Shabbat Inspiration with Diane

As many of you know, my mantra is conversation leads to understanding. Even in the most tense of situations, even in thinking about horrific events that have been and are happening, if we imagined the people involved civilly discussing their issues with each other, the results would be different. People with diverse opinions would be able to hear another way to look at the topic at hand and even if remaining of a different perspective would still have a better understanding of the other person’s point of view. At a minimum there would be respectful treatment. A hope would be love and understanding. As you know, I belong to a Bible study group that is very diverse. We have... Read More →

  This past week I lost two members of my extended family to complications from dementia. They had been suffering for several years and their suffering finally ended within days of each other. At the time Sid and I were babysitting our grandchildren as we experienced the both/and of life, the grief of loss alongside the joy of being with those precious grandsons.   I’ve just returned from bringing matzah ball soup to the 92 year old neighbor I described to you last week who is being forced to leave her home to move to Dallas, Texas. Last week when I arrived to visit Sarah, “synchronistically” another neighbor arrived at exactly the same time. Although she was a longtime friend... Read More →

  I recently met a 92 year old woman whose story saddened me deeply as she shared it.   I didn’t know her but met Sarah while on a walk with a friend who wanted to stop to check in on her. As we walked into Sarah’s very small home it was like an Alice Through the Looking Glass experience. The walls were adorned with beautiful paintings, intricate shell art, the furnishings as if at my grandmother’s home, the smile on her face so welcoming. I was transported to another time and place.   Sarah was being forced to move from her home despite having been granted a life estate. Since she was suffering from macular degeneration she chose not to fight and instead had resigned... Read More →

  It’s that time again. Sid and I just arrived in Florida and we will be here until May. I’ve shared with you before how this schedule was never my plan. Yet over the past five years it has come to be, and with it new experiences, new relationships, more trust in HaShem.   It was completely counterintuitive that I could ever be away so long from my family and friends up north and my Ruach community. Perhaps the timing of Covid hitting at this same juncture in my life made the transition easier, for much of life became available remotely for those first several years. Now it remains a blessing that I can continue to work remotely, attend board meetings in this way, as well a... Read More →

  I recently shared with you the scary experiences of worrying about our home in Maine during the long time of below average temperatures while we were with family over the holidays in Massachusetts and Vermont. As we have been preparing for our time in Florida new ideas are being tried of how to protect our home for even a longer time away during these cold winter months.   I really know nothing about this subject and have watched enough YouTube videos on what to do that I now know there’s more to winterizing a house than I could learn in a short tutorial. Although I would have called a neighbor or professional for help, Sid decided he could handle it and he did not ask for... Read More →

  I am such a work in progress. Aren’t we all?   I shared with you the Thanksgiving drama this year of having been without my cell phone for the entire five day trip to Nashville and how I grew closer to God through that experience. I guess the holidays are His teaching tool for me as of late so here we go again . . .   Ever since my now 47 year old son was born our extended families have gone to my brother’s house to be together over the Christmas vacation days since schools are out and many businesses closed. We would go to his home first in Florida, then Massachusetts, now in Vermont. Over the years children have grown and married, grandchildren have arrived so it’s... Read More →

  At this time of year when surrounded by festive lights and reminders of Christmas, we often hear the expression, “’Tis the season!” Although used in the 19th century previous to the well known Christmas carol “Deck the Halls”, that song popularized the expression which has come down through the ages to us today. Over the years its use has expanded beyond the Christmas season reference and has become part of our vernacular. Watch out, ‘tis the season for ticks, for colds. . . .   By far the most common usage, however, does relate to this time between Thanksgiving and Christmas. ‘Tis the season to celebrate these festive holidays that approach with all the trappings we enjoy.... Read More →

  It really is a wonderful time of year. Of course it’s busy, but it’s really a good busy in the sense of our having plenty to eat, warm homes, loving people in our lives, often too many to be with at one time. What nice problems to have in today’s world of woes, and that is also true. We live in the both/and.   Hanukkah brings forth memories of miracles, light in the darkness, and latkes! We are so grateful for this time of year to be able to celebrate these ancient days that are still so impactful today. This year, in particular, seems to present an especially important season to reflect more deeply on the origins of this holiday when we light our Hanukkiah candles bringing... Read More →

  We’re in the thick of it – the holiday season. Chanukah is just around the corner. Extra travel. Performances to do and attend. Visitors. Extra cooking and cleaning, not to mention the holiday shopping. Oh, and life as usual, work, school, stress. It’s inevitable every year yet this year the December holidays snuck up faster with that last November weekend being Thanksgiving. All of a sudden, “Voila!” – December is here!   A couple mornings ago Sid was unaware of something I had told him that he had either forgotten or not heard and his forgetfulness really rubbed me the wrong way. No biggie. Just life. I told him the information (again). He probably didn’t even notice I... Read More →

  Recently I shared with you the difficulty to communicate I experienced while on a cruise as a result of the unreliable Wi-Fi service. I was away for a full two weeks and during that time was reminded of the importance of prioritizing my intention to keep my relationship with our Creator front and center.   Last week Sid and I were enroute to Nashville for Thanksgiving. As Sid dropped me off at the terminal for the Logan Express bus to the airport so he could park the car, our fur baby Sofie on her leash pulled me from my seat! This jerking caused me to twist sharply to the right and speedily come out of the car. (This information becomes relevant later in the story).  ... Read More →

  Last Shabbat Rabbi Nathan shared a sermon about an organization that I had not heard of, Voice of the Martyrs (VOM), its mission to help persecuted Christians. As Rabbi Nathan elaborated on the history of the founders I was fascinated, not only by the story, but also with the maturity of our Messianic Judaism that Rabbi Nathan was inspired to give a sermon about a Christian organization about Jews who converted without getting “hung up” on words – Christian or Jewish.   How fascinating that the founder Richard Wurmbrand and his wife Sabina were Romanian Jews who lived during the years of turmoil not only during German occupation and the Holocaust, but also, during Russian... Read More →

  This Shabbat encouragement is one I’ve sent previously but the glorious fall foliage each year always lends itself to new insights. This year when we returned from our trip at the end of October, I was amazed that so many brilliant leaves were still on the trees! Normally by the first week of November, if not sooner, the winds and rain would have succeeded in casting most of the leaves to the ground. Instead, rather than seeing brown leaves on the ground, on every jog, walk, and drive I was overwhelmed by a spectacular divine work of art. Perhaps this has been yet another gift, another blessing, we have been given to help keep up our spirits during these exceptionally challenging... Read More →

  I awoke with the word “testimony” in my head . . .   As a believer in Yeshua, this word brings to mind our sharing our personal stories of how we each came to believe in Yeshua as our promised Messiah. For some God-known reason, this past week has brought an unusual number of opportunities for me to give my testimony to “random” people in so many different contexts that it has prompted me to share these thoughts with you.   Where do I begin . . .   Relatable to those of you who may still be on the journey to know Him, as a mainstream Jew before He revealed His Truth to me, I never really could wrap my brain around the word “testimony” when believers in Yeshua would... Read More →

  Sid and I recently returned from a cruise which included visits to some amazing places – Ephesus where we walked through Mary’s house and on the actual streets where Paul preached, not to mention the Great Synagogue of Rome and the Barcelona Jewish Ghetto. The days were full, enjoyable, educational, uplifting, relaxing . . .   Yet as the cruise neared its end, thoughts of the many connections in my life that are land-ho began to enter my consciousness. My neck and shoulders began to feel strained. My sleep was disturbed, my thoughts troubling about all that would be waiting undone on my to-do list upon my return. Sid has recently teased me that my life’s... Read More →

The release of the hostages. This has been such a part of our lives for the last two years that there is no need to identify which ones or from where for our hearts spring with joy at the mere mention of the words. Last week I read an amazing story about a discovery in Toronto. Over a century ago in the late 1880s the city of Toronto was being urbanized. To do so more than 25 feet of dirt and gravel had ended up on top of vast areas of peat bogs and wetlands. In the 1920s the Don River located there was “re-engineered” by construction of a concrete channel which decades later resulted in costly flooding of the surrounding area. Solutions for the overdevelopment were sought.... Read More →

  What a morning. . .   These truly have been Days of Awe, the time between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. I actually wrote the rest of this Shabbat Encouragement last Friday morning and I can only say each day since has been bursting with the manifestation of His Presence. _______   Today started with me wanting to share Erika Kirk’s eulogy with my cousin who the day before had shared some troubling comments with me about her understanding of Charlie Kirk. I am not going to get into any of that here for that is not relevant nor productive to the point of this writing.   I suggested she listen to Ms. Kirk’s comments with no preconceptions, without judgment from... Read More →

  Being a fair-skinned blonde of the Coppertone ads era I now see my dermatologist regularly. Several years ago while waiting at one of my checkups, I had been on the phone with a Ruach member discussing her son’s upcoming bar mitzvah. Overhearing my call as I was finishing when the doctor arrived, just to make conversation, he asked me about Ruach Israel, and so his journey to find Yeshua began. . .   At that time we ended up in a lengthy conversation about Messianic Judaism, his first encounter with the concept of our understanding of Yeshua as the Messiah of the Jewish people and of the world.  He was intrigued by the concepts of Yeshua’s Jewishness and the ability to not... Read More →

  When I went to sleep last evening my ankle was so painful from an injury that day that I had been unable to walk on it at all. Based on the injury I was anticipating several days, if not longer, of recovery time. I took two Ibuprofen and went to bed.   This morning brought a conversation that inspired this writing. I was looking forward to my morning jog to work on it with God as is my routine. As I sprang out of bed excitedly and prepared for the run, I remembered the injury. No pain! My ankle was completely healed! Having just finished my jog as I write this, inspired, I can only say the thoughts keep flooding.   I hope you will soften your hearts to accept the... Read More →

  This writing is not about Charlie Kirk’s viewpoints. No matter where you stand on those, I hope you can hear the deeper promptings.   I seem to be the only person who didn’t know who Charlie Kirk was. Actually it’s quite embarrassing. I’m educated, well read, and keep current with the news. I even go out of my way to follow news coverage from multiple sources different than my views so that I am aware of the hearts of my fellow life journeyers. Yet I was unaware of Charlie Kirk until yesterday.   A very public, cold blooded, pre-meditated murder of a high profile person. . . The loss of one of God’s creations, a husband, a father. . . What a worrisome state of our... Read More →

  It all started with Tom Jones. . .   I’ve already confessed to you my love of Tom Jones’ voice, from my teen years through now too.  So yesterday as I was listening to him on Spotify, his version of “Danny Boy” came up. His voice on that song is amazingly beautiful and it is my brother’s favorite song. Although “Danny Boy” is an odd choice for Tom to be singing, though Danny could be a son I suppose, and Tom takes major liberties with unusual riffs, I sent it to my brother. I was so thrilled when my brother’s reaction was as blown away by the beautiful rendition as I was.   That experience got me to share Tom’s version with Sid on a speaker device. It’s one where you... Read More →

Who would think that when I wrote this Shabbat encouragement on Tuesday morning that the “Oh God” title would have such a different meaning then than it does this morning, the day after the Mass/mass shooting in Minneapolis. On Tuesday morning the words welcomed His peace as I was settling in to give prayers of thankfulness and praise. Now, just a couple days later, they are a plea for His help. Such is the nature of prayer and of our dynamic relationship with our Creator.   The tragic, yet real world ironic timing of the writings is not to be ignored. News of the shootings sent me reeling, knocked from that place of peace. All the more reason to send the intended encouragement, to... Read More →

  Sid and I are so blessed to be able to live at my sister’s house when we come down from our home in Maine to be with family here and with our Ruach family. Our GPS when we say “Home” always has to ask which one since we are at home as much here as at our own home in Maine. As I looked out the window this morning at the deck at  my sister’s house, the scene revealed so many truths by which we live our lives, or by which we aspire when making life’s choices.   The deck itself, like ours in Maine, is always a challenge. Sid paints ours in the fall and inevitably by the next spring the wear begins to show. It looks so great that first season until the hardship of winter weather... Read More →

  Parenting . . . What a journey. . .   Even if you haven’t had children, we all have experienced the relationship, either as a child, as a parent, or as in loco parentis – those times when we need to act as if we are the parents. Sometimes we are counselors, teachers, mentors, aunts, uncles, grandparents. The list is endless of possible nurturing relationships, not to mention those times we are really blessed to be “parenting” our four legged fur babies. Well that’s for another time. . .   It’s hard to believe Sid and I were still at camp just last week. It seems like a lifetime since then. With all the travel and company this week, today has really been the first chance... Read More →

  Having just returned from Camp Or L’Dor and now expecting house guests at our home in Maine for the next ten days, I have been a bit preoccupied. So I decided to look at my collection of writings and share again the reflection below, as timely now as it was then over a decade ago.   Perhaps at this time I would add that the truth of God’s nearness is also as comforting now as it was back then. No matter what is happening far or near, the comfort we feel when we allow ourselves to take a deep breath and sink into the shalom that comes from feeling our Abba’s embrace is indescribable. It is life affirming.   How is it that we can conceptualize holy wings and a holy... Read More →

  In our lives we experience seasons of trial and sorrow, challenges seemingly beyond endurance. This is a reality that all of us, all of mankind, know is true. Yet we often lose our perspective and think that we have it worse than everybody else. During these times, if we are fortunate to be reminded, we are bolstered by community, and most importantly by our faith. We are not in this alone in the flesh nor in the spirit.   Camp Or L’Dor this year so far is the best that I can remember. It is the result of many factors, including fantastic infrastructure led by Rabbi Nathan and Cheryl, with Doxia, Tammie, Mary, Raina, and new volunteer Autumn tirelessly making it all work,... Read More →