Finding joy with conscious tidying!
I can look back at different moments and think about where my soul may have been during episodes of intense and necessary tidying (such as moving homes). I can also think about many times in which my soul felt out of alignment for one reason or another and my home reflected the messiness of my inner life.

If you are having a particularly difficult time in your life for a day, a month, a year or more this ritual is for you. Life’s journey presents us with times where we may feel stuck. We can learn from Judaism that we cannot fully experience joy unless we know what the experience of feeling broken is like.

photo credit:BobbyM on favim.com 

The High Holidays causes us to self-reflect. We may think about the newness of the year, the changes we want to make, or how to be grateful for every new day.

When we do so, how do we ground ourselves within our roots, or think about where we came from? This may help us better understand the world we hope to see. How do we create a better world for ourselves, and future generations? When you reflect on where you came from what does it bring up for you? 

See full post for ancient text to learn with friends and family!

When we are reminded of divinity, it allows us to feel more connected to our world. What can we find when we change our lens? What may appear when we allow ourselves to be open to the possibility of G-d's presence in our lives? What are the things/ places/ people that cause us to think: how awesome is this place?

What is the power of being counted in community? The power of each one of us being seen, illuminated and bright. How are we making sure to continually count every voice in our community? How can we expand this concept to be inclusive to all Jews, including Jews without Jewish ancestry?  How can we make sure all voices are heard in our extended communities and not just those with privilege? 

Let us come together in our many faiths and traditions and share with one another what it means to live in a welcoming, diverse, community.

We all mourn in different ways. We may be driven by our raw emotions following a loss, or by a formal mourning practice. Sometimes we are able to begin mourning a loss immediately, and other times the mourning process unfolds before us in unknown ways.

There are amazing sites to bear witness to in this world such as the natural beauty of the earth and the kindness of strangers. Yet there is still much that we may avoid our gaze from, with the thought of ‘out of sight, out of mind.’ This shabbat look up to the world around you. Write what you see. What are you blocking from your vision? What will you do now that you’ve taken time to truly look at and witness this sight?

Take stock of your life’s journey! Just as Abram awaited his future legacy we may find ourselves waiting for the next best thing.

Shabbat ritual: Celebrate Parshat Noah by blessing the animals in your life!