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Good Morning 9-10-26

I Am My Father's Daughter

During Rosh Hashanah services coming up this Saturday, there are two statements we will make as part of the liturgy. The first is: “This day is the beginning of Your works, a remembrance of the first day.” The second is: “Today is the birth of the world.” If we stop to examine each of these statements, we might find them rather absurd. In the first statement, said essentially as a prayer to God, we are saying that the day of Rosh Hashanah is the beginning of God’s works. Is that true? Wasn’t the beginning of His works thousands, some say … Continue reading Good Morning 9-10-26

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Good Morning 9-9-26

I Am My Father's Daughter

Have you ever watched body cam videos on one of the many “cop” channels on YouTube. It’s an amazing thing to watch tough-talking guys dissolve into tears once they are in handcuffs in the back of a squad car on their way to jail. You can have a lightweight woman put up a terrific fight against the officers with belligerent and foul language, suddenly change her tune from the backseat of the patrol car and repeat, “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry,” to every officer she kicked or spit at. One former cop uses the videos to analyze and critique the … Continue reading Good Morning 9-9-26

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Good Morning 9-8-26

I Am My Father's Daughter

When I was a kid there were a couple of children who would occasionally visit their grandmother across the alley from our house. Their names were Crystal and Owen. I don’t remember much about them except that they weren’t very nice. They would throw rocks at us that they picked up in the gravel alleyway and generally taunt us. I don’t remember how old they were, but my older sister and I were six and four at the time. Four-year-old me had caught wind of the fact that Crystal and Owen were coming for a visit. I wanted to be … Continue reading Good Morning 9-8-26

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Good Morning 9-7-26

I Am My Father's Daughter

My sister shared an interesting video yesterday by a woman whose handle was @findingmelissa. In this video, she explained how your self-talk rewires your brain and your body. She pointed out that both neuroscience and scripture have been saying the same thing for years. That is that the language you use to describe something or what you say to yourself becomes information and instruction to which your mind, your nervous system, and your entire physiology respond. The fact is that God designed human biology so that it would work with our spirituality. There’s even a word for it: psychonuralimunology. Sounds … Continue reading Good Morning 9-7-26

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Good Morning 9-6-26

I Am My Father's Daughter

You are sitting in the stands waiting for your team to take the field. Anticipation grows until you hear their entrance song. If you are a Baltimore Ravens fan, you will hear the distinct sound of “Seven Nation Army” by The White Stripes. The Buffalo Bills play “Shout” by The Isley Brothers. The Packers enter to “Get Ready for This” while Minnesota Vikings storm the field to Led Zeppelin’s “Immigrant Song.” Entrance songs are important. A bride traditionally walks down the aisle to Mendelssohn’s “Wedding March” playing in the background. The President of the United States enters the room to … Continue reading Good Morning 9-6-26

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Good Morning 9-4-26

I Am My Father's Daughter

Last fall we made a trip to Kernersville, NC near Greensboro to visit Steve’s cousins, sisters Barb and Sonia. They planned expeditions for every day — one day to a battlefield, one to Mount Pilot and the town that was the inspiration for television’s Mayberry, another to cross the border into Virginia to visit their brother Mike, and a day spent in Old Salem, an historic neighborhood in Winston-Salem. The trip to Old Salem was fascinating. Buildings were still in their 18th century state with folks dressed in old garb and talking about the events of the day or explaining … Continue reading Good Morning 9-4-26

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Good Morning 9-3-26

I Am My Father's Daughter

I wonder sometimes if the people that Moses was leading were aware of how close to death he really was. We are told that the words shared in this week’s double portion, Nitzavim and Vayelech, were spoken on his last day on earth. He announced his age to everyone in the opening verse of Deuteronomy 31. He said he was done, no longer able to be active. He passed the baton to Joshua to lead them into Canaan. But did the Israelites know he was about to leave them permanently? In Deuteronomy 31:14, God reminded Moses once again that he … Continue reading Good Morning 9-3-26

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Good Morning 9-2-26

I Am My Father's Daughter

Any parent, teacher, or daycare worker, heck, anyone who works with kids, has heard them try to shift the blame. “Why am I in trouble? Didn’t you see what the others were doing?” Whatever the “crime” they might be accused of, someone else did something that was much worse. Frankly, adults do it too. You get stopped for speeding and immediately ask the officer why he didn’t stop the blue Chevy that raced past you like you were standing still. “I was just going with the flow of the traffic, sir. Why are you stopping me instead of going out … Continue reading Good Morning 9-2-26

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Good Morning 9-1-26

I Am My Father's Daughter

Yesterday, after reading Moses’ stirring reminder to the people near the end of Nitzavim, we learned that God’s instruction is not far away but very near, “in your mouth and in your heart.” We were told to just do it. Do that which God has placed in the heart of every man. We are each gifted the ability to distinguish right from wrong because God has placed that knowledge in our hearts. He’s also blessed us with compassion, graciousness, kindness, faithfulness, and self-control because we are made in His image. Moses went on to tell the people that, based on … Continue reading Good Morning 9-1-26

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Good Morning 8-31-26

I Am My Father's Daughter

It was only the second day of school, and we already had a young man, I’ll call him Trevor, sitting in the office for ISS (In-School Suspension). He definitely looked downtrodden. I have no idea what he did to earn this punishment, but I’ve had him in class. He’s a good kid, lacking mostly some common sense and enough courage to tell others “no.” As he sat there, students came through the office. All of his buddies bumped fists with him. The girls leaned over and whispered, “What happened? What did you do?” Teachers, for the most part, simply didn’t … Continue reading Good Morning 8-31-26