Spiritual Purification

Yesterday I came across an article in our local newspaper that caught my eye. The article is about the building of a mikvah (a ritual bath for spiritual purification) in Bozeman, Montana. Steve and I visited Bozeman in 2007. Here is a link to the article:

Jewish ritual finds home in Big Sky Country

What is a mikvah?

An ancient ritual bath in which Jewish women traditionally immerse after their monthly cycle and before the resumption of sexual relations. Also used for conversion.

Mikvah has been passed down from mother to daughter as a thoroughly private, even secret ritual. Today it is a many-faceted silent celebration of womanhood observed by a broad spectrum of Jewish women.

By immersing in the Mikvah, a woman links herself to an ongoing tradition that has spanned generations, to Jewish women around the world and throughout time. As she brings herself in immediate contact with the source of life, purity, and holiness - with G-d who surrounds her and is within her always.

Here is a link to an excellent article concerning an event that was billed as “The Ultimate Feminist Experience: Mikvah.”

What an incredibly spiritual experience it must be for Jewish women to be immersed in "living waters." Here are photographs of mikvahs.



Click here for a Mikvah Tour

And for my LDS readers, you may find this post at an LDS blog of interest: Mikvah.

Please leave a comment if you have any thoughts about the mikvah.

SHALOM

Three Sisters

My oldest sister passed away today. I found this poem and dedicate it to my sweet sister. Jeannie, you will be in our hearts always.

Three Sister's
© Francis I. Gillespie

We are three sisters
Three sisters are we
I love each of you,
And I know you love me

We’re not always together,
Life sometimes keeps us apart.
But we're never separated
We’re in each other's heart.

Now I know we've had our troubles,
But we always get thru.
The real message is you love me,
And I also love you.

We have had lots of good times
That we'll never forget
Sometimes we worry
And sometimes we fret

But if God ever gave me
Something special you see,
It might have been the blessing of,
Three sisters are we.
The Lord above has gave me lots
Of happiness and glee
But the most special thing he did was
Make us sisters, all three.
Three Sister's by Francis I. Gillespie Sister Poems

Where to turn?

I've been struggling with this all day.

My middle sister telephoned yesterday to tell me that our oldest sister is in ICU and that she may not be with us much longer.

I keep wanting a loving God to send a miracle and that my sister will pull through somehow. My middle sister told me that our oldest sister is on a breathing machine and has been rambling something to the effect of "they won't open the gates for me." All I can think is that she is now somewhere between life and death.

If it is my sister's time to go, I do want her to be released from any further pain and suffering.

I have put my sister's name on the temple prayer rolls for several weeks now. In February, she was diagnosed with cervical cancer that has spread to her lungs. My sister turned 62 last month.

I am profoundly sad. How am I supposed to maintain a belief in a loving God at times like this?

This Made My Day!

I was just viewing the website for the Adult Day Program our son Jim attends and found this photograph:



I do not know who Jim is talking to. All I know is I'm feeling mighty proud of Jim. He is one cool dude!

This mama is doing a HAPPY DANCE!

President Julie B. Beck -- Retro-Woman

There is an interesting discussion at the blog site Feminist Mormon Housewives here.

This is a comment President Beck was purported to have made at a recent women’s conference in South Georgia”

“…women shouldn’t be ashamed of being Home Makers- literally making homes where our families want to be; that we should use the times we gather our children around the dinner table (with tablecloths and nice dishes) as times to teach and share; that when our homes and lives are free of clutter and chaos, when we organize and prioritize we will be happier.”

After reading that comment, I reflected back on the talk President Beck gave at General Conference in October 2007. I believe most of my LDS readers will remember the talk Mothers Who Know.

Here is a portion of what President Beck said:

Mothers Who Know Are Nurturers

Mothers who know are nurturers. This is their special assignment and role under the plan of happiness. To nurture means to cultivate, care for, and make grow. Therefore, mothers who know create a climate for spiritual and temporal growth in their homes. Another word for nurturing is homemaking. Homemaking includes cooking, washing clothes and dishes, and keeping an orderly home. Home is where women have the most power and influence; therefore, Latter-day Saint women should be the best homemakers in the world. Working beside children in homemaking tasks creates opportunities to teach and model qualities children should emulate. Nurturing mothers are knowledgeable, but all the education women attain will avail them nothing if they do not have the skill to make a home that creates a climate for spiritual growth. Growth happens best in a "house of order," and women should pattern their homes after the Lord's house (see D&C 109). Nurturing requires organization, patience, love, and work. Helping growth occur through nurturing is truly a powerful and influential role bestowed on women. [Emphasis added]

I did some research on President Beck today. I found she was born in 1954. I feel I can better understand now why she focuses on homemaking. She is a product of the 1950s. Read this and you’ll understand where President Beck’s thoughts originated:

Being a Wife and Mother in the 1950s
During the 1950s, there was a revival of placing homemakers on a pedestal, with homemaking and child rearing being touted as a woman’s highest calling. The message was everywhere — from pulpits to politics. Television was coming into its own during that decade as more homes purchased TV sets; and programs like Father Knows Best, Ozzie and Harriet, and Leave It to Beaver were popular. The image projected on television and in magazines was one of a woman who, while her husband was off earning enough to support the family on his one income, stayed behind to make their suburban home a refuge to which her husband and school-age children returned late each day from the demanding world outside. She was always impeccably dressed as she spent her days cheerfully cleaning, cooking, and caring for their youngest children in a suburban home equipped with the latest appliances and household products. The corporate world which offered those products adored her.

The model housewife, in this 1950s view, lived to serve her family and keep her husband and children happy, meeting their every need. Any aspirations or needs she had for fulfillment of her own beyond this model were considered “selfish.”

Work-Family Balance: 1950s and Now

Yes, President Beck is a Retro-Woman. I do believe we should cut her some slack. Don’t you?

My Oldest Sister and Elvis

My oldest sister is back in the hospital. She is a huge Elvis Presley fan. Although she doesn't have access to the Internet, I still wanted to do something that I know would make her smile. So I updated my Playlist to include five Elvis songs. I am sending lots of love out to my sister. I know she would love the photo of Elvis I added to this post.

This Is Love

Today is Mother's Day. My precious son Jim made me a card with this message inside:

M -- is for Model; you have taught me so Much.

O -- is for Open arms always hugging me.

T -- is for Taking Time to always kiss me goodnight.

H -- is for Helping me, and Holding my Hand.

E -- is for your caring Eyes.

R -- is for Raising me Right.

My wonderful husband gave me a card with this message:

With Love and Thanks to My wife

I'm a better man because of your love.

And because of your love,

I now know

that home isn't a place,

it's a person.

Yes ... THIS IS LOVE. What more could any woman ask for?