Hello everyone!
We have had a LOT of birthdays this month, so here is a little catch up blog.
Julien (my son) turned 2 on Tuesday July 31st so we celebrated his birthday last Shabbat at our Community Shabbat.
Our community shabbat is a little different then the average Friday, we have about 10 more people then usual and meet at a restaurant instead of our home.
It gives my mom and I a break from the average work load shabbat brings and we get to relax knowing someone else is prepping for us.
We have decided to make our usual Shabbat group a steady count that joins us every Friday and other people that would exceed that number join us once a month. We decided to do it this way so that the people that come every Friday would feel comfortable to share whatever is going on in their hearts with a more close knitted group and feel apart of a real community.
This community has grown from 10 - 16 in just a matter of a few months! We are pretty close and see eachother 2-3 a week just hanging out with one another in worship, watching a movie, etc.
We love being able to invite new people to our shabbats and they come once a month to our 'community shabbat'. These people are amazing too!! We invite our friends to take a sneak peek into what this Shabbat thing is all about and the opportunity to see how blessing your family every week can change your life!
(moving on)
Last night was my Mom Cristina's birthday Shabbat, she was a little more elaborate on her menu choice then Julien.
My Mom grew up all over the world, spent time in Guatemala, Philippines, Papua New Guinea etc.
So you can imagine her taste in food is pretty...ethnic.
When I asked her what she would like to have for her Shabbat meal she requested Thai Cuisine.
This does not mean we just have pad thai and call it a night...no.
We went all out, we searched Arlington for a real Thai Market and found Hein Thai Market, it's a great little market once you get over the...smell :).
We decided we would make Tom Kha soup for an appetizer which is: Coconut chicken soup with mushrooms and lemongrass, our main course was Thai Green coconut curry (DELISH), with Chicken, Eggplant, Lemongrass, Bell Peppers, and plenty of Coconut Milk.
For dessert: Mango Sticky Rice. With just that, sticky rice with coconut milk, brown sugar etc.
And to go with the meal we had Thai Iced Tea!
Our special guest for her Birthday Shabbat were her Parents-Diane and Ron Morren, and her Best Friend from Highschool Katho and her Husband Stephen.
We got to pray over my mom and she got some pretty awesome words, it's such a blessing to have a community of people that are willing to take time to hear from the Lord on your behalf, it was AWESOME!
I think our Thai inspired night went..pretty well.
Saturday, August 4, 2012
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
July 20th
Yes, I'm skipping a week. Unfortunately I didn't write it soon enough to remember all the little things I tried to note in my head.
June 20th was Corin's (my brother) Birthday Shabbat. Every Shabbat around someones birthday we do something special. We make a meal they have requested as well as dessert and we all pray over them to usher them into the next year!
Corin requested a meal only 1 person in the entire house knew how to make. Egg rice. This was going to be difficult since this 1 person was working until 5:30 and also because it is a 1 pot meal, meaning there weren't very many creative things we could put on the side.
I love to prepare Shabbat meal, it's exciting for me..like I'm racing against time to get this elaborate meal ready for 15+ people, Challah in the oven, vacuuming, sweeping and mopping all while juggling a child, dogs and getting every part of the meal completed. All for one purpose, to enjoy Shabbat Shalom.
Because once that meal is completed, we've blessed our friends and family, I get to sit down, breathe in the peace of God, and exhale knowing "I'm not on clean-up tonight".
I get to enjoy the rest of the night with no care in the world, just resting in his perfect Shalom.
This Shabbat was slightly different. I had woken up that morning not feeling too well, so I slacked a little on the cleaning. I made challah, prepped the meal (as much as I could), and waited for this 1 person to arrive.
He got there around 5:30 and we were off to the races.
Egg Rice is just that, Rice cooked in turkey bacon fat (olive oil) ;), with maybe a dozen+ scrambled eggs covering the rice (lots of stirring), then topped with pre-cooked (by me) potatoes (bite-sized) and green onion.
You then add the over cooked bite size pieces of Turkey Bacon to add that special crunch!
It was quite a lot of work just to stir the few pots we had going.
We paired it with a Fruit Salad and for dessert Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies and Vanilla Ice Cream. I know..It was an interesting meal.
Corin got a few awesome words during our prayer over him, reinforcing words that were even given to him at his first baby dedication! He is a Battle Axe for the Lord! He has such a strong destiny over his life and we had an awesome time celebrating his birthday!!
It ended in true Corin fashion with a long game of Texas Hold'em and wacky music!
What is your favorite part about Shabbat? Please share in comments or a personal email!
I would love to hear about your Shabbats and any stories you would like me to share!
ChallahbyIma@gmail.com
June 20th was Corin's (my brother) Birthday Shabbat. Every Shabbat around someones birthday we do something special. We make a meal they have requested as well as dessert and we all pray over them to usher them into the next year!
Corin requested a meal only 1 person in the entire house knew how to make. Egg rice. This was going to be difficult since this 1 person was working until 5:30 and also because it is a 1 pot meal, meaning there weren't very many creative things we could put on the side.
I love to prepare Shabbat meal, it's exciting for me..like I'm racing against time to get this elaborate meal ready for 15+ people, Challah in the oven, vacuuming, sweeping and mopping all while juggling a child, dogs and getting every part of the meal completed. All for one purpose, to enjoy Shabbat Shalom.
Because once that meal is completed, we've blessed our friends and family, I get to sit down, breathe in the peace of God, and exhale knowing "I'm not on clean-up tonight".
I get to enjoy the rest of the night with no care in the world, just resting in his perfect Shalom.
This Shabbat was slightly different. I had woken up that morning not feeling too well, so I slacked a little on the cleaning. I made challah, prepped the meal (as much as I could), and waited for this 1 person to arrive.
He got there around 5:30 and we were off to the races.
Egg Rice is just that, Rice cooked in turkey bacon fat (olive oil) ;), with maybe a dozen+ scrambled eggs covering the rice (lots of stirring), then topped with pre-cooked (by me) potatoes (bite-sized) and green onion.
You then add the over cooked bite size pieces of Turkey Bacon to add that special crunch!
It was quite a lot of work just to stir the few pots we had going.
We paired it with a Fruit Salad and for dessert Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies and Vanilla Ice Cream. I know..It was an interesting meal.
Corin got a few awesome words during our prayer over him, reinforcing words that were even given to him at his first baby dedication! He is a Battle Axe for the Lord! He has such a strong destiny over his life and we had an awesome time celebrating his birthday!!
It ended in true Corin fashion with a long game of Texas Hold'em and wacky music!
What is your favorite part about Shabbat? Please share in comments or a personal email!
I would love to hear about your Shabbats and any stories you would like me to share!
ChallahbyIma@gmail.com
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
Shabbat July 6th
July 6th Shabbat was pretty much the perfect mixture of American and Jewish traditional meals. I'll be honest and say not every Shabbat has to be Israeli, Jewish, Mediterranean inspired food, put your own twist on it!
So, for our Menu:
Dry rub, cooked all day delicious Brisket
Garlic sauteed whole Green Beans
Jewish traditional Potato Kugel
Strawberry, Spinach and Goat Cheese Salad and
Ice Cream bars for dessert!
Our guest list?:
(our usuals)
Aguirre Family (Allan, Cristina, Xaundelle and Corin)
Nelson Family (Hunter, Saphraine and Julien)
Hellermanns (Ian and Elysa)
Nathan and Monica
Stephen
Jacob
SarahJane
Jessica
Greg
Michael P.
We were missing a few Michael, Sam and Averi and Joel.
After we lit our Shabbat Candles, Xaundelle shared an awesome testimony about her friend at work who drove her home and told Xaundelle she sees something different in her and even though she doesn't go around preaching at everyone she can tell there is 'something' different.
We like to call that something GLORY!
This is a testimony of who God is in Xaundelle's life! We need to all let our glory shine at work, with our friends, everywhere we go..it's not about the words we say but our actions and the Love that can shine through us.
After dinner some of us decided to continue the night with a game of Phase 10 (which took awhile), and after the majority of the guest left. Jacob, Sarahjane, Jessica and I tuned into Fifth Element.
See how normal our evenings are?!? And all of this in keeping his commandments, loving each other in community, and blessing each other every Friday!! How can you not love it?!
So, for our Menu:
Dry rub, cooked all day delicious Brisket
Garlic sauteed whole Green Beans
Jewish traditional Potato Kugel
Strawberry, Spinach and Goat Cheese Salad and
Ice Cream bars for dessert!
Our guest list?:
(our usuals)
Aguirre Family (Allan, Cristina, Xaundelle and Corin)
Nelson Family (Hunter, Saphraine and Julien)
Hellermanns (Ian and Elysa)
Nathan and Monica
Stephen
Jacob
SarahJane
Jessica
Greg
Michael P.
We were missing a few Michael, Sam and Averi and Joel.
After we lit our Shabbat Candles, Xaundelle shared an awesome testimony about her friend at work who drove her home and told Xaundelle she sees something different in her and even though she doesn't go around preaching at everyone she can tell there is 'something' different.
We like to call that something GLORY!
This is a testimony of who God is in Xaundelle's life! We need to all let our glory shine at work, with our friends, everywhere we go..it's not about the words we say but our actions and the Love that can shine through us.
After dinner some of us decided to continue the night with a game of Phase 10 (which took awhile), and after the majority of the guest left. Jacob, Sarahjane, Jessica and I tuned into Fifth Element.
See how normal our evenings are?!? And all of this in keeping his commandments, loving each other in community, and blessing each other every Friday!! How can you not love it?!
Thursday, July 5, 2012
Introduction
Would you like to know what happens at the Treehouse on Friday nights?
Here is your answer:
This blog will explore Friday night Shabbats with the Aguirre/Nelson/Hellermann Treehouse. From our menu selection, guest list and random facts. We'll touch on why Shabbat is so important to us, what role it has played in each of our lives and why we believe it is important for every Christian home.
We are Christians (yes), we believe in the Jewish Roots of our faith, therefore we choose to adhere to the Torah i.e: Eating Kosher, observing Sabbath, Feasts and High Holy Days etc.
This blog will explore our Feast celebrations, Shabbats and other parties we may choose to host.
Shabbat:
Shabbat also known has Sabbath traditionally falls on Friday Evenings (Erev Shabbat), to start the Sabbath which is Saturday (day of rest).
Shabbat Breakdown (Treehouse style):
I understand every family has their own Traditions this is NOT a quide, this is simply a blog about how we choose to celebrate.
We start our Erev Shabbats around 7pm. Traditionally the women of the household light 2 candles while singing this blessing (in hebrew): Blessed are you Lord God King of the Universe, who inspires us by his commandments to kindle the lights of Shabbat, Amen.
We choose to then bless our hands with this prayer : I dedicate my hands to Messiah, the Hope of Glory to serve him only.
Then the Father Prays over the Sons of the home (which in our case is about 12 guys), He blesses them to be like Ephraim and Manasseh.
He then prays for the Daughters of the house (which is usually around 10) to be like Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel and Leah.
The Father then blesses the wife for slaving all day over the yummy food, and the children bless her as well with the Blessing of Proverbs 31.
We then pray for Israel, this prayer can be found in Deuteronomy 6:4, it also says this prayer should be on our hearts and minds every day. Taken literally this prayer should be recited DAILY!
We sing this prayer over Israel (in hebrew):
Hear O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is One. Blessed be the name of his glorious kingdom forever and ever. Yeshua, He is the Messiah, He is Lord of All.
We proceed then to the Blessing of the Wine: Blessed are you Lord our God King of the universe, who created the fruit of the vine.
(we pass the cup of wine around to everyone)
Then the Blessing over the Challah. There are a few reasons why we eat Challah, it is traditional the way it is braided, baked and kneaded. And there are many blessings the women pray over the Challah while being prepared. You make 2 loaves to signify the double portion that was received on Sabbath in the desert, also you salt it before breaking to signify the tears of the saints in the desert as well as being the salt of the earth. You pray this blessing (in hebrew):
Blessed are you O Lord our God king of the universe, who brings forth bread from the earth.
You break the bread and pass around to everyone while singing the Shabbat song :)!
Shabbat Shalom, Shabbat Shalom, Shabbat Shabbat Shabbat Shabbat Shalom (xhowever many times you want to sing it :))
Stay tuned to read about our Shabbat on July 6th!!
Here is your answer:
This blog will explore Friday night Shabbats with the Aguirre/Nelson/Hellermann Treehouse. From our menu selection, guest list and random facts. We'll touch on why Shabbat is so important to us, what role it has played in each of our lives and why we believe it is important for every Christian home.
We are Christians (yes), we believe in the Jewish Roots of our faith, therefore we choose to adhere to the Torah i.e: Eating Kosher, observing Sabbath, Feasts and High Holy Days etc.
This blog will explore our Feast celebrations, Shabbats and other parties we may choose to host.
Shabbat:
Shabbat also known has Sabbath traditionally falls on Friday Evenings (Erev Shabbat), to start the Sabbath which is Saturday (day of rest).
Shabbat Breakdown (Treehouse style):
I understand every family has their own Traditions this is NOT a quide, this is simply a blog about how we choose to celebrate.
We start our Erev Shabbats around 7pm. Traditionally the women of the household light 2 candles while singing this blessing (in hebrew): Blessed are you Lord God King of the Universe, who inspires us by his commandments to kindle the lights of Shabbat, Amen.
We choose to then bless our hands with this prayer : I dedicate my hands to Messiah, the Hope of Glory to serve him only.
Then the Father Prays over the Sons of the home (which in our case is about 12 guys), He blesses them to be like Ephraim and Manasseh.
He then prays for the Daughters of the house (which is usually around 10) to be like Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel and Leah.
The Father then blesses the wife for slaving all day over the yummy food, and the children bless her as well with the Blessing of Proverbs 31.
We then pray for Israel, this prayer can be found in Deuteronomy 6:4, it also says this prayer should be on our hearts and minds every day. Taken literally this prayer should be recited DAILY!
We sing this prayer over Israel (in hebrew):
Hear O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is One. Blessed be the name of his glorious kingdom forever and ever. Yeshua, He is the Messiah, He is Lord of All.
We proceed then to the Blessing of the Wine: Blessed are you Lord our God King of the universe, who created the fruit of the vine.
(we pass the cup of wine around to everyone)
Then the Blessing over the Challah. There are a few reasons why we eat Challah, it is traditional the way it is braided, baked and kneaded. And there are many blessings the women pray over the Challah while being prepared. You make 2 loaves to signify the double portion that was received on Sabbath in the desert, also you salt it before breaking to signify the tears of the saints in the desert as well as being the salt of the earth. You pray this blessing (in hebrew):
Blessed are you O Lord our God king of the universe, who brings forth bread from the earth.
You break the bread and pass around to everyone while singing the Shabbat song :)!
Shabbat Shalom, Shabbat Shalom, Shabbat Shabbat Shabbat Shabbat Shalom (xhowever many times you want to sing it :))
Stay tuned to read about our Shabbat on July 6th!!
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