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  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... Read More →

  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... Read More →

  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,... Read More →

  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... Read More →

  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.... Read More →

  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... Read More →

  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... Read More →

  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... Read More →

  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... Read More →

  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... Read More →

  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,... Read More →

  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... Read More →

  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... Read More →

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... Read More →

  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... Read More →

  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... Read More →

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... Read More →

  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... Read More →

  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... Read More →

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... Read More →

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... Read More →

  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... Read More →

  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... Read More →

  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... Read More →

  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... Read More →

  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,... Read More →

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... Read More →

  As most of you who know me know, I love to live life fully. Sid teases me that my motto is “Why live one life when you can live two?” Actually it often feels like many more than that, and it is by choice. I am blessed to be part of so many worthy initiatives and... Read More →

  As many of you know, Sid and I live in Maine. Our home is situated on a cove at the bottom of Casco Bay so we have a lovely view of water, both the ocean and the river that empties into the ocean at their juncture near our home. Since our area is completely rural, a small... Read More →

  This week I had the opportunity to see the movie “Barbie”. I actually have a special attachment to the Barbie doll since I was just the right age to play with dolls when the original Barbie was introduced in 1959. I still have my original Barbie from that year, complete... Read More →