dajstill wrote:Serious question - are you having fun enjoying your ever developing relationship with Yahowah? I ask in all seriousness. As I read through topics about the Feasts, as I review pages and groups on social networking sites, I just haven't been seeing joy. Does this make sense? It seems everyone is so serious. No talk of making matzah, no happy dances from translating a verse all on one's own, no expressive excitement about a potential new revelation (or not - LOL). I have seen lots of fighting, no so much here on YY, but definitely on social networking. Everyone fighting about exactly "what" day a Feast starts or ends, fighting about what can and cannot be done on the sabbath, fighting about what to eat and what to abstain from. It's almost like a wave of legalism is trying to flood through the gates of those that are all trying to know Yahowah.
I am absolutely having fun. That may or may not come across in my posts, I’m not very expressive. You should join in the skype chat we have had whole discussions on recipes, how we cook our lamb, and what we like to do for the festivals.
As for doing the happy dance and being excited after translating a verse and coming across something new or reaffirming my wife will attest to the fact that I do indeed have a happy dance and will bombard her the second she walks in the door with, “Check this out, you have to see this, I can’t believe I missed it before….” I don’t however tend to have that same tone when posting on the forum because the nature of the media makes it a little hard to do and I usually put it in terms of, “Hey what do you guys think of this…”
As for dating the feast Chuck and I had a long, two or three day, discussion on it where we started off disagreeing a lot and came to agree more and more with some differences still being there, but it was not an argument. Quite the opposite I enjoyed it thoroughly. I love having intelligent, reasoned and rational discussions with someone I disagree with. To me that is part of the fun is discussing Yah’s word with people I respect who I differ with, it’s a huge part of the reason I joined the forum in the first place. Discussion is fun and enlightening, fighting is tiresome and annoying, I like to stick within the realm of the first one.
As for the what to do or don’t do on the Sabbath, what to eat and what not to eat I try to avoid those discussions like the plague because they do to me tend to become fights. I have my way of observing these and some will agree some will disagree. Unlike timing of the feast where I think there are subtle insights to be gained from studying the timing, which is why I enjoyed the conversation so much, I don’t see any insights to be gained on what we think we should or shouldn’t do on the Sabbath or what we think we should or shouldn’t eat. To me that is the dividing line, will the conversation potentially give me greater insight into Yah’s word.
dajstil wrote:I guess because I am a very protective, but laid back parent - those are the attributes I give to Yahowah. I really don't see Him being hard on people that are trying to walk in His ways, to keep His instructions. He knows I don't live in Israel and can't sight the new moon in Jerusalem. He knows my goal is to be there at the Feast, "on time", but I don't see Him refusing to meet with me because to clock I was using ran a bit fast or slow. I can't see Him taking pleasure in my misery as I try too hard not to "work" on the Sabbath. I am definitely not about to spend my precious time here on earth trying to determine if someone else is resting "just right".
Well said. I have a jewish friend and he was telling me all the stuff they are not supposed to do on the Sabbath, and my reply was that it sounds like they are working awfully hard at not working.
dajstill wrote:I never understood how the rabbi's grabbed power, now I do. I am sure they started with debates that turned to decrees and judgements. I have just been so surprised lately. I mean, I am so happy to be out of the chains of religious oppression I am not about to shackle myself to anyone, whether they be friend or foe. What the heck is going on in the "land of freedom"? It was a pleasure finding so many others all over the web that were finding out the truth of Yahowah, but I am almost ready to go back into my cave.
I don’t know if you know it or not, but the Talmud is literally just that a series of rabbinic debates on the Towrah.
I hope you do not choose to go back into your cave, I know a lot of people have found your contributions here to be of great help.
dajstill wrote:Don't get me wrong, I love a good debate! But, what I don't love is people heaping guilt on others and trying to put forth the notion that they alone know how to please Dad. YY is becoming my one place of refuge, but there is a catch - not many people are talking here!
That’s the difference between debate and fighting. Debate is reasoned and rational discussion, fighting is way too emotional.
I’ve been on the forum for some time now and it always seems to ebb and flow, we will go through periods of very little posting and then something will come up that sparks everyone’s interest and it’s busy again. Personally I haven’t had the time lately to sit down and get a lot of translating done so I haven’t had a whole lot to contribute.
dajstil wrote:So, back to my original question - is anyone having fun? Anyone learn something new? Anyone do something interesting? I honestly can't imagine Yahowah envisioned His Feasts to be boring encounters similar to mandatory training at some corporate headquarters. These are parties, right? We are having a BBQ, sitting around talking about our grand future ahead as well as our increases and accomplishments thus far - in this life, right here. We left Egypt, we answered the call, we aren't perfect, and although we strive to be ever more pleasing - we will at times get it wrong, and that is okay.
We were fortunate enough to have several forum members over for Pesach this year, and grilled up a leg of lamb and some lamb shanks had some wine and enjoyed the night, discussion varied from personal to Scriptural and we all had a great time. I love Pesach every year for this reason.
Thinking this year for Shabuwah I am going to throw out an open invitation to anyone who wants to make the drive, and have a big backyard BBQ.