How does one quantify the value of a life? All we have are memories, moments, impressions. From the womb, a person's full, colorful personality is aglow in all its richness and complexity. As they grow we see it mature, but if you have had children you know that the essence of a person never really… Continue reading Cherish every soul
What an age we find ourselves in. It's an era of taking postures, keeping up appearances and outing anyone whose logic is faulty or whose actions haven't measured up to their ideals. I see teachers and leaders issuing statements and caveats, and now that everyone has their own small platform it seems we are all… Continue reading An integrated life
“So, everyone who hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like a sensible man who built his house on bedrock. The rain fell, the rivers flooded, the winds blew and beat against that house, but it didn’t collapse, because its foundation was on rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine… Continue reading The foundation
It begins with just an empty lot, overgrown with weeds and surrounded by the other unassuming houses. People look out their windows, wondering at the boundaries being staked off with orange thread. In the weeks that follow, the work begins; digging the footers, pouring the foundation, building the floor system. As the walls go up,… Continue reading A wise woman trusts
When we think of building a house, or an environment, for ourselves and our families, there are a few levels to which we can extend this metaphor. Our first home is our self: body and mind. These work in harmony; when one is negatively affected, the other often suffers too. Many of us are learning… Continue reading Building the kingdom
Women are such a beautiful creation of God, given an awesome capacity for nurturing and making any place feel like "home." For many of us, it's in our nature to see the needs of others and try to meet them, whether physical or emotional. As I understand it, in Jewish thought, a wife (bayit) is… Continue reading Building her house
As March quickly gave way to April, so April is speeding by with plenty to keep her busy. Yesterday was a perfect spring day; sunny, breezy and tranquil. Here in southern Indiana the flowering trees are in bloom, birds are making nests, and sunny jonquils, tulips and dandelions are everywhere. Baby J and I spent… Continue reading Life update
The fourth element we share in our Sabbath practice is wine or juice. The children are always excited to drink juice since it's a rare sweet treat, symbolizing the joy and celebration in a life of freedom in Christ. It's perfectly fine to serve juice for the adults, too (that's pomegranate juice in the photo… Continue reading Sabbath: wine
The next element in our Sabbath ritual is the bread. Sweet, braided loaves of challah are traditional in Jewish homes, but of course any bread is suitable to serve on the Sabbath. For Passover, only unleavened bread is eaten -- baked with stripes and pierced with holes, wrapped in a linen cloth. On the Sabbath,… Continue reading Sabbath: bread
In last week's post I discussed the symbolism behind lighting candles to welcome in the Sabbath at day's close on Friday. This week I'll share my contemplations around the meaning of washing our hands together before the meal. Water, especially in the context of the Sabbath, represents baptism: repentance from our sins and being made… Continue reading Sabbath: water
The Holy Days 