What it means to love

And these three remain, faith hope and love, and the greatest of these is love.

Valentine's day and love go together. I suppose. Aside from the fun part of the day - the hearts, the cards, the candy - I don't make a big deal about the day. Love is bigger than just the day. Its more than just romance. Its about relationship.

I think sometimes my faith and hope get in the way of my capacity to love.

Do you ever get to the point of getting to know someone when a difference holds you back from becoming closer friends? I have. Perhaps you disagree on how to interpret the Scriptures. Or perhaps this person doesn't read the Bible at all. Or perhaps their lifestyle is the exact opposite of how you live and how you believe God asks you to live? Or maybe they think the things you like are stupid? We've all probably been through this. We learn to make safe friends, people like ourselves, people who will return our love.

Even today, I'm most comfortable with a musician, Trekkie (or Whovian), or someone who shares my beliefs. I've found over the years, though, that I share different core beliefs with different people. I have found that I have more similarities with others than I'd realized as my younger self. As a teenager, I had a tendency to distance myself from those who didn't believe in the same way I did. I was concerned and loved those who didn't believe, but I always felt separate.

As I've grown-up, I've come to understand that God wants me to love. He wants me to love with His love, a love so profound that it breaks down all kinds of separating walls. He wants me to love the unlovable and those who are different.

Yeshua was criticized for breaking bread with those who were considered unworthy. He tended to talk to the unwanted, eat with the unpopular, heal on the wrong days. In this century, don't you think Yeshua would accompany people to happy hour? Wouldn't He go to the worst parts of the cities despite the threat of shootings? Wouldn't He shake your hand, even if you were in the middle of the NoroVirus? He loves when its inconvenient and messy.

I still am not sure I understand how to love people while believing that what they are doing is wrong, without compromising truth. But this passage encourages me, "For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I will know fully, even as I have been fully known." (1 Corinthians 13:12 TLV) I don't have to know! I know that love is the greatest. I need to follow the example Yeshua put before us, and love others. Meanwhile, I'll trust God for the rest.

But now these three remain— faith, hope, and love. And the greatest of these is love.(1 Corinthians 13:13 TLV)

Small Miracles:: the local planetarium

What do you do when you've had way too many snow days? And it's still too cool outside to do much with the kids. And you're on something of a tight budget so extra spending isn't part of the plan?

In New Haven, you head to the Leitner Planetarium. Small, and free, its a perfect little outing for a Sunday afternoon.

What do you do to beat cabin fever on a day like today?

A quick addendum to my Shabbat Thought

If you feel as if you have no talents, you are wrong.  I have never, ever met anyone without a talent. You may feel untalented when you're comparing yourself to someone else.  But you are uniquely you, and have a talent.  Really really.

If you are reading this and are not a part of a church or synagogue or other religious order, I don't want you to disregard the message here.  Everyone is part of a community somewhere.  Each person has a part to play.  It may be your work environment, school (yours or your child's), your family or the local community.  It may simply boil down to the people you walk past on the street or the people in your home.  How can you use your talents here where you are?

Five Minute Friday:: Write

I'm joining Lisa-Jo Baker for her Five Minute Friday.  Her rules:

1. Write for 5 minutes flat – no editing, no over thinking, no backtracking. 2. Link back here and invite others to join in. 3. And then absolutely, no ifs, ands or buts about it, you need to visit the person who linked up before you & encourage them in their comments. Seriously. That is, like, the rule. And the fun. And the heart of this community.

The word today is write. GO.
The written word is so powerful.  As powerful as the spoken word, or any word for that matter.  But the written word sustains and is lasting.  Oral traditions eventually fade away.  But when we look at history, it is those who write that have a legacy that lasts long beyond their generation.  Incredibly, in our society, we have access to documents created hundreds of years ago, thousands of years ago, and many thousands of years ago.  To write is to express one's inner thoughts. To read is to hear, and hopefully, understand the thoughts of others. It's a give and a take.

We can read documents from the first century and earlier and know that human beings have not changed throughout most of history.  We can read documents from a hundred years ago, and find that things we have as every day were science fiction at that point.  Or we can see that even if our technology has advanced, we haven't burned all the books like it was foretold in Farenheit 451.

To write is amazing, and I'm glad to be able to share it with you!

and STOP.

Thanks for stopping by!  While you're here, will you check out my devotional for this Shabbat's reading?

Shabbat Thought: Parasha Tetzaveh

Each week in the Synagogue, a different portion of scripture is studied.  The Torah (Old Testament) is broken into portions which are read over the course of a year.  At the end of the year, it starts over again so the Bible is read annually. 

This week's Parasha is Parasha Tetzaveh from Exodus 27:20-30:10.

You shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother, for glory and for beauty.  You shall speak to all the skillful persons whom I have endowed with the spirit of wisdom, that they make Aaron’s garments to consecrate him, that he may minister as priest to Me. -- Exodus 28:2-3

In this parasha, God starts to give directions on setting up the Tent of Meeting, and what the Priests are supposed to do.  I'm struck once again at how kind and loving God is toward the people.  He is about to transform a family that has been a people of slaves for hundreds of years into His chosen people.  The text itself seems extremely technical and boring. But beyond the detailed instructions of making the Temple items is the notion that there needed to be artisans to create such things.  God does not merely give directions to the priests, He gets His people involved in creating the new nation.

Although Aaron and the priests get mentioned by name in the Scripture, think about the people needed to get such things implemented. This portion mentions: olive oil specially made for the lamps, sacred vestments for Aaron and his sons, sacrifice of bulls and other animals, fire offerings to God, sacrifices to be eaten (both bread and meat), and an ark made from wood. 

At the very least, there would need to be specialists for making oil, tailors and seamstresses, jewel workers, metal workers for the gold in the garments, shepherds, butchers, fire tenders, cooks, carpenters, lumberjacks. Just by looking at the things God asked them to make, we can assume these specialists existed.  Then, there's all the people who would clean, teach, manage others, or maintain the homes.  God quickly gives a formally slave people tasks to keep them busy and focused on Him.

In the modern world, all too often, a church or synagogue focuses on central personalities.  It is important to have leadership and figures in the front, but each person, no matter how small the role may seem, is key to building the Kingdom of Heaven.  1 Corinthians 12 compares the body of Messiah with the human body.  Each part is needed.  

For the body is not one part, but many. If the foot says, “Since I’m not a hand, I’m not part of the body,” is it therefore not part of the body? And if the ear says, “Since I’m not an eye, I’m not part of the body,” is it for this reason any less part of the body? If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole were hearing, where would the sense of smell be? But now God has placed the parts—each one of them—in the body just as He desired. If they were all one part, where would the body be? But now there are many parts, yet one body. -- 1 Corinthians 12:14-20 (TLV Version)

When I lead the congregation as cantor, I am doing what is comfortable and what God has called me to do.  When someone else washes the dishes after lunch and wipes down the counters, they are often doing what is comfortable for them, and what they are called to do.  I am thankful for those who are able to do what seem to be smaller tasks.  They're not smaller, just not as noticed.  Sometimes, you really need to read in between the lines to see, but they're there.

Are you being the part of the Body that you need to be?  God wants YOU to do what you can do.  Often times, that is an area in which you're gifted.  And sometimes, it's a season. It may mean that right now, you sit with your baby at home nursing and quietly pray.  It may mean that you sing with a music group.  It may mean that you refill the toilet paper. What can you do to play your part?

I wrote an addendum as I was thinking about what I'd written.  Pop over here to read it.

One Step at a Time

I am so honored to be able to link to Art of Simple blog.  I've followed Simple Mom for a very long time.  I connected with Tsh when I realized we have daughters about the same age - at that point, they were five.  Reading her stories, I connected with her decisions to live a simple life.  Then, I realized we're the same age.  I thought so highly of the work she's done to create such a blog.  

I got a little jealous.  Before motherhood, I loved to write.  After kids, I found myself not being focused enough to get anything down consistently.  It ate away at me.  How do other mothers do it?  I wondered how I could be more of myself.  I wondered how someone my age with three kids could do it, and I couldn't.  I forgot to give myself grace for the challenging medical things I've had to manage as a mother.  

I listened faithfully, though, and paid attention.  I was there when I saw the day in the life of series, on how Tsh is actually quite a bit like me, and the only way she got things done was to really carve out time -- time which wasn't realistic in my life at that point.  I was there, listening to the podcast, interjecting my thoughts, even though Tsh and her cohost couldn't hear me.  I was there as Tsh and her cohosts discussed the art and business of blogging, and of dreaming.  And making art.  

I was stirred to action.  Then, one day, my youngest went to school all day, and I had the day to myself to dream a little.  I started to write a little, to test the waters.  It feels good and right to be putting my words and ideas out there.   

The thing I love most about Simple Mom, now the Art of Simple, is the encouragement to be who you are.  Living a Messianic Jewish life isn't always easy.  Having faith in Jesus, while walking to the beat of a Jewish drum is different than being either Jewish or Christian.  I want to reach to others and be the type of encouragement for this walk that Tsh has been for me.

I'm working on this crazy dream.  One step at a time!  I'm so inspired by Tsh, that I am ready to follow my own dreams, and take some steps in that direction!

Small Miracles:: Crockpot Pizza!

The other week, on a Wednesday, as we sat down to dinner, my daughter asked me why we didn't have pizza for dinner that night.  We had had a conversation earlier in the day throwing around dinner ideas, and pizza was one of them.  I apologized, and promised that we could have pizza the next day, if I could figure out how to have it ready to eat as soon as we walk in the door.  Thursdays are our craziest days. I pick the kids up from school, play for 2 ballet classes, then we rush home for dinner.  Generally, we eat sandwiches, or something straight from the crock pot.  Pizza is trickier. Even if I had the pizza ready to throw into the oven when we got home, it still would take longer to be ready than the time we have on a Thursday night.


So.  I went to good 'ole Google and searched for crock pot pizza and slow cooker pizza.  Wouldn't you know, I wasn't the only one thinking of such a thing!  It was hard to find what I wanted, however.  I had to sift through recipes for pizza casserole and pizza sauce.  I finally found what I wanted.

I found a link to crockingirls.com.  I'm really enjoying their website!  They have a ton of unorthodox slow cooker recipes.  I looked at their Slow Cooker Pizza recipe, and used the technique with my usual pizza dough recipe from Life as Mom instead of canned pizza dough.  I used half the batch of dough in the crock pot.  I could have used more like 1/3 and had a thinner crust.

To be fair, my first try was not the same as pizza baked quickly at a high temperature.  I've eaten much better.  I've made much better.  But it was cooked, the cheese was melted, and it wasn't burned. It was ready when we walked in the door.  The only one in my family that refused a piece was the child who refuses pizza anyway.

I'm sure with a little tweaking, this will become a regular in my rotation of easy crock pot dinners for my crazy evenings.