SUKKOT! Living in Tabernacles versus Booths

When I read of Sukkot, I come across many words:
Feast, Festival, Day.
Tabernacles, Shelters, Booths.
To me, so of these words seem to be more favorable than others.

Would you rather dwell in a tabernacle, a shelter, or a booth?
A tabernacle seems quite grand and beautiful, a shelter seems neutral and it can go either way. A booth does not seem all that cool. Would you want to tell your friends: "Hey! I live in a tabernacle. Come check it out!" Or rather, "Come see this booth I live in!"

Would you rather celebrate with a feast? Or a festival?

A feast seems more intimate. You would invite family and friends and people you love. A festival seems like a community gathering during which everyone celebrates the same event but in their own unique way.

Universal Unitarian= WOW!!!

http://www.uusm.org/

I found this to be incredibly impressive!

A Yom Kippur Entry

http://journals.utoledo.edu/maxwell/2011/10/05/look-fast-yom-kippur-ahead/

"Tremble, and do not sin.
Search your heart as you lie on your bed, and be silent. Selah."
-Excerpt from Ma'ariv for weekdays (part "Rigzu," taken from from Psalm 4, Koren Sach's Siddur)

VERY GOOD WORDS HERE.

Sin is anything that is not loving towards ourselves and others.
It is easy to forget and neglect quiet time for reflection.
This is one of the few ways to promote growth.
Deep concentration on our good and bad sides.
Regularly.

The Jewish New Year has officially rolled in. With the new calendar comes Yom Kippur, a time of reflection from the previous cycle up until this new cycle. New beginnings can be bitter sweet and scary. Change is stressful due to the unknown.

During Yom Kippur (Leviticus 23.26) we are instructed by some DOs and DON'Ts
DOs:
BE CAREFUL TO CELEBRATE IT
OBSERVE IT
Completely rest

HOWs?:
DENY OURSELVES
PRESENT SPECIAL GIFTS TO THE LORD
PERMANENTLY
FROM GENERATION TO GENERATION
From sundown of the 9th day-10th day of the same month of the Festival of Trumpets
(the 7th month)

DON'Ts:
Don't work
Don't work at all (EXCLAMATION MARK!)

SIMPLE ENOUGH. 
Enjoy yourselves!

More Multitasking

My Sample Schedule

Studies show that we are great at doing just one thing at a time.

I have noticed that the more work I do on the computer, the more likely I am to attempt multitasking.

If I am writing an article or researching a topic, in the process I tend to check my emails, browse other categories, google search any interest that pops into my mind...

THE TO-DO LIST HAS BECOME MY FRIEND!
THE TIMER HAS BECOME MY FRIEND.

It becomes a problem for me when I feel as if I have worked all week on tasks and I see little results.

For myself, I have found that it works to write down the tasks I want to do in order, including breaks for eating, bathroom breaks, and breaks to relax my mind.

See the sample of how I may choose to organize a day.

The Strategy of Success 1

http://www.lifelanguages.com/

 

"Set yourselves to work with a determination to get one [an education].

Do not wait for an opening; make one for yourselves.

Take hold of any small way that opens before you.

Be thorough and faithful in whatever you take in hand, however small it may be."

-EGW 

(From "Our Higher Calling").

See www.lifelanguages.com
Learn about KLLP Kendall Life Languages Profile.
and learn about successful communication.

The Strategy of Success 2

http://tallersanjose.org/about-us.php

See Walking young lives out of poverty.

The wording in the previous quote explains the many aspects of success.

Determination
Determination includes motivation, drive, and action. Sometimes we want things but we may not be willing to put in the work. There may not seem to be a benefit to it all. The END may not justify the MEANS.

With a determined mindset we first WANT something and we then DRIVE as a means of GETTING what we WANT.

Making an Opening
I recently did some woodworking on a small project of my own. Part of the project involved a power drill.

For a first-timer, drilling can be a challenge. Sometimes the drilled holes will be crooked. Sometimes the holes are too small. Other times the holes are too large for what you may need. You don't want a screw to fall through the hole. You need the ridges of the screw to catch the border of the wood so that whatever it is holding will stay in place.

I learned to make a PILOT HOLE with a smaller drill bit. This helped to guide the larger bit. And once the hole I needed was in place, I could then use the OPENING for whatever I intended to do with that area of the wood. [I could insert a string, a screw, or use the opening as just one small area to create a larger effect (such as a gear or mechanical portion of the project)].

But without that hole, without the opening, you cannot move forward. The opening must be there for either small plans (such as a simple screw) or large plans (such as a proposed movable part).

Get it? The same is true in life. Without the opening, we cannot do what we want. If there is no position available, we must make a PILOT HOLE. Make a very small route. Create a path for the direction we wish to pursue.

IT IS OF COURSE A LARGE TASK OVERALL. But no one can expect for something to come out of nothing.

Thorough and Faithful
Doing work is one thing.
Doing work RIGHT is something completely different.
Have you ever helped someone move a large piece of furniture?
We all know what it feels like to KNOW that we are the one doing all the hard work!

WHY IS MY END SOOOOO HEAVY? We have 4 people carrying this large couch... I FEEL LIKE I AM CARRYING THIS THING ALL BY MYSELF!!!

...being present, taking your load, being meticulous and paying close attention to detail, fixing even minor glitches. This is being thorough. Not just making "face time" but also doing the amount of work you are responsible for, taking responsibility for your own tasks, predicting possible outcomes and preventing errors before they happen, editing and fixing the work before it is turned in,

... being truthful, honest, and reliable... this is being faithful. Not doing "dirty dealings," no ripping people off, telling the truth about a product, showing up when you should and not making excuses.

Punk Torah: Friendly Online Indie Jewish Temple- CHECK EM OUT!

www.punktorah.org

www.punktorah.org

www.punktorah.org
Here is a very great open minded view of a reading, for anyone interested. It is from Parshah Devarim (the beginning of Deuteronomy).

Watch! http://oneshul.org/battling-corruption-parsha-devarim/

This talk I posted is from Punk Torah. You can view their website, blog, and YouTube channel which is an open service to anyone open and interested in the Jewish faith and learning Torah in a free environment, regardless of race, color, or creed, or identity. I like that they are accessible and non judgmental. They are there as a teaching and learning community especially for people who may feel like outsiders in a traditional synagogue/ shul/ temple. I would strongly recommend this site for those interested in Judaism and Jewish spirituality.

Punk Torah has many free seforim (books). You can get a siddur (prayer book) which is easy to read. You can find prayers, benchers for meals, and entire services for holy days and sabbaths.

VERY awesome learning tools.

I know of many LGBTQ and others who are interested in the Bible. This is one of the first religious and spiritually focused sites that I have come across that I would actually tell people that they should feel free to approach. They do not discriminate, and they are there for the good of spreading light and do not ignore the realities of life, but they are not focused on using knowledge of the Bible and standings to control people or to put them down.

I give them two thumbs up! I love that this site is approachable. So anyone who was interested in this, I said I would post it... HERE IT IS!!! www.punktorah.org