This past week has been an adjustment for me as well as the kids. We no longer keep dairy foods at our house (with the exception of yogurt and butter), and have cut out wheat products. I discovered I do like tofu and I also like blueberry yogurt. Guess avocados are next on my list of things to try again that I never in a million years thought I would like to eat. I have discovered that my energy level has skyrocketed and I feel SO much better about myself! Embarking on a new exercise plan this week...prayers appreciated! Shalom!
Lora
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Monday, July 18, 2011
New territory
Wow I learned some really interesting things about how my body works this past week! Read a book at my friend's house called Eat Right 4 Your Type, and learned that we each have a diet specific to our blood type that can help us be healthier and more fit. I am type A, and we are supposed to be semi-vegetarian. Red meats, dairy, and wheat products can act as poisons in our bodies, whereas soy proteins and the right vegetables and fruits can act as medicines. My middle son, Austin, is also type A. My husband, my oldest son, and my youngest are all type O. They need red meat but are also supposed to stay away from dairy and wheat. This will be a major adjustment for our family as I strive to cook for both types while maintaining my sanity! I love steaks and hamburgers so staying away from the red meat will be a challenge for me, as will eliminating wheat and dairy. However, I believe YHWH led me to this diet, so I will do my best for HIM. So far I am on day 2 and am doing fairly well. I actually found out I like tofu! Prayers are appreciated as Donald and Dakota return from their road time this weekend and discover all the changes. I printed off our "good" and "bad" food lists for both types, and will be showing them to the guys. I will post updates from time to time on our progress. Meanwhile, we continue to pray for the guidance of YHWH and will remember to pray for the peace of Jerusalem.
Shalom!
Lora
Shalom!
Lora
Saturday, July 16, 2011
The Lord giveth and taketh away
I write this post to illustrate the importance of celebrating a life rather than mourning a death. Monday night, a dear friend of mine from high school died suddenly. He was a good man with a loving heart, and it was disappointing to say the least that I was unable to attend his funeral in the Panhandle. However, the way it was ultimately handled was better for me and my other friend, and I believe more the way our departed friend would have wanted it. I drove to her house Wednesday afternoon and we spent that evening having a couple drinks and reminiscing about our time with him. The next two days and nights, we simply enjoyed being friends and cousins (she married my husband's cousin two years ago) and watched our kids play together. We were both spared a 12-hour round trip with small children in a vehicle that does NOT get good mileage, and also were able to relax and enjoy remembering our friend on our own terms.
Please, always remember that when our loved ones die they would much rather be remembered for who they were rather than how they died, and that regardless of the circumstances of death they are freed from earthly suffering at the moment they draw their last breath. My friend had been secretly battling a terminal illness and had also been through plenty of emotional turmoil in the months before his death. Whether he ultimately made his peace with his Creator and is awaiting us in heaven or whether he is in hell as a result of choices he made in his earthly life that involved rejecting organized religion is not for me to know, and ultimately will not matter to me after I am gone from this world. Right now I would like to believe he did make that most important decision before leaving this life and that all of those he left behind will see him again someday.
At any rate, I have covered the "taketh away" part of this post. The Lord gave my cousin/friend and me a wonderful time of seeing even more what blessings He has already provided us with, and how young we are at 33 and 34 rather than viewing ourselves as middle-aged or even old. Death is a part of life. However, many times the death of a loved one can bring about new spiritual revelations in our own lives, and also bring us closer to the ones who remain. My friend and I had some very deep conversations over the last few days, and became closer than ever as friends and as family. I hope this post helps some of you who are dealing with loss in your own lives. Remember your loved ones for who they were to you, whether or not you attend a formal service for them when they pass on. Most of all, accept Yeshua as your Lord and Savior, and ensure your own place in the Lamb's Book of Life so that when your time comes you will not miss out on seeing them.
And let us not forget Jerusalem
Shalom!
Lora
Please, always remember that when our loved ones die they would much rather be remembered for who they were rather than how they died, and that regardless of the circumstances of death they are freed from earthly suffering at the moment they draw their last breath. My friend had been secretly battling a terminal illness and had also been through plenty of emotional turmoil in the months before his death. Whether he ultimately made his peace with his Creator and is awaiting us in heaven or whether he is in hell as a result of choices he made in his earthly life that involved rejecting organized religion is not for me to know, and ultimately will not matter to me after I am gone from this world. Right now I would like to believe he did make that most important decision before leaving this life and that all of those he left behind will see him again someday.
At any rate, I have covered the "taketh away" part of this post. The Lord gave my cousin/friend and me a wonderful time of seeing even more what blessings He has already provided us with, and how young we are at 33 and 34 rather than viewing ourselves as middle-aged or even old. Death is a part of life. However, many times the death of a loved one can bring about new spiritual revelations in our own lives, and also bring us closer to the ones who remain. My friend and I had some very deep conversations over the last few days, and became closer than ever as friends and as family. I hope this post helps some of you who are dealing with loss in your own lives. Remember your loved ones for who they were to you, whether or not you attend a formal service for them when they pass on. Most of all, accept Yeshua as your Lord and Savior, and ensure your own place in the Lamb's Book of Life so that when your time comes you will not miss out on seeing them.
And let us not forget Jerusalem
Shalom!
Lora
Monday, July 11, 2011
Back to School
Well, school has officially started back up for all three of my boys. Dakota started a couple weeks ago so he could go on the road with his dad (they left last week and will return a week from Friday). Austin and Joshua started today, and it is going to be quite an interesting year! Last year was easy with just Austin and Dakota doing their assignments and me offering support and additional instruction as needed. This year more actual teaching is involved as Joshua starts Pre K. Keeping Austin on task will be more challenging since I will be talking more to Josh while the others get their assignments. Any suggestions from my fellow homeschool moms or schoolteachers (other than medicating him again because that did NOT work) are welcome and very much appreciated!
As always, blessings in the Name of Yeshua the Messiah, and let us not forget Jerusalem!
Lora
As always, blessings in the Name of Yeshua the Messiah, and let us not forget Jerusalem!
Lora
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Meet the Enox Family
Hi, I'm Lora Enox, and this is my family blog. Our family consists of me, my husband Donald, our three sons, a dog, and a cat. Dakota, our oldest son, is 12, born March 5, 1999. Austin is 9, born August 23, 2001, and Joshua is 4, born May 18, 2007. Donald is a professional driver for Moore Freight Services, hauling glass all over the continental US. I am a stay-at-home mom and I homeschool our boys.
Dakota is my outdoorsy baseball jock. He plays left field and relief pitcher for his local Little League team, and loves to go hunting and fishing. He also enjoys target shooting and participates in 4H Shooting Sports. He also loves airplanes. When he grows up, he wants to play baseball all the way through the major leagues, then retire and become a charter pilot.
Austin is the quiet, bookish one of the bunch. His favorite activity is to sit in a corner and read or just observe the world around him. Although he occasionally enjoys fishing, he definitely prefers indoor activities. He is learning to cook and enjoys the independence of making his own breakfast from time to time. Austin has mild ADD but does well as long as he has adequate supervision when tackling longer tasks.
Joshua is a rambunctious, outgoing little boy who loves to jump on the trampoline, swim in his pool, or go on playdates with his friends. His favorite characters are Thomas the Tank Engine and Lightning McQueen, as evidenced by the fact that the first movie he ever sat through without whining to leave (at least until the last 20 minutes of the show) was Cars 2, which we saw as a family a couple weeks ago.
We acquired our dog, Jake, in November 2009. Jake is 3/4 black Lab and 1/4 either border collie or blue heeler. He loves to play and is a very excitable boy.
Butch, the cat, was born to two neighborhood strays that were also born on our property. We brought him in the house last winter, only about 2 1/2 months old, to raise as a mouser (yeah right). Thinking he was a girl at first, my sons named him Misty, only to discover a couple months later that he was indeed a boy, whereupon my middle son promptly re-named him Butch. Butch is pretty much a typical indoor cat. He sleeps a lot during the day and is extremely active at night starting around 8 pm, when he will run back and forth, jumping and pawing at doors, furniture, ankles, then take about 5 minutes to cuddle in someone's lap, then repeat said process until everyone is in bed. He loves to chase lasers and chew on his catnip mouse, and of course he LOVES to eat.
One thing that is a bit different about our family, and has started many an interesting conversation when people find out, is that we are Messianic believers. This basically means that, while we believe that Yeshua (Jesus) is EXACTLY who He claimed to be when on this Earth, and that He is absolutely our salvation, the lifestyle we have is traditionally Jewish. We keep the Jewish feasts of Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot, Hanukkah, Purim, Passover, and Shavuot, all of which will be detailed further as their seasons approach, but do not celebrate Halloween, Christmas, or Easter due to the pagan traditions associated with them. We keep the original sundown-Friday-to-sundown-Saturday Sabbath and watch our Messianic church service online Friday nights at 7:30. We believe in keeping what our Torah teacher calls "Biblical kosher," which means that while we do not eat pork, shellfish, or other nonkosher meats, we do not necessarily adhere to such Pharisaic teachings as keeping our meat and dairy products separate. Many would call us "Messianic Jews." However, this is a misnomer. "Jew" actually refers to people who are either of the tribe of Judah or who live in or near Jerusalem and Judea. As has been stated by many knowledgeable men, "all Jews are Hebrew, but not all Hebrews are Jews." Since we were most likely (no one really knows for certain if they live in the Diaspora) descended from Gentile believers who were grafted in, we are most likely not Jews but rather are grafted-in Hebrews who follow the example of the first-century church. Remember, when the New Testament was written and certainly when Yeshua walked this Earth, there were no Scriptures but Torah and the writings of the Old Testament prophets. The Scriptures referred to from Matthew to Revelation are, in fact, the Old Testament. These were not done away with or nailed to the Cross when Yeshua gave up His earthly life. Rather, they were fulfilled (brought to fullness of understanding) while He was yet alive. Therefore, all the laws of Torah STILL APPLY to those who would claim the Name of YHWH.
That pretty well introduces you to us and explains our religion. If you have questions about the Messianic religion or would like to explore the Hebraic roots of the Christian faith, I recommend you visit the website of our online congregation, http://www.lionlamb.net/. Our Torah teacher, Monte Judah, is very anointed and knowledgeable about such things. Other questions, such as those about our family or homeschooling, can be posted in comments. We look forward to hearing from you! Blessings in the Name of Yeshua the Messiah, and let us not forget to pray for the peace of Jerusalem.
Lora
Dakota is my outdoorsy baseball jock. He plays left field and relief pitcher for his local Little League team, and loves to go hunting and fishing. He also enjoys target shooting and participates in 4H Shooting Sports. He also loves airplanes. When he grows up, he wants to play baseball all the way through the major leagues, then retire and become a charter pilot.
Austin is the quiet, bookish one of the bunch. His favorite activity is to sit in a corner and read or just observe the world around him. Although he occasionally enjoys fishing, he definitely prefers indoor activities. He is learning to cook and enjoys the independence of making his own breakfast from time to time. Austin has mild ADD but does well as long as he has adequate supervision when tackling longer tasks.
Joshua is a rambunctious, outgoing little boy who loves to jump on the trampoline, swim in his pool, or go on playdates with his friends. His favorite characters are Thomas the Tank Engine and Lightning McQueen, as evidenced by the fact that the first movie he ever sat through without whining to leave (at least until the last 20 minutes of the show) was Cars 2, which we saw as a family a couple weeks ago.
We acquired our dog, Jake, in November 2009. Jake is 3/4 black Lab and 1/4 either border collie or blue heeler. He loves to play and is a very excitable boy.
Butch, the cat, was born to two neighborhood strays that were also born on our property. We brought him in the house last winter, only about 2 1/2 months old, to raise as a mouser (yeah right). Thinking he was a girl at first, my sons named him Misty, only to discover a couple months later that he was indeed a boy, whereupon my middle son promptly re-named him Butch. Butch is pretty much a typical indoor cat. He sleeps a lot during the day and is extremely active at night starting around 8 pm, when he will run back and forth, jumping and pawing at doors, furniture, ankles, then take about 5 minutes to cuddle in someone's lap, then repeat said process until everyone is in bed. He loves to chase lasers and chew on his catnip mouse, and of course he LOVES to eat.
One thing that is a bit different about our family, and has started many an interesting conversation when people find out, is that we are Messianic believers. This basically means that, while we believe that Yeshua (Jesus) is EXACTLY who He claimed to be when on this Earth, and that He is absolutely our salvation, the lifestyle we have is traditionally Jewish. We keep the Jewish feasts of Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot, Hanukkah, Purim, Passover, and Shavuot, all of which will be detailed further as their seasons approach, but do not celebrate Halloween, Christmas, or Easter due to the pagan traditions associated with them. We keep the original sundown-Friday-to-sundown-Saturday Sabbath and watch our Messianic church service online Friday nights at 7:30. We believe in keeping what our Torah teacher calls "Biblical kosher," which means that while we do not eat pork, shellfish, or other nonkosher meats, we do not necessarily adhere to such Pharisaic teachings as keeping our meat and dairy products separate. Many would call us "Messianic Jews." However, this is a misnomer. "Jew" actually refers to people who are either of the tribe of Judah or who live in or near Jerusalem and Judea. As has been stated by many knowledgeable men, "all Jews are Hebrew, but not all Hebrews are Jews." Since we were most likely (no one really knows for certain if they live in the Diaspora) descended from Gentile believers who were grafted in, we are most likely not Jews but rather are grafted-in Hebrews who follow the example of the first-century church. Remember, when the New Testament was written and certainly when Yeshua walked this Earth, there were no Scriptures but Torah and the writings of the Old Testament prophets. The Scriptures referred to from Matthew to Revelation are, in fact, the Old Testament. These were not done away with or nailed to the Cross when Yeshua gave up His earthly life. Rather, they were fulfilled (brought to fullness of understanding) while He was yet alive. Therefore, all the laws of Torah STILL APPLY to those who would claim the Name of YHWH.
That pretty well introduces you to us and explains our religion. If you have questions about the Messianic religion or would like to explore the Hebraic roots of the Christian faith, I recommend you visit the website of our online congregation, http://www.lionlamb.net/. Our Torah teacher, Monte Judah, is very anointed and knowledgeable about such things. Other questions, such as those about our family or homeschooling, can be posted in comments. We look forward to hearing from you! Blessings in the Name of Yeshua the Messiah, and let us not forget to pray for the peace of Jerusalem.
Lora
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