Summer Salads for Shabbat

Sharing some fresh inspiration for your Sabbath meals today! To me, there is nothing easier and more delicious than pulling out a fresh and satisfying salad for lunch and this is the perfect time of year for doing that. Put all those fresh veggies to use and put together a simple meal ahead of time so that you can fully rest on the Sabbath!

I think any of these would suffice for a meal, but you could definitely serve these with grilled chicken, bread, greens with vinaigrette, or the summertime staple of sliced tomatoes. Fresh fruit would make a refreshing (and easy) dessert.

Crunchy Thai Peanut Quinoa from Cookie and Kate

Summer Grain Bowls from How Sweet Eats

Crunchy Roasted Chickpea Pitas from How Sweet Eats

Mediterranean Tomato and Feta Dip from Cookie and Kate

Greek Lemon Roasted Broccoli Pasta Salad from Half Baked Harvest

Easy Lentil Taco Salad from Making Thyme for Health

Roasted Red Pepper Meze Platter from Half Baked Harvest

Broccoli Quinoa Salad with Creamy Lemon Dressing from Well Plated

Mediterranean Avocado Chicken Salad from Half Baked Harvest

Roasted Carrot Lentil Salad from A Beautiful Plate

Wild Rice Stone Fruit Salad from A House in the Hills

Marinated Zucchini Feta Salad from How Sweet Eats

Mediterranean Three Bean Salad from Healthy Nibbles and Bits

Charred Corn and Zucchini Enchilada Pasta Salad from Half Baked Harvest

More on this topic:

The No Stress Guide to Sabbath Meals
What is Biblically Clean Eating?
Biblically Clean Tacos

Beautiful Things for Passover

I wanted to share a few items to make your Passover even more beautiful this year. Decorate your home, add a special touch to your Seder table, or use as gifts. Whether you buy things for the feast days or make them yourself hopefully you have a few special things to help set apart these special times.

Seder Plate or Dishes from Turtle Lane Pottery - $57
Talk about a family heirloom piece!

Chag Sameach Matches from Tchotch Shop - $5
Use these to light up your menorah for the feasts.

Hello Sabbath Decal from Torah Sisters -$4.95
This would be a great gift for a friend!

He is Risen Shirt from Juliet Rose Boutique - $21.99
Wouldn't this to be great to wear on First Fruits? Heart eyes.

Menorah Challah Plate from Turtle Lane Pottery - $49
This could definitely work as a matzah plate, don't you think?

Dayenu Flags from Tchotch Shop - $10.50
If you're not familiar, Dayenu is a beautiful Passover song. The word translates as, "it would have been enough," and the song extols the many things YHWH has done for us. 

Celebrate Passover Wooden Sign from HeartnSaw - $12.99
Love the idea of decor you can use year after year.

Isaiah 51:5 Pouch from Kevin Ohlin - $15
A great depiction of the significance of the Passover season.

Lotzah Matzah Spatula from Modern Tribe - $6
Mine actually just broke and I am so bummed about it. A fun design for sure.

Go Feast Card Game from Rebekah Co - $25.95
Like a regular set of cards but the suits are menorah, torah, trumpets, and crowns.

Matzah Leggings from Shalom Squad -$36/$28
Um, these are amazing! They come in adult and kid sizes. :)


Check out Spring feast gift ideas for kids here!

I am N - Suffering with the People of YHWH

"By faith Moshe, when he became a man, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter. And he chose to be in suffering with the people of Elohim and not to live indulgently in sin for a short season: and he considered the reproach of the Mashiyach a greater treasure than the hoarded riches of Egypt." -Hebrews 11:24-26 Aramaic English New Testament

After filling action packs at our Yom Teruah party I have worked at being intentional about supporting and sticking up for those persecuted for their faith. Yes, in Western society it is easy to turn a blind eye to the violence against believers in the Middle East, Africa, Asia and elsewhere, adopting the attitude of 'God didn't place me there, so that's not my problem.' Moshe had that same choice--the sole Israelite man of his age--he was placed in a lavish and luxurious situation, far above the suffering of his own people. The famous 'Hall of Faith' passage praises his faith that put aside the lifestyle of Egypt, choosing to suffer with the people of YHWH. We have that choice as well.

Voice of the Martyrs was founded in 1967 by a Messianic Jewish couple, Richard and Sabina Wurmbrond who fled Romania, after repeated arrest, and imprisonment, work camp and torture for their faith--first at the hands of the Nazis, then by Communist powers. One of the first acts of the organization was Scripture balloon launches into communist China and North Korea.

Today Voice of the Martyrs carries on great work sending Bibles into restricted nations, offering aid to persecuted Christians in the form of warm clothing, soap, blankets, and sending in front line workers to share the Besorah in nations where truth is restricted and even illegal. 

Recently our congregation got involved with VOM's I am N campaign. In areas occupied by ISIS and Islamic extremists the Arabic letter 'N' is often painted on the homes of believers to indicate that they are Nazarenes or followers of Yeshua of Nazareth. Typically once the 'N' is painted on a home the occupants have very little time to get out or to convert to Islam before their home and often they themselves are destroyed.

When you purchase an I am N wristband or shirt 50% of the proceeds will support believers facing the brutality of Islamic extremism. Wearing the band or shirt is a great conversation starter to share about what is happening to persecuted believers around the world, and an excellent reminder that we need to pray for our brothers and sisters daily who face this kind of terror.

Like Moshe did, we can turn away from some of the comforts and luxuries of our lives so that others can experience the salvation of Yeshua. I don't think we can overstate how important it is to YHWH that we do everything we can to help His people. Voice of the Martyrs has a huge list of ways to get involved--from adopting a front line worker to volunteer positions to filling action packs--please consider the best way for you to stand and support those persecuted for their faith.