A Hebrew's Guide to Getting Through December

It's the most wonderful time of the year...or is it? While winter has many lovely features, the cultural holidays can make for some uncomfortable moments. How do you live differently when your family and friends are against the change in you? How do you deal with the frustration of Christmas overload? My hometown literally broadcasts Christmas music over outdoor speakers so that it is heard throughout the downtown. And not a single business comes to mind where you won't find holiday related decorations, events, or products; driving home from anywhere is bound to take you past lots of Christmas lights. This can be sad, overwhelming, or upsetting. How do we as Hebrews get through this time with grace?

Here are a few ideas to help guide the way:

Remember why you are doing this. At this time of year I like to brush up on some of the reasons Christmas is not condoned by YHWH. Not so I can unload this on every person I know, but because this gives me fresh conviction and motivation to not take part in this. The Truth or Tradition teaching is an excellent resource for this.

Pray and think about how you will respond. Having a few catchphrases to turn to when the subject comes up can simplify things greatly. When a cashier wishes you merry Christmas you could respond with something like, "I actually don't celebrate that but I appreciate your kind wishes." Consider also the reason you'll give if you are asked why not. Something like, "I'm trying to follow the Bible's instructions and while it speaks of seven holidays, Christmas is not one of them," is a way to plant a seed. Pray about sharing extra details with those curious to know more.

It's okay to remember the good times. Most of us have good memories surrounding Christmastime and it's okay to acknowledge that and feel nostalgic. Letting go of Christmas doesn't mean you have to let go of those memories. Reminisce of the happy times you've had with friends and family. Tell the stories or write them down. 

Look ahead to YHWH's feasts. My mind can't help but wander to thinking about what YHWH desired those good memories to look like. To have memories of hearing the story of Yahusha's birth read around a Sukkot campfire instead of next to a Christmas tree. To have kids hunt for the last bits of bread in the house before Matzah Week instead of Easter eggs. These sorts of memories are still possible so start planning for them! Start saving for a Sukkot trip or think of menu options for Passover. YHWH has made seven set apart times of joy for us, knowing that some part of us needs these special celebrations. 

Connect with others. Not celebrating mainstream holidays can feel very isolating, but cutting out Christmas doesn't have to mean avoiding family. Take advantage of extra time off or relatives being in town and invite people over for dinner or games or take your nieces and nephews sledding.

Dissent in small ways. This is a non-dramatic way to align yourself with YHWH's ways. Taking a plain snicker doodle cookie from the work break room instead of the frosted Rudolph. Not wearing red and green together. Saying, "Have a nice time with your family," in lieu of, "Merry Christmas." Things like this give others nothing to be defensive or upset about. Being different in subtle ways shows others that this isn't for show or attention.

Come up with alternative forms of entertainment. Turn on the radio or the television and Christmas will come at you fast. Create a playlist for the car or at work. Borrow a few wholesome movies from the library. Put snow to use and sled, ski, or make snowmen. Take a break from social media if that helps.

Know that you are not required to participate in Christmas activities at work. It is religious discrimination and employers cannot legally fire or punish someone for not participating in holiday activities. Of course going against the grain is not always expedient to your career, and sometimes hard choices have to be made. Scripture does tell us that if we keep the commandments we will be blessed. Perhaps not right away or in the way we expect, but nonetheless blessed. If you find yourself assigned to a Christmas related task you can ask to be reassigned or offer to switch projects with a coworker. A simple, "no thanks," is the only explanation needed if you don't want to participate in a gift exchange. If your workplace is open Christmas day or Christmas Eve offering to work then so others can have time off can earn you big time brownie points.

Avoid commercial displays of the holidays, if possible. In the fall I try and get stocked up on dry groceries, hygiene products, and such so I can avoid going to businesses that have decked their halls. Seriously, if being around Christmas stuff is hard or sad for you the last thing you need to do is walk through a store's ornament isle. Utilizing pickup options or online holiday offers like free shipping also help me to avoid stores. Choose coffee shops and restaurants that are less decorated if you'll be eating out. Go through the bank drive through instead of standing in line next to the Christmas tree in the lobby. 

Don't make changing anyone your job. It would be great if our families viewed this the same way we do, but honestly December 24 is probably not going to be the day most people have a serious change of heart on this. Pray for others to follow in YHWH's ways and leave it to him. Share your heart, articles, or videos as you feel lead but also consider doing that in June when holiday emotions aren't running high and friends may be more receptive. 

Make your Passover yes louder than your Christmas no. It's important for others to learn that Christmas is not of YHWH and doubtless we will all have opportunities to share truth and our own story of walking away from this during this season. But if we are going to reprimand people for celebrating the wrong holiday, we need to invite them to keep YHWH's. If others hear you speak negatively of Christmas, make sure they hear a lot more positive talk from you about Passover, Shabbat, etc.

Offer grace to your upbringing and relatives. Many of us grew up seeing Christmas as a special time of honoring the Messiah and chances are we will meet some opposition from those who still view it that way. Acknowledge that most people are simply doing their best with what they have been taught, as you once were. Be kind and patient as the seeds you are planting in their lives take root.

Related posts:
Sharing Your Faith When Someone Wishes You a Merry Christmas
The Christmas Question
Five Things Believers Should Know About Christmas

Life Lately: Fall

Cute produce stand selling lots of local veggies and lemons (yes, lemons!) and limes grown in a greenhouse.

Menorah and mums.

My new favorite: Jarrahdale pumpkins.

Mount Tabor Tees has so many great shirts like this one!

Pie!

Down the road from our family's lake cottage is this cute little produce stand and on boat removal day they were selling locally foraged hen of the woods mushrooms!

I realized I never posted pictures from Sukkot this year, so here's one from a lovely party I attended.

I'll take one of each, thanks.

Succelents still going strong.

Visiting a beautiful state park.

I think the fall weather is wrapping up around here for the year. We got our first snow last night. There's a time and season for everything, right?

Have a good week, friends!

The Way Documentary - Interview + Giveaway!

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.

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Keeping the Commandments Because of Love for Messiah

This weekend I heard a beautiful analogy. I was listening to a pastor and she spoke these words:

"I am not faithful to my husband because I am afraid of what he would do to me if I wasn't. I am faithful to him because I love him and want to honor him."

She went on to talk about the good things that come from faithfulness in marriage. Reliability. A stable family for their children. Relationships filled with trust and peace. A home where everyone can flourish.

Her point was this works the same way in our relationship with YHWH. We don't work to keep his commandments because we are scared he might punish us if we don't. We follow YHWH's instructions because we love him and want to bring honor to him. This issue is so central to his heart that Yahusha spoke of it.

As the Messiah said in John 14:15:

"If you love me, keep my commands."

If we love him, our actions should reflect that!

Which commands exactly is he talking about? The Hebrew word for commands is 'mitzvoth', and it means YHWH's commandments or obedience in keeping Torah. The Messiah is calling us to be obedient to Scripture's instructions, including things found in the Old Testament such as Sabbath, Biblically clean eating, and the set apart times. We aren't called to these things because God is really angry with us, but because he wants us to live as closely to him as possible! YHWH does not want us to reap the consequences of disobedience and distance from him, just as a loving spouse longs for faithfulness from their beloved. He desires that we follow his ways so our lives may be filled with good things. If you love him, choose to honor him. The point isn't to avoid punishment or even to receive blessing. Simply honor him by keeping his word because he is worthy.

Related posts:

Ten Commandments as Marriage Vows
Traffic and Laws and the Benefits of Scripture's Instructions

King David's Final Advice

Good Mitzvoth

Good mitzvoth bring glory, honor, and peace to those that do them. Romans 2:10 tells us that.

"Tifereth, honor, and shalom, to every man that does tov mitzvoth, to the Yahudi first, and also to the Greek and Aramean."

Or in more simple English: "Glory, honor, and peace, to everyone that does good mitzvoth, to the Jew first, and also to the Northern Tribes and the foreigners grafted in."

We should all do good mitzvoth. 

What is a mitzvoth? Mitzvoth is usually translated as "works" but that is an incomplete picture of the word.

Mitzvoth = YHWH's Commandments, or Man's Obedient Deeds, or Obedient Works of Torah Done in Submisison and Willingness.

This is a New Testament verse telling us that their is honor in keeping YHWH's commands that are found in the Torah.

This is a verse saying that obedience to YHWH's instructions gives us peace.

Setting apart Shabbat is honorable.

Honoring your parents will give you peace.

Having no gods but YHWH brings glory.

Not coveting your neighbor's possessions is peaceful.

You will be honored for not stealing.

While many believe that Yahusha "set us free from the law," most of us wouldn't say there's not room for more shalom in our lives. Obedience to YHWH's commandments is not a question of salvation but of how we want to live. He desires all of us to walk honorably in his glory with peace.

Matzah Week Pictures

Happy Feast of Unleavened Bread! My sister arrived in town a half hour before our Seder started, and it's been a great week having her here!

Remains from the Seder meal are my new centerpiece. Obviously couldn't bring myself to eat the chocolate Seder plate.

My new favorite way to eat matzah. Cream cheese and mushrooms and kale sauteed in garlic and shallots.

A friend surprised me with a copy of Paula Shoyer's The Holiday Kosher Baker. It's so fun to have a book devoted to sweet treats for the Feasts!

Another great way to eat matzah: cream cheese, smoked salmon, red peppers, and arugula.

The Passover section of The Holiday Kosher Baker.

Counting the Omer! And putting the Passover stickers to good use.

 This was not a bad situation.

Pavlova, chocolate ganache, cheesecake (sans crust), raspberries, and freshly whipped cream. All organic! Perfection.

The Passover pup!

Five Scriptures To Keep Today

Th Most of us desire to live in a way that honors God, but sometimes it can be unclear of how to do that. The easiest way to start is very simple, start doing what the Bible says! While there are challenges to keeping the commandments in a secular society, Deuteronomy 30:11 says that it is not too hard for us.

These are a few examples of how we can live out certain Scriptures in order to honor YHWH. Of course there are many others that we are not covering today, and this is by no means an exhaustive list! But hopefully it gets us thinking about often overlooked Biblical instructions that are simple and beneficial. 

-Remember the name of YHWH. In Exodus 3:15 God tells Moses that his name is YHWH forever, and that his name is a memorial to all generations, and not taking his name in vain, and thereby forgetting it is one of the ten commandments. Refer to God by YHWH at least once today as a way to remember his true name and to distinguish the Living God from the 'gods' of other religions. 

-"Speak only beneficial words." -Ephesians 4:29 Is complaining about your boss going to improve the situation? Will being rude to the cashier make her day better? Ephesians goes on to say get rid of bitter and angry speech, gossiping, loud yelling, coarse jokes, and insults. It says we should give thanks instead. Watch your words today and offer a sincere thank you to a family member or coworker. Fill your words with gratitude and encouragement.

-Honor your parents. There are no perfect parents but honor them anyway. Speak highly of them to others. Be intentional about spending time with them. Make sure they know they are loved and appreciated by you! Exodus 20:12 actually says that honoring your father and mother will lead to a long life.

-Make plans not to buy anything on Saturday. Along with working, shopping is forbidden on the Sabbath day (Deuteronomy 5:13, Nehemiah 13:5). Skip the online shopping or getting groceries until after the Sabbath. You will be keeping an instruction from YHWH and saving money as a bonus.

-Start and end the day with Scripture. Deuteronomy 6:7 says that we should speak of God's word when we go to bed and when we rise up. This could be reading a paragraph, meditating on a verse, reciting one from memory, study time, or listening to an audio Bible as you head into work. Hearing Scripture is the perfect way to align ourselves with his truth!

Related posts:
How to Have an Extraordinary Life
How to Stop Working on the Sabbath

Six Reasons to Keep the Sabbath Today