Shabbat Inspiration with Diane

  We recently noodled the idea of how to serve others and in so doing serve our Creator. We looked at the inspiring lives of Jimmy Carter and Christopher Reeve and saw how their triumphs and hardships served others without intention by either of these men at the time. We so often think we know what we are to do, not just regarding service but just generally, only to find out that was not His plan for us at all.   Very personally, I had given up this chapter of “service” of writing Shabbat encouragements as I became overwhelmed by the technological barriers for my continuing to do so. For over a decade, somehow, without intent, they just happened to come to mind regularly and I... Read More →

  In reading about the very full life of President Jimmy Carter who died this week at the age of 100 I was reminded of an important irony. We so often in our desire to serve presume we know how to do so. The beautiful enigma of our relationship with God is living the mystery of His plan for us instead of ours.   A man of deep faith, one of President Carter’s major motivations to run for president was to bring morality and ethics to the office of presidency following the scandal of Watergate. Interestingly, rather than being known for success in this area President Carter’s term in office was rife with major international and domestic issues. These situations drew national and... Read More →

  How many times have we done something and wished we had another chance to try it again? Or if presented with the same set of facts or opportunity, we wish we would have made a different decision, or taken a different path than the one we first chose?   Looking back at my decades of living I’m grateful for the life I have. Yet sometimes I wonder what it would have looked like if at the various junctures, the choices, great and small, each of which impacts the future, I had made different decisions of which way to go, how to respond. Undoubtedly there would have been small consequences, but also, large, even having had different children if I had chosen a different spouse.... Read More →

  As my fifth grandchild is hours old 😊 I once again am reflecting with wonder the arrival of another precious life.   Babies are a gift from God. There is no doubt. However, what HaShem is teaching us through those little bundles of joy is much more than just that simple truth.   New babies are adorable, at least to their parents and close family even if they’re a little scrunchy at first. Adorable or not, being objective about their behavior, it’s quite self centered. Typically they are non-stop milk drinking machines who live to have their every need served by their sleep deprived parents. When service is not fast enough, the request is often conveyed by... Read More →

  So many insights seem to occur in the shower for many of us. Today was no exception.   As I immersed in the flowing water from above I was reminded of our ability to be reborn each morning, anew, a fresh start to try again to be more in His likeness. As I had this thought, His teachings, and admonitions, flowed as did the water.   Just the night before I had suffered from a very painful medical situation which was totally the result of choices I had made that I know aggravate my condition. I was reminded of the result of overeating and resolved to try harder to eat small meals despite how delicious is my sister-in-law’s cooking! What a powerful reminder to be a better... Read More →

to feel stressed! Yes, it’s unavoidable. No matter how much we pray, study Scripture, talk with God, we are only human, and in those alone times when we think about all that there is to do, we can feel overwhelmed. I awoke this morning  after having spent just one day in our home in Maine. We’ve been away for over ten days celebrating Thanksgiving with family in MA but came back home for a medical appointment. Today we are packing again for VT to perform in a community play there (three performances at that!). I know. Why do I do these things? The answer is simple. I totally enjoy life and all the  possibilities. Sid teases me that my motto should be, “Why live one... Read More →

  Last week we wrestled with the reality of our living in a predominantly secular world. We took note of the blessing of being part of a faith filled community and cherished even more deeply our relationship with God through the intimacy, the closeness of Yeshua in our lives.   At the same time we are so aware of the hard times in which we live. We are blessed to experience His Truth, and yet unless we choose to hide from the news, we emotionally grapple with tragic headlines, lives lost, suffering. I am so encouraged by the truce in Israel’s north, yet saddened by the lives lost in the south. I am heartened by the survivors of devastating illnesses yet heartbroken at those... Read More →

  In these days it’s not easy having conversations with others for a variety of reasons. Of course we avoid politics, sometimes even with those who are like minded on other topics, since we can feel frustrated. Such is the lot of a divided society where we can feel powerless. This is so unless we deliberately strive to remind ourselves that there still is so much hope and good in this world. Yet sometimes we’re just tired and want to have a relaxing conversation, easier to do with those in our spiritual and political bubbles, but often difficult with those we don’t know as well or even with loved ones.   Recently I was having what I thought would be a relaxing conversation... Read More →

  It is undeniable that these are difficult times, micro and macro. I can’t say they’re the worst since our individual lives have their highs and lows, and the cycles of history since the beginning have surely demonstrated this concept to be true. I can say in my not short life these days are up there in challenges on many levels, personally and globally.   This morning as I watched the new birdfeeder outside my window, I was reminded of some basic truths.   Earlier this week the birdfeeder was rather elaborate. It had two hanging individual feeders along with an area for water. Quite the riches for these stunning winged creatures. That configuration lasted one day as... Read More →

  In June I shared with you my journey regarding participating in Our Daily Bread’s docuseries “Unshakable Moxie: Women of Resilient Faith”. It was quite the transformation from my complete trepidation when asked almost a year ago, my absolute hesitancy and desire not to do so, to accepting the role. Not only did I feel intimidated, but I also am not an extrovert. Quite the opposite. So the idea of being in a show focused on my story as one of the thirty minute segments was not only beyond my comfort zone, it was terrifying.   I prayed a lot about this. “God, I know I am here to serve. I can see how my being willing to speak to a viewing audience of primarily young Christian... Read More →

  Sid and I recently saw the movie “Saturday Night” which is the portrayal as if in real time of the one hour and forty-nine minutes leading up to the first broadcast of “Saturday Night Live” on October 11, 1975. I am not recommending it since it well deserves its R rating. Having said that, however, learning the backstory to this event inspired this Shabbat encouragement.   Personally I did not watch “Saturday Night Live” during the ‘70s, or much during the ‘80s and ‘90s when I was raising my children. In the more recent decades I have enjoyed some of the comedy which by comparison to what apparently went down in the  early years is quite tame. I did not realize what a... Read More →

  I can’t believe it’s true but I must have started the Daily Dvar program through Ruach two years ago and have completed reading the Bible! The reason I think so is that when I began this past Sunday’s passages the readings were back on Genesis 1, Psalm 1, and Matthew 1. It really felt like I had been daily reading or listening for only one year, for time passes so swiftly. Whatever the time frame, I felt so enriched to have experienced the Bible through this program. Wow!   It’s not that I did so perfectly. When I would miss a day, I would catch up the next day by reading two days’ passages. Yet I did keep Daily Dvar as a discipline in my life that has been so-o-o-o-o-o... Read More →

  These High Holy Days have been transformative. There are so many moments that have contributed to the mountaintop experience that it would take a whole Shabbat encouragement to acknowledge all of them. The services have truly felt anointed.   Now, as we enter these days of Sukkot, especially as Messianic Jews, we can feel the richness, the fullness, the light of Yeshua powerfully as we reflect on this holiday. The flimsy sukkah contrasts with the awe of feeling the permanence and presence of our Abba, the safety of His arms, even in such a temporary structure.   At one level, Sukkot and the building of the sukkah occur at this time of year to follow the agrarian rhythm,... Read More →

  We are in the most holy days of the year, once again. As predictable as the sunrise and sunset, we are given an even deeper ability than daily to once a year focus on what we can do to live better the blessed lives we’ve been given.   When we think of “teshuvah” we think about repentance, or more accurately, returning to God by coming back to our better selves, addressing our failings and mistakes, trying harder to live honest and spiritually centered lives. As part of that quest for spiritual wholeness, I also associate forgiveness of ourselves and others.   I cannot explain why on this particular Sunday morning I was led to dig deeply into a situation spanning and... Read More →

  One of my routine jogs when not at the beach is around the cul-de-sac near our home. It’s a .5 mile loop that is downhill as you start on the top on one side and climb uphill on the return on the other side with ocean views. What’s not to like?   Recently when doing the loop with a friend when we were at the top for the second time and began down the hill she said , “That’s one.” I was puzzled since for me I had counted two. When we discussed it she said she counts each loop once we’ve finished it. I, on the other hand, count each loop as I’m about to start it.   No big deal, right? Yet our perspectives say quite a bit about our world views.   For me, as I would... Read More →

  Who would ever think dealing with kidney stones for the last two months with pain and surgeries could possible have anything good about it? I mean I’ve been thanking God and being grateful for so many other things, but frankly, not for the kidney stones, themselves.  Yes, I’ve had my times of being overwhelmed and finding it hard to be positive, but generally, I’ve worked even harder at those times to remind myself that God has my back, and my kidneys too!   This week I was supposed to travel to Wisconsin for a three day meeting of my major client. It’s a big deal and should not be missed. As it turned out, however, due to some complications from last week’s surgery, I was... Read More →

Perhaps the truest test of my transparency in these writings is admitting that I’ve been a fan of the singer Tom Jones since I was a teenager. I can no longer defend that I like him because my mom did. I like him. Despite the image of him that was created when he was young in the 1960s, even today at age 84 his voice is still astounding.   I recently saw him live in concert and was once again amazed at his unique and powerful voice as well as the wide range of songs he sang, very few from the “sexier” days of his youth, and these days even those not sung while dancing. Although the arena was filled with thousands and the reception by the all-aged audience was over... Read More →

Our sense of well being comes from being able to feel loved. Ideally such a reality starts when we are babies and continues throughout our lives. Most babies start out being loved unconditionally since they’re so darn cute! (Chava Leah, case in point!) Actually, as babies we are born very self centered and as children need to be taught how to take into account the needs of others. The emotionally most healthy adults are those who have been blessed with loving parents who through their sacrificial nurturing have been models for their child of how to love others. When raised feeling loved, we are better able not only to learn how to meaningfully love others, but also, how to love... Read More →

  Last week we noodled about times of challenge in our lives. What are we to learn from them? Why do they happen? Why does God allow these times? Are those even the right questions?   No need to look back on last week’s writing. None of those questions were fully answered for they remain still challenging. The joys and the sorrows, and everything in between, deepen our relationship with our Creator as He through each season leads us to work on our souls.   The word that kept popping in my head this week was “suffering”. It’s not that I’m in that place, yet the healing process from last week’s surgery has not been easy. With less ability for the physical activities and... Read More →

  How do we know when we’re just going through a run of bad luck or we’re feeling it’s something more – those words I don’t like to use but I will – spiritual warfare. We really can’t know for sure, but when negative things seem to be happening all at once or in a short time frame, my antennae go up.   Preface all of that to say God always has our backs. Frankly, when I feel “under attack”, it typically emboldens me to talk back to the evil one, call him a bully, tell him I’m not afraid. Fear and confusion are his tactics and he’s no match for our Protector, our Abba, our Yeshua, the one and only. I up my prayer time and reach out to others for prayer support. I put on my... Read More →

  Last week we pondered the less obvious ways the process of healing may take place. We saw extreme examples of loving one’s enemy in the story of the Lubetzkys and the superintendent, and Cantor Weisser and the klansman. We were moved by the super whose only reason for saving this Jewish family during the Holocaust was that he had been treated kindly by them despite his mistreatment of them. We learned of a klansman who was so moved by a cantor’s kindness despite being mistreated that the klansman overcame his prejudice.  I also shared my own experience about a wounding I didn’t even know needed healing.   In all of those stories another dimension we didn’t consider was the... Read More →

  I recently heard an interview with Daniel Lubetzky the founder of the Kind Foundation and many successful ventures including Kind LLC featuring the well known Kind bars. Knowing the story behind this man’s worldview gave me much to ponder about the importance of loving our enemies. Clearly, following this directive fueled by God’s unconditional love of us is what enables us to rise above our typically limited human capacity to do so.   Daniel’s father Roman was a child in Kovno, Lithuania during the Holocaust. He lived in a place with multiple Jewish families. The superintendent of the building where they lived knew the family was Jewish and therefore was extremely unkind to... Read More →

  Camp Or L’Dor ended on Sunday and in my opinion was the best year yet. The stunning location and welcoming hosts created an inviting place for campers and counselors to feel our Abba’s loving embrace. So many moments of vulnerability, sharing from the heart, healing, acts of love and sacrifice, clear reliance on God, growth in faith, affirmation of the reality of His Presence.   One of the beauties of the camp leadership team, which it seems HaShem must have hand picked, is our diversity of demeanor and skillsets. In the early years the team was just the four of us, Rabbi Nathan, Raina, Sid, and me with a couple counselors. What an incredible blessing that over these 16... Read More →

  Last week we noodled generational wisdom, the importance of leaning on God to inform our actions in raising children and mentoring others. We emphasized that to feel loved, safe, and hopeful, the source is our Abba ministering to each of His children through the Holy Spirit, and the awareness of Yeshua walking with us every step of the way.   As some of you know we are in the second week of Camp Or L’Dor, a Messianic Jewish teen camp founded by Rabbi Nathan and Sid sixteen years ago. Its original vision had three parts-  daily services and teachings to deepen Messianic Jewish teens’ experience and knowledge of their faith, an off site challenging outdoor adventure to fortify... Read More →

  In Maine we don’t have cable TV so our TV watching is very limited (fine with us!) Last evening we were trying to catch the news but due to storm interference, that wasn’t an option.  I was packing for a trip (what else is new?) so was looking for a random distraction which turned out to be a rerun of “Last Man Standing” on the only channel available. I actually had never seen this sitcom before but the subject matter caught my attention.   Tim Allen plays the grandfather in the show and in this episode he has succeeded in getting his grandson to leave a safe room in the house which apparently was a place to take shelter in case of an emergency.  A conversation unfolds... Read More →