Thursday, February 23, 2012

Protection during unexpected times

One of my favourite icons of the Theotokos
is this one,

I also love St. Phanourios.

In the past two years I have asked his prayers
at various times
and have a service to him in English.

St. Phanourios'
prayers help people find things,
often deep things,
like spiritual fathers, jobs, life direction.
I have asked his protection on many occasions
and for his provision.

This past September I asked his help
for a request very dear and close to my heart.
So close that for months afterwards
I could not blog about it at all.

Well,
at the eve of Great Lent, it is time to share
what I have been given.

It was completely unexpected
and is flipping my life utterly upside down.

Soon I will change my living room
icon corner icons
for lent.
The Mother of God will stay in the centre
and Christ the Bridegroom
and
St. Ephraim the Syrian
will flank her on each side.
Waiting for the time when I change these icons for
my Paschal icons of
Christ's Resurrection
and the icon of
the Theotokos Life Giving Spring.

What I have to tell you now is so big
in my small life
the life of one
Orthodox woman who is also
a librarian
with the Cutest Cat in Canada
that I have started a new blog
for this new beginning.

I don't plan on stopping my blog here
but needed a different blog outlet...
right now I don't have the comments on for this
new blog
as I am still in the
processing-needing-some-silence-stage
but it is finally time to share it with you.
Wonderful and totally
unexpected.

15 comments:

Matushka Anna said...

I am so thrilled and happy for you! I won't spoil it for people who haven't followed the link yet. (: Love the new blog and look forward to following it!

xoxoxox

elizabeth said...

Thanks!!! Could not do it without the support of ones like yourself! xoxoxox back!!

Sarah in Indiana said...

Oh Elizabeth, how wonderful! I so look forward to hearing more about the adventure that awaits you! But poor Cleo won't be the cutest cat in all of Canada anymore. ;-)

mamajuliana said...

Wow! just, WOW! So happy for you!

Donna Witek said...

!!!!! :) Elizabeth this is amazing and wonderful and so blessed!! The most amazing part to me is the fact that many things about our stories are parallel and similar! I don't know if you read my new blog yet (if not, you can access it through my Blogger profile), but to put it simply, I underwent the VERY SAME journey (spiritually/emotionally) a year ago to what you're undergoing now--the physical geography was different, but still! Ahhh I'm so excited for you my Orthodox librarian friend! You and yours will be in my prayers these coming months!

Cristina said...

Oh Elizabeth, I am so very, very, very happy for you! May God and the Theotokos protect you in your journey! Much love to you!

matushka constantina said...

So exciting! Congratulations!

Anonymous said...

Many years to you! This so exciting Elizabeth, congratulations!

xx

margaret said...

I am so happy. And also happy that we will both be starting new, exciting directions in our lives at almost exactly the same time. And in the same part of the world which, thanks to Gold, gives me a wonderful idea...

The rest follows in email... ;)

Nicole said...

Wow! Best wishes!! Do you know what part of the east you'll land? Maybe if you end up around here we could meet!

RW said...

hurrah.
wow.

. said...

Yay!!!!! Love your new blog! So happy for you :) Love to you!!

Anonymous said...

so thrilled and happy for you!!!!

B. Joanna

Maureen E said...

How wonderful! :)

Anonymous said...

I don't know how I missed this! Congratulations!! I'm so happy for you :oD