Thoughts on Saturday - St. Olga's Day

I am very slowly reading

Fredrica Matthewes-Green's book,

The Jesus Prayer;

So far all I can say about this book is that it is not for the

faint of heart,

is very instructive and accessible

and that if you are an Orthodox Christian

I would strongly recommend consulting your priest or spiritual father

for discernment for how to apply it.

*

Meanwhile, I am hoping to listen soon to her podcast on distractions in prayer

as I have much to learn.

*

In her book she speaks of growing in the Jesus Prayer

and that one eventually can be given the space

to begin seeing and examining one's thoughts

to see if they are actually good or true thoughts.

*

I have been thinking about thinking and thoughts

since reading the beginning pages of this book;

how often are we more interested

in our own thoughts

than in concentrating in prayer;

how silly my own thoughts can be

when I actually look at them just a tiny bit.

How quick wrong thoughts are and how embedded;

as easy as a quick stab of jealousy over a picture of some one's house

with a well ordered beautiful icon corner

while forgetting that one's own corner

is a gift from God

and is also beautiful.

Not to mention forgetting that things like Icon Corners

develop over time;

for example,

my first Icons were almost all printed paper copies;

I was a student and did not have money

to spend on much...

*

God is so merciful to give us authors like

Kh. Fredrica who help make sense of these things.

God has been merciful also to me this week!

Even though I did fail my first French test

I took another one on reading

as I was given the option to do so.

*

While on this French test also

I did not get the level needed,

I was really close to it

and did quite well.

*

I was so happy!

By God's mercy I was able to have a better strategy for taking

the timed online test

and was more peaceful, since there was no pressure as

I had already failed the first test

which put me out of the running for the job

that I was doing the test for.

*

So while I will be job searching full time now

(i.e. instead of studying French full time)

I am still going to seek to keep up practicing my French.

*

I will need God's mercy to do so...

Am hoping to have another tea party soon.

*

It is so beautiful to create beauty and I thank God

for the opportunity.

*

God is so good to us.

*

Lastly, St. Olga's day is today, old calendar;

Read her story here

and take heart and

see how a Grandmother's influence is strong!

How many of us have been saved by our Grandmother's prayers...