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Good Enough,Smart Enough

2012-02-01T09:46:00.000-08:00

"I'm good enough,I'm smart enough and gosh darn it people like me"..Steward Smalley..Saturday Night Live.

With change in mind comes change in manners.

Today while looking through my nursing school looses leaf book,trying to find my resume,I came across my papers and grades.
It shocked me at how good my grades where.When I was in school I didn't really pay attention to all those little details,because the every day stresses took over my view point and shattered my illusions of how well I was doing through out the year.
We are what we think we are.
One day while listening to Donald Trump speak,it became clear to me the difference between him and I was he didn't have a problem giving himself a pat on the back for a job well done.
There is something to be learned here,and that is there is nothing wrong with realizing all your hard work and saying "you did a really great job,good for you."
We are harder on our selves then probably anyone else in the whole world.
It took me almost 9 years to realize all I achieved,in those ten months,to get to this point in life and understand that being your own cheerleader is not such a bad thing.
People with confidence can literally walk on water,just ask St.Peter.
When he stepped out of the boat Jesus kept him atop the waves,but as soon has his confidence in God failed so did he.
I have heard many religious people talk about being humble,but does that mean not being happy with your self and all you have accomplished?
I think not.
There is nothing wrong with patting your self on the back as a matter of fact it helps us focus with confidence,to what we can achieve in the future.
Being humble means understanding that all our triumphs are the result of our hard work and God guidance in our lives.
We move no where in life if we feel we are failures,which is so easy to do when we look at our every day struggles.
It has came to me today, that it is time to dust off and revitalize my resume so as to be in a better position to look for a new job for my own happiness.
No one can sell themselves if they don't like themselves,and feeling worthless is not uplifting or in anyway positive.
God does not want us to dislike ourselves nor be self loathing and demeaning.Many religious writers ring of self hate for our bodies,minds and values,but in my mind God made me who I am and although I'm not perfect it does not mean I am a terrible person,I tend to think that God made me and I am not a mistake or disappointment to him.
He has known me since I was in the womb,and that's a very long time.
We are worthy people,loving and kind and have achieved,with his help,much and should be proud of ourselves.
To not realize our potential is to not understand just how mighty God can be through us and our lives.
We can achieve greatness and God knows it,unfortunately we delude our selves in to believing we can not attain these things.
We're like Peter walking on the water and suddenly looking down and seeing only the raging water below instead of the calm shore in front of us.
So if we are good enough,smart enough and people like us,then why do we not also like our selves?

Religious Institutions Must Now Provide Insurance with Free Contaceptive Care

2012-01-24T11:58:00.000-08:00

Several days ago I read how the new Obama health care would effect the Catholic and Christian institutions which accept money from the government.
Places like Catholic hospitals,schools and other institutions which allow themselves to get money in any way from the federal government would now have to provide health insurance to their employees which included free contraceptive pills and/or devices.
The government feels that since not all people who work at these religious institution are Catholic or even Christian,they need their contraceptive needs provide for,no matter what the teachings of the church is.
I have come to the conclusion that accepting money from the government may be seen as a good thing when your in need of income,but in the end its like dancing with the devil,you may get to pick the tune but you don't get to call the steps.
Now it is very understandable that in these times of expense health care,the need for assistance is very much a reality,lets face it if you want to stay in business you need to compete on the same scale as the big boys or you are not a very effective entity.
Back in the days when Catholic,Christian and religious groups started these hospitals and schools,they were the only ones with enough money to fund and run such large enterprises,but alas the time has come when no longer do people pay the doctor or hospital form their own pockets,now the cost is so great that we all have to share in each others expenses by the use of insurance.
Several days before Obama rammed this health care plan down every ones throats,there was a small group of representatives looking for grantees that this sort of thing would not happen to religious organizations,no group would be forced to provide or pay for what they deemed not correct to their religious foundation of beliefs.
Like the wind that whole idea has gone away never to be seen again.
The problem with church groups is they believe what they are told and act has if its a great shock when they get blind sided.
I'm not so sure why they trust so much but the fact is once you realize the devil is in the details then its to hard to turn back..that's the way he works you know.
I don't know about you but I have not heard anything in the main stream media about this whole situation,though I did read it in a Worcester news paper.
Once again we lose a little more of our selves as Christians to a world were they think any thing goes.
In the end its really our own fault because when you sell your soul what else is there left to do but compromise and dilute your self just a little bit more.
First funded contraceptives then funded abortions,it all goes hand in hand.
Don't feel so shocked.
If you don't like this write to your representatives and tell them this goes against the separation of church and state and you feel this is wrong..or ignore it and wait for the next blow to the head of you faith.

St.Anna's Visit To St. Michael Church

2012-01-23T15:53:00.000-08:00

Last weekend our church hosted the visit of a special Icon of St.Anna the mother of Mary and grandmother of Jesus.
Saturday Evening Vespers and Sunday morning Divine liturgy saw a swelling of faithful people all wanting a glimpse at this very special lady and healer.
Some feel such things as healing can not happen through oils flowing from an image,but whose to say how God chooses to touch us .
I must admit that all in all the weekend was quite special,not just for the Icon but for the people who took the time to come and visit our little church community in Southbridge,Mass.
St. Michael Parish does not often draw such a gathering of people to pray with us.
For me the best part of the day came after the Liturgy and coffee hour when I walked outside of the hall and could hear the rooster repeatedly crowing and a father with his children sledding down the hill by the side of the church.
Suddenly it dawned on me this is what "Church" should be,many people enjoying the company of each other and the world around.
A Church should be alive,it should breath with those around it,just as a home should draw in friends,neighbors and family,so should we.
People interacting with each other and comfortable enough to be thankful for all we have to give and receive.
A church community should be a verb not a noun and as such requires movement and interaction from everyone.
We,as a church,are always at our best when hosting the company of others.
Food,warmth and communion always play one of the biggest parts to religion and faith.
God has told us many times,in both the Old and New Testaments that no man should be alone and isolated.
In the Bible when ever God wanted to punish someone he sent them off to be alone and see how bad it was to live in isolation.
Adam and Eve,were sent away from the Garden of Edan,Cain,after murdering his brother,had a mark placed on him and was sent off,the tower of babel had an entire community sent to the far reaches of the known world.
A wise friend once told me loneliness is everything it's cracked up to be.
Sunday this point was driven home to me as I opened the door of St.Michael hall and viewed and heard the laughter of children sliding down the hill on their sleds and people talking and admiring the rooster and chickens.
Laughter and joy filled the air and isn't that what a family is suppose to be about.
Funny St. Anne is the grandmother of Jesus and on this day as I exited the hall,it truly felt like being at my own grandmother's house,with all the children and grandchildren interacting and having fun,like relatives that had not been in each others company for a very long time.
Maybe this was our miracle at St. Michael,to once again be at grandma's house.
Now isn't that special... Thanks St. Anna

Statins And A Link To Diabetes In Women Older Then 50

2012-01-12T09:18:00.000-08:00

This week on January 10Th,the Worcester Telegram and Gazette printed an article about a UMass study showing statins,or cholesterol lowering drugs,having a risk of helping to cause diabetes in older women.
It says that your doctors advice to making lifestyle changes rather then swallowing one of several pills aimed at lowering cholesterol may be more challenging but a better choice in the long run.
A study at UMass Medical School,which was published on line Monday in the Archives of Internal Medicine,showed a publication from the Journal of the American Medical Association,found women older then 50 who use drugs such as statins like Lipitor,Pravachol,Crestor,Zocor,and Mevacor to reduce cholesterol are at a significantly higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
According to Dr. Yunsheng Ma,an epidemiologist and associate professor of medicine at UMass,said the study found a 48% increase of diabetes compared to postmenopausal women not on cholesterol-lowering medications.
The reason for the the higher risk in women is unclear,Dr. Ma said,and there may be similar risk in men.
The results emphasize the need for doctors to monitor patients blood sugar and other diabetes markers closely,take each ones cardiac risk factors and lifestyles into account,and stress the need for dietary changes and increased exercise.Doctors with patients on statins,may consider gradually decreasing their dosages.But he pointed out that medical guidelines for prescribing statins have not changed because of the study.
Dr.Ma said an average of one in four Americans older then 45 are prescribed stations to lower cholesterol,a ten fold increase during the last 20 years.
The study,which used data from the Women's Health Initiative,a national health study funded by the National Institute of Health,included 161,808 post menopausal women ages 50 to 79 who were followed for 15 years.
The UMass study focused on 153,840 of those women who did not have diabetes when they enrolled in the study.
A total of 10,242 new cases of diabetes related to statin use were found,from their total studies.
Women with lower BMI,below 25,were at greater risk for developing diabetes than those with a higher BMI of 30 or higher.They speculated that genetic or hormonal factors related to weight redistribution after menopause could be independent of BMI as a diabetes risk factor. Also there could be paradoxical protection against diabetes in postmenopausal women not taking statins to a factor that protects older women from recurrent heart attacks.
Given the wide use of statins further studies need to be done on men and diverse ethnicities should further clarify the diabetes risk.
To sum this up in my own personal mind,never take any drug unless the good out ways the bad.
Every drug has not only a positive effect but can have an equal negative effect.
Always take the time to study a drug before you choose to take it,then make a clear minded decision.
Just because a doctor tells you to take something does not mean you don't have the right to think it over before you agree to it.
Your in charge of your own body and with the Internet it has become much easier to research your choices.

Icons And Images

2012-01-11T08:15:00.000-08:00

There are many religions that feel anything that shows any form of God,be it statue,picture or crucifix,is idol worship.
Being once Catholic and now Orthodox,has put me into two faiths that feel the more statues and Icons the better.
Just enter either an Orthodox or Catholic Church and you will understand the importance of these reminders of God,Mother of God,Angles,Apostles and Saints.
This week we had a religous study on Icons,how they are made,the colors used and why,even the training an Iconographer has to go through in order to properly make these glimpses into heaven,and that what Icons are considered,windows into the heavens.
Back in the days when people were unable to read they used this form of religous telling,to relate and understand the importance of the stories found in the Bible, better understanding their faith.
Once a country learns to read then they need to incorporate these works of faith into peoples daily lives on a different basis.
As with everything in life there are multiple rules as to where you should place Icons in your home,the east wall is always the best,also it should be centrally located in your home for all to view and use,the candles that should be placed near by,prayer books,Bible,holy water and oils,palms or other seasonal things should also be nearby.
Your Icons should consist of one of Jesus,one of his mother Mary and the ones your household family feels personal about,maybe a family saint or personal Icon of each person in your household.
I must admit that although I have done most of this in our parlor,it was never done by rules,things that were suppose to be near by just seemed to end up where they should be near my Icons.
Though this is not a prayer area for me,its always nice to be facing t.v. and looking up to see the Icon of Jesus the Teacher looking back at me.
My own personal prayer area is my bedroom,there I have an etching of Jesus hugging a lamb to his shoulder.
It is such a touching picture to me that many is the time I just stare at its simple
beauty and rub its face.
This etching is really more of a reminder to me of Jesus then all of my gold painted beautiful Icons down stairs in the parlor.
What this tells me is that we are all touched and reached by certain religious things,and if it brings you closer to God it has done its job.
No Icon,picture or statue is to be used as an idol,we don't pray to the them, we pray to God,but since we are human,sight is very important to us and helps us have a more open communication with the Almighty.
I explain Icons to people who ask me why I pray to a picture in this way,If a close family member called me on the phone and I had not seen them in a very long time,I might pick up their near by photograph and lovingly stare or hug their image while speaking to them in our phone conversation.
I know this picture is not the voice talking to me,but a likeness,yet it makes me feel closer to them because I can see their image smiling back at me.
The picture is only the image but the words I speak to them are more loving because
I am viewing them on paper,I can hold it to my bosom just as I would them if they were standing next to me at that moment.
The paper and frame are nothing but the image is a reminder of my love for that person.
An Icon is not meant to be God but it is meant to be a reminder that he is ever present with us and we have invited him into the center of our homes and that is very important to him,God will never enter your home unless you invite him to.
And the center is where he wants to be in your world.

To Those Much Is Given

2012-01-07T10:22:00.000-08:00

To those much is given,much is expected.

We live in a world of haves and have nots,those who work,those who do not and those who wished they did.
We are never happy with our positions or situations in life and wish always to be something or someone else.
We all dream of having more money and more power and dislike those who have the most.
We has a country are linked up to each other and though most of us would not sell everything we have and live on the streets,it doesn't hurt us now and then to think about the many who go with out all around the world.
Over whelming as it may seem we can change the world.
How?
One person and one act of kindness at a time.
Do you realize what effects you have on others by a simple small action or one little step,especially when you unite your mission with other like minded people,suddenly you have a movement or mission.
God is not asking us to save the whole world alone,he is asking us to extend one act of kindness that will flow and unite with other peoples acts of kindness.
We as a world think its all about us and our climb to the top.
Life has educated us that the person who is number one is always the best.
This is not true and though you may be fortunate enough to have money,a nice house or a great car,what are you doing with your possessions that is making another person life better.
Maybe you can help support a hands on charity,with your cash,open your home up to those who are hunger and can not pay you back or drive an elderly neighbor or cancer patient to an appointment and stay with them through their treatments.
Wealth is not a bad thing but selfishness is.
We are a united world,no man or woman is meant to not be co dependent on each other.
So take the time to think about what you have and what you can do to better the lives of those around you.

Clean Your Closets And Give Away Your Abundance

2012-01-02T05:49:00.000-08:00

One show I like to watch is house hunts and house hunter international.
It amazes me the cost of these houses,people choose to buy,from $400,000. to a million dollars,or more.
The question that always comes to my mind is where do these people get the money to make those monthly payments and why do they need such large houses.
Most women,on this show say they want walk in closets because in their present living situations they have no space to put all their clothes,one woman said she had about 500 boxes of shoes,stuffed on a shelf in her closet.
Why people insist on collecting so much clothing and shoes is just way out of my thought process.
Do these folks actually wear all of this clothing or ever even remember what they have stored away?
When I seasonably clean my closets the first thing I ask myself is "when was the last time I wore this and do I really need something,no matter how pretty it is, that is just collecting dust?"
We forget that the things we hoard out of mindless,materialistic need,may better be used by some one who has nothing in their closets,if they have closets.
What we buy out of desire is taken away from those who we could truly help.
Most people buy things just because they happen to be in a store and they have a need to spend money for self gratification,not for real need.
Now I'm not saying we should never own nice things but the things we buy we should at least want to wear occasionally.
One rule I try to use in my own house is when I bring new things in equal older things,that are unwanted need to leave the house.
Most people,like hoarders,never even know everything they have,but have a sick need to be engulfed by it all.
When we hoard we deny those around us who are really in need to have what we store and never use.
If we own 5 winter jackets but only wear two,we deny 3 other people something that could keep them warm.
Less in many cases,can be more in our lives and the lives of others.
It must be the new year because things like this fill my mind.
Waste of money,time and food in the end is all waste and someone else could benefit from say your other 450 pairs of shoes sitting,unused in our closets.
New Year means new starts,time to clean out those clothes and houses and give to a charity, help those who would appreciate and wear all the things that have fallen on floor in the back of the closet.
Your excess can be someone abundance.

Nativity Site Embarrassment

2011-12-29T15:39:00.000-08:00

Last night on the news a clip was shown of two groups of monks,one Greek Orthodox and the other Armenian,fighting with brooms while cleaning their areas at the church of the nativity.
Seems they had encroached into each others spaces and instead of just apologizing,they raised their brooms and starting hitting each other with them.
The fact that they got angry with each other,was bad enough,but the commentator said that this can be a common sight.
Common sight? Excuse me but how much belief do these monks have in the God of love and forgiveness when they are beating each other over the heads with brooms,as the local police try to brake it up,with clubs?
The sad part is that not one monk stepped forward to humbly ask for forgiveness or apologize to the other side.
Last week was Christmas,a time when we are to love our neighbors,because Jesus came down to earth in the form of a baby to save us from ourselves.
How sad that the clergy,whom we Orthodox look up to,feel they can act like a ruthless mob in a Holy public place.
It embarrasses me that we has members of the Orthodox Church,sit by and accept this humiliation to our faith,from professed religious men who know better.
I for one would like to say to both sides of this mess,what should have been said by at least one monk, that "I am sorry for what you felt was a violation of you side of the cleaning sight,at one of the Holiest of Christian places where Jesus himself was said to have been born."
Maybe if I,has a member of the Orthodox Church,ask you both for forgiveness,next time you men will think twice before raising your hand,or broom,to your brother in anger,maybe instead you will shake hands and grant each other the right of way.
A song I learned in grammar school says:"they know we are Christians by our love,by our love and they will know we are Christians by our love."
One other thing I would like to tell these monks is if you think your actions are not know by others,trust me today is day number two and once again on the world evening news they replayed the clip for the whole of the United States to see one more time.
I'll bet more people in this country,saw this shameless clip,then took the time to watch the 60 minutes show Sunday evening about Mount Athos and the peaceful loving monks,that reside there.
To bad,how sad!
To be Orthodox means to follow the unchanged truth and be held to a higher standard of living,what that means is when we do unchristian things the world keeps putting it in front of every ones eyes.
The evil one relishes our falls and takes joy in our shamefulness and how can you blame him....

An Old Fashioned Christmas

2011-12-19T06:05:00.000-08:00

What makes an old fashioned Christmas?
Last night we and some friends,went to Old Sturbridge Village to celebrate the season in an old fashioned way.
Though the outside air was chilly our spirits were warm.
We got to partake of ginger bread and mulled cider,take a horse and cart ride while watching a bon fire roar in the center square.
Pretty fresh garland with tiny sparkling lights where everywhere while candle lit lanterns illuminated the walk ways.
18Th century caroling in complete garb and a modern brass band,played out songs of Christmas yester year complete with Father Christmas dressed in his green velvet robe with white fur trim a crown of garland encircled his head..yes this Santa decided clothes where on his menu especially with Jack Frost nipping at his nose on this cold December night.
Ginger bread houses and pretty little Christmas trees,decorated the house of the haves while the more modest cottages had happy people sitting near their fireplaces greeting all those who entered.
No candy for these knitted hanging stockings,with nut cups adorning the mantles,real fruits of the fall season and handmade wooden toys would be the Christmas morning fare for the tots residing in these houses.
Food,family and guest where what the day was about.
Carolers going house to house,being invited inside for a warm drink or a simple morsel of food.
In this village of yester year neighbors where your prime source of entertainment,with the understanding that no one survives alone,the entire neighborhood became your tight knit family.
A very different sort of Christmas when compared to our own modern Holiday Festivities.

Naked Santas/Real Christmas Meaning

2011-12-15T10:36:00.000-08:00

Tis the season to see and hear the ridiculous.
In San Francisco some of the locals decided to try and get into the World Book of Records by having the largest grouping of naked Santa Clauses assembled in one area.
O.K. some times life requires you to just have a sense of humor and move on.
Personally I have never wanted to see Santa naked,for a man his size clothing is a blessing not an option,of course I can say the same about my own personal build,put it on would be my mantra,one that these Santa's need to adopt.
This is laughable to me.
Why you may ask? Because Santa is not the reason I celebrate Christmas..Jesus is..
With this in mind tolerance to stupidity can become a way of life.
Most of us know who Santa or Saint Nicolas really was and walking around neighborhoods naked was not his claim to fame.
Only in hot California can you get away with Santa in the buff,to try this in New England would be a very chilly challenge,to say the least.
I'm not sure why we Christians allow ourselves to become offended with this nonsense,all it does is distract us from the real reason we are here on this earth and why we celebrate Christmas.
Jesus said we are in the world not of the world.
So why are we so surprised when the world acts crass and insulting.
besides its hard to be all that we can be when we're angry about things like clerks not saying Merry Christmas,Town Halls not allowing Religious Decorations to be displayed or Santas running around in their birthday suits.
Good and evil both abound in the world around us,to focus only on the silly and ridiculous detracts from all the good and charitable things that so many people are doing at this holiday season.
So let the naked Santas have their day because in the end the real meaning of Christmas comes to us from the people who feed the hungry,cloth the naked and bring cheer to those who are sick.
These are the unspoken Santas who don't take the headlines and do it with their clothes in place.

The Meaning Of The Season

2011-12-01T08:10:00.000-08:00

Recently I read on face book of a priest standing in line at the Post Office and the person in front of him asking for Christmas Stamps but not the religious ones.
O.K. now lets get this straight people,why are you even bothering to celebrate Christmas if you do not believe in the birth of Christ and what he stands for?
Why not just skip the whole Christmas buying,tree decorating,cookie making and gift wrapping and not celebrate it at all,because you missed the whole reason of the season.
Does it offend you and those who are receiving your cards that each of you may have to view a picture of Mary,Joseph and baby Jesus on your postal envelope?
Those who complain about Christmas and its affiliation to religion are the same people who expect to have December the 25TH off and get paid for it.
Maybe the time has come for you to skip the pay and go back to work because like it or not Jesus is the reason for the season and if that offends you..so sorry..
Many people claim to hate Christmas and all it stands for,they say it is depressing and sad,well life is what you make of it and maybe if you spent some time handing out food to the homeless and poor on this upcoming said holiday,you too could realize the real reason of the season and understand how many people have it worse off then you and your perceived issues,so get over your self.
Angry words at this time of year? You bet...
Jesus came into this world to teach us to love God through helping others.
If your sick of the Holiday Season then spend the day visiting those in a Nursing Home,Children's Hospital, or prison and when your done walk into the closest church,get down on your knees and thank God that you are one of the lucky ones.
Christmas is what you make of it,if you put little into it,then you will get little out.
This year instead of complaining try to drop off a canned good or inexpensive toy at a collection box,then you will understand the saying that it is more blessed to give then receive.
In the end its not about what you get but what you are willing to give.
Jesus gave up life for us now what are you willing to give up ?

Buy A Gift ..Help An Organization

2011-11-26T05:41:00.000-08:00

With all the things to buy this Holiday Season,one of the best things you can do is see how many items you can purchase from places like Church Christmas Fairs or other organisations in need.
Last year this was one of the things I tried to do with most of my gift buying and am hoping to follow through this year.
There are so many small organisations and family businesses that we need to stretch our dollars as far as possible and help those who can really benefit from our spending.
One of my gifts this year is calenders made at our nursing home,some of our patents took art classes and their pictures were photographed and turned into calendars.
All the proceeds go to their activities fund and helps them get items they are in need of.
Things like this become a win,win situation and at $12.00 a piece I have several relatives who would appreciate a lovely,well made calender to hang in their homes.
So this year see how many creative things you can buy with your dollars and spread the wealth...

Black Friday

2011-11-25T12:26:00.000-08:00

Wal Marts in Putnam Conn. opened its doors on Thursday evening at 10 pm so all those people in a hurry to get,what they felt were bargains,bought all night long.
There is just something not so right about this whole Black Friday scenario,a time when we can not even let the settling of our Holiday suppers be done before we rush out and trample each other for that so called "perfect " Christmas gift.
Christmas has become a time of shared greed.
Black Friday plays on this greed by allowing perfectly sane people to become pushy and rude all for the sake of material items which will be forgotten about in several years.
Most people will justify this by saying its a gift for a loved one,but really its our own need to be liked and loved by each other,at least for a fleeting amount of time.
When Jesus was born he received three gifts and very unchild like ones at that.
Frankincense,mur and gold,none of which he could play with but all of which had special meaning in his entire life.
We forget the real reason for Christmas and that is the birth of Christ.
Many people will spend Christmas day in a frenzy trying to open gifts and eat food and will probably never even step one foot in a church nor take a minute to wish Jesus a happy birthday and thank God for his allowing his son to come down into our world,to be treated badly and killed,in order to save us.
Now There is nothing wrong with enjoying the season or buying gifts,the problem comes when that is what we feel is the most important part of this festive season.
Multiple people hate the Holidays and all it entails because they have lost sight of what it's really all about,if more people spent time helping those in need,instead of those in material want,we would be able to understand the true joys of Christmas.
In the up coming month of December people will speak daily about how they have to rush out and buy this and that for family members and friends, because their lives would not be complete without these material items,and we never want to disappoint any one even when we have to almost go into bankruptcy to gain their love and respect.
But how good is love when it must always be bought and months later spent in repayment.
Jesus tells us to store our treasures in heaven not in earthly things that will rust,rot and become moth eaten.
A large amount of things sitting in junk yards,at one time where precious and special in some ones eyes,but like all things in life they tend to lose there luster, so what is important is not the items we buy but the people we love,not the material possessions we buy and give but the heart felt words, hugs and kiss we give out.

Real Thanksgiving

2011-11-25T05:01:00.000-08:00

What did you do on Thanksgiving this year?
I worked and though that may sound sad it really is not.
I have done this line of work for over 20 years and have found being with the lonely is one of the best ways one can spend,a Thanksgiving day.
This year I was invited,three times,by one of my patent's,to come to the main dining room and join he and his wife for this special meal,knowing I probably would not be able to,due to my busy work schedule,I promised to do my best.
My afternoon worked out well and by 1 pm,when I went to the main dining room to get my meal,both he and his wife were still sitting at the table eating their deserts,so I was able to spend 20 minutes sitting,eating and talking to them.
When we where done I thanked them for their invitation and they told me how glad they were that I had been able to join them.
A simple act of sitting at a table,a few minutes out of my day,helped to make a difference and a blessing for all of us.
This time of year many people give of their time and money on this special day doing good for others.
Here in Thompson groups of people get together to do the annual Turkey Dip.Getting up early on this cold Holiday morning,they go to Quadick Lake and literally jump in the water,raising money for the m.s. society.
Some parts of this country people run races to raise money for cancer societies,some feed the poor and needy at community meals,some give away winter coats and some walk the streets to spend time with the homeless handing out food and blankets.
Thanksgiving is a day when we should be grateful for not just our own families but our extended brothers and sisters of the world.
Take the time to spend an hour or so making another person happy,giving of your self to those around around you.
If nothing else go to a lonely or elderly neighbors home and bring coffee and cake and be a friend for an hour,listen to the same stories they tell you a hundred times and act as if its the newest most important story you have ever heard in your life.
Jesus says we should invite to our homes and parties those who can not give back to us like the poor and the lame,then we will understand what the real measure of giving is about.

25 Days To Read The New Testament

2011-11-20T17:46:00.000-08:00

Advent is upon us and the birth of Christ is not far off.

This year our priest Fr.Peter has set up a challenge to read the entire New Testament in 25 or 40 days,depending on how much time period one chooses to devote daily.
I have decided to try,no wait,to do the 25 day readings because I'm either an over achiever or a nut case,either way the past 7 days have been filled with great determination,ambivalence and satisfaction.
With 7 to 8 chapters to read a night,this can become one internal roller coaster.
The first two chapter are always started with great enthusiasm and by chapter 4 and 5I'm starting to try to talk my self out of reading any farther,the last three chapters I'm counting the pages and before I give up in disappear its chapter 7 or 8 and I'm not only done but proud of the fact that I completed my task.
Reading has always been a love of mine and reading the Bible always a relaxed situation,but this sort of reading not only does not give you time to reflect but with a deadline in mind to finish can bring out a whole realm of feelings like why am I doing this,I could just quit and do better tomorrow and how will this help me when I'm not fully paying attention?
Fr.Peter tells me that if a group of people take on this challenge good things can come the groups way.
If nothing else good words fill my brain and lets face it,its better then reading or listening to garbage on T.V.
We shall see how this will all work out in the end,maybe our Church will benefit and be blessed and maybe someones life will be enlightened and that is a good thing.
So off I go to read my next 8 chapters and try not to talk my self out of it,any ways this will be a good Christmas gift to myself,once I finish the last page of Revelations.

When Necessary Use Words

2011-11-18T15:27:00.000-08:00

Preach the Gospel at all times and when necessary use words...St.Francis of Assisi

Much of my spiritual life is spent trying to find ways to help those around me.
Last night was our Church annual Thanksgiving Turkey Community Meal.
This year to our delight we had about 100 people in attendance and many of those who came graced us with their home made deserts.
This is always a welcomed sight because when you do good it,like a ripple in a pond, stirs up the waters surface and extends to the outward shores.
Many times when things like this become successful it's hard for those who started the process to step back and take a chance on something else.
It is said that when ever you try to do something new for the first time you get those around you who first agree with you,then second try to talk you out of it and when you prove it can be done,every one wants to jump on board and do it in their own Churches.
Today while at work I was talking to a fellow nurse about how I firmly believe the teachings of St. Francis of Assisi,especially his saying of teaching the Gospel always and when necessary using words.
We spoke about how Jesus never drew as many people to the synagogue as he did to the mountain tops,that most people can not make their way into a Church but can accept fellowship from an informal setting with food and parables.
Seems enjoyment makes for excitement.
No sooner had we finished talking when one of the house keepers came to me and said "you are correct and you keep teaching those words".
It pretty much shocked me that others heard our conversation and felt the words spoken were truth.
We are always worried about how many people,number wise, attend church but forget that those that attend fellowship opportunities,like breaking bread are just as important,if not more so.
Jesus talked about the sick needing a physician not the healthy and in my own life I find it much more comfortable to talk about Religion in simple ways with simple words.
I have never felt closer to God then I do when I feel closest to another human being with words and deeds.
In the Orthodox Faith we like to use lots of flowery words and long prayers,but in the end its all about those we speak to and touch with our daily words and actions.

10,000 Steps

2011-11-12T05:08:00.000-08:00

A journey of 10,000 miles begins with one step...Lao Tzu

Several weeks ago we attended a wedding in Florida for our nephew.
The last day we were there we decided to do some sight seeing with my husband cousin from Indiana.
Has we began to walk she pulled out her pedometer and said "lets see how many miles we do today."
After a morning and afternoon of fun we ended up walking 7 miles.
Last week while at Wal Marts I came across the very same type of pedometer and decided to buy one for my self,since I'm always wondering how far I walk,especially when at work..
This is a very easy little device to use and not only does it calculate miles walked but also steps taken.
I once read somewhere that in order to be healthy you should aim for 1o,ooo steps a day.
The first full day I used It was while at work ,to my surprise in less the three hours I had already walked over 3,000 steps,my total for that day ended up being 13,000 steps in a nine hour period.
The following day was 13,600,no wonder my legs ache after 3 day of working straight.
Friday was my day off and I decided to try for 10,000 steps,even though I had gone to a very large grocery store and did what I thought was a great deal of walking,by 4pm I had only taken 3,000 steps.
So outside I went at 5pm with flash light and dog in hand to attempt to complete my appointed steps.
Down the road and into the near by fenced in Little League field I went to walk around at least 5 times,then home again at which point I checked my meter to find 9,000 steps had been completed.
Saturday fared even less,a walk around town only totaled 7,000 steps,I can see this is going to be harder then I planned.
With all this in mind it is very obvious that my days off require much more physical activity,if I can only get my legs to co-operate.
Oh well tomorrow is back to work day so I'm sure to meet my goal with out even trying..
They say the first step is always the hardest but in my case the first 3,000 steps are a breeze its the next 7,000 that are a killer.

Off The Grid

2011-11-02T13:53:00.000-07:00

Believe it or not,I actually know people who choose to live with no electricity provided for by a corporate company,people call this "being off the grid."
Though it may sound very grandiose,the sad truth is most of us do not have the luxury of this choice since we tend to work full time jobs and can not afford the amount of time,labor or money it cost to live by sources like solar or wind.
My nephew and his wife for several years did indeed live this lifestyle,since they where both young retired engineers,it was a challenge they felt they could meet.
So they ended up with a house smaller then 9oo sq. feet and a cellar filled with batteries,to store the sun energy from their solar panels which accumulated through out the day.
Now living up in Vermont can be a challenge,what with short days and cold nights,but between their wood stove and batteries they did very well,except for the part where you could not even leave a night light on while sleeping for fear there would be no power left in the batteries by morning.
I like doing with out most things but unfortunately lack of power at my finger tips is not one of them.
Some might think it quite comfy to live like the colonialist did except when you realize most of them did not live long,due to harsh lifestyle and all lived by their modern day technologies.
Trust me if they had heat at their finger tips they would not have choosen to haul wood and stoke a fire place to try and keep warm.
Modern technologies are not all bad things,especially when you live in the country and work at a job where you need to commute.
I'm all for green but even that can make you a fanatic.
During Orthodox Lent we give up all sorts of foods,things like dairy,meat,fish,egg,olive oil,wine and on it goes,basically we try to live a Vegan Diet.
Now we do this for restraint purposes but when it gets to the point where you are thinking more about the food ingredients and less about the spiritual parts then you've lost the reason for why your doing this.
Not everyone can be that good just as not everyone can be that green.
Twice,at our house this year we lost our electricity,first when Irene struck and last weekend storm.
Irene left us with one week of no power and this past storm we went without for three days.
Its always kind of fun the first day,quiet and challenging,but I can tell you by day seven with a generator and camping stoves,it sure turns into hard work rather quickly,like fasting,you begin to calculate everything in your mind before hand.
I personally like having convinces at my finger tips.
Hot water and heat all seem like a blessing to me and why not?
The best situation now seems to be embrace one green thing in our daily life and do it,lets face it most of us are not meant to be off the grid be it mentally or
physically, and personally I can not work 40 plus hours a week and haul wood or remember not to run a night light when I go to bed.
After spending one week with no electricity I learned its no fun having to heat water on a stove at 6 am to simply wash my face and brush my teeth.
Maybe some day,in my retirement years,I can devote my life to green living on a full time basis and enjoy it to boot,until then I will make do with modern technologies and convinces,trying to remain conscious of how I can daily make small changes to my consumption areas.

Patty

2011-11-01T10:12:00.000-07:00

Last week my husband and I went to Florida for his nephew wedding.While there we decided to go visit my niece and her mother,my ex-sister in law from my former marriage,whom I call friend.
Patty and I have known each other since before my niece and son were born,over 31 years ago.
She is the strongest most christian living person I have ever had the pleasure to know and is an inspiration for me in times of trials.
She was born one of 5 children who came from an abusive family,her father was a cheating alcoholic who had a temper and and showed no restraint in using it against his children.
Her mother was an nurse who worked the night shift.
My friend turned her back on traditional religion,when while growing up her cheating father would force the children to attend Sunday service while he carried on affairs,very openly in front of his wife and children.
Now the thing with Patty is she is the most giving,loving person you will ever meet and although for the past 34 years she has been battling ms,she is never one to complain to much or not see the bright side of life,even when her husband left her and her daughter for another woman,one of her best friends.
When her daughter decided to go to school in Tampa,my friend moved out there to be with her,giving all the financial and physical support she could muster,though the money was tight the love never was.
With our nephew wedding came the opportunity to visit my good friend.
Vic and I spent the day in Clear water at her nursing home,see Patty is now in a Geri chair,with breathing issues and paralysis on the right side of her body.
Though limited in movement,this 56 year old is still the dearest most Jesus like person I have ever met.
We spent most of our three hour visit reminiscing about our times together and her daughters future as a tax consultant at Price Water Company.
Although her voice was not strong and her ability to speak difficult,I would consider this the best part of my Florida trip.
This is a person whom against all her adversities kept repeating how good God had been to her and how lucky she was to have the love and devotion of her beautiful daughter.
There is little to say about my own life that can compare with Patty love or how fortunate and blessed I am to have her in not only my life but my memories.
How can one person be so good and kind and yet sit in a Geri chair unable to move most of her physical body.
But this is a person whom God has given the ability for flight in the spiritual world,touching not only my life,my heart and my soul but also all those around her in her day to day life.
Although I have heard about saintly people,this in my mind,is what a real saint is like.Having the ability to not only take on the terribleness of life burdens but to decide that being happy is more important then any material thing,including ones limiting body.
Her soul is like that of a great eagle and some day when it is freed from her cumbersome body she will fly across the skies,over the mountains and into the loving arms of God her Father.
And I can in gratitude,know that I have met a gift from God in my every day life and hopefully have appreciated her wit and wisdom enough to carry it through to all those around me in my own ever day life.

The Church And Truth

2011-10-09T16:23:00.000-07:00

While attending Catholic School I was told that we should be truthful no matter what,it was better to face your wrong doings honestly then to try and lie your way out of it,trusted adult leaders would say "don't dig your own grave,confess and become clean."
Honesty is always the best policy,you'll never have to worry about what your story is nor get caught up in a tangled web of deceit,if what you say is the truth.
Being in the Catholic Church,back in the 1980's,taught many what happens when a church tries to cover things up for the wrong doings of its clergy.
Lying and secrecy is never right,just as making parish members feel like they have to protect these indiscretions can ever be proper.
People back in the 1950's and 60's,refused to face the fact that their clergy could ever do anything wrong or illegal,forcing adult parishioners to remain silent and placing young innocent people in positions of spiritual,physical and mental harm.
Now don't get me wrong,the reason I'm picking on the Catholic Church is because at that time I was a member of that faith.
With age comes wisdom and in time it has been made clear to me that no religion is pure,especially when you consider they are run by people trying to save face.
But is saving image what a church or religion is called to do? Or are we,the Church, to rise above the cover ups and threats of personal "sin",by hierarchy trying to keep the multitudes in the pews silent and stupid through use of fear of damnation.
Jesus talks about the light and how even one small candle can illuminate a room from corner to corner.
Light brings not only brightness but warmth to the cold world around us,but how much glow can we emit if our wick is in some way defective.
Church leaders,like parish members,need to face and profess their sins,asking in turn for forgiveness.
Confession is one of the hinge points of our belief system.
We are no better then the rest of the world when we are told to be still and not say anything because it will be considered a "sin" in the eyes of our leaders.
My brother in law,father had a saying "the fish stinks from the head down."
Maybe he was onto something because I know that the Almighty is never about secrecy and hiding,we as church should be strong,showing the world how to stand up to wrong doings and repent openly and honestly.
The Catholic Church learned the hard way about facing clergies sinful obstacles,now what about the rest of the religions,have they learned anything? To be any less then honest is to be less then Christian.
I don't remember anywhere in the New Testament Jesus talking about avoiding and hiding wrongful behavior and then making followers feel like sinners for talking about the truth,because the church feels a sense of embarrassment.
What is brought to the light becomes pure what sits in the darkness becomes fodder for the evil one to use in an attempt at erosion.

Feeding Those In Need

2011-09-23T11:38:00.000-07:00

I have recently been thinking a great deal about how bad the economy is and how many people are going with out the basics,such as food.
Seems when the weather changes and the cold nights of fall are upon us,my thoughts turn to those in need,with no food and no shelter.
My life has been greatly blessed in that when ever times of need have cropped up,I always had friends and family to help keep me afloat.
Now I know that a minority of people take advantage of the system and jump right in and grab all they can,with no regard for those even less fortunate then themselves,because lets face it no matter how bad you are there is always someone more in need then your self.
Since January I have made it my mission,when grocery shopping,to always buy extra and put it in the local food pantries basket,by the exit.
I try to attend and assist at our Church's free community meals held every other Thursday at St. Michael Orthodox Church in Southbridge,Mass.
But it seems the more I do and give the more needs I am made aware of,that are not met.
The daily news is a constant reminder of how truly bad things in this country are turning and how the new poverty rate is escalating.
What I do seems so small in the large scheme of things.
I remember in the movie "Jesus Christ Superstar" there was one part where all the sick and poor were asking Jesus to help them,there where so many that covered him until he yelled "heal your selves",many times I feel this same way when I try to help others but feel like I'm only one person and there are so many in need.
Maybe this is part of the awaking of my soul,being touched so greatly I can now feel what those around me feel,or maybe its the other guy trying to discourage me into thinking its to great so why bother,its their own tough luck.
Until an answer comes to me I will continue to do what little I can and remembering the story of the fish and loaves,realizing with God help my simple small amounts can grow to feed people in more ways the I understand.

Are We Ever Fulfilled?

2011-09-18T16:34:00.000-07:00

We are,in the end,never completely fulfilled especially if we are trying to be filled with worldly things.
No matter how much you get in this life it is never complete or totally satisfying to our needs.
Sunday morning Fr.Ephraim spoke about an old television show called "The Twilight Zone",the story goes there was a man who loved to read more then anything else in his life,his wife,who was a constant nag and his boss who made fun of him for reading so much,never gave him the peace he desired to be able to read his many books.
Since this man worked at a bank,he found,what he thought was bliss at lunch time by sitting in a vault quietly reading,nothing around him but his beloved books.
One day,while in the vault, an atomic bomb fell when he walked out he was to find he was the only human being left on earth,with piles of books at his side,but with great elation came great sadness because he broke his glasses,so now he was unable to enjoy his surrounding fortune.
Our best laid plans and fulfilled dreams are never full and complete in our true desires.
Did you ever dream of a special trip or job and just knew this would make your life full,but in the end when it became yours,something felt just not right,you were almost let down and you could not understand why you wanted this so much.
Jesus says we are in this world not of this world,so we can never be happy with our surroundings or desires.
Only our soul joined with God can ever feel completeness and true joy.
When we lower our worldly expectations we can increase our spiritual expectations and true completeness then comes our way.

Evil And 9/11

2011-09-12T05:47:00.000-07:00

Thou shall not murder.
This is the commandment most people quote incorrectly,it is not thou shall not kill it is thou shall not murder.
Yesterday was the 10Th anniversary of the murder of thousands of innocent people who got up and went to work,took a plane,thought they were putting out a fire or explosion,but ended up being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Murder of the innocent at the hands of a few misguided,deluded men who felt God had spoken to them on a personal level.
Those thousands of citizens who loved family members,had dreams and desires where cut short of their lives because a small number of men decided to play God and destroy what they could not understand,thus missing the most important rule of all faiths that is.. all men and women are our brothers and sisters,made in the image and likeness of the Almighty,himself.
God does not like it when we take bad and try to make it fit as good by using his name to justify the evil actions of sick minds.
I did not choose to watch anything on T.V. yesterday,it all comes back to clearly to me that this is nothing to celebrate it is a tragedy,and though it should not be forgotten it should also not be celebrated.
Mayor Bloomburg decided that no clergy or first responders should be invited to this memorial in New York at ground zero,political correctness you know,which in his mind, was more important then a true memorial of unity of diverse clergy standing side by side,we forget a priest that day,a Franciscan ,giving prayer to the sick,dying and dead,trying to save the souls of God's children at their hour of need also met his end.
Whose to say how many Rabi's,ministers or priest where sitting in those towers,planes or at the Pentagon,we have no count of how many lost their lives too.
What about all the first responders running into the buildings while people were running out? Thinking nothing about themselves and never coming home again.
I heard an atheist on a television program say "where was this God of yours while all this evil was going on,? Why did he just stand by and allow all this killing to take place and not stop it?"
Thou shall not murder,but on that September 11,2001 they did and God was not involved with the horror or the evil that took place,he was however,involved with the goodness of of all those who helped in any way they could even to the point of losing their own lives in the process.
We live in a fallen world where evil abounds just the same as free will.
You make a choice to do good or to do evil and you can be a part of it either way.
I like to think of what Gandhi said "Evil never last but good always triumps in the end,always.....

Leave Your Offering And Forgive Your Brother

2011-09-08T13:42:00.000-07:00

In the Bible Jesus says if you have any sort of disagreement between you and your brother,you should leave your offerings at the alter and go make things right with him,then return and offer your gifts to God.
Wednesday evening,while at Vespers,I began to think about this verse,seems I had someone on my mind for most of the week and at service that night,my brain kept going back to this person,who had upset me.
It became clear to me that the verse is not just about cleaning the slate to make God happy with us but also cleaning our hearts and minds so we are not continually flooded with these negative thoughts .
When we are upset the devil enjoys the fact that he can reek havoc on us,not allowing us to fully focus on what we should be doing at that moment and that is praising God..
It's hard to pay attention to the words being said when these negative,repetitive feelings keep cropping up.
What to do?
Make peace not only with the other person but with yourself.
Understand that its alright to be wrong,feel wounded,or unjustified but its not o.k.to let these feelings fester and cloud our minds.
God understands we are not perfect and he understands that we can only fully concentrate on one thing at a time.
We can not serve two masters and as St.James says a person with two minds is an unstable person.
So to forgive is not just pleasing to God but healing to both our mind and spirit.

No Electricity but Lessons Learned

2011-09-06T17:16:00.000-07:00

Today I spend part of the day trying to get my house back in order,after our week of no electricity.
The camp stoves and lanterns needed to be washed and stored away and all the propane tanks had to be put in the corner of the spare room,so they can be brought to the cellar in the up coming days.
Funny this morning I started up the washing machine and admired the fact that I could actually do my clothes right here at home,rather then in Dudley at the Laundromat.
No electricity for one week makes you take stock of how much time we waste with our electronic gadgets.
You begin to understand just how much we rely on entertainment on an hourly basis.
When I was a child we would go to my grandparents house and everyone would put the kitchen chars in a circle and just sit and talk to each other until supper time.
I live in a house with two other adults and must admit we have never spent our entire afternoon not only talking to each other,but actually making eye contact while doing so.
With no electricity reading became an important past time,not only did I start and finish a book in a week period but also read the daily newspaper and piled up weekly magazines.
Sometimes getting away from our rut can remind us just how much we have lost in our modern day to day experience,with our electronic devices.
I have decided that from now on one day a week I will no longer us my computer and will greatly reduce my t.v. watching.
Just a way to re awaken my mind to the important things in the world around me.

Sunday : Storm Irene

2011-08-29T08:01:00.000-07:00

Sunday morning found me at work and with no electricity,either at work or at home.
The drive home was some what calm,a little rain and most of the down limbs found on my own street.
Happy to be safely home,the lack of electricity seemed a minor annoyance,especially with most of the state being hit harder then us.
The day before we stocked up on bottles and gallons of water,so if the power did go out we could cook,drink and flush our toilet.
Being old campers we were prepared with propane gas,stoves and lanterns but no crank radio,so finding out how badly hit was an unknown,though the silence was rather nice.
The next day,on Monday morning,my husband and son went and got my fathers old generator so we could have some of the modern amenities,for a few hours anyways,just like the rest of the world up and down our road.
It's kind of nice getting a chance to live like my grandparents did,when they were children in Canada,on the farm,sure makes you appreciate how difficult their lives were,no running water and an afternoon of planning just to make a meal,no simple task for the faint hearted.
Water had to be pulled up from the well with a bucket,wood for the stove carried in from the outside wood pile and vegetables picked fresh from the garden or home made canned products carried up from root cellar,under the house.
We do have some tree limbs down around our yard but none on our house or cars and we are calling and visiting friends ,neighbors and relatives to see if they are in need of borrowing our generator for a few hours to refresh the cold in their refrigerator and freezer.
Funny Sunday night when we went out to eat we admired all those lucky people,along our path who had lights and TVs on,I guess it was electricity envy.
When we arrived back home our neighbor,across our yard,had electricity while our street did not.
He had run an electric cord across the road to the house nearest him,who was still with no electrical power and I must admit thoughts of coveting my neighbors extension cord came to mind.
It would be so easy just sneak across the yard and add on to his cord..the plan all arranged in my mind,but the deed left undone.
In the Bible God talks about all sorts of coveting of ones neighbors goods,like wives,man servants,maidservant,even ones ass,as in donkey,but no where does it say anything about his electrical cord...
envy..envy..envy...

Opposite But Equal Reaction

2011-08-01T05:32:00.001-07:00

Einstein said that "every action has an opposite and equal reaction."
Life is also like this theory.
Everything we do,or do not do,in our day to day,moment to moment existence effects not only us but those around us.
It's not just the good things we do its also the bad and ignored things we do not do.
Our lives touch and effect all those near and far for the better or worse of each and every ones life force.
If we do small amounts of good we effect the good in the lives of others and vise verse,but if we do even small amounts of bad,or nothing at all,then bad and ignorance goes and comes into the world around us.
Opposite and equal does not just mean the physical things we do,it also means the spiritual and mental.
To say bad or good,do bad or good or even think bad or good is like a vibration,or wave,that extends from you to those around you.
To not be there for those in need because of your own selfishness,makes you an isolationist allowing others near by you to lose faith,trust and hope.
What could be a great and loving monument to God turns into a pile of confused rubble because you could not be bothered with the welfare of others.
Those of us who work with people on a daily basis know that one moment of self indulgence can lead to an others missed opportunity of hope and need.
Good equals,in most cases,good while evil self centeredness leads to isolation and lack of motivation,in both directions.
To build in the face of difficulties is never easy but to simply walk away is a sin before not only those in need but in the eyes of God himself.
What you put into the world around you is also what effects the world around you,opposite and equal reaction to all forms of matter in this universe.
If you who have great faith,walk away from your duties and responsibilities,how can you expect those with little to be any more interested then you are?
Opposite and equal reaction...Jesus understood this theory.
Even before Einstein penned this principle on paper,Jesus lived it all the way to the end of his mortal life and beyond.
Can any less be asked of us?

Sharing The Harvest

2011-07-23T12:09:00.000-07:00

I live in the small town of Thompson.
We have many houses and some have small,home style gardens,what they called,during world war two a victory garden.
Just big enough to feed your family,with some left over to store for the upcoming fall and winter months ahead.
Today while coming home from the grocery store,one of my neighbors had a basket of squash,sitting on top of a folding chair,with a small cardboard sign in front that said "free".
This is not an uncommon sight around here,many people get a bumper crop of vegetables all at once and since they can not possibly store so much they share with those in want or need,asking for nothing in return.
Today I got to thinking about when Jesus and his disciples were walking through the wheat fields,on a Sabbath day and decided to eat some of the wheat heads,related to their hunger.
Later a Pharisee reprimanded him for picking crops on a Sabbath saying it was considered work and there fore a sin in the eyes of God.
Jesus told him that the Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath,in other words if your hungry you have the right to pick and eat because you are not doing work you are feeding your self,even on a holy day of rest.
God wants his children's needs to be met and hunger is one of those needs.
Did you ever wonder why Jesus was not reprimanded for taking food that did not belong to him?
Back in the times of Moses,when God spoke to him,he made it clear that every Jewish person who raised and harvested food,had to leave the outer perimeters of their fields unharvested just so the poor and hungry could have some,because it was,and still is,our mission as children of God to take care of our neighbors needs by feeding the hungry,clothing the poor,helping the widows and orphans and not making people feel ashamed of their poverty.
We are to this day,to give open handily what every we can to those less fortunate.
My neighbors,through the goodness of their hearts,and not wanting food to go to waste,may not know it but they too are following this law from God and helping their neighbor by offering free vegetables to those who want or need them.
God bless their generosity,even if they don't realize what they are doing.
They may not know it but not wanting gain from what they are offering is the greatest blessing of all in the eyes of God.

Hot,Hot,Hot

2011-07-22T06:15:00.000-07:00

Today is to be almost 100 degrees.
Hot for us folks in New England and as we say here in the northern states,it's not the heat its the humidity,that will do you in.
I try not to spend to much time complaining about how hot it is,first because it's the middle of July and the hottest part of summer and second because there are many people,not just in this country but around the world,who are suffering from extreme heat conditions.
When my son was in Iraq,I never complained about how hot it was here,100 degrees pales in comparison to 130 degrees in a desert with full military packs on your back,doing guard duty for hours on end.
So as you can see what seems so bad to us for a few day is really just a nuisance while those we don't know are really suffering with hot weather.
I have always wondered how during the days before of fans and air conditioners,people could live in our hot southern states,year round.
No wonder people died so young.
God bless those people who went west in covered wagons,with long hot clothes on
and no comforts at all.
Today we are spoiled,complaining about the heat as we get into our air conditioned cars then head over to the nearby convenience store to pick up an icy cold,over sized drink.
So we have hot summers but as my Priest Father Peter says during humid uncomfortable Sunday morning Liturgies "its better to be hot here,then in the here after".
Words to live by.
No frosty freezes or big gulps in hell.
Stay cool and remember fall is coming,now I know why I love that time of year so much.

Zero Growth And The U.N.

2011-07-18T15:21:00.000-07:00

Back in the mid to late 1970's,during our awaking to the environment,many people touted zero population growth.In other words you should have one child and no more then two,in order to help save our environment and let everyone be able to have food around the world.
Our sacrifice would help the world at large.
This morning while listening to a Rhode Island talk radio station,it came out that the U.N. has set up a committee along with a green committee,to tell us,in the developed world,not the third world,that we need to once again go back to the idea of no more then two children,in order to save our planet.
Seems our future children would cause an excess in carbon in our future foot prints.
Only the developed nations,at present,are to blame because we consume more then any other parts of the third world,thus causing more destruction.The U.N. and this green committee feel to have more then two children,in say the United States,is well,selfish.
Who should tell us how many children is the right amount for you to have and raise?
Should this be a joint decision between two consenting adults or the United Nations,who by the way can't even run their own organization with any credibility,as noted by all the world genocide and their inability to intervine or stop it.
I believe that the number of children you choose to have should be up to you,has long as you are not expecting the government to assist in your income to raise these children,the choice sits on your shoulders.
Personal I'm tired of so called well meaning educated people telling me what I can and can not do with my body and family.
Children are a gift and according to the Bible we were given dominion over the earth and not the other way around.
People who believe in the greenness of the earth and planet need to understand that since we are in the image and likeness of God,then our welfare comes before the creatures of the earth.
God created us to be one with nature and the animals around us,all the earth may be at our disposal,but we still need to be good stewards and not go out of our way to cause destruction and desolation.
God is in everything around us,sort of a combined spirit,but we have God breath within us and as such are above the animals and the planets.
If you can afford more then two children and are good,hard working,loving people,why not have as many children as you want,but with that said,I also do not believe you should be given any special tax breaks for more then two children or price reductions in health insurance family plans,To this day I can not understand why someone with five children should pay the same insurance premiums as my husband and I.
If you choose a large family you also need to chose a good income to go with it,welfare for more the two children should not be an option.
Since God gave us a brain its important to use it when deciding on how large a family to choose and how we chose to raise them.

Church Garden And Festival

2011-07-15T11:00:00.000-07:00

Seems this year every vacation I have had,has in some way been a working vacation.
So much to do in so many places and so little time to do it all.
This week as been no exception.
Taking time for pleasure just is not in my nature and it seems such a waste not to take advantage of these extra cool days to do much needed yard work both at our church and home.
Yesterday while raking and weeding my friend Laura and I decided to pick up some flowers and dress up the church yard for this weekend's up coming St. Micheal Romanian Orthodox,ethnic festival.
As we were checking out the flowers it came to mind that,due to his busy schedule,Fr. Peter's vegetable garden had nothing in it but some budding tomatoes,with plants on sale we decided to dress up this small bounty with leek plants,eggplant and string beans,we wouldn't want our little country garden not looking its very best for our up coming guest.
I'm a real vegetable growing person,some people like flowers,but I like watching vegetables grow.
Maybe its my selfish nature to gain from my labors,but their is nothing like fresh vegetables right off the vine.
Luckily the garden plot had very loose soil due to a previous evening's rain storm,so all the weeds came out very nicely with minimal labor.
I must admit it was very satisfying to see all those little plants staked up and in straight rows for the up coming days ahead.
Summers in new England,though hot and humid,are very short.We,unlike our southern neighbors,have only about ten good weeks to get it all in then before you know it fall is on our door steps,with frosty nights to follow.
In the up coming weeks the joy of these simple fruits of the earth blooming to their full capacity will be a sight to see.
Since this year I did not get to plant my own garden,due to all the rain we have had,it kind of makes me feel like,in some small way,that this is my contribution to my desires earlier in the season.
So after several days of my small contributions,the yard and flowers are in place all ready for the up coming festivities and joy to be had on Sunday afternoon.
On July 17,2011 If you are in the area of St. Michael Orthodox Church,on Romanian avenue in Southbridge,we will be offering liturgy at 10am and an afternoon of food,fun and beauty,please stop by and take in all the sights and sounds of a wonderful warm summer day filled with friends both old and new and become apart of our wonderful day.

Childhood Obesity and Foster Homes

2011-07-13T13:30:00.000-07:00

If your the parent of a super obese child should your state have the right to remove your child and place him or her into a foster home,even if your a good and loving parent?
Seems the Journal of the American Medical Association says yes,they feel that putting children into foster care,in extreme cases,is better then obesity surgery.
Dr. David Ludwig,an obesity specialist at Harvard-affiliated Children's Hospital in Boston says the point is not to blame the parent but rather act in the child's best interest and get them help for whatever reason their parents can't provide.
State interventions will support not just the child but the whole family with the goal of reuniting the child and family as soon as possible and may require instructions on parenting.
Despite the discomfort posed by state intervention,it may become sometimes necessary to protect a child.
O.K. now I don't know what your opinion is but the first thing that jumped into my mind,after reading this article in today's Telegram and Gazette,was "Nanny State".
This doctor talks as if taking a child out of a loving environment,temporarily,is like removing a cockier spaniel from its home as if there is no such thing as family dimensions or feelings involved.
How traumatic would a child feel to know they are being taken away from their home and placed in a strangers house because they can not control their eating.
True extreme obesity is not good,no three year old should way ninety pounds and no fourteen year old should weight five hundred pounds,but you know it wasn't that long ago that parents wanted chubby children because they believed it was healthy.
I understand that childhood diabetes,high blood pressure and breathing problems are not a good way to have a childhood but I also understand we live in sedentary,high calorie fast food world with junk thrown in our faces all the time through advertisements and easy access.
Poor nutrition and poor incomes go hand in hand since junk food is cheaper to buy then nutritious food.
But maybe we should be encouraging children to exercise and eat properly in our school systems,who by the way are some of the worst food offenses to begin with,proving how well the state and government can run a diet plan.
When town budgets get tight the first thing schools choose to get rid of is P.E.
When I went to grammar school we had recess three times a day and were encouraged to play ball and jump rope,as a matter of fact most of us did not want to come in when the bell rang for next period.
Many new schools are built with elaborate gymnasiums,sports fields and complexes,for the soul purpose of kids getting exercise,not just for the jocks and the school athletic teams,but for all the kids attending that school system.
We don't need to be disrupting children's lives we need to be encouraging classes on good eating,going outside,exercise and having fun.

Church Teachings/To Little To Late

2011-07-12T20:24:00.000-07:00

The other day while watching EWTN the bishop from New York was being interviewed about the gay marriage vote that had just passed and where the church stands on this issue.
The Bishop said that he was saddened by the outcome and it is still unacceptable for the Catholic Church to condone same sex marriages.The stand of the church is that marriage is for procreation and must be entered into by two people of the opposite not the same sex.
When asked what steps the church was taking abut this issue,the bishop said that no elected New York State official will be allowed at any Catholic Church or school to speak,this includes even those who voted against this bill,since he feels,they had not worked hard enough to stop the positive outcome of this vote.
When asked what the church was willing to do to those who run for future elected offices in New York and tout that they are good Catholics on the campaign trail in order to garner votes,yet voted in favor of this bill,he basically said there was not much to do.
Since the 1960's churches have become unable to say what they stand for or speak out about what they believe for fear of losing both parishioners and income.
This issue is not just a Catholic problem but a Christian problem,John the Baptist may have been willing to lose his head for his beliefs but not our modern day,feel good religious institutions.
We are becoming a country of christian cowards,to afraid to say what we believe because we either don't want to offend someone or deal with the hassle of not being liked,we don't have time in our daily lives for such things.
In my opinion the church leaders have a moral obligation to tell their parishioners what it does and does not believe,so each person has a clear understanding of what is expected of them.
Its to little to disagree with what is being passed in government when you put your head in the sand and at the last minutes say "oh wait church teachings go against what you just voted in."
At Sunday Liturgy we say we are one united and Catholic Church,but as my priest Father Peter says,we really are not, our beliefs,from religion to religion,are all over the board.
We have religions in this country that have watered down the rules so much that their own clergy do not follow what the church teaches.
They make the rules up as they go along because its to distasteful to have to stand up and say we do not allow this or that action because Jesus tells us they are not what is expected from us.
Sorry religion is not a democracy nor a popularity contest.
As we become more secular in our supposed faith base churches we lose the very reason for being a religion.
We are no longer an anchor of hope or beacon of light but a social club that talks flowery words but will not stand up for its thousands of years of teaching and laws.
The problem when clergy refuses to stand up for the rules is they too begin to break them causing their parishioners to not expect much from their own behavior.
We are called to be in the world but not of the world and our claims to be Christians start with our beliefs,taught to us by our higher ups in the faith.Clergy need to make it clear to the people in the pews what is and is not acceptable,then call people to task when they are about to or have already made mistakes against religious beliefs held by their faith.
On the day we are called to judgement,those who preach and teach the faith will be held to a higher standing then the rest of the world,they hold in their hands the souls of others.

Standing Alone

2011-07-08T11:21:00.000-07:00

When Jesus was arrested and crucified all,but one of his apostles,ran away for fear they would be next.
Most hid out in a dark upper room trembling in fear,losing the faith that their,now thought,deceased teacher,had spent three years trying to reinforce in them.
Fear can drive even the bravest person to their knees and whats worse,is the loss of those you counted on the most to stand firm next to you in times of trouble.
Most people will tell you that you know who your real friends are by the way they stand in your presence during times of perseverance.
Harry Truman once told one of his troubled cabinet member "you stand next to me and I'll stand next to you."
This is what a true friend does,they stand firm next to you and if need be they hold you up while those around you repeatedly try to knock you to the ground.
We live in a world that prides its self on opposites.
First you are told how wonderful it is to be loving and giving and with the same breath your told how stupid and foolish you are to give away what you have.
When Jesus came to earth he taught us that being a faithful person means wanting what everyone else feels is foolish.
Giving to the poor,feeding the hungry,visiting the sick and imprisoned are all noble ideas but in this fallen world they are viewed as stupid especially when you are effective.
No one wants to turn the other cheek and no one wants to stand alone.
Its a lonely position to be abandoned and its humiliating to think those who profess to love you the most will turn their backs on you like an enemy.
But you know being alone can be a refreshing thing because it makes you understand that the only one you can count on is yourself and God,the only person who will never abandon you.
God picks the foolish to confound the world and abandonment goes hand in hand with striving for full achievement.
The world will hate you but God will always love you.
Not my will but yours is easier to said then to done.

Unity In Conversion

2011-06-28T06:41:00.000-07:00

I have been a convert to the Orthodox Religion for almost 5 years now.
In that time the road,though straight by faith,was not always so by community.
When you join the Orthodox faith you begin to find out quickly that people of tradition,nationally not biblical,can be very daunting and challenging to deal with.
To a new member it becomes apparent that sometimes the line between belief in nationality and religion can become blurred.
As I have matured,faith wise,the knowledge that I am not only stubborn but persistent has now been instilled in me.
I am coming to peace with who these traditional orthodox people from far off lands, are in their pride of heritage,just as in my own lineage.
Some people convert over to a faith and allow them selves to be lost in an others ethnicity,this is not good,God says we are to lose our old selves,but not lose our personal identity,the good parts of us.
A closed society is never a good thing,if growth is a priority.
One day while reading the bible it dawned on me,that I,like the first Gentile Christians,was trying to fit into an old set of traditionalist,whom at that time were the Jewish Christians.
Exactly how do you believe in the one true faith with out losing the best of yourself in the process.
The apostles Peter and Paul faced this dilemma them selves,Peter wanting these new Gentiles to fit in with the Jewish customs,while Paul pushed for different rules for the Gentile followers,which would be just has sacrifical and meaningful for them.
Accommodation,allows the new people entering the community,to assist the old traditionalist in growing and maintaining a community .
For many years now the Orthodox Church as not deemed it necessary for anyone but their own nationality ,to enter because the numbers were in their favor,now not so much so and those who felt locked out because of language have started to enter in larger numbers.
It's hard to keep a good thing under wraps forever and lets face it we are all God children not just a chosen few.
Inclusion should be the word of the church and with it a need to understand that social,not doctoral,change is needed in the eyes of the old to the new.
When you enter a religion you should take off the old like a cloak and put on the new like a suit of armor,always ready for the battle ahead.
But that warfare should not be with each other in the church.
No one group is better then another and no one idea is clearer.
Instead we should see that the old ideas that one has should be marred with the new.
Just has a marriage between an Orthodox person and none Orthodox person blends to make one a more rounded individual,so should our ethnic communities.
We as Americans are a melting pot for everyone from every walk of life and our religion should reflect this diversity with out changing our faithful doctrine and integrity.

Half Truths

2011-06-25T05:29:00.001-07:00

We talk allot about lying and gossiping but what about misleading others with half truths.
Recently I read about how a certain lawyer was upset with the work of a kind local priest and his helper at a Tornado Assistance Warehouse in Southbridge Mass.
When a Tornado hit their town on June the first,being a good and caring Priest,he jump in to help by starting a collection and distribution point for donated food items,in his church hall.
As the need became greater,a near by warehouse offered to allow it self to be used so many more could be helped.
Several weeks passed,and it became apparent that the number of tornado victims were dwindling but those willing to take advantage of the system,were increasing.
With help becoming short and need less,it was decided that the local food bank could more efficiently distribute what was left.
Now as with any intriguing story of goodness comes the villain,who feels that the decisions made were inappropriate because he could not be the hero,so the time had come to rock the boat of happiness.
In this story the evil town official,who belongs to a certain fire precinct,decides its time to get the police involved and file Fraud charges and of course involve a lawyer,who,by the way, is more then happy to use such words to describe said assistant of the ware house as unemployed,out of state and lawyer,just to grab the attention needed to derail this priest on face book and attempt to defame both of their characters.
Trying to turn a good deed into something much less,with the simple use of key words,causing the readers to doubt the innocence and true intent of both involved.
I have come to the conclusion that half truths are probably more harmful then full lies,because we leave only the necessary parts for conviction and suspicion in while deleting the entire story,thus killing a character.
Trust me I have nothing against Lawyers,but it has been noticed by me,that they do have a tendency to artfully use such language in an attempt to gain the advantage.
Jesus talks about loving our brothers and says that we are not to bear false witness against them.
This was so important to God that he placed it as a law in the Ten Commandments,thus making it a command not a suggestion.
Half truths are just that,the bearing of false witness told by one person to another in order to miss lead the hearers thought process,thus leaving the victim no defense,since what is being said is partial yet truthful.
The destruction occurs to ones character because only the negative words mentioned about the victim now stick in the hearers mind.
A word like fraud is hard to shake even when proven innocent with the real facts.
You know the devil works in terrible ways,when ever you are doing good he will attack and do whatever damage he can in what ever way he can.
Your job is to stand up and fight back while still maintaining love for the person who attacked you.
In the Bible there is a passage where Jesus is talking about having to go into the city and how they will kill him,Peter says something to the effect of him not going but Jesus tells him "Get behind me Satan."
Jesus did not mean that Peter was Satan,he meant that the evil one was speaking through Peter.
Satan does these things.
He will tempt you with everything he can and when you will not fall he will use the ones around you to help push you down,including those closest to you.
What can you do in the face of such evil and slander?
You must stand up and bring it to the light.
The evil one loves the darkness because the possibilities are endless in that realm.
Our minds can play terrible tricks on us but once something is brought to the light it is made clean and what we thought was horrible really is only a squabble.
Sometimes bad things happen to us to show us just how much support we really have all around us.
It puts our friends and family in a position to show how strong they are for us and how united they can be with us in times of pain,sorrow or trouble.

Food, Weight And Faith

2011-06-18T05:53:00.000-07:00

Muscle weighs more then fat,at least that's what they tell me.
Seems for the past three mornings I have gotten out of bed,gone to the bathroom and weighted myself only to find another pound steering back at me.
Personally I think the scale has an issue because heaven knows it can't be me.
My week has been a busy one,what with sweeping the church walk ways,mowing the grass and general house work,tell me how does one have time to put on weight?
OK now true eating better food would help relieve me of some tonnage,but even low fat frozen yogurt,when eaten in mass quantities is still useless calories.
The Bible say that our body is a temple,well this one is in some major need of over haul.
Food is a wonderful thing and we live in a country that spends way to much time hoarding then denying ourselves of its pleasures.
I remember reading a book called "Angela's Ashes",about this poor Irish family whose children,while growing up, never got enough to eat.
One day the eldest son hears how people in America actually diet and restrain the amount of food they eat because they have to much.
Reading that sure puts a light this subject.
We are a nation of plenty and enjoy ever morsel we can get our hands on.
I know more people on diet restrictions related to health or well being issues,then I know people who truly go hungry form lack of access to food.
Some times on weekends,the nurse on third shift will talk to me about the years she grew up in Kenya and how many children there are lucky to get one bowl of oatmeal or cereal in an entire day.
Funny how we have so much and they so little,I hate to say this but even our own poor and hungry people in this nation do no know what its like to go with out,like people in other countries do.
Here we can always find someone somewhere who will help our situation,be it church or government agency.
If you knocked on any churches door,saying "I'm hungry" most would feed you.
Weeks ago while at my hairdressers,we got on the subject of religion and land ownership.
He told me that several generations back his family became Muslim.
When the Turks over threw Macedonia they told people they could live and be fed simply by joining their faith,or they could die.
This religious ploy has been used by many faiths,for thousands of years and has served to do nothing but force most people into religions that today,most do not choose to practice or participate in,do to the bad feelings of being forced to join.
Food and their restrictions have been an issue since the days of Adam and Eve and will remain so til the end of time.
There will always be those with,those with out,those who hold the power and those who do not.

Natural Peace

2011-06-16T19:04:00.000-07:00

The nice thing about this time of year is it's warm enough to do yard work but cool enough to enjoy the nature that surrounds us.
The flowers in bloom,the birds and butterflies are everywhere,all that is required of you the viewer,is to sit quietly and watch in wonder as Mother Nature preforms her magic all around.
Thursday afternoon our Church had its biweekly Community Meal.
As the supper was winding down several of us went outside to sit at the table on the deck.
It was a lovely evening to be with each other,recounting our days' events,while the birds came to pick at the newly filled feeders,in the near by flower gardens.
The warm breeze around us and the brightness of our laughter,helped bring a glow equal to that of the soft setting sun.
Roses and flowers everywhere with smells filling ones senses only adding to the enjoyment of our shared evening meal.
It's not hard to feel close to God when nature and fellowship are blended together all around you.
Most people think "church" requires a building with repeated prayers but just enjoying each others company,able to embrace happiness and joy,is as much fellowship to the soul as Liturgy.
Becoming one with the things around us causes us to become one with God himself.
Most people do not realize that what you fill your senses with is what you become.
Some say watching violence,listening to harsh language or seeing things that are not good make no impression on us.
But I remember hearing to a female minister who said "what enters through the brain,goes into the heart then comes out of the mouth."
When peace fills our senses,it also fills our being and makes us better then we thought we could be.
In the Bible Jesus talks about giving and leaving us his peace,I think an evening such as this is exactly what he had in mind.

No Job To Small

2011-06-14T10:54:00.000-07:00

Growing up I was the middle of three children.
Many times I was either to young or to old to do the things my siblings were,this was very frustrating,since in my mind I knew I could do what ever either of them were doing.
It's hard in this life to realize that although you want to do things,they are not always the things needed from you.
Mother Teresa tells a story of a young woman who was disabled.She wanted desperately to help the poor and sick but in her bed ridden condition was unable,feeling very sad to be of no service she expressed her desire to some how help.
Mother suggested she could be a prayer buddy,she would be assigned the name of a person in the field who was doing the hands on work and she would be that person spiritual pal.
We are all able to do many things,but not everything is up to us to do.
Why when we are able and capable to carry out what others are doing are we not asked?
Sometimes,it's just not our turn.
Not being allowed to do something does not mean we are unable,incapable or unwelcome, it just means it's someone else time to shine.
Prayer is very mighty and although we profess its greatness we never seem to want to be the ones doing it.
Patience is also a virtue but one most of us don't really want to learn.
My son was in the military for 9 nine years and every soldier in his troop had a special position to do.
Some were leaders,some doers and some did paper work but all worked together to get the main job done.
The apostles job would have been much harder if no one had been working back up.
Does this make those people less?
No,in God mind there is no lesser or greater when doing his work.
Mother Teresa talks of how we are like the interior of a watch.
Some pieces great,some small,some expensive and some plastic but together it all works,causing the watch to run.
If even one insignificant piece stopped running the whole watch would grind to a halt and nothing would happen.
If we stopped looking at things in the worldly fashion of only the important do important things and look at in the fashion of God,we would understand that all jobs are important.
From the smallest to the greatest we all contribute to the entire picture.

Giving And Takiing

2011-06-13T15:44:00.000-07:00

Let's say it's a very hot day and you're walking down the street,when suddenly you decided to stop at a local grocery store to buy a bottle of nice cool water.
As you enter the store you notice a sale on bottled water,but its a store brand not a name brand.
Thinking the sale is a a good bargain and water is water,you decide to go with the store brand.
The sign says buy one bottle and get one free,so you grab both bottles and happily go on your way.
Feeling that you made a smart money move and knowing that tomorrow morning you will have enough change to treat your self to a cup of coffee,you continue to walk out of the store.
While heading down the side walk,a stranger comes to you and says he is very thirsty,but has no money and really wants some thing to drink.
Being a Christian and thinking this is your opportunity to do good,you pull out your second bottle of water and offer it to him.
Now what if when you handed him the bottle,he looked at the label and remarked this was a store brand and he preferred a better quality brand like Dissani.
What would you do?
Would you go back into the store,take the change you have left and buy him the better brand of water or would you say sorry but this is what I have to offer?
Does a person on the receiving end have a need to appreciate what is being offered or do they have the right to expect more,especially from those they view as having possibly more to offer?
Jesus says if someone ask you for anything you are to give it to them.
But choices were different in his day.
Water was just drawn from a well and food was bread or what ever could be grown or caught.
Many people came to him to ask for cures and healings but what if the man who was given his sight,came back and said "you know I have brown eyes,I really wanted blue ones,they are more stylish you know?"
What do you think Jesus would have said?
I understand that people who donate items to food shelters or natural disasters ware houses,should give at least things,they themselves would use,but what if what was given was done so with love,charity and the knowledge that more could be bought with the money they have,if they where to purchase a store label product.
My mother always said that "A beggar should not be a chooser and you should be grateful for what ever you are given."
Are we becoming a nation that is confusing its wants with its needs?
So whats the answer?
I tend to think that what is in the heart of the giver when donating is more important then the name on the can or bottle.

Caged Soul

2011-06-12T16:44:00.000-07:00

M.Gandhi said something to the effect of: If our body is a locked cage,that contains our soul,why would we do something so bad has murder another person,on the whim of a cage,never allowing our soul to be set free at our death and go on to our God.

Family Reunion

2011-06-12T06:17:00.000-07:00

Yesterday started with a service of Saturday of Souls,which was very fitting because after Liturgy we attended a family reunion and my uncle's 85Th birthday party.
To say my family as shrunk would be an understatement.
In a two year period we lost about 9 people and not just the elderly relatives.
Families are very important,its good to look back on who you were and what you have become.
Luckily for us we have no relatives in jail,at present anyways..lol...
We have all turned out rather well,we hold jobs,have some education and most have families.
Some of us are parents and most are grandparents.
I believe our own grandparents would have been proud of us,we all established the American dream of life,liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
Growing up we were a close knit group,spending most of our Sundays in the Summer at my parents cottage.
Swimming,marshmallow toasting,bar be queuing and watching the Lawrence Welk show in the evening,before making our way back home.
Now we have very little contact with each other,although Face book has helped to reconnect some of us.
All in all we have mostly had good lives,though bumps and pot holes in the personal road of life was inevitable.
Hopefully next year we can do this party again and maybe convince more of our relative to come and join us.
Next time we'll pull out my fathers 8mm films,now that will be worth a laugh.

The Good People

2011-06-06T05:35:00.000-07:00

We live in a country where if you do something wrong you will be put in the newspapers,on TV and make the web,for weeks,months or even years,but what about the good people?
Last week a tornado hit the Massachusetts area running from Sturbridge up to Worcester.
Great losses were had by those people laying in its path.
Siding gone,roofs blown off and trees not only broken but some,literally twisted.
Although the media has covered this tragedy for several days it is still a reality for those who now have to face and live the loss everyday.
The scars do not just fill a person with a sense tragedy ,but also a sense of personal insecurity.
Though I have never been a part of such a bad weather occurrence I can only imagine the fear these people went through as storms rolled over their neighborhoods and into their houses.
How does a person ever face thunder or high winds again with out the events of this particular storm playing through ones mind and nervous system.
The media has missed those who are now reaching out to others,with their time and talent.
Carpenters,roofers,electricians and tree cutters,all donating what they have of themselves to others.
The donations are coming in for food and drink not only for man but pet alike.
Several teddy bears sit on the donation table at St. Michael Orthodox Church,holding out their soft fuzzy arms in comfort for any one willing to pick them up and give them a tight squeeze.
St. James says that faith with out works counts for nothing.
We live in a country of people whose ancestors came here with little to no material items or cash.
Though they had nothing to give they taught their children and grandchildren the importance of helping others in times of need.
Here in New England we get labeled for being cold and uncaring,but this is not true,we know when to assist and are some of the most generous people you will ever meet.
I've heard it said we should not call our selves a Christian nation,but when we live a Christian lifestyle,then show those around us the best of what Jesus taught us,we are at that moment,who we are meant to be.
Gandhi said if Christians lived their lives as Jesus taught then there would be no need for any other religion.
The Good people may go unnoticed by the media while the bad make the headlines but that's OK because the light always shines brightest in the darkest part of the night.

Being Judgemental

2011-05-31T12:54:00.000-07:00

The other day while flipping through the channels I came across an interviewer,who is known to be very liberal in her opinions,she was interviewing Chaz Bono formally know as Chastity Bono.
Seems he has had all the things done to her to now make her a him and he has written a book about his experiences.
Chaz mother,Cher is none to happy with this transformation and his mother is having a hard time dealing with this whole thing.
The interviewer said "I don't understand how some one like your mother could treat you the way she does,I mean hasn't she always been around gay people like fashion designers,make up and costume people? Why should she be so upset about your being gay?"
I have to hand it to Chaz his reply,in a most loving tone of voice,was "She's my mother."
I always find it funny how people who claim to be so liberal about others and their short comings are only understanding toward the short falls of those they agree with not the ones they don't.
For example this same interviewer could not understand why Donald Trumps daughter would convert and become an Orthodox Jew in order to marry her husband.
She went on to say "I can't understand why anyone would change their religion for another person,I would never do that."
You know we are all suppose to be understanding toward everyone not just the people we agree with.
The world is made up of all different kinds of people with all different kinds of personalities and lifestyles,although we may not sanction what they do,we are not to be judgemental or cruel toward anyone,be it by our words or actions.
Jesus never hated,or ridiculed the marginalized.
He understood that even when someone was living a lifestyle not conducive to the ways of his father,that did not make them a bad person,it made them confused.
That was why so many people were drawn to Jesus,he understood we all fall short of the mark,in other words we sin.
He never got upset with those who did not know better but he did get upset with those who did,like the Pharisees,or religious leaders of the day, who felt they were better then those around them and said so by their words and actions.
Jesus was our example of how to love all people
How you judge others will be how you will be judged and those of us who call ourselves Christians,will be judged in this fashion because we,like the Pharisees, know better.

Marquette University Extended Health Care Benefits For Same-Sex Domestic Partnerships

2011-05-30T16:12:00.000-07:00

Marquette University has announced that,beginning next year,it will extend health benefits to same sex domestic partners.University spokeswoman Kate Venne said the extension is contingent upon domestic partners registering their status with the Milwaukee County clerk's office.The county started registering same-sex couples as domestic partners last year.
Venne said there are currently 13 other Jesuit Colleges and universities that offer benefits to same-sex partners..
Article in the St. Anthony Messenger..June 2011
I thought this went against Catholic Teachings?
Not sure what message they are trying to send but isn't a Catholic College suppose to adhere to Catholic Teachings?
Maybe I'm wrong?
Wouldn't be the first time.

Give 150.Com

2011-05-28T07:50:00.000-07:00

Since I was a teenager I have always been interested in the Civil War.
My interest has brought me to Washington D.C. and Gettysburg multiple times,even attending a re-enactment one July 4 weekend over 10 years ago.
My husband Vic and I have visited many of the Virgina Battlefields both great and small ones and still to this day I long to spend my free time in search of more history.
The opportunity to see such great battle sites is a blessing,but alas with technology and buildings on the rise these fields,some day in the future,may only be a fond memory.
The loss of any historic site is a loss of who we are both our good and bad.
They say those who forget their past are bound to repeat it.
If your interested in helping to keep our Civil War History sites in the hands of the preservers and not the strip mall and condo builders,then please consider going to the web site " give150.com " and for every donation you make,even one as small as a $1.50,the history channel will match you.
So if you can give up one cup of coffee in the up coming week,you can save a piece of history for future generations.
We aren't in need of another strip mall but we our in need of our past.

Stereotype Attacks

2011-05-27T06:15:00.000-07:00

Ed Shultz learned the hard way that just because you don't like what a woman says or does,does not give you the right to call her a derogatory name.
Welcome to the year 2011 and still we think calling a woman a slut,is alright,because we happen to disagree with her words or actions.
Mind you not her sexual actions but her physical and political determinations to be out spoken and heard.
Why is it this sort of behavior considered almost acceptable,especially when I'm not hearing any women's groups up in arms about this word.
I was born in the 50's and raised into the years of the 70's,when this sort of thing would have been denounced by both the young men and women of that time.
Women's Liberation was suppose to help educate and eradicate this sort of mistreatment of women making us equal in respect to men.
But alas when ever a woman is not soft spoken or quite they must be a slut.
Seems judging women on how they dress or act is alright,especially if the woman is an outspoken conservative,like a Sarah Palin.
Who by the way was referred to as a "slutty stewardess" among other things.
Are you outspoken? opinionated? and a female? then you must be a "bitch".
Several weeks ago a friend of mine asked me why so many women in the Bible are prostitutes,they don't seem to be given much respect.
This question struck home because I too also felt this way until I began to spend more time reading the words of Jesus and understood that women,at that time,were not treated well by there society and second Jesus loved the marginalized.
Weather or not these women were really prostitutes or just the strong out spoken women of their day is not clear,but what is clear is Jesus never used degrading terms when he spoke with them and he helped them see the best of themselves,in return these women where loyal followers who helped spread his words to others.
I reminded my friend that when Jesus was crucified women stood at the foot of his cross and when he rose from the dead women were the first to see him.
Hopefully in the future,with more women now going to college then men,this attitude of strong will and leadership will change over time,and we will find other terms to use when disagreements arise.
Sometimes just because something is in your brain does not mean it should be instantly allowed out of your mouth,especially when personal attacks are related to gender and stereotypes.

Being A Good Shepard

2011-05-23T17:33:00.000-07:00

Those of us who belong to churches,understand the importance of a good pastor.
The person who chooses to lead a parish also knows that what they teach and say holds great weight in the minds of their congregation.
Many times in the Bible Jesus warns us to be cautious of the leaders we choose to follow,he tells us that the time will come when those we think are trusted leaders, acting like Shepard's,will really be wolves in sheep's clothing.
Jesus knew that there would always be so called religious leaders trying to mislead and scam those who want desperately to believe and lead a good life.
The world is a dark place and many are drawn to the light,but not all light is equal in brightness.
Followers want to believe that those who speak the words of God,speak truth,but some speak only their truth.
Just because someone preaches biblical words,in the front of a congregation does not mean they speak honestly.
We as church people,like any good consumer,need to be smart enough to know what goods are being sold to us.
To many leaders are out to enrich their lives not yours.
A preacher who lives a million dollar lifestyle and takes advantage of the trust and money of the poor,innocent or misguided of the world,will on the day of judgement, be called to answer,not only for their mismanagement but also for the loss of another person essence and spirit.
So how do you choose a good leader ?
First compare what you are being taught with what the Bible says,things taken out of context are only half truths.
Never be afraid to ask as many questions as you can,a good leader will always be willing to help you find truth or lead you in the right direction for your answers.
If you feel uncomfortable about what you are being taught or it doesn't sound Jesus like,then leave the church and rethink why your sitting in this particular church's pew.
A church should be a place of love and your minister or priest a spiritual leader,who encourages not only your religious growth but your soul's maturity.

A Wedding Of Fate

2011-05-23T06:37:00.000-07:00

It is believed in the Jewish faith that God is the ultimate match maker and until the moment is right we are pushed away from our future partners,then when all is in place,the hand of fate nudges us into position.
Yesterday was such a day.
12 years ago the nursing nursing home I worked for finished closing their doors and I was transferred to one of their other facilities.
At that time I was a nurses aid and came to work under a head nurse named Mary.
We both hit it off very well and soon began to confide in each other.
One day she told me how she was married to a Seven Days Adventist Teacher,had three grown children and spent most of her married life traveling with her husband from school to school,as they were in need of good teachers in their Adventist Schools System.
This constant transferring of her husband made married life difficult and with her children grown the idea of settling in one place grew greater in her heart.
Finlay the time came when they mutually agreed they could no longer live this life style together.
Mary wanted to just settle down and grow a garden,which she could watch expand and flourish year by year.
Since she had a married daughter living in Webster and there were job openings at the local nursing home,she decided to jump at the chance for stability.
We continued our conversation with her telling me she had just ended a long distant relationship with a Seven Days Adventist School Principle,whom she had been friends with for many years and was feeling a bit lonely now.
I jokingly said "Mary you seem to like school teachers,if your interested I have a brother in law who is a school teacher who just ended a bad marriage and although he's very shy,I think you'd like him."
She agreed and with in months they went on their first date and became inseparable, from then on.
Yesterday,after 11 years,they decided to tie the knot and become man and wife.
At a quite little restaurant in Pomfret,Conn.with Friends and family not only in attendance but in participation,they did just that
This is the first wedding I have ever attended where the bride and grooms' family were both on personal relationships with each other.
At the moment of saying "I do" and being made husband and wife an entire room of people became relatives,as if a satin bow of love had been tied around each and every one of us
Funny how life is,as I was talking to the brides daughter,I could feel the presence of the Holy Spirit,as if the warmth of the sunlight shining through the windows was falling down upon us and filling our hearts with completeness,like this was always meant to be,the time was right and the hand of fate was ready.
This family marriage ceremony started with Reverend Rice,a cousin of the bride,officiating,the organist,a granddaughter,playing the entrance music,the bride on the arm of her brother,soloist music by another granddaughter,gospile passage reading by the groom brother and the male attendents and brides maids all children of both future husband and wife.
It was truly a uniting and as we Orthodox and Seven Days Adventist stood together,side by side, it was as if the East was meeting the West to form an extended horizon through out time and space,from present to future.
The minister spoke of a day in history,May 22,1908,when a young bride named Mary married a dashing groom called William and these two were to become the present day grandparents of this particular Mary.
So congratulation to the new couple married May 22,2011 also named William and Mary.
Once again the hand of God,the ultimate match maker,has united another couple in love.

Degrees Of Sin

2011-05-19T10:34:00.001-07:00

When I was a Catholic it was taught to me that sin could be divided into two groups,mortal and venial.
Venal being the little white lies,sins that are bad but not terrible,they might send you to purgatory but you'll be forgiven for them in the end.
Then there are Mortal sins those that could give you a direct ticket into hell unless you repented and asked for real forgiveness.
The Orthodox Religion sees no difference,sin is sin no matter how small or how great,its all the same.
Sin distances us from God,mankind and our selves.
This week in Bible Study we are reading James,the brother of Jesus,in chapter 2:10-11
he says:"For whoever shall keep the whole law and yet stumble in one point,he is guilty of all".
"For he who said do not commit adultery also said do not murder".
What this all means is when you commit a minor sin you are just as guilty as if you transgressed on a more powerful sin.
How can adultery be equal to murder,you may ask?
In order to commit adultery one or both of you must be married and when you have an adulterous relationship,you are dragging not only your own body into this union,but also your unknowing spouse and children.
On the day a person is married they are made as one body,when you do evil with your body you are also dragging your married half into the affair,with you thus stealing their ness.
Now ness is a person's very make up,what makes then who they are,their knowledge of themselves.
Committing adultery is being made less because now you have soiled your partners very being of who they thought they were.
Like the spouse of a faithful loving person,who is trust able and above reproach.
Your act has caused the death of a vowed relationship,the admiration and trust of your children,even before its brought to the light.
All sin is an abomination in the eyes of God.
Lying and cheating,no matter if done for good intentions,is still wrong.
The Ten Commandments were set up to help people understand that if you treat others properly then you will not commit any of these transgressions,because when you love someone you look out only for their well being.
Sin is sin.
There is no distinction,every sin wounds our closeness to God,we move just a few more steps away from him by our own choice.
Most sins are caused by our personal needs,like the seven deadly sins,our own ness choices to be inflated and those around us,are just articles used to gain another step up the ladder of ego,pride,sloth and self absorption.
Do all things with a mind to what you are truly doing,even the simple slips like white lies can cause pain to those you are not intentionally trying to wound.

Rapture.. May 21,2011 ?

2011-05-17T13:54:00.000-07:00

The end of the world is coming!..we'll at least that's what I've heard.
Seems May 21,2011 is the day of rapture when 144,000 people will be brought up into the heavens and the rest of us will remain here wondering what just happened.
Now out of all the billions of people living in the world 144,000 seems like an awful small minority to me.
Kind of like going to the casino and winning the really big jack pot.. you know the one that if you stay at the casino for 10 hours the numbers just keep adding up.
With that said,I am not getting my hopes up to high that I will be one of those people,so I guess my life goes on just as it should with the thought of continuing to work on my spiritual life a little every day and most likely each day will bring me one step closer to my own judgement day.
The Orthodox Church is not a believer of the rapture and since they don't believe neither do I,seems like they've been studying this whole religious thing since the times of the apostles and they have a better knowledge of this whole rapture thing then I do.
On the day that God decided to create what we now call Earth,he did not take the time to ask me what my opinion was on creation and how he was to carry it out,now that the end may be near,I'm thinking he's not concerned about my ideas on how to call it quits.
We all think we're so important that God him self would care to inform us of his plans.
Funny since the time of the early Christian Church,people have been trying to tell us when the world will end.
See the issue is even Jesus said he didn't know the day of judgement and since Jesus was not allowed such privileged information why would any mortal man,or woman think they would be better advised.
Our job here on this planet is not to worry or wonder about such things,but just be spiritually ready every day like the watchman before the dawn.
We are to love our God and our neighbor,everything else remains in God hands.
With that said if all works out,and I'm sure it will,I'll see you on may 22nd and we can all have a nice Sunday here on this side.
But if it doesn't ..well silly me guess I was wrong..wouldn't be the first time..

Universal Monastics

2011-05-14T05:38:00.000-07:00

Back in the days of the Feudal Lords,during the time of the Dark Ages,A rich person would buy up great tracks of land for serfs to work,farm and live on.
When harvest time came and the crops were sold,the towns people would pay the land owner his fee and he in turn would protect the village from those of the outside world who may do them harm.
At this point and time in history many monasteries were built,the land owner would agree to have monks come to their property and set up their Buildings and in return the Feudal Lord would pay for the support and upkeep of both monastery and monks.
Like today,some landlords were good and some were not.
Back in this period most people never left their homes or traveled father then a neighboring village,everyone,including the monks,would live out their entire life in this one community.
It was very easy,back then to entice men and women into these growing monasteries and convents,since most people felt the outside world was dark and dangerous,they had few choices in their village,either you were a working serf or a monastic.
Today we are a very different people indeed.
Most of us have traveled to many places and may have lived in different homes in multiple states or even countries.
We are no longer a stationary group living in one town or doing one job for the rest of our natural days.
opportunities abound all around us,all we have to do is go and meet them.
Most people have no issues with getting into their car and driving off some where every day for no special reason,other then because they want to.
We live a fast paced life with many worldly choices around us on an hourly basis.
The idea of a person giving their life up for one idea is becoming very foreign to us.
This is a throw away society,if we don't like were we are or who we're with,we leave.
Jobs,marriages,families you name it and we know how to dispose of it.
The idea of people going off to be monks or nuns has become less and less of an attraction.
Its hard to decide to turn away from all that the world has to offer and lock ones self up in a building filled with prayer and rules,a place were self importance is on the bottom,rather then the top of our list.
We have now become the Feudal Lords,not the serfs.
With that said,many people today are becoming more turned off by what the world has to offer them,an overload of materialism but very little spiritualism.
Some are now turning their own homes into a sort of personal monastery.
Most of us live in the world of jobs,families and friends but are becoming more aware of our need to get closer to God on a more personal level.
I know of people who have set up,in their homes,small prayer areas in an attempt to get farther from the secular and close to the spiritual.
These people may not know it,but they are a growing trend and some monasteries are embracing this idea,allowing these small clusters of people to join into their monastic groups.
When St. Francis of Assisi was alive he and his followers traveled around the villages,embracing this rule based worldly monastery.
He once said "The world is my cloister,my body my cell and my spirit my hermit."
Many people today understand that a need for more discipline in a religious life is necessary,that we,as Jesus said are in the world but not of the world,unfortunately most of us have come to this realization after establishing a career and family,making running off to a monastery not in our future.
What to do?
I am in the process of reading a book written by the musician John Michael Talbert called "The Universal Monk",about his own hermitage in Arkansas,who are now embracing this concept.
They have allowed outside people living in communities all over the world,to join this new monastic idea.
With this comes an understanding that you may be of any religious denomination but you must be willing to follow the rules laid out by their Catholic Community,most of which are Benedictine in nature.
Becoming a member of this group is a lifetime commitment and can not be taken lightly,even vows before the community are required.
It is not a throw away idea which can be discarded on a whim,it requires full daily dedication and challenges.
The difficulty of this idea is you remain in the secular world and must be self motivated,its not like living in an organized daily functioning group where every one has the same daily regime.
Back in the days of the desert fathers and mothers,it was believed that the evil of the world lived in the dessert,so these people were not running from evil they were really running toward it.
Today this idea is that those who live in the world fight evil every day and we are not running from the wickedness of the world but toward it,like a candle light in a darkened room,we emit our glow.
Those who embrace this new idea of personal monasticism,living on the daily front lines are like the desert parents of old.
This new life style is one of great challenge and can not be entered into lightly,just has a novice spends many years being discouraged by the abbot,before being allowed to be a monk,so we must understand that such a lifestyle takes much time to see if we are truly called to a deeper religious conviction.
Every day is a trial and not every day will be a success,but one day at a time will win us the discipline we need to get ever closer to our goal of conversion,or change,thus making us more Jesus like in our faith and actions.

The Loss Of A Community Church

2011-05-09T05:05:00.000-07:00

Thursday evening,at our community meal,a friend came to me with great anxiety about the possible closing of her church,St. Hedwig in Southbridge.
The vote was coming that evening and she,like a child learning of her parents decision of possible disillusion,was very upset.
Sunday afternoon the answer was given to me,that their fate had been sealed and they were to be a discontinued church.
Now it is very easy when its not your parish to become flip about such judgements and see it as a much needed necessity,which unfortunately,it is.
The problem here is the people who now face the greatest sadness are the ones who put the most time and faith into their parish,not the ones who only came to service twice a year and almost needed a map or gps to find the building.
It is with great sadness that I have come to a point in my life were the need to close so many churches is a reality.
Lack of interest in what was,for some,a childhood religion,is a sad future.
We no longer have time,not even one morning a week,to walk into a church and make contact with God and neighbors,in worship.
The demise of a church,for some people,may also be the ending of their own faith as Satan helps increase their feelings of loss of trust in established religion.
Now I know all the reasons why a church needs to close and the biggest unfortunately is membership and financial loss.
Jesus said "when ever 2 or more are gathered in my name so am I" but I guess that idea doesn't work when your trying to pay the bills on a religious building.
This is the second church where I have had a personal knowledge of the good people,who are trying their hardest,to maintain and keep a dedicated relationship with God and man.
I guess all the good works of a single church can not save it when its on a life line.
The death of anyone or anything is always sad,but sometimes personal losses help us to move in new directions.
We at St. Micheal Orthodox Church,need to step up and be the good neighbor,by making ourselves ever ready to console and assist when needed.
The one thing St. Hedwig taught our church was,charity to neighborhood,by showing us how to set up and run our most successful community meals.
They were kind and patient with us and like an older sibling gave the encouragement we needed to assist and succeed in our new mission.
Now our time has come to pay back our neighbor during their time of loss.
Pope John Paul said something about the Catholic Faith and Orthodox Faith being like the right and left lung in a person body,working together we are strong and healthy.
When ever a Catholic or Orthodox Church is put in a position of having to close their doors,we as a united Christian Faith become just a little less strong and the world around us a little more sick.

Bin Laden/Holy Wars

2011-05-03T05:35:00.000-07:00

Yesterday,while at work,the news came to me that Osama Bin Laden,was indeed deceased.
First off may I inject great work to the American Military Elite Forces,who understood and successfully carried out this most distasteful of missions.
With that said after several moments of adulation a form of sadness filled my heart.
First for all the people who suffered at the hands of this misled tyrant and so called religious militant and secondly for Bin Laden,who fooled not only his followers but also himself.
The death of anyone is a sad thing,more so for the innocent then the guilty,true,but sad none the less.
What drives a person to do such terrible acts to those around him and in foreign lands,is a question we will never understand,but his delusion,quite frankly,was nothing less then "sick".
Worse yet is the idle belief that such things are sanctioned by God.
Since God is love he can not endorse evil of any kind,no matter which side.
We are all his children and as such he does not encourage discord between us.
But because we humans are fallen in nature we try to use the name of God for approval of our negative and incorrect actions of wars and killings.
The third of the Ten Commandments,brought down from the mount,by Moses,to the people of God,which now includes us,states: "You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain."
In our western mind we understand this to mean getting angry and saying God name while cursing or speaking profanity,what we in this country consider swearing.
But this third commandment has a deeper meaning,missed by us today,and that is do not bind,or tie in the name of God with an act unGod like,in order to make it seem honest or more righteous.
Since God is love,his name can not be linked to evil acts even if the doers feel they are justified.
The Crusaders of the 1200's,where told by Pope Urban that the war they needed to fight was to obtain the Holy Lands and bring Jerusalem back to the Christian world,he encouraged these followers to fight by telling them it was a noble act sanctioned by God himself.
This,unfortunately,proved to be untrue.
Those who fought to reclaim the Holy Lands,found out the hard way that as the atrocities mounted the good ideals of the first Crusaders waned and evil took over.
Don't get me wrong,not all wars are bad but all evil,selfish,self centered acts are.
Back in the times of the Old Testament to swear meant to make a vow to what could mean the ending of your very life.
To swear in the name of God,brought the Almighty's name onto an earthly level as if,in some way, God were equal with and sanctioning your earthly vow making it seem more justified and truthful.
During the time of Moses,God name was so sacred mere mortals were not even allowed to speak it and to swear by it was to show disrespect for such sacredness.
In the Epistle of James 5:12 he says:
But above all bretheren,do not swear,either by heaven or earth or with any other oath.But let your "yes" be "yes" and your "no," "no".less you fall into judgement.
What James is saying is swearing does not make what we say truthful nor our integrity better only God knows whats in a person heart and he is the judge of each of us.
No war is ever holy,though in the face of wickedness some seem more just then others.
Bin Laden had 10 years to make himself right with this country and turn himself in.
His war,like Pope Urbans,was neither holy nor sanctioned by the Almighty.
We all have free will.
If your hiding out and some one comes to arrest you,you can give in and be incarcerated or you can grab a gun and give up your life.
I do not feel good or bad that he is gone,because there are more deluded,evil people waiting in line to take his place,happy to swear by the name of God and kill more innocent people.
True the families of his victims can now feel some sense of justice and maybe even some closure but there will always be another Bin Laden and evil will always crop up because we are a fallen world.
Gandhi once said "evil never last",I think yesterday proved his point.

A Walk

2011-04-25T08:21:00.000-07:00

This morning seemed to start out as a rather dreary day.
Not much brightness in the world I must admit.
As I decided what was to be my day,the idea of taking a walk seemed very nice indeed.
I pulled out my Ipod,put on my head phones,started some of my John Michael Talbert music and as if by magic,the gloom of the morning slowly lifted being replaced by a bright internal sunshine.
The birds gently gliding in the sky seemed,like myself,to be in need of some wing space and their songs proved to the world around that beauty is in the eye,or ear of the beholder.
Life every where about me as if encircled by the lovely promise of spring.
Trees showing their buds and tiny purple flowers their blooms,all calling out for sunshine,unbeknown to them,their own floral loveliness was greeting my heart and soul with great radiance.
The raging river running through the nearby park,roared with mightiness as the very banks themselves tried,with all their might,to contain and keep in check,the forceful liquids escape,as if the hand of God was cupping the tirade,providing safety to all the nearby creatures scurrying to do their appointed daily chores.
Chipmunks and squirrels happy for the warm,yet misty weather ran back and forth between the rocks and up and down the near by trees.
With nature all around showing it self my walk seemed to take no time at all,giving me a chance to ponder a belief,I once heard.
In the old days it was said by religious communities that to breath in was to allow the spirit and goodness of God himself into you very being,while exhaling gave man an opportunity to dispel all his evil,corrupt worldliness.
Every breath inhaled was a chance to cleanse ones body,mind and soul by taking in the purity around him and the expelled breaths was a chance to rid ones self of ungodly,impure life thoughts and excesses.
Spring is in the air,God is in the air and you are able to see a new blooming in your self,even if its only by inhaling the world around you.
Christ is risen..indeed he has...and nature is his proof...

Today He Hung On The Cross

2011-04-22T20:25:00.000-07:00

Today is Good Friday,the day Jesus willingly went to the cross to save us from death.
Today Jesus,the great King of all,allowed himself to be humiliated,abused and killed in a most horrible fashion for our sake,unworthy though we may be.
Today the almighty,raised up like Moses staff,was suspended between the heavens and the earth hovering has the Holy Spirit did,above the waters on that great day of creation.
With his arms outstretched encompassing all his creation,in his loving embrace even has his very mortal life slipped away from him,one moment at a time.
How unworthy and ungrateful are we,as this new Adam took on our wrongs and was crucified between two thieves,but even in his agony repeatedly asking his father forgiveness for us because of our ignorance.
How do we thank someone for giving up his life,for the undeserving,who even today say "there is no God".
A creator who loved his creation so much that even his last agonizing breath was not enough,if he could have given more he freely would have.
Today is a day to be grateful,because of his love we need never fear the agony of the tomb,he waits for us with this arms ever opened to come home to him.
All he ask from us in return is love and forgiveness.

I Am

2011-04-21T09:58:00.000-07:00

When I was a child I remember watching the movie "Moses" with Charlton Heston.
When Moses goes up to the mountain and the burning bush speaks to him,Moses says who are you? God replies "I am the God of Abraham,the God Of Jacob and the God of Issac." "I am who that I am".
When God tells Moses to go to Pharaoh and free his people,Moses says "Who shall I say sent me?" and God replied "Tell them I Am,sent you."
I have always wondered,what exactly did God mean when he said this?
Who or what is I am,there has to be more to this statement?
Did he mean I Am the one true God,The God of the Prophets,maybe the only God?
But I already knew that,there just had to be more to those two simple words.
The other afternoon I happened upon the Oprah show and she had a man on who wrote a documentary,called I Am, about his struggle from what the world considers a successful materialistic life style to an understanding,by free choice,of how living with out the excess means entering a more richly spiritual reality or true life.
Coming to the realization that success is not always what we have been taught.
Has they showed parts to his documentary,it suddenly struck me what God meant when he said I Am,he meant "I Am Everything" including you.
I am not just a Deity I am life it self.
I am the animals,the trees,the grass,and the very air you breath,the life around you and in you.
Everything that you see,hear,touch or taste,more things then you can even understand or imagine... I Am everything.
I am you,everyone and everything.
Together we are interdependent because God is all encompassing and everywhere we are so is he.
I Am intertconnected with you...and you are because of me.

Did You Know On The Day Of Atonement:

2011-04-20T12:37:00.000-07:00

Did you know that: the curtain in the Temple,that ripped at Jesus death was 8 feet in thickness and took many,many men and horses to put into place.
During the Jewish day of atonement the priest would go behind the curtain,bath,dress in linen and attach a rope around his leg in case he died,he could be pulled out.
The first thing to be sacrificed on this day was a bull,which was scarified for the sins of the priest and the priesthood.
Next two goats would be brought in,the priest would draw lots to see which one would be sacrificed for the sins of the people and which would have the sins of the people placed on it by the prayers of the priest.
The second goat would then be released into the wilderness never to be touched or killed by any person in the community.
The goat that was released was called the scape goat.
The goat that was sacrificed would have his blood spread on the judgement seat,on the top of the arc of the convenient.
When Jesus was on the cross lots were drawn for his garments,he became the sacrificed lamb for our sins and the scape goat thus making him what the two goats represented on the day of atonement.

Maria Talks

2011-04-20T08:27:00.000-07:00

Are you a resident of the state of Massachusetts?
Do you have a teen aged daughter 18 years old or younger?
Do you know there is a web site in your state called "maria talks.com"?
Do you know what kind of a website this is?
How do you,has a parent,feel about a web site funded by your state telling girls 18 years or younger,how to get an abortion?
Insinuating you can by pass a judge and your parents and easily get the abortion you need by allowing them to send you to the proper web site?
Are you to afraid to tell your parents? we can help.
Are you to afraid to go before a judge? we can help.
This site tells teens it is set up to answer the questions you have about birth control and STDs,that they casually make it more comfortable for teens to get answers
and explain abortions as a simple,painless procedure which many girls have had done.
They lead girls to believe it is not life altering or dangerous in any way.
High Schools hang these posters up in the Nurse Offices because they,the school officials, believe that if it is endorsed by DPH (dept. of health) it is innocent and relevant.
Since the posters make no mention of abortion on them,the schools don't know the full extent of this web site.
The "Maria talks" site,funded by the state of Massachusetts,will lead you the questioner,to planned parenthood,which states in their defense they do not us tax payers money to fund abortions.
Now I don't know where you stand on abortion but I for one feel if someone is 18 years or younger their parents need to know what is going on,even those few parents who are irresponsible still have rights.
The abortion part is bad enough but why are we encouraging young people to avoid their mistakes?
Is it good to teach children that going behind your parents back is acceptable behavior,rather then facing the music.
We all make mistakes but you can't solve a problem by running away and hiding from it.
Children need to be taught honesty and how to face the issues at hand for the actions they did.
Two wrong do not make right.

Fallen Nature

2011-04-20T05:58:00.000-07:00

During Holy Week,we are made to center on our short falls and how we,by design,never seem to get it right.
It doesn't seem to matter if we're apostles,harlots,friends or religious leaders we all seem to be in the same hole as far as these first three days of Mantins go.
We are introduced to tricky Pharisees who try to catch Jesus in his own words,Ten Virgins,5 of whom don't have enough oil or vigilance,Judas,a follower, who plans the sale of Jesus life and the sinful woman who washes Jesus feet with her tears then dries them with her hair.
What do all these people have in common?
Choice.
Everyone made a choice some chose forgiveness and repentance and others did not.
We are all fallen by nature and to finger point and make little of another person is not only wrong,its human.
The importance of having Jesus in our lives is the understanding that he loves and forgives us if we just ask.
We are always ignorant to our selves and others,in a need of feeling important or superior,always choosing to belittle another for their short falls.
When the harlot came into the house of the Pharisee she was shown as truly repentant,even to the point of not caring what those around thought.
Her head was uncovered,the sign in the Jewish world that she was probably a prostitute and far from pure.
A woman,entering a mans house alone,unheard of in her day and taking the position of sitting on the floor,washing a man,who was not your husband,feet with not water but her tears,then drying them with her hair,not in a sexual or provocative way but in a repent loving fashion.
For the gratitude of Jesus forgiveness,she fearlessly walked into a Religious Leaders house,where all could mock and berate her,to give this man,this son of God the greatest amount of gratitude she could think of,her simple,loving, caring service.
She who at that moment was the least in the eyes of the great men around her became the greatest in the eyes of Jesus.
We,all human by nature,are all fallen,easily tempted and just about always ready to follow our physical wants and desires,not our spiritual ones.
The 5 wise virgins,with their filled lamps teach us that our spirituality,as long as we are alive,is always a work in progress.We can never say we are good enough or holy enough because if we do we have just sinned by pride,just as the Pharisee did.
Everyday is a spiritual battle,just when you think you've won you turn around and do or say something stupid.
The only perfect person who walked this earth died,rose and ascended over two thousand years ago.
God does not expect us to be perfect and we were not created to be so,but we were made to do the hardest thing of all and that is to ask for forgiveness and truly mean it.
I often wonder what would have happened to Judas if instead of hanging him self he would have stayed around.
I know if he truly was sorry for what he did he would have been forgiven and maybe even remembered has a great saint.
Easy for me to say because I know the rest of the story,but poor Judas did not.
I guess that's where faith comes in.

The Bridegroom Comes:But Are You Ready?

2011-04-19T06:07:00.000-07:00

Monday night during the Bridegroom Matins several Gospels were read which directed not only the attention of the people of the church but also that of the clergy to the errors of our sins.
First was the story of the virgins with their oil lamps waiting for the coming of the Bridegroom.
While awaiting his arrival they fell asleep (the symbol of death) and when the bridegroom was nearing they awoke,but only half had the right amount of oil with them,while the other half did not.
Out of excitement those who had no oil asked those who did,for some of theirs,but those who had extra had only enough for themselves and could give none away.
The virgins,who had no oil ran off to buy more,but when they returned the doors to the great hall were shut and they were sent away.
This tells us that we,has God children,need to always be ready for the coming of the Bridegroom,or Judgement Day.
Our souls need to be pure as the virgins so we will be let into the wedding hall.
In the Temple while Jesus was teaching the people,a religious leader comes to him and questions his beliefs.
Jesus,knowing this leader was not being honest with him,ultimately tells this man that the religious leaders of his day have become corrupt and misleading.
He talks of white washed tombs,beautiful on the outside,but holding dead men's rotting bones inside.
Basically he tells them that when they glorify themselves by having the best seats at the parties,finest cuts of meat at banquets they are not being humble,they have gained their rewards here on earth and will have none in heaven.
He also warns them about laying heavy burdens and laws on men's shoulders but not being willing to assist them,even with one finger,to bear the loads placed on them.
They have made man serve the laws,instead of the laws serving man.
Thus setting man up to fail in their struggles to get nearer to God.
Lastly he talks about false prayers,standing in the middle of the Temple proclaiming their prayers and holiness to God so all can see them has pure on the outside,but not clean on the inside.
To add to that he speaks about them teaching new students these laws and beliefs and making these novices more ready for hell then themselves.
What these leaders are teaching are their sinful ways to those who are new thus making them more ready for hell,related to their corrupting of the innocent by false beliefs,so they never know the truth.
Jesus tells us we are all sinners and need to make amends,trying to lead better more Christian lives.
Even those who followed Jesus wronged him,Peter denied him and Judas betrayed him proving no one is perfect we all live in a fallen world with Satan always trying to trip us up,Even those closest to God may fall due to our nature.
As the bridegroom comes we need to understand that once we are fallen asleep,dead, it will be to late to increase our Holy Oil, or spiritual goodness.
We need to honestly push forward daily in our struggles,never relaxing on what we perceive has our excess holiness because the thief comes in the night and once he comes we will be lost to make adjustments.
In the end the laws and rules of the church are important,but following them in an honest and pure spirit always remembering we are sinners in need of forgiveness,loving our fellow men and God,is what we need to strive for until our last breath,then all bets are off.

The Adjustment

2011-04-18T11:18:00.000-07:00

Recently my husband and I went to see the movie "The Adjustment".
In the story a man who is very loved as a new up and coming politician meets a dancer with a future of her own.
Together they end up falling in love with each other.
But fate was late in stepping in to break them up and their future is now confused.
According to the story there is always "others" in another realm working for the "chief" whose job it is to push fate in and out of our lives to keep us going on a path which we are to follow.
And although free will is always there some gentle nudging in certain directions often occurs,helping us stay on a path.
The politician in this story gets to meet some of these adjusters and is made to understand why his fate is not to have a satisfying relationship with this girl,if neither feels this fulfillment of love they will both push themselves to be greater in their chosen fields and talents in order to fill the void.
He will become president and she a world renowned dancer.
Being Orthodox I am not allowed to believe in predestination,which by the way I never believed in anyways,but I must tell you I do believe in gentle nudges or pushes to help me keep in the right direction.
Did you ever stop to wonder why the things you think you want in life just don't seem to work out?
You miss an important meeting,your to late to sign up for a class you think you must take,you miss a train or plane and have to take a later one,you drop coffee on you good clothes,start off down the road and feel you have to go back to check on the iron you think you might have left plugged in,how about being stuck in traffic?
I can tell you there are days when I'm at work that I may be down one end of the hall and see something that is potentially bad for a patient on the opposite end and has I rush to get to the situation people walk in front of me,a laundry cart may be crossing my path and it seems to take forever for me to make it as if something is keeping from getting there as fast as I need to.
I believe we all have free will but with it we also have guidance,events happen in ways to stop us until we are ready for them to either happen or not happen.
I remember reading a book written by a man whose father was a Rabbi and his whole family were all very orthodox Jews.
He had decided he wanted very much to get married and since he had no luck in the town he was in he decided to move south for awhile and see if he could meet a nice Jewish woman there.
While in this town he began to question his orthodoxy and wondered what it would be like to be a Christian.
With no luck in sight of finding the wife he longed for,he moved back to his old neighborhood and within several months he met the woman of his dreams, who,by the way,had grown in a family with a father who was a baptist minister and she converted from Christianity to Orthodox Judaism.
Long story short he married her and she in turn helped him to spend one year trying to live a lifestyle of a Christian in order to understand what he thought he was missing by being raised a Jew.
Although he never became a Christian he did get a stronger understanding of his own faith and desire to remain a more practicing Jew.
So what does this all mean? Well God watches out for us,He cares for us and we have the angles and Holy Spirit helping us by gentle nudges,making us be better then we could be alone.
The adjuster,or guardians in our lives help try to keep us on the road and out of the ditch with gentle nudges and reminders.
God is ever present,we are ever guided and protected and although we have free will we also have boundaries.
There is more to our lives then just us and we are interdependent on the lives of each other.
Just because we don't see the big picture doesn't mean that there is no big picture.

What Is Value/What Is Worth?

2011-04-18T05:56:00.000-07:00

This week is my vacation and with Holy Week at hand,I decided to sleep in til at least nine.
Well at 7:15am the phone rang,thinking it must be work asking me where I am? I ran downstairs to pick it up and tell them my well rehearsed answer of "Why are you calling me,its my day off and no thank you I do not want to come to work today."
But instead of being my place of employment,it was one of my husband's tenants calling to say that the apartment my son had been storing his things in had been broken into.
Vic and I went to the apartment to find,to our relief,that only some windows had been smashed by stones and nothing had been touched.
Has I drove back home I began to think of all the things that ran through my mind,upon receiving that early morning phone call.
The first and foremost was "is there anything valuable in the apartment that could have been taken and if so what could it have been?"
All that came to mind was an old TV that belonged to my parents.
OK safe enough.
Stopping at a local convince store to get a coffee,my thoughts filled with "But what is valuable anyways?"
To me there seems to be two types of valuable.
One is monetary,how much is an item worth? Its financial dollars and cents.
A TV or computer may have money value if its new but not so much if its older and if someone were to steal it would it be worth the effort to even remove it?
What about metal,coins,gold or copper do any items have or are made of these compounds,if stolen could they be melted down and a price be placed on them by the ounce or pound.
The next value seems to come from that of sentiment,not worth much in dollars but highly valued in the heart and mind,A part of your own personal being.
If stolen probably worth more to you then any TV or computer could ever be,irreplaceable to only you due to its sentiments.
Emotionally priceless.
What about the one willing to do the stealing,what would drive someone to take that which is not theirs?
Is this person,possibly an addict,in such bad need of drugs that even a few dollars could help pay for part of a gram or joint,something to get them through this day,hour or moment,a lost soul with an uncontrollable demon in his mind and nervous system.
How much desperation would a person have to be in to steal from another and possibly get caught and imprisoned for their action?
Like selling you freedom.
Could this person be some one who enjoys the excitement of stealing,are they lazy and stealing is easier then holding down a job or how about something done out of a dare,possibly an act of desperation to pay a gambling debt,buy food,or stay in their domicile?
In our situation only a few broken windows,probably school children trying to liven up an other wise dull walk to school.
Much to think about for this Holy Week,A time when Jesus himself faced being robed of his life by people in desperate situations of greed,lust and hatred.
Several where afraid they'd lose their powerful religious positions,one feared loss of an newly acquired,influential governmental post and one just needed some coins of value for the price of a life,which had not lived up to the expectations of a follower and close friend.
You know there is always two sides to every theft that of the victim and that of the perpetrator.
It doesn't make things right or wrong,never clear in ones mind,especially in times of seemed desperation,but each side having its own sense of value and worth,that can be gained or lost in money or power.
Always there are those who have lost and those who have gained.
But in the end a price to be paid and the cost tremendous to everyone involved,both for the innocent and the guilty alike.

The Coffers

2011-04-11T20:08:00.000-07:00

Belonging to the Orthodox church is allot like the Catholic Church,we do not tithe so stewardship,donations and fund raisers are our ways to help keep the coffers full and stave off the wolves from our door.
The problem with these events is it can distract us,both mentally and physically, from the time we could be donating and assisting our community.
Money is a good thing when gotten to pay the bills but being a church we have to walk the balancing rope of spending to much time worrying about money and not enough time worrying about worship.
Sometimes these things can blend and fund raising can seem almost has important as time spent with God.
This is not a new issue,in the New Testament Jesus goes into the temple and over turns the tables of the money changers,to show that this building is a house of God and not a bank.
We always have to remember that the main reason we have a church is for worship and even if the doors were to close,due to lack of money,we has the people of the church can praise God in the parking lot,he doesn't care.
Money is paper and coin and will gain us nothing in the end.
All things are dust and what has a beginning also has an end.
No one wants to see their church in financial straights,but if the fund raising becomes more respected then the prayer in the church then an issue has arisen and we need to rethink our priorities.
Render onto Caesar that which is Caesar and onto God that which is God.
Believe it or not he comes first,for with out him what difference does it make if we have a church or not,if he is not with us then all we own is a beautiful structure,man made not God made.

Mrs. Noah

2011-04-11T18:48:00.000-07:00

In the Bible,the book of Genesis,tells the story of Noah,but did you ever wonder who his wife was? For whatever reason she,like many women in Genesis,are not mentioned by name.
This seems rather sad since she must have been a very special woman
Here we have Noah working day and night to build this ark that the Lord called him to construct for an up coming flood,which must have been difficult for him to comprehend since he had never even seen rain,let alone a boat.
Being ridiculed and scorned by friends and neighbors,while poor Mrs.Noah was not only standing by her man,but raising three sons,whose names by the way,did make the Bible,and running the day to day household operations so Noah could do God work.
Not only did she have to be strong before the flood,but just imagine what it was like living on a boat with all those animals and sons and their wives,talk about to many cooks in the kitchen,I hope patience was her virtue.
Living in this large enclosed floating zoo,the smell must have been horrible not to mention the amount of work it must have taken to clean and feed all those animals and family members alike.
To say Mrs.Noah did not have the strength of Atlas him self,both physically and mentally,would have been an understatement and a disservice to her.
This must have been a woman of great planning and ingenuity,not to mention a sense of humor.
I'm sure not many women could have put up with all that nonsense,before,during or after the flood the way she did.
I don't know what her name was but she should have gotten,at least, honorable mention just for being able to step off that boat,after all those days adrift,with out having a nervous break down.
How happy she must have been when after more then forty days,the gang plank went down and all those animals walked off the ark,headed for green pastures far,far away from her.
For once it must have been a pleasure to see their backsides.
The thought of spending some time alone,soaking in a hot tub,getting the animal smells off her, must have filled her emotions with gladness.
Here's to you Mrs. Noah you are a model of efficiency and don't feel bad that the boys got all the acclaim in the Bible,because we know who the real back bone of the crew was,you and the daughter in laws.
Maybe your name wasn't mentioned because one name would not have been enough to describe a woman with such fortitude and talents.

Written On Monuments/Written On Lives

2011-04-02T07:57:00.000-07:00

Some peoples names are written on monuments but yours could be written on peoples lives...The Salvation Army...

How do you want to be remembered?
Is it important to you to have your name written on a wall,monument,building maybe a church pew?
Is this how you wish to be in the minds of those who see what is written in print?
Some people with great wealth build great building to themselves.
libraries,hospitals,schools even churches.
All great and useful things but in the end who is this a monument to,you or God?
This week I read of the Tower Of Babel.
This is a story from the Old Testament which talks about the people who grew from Noah's lineage many years after the flood.
The members of this group believed that since they were alike they should build a great tower that would rise high in the sky with man made materials of brick and asphalt.
God and the rest of the Trinity,walked among the people and decided this was not good,so they caused all the people of Babel to have their language confused and sent them in different directions,forming the continents,in the end teaching them that true unity requires God presence.
We can erect great things to ourselves or we can work in unison with God on the lives of those we assist in times of want or need.
Back in the time of the Roman Empire, people who went to gladiator games inscribed their names into the marble seats they paid for,so all would know this belonged to them.
Now thousands of years later the seats still bear the names of the owners but no one has any idea who these people were,they are just Roman letters set on a marble seats,next to other empty seats.
I'll bet you can name me multiple people of action whose pictures no longer exist but whose deeds come to mind instantly when their names are mentioned.
Does it surprise you that a name is a name but an action speaks louder then words?
Why should these "no nothing do gooders" be remembered,while those with money and power are now just a group of letters left on marble.
God wants us to continue the work he started,we are his physical body and when we do good we rise above a mere physical monument to our selves.
We are inscribed into the life of another person and into their future generations.
If Mother Theresa had lived two hundred years ago she would still be remembered for the acts of kindness she did,granted we may not,in this country anyways,have heard of her,but all the people who lived in India where she brought her goodness,would have passed her name on to today's generation.
This is the inscription and the lineage God calls us to leave.
Names on a plaques are just that,simply names,meaning little to anyone.
Only letters too be forgotten at some point in the distant future.
If you wish to be remembered take the time to put your name on peoples lives and hearts then you will be unforgettable,maybe even for generations.

Degree In Food Buying

2011-03-31T18:32:00.000-07:00

I don't know about you but I am beginning to think I confuse the grocery store with the library.
God knows I spend an awful lot of time reading and studying in both places.
I'm really beginning to envy my parents and grandparents back in their days ignorance was bliss and food shopping was a matter of just walking in,picking out what you wanted then paying for your products.
Their biggest issue at that time was do I have enough cash in my wallet to pay for all these items or does something need to be returned before heading to the register.
Today shopping for food requires a Master Degree in Science and Economics.If you are unable to read and decipher what is written on the labels,the chances are you will be making bad choices.
Going into a grocery store and picking up a can,box or bottle of anything requires date recognition,basic food ingredients understanding,chemical recombination skills,Math in weights and measures and a geographic understanding of the world and their issues with cleanliness,or lack there of.
No longer do we walk into a store and casually pick up a can then walk out.
Now we must date read for freshness and expiration,cost price as it pertains to the other like items on the shelf by weight and size,understand the basic make up of each chemical and ingredient as it effects the health of not only our adult bodies and minds,but also those of our children and elderly population related to their disease factors and allergens.
Buying a can of corn can take you ten minutes as you decipher the label for ingredients like sugar,salt and possible additives to maintain freshness.
My new reading adventure as become trying to remember to make geographical checks of where a product is produced as it pertains to our world wide economy.
No longer can we look on a label of Pennsylvania Dutch mushrooms,with its black silhouette of an Amish horse and buggy on the front and assume it comes from the U.S.A because on closer inspection you will find it is a product of China.
Things like this can make shopping time very frustrating indeed.
It's no wonder most of us walk around with high blood pressure,increased cholesterol and stage 2 diabetes,because lets face it,how much time can we possibly spend reading each and everything on a package and still have time left to go home and make it for supper.
I have gotten into the habit of trying to never buy food unless I can give myself a proper leeway of time to make wise choices,trying to buy when in a rush puts me in the position of buying food items that I would not normally have purchased related to my time constraints.
With modern technology at our finger tips,our search for proper food can become very
overwhelming.
Dealing with things like irradiation or farm raised salmon and scallops only serves to make our healthy choices far more unnatural and difficult to say the least.
I'm not a food yuppie--junkie,but I don't think it should be to much to ask for that we have good food products in this country,maybe under the supervision of a health agency looking out for the well being of the people in this country and not the manufacturers or the world.
Personally I thought that's what the FDA was set up for,but once again I guess I'm wrong.
In all reality you can't trust the government to look out for you,so you must look out for your self.
No I am not telling people what to eat,if you choose Twinkies over an apple that's your choice,but I just want to know when I choose an apple it is fresh and clean of unnecessary chemicals and what country it's grown in.
At present I may not feel like eating an apple from say Libya or Japan.
Here are a few of my issues: 1) print things large and clear,I don't have time to play eye glass tag 2)don't mislead me with labeling that looks American,if Pennsylvania Dutch mushrooms are produced in China put a rickshaw on the front instead of a horse and buggy and 3)Don't call something all natural if I can't pronounce the first three words on the list of ingredients,if your trying to impress me with big words then its probably stuff that I don't want to eat anyways,why else would I be feeling confused?
Spending two hours in a grocery store reading each and every thing printed on the item is very time consuming for me and my day is already crammed with a million and one other things I need to focus on.
This year I have decided to not only make myself a small garden but to also try and go to more of the local farmers markets when possible,true they may not all be chemical free but at least I know its produced in this country.
My dream is to some day walk into a grocery store,as my grandparents did,get my purchase in a short amount of time,return home,put my items away and still have enough time to sit down and read my newly purchased magazine...Now how nice would that be?

Donating Food At The Grocery Store

2011-03-28T17:10:00.000-07:00

At the start of this year I,like most people,made some resolutions but the one I am proudest of,and have followed through on,is my 10% grocery shopping rule.
Every week when I do my major food shopping,I make it a rule to spend 10% of my total bill on buying groceries then putting the food in a food bank basket in the store.
I have not only been able to help 2 local food banks but also a cat connection in Webster,Mass.
Now I know allot of people are unable to do something this drastic,related to their own food cost but since times are well for my family at this stage we are able to assist others in this way.
You may be asking what exactly you could do if you do not have the ability to spend much on helping others.Here are some ideas I have not only come up with but have also used to help me spread my same 10% dollars more abundantly.
Buy things that are a bogo(buy one,get one free)you can either give the free item to the food bank basket or you could give both of the items away.
Today I needed to buy a can of pie filling for a recipe and found a coupon for the item I needed and a free box of cake mix,which I donated.
Also I try to find items that if I buy one box or can of an item,I get the second box or can for a certain amount off.
While at the store I bought a box of instant potatoes and got the second box for $.55off thus giving both boxes to the food bank basket.
Many stores double or even triple a coupon,the item ends up costing only cents making you investment small but your donation great.
I check my weekly grocery sales paper,where I happen to be shopping and try to find the cheapest and most nutritious canned or boxed items and in this way I can spread my donation dollars on more items.
When you turn in your empty soda bottles or cans use the change you receive to buy a food item then donate it.
Remember if you are fortunate enough to be able to buy food every week then please be kind enough to think of another person and buy an item or two and add it to the food bank basket.
Anything you give allows one family to add to their meal,a can of string beans may seem small to you but it can be a greater gift then you realize.
Happy donating.

It's Lent Listen To Your Inner Voice...

2011-03-28T13:18:00.000-07:00

This morning I got up around 8am and decided it was time to go have my fasting blood work done,since it has only been due for three months,today seemed like the day.
Now don't get me wrong its not that I hate having someone stick me in the arm with a needle,its just I have a tough time remembering when I get up in the morning not to drink coffee,before I remember to go to the hospital,just 10 minutes down the road.
This morning was the day so off to Hubbard Hospital I did go,only to spend 20 minutes registering then waiting in the lab for a two minute procedure.
Moments later happily trying to find my way out of this maze they call a hospital to the parking lot,which by the way is always on the opposite side of the building I just exited,I walked out,found my car and decided I should reward my self by stopping at Friendly's and having breakfast.
Funny Monday morning seems to be a popular time for this restaurant with most of its tables filled with hungry customers.
A nice older waitress came and seated me quickly bringing me my most anticipated cup of coffee.
As I awaited my stack of pancakes with pineapple topping,I watched this nice waitress who had seated me,rush around taking special care of each and every person at all these multiple tables,knowing just what everyone needed and answering each and every call,she was a pro like no other.
While finishing up my last bites of food I heard her talking to a customer near by,She said "we have to make the place look nice the big bosses are coming today."
Funny just that morning on my way to the hospital I was thinking about DPH and our yearly survey.
My how I hate those things,everyone running around trying to impress and make everything look right,and me always hoping to not be there for the med pass part.
So much pressure just to be deficiency free.
I finished my last few sips and she,being ever the professional,brought me my bill for $8.32.
When she handed me the small black folder, I caught a glimpse of her pretty,yet plain,silver cross around her neck and thought,how simple yet eye catching.
I began to dig through my wallet and came across a twenty dollar bill.Thinking I will do as I normally would,handing her the bill,awaiting for my change,then tipping her several dollars.
Feeling good and going about my day.
Suddenly a voice in my head said,leave the $20.00 bill there and walk out,why not give her a nice surprise and a lift to her day.
So with that I put the money in the black plastic folder,grabbed my coat and walked out the door,just imaging her delighted when she realized her tip was greater then the bill its self.A little happiness for what might have been a stress filled day.
It came to my mind,as I was driving to the grocery store,that Fr. Peter,my priest and spiritual advisor,had asked me what I had done that was different for Lent and at that time I could not think of anything to tell him.
But this is also part of Lent,it's not all about the fasting from food its the taking the time to do something different from your normal pattern.
I feel that sometimes God ask us to do things and that little voice we hear,like with the $20.00 is him saying "this is something different are you willing to do what you just got asked by me?,or are you going to second guess and just give the the normal,the minimal?"
Its my belief that we are a part of a bigger plan,that maybe the person on the receiving end is gaining more then we think we are giving.
It's Lent take the time to listen to that internal voice and do something different.
Answer the call.
Give to the food bank,be kind to another person.
Stop and take the time to be proud of your self,because when you do something nice for someone else you do something nice for you too.

Nazi,Racist Whats In A Word

2011-03-24T12:42:00.000-07:00

Maybe it's just me,but it seems lately when some people disagree with what others are saying or doing the word "racist" or "Nazi" rolls off their tongues like water over a fall.
The problem with continually using these terms,out of context and for the shock value of shutting another person up,is it diminishes what these words mean and how terrible they are.
Most times when we are in a dispute with others if it gets to the point of name calling we have just stepped over the line of clear knowledgeable debate to personal attacks and are now out of control and in a desperate need to win.
Most younger people seem not to understand the real context of these words.
When I was growing up all of my Uncles served in World War 2.
I was taught by them what a "Nazi" was and why it was so important to defend not only our country from them but also the world at large.
During the rise of Hitler the national social organization was brought to the fore front and used out of context by not only Hitler but his deluded followers,who were not socialist but really fascist,which most of the German people at that time,did not understand.
When Hitler and his group rose to power they showed who they really were.
Anti religious,anti Jewish,anti any body who did not follow their theories and were the wrong sorts of people.
No Blond hair,no blue eyes,then no use for you.
They believed in the deaths of those who were not what they considered part of the perfect race.
They wanted to over throw the world and march into Jerusalem and kill all the Jews.
They murdered at will and destroyed every ones lives who they considered a threat to their ideals.
This is a Nazi....
As a teenager the nightly evening news brought to my knowledge what and who a "racist" was.
Black American people being beaten with billy clubs,hosed with fire hoses and attacked by Police Dogs all because they did not fit into the southern mans white world.
How hard they fought in the south to be equal.
At that time a "racist" was some one who chose to keep the African Americans down and unequal to everyone else.
The Klu Klux Klan were part of this racist world, they hung black men,Jews and catholics,burned crosses on lawns in an attempt to frighten people into keeping the south segregated.
this is how I view a "Nazi" and a "racist".
To use these terms in ways for personal attacks over trivial matters,shows how much we have lost prospective of what these words really mean.
Choose your words carefully and understand their power.
To water them down makes them less then how horrible their meaning really is.
And they do have a horrible meaning.

Support From This Country

2011-03-22T13:25:00.000-07:00

Seems our president has decided we need to join with the U.N.and enforce a no fly zone in Libya.
I find it very disrespectful that our leader should enter into an agreement with the United Nations but not have enough respect to go to Congress and the Senate to get their endorsement on this action.
As a mother who sent not only her only son,but her only child,to Iraq for a year,I can tell you we should not be in such a hurry to send other parents children to what may be an unwinable,long term issue.
I am not anti war but I am anti sending soldiers into dangerous areas,which by the way houses people who hate us,to assist in a no fly zone not even condoned by our representatives,who by the way were never asked.
Every war we have ever entered into,we did so with the belief that they would last no longer then 90 days,no one planned on the multiple years they actually ended up taking.
Libya and all its surrounding nations are areas caught on fire and our presence is not going to help them remain struggle free unless we make a long term commitment,which everyone seems to think will not happen.
The last war we followed France into,lead us into 8 years in Vietnam.
The French where smart enough to know they could not win,unfortunately John Kennedy then Lyndon Johnson,did not also see the writing on the wall and we spent years in a futile war which we ended up walking away from because we had no exit plan.
Yes we should always assist other nations in humanitarian assistance because we are a nation of much and are required to help those with less but we should not be in a hurry to bomb and kill others so we can be the enforcer to the world.
Before President Obama got into office,every day we had an American body count of each soldier killed in Iraq,now while in Afghanistan we seem not to have this same running count.
Just because the media doesn't give us the daily numbers does not mean we do not lose soldiers on a daily basis.
Maybe we have forgotten or become numb to the idea that we are killing our young people everyday in foreign lands.
This country should never be put in the position of entering even into a no fly zone situation, with out the support of the people or their representative.
Thank God my son did his time and came home safe but we should not so lightly throw other peoples children into harms way with out,at the very least having a plan to win,and at the very most the support of the people of this country.

Getting To The Basics

2011-03-10T07:32:00.000-08:00

When I was a child in grade school,one of the hardest subjects for me to learn was Math.
No matter how hard I tried,or what teacher I had,I just had the most difficult time figuring it out.
It all seemed such a waste of my time and energy,so in disgust I just tuned it out.
To this day I am not even sure how I passed into higher classes being my grades were so dismal.
When I got into college I needed to take a course in Calculus,in order to get my Associates Degree.At the time I could not even imagine how I was going to pass that course,since basic math had been 12 years of struggle.
But wanting a degree was more important to me then one single course.
So after several weeks of disgust,it became clear to me that if I wanted to,not only learn this course but pass it,I was going to have to do something radical,on my own,like start from chapter one and remain in that chapter until it all made sense to me,then move on to the next chapter.
The key here was get the basics down and the rest,I believed would follow.
To my great surprise,in less then a one week period I had not only gotten to the point where I was able to catch up with the class but also understood what I was doing.
I passed this class with an A average,which at the beginning of the semester seemed an impossibility.
Some time later,while at a party,a friend and I were talking about Math and I told him my story,to which he replied the reason,he felt,I had not done well in grammar school wasn't because I was a stupid child,it was because the teachers who knew Mathematics had higher degrees and in many cases probably found it difficult to start at step one,with novices,who had zero concept of what was being taught to them.
I have been a convert to the Orthodox Faith for about 6 years now.
In that time I have read multiple books by people like Alexander Schmemann and Bishop Kallistos Ware.
Very well educated,highly respected men in not only their day but also at present.
I must confess,that sometimes when reading these books,which are very spiritual and considered basic books,for their level,I can not help but feel I am back in grammar school Math class trying to figure out what exactly it is I'm reading and why I don't always get or retain the information,very well.
One of the issues with people who are well educated is they forget most people are not,at least not in religious matter or historical understandings of why the church does and says what it does.
What they consider basic is very high level to the non monastic or religiously uneducated world,we the common people.
Last night,after Presanctified Liturgy,I asked myself "What exactly are all these Psalms about and why am I listening to them? How does this pertain to me sitting in this pew?"
Well like most things in life God always seems to find an answer for me and I found it in the form of a DOXA Quarterly Review I had received several days prior, from an Orthodox Church in New Mexico,which explained the Odes of Ascent used in the beginning of most Presanctified Liturgies.
According to the Author,whose name I can not seem to find on the article,he says that during the time of the Apostles and Jesus,Pilgrims would make the trek to Jerusalem to worship in the Temple.They would joyfully,sing the 15 Odes of Ascent Psalms 119 to 133.As they made the climb up to the Temple Mount.
The Psalms told of ancient Israeli's past struggles,Jerusalem and the Temple,God's presence in the Temple and our prayers ,also the home,children and the families.
(The Psalm 132 dealt with the solemnly moving of the Ark from Kiriath-Jearim to Jerusalem.)
In other words these pilgrims made a joyous procession up the Mount singing about the Temple,their God,their Arc of the Covenant,their prayers and their families.
Believe it or not,these people who may have spent days,weeks or even months walking to Jerusalem,were happy to climb a mount,not a hill mind you but a mountain,to go to Temple to praise God....imagine that...
Not only were they happy they were joyous and singing..on their way to Service...My how times have changed.
This pamphlet gave me more information,in basic easy to understand language,then I have probably gotten from most formal books on the subject,which tend to talk more about the spiritual parts then the physical historical parts.
This is not a ditch to those who are educated in the religious ways,but sometimes I think if the real basic reasons of why something is done and how it ties into what Jesus,the Apostles and the pilgrims of that time period understood and practiced,Maybe people would feel less confused when getting ready to pick up more advanced studies by religious intellects.
To me,people who attend services should know what all these prayers and rituals mean.
Yes they are beautiful and spiritual,they have to be or I would not have converted over to such a wonderful faith.
Maybe we need to spend some time connecting the dots of the Old and New Testament and why it is important in our study of our faith.
Maybe we too could see what it feels like to joyfully attend Liturgy,like the Pilgrims did in the time of Jesus.

Take The Challenge Buy American Made

2011-03-08T08:12:00.000-08:00

Here's a challenge for you.
From March 4Th through April 4Th,for the next 30 days, try to buy only American manufactured things.
When grocery shopping turn cans or packages over to see which are made in this country and buy the ones stamped USA or America.
This has nothing to do with pro union workers this has everything to do with pro American Workers.
If your like me,you probably spend an awful lot of time complaining about how much food and goods we import from other countries.
We say it bothers us that China holds so much of our debt.
We feel we are getting second and third class inferior quality products from these foreign countries,yet we continue to purchase in mass quantities,their items.
Five years ago,after my mother passed away from colon cancer,I decided to always try to buy meat and produce that was organic grown containing no antibiotics,growth hormones or pesticides.
It takes me much longer to shop and sometimes we go with out certain meats or produce because I can not always find organic,but I have decided my health comes before my wallet or my desires.
Now I feel with the bad quality of imported food stuff and goods,it is time to also start seriously thinking about the economy of this country and how we can advance our nations betterment.
If your one of those who is waiting for the government to right the ills of our economy,forget it,they are just to deep in debt with the Chinese.
Besides many people forget that China is a human rights violator,so why are we putting them first before our own nation and helping to increase our dependency,we do have our own farmers who,by the way, need to sell their goods.
OK lets say for one month we all try to buy one American item,a week, rather then a foreign good.That would equal 4 items a month and you would be helping to make a difference between some who may be on the verge of possibly getting their hours cut or being laid off.
Lets be honest here do we really need to buy Mandarin oranges from China when a can of Dole oranges,made in the USA,sits on the same shelf right next to it,for a few cents more?
Whats a few cents,we spend more on useless junk in a day,then a few cents.
Are you interested in making an investment into our economy and maybe help some one keep their job?
Then,like me, step forward and for the next 30 days try to buy American made when ever possible.
A worker in a factory,possibly your own neighbor,will thank you for the extra hours he or she may be able to pick up this month from your simple purchases.

Forgiveness Sunday

2011-03-06T05:25:00.000-08:00

Has an Orthodox Christian I spent,like most people,a year of hating my fellow brothers and sisters,not always intentionally,but mostly with out much notice to my internal remarks and external attitudes toward all I come in contact with on a daily basis.
Today as we are about to begin Lent we observe what is called Forgiveness Sunday.
At this time we remember Adam and Eve being cast out of Edan for eating of the fruit of the tree of good and evil thus disobeying God law by doing what they were told not to.
I happen to really like this custom of Forgiveness Sunday for once we are put in the position of understanding that the things we say and do effect those around us and to ask them for forgiveness is a very humbling,if not difficult procedure,to say the least.
We are even required,on this day, to ask our priest for forgiveness and he to ask us in return,thus showing our humanity to each other.
Due to my work schedule this is but the second time I have been able to attend this very personal service.
The one thing I can tell you is that I and the other members of my church,may not at that exact moment of asking for forgiveness,be really feeling what we are asking for from each other,but I think the very fact that this external action is being taken,gives us a sense of now it is easier to forgive from the heart after hearing it said from the mouth.
There is just something about speaking our confessions out loud that gives us some form of conformation that what we say and are hearing is what we will soon be feeling and working towards when dealing with others.
Just like standing before the Icon of Jesus opens our eyes toward who we are confessing to,seeing another person face and looking in their eyes also reminds us that we are here for each other and they are flesh,blood and feeling just as we are.
To forgive or ask for forgiveness gives us a chance to release our pent up hostilites and displeasures that we live with everyday,allowing us to relieve the internal baggage we are carrying around with us 24/7.
Like atlas shouldering the weight of the word we shoulder the weight of our hatreds.
If we do not ask for or are able to forgive,we move farther away from God's love and live in a constant state of underlying guilt and anger with each other.
I have heard that it is so important to God that we make peace with each other that the Bible says if you have anything against your brother put down your offering to God and go make peace with him with whom you have wronged.
In other words don't try to worship God until you have settled your disputes with each other.
No matter how many things you give up to God in worship or sacrifice you are not yet complete in the eyes of God.
All the people that you encounter every day are God's children and he doesn't play favorites.
When you hurt or insult another person,hold grudges or talk badly you wound God.
Now God may be a big Deity he can defend himself but his children are another story.
Of the ten commandments the first three deal with you and your relationship with God while the last seven deal with your relationship with each other.
When we look at the face of another person we should see the Icon of Jesus in their eyes.
Every one has the breath of God in their being and to insult and hurt your brother is to wrong the Almighty himself.

Where Have All The Boys Gone

2011-03-05T19:31:00.000-08:00

Today while watching the evening news the announcer pointed out a recent study that shows that fewer boys are attending college while the number of girls have vastly increased.
One must now ask where have all the boys gone from our higher educational systems?
When I was a child growing up,back in the 60's and 70's,most girls did not even consider going to college,we all wished to find that perfect man,get married and have children.
Going to college was something you did until you meet your Soul mate.
He on the other hand got the degrees then the good paying job,affording the whole family a comfortable life style.
If you has the wife decided to work outside the home,it was just to have some spending money or fill your time while the kids were in school.
I recently heard that today more women go to Medical School then men do.
Seems women have decided that having a job is just not good enough,now days you need a good paying professional career.
Well good for all those women who have the ability to not settle for working for low wages on poverty levels.
This study points out that when girls are young they are more able to speak and communicate at an earlier age then boys do.
Boys on the other hand have a more hyper lifestyle so things like sitting still and paying attention is just more difficult for them in a class room situation.
When I was a teenager girls were not encouraged in the math and science areas while boys had the upper hand in these subjects.
More teacher time was spent encouraging them to do well in these areas because it was assumed that someday they would marry,have a family and need to be able to support a wife and children on a professional persons pay scale.
Many young men at present only make it through high school then prefer to do more manual labor which unfortunately,in our present economy affords them little since many labor jobs are on the decline related to our decrease in housing and construction markets.
In our present economy more women are employed in the work world and many hold managerial positions,although they still do not earn as much money as men at a similar job.
I have a feeling that will change soon.
Our main problem at present seems to be how do we encourage boys to get back into the college world again and help them establish them selves back into the competitive world of education and professionalism?
Maybe the issue is some boys are being raised by strong,professional,single mothers and they see no reason to emulate her since they are boys,so taking second place and not trying to be more then what they feel is necessary seems to them the correct way,in their minds, for a man to act.

Living On The Financial Edge

2011-03-05T11:45:00.000-08:00

This week gas prices have gone up,so what else is new?
Gas is now almost $4.00 a gallon and the barrel price of crude oil is $102.00.
How are you financially?
I know many people teetering on the edge,only a pay check away from financial ruin.
Every dollar earmarked for food,rent,gas,electricity and so on.
It has been many years since I have had my own lights turned off and telephone disconnected.
Working at a minimum paying job with a baby in the house.
Divorced,alone and on a very fixed income.
Many was the month that I had to once again ask my mother for money to buy food or gas,feeling like a failure and wondering how I would get by.
Hard times hit us to show us how strong we can truly be and how when we are given much then much is expected from us to assist those around us.
Do you know someone in need?
I'll bet you do but you just don't know how bad off they are because they have not confided in you.
One day while at work one of my nurses aides told me she had called her mother,the day before because her husbands' unemployment check hadn't come in yet and now they would be down to two choices food or rent.
Her mother helped out until the check was received and the loan paid back.
Last month while at the movies with a nurse friend of mine,she told me how in November,when she was unable to work due to illness,she spoke to her supervisor about working on Thanksgiving Day.When her supervisor asked why she wanted to work when she could have the holiday off she told her "we have no money to buy a Thanksgiving meal so I may has well work,then the kids wont know why we're not have a traditional dinner."
Her Supervisor went out that day and bought her an entire turkey meal.
I have known my friend for a long time and at no time did I know things were that bad.
Take the time to care for the people you know,or don't know.
Times are only going to get harder and as oil prices rise so will food prices,gas prices and maybe even more lay offs,farther down the line.
You have two choices be greedy and worry only about you or reach out and really understand that its tough out there.
What little you have may be great in the eyes of someone who has less then you.

Marriage Or Cohabitation

2011-03-04T06:18:00.000-08:00

Several days ago I received an email from my cousin and her husband,who will be renewing their wedding vows in the up coming weeks.
First let me say I never thought I would know someone,my age,who would have been married for 35 years,not because of all the divorce rates but because I'm just not old enough,well at least not in my mind anyways,to know anyone married all those years.
I recently read an article that cites that fewer and fewer people are getting married each year.
It suggested that most people are marrying at an older age,in their late twenties and mid thirties and most older people,in their fifties and sixties are simply not marrying at all.
The article said that many woman today opt to graduate college and choose not to marry until they have become comfortable in the work world.
Many younger couples choose to live together in order to establish themselves financially and obtain property before jumping into marriage and having children.
Older couples,on the other hand, do not feel the need to be married since many are equally self sufficient with both jobs, personal finances and grown adult children from previous marriages.
Also Social Security financial payments are more in favor with being single then being married,so to legally wed would turn into a monetary negative situation.
We have begun to lose the reason why marriage is so important and have decided that cohabitation is a more reasonable choice.
In my own case my husband and I lived together for many years before we decided to marry.
Both of us felt that it was in our best interest not to be married.
We mutually understood that a piece of paper was not going to give us a better relationship and besides we both owned separate properties,only adding to the complications if a divorce were to crop up.
Five years ago we decided to marry feeling that the time had come to make this very personal commitment.
I remember,weeks after being married our priest asking me if I thought things were in anyway different,to which I answered no,only to find out that I was wrong.
Marriage with the right person is a real partnership with deeper significance.
We at present are more committed to each other and seem more settled and harmonious.
When your married walking out is still an option but you put more thought into how can we work this out rather then just leave.
The Bible says and the two shall become one.
How is this done?
Basically through compromise,give and take and most of all growth with each other in new ways.
You learn to live for the betterment of the partnership rather then just your self centeredness.
Many people think marriage is an old idea whose time is coming to an end.
How sad is that.
We live in a world were fewer and fewer people are choosing to be married and soon the idea of knowing someone married for 35,40,50 or even 60 years will be an oddity, just a story book tale.
No more "and they lived happily ever after"...If they did for how many years?...

Guilt/Who Is To Blame

2011-03-03T08:45:00.000-08:00

Who is to blame for the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ?
Was it the Jewish council,temple members,the Roman soldiers,how about Pontius Pilate or the gentiles in the crowd?
What about you? What about me?
Are Good religious people of today or yester day to blame?
Where do we put the load of shame?
Everybody? Nobody?
Today the BBC published an article by Pope Benedict stating that the Jews are not to be blamed because the entire Jewish nation was not there at the time so how can you blame an entire religion for what happened to Jesus.
So does that mean then we are all to blame,since were all God children?
Maybe yes but probably no.
Why you may ask,not.
Because God is not in the business of guilt or blame,he is in the business of love.
God sent his son to us to be the new Adam,to follow all the rules,that the old Adam did not and to show us how its done so we in turn could emulate him.
Guilt is not God's way it is mans way and the devils way,but not God's.
We are told that what is brought to God,in true repentance,is cast behind him.
He doesn't put it on his left or right side,because he does not want to have it constantly near us to be reminded of all the things we have done wrong thus making us relive our guilt over and over,just to taunt us.
God cast it away,out of sight behind him,He knows we are not perfect and we are going to make mistakes,he made us who we are and he knows our real nature,better then even we do.
You do not grow in life,or in grace,if you are afraid to make mistakes then spend the rest of you life reliving the shame.
In my mind to be held in constant guilt is to live in hell,not in heaven,so how can this be God like.
Jesus lived in a time where men of great prominence,be they religious or not,felt they were more important then whom they claimed to rule and believe in,much like today.
They forgot what the true meaning of loving God was all about and spent more time loving themselves and judging their brothers.
Jesus told the Pharisees that they put great loads on men's shoulders and when they stubble or fall they do not lend one finger to help them.
Sometimes people,be they clergy or not,forget the beauty of their garments do not reflect the same quality of beauty in their hearts,just has the crown on Pilate head did not reflect true justice.
Jesus talked of white washed head stones with dead mens decaying bones inside.
In the end we can all be counted to blame for the death of Jesus,but He was not sent here to burden us in shame,guilt or humiliations.He was put here to liberate us and teach us exactly how much His Father loved us,so much so that He would send his only beloved son into hell in order to bring us into heaven.
Shameful and undeserving as we may be.
Now that does not sound like a God who takes pleasure in our guilt's and failings.

Walk The Walk

2011-03-01T19:05:00.000-08:00

I have found that the closer I get to God the more people I begin to see in need.
How can this be? you may ask.
God has promised us that when we begin to love him and our fellow men we begin to notice things about them,our heart is made soft.
Suddenly we look into peoples faces and are caught up by their sadness,their weariness and their frustrations.
We no longer just look at people we now see them for who they are,just like us,but down and maybe a little bit out.
The more you do for others,total strangers,the more driven you become.
Suddenly God opens our eyes and hearts like a flood gate and we are almost overwhelmed by the number of people in need.
Today I listened to something very interesting.
This preacher was talking about carrying a bag or wallet especially to help others.
In it she talked about having gift cards for food,restaurants,clothes and so forth,to be given to those you notice in need.
She called it being a spy for God.
Not being asked for needs but being able to help those who are sad,tired and just fed up.
You may ask what can I do I have little?
It really takes very little and your reward will be great.
Don't be afraid to give some one a cup of coffee,your time,your patience,your understanding.
Do you know a mother with children,maybe she's alone or her spouse is out of work,how about a gift card to McDonald's? or the movies?
Say "you look tired,you look like you need a good smile here take this and you and your family have some fun,because God loves you and so do I."
As Christians you are called to help those in need.
You are a valuable person and you are God hands.
So instead of complaining about how bad the government is,the job situation,the cost of food, fuel and gas realize that some live on the edge of nothing and do something nice.
It doesn't have to be anything expensive,it could just be your time has a babysitter to a mom whose working two jobs and just needs to have some alone time.
Yes it may seem odd to you at first but you can do it now step up to the plate and make it happen.

Diet/Fasting--Is It All About The Food?

2011-02-28T06:09:00.000-08:00

Most days that I work I either have an eat everything in sight day or,like Saturday,a granola bar and coffee in the morning and nothing else til I get home,type of day.
Sunday morning several of my nurses aides informed me they had started diets.
Some on Jenny Craig and some on Weight Watchers.
They all decided on Friday to try and make an attempt to rein in their weight issues.
Well like most diets its always easier to decide on Friday after a big supper then to follow through on Sunday,after two days of what feels like you'll never put another pleasing piece of food in your mouth again.
Each person told me exactly what they could and could not eat,how many food points they were allowed and how once they lost the weight they planned never to be heavy again.
One girl even told me she and her husband were on their weight lose paths together and they had decided how they would eat during week days,so on Friday night they could get take out from their favorite restaurant,Longhorns,allowing their selves ribs and baked potato night.
As the day went on each person told me how deprived they felt,it wasn't that they were hungry,it was more that they missed not being able to eat what they wanted and liked and seemed to spend a great deal of time thinking about what they could not have and how meager the choice were becoming as their diet days were progressing.
This Sunday in our Orthodox faith,started what we call Meat Fare.
After Sunday we start on our journey of fasting by first giving up meat.
Now I know your saying "What Lent has already started,did I miss it?"
No you did not.
We,as Orthodox Christians sometime like to over achieve and start things,I guess just for practice.
After Liturgy on Sunday,our church,St.Micheal,had what we call an extended coffee hour where every one brought in food to be offered to all,as a sort of good bye to pleasure and abundance day and a hello to fasting.
My husband,being the good and loving man he is,brought a container of these delicacies to work for me, so I could also partake.
Of course several of my dieting friends walked by and told me how good my food looked,but they had already had lunch and did not choose to have any of my pleasures.
At present they were committed to weight lose.
When I got home Vic and I went out to Chili's,and as a kind of a farewell tribute to meat,I ordered a hamburger,with bacon and cheddar cheese,which,if I follow the fast correctly,will not be mine to taste again for more then a month.
This morning has I looked over the face book section on my Internet,I came across a posting called "A list of thing to have in ones pantry during fasting times."
I went to the site and read about half of said list then thought to myself "for something that is suppose to be a discipline there is an awful lot of pre-thought to this whole fasting thing."
"Food,food,food!" I wanted to scream out. "Enough with the food already!"
We seem to spend an awful lot of time thinking about what we are suppose to be forgetting about and that is the enslavement to our stomachs.
Fasting,as I understand it,is a way of disconnecting our selves from the driven need to eat,our physical pleasures,and turning more to our spiritual and Christian hungers and attempting to fill them.
The past two years I have tried to make it my aim not to feel deprived of food during fast periods,focusing instead,on the fact that to eat better,more healthy foods,during Lent,is a way of making my body,my temple,more in tuned with the needs of God and those around me.
Stopping my desire for junky foods and life style and moving more toward a purer link with God.
Fr.Peter always says if you follow all the fasting rules but have not changed in any way then you may has well eat the hamburger,or in my case the bacon cheddar cheese burger, because you missed the whole point.
To much emphasis on food and not enough on how you plan to spiritually change,over the up coming fasting period is just has much the work of the devil has committing sin.
If your mind is wrapped up on food all the time then you've lost sight of being wrapped up in God.
Now don't get me wrong fasting,like dieting is allot of work but it is also suppose to be a change in attitude as well as a change in diet.
At this time of year I try at every meal to center my self on eating healthy for the next 40 plus days.
Yes each day is a struggle but it should be no more of a struggle then finding true harmony and peace with our spiritual side.
Supposedly as we grow farther from our physical being and needs we are to grow closer to our brothers and sisters around us in an attempt to be more Christ like.
Food,food,food.
Like dieting,our main objective is to take our growing hunger to fill our mouths and stomachs with excess and transfer it to a new growing need to fill our souls and spirits.
In the end we want to take this new found weight loss and grow it into continued maintenance of our daily lives in Christ.
Fasting should not be allot of pre thought on how our kitchen cupboards are set up,it's emphasis should be on how our spiritual cupboards are set up.
If we fill our kitchen but not our souls then we may as well have the hamburger and forget the fasting.

Cell Phones May Alter Brain Activity

2011-02-24T14:24:00.000-08:00

Yesterday while reading the Worcester Telegram and Gazette,I came across an article on radiation and cell phones.
Researches from the National Institutes of Health have found that less then one hour of cell phone use can speed up brain activity in the area closest to the phone antenna.Once again raising new questions about effects of low level radiation emitted from cell phones.
The researcher led by Dr.Volkow,director of the National Institute of Drug Abuse,
urged caution in interpreting these new finding because its not known if the changes seen in brain scans have any meaningful effect on a person overall heath.
According to a published study found Wednesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association,is among the the first and largest to document that the weak radio frequency signals from cell phone alter brains activity.
The study is important because it documents that the human brain is sensitive to the electromagnetic radiation that is emitted by cell phones.
It also high lights the importance of doing studies to address the question of whether,or not,long lasting consequences of repeated stimulation over a 5,10 or 15 year period is important.
A few observational studies have suggested a link between heavy cell phone use and rare brain tumors,but the bulk of the available scientific evidence shows no added risk.
This study does not enlighten us in terms of whether this is detrimental or could even be beneficial,Dr.Volkow says it just tells us that even though these are weak signals the human brain is activated by them.
The researchers used brain scans to directly measure how the electromagnetic radiation emitted from cell phones affected brain activity.
Although an increase in brain glucose metabolism happens during normal brain function,the question is whether repeated artificial stimulation as a result of exposer to electromagnetic radiation might have a detrimental effect.
So whats the answer? Seems the former director of the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Center and prominent neurosurgeons urge people to use headsets as a precaution.
You never can be to safe when it comes to your brain.

Love Your Brother/Love Your Self

2011-02-24T06:06:00.000-08:00

What is the real meaning of Jesus teachings?
Believe it or not all God desires from us is one little word "LOVE".
Seems simple doesn't it?
Not so,love has to be one of the hardest things we can do.
In our minds,love of self always seems to take over any desire we may have to love others.
Call it self preservation or maybe an underlying need for our own glorification,but loving others just seems,at times, to get in the way of our need to be number one,on our love scale.
Now when the Bible speaks of love it defines it has agape,or brotherly love.
It means not going out of my way to hurt others,but wanting to respect and be kind when possible,a sort of do no harm law.
We are basically carnal in nature wanting for lustful things like money,power,fame or the physical bodies of others.
Our interpretation of the word love in our society is rather loose at best.
We love cars,boats,food,clothes,jewelry and so on,we can even love a hamburger,just ask McDonald's,because there "lovin it",at least according to their advertisements.
Jesus talks about loving our neighbors has your self.
But in order to love in this way you have to,first of all,love or at least like your self.
You can't treat someone well when you don't even understand how to treat your self with respect.
I firmly believe that God wants good for his children all the time.
The problem is we do not want good for ourselves,so how can we possibly want good for the rest of the world.
I have heard that what comes out of a person mouth is what is in their hearts.
So if you say bad things about,not only your neighbor,but also your self,then you are not right with God in his understanding of real love.
The evil one,in my own opinion,is always setting up road blocks for our failures.
When we dislike our selves we are not in God territory, but the other guys.
When you say things like I'm not good enough,everyone hates me,I could never do this or that because I'm not smart enough shows us exactly where our minds and hearts lie.
This sort of attitude can only bring condemnation to not only us but those around us.
If we see ourselves has not worthy then how can we see those around us has any better.
Believe it or not thought patterns can be changed.
How? by self determination and new habits.
When negative thoughts come to mind we must stop them in there tracks and say to our selves "I am a child of God and he wants only the best for me and I want only what he wants.God loves me,I am valuable because he made me who I am and he is my loving parent."
Say this when ever negative thoughts come to mind and after awhile you will believe what you are saying.
Has always some time spent in informal prayer everyday can also help.
I have found that in my walk with Christ if I want an answer its always better to get right to the point and say what you have to say.
Sometimes I think God doesn't like it when we beat around the bush,if its in you heart let it come out your mouth in prayer and the answers will be right in front of you.
Of course the answer may not be what we want to hear but then God sees the whole picture we do not.

Closer Walk

2011-02-23T16:54:00.000-08:00

For the past 6 years I have tried to become a more spiritual and serious minded Christian.
What this means is I try to practice more time in prayer,bible reading,studies, meditation and church attendance when possible.
You can not be close to God if you stay far away from him and his teachings.
Change has to occur in your life,even if its just small amounts at a time.
When you choose to become serious in your walk with God it requires you to listen and pay attention in order to truly follow Jesus teachings.
If no man is an island then no true Christian is one either.
As I have tried to journey ever closer to God I have found myself trying to understand Jesus on a more personal level.
For many months now it has become my aim to study the basics of Jewish beliefs,I want to know and understand what Jesus daily life was like,what he understood and why.
Up until now I have not been able to understand my drive for this knowledge but I think it has been made clear to me that like a close relationship the more you know and understand the other person the closer you become to them.
When my husband and I were first dating I wanted to know everything I could about him,where he went to school,what his family life was like,his likes and dislikes.
Because he was someone so special and I loved him so much any thing in his past was all relevant to my life.
It gave me the ability to brag about him,defend him,please him and in the end just grow so much closer to him.
The Bible says that when we marry the two shall become as one.
In our walk with God we also need to become one with him in our understanding and love.
The more we learn and understand the closer we can become,helping us to become more one with God and his will for us and our lives.

God's Presence

2011-02-22T06:42:00.000-08:00

I believe that all prayers are answered,some answers are yes and some are no.
That's alright with me because like a good parent,God gives us what we need not what we desire.
Prayer can seem very repetitive some days,even a little dry on others,but persistence needs to be the goal and at some point our conversations with God can be enlightening to say the least.
Talking to God should be as natural has talking to a well respected and loved family member and friend,but many times the conversation gets one sided,with us saying everything and God not getting a word in edge wise.
I have times,when not so rushed,that I pause during prayer to await God's ever small voice,but because of my racing internalism I can not settle long enough to hear what the Master is trying to say to me.
Even still I believe God talks to me in other forms like when a friend speaks to me about something I was pondering over earlier in my day or I see something that touches my heart or possibly my soul.
Just the other morning I felt in doubt and confusion about where my religious life was headed.Was I on the right track with the right people around me to help me,or am I simply alone and just plain stuck.
Now this is not uncommon for me to doubt and question such things,I tend to do it often especially this time of year.
After praying for some time I felt a great white light engulf me from the top of my head to my eyes.A brightness,that even with my eyes closed,made me squint inside.
The shades in my bedroom,rolled down tight,allowing little light to enter through the bottom.
After coming out of my feelings of wonder and gratitude,I went down stairs to see what sort of weather we were having and as I opened the front door a small chubby little bird landed on the rail near me.
To me these are were all signs from God letting me know that I am in his presence.
Although my confusion still exist I understand that I am never alone and all my problems are heard.
Sometimes God is not a small voice he can also be light,breeze,water,animals and maybe flowers.
He is ever present always near but in touching beautiful visions of daily life.
We get so hurried in our day to day existence filled with worry and self centeredness we forget that God speaks to us always and is around us everywhere.
Our job in the end is to open our eyes and not only see the loveliness around us but become a part of it and feel it,admire it and enjoy it.
God wants us to live in joy and joy is not just one simple feeling it is an entire body experience.
Understand that God is everywhere not just in our prayers and mindset but in the world around us all day long.
Our job is to stop and recognise him,then we will see our issues are not so big after all.

The Prodigal Son

2011-02-20T05:55:00.000-08:00

Sunday reading was about the prodigal son.
Now for those of you unfamiliar with this story,its about a son,whose Father had great wealth.
The young man goes to his father and says "I would like all my inheritance now so I may go out into the world".
The father agreed and the son went out into a far off land to squander all his new found wealth.
When hard times set in,a famine throughout the region,the son found him self in a bad situation.
Being hungry and poor he gets a job feeding pigs.
He began to envy the pigs their food,because he was starving and no one had offered him any.
Suddenly he came to his senses and realized that even his father's servants had much to eat,while he had none.
The time had came to go back to his father and beg his forgiveness asking him to make him a servant,since he was no longer worthy to be considered his son.
The father on seeing his son far in the distance,was overjoyed,telling his servant's to get him his best robe and ring for his finger and to kill the fatted cow,for his son was lost and now found,dead and now alive.
The older brother,returning from the fields wanted to know what was going on,a servant told him,your brother has returned.
The brother became very angry and said to his father "why do you accept him back,give him a party and even killing the fatted calf,while I who have always been loyal to you,followed all your rules and done everything you have asked of me and you have never even given me a kid,baby goat,for me and my friends to party with.
The father said "you know everything I have is yours but your brother was gone and now he is back,was dead and now he is alive".
This story is filled with many dynamics.It holds not only one meaning but many.
First the father in this story is God and the son is us.
God has given us everything then set us on this earth,our far off region.
We have choices to make we can improve our wealth with investments in God and man or we can depreciate our selves with careless living and debauchery,thus we too will also be alone and starving,wanting for better.
But if we sincerely make the attempt to come back to God,ask humbly and meaningfully for forgiveness he will joyfully take us back into his house not just as a servant,like the angles,but has his very own child.
Next we have a dimension in the story of the jealousy of the older brother,the Pharisee,who feels slighted because he has always followed the rules done everything he can to always serve his father,except forgive his brother.
They,the Pharisees,do not like Jesus because he ministers to those who are lost from God and wandering at the bottom of life,whom Jesus is helping to bring back home to his Father.
In the story,the father,tries to explain to the older son that his joy has nothing to do with following the rules it has to do with seeking forgiveness and coming to him.
The son who hit rock bottom,which is told in the story when first he feeds the pigs,a no no for a Jewish person,and then desires to eat,the food the pigs are eating,which is lower then the pigs themselves.
Jesus was sent into the world to help those who've hit the bottom,he shows love from his father in the rejoicing that will be felt in heaven when one down and out child returns home and humbly ask for forgiveness.
This story ties in with the publican and tax collector.
We can stand in the middle of the Temple,like the publican and vainly ask for forgiveness by raising our eyes up to heaven and saying "yes I'm a sinner but I follow all the rules and thank God I'm not like that tax collector in the corner."
Or we can be the tax collector who feels so much remorse for his sins he is unable to raise his head up and simply and whole heartily ask to be forgiven.
At that point we become the prodigal son and not the Pharisee.
Because in the end its not just about following the rules and laws its about understanding their meaning in our lives and the lives of others.

Luke Warm Christians/Facing The Rite

2011-02-18T19:50:00.000-08:00

Are you a luke warm Christian?
If push came to shovel would you be able to stand up to the devil and scream with your mouth, mind,heart and soul in his very face that you believe in Jesus Christ and nothing and no one is more powerful then God,not even the devil and his legions?
Does this seem like a strange question?
Tonight a friend and I went to see the movie "The Rite" a true story about a luke warm novice who becomes an exorcist with the help of a trained priest.
This movie was very compelling indeed.
We in the Orthodox Church,as with most churches today,do not like to talk about the evil one but,as this movie points out,just because you don't speak the name of Satan does not mean he is not there.
Actually he preferes it when you don't notice his presence,evil takes root better when not spoken about.
Some churches feel he is an old subject used to scare people into submission and nothing for us true intellectuals to concern our selves with.
Really,well that's what the devil hoped you would say.
You see this evil being is not concerned about you belief systems because he knows that very few of us really have the heart to believe in God so much that we will ever truly be willing to take a stand with our entire being.
The devil knows that we are weak and to keep us down he plays on our guiltes and doubts.
Trying to make you believe your not good enough,strong enough or capable enough.
We seem to have come to a point,through our great intellect of believing demonic possession,is just some silly idea held over from the dark ages.Lets face it its always much easier to say someone may have "psychological issues",rather then realize not all mental issues are made up,some of our demons are real.
The evil one wants you to hate yourself as he says in the movie "Satan love to torture children".
How easy it is for us to be deceived and how little effort he has to put into it to make us doubt,question and blame our selves.
Can you stand up in times of fear and questioning or will you be pushed to physical or emotional self destruction.
Being a Christian requires warfare on our part.
We can not live with one foot in heaven and one in hell at some point we need to stand firm one way or the other.
I have come to the conclusion that if we are to fight the good fight we need to know who our enemy is and what his tactical ploys are.
To take on an unknown force is to ultimately lose the battle and maybe even the war.
Temptation and guilt are such sutle things ever infecting our minds and corrupting our souls.
So quietly,ever so slowly,one drop at a time until suddenly we can't distinguish what our belief systems are any longer,everything in our thought processes just seem to blur together .
We need to talk more about evil and the devil,understand who he and his legions are and how best to fight them.
No devil works alone,usually they work in multiples.
If you want to change it you need to name it,bring it to the light,but then again "he" wishes you would not get so involved with such things as titles,because lets face it,whats in a name anyways?

Power Struggles

2011-02-18T05:38:00.002-08:00

My husband and I are usually mutual agreers,with each of us giving or taking,for the betterment of our relationship,but like most marriages or partnerships,for that matter,there comes a time when what seems like a wall of disagreement stands in front of us,at that point we must decide if it is worth pushing and if so how hard.
Most disputes have a great deal to do with power more then issue.We all want to be right and no one really wants to give in for the betterment of the real issue.
Compromise is what marriage is mostly about,but this is not always 50-50,most times its 80-20.
Who gets to win and who gets to lose.
Recently I was reading my friend Laura blog "kiss the boo-boo",about humbling ones self to husband.
In some ways I think this is a good idea,but not because he is the man and I a woman but because of mutual respect and love for someone whom I feel is the most important person in my world.
This does not mean I am to become his doormat,it just means,that in most cases, letting him feel important as the decision maker is what makes him happy and isn't this why we are with our spouses or companions,for not just our happiness but also theirs.
As a nurse I work at a job were what I say goes.I am used to giving orders and expecting them to be followed through.
I hold a great deal of responsibility in my hands and am called to task for any mistakes or decisions I have made which do not ring true in the end.
My job requires me to be every ones mother and as such I must be confident in all my decisions in order to have people follow my lead and treat me with respect.
When I'm home I am not used to having to give the reins of leadership over to another.
To allow my husband to make decisions I may not feel totally in compliance with is very difficult for me but what I have learned is like a good parent,sometimes,you have to allow you spouse to fail in order to understand better decision making.
So to humble your self in most areas to your spouse is not always a negative thing but can also be a learning experience on both of your parts.
Now I understand that some people are in relationships where they can not do such things,because not everyone is married to a good and loving person looking out for the best interest of the family.
Lets face it some husbands are only looking out for themselves,so fear and intimidation can become part of a woman's everyday life,when this happens the marriage is out of balance and the decisions being made are whopped and unreasonable.
But in a healthy marriage,such things are not in the equation and so a respect for your spouse translates to the children as the respect they also need to show to their father.
Respect and humility can go hand in hand and does not mean that,that person is your owner nor you their slave,it means mutual trust that this man is your protector and your family support system.
No one can become responsible if they are not allowed responsibility just as no one can be deemed trustworthy if they are not given the chance to show trust ability.
Besides it takes allot of weight off your shoulders when decisions can be handed off to someone else.
Wanting or needing to control everything is a sign of insecurity,thinking only you can handle every issue that arises takes away the need for having a spouse.
If everything is about you then why do you need another person in your life? Seems you've already proven to your self that you alone make your self complete.
True every thing is not always going to go along with your best laid plans,but then again maybe your plans are not all that great but you just don't know it because you keep taking the same road over and over again.
You know Moses and his people kept circling around the same mountain for forty years,not because they were lost but because they could not understand that it was not all about their plans it was all about God plan.
Until they decided to humbled themselves God was very happy to just let them keep going around in circles,seeing all the sides of this mighty mountain but never getting to view the top,the most breath taking part of the trip.

How Much Is To Much ?

2011-02-12T19:37:00.000-08:00

Every February I begin to think about what to get or do for my husband's birthday,which,by the way, falls on March first and like Christmas,the date always seems to creep up on me like some great surprise.
Last night I went on line to see what was going on for concerts and plays.
As you can imagine not much is happening during this time of year,oh man same problem,different year.
While checking out the upcoming concerts I came across Rod Stewart and Stevie Nicks.
I thought this was not a bad idea,I'm a Rod Stewart fan and Vic likes Fleet
Wood Mac,so this might work.
As I checked out the dates and locations,I also noticed the prices.
$135 to $175 dollars per seat.What! Alright now much as I like Rod I refuse to assist with his multiple wives child support and alimony.
How much is to much?
We are at present in a bad economy and even if we were not,I still would not consider paying this amount of money to any musician,who has been famous for over thirty years.
I think,just like sporting events,there comes a time when we the hard working consumers have to just say "no".
I know a great concert or wonderful professional sporting event is hard to turn down but sometimes we just need to draw the line and say "I think this is to big of a burden to ask of your fans".
I do understand all that goes into these events and how everyone is very talented and deserves to make good money,but at what expense?
To say these people do not work hard for their money is an under statement,but then again so do the rest of us and besides whose to say they are anymore talented at their jobs then I am at mine.
I just can't justify $135 for one ticket to a concert and that does not include the gas to get there,stopping to eat something and possibly buying a beverage and/or snack,once there.
Nothing at these events are a deal tee shirts and Cd's are over priced along with concession food and drinks.
I think if more people refused to attend these events,related to the cost of the tickets alone,maybe they would be forced to understand we are not made of money and since we need to be frugal maybe they do too.
I have a hard time justifying any one,except maybe a talented surgeon or physician making a million or more dollars a year.
So with another few more weeks up my sleeve,my search continues for a fun birthday present that wont break the bank or set my retirement back til I'm seventy.

Positive Or Negative

2011-02-10T12:51:00.000-08:00

There are two ways to look at things positive or negative.
If you believe things will turn out well then no issue you are having,no matter how bad,can not be overcome.
It always seems that being sad and disillusioned is easier then being happy.
Could it be that thinking negative thoughts make us feel nothing worse can happen? Or maybe we need to have imagination in order to see the positive and when were sad that simply seems like to much work?
To bad because when we see the positive we understand that the sky can be the limit.
No darkness,no matter how black can not be brightened by a single candle flame.
I really see no point in dwelling on all the bleakness when there is always a possibility for brightness.
Today after so much cold whiteness it became my vision to see spring.
I took my two small stuffed snowmen off the table,near the parlor window and replaced them with a wooden bird house and two ceramic birds,then covered all the table tops with flower and leave printed fabrics.
It is time to absorb the beauty of the outdoor sunshine and see past what is left of the less then white colored snow.
Yes there may still be ice in the driveway but there is flowers and green grass in my heart.
Spring will be here with the excitement of new life,showing its head soon.
Tulips,wrens,grass,sunshine and all things warm and wonderful,will be here soon.
How can you not feel it in the air,see it in the sky or know it in your heart of hearts.
I know what I know,what I know and that is we are at the top of the winter peak and its down hill from here into the warm sunshine.
Count the winter days down and soon we will feel the grass between our toes.
Think negative and be depressed and dreary or think positive and see the potential in front of your eyes every day.
Soon to be reality,soon to be spring.

HIPAA--Who Has Privacy Anyways?

2011-02-08T10:32:00.000-08:00

In 2003,when I was in nursing school,the Hipaa laws were enacted.
Hipaa was set up for medical privacy so no one but whom you choose is allowed to be privy to any of your medical information.
I can remember my pediatric rotation,one of my jobs was to assist parents with signing these new forms explaining exactly how Hipaa works.
Well like all good things the government enacts,the fact that it all melts down and turns into a troubling pain in the butt is just inevitable.
My son spent 9 years in the military,ending up in Iraq for one of those years and now that he is a civilian,takes advantage of his military medical availability and testing when ever the government allows.
This morning the VA called to remind him of an up coming medical test and the preparation needed before said test.
My husband answered the phone and said "no he's at school right now but if you want to leave a message or number you can."
Before I knew it my husband,in frustration handed me the phone and walked away.
With hands full of suds,from my dishes,I grudgingly answered the phone and heard the lady on the other end say,"But I need to know your name and who you are before I leave a message or number."
I spoke with this woman who wanted to know who I was and how I was related before she would leave me any information.
Once she knew who I was she began to tell me about his test and prep needed for this medical test.
I stopped her and said "look just tell me your number,the time your office is opened and when he can call you back and he will."
I don't know about you but it amazes me how we can not be told basic information to leave a simple message but the government knows more about our information,which they gladly share with other agencies,then they will share with family.
True Hipaa in principle is a good thing but I'm tired of having to be put through the mill on basic family information while the rest of the world,total strangers are privy to more information about my husband or child then I am.
With this whole new government health care coming down the pike I fore see lots more interference in my life then ever before.
When you allow the government to be you provider you play by their rules and all privacy is off bounds.
Today I heard how the First Lady wants restaurants to cut back on the amount of food they serve us in restaurants,well there you go a mother state enacted by a government who feels they own you dietary issues.
Where does Hipaa fit in here? Am I also not entitled to the right of what I eat in my restaurant as a private act
I'm personally tired of having doctors push test on me,hospitals repeatedly calling me about doing said test,so I don't forget to show up and the pharmacy calling me to find out why my medication is not running has quickly as they deem necessary.
Where I work I deal with doctors giving me orders for medications that the pharmacy says they can not fill because the government says "no we don't pay for that we pay for this."
Funny I thought my doctor went to school to be wise enough to decide what he feels is in my best interest not the government.
I don't know about you but I spent the first 18 years of my life waiting until I was old enough to run my own life,now it seems like I have new parents telling me what to do.
Oh freedom where are you?

A Questionable Car Bomb In L.A.

2011-02-08T06:52:00.000-08:00

Seems this morning L.A. is now getting a taste of what we in New England have faced since the day after Sept.11Th and that is the fear and threat of a questionable car bomb.
I think the reason why these south western states have not felt the true depth of our discomfort is because they are miles removed from us,on the north eastern coast, feeling we are over reacting in our fears and trepidations.
You know many states,who do not edge our northern boarders,have forgotten exactly what happened on Sept.11Th and that we are still at war.
We have forgotten our home fronts and are becoming complacent in that we are not involved in places like New York and their ever daily vigilance for safety.
We need to understand that we are a "United States" and as such we are our brothers keepers.
What effects one state effects all states be it terror threats,criminal activity,disasters,illegal immigration and much more.
This does not mean that we as states are not individuals but it does mean what happens in one state ripple down to the rest of us.
I don't feel that places like California can truly appreciate the fear that was and still is in the hearts of people who live in Mass,Conn,Rhode Island,New York and especially New Jersey.
To the western states it did not effect them the way it effected the rest of us.
To this day I can still remember the utter silence in the sky on the eve of Sept.11 and the fear that struck me personally when I heard a jet fly over our house.
Those fears of being bombed still hide in our hearts when ever New York deals with car bomb issues,even to this day.
Complacency is a cancer and we must ever be vigilant to not allow it to spread.
We can not live in fear but we also can not live in a never never land of unpreparedness.
All I can say to the rest of our country is don't get to comfortable because what touches us here in the north will eventually touch you in the west and south,if not sooner well maybe later..

Gifts

2011-02-07T15:51:00.000-08:00

While at a restaurant with friends,yesterday afternoon,we got on the subject of gifts,not presents but God given gifts.
My friend is very into reading and understanding end times,she feels gifted because she is allowed to see what she feels is end time signals and is very comfortable with these upcoming events.
I,on the other hand,feel God did not ask my opinion when he made the world and in the same respect,he is not really interested in my feelings about when,or how, the world will come to an end.
Don't get me wrong we are just gifted in different areas of our lives.
What gives her understanding,enlightenment and comfort does not,in my case,give me the same effect.
I feel my job on this planet is to help others and if the end is near then I need to work harder to accomplish my mission before God turns out the lights and calls it a day.
In the Bible St.Paul talks about the importance of understanding our gifts and using them.
We are all blessed differently and what we are good at is what God expects us to use.
That's why when we are doing the things we are blessed to do,we are successful.
Every talent we have is really an extension of God's hand and we are not owners of these gifts but rather, borrowers.
So our real purpose on this earth is to figure out what we are spiritually asked to do and join up with others,who are given blessings in different areas,allowing us to unite with each other.
Some of us are starters,some planners,other followers and still more enders.
Everything that begins will in time also end.
To every season there is a purpose under heaven.
So with all the strange and scary things going on in the world around us,we need to remember we do not stand alone.
United as a Christian family,the time has come to bring forth our talents to support and up hold each other,even if the times of tribulation may be near at hand.
We are promised by Jesus himself to "fear not for I am with you til the end of times".
So although the daily work sits in our hands,the future sits in his.

Works And Actions

2011-02-01T16:28:00.000-08:00

The one thing I have learned about being a Christian is that if you do it properly you are required to be an action person.
According to the Bible words alone do not make you a follower of Jesus Christ,actions do.
These actions are not just helping those in need they are also taking the steps God ask even when they don't seem to make a whole lot of sense at the time.
Sometimes we are asked to do things just to prove to the Almighty himself,that we will do what ever we are being asked,just because we are asked.
This is called obedience and if you want God to give you a bigger chunk of his trust you must first prove you are trust worthy,even to the smallest details.
When Abraham was told to sacrifice his son,he did not know why,but followed through and gained not only his son but the entire trust of God and all that accompanied it,both earthly and spiritually.
What exactly is action?
Being able to stand up and say what you need to say to others out of faith,to do what you need to do even when you go against what every one feels is right and going it alone when every one walks away from you shaking their heads,because they no longer understand your destination.
Being a Christian means the closer you get to God the father away you go from the world.
A desire to step away from materialism,to help those who are cast away by society and feeling so deeply for another's pain that you not only understand it,you experience it both emotionally and physically.
We have a saying where I work,when we meet a staff member we have not see for awhile,we say "hey my brother from another mother,how are you?"
Today those words came true,when one of our residents lost her loving devoted child.
As we talked about how tragic this was,I said we are now her family and need to treat her like she is one of us.
Although we are here from different earthly parents,we spiritually all have the same father,so now we are required to carry her burden and lighten her load.
And in my mind that is what being a child of God is all about,putting our faith into action.
According to the Bible even the demons tremble at the name of God but faith with out action is incomplete.
You can not be religious through words alone,but by your actions will you be whole and complete.
That is what is required by you,if you choose to be a Christian.

Oh Breathing Space Where Are You?

2011-02-01T14:29:00.000-08:00

This afternoon as I walked out of work I was struck by the height of the newly plowed snow piles,over 7 feet tall with paths and trails like some sort of white maze.
All I could think of was the movie "Dune" except instead of piles of sand we have snow.
I wonder if heaven is like this? All white and fluffy every where.
Sounds peaceful,doesn't it? Well not to me,at least not right now.
Maybe I'm getting snow blindness,but what ever it is I'm learning to hate the color white,not good when your a nurse.
As I drove down the street the snow on the roofs seemed to over power the height of the houses them selves.
Snow up to the front steps and porches could be seen every where.
Today I wore a bright yellow smock to work just to remind my self,and my patients,that there are more colors to our daily pallet then just white.
And so it goes another storm tomorrow,I'm beginning to feel that I may soon step out of my front door and be swallowed up,never to be seen again.
Alas whats a claustrophobic,like myself to do,but wait for a melting to take place,ever hoping to remove this feeling of being enclosed and weighted down.
Oh Phil,the ground hog from Pennsylvania,please no more winter,please not another six more week.
Me thinks that I shall never see,the green of grass beneath my feet.

Have Patients And Be Greatful

2011-01-31T10:55:00.000-08:00

Recently I read on face book someone who posted about feeling their street has not been properly and fully plowed.She felt the town should come and do a better job.
Another person replied that she should called the local Town Hall and speak with the foreman to explain her whoas to him/her.
I'm not sure where people have been but this has not been a normal winter,here in New England.
We have been having excess amounts of snow and our snow removal personal,at least in my town,are doing the best they can,not just with plowing but also with removal of said offending snow,so now one may come to a stop sign and see oncoming traffic.
Tomorrow is Tuesday and we are to have at least several more days of not just snow but also rain and ice.
I know that I'm tired of shoveling and driving through this multiple weekly on slaught and can just imagine how our plow truck drivers are feeling at this point.
I may be one of those,who in the spring,when I see a town truck sitting on the side of the road,with the driver not working,am first to feel my tax dollars are being ill used,but not so this month.
I'm sure most of these folks have worked at least 60 hours this week and are looking toward another 60 in the next several days,and would like a break too.
I work at a service oriented job and understand all to well peoples lack of patience with what seems to be slowness on the part of the server,but I can assure you it is not so on my end,as the provider.
We live in an instant world that demands all peoples needs be met in full, in more then a timely manor,has if those providing a service are some how our slaves.
No one wants to be put out and absolutely no one wants to wait on anything.
We are lucky to live in a country where such rudeness on the part of the consumer is tolerated.
Not so many years ago in Russia people would be forced to wait,outside, in lines for hours to enter a store and not even know what they would be able to buy until it was their turn.
We are an ungrateful self centered nation and as such are becoming ugly Americans in our own country.
Be kind,take a minute and truly be grateful to a service person who has done for you,not only what you have asked of them,but more.
Thank the cashiers,clerks,medical attendants,food handlers and yes, town works when they do their job and do it well.
Show you appreciate all they do for you,tell them "thank you for making my life better."
No one wants to feel unappreciated and those may be the first kind words these hard working people may have heard all day.
Do to others as you would want them to do to you,because how you measure others will be how you will be measured when your day of judgement comes.

What's Your Hurry People?

2011-01-28T15:13:00.000-08:00

So this morning when I got up and left the house,I had the joy of trying to figure out how to get out of my driveway and down the street.
We have so much snow here that all we have left for space on our street is an area big enough for one car.
The snow piles are so high you can not even see around them,so backing out of the drive way is a gamble,at best.
Thank God for four wheel drive and snow tires.
After doing a 10 point turn I finally made my way out of this tundra we call my street.
Once on the road things went pretty well except my gas pedal was reluctant to be pushed down,but How could I blame the vehicle,because I was in no hurry myself.
With heat on and gloves still half wet,from yesterdays shoveling,I made it to Main Street in Webster Mass.
I decided to take School Street which was to be my final destination.
Unfortunately when I turned onto said street a School Bus was trying to pass a garbage truck with no success,mostly because there was more snow piles then road.
Deciding to try my luck else where,I backed up then drove farther onto Main Street,picking up a road by the neighborhood school and grabbing a couple of secondary,or thirdary streets.
Driving was tight to say the least,with enough room for one and a half cars,not two.
Now I don't know why people are in such a rush but I was always taught in drivers education that the car on the straight away has the right of away,not those coming off a side streets.
First someone tried to run through a stop sign,but luckily my four wheel drive kept on moving,then someone tried to head on down a main road,onto this street while I was trying to get up a hill.
Putting me in the position of backing down into a small parking lot,which naturally,this person was trying to get to.
Ah well safe at work and parked behind a snow pile,taller then me,I decided to just get into my work place.
At 5 pm,on my way home I stopped at a gas station and once again had to preform my now popular ten point turn,which by the way I have perfected,just for these tight situations.
Home again,home again,how happy I was. Deciding that backing into the drive way would be good for my exit in the am.
With confidence high and only 5 tries my car was safely fitted into it's now cocoon.
Rather proud of myself I swung open the door and stepped into about 3 feet of snow, which I now navigated through to get to my front steps.
Tomorrow morning the plan is to get in on the passenger side then climb over the seat,thus missing the snow pile all together.
Oh boy two more mornings of interesting driving,since its my weekend on.
Suddenly I think I need some Excedrin I'm feeling a migraine coming on... ouch...

Feeding The Birds

2011-01-27T07:32:00.000-08:00

Today I awoke to hear my neighbor and my husband talking to each other while outside shoveling.
My neighbor said "my God its like an avalanche out here,you plow the snow up on the pile and it slides down the mound back into the driveway."
With those words I decided it must have been quite the storm and when I opened the front door and saw what looked like another 8 inches,decided it was.
All right time to put on my snow clothes and head outside,to tackle what lay ahead.
In the driveway my husband stood,with shovel in hand,looking absolutely helpless,has this metal behemoth,called the town snow plow pushed its load down the street,filling in the efforts this poor man had just spend over a half hour hand shoveling.
Well this was no time to be a defeatist,I aroused my son from bed,then went back outside with my shovel,this was not a time to give up the ship,even if it felt like our spirits were sinking,like the proverbial barge itself.
The fact that there was no place to throw the stuff,since the piles now exceed five feet in height,did not detour our valiant effort.
Like a general rallying his troops to action,forward men was our cry,we will not give in to the battle ahead,we are stronger then this simple pile of snow flakes could ever be.
With in an hour we had uncovered our modest,yet thankfully small driveway,front steps and two cars,as the sun began to shine,as if by schedule.
With outdoor task finished it was time for a well deserved cup of hot coffee and some blueberry pancakes.
From the kitchen window our yard looked like a barren wasteland of whiteness.The park bench,with its beautiful metal scroll work on the back support,now all but covered except for the very top rail and our bird feeders empty,with 6 inches of snow filling each seed tray.
Very sad and very lonely indeed.
I called my dog and we decided to try and fill the feeders with seeds,this was really more my idea then hers but she seemed happy enough to follow me no matter where I led.
Has I grabbed my bag filled with seeds and walked over to the edge of the driveway, The problem of how I was to step into 3 to 4 feet of snow now became an issue.
ooh for snow shoes.
Not wanting my poor feathery friends to go hungry I decided the best way in was one foot at a time.
For most people who know me I stand about 6 feet tall,snow up to my knees and thighs,means its very much on the high side.
But the decision was made and like the first step on the moon there was no turning back from my appointed errand
Slowly moving like a tug boat through a muddy lake I was able to fill each feeder and then trudge back to the edge of the driveway for much needed safety and thankfully, firm ground.
I always worry about these poor little birds,who take such joy in these full feeders.
The sight of watching them happily stuff their little fat beaks makes me understand why Jesus spoke so lovingly of these simple creatures.
Many times I think how much God loves these small feathery creations of his.
The sounds they make can bring such peace to the world and their simple colors such brightness.
Solomon and all his glory was not arrayed as one of these.
For my small effort of feeding the least of God creatures,I gain a banquet of peace and joy.
A hand full of seeds is a small price to pay for such tranquility.

Here Comes The Sun

2011-01-25T08:51:00.000-08:00

"Little darling its been a long,long lonely winter..little darling it seems like years since its been here.Here comes the sun,here comes the sun,its alright..."
With all this white stuff everywhere I have to admit in the late morning,has I open the curtains its so nice to see the sun.
There is something just so wonderful about the sunbeams shining into our newly opened rooms,it can fool you into thinking maybe its not as cold as it all looks..
Watching the icicles drip and the driveway begin to puddle reminds us that there may soon be some let up..
Nothing makes us feel more light hearted then the look of ice sparkling in the sunshine.
I am a sun person at heart,even when its cold outside,just standing in the sun rays gives us the illusion that we are really warm,if only deep in our spiritual core.
I always think that God himself is smiling down on us and purifying our eyesight to what his real beauty is all about.
Snow can look lovely but add the sun and it almost shimmers and glows,like a diamond.
In another week we will be out of the month of January,soon February will be on our door step then the month of March,as each day goes by we will feel the warm illumination of sunlight.
Spring will be here and the crocuses will be popping their heads through the cold ground trying each day to reach their tiny leaves and petals up toward the sky,has if believing if they stretch far enough they could touch the very surface of the sun itself.
How exciting seeing the days change filled with warmth and sunshine.
My husband was born on March 1st and his birthday says that the sign of Pieces the two fish ends the winter months and starts Spring.
How beautiful to be born at the end of Winter with Spring ahead of you all sun light and promise for new life that's about to unfold.
So although we are still looking at today's' storm,with another coming by Wednesday night,we know that the sunshine brings us promise every day that spring can not be far away.
In several weeks Valentines day will be here,love in the air and red roses in the stores.The bright bold colors of reds and pinks breaking through the ever expanding stock pile of whiteness which seems to go on forever.
When you begin to feel sad,from January to March just remember...Here comes the sun....here comes the sun..its alright..dooo dooo doooo dooooo..do

Worst Winter....

2011-01-22T15:35:00.000-08:00

O.K. we all know its cold here and yes we all know we may have more snow next week,but can the media please stop with the constant updates and interviews with unhappy people who have to make their way from their house to their car and vice versa.
I don't know where all these people come from,but every time we have a storm they have never, in their whole lives, seen such bad weather.
I was around during the storm of 1978 and can tell you,first hand,that was a bad storm.
We live in New England and as such we understand that snow,ice,and extreme low temperatures are what we look forward to at this time of year.
I must say it does not lift my spirits when the media has nothing better to do then cry about how cold and snowy it is.
Guess what folks buck up! and stop crying!
Be grateful you have a warm house to go to and hot food on your table.
Be glad there are plows to plow the roads to get you to work,at least you have a job to go to.
I don't mean to sound angry but stop crying already and realize we have no control over the weather so move forward.
I have lived in Connecticut all my life and yes we have snow and ice and temperatures do go below zero,its winter,not global warming ,and these things happen.
In a few months this will only be a bad memory.
The fact that we are able to complain with no thought to those who go with out, shows just how self centered and spoiled we really are.
Take a minute and be grateful that you are sleeping on the inside of a warm building and not on the outside on a street corner.
If the media wants to put some effort into something worth wild,instead of measuring the number of inches we are getting in snow every hour why don't they tally up the number of people trying to keep warm under a cardboard box of stack of newspapers,then they would truly have something to feel upset about.
I know it upsets me!

Groceries And A Budget

2011-01-21T17:38:00.000-08:00

Tonight while scanning through all the super market fliers,depression began to set in at my realization that these "sales prices" where regular prices not so many months ago.
Back when my son was small and money was very tight,I had a fixed budget and every week needed to figure out how to stretch each and every dollar to the fullest,at that time there was no such thing as extra money,so being exact was important or embarrassment would occur at the check out.
As times got better and money became more accessible,the need to budget became less and less.
With the start of this new year and the desire to spend less and bank more,I have decided to try to go back to my old habits and see if I can once again tighten up the food purse strings.
Now this is more of a challenge then it may seem because with my need to spend less also comes my desire to eat better.
Seven years ago when my mother passed away from colon cancer it became my aim to eat more organically especially when it comes to meats,vegetables and fruits.
But with all these beneficial foods comes a very large price tag.
Funny what man puts in as additives cost less then what Mother Nature refuses to incorporate.
I have heard many educated,well meaning,people say that those who are low in income need to eat better,they need to buy healthy foods not junk.
I can tell you from experience that foods high in white flours and additives are much cheaper and more easily accessible to the low income folks then fresh and organic foods,especially when you have a family to feed and other bills to pay.
Today I have determined that the time has now come for not only a budget but also a plan.
No more just going to one store to buy food,multiple stores in close proximity to each other may now be needed.
Back to reading store fliers and carefully choosing sales prices from each. Coupons,which though difficult to find with organic food stuff,are not completely impossible.
More time each week spent figuring out meal plans and desserts,buying only what is really needed and cooking with items on sale that week,not to mention making and freezing extra,while prices and supplies are available.
Time to make more things from scratch and buy less expensive premade things.
And last but not least using up what we already have on hand.
Being Orthodox comes in handy,in this area since we do not eat meat two times a week,so beans and soup may now be in our future since fish prices are very expensive this time of year and pretty much out of our reach for awhile.
So we will see how successful this new plan will be,if money can be saved or if just held close to a workable budget,that will be a good thing.
In several years I plan to retire and the more cash I can put away the sooner that dream can be realized.
Its always good to aim for the future,while living in the present.