Mary's musings

365 Photography Project- The Treasures They Make

2011-05-25T17:19:00.000-07:00

The Treasures They Make
May 25, 2011

Today I learned I have a lot to learn about photo editing. Since one of my goals is to get a living journal of our lives as they are today I had Justice grab a bracelete he made at the Boys and Girls Club yesterday. He was so proud of what he made. It make look like a simple piece of string with a few oddly matched beads; but, to him it is a tiny treasure. I snapped a few photo's of him holding the bracelet and I hated each shot more than the last. With time running short, I decided the first picture would have to do. I figured I could do some editing in Gimp and make it a little more presentable. Well, lets just say I could use a good class in photo editing. To start with the picture was overexposed and now it is overprocessed as well. The plus side is I can recognize my shortcomings and that is half the battle. Now I have to work on the hard part. Learning the art of photo editing.

365 Phtography Project- The Price of Playing

2011-05-24T17:03:00.000-07:00

The Price of Playing
May 24, 2011

The Process Begins

Already I am racking my brain trying to come up with creative shots for my year long project and I am only two days into it. This is not a good sign. The reality is, on weekdays we wake up just early enough to make ourselves presentable for the day, rush out the door to work and school and do not return home until almost six o'clock in the eveneing. After we get home dinner has to be made, I usually try to squeeze in forty to sixty minutes of cardio, showers must be coordinated and the endless list of chores seems to follow us from one day to the next. Most nights we get into bed later rather than earlier only to find the next day has too few minutes and not enough hours to ever get everything fully done. Snapping a photo a day on these days will not be easy; but, I have faith in myself. You never really know what you are capable of until you put yourself to the test. It is only then that you can truly shine or fizzle. Here's to hoping I shine!

The Price of Playing Description

Justice broke his elbow while playing Hockey with the Scouts. He was working on earning his Hockey Belt Loop which is a special award the boys can earn for trying out a new sport. Needless to say, he earned the award; but, for him the price was two broken bones.

365 Photography Project- Day 1

2011-05-23T19:10:00.001-07:00

After seeing several inspiring Facebook posts promoting 365 Photography Projects, I decided to do a little bit of research and find out exactly what these projects are. I was intrigued by what I found. Basically you challenge yourself to take one photo a day for a year. Some people choose a theme for their photographs, others challenge themselves to try new techniques and some people just shoot anything for the fun of it. The whole point of the project is to challenge yourself creatively, grow as a photographer and hopefully walk away with a fantastic project which you can treasure for years to come. It sounded perfect for me.

I have decided to jump in feet first and make a personal commitment to myself to take a photo a day for a year. I want my project to be a reflection of my life with Justice. The photographs I take for this project will range from snapshots of everyday life, still moments that are often left undocumented and artistic impressions of the very things we pass each day and take for granted. The photographs will document adventurous vacations and much needed weekend getaways along with nondescript days filled with mundane chores and countless errands. I will photograph our many camping trips and time spent outdoors as well as time spent with friends and loved ones. Holidays and special events will be eclipsed by everyday life which is a much more accurate picture of the life we live. As I journey through this project I will blog about it and hopefully turn it into some sort of creative book when it is over. I am intrigued by the idea of seeing a year of my life in snapshots and I can't help but wonder what it will look like when it is finished. Will this affect the way I view everyday life or change my perceptions of the life I live? Will I relish in new revelations about myself and my son? Will I be proud of what I see or will I be surprised in interesting ways? Time will answer all of these questions and more ; but, for now I can only pick up my camera and start shooting the story of our lives. Please join us for the journey!

Day 1- "Mouth Full of Sushi" (May 23, 2011)

Uploaded with ImageShack.us

Justice loves sushi. It also happens to be a really easy, healthy, last minute dinner for busy nights since our local grocery store makes it fresh each day. There were no complaints at the dinner table tonight.

Support Justice Gerber in Scouting!

2010-10-02T07:35:00.001-07:00

It's that time of year again! We are selling Trails End Popcorn to raise money for Scouting. This is our third year participating in this fundraiser and we are so happy to announce we were the highest seller in Pack 714 last year with $3,175.00 in sales! Justice even won a special prize from Council as he had the highest sales in the over $3,000 category! He also eaned the Trails End College scholarship which means 6% of last years sales have been put into a college scholarship for him and 6% of every sale he makes this year will also go into his college scholarship! Your purchase will not only go to support local Scouts, it will also help pay for Justice's cost of college! The sale runs from October 2nd- October 30th.

As many of you may know I have been a Scout Leader since Justice started Scouting. When we started I thought it would just be something fun to do with some cool camping trips thrown into the mix. I have to tell you, this program is so much more than I ever anticipated. I have watched Justice become an incredible little salesman spending over 80 hours of his own time doing fundraisers for Scouting in the last two years. He has learned many new skills such as Wall Climbing, BB Gun Shooting, Archery, Leave No Trace Principals, Cold Weather Camping, Public Speaking and more. He has also learned how to give back to his community by participating in Conservation Projects, Collecting Food For Families and various other Volunteer Projects. Personally I have recieved top-notch training which has helped me become an effective Scout Leader and have had the opportunity to expand my outdoor skills and learn invaluable life saving techniques.

Justice even got to see snow in Florida when camping with the Scouts!

Of course Scouting costs money and the program is designed for Scouts to earn their own way. To do this Scouts participate in well organized fundraisers. Will you help us pay our own way in Scouting? Your purchase of Trails End Popcorn will help us pay our own way. 70% of your purchase goes back to Justice, his pack and his Council. If you don't like popcorn you can always purchase a Militairy Donation and Trails End will send popcorn to men and women in the Militairy. 100% of your Militairy Donation is tax deductible. We have tried most of the products and can tell you first hand they are fantastic!

In order for Justice to get credit for his sales you must follow the procedure below.

Please go to....

www.trails-end.com

You will see a green bar on the right that says "You are supporting no one. Change."
Click on "Change"
enter Justice's Scout ID 3118672
The Green Bar should now say "You are supporting Scout Justice G."
* You can get FREE SHIPPING on all orders over $150 placed between now and October 15th. Just enter code 100YEARS at checkout!
*If you are local, please contact me so we can take your order personally. We have some products available immediately and some can be ordered through our Pack. You will not have to pay for shipping if you are local and place your order through the Pack becasue we will personally deliver your product to you.

Challenger: The Untold Story

2009-03-17T13:09:00.000-07:00

After seeing our first shuttle launch, I have developed a deeper appreciation for the space program and what NASA is able to accomplish; yet, while I stand in wonder and awe of our atronauts and the shuttles they skyrocket in, I realize that not all missions end in glory.

Getting ready to view the launch caused me to reflect on the Challenger tragedy and relive the moments just before and after the shuttle exploded. In my fourth grade classroom we watched in utter silence as the launch took place and we watched in horror as the screen erupted in a puff of white smoke. Even at the tender age of nine, it was apparent to us that all of the astronauts had been killed.

Below is a quite lengthy documentary on the Challenger. You can watch it in segments and I think it tells the story quite well.

How To Save 30% On Gas

2008-08-05T05:53:00.000-07:00

This week I tried something new and crazy in an attempt to save money and cut back on my cost of living. I drove slower. I drove slower and it paid off in a big way.

When I began this new experiment I really had no preconceived notions regarding how much money I could save simply by driving slower than usual; however, I believe it would be fair to say I knew I would save some money. I just wasn't prepared for how much I would save.

I drove from West Palm Beach to Florida City to Key Largo to Florida City to Coopertown to the Sawgrass Mall to West Palm Beach to Jupiter to North Palm Beach to Jupiter and back home on one tank of gas. This is something I have never done before in my car! The total mileage was approximately 365 and when I divided that by the 11 gallons my tank holds that meant I got 33 miles per gallon.

What I find most interesting is, after I figured out my gas mileage for this trip, I did some research on the year, make and model of my car and found I should be able to get 33 mpg highway, 26 mpg city and 28 mpg combined. That is exactly what I got when driving at or 5 mph below the speed limit. (Please keep to the right if you do this and allow other drivers to pass you safely.)

I also did some research on how the speed you drive affects your gas mileage and here is what I found. Most cars seem to plateau between 40 and 60 miles per hour, showing no significant gain in fuel cost. Making the jump to 60 miles per hour and up can cost 30% or more in gas. I know of NO OTHER FUEL SAVING TIP that comes anywhere close to saving 30% on gas. Drive slower if you want to see real savings at the pump.

The last interesting tidbit of information I picked up during my research was the national speed limit of 55 mph. In 1974 the country adopted a national speed limit of 55 mph in an effort to reduce consumption during the energy crisis. Those smart government officials knew that driving slower would pay off in a big way, so they made it mandatory. While it is very unlikely to see a national speed limit like that again, each driver can make a personal choice to drive slower and keep right.

Every Year We.....

2008-06-27T08:43:00.000-07:00

Do you have a list of things you absolutely must do every year? Before I had Justice, I did not have a list like that; however, since he was born things have changed drastically.

It has come to my attention that, our must do list has grown to gargantuan proportions. As we continue to explore the state of Florida on a budget and a dream, we seem to unearth more and more amazing things to do each year.

Below is a list of things we must do and see each year. These are the things that have been so fun and so incredible, that we can't imagine not doing them again and again.

In Town/Day Trips

1. Artigras in Jupiter
2. Renfest in Ft. Lauderdale
3. Easter Egg hunt in Lake Park
4. State fair in Palm Beach County or St. Lucie county
5. Trip to Morikami Gardens when a festival is being held
6. McKee Botanical Gardens in Vero Beach
7. Boynton School House Museum
8. Drehyr Park Zoo
9. Science Museum in West Palm
10. 3-D Imax theater in Ft. Lauderdale
11. The Girls U-Pick Strawberry farm in Delray Beach
12. Monsters In The Marsh at Grassey Waters Preserve
13. Davie Pro Rodeo
14. Wanna Do City
15. Friday night Flicks in Delray Beach
16. The Christmas Boat Parade In West Palm Beach
17. The Sunrise Balloon Race

Out Of Town Trips In Florida

1. Epcot for the Candlelight Processional
2. Animal Kingdom
3. Magic Kingdom twice (1 hard ticket event, rotate each year)
4. MGM Osbourne Family Festival of Lights
5. Both Disney Water Parks
6. Disneyquest
7. Sea World (The Polar Experience is THE BEST Christmas theme park attraction in Orlando!)
8. Universal (both parks, not to miss Grinchmas and the Macy's Parade)
9. Bush Gardens Tampa
10. Weeki Wachee Mermaids
11. Tubing the Itcheetuknee
12. Camping and fossil hunting the Peace River
13. Solomon's Caste in Ona
14. Gaylord Palms Ice Display
15. Aquatica by Sea World
16. Orange picking and the Citrus Tower in Cleremont

* We would like to add the Keys, St. Augustine/Amelia Island, Discovery Cove and The Kennedy Space center to this list in the coming year.

Do you have any other must do's/must see's each year? I'd love to hear about them!

My Kitchen Experiment

2008-06-20T10:44:00.001-07:00

I know gas prices have been soaring out of control for some time now; but, I have to admit it has only been recently that I have noticed a very deep impact on my finances, as a result of this crisis. While it seems the price of everything is going up right now to compensate for the rising fuel costs, two particular areas are really making me wince. Gas (go figure) and food.

As far as gas goes, I can do little things like check my tire pressure once a week, keep a clean air filter under the hood and ease of that gas pedal; but, the only real solution is to drive less. Yea right! There is only so much "less driving" I can do, especially as a single parent who must drive all over the county to pick my son up from whatever sitter I can muster up. The idea of sitting in the house all weekend and staring at the walls is not so great either, so I'm left with trying to group my errands together and stay closer to home to avoid wasting fuel.

As far as groceries go, I think I have a-lot more options. The big dilemma comes with eating healthy and eating cheap. After doing a bit of research on this topic I have come to one conclusion. It you want to eat healthy and cheap you have to sacrifice some time. It requires a bit of planning and cooking from scratch. Normally I look for any way I can find to make things go faster; but, I am in a position where I have to start to look at ways to reduce my cost of living.

So, here is my plan. Obviously I'm not going to make everything from scratch; but, I'm going to give it a good shot. Below is a list of ways I will reduce my overall grocery bill over the next month. At that time I will post again on this subject and let you know the results of my kitchen experiment.

1. I will be laying Coca-Cola and his dearly beloved friend Mountain Dew to rest. That's right, no more soda. Now this does not mean I am quiting soda, just quiting spending money on it.

2. I will bake my own bread. This is time consuming; but, it's soooo tasty and so much better for you, not to mention cheaper. I'm actually kind of excited about this.

3. I will use the whole bird. Chicken or turkey. For one month I will only buy whole birds and use them for lunch and dinner. I will have sandwiches without nitrates or fillers. I will have homemade soup. I will have lean protein for dinner and sometimes even some homemade gravy.

4. I will make every effort to buy what's on sale, especially for the foods I can't make like yogurt.

5. I will be green. I will stop throwing out my quart sized zip lock bags. I will take the time to wash them and let them air dry. They are expensive and it is downright irresponsible to throw them away after one use.

6. I will plan my meals. I will take a list with the ingredients needed to the grocery store and I will make every effort to plan my meals around what's on sale.

That's it! I know there are other ways to reduce my costs; but, I'm trying to start with something reasonable and work from there. If you have any other tips for saving money at the grocery store, please let me know! I'd love to hear what's worked for you.

A Paradox In Uganda Leads To Summer Reading In The U.S.

2008-05-28T08:39:00.000-07:00

After reading an amazing and inspiring post from Paradox Uganda I became inspired to start a summer reading list for myself. The post describes the almost Utopian vacation of missionaries in an impoverished, diseased country. It is a vacation marked by lazy days on the beach, home cooked meals and endless amounts of time with family and books. It is a vacation without phones, televisions or tourist attractions. It is a vacation in which their little family read over 100 books in three weeks time. That is inspiring.

I may not be able to hide away in a secluded beach house for three weeks or read 100 books this summer; but, I am challenging myself to obtain a little piece of what they had. Before I had my son, I read with a voracious appetite. I consumed books as if they were the sustenance that fueled my body. If I started a particularly good book, it was not uncommon for me to stay up for 24 or 48 hours reading until I reached the end, only to pick up another book and start reading again. At times I would have 3 or 4 books going at once, unable to keep up with myself. I was an avid reader in every sense.

So, now I'm asking for your help. Do you have any favorite authors or books that I should add to my list? Have you read any "must reads" recently? Is there anything you have read fiction, non-fiction, biography or autobiography that you want to recommend? I want your suggestions.

One last note...follow the link above (1st paragraph) and read Paradox Uganda. Bookmark it. Return to it. That's my reading suggestion for you.

Ten Ways A Father Can Provide Stability For His Child

2008-05-19T10:46:00.000-07:00

1. Smoke lots of pot and consume other random drugs in seedy dive bars after hours. (This is a must) All parents should use illegal and controlled substances. It also helps if you are a 5 time convicted felon and have failed at least one random drug test from the Department Of Children and Families.

2. Be sure to take your child to school late or better yet not at all. Do not set alarms and do not get to bed at a decent hour so that you will be able to get up in the morning. That's just bad parenting.

3. Pull no call, no shows for parent teacher meetings. This will really show your child's teacher how much you care. Trust me on this one. The message you send by not showing up will be loud and clear.

4. Only date married women. Then, move the married woman into your home for you child to become attached to. This always works out well.

5. Get the married woman pregnant. Under no circumstances are you to discuss the growing belly with your child. That would be irresponsible.

6. When the pregnant, married woman moves out of your house DO NOT discuss this with your child. It is much better for he/she to wonder why this person just disappeared and where their stuff went. This will make your child feel very safe and secure.

7. When your child's mother figures out what has happened, deny everything. Better yet, lie to her and tell her the married woman is out of the picture and the child is not yours. That way, the mother can go sit the child down and tell him/her that this has nothing to do with him, there is no baby, it's all a big misunderstanding.

8. When you see your child, tell him/her that there is a baby and it is yours. This will help to confuse your child and make him/her wonder what the truth actually is. All of the best parents in the world do this.

9. Now that your child is nice and confused and totally unstable, you should really shake things up by suddenly moving far away for a period of time. This can only help things. Under no circumstances should you have an exact return date in mind. It would not be good for your child to know when to expect you back. Nothing good ever comes from that.

10. Now pat yourself on the back. You are a great dad. You are a real role model for your child.

Five Hundred Twentyfive Six Hundred Minutes....

2008-04-17T11:06:00.000-07:00

Out of all the songs in the musical Rent, there is one in particular that always gets me thinking- Seasons of Love. Below are the lyrics to the song, followed by a few musings from me.

Five hundrend twenty five thousand
six hundred minutes
Five hundrend twenty five thousand
moments so dear
Five hundrend twenty five thousand
six hundred minutes
How do you measure, measure a year

In daylight, in sunsets, in midnights,
in cups of coffee, In inches, in miles
in laughter in strife,

In Five hundrend twenty five thousand
six hundred minutes
How do you measure a year in the life

(chorus)
How about Love
how about love
how about love
measure in love
seasons of love
seasons of love

Five hundrend twenty five thousand
six hundred minutes
Five hundrend twenty five thousand
journeys to plan
Five hundrend twenty five thousand
six hundred minutes
how do you measure the life of a woman
or a man

In truth that she learned
or in times that he cried
In the bridges he burned
or the way that she died

Its time now to sing out
though the story never ends
lets celebrate remember a year
in the life of friends

(chorus)

How do YOU measure a year? Do you measure a year in daylights, sunsets and midnights as stated in the song, or do you have some other form of measurement. If I had to be honest, I'd say I probably measure a year in the things I did with Justice, from the big thrill moments in Orlando, to the slower moments picking green beans and studying flash cards with simple words.

When I look at how I would measure a year, I don't think it's necessarily bad; however, it may not be as noble as I would like. Perhaps I should measure a year by how often I followed God's laws or how many good deed's I've done. Perhaps if I measured my year that way, I may not be so happy with the results. Could those moments possibly stack up against the things we've done this year? I don't know, but it 's certainly something to think about.

Below is a video of Idol Gives Back- The 2008 Idols perform their rendition of Seasons Of Love.

Seasons

2008-03-24T07:45:00.000-07:00

When I was a child growing up in Philadelphia, holidays like Christmas and Easter were pretty predictable. Everybody went to church in the morning and gathered at my grandparents house in the afternoon for a special meal and dessert. The kids played in the family room or basement while the adults gathered in the kitchen and formal living room for idle conversation and appetizers. Nobody was divorced and there were no rifts in the family, so each year was pretty much the same. I liked that.

As I grew into adulthood, I moved to south Florida and things pretty much stayed the same, except now I went to my Aunt and Uncles house for each holiday. Most of us still went to church and we all gathered together to break bread and hang out. Occasionally the guest list would change to include others who had no family in town or other plans. Again, it was nice and predictable.

Unfortunately my Aunt and Uncle came to a point where their marriage had ended and holiday's began to be more unpredictable. One year we dined in a small efficiency where my Uncle was living, we spent some holidays at my cousins homes, sometimes we cooked and other times we ordered pre-made meals; in addition to all that, the times we choose to eat have varied from year to year. The holiday's have no longer become anything I can count on.

As a single mother I am struggling to maintain some sense of normalcy and predictability for my son in regards to the holidays. I realize that life is like a never ending series of seasons and we have to be able to bend with the changing wind so that we don't break; but, it can be quite challenging at times. I've come to realize that I only have control over certain things and I have to use that to my advantage.

I can control the special traditions my little nuclear family has, like dying Easter eggs and checking the Advent calender each day for chocolates in anticipation of Christ's birth. I can control the importance placed on God and prayer by putting our church and worship time ahead of any gatherings or festivities. I can even control who we choose to eat with, thereby creating a new tradition where we share our holiday with other friends and family who we wouldn't normally get to see. It's a strange season I'm experiencing right now and I'm not entirely sure how I feel about it. I don't know what to call it and I'm not quite sure where it's headed; but, I'm hoping for a nice spring when the ground begins to thaw.

Micheal and Michelle's Wedding

2008-03-16T15:48:00.000-07:00

Michael Millington and Michelle Gerber were wed on Saturday March 15th, 2008. Below is a video I put together with the pictures I took.

West Palm Beach Paramedic Killed At Wendy's

2008-03-04T06:53:00.001-08:00

Yesterday I received a call just after lunch from a friend of mine in Philly checking to see if I was ok. Apparently there had been a shooting at a Wendy's in West Palm Beach and it had made the news there. Now I was no where near the place where the shooting took place; but, I do live in the city and it has definitely affected my community.

A gunman opened fire in a Wendy's for what seems to be no apparent reason, then committed suicide, leaving no note or hint as to why he committed such an unthinkable act of violence.

Rafael Vazquez (pictured to the left) a father of five and paramedic had reportedly just returned to the store to get a toy for his son when he fatally was shot from behind. Three other victims were shot as well, but not killed.

A local radio station covered this story pretty heavily this morning and it really brought tears to my eyes. Friends of the victims called in as well as eyewitnesses and what they conveyed was almost unbelievable. When the gunman opened fire people began pouring out of the Wendy's. People in the drive through abandoned running cars which are still sitting there today- a full day later. From a gas station across the street onlookers watched in horror as they saw the whole thing unfold.

Even as i write, right now, I am listening to Rafael- Ray's daughter Tiffany speaking to Wild 95.5 through tears and grief. Her dad was the kind of guy who would give you the shirt off his back and ask for nothing in return. He was the kind of guy who was the backbone of his family and loved by everyone who he came in contact with. Even as he was going back into the Wendy's, he was only trying to return a toy from a kids meal that his son did not want, so that some other child could enjoy it.

For those of us who live in West Palm Beach, this hit's a little too close to home. We're used to hearing these kinds of stories from other places like Texas or Illinois - not here. So, how should we respond? As a community what should we do to bring about change and protect ourselves at the same time?

What would you do if this happened in your community?

Affirmative Action- Another Form Of Racisim?

2008-02-28T10:23:00.000-08:00

I got an e-mail from my Godmother a few days ago telling me all about this great teaching position she had gotten. She loves the job and they love her, but; the only problem is she's white.

What's that you say? She's being denied a job simply because of the color of her skin? I thought that problem had been taken care of back in the 50's and 60's with the civil rights movement. Surely this cannot be true.

Well, my friends I regret to say it is true. We now live in a country where a person can already be on a job as a temporary employee, doing a great job, and well liked by their associates, but unable to obtain a permanent position because they are not the "right" color.

Now, being a woman in the workforce I realize that affirmative action could actually work in my favor at some point in time, but at what cost? Are there no better alternatives out there? Let me know what you think.

Ushpizin- A Blessing Or A Curse?

2008-02-20T07:47:00.000-08:00

Occasionally I will rent a foreign film that catches my eye. I never know what to expect when I do this. Sometimes I am pleasantly surprised and other times I am utterly disappointed. Ushpizin happened to be one of those films that was not only pleasing to watch, but also got the wheels in my brain turning. I like those kind of movies. I like to think.

The story revolves around a married couple Moshe and Mali, a childless, Orthodox, couple. On the eve of Succoth, the festival of booths they find themselves penniless and hiding from the landlord who is looking for the rent- a circumstance many of us have found ourselves in one time or another.

After fervent prayers from both husband and wife a mysterious gift is shoved under their door. Money, and lot's of it! It seemed as though their prayers had been answered when an even greater blessing appeared on their doorstep or so it seemed. Ushpizin's, also known as holy guests are considered to be lucky; however, these two ushpizin's happed to be escaped convicts from Moshe's secular past.

At first they are seen as a blessing, but; when their unruly behavior gets out of control the Bellanga's tell a lie to get them to leave. Almost immediately thereafter, they realize that the men were a test, not a blessing and they had failed miserably. Being good Jew's they were quick to make amends and re invited their guests to the succah. From that moment on things took a real turn. It was obvious that their change of heart made all the difference in the world and the ushpizin's could see it too.

I don't want to spoil the end of the movie for anyone who might want to see it, so I'll leave things here.

Before I add my own commentary on the film and how it affected me I'd like to add an interesting note. Shuli Rand, the actor who played Moshe, was a retired stage and screen actor. Much like his character he also had become an Orthodox Jew and put his old self behind him. He was very careful to work under the strict direction of a rabbi who stated no actor could be hired to play his wife, therefore; his own wife played the part of Mali and turned out a superb performance. Their real chemistry and love for one another truly shone on screen.

My Thoughts

This movie really stands apart from most of today's blockbusters because of it's solid story line. Like most of the true classics, Ushpizin relies mainly on it's well developed story and leaves the special effects to those who cannot write. If focuses on charity, faith and true repentance, all things which are far too often left out of todays movies.

Perhaps the thing that struck me the most was that even though this was an Orthodox Jewish film, the message was relevant to Christians as well. This week at Vintage (my super cool church) Albert spoke about Luke 14

1One Sabbath, when Jesus went to eat in the house of a prominent Pharisee, he was being carefully watched. 2There in front of him was a man suffering from dropsy. 3Jesus asked the Pharisees and experts in the law, "Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath or not?" 4But they remained silent. So taking hold of the man, he healed him and sent him away.

5Then he asked them, "If one of you has a son^[a] or an ox that falls into a well on the Sabbath day, will you not immediately pull him out?" 6And they had nothing to say.

7When he noticed how the guests picked the places of honor at the table, he told them this parable: 8"When someone invites you to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, for a person more distinguished than you may have been invited. 9If so, the host who invited both of you will come and say to you, 'Give this man your seat.' Then, humiliated, you will have to take the least important place. 10But when you are invited, take the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he will say to you, 'Friend, move up to a better place.' Then you will be honored in the presence of all your fellow guests. 11For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."

12Then Jesus said to his host, "When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid. 13But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, 14and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous."

The main point of the message was that Jesus called us to reach out to the unsaved, poor, crippled people of this world. We are called to invite them into our homes, to wait on them and break bread with them, looking for nothing in return. In Ushpizin that's just what Moshe and Mali did until things got a little too uncomfortable and they threw the towel in. How often do we do that in our own lives? We start to help somebody and then flake out on them when we realized it's going to be more difficult than we originally thought. We want to jump ship when we realize that we may actually have to *gasp* put our faith in action! (These are mostly Albert's comments, but I agree)

Luckily for Moshe and Mali they realized the error of their ways and immediately repented and I think that is the key. Immediately. The longer it takes for us to realize the error of our ways or choose to do something about it the less likely we are to fix it. "It" becomes water under the bridge and nothing but a forgotten promise of hope to those desperately in need.

Which category do you fit into? Are you the person who never goes outside your Christian circle? Do you invite the unsaved into your life and then fail to follow through? Do you immediately make amends for your wrongs or do you wait until they are water under the bridge and forget about them? What kind of person are you?