My Shabbos with the Amish (17-Minute Mommy Peptalk)
Reflections on our special Shabbos guests this past week, as well as some thoughts on positive thinking.
Reflections on our special Shabbos guests this past week, as well as some thoughts on positive thinking.
I see such a correlation between both of your messages to us this morning. Man looks on the outward appearance, but Hashem yireh lalayvav. It is in our nature to judge others by their outward appearance, without ever giving them a chance. This is negative thinking. What a better world this would be, if we would think positively by trying to see others through the eyes of Hashem. I am so happy that you had a wonderful evening with the Mennonites! Chana Jenny, I think we might be surprised to see how varied your readership is!
Thanks. Of course it was your positive thinking that made the difference at the nurse’s office, not the candy. If you had handed him the same candy without first visualizing / believing that he would calm down, it might have gone differently. This is a logical extension of the principle to be “dan lechaf zechut” to judge favorably. You are doing what is best for your son, knowing that is looking favorably at yourself and at the reality of the shot. Knowing that even a young child can handle the pain of the shot is also judging favorably the gifts Hashem has bestowed on all of us to handle the tests he gives us, at all ages. Et cetera. Keep up your good work on behalf of all Moms =)
why are you hosting non-jews at your shabbat table? What is the point of that?
It’s a good question. The point of Shabbat of a Lifetime is to expose tourists to the beauty of life in Israel. Every year hundreds of thousands of non-Jewish tourists travel through Israel, and experiences like Shabbat with a welcoming Jewish family strengthen their love of Israel, which they bring back to their home countries across the globe. Considering the anti-Israel sentiment that exists in so many countries, the goal of Shabbat of a Lifetime is to create ambassadors who share the truth about Israel and the Jewish people. It’s also, I pray, a big kiddush Hashem. For all these reasons, some of SOAL’s biggest supporters are rabbis, including Rabbi Shlomo Aviner shlit”a.
I’ve heard this before about positive thinking, maybe even on this website. I had a question about it. I wonder where positive thinking changing reality comes into believing that Hashem runs the world. Does Hashem change the outcome because we thought of it? How do you think this works?
Before something stressful, I tend to focus on my bitachon and believing that Hashem is there for me and there is nothing else besides for Him. I read that with a strong bitachon, we can change the outcome of something. I wonder if this is the same as positive thinking! It is two different thoughts, but the outcome is the same.
Another funny question. I’ve noticed that in a lot of your pep talks and blogs, you mention getting advice from someone and putting this into action. First of all, that is an amazing middah, to put things into action and learn from things you learn. But, how do you have time and remember all the little things that you say you do all the time? For example: you’ve said you go to a certain rebbe’s kever twice a week, you mentioned you take two small naps daily to get energy, you’ve mentioned you learn a sefer and discuss it daily with a chavrusah, you just talked about positive morning meditation, you listen to Rabbi Nivin and practice what he talks about daily (with a chavrusah?) and a lot more. How do you do all of this and blog and pep talk and raise your family?????
Can you pep talk about to live this kind of life??
Thank you for your description of our evening in your home. We really did appreciate the evening as well, and the opportunity to experience a little of your customs regarding the Shabbat. We also appreciated what appeared to be a strong family bond between parents and children, and a strong interest on the part of your children in your teachings. It is true that we did take an interest in discussing meaningful things that evening. While we were interested in observing customs and practices, we also were very interested in Truth, for all of us. We all have customs and ways, but above all of this is God’s will for our lives, and the Truth that He has given through the Scriptures. Thank you again for your hospitality, and your openness in discussion. We continue to pray for the peace of Jerusalem, for the Jewish people, and for the nation of Israel.