Perfect Stones and Perfect Homes

It's crazy sometimes how far a person will go to win public popularity contests. We all trip up on this sometimes - the desire to earn the approval of those in the world around us. Maybe at work. Maybe at the synagogue. Maybe in the community. Or maybe even in front of strangers in the street. And it's heartbreaking, how sometimes our passion for certain acquisitions or goals can blind us to our own deeper values. Sometimes we forget that it is not only about "getting there", but also (and most importantly) "how we got there". Attached please find this weeks Shu-Shine on the Torah portion of 'Ki Tetzei': "Perfect Stones and Perfect Homes". (click "Listen Now", below!) May we all be blessed to create gemstones and vessels that bring honor to all of our relationships, and to delight in the fruit of True Integrity in our public and private lives. With Love and a Smile, ~Shu