Thus it begins - we welcome Elul

This post is part of Jewels of Elul, which celebrates the Jewish tradition to dedicate the 29 days of the month of Elul to growth and discovery in preparation for the coming high holy days. This year the program is benefiting Beit T'shuvah, a residential addiction treatment center in Los Angeles. You can subscribe on Jewels of Elul to receive inspirational reflections from public figure each day of the month. You don’t have to be on the blog tour to write a blog post on “The Art of Beginning... Again”. We invite everyone to post this month (August 11th - September 8th) with Jewels of Elul to grow and learn.



as the new moon Elul approaches
the days begin to grow shorter
as the new moon Elul approaches
our minds begin to wander
toward the healing breaths
of the days of awe.

each day dawns
beckoning me to
examine
elaborate
consider
remark
pay attention
get ready!

my heart moves toward
the days of awe.
am i ready?
have i asked the questions?
forgive me
pardon me
raise me up
renew me
refresh me
bring my soul back home
so that i may fill myself up

plant the seeds of the new year
and watch them grow
small shoots of green that begin to poke up
during this month
they blossom and flower
into the days of awe
and i flower with them
reaching my petals, like a flower,
up to the Holy One.

As I realized that the month of Elul was approaching, I looked back at the tag "Elul" for this blog. I giggled a little, because the posts about Elul are much like how I interact with the month - a little scattered. Sometimes, I've written panicked lists about what still needs to be done. And other times, I've been more eloquent about the month and its meaning. I wonder what this year will bring...each year is different, each year has its own character and flow....

An incredible free email will come directly to you each day of Elul - The Jewels of Elul begins today!

For the past six years Craig Taubman (yes, the musician) has collected short stories, anecdotes and introspections from some fascinating people. It's an eclectic group of people including President Barack Obama, Eli Winkelman, Desmond Tutu, the Dali Lama, Sarah Lefton, Eli Wiesel, Deepak Chopra, Pastor Rick Warren, Kirk Douglas, Rev. Ed Bacon, Rabbi David Wolpe, Ruth Messinger, Jeffrey Katzenberg and over 100 other inspired voices . . . well known and not so well known.

Just click on the Jewels of Elul link below and enter in your email address. That's it. No spam, no guilt. Just inspiration on a daily basis for the whole month. What have you got to lose?

This year I'll be "blogging Elul" over at my other blog. Join me over there, won't you? 

May this month bring you what you need.