Quiet and Lovely Saturday

Cleo's been hanging out while I baked cookies today.

6 dozen baked and cooling.

Listened to this Akathist while baking

to try to focus on what is important -

raising our children and godchildren

through the prayers of the Theotokos.

Then I listened to Fr. Thomas Hopko

on the book

Path to Sanity

by Dee M. Pennock

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I have been thinking on what I wrote yesterday

and how hard it is to be willing to suffer

and to not fear the storms of life...

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My blog is fairly peaceful if not eclectic.

However,

I cannot ignore a growing trend and the

very troubling implications.

First I read a jointly written article between two faiths about

chastity at Universities and that

Christian and Muslim students are together on this.

It is more of a 'feel good' article over all but

the overt danger and troubling implications came soon after.

A lawsuit by Muslims against the Catholic University

for Human Rights violations.

To say I am not concerned would be lying.

Actually I am quite concerned but at a loss as

to what to do.

Most Orthodox Christians know that Muslims are

still killing us overseas,

for example in Egypt.

If people in North America do not think that

we are in danger in the future

of being taken over,

I would say you are ignoring history

and current events.

I hear more and more from legitimate sources

on troubles for us that are coming.

What do we do? How do we prepare? How do we prepare

our children and godchildren

to be Christians in increasingly hostile and godless

environments?

Mat. Anna blogs about these topics more

and I often learn first about these troubling events

through her blog.

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I know the first things we need to do;

Repent. Pray. Fight the Passions.

Learn to live according the true

Path to Sanity.

Teach our children to value and love God

and the Church.

Frankly we need to learn to be more ascetical.

To have a better witness - a martyeria.

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Well.

I first thing for me is to pray.

To go soon to vespers.

To continue reading books to teach me how to live

a Christian life.

One I don't own yet is the path to salvation

but for now I can start with what I have

and pray.

For now, I will walk to vespers

and bring my cookies to church

as I was asked to do.

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Lord help, teach and save us!