Menorah Channukia Project

It's amazing seeing a project take shape. Usually my husband and I work together on different projects throughout the year. Having a knack for crafting designs and ideas in general, I love to watch my husband work out ways to put them together. The way it usually works out is, I come up with a design and he makes it happen. We work well together, although at times it can be challenging to agree due to our different opinions on how to carry out our ideas. A few years back, we decided to make a five foot iron menorah. We were both pleased with the design, and ended up donating it to Zion, our congregation.
This year we worked on another menorah, using a very different material. We shared some pictures with another congregation, and they became interested in it. Yesterday my husband received a call from the congregation asking us to take the menorah for their Channukah celebration. The thing is, the menorah we made, unlike a channukia, only had seven branches. Once something of that magnitude is made, one can't just go and change the design in an easy manner. To add two branches like the rest was out of the question, so we bounced some ideas off of each other, and came up with a solution to the problem.
A shortened version of the arms was put together, which can also be removed. Here is a picture, with the original design.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 As  can be seen from the pictures, the menorah is quite large. The solution we opted for is pretty much practical. It took some tinkering, but worked out in the end. Here is a picture of the new adjustments. 

                                                     new part to be slipped over fixed arm

                                                                    new part in place

                                                                                                

It's not quite finished yet, it still needs to be completed. The next segment of the arm, needs to be attached, and a good base needs to be added.  We only have a short time to complete it, but I think it will be ready in time. I'll try to do a follow up post from the celebration, since we have also been invited to attend.    

A Full Day's Work

Usually with everyone's help we get things done around the house. Some days are good and some not so much. Work can quickly get behind in a home of twelve people, especially when the majority is yet quite young. That's why I've come to appreciate my daughters' help so much. Lately though, things around the house have changed a bit. Ever since, about a little over a week ago, when my oldest daughter broke her foot work has been somewhat challenging. Now she needs to be cared after, as she's unable to do most things on her own. On the bright side, it's my opportunity to serve her and for the rest of the family too. We're praying for her recovery. 

This morning we had an early start. The kids woke very early to complete their basic homeschooling lessons. We use Christian Light workbooks, which are very practical and can be done by the kids mostly on their own. Naturally, we also took the necessary time to read this week's Torah Portion. After lunch, we gathered around our kitchen table to work on History together. This took longer to do because of the different grade levels. Before I knew it, I had to rush to start cooking a meal before my husband got home and barely had time to get some laundry done. Time went by fast, and I didn't get to do all I wanted. I'm hoping for a much more productive day tomorrow.
Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and he will establish your plans.
                                                                             Proverbs 16:3

                                    she's needing cruthes to get by

                                          
                                                some books we used today

                                                    looking at a book

Don't Say You Can't!

 
Around here, most know my thoughts on saying "I can't", I repeatedly tell my children from very young, that they are not to be saying these words. The older children of course, don't need to be reminded as much. Since my firstborn was very young I remember telling him of his great potential, and that he could do anything he set his mind to. Anytime my children were feeling something was too difficult for them to do, this is the first thing that would come to mind. Anyone saying “I can't” would not go unnoticed. I usually would tell my children "don't say ‘you can't’! You can say,’ it's very hard/ difficult,’ or I won't, but ‘not I can't’!" Of course none of my children actually never said ‘I won't’, but they knew what I meant.


  Some years ago I checked out a library book about how boys and girls learn differently. As I read it I noticed something very interesting. The book said something about the way our brain functions. Basically it was saying that when a person says they can't, there is a reaction in the brain that causes it to lock in a sense. In other words, after having said this, it sort of becomes truth. Ah, this is something I've believed all along; I was glad to find it, and had to share this with the kids!


  One outstanding thing, which I love about my husband, is that he does anything he sets his mind to. There doesn't seem to be anything he won't do once he's made up his mind. This is something that I wish my children would all learn too. As my kids are growing, the result from this way of thinking is become more and more evident. Things that I didn't know and didn't teach my kids, they figured how to teach themselves. My oldest is doing very well in math and has learned, most of it on his own. He has taken on learning guitar on his own, as well. My second-born, is pretty much on the same track when it comes to math. She has, also, taught herself knitting, crochet, and anything else that interests her. My third-born has decided to teach herself piano, which of course I know nothing about! I'm glad to say she is sounding pretty good for someone learning without an instructor. The rest, I'm hoping, will follow in the same way.


  My words to my children continue to be the same on this subject. I tell them, that “they can do anything they want”. That they must strive to do their best for Hashem's honor and glory. They're learning about taking the responsibility to do things for the benefit of others, and that is one of the main reasons for learning. My job, then is to be not so much a teacher as is commonly thought of, but more precisely a mom that is always available for encouragement, to give words of direction, and to teach them how to teach themselves. My task is creating independent learners. My goal is that my children will love the L-rd their G-D with all their heart, soul, and resources. Let them, then continue learning and later bring their talents to serve our L-rd.

Wisdom begins in awe of the L-rd; all who fulfill (His commandments) gain good understanding; His praise is everlasting. The Torah Moses commanded us is the heritage of the congregation of Jacob.

Shema beni musar avicha v'al titosh torat imecha...
Listen, my son, to your father's instruction, and do not forsake your mother's teaching.

 May the Torah be my faith and Almighty G-D my help. Blessed be the name of His glorious kingdom forever and all time.
-From our Daily Prayer Book

Time Does Fly

Yes, I remember posting this in an old blog about a couple of years ago. I'm feeling so blessed to be able to be with my family, that when I found it, I thought it be great sharing it once again. Though at times I can get caught up in the many distractions of life, I like to stop and just thank my L-rd for His goodness, and all the blessings He's poured on me. There's no doubt, children are a blessing!

I'm inserting this recent picture along with this post, which I think is hilarious by the way. See, some of the kids were distracted and looking down when I was about to take their picture: so this is what happens, when I tell them...

LOOK UP!

 

Time does fly

'Now they're little but soon they'll be grown!' Time does indeed fly. Kids will only be kids for so long; then whether we like it or not they'll grow. Let me put it like this. Remember when you were younger? How about... Ever think your parents were once kids themselves? At times it may seem that time goes rather slow. This is especially true when we are struggling. When will I get a full night's sleep again? When will I stop having to change diapers? When ,when, when? Then, there are all those things you'd like to be doing but can't.
Kids are a great investment. We invest a great deal of time, energy, strength, emotions, money, and the list goes on and on. There are certainly many sacrifices that must be made when raising a family. Personally, I think at times of things I'd like to do when the kids grow a bit more and I'm able to get away a little longer. But all that can wait. Nothing is more valuable than my time with them now. I wouldn't trade my time with them for anything else in the world. There is a poem that puts it so well, which I'll gladly post later on. But for now, I'll just say that I'm eternally grateful to the L-rd for the opportunity of being a mom and the blessing of every minute I'm able to enjoy it!               PRAISE ADONAI!

Parasha Vayishlach: Torah Notebook

For this week we began our learning about Parasha Vayishlach through working on different activities.
As part of our schooling, we start the day off with Torah Class. In order to keep all the paper work neatly organized, each child keeps/ puts together a Torah Notebook. The note book is actually a three ring binder with six divisions in it. The divisions for the binder are as follows:

1. B’resheet/Genesis
2. Shemot/Exodus
3. Vayikra/Leviticus
4. Bamidvar/Numbers
5. Devarim/Deuteronomy
6. Moadim/G’d’s Appointed Times


Monday- We start the week with a Reading of the Parasha. We may or may not take some time for comments on the Parasha, depending on time available and length of the reading.
Tuesday-This particular week, we worked on various activities related to the Parasha, to be included in our Torah Notebook. The children picked the type of activity they want to work on from a list I prepared beforehand. For the most part, we use what is available to the family, including school supplies we already have, the Internet, and books from our home library.
Wednesday- The kids work on writing a summary of the Parasha, to be included in their Torah Notebook. Depending on the ages I may ask for a detailed to a simple summary. Also, dictation is acceptable for the younger ones.
Thursday- Scheduled copy work with the purpose of both remembering the Parasha better and working on penmanship. The younger ones may only work on a few sentences depending on their age.
Friday- To review the Parasha, we read it once again. This time we also take time to read on the Parasha from another source such as different books on the Torah Readings.

*To keep preschoolers occupied and participating in the older kid’s class, several options are available. We use the Children’s Torah Club printouts from FFOZ. They may also draw and color pictures related to the Parasha. Other handcraft activities can also be helpful, from cutting paper, gluing, and coloring. Also the use of puzzles and other age appropriate games works out fine.

◘The following is an example of our week for Torah Class. All activities were put in order from easy to (more) difficult.
Monday is not included in the chart due to limited space, but is taken for reading the parasha

Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
Miniature matchbook of gifts sent to Esau by Yacob Used multicolored paper for each drove Included description and number of animals. •construction paper, scissors, pencil, glue, & Bible for reference	Summary writing for “Parasha Vayishlach”	Copy work- Work on penmanship while coping Parasha for 30-40 min.	Reading of Parasha and commentary/ lessons from Parasha using: Gateways to Torah, From Moses to Messiah Or other teaching material.
Tree diagram of Yacob’s family; Wives, children, maidservants, and their children. •drawing paper, pencil, crayons, & Bible	Summary writing for “Parasha Vayishlach”	Copy work- Work on penmanship while coping Parasha for 30-40 min.	Reading of Parasha and commentary/ lessons from Parasha using: Gateway to Torah, From Moses to Messiah Or other teaching material.
Study on goats: including facts such as shepherding, food products, and other things deriving from goats. Included a still live sketch/drawing. •drawing & lined paper, Pencil, crayons, animal encyclopedia.	Summary writing for “Parasha Vayishlach”	Copy work- Work on penmanship while coping Parasha for 30-40 min.	Reading of Parasha and commentary/ lessons from Parasha using: Gateway to Torah, From Moses to Messiah Or other teaching material.
Diagram comparing the likeness and differences between Laban & Yacob. Included a drawing of Laban & Yacob. •pencil and drawing paper	Summary writing for “Parasha Vayishlach”	Copy work- Work on penmanship while coping Parasha for 30-40 min.	Reading of Parasha and commentary/ lessons from Parasha using: Gateway to Torah, From Moses to Messiah Or other teaching material.
Study on the sinew. Bible references on the sinew. Facts about its use in making different products. Drawing of sinew. •drawing paper, pencil, crayons, Internet used for research.	Summary writing for “Parasha Vayishlach”	Copy work- Work on penmanship while coping Parasha for 30-40 min.	Reading of Parasha and commentary/ lessons from Parasha using: Gateway to Torah, From Moses to Messiah Or other teaching material.
Paper on the events surrounding Dinah and her brothers. Learning about the biblical view on intermarriage and making covenants .	Summary writing for “ “Parasha Vayishlach”	Copy work- Work on penmanship while coping Parasha for 30-40 min.	Reading of Parasha and commentary/ lessons from Parasha using: Gateway to Torah, From Moses to Messiah Or other teaching material.
Paper on the importance of the character trait of a peacemaker, viewed from Yacob’s life.	Summary writing for “Parasha Vayishlach”	Copy work- Work on penmanship while coping Parasha for 30-40 min.	Reading of Parasha and commentary/ lessons from   Parasha using:  Gateway to Torah, From Moses to Messiah Or other teaching material.

some books we used for our studies

looking up verses

getting a closer look at a goat

drawing the goat

tree diagram

Yacob's family

gifts sent to Esau (miniture matchbook)

research on sinew

drawing

lavan drawing

preschool work

Shabbat at our Home

"When the seventh day arrives we look at the world with eyes of a higher reality. Shabbat offers us a vision of the world not as it is but as it has the potential to be; indeed, as it will one day be- in the World to Come...."
From the introduction of:   7th Heaven: Celebrating Shabbat With Rebbe Nachman of Breslov


The Holiness of Shabbat is wonderfully refreshing to the soul. We look forward to it with great expectation. Although not every week do we achieve the timely preparedness and organization we'd like, here is a glance at a day when all is working according to our wishes.  From the first hours of the day, we prepare and work to complete all that is needed for the culmination of the week. A special meal is prepared to be served for our Shabbat meal, on dishes reserved wholly for this occasion. The table is dressed in our lovely white Shabbat tablecloth (brought by my nephew from his trip to Israel). The house is cleaned with more detail than on the regular week days, as the anticipation builds up. The house is filled with the lovely scent of Challah in the oven, followed by the blend of aromas from the meal being prepared. The children help complete the final tasks and then wash up for the meal. We gather as a family around our kitchen table with great joy as the day is about to begin. A special blessing is recited including the following...


  “Compassionate Father, extend your lovingkindness to me and my loved ones (grant me the privilege of raising my children) so that they walk before You in the ways of the upright, holding fast to Your Torah and to good deeds. Keep far from us any shame, grief, and sorrow. Set peace, light, and joy in our home, for with You is the source of life; in Your light, we see light. Amen”   From: Authorised Daily Prayer Book


After the Shabbat blessing is completed, I light the candles. We then say the blessings (Kiddush & HaMotzi)over the wine/grape juice and Challah bread. We then proceed to enjoy the meal served before us. When we finish eating, we quickly clear the table and make room for our Scriptures (Tanach) and siddurs. All join in singing the prayers in Hebrew followed by English translation. The children all get up and gather next, while my husband and I stretch a large Tallit over everyone for blessings over them. Next we all sit down and read the parasha followed by a teaching given by my husband. By this time, the hours have passed quickly and the children are ready to be sent to bed.


With little ones it takes a bit of effort for things to work out. The baby will at times be carried be me, or held by his big brother from time to time. My toddler will have a bible coloring book or bible story book to look at during the evening. Mostly everyone else five and up are fine following along with us. On occasions when the little ones go to sleep during our reading, we take them to bed and continue. More or less this is what Erev Shabbat looks like in our home. Another blessed Shabbat shared with the precious family G-d has blessed us with.

13 If you turn away from the Shabbat your foot to do what you please (2656 – chefatzekha חֲפָצֶיךָ) on day my holy and call [you] (veqara’ta וְקָרָאתָ) the Shabbat a delight (6027 – oneg pleasant/delight עֹנֶג) to the holiness of Yehovah glorified and shall glory in it (3513 – mekhubad vekhibado מְכֻבָּד וְכִבַּדְתּוֹ)  away from doing [or making] (me’asot  מֵ‍עֲשׂוֹת) your own ways (1870 – derakheikha דְּרָכֶיךָ), from finding your own pleasure (chef’tzakha חֶפְצְךָ) or speaking word (vedaber dabar וְדַבֵּר דָּבָר). 

14 Then you shall delight yourself (6026 – tit’anag תִּתְעַנַּג) on Yehovah. And I will make you ride on the high places of the earth, and make you eat the inheritance of Yaaqov your father, for the mouth of Yehovah has spoken.  Isaiah 58:13 & 14 reading from: karaitejudaism.org

One Godly Woman’s Legacy

My life has been touched by some very special people. I want this post to focus on one whom is no longer with us. One of the persons which has impacted my life the most, was  a godly woman. She was a woman of faith which was actually an encouragement to my own mother. While my parents grew up secular for the most part without a particular creed or religion, they did believe in the existence of G-d. This woman whom I will call Mary, made it her personal responsibility to share the Word with my mom. She constantly invited my mom to church, and when my mom was too busy to attend, she would ask if in her place she would send my older sisters. This woman never gave up, nor would she be turned away so easily by rejection. She was an amazing woman, always showing concern for the wellbeing of others.
Mary’s story was one of triumph. Her young years were filled with sorrow and sadness, but she never let that determine her destiny. She could have blamed outer circumstances as reason for bitterness and resentment. Instead she rose above it all and became the amazing woman who touched the lives of many. Mary grew up with a determined attitude. She knew what she wanted in life, and she fought for what she valued.
This woman had a family of five children. The oldest around my mom’s age. So the gap in age between her and me was quite a large one. For many years I only heard from her occasionally. Running into her and every now and then, we would exchange a few brief words. At the time around my engagement, something changed drastically. I found myself visiting her almost on a daily basis. It was during those visits, that I got to know her in a more personal way.
She was always welcoming and greeted me with a smile every time I came by. Usually during my visits, she would share things about herself with me. There were times that she would pull out a notebook of poems she had written and share them with me. Other times we would sit and just talk about things such as faith and family. The talks were always so interesting and lively, being that besides so much knowledge she had a good sense of humor as well. She would answer my many questions, as I sat there in awe at the wisdom of this elderly woman. I’m not certain whether  she realized an admiration on my part. Mary was a humble woman and many times wondered out loud why I would take the time to visit with her. Maybe it was the fact that I was in my late teen years coupled by the large difference in years between us that made her wonder. Yet she was always grateful and appreciative of my visits.
What I find so remarkable about this woman, is the fruitfulness of her life. She always shared her faith with the people she met along the way. And the thing I now wished I would have asked her about, is one that has constantly been on my mind. Three of her children which were her sons, the other two were daughters, went on to become ministers. One of them actually was the one that conducted my wedding ceremony. How, I wonder, did she raise her children. I know of her children, grandchildren, and even great-grandchildren; they have continued in the faith even many years after her passing away.
The impact this woman had is one I wish I had, at least on my descendants. It’s not so much the fact that she raised three ministers,  that is the most admirable. What left an impression on me is the fact that she taught her children well. How many times in Scripture we read of a new generation that did not know G-d.
^{7 “}And the people served the LORD all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders that outlived Joshua, who had seen all the great works of the LORD, that he did for Israel.
⁸And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the LORD, died, being an hundred and ten years old.
⁹And they buried him in the border of his inheritance in Timnathheres, in the mount of Ephraim, on the north side of the hill Gaash.
¹⁰And also all that generation were gathered unto their fathers: and there arose another generation after them, which knew not the LORD, nor yet the works which he had done for Israel.
¹¹And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and served Baalim:
¹²And they forsook the LORD God of their fathers, which brought them out of the land of Egypt, and followed other gods, of the gods of the people that were round about them, and bowed themselves unto them, and provoked the LORD to anger.
¹³And they forsook the LORD, and served Baal and Ashtaroth.”  Judges 2:7-13
It’s heartbreaking to think that G-d’s children would not walk in his ways because the previous generation had failed in teaching their children. This is something I’m constantly repeating to my own children and one of the main reasons we chose to home-school. I pray Hashem gives me the wisdom and diligence to teach my children so that my future descendants will continue to love, serve Him, and walk in his ways.
This is a lesson I get from the Patriarchs. They took such special care to transmit what they valued (the fear of Hashem and love of His Word) to the following generations that even to this day they’re still baring fruit. How amazing is that! We read about Abraham:
^{19 “}For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgment; that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him.” Genesis 18:19 
Mary knew the importance of teaching the next generation too. She was diligent and loving, and while I may never know how she raised her children, I can to this day see how effective she was. She was a successful woman in my opinion. May Hashem grant us all, that love Him and are seeking to serve Him, the effectiveness in transmitting to the future generations the fear of the True and Living G-d. May he strengthen us and give us a vision to see past our immediate circumstances and instead focus on what counts to eternity.

Cooking Scarcely in a Large Family

This week I began cooking on more of a regular basis. What I mean by regular is actually daily. As strange as that may sound, for the mother of ten; I will proceed to explain how this has come to be the case around our home. Yes, of course we do have regular meals; although I'm not necessarily the one who prepares them.

The days when I used to cook daily are all a blur now. A faint memory is all that's left. Why and when did I stop cooking? The answer is quite simple really. As our family grew and our home education began to take on more of a formal approach, we began to teach the kids some basic cooking skills. With time they begin experimenting with new recipes. Mostly at the beginning, the cooking was along side mom or dad. But shortly after, the kids were allowed to cook on their own due to their progress in learning.

So many benefits stemmed from this first decision to teach them cooking. To begin with, working with recipe books proved to be an excellent way for learning fractions. All I recall, is one day asking my daughter how she had come up with the correct quantities for doubling or tripling the ingredients. She went on to explain to my amazement how she had added the fractions. She was at the time around six or seven I think. This was such a surprise to me, specially since I had not deliberately introduced her to fractions. Besides learning a necessary skill for life which is great in itself, another added benefit was teaching character; for in preparing meals for others, one also learns to serve. As if this all wasn't enough we had the added benefit of more help to get things done around the house, which is actually pretty terrific.

Cooking and baking has been a natural learning process around my home. My older kids I taught, naturally, However my younger ones mostly picked up this skills from their older siblings. I don't think a week passes by without the younger ones 8-12 baking some cookies, trying a new recipe, or preparing a dessert for Shabbat. I have then come to the conclusion through personal experience that work and education go hand in hand. What an advantage it has been to us, the freedom to teach at home with more of a hands on approach.

To conclude, I'd like to add that I'm proud to say the students have exceeded the teacher. The food the kids help make is always tasty and prepared with such creativity. I want to specially give credit to my two dear daughters. They do an excellent job. I'm glad to think that in this area at least they are preparing well to be future homemakers. And as for the boys, it's great that they can depend on themselves when necessary too. So now I'm off to start my new week preparing dinners, and as crazy as this may seem, I'll be asking for my daughters' input and opinions. It seems to me they have a much better idea when it comes to deciding on the quantities I'll be having to cook. =)

Psalm 145 and Memorization

 We will be working on memorizing Psalm 145 as a family. I think it is such a good way to tune our hearts to Hashem and His Word. This Psalm is part of the Mincha prayers and one of my personal favorites.

I often think about how we sometimes without hesitation memorize all sorts of things that interest us like music lyrics for instance. But when it comes to the Word of G-d, we don't seem to have the same willingness; sometimes reasoning that it's too difficult.

Some time ago, I remember going to the library with my kids to supplement their reading. One of my kids decided to get a Ripley's Believe It or Not!  Book. After reading through it a while he shared with me with great amazement about a person that had memorized incredible amounts of books by heart. While I can't recall the name of the man who broke this record, I do remember one thing. The man was a Rabbi that had memorized the Torah along with several other works related to the Jewish faith. The love and dedication this Rabbi had are just amazing to me.

I hope we can learn a lesson from this. If we set our minds to it we could memorize more than we actually think we can. If we love His Word, than it should motivate us to learn it by heart. When I find myself having to make decisions in life, I often recall G-d's Word, and it guides my way. This brings to mind the Psalm 119 -"Oh how love I thy Law, it is my meditation all the day,". If His Word is in our hearts constantly than we'll be able to meditate on it throughout our days. 

     1. I shall exalt You, my G-d the King, and I shall bless Your name forever and ever.

2. Every day I shall bless you, and I shall praise Your name forever and ever.

3. The L-rd is great and very much praised, and His greatness cannot be searched.

4. Generation to generation will praise Your works, and they will recite Your mighty deeds.

5. Of the majesty of the glory of Your splendor and the words of Your wonders I shall speak.

6. And the strength of Your awesome deeds they will tell, and Your greatness I shall sing.

7. Of the remembrance of Your abundant goodness they will speak, and of Your righteousness they will sing.

8. The L-rd is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and of great kindness.

9. The L-rd is good to all, and His mercies are on all His works.

10.        All your works will thank You, O L-rd, and Your pious ones will bless You.

11.        They will tell the glory of Your kingdom, and they will speak of Your might.

12.        To make known to the children of men His mighty deeds and the glory of the majesty of his kingdom.

13.        Your kingdom is a kingdom of all times, and Your ruling is in every generation.

14.        The L-rd supports all those who fall and straightens all who are bent down.

15.        Everyone’s eyes look to You with hope, and You give them their food in its time.

16.        You open Your hand and satisfy every living thing [with] its desire.

17.        The Lord is righteous in all His ways and kind in all His deeds

18.         The L-rd is near to all who call Him, to all who call Him with sincerity.

19.        He does the will of those who fear him, and He hears their cry and saves them.

20.        The L-rd guards all who love Him, and He destroys all the wicked.

21.        My mouth will speak the praise of the L-rd, and all flesh will bless His holy name forever and ever.

Mi Vida Sencilla

Decidi con el deseo de compartir con los lectores de habla Hispana, escribir un poco de mi blog en este idioma. Mi vida es una sencilla, sin embargo, una que me llena de satisfacion. Soy casada y junto con mi esposo hemos abrasado la fe Judio Messianica. Tambien hemos sido bendesidos en grande manera con el privilegio de una familia de diez hijos. Por gracia de El Todopoderoso desde de que nuestro primer hijo era aun muy chiquito desidimos educarlo en casa. Esto ah sido una gran bendicion, mas de lo que podria esplicar en un pequeno blog como este. Esto de educar en casa aun que sea algo muy peculiar en algunos lugares, es algo permitido y legal en Estados Unidos. Claro algunos de los estados son un poco mas tolerables que otros. Lo bueno es que nos encontramos en un lugar donde somos libres de hacer esto. Mis dias los paso en casa libre para estar con mi familia, servirlos, y alludarlos en su educacion. Donde vivimos esto es algo fuera de lo comun, lla que la costumbre por aqui es de que la mujer tambien trabaje y aporte a las necesidades de la casa con un sueldo propio. Me alegra decir que mi esposo no comparte de este pensar, y me apolla en que me quede en casa. Como mastra de mis hijos soy responsable de lo que ellos aprenden o no. Para comensar nuestro dia, primer procuramos dedicar un tiempo a la lectura de las escrituras. Esto es vital, lla que la fe debe tener prioridad al conocimiento. Despues de esto, cada quien por su cuenta se pone a estudiar dependiendo de su edad y el material de estudio disponible. Sin entrar mucho en detalle, despues de el tiempo separado para "la escuela en casa" seguimos nuestro dia, cada uno con varias tareas del hogar. Me alegra decir que mis hijos mallores de dies anos pueden cocinar y hacer casi cualquier cosa que se propongan. En mi humilde opinion creo que la educacion es mas que conocimiento acumulado. Nuestro deseo es que nuestros hijos crescan en la fe y puedan ser personas de bien que puedan tambien aportar algo a la humanida para beneficio de otros. Para terminar quiro decir que aun que hemos decidido tomar el camino menos escojido y en ocasiones mas dificil, lo hacemos con alegria y el deseo en nuestros corasones de servir a HaShem con lo que el nos a encomendado. (Pido disculpas tambien a mis faltas de ortografia, lla que mi idioma principal es el Ingles.)

Comparto aqui un buen articulo sobre la educacion en casa:
http://www.triviumpursuit.com/articles/7_und_trs_hsing_spanish.php

What about mentoring?

As a daughter to a widow that was always working and struggling to provide for the family, I grew up pretty much on my own. One thing I'm very grateful about, is the fact that my mother never gave up on trying to do what was best for us and always did strive to draw us close to G-d. Amid the struggles she was there, an amazing woman that to me deserves all the respect and love in the world. But due to her need to work and make ends meet, she was absent much of the time as I recall growing up. As a young lady and specially as a newlywed, I missed the wise words of counsel. I lacked direction in many ways. Only by G-d's grace was I able to find comfort, purpose, and the direction I badly needed. As I grew more and more in the knowledge and faith of our L-rd, did I realize that it would have been much better if I could have had the opportunity of a mentor. I didn't think it in such words, but I remember telling one of my sisters that I would have appreciated it so if someone had taken the time to share with me about their experience and knowledge in light of G-d's Word. It is because of my own personal struggles and the difficulties needed to overcome, that I have a special heart for others finding themselves down that same road. What ever happened to mentoring? This I wondered about at times. I'm thankful that I see more and more people aware of the need and benefits of mentoring. I myself am trying to serve and do what I can by mentoring at this time. Not only should we be practicing this within our families, but at some point of our lives we may meet someone that we can help along the way down a path we have already taken. As I see it, Something we have learned is something we can share! I pray for the wisdom to see and help others in need, and encourage others to do likewise.
May our walk be one of wholehearted love for HaShem and also a love for those He has created.

Tallit Katan

    David my firstborn recently bought his tekhelet and was in need of a tallit katan for daily use. We decided to make a tallit katan at home ourselves. To begin with, I bought him some plain white t-shirts. I thought about the buttonholes a bit and couldn't decide on how to go about it. I haven't sown in a long time except for a couple of sashes my girls needed for dance class so I wasn't sure if I could do this right. After some thought I opted to cut out the buttonhole strip from another shirt that we no longer needed. To begin the tallit, first I cut a six inch slit on both sides of the shirt to create the corners for the tzittzit. After sowing the edges of all corners; a small square of the shirt with the buttonhole was sown in to each of the corners. Once the buttonholes were in place, the tallit was ready for the tzitzit. I attached the tzitzit which my son had previously prepared by tying the knots beforehand. The whole proccess was much easier than I had thought, and I'm now ready to work on a tallit for my other boys.


37 The LORD also spoke to Moses, saying, 38 "Speak to the sons of Israel, and tell them that they shall make for themselves tassels on the corners of their garments throughout their generations, and that they shall put on the tassel of each corner a cord of blue. 39 "It shall be a tassel for you to look at and remember all the commandments of the LORD, so as to do them and not follow after your own heart and your own eyes, after which you played the harlot, 40 so that you may remember to do all My commandments and be holy to your God. 41 "I am the LORD your God who brought you out from the land of Egypt to be your God ; I am the LORD your God."    Numbers 15:37-41