Dayenu - My Testimony

I was asked to give my testimony, so since I had to write it all down, I decided to add it to my blog. Those who know me, know my story and have heard it many times. I will never stop telling my story. We all have testimonies of what God has done for us. Please always share your stories for the glory of God.

"Every day I will bless You, And I will praise Your name forever and ever. Great is the LORD, and highly to be praised, And His greatness is unsearchable . One generation shall praise Your works to another, And shall declare Your mighty acts. On the glorious splendor of Your majesty And on Your wonderful works, I will meditate. Men shall speak of the power of Your awesome acts, And I will tell of Your greatness. They shall eagerly utter the memory of Your abundant goodness And will shout joyfully of Your righteousness. The LORD is gracious and merciful ; Slow to anger and great in lovingkindness. The LORD is good to all, And His mercies are over all His works. All Your works shall give thanks to You, O LORD, And Your godly ones shall bless You. They shall speak of the glory of Your kingdom And talk of Your power ; To make known to the sons of men Your mighty acts And the glory of the majesty of Your kingdom." Psalm 45:2-12

We are in the middle of celebrating the Passover season. The first night of Passover begins with a Seder, or dinner. During the Seder you read a Haggadah, meaning “The Telling”, about the story found in Exodus, God’s salvation and deliverance of the Hebrews from bondage. One of the traditions is to sing a song called “Dayenu” – which in Hebrew means “It would have been enough” or “It would have been sufficient.” I’m telling you all this, because this is the background for my testimony.

This season will forever remind me of how the Lord gave me personal deliverance from my own bondage that was affecting my faith. Infertility. Some of you may share the same kind of story. My husband and I have been married for almost 16 years now. After 3 years of marriage we started trying for children. For 7 years, we tried. We did fertility treatments, and called on all our friends and church family to pray. 7 long years. It was agonizing. I began to think, “Why? What did I do wrong? Why was I being punished?”

My faith was wavering. I was depressed and losing myself in my circumstance. Then just before Passover about 5 years ago, I went to lunch with a dear friend of mine and had a complete breakdown. I just poured out my sorrow all over the place in the middle of Chipotle. I explained to my friend that I was feeling so guilty and ashamed. The Passover season was going to start and we’re going to sing Dayenu and I don’t even feel worthy to sing it. Why don’t I feel like God’s deliverance is enough for me? Why do I want more? Isn’t it enough that he sent his son for my eternal salvation? And I am angry because He won’t give me a child? What is my problem? That friend is a prayer warrior, and I have no doubt that the Lord heard hers and everyone else’s prayers that had been lifted up for 7 years because after that something changed in me. I decided that if this is the way it is suppose to be, then I wanted my prayers and the prayers of people who prayed for me to be that I would be content with God alone. That He would be sufficient for me. Passover was coming, and I should embrace the “It is enough” mentality. God is enough for me. If I never become a mother…God is enough. If I can never bear my husband’s child…God is enough. If I can never have the joy of nursing my own child…God is enough. I celebrated that Passover without my yoke of infertility. In fact I was pregnant and didn’t even know it. I found out about a month later, and the next January I had my first son. I have two boys now, because as you know, when you pray, sometimes the flood gates of heaven open up and the Lord just keeps on giving! Just after the Seder this last Friday, my husband and I were lamenting about how the boys kept us on our toes the whole Seder and they were so loud and running all over the place, you know, basically being normal 4 and 2 year olds, during a 3 hour Seder. And one of the Elders in our congregation commented, “But you know, that’s what we all prayed for. We prayed for those children. That’s what I think about every time I hear them. We prayed for those children. And now they’re here.” When I look at my boys, I remember that the Lord answers prayer. Maybe not right away, but He does.

I heard a teaching once and I never forgot it. It was at a Messianic conference and the Rabbi said, Sometimes as we go through our trials it’s easy to say, “Oh why is this happening? Why am I going through this?” But people, the point is you’re going THROUGH it. God doesn’t leave you there to wallow in it! No! He brings you through it, to the other side, where you are better and tougher than you were before.” That’s’ how I feel about what I went through. I truly believe that my faith was enriched and I grew closer to the Lord because of my infertility problem. Who knows if I would have the walk I have with the Lord now, if I had never gone through that. 

This time of year is so precious to me. During Passover the Lord reminds me that no matter what I am going through, He will be enough for me. Whatever He gives me or doesn’t give me, it will be sufficient. He is sufficient.

This is a lesson I have to remember to apply to other areas of my life. I didn’t end up with the career I thought I would have, but God is sufficient. I don’t have the body I’d like to have, but God is sufficient. I may not be as financially stable as I’d like to be, but God is sufficient. And He always will be. God gave His Son, to die for all of us. He is sufficient.

"And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have abundance for every good deed" 2 Corinthians 9:8

I'm thankful for the opportunity to share my testimony. I hope that as the Passover season ends, we all take the lesson of Dayenu with us throughout the year!

Counting Up

The Passover season is upon us and with it the hustle and bustle of cleaning homes and getting prepared for the days of Unleavened Bread. I usually am so focused on this that I miss what comes next. The counting of the Omer. The Omer is the span of days in between the 1st day of Passover and Shavuot which total 7 weeks. Shavuot is the Feast of Weeks, also known as Pentecost (because it occurs on day 50).

“You shall count seven weeks for yourself; you shall begin to count seven weeks from the time you begin to put the sickle to the standing grain. Then you shall celebrate the Feast of Weeks to the Lord your God with a tribute of a freewill offering of your hand, which you shall give just as the Lord your God blesses you." Deuteronomy 16:9-10

I'd rather not look at the counting of the 49 days of the Omer as a countdown, but rather a counting up, or a counting forward to the great time of out-pouring of the Holy Spirit. It is a joyous occasion and something to look forward to!

I have seen instances where congregations choose these 49 days as a time to have targeted prayer. I have always thought that this was a great idea. So I wrote my own list and this is the targeted prayer I will pray each day during the Omer. Feel free to print this out and join me in prayer!

49 Days of Targeted Prayer During the Omer:
1. I pray for the Peace of Jerusalem.
2. I pray for the unborn, that they may not see abortion.
3. I pray for the orphans, that they know a father with Adonai.
4. I pray for those without husbands, that the Lord will be their covering.
5. I pray for the people with cancer, that they receive healing and are blessed with Shalom.
6. I pray for the family unit, that it returns to a focus on the Lord of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
7. I pray for the abused and beaten, that they find relief and hope in Adonai.
8. I pray for our youth, because they will be our leaders.
9. I pray for those who need jobs.
10. I pray for the poor.
11. I pray for the opportunity to witness and for the Holy Spirit to use me.
12. I pray for the unsaved souls, that they may see Yeshua and be filled with the Holy Spirit!
13. I pray for the future of my children.
14. I pray for the school systems who are molding the next generation.
15. I pray for people with financial stress.
16. I pray for people with spiritual stress.
17. I pray for people who are missionaries.
18. I pray for missionaries whose lives are at risk at this moment.
19. I pray for the eyes of Jewish people to open to their Messiah.
20. I pray for the leaders of our congregations, churches and synagogues.
21. I pray for the leaders of our cities and towns.
22. I pray for the leaders of our states and nations.
23. I pray for Barack Obama, the President of the United States specifically.
24. I pray for Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli Prime Minister specifically.
25. I pray for my husband, the leader of our household.
26. I pray for people who own and run their own businesses.
27. I pray for charitable organizations such as the Red Cross, and the United Way.
28. I pray for the financial stability of our nation.
29. I pray for the preservation of the freedom to worship the God of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob.
30. I pray for the wisdom to prepare for end times.
31. I pray for the wisdom to bring my children up in the way they should go, so they do not depart from the Lord.
32. I pray for the adversary to be bound and cast out of our congregations, churches and synagogues.
33. I pray for a repentant heart to fall on all peoples, so they may seek the Lord's forgiveness and grace.
34. I pray for the people of God to learn to live healthier lifestyles so they can be better equipped to do the Lord's work.
35. I pray for the protection on God's people when they are witnessing to the nations.
36. I pray for the Christian churches to gain a better knowledge of the Feast Days of the Lord and how it applies to their life.
37. I pray for the United States armed forces serving in active duty or who are deployed away from home and their families.
38. I pray for the Israeli armed forces and their families.
39. I pray for the farmers and their crops.
40. I pray for a mild summer without harsh temperatures.
41. I pray for the work of my hands and that of my husband's to be pleasing to the Lord.
42. I pray for relationships to be mended in families and friends in the body of Messiah.
43. I pray that I do not get in the way of Your plans You have for me, Lord, please help me to live out Your will.
44. I pray for runaways.
45. I pray for gang members, drug dealers, prostitutes and other people like them, that they turn from their ways and seek out the Lord's ways.
46. I pray for the moral standard of society to rise up to the Lord's standard.
47. I pray for forgiveness of my sins, for trampling on the blood of Yeshua each time I sin.
48. I pray for whatever need or person enters my mind at this moment.
49. I pray for righteousness to rain down on us.

"You heavens above, rain down righteousness; let the clouds shower it down. Let the earth open wide, let salvation spring up, let righteousness grow with it; I, the LORD, have created it." Isaiah 45:8

Passover is about the Lamb of God, that takes away the sins of the world. Shavuot is when He sends back the Holy Spirit to help us until His return. Don't miss the point...He showers us with His Spirit until His return!! Baruch Hashem! Blessed is (His) Name!

"All this I have spoken while still with you. But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." John 14:25-27

Do Over

Have you ever been on a diet? Have you ever struggled with losing weight? This has been the story of my life since finishing college. Why? Well, that's a very loaded question. Why. I could blame married life, I could blame having children, I could blame a lot of things, but that would just be placing blame, rather than taking ownership.
Two years ago, my husband and I jumped on the Biggest Loser band wagon and began their 30-Day Jump Start. It was amazing! The pounds just melted off. And we didn't even do the exercise program that came with it. We just did the strict diet and lost the weight. We looked and felt better. I lost over 35 pounds. I went from a size 20 to size 14. I was so happy. I gave all my fat clothes away and was able to go shopping for skinny clothes. It was a dream come true!
But then we went on vacation and several splurges later, I was right back to eating fattening foods and overindulging. I am ashamed to say that I have almost gained every pound back. I am already toying with size 18! What a disaster! What happened?
At the time I was so distressed, I was invited to join a book study at Central Christian Church. The book is called Made to Crave by Lysa TerKeurst. The study was about how to crave God, not food. I don't think it was a coincidence that this happened to be offered at the same time I was distressing over my weight regain. God's timing is perfect! It was a great study!
It is distressing to me to realize how I have used food to "fix" or "fill" things in my life instead of God. It is very hard for me to tell everyone that, but it's true. So, here I am. I'm going to "do over" my quest to get healthy. This time exercise will be coupled with my eating plan and I will stay committed because I understand that my crutch doesn't have to be food, because I have the Lord. Amen! I'm not saying I won't falter, but I know that I can have ultimate success when God is on my side. Praise the Lord!

So armed with  my new inspiration from the class and working through my food issues, I created a eating plan for 40 days. (That's the calendar in the picture.) It was a lot of work but I am so happy it's done. It is like a weight has been lifted. Being a stay at home mom, you may think it is easy to eat healthy, but actually, if I don't have a healthy eating plan mapped out, that's when I will run through the drive-thru in between errands, school and doctor visits. So, I took what I learned from Biggest Loser and tweaked it to match our tastes. Then I took a popular menu board idea I found on a blog called RobbyGurl's Creations (http://robbygurlscreations.blogspot.com) and made it my own. Instead of using the menu board for only planning dinner, I made a menu board that plans my day menus as well as dinner. And with 40 days planned out, I can cycle the days and not have a lot of repetition throughout the year. My husband and I are so excited and we began the healthy eating on March 1st. Last week we didn't even look at the calendar, because we had company. But that's okay. We're back to it now and with the planning, comes relief and peace for the day's food choices.
The next thing I am going to do is make an exercise plan. I'm setting a goal to be able to run a marathon. It's going to be a great journey. I know I'll have the Lord with me and He can be my strength, when I feel like I can't continue. Now you may think, "What does eating healthy have to do with living a life for the Lord?" I think it is very important to take care of the bodies the Lord has given us. There are a lot of scriptures where the Lord talks about how important food and discipline is, but one in particular stands out to me.

"They willfully put God to the test by demanding the food they craved." Psalm 78:18

Now we all know the story. The Israelites are saved in the Exodus and as they settle in the wilderness with the Lord to protect them and provide for them, He is giving them Manna to eat, food from heaven! Yet they are unsatisfied. I had seen the obvious life lesson, but I had never before seen this applicable to my issues with food until I read Made to Crave. Lysa does a great job in presenting how God's Word can help us in this every day struggle and how it is completely applicable. God's Word came alive for me with this stumbling block, and I am confident that this time, taking Yeshua with me each step of the way, I will make a permanent change.
If you are looking for a chance to "do over" your quest for a healthy lifestyle I suggest the following:

1. Central Christian Church will have another class of the Made to Crave Book study in June. Watch for it at www.ccc.org
2. If you don't live in the area, get the book at the author's website www.MadetoCrave.org or on Amazon.
3. The Biggest Loser 30-Day Jump Start is an excellent way to lose weight and learn how to eat and what to plan. You can find the book at Amazon.

To those women who were in the book study with me, thank you so much for your stories and commitment. Each one of you are an inspiration and a joy to know! I pray God showers His Shalom on you all!

Purim: Party On!

Purim is such a fun festival, and I am so glad I have children to share in the crafts, baking, costume making, game playing, storytelling and just plain fun! Purim is the biblical feast that celebrates the Lord's salvation of the Jewish people from annihilation using Queen Esther. It is also known as the Feast of Lots, since Haman casted lots to determine what date he would destroy the Jewish people. The story is recited in synagogues and Messianic congregations from the Book of Esther. It is a great story. And of course, it has many traditions! Hamantachen are the traditional cookie that is made to mimic the hat, or some say the ears, of the villain, Haman. Children and adults dress in biblical costume with special focus on dressing like the good guys, Queen Esther and King Ahasuerus and Mordechai. While the story, or Megillah, as the scroll of the Book of Esther is called, is being read, the audience yells "Yay!" for the heros Esther and Mordechai and "Boo!" for the nemesis, Haman. Traditional noisemakers for the event are used, called graggers. There are expensive and elaborate graggers,  or inexpensive mass-produced graggers you can buy, but I think the best ones are those made by the children themselves.
So the boys and I ventured to make our own graggers! Below are the instructions. If you have never celebrated Purim, I encourage you to make this easy craft with your children. Even small toddlers can accomplish this craft. Then, have them dress in costume (any sheet can make a biblical costume and couple that with a self-made crown and you have Queen Esther and King Ahasuerus already!) and read the Purim story out loud to them. Don't be afraid to read the whole story from your own bible, rather than a children's bible. The fun is getting to boo and yell during the story, so wait patiently after each main character's name to give them a chance to join in the fun. Have a blessed Purim filled with lots of Simcha (Joy)! Party on!

These graggers turned out so great and are really loud! The boys can't wait to take them to the Purim Spiel on Friday!





Paper Plate Gragger Instructions

Items Needed:

paper plate (sturdy dinner plate with lip on edge is best)
buttons, beads or dry beans
water colors
sponge craft brush
2-3 pipe cleaners
gift wrap ribbon assortment
single hole punch




1. Let the children paint their own original designs on the bottom of the plate.

2. After the plate is dry, fold it in half, and punch holes around the edges. Be sure to hold the sponge craft brush in place on one end and make sure the first two hole punches are close enough that the beads won't fall through but far apart enough to fit the handle of the brush through. Then punch the rest of the holes about 1/2 inch apart.

3. Let the children choose which buttons or beads they want to use and set them aside. It doesn't take much to make the noises. My children picked out about 3 times more than we needed, but that's okay. They didn't  notice that I didn't use them all.

4. Cut 8 inch strips of the ribbons. You'll need enough for half of the amount of holes that you made around the edge of the plate.

5. Cut 4 feet of one ribbon color. I let each of the boys choose their favorite color. This also helps in identifying their own gragger later! Use this longer ribbon to tie and wrap around the sponge craft brush. I folded it in half first, then tied it to the brush, then looped it around and through the first two punches I designated for it earlier.

6. Carefully place the beads and buttons in the paper plate. Then tie the remaining 8 inch strips of ribbon on every other hole punched from the handle. If the children are too small to tie, let them choose which color comes next.

7. Let the children use the pipe cleaners to weave through all the holes along the edge. Any way they choose as long as they get it nice and tight so no beads fall out. Weave ends in. This is perfect for toddlers and preschoolers to practice those motor skills!

Come Here

Come here. Ven aqui. Bohu he'na. Whether you say it in English, Spanish, or Hebrew, it's still a simple phrase. They are two little words and yet, they are most ignored and quite possibly the most difficult to obey. I cannot tell you how many times I myself have said "come here" to my children without a response, with an opposite response, and with a hopeless response. Most parents know what I mean. It's at these times that I remember the stand-up comedy of Bill Cosby and his recounting of how his beautiful wife became an ugly monster of a woman with a contorted face, repeating everything she said over and over again with increasing speed and volume to no avail, all on the account of motherhood. Yes, that's exactly how I feel sometimes. And yet, it was at this very moment that I learned something from the Lord. Here I am trying to get my children to heed my "come here" plea and getting so frustrated in the process. Don't they realize that I'm trying to help them out? Come here and put your coat on. Come here and eat your food. Come here and take a nap. Come here and take a bath. Come here and play with this instead of messing with that. Come here and pick up your toys. Come here and stay by my side so you don't get lost! Ahhh!
Yes. It was like a ton of bricks. How many times is the Lord frustrated over me, His child, when He is calling me to "come here" and I do not heed His plea? Come here and put on My armor before you start your day. ("Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil." Ephesians 6:11) Come here and feast on the Bread of Life. ("Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst." John 6:35) Come here and rest in Me so that you may be renewed. ("My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from him." Psalm 62:1) Come here and pray. ("pray without ceasing." 1 Thessalonians 5:17) Come here and hide My Word in your heart. ("These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. Deuteronomy 6:6) Come here and witness to My people. ("...Tend My sheep." John 21:17) Come here and be by My side so you do not get lost! ("Now, little children, abide in Him, so that when He appears, we may have confidence and not shrink away from Him in shame at His coming." 1 John 2:28)
Come here. It's a simple enough command, and yet, so hard to obey. I will have to pay closer attention to my Father's voice and heed His requests for my benefit. After all, He is only trying to help me out.

"My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand." John10:27-28

All I have to do is listen. Now everytime I am trying to encourage my children to listen to me, I will be encouraged to listen to my Lord, my Father, my Savior. What a blessed reminder!

Check Your Expiration Date

I don't know if this ever happens to anyone else, but I seem to do it all the time. I was making myself a turkey sandwich today for lunch because first, I like sandwiches, and second they are easy, and third, they're cheap! But then I realize that the turkey is expired. Expires: December 24,2011. I'm always doing that..buying something that is either already expired, or is going to expire in the next few days, making it impossible to eat it all before it goes bad. I know that some things can last longer than the expiration date, but nine times out of ten, it goes bad before we can use it. Can anyone really go through a jar of mayonnaise in two days? How wasteful! And it's my fault because I didn't check the expiration date. Why? I'm usually shopping with my two boys and those of you who shop with preschoolers and toddlers know that it is a mad dash to get what you need until the first melt down happens! Other times I may be shopping alone or with only one child, and even then I am in a hurry to shop before I have to pick up the children, or am still chasing after the one child I took. In any case, taking the time to read the labels is not a luxury I can entertain.
This issue of expiration dates got me thinking about how important they really are. You have to check the expiration dates before you purchase an item, because apparently the grocery stores cannot keep up with this task. Also, You have to be on top of the expiration dates for items you already have so that you can make note of when you need to replace something. You have to prepare so that you can have things available when you need them. Expiration dates are very important, especially when you want to get fed or are trying to feed your family.
So it becomes obvious to me to be aware of my own expiration date. We all have them. We will all eventually expire and pass from this life into the next. How important it is to prepare! While we do not know when it will happen, our time will be up.

"All go to the same place; all come from dust, and to dust all return." Ecclesiastes 3:20

"For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing; they have no further reward, and even the memory of them is forgotten." Ecclesiastes 9:5

So, what do I need to do to prepare? I believe I need to make sure that I have the Word of the Lord in my heart before that day happens, so when it comes, I am secure in knowing where I will be. I need to make sure that I am doing my job with my children, so that they know that when we die, we go to heaven if we believe in God's son whom He sent to save us, Yeshua, our Messiah.

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16

If the expiration date of hummus and yogurt are so important, how much more important are our own expiration dates? To me, it's definitely food for thought!

"You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him." Luke 20:12

Turn off the Auto Pilot

I didn't realize how busy I was, until I noticed I was through the last few weeks getting things done without really thinking about them or enjoying them. Then I knew I was on auto pilot. Hanukkah is so busy because, if you know me, you know that I can't buy cookies, I have to bake them, and I can't not have Hanukkah decorations up, and I can't go through a festival without at least doing one project or craft...etc. etc. And with two little boys, all of this takes about 4 times as long to do!
I wouldn't change that for the world, but I do need to turn off the auto pilot. I went to a MOPS meeting recently (a great organization, by the way) and one of the things that impressed me was a quote the speaker repeated, "Don't let the 'getting things done' take away the 'joy in doing them.' That was so simple and yet very profound! It spoke right to me. I realized that as a fairly new mom and mother of two small children, I run on auto pilot a lot. And then I myself miss what's going on around me. Things go so fast when you have a lot to do that you blink and its all over. I've even found myself thinking,"Thank God that's over!" for an event that was suppose to be fun. What's my problem? I need to "stop and smell the roses," I need to "work to live and not live to work," I need to "have my cake and eat it to," and I need to (insert your own cliche here.)
Well, this message hits home for many people, especially parents. Between carting children back and forth to school, doctor's appointments, play dates, nursery or day care, church or synagogue, grocery shopping, clothes shopping, gift shopping, holiday parties, birthdays and the like, it's a crazy time of year. Actually, at my house, it's always crazy. So take the time to stop and enjoy each other. A good friend of ours told us once that it's not about the quantity of time you spend with your family, it's about quality time.
For Hanukkah we will do our family traditions and I will try to actually enjoy them rather than rush through them. We like to fry tostones. They are a Puerto Rican dish of fried plantains. They are so yummy and we make a point to make them on one of the nights, since the tradition is to fry things on Hanukkah to celebrate the oil that lasted eight days. Of course one day we'll make latkes. Then I make homemade Sufganiyot (jelly donuts), and Loukoumades (fried honey puffs). With little hands to help and a new deep fryer, these should go faster and be less messy...maybe.
Last year, our craft was to make a homemade Hanukkiah. If you don't have a menorah for Hanukkah, I encourage you to make one, especially if you have kids. We'll continue this tradition of making a homemade Hanukkiah every year. I think it'll be a great memory.
I'm even considering adding a family play to act out the story of the Maccabees. Judah wouldn't even have to change his name! Won't that be a fun family tradition? You can have a script for older children or a read along play for younger children so they can just act it out. One of the synagogues we use to attend had a Hanukkah play and it was great fun!
Whether you do projects, or cook special foods, play the driedel game, or just light the candles and say the blessings, focus on spending quality time with your family and acknowledging the provision of the Lord. That is what Hanukkah is all about.

The following two Hanukkiah crafts are perfect for toddlers or young children who cannot light a flame. They can make one of these homemade Hanukkiahs and still participate in lighting a Hanukkah menorah!

Hanukkiah Craft #1:











Items needed:
Foam
Felt - to cover foam
9 fillable driedels
hot glue
9 battery operated tea light candles

Cut foam to size about 25 inches long x 2 1/2 inches wide x 2 1/2 inches tall. I used insulation foam which is only about 3/4" thick, so I had to glue three 25" x 2 1/2" pieces together to achieve the final height measurement. I also cut a small 3 " x 2 1/2" piece, and glued it at the top in the middle where the Shammash candle will sit. After all the pieces are glued together, I cut 1/2" holes into the top of the foam where the fillable dreidels will rest. Make sure to space them appropriately so that all 9 fillable dreidels will fit across. My holes were 1" from the ends, with 1 1/2" in between each. The Shammash hole was of course in the middle of the small raised block on top. Cut pieces of felt to coverall the foam areas, leaving holes in the felt where the holes in the foam are. Glue on the felt. Glue on any decoration such as ribbon, or beads. Glue base of fillable dreidels in their holes. Put in a battery operated tea light inside each fillable driedel.

Hanukkiah Craft #2:
















Items needed:
Empty Cereal box
8 toilet paper rolls
1 paper towel roll
Felt - to cover rolls
9 craft foam blocks 3/4" x 1 1/4"
9 battery operated tea lights
Craft paint
Tacky glue

roll is meant to be the Shammash candle. Cut the paper towel roll to measure 6" tall. Cut the felt for the paper towel roll to 6" wide and 7 1/2 " tall. Glue felt to paper towel roll. I cut the cereal in half lengthwise in the middle. Then I folded the middle part in, with the inside of the box facing out to create a base for the Hanukkiah. Paint the two pieces with craft paint. After it's dry, glue one end on each base piece. The open ends should slide into each other about 2 inches. 5 candles should fit on top of the outside portion and 4 candles on the inside portion. Glue the foam blocks where the candles fit over them. This just stabilizes the candles a bit. Decorate with stickers or glitter glue.