Those Who Know, Chuckle.
Works In Progress. The “typing” part of Writing — and the most challenging.
– Definition: v.i. To feel joyful; be glad.
– Used in a sentence: Richard rejoiced when the Red Sox won the World Series.
– Why: It’s little used outside translations of the Bible, but addresses a HUGE part of life that we often take for granted. And the more we use it, the more it applies (one rejoicing leads to another).
IT’S HIS INDEPENDENCE. IT’S watching him sleep. It’s his purring. It’s the feel and smell of his fur. (It’s also the smell of his paws.) It’s the way he closes his eyes when I pet him. It’s his occasional intense, extraneous-sound-ignoring focus. It’s the little gifts he brings. It’s his bonding-with-humans over a long period of time. It’s his gracefulness. It’s the way he demands attention and affection. It’s his wherever-the-humans-are sleeping preference. It’s his goofy self-amusement. Continue reading “Why I Love: Geronimo Cat”
EL SHADDAI is the name used primarily by the Biblical Patriarchs, usually translated as “God Almighty” and focusing on the deity’s providential or nurturing aspect. Scholars differ over whether “Shaddai” is cognate with similar Phoenician or Ugaritic words for mountains, breasts, or the act of sustaining. The last sense seems to best capture the Toraitic context. Continue reading “365 Names of God: El Shaddai”
– Definition: n one who engages in a pursuit, study, science, or sport as a pastime rather than as a profession
– Used in a sentence: “He is a true amateur of cooking.”
– Why: What I would like to bring back is the usage “an amateur of _________,” which makes the word synonymous with “lover.” What I would like to get rid of is the connotation of “amateur” as “slipshod; half-baked; amateurish.” Continue reading “Words to Bring Back: “Amateur””
IT’S THE SCARINESS OF THE blank screen. It’s the focused attention. It’s the mental sensation of assembling Tinker-Toy pieces into a coherent structure. It’s the way the hours fly by. It’s the nothing-else-like-it buzz (thank you, Stephen King). It’s the feel and click of the keys beneath my tapping fingers. It’s the occasional brain-wracking pause. (It’s also the occasional chortle.) Continue reading “Why I Love: Writing”
Today: Say the Shema.
Explanation: The Shema (“Listen, Israel: יהוה our G?d! יהוה One!”), from Deuteronomy 6:4, is the statement of Jewish faith-commitment. It’s the first prayer we learn after birth and, if we time it right, the last prayer we say before death. Although it’s actually three paragraphs long (see http://www.jewfaq.org/shemaref.htm for the complete text in both Hebrew [original and transliteration] and English), halacha (Jewish law) says the first verse is the most important — so much so that it can be spoken in whatever language the speaker understands. Continue reading “Minute Mitzvah: Saying the Shema”
THE BELOVED is most commonly a Sufi term, but not exclusively so. The idea of God as Lover may be outre to some, but the connotation of passion and all-involvement is a powerful one for many mystics (including the author of the Biblical Song of Songs). Some say the challenge of living with the mysterious mind of a spouse is perfect training for living with the mysterious Mind of God. Continue reading “365 Names of God: The Beloved”
– Definition: n. An auctioneer’s shill
– Used in a sentence: “Some of these political rallies seem to reek of illicitators.”
– Why: It’s obscure, yes, but how many illicitators have YOU spotted recently?
THE FORCE is a non-anthropomorphic term, but to a purist like me, so is “God.” It could be argued that since the Force is created by all living beings, rather than the reverse (at least, the reverse from a mythic perspective) that it should not be included here. But according to dialog from the Star Wars films, the Force does have a particular will and is vital (puntended) for sustaining life. I think The Force is certainly Godlike to the degree that it warrants inclusion. Continue reading “365 Names of God: The Force”
– Definition: n. pl. (construed as sing.) The division of political science dealing with citizenship and civic affairs.
– Used in a sentence: “My old high school stopped teaching civics years ago.”
– Why: It’s needed. Boy, is it needed.
ELEVEN A. M.,
September the twenty-fifth —
Rain hits Sonoma.
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