Nehemiah is often remembered as the man who rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem after Israel’s exile to Babylon and helped renew the faith of the Israelites as they returned. He is the last of the Old Testament historical books. His book records the history of the third return to Jerusalem. He saw a problem and set out to solve it. He organized, managed, supervised, and encouraged. He was met with opposition, confronted injustice and kept going until the job was done. He was a man of action; however, he was also a man of prayer. He came to God in prayer in many situations. Long, focused prayers and even brief, quick prayers before responding to questions or taking action. Through his story, we learn that prayers and action go hand in hand. Through prayer, God guides our preparation, teamwork and diligent efforts to carry out His will. What were his prayers? How can we model his example?
In his first prayer, recorded in Nehemiah 1:5-11, occurs when he hears about the state that Jerusalem sits. After he fasts and mourns, he turns to God in prayer. There are elements to his prayer that we can model for our own prayers. First, he praises God. In verse 5, he prays “ O Lord, God of Heaven, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and obey his commands.” Second, he seeks repentance. In verse 6b-7, he confesses “the sin we Israelites, including myself and my father’s house, have committed against you. We have not obeyed the commands, decrees and laws you gave your servant Moses.” Lastly, he prays for his specific request. In verse 11, he asks for favor as he brings his plans to the king. As the cupbearer for Artaxerxes, the king of Persia, Nehemiah had a great access to the king. To do what he wanted, he needed the king’s permission. Nehemiah asks that God work on the king’s heart to fulfill his request. In his prayer, Nehemiah recognizes God’s holiness and asks for a hearing, confesses his sins and asks for specific help. By including God in his plans and concerns, it prepared Nehemiah’s heart and gave God the room to work. The elements of his prayers are similar to the way Jesus teaches us how to pray during the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 6:9-13 and Luke 11:2-4).
Not only did he pray before approaching the king, Nehemiah prayed before taking other action. In Nehemiah 2:4, Nehemiah prayed for strength before answering the king’s question. I picture the scene as Nehemiah brings the king his wine, his heart is heavy about the state of the city, and the king asks him what is troubling him. Before answering, he takes a deep breath and prays silently, “O Lord, give me strength.” How many times have you prayed quickly for strength, patience or favor? Prayer doesn’t always have to be on your knees and long. It can be the moment before you leave your car to go into work or school. It can be during the final steps before an important meeting or a big exam. It can be any moment when you need to call on God for help. Nehemiah’s plans were met with great opposition which resulted in threats. Instead of acting impulsively, Nehemiah prayed first. In Nehemiah 4:4-5, 9, he prayed for help against those who despised them and insulted their efforts. He prayed that their guilt or sin would not be erased from God’s sight (verse 5) and prayed before posting a guard to watch over the day’s work and meet with any threat that may come (verse 9). When the opposition and insults continued, Nehemiah prayed for strength to prove the opposition wrong (Nehemiah 6:9). Instead of running and hiding, he prayed for strength to continue doing what he knew God wanted him to do. We can do the same!
Nehemiah prayed for favor and remembrance. In Nehemiah 5:19, he prayed “Remember me with favor, O my God, for all I have done for these people.” He wasn’t seeking recognition or reward from the people; but from God, for whom he did the work. Hebrews 6:10 tells us that “God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them.” It is easy to be discouraged as we think our efforts are not being seen. While people may not see our efforts, God does and he will remember. Nehemiah prays for remembrance again in Nehemiah chapter 13, verse 14. 22, and 31. He prayed to be remembered for his faithful service (verse 14), to be shown mercy according to God’s great love (verse 22), and to be remembered with favor (verse 31). As he reflected on his efforts to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem and bring the people from captivity, he asked God to remember his works. As he worked, toiled, fought opposition, Nehemiah remembered it was for God that he worked. Philippians 4:6 tells us, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” We are to turn our worries into prayers, just as Nehemiah did, and our prayers can turn into action.
In conclusion, Nehemiah was a man of prayer and action. He was a man who held a passion for God, a concern for God’s people and a zeal for the house of the Lord. He prayed before he took action. He prayed for guidance, for strength and for remembrance. Essentially, there was nothing he wouldn’t pray for. How often do we pour out our hearts to God? How often do we give him a specific request to answer? What stops us? Nehemiah did not let the impossible stop him from approaching God for help. We can do the same. In today’s society, prayer is often looked down on and seen as a cop out instead of real action. However, I have seen prayers answered many times in my life. While the world may scoff at your prayers, God does not. He listens and he responds. Let us follow Nehemiah’s example and be a people of prayer and action.
Ofra Haza was an international Israeli singer whose voice
dazzled audiences for decades. Her music would be known as World pop, ethnic
electronics synthpop as well as a mixture of traditional and commercial styles
of her Yemeni heritage. She became known as the Madonna of the East. I was
first introduced to her in the 1998 film The Prince of Egypt as the
singing voice for Jochebed, Moses’ mother. I was reintroduced to her recently
as I did a study on Jochebed and discovered her other music. Sadly, she died in
2000. Today would have been her 63rd birthday. I would like to
introduce everyone to Ofra Haza. She may be done but she left behind such a
beautiful success story and amazing music for us to remember her.
Born Bat-Sheva Ofra Haza on November 19, 1957 in Hatikva,
Tel Aviv, Israel. She was the youngest of nine children to Yefet and Shoshana
Haza, Mizrahi Jewish parents who had immigrated from Yemen. At the age of 12, Ofra
joined a local theater troupe, and manager Bezalel Aloni noticed her singing
talent and featured her in many of his productions. Aloni would become her
mentor and manager as her singing career progressed. At 19, she would be Israel’s
foremost popstar. After her first album, Al Ahavot Shelanu (About Our
Loves) was released in 1980, it produced a string of radio hits. She would be named
Female Vocalist of the Year by Kol Israel Radio for four years straight,
1980-1983. In 1983, she released Shirey Moledet, her renditions of Israeli
folk songs which went platinum and produced two volumes in 1985 and 1987. She
was so popular that she was asked by Michael Jackson to do a joint
international concert tour in 1990, which she turned down (Shahar). In 1997,
she married Doron Ashkenazi.
Her career would include many collaborations and
performances. She would provide vocals for Sarah Brightman’s Harem (2003)
on the song, “Mysterious Days.” She did duets with Paul Anka, Cliff Richards,
and Iggy Pop (Shahar). She sang on various movie soundtracks including Colors
(1998), Dick Tracy (1990), Queen Margot (1994) and The Prince
of Egypt (1998). The animators for The Prince of Egypt were so moved
by her beauty that they used her image for Jochebed. She would also sing “Deliver
Us” in each language the movie was translated in, 18 in all. Ofra would also do
a series of covers from Carol King and James Taylor’s “You’ve Got a Friend,” to
Madonna’s “Open Your Heart.” One of my favorite covers by Ofra is Led Zeppelin’s
“Kashmir.” She did two versions. One was upbeat and sounds similar to Zeppelin’s
version and a second version which is slow and very haunting (which is my
favorite of the two versions).
Ofra Haza died on February 23, 2000 at the age of 42 from
AIDS related pneumonia. Her death was controversial in Israel despite her HIV positive
status was generally known. Many people would blame her husband, Doron, for
giving her HIV. However, she got HIV from a blood transfusion in a Turkish hospital
following treatment from a miscarriage (Paphides, 2010). When her death ws
announced, Israeli radio played her music nonstop while then-Prime Minister
Ehud Barak praised her as a cultural emissary and an Israeli success story. He
would say that she “emerged from the Hatikavh slums to reach the peak of Israeli
culture. She has left a mark on us all” A park in the Hatikva Quarter was renamed
in her honor. Her death from AIDS related causes added another layer of
mourning for her fans and the people of Israel as “She was a beautiful crystal ball
that suddenly shattered without anyone knowing it was cracked” (Shalev, 2020).
In conclusion, Ofra Haza was a rare beauty and talent who
left an undeniable mark in Israel and on me. She is a success story that one
can rise above their beginnings and leave their mark on the world they leave
behind. It saddens me that I didn’t know her and her music during her lifetime.
However, I love that I can enjoy the music she left behind. One of my favorite
songs is Yershalayim Shel Zahav (“Jerusalem in Gold”) which she sang at
the officially ceremony marking Israel’s 50th anniversary. I have
posted the link to her performance above. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.
In Twenty Years by
Allison Winn Scotch is the story of five friends who reunite at the last
request of a departed friend. They must confront past indiscretions, present
issues and hope to build better futures. The story begins in 1998 with the six
college friends and roommates on the eve of their graduation. Bea, the de facto
leader, gathers everyone together and has them write a letter to their selves
twenty years in the future. Annie is shy and reluctant to write such a letter.
Lindy, the outgoing musician, is eager. Colin, the handsome future doctor and
Owen and Catherine, the college sweethearts, are also eager to write this
letter. Fast forward to 2016. Bea tragically died thirteen years earlier which
fractured the friends cross the country, leaving the lines of communication and
friendship tattered and frayed. Each friend receives a letter from the Bea’s
estate, request each one to spend the weekend of what would have been Bea’s 40th
birthday at their college home. As the friends arrive at the house, it is clear
that the past is still a part of their lives. Will the friends be able to find
the common thread which gathered them together in the first place? Will they be
able to get their lives back on track? To the dreams they held eighteen years
ago?
In Twenty Years is
an excellent story filled with drama, excitement, tears and joy. The characters
felt real with their past and current issues. The reader could be any or all of
the characters. I also enjoyed how the story is told from each character’s perspective.
You get to really see their motivations. You can related to their fears of
failure, of rejection, of the past and of the future. You will cheer with them,
cry with them, and cry foul when someone is being a jerk. I highly recommend In Twenty Years!
Gridley Girls
by Meredith First is a semi-autobiographical story of a young girl’s entrance
into adulthood as she begins her freshman year of high school in the small town
of Gridley, California. The drama, the bully, the romance and the finding
yourself among the sea of people is the center of this coming of age story.
The story is told between the past (summer 1978 to the
summer 1979) and the present (2008). The story opens with a prologue Meg as she
discusses her friends. Friends since preschool, they grew up together, did
everything together, until the beginning of high school when the social
pressures threaten to split them apart. In 2008, Meg’s friend, Anne Marie is
getting married and is experiencing pre-wedding jitters as Meg is experience a
potential life changing decision which will take her family from everything
they know. Anne Marie is searching fixated on the events year of their freshmen
year. As the story switches between past and present, clues are given to what
is triggering the nostalgic walk down memory lane.
Gridley Girls
is a great story of nostalgia to the author’s hometown and her lifelong
friends. It is heartwarming and may bring memories of your childhood coming of
age time. The story is reminiscent of Now
and Then, My Girl and other great
stories about the time in your life when you leave childhood behind and face
adulthood head on. Heavy topics of abortion, sex, sexual orientation,
alcoholism and other topics all teenagers face are presented. These topics are
discussed with realism and sincerity. I highly recommend Gridley Girls.
Today is the 62nd anniversary of the signing of the
armistice which signaled the end of the Korean War. The Korean War was the
first major conflict of the Cold War. In North Korea, this day is known as the
Day of Victory in the Great Fatherland Liberation War. In the United States,
the Korean War is referred to as the Forgotten War. On this day in 1995, the
Korean War Veterans Memorial dedicated in Washington, D.C. The war which ended
in a stalemate and is a war that is technically still being fought by North
Korea and South Korea.
The Korean Demilitarized Zone is the buffer zone between
North and South Korea. It is the de factor border which runs the vicinity of
the 38th parallel and roughly cuts the Korean peninsula in half. It
is 250 km (160 miles) long and approximately 4 km (2.5 miles) wide. Despite its
name, it is the most heavily militarized border in the world. Since its
establishment, there have been numerous incidents and incursions by the North
Koreans which the North Korean government denies. In 1968, there was a failed
attempt to assassinate President Park Chung Hee. Between the years of
1974-1990, a series of infiltration tunnels were discovered. A total of 17
tunnels were discovered. The most recent incident was June 15, 2015 when a
teenage North Korean solider walked across the DMZ and defected at a South
Korean guard post.
Today, I would like to remember the Forgotten War. To
remember the men who fought a war that no one really cared about not like they
did for World War II or the Vietnam War. The men who came home to no fanfare,
no tinker tape parades. To the men who quietly came home and began to build
their lives, their families and their careers. Approximately 40,000 American
soldiers died in the Korean War, more than 100,000 were wounded and more than
32,000 are missing in action. In total, 5 million people were killed in this
conflict and 10% of the causalities were Korean civilians. 416 Korean War
unknown soldiers are buried at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in
Oahu, Hawaii.
Today the North Koreans proudly claim they won the Korean
War, we remember the men and women who served and those who died in service of
their country during the Korean War, a war that officially wasn’t a “war” but
it was for those who experienced it. To all the Korean War veterans, thank you
for your service. I may not know your names but you are not forgotten.
On this day, we acknowledge the importance of our moms. Mom is very meaningful to us. Mom is our first protector. She is our caregiver and boo-boo fixer. She is our confidante and well of advice. She's the one we ran to when nightmares disturbed our sleep. Most women, like me, have dreamed their entire lives about becoming mothers. We have names picked out before we even have a wedding dress picked out. I realize now that for many women, this dream doesn't come true as planned.
I am the mother of 3 children. My first child was died in
utero in December 2010 when I was 8 weeks pregnant but didn't discover
his/her loss until January. I named the baby Aurora Jacob because both names
were top on our list and since we didn't know the gender, I normally call
him/her “AJ.” This ultrasound picture is the only picture I have of AJ.
Then one year later, my beautiful daughter,
Abigail Hope, was born. She is my rainbow, a child born after a loss, and she
has been a great joy in my life. Watching her grow has opened my eyes to a whole new world and I enjoy seeing her try new things and accomplish new goals. I love being her mama.
A surprise pregnancy last year ended with the saddest ending.Throughout my pregnancy, everything was progressing normally. Until one day, when I went in for an anatomy scan and before I knew it I was being admitted into the hospital and being told that my cervix was opening. Despite the doctors' best efforts, we lost our daughter, Ziva Rae. She was born on October 30, 2013
at 1:10 am and died at 1:44 am.
There isn't a day that goes by that I don't think of my angels. I often find myself wondering about what might have been. If
AJ was born as planned, he/she would be almost 4. If Ziva had lived, she would
be 6 months or had been born full term, she would be 3 months. I know and trust
that God has a plan and I know that they are in a better place. I know that statement may hurt some people and other don't like hearing it. But in my heart, I know He does and He will not bring me to a situation and not have a solution for me. I don't know what He knows. I believe He saw something in my angels that made Him call them home. My human heart still wishes they were here and that’s okay.
This Mother’s Day has a very different meaning for me. Due to my loss of Ziva, I have joined a group of unique and caring women on an online support groups. This women helped me realize that just because you don’t see a child in a woman’s arms doesn't mean she isn't a mother. She could be the mother of an angel.
I've been very active in these support
groups. They are a great place to vent, voice worries and concerns without
judgment or criticisms. It is a place to receive encouragement and share in
sorrows and in great joys. These women are from all walks of life from all
over the world. These women have experienced my pain. They have given me hope
and encouragement that has helped that past 6 months or by with hope for the
future and future for another rainbow. I wish I could name them all and thank
them for the words so precious. The words that calm my fears. I can only hope
that I’ve given them the same encouragement and that my words have help calm
their fears.
On this Mother's Day, don’t forget the angel mothers in your life. They could be
you daughters, sisters, cousins, friends, neighbors, and co-workers. Know that this day is difficult for them and help them feel loved. There's so much more I want to say but I can't seem to find the right words. Happy Mother's to all mothers. You are loved and remembered for the great women that you are!
“A mother’s love for her child is like nothing else in the
world. It knows no law, no pity, it dates all things and crushes down
remorselessly all that stands in its path” –Agatha Christie
