Hard to believe this night was the last presanctified liturgy

Liturgy was beautiful.
My sister-friend and her family came;
I got to take my godson to communion.

Another beautiful cake.
Lenten with a Lenten cream and kiwi.
So good.
*
It was a beautiful evening.
Was so wonderful to have my close friends
with me this night.
They are so warm and hospitable.
It helped ease the sense of loss of this evening
being my last full lent at
my church here.
*
It was a beautiful night.

 

My humble cake.
Recipe here
and photograph here.
*
My Orthoman comes this Holy Wednesday!
God willing I will make him a special
cake for his arrival;
pictures forth coming! :)
*
It is so hard to believe that Holy Week is almost here!
My spiritual father says that
if you were going to live 7 days
Holy Week is the 7 days you would want to live.
How I look forward to this week.

End of Great Lent is at hand

I met the cater today.
Wrote about it here.

I am glad that the Saints are always
praying for us and that we are protected.

I love that everyday we can read a bit
more and try to seek God
in the midst of our daily lives.

 

I have much to do today.
Flowers to bring to church
 from the retirement party.
Cake to bake.
Friends to help.
Presanctified liturgy tonight.
Already cleaned house a bit.
I am so tired.
Really I just want to rest and read books,
like the one above
which I got at the Greek monastery
on my 35th birthday.

Tuesday, Lent Week 6

Today was a good day.
I am thankful.

Sunday of St. Mary of Egypt - Lent is going by so quickly

I am so glad I re-read the
life of St. Mary this past week.
I found it really consoling.
Especially how she talks about struggling
so greatly in the desert.
A lot of our struggle comes from
battling fear and wrong thoughts
and St. Mary's prayers can really help us.



I ended up making my
vegan chocolate cake this past
weekend twice for church.
Eaten up both times :)

  

Was so good to be in church today.

 

Cleo is glad to have my home tonight.
I am finally getting caught up on dishes
the never ending dishes.
*
The cater and I rescheduled for late Friday morning
this week to meet.
I feel relieved about this.
*
Orthoman comes in 1.5 weeks!
God willing my sister-friend and family
are going to come to presanctified liturgy
this Friday with me;
this is very beautiful for me.
I feel like we just got through a hard month
and that God willing
it will get a bit better and then Pascha.
Though we NEED to be vigilant.
The last week of Lent and Holy Week
can have temptations and sorrows.
May God help and protect us.

Peaceful end to this day

 

Vespers:
wonderful, sunshine filled normal.
Hard to imagine I will have a new normal
very soon.
*
The cater called,
all is clear and understandable.
We will meet again and I
feel even more confident that I am in good hands
and am excited to talk to her soon.
*
I am researching cameras.
I decided if I am going to get a new one
I am going to get it soon
so I can have it for Pascha.

Update on the small prayer request

I tried calling the
cater to confirm that
I was coming today.
She did not answer the phone (twice)
 so I talked with Orthoman and
decided to reschedule with her.
I don't want to go all that way
by bus or taxi and find
out that she is not home.
I am disappointed but
at the same time I have so much to do
right now that it is okay.
I do hope it works out to have her
as the cater as I have heard
great things from her.
So much to do and so little time
it feels.
But Pascha is near and God is with us.

Friday, 5th week of Lent

Praying to God that
we can stay on the Ladder.
Many people read this book again during Lent;
I read over half last summer;
am thinking of making this the book to finish
this summer and take with me
along with the marriage books.
*
Read some good quotes this morning;
one in book
the art of prayer
two in the readings for the day
from
The Bible and the Holy Fathers for Orthodox:
 Daily Scripture Readings and Commentary for Orthodox Christians
that I have been borrowing for months
from my church library.
Have not bought it as Orthoman has a copy.
*
With all the transition,
the insomnia,
the new job
and life in general
I am just getting back into routines again.
*
I really want to read more of St. Theophan
whose writings and letters make up
much of the book
the art of prayer
which by the way is only part of a larger book
written in Russian.
We so need to get more translated into English,
these books that translate into words of life
for us.
*
Reminded of humility,
of remembering God and doing everything
in the light of God's presence and of
seeing oneself as one in great need of repentance.
*
I hope to talk to my spiritual father about
my questions of art, life direction and how to go forward
into the new life I am heading towards.
It is so easy to get lost in the woods
in all of this
and I know I need guidance.
*
Reading for the day from Genesis,
of Abraham giving up his son Issac
to be sacrificed.
Thought of those worried about sons
and of my smaller junctures of dreams
that need to be given to God
so that life can be given to me
through the Lamb of God
our Sweet Saviour Christ.
*
 

Lord help us as
we go about the many things in our day
to do it all remembering You
and that we do it all in
Your presence,
under Your watchful
wise and loving eye.

Cleo

Some fun pictures for today.
Cleo the Cute Cat.

Playful.  

Looking, always looking...
*
Work went well overall today.
Feel in-between things.
Trying to be thankful
and to pray.

Juxtaposition

As I've been blogging about
in my new blog,
I am trying to do lots of
wedding planning this week.
The first week of Lent.
This is crazy.
It seems also totally opposite to
what the first week of Lent should be.
But I can't see the future
so I have to do the best with what I am
given to do in the present.
*
I got news today that my job is a go
and that I do start this coming
Monday at 9 AM.
Full time for a month.
But it may be for more months if they
get the budget for it.
Which means I would be working and
traveling, moving and doing the rest of
the wedding preparations
not to mention that I have most lovingly
been invited to various bridal showers
which I have penciled in for when I am
in the places they would be in.
In other words,
provided my job continues
I have no choice but to use my last 1 free week
to try to get as much done as possible.
*
Which means tomorrow I try to make a spreadsheet
for all the invites to the most likely
two events
as I will be the one receiving the RSVPs
since I am here, the Crowning will be here
and my family is not here.
*
Whew.
Any tips on stress management or other things
for wedding planning to make things
simple and easy,
feel free to let me know!
*
I am hoping to see the cater with a friend
tomorrow afternoon so that
I have a better idea of what is
and is not possible...
*
Thank God now at least I can go to church
and pray part 3 of
St. Andrew's Canon.
*
Lord have mercy on us!

Lent and Bring Present with God

Second day of lent is coming to a close.
I find myself catching my breath;
thinking panicked thoughts
what devastation will come this lent?
as each lent has had its challenges...
*
But then I have to remember that
God is with me,
with us,
just as the prayer in the Great Compline says
our God is with us;
and that we are and can be
under the Theotokos protection.
*
I have been learning over the last year
that I have to be present within this day
to be with God right now
and that in this I will be protected.
Yes, hard times and trials will come again;
I know this;
the little bit of happiness I have now with
Orthoman I am savouring;
not that I believe that something will go wrong with
our relationship
but that we will have trials and heartache
to face together;
actually my only prayer to God to this end
is that He, with our cooperation,
will protect us and that we will not have or let
enmity grow between us;
I don't ask that we will not face dark valleys
but that we can face them together.
*
Living with God
and remembering His powerful protection,
that He loves us and will not abandon us
and that the Saints are with us
is how to face lent without fear
even when we face
unexpected devastation;
God will not leave us to face our dark valleys alone.

Lent, first evening

Cleo and I are hanging out.

I'm hoping for a good night sleep.

Lent has begun and I am already tired...

Lord, help us to stay on the ladder!

Blessed Lent

This morning I switched my icons
knowing that when I returned home
it would be Great Lent
and that I would of been at forgiveness vespers.
Forgive me a sinner!
Blessed and good lent to all!