Back to My Beginnings

I've been feeling a lot more chill lately. Like I used to, way back when. Before high school even. I haven't been quite this tripped out on life since I was a kid. It's been pretty crazy.
I have several ideas as to what might be behind this, and it's probably more of a combination of factors. I don't really care, I'm thanking G-d for giving me back a piece of myself I thought was gone forever.
My parents are joining me in the Holy Land for the Passover festival (first time here since the late seventies) which means I may have fun family stuff to write about soon. Or, I may have absolutely no time to write anything at all until finals are over.

Chag Kasher Visameyach to all.

Prayer for the Holy Land

So I belong to an "online chabura" on "Eim Habanim Semeicha" by Rav Teichtal. There has recently broken out in it a minor discussion on the prayer for the state of Israel. One individual expressed their opinion that it was obnoxious that congregations in America don't pray for the State, and the discussion continued about the different opinions on whether the State really is "reishit tzmichat geulateinu" or not. I would like to offer an opposing view, supplied to me by Tobie recently. Which is:
Forget "reishit" - what if this is it? What if all G-d really meant by the Final Redemption was giving us our own land and autonomy in it? Pretty ironic scenario in heaven for the chareidim after 120 (reminiscent of the boat mashal) :

G-d: So, why didn't you guys move back to Israel?
Chareidi Guy: What do You mean? It wasn't time! You were supposed to redeem us!
G-d: Dude, I sent you a country. I sent you a government and an army, which, by the way, I protected and saved from the brink of destruction almost daily. What were you expecting? Me Myself to come down and lead you by the hand?

It's an interesting thought. The opposing view, of course, is, well, what if it really isn't "reishit" at all? What if it's just one of those strange blips in history that happen from time to time? As Tobie likewise pointed out, history blips do happen; and it is a little presumptuous, to assume that we know exactly what our place on the time line is since, really, we don't. Still, it does seem wrong not to pray for the protection of half your nation, whether this really is the beginning of the end or not.