Okay.  So, mixing the faith and politics, I was a BIG TIME Obama supporter!  Bumper sticker, buttons, voter registration drives and even an Obama action figure for my son (yes, I said action figure).  But, something continues to dog me about the movement for change that elected him to serve as our 44th P.O.T.U.S.  It seems that many were in search of a messiah, not a president. 

Clearly, folks don’t think he’s Jesus or any second coming.  But, consistent with the more traditional Judeo-Christian (Hebrew Scriptures/Old testament) concept of a promised, prophet-king as son of God who would care for the widow and the orphan, instituting God’s reform agenda, many believe the President-Elect fits the bill.  My caution for this (small ‘m’) messiah is that this role is never completely filled in this realm.

The good King Hezekiah comes closest in the Hebrew Scriptures/Old Testament tradition.  This youngster on the throne gathers a team…

I just got back from vacation and found Tim Townsend’s article about Chatfields Boutique in Des Peres, Missouri – click here – specializing in bridal and formal gowns that are modest.

What a concept!

This is an idea that has caught hold in Utah, where Latter-day Saint clothing entrepreneurs have, in recent years, been helping young teens and adults dress up without dressing down, way down to cleavage baring styles reminiscent of Hollywood’s Night at the Oscars.

Learn of one such clothing entrepreneur in the Meridian Magazine article: Keith Hall takes on Fashion Industry with Beautifully Modest Clothing.

For years Latter-day Saints and people of many faiths have been imploring clothing manufacturers to provide clothing with more cloth. But the response was always the same: modesty does not sell. 

When I went shopping in St. Louis a couple years ago to buy my daughter a prom dress there were none that didn’t show a whole lot of shoulder and revealing necklines. We had to…

Want to hear a great story? One that’ll really make you think? Then read on…

I’ve mentioned my father-in-law in a previous post and my last post about naming practices prompted me to share the story behind the birth of my son. My father-in-law, Bill Wallis, was a really great man. A smart business man, a loving husband, a doting father and grandfather, a loyal son and brother and a true friend. When he passed away at 58 from skin cancer, it was an enormous loss for all that knew him. Even before I was pregnant with my son, I knew he would be named for him.

But “Bill”, as he was known, was actually Charles William and my brothers-in-law had already used both Charles and William. So we decided to go with his initials C.W.W. (See my last post for an explanation of this tradition.) So our little C.W., as we fondly called…

In honor of my Grandma this Mother’s Day, I am going to share a family tradition with you. The tradition of naming children after loved ones who have passed. As far as I know, this is a Jewish custom but I’m always careful to only speak for myself and not all Jews collectively. Rabbi Shook points out the many denominations within Judaism and the vast differences among them. That being said, I’m going to stick to what I know.

When a child is born they are given two names. The name they will go by on a daily basis, in my case Kim. (Actually, my parents hate the name Kim. My given name is Kimberly and for some reason my parents thought that would stick for life. I think I officially became Kim in third grade when we had to learn to write our names in cursive.) And the Hebrew name which…

I have been eager to share a little bit about what my teen Rosh Hodesh groups are about. After all, it was through my participation in these groups that ultimately led to me being part of this blog. So I’ll start with a little background…

Rosh Hodesh literally means “the head of the month”. The Jewish calendar is based on the lunar cycle and Rosh Hodesh marks each month’s new moon.

Most people have probably heard of Rosh Hashanah which is known as the Jewish new year (”head of the year”). The Talmud teaches that Rosh Hodesh was given to women because they refused to be involved in the creation of an idol and did not surrender their jewelry to make the golden calf.

So, I am lucky enough to be a part of a national program called “Rosh Hodesh: It’s a Girl Thing!”. The goal of this group experience is to strengthen adolescent…

When asked to be a contributor to this blog, my initial response was, “Me? But I’m not that into religion.” I guess that was the point. The desire was for a diverse group of writers and diverse it is. And just to be clear, in case it isn’t by the end of this entry, among the range of scholars and lay people, I’m a lay person.

Religion has never played a big role in my life. Or so I thought. So while searching for inspiration about what to post this week, I realized I’m in Laguna Beach, California. I’ve traveled halfway across the country to attend a childhood friend’s wedding – Jewish wedding. Well, there’s something.

So I’m sitting on a cliff overlooking the Pacific Ocean, watching one of my oldest, dearest friends exchange vows under a billowing blue and green chiffon chuppah, and I am moved. Moved to tears by the…