Pay close attention to this post. If you have an iPhone and you ever make any change to your account, be sure that the representative you’re working with keeps you on the AT&T iPhone data plan.

This was just a simple minute change for my Family Plan. It was caught 3 weeks later when my visual voicemail wasn’t working on a new iPhone I had to swap out. Fortunately, the woman helping me was more than willing to help. I still need to send her a thank you email—especially since it hasn’t been done yet!

If you feel like helping, I do accept PayPal and am in the process of starting a 501(c)3.

A modern Orthodox Jewish couple preparing for a religious wedding meets with their rabbi for counseling. The rabbi asks if they have any last questions before they leave. The man asks,”Rabbi,we realize it’s tradition for men to dance with men, and women to dance with women at the reception. But, we’d like your permission to dance together, like the rest of the world.”

“Absolutely not,” says the rabbi. It’s immodest. Men and women always dance separately.”

“So after the ceremony I can’t even dance with my own wife?” “No,” answered the rabbi. It is forbidden.” “Well, okay,”says the man, “What about sex? Can we finally have sex?” “Of course!” replies the rabbi. “Sex is a mitzvah, a good thing within marriage, to have children!”

“What about different positions?” asks the man. “No problem,” says the rabbi. “It’s a mitzvah!”

“Woman on top?” the man asks. “Sure,” says the rabbi. “Go for it! It’s a mitzvah!”

“Doggy style?” “Sure! Another mitzvah!”

“On the kitchen table?” “Yes, yes! A mitzvah!”

“Can we do it on rubber sheets with a bottle of hot oil, a couple of vibrators, a leather harness, a bucket of honey and a porno video?” “You may indeed. It’s all a mitzvah!”

“Can we do it standing up?” “No.” says the rabbi.”

“Why not?” asks the man.

“Could lead to dancing!”

We had a scare with the baby over the weekend and were worried that we were going to have another miscarriage. This morning we went to the doctor and got an ultrasound to check on things. Everything was not only good, but really good. The baby is only 5.5 cm long, but has a strong heartbeat and was quite active just that short time we saw it.

I like to think it’s a girl, so I’m going to address it as a she. Though I have a feeling because it’s boy because of a dream I had around a year ago. I dreamt we had a 3rd boy and we were getting him circumcised. I wasn’t excited about it because of the pain it would cause him, but like my other boys, I knew it was important and I felt that he was especially important. We’ll see though.

Anyway, she jumped twice! She was lying there and arched her back and leapt up! It was amazing to see this. Kind of like she was saying, “Hi, Mom & Dad. I’m okay, don’t worry.” It’s a strong thought about bringing babies into the world. Who knows what their days will be. Who knows what they will see after we are gone. Really powerful stuff.

She also rolled onto her side after the doctor tried to make her jump again. So funny. I really hope this is my little girl I’ve been waiting for.

those lines are a 158bpm heart rate

A beautiful, cloudy sunrise.

I knew that little red freak wasn’t so innocent…

elmo hypnosis

I discovered a new way that I miss my mom. I could always talk with her and be honest with her about things when they weren’t going well for me. There were no excuses, there were no multiple reasons for things, I could just be totally honest with her about how I felt I was handling things, and how they were going for me.

I’m despondent. 

Tonight I miss having my mom to talk with and tell her these things and to hear from her that everything will be okay. I miss that reassuring voice—that vote of confidence when I’m losing hope. This makes me so sad.

I wept, painfully aware of my mortality as I mourned my mother, painfully cognizant of the boundaries of my flesh and bones. Eyes clamped shut and swallowed by the darkness of ‘life’, I saw my bones crying out with a desire to be free of their chains. Oh G~d, there has to be more than the incessant struggle to survive. Please, tell me there’s more.

Then, brutally aware of my personal shortcomings and losses, I realize that I’m going to be a Jew in a month. Here’s an element of the conversion process for you. For the past six years I have looked up to and admired Judaism, to the point that to meet a Jew was awkward as though I was star-struck! The past 14 months I have spent learning about Judaism and overcoming unhealthy viewpoints, even though positive, and have developed a true love and respect for the people and religion that I admired from afar.

Now, in a few short weeks, I will be one of them. This is intimidating right now. I don’t feel good enough. Will I represent Judaism well? Will I be a good Jew? (Sorry, Rabbi. I know you don’t like that term.) This is a big deal to me.

Encompassed in all of my overwhelming emotions I picked up my Bible and opened it. I turned to Isaiah 55. First I thought, “Oh great, I turned to one of the ‘Jesus’ chapters” and wondered how I would read this now. Fortunately, it wasn’t a ‘Jesus’ chapter, but it is the chapter with the famous verse, “for My plans are not your plans, nor are My ways your ways.” This chapter is making me think a great deal.

It begins with the invitation to buy food and water without money. I find this ironic because this is what I’m struggling with in my desires to provide for my family. I can’t help but ask how do I buy food and water without money? Why does G~d promise the best food and wine? Why does He ask people why they spend money on what is not bread? How do you buy things that have no cost? What kind of food and wine is this? How is this stuff going to satisfy my immediate needs?

But His ways are not my ways, and His plans are not my plans. Do you know how often I have wanted Him to talk to me and tell me what’s going on? It would be nice to have a knowledge of what His plans are for my life. It’s not like He’s the one working to pay the bills, you know?

Will You cut me a break and just let me in on a little bit of it? Throw me a bone? Give me a sense of direction here? I’m dying down here—really! Time is not on my side—and after all, I am the one living it!

At an early age I knew life ends the same for everyone—rich and poor, king and peasant—all face the same end. That knowledge made me question the pursuit of wealth because in the end it doesn’t matter. I used to pray from a psalm that G~d would not give me too much or too little, but enough to meet the day’s needs. I suppose He’s done that… It would be nice to have a little more though.

Dear G~d, would you help me a little bit? Would You help me provide for my family? Would You help me make enough so that I don’t have to ask for things from anyone? Would You give me a sense of security as the sole breadwinner for the family? And so that all my requests aren’t material, would You help me be a good Jew too? Thanks for listening.

I just learned that I can pray like I talked with Mom. I can get right to the heart of the matter. But I really wish I could hear that voice of assurance…

Does anyone know what this means?

Frikin phenomenal! Man this is cool and I’m so jazzed about what the 2.0 software is bringing to the platform!