Category Archives: Jewish History/Culture

Shaken

Shaken
As I sat on the couch a few nights ago, the house began to move. The dog wandered unsteadily with her tail between her legs, not quite sure where to go or what to do. A SoCal native, my mind understood that we were having a minor earthquake. Even so, there is more that gets…
Read more

Sabbath manna

Sabbath manna
My natural bent is toward planning and saving. Good disciplines, except when it tempts me to rely on my own work and not on God’s provision. There is a tension between God providing all things, and yet, He has called us to participate in it. While in the wilderness, God provided for the Israelites. He led…
Read more

“For such a time as this…”

“For such a time as this…”
Why does being in the right place so often feel like the wrong place, at least until seen in hindsight? Purim begins tonight at sundown – the holiday that recounts God’s deliverance of the Jews through Esther. Although she was queen, Esther was essentially acquired into a harem. For a devout Jew, this was probably…
Read more

Un-Promised Land

Un-Promised Land
In my temptation to overstay a season, with its relative comfort and predictability, I wonder what I may have missed out on. The courageous Israelites that moved into the Promised Land and a new season did not include everyone. There were two and a half tribes that decided not to go. They saw the lush…
Read more