Followers

October 15, 2024

SWORDS OF IRON (375) & NORTHERN ARROWS. (17).

NAHARIYA, ISRAEL. TUESDAY. 15.10.24

Our Weapons


Slowly I opened my eyes this morning to another cloudy cover at my window. I slept in. How delightful. The night was quiet.

Until the afternoon I worked at my home business, a great diversion from the war, and talked to friends on social media. I am learning to use the technology, but at times I get confused with too much information and so many groups. It's OK, in this arena it is not a life and death issue.

My wonderful husband helps out. He cooked French toast for breakfast, warmed up leftovers for lunch, and just called me to the table... how special is that! After lunch he went down to the grocery store to buy some ice cream... a-ha... by then the sky was blue again.

Sirens pierced the quiet air. First time ever that he was outside when that happened. I thought, “he is closer to the underground shelter, that's good”. Then the sky exploded right above our window, you can see the small cloud forming where the Iron Dome hit something flying. The door opened, “oh, did you go to the shelter?” “No, I have ice cream it'll melt”. Priorities become rather sharp and focused at war.

Friends checked with us. One, from Netaniya, made me laugh. She wrote:

here's my only in Israel moment from yesterday!!
I was in Yochananof [
a grocery store] in the queue with a million others and the app on my phone went off - I shouted out “tzeva adom” [red alert] like a crazy woman and the man next to me is like shtuyot [non-sense] (can't be bothered typing in Hebrew!) and then there was an announcement and we all started running towards the miklat [safe underground] of course it was the furthest away point at this stage!!! Down 3 flights of stairs into the bowels of the building to this massive miklat and I thought OK if there is something big I actually feel quite safe down here!!! 10 minutes later we're back out and back to the queues with everyone arguing about who was in front of who - and life returns to normal!!!”

A very Israeli moment indeed.

The sky is blue, and Willie is watching old Star Trek. It is time to share some ice cream.

(Psalm 34:8)
Oh, taste and see that the
Lord is good;
Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!


October 13, 2024

SWORDS OF IRON (373) & NORTHERN ARROWS. (15).

NAHARIYA, ISRAEL. SUNDAY 13.10.24

Sirens off and on today - all is well.

(Ephesians 4:23-24) and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.

Yum Kippur was quiet in Nahariya, in the Haifa area there were rockets. Today, we had two sirens in the morning and other areas of the North had sirens in the afternoon. People in stores tell me that the head Rabbi told everyone not to evacuate Nahariya because nothing would happen here. Willie and I agree with him.

We need the spirit of our minds to be renewed.

The young delivery driver refused to drive to Nahariya because it showed on the Red Alert that we had 2 rockets. The fact that they never touched down did not make a bit of difference, he was scared. My fruit order was cancelled and if I want frozen fruit I have to find the competition and see if they deliver. The therapists in Haifa also cancelled our appointments even though we are the ones who travel to the clinic. Fear is taking hold of some young people who feel unsafe. I pray for our IDF, medics, hospitals, and all those in service, they cannot be fearful, it debilitating.

We need the spirit of our minds to be renewed.

Israelis are quick people with quick reactions and quick results. Over a year in a war not of our making, some are tired out, allowing fear to set in, and others cannot force them to change. A type of trauma, one of many.

We need the spirit of our minds to be renewed.

Only God can help us change the spirit of our minds. Only God can remove the fear and trauma and help us to think clearly and recover from confusion into decisive actions. Pray for us that God will help and that we as a people will accept those changes.

Come Holy Spirit and help the spirit of our minds to be renewed. 

October 11, 2024

YUM KIPPUR - SWORDS OF IRON (371) & NORTHERN ARROWS. (13).

NAHARIYA, ISRAEL. FRIDAY 11.10.24

(Lamentations 5:21)
Return us, O Lord, to you,
and we shall return, 
and our right hand shall be restored 
anew as before.
Yum Kippur – Day of Atonement is at the
gates.

On Friday, from the early afternoon, all of
Israel will slowly shut down until all focus
on the last meal before the Holy Fast.

Loud sounds from the border artillery exchange and aircraft
travelling both ways did not stop yet.

The sky was covered with grey clouds this morning, and it is
now back to the Baby Blue of an Israeli Shabbat.

Prayers for the safety of our soldiers and the return of the
hostages did not cease.

We went downtown to buy last minutes items, to pick the
weekend newspaper for the lady next door, and a small gift box
of Dates for the lady upstairs. We stopped at a few stores and
bless them with the traditional blessings of “Gmar Chatima
Tova - May your name be written in the Book of Life - and
“Shanna Tova”, which hopes for our world to live in peace.
The airport will shut down tonight by 14:00 and will resume its
activities by Saturday night at 22:00. TV and Radio stations will
be silent even though we are at war. Only emergency stations
will function.

Shabbat and memorial candles will be lit at 17:31 tonight
Friday 11.10.2024, and will end 25 hours later, on
Saturday, 12.10.2024 at 18:48.

Willie's and my phones will also be silent three hours from
now and we will rest at home until the end of Yum Kippur.

On this Holiest of Days, we ask forgiveness from God as a

nation and from each other as individuals. We believe that He

forgives us and we receive it by faith. It is harder to forgive each

other and to believe that others have forgiven us. Yet,

repentance is the heart of our relationship with God Almighty,

and with it comes forgiveness.

God gave us Yeshua as a sacrifice to pay for our sins and if we

believe in Him we will have an everlasting life. Thus, we forgive

others and receive their forgiveness as well.

Please forgive us if we offended you in any way -
it was not done intentionally.

(Psalm 121:4)

Behold,
He who keeps Israel

Shall neither slumber nor sleep.

Blessings from the heart of a wounded yet thriving to live - free nation.

I pray for a true Holy Day for all of Israel. 

Gemar Chatima Tova! 

 

October 10, 2024

SWORDS OF IRON & NORTHERN ARROWS. (370).

NAHARIYA, ISRAEL. THURSDAY 10.10.24

(Psalm 70)

Make haste, O God, to deliver me! Make haste to help me, O Lord!

Let them be ashamed and confounded Who seek my life;
Let them be turned back and confused Who desire my hurt.
Let them be turned back because of their shame,

Who say, “Aha, aha!”

Let all those who seek You rejoice and be glad in You;

And let those who love Your salvation say continually, “Let God be magnified!”

But I am poor and needy; Make haste to me, O God!
You are my help and my deliverer; O Lord, do not delay.


I keep thinking that this Hebrew year is the year תשפ"ה = the year of "the mouth".

This year we are to open our mouths, carry our voices and declare God. Declare the God of Israel, the creator of the universe and all that is in it, is our Victorious God, the One who always was, always is and always will be.

A year to declare our love for Him; our trust in Him, and our salvation from Him.

A friend shared today that the Salmon swim against the tide in order to strengthen their young. In this year of “the mouth,” we declare that God helps Israel to continue and swim against the tide! He will give us the strength to go on knowing that only our continual direction toward truth and swimming against the tide, is the reason for our offspring to be strong and for the nation to continue and survive close to 4,000 years.


PSALM 133 

Behold, how good and how pleasant it is
For brethren to dwell together in unity!

It is like the precious oil upon the head,
Running down on the beard, The beard of Aaron,
Running down on the edge of his garments.

 It is like the dew of Hermon,
Descending upon the mountains of Zion;
For there the Lord commanded the
blessing—
Life forevermore.




October 09, 2024

SWORDS OF IRON & NORTHERN ARROWS. (369).

There are all kinds of angels

NAHARIYA, ISRAEL. WEDNESDAY 09.10.24

Exodus 34:So be ready in the morning and come up in the morning to Mount Sinai, and present yourself to Me there on the top of the mountain.

First thing – coming close to praise God. No matter that Iran is asking for a ceasefire without conditions, that BC Canada hosts Palestinian demonstrations that shout 'death to Canada', that Ukraine is still at war suffering the Russian forces... God is above us all, He controls time and place, and His Word is Truth. His promises will come to pass. Our God Reigns.

We've seen miracles daily, for an entire year. We've seen rockets turning like a boomerang and going back on the enemy that sent it. We've seen a child walking on the street in Haifa, and heavy glass fell down just in front of him but he was not hurt. So many daily miracles. It makes us believe that there must be hostages that are still alive and God will bring them out.

We pray, shouting to the enemy, and to satan who captured them, “Let my people go!” We want to see the Middle East under the reign of Yeshua. Let all of Israel be saved. 

October 08, 2024

SWORDS OF IRON & NORTHERN ARROWS. (1 year & 1 day).

iron dome interceptions
NAHARIYA, ISRAEL. TUESDAY  08.10.24

I think I can designate us to the “old folk” state as of today.

We both fell asleep in the living room sofas, for the afternoon, while the rockets came from Lebanon and flew over our heads toward the South where the Iron Domes intercepted them.

The picture we took at our South Window is proof for the news items below:

HEZBOLLAH ROCKET HIT in KIRYAT YAM blew out windows in an apartment tower and a hole in the lobby.

.. Hezbollah takes responsibility for shooting at Haifa and the Krayot. (( That’s official responsibility for a war crime - shooting at civilians, not a military site. Awaiting UN, US, UK, and French condemnation. Still waiting. Hmm? ))

⭕LARGE ROCKET BARRAGES TOWARDS HAIFA, KRAYOT, and extended area, as well as TIBERIAS - 85-120 HEZBOLLAH ROCKETS per round - with children in school.


At any rate, we heard the pounding of the artillery and the planes above our heads for too long, and by the afternoon it started to sound like an old Western Movie... By the time the old helicopter flew above with the machine gun, we both fell asleep as if we, the old couple, had been watching TV.

It was a very refreshing sleep.

(Isaiah 26:3)

You will keep him in perfect peace,
Whose mind is stayed on You,
Because he trusts in You. 

October 07, 2024

SWORDS OF IRON & NORTHERN ARROWS - ONE YEAR.

 NAHARIYA, ISRAEL. Monday 07.10.24

Flowering Cactus

It is 3 minutes after midnight. 1st anniversary of the October 7th Massacre of Hamas on Israel.

IDF is fighting tonight on 7 fronts. The booming in the North did not stop most of the night. It woke me up, but Willie was still snoring like there was no tomorrow, sleeping the sleep of the righteous.

Citizens were hurt today, some died some wounded.

In Beer-Sheva's main bus station, an Israeli Bedouin knifed people killing one, and wounding about 10-13, the final count not done yet. In Maalot, a 65-year-old man died from a rocket attack, and in Netanya, terrorists disguised as Orthodox Jews begged for monies, and maimed citizens who opened homes to them trying to help them.

A year to the Massacre. Everyone is on alert.

Yesterday, a short story was published about one of the IDF leaders in Gaza. That man entered the HQ in Gaza on the first day of the war, commanding, and is still there. He refused to leave his command post. His 3 children visited him and spent some time with their father, but he never left HQ for an entire year. I am not surprised.

IDF is an army of God. Right along its side, the prayer warriors' army is fighting as well. Our spiritual war is fought on all fronts, in heaven and on earth; on land, sea, and in the air. Many of the warriors are tired. Some were wounded, some had died. But I heard of none who deserted their posts.

Willie had been reading to me each night a chapter from the Bible. Tonight, I listened to Isaiah 43:

But now thus saith the Lord that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine.

When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.

For I am the Lord thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour: I gave Egypt for thy ransom, Ethiopia and Seba for thee.

Thank You, God, for Your faithfulness and continual love toward Your people. Thank You, God, for your steadfast stand with us. Thank You, God, for hearing and answering prayers.  Thank You, God, for Your victory. 

October 04, 2024

SWORDS OF IRON & NORTHERN ARROWS. (364).

What's around the corner?


NAHARIYA, ISRAEL. FRIDAY 04.10.20

(JOEL 2:20)

But I will remove far from you the northern army,
And will drive him away into a barren and desolate land,
With his face toward the eastern sea
And his back toward the western sea;
His stench will come up,
And his foul odour will rise,
Because he has done monstrous things.”

Three Sabbaths this week. Yesterday was Yum Trua, and today is also a Chag, so both are considered Shabbat, and tomorrow being Saturday, it is the regular Sabbath. No work; Shofar is blowing at some point daily, and no public transportation. So we stay at home.

The Shofar and Lebanon called us at 07:00. Willie was making coffee, and I was still in bed. The siren stopped and I just turned over. By 13:00 the booming started again, so now (13:44) I'm drinking that coffee. Thank God for the microwave invention. It is nice to be living in this advanced technology day and age with so much comfort. By 16:00 Sirens might sound again with another barrage of rockets and unmanned aircraft when we will be making supper.  Yes, they seem to have a routine.

All we need now is to welcome the hostages home and have real peace. 

Shabbat Shalom Everyone.

October 03, 2024

SWORDS OF IRON & NORTHERN ARROWS. (363).

NAHARIYA, ISRAEL. THURSDAY. 03.10.2024


New year 5785 - ה'תשפ"ה

Candles at the start 

GOD IS STILL IN CHARGE AND IS STILL WITH ISRAEL.

(Jeremiah 29:11)

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.

God did not give up on us. He is still protecting and loving Israel. 

I woke up today with a joy in my heart. Only the Joy of His Salvation can feel that way. I quoted verses before my eyes were opened. After a walk and breakfast, I was dancing. 

I know that we will have our prayers answered. We'll see all the abducted hostages back at home. We'll have our healthy bodies and healthy minds even while we grow older. We'll experience peace again. God is with us! We've had so many miracles in the last week alone, that I cannot count them!

The year ה'תשפ"ה started at sundown last night. These letters are numbers and the year is 5785. Rosh HaShanah, (Head of the Year), by tradition, is the birthday of the universe, the day that God created Adam and Eve. Some call it the Jewish New Year. The central observance of Rosh Hashanah is blowing the Shofar (ram’s horn) on both mornings of the holiday. So it is also called Yum Truah (day of rejoicing/making noise). The Shofar is normally blown in the synagogue as part of the day’s services. Notwithstanding that it was blown every night around midnight from the beginning of Elul (this year started September 4), the feasts traditionally include round Chalah bread with raisins, and apples dipped in honey. We bypassed the honey this year. Too deer. Instead, we had dates stuffed with walnuts. Healthier, and less expensive.

Dates with walnuts 

What I noticed is that the letter combinations of this year

(ה'תשפ"ה), spell out “mouth” and “language” and “lip” and “you will speak”. Therefore, this year, I will speak of the great things that God has done, is doing and will do for His people, and for those who love Him and glorify His name.

(1 Corinthian 2:9)

Eye has not seen, nor ear heard,
Nor have entered into the heart of man
The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.”

I bless you this birthday year number 5785 of Adam and Eve's creation, will be a year of peace, of health, of happiness and of a close walk with our God, creator of Heaven and Earth. May He walk with you as close as He walked in the beginning with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden.


October 01, 2024

SWORDS OF IRON & NORTHERN ARROWS. (361).

A Morning of Rain
NAHARIYA, ISRAEL. TUESDAY. 1.10.2024

    (PSALM 61)

Hear my cry, O God; Attend to my prayer.
2 From the end of the earth I will cry to You,
When my heart is overwhelmed;
Lead me to the rock that is higher than I.

3 For You have been a shelter for me,
A strong tower from the enemy.
4 I will abide in Your tabernacle forever;
I will trust in the shelter of Your wings. Selah

5 For You, O God, have heard my vows;
You have given me the heritage of those who fear Your name.
6 You will prolong the king’s life,
His years as many generations.
7 He shall abide before God forever.
Oh, prepare mercy and truth, which may preserve him!

8 So I will sing praise to Your name forever,
That I may daily perform my vows.

Rain. Praise God the rain came. It smells like rattan eggs mixed in smoke, not rain's refreshing and clean smell. It must be all the residue of the weapons. Yet, it is an answer to prayers and it will clean the air in time.

Sleep. We slept with only 2 interruptions from 12:30 till 05:30. Praise God. An answer to prayers. Many had prayed for us last night. As far as the Bahamas and Alaska, as well as the USA, Canada and Israel – all around the world, people were praying for Israel and its people generally, and for Willie and me specifically, and God answered.

I thank God for raising His intercessors and His prayer warriors all around the world. 

Thank God who answers prayers.  

September 30, 2024

SWORDS OF IRON & NORTHERN ARROWS. (360).

NAHARIYA, ISRAEL. MONDAY. 30.9.2024

The Word & Ice Cream 

I sort of lost it today. My nerves got the best of me and I felt anxious.

I knew that the constant noise of the airplanes, the lack of sleep, the very loud booms of the Navy diverting the rockets away from us, and the sirens, were more than enough. It is almost a year – we are on the last day of September, and the 7th of October is only 7 days away. So I've had enough.

The sirens came often in the last few days. And while I tried to keep my thoughts busy with a new health business adventure, I could not calm them down. I did not feel afraid, just annoyed. My body started to feel much pain, from the stress; my eyes turned red and hurting; my head was getting confused from the constant noise, and my blood pressure was elevated from sleepless nights.

I was looking at the immediate, and it drew me into the downward spiral of the present while I should have looked at the eternal.

But friends prayed for us. I know they did. They prayed for us from everywhere in the world. I felt these prayers. Enemies leaders in the neighbouring countries were eliminated, and some of our soldiers came home on a needed recovery.

I felt far from God. I walked inside my apartment like a caged lion, back and forth from the bedroom to the kitchen, opening the fridge as often as a teenager would, looking for what – I didn't- know, something comforting. Willie went downstairs to the corner store to buy chocolate and ice cream cones between sirens. Comfort food.

Then I remembered. Our fridge is full. Although food prices escalated, we can still afford to buy fruits, vegetables and meats, all available at the local supermarkets. We have a strong roof over our heads; yes, we need to run 80 stairs down to the shelter and we cannot, so we stay at home. But, the rockets and the not-men-air crafts are diverted by the Navy, Army and Air Force, so we stay on the south side of the flat. 

 At least two of our congregation leaders offered us again a shelter in Haifa for the duration of the war, where there are safe rooms. The cat runs under the bed, but she has plenty of food and water and is safe indoors.

God put us in Nahariya. We are here to be an example of the love of God who will never leave us nor forsake us. We do not abandon this post. God does not abandon His people. We stay here to pray, to encourage, to check on the neighbourhood and to share His mercy and love with them.

Willie went to his volunteering post at the hospital and I forced my body to shower and move about and function. When he returned we prayed. We tried to rest between sirens, and then we prayed some more. Toward the evening, he read Psalm 90 out loud. He read it again, and I felt the peace of God flowing through my veins. Calm settled on my heart; the pain subsided, and I was able to enter a Zoom prayer meeting.

It is past my bedtime. But God did not abandon me. He is here. Life goes on.


(Psalm 90) A Prayer of Moses the man of God.

Lord, You have been our dwelling place in all generations.
2 Before the mountains were brought forth,
Or ever You had formed the earth and the world,
Even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God.

3 You turn man to destruction,
And say, “Return, O children of men.”
4 For a thousand years in Your sight
Are like yesterday when it is past,
And like a watch in the night.
5 You carry them away like a flood;
They are like a sleep.
In the morning they are like grass which grows up:
6 In the morning it flourishes and grows up;
In the evening it is cut down and withers.

7 For we have been consumed by Your anger,
And by Your wrath we are terrified.
8 You have set our iniquities before You,
Our secret sins in the light of Your countenance.
9 For all our days have passed away in Your wrath;
We finish our years like a sigh.
10 The days of our lives are seventy years;
And if by reason of strength they are eighty years,
Yet their boast is only labor and sorrow;
For it is soon cut off, and we fly away.
11 Who knows the power of Your anger?
For as the fear of You, so is Your wrath.
12 So teach us to number our days,
That we may gain a heart of wisdom.

13 Return, O Lord! How long?
And have compassion on Your servants.
14 Oh, satisfy us early with Your mercy,
That we may rejoice and be glad all our days!
15 Make us glad according to the days in which You have afflicted us, The years in which we have seen evil.
16 Let Your work appear to Your servants,
And Your glory to their children.
17 And let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us,
And establish the work of our hands for us;
Yes, establish the work of our hands.