Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah

Attending the Hanukkah Rest Awakening was the highlight of 2022 for me.

"Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel," which is translated, "God with us." (Matthew 1:23)

~Dear Wanda, This past week, I participated in the Hanukkah Rest Awakening at Shepherd's Gate Inn in Martinsville, Indiana. That was a private gathering for about 14 people. REST Ministries owns the beautiful guest home and property. As God would have it, that Rest Retreat turned out to be the highlight of 2022 for me. What transpired had a profound impact on me, preparing my heart for Christmas to receive the King of kings in a fresh, new way. My flight home to Virginia scheduled to depart on Friday morning (Dec 23) was cancelled after numerous delays. So I rebooked a flight for Saturday morning (Dec 24). Shortly before leaving the hotel to go back to the airport, I received a text message letting me know my latest flight was cancelled. After talking to my wife and a few others on the phone, we agreed it would be best for me to rent a car. I left Indianapolis Airport at 9:40 am and arrived at my home in Culpeper, VA at 8:45 pm after driving 600 miles over 11 hours with some dicey road conditions. When I got back home, my wife Julia gave me the best greeting she had in years. My kids and their loved ones did too. My grandson Pace Joseph Kennedy was so glad to see his "grandpa". Shortly after arriving home, I sat down to eat a delicious dinner while Julia, Caren, Ethan, Pace, Robbie, and Jen gathered around the table to hear my updates and share theirs. While they had already eaten, they asked me to say a prayer for the whole family before I began eating. When they asked me about the Rest Retreat and I told them that was the highlight of the year for me, they were drawn in and asked more questions. Robbie and Jen chose to stay overnight at our home for the first time ever so they could go today with Julia and me to visit my parents and other family members for Christmas. Julia and I agreed this was our favorite Christmas celebration with our immediate family.

The Significance of Hanukkah Hanukkah is the 8-day Jewish holiday celebrating the rededication of the Temple and after the Maccabean Revolt against the Seleucid Empire in the 2nd century BC. In Hebrew, "Hanukkah" means dedication. Hanukkah, also known as the Festival of Lights, begins on the 25th day of Kislev (a Jewish month). This explains why Christmas is celebrated on the 25th day of December. With the Hanukkah menorah, there are 9 candles with the central candle representing Jesus and LOVE. One modern day interpretation is that the other candles represent the other fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). It's interesting that this year (2022), Hanukkah aligns perfectly with Christmas. This evening (Christmas evening) begins the last (8th) day of Hanukkah. This holiday season is a great time to prepare our hearts for Immanuel.

Merry Christmas and Chag Sameach Chanukkah! Joseph Joseph Peck, M.D. Founder and President of Empower 2000 www.empower2000.com

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