quickly here in almost mid-August

 

I am undergoing some real learning right now.

A potential deep loss but too early to know.

***

All I can say is that God is our ever present refuge and strength

and that God's Mother does give Joy in Sorrow. 

***

I am super blessed because I get to do some shopping in the next weeks, 

and that's a really nice thing and not something

I take forgranted, at least I try not to, 

because I know very well what it is like to not be able to buy anything 

extra, those who have ready my blog for many years will remember those times.

I could not even buy a vegetable peeler when mine broke, 

so my Mom bought one for me for Christmas;

then in less than 2 years after that, I was given a second,

identical one, as a gift at my family Bridal shower.

***

As my Grandma always says:

we have so much to be thankful for.

Time Keeps Passing By

Tomorrow is the 38th anniversary of my friend 

Timothy Mark's passing, when I was still 10 years old.

Today is my Dad's birthday.

***

We were in church tonight.

***

We were in Michigan for much of July.

It was very good.

I am still dealing with a lot of insomnia.

God is holding me up through it.

***

I am reading a lot of Corrie ten Boom right now.

I love that she is honest that she is not perfect

but yet God used her.

***

May God have mercy on us. 

A Blessed and Beautiful Week

 

Some weeks are just a gift from God.

I went to Ottawa with the blessing of my Husband for 1 week. 

I was with my Ottawa parish, my friend's parish, a Monastery twice, 

with dear friends and family;

for simple meals to teas fit for a princess, 

to just before birthdays to seeing ordinary days of others,

rain and sun, 

light and dark,

struggle and hope, 

it was all a blessing.

In Memory: Gloria is now in the Heavens with the Lord and all His Saints

 

The Last time Gloria commented on my blog was on 

October 2, 2024.

She wrote:

Gloria has left a new comment on your post 'Autumn Beauty':

Hello Elizabeth, I have been worried about you and have wondered over the past few months how you are. I am so glad to know that you have come through the storm and pray you are finding a safe harbor in the arms of our Loving Father and Lord. I will enjoy your posts as you can. Praying continued good health.

***

Gloria's Cousin Sara emailed me to say that Gloria has passed away. 

***

Gloria, as Sara is her self, 

a dear friend in the blog world to me, and to many. 

***

I am not able to be here on my blog that much because life is 

just busy but good, beautiful but hard, crazy but incredible. 

***

But I wanted to remember Gloria a minute and say that I am so sorry

that she will never comment on my blog but I know without a doubt 

she is looking down from the Heavens watching us as God allows

and that She loves us and will never leave us now because 

she made it to the top: Heaven with Christ. 

***

What a beautiful thing it is to live for Christ and die in faith in Christ's mercy!

***

I love her profile description:

Gender	Female
Industry	Education
Location	Northwest, United States
Introduction	To worship, honor and serve The Lord with joy, to love my family with my whole heart, to be a good and loyal friend, to see light and beauty in an often dark world, these are things I strive for however imperfectly. My husband and I have raised three wonderful children and now are enjoying the precious blessings of being being grandparents.
Interests	gardening a little, traveling a little, crafting a little, Reading a lot.
Favorite movies	Classic movies from the Golden Age of Hollywood with actors like Cary Grant, Gregory Peck, Audrey Hepburn and Jimmy Stewart. I especially love Roman Holiday and It's a Wonderful Life.

Gloria announced that she had cancer on March 11, 2025

and said goodbye to all of us then. 

***

Gloria died last Friday, June 27, 2025. 

***

It is my deepest honour to share this with you because I want to 

honour someone whose words and comments encouraged me so deeply

in some of my deepest pain in my life. 

***

She was a dear Mother and friend to so many and she really blessed me 

with her love and prayers.

***

Gloria, you were like a kind Mother presence in my life

and I hope the rest of my life makes you proud 

and I can't wait to join Christ in heaven one day and finally

meet you and all those I love. 

***

Please pray for Gloria's family as they go through the time of loss

but also rejoicing because Heaven just gained another beautiful soul

for the Lord and the salvation of the world. 

***

May Gloria's memory be eternal! 

I will never forget you Gloria!

Pray for me always!

love, 

your Elizabeth Roosje 

Ascension 2025

 

Christ is Ascended!

Ascended in Glory!

Holiday in May

Memorial Day 2025.

I had a beautiful morning, quiet, my Husband still sleeping,

I was up before 8 AM, 

texting a friend down South and enjoying tea. 

I had breakfast part 1 and part 2,

later a walk,

beautiful. 

then I learned something that someone I love is struggling with,

a sad thing, not my story but something that is a deep sorrow. 

My Husband by this time had found me 

(he walks faster so we do different walks first and then if we have time

walk back together, and we shared the sorrow together...)

***

Leftovers for lunch.

Cards, some reading, dishes, texting, 

pizza and fruit salad,

we watched a Walton's movie. 

***

Tomorrow I hope to go to NYC. 

Breakfast, shopping, back home.

One foot in front of the other...

***

The sunshine and flowers together we so deeply beautiful...

***

A calm in between moments of sorrow...

***

I hope to do more reading tomorrow.

It was really good to have a day where we had more rest and not a lot

of work. I've been doing a lot of deep reading and research lately, 

it was really good to have a break.

***

Thank God for Spring, for Summer...

Thursday: Cloudy and Wet

 

I am still reading and researching. 

Read a lot of this vintage edition of The Orthodox Church

and then am going to read another book.

I am trying to get a better handle on the concept of both

God and humans in terms of the word 'hypostasis' and the understannding

of what is commonly called, in the West anyway, sanctification....

It's because I want to understand the understanding of what a person is, 

based on the fact that God is Three Persons in One (I.e. the Trinity). 

I know, kind of abstract but I want to get a good sense of this for my 

ongoing writing project... I started a new notebook for it! 

My goal this summer is to get a much better handle on this concept 

and understanding it in relation to other belief systems who have a very 

different concept of both God and what a Human is / a Person is. 

***

It's fun! well, at least if you are me LOL! :)

***

In other news, I got my twice-a-year haircut!

It's so not-cheap!! which is one of the reasons I don't go a lot. 

***

I also bought eggs and a nice loaf of bread at a store!

***

Life has so many challenges.  

May God help us and have mercy.  

Tuesday: as planned

 

My Husband got me chocolate today at Trader Joes.

He's on his way home now. 

***

I had my favourite breakfast in NYC today.

The potatoes are perfectly flavoured with rosemary and 

cooked just right... tender, hot and delicious. 

Eggs and toast with butter, perfect, 

fruit and tea. 

Fresh squeezed orange juice. 

Nothing lacking, and I always feel it such a privilege to eat there

when I know so many do not ever have such a meal.

***

Well, I was right.

There is nothing wrong with my foot in terms of bone health.

I was hoping that this doctor could give more guidance than she did

but at least I know the basics.

I am going to work on walking more and more

and trying to just deal with the pain as it comes. 

If I have arthritis, as she figure I have also, 

then I don't really care.

By which I mean, pain is pain and I will deal with it. 

I will talk to my GP next month about it, God willing. 

I walked over 2 miles today and did well.

I am actually having more problems sitting or reclining on the couch

than walking or standing. 

So that's good.

Well. 

Onwards we go.

May we go in the mercy of God.