Anxiety – Blisswood

No Matter Where…

Moloa’a Bay Sunrise on Kauai – July 2023

God travels our road,
and no matter where we go…
our angel’s there too!

I’m out of practice with international travelling. It’s been a few years!

Thankfully, we received a trip blessing before departure on our recent and amazing family vacation – which began with a huge hiccup at a connecting airport… with hundreds waiting in line to go through customs, (many apparently) for a Taylor Swift concert.

I accepted the possible inevitability it was God’s Will we might miss our next flight. There was nothing to do but patiently go through the long process. In the near 2 hour line up, I found myself quietly humming Lord Have Mercy a prayer of the heart I’d taught the Youth Choir – who sang it (as recorded below) at concert, during Palm Sunday Liturgy this year.

Lord Have Mercy Hymn – Youth Choir 2023

This serene piece (possibly hummed several hundred times while waiting in line) calmed me, and it seemed I could almost hear the Youth Choir’s precious voices singing along, as if in accompaniment!

In a nutshell… once passed security, we made a desperate, sweaty 10 minute dash (dragging our carry-on), and actually boarded the plane shutting its doors! Whew! Six hours later we arrived safely in beautiful Kauai, Hawaii.

Mahalo ke Akua (thanks be to God)!

Be that as it may, it was still surprising and disconcerting to remember (I’d conveniently forgotten) that no matter where we go, we always manage to pack along our imperfect inner selves. Ack! There’s no escaping this, even on holiday in paradise!

Familiar foibles sneakily surfaced, and (unless constantly playing in the ocean) the high humidity magnified an existing (hard to believe I’m sure, ha-ha!) grump factor.

Our travel icons on the lanai – Kauai 2023

With my comfort zone challenged, I happily rediscovered that conscious repetition of Thank you God inspires true appreciation of His Creation.

Sincere gratitude helped me explore and happily embrace more unexpected adventures as they came during our vacation.

All in all, it was a joy to share new and meaningful experiences with loved ones. And, with apologies to my long-suffering Guardian Angel… I learned to embrace higher humidity!

It’s good to go – and good to come home… and very good to gird up one’s loins to resume the Me Battle again!

Mahalo for visiting Blisswood! I hope this finds you well.

With much Aloha in Christ! ❤️

Sprigs of Prayer

Thriving in Son Shine!

A drop of prayer is worth more than a sea of worrying. ~ St. Nikolai Velimirovic

There is no need at all to make long discourses, it is enough to stretch out one’s hands and say, “Lord, as You will, and as You know, have mercy.” And if the conflict grows fiercer say, “Lord, help!” He knows very well what we need and He shows us His mercy. ~ Abba Macarius

Since God is continuously present, why do you worry? For in Him we live and move. We are carried in His arms. We breathe God; we are vested with God; we touch God; we consume God in the Mystery. Wherever you turn, wherever you look, God is everywhere: in the heavens, on the earth, in the abysses, in the trees, within the rocks, in your nous [eye of the soul], in your heart. ~ St. Joseph the Hesychast

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 trust in You. I have no other desire than to fulfill Your will. Teach me how to pray. Pray in me. Amen. ~ Prayers For All Occasions

The Simplest Blessings…

Image by klimkin from Pixabay

…Give us hope!

Just as the blessings of God are unutterably great, so their acquisition requires much hardship and toil undertaken with hope and faith. ~ St. Macarius the Great

The spiritual life is very simple and quite easy. We make it difficult by not struggling properly. ~ Elder Paisios of Mt. Athos

Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. ~Romans 12:12

In Every Test

Cave Monastery in Bulgaria – Image by falco from Pixabay

If we always see God in our minds, and always remember Him, everything will appear tolerable to us. ~ St. John Chrysostom

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. ~ Philippians 4:6

In preparing for an upcoming parish fundraiser, some plans had changed. Feeling a bit apprehensive, I sent off revisions with (what I hoped to be) an encouraging response to the flurry of emails, and with a heavy sigh, signed off, “Love in Christ, m Barbara.”

Or – so I thought.

Actually, I’d signed off saying, “Live in Christ, m Barbara”.

A note to self. Yes! Live in Christ! Quit sighing!

Guardian Angel had gently reminded- Everything’s in God’s Hands – not mine.

And those pesky, anxious, tummy butterflies?

Vamoosed!

In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps. ~ Proverbs 16:9

Live in Christ!

m Barbara

St. Basil of Ostrog

Parish icon of St. Basil of Ostrog

Today is St. Basil of Ostrog’s Feast Day, (May 12/April 29) and he is very dear to many.

We are so blessed! God pours out His great, abundant mercy and miracles through His saints– the heavenly great cloud of witnesses!

Through the holy intercessions of St. Basil of Ostrog, may we continue to receive spiritual consolation and healing of physical and mental infirmities.

For he is not a God of the dead, but of the living: for all live unto him. ~ Luke 20:38

Holy St. Basil pray to God for us!

Perfume of Peace

We are the sons of light and love, the sons of God, His children. As such we must have His qualities and His attributes of love, peace, and kindness towards all. ~ Elder Thaddeus of Vitovnica

Thus, my brother, if you love peace of heart, strive to enter it by the door of humility, for no other door but humility leads therein. ~ Unseen Warfare

Fasting and self-control are a double wall of defense and whoever lives within them enjoys great peace.~ St. Gregory Palamas

Peace is truly the complete and undisturbed possession of what is desired. ~ St. Maximus the Confessor

Whoever enters a shop that sells perfume said an elder, even if he does not buy any perfume, he comes out fully fragrant. The same happens to those who socialize with holy people. They take upon themselves the spiritual fragrance of their virtue. ~ Anonymous Elder

You cannot be too gentle, too kind. Shun even to appear harsh in your treatment of each other. Joy, radiant joy, streams from the face of one who gives and kindles joy in the heart of one who receives. ~ St. Seraphim of Sarov

Rejoice in the Lord

A local paddle-boarder, rejoicing … October 2020

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. ~ Philippians 4:4-7

This passage remains in my heart, thanks to Verne Margaret Scott.

I met her as a young teen, during my old Baptist church days. She was an amazing youth leader… and made the deepest impression.

Verne lived in God’s Light joyfully, and particularly loved the book of Philippians. She encouraged us in scriptural memorization, to keep God’s Word close in our hearts.

I have often thought of Verne (with gratitude), over the years, and noticed her recent obituary. She passed away on July 1, 2021 in her 96th year.

May God rest her soul!

Each Dawn, a Blessing

Hawaii 2017

What a wonderful day the Lord has provided!

Yesterday’s gone.

Today is fresh and new.

Each dawn’s a blessing… a herald of this day’s golden opportunities.

The Present, and what we are, is God’s Gift to us… but what we do with ourselves today, is our gift to God.

I remember and sing a sweet and simple folk-hymn from my youth: Thank You for giving me this morning, thank You for everyday that’s new, thank You that I can know my worries can be cast on You!

Let us joyfully gift-wrap ourselves in one of (hopefully many) today’s gifts back to God… at least beginning with thankfulness – for His many blessings!

The day is young. Plain and humble wrapping paper is probably best.

Pass the tape please!

Do not be surprised that you fall every day; do not give up, but stand your ground courageously. And assuredly the angel who guards you will honour your patience… Nothing equals or excels God’s mercies~ St. John Climacus

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. ~ Philippians 4:6-7

Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually! ~ 1 Chronicles 16:11

Awake, my glory! Awake, O harp and lyre! I will awake the dawn! ~ Psalm 57:8

But I, O Lord, cry to you; in the morning my prayer comes before you. ~ Psalm 88:13

This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. ~ Psalm 118:24

I rise early, before the sun is up; I cry out for help and put my hope in your words. ~ Psalm 119: 147

How precious are your thoughts about me, O God… And when I wake up, you are still with me! ~ Psalm 139:17-18

Do Not Lose Heart

…But though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.

For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;

While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.

~ 2 Corinthians 4: 16 – 18

Sweetest Name

The book of St. Paul to the Philippians is full of spiritual yum yums and this is one of my favourite verses. His epistle describes daily hurdles Christians may experience and the victorious joy in overcoming these difficulties.

When life throws a kitchen sink in our path, duck, cover and carry on… knowing we have God’s help.

Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on (fill in the blank)!

Here’s a wonderful quote from St. Anthony of Optina: “No matter what misfortune might befall you, no matter what unpleasantness might occur, say ‘I will endure this for Jesus Christ’s sake!’ Just say that, and you will feel better, for the Name of Jesus Christ is powerful… Before It, all difficulties abate, and demons disappear. Your annoyance and faintness of heart will abate when you repeat His most sweet Name…”

Sharing this powerful prayer from a friend, whose priest gave it to them to use when anxiety over a constant painful situation would rear its ugly head:

“O Lord, Thou lovest (name) more than I do,
And Thou canst help (name) better than I,
And Thou knowest better than I what is profitable for (him)(her).
So do for (name) what is best- only save (him)(her).”

This prayer is so helpful.

Glory to God for all things!