Final Days

The boxes are packed and shipped.  The things are moved out of the apartment.  The cat has found a new home.  Now what?  Now comes the anticipation and prayer and REST!  

This last month, Elul, has been a time of weeding out our lives.  We have discarded the unnecessary items of living in the world.  And with each discard, we made a step closer to the arms of the lover of our soul.  It was painful, but a sweet pain in knowing that on the other side of the pain is pure JOY in His presence.   For the Joy set before Him Yeshua endured the pain of the stake.  It was joy that motivated Him and love for me and you.  And in this season of simchah (joy) may I face my fears and the pain of letting go, in JOY?!

We have been so blessed. It is appropriate that we are moving at the time of the Fall Feasts.  They represent a new beginning in the life of every believer.  They signal the return of our Messiah to set up HIS kingdom on earth.  It is a wake up call to get our houses in order and make ourselves ready for the return of the King of Kings.  

I love this time of the year.  There is a true joy in my heart during the cooler months.  It is refreshing to my physical body and a renewal for my soul.  The heat and the trials of the summer make the heart thirsty and the fall rains provide that much needed drink of water from the streams that flow in the city of Yah.

So, as I wait eagerly for the day we board the train to our new lives, I pray that I am able to soak up all the goodness of Yah.  I want to be renewed and refreshed when we get to our new lives.  I want my heart and my soul to be clean and ready for whatever HE wants to share with me.

Final days to a new beginning...Praise Yah!

Adventures in Moving ~ Part 2

It amazes me how much STUFF one can accumulate in the course of just simple daily living.  It has come to me that the more time I spend in one place the more THINGS I acquire.  And with those acquisitions come responsibilities as well.  As we de-clutter to make our move across the 1,000 miles to a new home and state, I am made aware that there must be some order to our world and the less stuff you have the more order you have.

WE finally finished, weeding through the 'treasures' of our lives and have come to a workable order with the rest of our Things.  Phew!  I was wondering if it was ever going to be accomplished.  

We have relegated ourselves to, four 18"X18" boxes, and four 28"X12" carry-ons.  Two of the carry-ons are our tent, and our air mattress.  So in essence, we even have our house and our bed, in hand.  Our lives now fit in a 10' X 14' tent for a total of 140 sq. ft.  What an accomplishment!

Today is Sabbath preparation day and we are finished packing.  We are ready to go.  I am so thankful that we will be able to have a stress free shabbat.  Our friends have graciously invited us to dinner.  I am so looking forward to the rest and fellowship with other believers.  

The balance of our time here will be spent in rest and Gabriel's training of his replacement at work.  From here we go to San Antonio to spend the night and board the train for Missouri the next morning.  We can sit back, relax and let someone else do the driving.  We can enjoy each other's company and the scenery.  Then after 20 hours, we will arrive at our destination and the arms of our new family.  Our new lives begin the moment we step foot on the train.  May Abba help us and guide us!