from others? Do we walk in love?

Do we "walk our talk"?

Just before the groom left the bride's house, the contract was sealed with a drink from the covenant cup. The bride and groom drank from the same covenant cup.

Then the groom went back to the father's house to build the wedding chamber for his bride.

Our Groom, Jesus, paid the highest price for His Bride, the church.

He gave His life.

His blood was shed as the New Covenant. 

When we receive the elements of communion we are remembering the high price Jesus paid for His Bride.

The next time you drink from the communion cup, remember it represents "the covenant cup".  When you drink, you are sealing your contract to become the Bride of Christ. You are affirming that you are married to Jesus in the spirit.

We are waiting for Jesus to return for us, His Bride, just like the Jewish girl would wait for her groom to come for her.
No one knows when Jesus will return for His Bride...only the Father knows. Matt.24:36-42.
Jesus will come as a thief in the night. Rev.3:3.
Jesus is with the Father preparing a place for us. John 14:1-3.
Accept what Yeshua did for you on the cross, and say Yes!
If we confess our sins, He is faithful, and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. I John 1:9.
Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to Him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and His wife hath made herself ready.
And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of the saints.
Blessed are they which are called unto the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. Rev.19:7-9.

Another busy weekend. AND A New Blogger!!!

ANOTHER very busy weekend for the Mister and I.

We can barely keep our eyes open for the pictures at Zoey's 1st Communion on Saturday.

My hair looks like I just crawled off the inflatable mattress we slept on the night before.....blah.

We were proud of Zoey.

She volunteered to do one of the readings for the service that morning.

My daughters are Christian women.

They attend different denominations, that all love Jesus Christ.

This is Sadie Grace.  Zoey's little sister.

Sadie loves to sing....no matter where she is.  That includes the bathroom....while doing her business.

Wearing a tutu is a MUST!!!  If her skirt doesn't flair when she twirls, it isn't worth putting on.

Right after Zoey's 1st Communion Celebration at the church,  we had to get back to their house to get them ready for the dress rehearsal for the dance recital.

My poor, frazzled daughter, Erin had a full day yesterday.

So did my SIL Tony.

After the rehearsal, we had to get back for the Communion party.

It wasn't long after setting out the food, that guests started arriving for Zoey's party.

We stayed and visited with everyone, ate, and watched as Zoey opened her gifts.

Then the Mister, and I headed home on our two and a half hour trip north.

It's nice to be home on a Sunday......I'm back to painting the sun room, and the Mister is working his shift at Home Depot.

Home sweet Home.

Before I go, I'd like to introduce you to a new blogger.

Her name is Gisele.

She just started blogging recently.

Gisele is an old friend of mine.....not old as in age.....old as in dear.

We've know each other since our kids were young.

We attended the same church years ago. Our kids went to the same school. We hung around in the same circle of friends. We even had a small business together.

Gisele has had a rough road that she has traveled for a lot of years.

She has struggled with issues in her life that might have pushed others over the edge.....and at times I think Gisele might have slipped over once or twice....but she hung on, sometimes by her fingernails!!! 

Crying out to God! Longing for the answers she needed to survive the painful circumstances that hit her, seemingly, from all sides.

I've read Gisele's first three posts. They have been open...raw.... testaments of her feelings.  She is honest about where she's been emotionally, and spiritually...and where God has taken her, and how He's gotten her to where she is now.
Gisele is a gifted writer. I believe she has a ministry to help women that are in need of encouragement, and healing.  "Healing of the heart".
She's a remarkable woman.
I have put a link to her blog on my sidebar:  Grapevines of the Heart.
Please go over and visit her, and welcome Gisele to the blogging community.
Thank you!
God Bless~
Debbie
xo

Spring time babies.

We've been waiting for Spring, and it officially arrived last weekend.

When the chicks arrive, we know it's Spring!

We raised laying hens, and meat hens on our little farm when the girls were growing up.

My youngest daughter, Melissa, and her family have decided to follow the tradition of "gathering eggs".

Their chicks arrived Easter week.

The three girls picked out the ones they wanted to raise.

Olivia thinks the little birds are the funniest things ever!

I love to hear her giggle, and squeal with glee when the chicks are running around, and hopping all over the place!

Olivia is a source of sweet joy to me.

Charlotte is constantly squishing the poor little things close to her.  She loves them, and doesn't understand how fragile they are.

Being a rough, little tomboy doesn't help matters.

If one of the chicks ends up looking like a pancake, I won't be surprised.

You can see it in her eyes....."these things are so cute, I could just squeeze them to death"!

She is a pip!!!  I could just squeeze the dickens out of her!!!!

Maddie wasn't home the day I was visiting. I will have to share pictures of her in another post.
The weather is still going from warm to cold here in northern-lower Michigan. 
I'm waiting for the nights to stay above freezing.  There are so many projects I'd like to get started on outside. In the meantime, I'm painting the sun room.
It's time to get ready for another day at the pharmacy.  I'm blessed to work with some great people.  They make me laugh....I think they are all a little "touched", but that's just between me and you.
Have a great day everyone!
                                                                Debbie

A Glass Box, and a Study.

I trust your Easter holiday was joyful.

I was with my family, so my heart was happy.

While down state this weekend, I visited Home Goods, and found this pretty glass box.

I thought it would make a nice gift for someone.

That reminded me of a study I did a few years ago.

I studied Jewish Wedding traditions practiced in the Old Testament, and found it both interesting, and beautiful.  I love how it correlates  the Old Testament to the teachings of Jesus in the New Testament.

The betrothal was initiated by the young man.  He would travel to the young woman's house to ask for her hand in marriage.  The family might see him approaching, and knew why he was coming, because he was carrying the traditional wedding pouch.

The young man would knock on the door, and the door was opened unto him by the father.

The entire family stayed for the engagement.

The man would ask for the woman's hand, and he would offer a gift.

The gift was the BEST that he could offer. If he was a jeweler, he would offer the jewel that was of the most value to him.  A farmer would offer livestock. A carpenter would offer a wood craft.

The wedding pouch held another wedding gift...a katuba.

The katuba was a list of promises.  It was beautifully written, and decorated. It was filled with promises the groom was making to the bride.  The bride could hold this katuba in her hands. It would give her hope, and assurance that her future groom loved her, and would take care of her.

The other thing in the pouch was the covenant cup.

If the proposal was accepted by the father, and the rest of the family....then the father would pour wine into the cup.

The man, and the woman would drink the wine from the same cup.

This sealed the marriage agreement between the couple.

It was considered a contract.

The couple was considered married at this point.

The young man would then leave, and go back to his father's house.

He was to build a chamber onto his father's house that would sustain the couple for seven days after the marriage ceremony took place.

The young man wouldn't return for his bride until the father decided the marriage chamber was finished.

During the time the groom was away building the chamber, the bride would be waiting at her parent's house.

She had her katuba to remind her of her groom's love for her.

She also had the gift that he had given her, as well as the covenant cup.

Every night, the bride was to keep her oil lamp lit in her window.

It let the groom know that she was ready to go with him when he returned for her.

Traditionally, the groom came with his wedding party in the night.

He comes as a thief in the night....and the best man cries out.....the bridegroom cometh!

If the lamp is not lit in the window, the groomsman does not cry out, and the wedding is off.

If the lamp IS lit, the cry goes out, and the whole wedding party goes out to meet the groom.

As the bride is in the waiting period, she must keep fuel for her lamp.

She doesn't know how long it will take her groom to build the chamber onto the father's house.

When she goes out to buy oil for the lamp, she must wear a veil over her face.

The veil signifies that she is betrothed to another.  She is sanctified.  She belongs to someone.

The bride must wear the veil whenever she is out in public.

When the father decides the chamber is finished, he sends the son to get his bride.  The bride is waiting with her wedding party, with her lamp lit.  The groom goes with his groomsmen. They see the lamp in the window, and it is lit. The cry goes out....the bridegroom cometh!!  the bride and her party take the lamp, and meet the groom, and his men. They travel to his father's house.  The bride, and groom enter into the bridal chamber for seven days. Her veil is lifted, and all is revealed between the bride, and groom.
The next morning the brides parents awake, and find the daughter is gone. They travel to the groom's home. There, the wedding party begins. After seven days, the bride and groom emerge from the wedding chamber, and the wedding feast begins.
Can you see how this correlates in Scripture?
The Jewish wedding tradition is lovely. They still use a huppah (canopy) in their ceremony.  The Old Testament traditions are no longer honored....but it's amazing how they line up with the New Testament scriptures.
I used Zola Levitt as my main source for this study.
I hope you have a wonderful week!!!  
I really appreciate Diana for all of the people she sent over to visit here at Seashells and Lavender for my first post...last week.  Love to you Diana!!!
AND thank you all for your encouraging comments on this new blog!
*********Debbie***********

First post...

Welcome to my new blog Seashells and Lavender .

I chose to use my business name for this blog, because it represents things that I love.

Living by the water......

In a cottage, filled with shells collected from the sea.

Having the scent of dried lavender, from the cottage gardens, drifting through this shabby little home....warming the hearts of all who enter.

There will be changes here.

If you've come just from a decorator's interest, you will be disappointed.

I will be sharing more than furniture, and paint colors, and chandeliers.

I will also be sharing my heart.

The things that touch my soul.

I've learned a hard lesson with my last blog.

You can collect all the ironstone, china, linens, lace, and  pieces  manufactured by your favorite designer, and fill your house with every material thing that pleases the eye....and in the end, you will end up with nothing.

That hole that was inside, will still be empty.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I'd like to introduce you to my oldest daughter, Kelly.

She's a little thing.

What she lacks in size, she makes up for in grit.

Her Papa died of leukemia four months before Kelly's fourth birthday. 

She was my rock, at such a young age, and protector to her 22 month old sister, Erin.

Wise beyond her years, Kelly understood matters of the heart better than most adults.

Because of her size, she learned how to stand up for herself as she stubbornly made her way through school.

My little girl has a heart for the less fortunate.

She takes care of the kids at school with disabilities.

One day I asked her how she had the courage to make the attachments to these kids?

Her answer was...if it were my child that needed help....I would want someone like me, taking care of them.

Kelly doesn't speak out of arrogance.

She speaks from her heart.

This is my precious daughter, and her AWESOME husband, Dan.

I feel God has blessed Kelly with Dan.

A man that is patient, and kind...and himself, a teacher.

Ethan is the oldest son.

He started driving this year.

Ethan controls the buttons on his mom's remote.

When these two interact, it's like a comedy....except, Kelly usually isn't laughing.

This is Kayla Marie (her middle name has been a traditional name passed down on both sides).

Kayla is a clone of Kelly....in SO many ways!!

Kayla is our little gymnast.  Remember her name. She's going to the Olympics!!!

It warms my heart that Kelly has a daughter to share with as their lives progress........and that there is "Karma". lol

Anson (aka Bubba) is the youngest.

He can be as stubborn as a bull, and as loving as a kitten.

He's the hardest working little boy I've ever met.

When I say little, I really mean that! He's just like his mom.

I'm NOT worried about him, though.

As much as his older brother picks on him, I'm sure Anson will be able to hold his own in any given situation.

I hope you've enjoyed my first post on my new blog.
It's probably not what you expected.
Every post will be different.
I plan to write about people I've met through blogging, my family, friends, my cottage, and gardens. Things that make a difference in my life, and bring me joy.

I found this on Pinterest today......     If the whole world was blind,
                                                      how many people would you impress?

                                               Debbie