So often we hear that Hanukkah is Judaism’s answer to Christmas, but is that true? What came first – Christmas or Hanukkah? That one is easy – Hanukkah. Oh, not what we see the holiday has morphed into but then again, Christmas itself has done it’s own morphing. For instance, the day we celebrate the birth of […]
Archive | November, 2015
Today Is Preparation Day
As a kid growing up in Queens, NY, I remember Saturday being the ‘cleaning day’. It was the day the house got cleaned from top to bottom. My father once shared with me that when he was a kid, not only was Saturday cleaning day, but it was also the day the whole family took […]
Time Keeps Slipping Into the Future
Most mornings I wake up with a song of praise in my mind, or a verse, or a subject to write about. At least it’s been that way for the last 16 years. Though there was a period of time with my job that all I thought about 24/7 was work and how to solve […]
Of Course! It Makes Sense!
Since my return from Israel, I’ve been doing a lot of thinking. I am very blessed to have not one, but two jobs. The funds give me the freedom to host gatherings for family and friends, and to give when the Lord presents a need or organization. I am by no means wealthy, but I […]
Who Do We Believe – God or Esau?
Last year at this time, I had a lot to say about Esau. Well, the Torah readings have come around again to the story of Jacob and Esau, and it seems God is not finished teaching me things. But isn’t that his way? Every time we pick up his word, we see more, we receive […]
Looking for Liturgy
I’ve been thinking a lot about liturgy lately. Ever since my trip to Israel, my thoughts keep turning toward liturgy. Could it be the bible is right? Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it. – Proverb 22:6 I was raised a […]
Train Up a Dog in the Way He Should Go
There is a new member of my household. His name is Sherman. I say ‘household’ and not family because this new member belonged to my oldest son and his family. Sherman has issues. Overall he is a good dog, but suffers from separation anxiety. No matter what my son and daughter-in-law tried to do to, […]
It Only Takes One
We’ve all heard the saying, ‘One bad apple can spoil the whole bunch.’ This is usually how we define the power of one. So much bad can come from just one person. Look at Adolf Hitler – one man with an extreme prejudice nearly succeeded in wiping out an entire race of people. And it’s not […]
How Can We Neglect the Presence of God?”
Last Friday, Moran Rosenblit from Hope for Israel spoke at our temple. He had a powerful word for us in the United States. He said it was time we wake up, that we have lost our passion for God. We forget that it is all about God and not about us. We must die to […]
What Do We Want to Teach Our Children?
This morning I woke troubled. Last night I fell asleep on the couch reading “Who is Israel’s Redeemer?” published by Hope for Israel. It wasn’t the book that disturbed me. In fact, the book was a light for me on what I felt was a dark night – a night I had to turn my […]