I'm really excited to be teaming up with Matanote Stationery today to bring you guys a fun giveaway for the Passover season! For several years, Matanote's Ten Plague Coasters have been part of our Seders. And they are hands down the most asked about item from my Passover tables, even beating out the matzah pinata! Since so many of you have mentioned you love them I thought you would enjoy a chance to get some for free! Along with the coasters, you could win an Afikoman bag! Details on that below.
The coasters are perfect for the ceremonial "waste wine" part of the traditional Seder or just a fun touch for a more laid back Passover celebration. I'm always happy to see daily life items with Biblical connotations. The pictures on it provide a little distraction for kids (an adults!) who are getting restless through a long Seder. Plus, you can work on your Hebrew!
I am also loving the Afikoman bag! Do you guys hide the afikoman at Passover? I have been to a few Seders where the kids have an all out hunt for it and they all loved it! The bag comes with a pretty sturdy piece of cardboard inside so the afikoman should stay reasonably intact even if it is found by excited tiny hands.
And is it just me or wouldn't this be so perfect to use as a super fun clutch at Passover? I mean why not? You will definitely have room for the essentials in here. Plus, if you happen to misplace it I feel like you have a better chance of it getting returned to you! After all, it says there is a reward.
I have also been sending Matanote cards to family and friends for years! While I'm not above a printable or handmade card, it's nice to have the real deal to wish someone chag sameach or Shabbat shalom or mazel tov. Some of my favorites are the matzah card, mazel tov on your engagement, and the thank you card. Which ones would you like? Let me know for extra entries!
Get entered below to win! We are giving away two of the afikoman bags with the ten plagues coasters, and some greeting cards tucked inside. Thank you to Molly from Matanote Stationery for providing such a great giveaway for the Passover season! Be sure to visit her shop and let me know which item is your favorite! Oh, and if you place an order be sure to use the code LANDOFHONEY for 15% off your purchase.
The Hebrew holidays are in full swing and you can definitely feel the buzz of excitement! It's been great to hear from so many people who grow more and more excited to celebrate each festival of YHWH. It's also been amazing to hear from many people who are learning about the feasts and celebrating them for the first time! I'm excited to keep the festivities going with another giveaway courtesy of Turtle Lane Pottery!Corinne has generously provided a beautiful handmade Shalom mug for one winner.
You may remember Turtle Lane Pottery from our mezuzzah giveaway last summer. One reader contacted me after purchasing a few of Corinne's pieces and told me how excited she was to now have handmade family heirlooms that are centered on our faith to pass down to her kids. I love that! It is just so special to have things that point to the Hebrew faith, whether that's a menorah, a mezzuzah, a special dish for Shabbat, or what have you. I have a few things that have been passed down to me by family members and I love them because they are both pretty and useful but also because of the memories I have that go with them. Do you have anything like that? A rolling pin from your grandmother is handy in the kitchen but made extra special by remembering the cookies you rolled out with her. How much more is that meaning compounded by adding faith in with it?
I'm so happy that artisans like Turtle Lane are making truly heirloom pieces that go with our faith. What will your family one day look back and treasure? The mezzuzah they saw every time they left the house, or the menorah that was lit to celebrate the feasts? A few things I love about this mug: -It's handmade, so you're getting something one-of-a-kind. That's so much more special to me than mass productions from an assembly line. -The handle! This is comfortable in the hand and balances naturally. Do you ever pick up mugs that are cute but awkward to hold? You won't have that problem here. -The reminder for peace. What a great reminder of the Messiah's words, "Peace be still." Shalom is a reminder of the wholeness and health found in YHWH.
Can't you just imagine sitting fireside during Sukkot, listening to Bible stories, sipping hot apple cider out of this mug? Or maybe one day your kids could have this mug and remember that it's the one you used every Shabbat? Or what if seeing this was the spark that a friend needs to become interested in the Hebrew faith? So many possibilities! I want to thank Corinne from Turtle Lane for providing us with another special giveaway! The deadline to enter is September 20 at midnight. Open to US and international readers. Get entered below and be sure to let us know what Turtle Lane item you would love to have for the fall feasts! a Rafflecopter giveaway
Hey hey, we've got a Passover giveaway! Amy from Torah Sisters just came out with a brand new set of Passover greeting cards and invitations and she is generously giving away a PDF set along with a Doodle Portions Coloring Book to a Land of Honey reader. Thanks Amy for the fun giveaway! Be sure to get entered at the bottom of this post. :) I love that the Passover cards/invites are beautiful! These cards do justice to showcasing Passover as a set apart time of YHWH. Four designs are included with matzah and fresh flowers featured on each. Different wording is available for two of the designs, and she even included a blank option for you to write your own message if that works better for you.
Not hosting a Passover gathering? These printables are multi purpose. Use them as cards to wish friends and family happy Passover or decorate around your home with them. As a child, receiving cards was always a marker of a special time for me, so I especially like the idea of putting these in the mail. It's a great way to communicate to others the significance of this time of year and that you're thinking of them. They are designed to be folded in half, so you can print them on regular 8 by 11 paper and end up with a blank card. I trimmed mine in more of a post card style, where you can put a note on the back. The winner will also receive Torah Sisters' Doodle Portions coloring book! This would be the perfect way to occupy the littles at Seder or just a fun treat for yourself during Unleavened Bread week. Amy also created a free Passover busy book that will entertain the kids and teach them about the Passover story.
Get entered to win below! Just to be clear, both prizes are for digital files that you can print at home or take to a print shop. This ensures that you will receive them in plenty of time before Passover! Be sure to visit Torah Sisters store and let us know what your favorite item is for extra entries! While you're there don't forget about the free Passover goodies Amy offers including the Passover busy book for kids, the Gospel Centered Haggadah, and omer counters! Deadline to enter is March 22 at 12:00am eastern time. a Rafflecopter 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!
When I first found came across Isralove over on Instagram it was seriously ALL the heart eyes. Ruth, the founder, has been a graphic designer for more than eight years. She's putting her skills to good use, working full-time to make a beautiful collection of home items, like throw pillows, customized mugs, coasters, and wooden Hebrew letters, and the cutest onesies for babies! I think items like these are not only a fun way to decorate your home, but also serve as a reminder of your faith both to yourself but also to others who visit your home. Ruth was sweet enough to send me her gorgeous Am Yisrael Chai pillow. But all opinions are my own.
After seeing this pillow I knew
right away where it would go in my home. It is so lovely that I wanted it to be
one of the first things you see when you walk into the house. 'Am Yisrael Chai'
means 'the people of Israel live.' I love that. For me, the meaning goes beyond
the typical idea of the nation of Israel persevering despite constant threats
and attacks from Islamic nations though. For me, 'Am Yisrael Chai' also reminds
me of that the people of the Lost Tribes of Israel still live and of YHWH's
promises to bring them back. I am so happy to have this beautiful reminder of
Scriptural truth in my house. The pillow itself is soft and easy to wash,
definitely the type of thing that's made for living and not just looking at. :)
A little more from Ruth herself....
What was the
inspiration behind starting your business Isralove?
I started Isralove after my son Adam (4) was born
and I saw all these cute outfits and nursery designs on pinterest, etsy and
other international websites, and couldn't find a lot of modern, we'll designed
baby onesies, nursery art etc that I liked. And, a lot of the shirts, onesies
etc here in Israel have English phrases in them... I wanted Adam to have some
modern, Hebrew designs...
What was the first product you ever made and how did you get started?
The first product of Isralove was the Hebrew name onesie. Almost all of my first items were gifts I prepared for family and
friends, took pictures of them and created Etsy items of then (that's why
Adam's and his cousins names dominate the shop :) After the first items went live in the shop the first
orders came in, and sometimes customers would have a special request
which helped me develop more and more items as I got to know better what Jewish
gifts my audience is looking for, and which personalization options they are
looking for.
What has the experience of running Isralove been like? During the first year I almost only uploaded gifts
I created for fiends "on the way" but whenever I had an idea for the
shop I wrote it on a sticky note and put it under my keyboard. Since this was
"just a hobby" next to my "real job" I never really got to
create all my ideas which frustrated me a bit and I decided to dedicate more
time for the shop and develop more products.
You moved to Israel from Germany, what was it like moving to Israel as a child?
Well, I was 13 when we moved, and
we have visited Israel very often during my childhood. And I was very excited
about moving here, since I remembered the beaches and fun we had during the
vacations (and probably also a lot of ice cream?) which sounded pretty cool for
a 13 year - old.When we came here at the beginning of the summer
vacation we went to an Ulpan (Hebrew class) as family. I knew the Alphabet
already since my father taught us… and after 2 months only (while the course is
6 in total) we had to go to school, which was a bit of a culture shock at
first, I didn’t understand much (Israelis talk REALLY fast), but after 6 month
I was able to speak and read and during 8thgrade children are still pretty open
for new friendships and especially here in Israel, which is a very warm and
welcoming culture. At the age of 16 I met the brother of one of my school
friends, who is my husband today :)
What's your favorite part about Living in the Holy Land?
My husband is a tour guide, so the best part about
Israel for me (and Adam) is to tour the country, with it's amazing and various
views and the history going back thousands of years. For now, Adam's favorite
place is the "Elah Valley" where we stopped on a trip in May
and he was excited to finally see where David fought Goliath, after
reading the story.
Do you have a favorite product that you have
designed?
My cushions and the Hebrew alphabet place mats
have been under my keyboard for more than a year I guess and these are designs
I am extremely excited about to finally have in the shop!
Giveaway time! Get yourself entered to win a pair of Isralove placemats with the Hebrew alphabet on them! They say immersion is the best way to learn a language, so why not add more Hebrew to your home? Especially when it's this pretty! Like the throw pillows, these are also made for real-life use and can hold up to spills and wipe downs. These would be a fun and educational upgrade to your dinner table. This contest is open internationally. Thanks so much to Ruth for a fun giveaway! Isralove's website Isralove on Instagram Isralove's Etsy shop
Guys, there is something I am so excited to share with you today; a look at the Hebrew faith on the big screen! I can't wait for all of you to watch this and five of you will be able to win a copy of The Way for yourself as well.
Husband and wife team Luke and Kayte started this film with a simple premise: if Yeshua lived a perfect life then why do his followers today do almost everything differently than how he walked? They traveled to meet dozens of people who discuss what drew them from ordinary Christian faith to a Hebrew lifestyle of Shabbat observance, keeping the festivals of YHWH, and Scripturally clean eating. Check out the preview below.
Not to spoil anything, but the film is even better than the trailer. It was so refreshing to watch this, to see others who have been on a similar journey, to hear their stories of celebrating the Feasts. If you are someone who feels isolated or alone in your faith then please check out The Way! You'll feel like part of the tribe. :) That said, this isn't just a documentary for those in the Hebrew or Messianic movements. I think this would be a great introduction for anyone who is not familiar with this kind of lifestyle. Luke and Kayte did an excellent job of explaining through Scripture the thought process behind the seventh day Sabbath, etc. and even incorporated differing viewpoints as a way to address the 'what abouts' that many of us have dealt with. I would recommend this movie to anyone pursuing the faith, no matter where they are in that journey.
Luke and Kayte
Kayte was kind enough to spend some time sharing more of what went into The Way.
What caused you guys to create
this documentary?
The Way started as a seed of an
idea in Luke’s heart. He’s a journalist, so he’s super inquisitive and great at
finding a story. A few years back, he got a call from his mom that she wouldn’t
be celebrating Christmas that year. He thought that was crazy, so he set out to
research so that he could set her straight with facts. Except he found that she
was right about Christmas’ origins. That led him on a search through scripture
and church history that revealed the ways that modern-Christianity has veered from
the life of Yeshua and the apostles. In the course of all this, I joined him in
this journey and we realized there were countless others around the world
seeking to get back to a more biblical way of life. So The Way is the story of
those people and the things they’ve discovered.
Why did you feel this was an important venture to
undertake?
This awakening is spreading like wildfire right now.
There are truths that God’s revealing from history and in His Word that we’d
love to help share with the wider world. We think a lot of believers are
searching for a deeper connection with God and a richer understanding of His
Word, and we hope The Way will help people pursue those things.
How has the process of making this film changed or
challenged your own faith?
Our faith has grown tremendously
in this process. We’ve spent a year and a half hearing from probably 50 people
about the most formative moments in their spiritual lives and the most awesome
things they’ve learned from the Word. It’s been a sort of masterclass.
Personally, I have such a deeper reverence and awe of God’s goodness,
seeing the love and wisdom and justice in each and every instruction He’s given
us. Instructions that used to seem archaic or arbitrary are such a joy now.
Plus, I feel like I have so much more in common with Yeshua, living this way. :)
Who do you hope will watch The Way?
Anyone who’s curious about the
discrepancies between the way Yeshua lived and the way that modern-day
Christians live. Or anyone who’s made huge changes in the way they live and
worship and are having a hard time communicating their reasons to their friends
and family.
What's something that's going to surprise viewers about
this film?
They’re going to learn some crazy
facts from some pretty surprising sources - things that made me wonder, “How in
the world did I never learn this in 25 years of church, history classes and
Bible study?!"
What was it like to work as a couple on a project like
this?
It’s been awesome - this project
has stretched through for 90% of our marriage! The doc has been the most
rewarding and most challenge thing either of us have undertaken. We’ve gotten
to work as a team, hear each other’s ideas, pray together constantly, cover
each other’s shortcomings and get really good at tackling the insane new
challenges that have popped up every day for the last year and a half. And
during the early editing process, we’d turn watching the 50 hours of footage
into date nights by cooking dinner together and picking an interview to watch
through and take notes on while we ate!
How was your experience getting crowd funded through
Kickstarter?
The Kickstarter experience blew us
away. We knew there were pockets of people who’d be excited about seeing this
story come to life, but we had no idea of the scope of the support we’d
receive! We were nervous about our initial fundraising goal of around $12,000 -
we wondered if we could make it - so by the end of the Kickstarter when the
project had been 330% funded, we knew God was telling us that He’d supply
everything we needed to make the best film possible - and not just financially,
but also in terms of interview leads, prayer support and people with wisdom we
needed.
The Kickstarter campaign was also
how we met our incredible composer, Jake Hull, and many of the wonderful
interview subjects you’ll see in the film. Lots of people reached out to us
with their stories after hearing we were making the film. So even though we
thought we were finished shooting interviews, we ended up doing lots of travel and
shooting more interviews after the campaign - and some of those interviews
became core to the story.
Is there a certain message or takeaway point you hope
to impart to viewers?
We want people to finish watching
the film and to think, “Wow, maybe there’s actually some timeless goodness
still in the instructions God gave in the Old Testament. And maybe there’s a
way that the whole Bible can work together as one story - with the patriarchs
and the apostles and modern-day Christians all with core commonalities in their
walk. And maybe I should take a second look at traditions I’d never thought to
question before.” But most of all, we hope that (as Zac Bauer says) people “go
home and read their Bibles."
What kind of responses have you gotten to this so far?
We’ve had lots and lots of people
tell us that they cried! It blows us away. I think that there’s something
powerful about seeing your story echoed back to you in a medium like this. It’s
very human and affirming. We’ve also had believers who’ve gone to church their
whole lives tell us that The Way answered questions from the Bible that they’ve
wondered about for years. And lastly, lots of people have told us they’re
excited to share The Way with friends and family, to start a conversation about
what they’ve been learning in their walk with God.
How can we learn more about The Way?
You can watch the trailer for The
Way, clips from the film, read FAQs and of course, buy a physical or digital
copy at The Way's website.
We’re also always on Facebook
hanging out with everyone there and posting video clips from the film (or cut scenes)
so come on over!
Thanks so much Kayte for taking time to talk with us! Doesn't she feel like a kindred spirit? I loved the 'real life' that went into this. Mom announced we aren't celebrating Christmas anymore - I can relate! And the creativity of incorporating the making of the documentary into date night. You'll hear more from Kayte when you watch The Way as she makes a couple of appearances! And a huge shout out to Kayte and Luke for providing five copies of the DVD to give away! Here's your chance to watch the documentary at no cost, or if you've seen it already win a copy to share with a friend. This giveaway is only open to readers in the US, sorry my international friends (you can still download a copy at the website) but I will have something special for you guys in a couple weeks. A huge shout out to Kayte for sharing their story and generously giving away five copies of the movie! Winner will be announced Sunday. a Rafflecopter giveaway
Happily, I stumbled across Josh Byers' artwork a few weeks ago on Pinterest. I'm excited to share this with you because the infographs he creates are such a helpful visual to understanding Scripture! Through his pieces we can see clearly when Israel split into two kingdoms, the sharp decline in the tribe of Simeon, and chart on the map where the Israelites fought their battles when they came into the Promised Land. Josh was gracious enough to chat about my questions and is generously giving away one of his posters! (More on that below.)
Tell us a little about yourself--where are you from, do
you have a day job, are you married, etc. If you check out my profiles on social media it
says I'm a husband, father, pastor, designer, Broncos/Arsenal fan, and goldfish
cracker connoisseur. To go a little more in depth, I have a wonderful family. I'm
married to a fantastic wife with 4 beautiful children. I currently am on staff
at a church in West Des Moines, Iowa. I oversee all of our communications and
help people assimilate into the church. I also teach and speak from time to
time.
How did you get started in graphic design?
I've always been interested in graphic art even from an early age.
When I was in elementary school I would draw pictures of Lamborghinis and
Ferraris and sell them to my friends.
From that an interest grew into a hobby which grew into a passion.
As I've gotten older I've seen my passion for design spring up in a variety of
areas from woodworking, to interior decorating, to web design and most recently
digital art.
Why did you start doing Biblical infographs?
The visual theology infographics came out of a passion for design
and good teaching and theology. I believe that the visual medium is something
God has used ever since the beginning of time to teach man so there is a reason
why we are natural learners from visuals. So a few years ago when I was doing
student ministry I wanted a way to connect biblical truth to a generation who
has grown up on visuals but didn't respond to the tired flannel graph of my
youth. With the rise of the internet infographic it became the perfect medium
to communicate simple and even complex truths in an exciting and visual way.
What's your favorite infograph that you've designed and why?
That's tough. It's like asking which one of my kids is my favorite
:)
I would probably say the Books of the Bible in the style of the
Periodic Table. It was one of the first and people just really seemed to resonate
with it. That particular graphic spread very quickly, was translated into
several languages, and has been used to teach numerous kids and adults around
the world. There is a lot of satisfaction when you know people are buying into
what you are doing, using it, learning from it, and loving it.
What's next for you? Will there be more Biblical designs from you?
Yep – there will be more, tons more! In fact I have partnered with
Tim Challies and we wrote a book called (ever so appropriately) Visual Theology...
It is is actually available for pre-order now
and will be released next April. We are also launching a dedicated website for
our Visual Theology pieces that I hope to have available in the next few weeks.
How has the graphic design work affected your faith?
It has strengthened it for sure. When you are thinking about how
to communicate theology to people you tend to look at it from many different
angles. The end result is a deeper understanding of how God works and who he
is.
The Giveaway: Josh has agreed to send one reader a poster size print of the brand new version of the Periodic Table! He packed in a surprising amount of information to this sleek design, including authors, approximate dates written, and what category each book falls under. See the Rafflecopter below to enter. Contest runs through December 2 at midnight and the winner will be announced next week.
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