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     The very first word in the Bible is the Hebrew word, "Bereshith." It translates, of course, to the familiar English phrase, "In the beginning." The first Hebrew letter printed in the Word of God is the letter Bet. The letter bet shows us a picture of a house, and it can also mean, "family." Immediately, even in the first letter, God chooses to show us what is close to His heart. It is family. The entire Hebrew language shows us relationships, even between words, and there are words referred to as parent roots and some called child roots. 

     In the beginning, we immediately see God bringing entropy into order with a simple command- "Light, BE!" He creates a beautiful world, an intricate garden full of life, and He creates a little family. Adam's job was to tend the garden, to keep the garden, and Eve's job was to be a help-meet to Adam. Life was beautiful. Adam walked with the Living God. His spirit was in unity with the Creator of heaven and earth, as was Eve in her oneness with Adam. Their lives centered around the Lord and His presence. 

     We know the story. The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil was chosen over the Tree of Life. One willing conversation with the Deceiver took Eve's gaze off of the Lord. It changed the epicenter of her mindset from GOD to her own knowledge. Adam did not correct her when she misquoted God's command concerning the rules of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good AND Evil. The danger was in the mixture. If the serpent could hook Eve with partial truth, he knew the evil would be deposited as well. The Tree of Mixture, if you will, contaminated Eve, and then Adam, with poisonous fruit. The garden of their hearts was tainted with wicked seed. What is planted WILL be harvested. We see the truth of that spread through all of nature- in plant life, in animal life, and in mankind. All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. [Romans 3:23]

     Our original task has not changed. Tend the garden. Keep the garden. Guard your garden. When we speak of the purity of the seed being planted, there is one ultimate test. It is the pure Word of God. Now, friends, understand me when I say that I am incredibly grateful for the many English translations of the Bible! We have to be able to read and understand in our brains and in our spirits. But the truest form of the Word of God is going to be studied through a Hebrew perspective, a Hebrew lens. Hebrew is a pure language. It is pure seed being planted in the soil of our hearts. Greek, English, and Latin do not translate the same way. Those languages are derived from many sources- MIXED sources. The Hebrew language is the purest source. The original blend of language, culture, poetic rhythm, idioms, vocabulary, and thoughts. We get a painted picture of the whole concept. With a Greek translation, for example, we get a very vague idea that represents something else that is still kind of vague, but we feel like we should understand, so we accept it and move on without any real revelation from the Lord on what He is truly saying. And it is the difference between life and death. Sometimes in the natural, and sometimes in other ways. I don't know about you, but I need a sip of coffee and a deep breath before moving on from that truth.

     Remember the first letter in the Hebrew Bible is the bet? The house.  The Garden of Eden was the home of Adam and Eve. Tending the garden was the same as tending their home.  The question my husband first asked himself at the beginning of our launch into all things Spirit-led Hebraic was, "Have I allowed mixture to get past my guard and therefore opened a door to poisonous seed rampantly spreading through my wife and children?"

     Spoiler alert- there is not one person besides Yeshua Himself who has not allowed mixture past their guarded boundary. Greek thought is mixture. American thought is mixture. Excuse me, toes. Many books, movies, shows, thought processes, behaviors, patterns, hobbies, traditions, and ideas are 100% mixture. There is good in these things sometimes, and usually at the forefront. But as you keep digging on the inside, there is also inescapable evil hidden within the planted seed.  

     Our family went through a purge. Some natural things had to be removed from our house.  Some wounds had to be removed from our souls.  Some evil, idolatrous altars had to be torn down.  We asked the Lord what those things were, and there were no limits. Everything had to be laid bare. Everything had to come under His judgement. That sounds scary, perhaps. But the Lord is a righteous Judge, rich in mercy!  He miraculously showed us what to get rid of and what to keep.  He has showed friends different things to get rid of or keep.  Within certain boundaries, of course.  Some things, we just are not to have a hand on at all.

     Homeschooling allows us, as parents, to Guard the Garden.  Our children are vulnerable to the wiles of the enemy, much like Eve was in her immaturity.  Our job as parents is to keep the serpent and his bag of diseased seed from entering the Garden.  Parents are to be ever-vigilant and proactive against the attacks of the enemy.  We take the stance between our children and wickedness, guarding them defensively and offensively.  We are to educate our children in the Word of God and how to hear His voice in simple ways first, slowly, slowly allowing more freedom as they spiritually mature in wisdom and discernment as Yeshua grew in wisdom and stature [Luke 2:52].  We do math and history and language arts too, of course.  The main focus, however, must always be on the Heart of God, and walking with Him in spirit and in truth.  The rest won't matter if our children do not have a foundation in Jesus.  

     It really comes down to obedience.  Parents are the ones with the authority over their children.  Constant transfer of that authority to teachers that we oftentimes don't even know, and for the majority of the child's waking hours, is not exactly Guarding the Garden.  It is opening the Garden to any weed that can find a little bit of ground to root into.  

     Again, excuse me, toes.  

     How would things look different if we approached all of life this way?  After all, all of life is worship (Avodah: work and worship).  What would our schedules look like if we shifted our mindsets to, "Lord, do you want us to participate in XYZ?"  What would our kids' behaviors look like if we removed mixture from their entertainment?  What would our demeanors shift to as mothers if we turned our gaze towards the lens of delight and worship instead of the shadowy blur of drudgery and annoyance?  What if we were obedient to what the Holy Spirit impresses upon us?  

     If this resonates with your spirit, pull up a seat.  There is room at the table.  Friends have all sorts of conversations, right?  Serious times, and other times full of laughter.  Recipes shared or sometimes nothing shared at all except understanding silence and compassion.  I'm grateful you're here with us.  

Welcome home, dear friend.

Rachel