Caroline Ann Designs

02/11/2026

Healing the Divided Self...
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"Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways know Him, and he will make straight your paths." - Prov. 3:5-6
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What do we do with our inconsistencies, those “lapses” of faith that expose what we are actually believing at the time? These are gaps or incongruities between what we might say is true and what our behavior otherwise reveals.

For instance, we may say that we trust God with our lives and that we believe that the Almighty works all things “together for our good,” but inwardly we are filled with impatience, anxiety, and even dread.

We are vaguely conscious of our “dissimulation” at times; we feel the tension that something is not right about us; we sense that we are not who we want to think we are. We may even suspect that we are inwardly divided, unstable, and afraid of what is hidden within our deepest hearts.

We often overlook our pretenses. We may ask ourselves “what would Jesus do?” but then find reasons to excuse ourselves; we may affirm: “When I am weak, then I am strong,” and then “think twice” in fear over circumstances that we do not understand...

So how do we deal with the contradiction between what we are and what we ought to be? How do we reconcile what “is” with what “ought” to be? In other words, how do we “practice what we preach?” We all experience the “gap” between the real and the ideal not only in the social and political world around us, but also - and more profoundly - as duplicity within our own hearts. Alas, how can we no longer be “two-souled’ or double minded? How can we be set free from the influence of the “shadow self”?

These are not intellectual questions about theology or doctrine, but about emotional and spiritual maturity, that is, they are matters of personal character. When Yeshua said that the truth would set you free, he didn’t mean that you would find freedom by studying theology as much as by undergoing transformation of the heart. He was talking about reality - namely the reality of God’s righteousness healing your sick life...

Theology is important, of course, but primarily it serves as a means to the greater end of knowing God “bekhol levavkah,” with all your heart, “bekhol nafshekha,” with all your soul, and “bekhol me’odekha,” with all your might.

The essential reason for learning about God is be in heartfelt relationship with him, after all, and that will lead to transformation of the way we live - that is, how we think, talk, and make decisions. Spiritual truth is “existential.” How we live life reveals what we truly believe. But all of it comes from the miracle of God’s truth that declares and makes us who we really are...

When we are "born from above," we are given a new nature, and the “seed” of eternal life is implanted within the soul. Heart transformation, experientially speaking, comes through time, as a matter of undergoing “reproof” and “correction.” This is sometimes called the process of “sanctification,” which means walking uprightly in the way of holiness.

The Lord is likened to a potter and we are as clay in his hand (Isa. 64:8). Life on the “potter's wheel” can be messy, unsettling, and sometimes excruciatingly hard, but it is God's sovereign work to form your life according to his design and purposes. From our perspective it seems so tedious and difficult, but from God’s perspective it is “already done,” it is the finished work of Christ that he sees.

God gives us the Scriptures to help us know his heart, as it is written: “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness” (2 Tim. 3:16). Here we note that the Hebrew word for “reproof” is tochechah (תּוֹכֵחָה), from a root (יכח) that means to test or judge the quality of something. God’s reproof reveals the gap between our behavior and his standard of moral and spiritual truth, and when we are reproved by God, we understand how we fall short of his will.

The Hebrew word for “correction” is mussar (מוּסָר), from a root (יָסַר) that means to “chasten” or punish, though always with the aim of developing godly character (Heb. 12:11). God will sometimes allow us to undergo affliction, for instance, to teach us patience or humility. “Training in righteousness” (הַדְרָכָה בַּצְדָקָה) means being instructed, as a child, in what is upright, true, and honorable. The life of faith is “education for eternity” where we “catch up” with the reality of God’s power within us.

Narrowing the gap between what we say that we believe and how we actually live is therefore an ongoing process of teshuvah in this life. Every day we need to turn and confess our need for God’s deliverance (Matt. 6:13). The world, the flesh, and the devil are forces that weigh us down to keep us profane and fallen, but God provides his Spirit and he instructs us to walk in the victory of faith. If we ignore or rationalize the gap, however, that is, if we allow the inner conflict and dissonance to become deeply rooted within our souls, we run the risk of becoming either self-deceived or embittered over the struggle.

Bitterness is especially dangerous because it can result in abandoning the life of faith altogether (Heb. 12:15). We can fight against these temptations by affirming that what is “really real” about who you are is what God says and does on your behalf in Yeshua. We look to Him, not to ourselves...

The test of faith is a matter of the heart more than the head. Things such as fear, pride, or ungodly desire can overrule our profession of faith, and we “forget” our calling before the Lord. The battle is found within the heart. Courage and moral allegiance is more powerful than intellectual conviction regarding matters of temptation.

The inner conflicts are real. The battle is for our souls. Many of us have truly felt or experienced the glories of God’s love, and we want to believe and to walk in the light of that love... So we try various things to know God or recapture our hope. We study, read, think hard, pray, attend services, and so on. But as we try again to be spiritual or religious or self-assured, we may become bound, weary, and feel like a failure... We suspect that we have failed God, failed ourselves, and failed others. We go dark, ashamed, and anxious, but we try yet again, and again, until we are distraught and in agony of heart.

Yet this cycle or undulation is part of the test of faith, this agony of trying and failing, encountering our shadowy duplicity of heart, descrying yet again what we really are on the inside, and crying out for deliverance from our faithlessness, our hypocrisy, our fecklessness, and our despair... Paradoxically, because we cannot help ourselves, we continue trying, lamenting, confessing, and persevering - despite ourselves - and in the lament of the struggle to be who God says we are, we begin to surrender to a deeper heart or way of being - broken, humbled, brought face to face with our powerlessness and need - and it is then that we discover the healing hand of God is at work... God alone saves us, not we ourselves.

“You do not know what spirit you are of...” (Luke 9:55). Yeshua’s words imply that each of us has the responsibility to know ourselves (γνῶθι σεαυτόν), and to learn to endure (and overcome) the natural motives and focus of our hearts. We collide with the truth of our spiritual condition in the midst of our daily frustrations, as we experience conflict, opposition, and the inner groan that arises from pressures and disappointments. Spiritual growth means learning to transcend our negative reactions, to stop cursing our conflicts, and to awaken to the blessings that surround and pervade our way. It requires a miracle. It demands faith.

If we are able to find the courage, our failures and brokenness may be used by God to purify the intentions of the heart by helping us to be more honest with ourselves. We begin to realize that we are more vulnerable than at first we thought; that our faith is not as strong as we imagined, and that our motives are often mixed and unconscious. Illusions are striped away; idols crumble; deeper levels of selfishness are uncovered; and the gap between our words and our deeds is exposed yet again...

It is one thing, after all, to intellectually think about faith or to idealize spirituality, but it is quite another to walk out faith in darkness. Yet it is only there, in the rawness of heart, that we discover what we really believe and how our faith makes traction with reality... And there we will discover, if we persevere, the truth that Paul affirmed: “I have been crucified with the Messiah. It is no longer I who live, but Messiah who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by the faith in God the Son, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness (i.e., salvation) were through the law, then Yeshua died for no purpose” (Gal. 2:20-21).

We believe there is a “hidden blessing” (ברכת סוד) that comes from our troubles, for when persevere and learn to accept that we are accepted despite ourselves, we find God’s Presence and can breathe in his peace and love, despite the sorrows, disappointments, and grief of our lives.

When we come to the light and do not deny the truth about our condition, we can honestly confess the Lord is our healing (Heb. 4:16). When we earnestly seek the good - and even bless the struggle - we express our trust that God is using our trials to help us grow and to bring beauty from our ashes (2 Cor. 7:10). “O Lord, I need you for everything, every last thing. Please meet my great need for You, for without you I am nothing.” Amen, “turn us back to you, O LORD, so shall we be turned...” (Lam. 5:21).

Contrary to the assumption that the life of faith should always be triumphant, we all will experience various setbacks, pratfalls, troubles and various challenges in our lives. This does not mean that God does not care for us however, because on the contrary, this is by his design; a plan supervised by God's love and blessing, and the afflictions we therefore encounter are part of his work for our good (Rom. 8:28; Heb. 12:6).

We “descend in order to ascend”; we go down to go up (לרדת כדי לעלות). It seems counterintuitive to the flesh, but the heart of faith gives thanks for all things - the good as well as the evil (see Job 2:10). We affirm: "This too is for the good," yea, even in the midst of our struggle, no, even more -- precisely in the midst of our struggle -- for this, too, is for our good. Faith is the resolution to trust in the reality of God's goodness even during hard times when we feel abandoned or lost (see Isa. 50:10). The Lord uses the "troubles of love" (יִסּוּרֵי אַהֲבָה) for our good - to wake us up and cling to him all the more, since this is what is most essential, after all...

God forbid we should ever give up, friends. Faith “sees the unseen” and believes that the day of our ultimate healing draws near. You are in good hands as the Lord forms your soul for the glory of his purposes... Therefore "Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways know Him, and he will make straight your paths" (Prov. 3:5-6). May the LORD God of Israel "unify your heart" and give you His peace. Amen.
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[ Hebrew for Christians ]
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Psalm 86:11 reading:
https://hebrew4christians.com/Blessings/Blessing_Cards/psalm86-11-jjp.mp3

Study page (pdf):
https://hebrew4christians.com/Blessings/Blessing_Cards/psalm86-11-lesson.pdf
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02/11/2026

God commands men to work, provide, and take responsibility.

Laziness isn't a personality trait. It's disobedience.

If you're able to work but unwilling to work, don't expect everyone else to fund your lifestyle.

God didn't create men to sit around waiting for handouts.

“The one who is unwilling to work shall not eat.” 2 Thessalonians 3:10

03/08/2026

17/07/2026

RELIGIOUS FREEDOM IS NOT A PRIVILEGE. IT IS A HUMAN RIGHT.
If people can build mosques in Europe, Christians should be free to build churches in the Middle East.
We are Jewish Projects

If people can pray openly in democratic societies, every believer should have the same freedom—regardless of faith.

Around the world, religious freedom remains one of the great challenges of our time.

This is not just a political debate.

It is a question of human dignity.

As tensions rise and religious conflicts continue to shape global events, we invite people of all faiths to choose prayer over hatred, dialogue over division, and freedom over persecution.

🕊️ Send your personal prayer to Jerusalem.

At the Western Wall, Judaism's holiest prayer site, we will place your prayer among the ancient stones and pray for peace, freedom, and respect for all people.

May every person have the freedom to worship without fear.

May every nation protect the rights of religious minorities.

May peace overcome the growing threat of religious conflict.

Submit your prayer today and stand for religious freedom.

25/06/2026

Dam: The Life of the Covenant

Among all the Hebrew words found in Scripture, few provoke stronger reactions than the word Dam (דָּם).

Blood.

For many modern readers, blood immediately evokes images of violence, injury, death, and suffering. We think of blood as something that appears when life is ending.

The Hebrew Scriptures often present a very different perspective.

In biblical thought, blood is not primarily a symbol of death.

It is a symbol of life.

That distinction changes everything.

If Qorban (Draw Near) revealed YHWH's desire for relationship, Chokmah (Wisdom) taught us how to walk in that relationship, Shub (Return) showed us how to come home when we wander, and Brit (Covenant) revealed YHWH's commitment to His people, then Dam explains how covenant is sealed.

Because in Scripture, covenant is never merely spoken. It is ratified by life.

The story begins much earlier than Sinai. It begins in Eden.

After Adam and Eve rebel, they discover their nakedness and attempt to cover themselves with fig leaves. Yet when YHWH sends them from the Garden, something remarkable has happened.
"Unto Adam also and to his wife did YHWH God make coats of skins, and clothed them." (Genesis 3:21)

The text does not explicitly describe the death of an animal. Yet skins do not appear without cost.

For the first time in Scripture, something innocent dies because sin has entered the world.

A covering is provided.
A life is given.
A pattern begins to emerge.

Throughout Scripture, blood repeatedly appears wherever covenant, covering, and redemption intersect.

This pattern becomes even clearer in the story of Cain and Abel.

Both brothers bring offerings before YHWH. Yet Hebrews later reveals something significant about Abel's sacrifice:

"By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain..." (Hebrews 11:4)

Faith is already present.
Trust is already present.
Relationship is already present.

From the beginning, sacrifice was never about feeding YHWH, bribing YHWH, or appeasing an angry deity.

It was about approaching Him in faith.

Drawing near.
Qorban.

As the story unfolds, blood becomes increasingly associated with covenant itself.

After the flood, YHWH establishes a covenant with Noah and all living creatures. Then He says something profound: "For your lifeblood I will surely require an accounting." (Genesis 9:5)

Why? Because life belongs to YHWH.

Blood represents life.
To shed blood is not merely to spill a liquid.
It is to take something sacred.

The biblical worldview consistently treats blood with extraordinary reverence because it represents the gift of life itself.

This truth reaches its clearest expression in Leviticus: "For the life of the flesh is in the blood." (Leviticus 17:11)

The Hebrew word translated "life" here is nefesh.

Soul.
Life.
Living being.

The verse could almost be paraphrased: "The nefesh of the flesh is in the blood."

This is why blood is sacred.
It carries life.

The life YHWH breathed into humanity in the beginning.
The life that belongs ultimately to Him.
The life that makes covenant possible.

In modern Western culture, blood is usually associated with biology. In the ancient world, blood was associated with belonging.

Blood created family.
Blood created kinship.
Blood created covenant identity.

This helps explain why Scripture treats blood with such reverence. To share blood was to share life. To enter covenant was to become bound together in a way that transcended convenience, emotion, or circumstance.

YHWH is not merely creating followers.
He is creating family.

The covenant story has always been moving toward adoption, inheritance, and belonging.

Dam is not merely the sign of a covenant.
It is the sign that we belong.

This understanding transforms the way we read the covenant story.

When Abraham enters covenant with YHWH in Genesis 15, animals are divided and arranged, as we explored yesterday.

In the ancient world, covenant partners would walk between the pieces as a declaration that their very lives stood behind their promises.

May this happen to me if I break my word.
That is the message.

The covenant is sealed by life.
The covenant costs something.
The covenant matters.

Yet Abraham does not walk through the pieces.
YHWH does.
Alone.

"A smoking furnace, and a burning lamp that passed between those pieces." (Genesis 15:17)

The symbolism is breathtaking.

YHWH places the burden of covenant faithfulness upon Himself.

He is not merely making promises.
He is binding Himself to those promises.

The covenant story continues through Passover.

Israel stands on the threshold of freedom. Four hundred years of slavery are coming to an end. The final plague is approaching. Yet before deliverance comes, YHWH commands every household to take a lamb.

The blood is placed upon the doorposts.

"When I see the blood, I will pass over you." (Exodus 12:13)

Notice what the blood represents.

It is not magic.
It is not superstition.
It is a covenant sign.

A visible declaration that this household belongs to YHWH.

The blood marks identity.
The blood marks belonging.
The blood marks covenant.

Passover is not merely about escaping judgment. It is about becoming YHWH's people. The blood on the doorposts marks the birth of a covenant family.

A few weeks later, Israel arrives at Sinai.
Thunder shakes the mountain.
Fire descends from heaven.
The shofar sounds.
The covenant is spoken.
The people respond:
"All that YHWH hath spoken we will do." (Exodus 24:7)

Then Moses performs an act that often shocks modern readers.
"Behold the blood of the covenant, which YHWH hath made with you." (Exodus 24:8)

Blood is sprinkled.

Why? Because covenant has moved beyond words.

It has become binding.

Life stands behind the promise.
The people are no longer merely rescued slaves.
They have become a covenant nation.

But something remarkable happens immediately after the blood of the covenant is sprinkled.

The story does not end with sacrifice.
It ends with fellowship.

Moses, Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and the elders ascend the mountain.
Then Scripture records one of the most astonishing passages in the Torah: "And they saw the God of Israel..." (Exodus 24:10)

And then: "Also they saw YHWH, and did eat and drink." (Exodus 24:11)

Think about that for a moment.

The covenant is sealed with blood.
Then comes a meal.

Not fear.
Not distance.
Not rejection.

Fellowship.
Communion.
Relationship.

The blood is never the destination.
Relationship is.

This is the pattern that repeats throughout Scripture.

Again and again, blood opens the way for fellowship.
Again and again, covenant leads to communion.
Again and again, YHWH makes a way for His people to draw near.
Qorban.

By this point in Scripture, a scarlet thread is running through the entire story (we will explore this thread in detail in an upcoming series!).

The coverings in Eden.
Abel's sacrifice.
Noah's altar.
Abraham's covenant.
The Passover lamb.
The blood at Sinai.
The sacrifices of the Tabernacle.
Rahab's scarlet cord hanging from the window.

Again and again, blood appears wherever God is preserving life, extending mercy, and fulfilling covenant promises.

The thread grows longer with every generation.
The story is moving somewhere.
Or rather, Someone.

The covenant story ultimately reaches its climax in Messiah.

When John the Baptist sees Yeshua approaching, he declares:
"Behold the Lamb of YHWH, which taketh away the sin of the world." (John 1:29)

Immediately, Passover imagery fills the scene.

The Lamb.
The blood.
The deliverance.
The covenant.
The story is converging.

At His final Passover meal, Yeshua takes the cup and speaks words that connect every covenant thread running through Scripture:
"This cup is the new covenant in My blood." (Luke 22:20)

The language is unmistakable.

Passover.
Sinai.
Covenant.
Blood.
All of it comes together.

The New Covenant promised through Jeremiah is now being ratified.

Not because YHWH has abandoned His promises.
Not because He has replaced His covenant.
But because He is fulfilling it.

The covenant that began with Abraham, expanded at Sinai, and was proclaimed by the prophets reaches its fulfillment through Messiah.

This is why the cross should never be reduced to a transaction.

It is a covenant event.
It is the moment heaven and earth witness the greatest expression of covenant faithfulness in history.

"Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." (John 15:13)

That is Dam.

Life given in love.
Life given in faithfulness.
Life given in covenant.

And yet even this is not the end of the story, because that is why the final pages of Scripture are not centered on an altar.

They are centered on a wedding.

The blood has already been shed.
The covenant has already been established.
The Bride has already been redeemed.

Now comes the celebration.

The story that began with skins in Eden ends with white garments.
The story that began with exile ends with homecoming.
The story that began with sacrifice ends with a feast.

The God who walked through the pieces with Abraham.
The God who passed over the blood-marked doors of Egypt.
The God who sprinkled covenant blood at Sinai.
The God who called His wandering people to return through Shub.
The God who bound Himself to them through Brit.
The God who invited them through Qorban.
The God who taught them through Chokmah.

Is the same God waiting at the end of the story.

"Let us be glad and rejoice... for the marriage of the Lamb is come." (Revelation 19:7)

Not with a contract.
Not with a list of failures.
Not with a ledger of debts.
But with a wedding feast.

Because Dam was never ultimately about death.

It was always about love.

Life given so that relationship could live.
Life poured out so that covenant could endure.
Life shared so that estranged children could become family once again.

That is Dam.

The life of the covenant.

The sacred reminder that love always costs something.

And that YHWH considered us worth the cost.