For those of us who cannot be there...

A Mommy’s Elul and Tishrei Guide

Just in time for all the very busy mommies out there getting ready for the upcoming Chaggim (holidays) from Imamother.com is A Mommy’s Elul and Tishrei Guide. It is an incredibly thorough guide and preparation list. "It was designed by one of our members (from Imamother.com) to help other mothers prepare for the Yomim Tovim in an organized and timely. Enjoy!!!

Just for Fun

I don't usually go for the "quiz" thingee on blogs etc. but this one piqued my interest so I had to go for it. Strangely enough, I thought it was pretty acurate.

You scored as Earth-Child. You're a very peaceful person who has very strong beliefs. Others see you as spiritual, and you really are. You see magic as a resource to be used wisely. The earth really is your mother, and you'll remain close to her as long as you live.


What type of hippie are you?
created with QuizFarm.com

Special Guest Post From Racheli

It has occurred to me that this life, in which we seem to always take for granted, is exceptionally difficult to handle. Many people you will soon discover as you get older seem to give up and allow the media to control their difficult times by succumbing to the all too well known word, “drugs”. Whether it be over the counter or under, whether legal or illegal, it seems we can’t seem to live with out some sort of way of numbing our existence, leaving us temporarily lost in another universe. This happens to be only a bittersweet existence since after the drug wears off we find that unlike what we have just experienced time has gone on as usual and we have merely missed out on perhaps another chance to change what is our uncomfortable way of life.

“I give up!” an all too common phrase, “I’ve had enough I can’t take this anymore!” Why do we give up? Why do we loose hope? It reminds me of when you discipline a child by putting him in 'time out', turning on the timer for a few minutes, after which the child is waiting patiently for the timer to be up, then, when the child thinks that the timer is never going to be up he runs out of his place in a fury which only causes the parent to have to extend the discipline further. If only the child would have known that a few more seconds the timer would have been up and the punishment finished without it being prolonged any longer. You would think the same with us. Things really don’t change as we get older. If only we would wait a little bit longer and right when we feel we can’t take it anymore we would just fight a little bit longer we would make it through the struggles.

We like to blame our problems on our current situation; stress, be it family related, work, friends, or just day to day things such as problems with a leak in the faucet or some such nonsense in the house. We explain this as the reason for our blow-ups, and only if we had an easier life would we be more agreeable. Why must we blame all our problems on everything but the real source of them, ourselves. What is it that makes us blame everything but ourselves? Fear? That seems to be the root of a lot of our failures. Failures to thrive, to work to live, to do anything. We are afraid to fail, to be embarrassed, hurt, to be happy or sad, it stops us from truly accomplishing our goals. “I can’t do this I’ve been hurt to many times or I can’t be responsible for this project my last one blew up!” You might even have the habit of repeating a mantra to yourself “you can do it! You can do it!” before you do anything thing but there always seems to be that creeping notion of how you really can’t. What can we do to overcome this sensation of fear? How many books have been written upon it, lectures, essays all saying basically the same thing. This is the modern age we want quick fixes, easy outs and a lot of “everything is going to be ok”. Well you know what it isn’t! We can’t sit around and think everything is going to work out if we do nothing about it! We need to drop the medication, the therapist, and settle down into ourselves and make things right before more of our lives get caught up in this horrible mentality of helplessness. Can we do it alone? NO! G-d made other human beings upon this planet and He did not make us hermits. We are here to learn from each other and grow together. We have answers staring us right in the face but we push them down because they are too difficult and again those terrible feelings of “I can’t do it” come creeping in. Rabbi Yaakov Hillel said that anything that is cheap is not truth. All the therapists and counselors that seem to know all the answers for you by telling you what medicine to take and what husband to divorce without giving you the benefit of the doubt that you can actually work at something and figure things out on you own. It feels so amazing when you work at something so hard and accomplish it. But please don’t misunderstand me, while you are in the muck of things and there seems to be know end in sight, you just can’t take it anymore and you want to give up, Rebbe Nachman said to “Never give up! If you believe you can break something, have faith that you can repair it.” There is always hope. HA KADOSH BARUCH HU did not leave us alone.

My punny student

As my son was trying to make his way through the dining room he found he was road blocked by my youngest and I finishing up our geography lesson. He apologized for interrupting us, to which my dear daughter replied, "No problem, we were just having a heated discussion about the equator!"



ba-dum-bump

Never Give Up!

The battle for our souls is coming from within. The battle is not frontal, we could then guard ourselves. It is not even from behind. Then we would just fall and get back up. It is from within, deep within us! The flood of atheism is the battle for our emunah. It is not a battle that you would, G-d forbid, say there is no G-d. The atheism, the battle of emunah is the doubt that creeps up within us. The lack of absolute trust in Him! Absolute trust in the Holy One, Blessed be He! This sinister battle sneaks up inside us and wears us down. It slowly and patiently chips away at us and weakens us, until we wonder why are we even doing what we are doing or living the life we are living. It wants us to GIVE UP! What's the point anyway? Why bother? Does prayer really work? Is anyone really listening? The battle of our emunah and the capture of our souls can only happen if we give up. I want to tell you all, my beloved family, friends and misc. nice people who take the time to read my blog PLEASE, I BEG YOU, DO NOT GIVE UP! No matter how dark it seems, no matter how tired you are! No matter how hopeless it looks, no matter how many times you fall! No matter if you are at your wits end and you really can't take another step, do not give up! No matter how many times the children call your name and your beloved asks for another thing! No matter how lonely you are and no matter how many times you have tried, do not give up! No matter that the bank account is in the negative and the rent is now due, no matter that your insurance is late and your children need new shoes! No matter if you think you are the only one who is even trying, no matter what, do not give up! You could be taking your last breathe, or may just feel like it. You may be fading fast and ready to throw it all away, it could be...it will be, in that last second HaShem will rescue you! Just call out, He is there. You are NOT too far away! He is THERE WITH YOU! You can return to Him! He loves His children and He loves YOU! Just don't give up! You can do it, and you do not have to do it alone! Just one more minute, reach up just one more time! Call out just one more time! I could quote a million cliches right now, all of which would be true, but none as true as the strength deep within you have yet to experience. Just don't give up!

A Short Film About Jerusalem

This is a lovely and powerful short film done by Gil Rosen. It was sent to me be a dear e-mail friend who thought that I and all of you would appreciate it.

Shalom u' Brachot!

Let the Sun Shine in...

B"H

The Path Of Light
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When He made the world, He made two ways to repair each thing: With harshness or with compassion. With a slap or with a caress. With darkness or with light.

And He looked at the light and saw that it was good. Darkness and harsh words may be necessary. But He never called them good.

Even if you could correct another person with harsh words, the One Above receives no pleasure from it. When He sees his creatures heal one another with caring and with kindness, that is when He shines His smile upon us.





A Daily Dose of Wisdom from the Rebbe
-words and condensation by Tzvi Freeman
Elul 10, 5766 * September 3, 2006

Does it get ever get easier??

My son is leaving next Sunday for yeshiva in Yerushalayim. I keep telling myself it will be easier this time. I am not so sure though. I can't help but think that in two weeks I will not be hearing him singing from his bedroom at the top of his lungs to Adi Ran. He won't be calling me on erev shabbat to ask if there is anything I need him to pick up for me at the store. I am not trying to be morose here...it is just the way I am feeling today. I know it is what right, he thrives in Eretz Israel and he is happy there. What mother doesn't want their child to be happy? I just thought it would be easier this time and it doesn't feel like it.
Shabbat Shalom chaverim, I am off to finish getting ready and focus on being b'simcha.