What a glorious spring morning, bathed in sunshine and light!  We in Colorado have seemingly been waiting a long time for a day of warm sunshine with no wind. I planted seeds for my garden too early, and the tiny sprouts have been refusing to grow in the nighttime chill.  This next week is going to finally be the warmth we've awaited and I'm praising God! I'm praising Him also that He gave me an unexpected blessing in the midst of John's Dementia.  Let me give you the background.

There is a very excellent Chinese restaurant in our small country town and their garlic chicken is a treat I dearly love. But when John and I first married, thirteen and a half years ago, I took him there for lunch and a small mishap occurred. A waitress inadvertently spilled the little pot of hot tea on the table. No one was burned. No harm was done. But somehow it affected John very adversely and he vowed "never to go to that place again."  So, I have rarely gone to my favorite restaurant over these past years, because I usually only go out to eat if I am with him.  I would ask him every couple of years if we could go down the street for Chinese and he would always refuse. The spilled tea was a stuck memory for some reason. 

So, fast forward all these thirteen and a half years, I had an inconsolable craving for garlic chicken and so I put John in the car with me to run a few errands and then drove to the Chinese restaurant and parked. "Let's have lunch here!" I joyfully exclaimed. He stepped out of the car and looked at the building and said, "Are we going to eat here?" I nodded my head and took his arm and in we went. I ordered beef broccoli for him, something I know he has liked on past road trips.  He had no memory of this place. The steaming hot plates arrived and he wolfed down every last bite of food, commenting on how delicious it was! My heart was doing cartwheels as I silently marveled, "It took thirteen years - but now we can enjoy lunch here together!"

I guess we really do have to learn to WAIT for some things to be fulfilled in our lives; even something as small as eating your favorite Chinese food.  And the Lord shows me that there are even blessings in Dementia! Unpleasant old memories are gone - everything is new!

I wrote in my journal on May 4:  Spring is here although it's cold and rainy and even some snowy days. But I've been in the back yard sowing seeds, praying blessings over them to grow and be fruitful. I'm tending plants and as I wait and finally see tiny green sprouts emerge, the joy of God's increase will get me through the summer. 

Yet there is one more "little sprout" that's about to emerge into my life that will bring untold blessings. My great-grandson, whose name is Raymond Jackson, is due to be born on June 2!  In just a very few days he will make his debut and my life will be filled with new wonder and joy.  In the waiting we praise our Mighty God!

Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.
​Psalm 27:14

Over the many years I have been visiting Israel and watching the rise and fall of geopolitical events that often fulfill Bible prophecies, I have also been keenly aware of one longstanding, unchanging fact: the United States of America mirrors Israel.  Over and over I have been amazed to see our own nation mirror Israel's political landscape, not to mention how we seem to suffer great loss or enjoy great prosperity depending on how we are treating Israel!

Perhaps all this has never been more true than it is right now. Both Israel and America are torn, divided and in danger of civil war. But it came as a great surprise to me that Israel would be in that situation in the middle of this great war. Normally war unites a country; everyone pulling together against their enemies, with one cause and one mighty effort to come together and WIN. Remember 9/11 when our people were so emotionally impacted by the images of smoke-filled towers and streets, some jumping out of windows to their deaths? We came together in a unity not seen since World War II. I had hoped this would be the case in Israel. I had messages from friends who pastor Messianic congregations in Israel, reporting a new closeness of the people and a growing hunger for their Messiah. 

Then a few days ago that encouraging picture was rocked by an article I read on World Israel News:
Leaders of northern communities threaten to secede from Israel on Independence Day 
By Vered Weiss, World Israel News
"Northern Israel community leaders are declaring a “secession” from the State of Israel on Independence Day. As 80,000 Israelis are still displaced from their homes with no information about when they can expect to return, frustration among northern residents is growing, with some leaders seeking to break away from the State of Israel altogether.
Moshe Davidovitch, head of the Mateh Asher Regional Council and chair of the Confrontation Line Forum declared, “The soul of the public in the north has been torn apart by the lack of action.”
He added, “From now on, we will stop listening to the government; we will run as an independent country and act independently without a state.” The Confrontation Line Forum said they intended to create the State of Galilee as a self-governing body and to sever ties with Israel permanently."

It caused my mind to reel and my heart to shed tears. Sever ties with Israel permanently?  Israelis?  The people descended from the ancient tribes of Israel, who have fought countless battles and endured unspeakable persecution and death in the Holocaust?  Now they want to secede from their own country permanently?

I felt shrouded in sadness for a couple of days after reading this article - and then I think the Lord caused this second article from the Jerusalem Post to come before me and I want to share this one with you too:
The truth about living in Israel at this time - opinion
By MICHALI CAPLAN
MAY 11, 2024 06:17

"A lot of people have been asking me what it has been like living in Israel during a time like this.
Things seem to be getting worse and worse. Harder and harder to bear. The pain for our brothers and sisters is indescribable.
Palpable.
Insurmountable.
How do we continue?
How do we go on?
Where does our strength come from?
Here is the truth.
The truth is my heart breaks for each and every one of you who is not here, who doesn’t get to witness firsthand what Israel has become during this unbelievably difficult and exceptionally beautiful time.
Israel is a different country. It is a country overflowing with love, with unity, with acceptance, with bravery, with sacrifice, and, most importantly, with an undying belief in Hashem (God).
Yes, there is a never-ending feeling of grave fear and desperation in the air. Fear for the safety of our soldiers, and fear for the safety of our precious hostages. Desperation to bring our brothers and sisters home now!

There is a fear of the war escalating and getting worse as things intensify in both the North and the South as Israel and our hero soldiers prepare for any challenges that we may need to face. The consistent feeling of dread and terror of losing more of our brothers and sisters who are so selflessly and bravely fighting for the safety of our nation.

There is a heart-wrenching feeling of sadness for those who have lost so much and those who have suffered so terribly already. Our hearts are quite literally breaking for one another.
However, there is also a tremendous feeling of unity.
One would think that after half a year, things would slow down, that people would lose the initial desire or ability to do whatever they can to help. One would think people would run out of money to give or run out of space to host total strangers who have been evacuated.
One would think that people from overseas would slowly stop sending suitcases full of gear, clothes, and aid and stop making trips to help and get back to their regular lives.
But no. Not the Jewish nation.
Our innate desire to help one another, the unity among our nation, and the desperate need to lift each other’s spirits and inspire one another to get through every single day is as strong as it was on Oct. 7.
In Israel, it still is the 7th of October. We are still feeling the rawness of what took place and the desire to hold one another as strongly as ever before.
THERE IS a feeling of undeniable love for one another. We have washed away the outer judgments and have truly felt what it means to be like “one person with one heart.”
There is an overwhelming feeling of support and a longing to try to get through this together, as a nation. Nothing has changed. While we have had to face the travesties of what happened and what continues to happen every day, we as a nation are holding each other up.
And not letting go.

The intense desire and yearning to connect to Hashem is stronger than ever before.
The incredible bravery of those who have lost loved ones, and their unbelievable and intense belief in Hashem, are what is keeping us going.
So yes, it’s terrifying, and we want to it end. But the insane beauty of our nation far outweighs the evil of those trying to destroy us. 
It’s how we know, without a question, that once again the Jewish nation will prevail. We will come out more united and stronger than ever before."

THIS article presents an entirely different picture!  I sit here and ponder which is it? Is Israel in a precious, beautiful state of unity? Or is it coming apart at the seams, with the Galilee region trying to secede?  I suppose I could ask the same question about the USA right now. I suppose the real answer is, "IT DEPENDS ON WHO YOU ASK!" Some see this war-torn period as a unifying time of reaching out in love, forgiveness, restoration and HOPE. Others see it as dividing, separating, fomenting anger and HOPELESSNESS.  I feel like the Spirit is teaching me an  important principle through these opposing views.  The same overwhelmingly terrible war is deeply affecting ALL the citizens of Israel. Yet while some are choosing to rebel and separate themselves, consumed by their frustration and anger, others are choosing to "lift one another's spirits, inspire one another, and wash away judgments to be as one person with one heart." 

In America, we too face great opposition from our enemies. We see our own government being overrun by fanatical, tyrannical proponents of Marxism/Communism and we find ourselves feeling helpless to change the tide. So how are we, as the people of God, to respond?  Will we rise up in fury or will we find ways to inspire, support, and love one another through the ongoing battles?

Closely observing what is happening in Israel, as well as in America, has led me to one solid conclusion:  THERE WILL BE NO PEACE ON THIS EARTH UNTIL YESHUA/JESUS RETURNS FOR HIS BRIDE. As in Matthew 25, some will be ready, filled with the oil of the Ruach, the love of Yeshua and the deep knowledge of the fullness of His Word. Some will be angry, fearful, and scrambling to find out who will "SELL THEM SOME OF THIS OIL," which of course, cannot be sold.

In the meantime, while we still await the return of our Messiah, Prime Minister Netanyahu says Israel WILL STAND ALONE. I say that they will only be able to do that IF THEY PROCLAIM THAT THEY ARE STANDING WITH  THE GOD OF ISRAEL AND PUT ALL THEIR TRUST AND HOPE IN HIM! 

Please freely share this blog!