Here's a great way to make sure you can do all the Passover stuff this year. A bucket list! What's on mine for this Passover season? Attending Seder, reading through Exodus, making homemade matzah, praying for freedom for those enslaved in some way, setting a spiritual goal, and sending cards to name a few.
Make your own bucket list or download mine. Obviously, it doesn't need to be this big but hanging up a large print can serve twofold as a decoration throughout the week of Unleavened Bread and as a reminder of fun things to do to make this time special.
You can download this here, and then print it off on regular paper or have it printed. I had mine printed at Staples for about $1.75. It is free for your personal use and I hope it helps make Matzah Week a little more fun!
What's on your bucket list for this Passover season?
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!
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.
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With Passover, Unleavened Bread, and First Fruits coming up I think we should take a moment to talk about preparing spiritually for these set apart times.
Since Matzah Week calls for a cleaning out of the leaven in our homes it's easy to get focused on that, and end up neglecting emotional and spiritual care in the busyness. But the point of cleaning our homes serves as a picture of what we should be doing internally. Cleaning out the fridge or cupboard let's us find what has gone bad or gotten stale, so that we can remove it before it attracts bugs or spreads it's rottenness to anything else. To make room for something fresh and wonderful. Same thing with evaluating where we are emotionally and with our faith. Get rid of the bad stuff and make room for something better.
How can we do this? Take a few minutes to honestly assess where you are right now, where you came from, and where you would like to be. The Passover season brings us back to the Israelites leaving a place of less (Egypt) and journeying to the Promised Land. Where is YHWH inviting you to if you leave behind what you've settled for? What steps can you take to get there? This time is a celebration of freedom with slaves being set free and that the sacrifice of the Messiah makes this possible for us.
I also recommend reading the story of Exodus and the accounts of the Last Supper to see what jumps out at you. I have no doubt that YHWH has much to speak to you through these parts of Scripture. How does what he is saying fit with your own journey or what steps is he asking you to take to follow him more?
The following are a few simple questions for you to help evaluate yourself. The goal is just to be honest and say what your past year (or so, you can pick how long) was like, and what you're hoping for the upcoming year. You can also do this with your spouse or your family. Pray about the state of your spiritual and emotional health, and then come up with a few doable steps you can take for more positive change in your life.
Questions to Evaluate Spiritual and Emotional Health:
How was this past year for you? What changes did you go through?
In what ways have you grown recently?
In what ways have you seen YHWH move or be faithful this past year?
Some of your favorite moments from the past year were:
What changes have you made in the past year for spiritual, physical, and emotional health?
Are there changes that YHWH is asking you to make now?
Is there an area you would like to be quicker to turn to prayer in?
The time you most often pray is:
Your favorite time to read Scripture is:
You feel closest to YHWH when:
How do you handle and cope with stress, anxiety, anger, sadness, etc.?
What are three things you do for self care?
What aspect of self care do you need to get better at?
Three things you do for joy are:
Verses you turn to for comfort include:
What are your goals and hopes for the upcoming year? Spiritual or otherwise.
I'm also including this link so you can download and print these questions, so you can contemplate them somewhere other than a device. Asking myself questions like these help me to to have a better sense of the path I have walked on and where I am headed. This is a special part of the Passover season, to remember our own personal exodus and to praise YHWH for the work he has done in our lives. I hope you find this a helpful way to prepare!
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