I'm Melting!!!!!

It is TOO HOT! I know some of you may be used to hot temperatures but I(we) here in Seattle are not. There is not air conditioning except in my van and at the mall. I'm not a mall type person! It is too Hot!!!!!
Record Highs Friday and Saturday in some parts were over 100!!!! I turned my van on Friday afternoon to see the temperature reading outside and it registered 101!

There are, however, certain activities that are especially good for hot weather. Here are some of our favorites we've relished in the last 3 days...
but first I had to put this in this morning....even the dog is hot! Early this morning (Monday) I put the fan in the window and within a few minutes found the dog sitting in front of it!!! It cracked me up!

Update on Rachel

A couple days ago I posted this prayer request and this first update. Here is the wonderful update I received last night...

The fluid in Rachel’s lungs is gone, making possible removal of the drainage tube; just a few minutes ago she was taken off the ventilator, & is now breathing on her own, all thanks and praise to God! She is still in I.C.U., & though receiving post-operative pain medication is conscious & able to respond non-verbally. “Prayer,” as blessed Saint Agathon said so long ago, “ is warfare to the last breath.” May we continue to faithfully intercede for dear Rachel & her family!

Bald Eagle in Seabeck Bay

We went through downtown Seabeck (don't blink) and had pizza at the pizz place on the bay. While we waited we ran into an artist painting on the beach and he pointed this beautiful sight out to us. I didn't get close enough. Click on the image and it will get bigger.

What's been going on here?

We have been quite busy these days preparing for this. I know you probably have seen that link from Paradosis link. In the last 2 weeks before market day (July 7) we completed the family room wall (it was bare drywall) , painted it, redid moulding through almost the whole house, packed up about 6 loads of JUNK to put in storage (don't know why and can't believe all the stuff we can supposedly "live without temporarily"...why not always????). I spent an entire afternoon (6+hours) in the rain planting and mulching and cleaning the yard. The list goes on. Now we are on the market. Within 2 days we had a great offer and 2 days later it fell through. The Missus of the said offer didn't like our house enough. :( But we are only 6 days into the game and have had lots of lookers. When we sold our house in Sultan it was on the market for 3 1/2 months and probably didn't have near the traffic this one has had in 3 days. Another gorgeous weekend to come should bring lots more traffic. Please pray God's Will be done!!
We have the weekend loaded with houses to look at for ourselves on the Kitsap Peninsula. That should be fun. We have our eyes on one we both really like. It is very private 2 1/2 acres and it has all the stuff we need to get started on our "hobby" farm: corral, 2 fenced pastures, 2-stall barn, fenced garden, chicken coop! Perfect. We think.

Another funthing we've been up to is camping. Here are some fun pictures of our trip to Mossyrock Campground in Mossyrock Washington.

Thank you for all your prayers as we seek God's guidance in the sale of our home and purchase of a new home-following our dream.

UPDATE ON PREVIOUS PRAYER REQUEST

I received this at 8PM...

Don called a few minutes ago, to report that although Rachel “isn’t out of the woods yet,” the news is much more positive this evening. She has responded well to a medication change, her kidneys are functioning, & although still on the ventilator she is breathing partially on her own. All praise & thanksgiving to God for this wonderful news – may we continue to surround Rachel, her family, & all who care for her with our fervent intercessions!


Thank you for your continued prayers.

PLEASE PRAY...

...for Rachel. She is a girlfriend of one of our parishioners. She is right now in ICU on a respirator after emergency intestinal surgery. Just 5 minutes ago we were informed her heart is failing. She is 22 years!

Lord have mercy.

You know they've had a good day when...

...they come in the house at the end of the day looking like this little warrior.

I've uploaded some new pictures to the photo blog.

Children Learn What They Live

As I was growing up I frequently saw this poem around and thought it was nice, but unimpressed to say the least.
My mom just posted it on her blog and I've read it again for the millionth time in my life and suddenly it has taken on a whole new meaning! For the past year or two I've heard so much that if I want to see myself just look at my children...
LORD HAVE MERCY!!!!

Children learn what they live

If children live with criticism, they learn to condemn.
If children live with hostility, they learn to fight.
If children live with fear, they learn to be apprehensive.
If children live with pity, they learn to feel sorry for themselves.
If children live with ridicule, they learn to feel shy.
If children live with jealousy, they learn to feel envy.
If children live with shame, they learn to feel guilty.
If children live with encouragement, they learn confidence.
If children live with tolerance, they learn patience.
If children live with praise, they learn appreciation.
If children live with acceptance, they learn to love.
If children live with approval, they learn to like themselves.
If children live with recognition, they learn it is good to have a goal.
If children live with sharing, they learn generosity.
If children live with honesty, they learn truthfulness.
If children live with fairness, they learn justice.
If children live with kindness and consideration, they learn respect.
If children live with security, they learn to have faith in themselves and in those about them.
If children live with friendliness, they learn the world is a nice place in which to live.
Dorothy Law Nolte, Ph.D.

"Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it." Proverbs 22:6

"Be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you." Ephesians 4:32

Calling All Home-Schoolers and Avid Readers...

As a homeschooling mother Paidea Classics is one of my FAVORITE websites!!! They are by far one of the most important resources I have to date.
I just learned this morning that they are struggling financially and it is threatening the continuance of their website.
I come here to spread the word about the TREMENDOUS RESOURCE so you too may help support them and to also beg for prayers on their behalf.
Here is a list of 10 reasons they are SO fabulous:

1. "Our Young Folks' Josephus": The history of Ancient Israel is revealed in a first-hand account from the great historian Flavius Josephus.

2. "The Exiles of the Cebenna": is a moving account of the community of Christians in the Church of Arles during the Decian persecution (249-251 AD).

3. Free Copywork you can print out. Amazing and wonderful copy work of Saints, Feasts and Orthodox Quotes, as well as simple beginning ABC's.

4. If you don't want to print everything yourself they have spiral bound copywork for sale!!!!

5. New Spelling Lessons: 2 levels so far!

6. Free downloadable Orthodox homeschool planning pages.

7. Orthodox Homeschool T-shirts and more.

8. Free E-Texts

9. A list of wonderful articles about all kinds of topics such as prayers, parenting, schooling.

10. Their wonderful history books soon to come out in audio!!" It is our hope to provide resources that will help make homeschooling a family affair and will simplify the teaching parent's life." Coming soon!

PLEASE help support this wonderful home-schooling resource! They have a lot of books that not only would be appreciated by the home-schooling family but also by those who love to read history.

Thank you for spreading the word.

James of the Northwest has just posted about this news article we've read. I commented there but couldn't help but bring it up here and tell you that I've emailed Gregoire.

Please go here and send her a comment. Tell her how absurd it is for her to TAKE AWAY ones RIGHTS to appease another. I'm so miffed about this whole thing. And not so much because of what pill it is(although I'm impressed with Thriftway and will let them know I'll be supporting their stores more than I have) but more because the pharmacies own rights are being taken away and how fair is that. She wants to strip them of their own rights simply because another group feels their rights aren't being respected.

I didn't know something so political could get my attention like this...I'm surprised at myself.

Another writer?

Okay while I'm at it I'll share Charissa's poem to dad. Kelsey taught Charissa a little about poems. She wrote one to her teacher which stupidly I didn't keep, it's quite good! And this she wrote for her dad, it's cute!

Happy Father's Day, Dad.

I found out that it was Father's Day.
It is a penny to pay.

I think he is planning to go to Antartica again.


She has a fascination with Antartica because they just studied penguins in school.

A writer in the making...

Kelsey Anna seems to be taking after her father in writing. She LOVES to write. We have gads of papers with started stories, poems and even comics. She even has a book started on her laptop that I'm told is very funny. This spring she brought home a book of poems from school she had written. They learned all about different kinds of poems. I found this one amongst her papers which wasn't even one of the chose published, but I really do like it a lot.

Fairies
Shhhhh!
Listen. Fairies!
Why fairies you say?
Because the sound it makes.
A certain sound like...
A wind chime
Ching Chingle Ching
A bird
Tweet tweetle tweet
A fairy sound
Ding ding ding ding
So if you walk in the woods listen for them.
Those fairies.

by Kelsey Anna

This tops the cake!

Okay....I am udderly flabbergasted at the newest and latest "disorder" that one can order up to justify and explain away ones uncomely behavior. This literally is the icing on the cake....
intermittent explosive disorder (IED)
in laymens terms "road rage disorder".
Check out these headlines...Road rage is a medical condition, finds study

"local" economy

I've been suffering through the debate/conversation between my dear paradosis and some of his friends (they are really "our" friends but in this their his--LOL) on the topic of "local economy. One of them says that there really is no such thing as local economy and the other disagrees. I do have to admit to possibly misunderstanding the whole debate but that is what I got out of it. So I as this is really the only place I can get a word in edgewise when the conversation is being carried with this particular group I thought I'd post my two cents. First I might say that I really believe that they are simply debating the difference between micro(local) and macro(global) economics without even knowing it. And if you put it that way they are both right and their it's a no win debate for sure.
But my two cents on the whole "does local economy even exist" is this...if we all stopped buying from the local businesses then they will cease to exist therefore creating a completely useless community and it will die. Thus there IS local economy in that respect. YES, our community not only supports on a local level but also in many ways supports on a global level. You cannot have one without the other for sure. The global economy would cease to exist if there was not many different local economies to make it up.
I just happen to read on the night of this said debate from a great book called "Rural Renaissance" in the section called Supporting the Local Economy...
Ecological communities offer insights as to how we might approach our local community. When we take time to examine our energy flows, the cycling of matter and materials, the interconnection of food webs, the movement from chemical-based mono-culture to organic polyculture, and other factors on our farm, we better undertstand how life manages to sustain itself--often, despite unwise human decisions.
Communities that exist within ecological perspectives, tend to thrive as well, providing healthy, safe and viable livelihoods for their members. Country and samll-town living thrives on shared experience and cooperation.
In an ecosystem, numerous self-preserving mechanisms are in place to keep a system in balance. Healthy communities are much the same. The citizens must be active, engaged and empowered for the community to be vibrant. We are active participants in our community's continued prosperity, development and future.

Yes, I know that maybe I'm making this topic much simplier than they possibly have taken it in their conversations and debates, but why not?

"Potatoes Not Prozac"

But do you sometimes feel your confidence slip away, leaving you in self-doubt and despair? Does it seem "crazy" that you can be so clear one day and so desperate the next? Worse, you may drop from the heights to the depths in the same day. It's almost as if another person were inside you.
You hate to admit it, but you can be moody and impulsive. You want to get things done, but your attention drifts. You lose energy and get tired.

....It's like having two different people live in your body. From one moment to the next your fine sensitivity and openness turn into moodiness and irritablility. Your confidence and creativity dry up, only to be replaced by low self-esteem and hopelessness. Your visions for the future dissipate into the frustration born of not following through.

*bold is my emphasis


I'm only in the first chapter of this ("Potatoes Not Prozac")book, but I feel like it was written for me. Found it after reading "Little Sugar Addicts". This author, Kathleen DesMaisons, seems to really have done some incredible research. I can't wait to read more.

Memory Eternal

Today is the 2nd anniversary of the repose of my brother, Douglas.
My niece Alexis, his daughter, has been here at my home for 3 weeks visiting from Minnesota. I told her that we Orthodox have a very special way of remembering the departed and I wanted to share that with her. So this evening, I did my best to make Koliva with Alexis. We did have to improvise because I FORGOT to buy wheat berries in time to cook. So I used whole oat groats which cook up to be quite fat and chewy. I rinsed them well after cooking and added the rest of the ingredients. Mounded it all on a plate and covered it with powered sugar. I was very pleasantly surprised to taste what could really pass as Koliva! And Alexis will never know the difference.
We gathered around the icon corner and said a prayer and sang memory eternal. It was really quite beautiful. No, Douglas wasn't Orthodox but I really wanted share this beautiful tradition with his beautiful daughter. And really I don't even know if there is something that says this is only for the orthodox.

Memory Eternal!


PS.. the picture was taken AFTER we'd eaten most of it and realized Alexis hadn't taken a picture. So we hurried and mounded what we could and added more powered sugar to take the picture. The first mound was much bigger and nicer looking.

Accomplishments

Over the last 2 days I've accomplished two things that I'm proud of.
One is I JUST finished this evening and that is the kitchen floor!!! I really like how it came out.
The second I did on Saturday, which was to cut the hair on my two boys' heads. It was quite the challenge with Joe, thus quite an accomplishment! But Oh! how handsome they are!!!

SHE MADE MY DAY!

I was checking out at the grocery store and bought some beer for James. The checker looked at me a few times before deciding to card me. I always love it when this happens as I'm well past the age one needs to be (by 15 years!).
She takes my ID from me and looks at it, all of a sudden very emphatically she says, "Shut up! Oh my gosh!" "You must have good genes or something."

Grinning from ear to ear!

Pictures to share

Go here to see several pictures I've taken over the last couple days.
On Mother's Day we went to the peninsula to visit family and friends and went here. It was an amazing day!
Today we went here.
My niece, Alexis, is visiting from MN for 3 weeks. We are having a grand time.

Happy Mother's Day to me

I recieved this poem(using my name for first letters) yesterday from Kelsey Anna. (My eldest, 9 1/2 years)

Spectacular mom!
Uses love carefully!
Said she loves me!
Always hugs me!
Noticed I loved her!
Loved by your daughter Kelsey

Update on my dad

Thank you all so much for all your prayers and thank you Hilarius for asking about him on Paradosis.


I can't believe it has been since BEFORE his radiation that I've posted. My how time flies!

My dad went through 8 weeks of pure hell in radiation therapy on his throat. Through it he lost a significant amount of weight which he couldn't afford to lose and he also lost his voice. Today, he is back up to 145# (4 weeks post radiation I think) and is sounding great. Glory to God when they examined his throat they found no cancer left. Kelsey Anna and I attribute this to some Holy Oil we sent him to rub on his neck. We pray every day that God will soften his heart so that he too may believe this. He still struggles a great deal with smoking although he is only smoking a couple a day vs. 3 packs a day. Shortly after he finished his radiation he opened up to me about how much he'd been drinking and learned that alcohol in great quantities daily can be a big contributor to throat cancer. Glory to God he has not had a drink since February and finds no desire for it.
Please pray for his struggles with addiction and for the temptations for alcohol that may return as he goes back to MN for the summer and much of his family and friends there do quite a bit of drinking.

Thank you so much for your prayers!!!

This is an old picture of my dad and my kids, June 2004, but I wanted to put it in anyway.

Bye Grandma :(

Today at 3:30 PM we packed up the van with all of Grandma and Auntie Carols belongings and headed for the train depot. As they unloaded the van Joseph began wailing that he wanted grandma, he was going to go with her. As he was strapped in his carseat reaching as hard as he could (if you've ever seen a child strapped in a carseat trying to reach with all his might to get out you can see Joseph), tears streaming down and wails of love for Grandma. Mom stood there watching him with tears of her own as she was not prepared for such an outpouring. Once we drove away and she was out of sight he settled down and about 5 minutes down the road very quietly said, "I'm going to miss grandma." Look at the eyes this boy has, they can be heart-wrenching.
For some reason, this time around it was very difficult for mom to leave. Please come back soon Grandma!!!

More Remodeling

During Bright Week my mom and I spent many hours changing my kitchen. After lots of shopping around I decided I'd give it a gallon of paint and new hardware a try on the kitchen cupboards instead of spending hundreds(or even thousands) for new. The biggest difference is the new feeling of space and light. I love it! The floor is next.

Now I lay me down to sleep...2

Back in November I posted this on the photo blog.

Since so many liked that I just had to share this with you all. I love it!! This is how I found little Joe tonight.

Christ is Risen!!!

Let us therefore celebrate the Resurrection of the Lord. He rose, and He brought up with Him the world. He rose, breaking the bonds of death, resurrecting us by breaking the chains of our sins. Adam sinned and died. Christ died but did not sin. This is new and strange. The first sinned and died, the second died having not sinned. For whom did this happen and why? So that he who had sinned and died be liberated from the bonds of death through Him Who died having not sinned. This also happens with those who owe money. Someone is in debt but is unable to repay his debt and therefore is put in prison. Someone else who does not owe the money but is able to pay repays the debt and the debtor is released. This same things happened with Adam and Christ.

St. John Chrysostom, A Homily on the Holy Pascha

More pics here.

Remodel

Last summer we started dividing our big garage conversion(previous to our buying) into several smaller rooms. The first picture here shows the walls just going up. The second picture skeleton of the spare room my mom is sleeping in now. Another wonderful feature that we did was to build some bookshelves into the wall. These are pretty much finished but need trim and stain. The last pictures are the finished product. I'm so proud of the end result (maybe too proud) I just had to show off the pictures. You can see the door opening in the first couple of pictures and the finished door. It is VERY exciting. What a sense of accomplishment! Thank you sweetie, for all your hard work!

Grandma's Here!

My mom and auntie Carol arrived on the train today! My kids really miss grandma when she is not here.

Go see my cute little ones...

Although not so little anymore.

A couple new pics here....

Out of the mouths of babes....

My three year old, Joseph, took Holy Communion on Sunday like a big boy, arms crossed, said his own name, waited for Dn. Lawrence to finish the prayer and walked away to grab his antidoron. As he walked up to me with bread in his mouth, he beamed as he said, "My mouth is holy."

I'm beaming from ear to ear.

Still Time

I received this message from John who received it from Fr. Wayne of St. Barnabas.
I just had to share it, I love it!

My dear spiritual sons and daughters:
I copied this from an Orthodox site, written by an
Russian Orthodox priest's wife.


Congratulating everyone on having reached the middle of the Fast.

There's still time, even if it is later than we thought. Time to start the
struggle. Time to increase prayers.

Time to refrain from things we haven't gotten around to refraining from.
Time to make a positive difference, to visit the sick, to give alms, to be
nice to strangers, to be patient with loved ones.
God still loves us. There is still time.

If you haven't been to PreSanctified Liturgy or to an Akathist yet, there is
still time.
If today's lunch wasn't fasting, tomorrow's still can be.

If you didn't say Morning Prayers, you can still say evening prayers.
If you quarreled with someone who still lives, you can still make peace.

If you haven't been to confession and Holy Communion yet, Sunday approaches.

There is time to purchase egg dye and almonds and raisins for the festal
foods.
There is time to save oatmeal boxes, coffee cans, onion skins.... and your
soul.

Not over yet, but still halfway over.

In my kitchen

Thank you, Arielle-Juliana, for inspiring me to try something new. I have never baked pita bread and you gave me the courage. Here are some pictures of the outcome. They don't look quite as good as Arielle's but it was so fun and yummy. And the best part...it was entertaining for the children. They loved it.
Also, you will see my chopping helper hard at work. The girls take turns chopping the salad vegetables each evening.

Prayer

As I was searching the Orthodox areas of the internet on praying to the saints I ran across this little piece of information that made me stop in my tracks. I just had to read it again and again and ponder on what it is really saying. You can find the whole article here.

The purpose of prayer is to have communion with God and to be made capable of accomplishing his Will. Christians pray to enable themselves to know God and to do his commandments. Unless a person is willing to change himself and to conform himself to Christ in the fulfillment of his commandments, he has no reason or purpose to pray. According to the saints, it is even spiritually dangerous to pray to God without the intention of responding and moving along the path that prayer will take us.

Back in the real world...

Mary Dawn and I returned yesterday evening from a most fabulous time at St. John the Forerunner Monastery. It was very relaxing and inspiring. Everytime I go I gain a greater respect for my faith and especially the Eucharist. It inspires me to strive even harder on my path to God. I pray the effects last a life time.
Here are just a couple pictures but will post more on the photo blog.
On Sunday afternoon we received a beautiful layer of snow. We couldn't help but hike around in the snow and take pictures...those will be on the photo blog.

I came home to find a letter from St. John of San Francisco Monastery and learned that they are in escrow on a place outside of Redding. You can see it here, and WoW! Sooo, an english speaking monastery will be about 12 hours away, a little further than I'd hoped but it will be good to visit someday.

Off we go...

Mary (Dawn) and I are headed to Goldendale to the St. John the Forerunner Monastery for 2 nights. I'm really excited as this is my second pilgrimage, the first was one year ago on the same 1st weekend of Lent, and this is Mary's first pilgrimage to the monastery. (At the monastery you typically go by your patron saint name.)

Please pray for safe travel as we travel over 3 mountain passes.

Sophia

"A Mother's Rule of Life" Part 3

Well, I'm on the last chapter of "A Mother's Rule of Life" by Holly Pierlot. I blogged about the beginnings of it here and here as you can see by the title. But I just could not leave it at that as I've come to a close on it.
This is by far one of the best books I've read on homemaking, mothering, and faith all wrapped into one and I've read a lot! As the whole purpose of this blog was started to find our for me what motherhood and homemaking were to be I've researched and read and prayed. God has definitely answered my prayers in this book! I am actually considering writing a letter to the author (she has a blog) to convey my gratefulness.
I cannot tell you enough how this book is (hopefully) opening my mind and clearing my senses on so much regarding prayer, marriage, mother, homemaking, etc. And to boot...it is very orthodox in it's thinking and is VERY faith based. Can you believe or imagine...I never dreamt I'd find something so close to my faith and on this topic! It is written by a catholic woman but I'd never know except for the mention of numerous western saints.

I briefly touched on this in a comment on one of the earlier posts but want to expand on it.
The Mother's Rule is based on the 5-P's of the married vocation that a priest told her about early in her marriage. I'll name them and then tell you at least one thing that really caught my attention about each. (Sorry this might get long as these have been so eye opening to me...I can't help it.) These are in order of the priority we should keep them at.

First P= PRAYER
Theology professor Fr. Tom Daley once said, "We must realize that law precedes love. The laws that God imposes on us from the outside are meant to discipline us, to help our hearts grow into the laws of love which motivate us from within." ...So I was to obey... So our Christian calling wasn't only about avoiding sin, but about taking positive steps forward to complete the mission God has entrusted to us. My Mother's Rule of Life, then, was obedience to God's will by using my freedom to work toward my vocation, my mission on earth.

Second P= PERSON (This entire chapter is quite profound.)
Our spiritual health directly affects our personal health...
That problem was a nasty little personal motto that had followed me all my life: "But I don't want to!" Of all the difficulties I had encountered in my search for personal wholeness, perhaps my greatest enemy was my interior spirit of rebillion. My reluctance to let go of my own will and my resistance to doing what I was supposed to do instead of what I wanted to do were preventing me from moving closer to God and to happiness. Fr. Tom Daly says, "Freedom is taking responisibilty for who you are to become." Now that was not a familiar concept. Our society's idea of freedom, and the one I had functioned with for so long, meant the "right" to do whatever I wanted, free from external restraints. True freedom, then, Christian freedom, is when we willingly take the steps needed to return ourselves to the internal order God intended... Thus, there has to com a time when we begin consciously to act in conformity with what we know to be good. This means engaging the will. I reached a point where I realized I had to stop so much reading and beging DOING. To make a straight path to God in my heart, I had to train myself to do what is right.

Third P= PARTNER
And as with Holy Orders, we need to realize that the sacrament of Marriage is meant to enable us to fulfill a mission--in this instance, a mission of service and love toward our spouse.

Fourth P=PARENT
It took a long time for me to realize I had been chosen by God to be a mother and that I myself had chosen to be a mother. It took a while to see that, yes, my talents and interests and training were all important things, but my family duties would override any calling outside for a good long while. And I'd come to learn, slowly, that the seemingly mundane and unimportant work of a mother--loving God, living a holy marriage, and raising happy, balanced, holy children--was in the grand scheme of God's plan more important than the many projects and ambitions I had in other areas. I had to learn, over the course of years, that relationships were more important than tasks, that being was more important than doing.
"What can I do that will really make a difference in society?" Raising my children with a Christian worldview was the biggest contribution to society that I could possibly make; giving to the world healthy, holy citizens who would spread their influence in an exponential way...My work with my children was the very core of societal change. I had discovered the mission of motherhood!

Fifth P= PROVIDER
Many times, our responsibilities in this area can overtake some of the higher priorities of family life because our home duties and money concerns are so varied and often time-consuming. Here we want to examine our provider role as God intended it, devote to it the necessary dignity it deserves, yet simultaneously streamline our efforts so that it assumes its rightful place in the five P's of our vocation. Above all, we need to understand that all our work in the home is good and ordained by God.

This book is better than I ever imagined and I pray that God will open my mind and heart to all that I have learned as I try to grasp the understand of my vocation here in my home...as it is ordained by God.

A blessed Lent to you all.

Great Canon of St Andrew of Crete--Kontakion for Monday

Kontakion, tone 6:

My soul, my soul, arise! Why are you sleeping? The end is drawing near, and you will be confounded. Awake, then, and be watchful, that Christ our God may spare you, Who is everywhere present and fills all things.

Please forgive me

Sunday, March 5, 2006
Sunday of Cheesefare (Forgiveness Sunday)

The Lord said, "If you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father also will forgive you; but if you do not forgive men and their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses."


We begin Great Lent, our journey to Pascha(the Resurrection of our Lord) with Forgiveness Sunday. We are to "forgive men their trespasses" and as Alexander Schmemann says in Great Lent
The triumph of sin, the main sign of its rule over the world is division, opposition, separation, hatred. Therefore the first break through this fortress of sin is forgiveness: the return to unity, solidarity, love. To forgive is to put between me and my "enemy" the radiant forgiveness of God Himself. To forgive is to reject the hopeless "dead-ends" of human relations and to refer them to Christ. Forgiveness is truly a "breakthrough" of the Kingdom into this sinful and fallen world.

So as we start Great Lent I would like to ask forgiveness to you, my blogger friends, my family and those dear to me. Please forgive me.

God forgives all.

from the mouths of boys...playing and singing

"bah bah black sheep have you more wool.
yes sir, yes sir, three bags full.
one for the master, one for the rain, one for the little boy who lives down the drain.
bah bah, black sheep have you more wool.
yes sir, yes sir, three bags full."

"A Mother's Rule of Life" Part 2

"Schedules might be limiting" Holly says, "But disorder is more limiting."
I understand that Jesus is perfectly willing to bless my efforts, but first had had to have efforts to bless. I had to do all in my power to fulfill my obligations.
She goes on to say...
Jesus was asking for the dedication of my entire self to my vocation.
Thus "A Mother's Rule of Life" was born.
A rule of Life is a traditional Christian tool for ordering one's vocation and the duties it entails, and the development of a schedule for fulfilling these responsibilities in a consistent and orderly way.
The Catholic Dictionary defines "The Rule" as "a happy disposition of things...a multitude reduced in some wise to unity."
She goes on to say "That is just what I wanted: "a happy disposition," and to reduce all the overwhelming tasks of motherhood into a nice, single unit of work I could handle. And in my mind, I couldn't see any extreme difference between a religious community and a family community: there's still the mother abbess (mom), and the postulants and novices (the little ones mom needs to raise), and the professed sisters (the older children who can help)...
But there was something else I found intriguing about the whole notion of a Rule of Life: that it was also suppose to lead me to holiness.

This is all very profound to me and extremely appealing. Making more sense than anything I've ever read. I've read so much about the importance of schedules to make a home run smoothly, a schedule to help stay on task, etc. But to look at it all as my vocation in life given to me by God, likening it to monastery life, brings so much more meaning to me.
We must analyze our vocation. She goes on to say...
We see, then, that the practical element of a Rule is a reflection of the aims and mission of our vocation, whis should determine how we spend our time.
Now, I had tried schedules before and had failed. Was that because I was trying to order my life according to goals that didn't reflect what my calling as a Christian, a wife, and a mother demanded? Was the stress I had been experiencing the result of an imbalance in my priorities? Seeing how I was so often confused about everything, did I even know what my primary daily duties were supposed to be? After all, a Rule of Life deals primarily with essential responsibilities. How could I know whether I was giving these the primacy they deserve?

Okay, enough of my quoting the book. All I know is that I have found a book that really spoke to me in making me see that my life has far more meaning than I ever imagined. It is helping me prioritize responsibility and the first is God Himself.

Learn more...find the book at your local library (which is what I did) or find it here. It is profoundly beneficial!!!!

"A Mother's Rule of Life"

Because this blog really got going because of a desire to learn about what my "job" is and the majority of my posts are on this topic (Homemaking and Motherhood) I just had to share this book that someone just introduced me to. I've joined a yahoo group title Orthodox Classical Homeschool and someone brought up the question about the mundane and sometimes boring life of homemaker...wanting to know if they were alone in feeling this way from time to time. Someone replied with a book suggestion called "A Mother's Rule of Life" by Holly Pierlot. The author is Roman Catholic, wife, mother of five and homeschooling mom. I cannot begin to tell you how wonderful this book is and I'm only on chapter 3! (She even has a website/blog.) My hope is to wet your whistle with quotes from the book today and in future posts. It is very Orthodox in it's thinking in many ways and really has given me a new perspective on my role and homemaker and mother. I hope to learn a lot from it. I know it won't "cure" the mundane or the sin for that matter but it's a hope, a new way of looking at my role that God Himself has given me.

Excerpt from the Introduction
"What does it mean to seek Christian perfection? A long time ago, I thought it meant perfect behavior---that if I just did what I was told, strictly followed all the rules, fervently prayed all the paryers, and spent a lot of time on aching knees in a quiet chapel somewhere, then I'd be "perfect"....
Later I developed a totally new concept of Christian perfection. It meant being a "saint"...
At another point, I thought Christian perfection meant being a nun...
But somewhere along the way, I realized Christian perfection had to mean something else. It had to be something just anybody could do, because Jesus said, "You...must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect," and he addressed this to all of us.
In my study, I came across a definition of perfection that finally made sense to me. Perfection is "union with God, which is possible in this world..."
To seek perfection in this life is really to seek union with God through love.
Perfection is for all of us, even for busy mothers stuck inside four walls, because all of us are called to love, We are all called to be saints, (although we are not all called to be canonized). We are all caleld to holiness, which is nothing more that the perfection of love within us. And as mothers, there are lots of people we can love!


More to come...because I just have to share.

trip to Kitsap Peninsula

We returned late last night after a weekend on the Kitsap Peninsula. We had a grand time crossing on the ferry, visiting our dear friend Dawn, meeting new friends at St. Elizabeth Orthodox Mission, and visiting Chief Sealth in the cemetary right next to the Mission. The weather was absolutely perfect!

Thunder and Lightening

I love music! And recently I've realized that I rarely listen to it anymore, but when I do it really changes the atmosphere and attitude of my home.
Lately I've been listening to some of my favorite, old Christian music...you know the ones...Amy Grant, Steven Curtis Chapman and even Keith Green! The ones I dared not touch once I became Orthodox because they just weren't, well orthodox. I don't know why, I think it is the typical knee-jerk reaction most former protestant make when running from protestantism. But you know what? I love this music! I miss it! *shyly admits*
There is one song in particular that I've looked at differently lately. I used to listen to it and "judge" my poor dad or others close to me who didn't know God and I still can listen to it and pray and hope that he will someday stop "waiting for lightening" and listen for God "as He quietly whispers" his name. (I secretly hope and pray the cancer is that lightening.) But the other day as I listened I heard something else.
What about me? Yes, I know God, I love God, I yearn for God. But I get in these slumps, I forget, I sin, I become complacent, lackadaisical. What am I waiting for? Do I need a "feeling to take me by storm" to remember my goal?



Standing on the edge of the truth,

Looking out at the view

Of all you used to believe,

From where you are you can see you’re far away from home.

Echoes of the life you once knew

Call out to you from across the divide,

And you know it’s time to step back over the line,

But you’re . . .

CHORUS

Waiting for lightning,

A sign that it’s time for a change;

And you’re listening for thunder,

While He quietly whispers your name.

Night falls and the curtain goes down;

No one’s around,

It’s just you and the truth.

As you lie in wait

For a feeling to take you by storm,

Somewhere in the depths of your heart,

Where it’s empty and dark, there’s a flicker of light,

And the Spirit calls,

But do you notice at all;

Are you . . .

(chorus)

But the sign and the word

Have already been given,

And now it’s by faith

We must look and we must listen,

Instead of . . .

(chorus)

Sun Sun Sun

I was almost giddy today with the sight of the golden sun shining from above all day long! It was absolutely gorgeous today...all day. As I drove the girls to school and we headed east at the top of 228th hill the view of the Olympics was breath-taking. As I picked them up 6 hours later it was precisely as I had left it. We had spring fever and stopped off at the park on the way home. Here are a few pictures of the kids soaking up the sun!

A tribute

This is a tribute to one of my and Sara's favorite foods as we've posted on our blogs recently.
She tagged me for the 4 meme and we both listed homemade bread as our favorite food...it made me hungry. So today I pulled my grandma's whole wheat bread recipe out and baked....mmmmm, it was delicious!

Okay...so it sure tasted good but it seems a bit short. It seemed to not raise well the second time around. I seem to have this problem a lot. I wonder if it raised too fast or something. It appears to have gone down once I turned the oven on (the bread was on top rising) and I wonder if the heat from the preheating oven was too much. Any thought from those of you who bake bread often. I've gotten into baking quite a bit but am still learning.

I've been tagged

I've been tagged by Sara

Four jobs you have had in your life
1. Reservation Agent with Northwest Airlines
2. dry cleaner presser
3. mailroom attendant
4. office cleaner on college campus

4 Movies You Could Watch Over and Over
1. Parenthood
2. An Affair to Remember
3. When Harry met Sally
4. Sound of Music

4 Places You Have Lived
1. W. St. Paul, MN
2. Costa Mesa, CA
3. Bellevue, WA
4. Bothell, WA

4 TV Shows You Love To Watch
1. CSI
2. Survivor
3. 24
4. Law & Order

4 Places You Have Been On Vacation
1. New Mexico
2. Montana
3. Campgrounds all over MN/WI
4. Campgrounds all over WA

4 Websites You Visit Daily
1. Paradosis
2. Blue Canopy
3. Chronicles of Mary
4. In the process of weeding out....AND MANY MORE BLOGS

4 Of Your Favorite Foods
1. Good ice cream
2. Fresh-baked bread with butter
3. Spaghetti with Browned Butter and Mizithra Cheese
4. stove-top popped popcorn with real butter

4 Places You Would Rather Be Right Now
1. Minnesota
2. walking on a beach with James ( preferably a cool climate)
3. visiting Alaska
4. St. John the Forerunner Monastery in Goldendale

4 Bloggers You Are Tagging
1. Anyone who wants to
2.
3.
4.

Update on my dad

Here are my original posts #1 and #2.

Thank you for all your prayers!!! I just spoke with my dad today and learned that he has been almost completely smoke-free for 2 weeks now only have 2 cigarettes in the last 2 weeks!! He smoked nearly 3 packs a day prior to this! His spirits are high and I was so excited to hear how well he's been doing.
He goes in Wednesday to set up for 6 weeks of radiation at 5 days a week! There is a possibility that through the radiation his throat could get so sore he would not be able to eat. If this happens he would have a temporary feeding tube put in.

Thank you for your prayers and your continued prayers!

The clergyman of our family.

Here we have Fr. Nicholas and Dn. Joseph ready to serve. I created a pattern and sewed up these vestments for the boys for Christmas...they just opened them today on the 10th day of Christmas. We had to pry them off to get ready for bed. They took a bowl and filled it with lincoln logs and said it was the antidoron. I took a bell and tied rope on it for a censer.

Feast Day of St. Juliana and St. Seraphim

Christ is born!
Glorify Him!

I just wanted to write a little today as today is the feast day of two my favorite saints!

St. Seraphim of Sarov...a wonderful website here with his life and some of his writings. St. Juliana of Lazarevo...her story here.
A year and a half ago I taught vacation Church School and my class studied St. Seraphim. It was really a wonderful time and I love his story and the writings I've read so far.
St. Juliana was brought to my attention sometime over this past year, I came across this site and found her listed under Saints for the Kitchen and Home and investigated. If only I could develop even half of her virtue!

Oh most Holy St. Juliana and St. Seraphim, please pray unto God for me.

Troparion - Tone 4
You loved Christ from your youth, O blessed one,
and longing to work for Him alone you struggled in the wilderness in constant prayer and labor.
With penitent heart and great love for Christ you were favored by the Mother of God.
Therefore we cry to you:
"Save us by your prayers, venerable Seraphim, our father."

Troparion - Tone 4
By your righteous deeds you revealed to the world
An image of the perfect servant of the Lord.
By your fasting, vigil and prayers,
You were inspired in your evangelical life,
Feeding the hungry and caring for the poor,
Nursing the sick and strengthening the weak.
Now you stand at the right hand of the Master, Christ,
O holy Juliana, interceding for our souls.

And for those who have taken them as their patron saints....Many Years!!
Many, many years to Nathan Seraphim, Juliana Plew, and Arielle Juliana and Seraphim (Sky)!

A Christmas Greeting to share

I just recieved a greeting yesterday from a couple at Church. There are a few of you who know who this amazingly inspiring couple is. This Christmas Greeting was quite inspiring and encouraging and I had to share it.

Beloved Friends, Near and Far...
Like a silent mist descending upon a valley, the holy season of Advent has settled over our lives once again. As it has throughout the centuries, these blessed weeks of waiting help us focus on the holy birth soon to take place, a gift of time to prepare the manger of our hearts. This year especially, Advent provides our troubled souls a chance to pull away from the ceaseless images of suffereing thrust upon us throughout the past many months, and the vague feelings of apprehension, disquiet, and helplessness that yet remain. Dictionaries of facts and pictures have pummeled our tired ears and eyes; we drop our donations in the offereing plate or mailbox, but still the strange unrest lingers. And around the corners of our minds, unnamed and invisible, creeps a pervasive fear: will it-- can it-- happen to me...to mine?
Why should we not be afraid when gale force windes pick up cars and buildings; city streets turn into navigable rivers; the cost of heating our homes and driving our cars mangles the budget; the earth roars, splits, and tens of thousands perish; and bird flu may be just a flight away? Fear marches in the forefront of our minds; behind it, like ominous shadows, slink its elusive cousins named anxiety and worry. what if the layoffs include me? What if the blood test isn't normal? What if the furnace gives up for good, and a new one wipes out the savings for Sam's braces? What if he, or she, or they...?
"...do not be afraid," the angel commanded Joseph, who being a just and merciful man was unwilling to expose Mary's supposed sin when she was found to be with child. "Do not be afraid," the angel Gabriel reassured Zacharias, after telling him that his years of prayer for a son would be answered. "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God..." the angel said, comforting Mary when she was troubled by his words. Do not be afraid...Do not be afraid! In every possible situation of life, God commands us not to be afraid. Why?
Because when the radiant star appears in the black sky and Christmas dawns at last, a Virgin shall bear a Son who shall be called Immanuel, "God with us." Always, He is with us-quiet, infinitely courteous, patient, listening for our words as a parent bends low to hear the whispers of a small child. He answers the cry of our hearts through the balm of holy Scripture, in the sacred sameness of our daily lives, and always, as we kneel or stand before Him in silent adoration and wordless prayer. He is everywhere, He has spoken, He speaks to each of us this very day, this very moment. Immanuel! God is with us!

Every once in a blue moon Mr. Paradosis will pull his acoustic guitar out and start playing some of his favorite songs. He's gotten pretty good at many of The Lost Dogs songs we listen to frequently. Who am I kidding, he's gotten amazingly good and it is quite impressive and I have to say I absolutely LOVE it when he does his "every once in a blue moon" playing and wish he would do it more often. One of the things I fell in love with instantly was his voice, some 17 years ago (well before the time of our courting).

The other day when he was playing and singing I paid close attention to a song called "A Blessing in Disguise" and some of the lines in it really struck my heart. As I pray for the salvation and healing of my father who has recently been diagnosed with cancer I read the words of this song and see hope; hope for a man who has denied God for the last 35 years. "Sometimes the dark can move our hearts to long for the light of the Son. And our ways don't become His ways until we are undone."

A Blessing in Disguise

from the album "Gift Horse"

(Words and Music by Terry Taylor)
How often do we spot the angels?
Or feel the unseen hand?
Most times are tough, the going rough
Like there never was a master plan
Those steadfast doors won't open
And you pray...but you don't understand

(CHORUS)
Hold fast the hope that's in you
Don't always trust your eyes
Sometimes it takes a long time to see it as
A Blessing in Disguise

We live upon this dark surface
And God, He moves upon the deep
What is concealed will be revealed
There is no promise He won't keep
Still, we're confused by the shadows
We're awake, but we're half asleep

(REPEAT CHORUS)

Sometimes the dark can move our hearts
To long for the light of the Son
And our ways don't become His ways
Until we are undone

(REPEAT CHORUS)

And after you've been broken
You may not realize
That you are grace to the broken hearted
And a blessing in...
A blessing in...
You are a Blessing in Disguise

Update on my dad

Thank you all so much for your prayers and for so many who have been asking about him.
Here is the latest.

He received his biopsy report this week and now has a name for his cancer, Squamous cell carcinoma involving supraglottic larynx. (There is some great information here if you are interested.) He has an appointment now with the oncologist at a cancer center for January 5th but is on a waitlist to hopefully go sooner. The doctor that gave him his biopsy results thought he would probably go through radiation for quite sometime to shrink most of the mass away (they are quite small) and then they would go in and clean the remaining out. But that is not coming from the oncologist who makes the final assessment and plan of action. His spirits are high as this seems to be quite treatable.

My specific prayer for him is 2-fold:
1. That this will bring him back to God
2. He wants/needs to quit smoking and is very concerned about the success of that. He says he doesn't worry about missing the nicotine as much as he will miss the "companionship" of it. It's his "friend" and he will miss it when he drinks his coffee, when he drives, when he reads, when he....(fill in the blank). He said it will be harder then any of this other stuff he is going to go through and I sensed a great concern on his part but yet he feels it's essential to his healing. He needs to do it before radiation starts. He says that 2 others in the park ( senior mobile home park) will be quitting with him so he's hoping there will be a support group of sorts.

Thanks again.

Also, I just thought of another prayer request...for the first time in 20+ years my dad will not be spending Christmas Eve with my Minnesota family. Since my parents divorce 20+ years ago we have always spent Christmas Eve with my dad. Since my move to WA I've missed it the last 10 years so it won't affect me as it will my brother and sister. He spends winters in FL now but always returned home for the holidays. This year he is not. I'm not sure my brother and sister realize how this may affect them...it's going to be awefully weird not having dad home for Christmas. My brother said, "At least we know where he is." Good point. But please pray for peace and love. THANK YOU!

SNOW

I must report that it is snowing here at my house in Bothell, WA!!!! We are all VERY excited!! It won't last but I sure love to see it while it is falling in big flakes!
I grew up in Minnesota and I MISS THIS!!!