CHANUKAH 2019 ~ Rededication

The ‘Festival of Lights’ (aka: Chanukah/Hanukkah) is patently a religious holiday celebrating the victory of the 8-day Maccabean uprising that trounced the Syrian & Greek invaders, more than 2,000 years ago. The Jews regained their country and their holy city, Jerusalem. To celebrate the victory, they rededicated the Temple & found enough pure Temple Oil to light the Temple Lamp (Menorah) for 1 day. The miracle of the victory was that the small amount of oil lasted for 8 full days – the exact amount of time it took to purify more Temple Oil for the Lamp.

Today, there is no Jewish Temple in Jerusalem; and no Temple Lamp burning day and night. But someday, there will be, again :-D

Until then, the Festival of Lights is a message of light; Chanukah is about shining our candle of hope openly – placing the flame of the menorah in the window for all to see (Matthew 5:14-16). As Believers of Mashiach Yeshua (Messiah Yeshua/Savior Jesus), we example what Yeshua taught when He walked this Earth in the flesh as a man (Matthew 1:18 thru 2:23; Luke 2;1-20; & John 1:4). The light in our window is a public statement of what we, as believer’s, believe in; of what Yeshua IS (John 8:12). Yeshua, Himself, celebrated this holiday (John 10:22-30). Today – in our lifetime, the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem is all that remains of the Jewish Temple the Maccabees rededicated with that 1 vial of miracle oil.

The small Menorah in my window, with dancing flames, is a statement that I want to preserve my values in a world where values have fallen by the wayside – and the tiny flickers of flame boldly herald my belief: not that others have to adopt my belief … but that my belief is accepted.

The blessing of the dancing flames in my window comes from willingly asserting my faith publicly; not with a raging fire, but with single, quiet flames.

Chanukah, has been celebrated in our home every December since 1989; when Bob & I began worshipping with our Messianic brethren. In the beginning, we were gifted a simple little handcrafted wooden menorah from a local couple, and I used hefty birthday candles – but as time moved forward, and we spent every Shabbat in Portland where our fellowships were (1 morning & 1 evening), we browsed shops in between gatherings. One December afternoon, we were walking the Lloyd Center Mall, and we found a candle Shoppe: I came home with a pretty brass Menorah & a box of real Chanukah Candles :-D I also came home with a bi-color Mogen David Sphere candle.

Mogen David Sphere Candle: 28-year-old candle. I like candles … but my lungs do not, so I burn my candles very frugally; mostly, they just get looked at ;-)

I didn’t celebrate Chanukah last year because I was sitting death-watch with my husband at OHSU – and burning candles are not allowed in the hospital. If Bob & I had known 6 months in advance that he would be dying in December, I would have hunted down an electric Menorah for his hospital window sill … but, we didn’t have a heads-up; so.

This year, determined to pull a shred of normalcy back into my life, I have decided to light the candles this December, this year, for a new life Chanukah – a rededication, if you will, of my solo lobo life’s direction in bending anew to the Will of Elohei & giving the flame of the Ruach Ha’Kodesh full rein; and set our Menorah on the livingroom window sill, in our home (technically my home, now; but always will be our home):

Chanukah 2019. Chanukah candles are the only candles that get burned steadily on our home: they are safe because the wax burns pure and is practically odorless. My lungs don’t hurt when they are burning down.

Second night Chanukah 2019: 28-year-old Menorah. The candles I lit the first 2 days of Chanukah this year, are the last of the pretty purple & gold candles we bought together in 2017.

More of my life with Bob disappearing - this bit is literally going up in flames.

It feels good to be back in the swing of things, even if in a limping mode.

Earlier today, I was in the kitchen, and the Senior Centers Calendars caught my eye – so I glanced at them while pouring a cup of coffee, and noticed that there are 2-weeks-worth of “CLOSED” notification stamped across the lower halves and into the turn of the New Year:

Even Bars are open during the Holiday Season! According to these calendar notations, the clubs are basically useless during the Holiday Season :-(

That won’t do!

I am aware that there are people out there, my age, that do have families they want to spend time with; who like to have them around. BUT … there are also people like me: and Denise, and Diana, and David, and Teresa, and Karen … AND MORE; who don’t have families to spend time with. They became part of the Senior Center TO have someone to spend time with.

While these thoughts were running through my mind, I happened to look out the window and saw the gray clouds opening up while I was setting my coffee mug on the windowsill next to Bob’s recliner; which has become my recliner for the time being.

The parting clouds revealed a small patch of blue sky – it sparked hope …

And I got ideas :-D

Mentally sorting through the tumbling possibilities that could unfold with the dawn of the New Year, I started to get excited as the gray clouds rolled back and a vast expanse of promising blue sky brightened the day:

Hope springs eternal :-D

I have lots of ideas for Holiday time coming up in 2020 ;-)

Yu’all will just have to stay tuned – and check in periodically to see what’s on my mind, and where the ideas lead. First, I have to formulate a plan and get Denise, Diana, David, Teresa, and Karen on board with it.