What Sundown Brings Tonight.

 What Sundown Brings Tonight.

 

For over twenty years, my little family celebrated the seven feast days established by God for mankind. The Feast of Trumpets is one of my favorites because it basically declares the return of Christ as Lord of Lords! How badly our world needs His return!

 

Since pain has been my companion since last night and has hung around to add to my general grumpiness all day, perhaps it is better to just give you the outline found online concerning the Feast of Trumpets. Meanwhile, just to assure you that all is well, the doctor told me today that my progress is super and that the pain will remain up to a year. Since writing the blogs makes me just a bit happy, it seems silly to wait until pain has made its way out the door for the rest of this year. So, again, pardon me if the old woman gets extra gripey.

 

Foreshadowing and Prophetic Elements

The Feast of Trumpets carried symbolic meaning beyond its immediate historical context:

• A Call to Repentance: The blasts of the shofar alerted the community of faith to the holy days ahead. This call to soul-searching was a time to approach God collectively and individually.

• Recognition of God’s Kingship: Many have seen in the trumpet blasts a proclamation that God is the true King over Israel and all creation. Jewish tradition ties Yom Teruah with welcoming the reign of God and acknowledging His sovereignty.

• Messianic Overtones: Later biblical writers and Christian interpreters have seen the trumpet motif as a foreshadowing of end-times events. Passages such as 1 Corinthians 15:52 speak of “the last trumpet,” at which God’s people “will be changed.” Likewise, 1 Thessalonians 4:16 refers to “the trumpet of God” announcing the return of the Messiah. These passages highlight the ongoing resonance of the Feast of Trumpets with God’s redemptive timeline.

New Testament Reflections

While the New Testament does not mandate direct observance of the Feast of Trumpets for believers in Christ, its themes-repentance, redemption, and expectancy-align with the broader scriptural portrayal of Christ’s fulfillment of the Old Testament types and shadows. The apostle Paul’s references to trumpets sounding at Christ’s return (e.g., 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17) echo the spirit of Yom Teruah and its anticipatory nature.

Archaeological and Manuscript Evidence

Archaeological discoveries, including evidence of ancient ram’s horns and cultic instruments found near sites identified with ancient Jewish worship, reinforce the tangible reality of this festival in Israel’s sacrificial calendar. Furthermore, fragments of Leviticus and Numbers in the Dead Sea Scrolls (discovered at Qumran) confirm the consistent preservation of the texts prescribing this feast. These findings underscore the enduring message of Scripture and the strong manuscript tradition that has preserved the commandments about the Feast of Trumpets.

Spiritual Significance and Application

In modern times, many people of faith reflect on the Feast of Trumpets as a reminder of God’s sovereignty and a call to recalibrate their spiritual lives. The trumpet blasts can be seen as a spiritual wake-up call, an occasion to return to the One who created everything with purpose and design.

Conclusion

The Feast of Trumpets holds both historical and theological importance. Instituted by the command of God in Leviticus 23 and reiterated in Numbers 29, it draws attention to the holiness of God, the need for reflection and repentance, and a recognition of the divine reign over all creation.

Beyond its Old Testament origins, this feast resonates with the biblical theme of God’s ultimate redemptive plan-culminating in Christ’s return “at the last trumpet” (1 Corinthians 15:52). Whether studied for its rich historical practice in Israel or its prophetic echoes in the New Testament, the Feast of Trumpets offers a timeless call: be watchful, honor the Creator, and anticipate the day when He will make all things new.

 

May your hearts be full with the expectation of the return of Christ and the filling of our world with love.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

More Water Today.

 More Water Today.

 

Yes, both bottled and that which comes straight out of the nearest clouds! Have set three bottles on the table next to my chair where reading takes place most often, but then watched the “flash flood” of rain come down earlier this morning. We got plenty of flashes and rumbles during that time, as well. But then, it is the end of September in Texas. However, Carol Thonton tells me that our area is so blessed to get rain while West Texas stands high and dry without a drop. Had to suggest that this much rain in West Texas might create some humongous sink holes with all the punctured landscapes out there in oil country. Whether the holes are drilled sideways or straight down, those holes eventually will fill up with either salt water, oil, or natural chemicals from around the wells. Sad to see that happening.

 

Jennifer always reminds me to “drink, drink, drink,” so the old woman is truly trying to do as told. Not having any energy is not my idea of fun, but here we go with the gripes again! Sorry.

 

The swelling in my knee has gone down enough that the kneecap is actually visible and can be manipulated to some degree. One of the physical therapy moves includes moving it from side to side, but until this weekend, that has not been possible. Weird. Whoever thinks about moving one’s kneecap? Oh well.

 

Have been re-reading a book about some older women who love looking through houses that have to be cleaned and sorted before they are to be sold. It has been fun reading the book again even if knowing the outcome has remained with me. Sometimes books are worth re-reading and this has been one. This one is called “Hattie Gets a Gun” from the Hattie Moon mystery series. Neat

 

Patty intended to watch all the network stuff about the Charlie Kirk assassination. It has been making her cry, but she refuses to get depressed. We agreed that Satan is doing his best to cause havoc and more hatred all over not only our country but all over the entire world. This Monday night begins the Feast of Trumpets—symbolizing the return of Christ to straighten out this mess and remove the injustice in this world. As a Christian, what we can do is call on our Father in Heaven and ask for His intervention.

 

Meanwhile, Lexi has surgery on Thursday in Cook’s Hospital. Tami Yonts and her husband will need to make decisions about the cancer that has again complicated life for them. Let us pray for the surgeons and for the necessary decisions in their lives. May God give them peace and comfort.

 

Where it is in our hands to be kind, let us do so both willingly and with generosity.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

Silly Stuff.

 Silly Stuff.

 

Know most have either heard or read the term “knackered.” Well, that is pretty close to how things are feeling at the moment. Thompson asked to go out this morning around 3:30 and came back at 5:30 needing a bath desperately. He found and killed a young skunk! By the time he had been well lathered and soaked up all the baking soda and dish detergent, we needed to dry him, clean the bathroom, and throw six towels in the washer. He lay down on his bed and stretched out. The old woman tried to lie down on her own bed to rest, but by 7:30 it was obvious that rest was not going to happen. Oh well. It could have been so much worse.

 

Had pretty much made up my mind not to try to write a blog until discharged from Dr. Vietenheimer’s office, at least until after feeling less grumpy, but decided today that anyone who did not like to read endless complaining could just skip the blog.

 

Got a call from Patty early this morning to tell me about some ol’ gal that calls our Texas Governor Abbott, “Governor Hotwheels.” She is said to make AOC look and sound intelligent, but the funniest thing was that someone said that she had been successfully escaping from common sense all her life. Love it! Just love it!

 

Sterling took an afternoon off Tuesday and made a new TV table for my living room. He and his friend George measured and sawed, and fitted and bolted together a very nice table to fit in the corner so that the TV was in the perfect position. REALLY like it!

 

Jacqui and Sterling came Wednesday afternoon and delivered the new TV table and stayed for lunch. The old woman really tries to make things that folks like, so it was pork steaks in the crockpot and roast with brown gravy to go over the mashed potatoes. Also, we had some fresh creamed turnips that Sterling really liked. Funny how many people have a very strong opinion about turnips—either love ‘em or despise ‘em. My kids think they are good, so that always helps.

 

The dessert served at our lunch was the new Bluebell Pecan Pie ice cream. Talk about sweet!! It is just a bit much, but it is definitely filled with good pecans. Must have been grown in Texas.

 

Monday a trip to the doctor’s office will finish the stuff that is necessary before being discharged. As it is, the physical therapists and nurses thought that things were going well. The surgical site looks good and most of the swelling is gone. The exercises are still necessary, but my friend Kim Bragg says that walking is the very best thing to do from now on. She has had both knees replaced. Michelle Malay had hers replaced—one in December of 25 and one in May of 26. She looks good and gets around well, too. Praise God for all that our doctors can do for us.

 

Please continue to pray for Lexis Leos. She goes to Cook’s in Ft. Worth this coming Thursday to try to open up the circulatory system to her intestines. May God bless her and the surgeons.

 

Whatever we have that makes us grouchy or gripey, no one needs to be hurt by our remarks—and certainly never by our actions. It is possible to disagree without being hateful or acting out in a hurtful manner. May God protect us from those who are too easily influenced by hatred.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

A Warped Sense of Humor.

 A Warped Sense of Humor.

 

Spoke with Lance last night. Mentioning the surgery, he assured me that if the old woman was left with just a stump on that side that he would be happy to make me a pretty, shiny peg leg. He is good with wood that way. But then he decided that it might need to have a metal case so that the kids could start a collection of those fridge magnets. That way, every time they took a trip, they could bring back a magnet to slap on the stump. He could just imagine someone asking me if a trip to Barbados had been fun. Of course, the answer would have to be that just one of the kids had brought back a magnet. Crazy kid! We got some good laughs out of it anyway.

 

Jennifer is nearly here according to my Google find app. That is one of the neatest things on my phone. Even Thompson can be tracked with that thing. He has a tag on his collar that can be made to beep. Well, beep beep! A lady just delivered flowers with a note but no name. Suspect my friend John. He’s like that.

 

Jennifer is already wrangling hens. She found one sitting on top of six eggs and just panting to beat the band. Jenn put her in the water bowl to cool her off. With two broody hens, keeping the little hen house closed up is about the only way to make those two hens stay with the others.

 

We put the fresh sheets on the bed and are waiting for the soft blankets to finish drying. Everything is nice and clean—not mopped, but cleanish. Will have to call Maria to mop the floors this next week.

 

Jenn is in the kitchen carving up a cantaloupe. Of two purchased, this is the only one that is the right texture. The hens will take care of the one that had harder flesh. As long as something has no salt in it, they can deal with it. Did you know that salt will kill a chicken? Mother-in-law accidently put salt in her big container where she kept her sugar. Made a cake and it was horribly salty. Disgusted, she threw the thing out the back door to the hens. Killed several hens that day.

 

Sterling called and said he has an appointment with a foot doctor to try to do something about his toe fungus. Kay Brough told me that she had to wear sandals year ‘round because of that crud. Guess it must be awfully easy to hurt one’s toes because of such stuff. Anyway, all we can do is pray it will heal up. Then Sterling has to teach a Bible lesson on Thursday on the seventh chapter of John. Bet he will do just fine. Christ said that no man knows when Christ will return, but only the Father. As long as we are doing our best to be faithful to His laws and be as kind to others as we can, not much more can be expected.

 

Thank you to ALL of you for your prayers.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

Preparation for Absence.

 Preparations for Absence.

 

Have you ever thought about all the things you do in a day that are actually necessary? Yes, we all goof off some each day, but if the household includes any critters, we have to consider the things that keep them healthy and happy. Around here it is only two dogs and sixteen hens, but they matter. Also, we have a trash day schedule. Not a biggie, but still. Have a feeling Jennifer won’t have to worry about unlocking the main gate for Blake to mow and weed eat unless we get some more (highly unlikely) rain this month. And then there are the peculiar quirks associated with the actual running of appliances around here. The microwave oven happens to pull an inordinate amount of electricity, so the coffee maker and microwave cannot be running at the same time. One or the other, but not both. Will try to remember to mention this to Jennifer, but the old woman should be back in the house quickly enough that it won’t matter. Only spending overnight in the hospital.

 

Two hens are broody right now and really don’t want to get off the nests in the little brooder. Neither welcomes any “intruders” for laying eggs either! And Thelma, the turken, has been hopping the front fence in order to look for another place to lay her eggs. For a while, she made a nest in the iris bed out front and each day required a trip out there to pick up her egg. Such fun—Easter egg hunting can be year ‘round!

 

The Kindle app on my notebook has been telling me that it has no internet connection. Frustration. Jenn said that it has something like one thousand books downloaded on it. Oh well. Reading for me is what TV is for other folks. Eventually maybe the old woman will get the necessary steps down to ridding the “library” of the finished books and a quick look at the ones recently downloaded.

 

It looks like some schools are learning that the electronic tablets and other technology are doing more harm than good for students’ ability to learn. In Sweden they are going back to real books and actual writing papers because the reading and writing levels fell so drastically without books. Well, duh. Just because we CAN use technology does not mean it is the best. We have at least one school here in WF which has an F in scholastic leveling. Our entire system is lacking when children can’t read and write before they enter the sixth grade. Won’t even tell you the story of the young woman who came to me to ask if she could quickly learn to read and write since she was given a sports scholarship to MSU but was unable to accept it because the coaches always had someone else to do her school work for her. That is beyond sad. It is outrageous. That is the system failing.

 

Was talking to a friend about how many children are in WF and have zero books in their homes. Our parents read to us and had us sit on their laps and learn about turning pages to get to the story. Can you believe how many children have never learned to sit and turn pages on a real book? The time spent with children is never wasted when we read to them.

 

Lately my study has been involved in the Torah lessons, but you will be spared more of that for a bit. Sterling and his silly sister talk about the lessons and the commentaries that sometimes disagree on what the scriptures say—at least in my opinion. He believes that these fellows that are lifetime students in Greek, Hebrew, and Aramaic have a better understanding of what things mean. That is probably true, but when it all boils down to it, a pattern was laid out in the seven holy days and then in the signs given by Christ. It is always possible to try to fit puzzle pieces in the wrong spots, but sooner or later, it all comes down to the Law: One God, His son, the Word, and the love that was given to us with grace. If we have love for God, love for our fellow man, and care for others as much as for ourselves, we are probably doing our best to please God. Anyway, that is my hope.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

More from Lessons on the Torah.

 More from Lessons on the Torah. 

 

God didn’t redeem Israel from Egypt by means of the Law; God FIRST redeemed them as a free gift of deliverance from bondage, and then a few months after their redemption He brought them to His holy mountain…. Mt. Sinai… to give them His Law. I propose that this is same pattern that is unchanged and intended for all Believers. FIRST we receive Christ, THEN we receive God's commandments. Because without first receiving the Lord, and more importantly the Lord accepting us, we have no ability to properly carry out His commands in the spirit they were intended. Let me say this another way:  Yeshua says in His Sermon on the Mount that The Law, the Torah, is our manual for living the redeemed life, as a member of the Kingdom of Heaven. It is not (and never was) a means to redemption. 

 

The Law tells us what sin is, and it reveals to us our sinful natures.

 

The Law, the Torah, gives us the knowledge and consciousness of sin. I suspect that most of you accept that rather easily because that generally is the standard doctrine in most denominations. Yet in the same breath it is equally as often said that the Law was and remains ONLY for the Jews. Here is the question: if God intended that the Law was ONLY to be studied and obeyed by the Jews, how is it that a gentile Christian can say that a Jewish-only Law is OUR source for the knowledge and consciousness of sin if it does not apply to us? 

 

Going into more of the lesson on the Law: ^RSV 2 Thessalonians 2:1-4 ¹ Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our assembling to meet him, we beg you, brethren, ² not to be be quickly shaken in mind or excited, either by spirit or by word, or by letter purporting to be from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. ³ Let no one deceive you in any way; for that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of perdition, ⁴ who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God.

 

Who is this man of lawlessness? We all understand that he is the Anti-Christ, don’t we? So what does this man's lawlessness refer to? Is he disobedient to Roman law? To Syrian law? To American law? To International law? Is the anti-Christ simply a modern super-scofflaw like Jessie James or Bonnie and Clyde who has no regards for the different laws created by the many different societies and nations? When the Bible refers to law it only ever means one thing: The Law. The Torah. The Laws of Moses. God’s laws. Our possible entry into the Kingdom of Heaven is certainly not measured by manmade laws. So this man of lawlessness is the epitome of a worker of Torah-lessness. He is a man who will thumb his nose at God’s laws and commandments, and God’s moral definitions of good and evil. 

 

Therefore The Law is important and valid and relevant for us not only for the several reasons we’ve discussed, but because if we don’t know The Law we will hardly be able to recognize the Anti-Christ who will be primarily known by him being anti-Law…..being against God’s Torah. Being against the Law of Moses. Being a worker of lawlessness. 

 

Bottom line: This warning about lawlessness is not to pagans. This warning is to those who claim to rely on Yeshua's name, and who claim to be part of the Believers' congregation the world over. Some of these people will be intentionally counterfeit in order to inflict harm; others will deceive themselves and think they can claim Christ, but at the same time deny God's commandments and do what is right in their own eyes. Yeshua calls these the "workers of lawlessness" and they will be denied entry into the Kingdom of Heaven. 

 

It had never occurred to me that both the Jews and later the Christians despised each other—one because the Jews had the Law, and the Christians because they did not understand that grace was given through the fulfilling of the law. Jesus plainly said that He did not do away with the law—not even a tiny bit. It is up to us to learn to love others the way that God gave His love. But we have a helper. May we continue to learn to love.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

Happy Surprise!

 Happy Surprise!

 

Maggie Sewell came this morning before it got hot and brought a sweet gift—Burkett pecans from The Pecan Shed! Those are about the tastiest pecans you can find anywhere. Think they are mostly grown in Clay County, but don’t quote me on that. Anyway, thought it was so sweet of her and David to think of me and to bring me such a nice gift. Mixed in with other nuts and dried fruit, the stuff is good for my digestion and keeps me from getting hungry for junk food.

 

Just cut up a bunch of celery and mixed that with some canned artichoke hearts and heart of palm to go with roast beef and diced tomatoes with chili peppers. Yummy! Can hardly beat good veggies like that! A pan of tomatoes with roast beef and veggies will make two or three meals.

 

Patty said that her friend Debbie assured her first that the person had already been caught, but one of the hospital patients escaped this morning. Kinda spooky since these are the criminally insane. They don’t have anything to lose. The employees used to be able to tackle any that got out, but now they can only speak to them and call the police. Rolling my eyes here!! Nevermind what the escapee might do to someone in the neighborhood!

 

Roxie went on a little trip around the yard this morning and had Patty pretty disgusted for not returning when called. She threatened to get one of those shock collars! Now that is pretty serious for Patty. She said she used up all her oxygen just trying to get her to come back and then had to honk the horn a few times to get her to return. She has a police whistle, but that takes too much air for Patty. One lung is hardly enough when a person gets upset or excited.

 

Sterling called last night and we talked about how Christ taught at the Feast of Tabernacles and how HE was the water of life. So many references are made to rivers of water in the Bible. This morning on one of those pop-up web things an article talked about how the fish would die if they dove too deep because of the lack of oxygen. In the way they talked about it, they were trying to explain how Christ knew that the fishermen needed to throw their nets out again early in the morning—and sure enough they filled their nets because the fish had to come up for oxygen. Christ knew that. HE was master of the designs. Just things that interest me and Sterling. He has a lesson to teach this next week for the men’s meeting and he wants to be sure that he has the sources right. Understand completely.

 

Truly hoping that my balance improves after this surgery. Feel like a wobbly ol’ cow trying to get around. Granddad Pollard used to talk about how all the cows in Arkansas had short legs on one side or the other just from trying to stay on the mountains to graze. Know he would get a kick out of teasing me. Miss that old man.

 

Let us pray for the kindest solutions that mankind can develop. And let us never take part in hateful speech or thought about others.

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.