A Family Integrated Business?

Nuts and Bolts of the Family Business Conference, July 20-21, 2012

Last week we went to an AME Conference (Apprentice, Mentor, Entrepreneur) called Nuts and Bolts of the Family Economy. The conference was geared toward equipping and encouraging families interested in establishing a family business.

In some of the a family businesses they worked together out of their homes. Fathers work at home leading their families while simultaneously mentoring their own children. The children learn a trade from the best teachers that they could ever have, their parents.

What a radical idea! Instead of sending our children off to college (where they can be brainwashed by secular professors), why not teach them while they’re young how to start their own businesses? Why not give them real world experience learning an actual trade and save thousands of dollars? One speaker proposed the idea that if children start working by the age of six, they will potentially be ready to start a business by sixteen. If a young man starts a business by sixteen he could, potentially, be ready for marriage by twenty-one because he will have a viable income. Actually, there were a few young men at the conference who did this. One started his first business at thirteen.

I found it interesting that every speaker that I saw quoted the same verse from the Shema:

“You shall teach them [the commandments of God] diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up.” – Deuteronomy 6:7

And most of the speakers backed up their points using the Torah. One speaker quoted Deuteronomy 5:13,14:

“Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath of the Lord your God;”

His point was this: God gave us six days to work, not five. So, if we worked for six days, we would have more income and we could get ahead. Moreover, if we worked for six days, how much more would we appreciate the Sabbath?

Another speaker quoted the other half of Deuteronomy 5:14:

“…in it [Shabbat] you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter or your male servant or your female servant or your ox or your donkey or any of your cattle or your sojourner who stays with you, so that your male servant and your female servant may rest as well as you.”

His point was this: Who’s doing the work? You (the papa and mama), the son, the daughter, the male and female servant, and the sojourner. Could this be a picture of a family business? Could a family business be Biblical? Could moving toward a multigenerational business be the next natural step after homeschooling and being part of a multigenerational community of faith?

Another great point that I took away from the conference was this:

“In a family business, don’t consider yourself a business owner only but a discipler of people!”

Your children and your employees will be your disciples. That is such a great idea and that's what it's all about anyway—right? Making disciples like the Master commanded us?

AME is somehow related to CHEC (Christian Home Educators of Colorado) so all the speakers are coming from a homeschooling perspective. The more I thought about it all, the more I realized that this ‘family economy’ movement was bound to happen. I see it like this—as home schooled children graduate high school, parents start to ask themselves "What’s next for my son or daughter? College or a Job?" Either way, they will be trained, taught, or mentored by someone else. So who are these teachers or employers? What beliefs do they have? What is their relationship to our God and Messiah? Yeshua said:

“A pupil is not above his teacher; but everyone, after he has been fully trained, will be like his teacher.” - Luke 6:40

Has this been your experience? It was for me. In college, students began to mimic their favorite professors; they used their favorite phrases and adopted their philosophies. At a first job, employees try to emulate their bosses; they learn their tricks of the trade and start to use their terminology. It happens just like the Master said—the pupil will, inevitably, be like his teacher. Who is teaching your adult children?

I wanted to share this to challenge your thinking and remind and encourage you that, as disciples of Yeshua, we will be counter culture. The things that we do will not always look like the rest of the world; and that's okay. We should be okay with this. We should get used to this and help our children to get used to it too.



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Getting Back In The Swing

As a bi-vocational pastor (i.e., having a fulltime job in addition to overseeing a congregation) I've seen a pattern in the ebbs and flows of 'busy seasons' especially around the Moedim. This year, however, after Shavuot the busyness seemed to increase and hold at a steady, accelerated pace. I take this as an indication of a number of things: 1) my children are getting older, 2) our community is growing, 3) business is picking up.

As my children get older I have noticed that each of them are requiring more and more one-on-one interaction. This takes time and effort, which I will gladly give. The conversations are getting deeper, the questions are more thoughtful, and the bike rides are getting longer! There's nothing that can compare to spending time with my family.

As our community grows it requires more attention too. Delegating tasks is now a necessity if I'm going to get anything done, namely prepare a message for Shabbat. God continues to send folks our way and folks continue to step up to serve. We will be appointing deacons in the next month or so. This is an exciting step in the development of our community and an indication of the blessings of God on this local body.

Being in the HVAC business for the past few years I've come to understand the 'busy seasons' in this industry as well. When the weather gets warmer, the phone begins to ring off the hook. Thankfully we are gainfully employed with service and maintenance calls to businesses all over the Metro Denver area. Although I'm not a service technician and sit at a desk, I still feel the increase of work in our shop. Thank God for the heat!

Although I haven't made a blog entry over the past month and a half, I haven't been short of topics to write about, just the time to do it. There have been many things that I've wanted to address or comment on, but because more and more topics keep popping up every week, I may never get back to those thoughts. Oh well, I'll just keep moving forward and try to get back in the swing of things.



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Marveling at God's Creation

We climbed as high as we could to get the best view.

Yesterday we spent the day in Boulder. We passed Chautauqua Park and drove up Flagstaff Road a ways. We found a nice place to park and get out and hike around. Although we live in Colorado and we've spent some time in the mountains, I couldn't help but notice how the children were in awe of their surroundings. The trees, the large rocks, the mountains and the altitude we had climbed. It made them laugh and sing, run and play. They marveled at God's creation and they enjoyed it. They explored the rocks and surveyed the land and when it was time to go, they didn't want to leave.

This made me consider my response to God's creation. When we first moved here from Texas, Margaret and I couldn't get enough of the mountains. Often, I'd pull over on the side of the road just to gaze at the front range. Today, however, it's not uncommon for me to go a whole day without even glancing over at the mountains. I pray that the Father keeps me in awe of His wonders and that I do not take them for granted. I don't want to become numb to the world around me. I want to be more intentional to give Him thanks and praise for the creation He made for us.

Below is a 1977 video that puts into perspective all of God's creation. Keep in mind it is not a faith-based video and it's not the latest in computer animation technology. This is a video that I saw as a child and then again in college. I hope it helps you to marvel at the world around us and at our own bodies which were fearfully and wonderfully made by God.

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A Cure for Cabin Fever

Miryam (7), Isaac (9), and Aaron (5) exert a little energy.

I had to get these three out of the house this morning in an attempt to cure their cabin fever. They've been cooped up for about a week and needed to exert a little energy. Aaron's been wanting to show us, for the past year, that he knows how to get to the church on foot, so we thought we'd give him a shot. For a five year old kid, he's got a pretty good sense of direction. Here are some shots of our walk to the church and then back home again. Click on the photos for a larger view.

First stop, the bunch of trees down the street.
It's a great place for photos in the fall. We're a bit late.

This is a great open space to watch the sun set.
It's up on a hill; great view of the mountains.

From the top of this hill you can see downtown Denver.
Look right over Isaacs left shoulder,
you can barely make out the Denver skyline.

Here we are at the church. This is where our congregation meets.
Good job Aaron!

We took the long way home
and swung by the new 80th Street bridge.

There were some shoes in the creek.
The kids got a kick out of it.

Last stop, Mr. Mike's house to check out his bike.

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Video Of The Day - 02/15/12

Little Mo likes the baby in the mirror.

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21—The Threefold 7

Margaret and I at Michaela's Bat Mitzvah, December 18, 2011.

Happy Anniversary Margaret!

I Love You!

It's hard to believe that this past Saturday was our 21st wedding anniversary. Before we were married, Margaret and I had been dating for four years; starting in the tenth grade. We were barely twenty years old when we were married. Soon after our wedding, I remember someone telling me that if we could make it past the first seven years, our marriage would have a chance. Margaret and I agree that the first seven years were the hardest. We find it curious that for the first seven years we didn't have children. We didn't plan it like this, it just happened this way. In fact, our first child was born fifteen days after our seventh anniversary. Looking back, it seems that this new life was an indication of the new life that we would soon experience in our marriage. Two years later, Margaret gave birth to our second child and this same year Margaret and I committed our lives to Yeshua. We were born again and given a new life, eternal life. Since then our marriage has become stronger and stronger.

We believe that marriage is forever and I'm sure most people do; otherwise why would traditional wedding vows include the phrase 'til death do us part?' I'm not saying that divorce doesn't happen. My point is that nobody gets married thinking they are going to divorce. If that's the case then why get married in the first place? Why go through all the trouble? Marriage is a lifetime commitment. It is a total commitment but not a perfect commitment. We give our whole life to our spouse not just part of it. But since we are human and we err, our commitment will not be a perfect one. Marriage is not something that we accomplish but something we work at. Our marriages need constant care and attention. They need to be nurtured and not neglected. We need to remember that there is no such thing as a perfect marriage because there are no perfect people.

At Front Range, we believe we are called to a multigenerational faith. This means that it is our responsibility to pass our faith on to the next generation. We are commanded to pass, to our children, the ways of God; and a strong marriage is necessary in accomplishing this task. A healthy marriage is a visual image, or representation, of the relationship that our God has with us. A dysfunctional marriage diminishes this image of God. This is why, at Front Range, it is our desire to help strengthen the marriages in our community. After Shabbat Service, on the first and third Saturdays, we hold a men's time. This is a time of strengthening and encouraging the men in the community to step up and be the men that God has called them to be -- the spiritual leaders in their homes. And then after service on the second and fourth Saturdays, we hold a women's time. This is a time of equipping and encouraging the women of the community -- young and old, single and married. Strong marriages will make healthy families and a healthy family is the proper environment to raise and disciple our children.

I thank God daily for the gift of my beautiful wife. I pray that He will continue to conform me into the man that I need to be, to lead and protect her.

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It's February? Already? Really?

Moses chillin' in his basket.

So the first month of the new year has already flown by. Where did it go? I was taken by surprise this morning when I realized it was February 1st. My pile of 'stuff to read' and my list of 'things to do' are still sitting there; actually, I think they've grown. But, a better indication that time if flying by is when I look at my children. They're all growing so fast and each of them are growing in their own way. I sometimes feel like there isn't enough time to properly equip them before they are adults. I feel like the time is getting away from me and they will not be ready to face this world of darkness.

Today I heard a great episode of the Focus On The Family Daily Broadcast. The guest speaker, Gary Thomas, talked about parenting as a form of worship. It is an inspiring and encouraging message for parents with children of all ages. I heard Part 2, but plan on listening Part 1 soon. Click the links below to hear them.

We have a limited amount of time to teach and influence our children. If you have young children, don't let this time get away from you. Be intentional in raising them in God's ways, putting them on His path; and don't forget to pray for them daily.

Related Links:

Embracing God's Design for Parenting (Part 1 of 2)
Focus on the Family Broadcast, 01/31/12

Embracing God's Design for Parenting (Part 2 of 2)
Focus on the Family Broadcast, 02/01/12



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The Stock Show, A Multigenerational Experience

Cattle on display at the North Western Stock Show.

The Stock Show was a yearly highlight for me as a child growing up in Fort Worth, Texas. Since we were city-folk and never got out to the country to actually see livestock, the Stock Show was our chance to see (and smell) God’s creation up close. Since we’ve been in Colorado, we’ve tried to go to the National Western Stock Show every year. It’s fun and it can be inexpensive if you plan for it. Since we’ve been homeschooling our children, we’ve tossed around the idea of gathering like minded families to join us on our yearly visit to the cattle yards. This year we made it official. We registered as a homeschool group, gathered some friends, and went for a trip to the Stock Show.

After our guided tour of the Stock Show grounds, my friend, Duane, made a comment that resonated with me. He noticed that the farm families included every family member in caring for their livestock. Everyone had a job; everyone had a responsibility. The farm family life is a good example of the mentor-apprentice model of education. But for farm families, it's more than just a model of education, it's a way of life. This thought brought me back to our faith and the responsibility we have in making our faith a lifestyle and our children our apprentices or disciples. In the same way that it was obvious that these families were indeed farm families, our lives should reflect the fact that we are indeed followers of Yeshua HaMashiach; and making disciples is an indication that we are one of His followers.

If you are a Believer in Yeshua, who are your disciples?

Related Links:
Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo
National Western Stock Show
What is a Cowboy?
Future Farmers of America
4-H Youth Development Organization



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Sej Kandelikas - Six Little Candles

Chanukah 2011
Moses (6 mo), Michaela (13), Miryam (7), Aaron (5), Isaac (9), Maya (11)

The days of celebrating Chanukah will come to a close as the sun sets this evening. This has been a very fun and fulfilling Chanukah for our family and our community. Late last night, my children began the process of flaking the multi-colored wax off of their menorahs. As I listened to them laughing and joking around in the living room, I could tell that they had a good time this year; I hope a memorable one. At dinner last night Aaron said to me, "I am so happy. Our Chanukah has made me happy. I like Chanukah, Sukkot and Shabbat; but I like Shabbat the best." He's right. The Moedim and Minor Festivals come once a year, but Shabbat is celebrated fifty two times a year - that is, once a week.

We are a Messianic family, there is no question about it. My children have been brought up in the Torah, this is all they know. I pray that they, like the Maccabees, are able to come against the allure of the world around them and the temptation to assimilate and be absorbed into secular and pagan cultures. May they walk with Messiah Yeshua all the days of their lives. May their lights shine brightly in this dark world.



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Are Chanukah Presents Pagan?

In the Messianic Movement we tend to ‘pagan-ize’ everything about all of the traditions we have forsaken. We link the gifts given at Christmas to ancient pagan child sacrifices; therefore giving gifts during this season is typically avoided by some Messianics. I never made this connection growing up in a Roman Catholic home. I was taught that the gifts were connected to our gift of the baby Jesus and/or the gifts given by the three wise men. However, as I got older I began to despise the gift-giving part of Christmas. The gifts became more and more the central part of Christmas overshadowing the birth of Jesus. It is common knowledge that the song ‘Santa Claus Is Coming To Town’ and Christmas advertisements by Coca-Cola helped to create the image of Santa Claus in the US. Since then, the commercialization of Christmas (i.e, gift-giving) took off. The biggest money making season for the US retail market begins on Black Friday (the day after Thanksgiving) and ends on Christmas. Christmas is now a huge money making machine and a bona fide American tradition.

Just because pagans practice gift giving doesn’t make gift-giving pagan. Pagans do a lot of things that believers do. They light candles, they sing, they dance, they offer sacrifices and they hold communal meals. The practice of these things is not bad, but who, what, when, where, why, and how they are done is the important part.

Keep in mind that Chanukah is not a commanded festival (Leviticus 23). Did Yeshua recognize it? Yes (John 10:22), and He took advantage of it’s significance; but Chanukah is more like a ‘civil’ celebration than a Moed (Appointed Time) of Hashem. Therefore, the celebration of it is all tradition. Who makes the traditions? We do. In case you haven’t noticed, borrowing from surrounding cultures is a very Jewish thing. Think about it; Klezmer music, the Yiddish language, gefilte fish, lox and bagels, dreidels, latkes, homentashn, kreplach, kugel – all of these are considered to be Jewish customs and traditions, however they were all influenced by the Eastern European culture that surrounded the Ashkenazi Jews.

I’ve heard that there was a Jewish tradition to give roaming Torah Teachers gelt at the end of the year, around wintertime. This tradition evolved into giving the gelt to children, which has now evolved into giving gifts during Chanukah. Is this true? I’m not sure, but I have also heard that gift giving during Chanukah is an American Jewish tradition and not done so much in Israel.

So, when American Jews give gifts during Chanukah, are they borrowing from American culture or are they offering ancient pagan child sacrifices to Hashem? All the Jewish folks that I’ve talked to admit that gift giving during Chanukah is only a concession because of Christmas. It is an attempt to make Chanukah more appealing in order keep their children connected to the Jewish faith while living in a materialistic culture. Is that really a bad thing? I wouldn’t recommend going into debt to give gifts to your children, but spending a couple of dollars might be worth it.

If giving gifts during this ‘civil’ holiday bugs you, the next ‘civil’ holiday, Purim, is another opportunity for you to give gifts. In fact, Esther and Mordechai actually recommended that during Purim, everyone should give “gifts of food to one another and gifts to the poor.” (Esther 9:19, 22)

Look at it all with a ‘grain of discernment’ and during Chanukah, give gifts as you feel led. My only caveat is to be careful not to make the gifts the central theme of your celebrations.

Related Articles:
Hanukkah, American Style, (MyJewishLearning.com)
Re-inventing Chanukah in America (Washington Post, by David Saperstein, December 24, 2011)

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The Smooth Tongue of the Foreign Woman

For the commandment is a lamp and the teaching is light;
And reproofs for discipline are the way of life
To keep you from the evil woman,
From the smooth tongue of the adulteress.
- Proverbs 6:23,24 (NAS)

In the Proverbs there are two types of women described in detail. One we warn our sons to stay away from, the other we encourage them to look for as a wife. One we teach our daughters not to be like, the other we encourage them to model their lives after. The latter half of Proverbs 6 is about the one that boys should avoid and girls should not emulate. Verses 20-35 contain a parental warning to a son to stay away, far away, from her because she is an adulteress woman.

Some Bibles translate 'the adulteress' (nok-ree': foreigner or foreign woman - i.e. harlot) as the wayward wife, the promiscuous woman, the strange woman, the estranged woman, the loose woman, the vile woman, and the seductress. Obviously she's not a good person to 'hook-up' with. She's trouble, big trouble and if you get involved with her you will regret it for the rest of your life.

We can surmise by the use of the word 'adulteress' that she is a married woman. She already has a husband so why is she looking for another man? Well, she's evil; she's worldly. Her desire is for self gratification; she lives for the moment. She is a foreigner; a pagan. Her standards are contrary to the standards of Adonai; covenant faithfulness is not something she is concerned about. Stay away from her. She is seductive and will only lead you down the path of destruction.



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What commandment is a lamp and what teaching is light?

When you walk about, they will guide you;
When you sleep, they will watch over you;
And when you awake, they will talk to you.
For the commandment is a lamp and the teaching is light;
And reproofs for discipline are the way of life
- Proverbs 6:22-23 (NAS)

This morning during family devotions we continued our trek through Proverbs. Today we looked at Proverbs 6:20-23. In the context of the passage the commandment and the teaching that are being referenced are the commandment and teaching of parents. If we keep reading, in verse 24 we learn the reason for the parental instructions. The parents are sharing wisdom "to keep [their son] from the evil woman, from the smooth tongue of the adulteress." Although the world is a much different place today than it was during Solomon's time, we still have these same immorality problems. Sin seems to transcend time but so does The Word of God. The principles found in the Proverbs still applies for us today.

Children are commanded to honor their father and their mother; this includes obeying them. The commandment and teaching of the parents in Proverbs 6 are basically their interpretation and application of the Torah in the daily life of their family. In the Torah, Adonai commands us not to commit adultery. In Proverbs 6, these parents share some insights with their son explaining to him how he can avoid adultery by telling him what or who to stay away from. They also explain to him the consequences if he does succumb to this serious transgression.

As parents, we must impart godly wisdom to our children. We have to take the time to teach them the Word of God and to help them apply these principles to their lives in our modern society. The times have changed but the Word of God remains the same.



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I'm Upgrading, Again

Oodles of old, stretched wrapped CRT Monitors
sit on pallets in the Goodwill warehouse.

It's been about two and a half weeks since my last post (which, by the way, generated close to 1,000 unique visits in just 2 days! A new record for www.SetYourHeart.org!). It's hard to follow a post like that. Besides, I've got a lot of 'stuff' in the hopper these days; plus, I've been feeling like old, sluggish hardware. You know, when you get a new computer it's fast, fun and exciting. There are new gadgets, software and options to explore. It's inspiring. When you get a new, larger monitor the picture is clearer. You can see more of the desktop. You can open windows larger. You can get more done, or so it seems. I'm needing to make some changes in my life in order to ignite that fire of creativity and inspiration. I'm needing an upgrade, or should I say—I am in the process of upgrading.

Lately, it's been a very busy, but a very creative time for me, my family and our community. More ideas and more projects are popping up and some are just over the horizon. It's time for a change—I am changing.

Suggested Reading:
How To Change Your Church



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In the Springs at the Garden

Taking a hike in Colorado Springs at Garden of the Gods
Aaron (5), Miryam (7), Isaac (8), Maya (11), Michaela (13)

Although I have a lot of Hebrew homework to do, yesterday morning we decided to drop everything and drive down to Colorado Springs and spend the day at the Garden of the Gods. Because the forecast says 'snow' for Wednesday and because the past few weeks have been a very busy time, Margaret felt like we needed to spend some time together as a family. It was a great idea.

The Garden of the Gods is one of the more popular tourist attractions in Colorado. The natural red rock formations are amazing to look at and marvel at Hashem's creation. Because we had Little Mo with us, our ability to do some 'real' hiking was limited. We stayed on the paved trail but we were still able to see some awesome sites. Click on the photos below to get a closer look at some of the sites we saw...

North Gateway Rock

Three Graces

Gray Rock

View from the Sleeping Giant

Related Link:
Garden of the Gods Visitor and Nature Center
Central Garden Area Map



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Driving 800 Miles To Encourage Mom

Mom and me, October 2, 2011

FYI -- This post was typed on my Android with my right thumb...

My mother hasn't met the latest addition to our family, little Moses, who was born on June 11, 2011; almost 4 months ago. She has also recently had back surgery and has not enjoyed the recovery process. All the medication and discomfort has worn her out and as I talked to her over the phone this past Friday, she sounded very discouraged.

Margaret and I thought it would be a good idea to cheer her up by surprising her with a visit from her newest grandchild. So we loaded the Suburban and drove out, after the close of Shabbat, to Fort Worth, Texas--my hometown. I recruited the support of my only sister, Sonnya, and upon arrival, we blessed the socks off Mom.

After our 14-hour drive to my parent's house we carefully placed Mo, still in his car sear, in front of their front door. We rang the bell and hid. Sonnya did a great job at getting Mom and Dad to the door to see who it was. They didn't recognize him, of course, but quickly realized who he was. They were pleasantly surprised to see us all.

It's good to be home for the week.



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Young Couples Prefer Dogs Over Children

Uh-boy. Why am I not surprised?

More young couples choosing dogs over kids?
A new survey shows more young couples
are choosing pets over having children,
reports KNBC-TV's Jennifer Bjorklund.
Free | MSNBC
Posted: 9/26/2011

Related Article:

At Some Weddings, Man's Best Friend Is Man's Best Man
By Sarah E. Needleman, 6/15/2011



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Miryam's Very Own Sabbatical Year

Miryam proudly displays the birthday cake that Bubbe made for her.

When our first child turned 7-years old we started a tradition in our family by throwing her a special Blessing Birthday Party. Allow me to explain...

Have you ever noticed that, in the Torah, there is something significant about the number 7? It's a number that Adonai uses over and over again.

• Shabbat is every 7 days.
• Pesach (more specifically Hamatzah) is a 7-day festival.
• Shavuot is 7 weeks after Yom Habikkurim.
• The Fall Festivals are in the 7th month, called Tishrei.
• Every 7 years Hashem instituted a the Shemittah–a year of remission of debts and rest for the land (also known as the Sabbatical Year).
• Every 7 'weeks' of years (49 years) followed Hayovel, the Jubilee Year–a time of freedom and restoration throughout the land.

There are many more examples in the Text; these are just a few that we recently studied at Front Range. Throughout the Scriptures the number 7 is understood to be a number of completeness or fullness. Because of this, Margaret and I saw an opportunity to identify a milestone in the life of our children. At 7-years-old their life is far from being 'full', but it is a milestone physically, mentally, and it can be spiritually. In his book Children Are From Heaven, John Gray describes the development of children in what he calls, 'cycles of seven.'

During the first seven years, children are primarily dependent on the parents or primary caretaker to develop a sense of self. During the next seven years (ages seven to fourteen), children are still dependent on parents, but a shift takes place and they become more dependent on siblings, relatives, and friends to determine a positive sense of self.
(Pg. 333-334, Children Are From Heaven, by John Gray, Ph.D. 1999)

By 7 years old most children are in school and, in one way or another, they interact with children other than their siblings. They are no longer 'little boys' and 'little girls' but 'big boys' and 'big girls'. They are self sufficient in many ways; able to do many tasks on their own. Because of this significant change in their young lives, Margaret and I decided to make this milestone a memorable one by having a special celebration for them. In some ways, this tradition is really for Margaret and I as we raise our children. We can point back to this day and remind them that they are growing and developing and that they are now expected to be more responsible as a 'big boy' or 'big girl'. After this milestone, the next big step is Bar/Bat Mitzvah, which is coming up for Michaela very soon, but that’s another story.

In case you are wondering, the differences between this celebration and other birthday celebrations are this: 1) The party is more formal than most. We dress up. We don't wear casual clothes and we don't go the park. We dress like we're going to Shabbat Service and we try to have a more elegant meal instead of hot dogs and chips. Our two oldest girls wore a very pretty formal dress for their celebration. Because his birthday falls near Thanksgiving, Isaac chose a 'Thanksgiving' theme for his blessing birthday. He dressed in a pilgrim-style outfit and instead of a birthday cake, he requested a pumpkin pie. Miryam has asked to have her celebration at Cinzzetti's Italian Market Restaurant because of the wide variety of desserts. 2) We pronounce a public blessing over him or her and invite others to do the same. On other birthday celebrations we usually give thanks to God for the birthday boy or girl and we go around the table taking turns in sharing fun stories about them. During this celebration, we do the same thing, but it's a bit more polished. It is our hope that adults who have made an impact in their lives or those who are close to the family would participate in this event.

Miryam and her friends at Cinzzetti's during
her Blessing Birthday Celebration. (09/20/11)

Children need to hear that they are loved by their parents, family and community. They need to hear that they are special in the eyes of those who love them. If you have never blessed your son or daughter, what are you waiting for? It doesn't matter what age they are, you can bless them today! It doesn't need to be a special occasion. Below is an article that can be used as a guide to blessing your son or daughter. I recommend printing it out, reading it over and making time to bless your children.

Related Article:

The Blessing
by Mark Merrill, March 25, 2010



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Lakeside Season Comes To A Close

Shutting down Lakeside on 9/11
In this photo: Rachel, Isaac, Maya, Sarah, Michaela

In celebration of Miryam's birthday, the kids had one last 'hooray' at Lakeside before the season ended. We got there when it opened and stayed until it closed. Here are some photos of the day...

Aaron had a great time riding by himself,
however he did make at least 3 friends that day.

Rebekah and Miryam spent the day together. 

I can't believe I got on the Zoom the last time
we came to Lakeside. Free-falling is not fun.

Michaela, Rachel and Isaac survived the Zoom.

"Yeeeehaaaaw!"

Watching the Zoom ascend from the Ferris Wheel. 

Aaron joins the girls in their airplane.

Bumping around on the Auto Skooters.

Aaron had one round on the Auto Skooters. When he went
through the line again they re-measured him; he was slightly
too short and was not allowed to ride again. 

Having an ice cream cone break before going back for more.

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Preparing for the High Holy Days as a Family

For family devotions last night we went through
our Elul Workbooks together.

FREE Elul Workbooks from Torah Family Publications:

1. Elul: Season of Repentance Family Workbook
2. Elul: Personal Bible Study Workbook (Youth & Adults)  
3. Elul: A Bible Study Workbook for Kids

I found these Elul Workbooks four or five years ago and they have been a great resource in preparing for the High Holy Days. There is an exercise for each week. Don't get too far behind, Yom Teruah will be here before you know it! Download them and get started today!



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The Grammar of Multigenerational Faith

Isaac (back row, far left) in his Brazilian Jiu Jitsu class.

Grammar: the elementary principles of a science or art. 

Multigenerational Faith: faith that is bigger than isolated individualism because it's goal is to be passed on, not only horizontally to the nations, but also vertically to the coming generations.

I recently enrolled Isaac in a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu academy that is right up the street from our house. The place is run by a couple of brothers who happen to be from a family of Sephardic Anusim.These two guys have a deep passion for this martial art; they live it and breathe it. One of the coaches has his son in the class with Isaac. As I expected, the coach's son knows a lot of the basic moves because he's been formally training for more than two years now.

Before he started the class, I had to explain to Isaac the difference between Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, which is basically grappling on the ground, and Kickboxing, which is basically striking while standing. But after the first class I was concerned that he would not understand why he was doing certain 'ground exercises' and not kicking and punching toward a mirror. As an attempt to keep him from becoming discouraged, I rented the 1984 movie, The Karate Kid, hoping that he would see how Daniel-san learned to fight through the obscure exercises prescribed by Mr. Miyagi. He got it and now, he does the sometimes silly-looking exercises without questioning them.

At this point, Isaac is learning the 'elementary principles' of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. In much the same way that he is learning the fundamentals of reading, writing and arithmetic Isaac is also learning the basics of this martial art. Sometimes he does not understand why he is learning certain exercises and positions; but once the coach explains it to him and once he uses them on his opponent, he gets it. He can then put the principle that he has just learned to use. It becomes a part of his thinking. I could not help but see some similarities between this class and our faith.

The sites, smells, and flavors of the Havdalah Ceremony
all help to engage the children and give them lasting memories.

Whether we have children or not, we are called to a Multigenerational Faith. Over and over in the Torah we find the phrase 'throughout your/their generations.' The implication of this phrase is that the Children of Israel were to teach and pass along the 'ways' of Adonai to the next generation who were to, likewise, pass it along to the generation after them. If we neglect to pass along our faith to the next generation, we have failed to accomplish this task given to us by Adonai. Being Torah observant is a way of life; it is a lifestyle and not a system of beliefs.

Therefore, it is incumbent upon parents and Messianic communities to equip their children, the next generation, with the elementary principles of their faith. The next generation needs to be taught, from an early age, the ways of Adonai. It needs to be explained to them 'why we do what we do.' They need to be shown the traditions of the community and given the meaning of their significance. The children need to be included in Shabbat and Moed Services and shown that they are an important part of the life of the community. They need to understand that the teachings of the elders are for them too and not just for the adults.

Like the father that diligently teaches his son Jiu Jitsu, Torah observant fathers must diligently teach their children the Torah of Adonai and the halakah of their family and their community. Parents must teach and disciple their own children in the faith and minister to their young hearts at every opportunity. Messianic Congregations must welcome the young people into their community functions and allow them to learn and grow with the adults. Elders must champion the accomplishment of this task to pass along the Torah to the next generation.

For I have chosen him, 

so that he may command his children and his household after him 

to keep the way of the LORD by doing righteousness and justice...

- Genesis 18:19 (NAS)

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