Happy New Year 2020!

Auld Lang Syne~Beautiful Version Sung by Susan Boyle

Lyrics (Original Words)
written by Scottish poet Robert Burns in 1788

Should old acquaintance be forgot And never brought to mind 

Should old acquaintance be forgot And auld lang syne 

Chorus:  For auld lang syne, my dear For auld lang syne 

We'll take a cup of kindness yet For auld lang syne 

And surely you'll be your pint' stoup, And surely I'll be mine!
And we'll drink a right guid-willie waught, For Auld Lang syne

Chorus:  For auld lang syne, my dear For auld lang syne 

We'll take a cup of kindness yet For auld lang syne

We twa hae run about the braes, and pou'd the gowans fine;
But we've wander'd mony a weary fit, sin' auld lang syne

Chorus:

We twa hae paidl'd in the burn, frae morning sun till dine;
But seas between us braid hae roar'd sin' auld lang syne. 

Chorus:

And there's a hand, my trusty fiere! and gie's a hand o' thine! 
And we'll tak' a right gude-willie waught, for auld lang syne. 

Happy New Year 2019!! A Blessed Year To All!!

Sing Along to Auld Lang Syne by The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra

Happy New Year to All!

Something from the Past by Abba

The Spirit of Christmas Past

Relax to This Beautiful Song by Enya

A Blessed New Year in 2018!

We at Jerusalem Vistas / Israel Vision would like to wish

All of Our Readers, Friends and Family a

Very Happy, Healthy, and Successful New Year.

May the Blessings Continue to Flow Each and Every Day!

New Years Blessings for You in 2017

We are a bit late with this year's greetings as the last weeks have been so hectic. As most of you will have read in an our earlier post Urgent Prayer Request Jay has been in hospital and is still undergoing tests. After six days in hospital, he was able to come home, but is still unwell.

Now we have more details. Jay is receiving good care from a Professor of cardiology, who demanded a month of complete rest. He is home with us, but without strength. Today, our family physician said, “His heart is unstable and needs to be watched.” Jay has many more tests in the next three weeks when he will be reassessed again. We thank you for your prayers and love notes and gifts to see us through this trying time.

We will keep you posted and we know that you will keep praying for John Victor Rawlings complete recovery. For our Jewish friends, his father is Victor Alloway Rawlings and his mother is Sheena Rawlings.

Jay was sent the video below and was so touched by it he wanted to share it with all of you. The words to this beautiful prayer are below the video. We at Jerusalem Vistas / Israel Vision / Still Small Voice along with our family send our prayers and thanks for Your Prayers and support during this difficult time. 

May you all be Richly Blessed during 2017 and always!

Meridel, Jay and family

All the Best in 2017 From Our Family to Yours!

The New Year lies before you, like a spotless tract of snow.
Be careful how you tread on it, for every mark will show...

Words to the Prayer:

New Year's Prayer by Charlotte Anselmo

Thank you Lord for giving me
The brand new year ahead
Help me live the way I should
As each new day I tread.

Give me gentle wisdom
That I might help a friend
Give me strength and courage
So a shoulder I might lend.

The year ahead is empty
Help me fill it with good things
Each new day filled with joy
And the happiness it brings.

Please give the leaders of our world
A courage born of peace
That they might lead us gently
And all the fighting cease.

Please give to all upon this earth
A heart that's filled with love
A gentle happy way to live
With Your blessings from above.

Shana Tova~Rosh Hashanah 5775

Rosh Hashanah is the New Year on the Jewish Calendar. Tomorrow (Wednesday, 24 September 2014) at sundown, Israel begins the first night of Rosh Hashanah.

In the days leading up to Rosh Hashanah, Jews say Selichot (Prayers of Forgiveness). The Sephardic community began Selichot after midnight on the first day of the month of Elul (16 August 5774) For the Ashkenazic community Selichot started after midnight on Saturday, 21 September.

This is a time of prayers and repentence as well as a time of great celebration. On this day, Hashem makes his "assessment" of the whole world. It is said that on Rosh Hashanah, three books are opened. The righteous are immediately inscribed in the Book of Life~they are sealed "to live". Those in the middle are given ten days (until Yom Kippur) to repent, while the wicked are "erased from the Book of Life" forever. Of  course, we all pray that we will be inscribed and sealed in the Book of Life for another year!

Like all celebrations we want to have family and friends, good food and happiness on this day. We at Jerusalem Vistas / Israel Vision are praying for new, and better things to happen in 5775.

We thank you all for your ongoing prayers and support~without you we could not continue. Our wish is that all of you will be "Incribed and Sealed in the Book of Life for a Sweet, Healthy, Happy and Prosperous Year"

לשנה טובה תכתב ותחתם "Leshana tovah tikatev v’tichatem"
May You Be Inscribed and Sealed For a Good Year!

Book of Good Life~The Maccabeats

 Dip Your Apple~The Fountainheads

Rosh Hashanah Greetings from Jay and Meridel

New Year Greetings for 5774 to All Our Family, Friends and Partners...שנה טובה ומתןקה

Timeless Secrets Part 1~2012 Meets 2013

This is the 1st of Our New "Timeless Secrets" Series on Israel and the Middle East

Wishes for a Blessed New Year to Everyone!

The year 2012 has been a busy and eventful time for all. Here in the middle east time seems to zoom by and it is almost a surprise to see 2013 is already here!

This part of the world is like a bubbling hot spring and one never knows when a geyser will erupt. Sometimes it is hard to stay grounded, but we know that the Lord is is kind and loving and He has already declared how the story ends.

We enter this New Year with hope, gratitude and wonder. Our Hope is that the world will see peace, the homeless will find shelter and the hungry are fed. It is with Gratitude that we send greetings to our family, friends,and partners around the world who have faithfully supported us in our work to send out the good news from Zion and it is with Wonder that we see the work of the Almighty in our daily lives.

May the Lord bless you all with health, happiness and peace during the coming year and always!

New Year 2012~Take a Moment For Yourself....

Fix yourself a nice warm drink, get comfortable and enjoy the amazing scenery along with the beautiful sound of Auld Lang Syne (loosely translated as "days gone by")  From our Jerusalem Vistas/Israel Vision Family to you and yours, may you find peace, joy and comfort in 2012!

Chanukah and Christmas in the Holy Land

Chanukah Candles

This year Israel was celebrating Chanukah and Christmas back to back. Throughout the country Menorahs were being lit each night for eight nights and children played dreidel while the adults noshed on sufganiyot and latkes. It is common for the Menorah and candles to be placed outside the house. Glass boxes are used to protect the delicate flames from the weather

Israel is a very diverse country~her citizens come from all over the world. In no other place can you stand in a street or shopping center and hear hundreds of languages and dialects being spoken by people who hail from the Middle-East, to China, Russia, the Americas, Europe and even Lapland. The  entire world is well represented in Israels' citizens.

Birth Place of  the Christ Child

At the beginning of the week, David traveled to Bethlehem, to visit the Church of the Nativity. Two musicians from Italy were also in Bethlehem to serenade the coming of the birth of Christ. The grotto was cleared and the two musicians sang their song to the tune of Brahms Lullaby . At this time of year, it was a rare privilege to stand alone, in front of the silver star beneath the altar, in the Grotto of the Nativity. With the soulful sounds of the young woman from Italy filling the grotto, it was a beautiful, meaningful experience.

At the same time, just outside the Church of the Nativity, in Manger Square, there was a "Rock to Bethlehem Celebration" much to the joy of the young crowd. Meanwhile, in Mevasesret Zion, a group of youngsters from the  Orot Ha Bama and Limelight dance studios performed in the Har El Mall. They entertained shoppers with Israeli dances, and of course something modern as well! The celebrations will carry on over the weekend throughout the country as our diverse citizenry is joined by millions of tourists from around the world.

From all of us at Jerusalem Vistas/Israel Vision, we wish you, our very dear friends, a most Blessed Christmas Season and a Healthy and Happy New Year!

Happy New Year From the IDF!