Lent's End

Brings me back to the beginning...

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner,
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner,

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy...

Save Rosia Montana – Now!

found this through one of Mama Monk's blog links (http://mamamonk.blogspot.com/).

All I know of the Romanian people and their saints I love - I cannot imagine (okay sadly I can a bit) that some Canadians want to destroy this area -- Lord have mercy on us...

from http://www.rosiamontana.ro/index_en.shtml :

What’s behind Gabriel Resources Rosia Montana mine proposal? The large scale open cast cyanide gold mine proposal at Rosia Montana is about preparing the grounds for an ecologic time bomb. Its preparation entails the destruction of: 5 Mountains, a unique cultural patrimony, 10 Churches, 12 Cemeteries and 958 farms. Locals refusing to make to the mining project are threatened with expropriation. Click here to learn more.

Oh

So it is the end of the fiscal year at work next week; my boss walks quickly past my office door and back again (oddly enough I have an office, rare for my level of librarianship actually). Our monthly meeting was postponed a week; our acquisitions people have been pulling their hair out. Yet do I realize why I have been feeling so STIR CRAZY for all of February and March, to various degrees of intensity?

Nope. It takes talking with the Head of Reference, who has a lot more experience and insight than I, to say the pressure around here has been intense to a ridiculous degree. Then I realized, and she affirmed, that I was absorbing the atmosphere into myself, and it was making me feel like a mouse in a wheel, running everywhere and getting no where (and thus running all the more frantically).

Now I understand. What to do about it I am not sure, but I am feeling a bit better just realizing. I am always disappointed that I miss obvious things like this. Oh well. good thing God loves me anyway.

Here I thought it was just living in a city (just read E post on missing living in the country).

God have mercy on us all!

Oh hi, is that myself I see in the mirror?

One of my good, treasured literature, art, and word loving friends tamie added me to her blog and I have gone to friends blogs through her blog… it is incredible how technology brings people in full circles; back but not back; and then I think of my blog, here, and well am sometimes not sure if I should groan, blush or just shyly say “hi” that is me here in this blog, though I often feel it is a very little sliver of me, but what is to be expected…

And perhaps the me always changes; currently me in the mirror means I am probably talking to my cat to be precise; I have this tall thin IKEA mirror and usually if I look in it I am either looking around the corner at my cat or am holding her and saying “look at my glory cat” because her eyes have two shades of blue, if the lighting is right, so that it is a darker and then lighter blue as you go in toward the iris. My church (this really does correspond, really) has more than life-size panel of the Resurrection of Christ and the darker to lighter blue is radiating from Christ, who is a blaze of white as He rescues Adam and Eve in Hades; blue-showing His glory. So Cleo reminds me of this every time I look at her, my glory cat.

What do you see in your mirror?

Thanks Victoria

My Peculiar Aristocratic Title is: Milady the Right Reverend Elizabeth the Ovine of Yockenthwait Walden Get your Peculiar Aristocratic Title

Pet Food Recall

Be sure to check what your Dog or Cat is eating - huge recall underway. I am thankful that my Cat Cleo should be fine, as the dry Iams Cat food was not tainted - http://us.iams.com/iams/en_US/jsp/IAMS_Page.jsp?pageID=PCA&articleID=300003

See this list for brands, from the Menu Website:

Recalled Cat Product Information
Recall Information 1-866-895-2708
Americas Choice, Preferred Pets
Authority
Best Choice
Companion
Compliments
Demoulas Market Basket
Eukanuba
Fine Feline Cat
Food Lion
Foodtown
Giant Companion
Hannaford
Hill Country Fare
Hy-Vee
Iams
Laura Lynn
Li'l Red
Loving Meals
Meijer's Main Choice
Nutriplan
Nutro Max Gourmet Classics
Nutro Natural Choice
Paws
Pet Pride
Presidents Choice
Price Chopper
Priority
Save-A-Lot
Schnucks
Science Diet Feline Savory Cuts Cans
Sophistacat
Special Kitty Canada
Special Kitty US
Springfield Prize
Sprout
Total Pet
Wegmans
Western Family
White Rose
Winn Dixie

list is from:

http://www.menufoods.com/recall/product_cat.html

Quick Amazement

So I was walking home from the grocery store last night and a woman ran up to me, asking if I could talk to her for a minute. She asked if my name was Elizabeth and then introduced herself. She is one of my best friends from 10 years ago. I was astounded. We knew each other when we were in the beginning of university and were both in the States. Now we live 2 blocks from each other.

God is so merciful to me, and how much I need His mercy.

What Life is Really About

The quote below is from the P. Lavra in Kiev. It is a good reminder about what our life is really to be about:


But building and restoration of churches does not mean only construction of churches and cathedrals, it means building temples of the Living God in human souls of those who come to our worldly churches searching for God, healing and salvation.

http://www.lavra.kiev.ua/en/main.php?id=90

God’s Faithfulness

I thought today that I would write either one post or perhaps a series of posts reflecting on God’s love, grace and faithfulness that He has lavished my life with, His mercy following me all of my days.

The time that I am currently thinking of was the summer in-between my first and second time (known time that is, I was at St. Herman’s a few years before but my friend thought it was Catholic and I did too) at St. Herman’s. (St. Herman’s being my first Orthodox church).

I had just graduated from university, had figured out that I wanted to stay in BC Canada and was in the process of getting duel citizenship (US and Canada). Most of my friends had left for the summer and I no longer had a ride to the Anglican mission I had been attending. I had no idea how hard it would be to find a job after graduation and my parents helped me buy groceries from afar-paying for my VISA bills which I used for groceries. I had just been getting to know my friend KT better, my beloved friend churchmouse was getting married at the end of the summer. I became received my Canadian citizenship on June 13 that summer, if I remember correctly. I did not have anyone to celebrate this with who I knew well, and so it was a lonely time. But my one of my librarian friends from my university gave me a gift for this event and she and I are still in contact through email and pray often for each other. She is also the one who told me about the MLIS (library school) program that I got my degree from.

I was working on learning how to do resumes, interviews, and cover letters at a community centre and my landlords, who are Christians, were patient with me and encouraging. I met my friend Melody that summer. Though there were few friends and I have a lot of evenings and days alone, not even going to church much, as I did not have a ride, the friends I did have and meet that summer are still my friends today.

I must especially remember this: when I was in the midst of job searching and running out of money (I was doing ESL tutoring that summer through the writing centre, which is where I first met Biss) and did not know how I was going to pay rent for the coming month. During this time, I got a phone call from Student Ministries at my Christian University saying they had something for me to pick up. It was an envelope and it had either 200.00 or 250.00 dollars in it! It was the exact amount I needed to pay that coming months rent.

I must remember all of these above said events and thank and praise God for His faithfulness and remember to trust Him with my future.

Enjoying small (yet not small) things

I know that the times when one is happy with one’s lot – esp. for me – I tend to be a bit like Eeyore (of Winnie the Pooh world) are momentary. So I am enjoying that fact that I walked to church this weekend, had two meals (because of lent) with my church family and watched thick snow swirl down from my window on Saturday, with my Cat Cleo on my lap. And various people at my various churches are all having babies. An all around happy weekend, just waiting now for Churchmouse’s baby to emerge…

CS Lewis – Letters (and my reflections, memories)

“It is right and inevitable that we should be much concerned about the salvation of those we love. But we must be careful not to expect or demand that their salvation should conform to some ready-made pattern of our own. Some Protestant sects have gone very wrong about this. They have a whole programme of conversion etc. marked out, the same for everyone, and will not believe that anyone can be saved who doesn’t go through it “just so.” But (see my last chapter in Problem of Pain) God has His own way with each soul. There is no evidence that St. John underwent the same kind of “conversion” as St. Paul.” Page 446, Letter to “Mrs Ashton” 2 February 1955 CS Lewis


“Well, let’s go on disagreeing but don’t let us judge. What doesn’t suit us may suit possible converts of a different type.

My model here is the behaviour of the congregation at a “Russian Orthodox” service, where some sit, some lie on their faces, some stand, some kneel, some walk about and no one takes the slightest notice of what anyone else is doing. That is good sense, good manners, and good Christianity. “Mind one’s own business” is a good rule in religion as in other things…” page 454, Letter to “Mrs. Ashton” 13 March 1955 CS Lewis


These quotations were like the honey I returned to this week, nourishing me. Of course, about the latter quotation, as I am Orthodox I know that unfortunately we are not always that good in church. Converts and cradles (those who grew up in the Orthodox church) are different and I find, as a convert, that there are expectations by those who are ethnically Orthodox that are cultural. When I started wearing (it took me a good while to feel comfortable in my own skin at my current church, which is my home, is becoming my blood and that is one of the largest centres of my life) my head covering (one is from k. francis; she gave me one of the greatest treasures of my life; the other is from my friend Amy and it is white, a chrismation gift) a lovely older member of the parish asked me who had died. I had not idea that in some places one wears this to symbolize/show grief. A small example; yet it is very freeing to be in a church where one is not judged by what they wear (head covering is fully a personal choice, which I also firmly believe in—I would NEVER expect it of another) and is loved.

I often, it seems, forget that I am loved, or rather that I am loveable. My church is good for me that way-they love but without overwhelming or seeking to make someone to be identical to themselves.

I think it can be a danger of any person, include those of us who are orthodox, to make expectations of another. The great thing though is that everyone is different. Even those who convert to the Orthodox Church – their reasons for coming to the church and for converting are unique. We were laughing at my “reason” for first coming to St. Herman’s. Why did I go those first two times? Simple! I did not have a ride to my church. Yep. No inward searching, no looking for something better (though I should have been looking, but I did not know there was anything to find), no discovering Orthodoxy first through literature. God even kept it from me that some of my closest friends were looking into the Orthodox Church. So there I was-I came in Lent and was overwhelmed but curious-the liturgy made a big impact on me. And then I came again on Labour Day and watched and read the first page of courage to pray. I was at a Labour Day gathering at Kurt and Victoria’s – I came with Phil and Shannon—and I read that first page on their couch and realized, right then and there that I had found the book I was looking for all my life.

And so it began. By October 4 of that year I was telling my cousin Bryan all about it as I was in Michigan for my wonderful beautiful most loved sister’s wedding. And I was made a catechumen late that following February and was chrismated, at my Antiochian church in Michigan in early August, almost a year since that Labour Day weekend. (I have moved a lot as I was a student and have belonged to 4 churches).

It was three years ago last Friday that I became a catechumen at St. Herman’s! It was one of the happiest days of my life – I remember Seraphim noting how big my smile was and I remember RW telling me how I appeared, rushing in the doors because I was late for becoming a catechumen, as there was miscommunication with my ride!

Glory to God!

New thoughts but not much time to write on them

I had this conversation with a colleague the other day. I had noticed her as someone who is very much herself and comfortable with this. She talked all about the importance of being oneself and that it is a waste of time and effort to being anything but yourself.

Very simple, and I think that we have all heard it before. But you know I found myself really thinking about it afterwards. Even wrote down the details of the conversation in my paper journal… I am also growing in my awareness that I am not always that self-aware and, moreover, do not know how I appear to others.

This colleague said I am quite different – unique – she was about to try to describe me, but stopped!!! I actually was disappointed; I hope I was disappointed not due to vanity but because I have no idea of how I am in the world. Like I live with myself ALL THE TIME (it does get annoying at times, let me tell you) so I am not that aware of how I appear to others. Okay so I know I do something eccentrically, like eat my lunches with a real plate and cutlery, but I heard that plastic can seep through and infect food, and who wants that?! Besides, I like to feel civilized a little bit; I also take a suitcase with me a lot!!! So it’s a bit easier than bearing it all on my back. What can I say, other than that I inwardly cheer when I see another woman walking to work dragging a small suitcase too : )

The only other thing can think of right now is that I don’t listen to much music, other than ancient faith radio and at home the news in French (I am trying to learn it, sigh.) well and I do not have a TV and have not seen a movie in a theatre since well, since the Twin Towers came out – so a few years. And I don’t drink anything caffeinated, and have never had coffee. Basically perhaps I don’t quite live in the era I am living in, perhaps. But WHY do something like that!!

On other news – read prince Caspian again last night and started on the horse and his boy. I had to tear myself away from it this morning. And all to walk to work in the midst of what was 40 Km gusts of wind and ice pellets. My friend at work said I would be like a feather in the wind! (I am not the thin-ish side). She said it in French though, so I need to learn this expression too…

vishing-beware of it!

i had not heard of this as of yet. so i am letting others know so we can all avoid it. appears to be a new way scam artists are doing fraud. using VOIP they appear on caller ID to be a legit business and then ask for personal information that they use for their own benefit. high tech swindlers. go here for more info:

http://www.gazette.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/article-en.html?category_id=55&article_id=317