SEEK...and YE SHALL FIND

Did you know that we are celebrating a holiday? It's a new moon, don't ya know? On the Jewish calendar, that's a time for celebration! "Rosh Chodesh,"or "Head of the Month," is the Hebrew rendering for such an occasion.

This one is special, for it is a month not to feast but to reflect and prepare for the days ahead. What days? The "Days of Awe," or, "Yamim Nora'im." These are the days which begin at "Rosh HaShanah," the traditional Jewish New Year, and continue through "Yom Kippur," the "Day of Atonement."

These are days marked by self-reflection, repentance and amending of one's ways. Elul, which comes from a word meaning "seek," is the month to commence that process.

So, let's commence! (Now don't let this be an occasion for obsessive introspection which could lead to depression, G-d forbid!) No, let's read Psalm 27, the traditional daily reading for this season, sound the "Shofar," (a ram's horn which is a symbol of G-d's call to awaken to repentance) and look to the L-rd Yeshua who said, "Seek first the kingdom of G-d and His righteousness...". (Mt. 6:33)

"Seek those things which are above, where Messiah is..." said a famous Rabbi named Shaul. I am going to try that this Elul.

Perhaps you will, too, always remembering that "the Joy of the L-rd IS OUR STRENGTH!!" That, of course, is from the book of Nehemiah, in which this month is mentioned, by the way. (Nehemiah 6: 15)

So, my friends, Happy New Moon, Joyous Pre-New Year and...HALL---ELUL---JAH!!!

Shalom y'all, Marty

P.S. I celebrated by going out to lunch with my precious daughter, Misha! Great fun!!