Crunchy munchies

I read somewhere that if you want to eat less, then pick something that is hard or that takes long to chew. I'm not to sure, but I think they were talking about camel's brain. Anyway, they just chewed and chewed. What you can't consume, well that's what napkins are for. It is a sure way to keep you thin. Another trick was to buy something that you don't really like, or not your favorite, that will keep you out of the pantry. Another trick is to eat a small hard candy or to chew gum, as some find it helpful to have something in their mouth. There are many ways to fool the brain into thinking that your satisfied when in fact, you are not.

Abstaining from certain food groups, is an entirely different story. If I were alone, it would be easier still. But I have to satisfy a whole group of people with food allergies and other conditions which already make our choices limited. When I give up meat and dairy, I make sure that I eat nuts in it's place, but not around my grandson who has a peanut allergy. Years ago, my family just about lived on pasta and sauce with vegetables. Or, some kind of rice or wholesome bread. Now that my husband has a gluten free diet it complicates things a bit. While he can have a gluten free noodle, I cannot eat pasta or much rice because of the sugar content.

Fruit is good, but limited also because of the sugar. I'm already growing tired of my cabbage tomato soup, yet with green beans and carrots, although it makes a great hot and nutritional dish this time of the year.

I have a feeling that I will be eating a lot of cereal, 1/2 cup here and there. Black coffee was always the way I take it and flavored makes it feel like a special treat.

I bought some scallops for John, as he likes the little bay ones, and I don't. It's going to be a long time until Pascha. So, what I will eat remains to be seen. No ice cream tonight...Now that is what I really miss the most, even if it was 1/2 cup of lite only.

I found myself eating chips today and that is a big no-no for me as I am limited as to how much salt I can have. I'm supposed to have 5 or 6 small meals (snacks) a day. This ought to be interesting, otherwise, I'd just go without and fast. It is easier.

I'll tell you something that does work....Crunchy munchies. Using the Foreman grill, I place a 1/2 slice of Joseph Pita style whole wheat bread and toast it until crisp. Removing it to a plate, I spread hummus over it sparingly, adding salad ingredients on top. If I can roll it, I do. If not I break it up into pieces and enjoy it that way with cooked vegetables on top. I eat small grape tomatoes on the side, and believe it or not it is filling. Breakfast is usually cereal with ground flax seed and almond milk.

In between meals, I eat cashews and red grapes. If I had my way, I'd like to fast from snow and cold too. Maybe I'll try bean soup on my husband once again, just to see if he can tolerate it this time. If not, there's always shrimp chow mien, and good old fashioned bean sandwiches, veggie grinders and stuffed mushrooms and eggplant.

Saturday, I picked up two cabbage at the grocery store to make stuffed cabbage. This is one of our favorite meals this time of the year, beside shepherd's pie.

Guess I could get used to it. I enjoy being in the kitchen, where I make every meal fit for a king. Anytime of the year. Did you ever have coconut rolled dates with an almond in the center? At 130 calories, they are a fabulous dessert. Plain pop corn, or baked apples and homemade pretzels, and granola are also fun snacks that require little or no work at all for the happy homemaker.

When I was little, and mom was not up, we made bread, honey, banana and cinnamon sandwiches. I guess it just takes a little imagination and a lot of love. So now, just do it!

A Marker

One of my favorite pictures of my grandson Nate, is the one of him at the July 4th picnic, where he appears with a little white hat, the type that has a band under his chin. Jean and Steve had invited us to a lovely day at the lake and it was Nate's first experience in the water. The water was nice and warm that day and I waded in to play. Finally, he relaxed enough to enjoy the water, going in slightly. He was around the same age as Ryan is today, six months.. Clearly Ryan who watches his big brother swim each week, wants to just jump right in.

It was fun to watch the two brothers play ball tonight. Ryan can sit up just enough and long enough to try and push the brightly colored plastic yard ball in the direction of his brother. And the laughter tells us that they both are thrilled. Nate has waited a long time to have a brother, one he can play with.

The big event was today, and unfortunately Ryan missed it. He and daddy had a doctor's appointment and had to leave early. Nathan is now in a new level and each week, we notice the improvement, especially the confidence that he can do it. Remember he is the child that cried initially. Today, I watched him swim with just holding on to the noodle. No floater was used as previously. He swam on his back and then did something like the dog paddle, with longer strokes. Of course, he likes the slide, and jumps in with a splash.

All of a sudden, the instructor had the kids line up like little ducks and head to the end of the Olympic pool toward the deep end. Sure enough, they swam in the deepest water all the way down the roped off area, where the adults do laps. He took the lead arriving at the end of the pool first and alone for a bit and I was there at the finish line to congratulate him. While he was swimming he was calling out to me, "grandma, grandma" I knew he wanted me to see what he did. You bet I saw.

After the lap back, he was required to hold his breath and swim under the ropes. I didn't think he would do it. But, no problem, he did it twice. Today marked a level of achievement that said he did something significant. His father was surprised also, like me, he had doubts that he would do it.

And I was there to see it. As kids, we swam in a mud hole, a pond that had leaches in it. They didn't have a YMCA or lessons. We learned to swim the only way we could, with our friends. It is so good to see him having so much fun, in a safe environment with instructors that know how to bring out the best of each of their students.

Nate was happy to tell mom and daddy and grampy all about his experience. After all this was a great achievement and a marker on his way to becoming a very skilled swimmer.

I was so proud of him, and I'm going to remember it for a long time.

Forgiveness Sunday

Today is the day we begin our journey, and as we leave, travelling the road of repentance, we are reminded that we need to ask forgiveness of all those we have offended, in word, action or in any other way, known or unknown. If we can't forgive, we should not expect to be forgiven.

That is a lesson I learned many years ago from my friend, who was the first to ask for forgiveness from me by a little note that she had written in my English class, that was passed to me, as we were not currently talking. Oh it had to be some silly thing. Actually, we were good friends, who else would wait for me outdoors in the early morning, in all types of weather, in order to walk to school together. Many mornings I was late, and found her to be a very patient friend. If anyone should have been asking for forgiveness, it was probably me. Yet, she taught me that she was the bigger person, as she in doing what she did, showed me the value of her faith. Her faith, in a church that down the road, little to my be knowings, has become my own. God does have a sense of humor....It meant even changing to another faith. She had planted the seed of what it means to forgive. (Without forgiveness there can be no love, even for yourself).

It was a great feeling to make peace with her then, and it was a great feeling to make peace with the member's of the parish today, as we, in forgiving others, showed our love for them, our fellow neighbor, and humanity. This is what God has done for man. When you love someone, you can't be mad forever. God shows His love for us by His forgiveness, and restoration.

Today, I am extending an outstretched hand, and am asking for forgiveness. Please forgive the many times I may have injured or offended anyone by anything that I may have said or done. Let us live to love one another in the spirit of peace.

The Orthodox Study Bible "Joy of Forgiveness"--(Psalm32:1) "Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, Whose sin is covered."

As we progress down the road of repentance, we will hear the words from Jesus on the cross.
(Luke 23-34) "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do."

We recite the Lord's prayer, where we are taught how we should pray. (Luke 11:2) "when you pray, say: Our Father who art in heaven, Hallowed by Your name. Your Kingdom come, Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us."

This prayer is taken also from the Orthodox Liturgy. When we pray to "Our Father" we are but children, and as children, we all make mistakes, needing to be forgiven. We need to be the first to humble ourselves and ask forgiveness from those whom we have need of forgiveness from also, regardless of who is at fault. May you find it your heart to forgive me as I forgive you.

Tonality

We have reached the breakthrough of the Kingdom. The tone has changed and we begin Great Lent with the Vesperal Psalm, "Lord, I have cried unto You, hear me. Hear me O Lord," Receive the voice of my prayer, when I cry unto you, hear me, hear me, O Lord...."

And on this day, we proclaim the Great Prokeimenon announcing the beginning of Lent:

"Turn not away Thy face from Thy servant
for I am afflicted!
Hear me speedily,
Attend unto my soul and deliver it!"

It is a desperate call for divine help.

We hear the prayer of St. Ephrem, for the first time, and ask for mutual forgiveness, sorry to have hurt one another, (this follows our Divine Liturgy on Sunday).

The tones now will reflect the sadness we feel, as we move slowly through the desert of our life, until the great Light of the Kingdom shines on us. We experience a foretaste of the light of (Easter )Pascha.

The rite of reconciliation is here and love is our bond.

Shepherd's Pie

Yesterday, we shared a lot of laughs. Sometimes we were joking about how many shepherd's were in the shepherd's pie and how small they were cut up.

Previously, we had inquiries on how we could be serving shepherd's pie during the fast. Normally people associate the pie as being one containing corn. Father's Shepherd's pie contains no corn. When we asked him about the meat or recipe for that matter, it is always a secret because it is too good to share. And, we are assuming that is meat? Well, what else could it possibly be, I hate to think about it. "He said that he "ground the shepherds up real small."
For the many who visit our community meal twice a month, they are too grateful to even ask what is in it. They are just so happy to get the meal, which is outstanding. I had to smell it all afternoon and it was driving me crazy....But, of course for those who are abstaining from meat, there was soup and bread. Many of the kitchens that serve the hungry, provide only that.

Linda who loves catering to the many who are happy to find special treats, which tells them we think they are special, even if no else does, or when they don't think they are, we do. Yesterday's special treat was angel food cake with fresh strawberries and whip. The dessert table is a popular place which rarely has any leftover, so you have to get there pronto, to get your favorite sweet thing.

I'm happy just thinking about all the smiles, cheerful greetings and small conversations that occur each and every time we get together. Friendships develop over a period, and as they leave, they leave with more than a full belly.

Many of the elderly, lonely, shut-ins that come look forward to the next occasion to be together, to see the priest that they all hold dear and the servers. They think it is a great program and so do I. No dishes, no cooking and lots of laughter. Food for the soul.

Next time, they'll be wearing green, as we will quite possibly be celebrating St. Patrick's Day, and having I'm told, some of that good Irish cooking, or is it Scottish?

For those of you who are still wondering about the Lenten version of Shepherd's pie, we simply use cashew's instead of the meat, layering it with corn and mashed potato. Delicious!

Hope you will consider joining in next time, where the church of St. Michael always welcomes you.

Living in the New Age

Salvation for sinful humanity has been accomplished as told to us by Jesus, as He said (John 19:30)' "It is finished!" ' And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit. "

The creation of a new day has dawned for us. A day that has no night. This day is the day of Resurrection, Sunday, the eighth day, where those being saved by the power of the Holy Spirit, walk in the Light of Christ, which overcomes the darkness. The Kingdom of God is present, awaiting consummation in fullness for those that love Him. We are living in a "New Age."

Christ, is the Dayspring.

(Luke 1:76) "And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Highest; for you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare His ways, to give knowledge of salvation to His people by the remission of their sins, through the tender mercy of our God, with which the Dayspring from on high has visited us; to give light to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace."

The Dayspring is the messiah who brings light, and life to those in darkness. There are only two choices darkness or light. In (psalm 107, 8)we give thanks to the Lord for His Great Works of Deliverance. "Oh that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men! (9) "For He satisfies the longing soul, and fills the hungry soul with goodness."

From the Prophet Isaiah (9:1) "Do this first and do it quickly: O country of Zebulun, land of Naphtali, by the way of the sea, and the rest dwelling along the seacoast and parts of Judea, and the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles, a people who walk in darkness, behold a great light; and you who dwell in the country of the shadow of death, upon you a light will shine." (6) Great shall be His government, and of His peace there is no end. His peace shall be upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, to order and establish it with righteousness and judgement, from that time forward and unto ages of ages. The zeal of the Lord of hosts shall perform this."

This is the time of mission. How do you attain life in the Kingdom? You must believe in Him, Christ the Lord. ("John 3-16)"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life, (17) "For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. (18) He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. (19) "And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil."

Why are you here? What is your purpose? Do you value your soul? These are "age old" questions that are answered by (Matthew in chapter 16:26.) "For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? (27) "For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works."

If this is the message and mission of the New Age, what are your deeds and, who is your God? What is your mission?

Scriptural references are taken from the Orthodox Study Bible

The Time of Mission

Now that I am retired, I finally have the time to enjoy reading. It used to be that I was so tired, I'd fall asleep while reading, then it was reread and reread, usually losing the meaning on the way. I have many different books but I tend to like educational studies and this book is just an example of that. For the Life of the World, written by: Alexander Schmenann is full of surprises. I'm reading three of his works currently.


Chapter three is entitled, The Time of Mission, and from time to time, you find yourself asking what it meant that "all generations, all philosophers have always been aware of this anxiety of time, of it paradox. All philosophy, all religion is ultimately an attempt to solve the "problem of time." Then he states that the Church offers a gift.


Time is a strange animal. When your waiting for something, it seems like forever. As you get older, it seems to go so quickly. Time can be a measurement. Time can be a stillness. Did you ever experience falling asleep and feel like you have been sleeping a very long time, only to discover that it has been only a few minutes. There is the present time, past time, and future. The fullness of time, and time well spent or, meaningful time. Then comes the statement, "Time is the only reality of life, yet it is a strangely nonexistent reality." Why? There is no such thing as time to God. It's man-made.


Somewhere in the text the idea comes across as "rush" and "relaxation." That is a good summary. Then, of course there is summertime, opposed to winter time. Fall, is the best time, and who doesn't like spring with all the newness. We are inspired by all the color and change. Ah, the springtime of your life. Then, the time of your "golden years."


Most importantly, is the time of Mission. Have you ever heard the expression, "make hay while the sun shines." Because we are here with purpose, and it is and should be our priority.
The fact is, time is a mystery. Something we will never be able to understand. Some see it as a cycle, circle, and we know it also to be eternal. God is and was and always will be. In Rev. 21:5-6 God is revealed as the Alpha and Omega, "first and last." This is when the end is transformed into the beginning.


The Transfiguration on Mt. Tabor, is example and prefigurement of the ushering in and coming of the Kingdom. Foreshadowing His future Glory, appearing in the present with his disciples, and with Moses and Elijah manifesting the communion of saints, the law and prophets the living and the dead. From eternity past, He is the Son of God, fully sharing in the essence of the Father, true God of true God. A dazzling light surrounded Christ, for He is the Light of the world. The Present, Past and Future.

Then the author throws us a bone saying "did Christ, the Son of God, rise from the dead on the first day of the week?" The fourth Gospel, tells us He appeared to His disciples on the first day (Jun. 20:19) and then "after eight days" (20:26)." Time has taken on a new meaning. All time has been transformed into remembrance and expectation, in a new beginning because of Christ's fulfillment. Our time is now the endless day. A day without night, a fixed day "Christian Time"-- Resurrection Sunday, we enter into the "sacrament of the world to come, the liturgy of fulfillment and ascension to the Kingdom where we participate in the messianic banquet in the "age to come," and in this Eucharistic feast of Victory, once and for all time, we celebrate the risen Christ, who fills our time with great hope and expectation. And, we are transformed.


We go forth and declare "I shall not die but live and declare the works of the Lord." This gives new meaning to time for all mankind, "eternal life". "Through the Cross, joy has come into all the world." "It is Finished!"