A beautiful Bridal Shower, the Holy Fire and thanksgiving

Busy days to catch you up on!

I went to a beautiful bridal shower this past Sunday.

It was just love lovely and I just loved seeing the beautiful

gifts the Bride-to-be chose for her new home

and was given by those who love her!

I still get so excited about these events, even more

since I had them myself 5 years ago!

***

The Holy Fire came to the States this year

and I and many others in NJ have it burning in our homes.

Such an unexpected blessing!

***

I am still loving Cleo and loving our library.

Cleo's lost a bit of weight lately, so hoping she is OK.

She's 14, nearing 15 now.

***

Even though we have a lot of struggles in this life,

I am finding that there is still so much to take joy in

and be thankful for; and if one does these things,

then days still have gladness even 

when things are not fully smooth sailing.

***

I love the stories of how Christ calms the water 

different times in the Gospel;

He knew all things and in the storm, there was He 

sleeping.  I must work on remembering this,

and seeing things with the peace that Christ had

and offers to us.

***

Christ is Risen!

Truly He is Risen!

Bright Monday ~ A Funeral in Christ's Brightness

Mr. Husband's Godson's funeral today 

on Bright Monday

was a very beautiful Paschal service.

I think we all felt a measure of healing

and of how wonderful it is to sing 

Christ is Risen!

so many times during the funeral.

It was like having a Pascha service (without the liturgy)

all over again and it was beautiful.

*

I am sure that the loss will take more time

to sink in as it were

and I can't tell you how much

each comment, email and text from my

family and friends - including many who

are in my 'blog friend family'.

*

Thank you from my heart.

*

Please continue to keep us all in your prayers,

they are needed.

Pascha Baskets for 2014

My Pascha cookies!

A special gift from friends at Christmas that

I told them we will keep till Pascha and have blessed...

Italian chocolate from the town where 

St. Benedict is from!

Four different cheeses for our Pascha basket!

Funny, but I was getting the baskets ready

in our hotel suite and kept feeling disappointed,

because our Pascha baskets seemed to be lacking...

and then I realized I forgot the many cheeses I had 

bought earlier in the week!

Then the baskets seemed great!!!

 The large basket with cookies, with

a white linen cloth... the linen is a heirloom

I found of Mr. Husband's Mother's Mother,

Grandma P, ... when I saw it 

I knew I would use it for Pascha this year!

I used my Ukrainian Rushnyk again this year

that my beloved Ukrainian family gave me as

a wedding gift... this one they gave me was for my Pascha 

basket and I think of them very much when

I am getting ready for Pascha... 

*

I am so very glad to be married to Mr. Husband...

and I love my new Parish...

but of course I love my Ottawa Parish too 

and missed seeing them on Pascha... but!!!

I knew we were all spiritually celebrating together

and I lit many candles for them all on Pascha...  

and told some of my new church family about 

Pascha things we did in Ottawa and that helps 

me feel connected to my beloved past church and 

my beloved new church...

*

Mr. Husband's spiritual father wisely told me

before we were married that I was not 

losing my Ottawa church family

but extending my church family...

it was to get bigger not smaller!

Our Pascha basket this year!

See the daffodils in the basket next?

I loved that and hope to incorporate it next year, 

DV... I love how Pascha traditions grow with the years...

There were so many beautiful baskets this year!

Our church basement is not that large so 

we did the blessing of baskets outside...

Mr. Husband is in this picture...

he is wearing the white cassock that I got him

for his engagement present on Pascha

the year we got engaged...

*

Already in the years we've known each other,

Mr. Husband and I have so many good memories

together...and this was our third Pascha!

*

Christ is Risen!!!

Truly, He is Risen!

Christ is Risen! Joyous Pascha!

Christ is Risen!
The world rejoices!
Christ is Risen!
Death is not our captor!
Christ is Risen!
Nothing, no NOTHING, can separate us from Christ's love!
Christ is Risen!
In Holy Pascha we are never alone but all together!
Christ is Risen!
We have the hope of Christ's mercy and a heavenly home!
Christ is Risen!
We have His words of promise of the land where no sorrow is!
Christ is Risen!
All evil is defeated!
Christ is Risen!
Our hearts rejoice!

We had a beautiful first Pascha as a married couple!

Mr. Husband's basket has the Doritos :)
Dutch cheese, the Pascha bread and cheese,
A red and white Rushnyk
from my Ukrainian family for our Pascha basket.  

Wonderfully died eggs!

Our hope of eternal life with Christ!
Oh, how wonderful heaven is!
Pascha is a day outside of days!
Heaven comes to join us on this most
Holy Day!

Our true and sure hope
is in Christ and
His Resurrection!

Blessed St. George's Day today!
Bright and Holy Monday!

We had a beautiful Pascha day!
Mr. Husband and I wore traditional
white embroidered shirts
for Pascha day at Agape vespers...
The shirts were a beautiful wedding gift to us
from one of my dear friends from my
parish in Ottawa.

Wooden Pascha Ukrainian Pansky eggs.
*
I put the Pascha Rushnyk on the
table with white table cloth for Pascha.

This egg is real and a gift from
the Matriarch of my Ottawa Parish a few
Paschas ago;
it is one of my beloved treasures,
esp. as it is from this family.
I made the Pascha icon a few Pascha's ago
and it was blessed by my Ottawa spiritual father.

Icons of Christ's Resurrection
and the icon of Bright Friday
and Paschal festal clear lampadas for the feast!

 

The tall candles in the candle holders were
a thoughtful Christmas gift
from a new and dear church friend here in NJ!
I knew right away I would save them for Pascha.
We were given the bread and cheese Pascha from
a caring parishioner here in NJ.

It was such a joy to make a simple
Pascha meal and table for
Mr. Husband and I last night!
*
We stayed in a hotel suite from Holy Wednesday-Pascha
so we did not have to make long car trips daily.
I made it to Pascha by God's mercy.
*
I am tired,
have either allergies or a cold
and am thankful that it is Bright Monday and
that Mr. Husband and I can rest in the joyous light of
Christ's Pascha!
*
Of course I missed my Ottawa Parish ~
but I was able to pray for many in the Parish on
Pascha and that was a real blessing.
And I am thankful for a joyous Pascha with Mr. Husband!
Our first as a married couple!
A year ago Pascha we were engaged to be married
and now we are here,
almost 7 months as newlyweds!
*
Christ is Risen!
Truly He is Risen!!!

fighting for thanksgiving

This has been a very tough week emotionally.

And I know that having too much time on my hands

and being alone a lot

is really hard on me.

Those of you who have children or a busy job

may think I am lucky

to have such quiet

and I guess I am in ways.

But right now I can't see it.

If you are working or have a family

you have people to talk to.

A reason to wake up in the morning.

Thank God I wake up to His mercies

new every morning.

Frankly my struggle is to stay up.

To not take short naps

that I do not need.

That is what I am fighting right now.

Emotional weariness.

Black thoughts.

I must FIGHT despair.

I am taking measures

that will help me.

Called my naturopath (she sees me at no cost currently)

so I can get advice.

Called a friend.

Got my list out of places I need to contact

to see if they can use my research services.

Need to contact job agencies.

I know that the only

happy ever after is heaven

and we must fight to be Christians

but thank God that God wants to save us

more than we want to be saved.

The prayer

Lord save me whether I will it or not

is key to our lives.

Education is not a sure-fire ticket to getting work.

I have a Masters degree.

I have worked in places that, in the world's eyes,

are prestigious.

But it does not equal a job.

All I know is that I asked God to save in

whatever means it took.

If this is what it takes for me

and God does and allows everything for our good

to save us

then I have to continue to learn to welcome the

uncertainty

the my money will run out by summers end

what do I do?

My word for the year is

thankfulness.

Thankfulness can save you

it can turn a bitter or despairing soul into

one of peace,

one capable of obtaining eternal joy

(as Fr. Alexander Schmemann has said)

Last November the week I called my

Thanksgiving week

(it was US thanksgiving that week)

I got the tax bill, a huge rash on my face

that I was told could be a

symptom of a life-altering or life-threatening disease.

(as far as I know it was not btw).

So thanksgiving may not keep

life's challenges at bay.

But:

without thanksgiving for ALL things

where would we be?

So I and all of us have to keep fighting

to look to Christ

to trust God in all the details of our lives

to be thankful

to give glory to God all the days of our life.

That is the true measure of our life, our days:

are we giving glory to God or to ourselves?

May the Lord help us to turn in every way

to Him.

Thoughts and Prayers

I feel incredibly blessed by God

and my blog community.

We must never take anything we have been given lightly.

This is something I am seeing more and more of,

the need for vigilance in all things -

may we all be vigilant in all things,

including our wonderful community.

I have been thinking about a friend I love deeply

who is really struggling right now...

How to be a friend long distance

(I have friends coast-to-coast)

and still be a support.

Of course the biggest support is prayer

and this I must do.

If you could say a prayer today for my friend,

I would treasure this for her.

***

When you have friends far away

what do you do to show your love and support?

***

Thank God we have friends in the Saints,

as Frederica Mathewes-Green writes

about in her book on the Canon to Saint Andrew ...

we are not alone,

God, the Mother of God (our Lord Jesus Christ) and the Saints are with us.

***

I am gearing up for my second final exam

(each of my classes are 6 weeks)

which will be this coming Monday.

I have a lot of work to do yet,

but am feeling hopeful about it.

***

May God give us more deeply in our hearts

the Hope from and in Christ's Resurrection!

Christ is Risen!