For Laughs

I like pirates.

Gideon's Fleece

On my way home tonight I was listening to (the now Fr.) Peter Jon Gillquist. One song that I would always pass over until recently really kind of jumped out at me tonight. Called Gideon's Fleece. I admit I don't completely understand the reference (maybe one of you know) but I enjoy the song anyways. I'll share a bit of it that I like.



I'm waiting for a force of ten thousand
just to conquer my fears.
Although I'm pursuing a dream that
has pursued me for years.
(Chorus)
...I march to a land that's unknown.
Leaving behind my doubts and my pride.
You assured me I'm never alone.



Who doesn't feel they need a force of ten thousand to conquer their fears?


Prayer for the Acceptance of God's Will

Lord, I do not know what to ask of you. You know better than me what my needs are. You love more than I know how to love. Help me to see clearly my real needs which I do not see. I open my heart to You. Examine and reveal to me my faults and sins. I put all my trust in You. I have no other desire than to fufill Your will. Teach me how to pray. Pray in me. Amen.



And, by the way, Christ is Risen!

I learned to make slide shows. Here's a test I made of my favorite saints.

Assurance From the Little Guy

Allister came and hung out with me for the day. We went on a long walk, visited Yumi and Sophie and then as we walked back to my house he asked me to "go uppie." I picked him up and the normally chatty Allister was silent for about 5 minutes. He put his head on my shoulder and I said a little prayer for the guy. Suddenly, he puts his arm around my neck, looks into my eyes and tells me, "I'm safe."



Glad you feel that way, little guy.

This weekend --- Matt and Christine's wedding

Sean and I went to Fresno this weekend for a friend's wedding. It was a wonderful time. We met so many amazing people who treated us with such love. I know Sean would agree that everyone we met was very God-centered and we learned so much from everyone we met and spent time with. We were very blessed to be surrounded by such great God-fearing people.


I wanted to share some photos. :)






During the wedding, Matt and Christine sharing the Common Cup.








Dn. Brad (I affectionately call him Uncle Dn. Brad. Christine's godfather and a close friend of the family. He was a groomsman in my parent's wedding. My dad, Uncle Ricky and him all went to college together.) He served at Christine's wedding.






I thought this picture was sweet.







The newly joined leaving the church holding icons of Christ and the Theotokos.







My old friend Julie, the maid of honor (Dn. Brad's daughter and my fellow redhead), Uncle Brad in true Uncle Brad fashion (he's crashing our photo), the very spiritually exceptional Jovan and me.






Charity (another old friend), me, Julie, the beautiful Christine and a kid I don't know. :)


Here are some pictures of the church, Sts. Peter and Paul.










The Royal Doors. The Mystical Supper right up above was cool.








A close-up of the very top of the iconostasis.

Thought from John Mark Reynolds:

"In order to be Frodo Baggins, you have to be willing to be Hobbit 31."

Okay, another meme thing

I'm not sure why I like these things. Maybe it shows that I like to talk about myself. Oh, well.

1. What time did you get up this morning? 6:50 am


2. Diamonds or Pearls? Diamonds

3A. What was the last film you saw at the cinema? Pirates of the Carribean II

3B. What is the last movie you saw at home? Prince of Egypt

4. What is your favorite T.V show? Grey's Anatomy

5. What do you usually have for breakfast? Gosh, it varies. This morning? Rasberry smoothie.

6. What is your middle name? Ruth

7. Favorite cuisine? Chinese

8. What foods do you dislike? Fish & Olives.

9. What is your favorite chip flavor? Flamin Hot Cheetos

10. What is your favorite CD at the moment? My Frank Sinatra CD

11. What kind of car do you drive? 91 White Thunderbird

12. Favorite sandwich? Bacon, Egg, Tomato & Lettuce on Sourdough Bread

13. What characteristics do you despise? Arrogance.

14A. Favorite clothes? Jeans and a solid color shirt

14B. Favorite accessories? My ring, cross and a bracelet Sean gave me for Pascha two years ago.

15. If you could go anywhere in the world on vacation, where would you go? Greece or Ireland.

16. Who sent this to you? Yumi

17. Favorite brand of clothing? Solid color shirts?

18. Where would you retire? Near family

19. What was your most memorable birthday? 18th. Wait...I changed my mind. My 3rd. I was baptized that day.

20. Favorite sport to watch? Lately? Professional Bull Riding

21. Farthest place you are sending this? *Shrugs*

22. Who do you least expect to send this back to you? Aaron, probably.

23. Person you expect to send it back first? I don't know.

24. Goals you have for yourself? Do laundry more than once a month.

25. When is your birthday? November 17

26. When is your Anniversary? September 14

27. Are you a morning person or a night person? Morning.

28. Pets? Kitty & Hamster

29. Any new and exciting news you'd like to share with us? I'm probably getting a job at a chiropracter's office as the in-house massage technician.

30. What did you want to be when you were little? A mommy

31. What are you today? Massage student

32. What is your favorite candy? Swedish Fish.

33. What is your favorite flower? Carnations, Plumeria & Gardenias

34. What is a date on the calendar you are looking forward to? June 3rd. I'll be in Hawaii!

35. Favorite Colors? Dark Green, Dark Blue.

36. What books are you reading? Fun reading lately, Dave Barry's Guide to Guys.

A House-ism

Okay, so I watch House. My sister and parents are on a House-kick and Sophie got the first two seasons on DVD for her birthday. I'll watch one or two on a day off and my parents watch one every night. There are some golden episodes and some that are odd or stupid. But the good episodes are really good. Well, today I put on a House entitled "House Vs. God."

The episode starts out with a fifteen year-old boy leading some sort of Evangelical church in a healing ceremony. The boy asserts that he has a gift of healing from Jesus Christ. And heals an older woman who can't walk. The boy thanks God and then passes out.

He's taken to the hospital and sent to House and his crew to be diagnosed. The boy tells the crew almost immediately that God speaks to him and says things to them like, "I can tell you are harboring anger towards one of your collegues, etc." Either God really is speaking to him or he is semi-intuitive. Well, they do a number of tests on him and discover that he has a cluster of benign tumors in his brain that cause hallucinations and his symptoms. House wants to remove them surgically basically saying that it's time for the boy to become a normal teenager.

The boy adamantly refuses the surgery saying that God did this for a reason. The boy's father sticks with his son. House finds his best friend, Wilson, a cancer doctor, who is a master manipulator. (House and Wilson have a mock bet that House has to give Wilson a dollar each time a patient thanks him for telling them that they are dying. Wilson is so good that patients thank him for giving them bad news.)So, House asks Wilson to talk to the boy.

I wrote this down because it was really great.

Wilson: Do you think God wants you to die?

Boy: This is the way that the Lord often is with his chosen one's. He gives the most trials to those that He loves most.

Wilson: (Flabbergasted but calm. Bear in mind, he says this slowly and sincerely. Not rudely.) So, you believe that you are a...saint. The way I understand it, one of the hallmarks of a saint is humility. Now someone with true humility would consider the possibility that God hadn't chosen him for that kind of honor. He'd consider the possibility that he just had an illness.

Hmmm...

Christ is Risen!

My favorite chanted hymns during Holy Week. I love the term, "Hell groans."


Today hell groans and cries aloud: ‘It had been better for me, had I not accepted Mary’s Son, for He has come to me and destroyed my power; He has shattered the gates of brass, and as God He has raised up the souls that once I held.’ Glory to Thy Cross, O Lord, and to Thy Resurrection.

Today hell groans and cries aloud: ‘My power has been destroyed. I accepted a mortal man as one of the dead; yet I cannot keep Him prisoner, and with Him I shall lose all those over whom I ruled. I held in my power the dead from all the ages; but see, He is raising them all.’ Glory to Thy Cross, O Lord, and to Thy Resurrection.

Today hell groans and cries aloud: ‘My dominion has been swallowed up; the Shepherd has been crucified and He has raised Adam. I am deprived of those whom once I ruled; in my strength I devoured them, but now I have cast them forth. He who was crucified has emptied the tombs; the power of death has no more strength.’ Glory to Thy Cross, O Lord, and to Thy Resurrection.


Christ is Risen!