Summer is coming

This is for SEP

The summer is quickly approaching. Are we ready to protect ourselves against the internal wars that are bound to jump within us?

I find that the summer is a time when the yetzar hara tries very hard to grab us. The weather is warm, or hot. Schools are closed. People are usually out and free, having a good time. I see it as a period where lust is increased and skin is flaunted, the protection of winter air leaves.

I don't want to leave my house. Not because it's hot and I'm wearing my long skirt and long sleeve shirt. But because of the sights that jump out at me in the street disturbs me and cause me great discomfort.

(I'm a girl and i can't imagine what affect the atmosphere has on guys. :-( )

So i feel like i must protect myself before the summer comes. I know that it's gonna come and that there are things that i can and must to do guard myself against the yetzar haras planned attack.

I think that it's necessary for me to do something extra. What ever small thing i decide to add will be done every day, and therefore stand as a constant reminder that it's the summer and i need to be extra careful. It doesn't have to be anything big. Something that makes a big enough difference in my day, just by doing it, to stand as a reminder.

That is what i hope to do to protect and guard myself against the summer. There are many enticing things that pop up. Like going down to one of the many beaches i have near my house or bike riding along the sea wall. I'm sure that everyone has their own tivout that spring up, as well, when more leisure time is added to their day. I hope that H' will help us to be matzliach in protecting ourselves and growing during this frightening time.

I miss music

I'm sitting here at the computer and i REALLY wanna tune in and listen to my music. BUT.... it's sefira and I CAN"T. I didn't even bring my ear buds with me cause they're attached to my mp3, which only have 'real' music on it so i don't cary it around with me.

I'm feeling the affects, of lack of, that music has. I just thought i'd remind everyone that it is a big influence in our behavior, throughts, and actions. That is why it's VERY important that people are careful with what they allow themselves to listen to. B'h, as least i have acapela when i get home.

I hope everyone's faring well. Good luck singing on qui!

Rosh Chodesh Iyar.

It's coming soon., Tuesday night.
It is known that Nissan is a zeman for geula because this is when we were taken out of mitzriam. Lets define that term geula, revelation:

1. Depending on ones situation, geula can be understood as the removal from a 'bad' situation to a 'good' situation. As in, one is physically taken out of a negative situation and 'redeemed'.
2. Geula can mean clarity or 'ciata d'shmia'- Divine assistance that enhances clarity of a situation or 'reveals' to a person how the person should react to the given situation.
3. Geula can be interpreted as the verb to overcome. When one has passed a test in life or overcome a challenge.

These are a few of the definitions that come to my mind when i think about geula and it's affect on my life. Regardless on your interpretation of the word, Nissan is a chance for us to grow and overcome a lot of the difficulties present in you life. We have just a bit longer until this immense Koach departs and we are greeted by the month of Yyar. Until then we should try to use this zeman to improve our service to HaShem.

I wish us hatzlach in the refinary of our tefila and personal midout during this time and the continuous future. May our teffilot be answered to allow us to be zochei geula!

Sefirat Homer

Hello. I hope that everyone is doing well and who ever is taking exams or midterms does well and remembers all the necessary information during the examination. I'd like to talk about sefirat haomer.
It was just last week when we finished pessach and continued counting the sefira. To me, it seems as though there was higher spiritual potential during pessach then there is now. Unlike most, i felt down after pessach as a result of this shift. I know I'm wrong in this prospective and I'll explain myself below.
We are told that during pessach haShem gives us the ability to leap madregot/spiritual levels/ regardless of our previous position on the ladder. Just as He "skipped" over us in mitzraim and only killed the first born mitzrim, so too does He NOW gives us the ability to jump, once again, while He holds our hand.
But there's a catch in the system. Because it's compulsory that we have stable footing that is strong enough to maintain our position on the ladder, we must go back during sefira and fill the gap we just jumped over. We need to make sure that everything up to level x was accomplished and we are now strong enough to remain on level x and keep moving upward.
For example: One didn't have the will power to start keeping shabbat and during pessach he resolved to start and it is because haShem is holding him up that he is able to maintain that level of observance, even though he's not spiritually ready. Once pessach ends haShem SLOWLY puts the person down and he or she is supposed to work on attaining the level that was jumped to during pessach.
I hope I'm making myself clear. There's another positive result of this ''jumping session. If i see that i have done something once, then i believe that i can accomplish it again. So, if I've already kept shabbat a few times during pessach (this is just an example) then I'll have confidence that i can keep it again in the future. HaShem is giving us this confidence to reach new levels by showing us that WE HAVE and CAN continue to maintain that level of kadusha.
It is our responsibility to work on ourselves and take this opportunity that haShem is giving us leap and bound forward. HaShem has carefully mapped out this time period of sefira, showing us what can be worked on when and how much can be accomplish but putting one foot in front of the other. Baby steps is all it takes.
OK, be well and i hope you enjoyed and that i was clear enough in my explanation. If there are any questions or comments PLEASE post and i will respond or try to clarify my words. Good luck.

Fasten Your Seatbelt and WAIT

I regretably admit that until Monday i was will be COMOPLETELY unavailible. Until 1pm on that day i will be studying and taking exams. After that time i plan to write a very nice post ( or a few posts) about freedom or the omer, or anything. I hope that you can wait until then cuase i GOT GO STUDY. Wish me luck. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel.

http://www.everythingcarz.com/images/Mustang_Orange_Flame_Seatbelt_Belt.jpg

But don't just sit in the rain either. (Though i'd love to since i love rain.) "the sun will come out...." just not tomorrow.

http://www.area-56.de/chapter56/uploaded_images/sp_0368_waiting_for_the_sun-761881.jpg

I love this pic, it makes me want to splash in puddles. Though I don't know why he's so upset. I LOVE the rain. That's why i came back to Vancouver ;-)

Ok I"M ramboling. Be well everyone and hold on tight! Cause when I'll start posting again there might be a flood.

(Very ambiguous statment there :P)

Freedom

http://www.desktop-meditation.com/images/meditate-on-freedom.jpg

Freedom. The word means many different things to many different people. But for us, during pessach, the definition narrows down. I think of two main definitions during pessach.

1. A time where we should unlatch our previuos sins from our present actions. When we should no longer do what has become a bad habit. We have the ability to disassociate ourselves with our past middeeds and concentraite ONLY on the good.
2. Freedom from the goyim. It is a time when HaShem WANTS us to be separate from the goyim and HIS nation. We are ment to act and think as HE wants us to . Not in accordance with the goyims perspectives and ideals.
3. ( I know is said two but here's a thrid) The ablity to JUMP. Sefirat haomer has started and we're able to jump as high as we want antil pessach ends and then work our way up there, step by step, during the rest of sefira.

Maybe i should write a newpaper called:

http://www.anarkismo.net/attachments/aug2006/freedom.gif

ops, someone has already ;-)

http://www1.istockphoto.com/file_thumbview_approve/27486/2/istockphoto_27486_freedom.jpg

We aren't stuck and locked behind our habits. We have the ability to change and be who we're supposed to be. Every situation that we find ourselves in allows us to work on this and come out closer to our goal.

Especially during pessach and sefira, we're given the gift of BECOMING the reflection we see in the distant past. The person we HOPE to be in the FUTURE. We can become that person today, now. We have the ablility to try on those positive behaviors that didn't fit last year. We can start shedding our ragged clothing for royal garments that belong to the princesses we truely are.

It is not only a time for anti chametz inthe physical sence:

http://www.weirdnewstoday.com/uploaded_images/fruitcake-freedom-725886.jpg

Or and opertunity to lose or gain weight. We are supposed to reflect the physical to the spiritual and internalize the process as food for our neshama.

I know I haven't been very clear, since these ideas are very broad and abstract in my mind. I appologize and ask that and quiestions be made in the comment box. Thanks. I hope you were able to read inbetween my words and understand what i'm really trying to say.