Baptism

Hard to believe our little one is already 4 months old.  Here is a look at the baptism, which was at the end of October, but I thought was appropriate to share as we celebrate the feast of Theophany this week.

The new icons in our temple!  Dmitry Shkolnik  and a crew of 3 other iconographers, 2 flown in from Russia, came and spent a month at our parish creating these icons.  They were completed the week before I was churched - so I left with a sanctuary of blank white walls, and returned to this!

            

The table overlays were unbleached cotton muslin from Hobby L*bby, very inexpensive, but has the look of raw linen.  Since it was fall,  I used a lot of white pumpkins to decorate, but didn't go with a complete fall color scheme since I still wanted to enjoy the pastels of a little one!  Instead, I used a lot of  white with milk glass vases on each table and beautiful blues for the flowers.

Buttermilk spice cake iced with cream cheese frosting, yum!!!  I decorated the cake with gumpaste sugar roses and hydrangea.  The roses were some I made years ago when experimenting with new techniques for realistic sugar flowers.  I also had hydrangea left over from my brother-in-law's wedding cake, and I made a handful of new ones to fill in.  Hydrangea are my favorite flower, and I love them in sugar almost as much as live ones.

I also made pumpkin pies in a jar, a quick uncooked version of this seasonal favorite.  These were a huge hit, and the best thing is, you can make them up ahead and they store wonderfully!  I put them in the mini mason jam jars, and stored them with the lids on in the refrigerator.

Loved this take home gift idea, honey from Holy Cross Monastery, in jars from Betterbee (it appears they no longer carry the 4 oz size).

 

Jordan almonds are a baptismal tradition for us as well, so the kids helped me stamp muslin bags with a blue cross design, and we filled them with blue and white Jordan almonds as favors.

Cider punch served from the glass jars I usually store my pasta in, and jam jars from the pantry for glasses.

Menu:

selection of cheeses and fruits, cheese phyllo triangles, proscuitto and phyllo wrapped asparagus, stuffed mushrooms,   stuffed pumpkin, mini quiche, individual pot pies, stuffed eggs, Captain R*dney's cheese bake, corn dip, fall salad with pumpkin seed oil vinaigrette

For the little ones, we rolled brown butcher paper across the children's tables and taped it in place.  Twig styled colored pencils were placed along the length of the table.   The kids had a great time coloring on the paper while they ate!

Pinterest Inspiration Page 

I hope you all had a merry Christmas and blessed Theophany!  My blogging is a bit sporadic these days, but life is full and I thank God for that.

Happy Feast Day!

Today we honor two great saints, Martyr Barbara and John of Damascus.  

This year's St. Barbara's Day Bonfire was our biggest yet with over 80 friends and family. 

The weather was an amazing seventy degrees, so no shivering around the bonfire.

After sitting together around the fire to hear the life of St. Barbara read from the Prologue, there were  fireworks, sparklers, chili, s'mores, 

and this year we hooked the tractor up to a flatbed wagon and had hayrides!

Education vs. Schooling: a homeschool mother in crisis

If there are any readers still out there, not completely turned off by my neglect of this space, I will continue to offer a few words here and there.  Not that any of you are hanging on my words, of course.  And I offer little excuse, other than there are times when my attention is needed elsewhere.   And I hate technology.   And all of its drama.   And complications.  I think I was born in the wrong century.  Yet, God has placed me in this time for a reason, and so I carry on.  Which brings to mind the term 'carrion', "dead and putrefying flesh, unfit for food."  Seems I am in the mood for dissecting words this evening.  Forgive me if perhaps my words are not fit for consumption, as I am sure they will offend some.  At times they are just the train of thought that whistles its way down the tracks of my mind, and perhaps should not always be shared with others.  They are what they are, take them as you will (or not).
I have spent much of my life in what many would call "the field of education."  I was home schooled (third grade to graduation), and so self educated myself in a number of subjects through high school.   I went to two liberal arts colleges and came out with a language degree as well as certification to teach.   Throughout college, I tutored elementary students and graduate students.  I taught night classes at a university for extra income.  After college, I spent three years teaching in a Catholic school.  I came home to raise children, and am now teaching them.  Every part of my life has been touched by "education."  And yet,  I constantly ask myself, "am I educating my children?"   Seems this time of year I always battle with the self doubt.  One reason attending the St. Emmelia conference is such a great boost of encouragement, and I am feeling the effect of having to be absent this year.  "Educating my children."  What does that even mean?  What do we mean when we say we want our children to receive "a good education."   Ironic really.  I have a piece of paper with a state seal on it that says I am qualified to educate other people's children.  And I am still asking the question "what is a good education?".  If you ask most, the answer usually is to equip them with the skills needed to get a job.  Utility.  Practicality.    We can thank (or perhaps condemn) John Dewey for revolutionizing our understanding of education in America.  For Dewey, education equaled utility.  The goal: preparing citizens to be put to use in society.  Pragmatism.  Or, as Dewey preferred it, instrumentalism.  That which is most useful, most instrumental for society.  A skill.  A way to be valuable to the whole.  Which could lead us into a whole other topic concerning the value and worth of a person in this type of society, the type of society we have rapidly become, but I digress.

My other specialty: language (BA in Spanish, with a minor in English).   As a lover of language and words (thank you Professor Leslie  for introducing me to the OED, I am ever grateful for your infectious love of words and their true meaning), I understand the value of tracing a word to its origins.  Education.   From the Latin, educo.  In Spanish, my particular field, "educado".   In Greek, "paidea".  What does it mean?  Knowledge?  Facts?  Information? Skills?  Well, yes, they are a part.  However, we have lost the true meaning.  "The process of nourishing or rearing a child or young person."  The bringing up of a child. In Spanish, a child who is "mal educado" is one who has been poorly raised, not one who has been poorly schooled.  It is about the formation of character.  The raising and nurturing of a child.  Forming, uplifting and recognizing the nature of the human being, reaching the soul.  Are my children receiving that kind of education?  Or have I allowed the focus to become utility, practicality, how is this child going to fit in, to become useful to society in the future?   Even worse, how is this child going to be successful (that is, wealthy, famous, recognized, appreciated) in this culture?   It is easy to forget that schooling and education are not equal.

As I am struggling for answers, where do I  turn?  To the church.  And where do I get the best guidance in the "education" of children?  With the wisdom of Bishop THOMAS resounding in my head, I must remember what my goal is.  Remember why I educate my children.  And so, when those seeds of doubt creep in, when the voices whisper that I don't have time to go to services during the week,  that attending liturgy for St. Anthony - a model for humility as wisdom -  is not as important as studying Latin, I must remind myself of that goal.   And to comfort me, to remind me of my greatest desires, I turn to the Akathist to the Mother of God Nurturer of Children.  Every month our parish offers the opportunity to pray this Akathist as a community.  If I honestly wish to pray those prayers, then I must accept the words which it declares.  And so, it has become my home school manifesto.  My mission statement.  My reason for "educating" my children.  And what does it say?


"Raise my children to be earthly angels, wise as servants but innocent as doves, to have knowledge of good but not of sin, to be meek that they may inherit the earth, pure in heart that they may see God, the light of the world that their light might shine before men.  To order their lives wisely, following the example of the saints.   To seek first the Kingdom of God, to be the least of all, that they may be great before God, to deliver them from falsely-theorizing orators, to strongly oppose atheists, to run from the world and the delusion of the world, to serve Thee in obedience and chastity, to stand before Thee with reverence, to bear good fruit, to live in a holy manner, to be made worthy of the Kingdom of Heaven and make them heirs of eternal blessings.  What more could a mother hope for, that her children be made worthy of the Kingdom of Heaven, to make them heirs of eternal blessings?  Only that she herself may also be made worthy of those same blessings.

On Becoming an Orthodox Theologian

As we slowly work our way through implementing and adapting the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, I find myself constantly looking to better understand the differences between the Orthodox and Roman Catholic faiths.  Growing up a Reformed Protestant, I do understand the western mindset (and still struggle to overcome it!), but I knew very little truth concerning the Roman Catholic Church.  To faithfully represent Orthodoxy in the Catechesis, I must first understand the faith in which it is rooted.  It also means I am searching to better understand the teachings of the Orthodox Church.  The result, I find that my google searches often look something like this: "catholicism and theosis",  "orthodoxy and baptism", "catholic rite of baptism" etc.   Now, before you take the title of this post to imply that I consider myself on the road to becoming an Orthodox theologian, let me assure you, that is the opposite of my message here.  In my searching, I ran across an interesting statement concerning theology in the Orthodox church, one that I am sure we could all hold as a good reminder, any time we consider ourselves becoming "knowledgeable" about the faith.  


"Orthodox theology is of an explicitly mystical character. Theology in the Eastern Orthodox church is what is derived from saints or mystics of the tradition, and Eastern Orthodox consider that 'no one who does not follow the path of union with God can be a theologian'.  In Eastern Orthodoxy, theology is not treated as an academic pursuit, but it is based on revelation, meaning that Orthodox theology and its theologians are validated by ascetic pursuits, rather than academic degrees."


Once more I am reminded of how little I understand.  Once again I am reminded of the danger of 'studying' the Orthodox faith, rather than living it.  How easy it is to learn about the faith.  How easy to impress others with a list of deeply spiritual books read, or well thought out arguments, or carefully written blog posts.  What is the "proof" of Orthodox faith?  Our life.  How we live.  How we act.  What we say.  What we do.  How the light of Christ shines forth from us as from the saints.  Our humility.   How we dance with God.   

Living the Nativity Fast

The following is a compilation of information and resources I have come across over the years concerning the Nativity Fast.  The Nativity Fast, or Advent as it is often called, is one of the two great fasts of the year. The difference between it and great Lent, is of course, that during the Nativity fast we are anticipating a birth, so the atmosphere of this fast is one of happy anticipation. It can also be a difficult fast for the Orthodox, as the rest of the world is caught up in Christmas parties and celebrations full of the food and drink from which we fast. The following ideas are a collection of ways to commemorate the days of the fast without pre-celebrating the feast.
 Make the 15^th an event – Advent is different from Lent, where the  beginning is hard to miss, often the 15^th comes and goes with little notice taken.  Make the 15th a special day by starting family traditions to begin the fast.

Ideas: set your Christmas tree up the night before after the kids have gone to bed. Then spend the rest of the week slowly decorating it. Begin one of the many activities outlined below to mark the days of Advent - a Jesse tree, Advent calendar, prayer chain, or Advent wreath

Reserve special items that only come out during the fast - (in our house, all Nativity related books, toys, music and movies are stored away until Nov 15^th, then pulled out to enjoy during the season and packed up again on Jan 7^th )

Daily reminders

Below is a list of activities that can be done daily to help mark the fast – select from among these the ones that appeal to you and your family without becoming overwhelming.

Establish a family time and altar  If you do not already have one, this is a great time to start the habit of evening family prayers together – prayers, readings, lighting candles etc – these become the focal point of the fast.   When you receive Christmas cards – place those on your altar and pray for those people that evening.  If you have a table or piece of furniture available or even just a shelf, drape with a red cloth and place icons, candles

Advent wreath – can just be votive holders with candles and some greenery laid around it – some people use colored candles to mark the Sundays, others just use beeswax candles.  One idea is to decorate the candles with an icon for each Sunday of the fast (these commemorations fluctuate from year to year)  Another beautiful option is the wreath made by Ann Voskamp's son Caleb, our family has truly enjoyed celebrating the seasons of the year with this beautifully crafted piece.

Jesse Tree – a series of ornaments or symbols that begin with creation and track the story of our salvation through the Old Testament, ending with the birth of Christ.  There are many versions of this, and it may take time to create your own, but it can be a wonderful way to see the importance of the Incarnation in the scope of history.  There is also a lovely coloring page version of the Jesse Tree as an alternative (or to go along with) ornaments.

Advent Calendar – hung in a prominent place where the children can see it on a daily basis – there are paper ones that can be purchased, or you can make your own.  It can be very simple – of felt with items pinned on or elaborate with sewn pockets

Christmas Storybooks – in our house all of the books related to Christmas are wrapped up in inexpensive paper and placed under the tree on the 15^th of November.  Each evening, the children select a book to open and we read it together.  A basket is placed by the tree to contain the opened books, which are then revisited throughout the season.  We don’t attempt to have 40 books, 20 or so have been more than enough to keep us busy, and the children get very excited each year when they open old favorites they haven’t seen since last Christmas!  It’s like getting a whole new library of books each year.

Prayer chain – this can be used for one of several activities. Cut strips and staple into a chain.  Can track alms giving during Advent, use it as a prayer list of people to pray for each day (add someone new each day) or use it to count your blessings, writing something you are thankful for each day of the fast.  Hang your chain somewhere visible in the house and watch it grow through the fast.

Almgiving – in the spirit of St. Nicholas, try to find some way to involve your children in activities of giving – visit one of the shut ins in the church, let them send notes and Christmas cards to the shut ins of the region,

Christmas tree – Traditionally – Christmas eve (not very practical for most.  My family decorates the tree on the 15^th as our way of marking the start of the season (artificial of course) – if you use a live tree, St. Nicholas day (Dec 6) or St. Herman’s feast day (Dec. 13^th) are great days to mark with decorating the tree.

Nativity Sets

Wooden set children can handle and play with

Playmobil makes a wonderful set that makes for hours of play

Family set - one idea is to not place out all figures – make a star path with 40 stars from the manger across a table or shelf.  Mary moves one star closer each day – as she passes each star, it can be moved up onto a blue backdrop behind the nativity set until you have a full sky.  Alternative to using stars is to make a stone path (shown above).

The week before Christmas, place a new figure each day, let your kids come home from the Christmas liturgy to find the baby Jesus in the manger.

3. Mark the milestones of the fast –

Participate in the liturgies and activities offered by the church.

One way to mark these days, print off paper icons (from the internet) and put them into picture frame Christmas ornaments, hang each saint on the tree on his or her feast day

         
          Presentation of Theotokos – Nov 21^st

          St. Katherine – Nov 25^th

          St. Andrew – Nov 30^th

          St. Nicholas – Dec 6^th

          St. Barbara – Dec 4^th

          St. Herman – Dec 13^th

          St. Lucia – Dec 13^th

          St. Stephen – Dec 27^th

Icon coloring books – our favorites -  Potamitis Publishing

Read the lives of the saints (can be a bedtime activity or a part of the family altar time) we should spend at least as much time sharing these stories with our kids as we do sharing fairy tales and other books

4.    Celebrate Christmas!

Special meal after liturgy – helps to emphasize breaking of fast with young ones – special foods saved for this night

Place Jesus in the manger, ready to be found when the children come

home from liturgy

One of the wonderful things about being Orthodox is avoiding the post holiday blues – do you remember the feeling you had as a child on the 26^th of December, or even as an adult?  Everything is over, the presents are opened and there seems to be nothing left to look forward to but a long dreary winter.

12 days of Christmas – stockings with 12 small gifts to be opened each day of Christmas

January 1 – St. Basil’s Day – make vasilopita!

Theophany table – change cloth drape to gold, remove wreath, set out 11 votives and Christ candle

Theophany – special bottles for them to bring for the service to be filled with Holy Water , I bought a cheap bottle painting kit from Target/Hobby Lobby

Blessing of the Waters at the River

House Blessing – a good motivation to get the house cleaned and ready to start the year!

Nativity Links
Jesse Tree ornaments

Jesse Tree readings

Advent calendar instructions

Premade Orthodox Advent Calendar

Jesus is Born advent calendar illustrations

playmobil nativity set

Cycles of Grace Nativity binder

My Nativity Menu

advent alphabet

The Call

Last week Father asked a question at the Paraklesis service.  When you get the call saying your mother is dying, what do you do?  Does anything else matter?  Do you concern yourself with daily life and routines?  Do you explain, I am just so busy, I'll try to get there when I can, but you know how it is, so many other commitments, it's such a busy time of year?  No, you drop everything to be at her side.  You rearrange your schedule, you lay aside all earthly cares, do whatever it takes to be with her, to show her you love her.  Every August first we get that call.  Our Mother is dying.  Do we notice?  Have we changed our own lives and pace to be with her?  Will we come running to her side?  Or will we allow the world to pull us in a thousand directions?  The church gives us two whole weeks to come, to mourn, to offer our prayers, to be with her, to sing those beautiful hymns. 

Our Mother is dying, let us run to her.

A Sobering Time

The weeks of summer fly past.  Trips, training,  gardening, canning and cooking consume every moment.  There is a seeming lull in the liturgical year, as if all energy was expended throughout the marathon of Lent and the Apostles Fast, and we collapsed into exhausted celebration with the feasts of Ascension, Pentecost and the Apostles.  Life seems to pull at us - with fewer added services, life in our home takes on an agrarian rhythm.  Everything builds around the harvest, whether from our own garden, or the weekly CSA box, or the Farmer's Market, I spend much of my time considering what foods must be frozen, canned or cooked.  Enjoying parties with family and friends, breathing deeply the humid air, a feeling of indolence and joy at letting go of a few responsibilities.  I suppose that is the way the end of the year should feel - hot, heavy, with thoughts turning to the next year...school plans...the liturgical gauntlet of September with its many services.  So it is good to have a sobering time.  A time to call ourselves back from the carefree days of July, to ease us back. 

 For that, the church offers the Dormition.  We end the church cycle as we begin it, with she who was permitted to hold God both within her and in her arms.  So many names......... she is the ladder of Jacob..... the burning bush of Moses....the cloud of glory which contained our Lord.  She is the ark, the tabernacle - holier than the Holies.  She gave birth to the light which illumines the world, and the stone cut from a mountain by no human hand.  She is the gate that shall ever remain shut - for the Lord, the God of Israel has entered by it.  She is the very temple veil she stitched, and the golden urn which carried the Manna.  She is the rod of Aaron, which sprouted the Flower of Immortality, and who gave birth to the Rod of Jesse.  She is the holy altar who bore the bread of life, the branch of the unwithering vine, and her prayers are the sweetest of incense to her Son.  As we enter the season of the dormition, may we remember the most holy Theotokos, and beseech her prayers on our behalf - for what better mouth to voice our needs to the ear of the Son of God............. than those of his Mother.

candles

wax for decorating

cutters



Revisiting the Pascha Learning Boxes

I originally posted these last year, but have made a few additions to the boxes, as well as taken some better photos!  So, here is another look at my learning boxes for Holy Week.  I will mention again, that this is an involved project.  When I first had the idea several years ago, it was Lazarus Saturday and I jumped into action planning how I would create them.  My wise husband cautioned against it, saying that rather than a blessing, it would be a consuming project for Holy Week, distracting me from what I should be doing.  So, I followed his advice, and waited until after Pascha to begin making them.  I say this again to caution you - if this is an idea you want to replicate, do it slowly.  Do not attempt to pull it together quickly, you will find yourself frustrated and it will not be a joyful project.  The wonderful thing about the church rythms is that we can look to next year.

Finally, a word about the use of the boxes.  In my home, we have used them in several ways.  The first is actually taking them to church on each day of Holy Week.  If you have a young child, the items in the box offer a focus.  I usually tell my littlest ones to listen through the service, especially at the readings, and see if they can hear mention of each item in the box.  The joy on the face of my 4 year old when she heard the parable of the grape vine as she sat holding those plastic grapes was priceless. Some pieces are more interactive.  One year I watched as several children in our church sat and carefully lined the palm branches and fabric in the shape of the cross.  The icon was placed at the top, and the donkey was walked along the path, over and over again.  For a young child, that is prayer.  That is meditating on the scripture.  That is learning.  The boxes may also be used at home.  You may wish to read the scripture ahead and present the items.  If you are concerned with small pieces being all over the place, take a small placemat to church and roll it out on the floor.  Explain that this is the space to work with the box, and the items are to stay on the mat until they are returned to the box.  Then watch, and be prepared to have visitors in your aisle as curious children around you are drawn to see what is going on!

Box 1

This box is for Palm Sunday, but could be used on Lazarus Saturday as well. It contains a strip of linen fabric to represent the raising of Lazarus, a donkey (from the crocodile hunter's stash), palm branches (a piece of artificial greenery I found at H*bby L*bby, just pull off the individual fronds off), palm crosses from past Palm Sundays, and icons of Mary and Martha, the Raising of Lazarus, and the Entrance into Jerusalem.  The prayer card is a small wooden plaque from the craft store painted purple.  I printed the script off my computer and attached it with mod p*dge.  A second coat of mod p*dge and some pearl 3-d paint finished it off.  

Box 2

This box is for Sunday evening Bridegroom Matins and Monday morning services. The focus of these services is humility, with Joseph as the Old Testament type of Christ, suffering in humility before saving his people. The grapes (from a craft store) and figs are references to the parables told during these services.  I purchased the figs online, but they are no longer available from that vendor.  Let me know if anyone finds another source for them, but you could model them from sc*lpey clay.

Box 3

This box pertains to Bridegroom Matins on Monday evening and Tuesday mornings gospel readings. The theme of readiness for the final judgement runs through these readings and the parables of the 10 talents and the 10 virgins are told. The sheep and goats (from the crocodile hunter's stash) are a reference to the scripture in which the people will be divided at judgement. The coin recalls the story of the Pharisees' attempt to trick Christ - render unto Caesar that which is Caesar's. The lamps and oil are from this site, but are rather expensive.  They are made from sc*lpey clay and would be easy to replicate with a bit of time.  Icons include the Prophet Moses and the icon of the Last Judgement.

Box 4

This box covers Tuesday evening through Wednesday evening, with an emphasis on healing. The scriptures read during these days recalls the parable of the good Samaritan, and references to Christ healing the sick. The pitcher, basin (doll house items) and vial of oil remind us of the harlot washing Christ's feet, and also His rebuke to the disciples that He came to save those who are sinful. The bag contains 30 pieces of silver, as Wednesday is also the day Judas is paid for his betrayal of Christ. Finally, the oil also calls to mind the Service of Holy Unction which is commonly held on Wednesday of Holy Week.  Please note, the coins are not a good item to take to church!  They make far too much noise, so I only use them at home, and for church place 3 coins in the bag to represent the 30 pieces.

Box 5

This box is for the Mystical Supper, and contains a chalice, bread, an icon of the last supper and figures of Christ and disciples. 

Box 6

This box covers the services of Thursday and Friday, from the Passion Gospel service to Royal Hours on Friday. It contains a small plastic sword which Peter drew to defend Christ in the garden, a rooster as a reminder of Peter's betrayal hours later, a crown of thorns (miniature wreath from H*bby L*bby), a vial of vinegar as offered to Christ on the cross, a strip of leather to remind of the beating he received, a die as they cast lots for his clothing, and a small wooden skewer to represent the spear that pierced His side

Box 7

The final box is for Saturday, and contains a strip of linen to represent Christ's burial, vials of frankincense and myrrh which the women took to the tomb to prepare his body, a stone, icons of the resurrection and the risen Christ figure.  The prayer card was made in the same way as described above.  Another nice item to include in this box would be flower petals gathered from the Lamentations service the evening before.

A great addition to the boxes are the Great Lent and Holy Week Coloring books from Potamitis Publishing, and for older children, the Holy Week and Pascha book is wonderful.

Download list of items for each box

NOTE:
Some of the items in the boxes are not appropriate for younger children, and I am sure there are many other items that could be included, and ways to personalize this project.  Use your own judgement to determine what is safe and best for your children.

And so it begins

The marathon of Lent has once again arrived.  One week ago today, the book was laid at the feet of Christ, a signal to all that training now starts in earnest.  We enter the season of preparation, the Triodion has begun!  I am excited, eager with anticipation.  Yes, it is a long hard run, and often does not turn out the way we expect, but it is a journey each year for which my heart and soul seek out.  Last year, I am sure I complained about the the short time between the Nativity and Lent, how quickly we passed from feasting to fasting.  I wanted a longer break, to stretch the time between.  This year, the time has been longer, much longer, and I strain toward the beginning.  While the season between is full of glorious feasts, Theophany, the Presentation of Christ, and the many saints we commemorate, it is also a time when I always feel the need for new focus.  It is the time when I easily begin to feel overwhelmed, and lacking a structure to my life.  In a few short weeks, we will gradually move from our long season of feasting into the long season of fasting.  Deep purple will cloak the altar and priests, and the incense will grow heavy.  We will being the journey, and we will once again watch the signposts along the way, marking each mile.  Over and over again we will lay ourselves at the feet of Christ.  We will attempt to follow the exercises prescribed by the church, in hopes of building our endurance, and we will run the race.  What are those exercises?  How do we shape and mold ourselves that we may more reflect the perfect image, the image of Christ in us?  The Church outlines three tangible things we are called to, the "three-legged stool" of Orthodox living: prayer, fasting and alms.  Prayer is obvious, and hard to avoid in the Lenten service schedule.  Fasting, is always a struggle, but at least I have a plan and a direction to follow, it is something I can get a grasp on.   Then there is almsgiving. Here so often is where my strength fails.  How to give alms?  Each year we receive a little box at the start of Lent.  A place to drop our change, a place to collect the money we save as we restrict the call of the belly.  While it important for each of us to stretch the dollars, to give of our material wealth, it does not express the  fullness of almsgiving. 

Almsgiving is "love for others expressed in practical form, by works of compassion and forgiveness.... the criterion in the coming judgement will not be the strictness of our fasting but the amount of help that we have given to those in need .....  The mere giving of money can often be a substitute and an evasion, a way of protecting ourselves from closer personal involvement with those in distress.  'When thou seest the naked, cover him; and hide not thyself from thine own flesh" (Bp. KALLISTOS Ware, introductory notes to the Lenten Triodion)

How, how do we make sure we don't protect ourselves, hide our hearts and eyes, shelter our children from the hurt around us?  How do we clothe the naked, feed the poor, care for the sick?  Over the years I have seen some beautiful examples of those who have fulfilled this call.  This year, I look for ways our home can indeed give alms.  Most of us cannot pick up and travel to some distant land to care for the neediest.  So how do we serve within our daily lives?  As I have slowly worked my way through our home, attempting to declutter the mess, remove the unnecessary, embrace less and bless others with our excess, many times I have found myself staring into the fabric closet.  The curse of a seamstress, the call of fabric. 

How hard it is to just NOT BUY.  How hard it is to walk away from the newest print.  Bins full to overflowing, piles of laundered pillowcases sit in my fabric closet.  Brightly colored stripes, dainty hand crocheted borders, soft sweet florals, all waiting for some future project; and as I try to decide the balance between what to keep and what to remove, a blessing is sent my way.  This link arrives in my inbox. A home for those beautiful orphaned pillowcases.  Each one is unique, each has its own beauty, and each can bless.  Now I have a plan.

Our goal is one dress a week beginning Meatfare Sunday. The little princess is going to learn to sew, and together we will indeed clothe the poor, and remind ourselves each day of the blessing of a full closet, 3 cooked meals every day, shoes on our feet, wooden floors beneath us and a sturdy metal roof over our heads.  We will lay our time and efforts at the feet of Christ and say thank you.  It is a small gift.  It is a poor offering, but it is a start.

Want to share your ideas for almsgiving? Please leave me a note letting me know what ideas you have.   I would love to hear other ways you may be planning to give of your time and abilities to help others this Lent.  And if you choose to join us in sewing dresses, please leave a link so we can see!

Theophany 2011

These are a little late, but wanted to share anyway!  This year was not as cold as last year, the temperature reached 42 degrees outside, but the current was much stronger this year.

Father says prayers of blessing over the waters of the river, recalling the moment at the Jordan River when Christ was revealed as the Son of God.

The brave souls (nine in all) stand at the water's edge, waiting for the moment the cross is thrown into the waters.

Hmm, muddy waters, rapid current, frigid waters, and a metal cross?  The result, frustrated but determined searchers standing in very, very cold water with dazed looks on their faces. 

After 15 minutes of chilly waters, our fearless SOYO youth leader finds the cross!

The crocodile hunter suffered a minor injury, as well as having to chase his crocs downstream.

Father gives a blessing to all the faithful who entered the water this year.

Our blessed cross retriever attempts to assure the curious fisherman we are not all crazy :)

St. Nicholas and the Sailors

This year our older kids shared a collection of stories about St. Nicholas and sailors. 

Recognize that ship?  I scaled it down a bit for the performance, and am grateful to finally get it out of my garage!  Don't tell me I don't recycle :)

Our sailors welcome St. Nicholas aboard, but are faced with a devastating storm, and begin to take on water....

The sailors attempt to bail water from their sinking ship, a fun suprise for the kids in the front!  Thankfully, they were saved by the prayers of Nicholas, and arrived safely in the Holy Land.  Later, Nicholas becomes bishop......

Nicholas the bishop and the hungry peasants in need of food.

A peasant is overjoyed by the arrival of a ship bearing grain after St. Nicholas appears to the captain of ship and directs him to turn course and save the people.

This years script was created from stories taken out of The Real St. Nicholas as well another Orthodox book about St. Nicholas.

Download Script