Hi New Hope Family!

Over the last few weeks our pastors have been talking to us about life in a hurricane. This week I, as many of you, saw the devastation left behind by Hurricane Fiona in Puerto Rico. Hurricanes can cause so much destruction with winds and flooding.

But another thing happens when really bad storms hit: People are displaced from their families. Perhaps some go to a shelter and others do not. Or maybe the flood waters sweep them away. There is often no communication, and it can take hours, days, or even weeks to find loved ones again to find out whether they are OK, especially if we are trying to communicate from a different town or country.

It caused me to think about a topic that has been weighing on me recently intimacy. Recently, God has been taking me on a journey that has put me back in contact with people who I was very close to in the past, but the storms of life had separated us for some years now. What a sweet reunion! We were all so glad to see each other.

Rosh Hashanah: A New Beginning

This weekend on the Jewish calendar is Rosh Hashanah. It is a New Year's celebration. It is called the “feast of trumpets” in Leviticus 23:23-25 and also in Numbers 29:1-6. It outlines a new beginning celebrated with sweet treats, especially apples and honey to signify a sweet new year.

Rosh Hashana is followed by:

• Yom Kippur, the day of atonement

• Sukkot, the festival of tabernacles

• Simchat Torah, a more modern celebration of the giving of the Torah

They all are celebrated within four to six weeks. What an action-packed holiday season! To learn more about their meanings, check out this article .

Bringing Us Closer to God and Each Other

This holiday season on the Jewish calendar is about bringing us closer to God and to each other. God desires to commune with us, intimately. Sometimes we are displaced from Him during the storms of this life and sometimes it takes other storms to bring us back. Sometimes we are displaced because we have not been in a storm for a while and we feel like we have things under control. Sometimes we are angry about an outcome or situation that has turned our world upside down.

Whatever the reason, God is still looking forward to having a close relationship with His children. Rosh Hashanah looks forward to the trumpet that will sound to physically usher Jesus back to us, eventually to set up His Kingdom, cleansing the world of sin (Yom Kippur), dwelling with us forever (Sukkot) and we will all celebrate the Word together (Simchat Torah).

Get Back on Track With God

If you are looking for a way to get back into an intimate relationship with your Savior, start by telling Him. No magic words, just plainly express that you miss Him and want to get back on track with your closeness. Read His Word, which is His response through the Holy Spirit.

If you don't know where to start, you could learn about the holidays in the Old Testament in Leviticus 23 or you could start with the book of 1 John. Ask God to illuminate His Word to you. I hope you are as overwhelmed by His Word as I am.

Apples and Honey for a Sweet New Year,

~Michelle Negron, New Hope Church Children's Director