AN APPLE A DAY - DAY 124 OF 365 DAYS TO A HEALTHIER LIFESTYLE - ORGANIZING THE FOOD YOU EAT

STILL GETTING ORGANIZED IN ORDER TO STAY HEALTHY - THIS WEEK:  FOOD

(Written by Sheila Gail Landgraf)

So we’ve been talking about how to de-stress your life by achieving a better organization of life’s daily events and activities in order to achieve the healthier lifestyle we all desire.

So far; we’ve organized our time by learning to use a calendar and a personal planner and  We’ve learned how to avoid “time-clutter” in our lives. 

What else can we organize in our daily living that will help us to get and stay healthy? 
 I think our food choices would be a next place to start.

I’m told by the experts that most people have good intentions to eat healthy.  The problem with good intentions is that they are never followed up with action. 

Why is this? 

The research tells us there are three reasons:

1) Lack of planning

2) Lack of following through the plan with action and

3) Boredom

I can see where that has been true in my own life.  What about you?

I have been guilty in the past of eating unhealthy simply because I forgot or even deliberately did not take the time to make out a healthy menu. It is a tiresome chore and it gets to be monotonous.  Of course even if I did decide on a weekly menu; I often forgot or simply got too lazy and did not make the time to follow that menu plan by making out a healthy grocery shopping list.  

Even if I DID remember to do those two things; I would often leave the list at home and/or go buy all the wrong things at the grocery store. 

I MIGHT even occasionally get all of those things in order and plan and buy the groceries, and then get home to find out I need some special type of dish or container or cooking tool that I do not have on hand at the moment; and all my extra efforts would still be wasted. 

I think it is time to get organized with all of this in order to make life simpler and easier for all of us. 

I’ll tell you what I want to do; keep watching the AN APPLE A DAY blog articles during the last few weeks of February and the first few weeks of March.  (I'm posting these every Friday.)  I’m going to make all of this planning much easier for myself; and at the same time; I’m going to copy you with the very helpful results of all my efforts for free! 

Can you beat that deal? 

Here is the actual plan: 

1.  I’ll make an easy to follow list of healthy breakfast menus that are tasty and nutritious (30 days worth) and I’ll list all the groceries and special dishes needed.  All you will have to do is shop and prep the meals.  A lot of these foods will be the types of food you can actually eat on the run.  We will do a week of the breakfast menu just to get started and ease into this program. 

 2.  The next week, I’ll do the same thing for lunches that are tasty and healthy and can easily be carried to your work space every day.  By this point we will be doing the breakfast and lunch part of the plan.  We are building our healthy diets a little at a time so that we stick to the plan for the long haul.

3.  The next week I’ll do the same for easy at-home dinners that are totally healthy as well as fast and easy to prepare in the evenings.  You will now be preparing three healthy and nutritious meals a day for yourself and your family.  This is great progress!  In just three weeks we will have formed the habits of putting DAILY healthy meals into our lives, and it will be easy and not at all stressful.  It is simply a matter of what we discussed before; good organization and planning (and I will help a lot with the menus and the grocery lists.)    

4.  By the fourth week of our plan, when all of these 30 days worth of 3 meals a day are created; (90 meals in all for a 30 day menu;) I’ll combine all of the lists together into a whole 30 day’s worth of 3 meals a day menu plan for 30 days along with a weekly grocery list for your 3 meals a day for each week for one month.  You can simply use this 30 days plan over and over again each month.  No more grocery lists to make out, no more agonizing over what to cook!  

Now you have NO EXCUSE not to get your meals organized for cooking at home; nor do I.

All you will need to do in the end is shop and prepare.  It will only take you 2 and 1/2 hours a week and an hour a day total.  That's it!  The planning is done; so just pick one time-slot (and mark it down on that planner we discussed a few weeks ago) for a once-a-week grocery shopping trip and allow an hour for grocery shopping and half-an-hour for putting it all away in an organized manner.  Then set aside thirty minutes more each morning for meal prep to fix breakfast and lunches, and thirty minutes each evening for preparing dinner.  You will also need an hour once a week for cooking a few things ahead.  (Block that time on your calendar off too, so you will remember to keep the schedule.)  That is all that eating healthy is going to cost you; simply the price of your regular grocery bill that you are already spending, and routinely scheduling 2-1/2 hours each week for shopping and cooking ahead, plus an hour a day TOTAL for simple meal-time prep.    

Your health is worth it!  

This is simple and easy.  

You will not get bored because no meal plan is ever the same for 30 whole days.  You can just re-use this 30 day menu over and over again, adding your own adaptations for any unique needs as time goes by.  Because you will be using less meat and more fruit and vegetables and less pre-prepared items; your grocery bill may even be less.  That might be a bonus surprise to the fact that your waistline will be going down and your health quota will be increasing.

 

Just keep watching the blog if you want to join in with me on this little adventure toward organizing more healthy eating routines.

We can get our healthy eating organized in no time flat.  

The rest of this year will be dedicated to making these meals become very useful in our daily lifestyle.  In making up the menus, I’ll basically be following the healthy food plan I suggested several blogs back.  Here is the link to the blog post with those healthy eating plan details in order to refresh your memory:http://dancinginseason.blogspot.com/2016/07/an-apple-day-day-104-learning-lesson.html.

Just remember if you decide to follow the diet plan I referenced in the above linked article; that it calls for two meals a day spaced many hours apart. So, combine breakfast and lunch into one morning meal if you are following that plan of two meals a day spaced more hours apart.   If you are wanting to lose weight; I recommend you adhere to that plan.  If you are simply maintaining your current weight; you can be okay with eating the three meals and probably not gain any extra weight; but you will feel much better simply from eating the same foods.  You might want to re-read the whole previous post, then decide what your specific goals are.  

While you refresh your mind on these facts I will do all of the other hard work. Decide what stage of life you are in and do what works best for you in the area of how many meals a day to consume, but either combine breakfast and lunch into one morning meal with dinner much later, or eat three separate meals of breakfast, lunch and dinner at THE SAME TIMES each day.  

Stay tuned for an organized eating plan made easy and simple!  

We’ve all needed this forever and it is yours just for being a regular reader of my AN APPLE A DAY blog column.  

You could probably pay a lot of money somewhere else and get a similar less detailed plan; but why would you do that?   As a favor, I would kindly ask that you click on the G+ FOLLOW button right underneath my photo on the right-hand sidebar of this blog in order to follow these blog posts without missing any of the articles.  That will keep me from e-mailing over and over to those of you who miss a few blogs.  Besides; you get a lot more than AN APPLE A DAY posts when you subscribe; you get a whole week's worth of great articles; similar in fashion to a magazine you might pay a lot of money for in the store.  

The blog subscription is totally free - no strings attached.  I would simply like the credit of having the numbers of those subscribed to my blog increased in order to raise my popularity quota in the eyes of the editors that I submit freelance articles to.  So you WOULD be helping me out and thanks in advance!  I hope the process will be mutually satisfying for both of us.  

While you are at this task of subscribing to my IN SEASON BLOG; you might also enjoy reading many of my other daily posts.  In general the blog is about the things that carry all of us through the many varied seasons of life (hence the title; IN SEASON.)  I am a Christian, who often thinks Hebraic; so much of the blog is about the daily thoughts of a Christian woman trying to live life to the glory of God in-season and out-of-season through all the timely and seasonal activities that come and go daily with all the ups and downs of life in a Christian family.  

Keeping all of the above in mind; my daily posts work much like a magazine with articles broken down into certain subject categories which are usually posted in the following order each week: 

MONDAYS – MONDAY WEEKNIGHT MENUS:  Something I created with ordinary (not necessarily all healthy) menus on Monday nights just to make at-home meal planning, shopping and cooking a little easier for at least one night a week.  This was so successful; it sparked the above article in the organizational series you’ve just been reading.  Don't confuse these Monday night posts with our easy new diet plan.  This Monday column will continue to provide something easy and organized for people not wanting to plan their Monday night cooking chores; but it isn't as health oriented as what we are discussing today.

TUESDAYS – THE HOUSE DOCTOR:  A little column once a week to discuss making a house into a home.  I use my own personal experiences and share little stories about how we have loved, cared-for and remodeled our current home over the past twenty years, (a project that will probably never end) as well as telling the stories of others with the same heart for their home, who have shared their stories about creating their own homes with me.  The subjects have more heart than technique.  If I do anything with this column, I want to encourage people to have a heart for making a home.  I think that may be a major problem in our world today; people have forgotten how important this is to our daily living.   Hopefully I am able to relate some homemaking thoughts to everyone by passing on such stories and experiences.  This is NOT a decorating column; but more a "share your experiences " column and a “making a house a home” column.  The subject matter is very random, and a lot of it relates to the current season.

WEDNESDAYS AND SUNDAYS– SEASONS/PEN ART/PIECES OF THE PUZZLE:  
I randomly alternate writing about these three themes/subjects/categories in articles every Wednesday and Sunday.   Below is a brief description describing each:

I could post on any of these three subjects on Wednesdays or Sundays.

The SEASONS articles are all about holy days and holidays.  I am a non-denominational Christian; but I have a Hebraic heart; therefore I tend to keep the Holy Days from Exodus, Chapter 20 (not in a legalistic way, but in a loving, devoted way) and I also love all the regular seasonal and national holidays we observe here in America.  With the SEASONS articles; you will read my take on each new season as it approaches. I love to relate the seasonal themes to the daily seasons of our lives here on planet earth. 

The PEN ART articles are simply me sharing some of my literary leanings.  It could be random short stories, essays or poems that I’ve written on almost any random subject under the sun.  These articles could be by me or a guest author; or they could simply be me reviewing something that someone else has already written.  The one theme is that most all of it follows the current season of which it is published.  The "seasons" are what my blog evolves around, in many different ways; and this category conforms to that pattern too.

The PIECES OF THE PUZZLE articles are about deeper, more theological subjects that are not always discussed at length in the other blog posts of this blog.  It is full of my own personal thoughts as well as how I arrived at those thoughts.  I am not a theologian; but I DO have many theological thoughts and I’ve spent 50 years studying the scriptures with all of my heart.  I consume theological books like most people breathe; so you might find a few interesting facts here.  I can guarantee you they will not be run of the mill articles.  

THURSDAYS – COME AS A CHILD – This is an on-going weekly bible study where we are walking together all the way through the bible, page by page and verse by verse in narrative form with the fresh eyes of a child who has never heard the scriptures before. We aren't in a hurry.  We are taking our time to learn all we can and to soak up the goodness of God.   Here we are  discovering the wonderful treasures of life in The Kingdom of God through weekly chronological scripture studies.  As I post this note; we are most of the way through Exodus.

There have been 156 study lessons presented so far; and the next one will be number 157.  It might be fun for you to start from the beginning; but it isn't necessary that you do so.  If you wish to review what we have already done, just look all the way back to the year 2012 in the chronological postings on the side bars of the blog pages (the blog archives.)  The lessons have been posted every Thursday since 2012.

FRIDAYS:   AN APPLE A DAY – 365 DAYS TO A HEALTHIER LIFESTYLE – These are articles on maintaining and keeping a healthy lifestyle and they have all been written in easy, common, lay-man’s terms.  They speak of how to maintain that healthy lifestyle that we all desire.  You are following this column today.  These are practical, common sense facts that are usually given from a biblical and/or Christian worldview.  I am NOT a medical doctor; I'm just an ordinary person, like you, who wants to live my life to be as healthy as possible.  This is a blog where we can all do that together and support one another as we go along the journey toward better over all  health.

SATURDAYS – OH THE PLACES WE SHOULD GO –  Everyone needs a little fun and activity every week in order to lead a healthy lifestyle!  Isn't that why we are doing all of these things to start with?  This column is part of how I feel God rewards us in life; with interesting places to go and fun things to do together. This is my way of finding those fun parts of life by exploring the obscure little corners of my part of the world with good friends and loving family and writing about what we discovered in these places.  

These articles are about traveling to the sometimes not so well known and off-the-beaten-path places in the South; and sometimes even further.   Here I share the amazing little details of all the small and large places that I have personally visited and experienced and appreciated.  

I love small towns; yet I also enjoy busy, active, alive and growing cities.  I’m not into the exotic; but I'm more into traditional, family oriented, laid-back, home-town types of places to visit and travel. I happen to believe some of the best places exist right under our noses, usually only a few minutes from our own homes; if we just take the time to explore and discover all the wonder of our own communities.  

I am also fascinated with travel from a “seasonal” and “historical” point of view.  So you may find my “travel” articles are not full of the usual touristy words; but they tend to be more down-to-earth, yet very informative; and I try to show people fun and enjoyable places that they haven't seen before that are actually affordable for the average family and even sometimes offer history lessons.

So; I hope that explains my blog a bit; and I hope you click that G+" “follow” button right under my photo on the right, because this freelance writer could sure use a lot more followers to impress all of those statistical people I deal with day-in and day-out.  The blessing for you will be that you will never miss another one of my daily blog posts; and I highly recommend sharing them with friends and family whenever you hit on a subject that you think they will find interesting.

Okay - Now I’m off to make out those menus!  Check in again next week (or have fun reading all the other blog posts with the time I'm going to save you!)

OH THE PLACES WE SHOULD GO - THE PERFECT GETAWAY FOR VALENTINE'S DAY

GORHAM'S BLUFF - PISGAH, ALABAMA

(Article written by Sheila Gail Landgraf)

  Looking for a very romantic getaway for Valentine’s Day?  Top of my list would be Gorham’s Bluff in Pisgah, Alabama.  The drive seems to take forever, but anticipation is a good factor in romantic getaways!  You will not be disappointed when you arrive.  This is a beautiful hideaway. 

Maybe you have been thinking of a romantic dinner you would love to make your loved one.  What better place to make it than the two-bedroom cottage located at the bluff?  It is about as cozy as you can get.  Light a fire, pour your loved one a glass of wine (bring your own – Gorham’s Bluff is located in a dry county), and start cooking in the great little kitchen of this sweet cozy little cottage.  Be sure to shop ahead and bring your groceries with you because when they say get-away; they mean get-away.  You will not wish to leave the area until you start home.  Pick up some pretty flowers for your honey when you buy those groceries and arrange them on the table when you serve your elegant dinner.  She will never forget!

I would highly recommend spending at least two nights.  Be very lazy and sleep late.  Make a leisurely breakfast and drink your coffee overlooking that famous bluff in the back yard. 

Bring a few romantic novels in your suitcase as well as a few romantic comedy movies to watch on the dvd player inside the cottage, but don’t spend too much time inside; the area is great for hiking and long leisurely romantic strolls.  At night star gazing is the best way to pass the time.  Be sure to take an old blanket so you can make a pallet on the grounds and look up into the sky.   Way out of the city like this the stars are so bright and beautiful that you will feel like you can reach up and touch them.  Dress warm though – after all it is February….and you are sitting on top of a bluff where the wind is stronger.

Sunrise and sunset have never been framed in a more beautiful setting.  Be sure to catch at least one of each while you are there.  If you don’t want to cook the whole time – the chef at The Lodge nearby is excellent and you can make dinner reservations by calling the Lodge.  I’ve heard his Valentine’s meals are creative and very romantic.  Take your own choice of your favorite wine to the desk at the Lodge and he will chill and have ready for you when you dine.

So go ahead and make plans for this excellent little escape – you will not regret it.  If you can’t make it for Valentine’s Day, there are still 364 other days of the year to enjoy Gorham’s Bluff.   Drive up for the day and take a tour, plan one of their special events or just make dinner reservations.  You do not have to be a guest of the cottages or the Lodge to dine.  

It is not too far away and it is not too crowded, and it is still (except for scheduled public events)  rather hidden from the public’s attention.  The history of the area is also quite interesting.  Here is a little bit to tuck inside your hat and share with your loved one as you scroll the lovely grounds:

In 1892 W.B. Gorham was deeded eighty acres of land by the US Government.  At that time Mr. Gorham was more fondly known by the locals as “Uncle Billy.”  Uncle Billy was a Confederate veteran who built his family a remote lean-to shack in a very isolated and lonely place on the bluff.  It was so lonely that his wife and children later decided to move back down to the valley where there were a few more people.  Uncle Billy, however; continued to live in isolation.  He spent his time growing strawberries, playing his fiddle and feeding himself well with the money he received from his soldier 's pension.

About one hundred years after Uncle Billy owned the land, it was purchased by a family named McGriff.  The McGriffs loved gathering their extended family together and having picnics at one of the huge rocks on the bluff. They called this pretty little area Picnic Rock.  In 1992 the McGriff’s decided they would like to share the area with others if they could think of a way to do so without distracting from the natural beauty of the land.  They came up with an idea for a fully integrated holistic community.  A Florida neighborhood called "Seaside" was inspirational to the McGriffs as they formed their first ideas for sharing their land.    A real estate agent from Seaside, Chris Kent, introduced the McGriff’s to an architect from New Orleans named Lloyd Vogt.  Mr. Vogt sat down and shared his ideas with the McGriff’s.  In their conversations he spelled out the qualities he thought defined the best of neighborhoods.  These qualities incorporated a seamless interlacing of history, culture and architecture.   Keeping these defining thoughts in mind, the group sketched out a town plan.  This is how the dream began to form for the future of a place now known as Gorham’s Bluff.

One of the first areas to be completed was the outdoor Amphitheater The lovely open-air theater sits on the edge of the bluff.  Existing trees and rock outcroppings were incorporated into the design of the natural and artistic structure.  Today audiences can enjoy a performance while at the same time enjoying the amazing view.  The outdoor amphitheater now fills up regularly with great performing artists from all over the country.  If you are interested in performing yourself you can rent the venue - just call (256) 451-8439 and speak with the Innkeeper at The Lodge.  Just keep in mind that the amphitheater closes by 11 p.m. 

Construction started on the first home of the development during the summer of 1993.  Mr. Vogt gave each home the signature look of the town.  They all contained front porches, tower rooms, scenic views, and natural surroundings.  You may purchase one of these homes if you want; just contact Gorham's Bluff Realty.

In 1994 construction began on The Lodge.  This lovely building opened to the public in 1995. There have been a steady stream of happy guests lodging in the pristine serenity of this place since that first day.  It is a wonderful place for conferences, reunions and weddings.  There are public events scheduled often that you would love to enjoy for a weekend.

Three years after the building of the Lodge

 another interesting structure was added.  It was the former 1938 Pisgah High School schoolhouse where the McGriff’s had attended high school.  The building was to be torn down in order to build a new more modern one, and the McGriffs decided to move the old building to Gorham’s Bluff.  It now stands in the heart of the land with a new roof on top and new bricks on the outside and has become a community arts and activities center.  

There is a lovely mixture of the old and the new, and it all works quite well. 

Adjacent to the old school/new community arts and activities center is The Gorham’s Bluff Meeting House, which was completed in 2001 and designed by  Lloyd Vogt.   The Meeting House has cathedral ceilings and floor to ceiling windows.  The building has excellent acoustics.  It is a perfect place for meetings, performances, and workshops.  There is also a bi-weekly nondenominational church meeting held here.

As the little town began to grow people bought lots and built houses.  The true mission of the property and community began to take shape and grow.  From early on the mission of the community has been to promote arts and cultural activities in the area.  A non-profit institute was formed to promote local artist and to give the people living in this region art that they might not have otherwise experienced.  The Meeting House became the stage for theater, concerts, dance and other artistic performances. 

One of the first performances, held at the Amphitheater, was the production of a play called “Foxfire.”  This Hume Cronyn play was directed by Joe Warfield, a New York University professor, in the summer of 1994.   Next was the Gerhart Chamber Music Festival.  The Institute began bringing in top-notch classical musicians and established their signature annual event called Concert under the Stars.  This event serves a gourmet meal for 200 guests and doles out amazing performances by world class musicians.  The people of the area love this annual midsummer bluff side evening. 

Soon The Alabama Ballet became interested in Gorham’s Bluff and established a week long summer dance residency on the premises.  At the time they had the idea to bring some of their talent to the community there was no place for them to rehearse and perform.  They improvised with an open tent/stage set near the bluff.  The tent was located near a great outdoor space for setting up tables and serving gourmet meals to the audiences during their performances.  This was a very successful idea.  The tent coupled with the intimacy of the bluff side panoramic view created a one of a kind experience for both the dancers and their audiences. 

Soon the Institute incorporated a Storytelling Festival into its growing schedule of events.  The power of the story and the spoken word of the narrative were brought forth by some renowned and amazing storytellers.  This success soon led to the formation of ARTSACCESS, the Institute’s arts-education outreach.  Storytellers started visiting public schools and held assemblies and workshops with visiting dancers and musicians.  Local libraries also began to participate.  This has greatly improved the exposure to various art forms in the education of school children in the area.

In 2001 the community held a charrette (an intense, focused architectural planning session.)  They decided to consult with Mr. Steve Mouzon of Mouzon And Associates, Architects; a traditional Town Planner in Huntsville, AL.  Mr. Mouzon took on the role of Gorham’s Bluff's Town Architect, and the town hosted 75 like-minded “souls” who were all believers of the Traditional Neighborhood movement.   These people moved in for awhile and were compensated only with four meals a day and a place to sleep.  The group consisted of a full list of impressive architects, planners, developers, writers, educators, etc.  In this 48 hour charrette the various artist sketched and talked and illustrated the ideas presented by the community.  Mouzon put it all together in one package and took the presentation to the Congress of New Urbanism’s 9^th Annual Conference in New York.    That conference provided a roundtable of feedback for the community to consider. 

Four significant revisions were identified and recommended:

1)     A new concept for Main Street that would  redirect the street so that the school’s “signature” cupola is the focal point as you approach downtown from either direction with the larger homes giving way to cozier two-story homes on smaller lots to make Main Street a more viable option for young professionals and families.

2)    A plan to move the elder residences closer to the center of the town, underlining the town’s desire to be a fully inter-generational community.  The services and amenities that were generally included in independent and assisted living centers (restaurants, hair salons, libraries, clothing and retail) would be expanded to serve the entire town, with the elder residences closest to all of them.

3)    It was decided to scrap; the idea to dam up the branch on the east side of town and turn that area into a place called “Shepard Park.”  The park preserves the meandering creek, leaves the forest and creates a play area for kids.  Some Birmingham architects, Jeff Dungan and Louis Nequette, were hired to design the Shepard Park Tree House, and it was built in 2002.  This is one of the favorite places for people to gather with their children. 

4)    It was decided to design an open air performance center at the crest of downtown Gorham’s Bluff.  The plan was changed to include a quad of artists and student residences as well as a black box theatre. 

From 2003 – 2007 the Institute moved to year round programs of small events utilizing the Amphitheater and the Meeting House.  They also began to offer community arts workshops.  They continued to bring art educational opportunities for local schools, but encouraged the schools to come to the bluff instead of the bluff going to the schools. 

So now the bluff has evolved into a thriving community of artist and educators who have built on the land and are living in the community.  They are always eager to share their art and teach something new.

If this sounds interesting to you, check the schedule of events on the blog located at www.gorhamsbluff.com  and see which event you need to sign up for.

The art I would chose to indulge in here is the art of the written word.  This would be a wonderful place for any aspiring author to retreat away into the quiet and natural beauty.  One could write for hours at a time, with refreshing breaks in between each session.  You could stroll the grounds, take in some great concerts in the evenings, hike or swim, or maybe even participate in a storytelling workshop or two. 

There is an elegant southern style restaurant at The Lodge, you would not have to drive off the property to be well fed.  Evenings are quite a treat with candlelight and a four course meal

This spectacular retreat perches on a stately ridge hundreds of feet above the mighty Tennessee River.  It has one of the most delightful views I’ve ever seen, totally surrounded by natural beauty.   You can gaze at the luscious landscape and take in the dazzling river below the ridge from your own comfortable chair off of your lodge room’s private porch or from the windows inside your luxurious guest quarters.  There is a lovely large Gazebo behind the Lodge. 

Anywhere you care to be or go in this area contains some type of amazingly beautiful view.  It is a very scenic way to start the day while having your morning coffee.  

This scenic bluff along a mountain ridge with a river running through it has more history than Uncle Billy and the McGriffs.  It is also known as the long ago land of the Cherokee Indians, who were also drawn to the magic of the bluff.   Every time we visit this place I remember that  my great grandmother was a Cherokee,  and I always wonder if any of the Cherokee ancestors from my own family might have roamed these grounds years before I was ever born.   

You can visit Gorham's Bluff any time you wish.  Just call The Lodge ahead of time to make your reservations for a room at The Lodge or to rent one of the guest houses on the property for your family or group of friends.  

I will warn you though, if you go, you just might want to stay forever.    

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COME AS A CHILD LESSON 156 GOD'S PLANS FOR THE LAMPSTAND

BUILDING THE LAMPSTAND FOR THE SANCTUARY OF THE TABERNACLE
(Written by Sheila Gail Landgraf)

God instructed Moses on how he was to make the Lampstand for the wilderness tabernacle.  

It was to be made of pure gold. The base was to be hammered out, and the shaft was to be hammered out. It was to have flower-like cups, buds and blossoms made of one piece.  Six branches were to extend from the sides of the Lampstand – three on one side, and three on the other. Three cups shaped like almond flowers with buds and blossoms were to be on one branch, three on the next branch, and it was to be the same for all six branches extending from the Lampstand.   On the Lampstand there were to be four cups shaped like almond flowers with buds and blossoms.  One bud should be under the first pair of branches extending from the Lampstand, a second bud under the second pair, and a third bud under the third pair – six branches in all.  The buds and branches should all be of one piece with the Lampstand, hammered out of pure gold. 

Seven lamps were to be made for this Lampstand.  The seven lamps were to set upon the Lampstand and be used to light the space in front of it.  The wick trimmers and trays were to be made of pure gold. A talent of pure gold was to be used for the Lampstand and all of these accessories.  

God instructed Moses to be very careful to make all of this exactly like the pattern that He showed him.  Nothing was to be altered or changed.   Everything was to be done exactly as God had instructed.  

This beautiful Lampstand is very symbolic, and we have so much to learn from this one magnificent piece of furniture placed to the left of the Holy Place.  

One of the best books I've ever read about this Lampstand was written by Dr. John D. Garr, Ph.D.   The book is titled "God's Lamp, Man's Light - Mysteries of the Menorah."  I highly recommend that every person on earth purchase this book and read it.  I have no ties and am not personally affiliated with the author; I am just am a witness to the great significance of this Lampstand of which he does a beautiful job of describing.  Dr. Garr's book goes into greater detail than we could ever do justice in such a short blog article.   His description is the best description and interpretation of the Lampstand I have ever read; and I have read many. 

There are also mysteries in the scriptures relating to the Menorah in the wilderness tabernacle.  These things too are amazing and detailed.  I cannot go into all of them here; but I recommend that you do some reading of your own from the works of other biblical scholars who go deeper into this subject.  It is all truly fascinating and deep and you could fill volumes and volumes of books on this subject of the Menorah alone.  That is not my intention today; so this will be a very brief and to the point description of The Lampstand, so that we may go on with our story of Moses in the Exodus.  Do understand though, that the Lampstand is very, very significant to the people of God.    Also understand that we will be touching on some more of this subject as we go along.  This is only an introduction to the things within the wilderness tabernacle.  There are pieces of vital information concerning these very important elements of worship scattered all the way through the holy scriptures that will come alive to us as we study more and more of God's word together.

So; in spite of the difficulty of explaining so much truth in such a brief space; I will attempt to touch on some of the most relevant points of  the subject of The Lampstand.  I am humbled to even share this subject; and I fear saying too much about such holy things that could be misinterpreted if not spoken with great care.  I would rather say too little than add or subtract from the truth.  As usual, I stand in awe of the wonderful way God teaches us through both sacred objects and ordinary things in life.

So let's explore the mysteries of the Menorah.  What are the answers to "who," "what," "when," "why," and "where" regarding this subject.  

Who?

The Lampstand of the Menorah clearly represents Christ, as The Most High Priest of God.

You can see the importance of One in the design of this Lampstand.  Everything is hewn out of one solid piece of gold.   It reminds us of the Oneness of Christ with God the Father.  This is what qualifies Him to be The Most High Priest.

There are seven lamps that work together to provide the light from the Menorah.  The main piece providing light in the middle of the Menorah (The Lampstand) represents Christ, and it holds and offers the greatest light.  All of the other light is made possible through the oil that originally flows from this one great  light.  Six other lamps are fed by the oil of olive leaves  that pour out into and flow from the center of the Lampstand.  These six lamps represent those who follow Christ.  There are three on one side and three on the other side. Could those represent the Old Testament and the New Testament Christians?  I am not sure; but that is a thought to ponder.   

The number six is always representative of the humanity of mankind.  When we think of the six branches connecting to the Lampstand in the center we are reminded of the words of Christ when He told us in John 15:5 "I am the vine, you are the branches."   The rest of Christ's words in this passage clearly emphasize His place as our Most High Priest, standing ever before the Throne of God to make intercession for our souls.  He said "If you remain in Me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing."  Without the Lampstand in the center the branches of the Menorah would have been totally useless.  They can only bear light out into the darkness if they are connected to the center of the Lamp.  This reminds us of how Christ makes us complete.  If you add 1 to 6 you get the number seven; the total number of the lights.  Without the One the other six would not be complete and could not function properly.  The number seven always stands for completeness.  God completed the six days of creation with the seventh day - and this was the most holy part of the creation week.  God completed the creation of mankind by sending His beloved Son to live as one of us; and that is what makes our lives sacred and holy.  Because of the seventh light, the other six are useful to the work of The Kingdom of God.  

It was the Most High Priest who could go into The Holy of Holies and come before the Presence of God who rested over the Mercy Seat of the Ark in  the wildernessTabernacle.  The Lampstand provided the light to see the way into this area.  Without Christ, this would not be possible for anyone.  If a man entered improperly; he would die.  So it is with our souls who must be covered with Christ before entering before the Throne of God.  

The oil comes from the oil that flows from the center (Christ) and the oil of the great Lampstand represents the presence of The Holy Spirit.  All of the other lights, receive the oil that makes their light from the center (The Lampstand.)     This is symbolic of the fact that without the foundation of Christ in our lives; we have no access to God's Holy Spirit.

The six branches and/or lights; the ones on each side of the center light, stand for those who have followed and been associated with Christ throughout the ages (The True Church), or in other words, this section of the lamp stands for how God's people are connected to God through Christ as The Most High Priest of God.  He is the One who IS the Lampstand in the center of the Menorah, and the whole lamp works together to shine out God's glory to illuminate the darkness.   As each individual light shines out together with the others through the oil from  the largest light in the center; they have stories to tell; stories that bring glory to God The Father.

You must distinguish The Lampstand from the whole Menorah.  The Lampstand is the center that holds everything together (Christ) and  there are branches on the sides (God's People) holding lamps that hold oil. The whole Menorah represents and symbolizes God's Kingdom at work together with Jesus acting as The Most High Priest, The Holy Spirit flowing from Christ and  indwelling the people who should be living like lamps that are not hidden; shinning their light out into the world.

So you see, this Menorah in the Sanctuary is so much more than a mere functional light fixture in a room.  It is a beautiful piece of art designed and conceived from God, and it represents so much more than any human artist could ever portray.    

The ancient Israelites actually called the light from the Menorah “ner Elohim” or “The Lamp of God.”   Can you see how "The Lamp of God" would be Jesus Christ acting as our Most High Priest? 

King David identified with this “Lamp of God” in the psalms that he sang, using the words; “He wraps Himself in light as with a garment.”   David was speaking of  the beautiful illustration of God through Christ that we see represented in the Menorah.  (Psalm 104:2)  .  

It was also David who spoke of The Lamp of God being a “lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.”  He was speaking of this Lampstand that connects to the lamps of the Menorah in the Tabernacle.  Christ being "The Word Of God" represents Torah as well as representing the role of our Most High Priest.  He IS the Living Word of God.  His words are direction for our souls.  David received instruction for life from the Holy Scriptures in Torah.  Even before the Messiah had come David knew these words contained The Words of Life.  

No matter how dark the human condition becomes; just one ray of light from this “Lamp of God” is said to dispel the darkness and bring clarity and purpose into our world.  This marvelous Lampstand is said to mark the pathway to The Tree of Life.  (Isa. 35:8) 

We know  that Jesus Christ is “the way.”  The Glory of God is fully revealed in Jesus Christ.  Jesus became known as “The Light Of The World.”  Through this light, in the living, dying, rising and giving of His life, mankind has been illuminated and brought into the Divine Presence of God.  John 8:12 speaks of this:  “I am the light of the world, he that follows me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.”

The significance of this Lampstand of God started at the very moment of creation when the voice of God said; “Let there be Light.”  Light came into the nothingness of total darkness and the universe began with glorious light, seen for the first time ever.   

Many see the significance of the six branches and their lamps representing the first six days of creation and the seventh, the middle branch (the Lampstand) being representative of the seventh day; the Sabbath.

As the universe was born into light and time went on, light became equated with knowledge and wisdom.  The Light of God shone from the Lampstand and gave meaning to the whole universe and everything that made up life.

So in this we see the who.  It is Christ, our Creator, Our Savior, Our Beloved, Our Most High Priest.  Way before he came as a man, His presence was there before the Glory of God in the tabernacle in the wilderness.  He was showing types and shadows of what was to come later to provide a way for man and God to be together forever.  

What?

That is the "Who" of The Lampstand;  but now let’s look at the "What." Just what was the main purpose of the Lampstand?  

It seems The Lampstand's primary purpose was to connect mankind with God, then help them to shine God's light out into the universe.  This giving of "light" and illumination was achieved through the pouring of the oil into the lamps causing a holy fire that illumined the way to the Tree of Life.   Christ has made this possible.  Through Him, all believers have The Holy Spirit living inside of them.  Through Him and those living in Him a light has come into the darkness and the darkness has been overcome.  

Notice how the Menorah is tree-shaped.  This is not coincidence.  The shape of the Menorah with the branches coming from the central stem is clearly patterned after a tree.  It was clear to the Israelites that the Menorah represented The Tree of Life.   We can see a repeat of this symbolized from the burning bush and we can see another repeat of this in Aaron's (The High Priest of Israel) staff, the one that God used in the deliverance from Pharaoh.  

The LORD chose to decorate the Menorah with almond cups from the almond tree and he used the almond blossoms that are very beautiful to behold.  Most people think that the staff that Aaron used to perform the signs and wonders from God was made from the branch of an almond tree.  We will study a time in the wilderness study later when Aaron's staff budded, produced flowers and almonds overnight.  We now know this was symbolic of the power of the Resurrection of Christ, and this is symbolized in the design of this Lampstand.

So we see that the main purpose of the Menorah was to shine God's light out into the universe so that it could reach and unite men's souls to God through Christ as the center, and all of these together could form the structure of The Kingdom of God and reflect God's Glory to the world.  For the Israelites this meant becoming a holy nation under God.  They were the shadow of the coming of God's Kingdom in the hearts and souls of mankind.  

When?

So we have seen "who" and we know "what" but now we ask "when."  

When will the message of God's Lampstand be most significant?  There are many time periods in history where the Lampstand is extremely significant.  For Israel and all of the people living in the Old Testament days The Lampstand representing the Most High Priest represented the promise of a coming Messiah.  For us on the other side of the cross; it represents the Second Coming of Christ.

All of this light points to a future time where we, through Christ our Savior will obtain the right to eternal life through the blessings of The Tree of Life.  If you read Revelation 22:14 you will hear “they who do His commandments have a right to the tree of life.”  The Menorah becomes most significant to us when we are following the commandments and when we come to the time of the revealing of The Tree of Life; those who have followed the commandments, or have been given mercy from their sins and have turned to living out the commandments because of Christ; they will be allowed to taste of The Tree of Life.  This “when” will be an eternal “when.” 

Why?

So we know the "who," and the "what" and the "when;" and now we seek the answers to the "why."   Why did God chose to place the Lampstand inside The Holy Place in the wilderness tabernacle and why is everything about the Menorah so significant?  

Well, if the Menorah stands for Christ and the reflection of the light of God living from within the souls of mankind who have Jesus Christ living within their hearts; what could matter more?  

Is there possibly even more that we should recognize?  

The blending of the tree motif and the fire in the design of the Menorah is very significant in that it is the Light of God, that eternal fire from the burning bush that Moses first saw that connects these two together – the divine and the human.  Do the flames coming from the lamps not remind you of the flames of fire from the Day of Pentecost?   

The burning bush drew the human man, Moses, to the divine being; God.  This was the beginning of the  connection that God wished to make with those He loves.  He does not desire to see our sin when He looks upon us; He desires to see our goodness.  The light of the Menorah reveals all things.  God sees us in this light for who we are; unless we are covered in the blood of Jesus.  If God sees this covering in the pure, clean, light of the Menorah, He will only see the evidence of His most Beloved Son, our Most High Priest and Holy Intercessor.    He will love and cherish us because He loves and cherishes the Son who died for us. So one reason for the light of the Menorah is that the light of the Menorah reveals who we really are.  God either sees us standing in Christ, or He sees us standing in our sins.  The light of Christ reveals everything that is true.  This is one reason why the Menorah is so very significant.  

There are many, many more reasons as to "why" God chose to place this Lampstand in the wilderness tabernacle; the biggest reason is that it shadows the role of Christ as our Most High Priest.  

Where?

We have answered the questions of "who," "what," "when," and "why;" now we must answer the question of  "where:"

It is significant to notice where the Menorah is placed.  It is stratigically placed where the light will shine in the most needed areas so that those who are working in the tabernacle can find their way around and see what is most important to their mission.  It is there to dispell the darkness.  God gives us His light so that we can give Him the Glory.  His light shows us the way to all that we need to know.  

And after all of these significant facts, you might ask where the original Lampstand now resides?  That is a good question.  No on knows the answer to where the actual, physical golden Lampstand is at this present moment.  

We can only know the answer to where the One it stands for is.  He is at the right hand of God in Heaven, ever interceding for our souls before God the Father.  He is receiving our prayers and answering our prayers through The Holy Spirit, giving light to our days and forever shinning hope into our hearts.