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Welcome to Home Shalom and Shalom Farm. We pray your visit here be blessed. We are learning to walk in the Ways (Torah) of our Father YHWH and follow Y'shua, His Messiah until He returns to "set things straight". We call it a "Messi-Life". Our walk is neither tidy nor perfect, but it is filled with passion, devotion and desire to serve our King. We are learning to be humble servants, and to be good stewards of the things that He has entrusted to us: His Word, our marriage, our children, our family, our community, our health, and our farm. Hitch your horse and stay a while--our door is always open!

Friday, April 29, 2011

Our Feast Notebook

In the beginning....the Feasts were very confusing! There was so much to learn and sort through in regards to YHVH's Appointed Times. There were (ARE!) calendar differences and teachings, traditions to consider. The relevant Scriptures were peppered here and there in The Bible and wanted to keep track of the threads of evidences of the Feasts in not so obvious places, as we discovered them outside of the initial Torah instructions too. It was SO much to keep up with! So I decided to start a Feast Notebook. This notebook has nothing but FUNCTION in mind. Organizing my thoughts from one year to the next is important to me as I desire to see the "big picture" of His plan and how He has unfolded our own walk as we learn to synchronize our lives with it.


These are other elements that I try to incorporate into my Feast Notebook:


  • I chose a notebook that was rugged enough to last through the years, and could handle being toted with us, shoved under the car seats during trips to special events and to withstand the riggers of camping trips for Sukkot. I wanted a notebook with lots of room, and secured pockets too. I love the zipper element of this too. It helps hold in loose odds and ends that may get tucked in "on the fly" and it keeps them safe until I can get back to it and properly secure and organize them. This notebook was the perfect choice for us.



  • I also wanted a place to tuck teachings that were helpful or instramental in our walk in regards to the Feasts, as well as links.



  • I wanted to provide a place to journal our personal experiences, each year for each event. How we observed it and the personal little thing you don't want to forget, like mishaps, and things related to the development of the children, as well as our spiritual revelations and growth.



  • YHVH always puts new people in our path during the Appointed Times. People whom we can minister to and others who minister to us. We are so encouraged by seeing what Yah is doing in the lives of others and the work that he is doing in the hearts of His people as He is restoring them to His Word and Himself in mighty ways! This too, is something I want to keep records of. This helps me keep these folks in prayer year after year, even if we never have the opportunity to meet again. This community is like none other...there is a true sense of FAMILY that is built in keeping Yah's Appointed Times together. It is like brothers and sisters coming together to honor the Father they love at His request, they gather and celebrate Him. This is also a place for a "directory" to stay in touch with those folks, since they are often from far away places. It is so precious!



  • Decorations, centerpieces, teaching tools, and things like that were also things I wanted to make notes about or even save in a "feast tub" to reuse if we really liked them. The notebook would provide a central place for that. Maybe that centerpiece we used that one year, didn't "do anything" for me...but one of the children remembered it as very special and they would like to recreate it when they start keeping Feasts in their own home. One may never know! SO a picture or even a little "how to" that was saved might really bless them in the future. It might bring a little piece of "home" with them when they find them selves far from us or maybe we have passed on.



  • I have a divider with a pocket labeled for each Feast. These are placed in order of the Biblical Year. On the front of each divider is a "practical" element of the timing of the feast (which was so helpful in the beginning!!). The pockets allow me to quickly tuck in loose papers, pamphlets, keep sakes etc.



  • I wanted to have a place to collect special feast recipes. I have our Pesach Lamb recipes, Charoset, and lots of Matzah recipes. Food is always intermingled into the Appointed Times in some way, so I wanted to be sure I recorded my successes, and even my failures if they are things I want to be sure to learn from.

    Now, don't get me wrong. I love things to be beautiful too...and I really enjoy the creative process of making things beautiful and special! However, I had to accept that there is 'a time and season for everything'. So I came to terms with the fact that for now...in this season (of likely SEVERAL years), I am going to try to just record as much as I can...then when the kids are grown and I have more time on my hands...if Y'shua has not yet returned....I will turn this eclectic collection of materials into a beautiful keepsake for each of my children. That was a compromise I decided I could live with.

    Keepin' it Real: When it comes to cataloging things, I seem to always fall short of my intent to do the grand things I plan. I start things and don't follow through to my satisfaction...but that is changing as I learn to be more practical about my goals and limitations and stop beating myself up over my ideals and my reality. I still aim high, but I have learned to push through my imperfections and make lemonade out of my lemons (instead of pitching the lemons in the trash, because I originally planned for was 'peaches')! With persistence and grace....each year, I get better and may add a new element or habit to the process to make it more complete and thorough. One year I might be really good at adding recipes, while another year I may be really good at journaling. One year I may forget about it all together, while the next year I become diligent to update and contribute to all the elements of the project.... And so it is...an accurate record of our walk after all..isn't it?!!!


8 comments:

Linda @ Linda's Lunacy said...

I have a Household Notebook, but hadn't thought to make one for the Feasts. I 've just been keeping my info on the computer. Your right about some things being special to the kids that we wouldn't think of. This way the whole family could look through the notebook.

Thanks for the idea!

Linda @ Linda's Lunacy
http://www.lindaslunacy.blogspot.com

lusi said...

This is such a GREAT idea Pamela! You've really inspired me! I want to keep all our ideas in one place and a record of what we did etc. I did that when we just celebrated Passover a four years ago...and then we found out there were 7 feasts! And as we began learning about them and celebrating each one, I'd forget what we did the year before of who attended. I think if I had a folder like this it would really help me remember (before any more time passes and I forget altogether!!!!)
Thank you for sharing your great idea!
Love lus x

Enid said...

Very nice.... Exactly about having tossing around in the car...!I hear that :p


Enid

singing mama said...

Absolutely LOVE this idea Pamela!!!! I am starting one this week!!! SO helpful thank you so much!
Luv Donna

Traci said...

I love your new blog page and pics!

I have started doing this as well. One, because there is just too much to remember from one year to the next, and two, I am learning new things and old things are being better understood and I want to have the information handy for next year. Too much to add here but it's a great idea!!

Shabbat Shalom!

Amy© said...

I do this as well! I have one notebook for my household/homeschool information, and another one for the Feasts, teachings, etc. It makes it so much easier to find what I need when I need it! :)

Tata said...

I also have a Household Notebook, but never thought about putting one together for all the info and tidbits I collect about the Feasts. Thanks for sharing!!

Anonymous said...

I just begun a Feast notebook last Sukkot! With Psalm 102:18 in mind.
"Let this be written for a future generation, that a people not yet created may praise YHVH"
It never ceases to amaze me when you find like minded folks how truly like minded they are.
♥Emily