Ruminations from the Temple

happily RESISTing! I am ashamed to say that I am responsible, at least in part, for the mess our country is now in. Yes, it is true that I am not in politics, nor do I have a weighty voice of authority. But I still have to take some of the responsibility for where we find ourselves. I am sure we could, without reservation, call the present political situation a dumpster fire. My family was and is blue - forever blue. And so was I until I entered religious life. As a Christian, and then as a Messianic Jew, I was compelled to vote red. Why, you ask? Because Family Values . Because conservatism . Because all my friends did. I am ashamed to say that I voted red usually, but I didn't always vote red, I did vote for Obama's second term...but I didn't tell anyone. Still, those red votes gave place and validity to some of the politicians that are in office presently. I am chagrined to think that I was pushed along with the peer tide of religious conservatism. I have alwa...

A former professor of mine sent out an all-call to alumni asking the question - why study religion? It makes me a little uncomfortable because this is how the demise of the Classics department began, with a simple question. I can hardly think about eliminating Classics as a department (since it was a favorite subject matter and a minor of mine), but I truly cannot even fathom Pacific Lutheran University not having a Religion department. Unthinkable . So, why study religion? I am in a graduate program in Mindfulness Studies. While it is understood as a secular endeavor, there is no way to untangle the practice of mindfulness from its Buddhist roots and wisdom. I wasn’t aware of it, but I was continuing my undergraduate studies in religion with my choice of post-graduate study. But this time instead of the ancient religions of Sumer, Egypt, the Levant, and Europe, I am studying the religions of the ancient Far East. Religion has shaped my life, both personally and academically....

So, here we are at the end of another year - I can hardly believe it! I left my beloved religious community and said goodbye to my mother in 2010, and then left my relationship of 20 years in 2012. I entered university in 2013 and now am getting ready to graduate with honors this coming spring. And, best of all - I am privileged to live life with two of the sweetest, most loving souls alive. Who could ask for more? I am grateful to come to this time healthy and the most happy I have ever been. I am grateful for my children, and their continued health and happiness. I am grateful for a beautiful and peaceful home on the coast. I am grateful for things to learn and for those who are willing to share their knowledge. I am grateful for an innate curiosity and motivation to learn. I am grateful for the wisdom that is available. I am grateful for good food to eat, and the joy that comes from preparation and sharing. I am grateful for life's necessities - power, heat, running w...

"Thought and intellect are good servants - great tools, but poor masters...Our restless imaginings, obsessions, and incessant anxieties, uncertainties, and worries run amok, leaving us not a moment's peace." ~ Lama Surya Das I laid in the bed this morning two whole hours later than I have been for the last 14 weeks of my life. For me, taking an intensive Latin course, or any language for that matter, required me to rise early to take advantage of the quiet - a quiet world and a sleepily-quiet and somewhat refreshed mind. It took all that I had to survive my second intensive ancient language course. I indulged my mind mulling it all over, again. It was so awful...14 weeks is just too damn short to memorize such volume. It is just plain ole difficult for an older mind to retain so many disparate charts and conjugations (although, the younger minds struggled, as well!). It is beyond uncomfortable to be called out every day to perform publicly to the excessively high exp...

J-Term finished for junior year - check. And, what did I learn from 4 weeks of immersion-style study of the Tudor period of England's history? Well, that Henry VII is by far my favorite monarch of that period, and that Elizabeth I had many similarities to her great-grandfather. I actually enjoyed learning about England in that most pivotal time that bridges the medieval ages and the early modern period leading into the industrial age. Fascinating. Oh, and reading Hamlet (again) wasn't too shabby, either. So now I am on break - a week to relax at the beach house - prior to crankin' it up again for spring term. Unfortunately, I have never fully figured out how to do that relax-thing. I guess what I need most is solitude and a time to reflect on what I have learned and try to sort out what I see happening around me. And good music. I always need good music. This year I have learned that there are natural hazards that are eventually gonna happen, like earthquakes, ts...

My first semester at university was pretty intense. I have heard from many experts that the first year is the hardest for any number of reasons, but I think it was intense for me due to the nature of the classes I took. Heavy gender study focusing on violence probably wasn’t the way to start, eh? My last final was on the 18 th , and we, my roomies and I, have been trying to cram a whole lot of down-time into this two-week break. Here’s some of what we did: Saw a couple of movies If you haven’t seen Saving Mr. Banks , then stop reading this immediately and go see it. Yes, I mean it. It is that good! I am a non-stop Tom Hanks fan, and again, he does not disappoint. What a film! We also had the pleasure of enjoying Frozen with two of my favoritest people in the whole world, Laura and Patty. I was expecting to come out of the movie with a rippin’ feminist critique of the newest animation from Disney, but no dice. Except for a couple of minor feminist glitches, it was great. Gonna catc...

I have started this blog post about a million times. In fact, I have started many, many posts in my head only to have them vanish into thin air before I have the quiet space to get them written down. Yes, that means that my life is completely and amazingly different (read: chaotic) in so many ways. One of those ways impacts all the rest. As I sit in the library of Pacific Lutheran University, I marvel at the incredible turn of events. Yes, I was admitted. Yes, the funding came through. But even with those facts on the table, I still never believed I would be sitting waiting for my next class to begin. Anyone who knows me has heard my skepticism in the oft-repeated phrase, "I'll believe it when my buns are in the seat"...well, they are now officially in the seat. Now, if I can just keep them there! This place is absolutely amazing. Y'know, since I started talking about going to PLU, there have been so many that have shared that they also attended. Funny how I didn...

No, I am not taking any classes this summer. Oh yeah, I thought about it...seriously. But, after registering for Pacific Lutheran for the fall, I have decided it is best for me to spend my time and effort at university rather than any more community college courses. Now, don't get me wrong--I don't have anything against community college. Quite the opposite, in fact. I appreciate some of the real teaching gems I have had the privilege to have. My Bible as Lit prof is a good example. Yes, he was an actual professor, with a Ph.D and everything. Dr. Wakefield was wonderful, insightful and fair with his grades. The kind of teacher that inspires students to stretch a bit further to grow and learn. Then there was my Anthro teacher; although not a prof, she was incredible. Would I be able to give engaging, interesting and whiteboard-illustrated lectures every day for the 10 weeks without notes? OK, so she had an outline, but I'm telling you, Ms. Williams had all that stuff ab...

Life is a cocktail of the mundane, important and tragic. This past year has been another turbulent year, but I am grateful for how it has ended. Peace rules my new home, compassion permeates each conversation and laughter rings throughout. Work is performed diligently, right behavior is valued and honesty is absolutely a must. I couldn't be happier. And I am loved unconditionally. Finally. The landscape of relationships in January 2012 were very different than what they are now. Over the months of this last year, heartfelt promises have been broken, hard-won trusts suffered betrayal and closely-guarded selfishness has been held to a higher priority than the difficult task of unconditional love. Required  and long overdue decisions needed to be made and executed, and I pray that all will benefit in the end. For I can say without doubt that I waited upon the LORD and His wise and loving direction. He was (and is) faithful. I thank the LORD for the relationships that have prove...

I am sitting in the campus library, tapping out my thoughts while ensconced in one of the many private kiosks provided. And, yes, I am supposed to be hammering out my math homework; plotting points on a graph to determine linear relationship can wait, however. My first weeks of time at a community college has been quite an immersion in modern culture. Well, the culture of high school, that is. With so many Running Start students running around, I feel like I stepped back onto a high school campus. Don't get me wrong, I don't begrudge high school seniors that want to buckle down and work hard to get not only their high school diploma but an AA degree, as well. The concern for me is the adjustment made by the instructors for the influx of all these younger students...and there are a lot of them. Take for example my English class, which happens to be a 101 class. So, I know it's going to be rather elemental from the get-go - no problem. However, when the instructor tak...

*deep breath* Well, I have said for several months that I wouldn't believe that I was a college student until my, um... posterior was sitting in class. Well, that happened this morning, as I found myself in Math 085. Yeah, I'm not a math whiz, as it were, but I'm certainly not alone. Math, English and Humanities is the first quarter to wind through in my higher education journey. I am finding it fascinating - all of it. The atmosphere of a community college is diverse, casual and borderline scholarly (I think my view of scholarly academia is a little bit more old-school than what I see here!) It seems, at first blush, like grown-up high school. I guess it will be interesting to see how my view changes over time. I am definitely one of the older students. But, I can easily see how that will be to my advantage; with a little life experience under my belt, I not only know simple answers quickly (not to mention the chutzpah to offer them well), but stand out from the majo...

the one and only pic from this year I love Shavuot ...it's my favorite festival in the cycle. Oh sure, I love Hanukkah, and Pesach is great after all the prep is done, but Shavuot is just plain-ole fun for me. All my faves in one holiday; friends, study, yummy food and staying up all night - who doesn't love all that?? This year we studied each other - ha! Actually, we busted out the personality profiles again and dug deeper, getting to know one another better. Then we moved on to discussion about keeping Torah, following HaShem and how important it is to study ancient culture in relation to the Apostolic Scripture (New Testament). Come morning, we read Scripture together, more discussion ensued and man, it was great...until folks passed out! This year it was a double Shabbat, so there was no guilt of being lazy all day after our all-nighter! Wish I would have gotten more pics - like one of Laura coercing everyone to taste Limon-flavored potato chips and Netanya snipi...

What we have learned from others  becomes our own reflection. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson Honestly, I never wanted to go back to school. My public high school experience was dismal despite a meager few academic bright spots. A couple of years out of high school, a friend convinced me that I needed to go to college, so I made a year-long effort in community college managing to glean enough skills to work as an office administrator. After proving to myself that I could pull straight As with a full load my last quarter, I figured I'd had enough and back to the workforce I went, with no degree. I never looked back. Office administrative, secretarial and support positions came and went until I found myself in the ultimate administrative job; wife and mother. I was thrilled that I had enough college credit accrued to qualify for homeschooling my children (according to the State of Washington), but still didn't yearn to step back into a classroom, myself. In fact, I was happy ...

Our celebration of Tu B'Shvat was, in a word, fabulous. Excellent company, lots of great things to eat, wine to toast with and the Scriptures - for me, it doesn't get any better than that! Tu B'Shvat , traditionally known as the birthday of the trees, is a time to think about relating to the natural world. This holiday can be celebrated by planting trees, eating fruits, and having a Tu B'Shvat Seder, a ritual that began with the kabbalistic masters of the 15th century. ~myjewishlearning.com While I don't have kabbalistic leanings, I have always loved this minor feast. Our halachah  (tradition) has always been to remember our beloved and abundant Land of Israel and our LORD who brought us to it so long ago. This year, I changed it up a bit and went for a more traditional presentation of all the elements of the seder. What an impressive spread! As we made our way through the Tu B'Shvat hagadah, similar to Pesach (Passover), we said blessings, tasted what t...

Ice at daybreak... Well, I thought I'd give an update...what an amazing week!  Let's see if I can remember everything, or at least most of it... It started to get dicey weather-wise last Shabbat - snow, snow, snow. Netanya bugged out of homeshul early to avoid the forecasted icy roads. And, yep...they got icy, alright! the snowy view at Beit Henderson Sunday, we were all watching the weather turn uglier and uglier. Monday was our scheduled day to take Rosa to Monroe for a family visit. Monroe is a good hour and fifteen minutes away from us, not factoring in traffic...or the weather. We, (Lisa, Netanya and I) managed to get her up there and dropped off, despite snow coming down, especially in Monroe. On our return trip, we had the pleasure of stopping at that really cool antique store to poke around and take pictures. When we stepped out of the store, the snow had really started to come down. We beat it home. Tuesday morning saw me walking around my yard cap...