Doing what we can

With all the things going on, it can be very overwhelming. This happens and that etc. and it really hurts. But our positive acts can make a difference. These times are like birth pangs. However, we should remember that there's a light at the end of the tunnel. may the redemption come soon -

It will work out

Situations and people can sometimes be annoying. A boss, a co-worker, a parent, a child, a sibling. Sometimes, we need something to work out and people don't cooperate like we want. Like what happened to a friend of mine at his work when he wanted something. This can be frustrating, however, we shouldn't take our anger out on them. If it doesn't work the way we want, it's not meant to be. Like if someone hypothetically wants the corner office and doesn't get it, then it's not for them. The people around us are only the messenger. Hashem is in charge and might have other plans. - We sometimes don't know how things are going to work out, but eventually they do if we continue to make an Effort, have patience and trust in Hashem. It's hard at first to remember this, but if we practice it, we will eventually be good at trusting in Hashem that things will work out for the best, I'yH


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great song

Great classic song sung in accapella

When we have a task, we might feel that we have to be perfect and cross the finish line. However, in the book Pirkei Avos, we see that what counts more is the journey rather than the finish line. Of course, it feels very good when we accomplish something. But we shouldn't be discouraged when something looks very hard. We should remember that every effort counts even if we don't cross the finish line. We should just do the best we can and keep making an effort forward

Plus, it mentions our hope for the future

Successfully handing our faith

Firstly, how do you like my new design??


Okay, Tips for handing down our heritage and faith


In regards to chinuch, many are mainly taught just what to do when practicing, but don't really understand or feel it inside. We need to know why to do it, so it's meaningful. For example, besides because it's our obligation, it's also food for our soul. It connects us to Ha-shem and also brings light to the world.

Both reverence and love for G-d are important. If we are a good example of both reverence and love of G-d, it'll encourage others to keep the message.

I heard awhile ago a good explanation of how awe should be taught. For example, we see how precious our spouse is, and we are in awe of them. We don't want to hurt the relationship because there's consequences and we disconnect. - Of course, since we are human, we make mistakes sometimes. However, we have the chance to get back up and go forward. Hashem forgives and brings us back if we make the effort.

Love of G-d and Torah should be taught by showing the beauty and joy. Make Shabbos very special with zemiros and quality time together. Inspire youth to pray from the heart and appreciate our blessings. And when we learn, feel that G-d is speaking to us -

Help them to feel that Hashem is always there providing for us. And when we have challenges, we should trust it's for the best, and He will help us through it

Plus, encourage their questions, and search for information together in order to strengthen emunah. I took a class in which we really delve deep into the Chumash, and learned a lot that I didn't know. This is great for any study. Many who do this find it very intellectually stimulating.

If parents and teachers are good examples of middos, wisdom, caring, and emunah, and give youth what they need both emotionally and intellectually, then the youth will internalize it and want to keep it with them

going higher

Over time as we practice,
routine sets in.
praying, and other things
become a shell without a core.
And there's also the struggle
for concentration

With self encouragment
I focus on the meaning
and picture what the prayer
is talking about.
With the morning prayer,
I imagine Hashem providing us
with what we need
like clothing and so on,
and being grateful.

With effort,
feeling that connection to Above
as I say the words from my heart
like in Birkas hamazon,
racheim na, u'vney...

It happens sometimes that I
just say straight through.
But then I try to encourage myself
to say it with feeling.

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Prayer is a great time to talk to Hashem, ask for assistance, and say Thanks for the blessings we have, big and small.

Lets be who we should be

I was reading something in a paper, and the lady had a good point. She mentioned that sometimes we hear a lot of negative things going on like so-and-so did this and that and so on. And it gets to us after awhile. And she is right that it's not the way to be. We have so much potential and can truely be great individuals if we choose to be.

For example, I read an inspiring story about this person who decided to look for a better job, and so he told his boss about his request to leave. His boss told him to not tell anyone because he was very well like and they'd be disappointed, and so he didn't. Later, on the day he was leaving, he decided to tell one person working there. They were very sad that he was leaving because he was the only one that said good morning to them, which influenced others to say good morning too. - It's amazing what a small deed becomes.

While trying to look for inspiring examples, I found this.
This article is from January 2009
Shabbos of Chizuk
In general, whether we do something small like say good morning to someone, or do something big like volunteer somewhere, this is what we should be, a holy nation spreading light and blessing.

Our power

Life is sometimes challenging and we feel like our days are constantly gray. However, we decide how to react and respond. It's easy to let things just get to us and make us misrable and stressed. However, another path we can take is to try to stay positive and do what we can to improve things. It's up to us ---
It might take time of course, but what helps is to think of some pleasent things we have while we are waiting for what we want.


I'm waiting to find a job and a spouse and I'm making an effort to receive both. In the mean time, I'm finishing my degree, do some interesting reading, spend time with friends, listen to music etc. While I feel sometimes that I keep going to job interviews and dates and nothing happens, I have faith that eventually, I'll recieve what I'm looking for IY"H

Looking inside

The person sat and looked inside themself;
They weren't sure what to work on first,
So many things came to mind.

After some thinking though, they had some ideas.
Now comes the tricky part, applying it.
They decided to take it slow and do it gradually.

Discouragement might come along the way.

What counts though is to just make an effort
and continue on.

On the purpose and the meaning of...

I'm putting this with my earlier posts

Anyway in regards to modesty, it can be hard for many to keep hearing in the communtity about tznius this and tznius that, and you feel like you want people to talk about something else, a different topic. - Plus, it's hard for some to be limited in clothing options and behaviors.

At first, this mitzva looks very small compared to other things we need to do. But spiritually, it's just as important as shabbos and good middos(traits) and keeping kosher. - With good middos, we understand the importance because we see the impact it has all around. However with spir things like shabbos and tznius etc, it's difficult to see the impact since it's spiritual. Maybe people wouldn't have such a hard time with tznuis if it wasn't mentioned so much, and there weren't so many restrictions in certain places. I feel, there should be a balance, like for ex. when I saw a song and dance performance for women only, and they had a lot of beautiful dancing.

What's so important about this mitzvah? The importance is to protect our holiness that's within by covering ourselves, like puting a baseball card in a case, or covering a precious Torah scroll. Of course, being tznius is just one way to keep ourself and our home holy. There are other things we need to do as well, for example, family purity and mikva, and make an effort(both spouses) to keep a peaceful home by communicating calmly, and so on.

Being tznius can actually be a beautiful thing because then people focus on our inner beauty and what's in our mind and heart, instead of only our body; Think of it like this, we are children of the King and should look the part by dressing modestly. There are plenty of clothes out there that are both modest and stylish at the same time. Besides this, we also need to act appropriately, so our wisdom and other good traits shine through.

Men too should also be modest. I spoke to someone once who mentioned that he use to wear whatever. And then he went with a friend to a traffic court to help him with something, and they both wore nice clothes. Then he realized that if he chooses to wear nice clothes in front of a human judge, how much more so should he when he davens before Hashem.

While it might be hard for some, we just need to make sure that our body, elbows and knees are covered, and that it’s not so tight that our form shows. As for head coverings, there’s many choices. - I prefer a hat or tichel or scarf when I marry because a wig looks too real, and I feel misses the point. Although, I would combine a hat with a wig. :)

In general, the many mitzvos we Jews have, both the ones b/t person & person, and the ones b/t person and G-d, help us to be holy, connect to G-d, and spread light throughout the world.

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6 TIPS

The 3 weeks is coming soon, starting on Thursday. I was recently looking at a certain website and it gave some great tips on what we can all work on. I'm writing this in my own words.

update, 7 tips

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Character traits - we can each look inside and think of something to work on and improve on about ourself. By working on this, we become better friends, parents, spouses, neighbors, etc. - I understand how some people feel when it seems like you're the only one doing something. But, I have to come realize that we still need to do it because it's the right thing to do, even if we feel alone in doing it.

Prayer - Learn the meaning of the words so it is more meaningful for you and you have more kavanah. Also, when you have a little time to yourself, either during the day or at night, make a personal prayer and say what is on your mind. This helps with strenghtening our connection to Hashem

Seek, keep searching for and learn Jewish info that will help you to build your knowledge. Then with that knowledge, we can improve our practice.

Emunah - This one is very hard for most of us. But it is important to work on.
- Just like parents who love their children, want what's best for them, so too Hashem wants what is best for us. - And just like children don't always understand their parents, we sometimes are bewildered at the situations that happen to us and wonder why they happen. However, we must understand that everything is for the best. There's this story I read in which this lady was going through a very hard time and she had to take off time from work to recuperate. During those weeks, she spent more time with her family. She writes that eventhough she went through what she did, she's in a better situation now because it helped her with her priorities. Plus, her children are happier with her being there.
Also, remember that if you're worried about something, work on trusting in Hashem that He'll help you through it

Love - This can be either hard or easy, depending on who we are around. Some people are easier to like and some are harder. However, we must remember that we Jews are a family. Eventhough we fight, we still deep down care about each other.

Joy - Do something with joy, whether it is when you light shabbos candles, or say a blessing on food and think about being glad to have it, or some other mitzvah. When you do it with joy, it becomes more meaningful and pleasureble.

Appreciate - Think about the things that you are grateful for. For example, being healthy, having friends, having shelter, nourishment, clothing, etc. I read an article in which someone suggested that couples should have a gratitued notebook. In it they should write what they appreciate about their spouse. By focusing on their love for each other, they strengthen their relationship.

Well I hope this is helpful, have a good week

Some music

This link below is about a Jewish female musician who grew up secular and then started learning more and more about her heritage and decided to go for it. She mentions that she still wants to be herself and be the artist that she is. - And she does a beautiful job with it. :)
While listening to her message, I was thinking that we who grew up religious, sometimes lose that enthusiasm because it either becomes routine or some other reason. However, there is always that spark, and with the right inspiration, it can be re-lit.
Here is the vid, enjoy
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tK6qvn_S1hk

Note: The beauty is what motivated her. And as she learned more, she learned about our obligation with Torah

Just want to share

Below is a link to message that someone mentioned about a great album for a great cause; A TIME "an organization that '"is the premier, internationally acclaimed organization that offers advocacy, education, guidance, research and support through [its] many programs to Jewish men, women, and couples struggling with reproductive health and infertility.""

Click here


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Team work

We all go through things.
The important thing to
remember is that
when working together
we get through it better.
Whether in regards to
a couple, or a friend,
or someone else.
Put your worries aside.
Focus on the goal.
--

Sometimes, especially nowadays, we have a lot of worries, whether it is a couple with financial issues, or someone with a different issue. The main thing is to not let our worries get the best of us, but to work togther to the resolve the matter.

the smell of success

You know how when you get what you want and then new challenges arise. Well that's what is happening. I'm not sure what I'm going to do with the situation I'm in. All I can do is make my best effort with it and pray it works out. I use to be more of the type to just give up when things became hard, for example, when I was a kid in school and didn't realize my strengths if I would have only had confidence. Now though, I keep at it. And I'm always surprised. I still have that voice that says, this is not going to work, but I continue anyway because you never know. Of course, I know my limits, like I'm not cut out to be a surgeon :) but I also know what Is possible if I make enough effort, plus pray for assistance

Tonight, while playing spider solitaire on the computer, I noticed something that reminded me of my situation. I looked at the cards thinking it's not going to work, and was going to start a new game, however, I decided to continue. Eventhough it's just a simple card game, the message of success through perserverence gave me hope.

FINDING COMFORT :)

While reading Tehillim 32 and studying the commentary, I found a very important message that we can all use when going through personal challenges. There are two ways to approach challenges. We can either let it bring us down and feel misrable, or we can use it as an oppertunity to strengthen ourselves.
With me, I'm still looking for a shidduch. I do both taking action and praying. I think though that there must be something that I need to work on in me first before the right person comes. You might be wondering, how come some find someone quickly and others take longer. We don't know. We just know that if it's taking a long time, then it's not time yet. It's very hard to wait for that moment. But it's better to marry the right person at the right time. In the mean time, I'll just keep making an effort , pray, work on myself and have emunah

On another note, sometimes I think about other things I want, and feel down if I think I might not get it. However, afterwards, I was thinking that what I should do is make a list of the things I have and appreciate. There are many nice things that I appreciate having, baruch Hashem

have a good week

Get a role model or mentor

While listening to a lecture, the speaker made a good point that, in regards to our heritage, we might be practicing what we learned, and then one day realize that there is a lot we don't know or understand. This can be discouraging. If we don't know why to do what we do or why to believe, then our motivation goes down and we are likely to fall.

Another thing I and others have noticed is when people see bad examples and get discouraged. On the one hand, we should realize that we are all only human and we all make mistakes, whether big or small. However, I agree that people should still be careful and strive to be good examples for others, and have good middos.

For these reasons, it is best for us to have a good role model. Someone that we can talk to, tell them how we feel, ask questions. Someone to give us support and guidance and help us grow. It might be difficult or simple to find this person. But for our own benefit, we should keep trying.

Another thing that is helpful is to read information on different Jewish topics either in books or online, in order to build our understanding, which in turn builds our emunah. Once we build our emunah, we can build our strength to withstand our challenges and stay strong in our heritage - thereby fulfilling our purpose and the pleasure that comes later with that achievement.

The 2 stages

I heard a great message in which the R' Akiva Tatz said that are are two stages in life. The first stage is easy and very nice, to help you get started. But in the second stage, you have to work at it. For example, when a baby is learning to walk, the parent holds the baby’s hands and the baby is very happy because they can’t fall. But later, the child has to try walk by him/herself. It’s very hard, and they fall and get up a number of times. But this is when the child really learns how to walk. And the parent is standing right there waiting for the child to come into their arms.

always keep trying

Encouragement for anyone who feels this -

Always keep trying
--
She had difficulty connecting
to the One who encompasses
the universe -
So she decided to take a break
for awhile.
The spark within was still there though,
eventhough it was hidden.

Later she found a few helpful things.
She read some info to strengthen
her emunah(faith).
Spoke to someone that can give her
guidence with different Jewish areas.
And prayed to Hashem
her own personal prayer,
pouring out her heart to Him

She knows it will take some time
for that connection to grow,
but she keeps trying
because her effort is what counts

small yet important

story poem I've been thinking about
-

They made plans, but they didn't
go through.
They waited and waited
and finally it happened.
The individual over time
became powerful
and felt great.
But, it didn't last,
and they went back down.
Disillusioned and shattered,
they went for a walk.
Someone then came along
and gave some comfort saying,
'yes we are only human
and not totally in charge,
but we are still each an important
piece of the puzzle with a purpose.'
Humbled and inspired,
they tried again, only differently
this time

Perseverance

A friend of mine and I were talking about this topic.

Sometimes a certain goal or task looks huge and it seems like we'll never accomplish it. Especially if we're going forward and doing well and then slip and fall to the bottom.
But what we should remember is it doesn't mean we failed. We can still succeed if we keep trying and go forward. One thing that helps to alleviate the task is to focus on the journey instead of the result or destination. It's the journey and effort we put into it that counts. As it says in Pirkei Avos 2:21 ''It is not up to you to complete the task, but you're not free to withdraw from it.'' The job might be really hard, but we are only expected to try our best.