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I remember a study I read about where they asked people who no longer came to church, "what bothered them the most?". A common answer was no one came looking for them. No church should have missing members that no one cares about or fails to notice when they are no longer there.

David and Sarah Emanuel went to visit a Rebbe known for his powerful blessings. “Rebbe,” David said. “We really want children and the doctor just told us we might not be able to have any. What should we do?” The Rebbe gave them some money and told them to find a certain poor widow and give it to her. “In the merit of the mitzvah of tzedakah, Hashem will bless you with children” Ten years later David ran into the Rebbe on the street. David had about twelve kids in tow. "Baruch Hashem!" the Rebbe cried out. "But tell me, where's your wife?" "Oh, she’s trying to find the widow. She wants to ask for the money back.”

The Rubenstein family was attending the wedding of their next door neighbors – the Adlers. The Adlers had 8 kids in the family -- all girls! Mrs. Rubenstein was sitting at the wedding with her 5 year old daughter Rivky on her lap. The groom, or chatan’s 3 brothers walked down the aisle followed by the chatan himself. Then the bride, the kallah’s sisters began walking down the aisle. All seven of them. Growing restless, little Rivky looked up at Mrs. Rubenstein and said, "Mommy, why doesn't he just hurry up and pick one already?"

Bracha Sapirman had 5 boys under the age of 8. One Sunday afternoon, she was playing cops and robbers with them in the back yard. One of the boys "shot" her and yelled, "Bang! You're dead." She slumped to the ground, and when she didn't get up right away, a neighbor ran over to see if she had been hurt in the fall. When the neighbor bent over, Bracha opened one eye and said, "Shhh. Don't give me away. It's the only chance I've had to rest all day."

Chaim Yankel was sitting at the bar just staring at his drink for half an hour when this big biker sits next to him, grabs his drink and gulps it down in one swig. Poor Chaim Yankel starts crying. "Come on man. I was just giving you a hard time," the biker says. "I can't stand to see a man crying." "This is the worst day of my life," Chaim Yankel says between sobs. "I can't do anything right. I overslept and was late to an important meeting, so my boss fired me. When I went to the parking lot, I found my car was stolen and I don't have any insurance. I grabbed a cab home but, after the cab left, I discovered my wallet was still in the cab. So I came to this bar trying to work up the courage to put an end to my life, and then you show up and drink the poison!"

Rabbi Seth Goldberg decided to lead his Beth Israel congregation on a shul mission to visit various historic Jewish landmarks in the United States. Their first stop was at the famous Touro Synagogue in Rhode Island which was built in 1763. A local non Jewish tour guide was taking them around the sanctuary. She explained that back then, shul etiquette was very formal and services were often very lengthy -- frequently lasting three hours or more. After a few moments one of the shul members piped up and said, “The more things change, the more they remain the same, right Rabbi Goldberg?”

Chaim Yankel decided to take up jogging so he went to the local sports shoe store but when he arrived he was astounded by the wide selection of jogging shoes available. While trying on a basic pair of jogging shoes, Chaim Yankel noticed a minor feature and asked the clerk about it. "What's this little pocket thing here on the side for?" "Oh, that's to carry spare change so you can call your wife to come pick you up when you've jogged too far."

Moishe and Miriam were at the airport check-in counter and Miriam asked for window seats for both herself and her husband Moishe. The clerk pointed out that this would prevent them from sitting together. "Listen," Miriam replied, "I've just spent 10 days in a compact rental car with him visiting all of our grandchildren across the state. I know what I'm asking for!"

Berel and Shmerel are neighbors. Not exactly friends but not enemies either. "Frenemies" they would say. One day, Berel and Shmerel are in a bank, when, suddenly, armed robbers burst in. While one of the robbers takes the money from the tellers, the other lines the customers, including Berel and Shmerel, up against a wall, and proceeds to take their wallets, watches, etc. While this is going on Berel jams something in Shmerel's hand. Without looking down, Shmerel whispers, "What is this?" To which Berel replies, "It's that $50 I owe you."

Morris Goldman was sitting with his granddaughter Rachel on his lap, telling her a story, when his hearing aid started to beep. Surprised, little Rachel looked up at him and said, "Oh, Zadie, you just got an e-mail!"

There are multiple Internet web sites that talk about those old shoe X-ray machines. Here is what one has to say:

________________________for what He has spared me. https://give.amazingfacts.org/p-43-making-miracles-possible-on-giving-tuesday.aspx?amount=0&source=IDONGT17E&utm_term=Click here to watch Jeff's story&utm_campaign=Dear friend, you can make miracles possible on #Giving Tuesday! (Video)&utm_content=email&utm_source=Act-On+Software&utm_medium=email God is Love!~Jesus saves!

LIFEHISCOST THANK you for posting this video===it was very very very good and Praise God dgrimm60

people have their comfort zones, and we have individuals who can stretch and go beyond those comfort zones and people who cannot or will not. Church conflicts come from our humanity, and trauma or life distress is part and parcel of the human experience. why the church congregation does not flex and stay with or hold onto people going through stuff... i don't believe there is a formulaic answer. i don't think the primitive early church had a problem with this. The power of the Holy Spirit was much more dominant in the church family experience, and church happened on the level that lives were lived, in the homes. Now we have a removed building, the church building, and we leave our homes and go to church, and leave the church and come home to the where we live. If church is where we live and where we live is also where the church is, even when we are home, then i think we live differently and do not lose our connection to Church through the vicissitudes of life regardless.

Fake news...but not from legitimate sources!! Sorry DT!!

Unobtainium: Is an actual word used in American literature, but one that you have probably never used. It has been in the language since the 1950s and it was featured in the 2009 movie Avatar. In science, it is described as a material that would make space travel at a speed faster than the speed of light, possible. For an interesting aspect of that word that I have not listed here, look it up. It is on the Internet. NOTE: Thanks to the December, 2017 issue of Scientific American (page 104) for a long paragraph on this word.

The following is not a story that would typically appear in this forum. I am posting it as I think it has value for us. For those of you who want more about her, she has multiple listings on the Internet and is featured in the December, 2017 edition of Scientific American. NOTE: Scientific American features her as one to receive a 2017 American Ingenuity Award. Marley Dias, now 12 years old, is an African-American girl, who at the age of 10 decided to attempt to change society. She was concerned that there were very few books written about African-American females who had contributed to society and could be a role model for children like her. The books that were written were not generally available to her. So, she set out to obtain 1,000 such books that she could donate to places where girls like her could access them. Today, some two years later, she has distributed some 10,000 such books. At the age of 12, she has a book contract for her story: Melody Gets It done (And So can You!) Maybe there is a lesson her for any who might think that they are helpless. NOTE: Amazon is currently selling her book for delivery this coming January.

X-Rays: I am old enough to remember when shoe stores had X-Ray machines which were used to see how the shoe fit the foot. I can remember those being used on me and my sister.

Ron, Before I came to believe as I do now concerning the priesthood and animal sacrifices, I listened and listened to teachings by Hebrew Roots leaders and I read and read materials they published. It just never "set right", to believe the LORD still wants us to offer animal blood or burn dead animals on an alter - to believe such will continue in the kingdom. That is WHY I prayed and prayed, and studied and studied. I know. You will say that I found what I wanted to find. On the other hand, I really could have been convicted by the LORD. If you suggest reading material that I have not already read - I will be glad to read it. If you post quotations from such material - I will read your posts. I do not want to be closed minded. I just seriously doubt that I will ever come to agree with your position, that descendants of Levi will offer animal sacrifices at the glorious Temple, in the Kingdom of Messiah after His return.

The one thing we cannot know is the behavior of the trees before the fall and the resulting effects of sin on the natural world. Animals became killers and eaters of other animals. The weather was different before the flood. There was no rain or snow and most likely no winters. However, yes, the way the trees lose their leaves is fascinating. But plants do other interesting things also. I like the way they turn toward the sunlight when sitting in your window. I use to have to turn mine around on a regular basis to keep them growing in a balanced way and not all tilted over in one direction. I called it "exercising my plants"! My first college major was botany! I took general botany and general biology which my advisor thought was crazy, but it was the direction I was going. Working in a botanical garden seemed the ideal career, but guess I will have to put that off until the New Earth. I ended up in a profession taking care of sick people instead!

Jesus pleaded with His Father to open eyes and open ears, so the people would hear and live.