THREE GIRLS OUT ON THE TOWN MAY, JUNE, JULY 2013

Well, I’ve been on a sabbatical from technology for a few weeks (actually months), and I’m a bit behind on writing about the once a month gathering of THREE GIRLS OUT ON THE TOWN.  Don’t worry, we haven’t gone away!

I have to tell you though, April and May were tough months for us.  June found us holding on, and July found us having gone through many storms, trials and tribulations and we are still in the process of coming out on the other side.  August will surely find us looking forward to Fall and a more peaceful, less stressful season than what we've been through this summer.  I've begun to think of this summer as a time of teaching and transition.  God is teaching us how to thrive in the midst of troubles and how to survive the hard places of life in this season of living in America.  We know we are not alone.  The whole country is suffering, yet hoping for better days to come.  Only in America will you find the spirit of survival and the need to thrive in the midst of troubled times so alive.   God is making deep friendships valuable and golden as we walk through these paths together.  I am so thankful for my life-long friends.    We have all vowed that no matter how tough times get, we will always find a way to gather together and enjoy each other's company. 

We never want to call off our time together, but we did call off our April gathering and for a very good reason.  We usually say to call off our gathering, it must be a matter of life or death.  It was.  My dear friend TC’s brother Mickey died quickly and unexpectedly, leaving a whole town morning over his absence in their lives. 

Mickey was dearly loved by all, and I was not a bit surprised to find the town’s whole football team dressed and sitting together at his funeral.  They were the pall-bearers, and the stories they had to tell really grabbed at your heartstrings.  Mickey was a legend for this small town's football activities.  Mickey was legend for all the good things about life.  Everything he did spoke a testimony of God and what is good and right.  Mickey loved sports and people.  He had given much time and effort to the care of the local football team and coaching staff of his community.  I don't mean he helped out a little, no; Mickey made this his life's work.  So many people were touched by the love and care that Mickey put into everything.  It wasn't just about the sport, Mickey did things that changed people's lives.  He was always there for anyone who needed a friend.  Football season will not be the same without him there to keep everyone organized and ready.  But it isn't just the football team that will miss him; it is a whole community of loving family and friends that were blessed every time he walked into the room. 

The legend that Mickey left behind will live on.    

Bucket and I held TC’s hand through it all, and we wished there was more we could do for her.  We mourn for her loss and pray for her comfort each passing day. 

When God closes a door He always opens a window.  The beautiful spark of happiness that kept us all glued together over these last few months of hard times was the arrival of TC’s new grandson, Hunter.  Hunter is an adorable bundle of joy!  We are so excited to see him enter this world and bless us with his presence! I'm so happy that TC has this beautiful family to surround her and make her smile every day.  We love all the pics she now shares with us of Hunter and all of his adventures. 

Hunter is a reminder from God to us that life goes on.  Morning turns to dancing.  The gift of life brings it's abundance and we are so thankful for every minute we experience.   This seems to be how deep friendships thrive, life and death happen, and we continue moving together in God's grace and love.  We hurt and we heal and we love again, each time stronger and stronger.  God always brings us through to the sunrise when we hold on through the night.

The month of May found the three of us gathering at The Olive Garden for some good Italian Food. 

We were all so glad to be getting together, however, we had another life and death situation going on in May. A beautiful child was experiencing the terror of the horrid disease of cancer. All three of us had been praying for a long time for a little boy named Thomas Sullivan who lived in Bucket’s home town.  Thomas had been bravely fighting cancer for a long time, and it was a little after we gathered together in May that his brave battle ended. 

Our prayers were only a small part of the many who had heard the story of Thomas and had daily been lifting up petitions for this dear child and his beautiful family.  The whole town where Bucket lived came out in full force to support Thomas and his family.  They came along with many others who drove for miles and miles to offer comfort and do whatever they could to help this family get through the grief of losing their precious son.  Thomas's nickname was “Superman.”  He truly lived up to the name in every way.  His battle with the horrible disease of cancer was heroic.  His story touched so many and changed so many lives.  His family still honors him with a website where they are now sharing their journey of recovering from the grief of losing Thomas until the time they meet again in Heaven.  You may wish to view this site at:  "Prayers for Thomas Sullivan.com."  The stories and the things that are shared in his honor are amazing and uplifting.

Bucket’s daughter, Katie, had a heart for Thomas's cause.  She coordinated a lot of events that helped this very lovable family.  We all watched and prayed with them day after day after day.  They had the eyes of people from all over the world on them, lifting them up before God, hoping for healing for Thomas.  He was a very brave little boy.  He seemed to love people so much, and people definitely loved him back.   

The discussion at The Olive Garden was mostly about our hopes for this family and our prayers for Thomas and our concern over how Katie would take it if God decided different than our requests for healing and took Thomas to be with him in Heaven.  We knew time was short.  We met at The Olive Garden right before the announcement of his trip to Heaven.    It seemed that Katie’s love and concern for this little fellow had changed her whole focus in life.  She had taken all the negative energy she once carried around and turned it into something very positive in rallying people to be aware and support Thomas.  It was a beautiful thing to see the two of them together.  It was a beautiful thing to see Katie's face light up with love when she spoke of her "little hero."  Our friend TC was still mourning the loss of her dear brother, and she had a lot to tell us about how wonderful the community had been in honoring his life.  I was also in a state of concern for my Dad who is battling Parkinson's disease and my Mom who is such a faithful care-giver for him.  We all had heavy things going on, but we were determined to cheer one another up and keep moving toward hope and joy.

 

So it was with mixed emotions that we tasted the great Italian fare offered up at The Olive Garden. 

The food was all good and delicious. 
Good food always helps to lift the spirits! 

I wanted a little taste of everything – so I ordered the Tour of Italy which allowed me to taste the homemade lasagna, the breaded chicken parmigiana and the creamy fettuccine alfredo.  Quite delicious! 

TC ordered the Greek Chicken Salad and it looked very tasty. 

Bucket tried the Chicken Marsala and pronounced it very good. 

No one was disappointed in their food.  We all enjoyed our meals.  Our salads were good with freshly grated cheese shredded at the table.   The service was good; and our waiter even put up with the fact that I was about 45 minutes late!  TC and Bucket were not as polite to me as the waiter.  I’ll never do it again!  My explanation would only bore you, so I’ll leave it to your imagination.

We will go to The Olive Garden again.  We all decided next time maybe we should just enjoy a coffee and dessert, because their desserts all looked good, but we were too stuffed to be tempted after our meal in May. 

One bright spot in our May conversations was hearing Bucket's stories about her vacation in North Carolina.  She had visited several of the Carolina beach towns which were the settings for some of the  Nicholas Sparks novels.  Nicholas Sparks just happens to be one of my heroes, and one of the greatest writers that ever lived.  We all LOVE his novels and the movies that have been made about them.  It was fun to hear from Bucket how all of the scenes and places looked in real life.  Of course, I think she would have had more fun if she had taken TC and I along.....LOL.  Maybe next time!  I've always wanted to tour these coastal towns, I've thought about that for a long time now.  I actually remembered telling Bucket this several years ago.  I'm so glad my friend got the opportunity to do this, and it was fun to share the stories of her adventures.  Maybe next time TC and I WILL tag along. 

At the end of our evening in May, TC surprised Bucket and I with the gift of a copy of the latest Rachael Houck novel “Once Upon A Prince.”  This brought forth screams of delight. (We all did go to school together, and occasionally we revert back to those silly school girl ways.)  I think a few heads turned outside The Olive Garden as we screamed with joy at the sight of the newest Rachel Houck novel!  It would be very accurate to say that we are definitely hooked on Rachael Houck’s writings thanks to TC; and we can’t get enough of them.  I'm still loving the last one; "The Wedding Dress."  She is an awesome writer and this new book is the beginning of a Royal Wedding Series.  So far we've read several of her series, and each of them have been so good!  We left our visit anxious to begin turning the pages of the new novel.

By June we had all read every page. and were still living out the story in our imaginations when we gathered together at La Paz.  It was fun discussing the lively characters of the book that we loved reading.  We all felt like we had visited with each one of them in person.     We agreed this last book was yet another outstanding effort from one of our favorite authors.  We were glad to hear it was the first of a series of three.  This gave us something else to look forward to in the future.  So,.....lots of happy talk about the novel went around the table as we met at La Paz. 

None of us had eaten at La Paz before.  We were not disappointed.  La Paz is a great place for casual Mexican Food with a good upbeat atmosphere.  The name means “peace.”  Their margaritas were very good.  I ordered the Barbeque Quesadilla Platter and found it enjoyable.   TC had the Beef Fajitas and they looked very tasty.  Bucket ordered the California Club Wrap which was also proclaimed delicious. 

The place was cheerful, and tastefully decorated with not-so-typical Mexican decor.  One unique feature was a huge chalk board that anyone could leave a message on.  It was a bit novel, and some of the messages we read were interesting.  We didn't write, maybe another day.

That June night, we all had the family of Thomas Sullivan on our minds.  Little Thomas had gone to heaven between this gathering and our last one. 

TC and I inquired about Katie.  We knew she would taking this very hard.  God had answered our prayers for her, because Katie had come out of the experience stronger.  Of course she was sad and misses her little buddy very much.  Her concern for this little family is on-going.  Never have we ever known of a funeral for such a young child having such an impact on a community.  The whole town rallied around the Sullivan’s. 

The fire department carried Thomas’s casket to his grave.  The life support helicopters hovered over the beginning of the service in tribute.  People floated balloons across the sky.  So many people came to say “good journey” to Thomas, and to pay their respects to his beloved family.  The church was packed out and motorcycles led the way for the procession. 

God was definitely there.  So many received Christ as their Savior that day.  We all know Thomas was watching from Heaven and would have been delighted.  Katie rededicated her life to God.  I could tell that my friend Bucket had made a few new vows too.  It seemed to be a serious, moving, mile marking day in the history of the earth.  There was not a soul in the town that wasn’t touched by this precious child who lived in such love and was such a SUPERMAN example to all of us.   We were thankful for the little time on earth that Thomas was granted.  We will all be offering up many prayers for the peace and comfort for Thomas’s family in the future.  Bucket and Katie continue to share in the worship services of this hometown church every week.  They speak of stories that paint the picture of God's kingdom.  It is encouraging. 

Our little June gathering ended on a happy note with TC showing us the cutest new pictures of Hunter.  He is growing every day!  TC is one proud grandmother!  We loved seeing the photos of Hunter with big brother Kaiden.  They were adorable together.

We left with the thoughts of meeting at J. Alexander’s in July.  We had weathered lots of life and death together in these last few months.  So many stories were going on behind the scenes of each of our lives.  We left each other hopeful that July would be a time of nothing but fun.

.......And it was!  J. Alexander's was a great place to meet in July.  I LOVE the Rattlesnake pasta.  It is not really rattlesnake, just chicken, but the spicy flavor has earned it the name.  

We were so glad to be getting together again.    

I have to say it once more;  I LOVE J. Alexander's.  I like the quiet atmosphere, the excellent service, the quality of the food and the feeling of not being crowded yet there is still a cozy feeling about their spaces.  The decor is elegant.  It is a bit pricier than a lot of the restaurants we frequent, but I think well worth the little extra cost.  

As I’ve mentioned a few times before, most of our personal conversations will not be spoken of in this blog.  One of the highest qualities of true friendship is confidentiality and my friends always have this, which may be an oddity for a writer like me!  However; it seems this group is constantly sharing quite public information on the best authors to read, and in July another great author was a conversation topic around our table.  This is something I feel I CAN share with our readers.  Bucket actually mentioned the great author named Andy Andrews.  She has read several of his books and she spent a lot of time explaining the main plots to us.  They sounded wonderful.  I had often used Andy Andrews's quotes in articles that I’ve written, and I've read articles and essays he has published, but I had not yet had the pleasure of reading any of his novels.  I had even given one of his books to my daughter for Christmas last year.   The conversation sent me on a quest to learn more about this author.  His story is fascinating.  The New York Times has written about him calling him a “modern day Will Rogers.”  He has spoken before four presidents.  At the age of 19 both his parents died, one died in an automobile accident and the other one died of cancer, all in the same year.  That started a downward spiral in Andy’s life that eventually left him homeless.  He spent lots of nights sleeping under the pier on the Gulf Coast beaches.  One day he went on a quest for answers about life.  He asked himself “Is life just a lottery ticket or are there choices one can make to direct his future?”  He headed to the local library and buried himself in the reading of over 200 biographies of the world’s most successful people.  He eventually came up with seven characteristics that they all had in common.  He called these “The Seven Decisions” and he patterned his own life after them from that day forward.  Later he wrote about them in a book called “The Traveler’s Gift.”  Later this book was documented with a PBS Special.  His book was turned down by 51 publishers before Thomas Nelson decided to publish it.  (As I aspire to become published, I find this very encouraging.)  Now his many books have topped the bestseller list for years.  It is required reading for many high schools and the subject matter for seminars for many large employers.  Now Andy is a world famous speaker who is in great demand.  He is an excellent teacher and communicator with the blessing of a wonderful sense of humor.  His speeches and writings have changed lives all across the globe.  One of his latest books is called “The Noticer.”  This book is based on Andy’s life story, and is about how a person’s perspective affects everything.  Bucket loved reading this one.  She told us a lot of the story.   As she talked about it I remembered picking it up in the bookstore last December thinking it was be a good read.  I bought it and gave it  to one of my daughter's for Christmas.  I doubt she has had time to read it yet – maybe I should borrow it back from her to read myself!  I think though, should I purchase one for myself it would be his latest novel that took a turn from the familiar route and actually displayed a lot of history of the politics of this world.  It is titled "How Do You Kill 11 Million People?"   I would love to hear this inspirational writer's perspective on the state of the leaders on planet earth, and how they have ruled and misruled and how people have responded over the ages.  This book is on my literary bucket list.  

So, once again, our conversations leaned toward literary discoveries.  I'm glad that we can share such things.  I feel thely are very important.  What an excellent subject to be shared among friends.  So far we have journeyed together through the discoveries of Rachael Houck, Fannie Flagg, Nicholas Sparks and Andy Andrews.  It has been fun sharing the gifts of these talented writers at our once-a-month outings.  The really neat thing is that none of it has been planned, these are simply people we’ve noticed and admired and love sharing in our conversations.  

One more novel highlight happened that evening as we were leaving the restaurant from enjoying the scrumptious meals and  excellent service.  We were standing together outside in the sidewalk-patio area making our way to our cars, but lingering over our conversations.  As usual we had not been able to finish saying all we wanted to share is such a short time, and we were chatting away when we noticed a limo circling the restaurant.  We watched curiously, anxious to see what famous person was going to step out of the limo and go inside.  

We pondered the plays, concerts, political events going on in town, trying to decide who it might be?????  I surely wish I could tell you.  We watched and watched only to discover that the celebrity must have snuck in the back door.  The limo circled again, empty except for the driver now, and left.  It will always be a mystery.  All I know is, famous or not, the person who went inside through the back entrance more than likely had a great meal.  You can't beat J. Alexander's.  It was quite a treat.  We all loved it. 

There is no telling what THREE GIRLS OUT ON THE TOWN will get into next!  Keep reading and watching for our upcoming adventures.

HOME PAGE - IN SEASON BLOG GETS A FACE-LIFT

Welcome to the blog I've called "IN SEASON."   If you ever lose this link and want to look it up again just go to your search engine and type in dancinginseason@blogspot.com.  I'm easy to find.  

I'm so glad to have you here!  I hope you like the new "face-lift" I just gave the blog.  Real life should be that easy - LOL.   I value your input and hope we can share life's journey a bit on these pages.  Think of my blog like a big magazine that is full of articles about the life of a Christian woman living in the South.  Southern women have many interests and this blog is full of many different subjects that they are interested in.  Don't worry though, lots of men read this blog, so come on in guys.  Also, you don't have to be a southerner, I just wanted to share a bit of my heritage.   Just click on the LABEL category of my page and hover your mouse over a any interesting photo, the pic will flip to give you the subject behind it.  Find anything your interested in, click, and start reading.  I'd love your feedback!  Also, some of these articles are a bit old and need editing, so please excuse a mistake here and there.  I'm working on it!

I've been blogging for awhile, but I haven't seriously studied the design and organization of my blog until

recently.  The whole idea for me is to share and have fun writing.   Life is great fun every day, but blogs are like houses, eventually you have to get around to cleaning your room and doing laundry.  I'm sort of in that process at the moment, but I'm trying to be creative so it isn't really boring.  I love the results too, so I'm staying encouraged!   I'm just now getting around to updating my layouts, so bear with me.  I can be a lot more creative with much of this, and hope to do just that.  I'm sorting through and updating articles that I've jotted down almost like a diary of daily thoughts about the seasons of life on this earth over the last two years.  Most all of these articles are simply about a journey through the seasons of life in the South as a Christian and a member of an ever evolving group of family and friends.  The articles are such a hodge-podge of different subjects that I'm now trying to organize the different subjects into more recognizable pages.  I haven't done this before, so please bear with me.  It may take awhile!

To sum it all up; this little site is all about how daily life and God mix and mingle for the Christian believer seeking to honor God through each season that He gives to them with their home, marriage, family life, church, career and social life.  There are serious articles on thoughts about the scriptures and there are other times of just plain silliness.  I'm a firm believer in the fact that God has a great sense of humor.   I also believe in and get excited about keeping the Holy Days God spelled out to us in The Book of Leviticus; so I love to write down my thoughts on these sacred moments and spaces in time, especially as I enjoy the ebb and flow of the seasons lived out in the church.  I am a pastor's wife, so I'm trying to tab many such articles as these under THE PASTOR'S WIFE SPEAKS section of the blog.  Click into these if you are looking to find such subjects.  I welcome your comments.

I have also written and participated in a bible study called COME AS A CHILD.  I have lessons that I

teach groups with simple childish toys that illustrate how God wants us to simply be His children and come to Him with the heart of a child.  I've written articles about the results of these studies that are on-going and they are found under a page called COME AS A CHILD.  Just click on that title if you are interested in reading any of these.

There are also a bunch of informational articles about fun places to go visit in the South, as well as family friendly fun things to do in the South  (many of them can be done just about anywhere.)   These are all in interesting places to stop and relax and play as we go through our journey through the seasons..  I'm trying to organize them into pages called FUN UNDER THE SUN.  You may wish to look for these titles.

If you love the subject of friendship, you might enjoy my page called THREE GIRLS OUT ON THE TOWN.  Here I speak of the adventures shared with two lifelong friends that I meet with once a month.  We've done this for years now, and we always choose a local restaurant to gather in each time.  No cooking/no husbands, usually no kids.  We've known each other since elementary school and it is just an uninterrupted time to play catch up with each other and to take a break from our over-busy lives and chill out.  If your into the night-life scene, don't refer to us for your main source of information.  LOL.  We are older and quite settled married ladies just enjoying the benefits of a long and sure friendship.  I've jotted down restaurant reviews along the way, and I've mostly just written about the wonderful gift of friendships that never end.  I call it THREE GIRLS OUT ON THE TOWN.  We are happy for you to join in on the fun of these pages.  Sometimes I combine the months together just to save time.  Believe me, I don't even begin to reveal our private conversations!  Wouldn't you love to be a fly on the wall?

Like a lot of other southern women, cooking and entertaining are like breathing for me.  I constantly need them in my life. 

I have tried to be creative and fun with my ideas, and I like to keep family traditions going in a big way.  I share these things on a page called:  FOOD ART AND FAMILY TRADITIONS if you are interested in such things. 

My favorite pass-time is the art of the written word.  I love to read great writing and I love to write myself.  I have aspirations of becoming a great writer one day, but I know I have a long way to go to reach that lofty goal.  This blog is my "practice" field.  I practice for at least one hour every day.  I'll be happy if people are even reading the words from my pen long after I leave this earth.  It would make me feel I left a legacy behind.  I've included short stories and poems throughout this blog, whenever the inspiration seems appropriate.  I welcome comments and critique on these.   Some are mine, and sometimes I share the poems and stories of friends and special discoveries I've cherished and found interesting along the way.  I have written a novel and am slowly beginning work on two more novel ideas; but I'll not share those here.  Pray that I find a good publisher!  I'm calling these pages of my blog:  PEN ART.

 Occasionally I will have to throw in some other art forms; music, painting, sketching, dance, etc., just for good measure. 

I LOVE the seasons of the church, the country of America, and the daily life as a citizen in America.  I am a true Patriot, and I hold the values that this country was founded on dear to my heart.  Often my heart breaks for the changes I see taking place all around America.  I sometimes write these thoughts down into words, or poems, and they can be found under a few pages here called SEASONS.

  It is my hope that I can encourage others to keep the seasonal traditions of my God and my country that I hold so dear.  It would make me happy if I could be of use to teach young people the values long neglected of our forefathers.

Decorating and remodeling are another hobby that I have enjoyed for years.  I love to assist others with home improvement plans, and my present home has been a 21 year old evolution.  My theme song here is that a house should always be a HOME.  It should reflect the heart and soul of the person or people dwelling under it's roof. No homes should ever be the same.  Each should have their own personality.  I live under the philosophy that a cardboard box can be charming if it reflects it's owners personality.   I have a page called THE HOUSE DOCTOR where I share my own experiences of making and remodeling a home and write down new ideas and suggestions that anyone can apply to their own remodeling plan for a better way to live.    

So you see, there are SO MANY things I want to share here in this blog, and they are varied and come in assorted shapes, colors and sizes.  So don't let just one article throw you off.  There is a lot to discover, but you must dig into the blog to find it.    I know there will be even more categories and subjects as I continue to blog in the years to come. Bear with me as I add one article after another.  Feel free to express your opinion!  

Thank you so much for visiting with me here.  I cherish your comments!  I long to have more followers - the more the merrier!  Please join me in walking through the seasonal roads of life.

God bless you and keep you always!

Gail Landgraf

Sabbatical

To all of my dear readers:

I still love you, and I haven't forgotten you.  I've been very busy setting up submissions for my novel and organizing some of my many articles to submit for publication. 

I've also had a lot of personal business to tend to.  I am almost done!

I'm on a very short sabbatical but will return shortly, sometime within the next two weeks for sure!

Thanks for reading and please keep checking in.  This blog is about to get much more interesting and much more regular!

Blessings!

Gail Landgraf

SEASONS - CELEBRATING THE RESURRECTION IN THE SEASON OF EARLY FIRST FRUITS

Way back in 2013 my Dad was ill and having to spend time in the hospital on Early First Fruits.  This article was written then, but I think some people might relate to the chain of events that took place and how God showed me things in spite of the fact that we spent the holy day at the hospital, so here it is for you to read:

It is the time for remembering the early first fruits harvest.  Not the wheat harvest that happens around the time of Pentecost, but the first crop of the year that happens around the time of Passover; the barley harvest.  The original plan and intent at our house was to have a nice dinner with lots of fruit and a festive meal with several friends while we remembered the story of the early harvest and the waiving of the barley loaf, then we would begin the counting of the Omer – the fifty days leading up to Pentecost.

Unexpectedly, my Dad is in the hospital with several health issues.  More than likely we will be having dinner with him from the hospital cafeteria.  I have learned to lean into God’s will whenever and where ever it happens.  For some reason God has once again changed my plans.  I don’t even question anymore. 

All the same, the early first fruits of the harvest will still be in my heart and on my mind, and I will be looking for the ways that God will point this out to me, even in the halls of a hospital.  I’m sure the songs that God put on my heart for this occasion will be playing in my head.  One song is like a prayer to me – a prayer of offering up my whole life to God.  Here are a few of the words that I must give Don Meon and Hillsong credit for writing and singing:

All that I am, all that I have,

I lay them down before you O Lord.

All my regrets, all my acclaim,

The joy and the pain, I’m making them yours.

Lord I offer my life to You, everything I’ve been through

Use it for Your glory.

Lord I offer my days to You,

Lifting my praise to You as a pleasing sacrifice,

Lord I offer You my life.

This beautiful song and the lyrics that I love immediately send my soul searching out the meaning of true sacrifice, the best of the best, the early crop that is offered to God at the first harvest.  It is a joyful time, full of the symbols of Resurrection. 

The ancient people of God would have already removed the leaven from their homes, and celebrated the Passover.  They fully knew that removing the leaven symbolized the removal of sin from their spiritual life.  By the time of the first physical harvest the leaven would be out of their homes and the sins would be confessed before God.  They fully understood the importance of the act of repentance.  They knew along with repentance came the need for a sacrifice.  They brought the first and best of their barley harvest to the priest on the day after the Sabbath of the Passover, the day of Early First Fruits. 

 We too come before our High Priest, Jesus Christ, standing on the right hand of God and offer up the best and the first of our spiritual harvest for Him to wave before God.  We dare not come before spending time in repentance.  We know we can’t do this by ourselves.  We need Jesus to accomplish this for us.  So the time leading up to Passover, when I’m cleaning all the leaven out of my house and thinking of the best I have to offer to the Lord as a sacrifice, I’m confessing sins that God brings to mind as I do the work.  I sweep out the crumbs and crumbs of un-confessed sin flash before me.  I’m reminded to confess and I do.  If I’m going to bring of the best of my life it must be holy, perfect, unblemished.  Jesus has made this possible.  The early people had to bring a physical sacrifice.  Jesus has now fulfilled this act by becoming the physical sacrifice, once for all.  He asks us to remember it and we do this in the appointed time for each season.

The sacrificial offering of Early First Fruits has been required since the very beginning, right after the days that Adam and Eve first sinned.  Once they sinned, God began to talk to them and instruct them about the appointed times for making sacrifices.    

It isn’t exactly spelled out but if you read and study the Old Testament scriptures you will begin to realize that Adam and Eve must have passed down God’s instructions to their children.  It comes very clear as the story of Cain and Able unfolds. 

In those days, when it was time for the early First Fruits offering, Cain and Abel showed up at the appointed place and appointed time, as well as Adam and Eve and all the rest of their children.  Adam and Eve had been taught directly by God.  They in turn had instructed their children that God wanted the best and the Frist Fruits of their labor.  As you read the story it becomes apparent that Adam and Eve had taught their sons that God looks on the attitude of the giver and if the intent of the heart is right, He accepts the sacrifice.  When God accepted the sacrifice it was consumed by divine fire.

If the intent of the heart was wrong the sacrifice would not be accepted, and it would not be consumed but would remain on the altar until someone moved it away. 

One day the appointed time came and the family of Adam and Eve gathered to offer their first fruits before the Lord.  Abel brought the first and the best of his herd.  They were without spot or blemish.  The best.  The lord was pleased and Abel’s offering was consumed by the divine fire.

Then Cain brought the first of his labor, vegetables from where he had tilled the ground.  Only, Cain had eaten the first and the best of the vegetables and fruit himself.  He brought the Lord the leftovers, the ones that he did not want.   They were withered and blemished.  God saw that Cain was selfish with his offering.  God did not consume the sacrifice.

Cain became angry and he was jealous of his brother who had pleased God.  Eventually Cain’s hatred for his brother Abel became so great that he killed him and hid his body thinking that no one would ever know what he had done.

The appointed time came again and Cain showed up at the appointed place with his offering of vegetables.  Abel did not show up.  God asked Cain, in front of everyone where Abel was.  Cain lied and said that he did not know.  But God KNEW the truth and He told Cain his own story, and everyone there heard from God that Cain had killed his brother. 

Cain never repented.

Adam and Eve must have been devastated.  God rejected Cain’s offering and cursed him.  Cain was cast out of the land, never to come before God again.  Because of Cain’s selfishness he lost his soul, his family and his home.

Cain’s children grew up to be wicked and evil.  The curse of their father followed them wherever they went.  This was a case where the wrong attitude about firstfruits made for a very sad story.  Cain’s family began the curse on the earth of the evil and wicked generations.  Their generations after them caused the world to be so evil that God sent a flood to destroy the earth.  Only Noah and his family were saved.

What do you think was the first thing that Noah and his family did when the ark landed safely right on the day of Early Firstfruits in the appointed place at the appointed time?

They built an altar and made an offering to the Lord.  With the whole world washed away, what do you think were the firstfruits of their labor?

It was the gift of themselves, their lives.  The whole family of Noah and the animals with them would be bringing new life to the world.  It was a gift of life, the best gift of all.

God consumed their sacrifice by divine fire because they had brought themselves, all that they had to offer, to start the world all over again.  It was an acceptable offering and God not only accepted it, but He gave them the promise of the rainbow.  Noah’s children taught their children about early first fruits until the days of Abram came.

Abram went into battle with the King of Sodom and defeated him.  On his way back from battle Abram was met by Melchizedek, the King of Jerusalem and the High Priest of God.  Abram recognized that Melchizedek was the High Priest of God, and he gave Him an offering of the best of all of his possessions, his first fruits.  Abram could have given him the spoils of the war against Sodom, but Abram sent those spoils back to the King of Sodom.  He did not use them as an offering.  He wanted everyone to know that God had given him his blessings and that he had not gained them from the King of Sodom.  Abram  gave of all his best and most treasured possessions.  God was pleased with Abram’s sacrifice.  It was accepted.  Melchizedek blessed Abram and fed him bread and wine.

Unlike the sacrifices of Cain, the first fruits of Noah and Abram were accepted before God.

Abram taught his descendants about the first fruits sacrifice.

Abram, who later became Abraham, taught his children to make the offerings to God at the appointed times and the appointed place.  God blessed Abraham’s descendants and made a nation from them.  Sarah gave Abraham a son named Isaac.  Isaac married Rebecca and they had twin sons named Jacob and Esau. 

And so, we could go on and on with the stories of the children of Israel and how they all brought early first fruit sacrifices before God in one way or another, and how their offerings were either accepted or rejected by God. 

In the days of Moses, as the people were leaving slavery and God was speaking to them of how to be His nation, He gave them further instructions.  Let’s look at what God asked on this day so long ago when He first met Moses on the mountain. 

The passage is found in Leviticus 23:10-12:

Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye be come into the land which I give unto you, and shall reap the harvest there of, then ye shall bring a sheaf of the first fruits of your harvest unto the priest; and he shall wave the sheaf before the LORD, to be accepted for you: on the morrow after the Sabbath the priest shall wave it.  And ye shall offer that day when ye wave the sheaf a he lamb without blemish of the first year for a burnt offering unto the LORD.

This was God’s requirement for the early first fruits offering from when Israel first entered the Promised Land. 

So we see a picture here of the people from many generations coming every year to their first harvest of the year.  It was usually a barley crop.  Barley was hardy and grew almost anywhere.  It survived well, struggling for life and abundance even in hard times and rough weather.  Barley bread was known as “the common people’s bread.”  It was called “the bread of the poor” because it was more affordable and easier to grow and buy than the wheat that was produced later in the year.

It was five loaves of barley bread that was found in the boy’s lunch that was given to Jesus to feed the multitudes.  Jesus took it, blessed it, broke it and multiplied it out until there was plenty for everyone.  How significant can the picture be of man offering up barley, the lesser of the crops, the easier of the crops, the least expensive of the crops, much like the offering of Cain.  Man’s offerings could never be good enough.  Only when Jesus came into the picture could this change in the eyes of God.  There were years and years of barley harvests presented before God.

Year after year the first of every crop (usually barley) was brought to the Temple.  The very first bundle of grain they gathered would be taken to the High Priest.  The priest would wave the sheaf before the Lord.  This happened after the Sabbath of the Passover during the seven day Feast of Unleavened Bread.  This was the day of the bringing of the wave sheaf that was to be offered to God before anyone offered or used anything else that God had blessed them with from the harvest.

We now know, unlike the Israelites who had to be obedient through totally blind faith, that Jesus Christ was the true One that would make this wave sheaf acceptable before God.  The timing of this first fruit ritual offering established by God way before Christ came to earth, was perfectly in line and a shadow of the actions of Christ before, during and after the Resurrection.  He became our acceptable first fruit offering of the harvest of spiritual souls for the Kingdom of God.  He and those who rose with Him at the Resurrection were the Early First Fruits of the harvest of souls.

It is said that you must give the wave sheaf in order to make the rest of the crop acceptable for use.  When Jesus presented Himself, holy and pure, before God as our offering, God accepted Him and that made us (the rest of the crop) acceptable for use in God’s Kingdom also.

So, we are not agricultural anymore, and Christ has come for us now and saved us from our sins.

There is no Temple in Jerusalem anymore.

Does this mean we forget these days?

Not at all; this only means that these days have an even fuller meaning than before.  We have even more to be thankful for and to honor God for on this day.  Now we have the fuller celebration that incorporates the true essence of Resurrection.  A little like the family of Noah after the flood, we have new life!

We must do like the generations before us and teach oiur children to teach their children to observe the appointed times for bringing their firstfruits before God as a sacrifice that is acceptable.  I love this dance that portrays this message:

You can find these wonderful dancers giving many silent lessons on You-Tube under the name of Attraction Black Light Theatre.  I love how the dance speaks the story without a word.  I love how they are offering their first fruits offering by bringing their dances before God to be used in telling His stories!

So it is good to pause and think about the ancient people and their spirit of worship.

What was the true heart of the ancient people as they brought these offerings?

The giving of the first fruits is a reminder that everything we have is God’s.

The giving of first fruits does NOT mean:  This is God’s and the rest is mine.

The giving of the first fruits means that I give to others to be used for God and the rest that I have is meant for a lifestyle that glorifies Him. 

Making God a priority in our life pleases Him.

It fills Him with pleasure.  It is His delight and desire.  It is God’s will that we make Him a priority in our lives, that is what is meant by verses 11 – 13 of the earlier passage we read in Leviticus 23.  This says:  “to be accepted for you.”  God goes to great lengths to describe the offering that is to be given.  The purpose for this offering is that it would be acceptable to God on behalf of the nation.

There are two parts to being acceptable before God.  The first involves the perfect sacrifice of Christ.

He was obedient in all things, even to the death of the cross.  Through His death He made it possible for us to become acceptable to God in that through His death we receive His righteousness when we put our trust in Christ as the only way of salvation.  In that way, we become heirs of righteousness with Christ Jesus.  We become acceptable before God in Him, Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God Who takes away the sin of the world.

HE IS RISEN!  PRAISE GOD!!!!!!!

The second part of being acceptable before God involves living consistent with the commitment that is made through the sacrifice.  This was true in the Old Testament days, and it is still true today.

Obedience in this offering and other ritual offerings was demanded and commanded but not just in the ritual of the offering but in all areas of life.

Obedience is demanded.

When it comes down to the facts, there was really only one thing necessary in the Old Testament for an offering to be acceptable for God; obedience. 

That is why in Jeremiah 6:20 and Malachi 2:13 God refused the offering of the people, because they were disobedient before God.  They apparently thought since they obeyed the ritual law they would be able to get God to look the other way during their everyday lives.  Sound familiar?

Please let this never be true of any of us.

Let us instead come before God as obedient servants bringing Him the first fruits of our labor.  It doesn’t have to be money, or material things.  It can be whatever you have to offer before God of your best; prayer, devotion, study, the gift of time, giving of other less tangible resources in some way; but whatever it is your gift to God should be in keeping with the fact that you are bringing in your first and your best offering from the days of your life that have now been redeemed by the blood of Christ. 

God will look on the intent of your heart.  God will see the blood of Jesus that covers you, and you will be acceptable to Him.

We find this concept of Early First Fruits in the New Testament also.

Paul begged the Roman believers on the basis of the mercy of God shown to them through the death of Christ that they would present their bodies as a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which was their reasonable service, not to be conformed to this world but to be transformed by the renewing of their mind that they might prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

Romans 14:17-19 describes more exactly what is the type of life that is acceptable before God.  It is not arguing over what we should eat and drink, but rather righteousness and peace and joy, specifically, Paul is emphasizing peace between believers in Christ.

Do you need to bring a peace offering of your first and best to God?

2 Corinthians 5:9-10 teaches that whether our service is acceptable before God is the basis whereby believers will be judged. 

The symbol is individualized through the denying of one’s self.  The giving of the firstfruits served as a reminder against idolatry of the heart.  Many of the things that we do or should do serve as a guard against the ungodliness that is constantly lurking around in our hearts. 

In the early days of the feasts of firstfruits the people had been laboring since the end of October or beginning of November when they first planted their barley.  They had watched it sprout up out of the ground, grow tall, and fill out with grain.  But they could not eat of it until the firstfruits were given to God.

Part of giving to God involves the understanding that you must deny yourself.  To deny yourself does not mean to deny your existence.  That would be foolishness.  Nor does it mean that you give up some pleasure or sin for the sake of Christ.   It is simply the same thing as what is symbolized by not eating leavened bread during the 7 Days of Unleavened bread.  It means that your needs, your wants, your desires take a back seat to what God commands.  The message is both to the community and to the individual.  Obedience does not mean giving God something so that you can enjoy the rest without fear of punishment.  Obedience means a denial of your importance in relation to the things of Christ.

Will you deny yourself and follow Christ?

Will you make Him THE priority, not A priority?  Jesus Christ should always be THE priority in your life.

If you can make this decision you will always be bringing Him the first fruits of your own spiritual harvest.  Yes, it is good to give offerings of money, but the money does not matter if the soul is not right before God. 

James 1:18 says:  He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of first fruits of all He created.

Now we must discuss further the greatest offering of Early First Fruits ever given.

! Corinthians 15:20, 23 is the scripture which will guide us on to see how the Festival of First Fruits is fulfilled in Christ.  It tells us that Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruit of those who have fallen asleep.     Christ the first fruits, then at His coming those who belong to Christ.

First fruits is all about Resurrection! 

It is all about the Resurrection of Christ!

Jesus’ resurrection from the dead is the promise that believers, too, will receive bodies in the final harvest that will never again die.  Had Jesus not been raised form the dead, there would be no guarantee for believers to point to and rely upon when they think about the final day that the scriptures point toward.  But, as it is, the first fruit resurrection of Christ guarantees that there will be a final harvest of bodies that will be raised from the dead in similar manner to that of Christ. 

Both Romans 8:23 and Ephesians 1:13-14 speak of this…we…who have the first fruit of the Spirit…Who is the guarantee of our inheritance…

The Holy Spirit that believers have received is the assurance that the future inheritance, that final harvest promise, will be laid hold of and reaped.  We will be thinking more about this in 50 days at the time of Pentecost.  For now we must believe, prepare and wait for those days to pass.  That is another thing that we will begin in this season of Resurrection.  We will begin to count the Omer, the 50 days leading up to Pentecost, which is the day of the Latter First Fruits.  In these days of the counting of the Omer God will teach us the blessings that come from Resurrection. 

Let’s read the scripture that gives us instructions on this observance:

(Numbers 15:17-21)

When you enter the land where I bring you, there it shall be that when you eat of the bread of the land, you shall lift up a heave offering to the Lord.  Of the first of your dough you shall lift up a cake as a heave offering; as the heave offering of the threshing floor, so you shall lift it up.  From the first of your dough you shall give to the Lord a heave offering through your generations.   

The dough that was “lifted up” to God made holy the entire lump of dough that it was taken from.

In the days of the Temple, when the sacrificial system took place, the first fruit offerings were given to the Levites and they became their property (Numbers 18:12.)  After its destruction when no sacrificial system existed the women of the house would throw a handful of the dough into the fire as the first fruit offering to the Lord so that the rest of the dough became holy to Him.  In every kitchen therefore, the hearth became an altar to YHWH. 

Commenting on this passage, the apostle Paul writes in Romans 11:16:  “If the dough offered as first fruit is holy, so is the whole lump.”

Since Jesus gave His Holy Life for us, so too are we made holy before God.

And how do we KNOW He was holy?  The proof is in the Resurrection!  He is Risen!

So on the celebration of Early First Fruits that falls during the 7 days of Unleavened Bread following Passover, we mark our calendars as we say the prayer for the Omer.  Today, as I write we are on the third day of the Omer.  This prayer of the Omer should be said every day until the count reaches 50 and we find ourselves at the day of Pentecost. 

Here is the prayer we will pray today at our table:

BLESSED ARE YOU, LORD OUR GOD, KING OF THE UNIVERSE, WHO HAS SANCTIFIED US WITH YOUR COMMANDMENTS AND COMMANDED US CONCERNINGTHE COUNTING OF THE OMER.  TODAY IS THE THIRD DAY OF THE OMER. 

Counting the Omer each of the days leading up to Pentecost in this manner gets us excited about what God is going to do with our first fruits offering on the Day of Pentecost. 

So basically when we celebrate the day of Early First Fruits we are recognizing that we need to lift our lives up to God, giving ourselves to God for His use.  This is symbolized by the physical act of the heave offering.  This offering only works for us now because of the sacrificial love of Jesus.  Because He offered Himself up on the cross we are able to live free from the bondage of sin.  Joining in with His spirit of sacrificial giving and offering our own first fruits causes a follower of Jesus to sanctify (make holy or set apart) each situation that we are a part of in our daily life, bringing the Kingdom to bear on every level of our society.  In this act of love we find Resurrection to new life!  Jesus was the first, and in our time; the Bride of Christ, the Church.

It isn’t just that figurative language is being used to speak of Jesus’ resurrection, but that the Resurrection actually took place on the exact same day that the festival of first fruits was commanded to be waved before God in the Temple.  New life has happened.  Just like the seed of barley that fell into the earth and brought forth a sheaf, so the seed of Christ’s body was sown in the earth and brought forth new life as it was raised in power. 

May God bless each and every one of you and may He honor and accept the offerings of the first fruits of your lives before Him. 

Remember….

CHRIST IF RISEN!!!!!!!

HE IS RISEN INDEED!!!!!!!!!

CELEBRATE THE RESURRECTION!!!!!!!

PEN ART - MUSIC FOR EARLY FIRSTFRUITS CELEBRATIONS

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

THREE GIRLS OUT ON THE TOWN DECEMBER AND JANUARY 2012-2013

Well, I'll bet you thought three girls got tired of meeting once a month for dinner, since you haven't seen me post any of our wild adventures for December or January.  Not at all!

It is just that blogging about winter activities is surprisingly time consuming!  I thought I would enjoy sleeping through winter a bit like a bear in hibernation, only writing one lazy article at a time while waiting for spring.  Actually, as it turns out, we've had Christmas, New Years, Epiphany, President's Day, Mardi Gras, Valentine's Day, Ash Wednesday and Lent so far, and we are quickly headed for The Fast of Esther, Purim and St. Patrick's Day.  I just can't write fast enough during the winter season!  It is a struggle to get any of it done in timely fashion, especially since I've also thrown in a few up close and personal life experience articles, so some of it has had to go by the wayside this year.   

With that said, I have to tell you I could never leave out Three Girls Out On the Town!  I never tire of meeting up with my two BFF's for dinner once a month.  They are my anchor in the storm, the calm through the hurricanes of life, and we always have a great time together.  We were out of touch so many years between high school and mid-life that we will definitely have to spend the rest of our lives catching up on the past; but we all have so much going on in the present too, that we are just enjoying sharing our blessings of today as much as catching up on what we missed.  Now I cannot imagine ever letting a whole month go by without seeing them.

In December we met at Applebee's.  It was a great place for our Christmas gathering.  Our budgets were tight but we wanted our meeting to be special anyway, not just any place, so Applebee's fit the bill perfectly.  Well prepared food and good prices in a nice atmosphere.  I'll leave all the politics to you for this place.  My opinion is that I do not believe in forced tipping, yet, I do not believe in waitresses violating the privacy of customers and businesses either!  So you decide, we were just there for other reasons and we thoroughly enjoyed our visit!

We were able to get a booth that was quiet enough for us to talk, and there was some Christmas music mixed into all the usual sounds to enjoy in the background.  I ordered my meal from the appetizers menu and had a drink for under $15.  I had more food on my plate than TC and Bucket who ordered from the regular menu.  I forced them to share.   Our food was great.  Applebee's is consistently good with their fare. 

TC surprised Bucket and I with a beautiful gift of a bracelet and some cute new T-shirts from their business that were sold to support a local charity.  That's TC; she and her husand are two good solid citizens that always support a good cause.  Both the beautiful bracelets and the T-shirts were a sweet surprise to Bucket and I, because we don't have a formal "exchange gifts" thing going on in this group.  The whole idea is to keep things simple on our visits, but any of us are free to surprise the others whenever the notion takes over.   It is really a lot of fun, because you never know when the surprise is coming.   Often and unexpectedly one of us will decide to surprise the others with something that we know would mean something to them.  It doesn't matter when.  We were very blessed because TC was in the Christmas spirit!  I've already had about a million compliments on my bracelet and I've worn the T-shirt a lot.  

We all were in the Christmas spirit actually.  We spent most of the night discussing our family and work plans for Christmas and sharing all the busy church activities that we all have been involved with during this season.  I shared that I was making all my gifts.  I got some great new ideas to add to the list from Bucket who shared some of her sweet Mom's craft ideas with me.  We spent some time thinking about the fond memories of times shared with all our Moms.  TC and Bucket's Moms were probably looking down from heaven and shaking hands while they watched us; glad to see that we were all still getting together once a month.  My Mom is elated that we still meet with one another on a regular basis after all these years.  I constantly am reminded from these two good friends of how fortunate I am to still have both of my parents with me.  I often thank God for this blessing. 

Last year I shared a chapter a month of the cookbook I put together with each of the girls. not that they needed this; they are both probably better cooks than I am; but I thought it would be fun just to share and swap some favorite recipes.  The cookbook was also laid out like a family scrapbook, and these girls know all about my family, so I thought they might enjoy having it.  This year I decided to  share portions of the first novel I've finished writing to each of them once a month.  They are my best critics.  I love sharing my writing with them.  I trust them to tell me the truth and give me good advice.

I can't tell you how many little books and book bags and special things Bucket has passed on to us unexpectedly.  This is a giving group of friends.   

Janaury was a whole different flavor.  We went a bit "country" and met at The Texas Roadhouse.  I found it to be interesting, very reasonable for a steak house, of course you could order specially picked and prepared steak if you wanted, but that would have been a bit pricey.  We stuck to the menu specials.  If you love country music and line-dancing, this is your place.  Those are not my first choices for entertainment these days, but it is fine for a change now and then. 

Our waiter was very attentive and entertaining.  He laughed and joked with us a lot.  I have to say I did love their rolls with cinnomon butter.  Very tasty.

We all were recovering from a very busy holiday season and it was nice just to sit and relax together and share our Christmas and New Year's experiences. 

We discussed the important matter of two birthdays coming up in February, not mine of course.  That leaves two other choices.  Since that was the case, I allowed them to pick the place for February.  Wouldn't you know TC wanted to meet at Carrabas again, and Bucket agreed.  I've told you all about that great restaurant before; so all you will hear from me this time is the best of the gathering and nothing about the restaurant.  I'm not into repeating myself over and over, despite what my husband might tell you.

I would love to get these ladies over to the Southside of town somehow to enjoy some varriations on our meeting places, but it is nearly impossible given the long distance they already drive to meet me once a month.  My hushand and I often enjoy Silvertron's and Bitola's and Slice, and there are a million other good choices if we could travel further when we meet.  I would love for TC and Bucket to share some meals at these places too.  Maybe some Saturday mid-day meeting in the summer when no one has to drive at night.   I'll bring it up.

TC may bring her daughter-in-law with her when we next meet in February.  That will be a blessing for us.  She is VERY pregnant, and we can hear all about the exciting plans for the next child.  Of course Bucket and I will be envious of the fact that TC is about to have TWO grandbabies and we haven't even married off most of our stuborn grown children.  At least I'm holding out hope for one daughter who has enjoyed three years of a great marriage so far.  Maybe one day!

So that is the extent of Three Girls Out on The Town in December and January.  I'll try not to be so late in reporting in February!  So looking forward to our next gathering!