Nobody I know ever warned more effectively against “Stinking Thinking” than my unforgettable friend, the late Zig Ziglar. His son, Tom, carries his father’s legacy forward, doing his bit to help banish the scourge of Stinking Thinking. What is Stinking Thinking? It’s the business professional saying to him or herself, “I’ve called enough customers for one...
I received an email asking why I have been uncritical about President Trump’s character and words. His rough and vulgar way of talking is in direct contrast to my emphasis on refined speech. I wouldn’t tolerate his brash boastfulness in my circle of friends and to top it all off, my correspondent notes that the...
Question: This is a serious question. I have teenagers now. What does the bible have to say about masturbation? And is there a difference in teaching between boys and girls? I would really appreciate an honest, biblical answer. Thank you. Joanne Dear Joanne, Of course this is a serious question but we understand why you...
I wasted six irrecoverable minutes last Thursday. I was in a hotel room watching a member of the U.S. House of Representatives on television justify his failures, and those of his colleagues, by pointing a finger of disdain at a large part of the American population. Poor results were because too many Americans were too...
By all accounts, Oprah Winfrey gave an impressive speech at the Golden Globes. It has been a heavy work week for me and I haven’t managed to listen to it myself, but since she is an articulate and personable woman who has made a career out of connecting with millions of people (largely female), her...
You teach the importance of taking the laws as a whole. But verses like Deuteronomy 22:21pronounce you must stone a woman to death in the door of her father’s house. If you cannot pick and choose what to follow, and you cannot say that it isn’t to be taken literally, what must I say about...
For a while in middle school, I was friendly with a boy whose father attended school events as frequently as mine did; which is to say—never! Ours was a natural alliance between two outsiders who turned to one another for company while other boys dallied with their dads. His father was a doctor while mine...
“Boss, I can’t wash dishes,” Bob said. My husband and I, along with our three children under the age of three and a half, three congregants from the synagogue my husband and I served, and my husband’s employee, Bob, (who always addressed my husband as “boss”) were setting up the watch schedule for our sailing...
Dear Rabbi and Susan Lapin, I am wondering if ancient Jewish wisdom applies to de-cluttering a house. I’m a mom of three with a fourth on the way, and I have never erred on the side of neatness (to put it lightly.) But I also dream of a mostly orderly house where all the spaces...
I have been known to say that Judaism is my way of life while boating is my religion. After all, some religious observances require a special litugical language, unique clothing and are practiced on certain days. Check, check and check for boating. But even for those of you with other religions, there are many life-metaphors...
