REJOICING IN THE LAND OF THE LIGHT OF MIRACLES

Being Batyah, who or what is Batyah? The Egyptian Princess who was the surrogate Mother of Moishe, Moses's Mother when she bent down into the rushing turbulence of the River Nile to scoop up the baby Moses into her loving arms when she saw him precariously floating in the deepness of dangerous waters. Becoming a Mother by choice, becoming the Mother of Moses by choice. A Princess of Egyptian lineage taking on the nurturing of a Hebrew baby, one she sees who is about to drown, helping the baby and taking him on as her own.

Bat meaning "Daughter of" and Yah meaning "G-d." The Yah being the feminine Hebrew word meaning G-d. A "Daughter of G-d" who saved Moses's life when he was a baby, to raise him in an Egyptian royal household to become the greatest of all Prophets who spoke directly word to word with The Almighty One G-d with the purpose of freeing the Jews from slavery, raising the Jews to their status from slaves to being The Chosen.

Hebrew slaves who knew the ugliness and persecution of being slaves, and becoming the one Chosen group of people to be the followers of the One True G-d. To be in the world to enlighten people who are living in darkness, to show people the difference between evil and good.

To awaken every morning with the Shema on one's lips, to see sunlight however scarce as it flows through your bedroom window and to be thankful and to praise G-d for even the smallest amount. To not be in a prison that has no windows, to see Light and to embrace it. To see this even smallest amount of Light as a miracle given to you directly from G-d. This Light being a gift to tell you straight from the lips of G-d Himself that you are embraced in goodness and that your path as an Israelite is one of righteousness.

To rejoice in the Light and to call it your own, to have ownership of Light, and therefore goodness, and to have it forever.

THE MIRACLE OF GENEROSITY AND GIVING

Generosity, having an ability to give, giving being an act of kindness, not to give expecting something in return, not to give to sway someone's opinion, giving when others need your gifts, giving even when others do not need them, giving to show love and caring, giving to make someone happy, giving so someone has additional material possessions, giving so someone feels that they have sufficient means, giving because you have too much, giving to raise someone's status from being needy to having enough.

People who discourage giving because they themselves want to be the only givers, not to allow others to have a satisfaction to give, keeping this kindness to oneself and not allowing another to feel the benefits of the acts of giving. People who withhold this kindness to themselves in selfishness, to selfishly not encourage others to give and instead to want to be the only giver, to want to be the only one to have the satisfaction of giving.

To not have a lot to give but what you do have to give therefore means so much more because what you have is less. A sacrifice from the poor which although does not amount to much actually being more appreciated than a gift from the rich who has so much. A half shekel donation from the poor having more value and meaning more than a gift from the rich.

Having G-d bestow upon you all that you need, so you have extra and can give to your favorite charity, a good feeling to give sustenance to others but to not cause you to not have enough. Giving appreciation to someone who has given to you, returning this favor so there is mutuality and a two way street.

Giving a kind word or a smile or laughter, not even something material, but giving to someone something that could help them and offering this act of giving without expecting reward. Giving to someone without him knowing the gift is from you, giving anonymously without wanting a return.

Being in a place where G-d rewards you and continually gives you what you need and more, as He continues to bring you enough so you can continue to give to those who are in need or to those you love and who you want to have more.

ABOUT SHAVUOT AND PERSONAL ENCOUNTERS WITH THE DIVINE

In a past life, deep inside one's being, a memory not forgotten, a memory of being in a past life after generations of reincarnations, a soul that comes alive again, a spark of magic, a flame of a memory of being on Mount Sinai, there together with Moses and the Israelites, on a crag on the Mount, up above the ground of valleys below, me and Moses, Moses and I, and exceptionally, being there with Moses and G-d.

Witnessing Moses getting the tablets of Commandments he received from G-d Himself! As a Burning Bush wildly burning, a high lighted white fire of purity and passion! Hotter than the holiest of Light!

Being there with Moses in this past life remembering the occasion, as a real life witness of this incredible holy happening.

All Jews being there too, real life witnesses of the passing of the Tablets from G-d to Moses.

All of us in our past lives, being there together on top of the Mount Sinai, digging deep into our memories, remembering being there, all of us, every Jew alive on Earth today, having had this mutual experience. All Jews being there together, to remember, to visualize, to recall the experience: a memory deeply etched into our brains like the Commandments were etched into stones.

Seeing Moses in a visualization, as big as life! A very tall and stately man! A Prophet: The Prophet of all Prophets! He had direct verbal back and forth conversations with G-d Himself.

G-d guiding Moses.

Seeing on Mount Sinai, Moses himself so strong with his mighty arms and forearm muscles rippling with blood vessels protruding, carrying heavy stones of holy but humbling Words.

He proudly, carefully, brought down the Tablets to show them to us, to show them to all Israelites, as we so dearly heartedly desired to read them.

Seeing small children there on Mount Sinai with Moses. Moses gently guiding children into the greatness of the Light of the Covenant, teaching them The Laws of the Land, The Holy Words of Good Ethics.

Hearing great clanging cymbals and trumpets! The sounds of thunder! Seeing brilliant white flashes of crimson fires in the sky's lightening as in a thunderstorm with spears of smattering fireworks in the silver linings of dark demonic clouds, all ignited as enormous energies high above our heads in heated halos.

Reading the Words on holy stone Tablets as they lighted up, flashes of Light deeply embedded into the darkness of the cloudy night. Words standing out in 3D like a present day movie theater, but actually happening thousands of years before.

Being given the religious rights to follow these Commandments, to be there to see them on Shavuot.

To honor Moses, to thank G-d, to keep thanking G-d!

To follow our Almighty G-d, to learn, to teach, to love and to obey.

To frightfully fear this awesome moment of Moses on Mount Sinai! To both Love AND Fear G-d.

Seeing Moses again and again in our mind's eye, year after year on Shavuot.

And again, from Shavuot to Shavuot, being ignited with the Truth. 

TO BE TOUCHED BY AN ANGEL

"Life is here and now, forever new. To be alive, this moment now must touch the essence of your soul. To be alive is to be forever newly born.
And so our sages said, “The Torah must be new to you every day.”
Because if it is not new, then it is not giving you life. And if it is not giving you life, then what is?"
[Chabad.org]

The newness of a budding leaf on a tree, a Gingko Tree with fan-shaped leaves that fan me with a cool sea breeze as I lay in sand on a lake shoreline.

To be alive and to feel this awesome rest but excitement as my hair blows around my head and forms a holy halo that lightens up glowingly reflecting the love of G-d above my head.

To be alive and to feel G-d, to feel HASHEM at every moment, in a sea breeze on a lake or inside a sheltered building with walls of yellow brick around me, yellow brick like the brick of the Kotel, The Wailing Wall, The Western Wall, protected each day by HASHEM Who gives strength and formidableness to these Great Yellow Brick Walls, impenetrable, immobile, firm and never giving up, never giving in.

Keeping always in The Jewish Faith and having the Home of these Yellow Brick Walls, firmer and stronger than the red brick walls, not a home to The Three Little Pigs.

Pork is nowhere to be found, never entering the Pearly Gates of these Walls. Not to be found in Heaven, a pork-free Heaven that is found here on Earth.

Touched by an Angel as I turned down a pork-filled piece of pizza, an Angel with such incredible holiness guiding my actions away from falling over a white picket fence into a pig pen where I would be stomped upon by a pig with cloven hooves but who does not chew his cud.

Touched by an Angel and warned as with the shrilling sound of The Shofar, to be freed from all that is deplorable and despicable, to have a clean plate with clean food with clean utensils.

To then touch others in return, to show them the love of this Angel whose message is for us to feel the love and fear of G-d in all places, to be thankful for these religious experiences and to share them with others.

Hoping to ignite a Divine spark where there was none, no passion, no fire, to keep trying to save the world.

Never to give up.

CLEAN AIR, CLEAN BREATHING, AND CLEAN THOUGHTS

Deeply taking lung filling breaths of clean air and circulating potent oxygen chemicals into your bloodstream, air that slides off the lake waters and in gusts breezing on in to fill your body with gasps of strong potent purity.

Deep breathing exercises, sucking in air deeply from the bottom of your stomach and like balloons enlarging your lungs without a dirty cigarette, green plants and tree leaves exuding oxygen and breathing in carbon dioxide, dancing in a meadow where greenness is everywhere and clean air comes from the beauty of flowers, blossoming flowers where bees get their honey, air becoming a life source that will never disappear, air everywhere, clean air without industry, eye opening miracles coming in with the silver linings of the clouds that are in the air, never to lose our abilities to breathe, air being free for the taking and always in abundance.

Lungs feeling healthy, red blood cells nurtured, blood flowing evenly throughout all our muscles and body organs, having energy as we breathe and move our bodies, air as energy, clean air as a clean energy source, not breathing in car exhaust, having lungs that are clean and thoughts that are clean, actions of cleanness and words that are clean.

Having love that is clean, a love of G-d that is clean. Feeling G-d in the purity of cleanness and in the cleanness of the study of Torah, a  holy Book that is clean.

Enjoying clean air and clean study and clean books that we can read and enjoy the purity of G-d as we practice clean actions, have clean words and clean thoughts. 

DREAMS AS MESSAGES FROM GOD

Dreaming at night, sometimes we do and sometimes we don't. The Psalms tell us that "G-d visits His beloved in their sleep."

Messages from G-d, listening to G-d talk to us as we are dreaming, G-d speaking to us in the voices of our Mothers or Fathers, Sisters or Brothers, Friends. G-d communicating to us His holy Words of Wisdom to guide us in our wakeful hours, something that someone in our dream says to us, really being the Words of G-d.

Wisdom in these Words to help us on our daily routine, actions that will keep us alive for many years, a reason to keep living, a way to help us each day as we stay alive and need a purpose, G-d coming to us in our dreams to show us this purpose, He appears in a figure in our dreams and speaks to us, acts in a certain way, guides us with His actions as through the actions of the figures in our dreams.

G-d coming to us in our dreams when we need Him the most, not dreaming everyday but only specifically when we most need G-d to be there, for Him to come when we do not ask, but on His own He comes to us in a dream to help us. To speak to us to give us exactly what we need to know to live our lives in a more wholesome way.

To keep these Words of G-d with us always, to never forget the dreams.

THE MIRACLE OF HAVING MIRACLES HAPPEN

Being exposed to G-d's miracles everyday and in everyway, miracles popping up like popcorn buttery and salted to satisfy your every craving.

To be hungry and to be fed, to crave for leafy green vegetables and have them rain upon your head from the clouds above, to want something and to have it provided.

To be in need of 8 hours of sleep and a bed and to be provided with a bedroom and a memory foam mattress, a clean warm blanket, clean sheets and a puffy comfortable pillowcase that is white and soft.

To be in need of company, to be living alone and not to see one face, not to see one smile, and then to travel to a place where everyone is in smiles and playing games and having a fun time.

To need and to want, and to then acquire and to have, to own, to be provided with everything you ever thought was possible.

To be nurtured, to be in a place of comfort, to have an abundance of people who care and who share themselves with you.

To not be used, to not be a victim, to not have your property stolen, to be safe.

To be healthy, to feel good, to feel balanced not too high and not too low, to be in sync, to feel protected.

To know that all the miracles that happen to you are provided to you by G-d Himself. To never doubt it, to not be forced to be "scientific" and told that you therefore must give up your G-d, to not ever give up your Jewish Faith, to thank G-d for it all and then feel miracle after miracle and to feel safe to call these happenings "miracles" and not "coincidences."

To not ever feel alone in your beliefs, to always know that G-d is there and your community is there for you.

To try to tolerate the unholy and the scoffers, to feel sorry for their lack of spirituality and lesser imaginations and to know that they are without and you are the one with more.

To love G-d with all your heart and to never leave Him.

THE MIRACLE OF CARE AND CONCERN

The greatest miracle of all miracles is that the Almighty One G-d of Abraham and Sarah, has extreme care and concern about you.

This One G-d, cares how you are doing, whether all your needs are being met or not, whether you need some of His love to take you out of a down mood, this Almighty G-d has greater powers to protect you and care about you than anyone, His love is greater than your Mother's love, greater than the love a husband can give you, His concern is for you, your universe is His concern, whether you are hungry or thirsty, He cares, whether you are warm or cold, this is entirely His concern.

G-d empowers you with the abilities to take care of your own needs, in this way as He guides you with the Torah, you are better able to meet your needs independent of depending on a mortal to give you something, instead of counting on mortals who error, G-d is there for us, so to transfer our praise and thanks to G-d, and to G-d alone, as One, for meeting all your needs, for caring whether or not your needs are met. He is your applauding audience as you help yourself to whatever it is you need and when you get it, He cares and is glad that you are sated, that you feel good, that you can experience joyousness.

Depend on G-d, and G-d alone, G-d as One G-d, and in this way all your needs will be met without being exposed to error from a trust in a mortal who is limited. G-d has no limits, He is beyond all limitations and therefore is the only entity equipped with the ability to give you genuine care and concern whenever you want it, whenever you need it, always, significantly, and for eternity.

THE MIRACLE OF A BIRTHDAY

The miracle of having a birthday! A date of birth with this happiness to be shared with family and friends. A day of a miracle between you and your Mother and Father, the two of them as being your creators with the divine spark of love that was between them, they gave you birth, created your life. It was their passion that brought you into this world as another human living here to do your best in life to contribute to society, to use your work and actions to make your Mother and Father proud to have given you birth.

A birthday that falls on Nisan 26/May 4th. This year on the solar calendar and lunar calendar, the lunar and solar dates correspond exactly to one another as they did on my year of birth in 1959. It is so nice to have this agreement, 2 calendars that tried to oppose each other, instead coming together in perfect agreement on my 57th birthday year.

Also, on Nisan 26 in 2012, I took my beit din conversion mikvah to Judaism. I will always remember the perfect harmony and extreme feeling of peace and love I experienced in the natural mikvah waters. Now, I live 2 blocks west of the huge Lake Michigan, a mikvah bath of all natural waters, 100% natural waters, that I can dunk into to continue the state of purity I derived 4 years ago. Natural mikvah waters rolling in on a sandy seashore, one wave after the other, a place of perfect bliss this beach of sea water. There is also a lighthouse a few blocks south of this beach and each day it is my goal to walk to this lighthouse, to have its eternal light, an eternal flame, light my way and guide me, to pursue greater and loftier heights, to continue to climb up Jacob's Ladder everyday, to count the Omer on this period of holy days after Passover.

To have been born into this world on Omer 11, the one day of the greatest of all strengths and disciplines. A day of Gevurah-Gevurah. Gevurah meaning strength. To use this strength of a bull, a Taurus, this strength of an ox, to persevere and to always make everyday a holy day, to feel the presence of the Strength of The Almighty One G-d of Abraham and Sarah on this day of Omer 11, Nisan 26, May 4th. And to continue year after year to praise and thank this G-d for giving me life, for giving me a birthday to celebrate this life.

THE MIRACLE OF ALWAYS SINGING BEING SWEETENED BY SONG

Singing! Always being in sweet song, humming to yourself, Hebrew Siddur words coming and going in and out of your thoughts like tide lake waters brushing up on the shore one after the other, a joyous celebrative stream of sweetness, the waters all sweetened by Moses as he tosses The Torah, a piece of wood, into the River Nile, to be sweetened as the Nile was sweetened, drinking sweet grape juice, as you smile while you sing the Hebrew tropes!

Words that put a jump into your step, always having the words coming to you without losing them to forgetfulness, singing aloud and loudly as you keep in step to each word, accentuating the Chaf in the Hebrew language and rolling your tongue, kissing the words one by one, as each word is sung to praise The Almighty One G-d, singing even if someone tells you that you do not know how to sing, singing freely and with bravery, singing as G-d gives you each Hebrew word as it comes down directly into your mind from the Heavens above, singing with a dance, sweetly thanking G-d in song for all He has done for you.

Singing with or without others, being sung to, having song as a guiding force that takes you higher and higher, keeps you happy and in celebration. And of course, too singing those songs that bring you peace.

PUTTING SOMEONE ELSE FIRST

Asking someone else how they are doing, and putting their needs before yours, showing loving-kindness not selfishness, letting someone else who is needier be taken care of before you. Stepping out of line and letting a disabled individual go ahead of you first, or getting up out of your chair and letting an elderly person who uses a cane to sit down in that chair instead of you.

Having extra money and donating it to a cause that would help someone else's needs and not your own. Letting someone tell their story before yours. Listening hard to someone else and encouraging them to keep talking to tell you all the details, so they feel they have support and have meaning in their life because someone else cares.

Not always talking about yourself and your own needs and what you do and think, but instead letting someone else's needs go first and have their problems solved first before yours. Not expecting everyone to jump and to care for you when actually their problems are worse than yours and so need primary attention from you.

Offering help to those who need it, filling their bowl full of food before yours, making sure they are drinking enough and are not thirsty, filling their cups too, as you fill yours.

Reassuring someone that their needs will be met, and that you will do all you can to meet their needs. To ask someone else how they are feeling and what they are doing. To try to be a nurturer instead of always being the one who asks for nurturing from others for yourself.

Being generous, smiling cheerfully at someone before they smile at you. Getting a smile in return because of your kindness and letting this smile nurture you, as you made someone else's day, you gave to another and so can be happy that you fulfilled someone's desires.

In The Psalms, it says "G-d will fill all of your heart's desires." As you fill the desires of those around you, G-d fills your desires, as you see happiness spreading like a bee who pollenates one flower after the other, and the result is a beautiful blossom and pure honey to sweeten your day.

THE MIRACLE OF THE ANGEL OF DEATH PASSING OVER ON PASSOVER

Passover Day One. The Angel of Death passed over us last night and we are living, alive for another Passover Holiday, another 8 days of eating the richest of viands, having manna raining upon us from the silver linings of the clouds that seat the golden and sapphire blue throne of G-d where He looks upon us with satisfaction evident in His smile, as we too smile after feeling the health and sustenance of eating our Passover Seders.

Eating feasts of kosher for Passover foods, no severed boar's heads, nothing of impurity as listed in The Bible as foods we cannot eat. Taking The Bible seriously, as a Book not to be disobeyed. Hence storms and death pass over our homes and we continue to thrive without floods. Blood being smattered onto our doorposts, the blood of the lamb, the animal of the lamb that was worshipped by the Egyptians who tried to force the Hebrew slaves to worship it too.

Never in the name of G-d, will we ever bow down to a lamb, and never worship any idol or image in the place of our one and only Almighty G-d of Abraham and Sarah, the one true G-d of the world, the only real G-d in existence. 

THE MIRACLE OF SWEET SONG AND A CONNECTION WITH HEAVEN

Being heard, talking using your voice box as a musical instrument, chanting as each word is pronounced, a constant wordy chant that causes the listener to be in a meditative state as she listens, word after word, sentences of ethicalness and loving-kindness, words of wisdom, words that do not mince, words like kisses in each sentence calming and gratifying the listener, having the listener be in song and in music as you accentuate and take her up and take her down.

Words as in a body touch, that encourage and that show love, show respect and show reverence, take her into a state of mind that she does not want to leave, to always be in this conversational state and to talk a person into a heightened spiritual state that takes her up Jacob's Ladder and she never falls down again.

Singing the words of the Siddur when you are not talking, using the beauty of the song to raise you into a heavenly state, when all talk is ended, the songs take over and you can hum and tap your foot, to have the songs be the thread from one moment to the next, as you sweetly sing yourself back into her arms again, to again show her what heaven on Earth is all about.

THE MIRACLE OF "CHAI" OF CONTINUED LIFE!

"The wise child asks the same question each year, again and again.
That is wisdom: To ask a question of perpetual wonder.
Even once it is answered, today is another Exodus. Today the wonder is renewed."
[Chabad.org]

The wise child. What question would a wise child ask over and over again, and get different answers each time and never really have that question sufficiently answered so he must ask it again and again?

The question I see in this regard, would be "Where is G-d?"

Today a prayer was answered, as I became cured of an incurable disease of which there is no cure. My prayer was answered and my friends' prayers for me were answered.

Diagnosed with Glaucoma the irregular eye pressure illness, it was cured after I received laser eye surgery 2 years ago on my right eye. My eye doctor today told me that if one has Glaucoma, it never goes away, but this laser surgery cured me of this incurable eye disorder.

So, where is G-d? G-d is in the hands of these physicians, and G-d is in my eyes, and G-d is all the beautiful colors I am able to see with my eyes. G-d is in my eyeglasses, as they enable me to see far distances.

Next year, the wise child will again ask "Where is G-d?" And again G-d may show Himself in the miracles of your life, as you may again live another year of health, without an illness that you thought was incurable, but that G-d was able to cure.

G-d is in the cures and in the sustenance of your life, He is the One Who deserves praise and thanks as He grants you another year as a living not deceased human, as we live to praise G-d and to thank Him for giving us continued life. As instead if we are deceased, we can no longer praise Him and we become just dust, so it is important to continue to live and to care for yourself to stay alive another year into a senior age.

Yes, where is G-d? He is in your ability to breathe breath after breath, as you stay alive for another moment to enjoy a life with others who are living.

Chai means life, and "l'chaim!" means To life! A good reason to live is so that you can celebrate another Jewish Holiday and then again another one with good cheer!

THE MIRACLE OF ENDLESS LOVE

"G‑d is so great, He stoops to listen to the prayer of a small child."
[Chabad.org]

A G-d Who you do not have to pay for, you do not have to hire G-d to meet your needs, you do not have to tip him or send him weekly checks, you do not have to ask for His attentions and then have to wait in a line for Him to help you.

You do not have to wonder if He hears you as you call and pray to Him, you do not have to take a number and wait for Him to get to you, you do not have to wonder if you are good enough or wealthy enough, or ethical enough, or healthy enough, for G-d to immediately come down from Heaven to nurture you.

G-d is always there for you on the spot, asap, immediately. He knows your prayers before you say them and is already at work answering them, making them into fruition.

When all else fails everywhere, when there is no one anywhere, nobody who listens or helps, it will be G-d Who will be there, and He will change everything for you because His love is the greatest of all loves. When your parents forsake you, He will not.

Face it, it is just Him and you against the world. No one else cares about you like He does. And no one will cause positive changes in your life the way He will.

Always know that you are not alone, whether you be childless, motherless, fatherless, a stranger, a widow or an orphan.

Just let go, let G-d.
 

THE MIRACLE OF CYBERSPACE

The miracle of a fast computer, obeys every command and at every click of the mouse goes to where you want it to be, at ease, with incredible speed, a computer with a keyboard that is slick and keen, having a mind of its own.

Lightening speed and thunderous ideas all brainstormed in a rainstorm of electrons and protons and neutrons pouring down from the sky, images appearing disappearing, changing colors, bright lights, endless templates in a cyberspace that has no beginning nor has an ending, endless, always zooming, always flying in an order of the orderly, a cyberspace that switches on or switches off, to be put to sleep on Saturdays.

Faster computers, faster than they have ever been before, obedient keyboards, typing like a pro, always having a busy right hand, Jerusalem has not been forgotten. No crashing of computers, not a need for a repair, tires on cars not becoming flat, roads that are clear and computers that respond.

Having someone a light year away, to not be there late, to be in contact remotely, to see someone in a video, to phone someone anyone with a hit of a few keys, to always be in the milieu, to have someone waiting for you on an iPhone.

A miracle of light, lightening flashes, a response only seconds away. News being delivered faster than it happens. Always in the know, even when not wanting to know.

Miracles of speed, faster than a speed of light, a Clark Kent superman in the touch of your fingers.

Ideas coming forth like waves of a lake, a lake of space, a cyberspace to make you feel connected, always connected to an intelligence that you can call your own.

A G-d of sorts inside your computer, controlling its speed and its crashes, to be blessed with free internet access, to be blessed to always have a G-d, a One G-d, a G-d Almighty, that you can feel on your speedy fingertips, as they type out a kind word, a blessing emailed in a second's time, a word to send that heals, that solves the problem.

Cyberspace as controlled by the Almighty, as a gift to us from G-d. Always connected, always being blessed.

THE HAPPINESS OF A PIZZA PARTY

Pizzas! Every type you can imagine, lots of different toppings and sauces, a creamy tomato sauce, some pizza with meat and some with vegetables, some with cheese and some with a thick bread crust and some thin.

Taking the wet soft dough of a pizza and extending it into a hot oven to bake, to broil the sauce and char the toppings, to see the dough rise like a seagull over a lake. Puffing and spreading out, taking up more space, becoming crunchy and delicious.

Melting cheese flowing off the dough onto the sides of the pan, more and more cheese, white cheeses and cheddar cheeses, a gift from the mammary glands of a cow. Pulling the cheese apart into chunks with your fingers, eating the strings as they stretch over the breaded crust. Cheese strings then snapping like a rubber band, making a slight sound.

Red sauces and lots of veggies mixed into it. Mushrooms, green peppers, spinach, black and green olives, a California style pizza, a pizza that is a Mediterranean pizza, a pizza with a flare like a Mexican fiesta pizza, lots of colors, lots of tastes.

Having more than your share, always to eat an extra piece, to not go away hungry, to be able to keep a kosher diet with kosher meats on the pizza or choosing just the veggie and cheese.

Being again invited to another pizza party next week, same time, same place, week after week, year after year. A pizza party where we can celebrate again and again, to always be sated, to always be full.

MAKING YOUR OWN MIRACLES

"Do you want to make miracles? It’s not so hard.
Let’s say you see someone’s faults and you truly want to help—whether it be a friend, a spouse, your child or even your nemesis.
Don’t say a word about what you have found wrong. Instead, find something wondrous about that person, perhaps something that nobody ever mentions. Talk about it—to yourself, and to those who will listen and sympathize.
In very little time, you will see such a new person, you will believe you are a maker of wonders.
Indeed, we all are." [Chabad.org]

Can we make a miracle ourselves and do it with the guidance of G-d using us as His instrument to do the creating? Can we see something that needs to change and we are guided with the intelligence that is needed to change it? They say to change the things we can and not to fret over not being able to change the things we cannot change. But what of a miracle to happen? A miracle that what seems like it will never change, does.

If we have an expectation from someone, something we wish would happen, to be expecting something out of a person, he will be more apt to deliver because we expect him to. If we expect negativity and comment on a person's ill words or actions, we are giving this person attention for negativity and so this will be all he knows. To change another person if we see that he needs to improve, we must congratulate him when he does well, and not to center our attentions on his faults.

To show someone love and positive attention when you see he is trying to overcome these negative traits and not to point out always when someone is wrong. To be kind and to ignore these negative traits of another and not to turn them against yourself and be distraught because of another's ill will.

Finding a way to cope, to see sunlight even in the rain, to feel warmth on your skin even outside in the snow. To find a way to say kind words to someone and to be the one to make their day.

THE MIRACLE OF SUSTENANCE

Never to hunger, not to want for food, manna raining in torrents, bread or matzos, wine or grape juice, green grapes or red grapes, white wine or red wine, plates always full, always enough food to go around, eating only the best of foods, eating all kosher foods.

Kosher foods coming in like spam emails, so much there is always enough, meats, chicken, beef, lamb, ground or steaks, never to eat a round meat, always from the front of the cow.

Snacks in abundance, chips, candies, chocolates, nuts, coming out of vending machines like lotto money won at a casino. Drop in a coin and reach into the vending machine and get candies pouring forth as a waterfall, Niagara Falls falling as sweets to sweeten a sour mouth.

Drinks to quench the thirst, not going thirsty, sweetened waters like Moses's wood that was thrown into the River Nile, his water gushing forth out of rocks, purifying at a lake, all natural waters, not to carry a speck of dust upon one's tongue, to be purified of all tumah, to be a single female, to be wearing all white clothes, to not carry a rash or have a blemish.

Being thankful for being provided, having a future in your life, meal after meal, day after day, prayer after prayer.

THE MIRACLE OF LIVING YOUR LIFE

Celebrating a day of life, chanting the Shehekeyanu and thanking G-d The Almighty for having been born, a day to celebrate, a day to live life to its fullest, having a birthday in less than one month away, given life from your mother's womb into a whole huge wide world and being blessed with many blessings from your Rabbi, as you again celebrate another birthday, a day to be gracious to G-d, to thank Him for Chai, for Life.

Being in with the living, taking each day as it comes, feeling the energy of those around you, giving you energy to be alive, moving your body parts, going to exercise classes, Yoga classes, stretching and pumping up your muscles, feeling alive, being in with the living, meshing and merging, singing in tune with your worship minyan, worshipping the Almighty G-d together, each as separate people, but to form a union of Oneness, a holiness of a group that becomes One, as G-d is One G-d and is not a trinity or a group of multiple gods, G-d is everything, and everything is united in One G-d's love and power that is there for everyone in the world.

Having a life that counts, as you are counted in a holy minyan to make a holy Ten, Ten Jews who are committed to the commandments that Moses decreed on his tablets as a gift from G-d that he brought down to us from Mount Sinai. Being up on top of the greatest mountain of all mountains! Having a life that counts and is valued, being a part of the whole, being honored and being loved, being a member of the Jewish community.

Thanking and always praising The Almighty for His gift to you of your life.

THE MIRACLE OF HAVING A CHOICE

"Today in Jewish History
• Earthquake Saves Roman Jews from Forced Conversion (1430)

The church and the government of Rome set Wednesday, March 6, 1430, as the day when all the Jews of Rome must convert or face death. On that day a great earthquake shook Rome and many of the archbishops and priests who conceived the decree were killed. Following the earthquake, Pope Martin V annulled the decree." [Chabad.org]

Just whisper a Hebrew word, have it on your tongue, see the Shema Prayer in your mind's eye, walk without tripping to the beat of a false god, being appreciative, thankful but not to any other god except the One Almighty G-d, do not shift your prayers to an alien god, keep looking forward, being righteous and not letting Him down, feel the miracle of having a choice, not being forced to worship any other god except the G-d of your choice, having a choice and taking the best choice, to worship the mightiest of all, HASHEM.

Having the miracle of a choice. Letting go and letting G-d. Knowing that history tells us of His miracles and that since you continue everyday to have a choice, G-d is performing again and again this miracle, a miracle to give us a choice to worship HASHEM and only HASHEM.

STRENGTH AND POWER

Lifting heavy exercise weights, body building, at a gym in a locker room with other strong body building females, breathing in the word Adonai and breathing out the word Yah, inhaling from strong lungs, never to touch a cigarette, lighting a flame for Shabbat and lighting one again for the Havdalah, round the clock exertion of our muscles, bending and stretching, yoga classes, turning walking into hiking, then climbing mountains, lava of wrath pouring and pumping from the mouth of a mountain, a volcano, to be slow to anger, to feed our children, to put them through school, even at our own expense of us not achieving a higher education, a choice, to have children or not to have children, birth control, abortions, we have a choice.

Holding a leather wrap, a bow of a gift, a tefillin in our hands and tying it tightly to our arm, blood restricted to flow even faster, a great overwhelming feeling of the power of G-d tied to our arms, securely firmly fit over our heads, the leather of a kosher cow, a muscle bulging under a leather box, a box containing the greatest prayer of all prayers, to listen for G-d, to hear G-d in the silence, to hum to His rhythm as we hear crickets rubbing their legs together in the night, to work in the daytime and to sleep at night, to be in with all the secrets of the mystics, to know the truths, to have The Torah as our guide, to have a G-d that belongs to everyone, but to be the only ones who own The Torah, never to give it up, to keep the miracles of G-d in our memory and to feel His miracles happening everyday every moment of the week, the miracle to have a roof over one's head in the rain, and to eat three kosher meals a day.

It was Deborah who led the largest strongest of all armies in the history of the world, and she won the fight.

RISING IN ACCOMPLISHMENT TO GREAT EXPECTATIONS

"Like all great Jewish leaders, it was Aaron’s feelings of inadequacy that truly made him fit for his role." [Chabad.org]

Truly looking up to the Divine for help in all that you do, to feel the shininess of G-d's great love for you even on a rainy day.

To walk in the rhythm of the Divine, as G-d leads you wherever you go and in whatever you do and say. Opening your mouth with words and having the Divine place the words of loving-kindness on your tongue. Never to be afraid to say the wrong words, as all your words are guided by Torah and G-d gives you the strength to talk or to remain silent. Sweet sounds of silence brought to you from the Divine, all sounds being pure sounds, noise all dissipating, only the sounds G-d wants you to hear are heard, a miracle to have peace even when in a noisy crowd.

Relaxed whether sitting or standing, words coming like the flow of pure mikvah waters having tastiness on your tongue of honey when none was swallowed, the taste in your mouth being pure, of the words of G-d that you learn in your Torah study, to be a malumud, an eternal student of The Torah, Prophets and Writings, to always be eager to learn, to then teach as your words become enlightened with the righteousness of your study.

To have words of wisdom bestowed upon you from G-d, as He teaches you to love, as He loves you and you then feel His great love and can then give it to others.

To always be surrounded by the great Love of The Almighty G-d of Abraham and Sarah.

THE MIRACLE OF FEELING THE LOVE OF GOD

A miracle does not have to be a big deal, a megillah or a big wow(!!!), we do not have to witness another splitting of the Red Sea or seeing a staff turn into a snake again, and we do not need to see a burning bush personally in our experiences to have as some kind of evidence to ourselves that there is truly an existence of G-d. We do not need to come into contact with G-d in any spectacular way, to believe He exists.

Having a friendship with a mortal, a trusting relationship, a loving relationship, to look into someone's eyes, and to see G-d in someone's face, is a real sure way we can know that G-d exists. To have someone to talk to about whatever you want to say, to have a person who listens and does not judge or try to change your mind, to have a person to confide your secrets with, to trust a mortal and not to be let down, to keep trusting in another if you are let down, to be persistent in friendships, to contact old friends and to keep in touch, even when you do not hear first from them. This persistence in doing mitzvoth, in keeping up contacts with friends and making new friends, and having trust in a best friend, is how we know that G-d is with us. We feel this unconditional love from G-d when we do the action of giving unconditional love to others, and when we get this love returned to us from these people, being friends or family.

It is a miracle to feel G-d, and to feel unconditional love, to feel trust. To have someone to talk to about everything that is on your mind. To feel G-d afterwards, as He continues your flames to burn, the warmth of your love for Him and for mortals.

This is how we can know and feel the love of G-d.

THE MIRACLE OF SHABBAT A DAY OF REST

A miracle, a flower budding. A miracle, a leaf on a tree sprouting. A miracle, to receive free internet access. A miracle, to write a Rabbi and to be in touch. A miracle, to eat all kosher foods. A miracle, to be invited to parties. A miracle, to be in a peaceful state of mind, to be welcoming the Shabbat on a Friday night, to lighten a flame to greet the Shabbat bride, to be in shelter not cold or not hot. To have a paycheck coming in regularly every month, to have all expenses paid, to have three regular meals per day all of kosher foods, to be a member of Jewish Temples and to receive the prayers from the Rabbis, to be blessed by a Rabbi, to be named by a Rabbi, to be able to go back to return to Judaism if ever tempted by another god, a true miracle.

A miracle to have a keyboard with a computer so to actually type with all fingers, to use a rubber ball in the palm to squeeze to build up hand muscles to type better, to be entertained twice a week in a Bingo game, to win a prize and to mail it to your family.

To have a holiday coming up, a Purim, a holiday that expresses anger towards a man named Haman who wanted to kill Jews and to express love for friends of Israel, a time to eat chocolate candy and to receive jewelry, a time to get coins, a time to chant Torah of The Book Of Esther.

The Book Of Esther, a Book in the Torah about a Jewish woman who with her bravery and chutzpah saves the lives of thousands of a community of Jews, and condemns a man of hatred to death. Not to be happy when an enemy dies, instead to be happy because thousands of Jews stay alive.

Dressing up in costume: dolls, wizards, dancers, cowboys, not scary costumes as on Halloween, not worshipping ghosts so there is no fear, costumes of good cheer, to disguise oneself to hide, and then to take off your mask and to be truthful, to be open, to live an honest life of disclosure, to have nothing to hide, nothing of which to be ashamed, "coming out" as a Jew.

Face paint coloring the faces of happy children, all the colors of the rainbow, not getting tattoos, skin as pure and blemish free as the sacrifices that were made to G-d, no rashes no spots, a face of a young child with young skin. A child held in the arms of her grandmother receiving nurturing from one who is wise in years.

Quietness with a contrast of lively Shabbat music, to pray with others, to pray alone. To always be in meditation to have peace in loud places where there are crowds.

To be grateful for another day, to praise and to thank G-d for all these attributes, to feel lucky as we feel blessed to be able to celebrate another Shabbat. Another day of rest.

MAILING PURIM GREETINGS CARDS TO OLD FRIENDS

Purim on its way! Being in touch with old friends, writing postal letters with greeting cards sent across the miles, remembering the good times, reconnecting, having the holiday Purim to mail someone your love, reliving old wonderful moments of them in your imagination, times with old friends, memories that stimulate joyousness, remembering her voice, singing with her, bowing with her to G-d at morning minyans.

Having had it all, joyousness everyday, every morning, wishing and praying for those great times to continue, nurturing relationships, praying again and again for more good times.

Postal mail greeting cards sent as a connection with the estranged, desiring person-to-person contact, wanting again to see her smile, hear her words, learn from her wisdom, the healing feeling of going to her with a problem and receiving her compassion, wisdom and understanding.

Not being able to erect old buildings once they are torn down, building new buildings with bricks that are too heavy to lift, relying on G-d to unite broken hearts.

To bring ease to communications, to cause memories to be alive again, words exchanged, prayers sung, passions ignited, old flames lighted, love becoming unconditional love, kindness that is never forgotten.

Having in your heart the knowledge of this great goodness, having had G-d nurture you when others no longer could, having prayed and having  prayers being answered, wishes coming true. Mingling our voices together as one sound, instead of separate as two.

Having one G-d, one singular almighty powerful good and kind G-d, our Savior, only and exclusively being the G-d of Abraham and Sarah.

THE MIRACLE OF A HELPING HAND

The miracle of special needs children learning aside their non-disabled companions, a child who excels in his craft and even with a disability is able to contribute greatly to society, to help to improve things for others, even when he has a deficit, a brain disorder, or blindness, or is confined to immobility because of not being able to walk, so is in a wheelchair or walks with a cane or walker.

These disabilities are to be overcome, to use one's brain to continue to learn, even when learning comes slower than to others, to try to walk, using one's muscles and stretching them, to not allow a walking disability to impair your functioning.

The elderly and disabled have much to contribute to society and are not just "burdens" in our world who must be sustained with our tax money. The tax money goes to improving the living situation of the disabled/elderly and this is the reason these people have the means to contribute to making the world a better place to live, for all people, for the non-disabled and young, for the disabled and elderly.

Traveling to a place of good will, a place of acceptance, a place where the elderly and disabled are respected and not caused to feel shame. To take shame and to convert it to pride, to be proud to take a first independent step out of a wheelchair, to then not be shamed when you need a wheelchair to assist you. To feel the greatness of our President Theodore Roosevelt as he gave his speeches from his place in his wheelchair. To go to rehabilitation services and not to feel shamed so you must keep it a secret, "only the fittest survive" as Darwin told us.

Not being able to admit your sicknesses, going to your employed job sick with a contagious infection because you do not have enough sick days left to pay for your absence. Pregnant women losing jobs because they do not have enough coverage for all the time they need off to take care of themselves and their soon-to-be baby. An elderly man losing his job because his hair turns white and so he is then thought to be unable to work as well as a younger man. Dying your hair to give an appearance of a reduced age, so you can keep your job or keep your house, to not be forced to stop driving a car because of your age. Applying for social security benefits and receiving them so must stop earning money on your own or you will lose your benefits. The benefits not enough to sustain you as a livelihood.

The miracle of a helping hand, to have support so you can be honest with someone about your needs, to seek the help of another and to receive it. One person giving another a helping hand. G-d reaching out to assist the caregivers, to bring them strength, to help those in need of help, and to help those who help them.