Sunday of Orthodoxy

The following is from www.goarch.org

Today is the Sunday of Orthodoxy....which is the first Sunday of Great Lent. The dominant theme of this Sunday since 843 has been that of the victory of the icons. In that year the iconoclastic controversy, which had raged on and off since 726, was finally laid to rest, and icons and their veneration were restored on the first Sunday in Lent. Ever since, this Sunday has been commemorated as the "Triumph of Orthodoxy."

The children get to process with icons of their patron saints. Baby George LOVES his saint....I don't know what is up with the face. He thinks that's the way to pose for photos lately.
I love how Busy Guy is looking at Saint Moses of Ethiopia.
AND....Mr. P was enrolled as an Acolyte today. He got to serve on the altar. He was so cute. I got a little teary watching him. I missed him standing next to me too. He is getting so grown up! BaaaaaaWhaaaaaaaa! He did a great job and enjoyed himself.

Friday, Friday

Again, nothing to do with my post. Tuba came home from school like this. They had a Mardi Gras party. Fun!!

It's confession Friday.

I have to confess that I do NOT like (HATE) the new Weight Watchers program. I've always had great success using the WW plan. This time...not so much. I've been back at WW and using this new plan for over a month and have lost a whopping 2.4 lbs. For the first two weeks I lost nothing...even gained a bit one of them. UGH! I complained to the leader that the new system wasn't working for me. She gave me some suggestions and a pep talk.

In case you are not familiar with WW here is my dilemma. Both plans you count food with a point system and are allotted an amount of daily and weekly points based on your height/weight/age/sex. On the old system I was allowed 21 daily points and 35 weekly points. The new plan I get 29 daily points and 49 weekly points. This sounds strange but on the new system many foods have higher point values. BUT....many of the foods I eat...lean meat, dairy, whole grains, etc. have the same point amount. Many processed foods, sugary foods, alcohol, etc. have much higher values then they used to. But...I don't eat those foods. So, I think I'm getting too many points.

Finally after two frustrating weeks I cut out all the weekly points and ate only my 29 points each day. Also, you earn points for exercise and are supposed to add them back in but I just threw them into the wind. That is the week I finally lost 2 lbs. Yeah!! But, it's so annoying to not be able to follow the plan. I'm an EXACT kind of person. UGH! This last week I lost .4 lbs. Not amazing but at least the scale went down. Plus, it's Lent and all the carbs do make it harder for me to lose weight.

Each week when I weigh in I complain and tell the lady how I hate the new plan. How I'm frustrated. How I'm doomed. This last week she handed this pamphlet that she said, "could help explain my troubles". Okay. Good. Finally. Here is what the pamphlet says, "The great majority of our members see their best losses right at the start.....But a few people get off to a slow start...and often we see it in middle aged, petite females who have a relatively small amount of weight to lose". My first thought was WHAT????? Middle aged???? But, my second thought was Ah Hah!!! Yes, so they are recognizing that this new plan isn't working for everyone. I do fit this description. Middle aged....maybe if I only live to be 80...I plan to live to at least 100. Petite....yes, I'm 5'3". Have small amount of weight to lose....I have 10 lbs. to lose.

I am playing with the points and am eating about 29 a day and NO weekly and NO workout points. I hope this will work.

You may be thinking why not just use the old program. 1. I threw out all my old books...so I could embrace this new program. 2. I use the online recipe builders to find out point values. 3. I plan to do WW forever so I might as well get on board.

Wish me luck!!

Toothless

Is it lack of brushing? Is it the food we eat? LOL. We are losing more teeth around here than I can keep up with. Mr. P told me he doesn't believe in the tooth fairy...since fairies aren't real. I asked him who gives him money for his teeth. He replied that it's just some person who comes in your house and leaves it. Hmmmmm. Yah, a person comes in our house while we sleep, they have no key and we don't know them. That totally makes more sense than a fairy! What can I expect from a kid who has this tooth fairy!

Heaven

The other day Mr. P said the most beautiful thing to me. It went like this.

Mr. P: Mom, I can't wait to go to heaven.

Me: Really...why do you say that?

Mr. P: Because in heaven I can see Tuba and he'll be able to talk and we can chat.

Me: **gulp** with tears in my eyes.

Forgiveness Sunday

Last night we attended the Forgiveness Vespers service at church. It is such a beautiful service. Humbling. It's exactly the right way to begin Lent. During the service all of the vestments, candle holders and table cloths are changed from red to purple. It's beautiful. Purple, the color of royalty, repentance, and self-discipline, is the traditional color for the season of Lent.

After the Vespers service ends we begin the asking of forgiveness part. We line up and begin with the priests. You stand face to face and each person says, "forgive me", you make the sign of the cross and bow and then each person says, "I forgive you", or "God forgives" as you hug and press your cheek to each side of each other's face. Does that sound confusing? Think of a European greeting with a kiss to each cheek...only we don't do the kiss part....okay, a few people do. After the priests come the Deacons, Sub-Deacons, Readers, and then the congregation.

We go through the line with our kids to help them along. I can say it was MUCH easier this year...my first year not carrying someone on my hip/back/front in at least 5 years. Whew! WAY easier. :) Sis surprised us all by giving each priest a HUGE hug. Wow! Baby George was more shy. Tuba LOVED it and giggled the whole way through. He loves to greet each person. Busy Guy and Mr. P did a fabulous job. It can be intimidating for adults to do this service but even more for young kids. The boys were awesome. They crossed themselves and asked for forgiveness to each and every person. Great kids!

Of course the most moving part of this is when you get to ask your immediate family to forgive you. I always linger a bit longer with each of my kids and husband as we hug. It is wonderful to see our kids hug each other too. Brings tears to my eyes.

I ask all of you for forgiveness also. Please forgive me if I have ever offended you. Forgive me my shortcomings or any wrongdoings.

God forgives.

Confession Friday

This picture has nothing to do with the post. I just really miss the beach and am dreaming of summer....

I am copying this idea from another blog I read. Confessional Friday. I love it. In case you just got really excited and were thinking that I'd be posting my confession list...the one I read to Christ and in front of my priest...well, sorry to burst your bubble. It won't be THAT list but I will be confessing something each Friday.

Here's my confession for today. I have been listening to country music. Yep. And I really like it. I mean I REALLY like it. It began innocently enough one day while driving in the car I happened upon the local country music station. It's "young" country you know. I really liked it and I kept listening to it. Then I started downloading songs I heard on the radio onto my iPod and listening at the gym. Next thing you know....I've gone country.

My husband was/is horrified. He wondered if I was ill....like mentally...or if I had someone in my life that was a bad influence. Nope. I just like it. He just shakes his head in despair. Should he be surprised? I also totally love Disco!

Why do I like it? The songs are fun to sing, the lyrics in some of the songs are hilarious! Who can't use a good laugh? I just heard this song today called I'm Still a Guy by Brad Paisley and it cracked me up. I think Cam would really like it if he'd just listen to the lyrics. They could be written for him...or by him. Here's some of the song.

These days there's dudes gettin' facials, manicured, waxed and botoxed. With deep spray-on tans and creamy lotiony hands you can't grip a tackle box.

Yeah, with all of these men linein' up to get neutered it's hip now to be feminized. I don't highlight my hair, I've still got a pair.Yeah, honey I'm still a guy.

Oh my eyebrows ain't plucked there's a gun in my truck. Oh thank god, I'm still a guy.

Lenten Pantry

Lent is here. This past Sunday was Meatfare Sunday. It marks the last day Orthodox Christians eat meat until Pascha. We also abstain from dairy, olive oil and wine beginning this coming Sunday (Cheesefare Sunday) until Pascha. Cheesefare Sunday is also Forgiveness Sunday...more on the forgiveness part later.

I love getting my pantry (and mind) ready for the fasting portion of Lent. I sat down with my cookbooks and made a big grocery list to stock up on Lenten foods....ie: grains, nuts, legumes, veggies.

The first year we were Orthodox we were so lost about what to eat. I remember eating lots of bread, pasta, fries, and....fries. We were hungry, frustrated....and fat! Hmmmm. Not what I'd hoped for. Then there were the years I fully embraced the fasting allowance of shellfish. We had shrimp tacos, shrimp salad, shrimp fried, baked, sauteed. We were broke but not hungry. Then came more kids and more college and more chaos and less adherence to the fasting. We cut out fancy cuts of meat and treats like ice cream but not all meat and dairy...we were barely hanging on. Don't judge.

Which brings me to this year. The kids are older. We have a new established routine. I have a better grip on life here at home. We have successfully been maintaining the fast on Wed. and Fri. Yes, we fast on those days all year round. The kids (the middle two) have enjoyed learning why we fast and what we eat when we fast. Cam and I have set a plan for the fast this year. We will abstain from meat and will have some dairy....ie: milk, yogurt, cheese. Not ice cream. The kids are excited about the plan and so are we.

The spirit of the fast is what has to be the focus. To quote my priest, "If you fasted perfectly but were mean to your spouse, then all you did was go on a diet". The spirit of the fast is to draw us closer to God through fasting. The focus is not only the dietary guidelines but also to eat less, pray more, and give more to the poor.

Plus, eating a mostly Vegan diet is good for your body and the Earth too! Bonus! I'll be sharing some of our favorite Vegan recipes during Lent. You can also go to my friend's Lenten blog for more recipe ideas. Check out the prayer at the top of the page. It is my favorite. Our dear friends always sing it....brings tears to my eyes every time.

A word about shellfish. Because shrimp/crab/clams, etc. is allowed it is okay to eat them. However Cam and I have decided that indulging in expensive shellfish does not fit the spirit of the fast. We are choosing to eat less expensive meals (what is cheaper than bean soup?) and give more money away for almsgiving (another important aspect of Lent).

I read an article last year by Philip Mamalakis, PhD and his words have stuck with me. Here is part of what he says in the article.

"As Orthodox, we fast from food to be able to fast from sin. And it is our sin that keeps us from experiencing God fully. This connection between how we eat and how we sin is what the Fathers of the Church are clear on. This connection is also something that is lost in contemporary society. In America today, we don’t hear a lot about how fasting can help a marriage stay together or how a family can learn to love God through fasting. As a therapist, I see marriages fail because people cannot control how they act towards each other. Essentially the more we indulge ourselves in whatever we want, the more we become enslaved to our desires, rather than free to love. Fasting is not magic, but when we feast at the banquet of our souls through fasting we see God transforming our worldly desires towards His Kingdom. Opening up our marriages and families to fasting, opens up our hearts to be filled with the Grace of God and be truly free".