Category Archives: sacred

Dramatic introduction

Posted on July 7, 2016 by jyourist

Today is the composer Gustav Mahler’s birthday. Mahler is deep, deep inside me. When Isaac was just barely 24 hours old (29+ years ago), JB and I were sitting on our bed with Isaac between us, our hands resting on … Continue reading →

Posted in music, sacred, transformation | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

“We Light These Lights: A New Hanerot Hallelu Prayer for Hanukkah” by Rabbi Brant Rosen

Posted on December 7, 2015 by jyourist

We light these lights for the instigators and the refusers the obstinate and unyielding for the ones who kept marching the ones who tended the fires the ones who would not bow down. We light these lights for the sparks … Continue reading →

Posted in light, poetry, sacred, social justice, truth | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Wedge of Dawn

Posted on October 9, 2014 by jyourist

A wedge of dawn this morning as I worked my way south to work. Up late preparing for class and grading papers. Up early to get to school before traffic on Lake Shore Drive gets too solid and clogged and … Continue reading →

Posted in nature, sacred | Tagged , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Guru Purnima

Posted on July 12, 2014 by jyourist

Today is the Indian festival of Guru Purnima, a celebration of  gratitude to teachers, both academic and spiritual. In sanskrit, gu means darkness or ignorance and ru means the remover of that darkness. Purnima means full moon and this day … Continue reading →

Posted in sacred, Teaching | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

All crossings are sacred

Posted on January 11, 2014 by jyourist

This is dedicated to my dear friend MH who placed his partner of 38 years into an Altzheimers Care facility today. In Jewish tradition, the entire Bible is divided up into 54 sections, one of which is read every Shabbat … Continue reading →

Posted in Altzheimers, Judaism, sacred, transformation, transition | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Grades and narratives go “live”

Posted on January 28, 2013 by jyourist

I just finished all my grades and narrative reports for my students. It’s a lot of work (hours and hours and hours), but actually I’m glad that we teachers need to create narratives to accompany each grade. It affords me … Continue reading →

Posted in sacred, technology | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

5:28 this morning

Posted on October 1, 2012 by jyourist

at 5:28 this morning while I was brushing my teeth JB was taking a photo of the nearly full moon peering through a couple of holes in a leaf in the backyard how can something so profound occur while I … Continue reading →

Posted in poetry, sacred, transformation | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

Abundant blessings

Posted on August 20, 2012 by jyourist

IB is home. He landed in Chicago about 10:30 last night, after almost 27 hours of travel. He looked tired, but fit and bright. We met him with some friends, a large banner supported by our efforts on Google Translate, … Continue reading →

Posted in Buddha, family, Japan, sacred | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

The ash Buddha

Posted on July 20, 2012 by jyourist

Today JB and I cut down a volunteer ash tree right between the neighbor’s and our backyard. The tree has been getting repeatedly tangled in the powerlines. It was growing in the exact wrong spot, right underneath the place where … Continue reading →

Posted in Buddha, sacred, tree | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Happy birthday, Tenzin Gyatso.

Posted on July 6, 2012 by jyourist

Many years ago, during the summer, I taught college students who wanted to become teachers. We read about and discussed many topics. The students had the opportunity to work in Chicago summer school programs which added a great deal of … Continue reading →

Posted in Buddha, sacred | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments