laziness

A post at The Thrifty Oreganic titled Editorial on Laziness started me thinking about sloth/laziness in general. It is no secret that I struggle with this in the homemaking arena. I have many excuses and blame "things" rather than my inability to "just do it". My biggest distraction is the computer!!!! But truly I don't do much on the computer/internet. I really don't. I WASTE TIME, stall the inevitable. Whenever I mention being lazy to some people, such as my mom, I always get this strange look and she says "You are NOT lazy. Look at everything you do." But that's where I jump in and say "do? But that is where you are wrong. Yes, I have a lot TO DO, but most of it doesn't actually get done."
One of things that I gleaned from St. Paisius Monastery when we were down there was there organization and schedules. They had lists and check lists everywhere! I loved it. My hope and prayer is that I can bring some of that into my own home. I have so many dreams of WANTING to DO so many wonderful things on this farm and I KNOW that it IS attainable....people do it all the time but only when they don't struggle with sloth!
Gleanings from Orthodox Christian Authors and the Holy Fathers website has these 5 quotes listed under the title of "sloth":

...to acquire good habits it is necessary to perform a greater number of right deeds, than the number of evil deeds required to establish bad habits; for bad habits take root more easily, since they are aided and abetted by the sin living in us, that is, by self-indulgence. Lorenzo Scupoli (Unseen Warfare

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Flee idleness and laziness; stand on guard watchfully, in all things peering closely at your thoughts, and wisely arranging and conducting the activities, demanded by your position. Lorenzo Scupoli (Unseen Warfare: Chapter 19)

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Having once tasted the pleasure of inaction, you begin to like and prefer it to action. In satisfying this desire, you will little by little form a habit of inaction and laziness, in which the passions for doing nothing will possess you to such extent that you will cease even to see how incongruous and criminal it is; except perhaps when you weary of this laziness, and are again eager to take up your work. Then you will see with shame how negligent you have been and how many necessary works you have neglected, for the sake of the empty and useless 'doing what you like'. Lorenzo Scupoli (Unseen Warfare: Chapter 20)

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Never delay in undertaking any work you have to do, for the first brief delay will lead to a second, more prolonged one, and the second to a third, still longer, and so on. Thus work begins too late and is not done in its proper time, or else is abandoned altogether, as something too burdensome. Lorenzo Scupoli (Unseen Warfare: Chapter 20)

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The good servant(4) receives the bread of his labor with confidence; the lazy and slothful cannot look his employer in the face. First Epistle Of Clement To The Corinthians, Chap. XXXIV

Look at that 4 out of the five quotes come from Unseen Warfare! I guess I really ought to read that book.

I also found this quote under "laziness"....it really got my attention!!!!!
When our good and all-gracious Lord and Master sees people too lazy in their exercises, He lays their flesh low with sickness, an asceticism with less toil; and sometimes it also cleanses the soul from evil thoughts or passions. St. John Climacus, "The Ladder of Divine Ascent," (Boston: Holy Transfiguration Monastery, 1978), Step26: On Discernment of Thoughts, Passions and Virtue

Maybe next time I post I can tell you all about my lists I'm making.

I know that I still want to write about my trip to Arizona during lent. I'm waiting for pictures and words. :) For some reason I'm having a hard time bring forth words to describe this trip. It was so amazing.

Last but certainly not least....
Today we commemorate St. Alexis of Toth the confessor and defender of Orthodoxy in America.
O righteous Father Alexis,
Our heavenly intercessor and teacher,
Divine adornment of the Church of Christ!
Entreat the Master of All
To strengthen the Orthodox Faith in America,
To grant peace to the world
And to our souls, great mercy!