Shoshana's Garden

Shabbat! Another Friday down! Time to focus on God and family. Time to REST! Isaiah 56:2 Happy is the person who does this, anyone who grasps it firmly, who keeps Shabbat and does not profane it, and keeps himself from doing any evil. (CJB) HAPPY! We all enjoy finding happiness. This verse bring a new meaning to what can bring happiness. What does it mean to celebrate and “keep” Shabbat? To be honest, it is different things for different people. Some, in my opinion, take it t

I opened my YouVersion BibleApp again today and saw the verse. I knew immediately I needed to share it. It is a common verse, but with the Complete Jewish Bible and The Passion Translation the wording brings a little more depth and insight. John 14:1 “Don’t let yourselves be disturbed. Trust in God and trust in me. (CJB) “Don’t worry or surrender to your fear. For you’ve believed in God, now trust and believe in me also. (TPT) I believe that we all grew up knowing this verse

THE SOUL that You have given me, O God, is pure! You created and formed it, breathed it into me, and within me You sustain it. So long as I have breath, therefore, I will give thanks to You, My God and the God of all ages, Source of all being, loving Guide of every human spirit. Mishkan T’filah A Reform Siddur Page 292 A short Jewish prayer... My prayer today. May you KNOW your Creator in Spirit and in Truth and give thanks as long as you have breath! Love and blessings, Rose

Our family read through the tiny book, “Secrets of the Vine” about a month ago. Today when the verse from John showed up… John 15:5 “I am the vine and you are the branches. Those who stay united with me, and I with them, are the ones who bear much fruit; because apart from me you can’t do a thing. (CJB) Today I had to stop and think about WHO is in control. WHO am I listening too? WHO do I depend on? The next question is... WHO do YOU want to stay united with? We all know tha

Reflecting on making decisions is not easy… Sometimes we have to stop and REMEMBER! Psalm 77:12 So I will remind myself of Yah’s doings; yes, I will remember your wonders of old. (CJB) In the Passion Translation it says: I ponder all you’ve done, Lord, musing on all your miracles. (TPT) Clearly, God takes care of us every step of the way. We may not always like what is happening. We may believe that what He is doing is not fair or right. When these moments happen, we must STO

Today our family read from Proverbs. Chapter 9 has secrets to find wisdom. Proverbs 9:10 The fear of Adonai is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of holy ones is understanding. (CJB) Most of us would like to have wisdom. We know that the Word also tells us in James that if we lack wisdom we can ask God, Who gives generously to all… Wisdom, according to this verse, comes with the FEAR of Adonai. Our hope is in gaining knowledge of HIM. We gain understanding the closer we a

Shabbat! Another Friday. Another day to let go and LET GOD. Today’s verse about rest is a bit unusual. Isaiah 14:3 Then, when Adonai gives you rest from your suffering and trouble and from the hard service imposed on you, (CJB) The situation surrounding this verse is unique. God was saying that they would be singing a “taunt” against the king of Babylon in verse 4. Not something that usually brings to mind Shabbat rest. It also speaks of the “hard service imposed…” Not exactl

Today’s verse is from my YouVersion Bible App. I LOVE opening it up and finding a verse that brings HOPE and COURAGE! 2 Corinthians 4:16 This is why we do not lose courage. Though our outer self is heading for decay, our inner self is being renewed daily. (CJB) Our physical bodies are decaying away. We recently heard about the death of a friend. She was 70 and had lived a good life, but she still had an untimely death from a heart attack as she was driving her car and stopped

The past couple of days I have been asking God for new and fresh verses. This is one He showed me a couple of days ago. Psalm 143:8 Make me hear of your love in the morning, because I rely on you. Make me know the way I should walk, because I entrust myself to you. (CJB) I read this and knew they were special. Make me HEAR of Your LOVE… when? In the morning! First thing I should do when I wake up is LISTEN for His LOVE. I should do this because I RELY on HIM. HE is my source

Another day where finding a verse seems difficult… Not much coming to my mind. Reading the Word brings some clarity, but it is not easy. I must be honest when I say that things are like this at times. What verse did I find as I was reading? I Peter 1:7 Even gold is tested for genuineness by fire. The purpose of these trials is so that your trust’s genuineness, which is far more valuable than perishable gold, will be judged worthy of praise, glory and honor at the revealing of