Tribute to King Messiah...and lots of pictures!

You shall celebrate ... the Feast of Ingathering at the turn of the year. Three times a year all your males are to appear before the Lord GOD, the God of Israel. For I will drive out nations before you and enlarge your borders, and no man shall covet your land when you go up three times a year to appear before the LORD your God. (Exodus 34:22-24)

The last appointment on God's calendar is the Feast of Booths. The Hebrew name of the festival is Sukkot, a word that means "shelters, stables or huts." These temporary, tent-like structures are often translated as "tabernacles" in our English Bibles. The festival is so named because Israel is commanded to annually build such dwelling places as a reminder of the post-exodus years when they lived in huts and booths, following God in the wilderness.

Sukkot is the great festival, the culmination of all the appointed times. Sukkot is to the other festivals what the Sabbath is to the other six days of the week. As such it is a fitting foreshadowing of that great celebration of creation when the entire world will live in peace and brotherhood under the reign and rule of the righteous Messiah King. Just as the weekly Sabbath foreshadows the millennium, Sukkot also looks forward to that great age. Therefore, the festival of Sukkot, like all the festivals, foreshadows Messiah.

To read more, go HERE.

This is our most favorite time of the year, and for the second year in a row we went down to Windemere Baptist Camp in Roach, Missouri with some friends to celebrate the feast.  Maybe one day we will be able to spend the whole festival there, but for now we will take the few days that we can get away and just enjoy them.  Our little caravan grew by one family this year, as it was now the Grants, Olson's AND the Kennedy's this year.  We had an unbelievably great time.  If I remember correctly, there were around 500 of us there this year. We met lots of new friends, had great times of teaching and worship, and laughed until we cried.

A nine hour journey is made easier with a little help from your friends.

Once we got there, the kids immediately took the opportunity to make their bunk beds into blanket-enclosed forts.  We went from having two kids to having 9 or 10...depending on the time of day!  The girls LOVED it.

We had fun in the evenings with different games.  This one requires the wearer to swing the teabags up on top of the brim of the hat at the same time.  It is hysterical.

More games in the evening--for those who watch Minute to Win It, this one should be familiar.

Eddie Chumney delivered a really good teaching.

Dr. John Merritt and cantor Jeremiah Greenberg read from the Torah scroll on Shabbat.  We had the privilege of hosting Jeremiah for dinner on Erev Shabbat (Friday evening).  He opened the time with a blessing, and it was really sweet to get to know him better this year.  That evening we were joined in our dining area with another few dozen people--all of our meal times were big, loud and great times of fellowship.

These four--Moo, Belle, Sophie and Zechariah--were pretty inseparable.

Can you tell how happy Zechariah is about the color of the game hat?

Spades in the wee hours.  The girls were among a small multitude of kids who played tag until 11pm.

Waving the lulavim in celebration (the four species of Leviticus 23:40).

David's captive audience for a couple short plays he and Heidi put on for the kids.  They were so entertained and delighted.  If my connection speed allows, I may post those videos at a later date.  You just HAVE to hear the snorts and giggles!

The oldest and youngest of the Olson tribe--Jonathon with his little brother Josiah.  So sweet--all of them truly are--but Josiah has cheeks to DIE for! :)

If you want a silly picture, just let David know that you are pointing a camera in his direction!

Benjamin and Zechariah helped out with the opening ceremonies.

A different view of the lulavim waving.  The music was always "Awesome God"...very cool. 

Oh Belle.

Moo's turn.  She was able to do this one successfully.

More of David and Heidi's performance.

These are some of the other girls our daughters spent time with.  Kendall is in the purple next to Belle, and Avery is in the green in the back row.  Sweet Olivia is in the tie-dye.  They were so thankful to get to meet a couple new friends.

After we got home after midnight on Sunday morning, we and the Olson's got up and shared breakfast in our sukkah.  A little later the Kennedy's joined us, and for the first time in years, we considered expanding the size of our sukkah.  Who wants to come over and share a meal with us in our sukkah before Friday? 

We've got the rest of the week to decorate it.  That's the only downside to being out of town for the start of the feast.

Me and my guy.

Sweet Heidi & Ben...and who is that redhead again?  Oh yeah, she's mine.

Bible study after breakfast.

Sweet Zechariah.

I'm fairly confident Belle is telling a story in this picture.  Belle is ALWAYS telling a story.

Another picture.

And another one.

Big finish--lifelong friendships.  We are so thankful!