Eve of Feasts

Cleo was misbehaving tonight;

then I realized it was an even of a Feast

(Birth of the Theotokos)

and that temptations come at these times.

*

Work is going well.

Busy.

Still doing contract work as well.

I do not work Sundays

but my Saturdays have been so full that

my housekeeping continues to suffer.

*

The Lord is with us.

That is all I need to remember...

Life is a balancing act

I know I am not alone in seeking to have

enough time to do everything:

pray

eat well

study or work or tend one's family

(some do all three at once)

and

sleep enough for one's needs.

***

I have been mulling over a section in Frederica Matthewes-Green's

book on the Canon of St. Andrew...

about the prayer of the heart...

I asked my spiritual father about this

and he explained that both the heart

and the nous (the Greek word for where one's spiritual intellect / perception is)

are both damaged and need to be purified.

And that we seek everything to find rest and do not realize that

it is only when the heart and the nous

are back where they were always meant to be

that we will recieve this rest,

this fullfillment.

I now understand a little more why

we are like U2's song,

Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For

or

With or Without you.

We are so insatiable.

I know I am guilty of it;

so easy to be excited about the new toy

(for me the cell phone I got to save money

and be able to have a mp3 player to listen to

French CDs).

My spiritual father's explanation of how

the heart is searching everywhere

to be filled

has been with me ever since we had that conversation.

Is this what I have been waiting for!?!

All this time...

To learn to live in the presence of God

with a purified and realigned heart and mind...

O to continue on the road towards this!

(note I am not pretending to have it already...)

The weekend I was sick and missed church

I read the rest of the book

The Saint of our Century: The Life of St. Nektarios

that Sylvia also mentioned loving

a while back.

I was impressed with the humble family that

St. Nektarios lived with

and how they always kept their lampada lit.

I think of this now,

when looking at my lampada.

I read (do not remember where)

how a lit lampada (icon lamp) helps rise our soul to prayer.

Sometimes we just have to stop

and look up at our icons

the lit candles or lampada

and realize we need to pray,

that we need to remember God.

In other news,
Cleo invites others to come play with her.
Apparently I am not sufficing for her playful habits.
***
Personally, I was delighted to read my sister Rebecca's latest blog post
as God is blessing her and her husband's work in Romania.
I really miss my sister!
She and my brother-in-law are dear friends of my heart.
The other day my Mom and I were on speaker-phone together
while facebook-chatting with Rebecca,
teasing each other and just talking.
We have not really had that kind of family banter and conversation
for over a year,
(since I was not able to go home before they left for Romania)
so it was really refreshing.
***
Meanwhile,
how to remember God while studying French....
***
I have been thinking about Fr. Thomas Hopko's
very special podcast
Does God Play Favourites
and how we struggling Orthodox Christians
can have God's mercy and receive a "Saint's reward"...
so much of Pascha and the understanding of
God letting people come at the 11th hour
permeated this podcast.
I highly recommend it.
***
We have hope that the Lord will help us
and have mercy.

***this is re-posted as my pictures disappeared. I hope they stay this time; if they do not I am afraid I do not have time to redo this a third time...

Cleo the Cat and a beautiful view

Another shot of Cleo.

She looks most sleek and adult in this one;

fascinating to me how she can look so different,

depending on the picture...

We have been blessed with more sun

it was so beautiful this weekend.

The view I have can be so beautiful...

***

Tomorrow the midterm!

Prayers welcome!

***

Tomorrow afternoon Lord Willing

I will have my little snug apartment

blessed by my priest.

To say I am excited would be an understatement.

I have prepared food and cake and will have tea ready.

Of course I will have all the candles ready,

candles by icons lit,

lampada's newly wicked...

Cleo still needs more grooming...

I will use my best dishes, pretty table cloth and candles.

I must say I love marble cake batter...

***

It sure makes the first French midterm feel

more doable

to know the joy that Lord willing will await later...

Cleo and I have the apartment!!!

We're just a tad bit excited!!

I sign the lease next week, but can do measurements already this week.

There are still things I want to know,

details,

but at least now I have an apartment and it is good.

Thank you all for praying.

Now for real I will plan and continue packing!

Cleo the Beautiful

Cleo loves looking outside...

My blue-eyed beauty.

She is alway looking at something...

or trying to play a game

or beg for my food.

I have a good cat and I thank God for her.