Sprucin' Up the Livingroom

My mother-in-law stayed with us one weekend last month, and she and Rachel made coverings out of plush blankets for two sofas in the livingroom.

Short sofa on the right, then orphan corner piece, and one end of long sofa on the left.

This is another view of the long sofa. It looks like a different color because of the light, but both sofas were done in a dark olive green.

Guidance Forever...

                                            My Little Corner                    


Happy 2nd day (Monday)! Today is called in Hebrew Yom Sheni, or "second day." This morning I was in my comfortable chair in my room, having a devotional time and preparing to start my day. I use an online devotional, Daily Light (http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/devotions/daily.light), each morning. It is comprised of Bible verses arranged topically into morning and evening readings for every day of the year. Regularly one or more verses seem to jump out and catch my attention, leading sometimes to prayer, or quiet meditation, or stimulating me to do some digging, looking up words in order to find more of the "flavor" of the context.

The topic of this morning's reading was God's guidance and teaching. One verse which stood out was Psalm 48:14,

... this is God, our God forever and ever.
He will guide us forever. (ESV)

In the past year the message of God guiding my life and footsteps has taken on greater meaning for me. There has always been a conceptual undercurrent in my life, the idea that I was responsible for the outcomes of situations in my day-to-day existence; when I was growing up, I was keenly aware of any real or perceived disappointment in my performance from parents, teachers and other authority figures. Although it is still there to some degree, that notion was seriously weakened last summer when I spent two weeks in the hospital Intensive Care Unit in a coma. Upon waking, I found I couldn't move my arms or legs; I couldn't even lift my hands or head off the hospital bed. Others had to do everything for me. I was no longer in control. But I learned something from that experience: God was there, and He was in charge, guiding every process and decision for my benefit. He still is, even though I don't always acknowledge it and have to be reminded from time to time. Now I am getting my strength back, little by little, and I'm learning that any amount of strength I have is a gift from אֵל עֶלְיֹֽון (El Elyon), the Most High God (Deuteronomy 8:11-18, Isaiah 41:10, 1 Corinthians 1:25).


So when I read Psalm 48:14 this morning and saw the declaration that He will guide us forever, I wanted to do some digging. -- Find out what the original language says. Here, then, is the Hebrew text of the verse, followed by my transliteration:     
     
כִּי זֶה אֱלֹהִים אֱלֹהֵינוּ עֹולָם וָעֶד הוּא יְנַהֲגֵנוּ עַל־מֽוּת׃          
Ki zeh Elohim Eloheynu olam va'ed hu y'nahageynu al-mut.


Ki zeh is translated "for this". Elohim Eloheynu means "God our God".
Olam va'ed is "forever and ever". Hu means "he". 
Y'nahageynu is translated "[he] will guide us".

What caught my attention was the phrase at the end of the verse, al-mut (pronounced "ahl-MOOT"), which is translated as "forever" in the English Standard Version Bible. In the King James translation it is "[even] unto death". The Jewish Publication Society Bible renders it "eternally", and so does the Schottenstein Edition of Tehillim (Psalms), both of them Jewish translations.

The Hebrew word עַל (al) is a preposition meaning, in general, "to" or "upon". מוּת (Mut) is "death". The KJV has a more literal translation of al-mut, "unto death".

But what does it mean that God will guide us "even unto death"? Perhaps the Hebrew translators have a handle on the figurative meaning of the phrase when they translate it as "eternally" - even after death - in the עֹולָם הַבָּא   (Olam Haba) - the World to Come; just my thought.
 
Then I considered that preposition al.

In English, prepositions are usually small words which drop quickly from the tongue, or which the reader zooms through on his way to the more meaningful parts of the text. We memorized the list of them in elementary or middle school. Some examples of prepositional phrases: Up a tree, down the hall; in a pickle; over the river and through the woods, etc. I have highlighted the prepositions, but they aren't necessarily the words that jump out at us when we read or hear these phrases. They are there to transport the reader or the hearer to the endpoint, or focal point, the subject of the phrase (tree, hall, pickle, river, woods).

In studying Hebrew, I've learned that prepositions, as well as other words, can contain deeper connotations, due to the fact that every letter of the Hebrew alphabet has a name and a meaning. For instance, the letter pey  means "mouth". And the letter shin means "tooth". 

- The letters that make up the word al are ayin, which means "eye", and lamed, which represents an oxgoad. Its name comes from the root lamad, which means "to learn".

Which makes me think of another verse from the KJV that I memorized years ago:
 I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye. ~Psalm 32:8

Here's the Scoop...

                                                     Flowers from my mom



The oncologist told me last Friday that my blood cancer marker number had gone up from 52 to 73; it's not high enough to warrant immediate treatment. She recommended waiting three months and running the tests again. She also said that I have multiple fractures in my back. That's probably why they are having me take monthly treatments of Zometa, a drug that is used for osteoporosis and bone mestastasis (just had one yesterday). I have started researching online the different medications I am taking, so I can be more informed and able to talk with my doctors and make decisions. Found a web site called MediGuard.com, which gives information about possible and known drug interactions.

Next subject of research: How to help strengthen and heal bones naturally.   :)

Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.  ~Isa 41:10

Cold and dreary today...

Well, today I go to the oncologist to hear the results of all my tests the past week...I am a little apprehensive, please remember me in your prayers.

What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee. ~Psalm 56:3

A Quiet Sunday...

...sitting here in the comfortable chair in my room, checking email and Facebook, and looking out the door at the gold-and-brown tall grasses being blown by the wind...the National Weather Service says 41 degrees today and 17 for tonight. Ah, December in Oklahoma! Right now I am thankful for cuddly robes and warm blankets. :) If the current temperatures are any indication of what January will be like, I need to find a large cardboard box soon to put on the front porch for the cats to huddle in at night. Brrrrr!

Rachel and I picked Emily up and went to hear the Messiah Concert yesterday evening in Lawton; it was well-done, as usual. We were remembering taking part in it years ago; good times! Afterward, we took pizza to my mother-in-law Iva and had a short visit, then home again, home again.

Have CT and bone scans scheduled for tomorrow, then exercise on Tuesday, Rachel's last test and a tea party on Wednesday, and a visit with the oncologist on Friday. I will also find out the results of my bloodwork done last Friday. Busy week ahead.

We are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Messiah Yeshua our Lord. ~Romans 8:37-39

Day After Thanksgiving

Did you all have a nice Thanksgiving holiday? We went with my mother-in-law Iva, my sister-in-law Sherry and nephew Stace to a cousin's house in Cache for a big family get-together. Everyone brought something: besides the usual turkey, dressing, potatoes and pumpkin pie, we had, among other dishes, cranberry jello salad made by Iva, Israeli Salad made by Rach, and non-spinach dip made by Sherry (it was good, too!). Of course we all ate too much; so much food, so little stomach! Then, while most of the guys sat down to watch football, six of us sat down and played Phase 10. It was the longest and most grueling game of Phase 10 I've ever played, and it was fun! Four of Rachel's cousins played, and Iva and me. Rachel shuffled cards and kept score, until one cousin dropped out, then Rach sat in and ended up winning the game.

Another Update

Went in for my 4th monthly Zometa treatment. I found out Zometa is used to treat osteoporosis, and bones which have been affected by cancer and other diseases. Fortunately, it is a quick treatment, about 30  minutes. On the way home from Duncan, we tried to take pictures (through the windshield) of some of the trees lining the road. Now I either have to find the cord that connects my camera to my computer, or see if the jump drive will accommodate my memory card, so I can download pictures.

When I sit in darkness, the Lord will be a light to me. ~Micah 7:8