Answered Prayer

The day following the last Holy Day of Feast of Matzo began with answered prayers and the fulfillment of a perpetual desire of my heart, all before my third cup of coffee.

I hesitated to give the details of the first situation, and tried to find a discreet way to present it, but the fact is what it is and it is imperative, so here goes.  I think most of us awaken with a rather full bladder and the first stop is to alleviate that fact.  Just as I sat down and began to "go" a spider "jumped out of nowhere" and began to run.  As you know, I live in the country, and brown recluses are fairly common.  I couldn't see if that's what it was, but I knew I didn't want it to leave the bathroom alive!

As I couldn't exactly stop what I was doing and it had so quickly run toward the bathroom door, I prayed.  I asked YHWH to please just make the spider stop.  I kid you not, I had no sooner spoken that request, the spider who had run a good 5-6 feet in that very short span of time, stopped suddenly three feet from the door and didn't move . . . You might say he stopped dead in his tracks.  That spider never moved again.  I was able to take care of it and although I didn't identify the species, there was no indication it was of the helpful variety.  Prayer of thanksgiving for the answered prayer!

All of the garden is not yet planted, but some of it is and needs regular watering to sprout and grow.  Have you ever noticed that a small gentle rain is so much more effective than the hose or watering can?  So, in my late night prayer time, I mentioned to our Heavenly Father that His watering is so much better than mine and so much more effective.  There was a soft gentle rain falling as I enjoyed my early morning devotions and coffee.  More prayer of thanksgiving!

A rainwater rinse after washing my hair is just wonderful, and choring in a the spring rain is a blessing beyond description.  I don't ask Abba for them, so much, He just knows I love them.  Washing my hair was already on the agenda for the day, so I headed out after my devotions to a glorious morning of chores in the rain.  More prayer of thanksgiving, but when I got out of the shower with my freshly washed hair, the rain had stopped.  I was already grateful for so much that morning, I didn't give it any more thought.  I combed out my hair and got busy on the Goshen Gazette.  In less than thirty minutes, I heard raindrops falling on the skylight!  Out the back door I went, praising Him with thanksgiving.

He truly does inhabit the praise of His people!

Unleavened Bread

The recipes for "fancying" unleavened bread this year are abounding, so I thought I'd get creative and see what I could do in the area of mazto enhancement.  As it turns out, I have had an epiphany . . . seriously, an epiphany.  An epiphany by definition is:  1. A divine manifestation and; 2.  A moment of sudden understanding or revelation.  I've experienced both definitions.

A recipe crossed my screen a few days before Pesach, that seemed a bit complex, but looked good, so it got my wheels turning regarding this week of matzo.  I hate to admit it, but 8 days of mazto does get a bit mundane without additives and toppings . . .Well, Mazto is the Bread of Affliction!!!  What are we expecting?  Mundane is entirely better than afflicted or painful!  I remember being offended when my "then" husband made the reference to "salad week" because of the various egg, salmon, etc. salads I made to accompany the matzo.  It isn't salad week, it's week of unleavened bread!  So the practice of making salads and spreads was sidelined . . . at that time.  Something that had made the week special for me to revolve around the unleavened bread seemed to be a stumbling block for him.  Since I am now observing the week alone, I don't have to worry about causing another to stumble, but I still found myself in a place I don't want to be again.

I'll give a brief description of what I did, that brought such a wave of guilt over me, so in this description is also a confession, accompanying the epiphany.  The image that caught my eye looked like Tiramisu using matzo in place of lady fingers . . . I saw it before Pesach and determined some sort of facsimile would be formulated in my kitchen the following week.  As I was making matzo on the first day of Unleavened Bread, because that is specified in Scripture to be allowed, I determined that just basic food was to be made, no panache should be added.  In my spirit, I just knew altering the matzo on the Holy day would be wrong.  As I baked the matzo, I was literally reminded by the holes that Messiah was pierced, and the various baking color and discoloration symbolized his body bruised, and of course the matzo is broken when served . . .

The next day, as I reheated some matzo ball soup, I decided to get a bit creative with my faux tiramisu idea.

  The results were terrible!  I'd soaked the matzo in some kosher blackberry wine, then . . . well it doesn't matter!  If I felt something was wrong for a Holy Day, why would it be all right the next day?  The whole mess tasted a lot like a high octane Twix or KitKat bar.  The word I used to describe it to a friend was "decadent!"
 That term is about as far from holy as one can get.  Not only was it not so much like tiramisu, it made me feel terrible that I had for all practical purposes "sugar coated" or "added to" the Bread of Affliction that Messiah said was to be in remembrance of Him.
I looked at what I made and felt like I'd put a chocolate easter bunny, with wine and coffee, between pieces of matzo!  It was then, the revelation occurred to me, having seen so many recipes for dressing up the matzo this year, "this is how any tradition becomes incorporated into the Feasts" and down the road, the real meaning is lost or just a passing comment.

I'm all about making some special treats, it is a Feast, after all; but I won't be sugar coating and chocolate dipping the Bread of Affliction, any more . . .

Beauty and Strength

Last week, it was a night of royal splendor, this week, one of the most amazingly accomplished days I can remember!  I was exhausted, but it was such a "good tired!"  The lesson I learned was invaluable . . . and HalleluYah, I didn't learn it the hard way!  Glory!!!

Wednesday is a regular business town day.  Not every Wednesday, but I choose that day, mostly because it's just less traffic congestion.  Driving isn't one of my favorite things.  I've also learned through the years, that no matter what time I head to town, I'll get home at evening chore time.  Ordinarily I couldn't tell you what takes so long, but this time I can . . . and I shall.

This time of year, I'm usually milking five or six goats, once a day, but two years ago was really hard on the herd and me, so I've been recuperating and rebuilding.  I sold one last year for sad sentimental reasons, Stella's gone now, and another old reliable has just gotten too old and grumpy.  There are three beautiful doelings this year that I plan to keep, but they aren't in the production end of the process.  As a matter of fact, in keeping the offspring, I make sure they get more time with their "milker moms" which also means less milk for me.  I bought a beautiful Nubian last week at the auction, who had never been milked.  She caught on pretty quickly and is now simply stellar.  Since that went so well, but still needing more milk, I asked around about any goats for sale, specifically Toggenburgs, as Stella was a Togg cross.

By Tuesday evening I had a lead on a Togg, as well as another interesting possibility, so I figured I'd just stack goat shopping on top the town day.  I spoke with the people and gave them an approximate time, according to my itinerary.  Realizing I just might be taking a goat to town for the day, there was hay and water in the buggy.  I was particularly excited about going to the first place, as the goat he had for sale was a Togg cross, but that night I "heard" I had to stop trying to replace Stella.  Rather than going, just sure about a purchase, I went with greater understanding.

The goat, of course, was beautiful, and the owners were very diligent to share all the paperwork of her registration, as well as all the timely treatments she'd been given.  They shared the fact the young kids were all being treated for scours, the twin to the one I was looking at had aborted in the winter, and had been rebred . . . the "grand champion sire" was not only the "working buck" but was also related to some of the herd.  As they continued to talk, what I saw and heard was these goats were beautiful in appearance, but their immune system had been severely compromised with continual treatments.  The folks proudly shared all the facts regarding show awards and champion blood lines, but what I heard as they spoke, was something entirely different.  This beautiful two year old goat was too chemically damaged to live naturally and organically.  I thanked them for their time and left.


The sun was sinking toward the horizon as I left the second farm.  I knew when I saw the place, these goats would be "healthier."  Sure enough, I asked!  No antibiotics on the place.  Healthy babies on nice big healthy mamas, and we worked a deal.  Rather than just paying too much for one goat at the other place, I bought two does who are still adjusting a bit to the routine, but are robust and healthy with the immunity our Heavenly Father created in them.  They may not be show goats, but I think they're beautiful!

Royal Splendor

I had an evening of royal splendor this past week.  I had asked and listened in prayer quite seriously after hearing, "it is time to prepare practically for purpose and the time of running a "petting zoo" is over."   It was through that prayer time, I was blessed to be told I was to go to one of my favorite places!

As a peculiar princess, my scepter is a walking stick, my crown, long silver hair and a head covering.  I do have a rather ornate headband that keeps my head covering in place . . . And instead of a ballroom, my royal outing was to the auction barn!  If you've never been to a livestock auction barn in the spring, you need to take a field trip!  The scent of the spring animals is so different than that of the autumn.  Thursday evening is only sheep and goats, and last night there were so many young kids and lambs.  The smell of new babies and fresh milk literally wafted from the barn to the sale ring.

I'd prayed and I knew my mission, but was unaware when the opportunity would be presented.  It came about in an interesting way, and just felt wonderful!  I bid on a couple of young nannies in milk without their babies.  Often that's considered to be a sign that they aren't good mamas or good producers, but the couple that I saw, I just knew otherwise. I'd prayed!  Then it got fun!  Once the auctioneer thought he knew what I was looking for, and the ringmen thought they had my purchasing interest discerned, they'd look to me for a bid every time a nanny in milk came through, but most of them had kids, and that was not in the plan.  I made a bid on one group each with a kid, but I stopped quickly.  I was on a specific quest.  I'm building a Jacob's herd, which means color and breed must be variated, and no white ones.  Interestingly, even in mixing breeds, the lighter colors tend to dominate.  Although that group of mamas were all brown, striped, and spotted, every one of the kids was white!  In this world of pedigree and paperwork, I have been shown in Genesis and led of YHWH, the mixed breeds tend to be stronger, as most inherent weaknesses are recessive.

I bought a beautiful black Nubian, full bag, no kid.  Just exactly what I knew I needed.  I have no idea if she's purebred or not, but if Jedidiah [Jed] remains the herd sire here on the homestead, her kids will definitely be mixed breed.  Nubian bucks are majestic creatures, but they throw long legged, long nosed babies and that can be hard on mamas of other breeds.  Jed is not Nubian.  Back to my night of splendor.

I was enjoying the nods and recommendations of the auctioneer when he thought he knew what I should buy, but nothing more came through.  The day had been rainy and overcast, so even in watching the sky out the window, I was uncertain as to how close to chore time it was getting.  I figured I was going home with one beautiful new goat, Eloise, and so happy to have her.  I paid for her, got her loaded out, then felt drawn to take one last look at what was in the waiting pens.  I saw two Toggenburg mix does in a large group of young does.  I went back in for a bit, watched a few more go through the ring.  In going back out to check their progression, I discovered that group of does had moved up toward the sale ring, quite rapidly.

I'll admit, I have a weakness for Toggs.  My grand uncle raised them, and my beloved Stella was primarily Toggenburg.  As I was out there, I recognized a young man from the fair days, who was now working there at the auction.  I asked him if that whole group of goats would be sold together.  His reply was music to my ears.  He said, "Probably since they are all young nannies, but I can pull some off to run through, separately"  I smiled and said, I'd like the Toggs.  He knew exactly the two to which I referred.   In less than five minutes those two beauties entered the ring, and became the newest members of the herd in the Land of Goshen.

What a royal night!