Good Stewards

Gas is crazy expensive lately!  And my husband insists on searching out a good price (he found $3.88 just a week ago) but not only for our car but for his work truck whose gas goes on the company card.  He takes pride in being a good steward  -This weeks message from our daughter's school seemed to echo that.  I love the point about cleaning up our rooms (oh I need someone to come down on me for not keeping this one) because taking care of one's environment is at the top of the list of being Godly.

Have You Met Derek?

When my son, Avi, was in first grade, he came home one day in a huff about a new boy at school. Although Avi had yet to meet this kid, word on the playground had it he was a bona fide teacher's pet. How else could you explain why everyone was talking about him?
"Do you know this boy's name?" I asked.
"It's Derek," Avi reported. "Derek Eretz."
Derek Eretz turned out to be derech eretz, a Hebrew phrase that translates as "the way of the land" but is most commonly associated with the act of showing polite, respectful, and thoughtful behavior to people and the environment. Just prior to "Derek"'s debut, it turns out, my son's day school kicked off a formal program drawn from the talmudic laws of derech eretz.
Upon learning the now infamous new kid's true identity, I was flooded with relief. Not because Avi would never have to worry about meeting Derek "Goody Two-Shoes" Eretz, but because I knew that my husband and I were no longer alone in our quest to civilize our children.
The talmudic laws were written a couple thousand years ago, but that doesn't mean they're obsolete. To the contrary, they're timeless rules of decency - written in the context of Jewish values - that are still relevant today. And the best part is that we didn't write them. So the next time we tell our child to clean up his/her room, and he/she responds with a sassy, "Why? It's just going to get messed up again anyway," we needn't resort to the desperate "Because I said so!" We need simply to explain that taking care of one's environment is a primary rule of derech eretz; if he/she has a problem, she can take it up with the talmudic rabbis.
The following tips will help you embrace good old "Derek" as your parenting ally and have your kids walking the way of the land in no time.
Outline the rules
Derech eretz is a broad and inclusive concept. We can help our children understand its meaning by breaking it down into bite-sized chunks, such as:
•Treat parents and teachers with respect.
•Treat everyone the way you would like to be treated.
•Respect the elderly.
•Be kind to animals.
•Be respectful to nature and the environment.
Integrate tzedakah into daily life
Since children are developmentally egocentric, they don't always understand how to show compassion and concern for others. We can begin to bridge this gap by incorporating tzedakah into their lives. Once a month or so, have your kids go through their toys and select a few gently used playthings to donate to charity. Perhaps to the Jewish Food Pantry with a non-perishable food item! Or take them to play checkers with nursing home residents on a rainy Sunday. Once children get in the philanthropic spirit, derech eretz comes naturally. A perfect opportunity is our Garden Tzedakah Project. Bring in that Tzedakah money and help the community garden blossom!
Model derech eretz yourself
We are our children's role models; they constantly look to us for direction. This is not to say that if we aren't the Jewish equivalent of Mother Teresa, we're parental failures. Everyone messes up now and then, and it's healthy for our kids to see that we do, too. Still, we owe it to them to at least aspire to be worthy role models and to use our inevitable slip-ups as a means of teaching the art of owning up to - and learning from - our mistakes.
Catch them being good
Sure, we ultimately want our kids to abide by derech eretz because they know in their hearts it's the right thing to do. In the meantime, occasionally rewarding respectful, menschlich behavior is certainly appropriate. Make a DE chart and put a sticker on it whenever your child goes above and beyond the basics for civility (i.e., washing the dishes without being asked). Go out to a movie to celebrate when the chart is filled. And be sure to share it with us at Gan Ami!
Use consequences that further an understanding of derech eretz
Hey, even the rabbis occasionally need some back-up. If your child refuses to clean her room in spite of the talmudic decree, a consequence is in order - a derech eretz-fostering consequence, that is.
In the laws of derech eretz, we 21st-century parents have far more than a collection of antiquated rules of etiquette. We have a parenting ally with a multimillennial track record of success; a blueprint for raising respectful, self-disciplined, menschlich kids; and a respectful, Jewish child's guide to appropriate, decent behavior.
Not bad for a teacher's pet named Derek.

For there is no other

For there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved

Sorry- another worthless post but I did manage to look up at the beginning of the day an organization who tries to advocate for Christians in China

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Cause God makes no mistakes...

Cause God makes no mistakes...

The Fellowship of the Believers

I took my reading of the end of the gospels right into Acts.  Chapter 2 verses 42-47 intrigued me...It's like all the energy of Christ coming and preaching and dying and rising is just shot into the world!  Pentecost was cool but now it sounds like the Jesus train just can't be stopped.  Everyone is living in harmony and evangelism and the flock is growing in leaps and bounds.  What an amazing time that must have been.

Oh and TV is the Devil~  I suppose that's why God has chosen to not run new episodes of any of our fave shows this week :) So instead of keeping my Bible in my work bag and toting it back/forth from the office, too busy to pick it up on lunch hour, I've been keeping it on our coffee table in the tv room and actually reading it in the evenings.  A novel idea...

So Easter service got me thinking more about Mary Magdaline and I think knowing more about the Jewish religion is helping her story, the story of everyone FORGETTING that Jesus was supposed to rise from the dead, really emotional and really real

What comfort this sweet sentance gives...

:)

Four Gospels

Mathew = Jewish audience, emphasizing Jesus' authority and power
     27:45-46 From the sixth hour until the ninth hour darkness came over all the land.  About the ninth hour Jesus creied out in a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi, lamma sabachthani?"  -which means, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"

Mark = Roman readers in mind, straightforward
     15:33-34 At the sixth hour darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour.  And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi, lamma sabachthani?"  -which means, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"

Luke = Human interest, joyful
     23:44-46 It was now about the sixth hour, and darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour, for the sun stopped shining.  And the curtain of the temple was torn in two.  Jesus called out with a loud voice, "Fahter, into your hands I commit my spriti." When he had said this he breathed his last.

John = Reflective and confirming
     19:30 When he had received the drink, Jesus said, "It is finished." With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

Mary

How impossible was Mary's day today (Good Friday)?

Passover

Celebrate Freedom!

Revelation 21

Revelation 21

Why aren't the seasons changing

Why aren't the seasons changing God (turn turn turn)?

HE IS RISEN INDEED!

Not quite...But I'm surprisingly excited for Easter sunrise service...

Hosanna!

"Hoshana" (הושענא) is a Hebrew word meaning please save or save now.
In Jewish liturgy, the word is applied specifically to the Hoshana Service, a cycle of prayers from which a selection is sung each morning during Sukkot, the Feast of Booths or Tabernacles. The complete cycle is sung on the seventh day of the festival, which is called Hoshana Rabbah (הושענא רבא, "Great Hosanna").
In Christianity "Hosanna" (Greek transcription: ὡσαννά, hōsanna) is the cry of praise or adoration shouted in recognition of the Messiahship of Jesus on his entry into Jerusalem, Hosanna! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!  It is used in the same way in Christian praise.
Overall, it seems that "Hosanna" is a cry for salvation; while at the same time is a declaration of praise. Therefore, it may be derived that this plea for help is out of an agreeably positive connotation.
The old interpretation "Save, now!" which may be a popular etymology, is based on Psalm 118:25 (Hebrew הוֹשִׁיעָה נָּא hOshEeah-nna) (Possibly "Savior"). This does not fully explain the occurrence of the word in the Gospels, which has given rise to complex discussions.

Berakhah HaGafen

The Blessing Over Wine

CUTE NIGHTIES

CUTE NIGHTIES

Comfort is Heaven

Baruch atah is a Hebrew phrase in one of my favorite Jewish children's song (you will find it in my February archives as well) and from what I can gather it means God is blessing us.
So when I was running today and getting to the point to where I was like, "it would be so nice to take a walk break."  I thought to myself, "why do I need to stop?"  And then my inner dialogue continued, "it would be comfortable"  "and what is comfort really?"  "Comfort is HEAVEN!"  So I kept running.
I will try my hardest to save comfort for heaven (cause it best be super darned comfortable!).

Sorry

Sorry I missed yesterday...So Tired!  But I need to put a big drop in my Tzedakah box because God is good!!

Humble Pie

Today
I basically made the biggest most giantest mistake of my whole career
Won't get into the traumatic details
But
My prayer on the walk to my car from the office was joyful
What the heck?
I'm not sure I can fully explain it yet but all that drama made me feel closer to God
!

Go Disciple All Nations

That's the original Greek phrase -Love "disciple" as a verb!

Church communities are great~

I'll admit.  We don't really have our own church community yet.  We kinda piggyback on everyone else's.
Our daughter had SO much fun at her G-ma's church/school's Easter egg hunt!

Folded hands

I had a few minutes to myself today and was chattering at God anyway so I decided to fold my hands and devotedly pray.  It felt nice.

for wives

This is an EXCELLENT sermon.  I posted a link to a book a week or two ago (haven't purchased/read yet) that seemed interesting as a tool for wives and this sermon gave the really honest, God focused lowdown as well -

www.worldprayers.org

Awesome!

I was going to look up standard prayers because my mom's comment a couple days made me think that there were good pre-written examples to use

My mom says the biggest

My mom says the biggest decision I've made is to follow the Lord and nothing else really matters that much

My husband says you pray

My husband says you pray for WISDOM STRENGTH and GUIDANCE

Testing the waters

Its interesting to have something big in my life going on because I've been able to use it to test people almost.  To put the seed out there in a casual, harmless turn of a phrase and see if they bite on the God part.  I have to say -Some people are more religous than I thought and some less than expected.
Sorry.  This is all pretty general.  Not sure if anyone will understand what I'm saying.

Please pray for me though.  I'm having such heartburn making a decision and a pretty hard time turning it over to The Big Man.

Ack. Forgot to post yesterday. I think my message would have been- pray for young mothers...I don't think they even know what they are getting into or how nervous to be...

Carpe diem

Today I choose this to mean, seize the snuggle.
     In my anti-human nature protest I chose to cuddle with the dog instead of following up with bills and paper work yadda yadda yadda.  I will still be responsible for my tasks.  But it will happen tomorrow instead of relax time tonight.

Ebb and flow

I know this isn't a new concept but its so much easier to lean on God and lead a peaceful existence when there aren't big accomplishments.  Right everybody?  I'm not sure what more to say but that my devotion to the Lord ebbs in my accomplishments and flows with the humble days.  And yet instead of searching out a humble existence I seem to only want more and more when the very concept of that is contrary to my big life mission, to be closer to the Lord.
I opened my Bible for the first time in a while but nothing is holding my interest.  My brain is too swamped with all the earthly things I want to accomplish for the week.  Phooey.  The only way to quiet the "to do"s is to do them!

Dear God, Why must the self centered things be so damn fun!  Please help me this week to find more ways to lean on you.  Big life decisions seem always on the horizon lately -Help me to make them with your will in mind.  Love, Nell

What if we had to

What if we had to pay to go to church like we have to pay to go to an art museum. Would that make it more valuable?

Its so crazy how my trust fades in and out. Almost like my human nature is fighting for control like soldiers who have strength in numbers.