Menorah + Blossoms

It's a beautiful time of year and I decided to have some fun with it. I can't resist Spring weather or the smell of the apples blossoms and the lilacs so I set up a lovely little nook for some Bible study. It was a fun change of pace and so refreshing. There's nothing like reading in the sunshine.

Feast of Trumpets Scripture Reading List (Yom Teruah)

Here are verses to be read during the Feast of Trumpets, or studied in this time leading up to this day that YHWH asked us to set apart. Also known as Yom Teruah, or the Day of Sounding, Trumpets is a multifaceted day and there a ton of different Scriptures and topics that would be fitting to study.

As the main themes of the Feast of Trumpets are remembrance, and the sounding of the shofar it would be very appropriate to study each on this day. You could do a word study of all of the things YHWH or Yahusha say to remember. I did this as I was gathering this reading list and I would definitely recommend that. You could totally do some art journaling or another activity based on these verses too. Taking a look at where we see shofars and what they stand for throughout Scripture is also time well spent. Of course, a special emphasis on repentance is fitting for all the feast days and we would do well to brush up on a few verses about that.

Prophetically it is believed that the Messiah will return on Trumpets, which would be another great study topic! The return of the Messiah and the start of his reign here on earth. Many verses mention his return and the sounding of shofars together so we can easily see the connection to the Feast of Trumpets.

Here are a few of my favorites to read during this time.

Scriptures to Read During the Feast of Trumpets:

Leviticus 23:23-25 - instruction for this holiday.

Numbers 29:1-6 - instructions for offerings on this day.

Genesis 21:1-13 - a traditional passage to read. 

Genesis 22 - the sounding of the shofar is connected with the ram being sacrificed instead of Isaac.

1 Samuel 1-2:10 - it is traditionally believed that Hannah conceived during Yom Teruah.

Jeremiah 31  - Trumpets is described as a day of remembering and this passage is about YHWH remembering his people.

Psalm 98:6 - with shofars shout joyfully before YHWH.

John 15-16:4 - the Messiah instructs us to remember these words.

1 Corinthians 15:51-52 - this significant event could be happening during a future Feast of Trumpets.

1 Thessalonians 4:15-17 - The Messiah will return during a blast of the shofar.

Revelation 8-11 - the seven shofar blasts.

More on the Feast of Trumpets:
The Beginner's Guide to the Feast of Trumpets
The Meaning of Yom Teruah
The Significance of the Shofar During Trumpets

Torah Portions Coloring Book + Giveaway

I've been wanting to do this post since I first saw the Doodle Portions coloring book! It seems that coloring books for adults have exploded in popularity in the past year or so. Several of my friends and family members buy them by the stack, and I have spotted them for sale in book stores, gas stations, and home improvement centers. They've been popping up on blogs and social media too. After seeing a few Christian versions I thought how nice it would be to find one with a little more of a Hebrew bent, and that's exactly what Amy from Torah Sisters has provided us with here! Amy has been generous enough to agree to give two of you a copy of Doodle Portions Florals! Get entered to win at the bottom of this post.

Really it's no wonder why people are loving these coloring books so much. Studies show doing something with your hands is a tremendous reliever of stress and anxiety and a good way to combat depression. Seeing this we don't need to wonder why 1 Thessalonians 4:11 gives us the admonition to work with our hands. These benefits can come from carpentry work or chopping vegetables or crocheting or coloring. Of course coloring is something that practically anyone can do, no matter their skills or abilities.

Doodle Portions is made to go with the weekly reading of the Torah portion, so each design has a verse from the corresponding week. The pages also have the information of the the Scripture passages for that week's portion. Amy was kind enough to gift me with a copy of her floral edition and each page is lovely! I was so happy to see her call attention to some of the themes that are so often skipped over. In Doodle Portions you will find mentions of Shabbat, Ephraim, Passover, and so on. Yehovah is mostly used for the name of YHWH, but Yahweh appears as well.

Obviously Doodle Portions makes for a great Shabbat activity for both the young and old. But as we wrap up the yearly Torah reading cycle, how fun would this be to give as a gift for Simchat Torah or Sukkot? You can have a brand new coloring book to kick off a fresh start of the Torah readings when we dive back in at Beresheet 1. Of course, this book can be used any day of the week to help you unwind and relax after a stressful day. Completed works can go on the wall or refrigerator to help with Scripture memorization.

Whether you win or purchase this book you will receive it as a PDF, which means you can instantly download and print it off. I liked being able to print it because, unlike with hard copies of coloring books, you can lay this flat to color. (It's the little things in life, am I right?) It's also up to you if you want to print off all 50+ pages at once or just one or two at time. A simple folder or binder would be a great way to store these. Or a clipboard.

Are flowers not really your thing? Or maybe there's a little boy you'd like to give a Torah portion coloring book to? (This is totally kid friendly by the way.) Amy just released an animal edition of Doodle Portions. Right now she is offering sale pricing of almost half off.

As a special gift to Land of Honey readers Amy is offering 20% off any digital product in her store. That's good with either Torah portions coloring book, the under the sea coloring book, her Sabbath keeper organization kit, decorative printables, and the recipe collections. Be sure to grab the free Shabbat print while you're there which is only free for a limited time. There's also an entire section of freebies to download and, along with the Shabbat print, no purchase is necessary.

Use coupon code: HONEY2017 at the checkout to receive 20% off any digital product. This will be good through September 15.

And now for the giveaway! We have two PDF downloads of the Doodle Portions Florals book up for grabs so we will have one winner per household. Get entered below and be sure to browse around the Torah Sisters Store and let us know what your favorite item is in the comments. As I mentioned, Amy kindly sent me a download of Doodle Portions but all opinions are my own. This contest is open to US and international residents. You have until midnight on September 6 to enter. Thanks so much to Amy for providing these giveaways!

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Song of Solomon Bridal Session

So today I am thrilled to be featuring the beautiful work of Courtney Wilkerson of Twinkling Eye Photography and her spectacular Song of Solomon bridal session! She had a vision to do this theme as a stylized session and it is amazing to see many elements from a book of Scripture come alive...from the countryside setting, to the huge tree, to the olives, figs, pomegranates and flowers.

A few words from Courtney:

The book in the bible, Song of Solomon will always have a special place in my heart and the goal for my heart with this session is to minister to others. My prayer is that these photos would be a visual representation of Song of Solomon and that his love would be poured out into the hearts of all who view them.

Fun fact: this was the first time he saw her that day.

Song of Songs 2:4.

Courtney says: We prayed before the session. Worship music played throughout the night. Scriptures were read aloud during the shoot and the poses were inspired by those words.

Whether you're planning a wedding or not there's some serious inspiration here! Song of Solomon would be an amazing theme for anniversary pictures, a romantic date night, a Bible study, or couples retreat. A lot of these elements would make for a beautiful Shavuot!

Micah and Lindsey are a real life married couple.

"Your cheeks are like pomegranates."

- Song of Songs 6:7

Such a lovely way to incorporate Scripture, and a straightforward DIY. If you don't want to use your handwriting, find a pretty font and print a verse onto craft paper for instant place settings.

"You have stolen my heart, my bride, with one glance of your eyes."

- Song of Songs 4:9

"Like an apple tree among the forest, so is my beloved among men."

- Song of Songs 2:3

"Strengthen me with raisins, refresh me with apples."

- Song of Songs 2:5

Love her pretty hair!

And that boutonniere!

Pepper Sprout Barn, where these were taken, is in Jackson, Georgia.

The floral department was taken care of by Twigs, Leaves, & Flowers.

I love how she incorporated several of the foods and dairy products mentioned in Song of Songs. Something like this would be a fun appetizer for date night or Bible study.

Can a table get any more beautiful? I petition not.

Thank you, Courtney for sharing your amazing vision and serious skills with us! You can see her post on the session here.