התנצרות

Shalom y'all

2005-11-20T08:46:00.000-06:00

There we go, I figured out how to do the pictures a bit better. So here're a bunch. We've got one of us studying Torah and one of Joel climbing up one of the "horns of Heitim", a shot of the Kinneret (sea of Galilee), one of us jamming and a shot of our friend Ronny who went mountain climbing with us.

Ronny is a stray who lives on the kibbutz. Somebody dumped him here and they were trying to catch him so they could put him down. But he was so clever that each time they tried to get him he would evade them and hide. When we arived we immediately took a shine to him and he stuck with us at our little compound. When the kibbutzniks saw that we took care of him they decided to let him live. The end.

In other news things are pretty good in general. The teaching is challenging and the archeology is exiting. Last week we went to Tzippori which is 10 minutes outside of Nazareth. They have a whole lot of mosaics there at the dig many of which are breath taking. The disturbing bit is some of the content. Considering that it was a major Jewish center and that Rav Yehudah Nassi sealed the mishna while living there (he died there too) it is disconcerting seeing the Dionysian worship portrayed by their floors and the sun god portrayed in their synagogue.

I want to go now. Shalom.

First post on Holy Soil

2005-11-14T11:20:00.000-06:00

So, here I am and as much as I'm sure some of you out there would love to know about what I'm doing there are surprisingly many things which draw me more than typing. So, that is why it has been two weeks in the Land without a single post. The basic scenario is as follows. I live on a kibbutz 15 minutes outside of Tiberius I mostly chill out and swim and eat grapfruit but there is some education going on. I'm falling in love with archeology, so the next 11 weeks promise great pleasure. Today there are an inordinate amount of helicopters we suspect that it is linked to an IDF assasination in Nabilus today, Guarding against retaliation. I'll just post a few photos for you and then get on with my life.

Looks like the photos are "sticky" you'll just have to wait.

2005-10-30T11:29:00.000-06:00

This is it folks. The day after tomorrow is my flight to Israel. I just got off the phone with Lufthansa to confirm my flight. This is for real folks, two sleeps.

It's so fresh out. I'm enjoying the crisp fall weather. I guess Israel won't be too frosty but since I'll be there for their winter I'm expecting it to be pretty rainy. I'll be primarily based in Galilee which gets the most cm of rain in the country.
The main point of this blog is supposed to be keeping a log of my upcomming journey so as of tuesday it should be entering its telos. By the way my bro who's comming too keeps an online journal as well as Joel so you can get their sides of the story too.

I'm feeling rather jittery, this is exciting.

Space

2005-10-26T07:15:00.000-06:00

I was reading some posts in the old blog and came across a C.S. Lewis quote about travel and space. I think it's a pretty decent quote and since I'm going to Israel in about six days I'll put it here:

The truest and most horrible claim made for modern transport is that it 'annihilates space'. It does. It annihilates one of the most glorious gifts we have been given. It is a vile inflation which lowers the value of distance, so that a modern boy travels a hundred miles with less sense of liberation and pilgrimage and adventure than his grandfather got from traveling ten. Of course if a man hates space and wants it to be annihilated, that is another matter. Why not creep into his coffin at once? There is little enough space there. C S Lewis, Surprised by

This concept has surfaced often in my relatively well-traveled life. The first time I heard it lucidly expressed was by my aunt a couple years ago in the form of a little story about a dude and a camel and another dude with a car.

weekend debrief

2005-10-24T20:50:00.000-06:00

Weekend: over.
It was good, spiritually. In Medias Res came through town again. That band from Vancouver that plays in Saskatoon every now and then, they're so cute and quirky and I'm so patronizing and crosseyed. It's really weird, whenever they come through I get all juiced up and excited about life and it's like I can feel the Spirit of God inside me again.
Website: I M R
That afternoon (Sabbath) we read the stories of Sodom, and the binding of Isaac, and Elisha and the Shunamite woman.
That night at work I had to evict a couple because after several warnings they persisted in having sex loud enough to wake the kids in the room beside them. They were both women but thats not why they were evicted.

Started reading a new book called "I Saw Satan Fall Like Lightning" it's really good I''ll probably post some good quotes from it on here later.

2005-10-21T18:06:00.000-06:00

I'm leaving in less than two weeks. When I tell people I'm going to Israel they ask if I'm scared of terrorists. I'm not. But I realized that I am scared, I'm terrified. But what of?

I feel like soft clay, and that's an uncomfortable feeling. Or maybe I was soft and I'm starting to dry out now. Either way, change is the point. My identity is shifting. How? you may ask.

I don't know. But I'm sick of religion. I've noticed that a lot of religious people say stuff like that . They say stuff like "God doesn't make people religious" they rail against "religious people", saying "God did not invent religion".
re-ligios the etymology is the same as that of "ligament" it has to do with connecting. So, re-ligios would be reconnecting i.e. with God. That's what I would have said to those who spoke against religion.

Newsflash: Etymology is so often used as alchemy, it isn't magic... even in Hebrew.

In other news today, I had a headache but it seems to be gone now. blah blah blah
Sorry to sound so jaded today, I think it might be that I'm exhausted.

what next? seriously.

2005-10-14T04:09:00.000-06:00

Here's a clip about pro-lifers being beat up by cops etc.
I've never been much for this kind of thing but I think my bubble could be considered bursted now.

Not to be missed

2005-10-13T07:20:00.000-06:00

That's this sundee.
Also... October 22
The Last Deal (Edmonton), Skeletons (ex-bloodmusic/no birds members), Dumb Angel & Holzkopf @ Le RelaisShow @ 9... definatly not a show to be missed.

In other news: I deliver RFK jr's newspaper this morning.

The end of the age is upon us!!!

2005-10-12T18:10:00.000-06:00

I just saw a pamphlet entitled "the benefits of walking.

Sioux

2005-10-12T08:00:00.000-06:00

This is a desprate cry for help, "wanted dog-sitter!"
I'm leaving for Israel on November 1st and my sweet little american pit bull (staffordshire) terrier needs a home for about four months.

words from the Rabbi

2005-10-10T08:16:00.000-06:00

No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other You cannot serve God and wealth.

I actually never noticed that Jesus went so far as to say that if you love God you will hate Mammon i.e money personified.

Party time is over

2005-10-05T14:49:00.000-06:00

New Moon Report
October 2005
Eighth Biblical Month
Part 2

On Wednesday October 5, 2005 the New Moon was easily sighted by many
observers from Israel. The New Moon was sighted
*from Jerusalem (Zion Gate) first by Pam Dow at 18:12 followed by
Ray Dow, Eva Reeves, Beverly Hasdorff, Avi Marcus, Dina Marcus,
Bruce Peterson, and Tuan Hwang.
*from Poriya first by Tim Arndt at 18:18 followed by Michael Rood
and Deborah Arndt.
*from elsewhere in Jerusalem (Talpiot) first by Devorah Gordon at
18:23 followed by Nehemia Gordon.
*from near Herodian first by Dani Menachem at 18:27 followed by
Bruce Brill and Oshri Ben Ami.

2005-10-04T07:38:00.000-06:00

So, this morning I had to scrape the windows of the van, that's right frosty. Time stops for nobody, almost. In less than one month I'll be flying away to Israel the land of no frost on the windows. The real reason for this blog is actually for the Israel trip, to keep a log... on the web... a web log you might call it.

This morning I drove to gents from alabama to the airport. They had killed a thousand pound moose north of north battleford. That must have been a beautiful beast I can just imagine it, the King.

Call me whatever you want but part of me wishes that moose was still alive with his big beard and majestic antlers. The name Cornelius means "beautiful horns" I think, a good name for a moose. My great great great grandfather's name was Kornelius, every generation since him has had at least one male named Kornelius, until mine, the sixth generation. I've thought about legally taking the name and thus recieving the spiritual mantal of my forfathers and continuing the line but I hate forms and beurocracy.

Halleluyah

2005-10-02T20:19:00.000-06:00

Yes!!
Praise God Myron and Rebecca are united in christian marriage. It is right, it is good, it is the plan of their heavenly father. He found a good wife, a good thing, and he found favor with Yah. There will be good fruit as these two very special people remain in the true vine.

Thats not all, Owen and Ashley from hakahal sheli are to unite in holy matrimony on the 9th of october. Which brings to mind that I should find a wife. "if you are reading this please contact me, I know the internet isn't the most romantic place to meet but the romance we can catch up on later."

And Ezekiel Elioenai Topping is the lattest member of the kahal proceding from the womb of Tara. He's a real beaut.

Best Sukkot ever

2005-09-29T21:13:00.000-06:00

Wow, I love the fall. The bush is more golden than the holy temple. We danced and danced and danced, all night long. The rock and roll tabernacle was flooded with living water.

Foto time.

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2005-09-23T15:18:00.000-06:00

I'm heading to pike lake this afternoon for the festivities. I'll be there until tuesday for the rest of the Succot, Hoshanna rabbah and Shimeni atzeret observances. It's a good thing we didn't add that leap year this time around like the Rabbinites did, in one month it's going to be mighty cold for a harvest feast.

Here are last years posts on the feast of ingathering: Succot, hoshanna rabba and shemeni atzeret/simchat torah. It's weird to think about who you were one year ago. Little did I know I was about to embark on my first year living away from home and a powerfull encounter with Christ that would erase the mensch in the moon's angst.

Parktown

2005-09-23T13:58:00.000-06:00

The point of this blog is, I think, mainly as a journal for the upcoming Israel trip. This is of course depending on what kind of access we have at the Kibbutz guest house.

Right now is succot, tabernacles or booths i.e the feast of. Of course this is only if you go by the Abib-barley-no-leap-year-calendar, if you're on the standard calendar I think it's still Elul.
blah blah blah.

I'm disintegrating but I have to put it off until i'm done partying for succot next week.

Money music
last night I missed the big festival fire works because I had to go to work... argh.

Buggered by a priest, passed out drunk on a portugese schooner
fell off the salvation wagon could'a stood for it sooner.
Drunk as the driven snow, falling from the pine-cones
talking on the telephone, to people in different time-zones.

Dry wine, heavy cream.
dream catcher flame thrower.
By the time you sit down the movies already over.
P.D.

Jordan river is chilly and cold

2005-09-13T19:49:00.000-06:00

I don't know what to say. Joanne is dead. But our God is the God of the living so we'll have to call it sleep.
I really don't know what to say, it seems so wrong. Daniel, Dante, and Jordan's mother won't bee there to teach them this year. Kent's marriage is finished. It's all wrong.
It says that the last enemies to be destroyed are death and hell, I guess I kind of forgot about death.
We are not immortal which is why there is resurection. The problem is, the connections we make in this olam don't streach when our friends go into the next.

"why so downcast oh my soul? Put your hope in God."

Nathan and Joel's posts

Sh'vooahh toyv

2005-09-11T08:40:00.000-06:00

Not too long ago the only prayers I found myself uttering were "help" and "save me". All the sudden at work last night I found myself back at the "help" prayer as I did my patrols (I do the graveyard shift as a hotel security guard). In the last few days my attempts to trust in things other than the Father have been rudely disrupted, so all I can say is "help" because he is the only one who has the power to help us.

I was listening to an old vinyard praise and worship tape from the 80's on the way home from work and it really "ministered" to me. So naive, so joyfull and so groovy. I kept imagining who the bass player might have been because the bass was so over the top, fun and at times cheesy but always technical skill shone through. I wonder what his testimony is/was. How did he get into the vinyard? What did Jesu save him from and how? I kept imagining him wearing sweat pants to church, doughnuts anyone?

2005-09-08T18:47:00.000-06:00

They appear to have found some cool stuff in the HolyLand i.e. archeologically. Click here to read about it. By the way if you have a very short attention span just scroll down to the last paragraph.

Be there or be Square

2005-09-02T09:26:00.000-06:00

On a lighter note

2005-09-02T08:44:00.000-06:00

This morning I celebrated my province's centenial year with a free pancake breakfast. While I was biking home after my shift, which ends at 7:00 in the morning, I came a across a blocked off street with a bunch of chefs flipping pancakes and a country band playing country music and my good of buddy Greame. So I stopped and had a couple free ones courtesy of the provincial government and, I assume, municipal tax dollars. Apperantly Paul Martin our honourable Prime Minister was supposed to show up some time soon but I'm apperantly not star struck because I got bored a am now at home at my PC.
Oh yeah I finally got a nice sunrise but forgot the camera at home, oh well. That was likely my last shift at the Hilton so I guess we won't get one of those spectacular-16-story-sunrise-over- Saskatoon pictures.

on the lighter side:
Beards international
A folky tale
Sacred name board game
not on the light side but worth a read:
Sleepless in S'toon

2005-09-01T22:29:00.000-06:00

From Poverbs 1
Wisdom shouts in the street, She lifts her voice in the square; At the head of the noisy streets she cries out; At the entrance of the gates in the city she utters her sayings: "How long, O naive ones, will you love being simple-minded? And scoffers delight themselves in scoffing And fools hate knowledge? "Turn to my reproof, Behold, I will pour out my spirit on you; I will make my words known to you. "Because I called and you refused, I stretched out my hand and no one paid attention; And you neglected all my counsel And did not want my reproof; I will also laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your dread comes, When your dread comes like a storm And your calamity comes like a whirlwind, When distress and anguish come upon you. "Then they will call on me, but I will not answer; They will seek me diligently but they will not find me, Because they hated knowledge And did not choose the fear of the LORD. "They would not accept my counsel, They spurned all my reproof. "So they shall eat of the fruit of their own way And be satiated with their own devices. "For the waywardness of the naive will kill them, And the complacency of fools will destroy them. "But he who listens to me shall live securely And will be at ease from the dread of evil."

Psalm 91
He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High Will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the LORD, "My refuge and my fortress, My God, in whom I trust!" For it is He who delivers you from the snare of the trapper And from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with His pinions, And under His wings you may seek refuge; His faithfulness is a shield and bulwark. You will not be afraid of the terror by night, Or of the arrow that flies by day; Of the pestilence that stalks in darkness, Or of the destruction that lays waste at noon. A thousand may fall at your side And ten thousand at your right hand, But it shall not approach you. You will only look on with your eyes And see the recompense of the wicked. For you have made the LORD, my refuge, Even the Most High, your dwelling place. No evil will befall you, Nor will any plague come near your tent. He will give His angels charge concerning you, To guard you in all your ways. They will bear you up in their hands, That you do not strike your foot against a stone. You will tread upon the lion and cobra, The young lion and the serpent you will trample down. "Because he has loved Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him securely on high, because he has known My name. "He will call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and honor him. "With a long life I will satisfy him And let him see My salvation."

2005-08-25T21:42:00.000-06:00

It's been a few days since last post and since then I've worked out, I hope, passport issues. Apparently what nobody told me was that you can get what's called an emergency or temporary passport without a proof of citizenship. It only lasts for one year but that's enough for my purposes this time. The reason I'm not posting so much nowadays is that I'm happier than when I used to post longer more brooding posts, so I'll not apologize.

So, I've been thinking that I should take some photos of the beautiful sunrises that I usually see at the end of my shift at the hotel. I took my camera last night but there was only rain and clouds. I took a couple shots anyway so I'll post 'em but tonight I'll try again an see what I get.

The first one is from about 0230 and the second is from when the sunrise should have been (that's 1st ave) the third looks a lot less miserable than it was.

So yeah, stay strong and sorry about the comment spam as we await the dawn.

2005-08-20T02:10:00.000-06:00

http://pinchas.blogspot.com/2005/08/photo-blog-gush-katif-protests-where.html
Here you go.

New week

2005-08-15T09:05:00.000-06:00

Last night I went to work and my suspicions were confirmed. Whoever owns the hotel is a heathen diety who was forced to use his valkyries for staff.

This disengagment thing is for real. last night I listened to Eicha on mp3 from Mechon Mamre, and it was... intense. I don't even know exactly what to say but this is big, big and bad.

"Your Kingdom come Your will be done"

Shabbat approaches

2005-08-12T16:35:00.000-06:00

Soon and very soon the queen will decend. What a week, it's been good. Affirming that the old maxim is true "God loves you and has a plan for your life."
You can call me self centered I'll just call myself "self".

"Where your treasure is there your heart will be also" - it's not so much about where or when you store up treasure but what kind of treasure you go for, physical or spiritual (to perpetuate a crazy ol' dicotomy). Spiritual treasure is amazing. What are human relationships, earthly or heavenly treasure? I'd venture to say earthly but about as good as you can get in the flesh (I guess relationships can be spiritual treasure. ramble ramble. yes, earthly relationships definatly are worthwhile and wonderful. ramble ramble ... Good Sabbath!

2005-08-10T19:53:00.000-06:00

So, I call the gov't to get my client i.d. # so I can check the status of my aplication on their website. I guess that the i.d. # isn't what I needed, I needed a "file #". So I called back for the file # but for them to tell me my file # I need to tell them the date of the transaction of my aplication fee which I can't remember. So I went to the bank to find out the date of the transaction, May 20th 2005. I get back from the bank and call the gov't again to ask for my file # they don't need the transaction date anymore but tell me that I don't as of yet actually have a file #. So I can't check my aplication on the internet at all. I ask when I'll have a file #, "maybe a few weeks, maybe a few months". Each phone call to Citizenship and Imigration Canada required pushing buttons for this and that and waiting for a while and listening to "on-hold" music.

Afterwards I felt depressed. I still feel kinda depressed

Happy mew noon

2005-08-07T17:10:00.000-06:00

Devarim 19
ח וְאִם-יַרְחִיב יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ, אֶת-גְּבֻלְךָ, כַּאֲשֶׁר נִשְׁבַּע, לַאֲבֹתֶיךָ; וְנָתַן לְךָ אֶת-כָּל-הָאָרֶץ, אֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר לָתֵת לַאֲבֹתֶיךָ.
8 And if יְהוָה thy God enlarge thy border, as He hath sworn unto thy fathers, and give thee all the land which He promised to give unto thy fathers--
ט כִּי-תִשְׁמֹר אֶת-כָּל-הַמִּצְוָה הַזֹּאת לַעֲשֹׂתָהּ, אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי מְצַוְּךָ הַיּוֹם, לְאַהֲבָה אֶת-יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ וְלָלֶכֶת בִּדְרָכָיו, כָּל-הַיָּמִים--וְיָסַפְתָּ לְךָ עוֹד שָׁלֹשׁ עָרִים, עַל הַשָּׁלֹשׁ הָאֵלֶּה.
9 if thou shalt keep all this commandment to do it, which I command thee this day, to love יְהוָה thy God, and to walk ever in His ways--then shalt thou add three cities more for thee, beside these three;
י וְלֹא יִשָּׁפֵךְ, דָּם נָקִי, בְּקֶרֶב אַרְצְךָ, אֲשֶׁר יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ נֹתֵן לְךָ נַחֲלָה; וְהָיָה עָלֶיךָ, דָּמִים. {פ}
10 that innocent blood be not shed in the midst of thy land, which יְהוָה thy God giveth thee for an inheritance, and so blood be upon thee.

So, from these verses we get the idea that the enlarging of Israel's borders is contingent upon their love for Yah and walking in his ways. This stuck out to me because of a previous passage which states that Israel's political reality is not conditional upon their righteousness. Contrast this next passage which has a different though not contradictory message.

אַל-תֹּאמַר בִּלְבָבְךָ, בַּהֲדֹף יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ אֹתָם מִלְּפָנֶיךָ לֵאמֹר, בְּצִדְקָתִי הֱבִיאַנִי יְהוָה, לָרֶשֶׁת אֶת-הָאָרֶץ הַזֹּאת: וּבְרִשְׁעַת
הַגּוֹיִם הָאֵלֶּה, יְהוָה מוֹרִישָׁם מִפָּנֶיךָ.
Speak not thou in thy heart, after that Yahweh thy God hath thrust them out from before thee, saying: 'For my righteousness Yahweh hath brought me in to possess this land'; whereas for the wickedness of these nations Yahweh doth drive them out from before thee.
לֹא בְצִדְקָתְךָ, וּבְיֹשֶׁר לְבָבְךָ, אַתָּה בָא, לָרֶשֶׁת אֶת-אַרְצָם: כִּי בְּרִשְׁעַת הַגּוֹיִם הָאֵלֶּה, יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ מוֹרִישָׁם מִפָּנֶיךָ, וּלְמַעַן הָקִים אֶת-הַדָּבָר אֲשֶׁר נִשְׁבַּע יְהוָה לַאֲבֹתֶיךָ, לְאַבְרָהָם לְיִצְחָק וּלְיַעֲקֹב.
Not for thy righteousness, or for the uprightness of thy heart, dost thou go in to possess their land; but for the wickedness of these nations Yahweh thy God doth drive them out from before thee, and that He may establish the word which Yahweh swore unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.
ו וְיָדַעְתָּ, כִּי לֹא בְצִדְקָתְךָ יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ נֹתֵן לְךָ אֶת-הָאָרֶץ הַטּוֹבָה הַזֹּאת--לְרִשְׁתָּהּ: כִּי עַם-קְשֵׁה-עֹרֶף, אָתָּה.
Know therefore that it is not for thy righteousness that Yahweh thy God giveth thee this good land to possess it; for thou art a stiffnecked people.

Now take these to concepts and apply to current politics. God gave the land not for the righteousness of early Zionism which was thoroughly secular. God even enlarged the borders of modern Israel. But as far as the political aspect which is conditional how long will Israel last as an unrighteous corupt nation. The exile was for not observing the shmita and yovel years, when has modern Israel ever observed the great release? Anyway , the latest thing is, of course, the Gaza disengagement. What should our view be in this regard? I don't know. In any case it's surely not a good thing. Any thoughts on the subject?

The reanimation

2005-08-03T17:56:00.000-06:00

I think I'm about ready to start blogging a bit again. This place (hitnatzrut) will replace the old one (the mensch in the moon). I wanted a less cluttered place to start the so called clean slate. Since I stopped blogging I've been accepted at a bible school by the sea of Galilee for a three month non-accredited program. I've also moved home to my parents and gotten a job to facilitate lucre hoarding.
I'll have a real post for you soon.
PD