Posted on September 25, 2016
by MJ
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The Jewish New Year is fast approaching. In the Jewish calendar, the month before Rosh Hashanah is called Elul. In Jewish thought and tradition, the month of Elul is considered to be a time when God is “in the field”. He is to be…
Category: Faith, forgiveness, God, Judaism, personal development, RedemptionTags: atonement, Elul, Faith, forgiveness, God, healing contemplation, Judaism, making amends, Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur
Posted on July 22, 2016
by MJ
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I wrote this post six years ago on this very blog. I woke up this morning and thought that it might be worth re-posting just in case someone needed to read it: It is no secret that the past few weeks have been difficult….
Category: Community, encouragement, Evangelical church, Faith, God, HealingTags: encouragement, Faith, God, healing process, restoration, trauma, truth
Posted on April 24, 2016
by MJ
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We are in the middle of celebrating Passover. That means lots of matzo. If you’ve ever eaten matzo, then you’ll notice that it gets on everything. I have crumbs everywhere. It is the perfect food for fairy tales and getting lost in the woods….
Category: Faith, God, Judaism, personal development, RedemptionTags: dialectical tension, encouragement, Faith, God, matzo, Passover, personal empowerment, slavery vs. freedom
Posted on March 10, 2015
by MJ
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Where does resiliency come from? I don’t know. I’ve read that it comes from a sense of being loved. Early in life, if a child senses that they are loved by at least one person, then they will have some kind of resiliency in…
Category: encouragement, Faith, God, Healing, Moving Forward, prayerTags: encouragement, God, personal God, prayer, Psalms, resiliency
Posted on January 11, 2015
by MJ
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What’s it like to read the same story over and over again and know the ending? Children seem to love this. My daughters each had a favorite story that they insisted I read them repeatedly. Each time I read it they were wide-eyed with…
Category: Christianity, encouragement, Faith, God, Healing, Jesus, Moving Forward, RedemptionTags: Christianity, Faith, feeling abandoned, God, grief, healing process, journeying with God, personal God, restoration
Posted on January 10, 2015
by MJ
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I have learned something about getting on with life. There’s no easy way to do it, and there’s no good time to do it. What’s more, there is absolutely no pain-free way to do it either. Hollywood has played a bigger role in our…
Category: abuse in families, Christianity, encouragement, Faith, God, Healing, Moving Forward, relationshipsTags: "happy ever after" mentality, Christianity, encouragement, God, healing process, judgment in the church, magical thinking, personal responsiblity, religion, suffering
Posted on December 22, 2014
by MJ
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We are right in the middle of the holiday season. Hanukkah is here. Christmas Eve is the day after tomorrow. Kwanzaa begins on Friday. These are holidays that involve gathering with communities and families. Because of that, the holiday season can be a much…
Category: Christianity, encouragement, Faith, forgiveness, God, Healing, Judaism, relationshipsTags: Christianity, encouragement, forgiveness, God, healing process, Judaism, judgment in the church, reconciliation