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  

Archimandrite Aimilianos of Simonopetra on Mount Athos

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...