Rookie on the Field

Well I'm joining the ranks of the blog world. My trial run here may be an indicator of future posts ... maybe not. Basically, I'm quite fascinated by the fact that so many people are doing blogs, etc. these days. I'm guessing it will be like text messaging - it seems unappealing until you try it.

So I'm at the synagogue the other day, and Rabbi points out how many comedians are Jewish. Groucho Marx, Jerry Lewis, Rodney Dangerfield, Jerry Seinfeld, Adam Sandler, and CARROT TOP! So many others I've forgotten already. It's giving me hope that as I become more Jewish then I'll be funnier. I'm not sure why it's so appealing to be funny. Humor must originate in Hashem, yet humor seems to be left out in His Word. Instead we find irony ... like when Isaiah ran around naked for awhile. It's so unusual that nervous laughter seems to be the response. Also, I don't particularly care for the reference to Psalm 2 when people declare that He laughs ... as in humor. That's obviously a mocking laugh at wicked people.

Anyhow, it's autumn now which means lots of yard work. I don't mind because summer and winter and not times for being outside. So whether it's mowing in the spring or leaves in the fall ... I like getting back outside. I just finished tilling the dirt in a few sections of my yard to help with proper drainage away from the foundation of the house. Power tools are usually good times, plus Harrison was helping out. I was able to explain that we do our work well in order to glorify G-d, creating a place where He would like to live. He seemed to understand ... and he seemed to finish his work without getting distracted or complaining. Baruch Hashem! The other day he initiated a conversation about how happy he was with the way our relationship was going ... very sensitive for a 10 year old.

Noah is getting more fun to play with also. He laughs when you tickle him now, and he smiles almost any time you try to get him to. We're looking forward to raising him up as a mighty warrior. The other day I told him, "You have no idea how blessed you are to be born into this family." I really believe that. Sometimes when he's crying, I tell him, "It's really not that bad. You have a great life."

Finally, my latest discovery is that you have to replace sin with righteousness. Up until recently, I knew that confessing sin was the right first step. After that though, what does a righteous lifestyle look like? For some reason the tradition I was raised in never supplied enough clarity behind this. Yet the lifestyle we are learning at synagogue is defining reality in a way that is DIFFERENT ... yet makes sense. For example, somebody recently said that anybody can learn some answers and provide them to other people, but learning to ask questions is a true skill. Not only is this true, but I think it's part of living a righteous lifestyle. It's much more effective, and it's a lot more fun also. You have to really think before you speak, but it's a lot more fun because of the challenge. Then you get to watch them wrestle ... otherwise they just dismiss what you said as "someone's opinion."

Well that's all for now. Shalom.