Rush to judgment? Not me!

  I have usually considered myself a fairly non judgmental person. At least that is what I try to be. Nevertheless, I learned this week some truths about myself which have given me reason to work harder on this attribute.   My IPhone needed repair so being in Florida...
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We just don’t get it

  Some of you are aware of “The Chosen”, a multi-season depiction of the life of Yeshua and His disciples. I have shared with you previously my views of its importance of bringing the Gospels literally to hundreds of millions of people, whether we agree with every aspect of...
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His Voice

  This year at Ruach we’ve been exploring the topic of finding our voice. The emphasis has been on our voice as a community. Our faith community shapes and reflects our individual voices which are working to exemplify our growing-closer-to-Him spiritual selves.   Each...
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All you need is His Love

  What a whirlwind the last couple weeks have been! Although Sid and I have been wintering in Florida, my daily routines stay the same. I still balance my work schedule with my volunteer responsibilities, while sprinkling in some additional group meetings and recreational...
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What a super Super Bowl

  As most of you know, this past Sunday was the Super Bowl. Unfortunately, I was traveling that evening so I did not see the commercials (admittedly, my favorite part). I did, however, check them out earlier this week and was pleased to see at least several that were not...
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Who do you love?

  Today while acting in a loving way to another, I noticed my heartbeat. I listened to its sound and thought how intense my emotion, and yet, how steady and slow my heart was beating. It wasn’t beating excessively fast as it does at other times, like when exercising. Yet,...
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What lies in lies

  A very disturbing report came out from UN Watch this week. In particular, Hillel Neuer’s report of UN workers taking part in the Hamas attack on October 7 in Israel was almost beyond belief. Unfortunately, it appears to be true, the report not only describing the recent...
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Oh the gleam – Part 3

  Is it really possible to share the gleam three weeks in a row? You betcha!! 😊   The original reference was to the Scriptural description of the “men” at Yeshua’s tomb as “gleaming”. Last week I shared some personal gleaming, and some of you shared yours too with me....
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Oh the gleam – Part 2

  Last week we pondered the “gleaming” of the angels at the tomb of our risen Messiah. We sometimes wonder if the gleam today is as it was back then, especially during the days of Yeshua. This morning HaShem made the answer clear. . .   Sid and I safely arrived early...
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Oh the gleam. . .

  This week’s Daily Dvar in Luke describes the two men who “gleamed like lightning” at the empty tomb from which Yeshua had risen. The “gleaming” jumped out at me as I pictured these two angels, reminding me that angels were not just “back then”. Angels are real and they...
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Shalom, shalom, peace be with you

  This past Sunday morning Sid and I had the wonderful experience to be guest DJs on the Chagigah Radio show. This program is filled with Jewish music of all genres, Jewish humor, and Rabbinical reflections, the audience being 80% Jewish, 20% Christian with national access...
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Wow!

  I have often made the statement we are living in amazing times. It’s hard to think of that positively sometimes, especially in light of recent events, in particular. The Israeli war has become a catalyst to arouse worldwide anti-Semitism to a level in my opinion never seen...
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Fear vs. Faith – Part 2

  At oneg after services this past Shabbat, not only did I get to shmooze with wonderful visitors and our community, but I also had a special time to unpack Jewish history long into the afternoon with several of our congregants, one of whom was quite knowledgeable on this...
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Fear vs. Faith

  Before I was a believer in Yeshua I had strong faith in God. I prayed to Him and I felt He answered prayer. He was God on high with a busy agenda with so many people to listen to, so I understood if prayers went unanswered. I still had strong faith for I believed in Him,...
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What a light!

  How often as Messianic Jews do we feel uncomfortable in our own skin? Out of place? Not welcomed by our Jewish family and relatives, our Jewish community, and yet, not Christian either. Among our non-Jewish acquaintances and other religious communities, there are those who...
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It takes a village – with God as King

  Today started like any other day, my thanking HaShem, asking Sid how he slept last night, checking my messages. That’s when life spun out of control.   The night before I had been texting with my daughter-in-law finalizing plans for an upcoming visit but I had fallen...
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Thanksgiving happy

Below is a Shabbat encouragement that I sent in November 2020, the first year of COVID. In a way we have recently experienced trauma at that level, a worldwide reckoning of epic proportions, providing us another opportunity to react, heal, and grow.   I have tweaked parts of...
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I feel pretty, oh so pretty

  This morning I decided I should try to practice some of my dance kickboxing routines that I will be teaching in my class when we go to Florida in January. It’s a fun workout anyway and given the cold temperatures, doing the class provides a great opportunity for a good...
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Who are we kidding?

  This week Sid and I returned home to Maine after an extended time at my sister’s house in Westford, MA.  It is a blessing beyond words to be there!! Yet we had been there since before Rosh Hashanah (!) for a variety of reasons that were challenging, mostly car issues, but...
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Follow the Ruach – Part 2

About six months ago, I shared this story about a couple who are friends with us when we are in Florida:   “In the last couple years we’ve begun to know another Jewish couple who live closeby. We’ve had lovely Shabbat dinners together, enjoyed movies, play regular music jams...
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Joy (the chicken story) – Part 2

  Last week we (chicken) noodled Aviva Joiner’s story of their chicken named “Joy” who was lost one day and then amazingly found alive the next morning under a bucket. This simple tale was the inspiration for many thoughts of the hidden joys in our lives and their miraculous...
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Joy (the chicken story)

  Last Shabbat at Oneg Aviva Joiner shared the following story with those blessed to be at her table:   “Last week, we let all of our chickens out to free range. When we went outside to bring them back to the coop for the night we noticed one was missing, a small white...
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If not now, when?

Has there been a day, or night, this week that our thoughts have not dwelt on the situation in Israel and Gaza? What will tomorrow bring as the hatred pours outward across the globe into our individual communities? Where can anyone be safe, especially we Jews?   Life has its...
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An early encouragement

Given the horror in Israel, I couldn’t wait until Thursday evening to share some thoughts and feelings. I hope they are helpful.   I, like many of you, awoke Shabbat morning to the terrifying headlines of war in Israel. It was an unprecedented surprise attack by Hamas and...
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What time is it?

  This past Sunday I had the opportunity through a ukulele group I’m in to provide music at an Episcopal church. Our group led several songs (“This Little Light of Mine”, Amazing Grace”, and “Simple Gifts”), the rest of the music from the traditional hymn book. It was a...
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These Days of Awe – Part 2

  Last week I shared our experiences at Ruach Israel of first day Rosh Hashanah services as a springboard to recognizing the uncountable ways God is in our lives. As if to punctuate the point, our Yom Kippur services were a truly larger than life example of that reality, not...
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These Days of Awe

  Hard to believe we can noodle on Spotify song selections for three weeks straight, but . . .   How is it that the recent selections under the search on Spotify for Messianic Jewish music now include Paul Wilbur songs as well as those of Israeli mainstream musical...
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These Holy Days

  One of the pitfalls of travel is the difficulty in maintaining my regular jog time, i.e. my special time with God. Our home in Maine is conducive to these times offering multiple picturesque options to immerse in His grandeur. This past week has been exceptionally a...
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Which way do I run?

  Today’s jog brought a new view of a neighborhood that I’ve seen hundreds of times, and yet, never “seen”. At one place on the route to my right is a pristine forest. Its beauty is in its silent majesty, vernal ponds, streaming sunlight through shaded overhanging branches,...
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What’s Missing – Part 2

Last week I shared with you our experience in Alaska, so breathtakingly beautiful, and yet also my feeling that something was missing. As I was away from my spiritual routines, so too, I did not feel God’s Presence as I otherwise so often do.   One of my readers reminded me...
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