Thursday, September 04, 2014

Greatful for my time in Ottawa while sick with a cold in NJ

Last week I felt that I was coming down with a cold.
I took lots of vitamins and seemed better.... 
but this week, 
with plumbers coming back and other random things,
including not sleeping well,
I was not able to get the rest I needed
and now have a flourishing head cold.
*
Please pray for me.
I thought I was going to have my 'meet & greet' for
the Sunday School year this Sunday 
and now I don't even know if I will be able to go to
church myself. 
Quite disappointing :(
yet I still hope I will be better by then!
*
Meanwhile,
I thought I would show a bit of things 
I stocked up on in Ottawa;
a new to me tea...
I have the Tetley 'warm' tea and am almost out...
I still have a hard time with the fact that I just can't go
to a grocer and get some things that are on the shelves
in Ottawa... but I must be thankful for what I do have
and that is a LOT and it includes this lovely tea:


More books.


When I saw this book (the red one) by  
at the Monastery I began reading it in 
the monastery bookstore and found within it an 
essay on prayer. 
I was drawn into it and thus bought it.
Something I am learning about Orthodox life and Orthodox books:
I am no where near the state of prayer, holiness or goodness that
many (if not all) the books write on... but I can still read them.
The Orthodox church has at once one path to God (Jesus Christ) and
many ways to Christ, by which I mean each person
is so unique, including in their brokenness, that different 
advice is needed to help in their healing.
Within this I am learning there can be parts of essays, esp. those 
written to monastics, that I can't really do or even think of doing.
But I can be inspired by them to struggle according to 
my strength and abilities. 
I have not finished the essay on prayer yet
but was very moved by the image I found in it of needing
to pursue God with one's whole being and constantly 
call out to God.
*
I have met people and monastics who I see as 
holy, as far beyond where I am;
I find this to be a great encouragement that 
even though I can struggle with things in my life for years,
there are people who have struggled and gone on past the struggle
and have gained a holiness, a deep love for people
that shows me what I too want, 
even if feebly... 
the books are the same for me...


I got these two books from my Ottawa church bookstore.
They had been there for years and now that I am slowly
selling books at my NJ church, I realized that it would be hard
to get these books State side as it were as both books 
are from Greece and so they came home with me.
At this point in my life I can't say I will be at all
at the level of what these books talk about 
but I can still gain something and grow in 
understanding at least.


This one is by New Rome Press
and while it took a little bit of getting use to all the 
many quotations in it, it's really quite good.
I really like how despair is described and about 
our loving Heavenly Father.


I stocked up on some Ottawa treats...
Bridgehead tea (DV to be used in tea making for Christmas
again this year), an egg substitute for special baking during 
the fasts and my Fry's cocoa (even though it is not as good as 
in fair trade, it's also tradition and cheaper....and I use a lot of cocoa...)
and a granola that I would eat at times before I married and moved... 


Most specially, 
the white basket I bought for the fruit I had blessed
on the Feast of Transfiguration and 
candles from the Greek Monastery.
*
I love lighting candles at home for people and 
it is one of the few things I can do for others often.
And my Munchkin who stayed with me this summer
loved lighting them with me also...
*
And so while I have a cold and 
am quite fatigued from that, I can at least seek
to remember the many incredible blessings God has given me,
in my marriage to Mr. Husband, our home, my time in Ottawa
and the books and special things I wrote about here.
*
I do ask your prayers as I really wanted to do Sunday School 
this weekend and am just feeling down-for-the-count right now
and I would LOVE to hear what is going on for you today!
I know many of you have kids going back to school,
or are looking forward to the fall or maybe
are struggling with something, as it seems we often are. 
Do leave a comment and if I can light a candle for you today... 
God is with us and loves us and is merciful... 

13 comments:

Elizabeth @ The Garden Window said...

Get well soon, dear friend!

Rosemary said...

Prayers for you to get well soon!

I always love your candles. The Catholic stores don't seem to have them just the ones in glass. But your beeswax tapers are so beautiful!



elizabeth said...

thanks so much Elizabeth and Rosemary... and yes, I really treasure my candles... they are gotten at Orthodox monasteries...

Nancy McCarroll said...

Loved hearing about your spiritual books on prayer. Will check out the monastery where you bought your candle and see what else it holds.

Feel better! Drink tea, rest.

Blessings,
Nancy
PS Thanks for your visit to my blog.

elizabeth said...

thanks Nancy! was so nice to meet you via Ginny's yarn along :) the monastery has lots of prayerful special things... you have to go to them however to get them, fyi... but do look, they are a wonderful place!!!

E Helena E said...

Feel better soon! Love to you.

Paula said...

I was really disappointed we didn't get to met when you were in Ottawa. I love the candles too. I need to tidy-up and make more space for candles.

I sure hope you are feeling better soon. Summer colds are the worse!!

mamajuliana said...

Hoping you feel much better. Take care of yourself. I still have some of my monastery visit candle purchases left. About time to take another trip!

Jen said...

Hi there! I live in Canada and would be happy to send you some of these goodies that you miss living in the States. Let me know if that interests you and I can mail things off to you as you need/want them. :)

willfulmina said...

Get well soon!

Peacocks and Sunflowers said...

I hope your cold soon clears! a propos, a situation to light a candle for - most public school children and teachers in BC have not gone back to school this week, as the teachers' union is in something like week 14 of a strike. I'm back at work today, kind of reeling at the rapid movement between worlds - home in BC and home in the UK - and hoping to stay well after lots of travel and interrupted sleep.

Matushka Anna said...

I"m so sorry you're sick! I hope you feel better soon!

(To October Rose: You can call Holy Protection Monastery in White Haven, PA and they will ship you beeswax candles.)

How nice to be able to stock up on Ottawa goodies! This sounds so funny, but whenever we go to PA I stand in the freezer section of the grocery stores and stare at the Ellio's pizza... I can't get it down here.

elizabeth said...

Mat Anna ~ thanks! I don't think I've ever had Ellio's pizza! sound good... :)))