Are you ready for Yom Kippur? I thought a printable was in order to remind us all of the Messiah's sacrifice for us. Not to write off the significance of this set apart time, but to see how it points to Yahusha and YHWH's plan for our redemption. Of course this verse could easily stay up year round.
I made it in black and white so it's easy to print off at home, so it makes for a simple last-minute decoration. I hope you have a very meaningful Yom Kippur this year!
Click here to download this printable for Yom Kippur. It is free for your personal use.
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!
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Ever wondered about Yom Teruah? It is the set apart time of YHWH that lands on the first day of Scripture's seventh month. It translates something like Day of Sounding or Day of Awakening Blasts. You've probably heard it called the Feast of Trumpets, which is a pretty good name but it doesn't quite describe the full meaning of the word. Let's delve a little more into the meaning of 'teruah' to get a better idea of what this set apart time of YHWH is.
If we read Scripture in Hebrew, 'teruah' would be a common word to us. It is used something like 36 times just in the Tanakh. Strongs defines it as: alarm, signal, sound of tempest, shout, shout or blast of war or alarm or joy.
Where do we see teruah in Scripture?
Teruah is what Israel did that brought down the walls of Jericho. (Joshua 6:20)
There was a great teruah when the Ark of the Covenant was brought into the Israelite camp when they were battling the Philistines. (1 Samuel 4:5)
Moses sent Pinchas the priest to war with an instrument to teruah with. (Numbers 31:6)
When King David moved the Ark of the Covenant, it was with great teruah from himself and all Israel. (2 Samuel 6:15)
There was a teruah for joy when the Temple foundation was relaid. (Ezra 3:12)
Job described the face of someone accepted by YHWH as teruah. (Job 33:26)
Music and singing to worship YHWH is teruah. (Psalm 150:5, Psalm 33:3)
Offerings were restarted to YHWH on Yom Teruah. (Ezra 3:6)
The great day of YHWH is a day of teruah. (Zephaniah 1:16)
YHWH himself shall go up in teruah to the sound of a shofar. (Psalm 47:5)
Does this help set the stage a little bit better? We can see that teruah is a word that goes with big things: the presence of YHWH, conquering enemies, rebuilding the Temple, and the joy that comes from worship and obedience to YHWH. (Also the significant consequences of not worshiping or being obedient to YHWH.)
While the Leviticus 23 description of Yom Teruah is brief, we are told that this day is, "a remembrance of teruah." A day to remember the amazing things that YHWH did for Israel throughout Scripture, and what he has done in your personal life! Times we have faced warnings or gone to war, seen walls torn down, remembered covenants, and seen giants conquered. Yom Teruah is a time we are to remember all of that.
It is cool that all of these things were done with teruah - that music, joyful shout, alarm cry - because that really shows how powerful what you listen to is. For years I worked at a Christian radio station and we would hear from listeners all the time about what a difference listening to our station made to their spiritual, mental, and emotional health. That's how powerful truth is - it can totally transform every aspect of your life.
And see how this fits with the prophetic significance of the return of Yahusha at Yom Teruah? While teruah covers some different meanings (alarm and joy don't usually go together), they all fit so well with what I imagine it will be like when the Messiah returns. What could be more joyful or alarming, depending on your relationship with him?
Blessed are the people who know that joyful teruah. -Psalm 89:15
Look no further for a festive start to your Yom Teruah day! Smoothie bowls are healthy and easy to make, and the ice cream cones make it perfect for the Day of Shofar Blasts. I love being able to celebrate a Biblical holiday in such a fun way!
You can use any smoothie or smoothie bowl recipe. I wanted mine to look blue since there is such an emphasis on looking for the new moon in the night sky for the Feast of Trumpets. I used blueberries and yogurt, but blackberries or elderberries or acai or blue majik spirulina could also make a blue smoothie. You can easily use whatever you like or have handy, and it's simple to adjust these for any dietary preferences or allergies.
Night Sky Smoothie:
1 cup frozen blueberries
2 cups yogurt
1 tablespoon spirulina powder
1 tablespoon honey (or to taste for sweetness)
Put your blueberries in the blender and run the ice crushing setting for 30 seconds or so to break up the berries. This makes it easier to smoothly blend everything. (If you don't have this setting on your blender let them thaw for a few minutes before blending everything together.) Once your berries are mostly in small pieces, add the yogurt, spirulina powder, and honey and blend until smooth.
The spirulina is optional but it gives you a nutritional boost and also is responsible for the dark shade of blue. Without it the combination was more of a light purple.
Once your smoothie is blended, pour it into bowls and decorate.
To decorate I used:
Ice cream cones for shofars
Blueberries
Calendula flowers
Peaches
Sliced apples
Watermelon
Chia seeds
Sesame seeds
Coconut flakes
Menorah cupcake toppers (from here)
You could use any fruit or berry, seeds, nuts, or edible flower. Granola works here, and so do sprinkles or chocolate. You can use cookie cutters to make fun shapes out of apple slices. A ten commandment gummie would be a great touch too. It's easy to make these exactly to your liking and everyone can decorate their own bowl. If you don't mind a thinner smoothie base, you can even make the smoothie the day before and keep it in the fridge, along with sliced fruit for topping.
Are you new to celebrating the Biblical Feast of Trumpets? Learn more about Yom Teruah here.
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