Ruminations from the Temple

Disease destroys. Hope fades. Hearts break. Decisions made. Consequences await. Wisdom sought. Too late. Love withheld. Motives questioned. Trust vanishes. Years wasted. Health ignored. Mortality faced. Suffering endured. Plans slid. Time passed. Years age. Dreams dead. Oneself exalted. Opportunities missed. Others hurt. Left Alone. Sometimes when I write hard or sad things on this blog, I get dear friends both near and far writing me personally worried about my state of mind. In reality, this blog is therapy for me; a way to get out the nagging, persistent thoughts and feelings that have no where else to go. There are times when talking about them is just not enough, though I have been blessed beyond measure with those that are willing to just let me 'dump'. They say that art is fueled, inspired by suffering, hurt. The best art is born in this place of intense pain, reaching out to the known and stranger alike, touching their heart in a place they buried lon...

If you are believer in the Creator of the Universe, the Master of All, He has something to say to you, Fear not. I encounter fear everyday - it's all around us. Just the mention of the word makes a warning bell ring in my head. The LORD does not wish us to be fearful, but faithful. Faithful in His provision, guidance and mercy. He is a mighty warrior against our enemies when we cry out to Him and trust. Walking in faith though difficult times strengthens the very faith that causes us to say, "the LORD is with me, I will not fear." Below are just a few verses from throughout the Bible that speak about being afraid. Not the fear of G-d, but of the terrifying fear of hunger, pain, torture and death. Only He can deliver us from that kind of horrifying, blood-chilling fear that grips us all at one time or another. Read these words and let them wash over you like soft rain, for this is our G-d, our Protector in times of trouble. After these things, the word of ...

Just a few not-so-gentle suggestions to those who make life a little difficult, uncomfortable and uneasy for others. If you recognize yourself here, please take heed. It will make your life so much more pleasant, as well as for those around you. Trust me on this one. Do you tend to take your moodiness out on others? Stop it. Right now. It is rude and inconsiderate to spread your selfishness throughout your home, your workplace or to other drivers. Really, you don't have that right. And stop making others 'walk on egg shells' around you for fear of your temper or moody behavior. It is not fair and not funny...it's just plain rude. Do you think you know best in every situation? I have news for you - you don't. Take a minute to listen to others and honestly take what they are saying under consideration. Unless you are the Almighty, there is still something you can learn, even from the opposite sex or someone older/younger than you. Are you purposely...

OK, so I've been under a bit of stress lately. I'm not saying it's not my own doing, but I can readily admit to feeling the affect (or is it effect?) of it. And when enduring the pressure, it just wears me down, making my tolerance diminish - which is such a bummer. Allow me a vent, would you? Got my taxes done today. Not a fun endeavor, and it is not like we owe or anything. But, next year? Watch out anyone who is middle class . My tax preparer was warning me that we are gonna be heavily taxed next year, without a doubt. I guess that remains to be seen, but what really 'chaps my hide' is how I can't even hint a complaint about the current administration even the slightest bit without somebody who is supportive of the president getting a little miffed. Geez, didn't we conservatives endure Bush-bashing for eight years already? No one said 'boo' to them, in my recollection. So, I'm complaining. I think our current president is a joke...

The Pike Place Market and Seattle Waterfront are just lovely on a sunny winter-almost-spring-time afternoon...

Haven't posted for a week - I think that's a new record! I have been very busy, not only with getting ready for company and taking Rose to appointments, but with my newest task. Choreography has not really ever been my thing, but I was asked to assist with a local production incorporating more of a 'Jewish' feel into their dances. Hmmmm ....what an undertaking for me! Choreography seems to have always been an issue for me. I have great ideas, but somehow piecing them together in a cohesive unit seems overwhelming. I really am just a dancer. *sigh* You would think that with dancing Hebrew and Israeli folk dances for the last (almost) eight years, not to mention dancing all my life, it would just flow. Not so. Stretching our limits is a good thing, right? My good friend, Gary, who was gracious enough to teach me all that I know of Hebrew dancing has been helping to get the creative juices flowing by getting the dancing going again on Shabbat afternoons. It is wo...

Jumble is an interesting word. The dictionary says it means all mixed up or jumbled together, cluttered, a confused multitude of things. Well, I think my brain, and life for that matter, resemble that definition currently. In the back of my mind I know that all these things must fit together somehow. But how? The issues of caring for the dying, the penniless and the unloved are forever pressing. It is interesting how some issues seem so consuming to me, while to others these things are just another item on the morning prayer list. Perhaps I just give these things too much of my energy. There are bigger, more abstract thoughts that are mixed in with the challenging tasks at hand - questions that will not go away. Questions that are so huge in my mind that I can hardly put words to them, such as men v. woman...what does G-d really think of women, are they really second-class citizens? Are we required to mold ourselves to the model of the first century? Were the words of the...