Life Lately: Summer

In the summertime I spend as much time outside as possible. Where I live this weather is too precious to pass up, so I fill my days with as much time in the garden, bike rides, swimming at the lake, shopping at the farmers market, and reading in the hammock as possible.

This lake is so peaceful to me. I'll take all the time in, on, and by it that I can.

There seems to be a growing consensus in the Hebrew community of local, organic eating. Summertime includes growing fresh vegetables, farmers market visits, and putting it all away for later.

Fresh air and fresh perspective.

Can you even? This gorgeous view is of Lake Michigan from Sleeping Bear Dunes. So much beauty there.

On the seashore.

Recently I heard of flower therapy and the medicinal properties of flowers. I'm super intrigued to learn more!

Happy.

Heirloom beans from my garden.

Love all the pretty flowers!

So thankful for plenty of berries to freeze this year!

Visiting a historic garden.

Homegrown Greek salad.

Enjoying a lakeside sunset.

Does anyone have experience using mulch as a weed barrier? I recently watched the Back to Eden documentary and want to hear more.

Hope you are all having a lovely summertime!

Turn Yourself Around and Live!

In The Torah contains the directions for living the way YHWH desires us to. It is often treated as ridiculous hoops to jump through to try and obtain approval from an angry God, but this is a very poor misunderstanding. The first five books of Scripture are filled with practical instructions from the God who desires his best for us.

Mainstream religion teaches that freedom is doing whatever you want. You have probably heard a pastor or "Bible teacher" claim that the Messiah came to set us free from the instructions of YHWH - so that we could incorporate traditions of other religions into our worship, eat forbidden things, work and shop on the Sabbath, etc. This idea is more consistent with the ideologies of Aleister Crowely, and Anton LaVey, "Do what you will," than anything in the Word of YHWH!

Ezekiel 18:25, 32 reads:

"Is it my ways that are unfair or your ways? Turn yourselves around and live!"

Those sentences beautifully convey the desire of a loving God for us to listen to his instructions for our own benefit. The entire eighteenth chapter of Ezekiel is reminiscent of a parent calling to a young child to turn and get off of the road. Yes, the child may believe they should have the freedom to play wherever they want but the mom and dad created the rule of staying off the street so that their child would be safe.

I can't say that I understand the 'why' behind each Torah instruction, and yes, it can be challenging to follow YHWH's directions in a society that largely doesn't, but I do know that the best life I can have is one where I follow his ways. YHWH considers our own ways to be unfair, and he is kind enough to not leave us to them or the ideas of others. No matter what your  life is like you can always turn to YHWH, and live.

Related posts:
Understanding Syncretism
Restoring the Paths to Live In

Happy Are Those Who Set Apart the Sabbath Day