A Jewish Weekend

This past weekend I spent many hours in New Jersey with lots and lots of family to celebrate my cousin’s Bar Mitzvah. Now as I’ve mentioned before, my family is Jewish but I’m not. I mean, I consider myself Jewish by heritage but I’m definitely a Christian when it comes to beliefs and lifestyle.

It was interesting to once again see the difference between the 2 religions. Although the 3 1/2 hour no English, only Hebrew, service was a bit painful to get through…it did have its moments. It was interesting to hear the psalms that I read spoken in a “singing language.” There were a couple of times during the service that I closed my eyes and found the singing of the Hebrew words moving and beautiful. I just wish I knew what they were saying! It was also interesting to see a book the size of the bible contain only a few chapters of the bible and I never get used to the worship-like actions & attitude towards the Torah.

I have to say, I’m proud to be a Christian and follower of Jesus and sometimes don’t realize it until I’m put in a position to look at it from a different perspective. I love knowing that God DID send His son to save me. There is so much joy and freedom found in this knowledge.

And as with all parties put on by my family, the bar mitzvah party was nothing short of awesome. So congrats to my cousin Johnny…you’re now a man! haha.

Aunt Andrea, Johnny, Rebecca and Uncle Joe

A Jewish Weekend

This past weekend I spent many hours in New Jersey with lots and lots of family to celebrate my cousin’s Bar Mitzvah. Now as I’ve mentioned before, my family is Jewish but I’m not. I mean, I consider myself Jewish by heritage but I’m definitely a Christian when it comes to beliefs and lifestyle.

It was interesting to once again see the difference between the 2 religions. Although the 3 1/2 hour no English, only Hebrew, service was a bit painful to get through…it did have its moments. It was interesting to hear the psalms that I read spoken in a “singing language.” There were a couple of times during the service that I closed my eyes and found the singing of the Hebrew words moving and beautiful. I just wish I knew what they were saying! It was also interesting to see a book the size of the bible contain only a few chapters of the bible and I never get used to the worship-like actions & attitude towards the Torah.

I have to say, I’m proud to be a Christian and follower of Jesus and sometimes don’t realize it until I’m put in a position to look at it from a different perspective. I love knowing that God DID send His son to save me. There is so much joy and freedom found in this knowledge.

And as with all parties put on by my family, the bar mitzvah party was nothing short of awesome. So congrats to my cousin Johnny…you’re now a man! haha.

Aunt Andrea, Johnny, Rebecca and Uncle Joe

Suddenly Jew

Funny title right? Well, it’s true. I was born Jewish but was never really Jewish. Then I became a Christian. And now, since then, I know more about being Jewish than I had before that. Thanks to Christianity being half about the Old Testament, I understand a lot more about my ancestors and the religion some of my family practices. With that being said, I will be spending my weekend with the Jews and the Spanish. haha. Seriously. My aunt is Jewish. My uncle is Dominican (or Puerto Rican? I never remember which it is) and we’ll all gather for my cousin’s turning 13 extravaganza. aka, her batmitzvah.  I’m excited. 1-because I love my cousins and aunts and uncles and grandma that I only see a few times/year. 2-because it’s a fun reason to get away, hang in a hotel, eat good food and dress pretty. 3-because I love dancing and having fun and 4-because going to temple is just..well..interesting. It’s amazing that the same verse out of the same origination can sound/feel and be preached in different ways. It’s a learning experience.  And I have one last thing to say. Thank God my Aunt paid extra money to have the service in English Rebecca’s was all in Hebrew and man that was hard to understand! haha

So here’s to a weekend allll about Alyssa

Cultural Interest

Lately I find myself absolutely intrigued by other cultures. Whether it’s the study of a different religion or the observation of a different way of life, I’m completely interested. Not to change who I am, but to understand why people are so different. To understand why we don’t all believe the same things.

I’ve been specifically interested in India and Muslims as well as Orthodox Jews over the past few months. I can’t say there is a specific reason why, but I find myself reading about the cultures, watching independently filmed movies and hearing stories of the most fascinating people.

A few months ago Chris and I discovered the movie “Outsourced.” A movie about an American call center manager who is sent over to India to train the people who will now be taking over his old job. Through this movie you learn so much about the country and traditions that I somehow felt jealous. Jealous that I don’t feel like I live a life with such purpose and history. That I do what I want when I want and don’t have much reason behind it. Not the way other people do from different countries.

Today I watched the movie “Arranged.” A movie about 2 women, 1 Muslim and 1 Orthodox Jewish, who become friends due to their understanding of the difficulty of living a traditional, religious life in modern day New York. You follow these 2 women, a bit younger than I am, who live with the pressure of being social outcasts, the pressure their family puts on them to follow the path they’ve been put on, the pressure of arranged marriages, and ultimately the questioning of whether or not they believe in what they were brought up to believe in. They learn about their others religions and affect others around them. It’s a great story. And again, I was so intrigued by their dedication and faithfulness to what they believe in. Neither gave in (for the most part) to the worldly, judgmental abuse they face on a daily basis. I was encouraged.

And lastly, this past weekend we had guest missionaries at our church who work over in Muslim nations preaching and affecting the lives of anyone that will listen. Their stories affected me in a deep way.

As I always say, God is up to something….

I’m not saying that I’m called to India or Muslims…but maybe I am. I know I’m called to the Jews…they’re the ones I’m constantly praying for. For my family. My loved ones. But I think the bigger picture is the message of knowing who you are, what you believe in, and not letting anyone steal that from you. Not giving in to the world and their thoughts on what is best for you. Not to let anyone tell you that you’re wrong for doing what you believe in. It’s a message from God that now is the time to be who He’s called us to be.