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Showing posts with label weddings. Show all posts
Showing posts with label weddings. Show all posts

Thursday, December 8, 2016

Running Out of Oil

The Ten Virgins
Maidens so sweet with your lamps all bright
Lighting the way through the starry night
Waiting with music and lilting voice
Arrayed in garments of finest choice.

Sundown has darkened the village streets
Ten drowsy maidens are fighting sleep
While cheery lanterns are growing dim
Will they expire ‘ere the groom comes again?

There’s a delay and the girls slump down
All fast asleep in their bridal gowns
Glad shouts are ringing down the lane
The bridegroom comes make your lanterns shine.

The girls rouse quickly their lamps to trim
But some will lament that their oil is gone.
Oh virgins listen that have to share
You won’t run out for the Lord put it there.

The widow's vessels all had enough
Of oil from God when she but asked
And you will to for your sister’s need
It is blessed by God, so please give heed.

Marilyn Friesen

www.marilynshistoricalbooks.com

Thursday, December 4, 2014

My Joseph!

Here's the continuation of Mary's Diary. Feel free to re-post or comment on it if you like. Warning! I'm quitting at Christmas, but if you're interested you can buy the book. Later.


4098

25 Elul
September 24th

According to tradition this was the first day of Creation.
Because of our great history of storytellers that pass our heritage
from one generation to the next, it is easy to believe.

Yosef is not quite finished building our cottage up to his own
excellent standards, but he thought it would be better if we had a quiet wedding and finalized the ketubah(contract) before a rabbi, so that
I could move in with him, even if it is not a year since our betrothal.

We hope that will stop the tongues from wagging. People have been
gossiping about me dashing off to Zachariah’s home so soon after we
were betrothed, and I can tell that some have noticed that I am, well . . .
chubbier than I, uh, ought to be before the wedding.

It was such fun helping Yosef plaster mud on to the entwining
bamboo that makes up the roof. I looked more like a mud splattered
little tinoki than a ladylike bride that day!

 It was a joy to help him scatter the straw that went between the layers of mud, but he would not even consider letting me haul up any of the straw or mud!

He must think I am quite fragile! I sure don’t feel delicate anymore! I
am so thankful that we now have the privacy of our own little house,
and it is private now that the roof is on, and thoroughly dried.



It is just so pleasant to be with him all the time although because of the circumstances, he is so self-disciplined.

Our house is pretty sparse of furniture, right now, but who cares!

Yosef comes from a long line of joiners, and is an excellent carpenter.
I’m sure he will make some wonderful pieces once he finds the time!
1st  Tishrei
September 29th

There is something so special about being married on the same
date that Chava, (Eve,) was presented to Haddam(Adam)on the last day of
creation.

Our wedding week was so happy. I’m glad Yosef took the time off
from work to be with me, and visit relatives even though we didn’t have a
lovely, formal wedding. Those seven days were sweet even though Yosef feels
he must treat me with a restrained dignity because the baby I am carrying
belongs to the Holy One.

We went for long walks over the surrounding hills, and meandered through the marketplace from time to time. It was so pleasant, just the two of us hand in hand. It truly felt like our hearts are knitting together as one.

I wouldn’t have ever dreamed a man could be so gentle, so understanding, and so devoted! Marriage seems to bring out the best in us. It seems like we both want so badly to say only kind and tender things to each other.

 I feel incredibly secure in his presence, and look forward to sharing the rest of my life with him. I am most confident that he will make an ideal earthly father for our little boy and that’s why EL Elohim chose him.

Why am I wasting time writing in a mere diary? I haven’t seen him
since our noon meal, and I am lonesome already! I wonder if he can
find something I can help him with?
Love, Mary’am

Tuesday, December 2, 2014

No Divorce!



 The Christmas story from Mary's Viewpoint. She has just returned from visiting Elizabeth and Zachariah.
21st Av
August 9th

Amen Alleluia El’ Elohim! I am home again, and the best news of
all: Yosef is willing to take me as his wife! Yes, you read correctly! Yosef
is willing to take me as his wife!

I will not be put aside after all! I will not have to endure the shame, and awful humiliation of a divorce!

I clung to him like I would never let go while the tears rained down my
cheeks. He kept caressing my face, and wiping at the tears with his thumbs, saying

“There, there, it’s all alright.”

I wasn’t the only one that was crying though. He turned aside more than once,
and used his sleeve to dry off his wet cheeks. He confessed that he was
also relieved it had worked out this way. That told me a lot about how
devoted he is to me, and to HaShem.

After we got somewhat over our joyous reunion we sat down on a stone bench in a shady nook, and he told me what caused him to change his mind. It was a dream!
How thrilling! The Lord God, Yahweh, sent an angel to visit Yosef one night in order to convince him to marry me after all.

Don’t tell anyone, but it makes me nervous to think HaShem is so closely involved in our lives.

And, oh by the way, Hilde is being more considerate towards me now that Yosef
made his decision, and told her about the dream. Perhaps she cannot quite
believe it, but if her precious Yosef is happy with me, that is good
enough for her. Whatever he does seems to be about perfect in Hilde’s
eyes. I wonder if I will ever act that way towards my sons.

Yaakov, on the other hand . . . (Sigh . . .) Why is he so critical of
me? Maybe it would be better not to talk about him. It makes me too
distressed.  It is enough that Hilde is more approachable, and Yosef, my
Chavivi, Yosef, is just wonderful! In fact I wonder if having that dream
has made him even more tender hearted and kind than before. (If that were possible!)



11th Elul
September 10th


 Dear Diary

I suppose it is shameful, but I shed some tears tonight because we
will not be having a traditional, Jewish wedding. Such a ceremony would be
inappropriate in my condition.


I had dreamed for years of what my challah would look like and was hoping for a tall graceful canopy of fine white linen such as my parent’s friends from Bethashbea, make and sell. Perhaps they would have even given us a good cut in price.

I was dreaming of having the most fragrant pink roses that we could
find, tucked in here and there on the canopy. I’m sure Rizpah, who is
another dear friend of my mother’s, would have gladly given us some
for the occasion. She grows the loveliest damask roses of anyone I know. (Well, other than my mother’s Imma.)

Ever since I first noticed Yosef as a wee talitha of seven spring times, I
have often daydreamt of him, and me standing beneath it!

 Imma has some vines clinging to the front of our white brick house. I was hoping
to plant some into pots well ahead of time, and have them bordering the
archway on either side of the canopy and interlaced throughout the
roses. Would that not have been ever so lovely?

My dearest friends and I have often chattered about how delightful
it would be to help each other prepare for our mitzvahs.
I can almost feel the nervous excitement I would have felt as they
helped me into my wedding garments.

 They would have taken turns brushing out my hip length hair, and we would chatter happily as they busied themselves preparing all the rest.

I love to imagine the look of awe on Yosef’s face, when he sees
my hair uncovered for the first time!

It is fortunate that you cannot see my woebegone expression. I
must, I will refrain from repining over the loss of a beautiful wedding
when I have the more glorious honor of nurturing the son of Adonai.

To think I am the one woman in the whole wide world to have been given this
responsibility, this honor!

P.S. What a joy it is to be accepted into Yosef’s favour once again. I
could collapse with relief.


Sunday, January 12, 2014

The Ten Virgins


Maidens so sweet with your lamps all bright
Lighting the way through the starry night
Waiting with music and lilting voice
Arrayed in garments of finest choice.

Sundown has darkened the village streets

Saturday, August 24, 2013

Whose Coming?

The King’s face was alight with joy when he surveyed the gathering assembly of messengers from the far flung regions of his kingdom.
               After formalities were dispensed with, he called upon Harold first of all to bring his report.
               “How many have you found that are eager to attend the wedding of my beloved son?” he cried, and Harold was sure there was a youthful lilt in his voice. “If there are more than expected, we have plenty of time to make arrangements for more food and housing.”

Thursday, August 22, 2013

Why Would YOU Say No?

“How can people be so stupid,” Harold stormed, as he flung the mail on the table beside the phone.
“I sent out a hundred invites to the wedding and not a single one has responded so far.”