Happy News, Sobering Need Prayer News and Chatting about dishes & easy dinners

First the happy news!

My sister, Rebecca, texted me on Monday with fairly HUGE unexpected news.

Their adopted daughter Raelyn had a half-brother born last week! 

Tuesday they went and met this little guy! 

They are calling him Michael 

and of course we are all thrilled!

My Grandma was over the moon when I talked to her,

my Mother of course is excited and already met the little guy 

and I can't wait to meet him, God willing, in the future.

We are all hoping the adoption will be a shorter process this time. 

Today, a year ago, was Raelyn's "gotcha day" as they say,

the day she was officially adopted. 

***

The second new is not as happy.

Our candle desk man, who I mentioned had fallen, 

is still in hospital. 

He was supposed to be going to rehab but his

lungs are compromised. 

I am quite concerned for his health and recovery.

Asking your prayers...

***

Granny Marigold, you mentioned using the bowls from this pattern I believe:

I just wanted to say that while I don't have any of these dishes, 

they are quite costly, as you can see the big plates are 18.99 per plate!

I have always admired this set! 

I first saw it when I was newly married, nearly 7 years ago! 

Well, while I am hoping to make Chicken Sate this weekend,

I do appreciate pre-made and frozen meals,

and parchment paper!

The above are fish sticks and I baked them at 425F in our 

toaster oven and used parchment paper so that they did not stick

to the metal pan while baking! 

I had leftover rice which we reheated with a bit of water 

in the microwave... some foodies and health-conscious types/hippie types

don't like microwaves but I am here to say that I do and for some things

they are so convenient! 

***

Well, there's the happy news, the sad news and chatty discussion for tonight!

May God help and have mercy on us all! 

A Quiet Day with lots of time for reflection

I have been going non-stop since Monday's final exam.

I have cleaned,

practiced French with a very patient friend,

been studying more on communication and assertiveness.

I feel that women,

even with all the woman's lib years,

are not taught how to communicate with simple assertiveness.

The war on anxiety I can see will rage on for a good while.

But the battle is the Lord's

and we are not abandoned!

I was practicing French with a friend

who is fluent with it;

I was quite dismayed to see how little

I can do conversationally

with French,

especially listening to someone else speak it.

So glad that I am switching courses

up a bit so I will have more exposer to this part of it.

Read some cool posts recently.

First, my sister and brother-in-law have a great post

with cute baby orphans

who sadly are not open for international adoption.

Did you go look at them?

SO CUTE.

If anyone ever wants to sponsor me on a mission trip to work with the babies

and my sister Rebecca in Romania for a few weeks,

go right ahead!

Of course I would also go visit some great Romanian monasteries while I was there!

*

Molly Sabourin

has a great post that includes a link to her friend Beth

who struggled through the grief of infertility

and later adopted children.

Really beautiful.

**

This post made me think about the situation

that other women find themselves in

and it is a huge grief as well.

My newer very lovely blog friend Anna

wrote on it recently

I discussed it a bit it during bright week as well.

Singleness.

I am 33 now.

I always thought I would be married with children.

I will be 34 in late December.

It can be a huge source of confusion and grief.

I often have to ward off

instant thoughts of jealousy

when seeing so many beautiful families in person

and in the blog world.

But I think Anna is correct - we need to practice thanksgiving

regardless of our situation.

**

I have been thinking about some of the ramifications of what

it can feel like to be single.

I have discussed this with my single friends and

pondered it a bit myself.

One of the struggles that single women (and perhaps single men)

feel is that they are somehow

not good enough

that somehow they lack something that is the reason

that they are not married.

Not only that many of us conclude from the feeling that

somehow they do not measure up

that they are,

by not being with someone,

unwanted.

I have struggled with this feeling

so have many of my friends.

But I have come to this conclusion -

the feeling/conclusion that we are less than others

and / or unwanted,

while a seemingly logical intuitive conclusion,

is untrue.

And is even,

may I be so bold as to say,

a lie of the devil.

This is why I think this:

We have to remember who we are.

We are all individuals who Christ died for.

God loves us so much that He sent His only Son to die for us.

God thinks we are worth His Son dying for us.

We are wanted by God.

I feel that as we grow in the understanding of who we are,

wanted and loved by God

and

accepted and welcomed in His Church

and the Saints

we can gain a sense of healing

and see that the ideas that

we are unwanted, rejected, undesirable

are untrue, no matter what the world may be telling us.

As my spiritual father has told us in church...

The Church, in reality,

is enfolding and encompasses the world

not the world surrounding and being bigger than the Church.

True reality is one of hope

true reality

is the victory of Christ

and His Bride the Church.

Christ's Bride is Beloved and Wanted.

We are invited to be in this Church.

Therefore all humans are wanted

no matter if we are single or married

orphaned

rich or poor.

*

Somehow I feel this understanding is part of our healing,

and will help us

as we live single lives,

balancing hope, grief, as we are struggling towards our salvation.

**

May God have mercy on us all.

***

I am re-reading Elizabeth Goudge's Bird in the Tree

and it is so good for the soul.

It is so hard sometimes

when we are so desperate for a sense of peace

and refuge,

even us who live in the West amidst

considerable affluence

but yet we too feel often worn

and ragged.

Prayer and quietly reading Elizabeth Goudge's books

often restore me.

Elizabeth Goudge went through a lot of inward struggles

and the fruit of these are found in her books.

I thank God for her.

***

Wishing you all a good and healthful day!

Christ is Risen!

Special times with family

Saturday we had a wonderful brunch.

I had ordered bread from the bakery the night before -

a multi-grain walnut raisin bread.

I had been saving my extra special jam

from good friends for a few years

and shared it with my sister and brother in law.

We also had a special piece of chocolate

that is from the Lavra in Kiev.

We walked around the grounds of the Governor General's house.

The sun was really hot and

my favourite part was seeing the trees

and spending time with my sister and brother in law.

This would be a great tree for those who wish to climb them.

My sister and brother in law left this morning;

we had a really good time and some very meaningful conversations.

I am thankful for their visit

but sad that I do not get to see them more often.

They are good friends to me

and I would not trade my sister for anything!

Moving towards what is yet unseen

I recognize the signs now. Of grief and loss, of sudden unexpected departure. The sense of unreality and bewilderment.

At the same time, many people are helping shore me up. Love, prayers, phone calls, emails, blog comments, just the right Akathist given into my hands.

And I do not feel out of hope; I just have to figure out what I want and need to do.

I watched via the blog word, one of my closest blog friends (as we have known each other in person first and for over 10 years) change jobs, move and have her life change directions. I remember her reports of using her benefits before they were gone - which is a bigger deal in the States.

My brother-in-law Mark was permanently laid off this week; they want to sell their house, continue fundraising and live and work in Romania taking care of orphans through a Protestant organisation. I already touched on the complexities of a Protestant organization in an Orthodox country. I love my sister and brother-in-law very much and know first hand their love for the Romanian orphans. I thank God for them. They were one of the first people I called after coming home in tears and shock on Monday.

Two nights ago I took a medical sleeping aid. I know myself and if I did not do something to stop the yawning pit of insomnia, I would not be well. I slept the night through and last night I slept much better as well, without the drug. I am glad to have these for emergencies. I remember reading a very honest account of someone who had become addicted to pain killers. I am determined not to get hooked on sleeping meds or anything else.

I have a continued list of everything I need to do professionally. Next week is Holy Week and I must turn my attention to this. In Bright Week, Lord Willing, I hope to go to career counseling.

When I was reading the info packet on insomnia (came with the drug I took), severe stress included: a death of a loved one, divorce and job loss.

I feel like God dramatically took me out of this situation; I was there, I saw, I learned, I struggled, failed and loved as best I could; I prayed for my clients. My icons were there blessing the library. God brought people to me in the place of work to help me survive as long as I did. The job, as my readers know, caused me a lot of anxiety. Numerous things went wrong in the time I was there, starting with breaking my foot a week before starting the job. I feel that this chapter is now over.

The page has been turned.

I am suddenly in a new chapter. This chapter is largely unknown. It begins with me buying drugs, having dental and eye care all before my benefits end. I am in a much better apartment, have everything I dreamed of that I could control (apartment, furniture, the gathering of certain books and icons). Talking with my very astute and personal dentist, I did readers advisory with him for his child (library speak for here are reading options you should consider for your child, based on what his age, reading level and interests are) and felt reassured that I am indeed a librarian.

How to hit the ground running, move forward, act graciously, take care of the inner and emotional ramifications of sudden job loss. I was told the other day that I was glowing.

My move and job subsumed my Fall and Early Winter. My online course, work and overtime at my job subsumed my Winter and Early Spring.

Now is the time of reevaluation. Now is the time of Spring, for dreaming and healing. Many steps are being made, I am trying to stand; in the end, only God can make me stand.

Holy Week is almost upon us. Christ come quickly with your Passion, with your Holy Resurrection. Christ, come quickly! Save us speedily and waken us to Your will, Your Good and Holy Pleasure. Christ, save us and bring us to Your Joy.

My Sister and Brother-in-Law: praying to be future missionaries to Romania

I have one sister in my family. Two years ago Rebecca and her husband went for a two week trip to Romania to care for the orphans there. They feel in love with the Romanian people, especially the orphaned children. It has been interesting for me, as an Orthodox convert, who already has a very high respect for the Romanian Orthodox spirituality and monastics of Romania, to see my Protestant Sister and Brother-in-Law, Mark, work within an Orthodox country.

They have been to some of the most famous monasteries of Romania, have seen how the Orthodox churches are everywhere, and they even got me an icon of Christ. (I do not have it yet, but am getting it at Christmas time, as I live miles from Michigan).

This past summer, Mark and Rebecca went back to Romania for 5 weeks, to help run a summer camp. They came to back from Romania, and decided that they wanted to be full time missionaries to the Romanian orphans.

For me, as a convert to the Orthodox Church, it is a challenge to know how to best articulate the complexity of Protestant missionary work in Orthodox countries. As I know various friends who are Orthodox, from Orthodox countries, I have heard how it is not easy for Protestant missionaries to work there. There is a lot of mixed feelings, suspicion and cultural confusion towards Protestant's Christian expression. The Protestant songs about Jesus, that many converts from Protestant backgrounds know, are confusing to ethnically Orthodox people who find these songs so casual and foreign to their understanding of God and the Church. However, if Protestants go with the right mindset of love and respect and cultural openness, they will be okay. I even know of an Orthodox priest in Chicago who went to Romania as a Protestant missionary and is now an Orthodox priest in the Romanian jurisdiction!

I love Rebecca and Mark very much. I strongly respect the compassion that they have for the Romanian children. At the very time when the US economy is struggling, and there is so much upheaval, Rebecca and Mark are seeking to be obedient to where they see God calling them. Mark has a full time job as an Engineer and they have a lovely house. They will give up the job security and are seeking to sell their house. They feel, as their blog is also titled, that they are on an Extraordinary Life Journey. And I believe they are.

Please pray for them. They still trying to sell their house and they want to start their life in Romania by this April. If the Lord wills them to go, I will stand behind them in prayer; I will also miss them very much. It is hard for me to imagine not being able to call my sister in the same timezone. Lord have mercy on us!