Gail-Friends: Solar Eclipse

Showing posts with label Solar Eclipse. Show all posts

Thursday, August 31, 2017

Thankful Thursday - Everything...Just Everything

As we've watched the devastating news about Hurricane Harvey this week, my heart has ached for the victims of all the floods. I've been through many hurricanes here in Florida, but have never been through flooding. We're praying for those in Texas and Louisiana, and are preparing donations to help.

Seeing all these people have lost has intensified my gratitude for every little thing we're blessed with. . . a roof over our heads, food to eat, clean water to drink, ice, my bed and pillow, my bathroom, my phone, my car, sunshine, hospitals, grocery stores, drug stores. . . everything . . . just everything.

Just think of losing every thing. . . your home and everything in it, your car, employment, public transportation,communication through your cell phone. Everything . . . just everything material that is.

I've been encouraged to see those with faith speak of trusting in God and being thankful for their family's making it out alive. Times like these can really bring out the best in people.

I've also been thankful for the ones who are helping . . . rescuing victims, taking food and water to the shelters, opening businesses and churches as shelters. I even saw a woman singing Amazing Grace in a shelter. She said she just wanted to bring them some encouragement and comfort and to make them smile. What a blessing, right?

Here are some other things I'm grateful for this week:

We dedicated a beautiful baby girl to Hashem at the synagogue this month (see her photo above). Her name is Jeanette Gail. Isn't she gorgeous? She was really rockin' that animal print headband.

Rabbi Jem with the parents, grandparents, and Jeanette's two brothers. Don't those two little boys look like living dolls? Every week, they run in with arms wide open to give me and Rabbi big hugs. I wish you could see how well behaved they are in the service. They pay close attention to Rabbi, and when he asks a question, they answer. They even get it right sometimes. Their ages are three and four - amazing! I'm thankful for parents and grandparents who teach their little ones to honor Adonai.

I spotted a beautiful, rare swallowtail in the Golden Cottage Garden, and was so thankful to have my camera.

And enjoyed the glorious blooms around Golden Pond. Jemima Puddle Duck did, too.

the boys putting together a wooden race car

Our grandson is now wearing glasses. He really likes them. He said things aren't fuzzy any more.

We were thankful to see the effect of the solar eclipse in our driveway. The crescent shapes are the sun's light filtering through the tree in our front yard.

Cool, huh?

We discovered a caterpillar on our garage door. Our grandson inspected it closely. About a week later, it turned into a black and gold butterfly. Jem saw it emerge, but it happened so fast he couldn't get the camera. Now, every time he sees a similar type butterfly he says, "I think that's him!"

It's been two weeks full of gratitude here at the Golden Cottage. What are you thankful for this week?

Thankful Thursday is my day to focus on and be thankful for all the good things in my life.
~ ~ ~ ~
I sometimes share my posts with these friends:

Spiritual Sundays GRAND Social Modest Mom Monday Link-up The Art of Homemaking Mondays
BLOGGING GRANDMOTHERS LINK PARTYTitus 2 Tuesday TITUS TUESDAYS @CORNERSTONE CONFESSIONS Share Your Cup Wednesday Wordless Wednesdays Classical Homemaking Link-Up Favorite Things Home and Garden Thursday at Delightsome Life Paula's Weekend No Rules Blog Party Friendship Friday

Monday, August 21, 2017

Thoughts on Elul and the Solar Eclipse

On Monday August 21, 2017 as the Hebrew month of Elul begins, all of North America will witness an eclipse of the sun. The last time America saw a solar eclipse was in 1979. For approximately three hours the moon will pass between the sun and the Earth, blocking all or part of the sun from a given location.

For those who will be in the path of ‘totality’ it will appear to them for a few minutes that the light of the sun has disappeared. Even though we can’t see the sun during an eclipse, we know that it is still there. Similarly, there are times in our lives when the meaning and purpose in our lives isn’t visible to us, but it is still there waiting for us to see it.

Similar to the period right after three minutes of total darkness, when God moves the moon and reveals once again the powerful light of the sun, Elul is a special time when He makes it easier for us to rebuild our relationships and forge a deeper spiritual connection with Him.

Often we look for meaning outside of ourselves, but a meaningful life is really a mindset that we need to work on developing every day. There are three steps we can use to develop this mindset. The first step is believing that each of our lives has a purpose even if we aren’t yet sure what that purpose is.

We need to know that each of us is called to something just like we know that the sun is still shining behind the moon. Reconnecting with our faith that our lives matter and that our roles within this world are significant is the foundation of a meaningful mindset.

The second step to develop a meaningful mindset is recognizing that what ultimately makes our lives meaningful is giving to others and using our gifts to contribute to the world. When we make the meaning of our lives solely about our needs, we will find ourselves stuck in a dead end. Adding value to the lives of others is what opens up new opportunities and reveals to us different levels of meaning in our lives.

And the third step is realizing that happiness is not a goal that we can directly achieve, but instead it is often the result of living a meaningful life. Dr. Viktor Frankl, author of Man’s Search for Meaning, taught us that there are three things that give meaning to our lives: first, a project; second, a significant relationship, and third, a redemptive view of suffering. Happiness isn’t something that we can pursue; it must ensue from these three life areas – devoting ourselves to a higher cause, creating meaningful connections with others and seeing the pain and the obstacles in our lives as stepping stones to growth.

The Kotzker Rebbe said: “People are accustomed to look at the heavens and to wonder what happens there. It would be better if they would look within themselves, to see what happens there.”
In Elul we have the chance to look within ourselves and to find the gifts within us that are hiding behind the shadow of life’s distractions. This month is the time to learn from the lesson of the eclipse: the light has been here all along, waiting for us to see it and use it to grow."

Please note this statement : This article is from www.chabad.org

The content in this page is produced by Chabad.org, and is copyrighted by the author and/or Chabad.org. If you enjoyed this article, we encourage you to distribute it further, provided that you do not revise any part of it, and you include this note, credit the author, and link to www.chabad.org. If you wish to republish this article in a periodical, book, or website, please email permissions@chabad.org.

~ ~ ~ ~
I sometimes share my posts with these friends:

Spiritual Sundays GRAND Social Modest Mom Monday Link-up The Art of Homemaking Mondays
BLOGGING GRANDMOTHERS LINK PARTYTitus 2 Tuesday TITUS TUESDAYS @CORNERSTONE CONFESSIONS Share Your Cup Wednesday Wordless Wednesdays Classical Homemaking Link-Up Favorite Things Home and Garden Thursday at Delightsome Life Paula's Weekend No Rules Blog Party Friendship Friday

Sunday, August 20, 2017

Thoughts on the Solar Eclipse

Image result for solar eclipse images public domain

source: Google Public Domain

When a pnehomenan like this occurs, people often become afraid. Others immediately attempt to make money from it, including TV preachers. Shame on them. I found this article on Aish.com today and thought it was good to share.

by Rabbi Benjamin Blech

The world will soon be witness to one of the most spectacular events in the universe.

On August 21 the sky will suddenly go dark in the middle of the day. The temperature will noticeably drop by many degrees in a few short moments. Birds will stop chirping and flee back to their nests. And millions of Americans will gather under the heavens, from Oregon to South Carolina, to view the first total solar eclipse to cross America in many decades.

It is an awesome spectacle – and throughout history, in many eras and in countless cultures, its occurrence was fraught with fear and consternation. For those who lacked the scientific knowledge to understand the temporary darkness due to the coverage of the sun by the overlapping of the moon, superstition bred many myths and fanciful folklore. The very word eclipse comes to us by way of old French from the Greek for abandonment or forsaking – as if the sudden darkness expressed divine displeasure so severe that God chose to temporarily remove the gift of his presence.

How do Jewish sources view a solar eclipse?

At the very beginning of the Torah, Jewish biblical commentators find a direct allusion to the phenomenon of an eclipse: “And God said, ‘Let there be luminaries in the expanse of the heavens … and they shall be for signs and for appointed seasons and for days and years’” (Genesis 1:14). What is the meaning of “for signs”? The classical commentary of Rashi tells us this refers to the times when the luminaries are eclipsed – and “this is an unfavorable omen for the world”!

Does that mean that we ought to now be very afraid?

Remarkably, Rashi concludes his commentary with a reference to words from the prophet Jeremiah: “… As it is said ‘And from the signs of the heaven be not dismayed, etc’ (Jeremiah 10:2) When you perform the will of the Holy One, blessed be He, you need not fear retribution.”

If an eclipse is a prediction of imminent divine punishment, as Rashi inferred from the verse, why would Rashi immediately negate that very idea with a quote advising us not to be dismayed or fearful of heavenly signs? The answer is profound and rooted in the supreme importance Jews attach to the concept of free will, the ability of mankind to directly affect their destiny by virtue of their self-chosen actions. The concept of Greek fate runs counter to Jewish thought; fate can be altered by faith. As the High Holy Day formula puts it, “Repentance, prayer, and charity override the evil decree.”

It's a moment that reminds us of God’s awesome power and goodness.

An eclipse may be an omen but it is not a verdict or a final judgment. It is a moment in time which serves as a reminder of God’s awesome power and goodness. Without the benefit of the sun, its light, its warmth, its power, its energy and its role in the solar system, we could not survive for a moment. That is why, with infinite wisdom and at preordained times on the calendar, God removes us from its rays for the briefest of times so that we might reflect on the miracle of its otherwise constant presence which we so readily take for granted. It is that which the Torah refers to as “a sign.”

A sign asks us to take note. It has a message. Fail to heed it and suffer the consequences reserved for those who take God’s gifts which make life possible for granted. It is not hard to believe that the Creator of the universe built signposts predicated on natural law as ongoing reminders for mankind.
The awesome message of an eclipse and its meaning for us has a remarkable parallel to a universal Jewish custom.

It is extremely important, NASA and other experts tell us, that we cover our eyes and not look directly at the sun when it happens. Failure to heed this counsel could lead to blindness. I cannot help but think of the very same admonition to cover our eyes when we recite the Shema. At the moment when we contemplate God’s uniqueness and greatness we indicate that His splendor is beyond the capacity of our vision; to think we truly see His essence with the limited perspective of our eyes is to be blind to the reality of His infinite magnificence.

The eclipse reminds us of a universe so much vaster than our ability to fully comprehend. Don't fear it, rather welcome it as a sign, as the Psalmist King David reminded us, that “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork”(Psalms 19:1).

Please note this statement about this article from www.chabad.org