Forgive me a sinner...
This is an old post and decided to post it finally.
During liturgy today, while praying the kneeling prayers of Pentecost. This seemingly simple, but profound thought popped into my head. Christ did indeed ascend that we ourselves may ascend! Glory to God!
Sunday, June 7, 2009
Sunday, March 29, 2009
You know it's Lent when...
... Your 5 year old goes to confession for the first time.
(just had to get this down in case I forgot)
(just had to get this down in case I forgot)
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Moving on up...
Glory to God for all and in all things!
I realize it's been a few since my last post, but I have a good excuse! We've moved! Yes, moving. That fun time when you try to plan ahead and account for all the "stuff" you've gathered/horded over the years since the last move.
The one thing I can say with 100% confidence is... I forgot how much "stuff" we've gathered since the last move. Let's see, looking back I seem to remember us as a family being a little on the "starting out" side. Morgan was maybe a year old and Zoe was about a month or two from being born. Ah yes, that accounts for about 70% of our newly gathered/horded "stuff".
It's interesting how we accumulate things over time. We accumulate things, some we need and some we don't. We accumulate relationships, some we think we need and others we think we could do without. What about the things that we accumulate internally or in our unconscious? Is it possible to inventory our unconscious? I'm not sure, that's why I am asking.
How do the things that live in our unconscious affect our day to day life? Just some thoughts I've been thinking about as of late.
Wow, it got all heavy in here all of a sudden.
So, we moved! We've still got things to put away and we've got things to gather!
Sunday, March 1, 2009
So, Here Goes
The Setup
A dear friend of mine and I were talking today while at a birthday party for my God-sons twin sons. During the course of our conversation he mentions to me that I should journal. I laugh of course because I know the flow of this endeavor. Usually starts with me getting inspired to write about something. Followed by me running out and spending $10/$2o on a new journal. After getting it home I enter the first entry, which is followed up by days of... well... intention. Intention to write, but with very little progress.
So, with that being said. I'm saving money this time and going "virtual" journal.
Lent
With today being the beginning of lent, I figured it a great time to start this journal. I can't say that I'll have a lot to say, but I'll sure try to capture what I can.
What is lent? Well, lent is actually this beautiful time in which we as followers of Christ prepare and journey with our Lord and Savior. This is only my third journey through lent (God willing not my last) and I can tell you that I am always surprised at how I am affected. I remember before our baptism and chrismation, my same dear friend gave me a bit of advice. We were discussing the difficulty of fasting, not only from certain foods, but with our whole being. Fasting with our eyes, our minds, our mouths... He said to me, "If you can't say no to a cheese-burger, what can you say no to?" So true.
Forgiveness
We attended forgiveness vespers tonight and it is the one time during the year when I actually get to see everyone in the parish face to face. There were so many new faces, some joyous, some scared, and some even smiling. Beautiful people beaming with intent. Intention like that in the face of a runner at the beginning of a race set on winning. Mind made up, no changing direction.
Humility
There is one man that I fully enjoy seeing every service. He's and older gentlemen who sometimes walks with a cane. He is humble in stature and joyous in his smiles. The light of Christ shines forth from this man like I've read only in the writings about saints. Thank God for you, servant of God.
Gratefulness
I am so very grateful for my best-friend and wife. She is patient and kind with me when I am not so patient and kind. My children who force me to be better. Last but not least, my spiritual father.
Glory to God in all things!
A dear friend of mine and I were talking today while at a birthday party for my God-sons twin sons. During the course of our conversation he mentions to me that I should journal. I laugh of course because I know the flow of this endeavor. Usually starts with me getting inspired to write about something. Followed by me running out and spending $10/$2o on a new journal. After getting it home I enter the first entry, which is followed up by days of... well... intention. Intention to write, but with very little progress.
So, with that being said. I'm saving money this time and going "virtual" journal.
LentWith today being the beginning of lent, I figured it a great time to start this journal. I can't say that I'll have a lot to say, but I'll sure try to capture what I can.
What is lent? Well, lent is actually this beautiful time in which we as followers of Christ prepare and journey with our Lord and Savior. This is only my third journey through lent (God willing not my last) and I can tell you that I am always surprised at how I am affected. I remember before our baptism and chrismation, my same dear friend gave me a bit of advice. We were discussing the difficulty of fasting, not only from certain foods, but with our whole being. Fasting with our eyes, our minds, our mouths... He said to me, "If you can't say no to a cheese-burger, what can you say no to?" So true.
Forgiveness
We attended forgiveness vespers tonight and it is the one time during the year when I actually get to see everyone in the parish face to face. There were so many new faces, some joyous, some scared, and some even smiling. Beautiful people beaming with intent. Intention like that in the face of a runner at the beginning of a race set on winning. Mind made up, no changing direction.
Humility
There is one man that I fully enjoy seeing every service. He's and older gentlemen who sometimes walks with a cane. He is humble in stature and joyous in his smiles. The light of Christ shines forth from this man like I've read only in the writings about saints. Thank God for you, servant of God.
Gratefulness
I am so very grateful for my best-friend and wife. She is patient and kind with me when I am not so patient and kind. My children who force me to be better. Last but not least, my spiritual father.
Glory to God in all things!
Saturday, May 17, 2008
Activity...
Or lack there of...
I have been working at my new job for a while and really enjoying it! I have great bosses and a fantastic team of engineers that love to help.
Anyway, I just wanted to check-in and leave you with this for now...
"The devil first attacks us with pleasurable temptation, for he knows that we fall into it easily. And if he finds our will obedient to his, he draws us away from the grace of God which protects us. On account of his great hatred for us, he then requests permission from God to bring upon us bitter temptation, that is, sorrows and hardships, in order to destroy us completely and cause us to fall into despair on account of our many sufferings. If he does not find our will compliant, that is, if we do not fall to the pleasurable temptation, he still brings the second kind of temptation, hoping that through many sorrows he will be able to force us to carry out his evil intent.
For this reason, the Apostle Peter directs us: “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Pet. 5:8). God sometimes permits him to do this in order to test His servants, as in the case of Job and the other Saints, in accordance with the Lord’s word to His disciples: “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat” (Lk. 22:31). That is, “Behold, Peter, Satan asked permission to sift all of you, to shake you up with temptations as wheat is shaken up.” Or God allows temptations by means of His withdrawing, as happened to David because of the sin he committed and to the Apostle Peter because of his arrogance. Other times temptations come on account of God’s abandonment, as it happened to Judas and the Jews.
The temptations the saints experience by the permission of God come from the envy of the devil, and are permitted in order that they may manifest saintly righteousness and perfection, and thus shine all the more brightly on account of their victory over their opponent. The temptations which happen by God’s withdrawal occur in order to obstruct and cut off past, present, or future sins. The temptations which happen by God’s abandonment are caused by the sinful life of man and his evil will, and lead one to complete perdition."
An Excerpt from "Concerning Frequent Communion"
by St. Nikodemos the Hagiorite
Source: http://orthodoxinfo.com/praxis/cfc_lordsprayer.aspx
I have been working at my new job for a while and really enjoying it! I have great bosses and a fantastic team of engineers that love to help.
Anyway, I just wanted to check-in and leave you with this for now...
"The devil first attacks us with pleasurable temptation, for he knows that we fall into it easily. And if he finds our will obedient to his, he draws us away from the grace of God which protects us. On account of his great hatred for us, he then requests permission from God to bring upon us bitter temptation, that is, sorrows and hardships, in order to destroy us completely and cause us to fall into despair on account of our many sufferings. If he does not find our will compliant, that is, if we do not fall to the pleasurable temptation, he still brings the second kind of temptation, hoping that through many sorrows he will be able to force us to carry out his evil intent.
For this reason, the Apostle Peter directs us: “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Pet. 5:8). God sometimes permits him to do this in order to test His servants, as in the case of Job and the other Saints, in accordance with the Lord’s word to His disciples: “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat” (Lk. 22:31). That is, “Behold, Peter, Satan asked permission to sift all of you, to shake you up with temptations as wheat is shaken up.” Or God allows temptations by means of His withdrawing, as happened to David because of the sin he committed and to the Apostle Peter because of his arrogance. Other times temptations come on account of God’s abandonment, as it happened to Judas and the Jews.
The temptations the saints experience by the permission of God come from the envy of the devil, and are permitted in order that they may manifest saintly righteousness and perfection, and thus shine all the more brightly on account of their victory over their opponent. The temptations which happen by God’s withdrawal occur in order to obstruct and cut off past, present, or future sins. The temptations which happen by God’s abandonment are caused by the sinful life of man and his evil will, and lead one to complete perdition."
An Excerpt from "Concerning Frequent Communion"
by St. Nikodemos the Hagiorite
Source: http://orthodoxinfo.com/praxis/cfc_lordsprayer.aspx
Sunday, February 10, 2008
A New Job...
Yep, I am leaving my current place of workage on the 22nd. My first day at the new job will be Feb. 25th. I am very excited and can't wait to start!
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
Wisdom
“It is good to take by violence, not the things that perish, but the Kingdom of Heaven. Haste we then to seize it. Should passion disquiet us, should lust disquiet us, let us do violence to our nature. Let us become more gentle, let us labor a little, that we may rest forever in the promised Kingdom of God." -- St. John Chrysostom
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