Becoming A Man

So today I attended my very first Orthodox Bar Mitzvah! What an amazing tradition. A boy of 13 becoming a man of 13. It was quite emotional for me, and to be honest I'm not completely sure why.

It was the Rabbi's son who was reading from the Torah today. Part of the reason I enjoyed his reading was because his pace was slow enough for a goy like me to keep up! It was also fun to see his friends, candy in hand, anticipating his big day and awaiting the moment they could pelt him with their candy. The Bar Mitzvah boy started off shy and quiet, obviously nervous. But as he went on his confidence grew. His voice became louder and louder as the words began to flow out, almost effortlessly. He began belting out the words from Parshah Bo for all to hear. It was amazing to watch this timid young boy grow into a confident young man right before my eyes! Truly a blessing from HaShem.

But the real reason today was so enjoyable was family. At the Shul were the Bar Mitzvah boy's parents, grandparents, uncles, aunts, brothers, sisters, friends, schoolmates, etc. His grandfather, who is suffering from cancer, is an old Chassidic Jew from New York or Jersey. White beard and engaging eyes, he could not hold back his pride in seeing his grandson participate in this timeless tradition. It was a glimpse into thousands of years of being a Jew. HaShem says that we should teach our children the ways of Torah. Hours of study, questions, stories, prayer all lead into the development of manhood. But most important, love. Love for God. Love for Torah. Love for family. Love for Judaism. It's amazing to see this "passing" of Judaism from one generation to the next. And it's even more amazing to think that these things have been going on since back in time to Avraham. How does God preserve Torah and His way of life? Through His people.

Oh, and the food was beyond amazing! ;)

Saying Goodbye...

Tonight I attended a going away party for 4 very special people.  My best friend and his wife (and 2 kids) are leaving on January 14, 2011 to go to Guatemala as missionaries.  Up until tonight, this was just a far off event in the future.  But tonight, it all became real.

I realized tonight what I was losing.  Granted, this is a selfish way to approach the situation, but it is the situation.  I'm losing my best friend.  You know, the kind of friend that only God can choose for you.  The immeasurable blessings God has granted me through this man and his wife, as well as his extended family have impacted me for eternity.

By nature I am not an emotional person.  So I will forgo any litany of reasons why he and his family are, well like family to me.  But all this will be hard.  It will be hard to not be around the one person who understands you better than anyone else (minus my wife).  I suppose that's why God blesses us with memories!

Hurry home Jordan and Hannah, Solomon and Grace...  (selfish, huh??)

Where'd You Go?

OK.  So it's quite obvious I'm not very good at this blogging thing.  It's been nearly 9 months since my last post.  I admit that keeping a journal is not really my thing.  But with all the changes occurring in my life, maybe it should be.

So here's to 2011.  The year of the blog!  For me anyway...

"Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth."

There was a boy who grew up in the country.  A friend of his lived in the city.  One day, the
country boy went to visit his city friend.  As they walked the busy city streets, observing all the
hustle and bustle, the country boy suddenly heard a familiar sound.  He said to his city friend, “Can you hear that? Do you hear that noise?”  He looked around and then reached into a crack at the base of a nearby building and pulled out a little black cricket.

His city friend said, “That’s amazing! How could you possibly hear a cricket with all the
noise around here?”  The country boy said, “It’s not so amazing.”  Then he reached into his pocket and pulled out a handful of coins, flipped them into the air, and watched them land on the sidewalk.  As they hit the ground ringing and clanging, everyone near enough to hear the sound of the coins turned to look.  Then the country boy said to his city friend, “Hearing is not too hard. It just depends on what you’re listening for.”