…Leaving everything in God’s Hands.
Tag: Ocean
A Timeless Covenant
A second rainbow on the far right had mostly faded by the time I fumbled for my cell to take this picture. But, if you squint, you might see the remnants?
Look upon the rainbow, and praise him who made it, exceedingly beautiful in its brightness. It encircles the heaven with its glorious arc; the hands of the Most High have stretched it out. ~ Sirach 43:11-12
And God said, This is the token of the covenant which I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations: I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth. And it shall come to pass, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow shall be seen in the cloud: And I will remember my covenant, which is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh. And the bow shall be in the cloud; and I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth. ~ Genesis 9:12-16
Taking the scenic seaside route home last night after choir practice, I ruminated briefly on wise words heard yestereve on Faith and Prayer before my thoughts slid ahead into next week’s hectic schedule. Although I’m sure there’ll be blessings in there too, I began to feel overwhelmed. Suddenly, staring me in the face was this double rainbow shining through stormy clouds over a choppy ocean, and we pulled the car over to be in the moment. While life’s tempests all manifest differently, it’s a divine consolation remembering that each new rainbow is a Vibrant Sign of Hope and a Timeless Covenant of – God’s Beautiful Promise in the Sky!
Christ is Risen!
Riding the Thermals
But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. ~ Isaiah 40:31
Yestereve I watched an eagle ride the thermals over local sea cliffs. Ignoring the inclement weather and taunting gulls, it persevered, soaring higher and higher, searching a broader scope and clearer vision of the tumultuous ocean below. It was hungry. It needed sustenance. It gently reminded me that when spiritually peckish or famished, we need to remember to unfurl our own little soul-wings… and seek to ride the Life-Giving Thermals of the Holy Spirit… Who uplifts us to sweet, incomprehensible heights, which our own little wings are much too fragile to attain, solely by their own power.
The cause of all preservation lieth in the Holy Spirit. If He think it fit to blow upon a man, He taketh him up above the things of the earth, maketh him grow, and settleth him on high. ~ Matins, Sixth Tone
Happy Feast Day! Today is also the Translation of the Relics of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker from Myra to Bari, Italy in 1087 AD. St. Nicholas’ other feast day is December 19/6.
Christ is Risen!
Making Headway in the Headwinds
Scene from recent walk on a chilly, blustery day.
If we let ourselves, we shall always be waiting for some distraction or other to end before we can really get down to our work. The only people who achieve much are those who want knowledge so badly that they seek it while the conditions are still unfavourable. Favourable conditions never come. ~ C.S. Lewis
Time is definitely shorter than we think, and we simply can’t afford to put off attaining our goals by waiting for Life’s Welcome Mat of Perfect Circumstances to be dusted off and tossed casually at our feet.
Tomorrow never comes.
There is only now... and Patient Endurance is our Cross, best shouldered with Hope’s Persistence.
There is only today for actions and efforts.
Stunning Self-Reminder: Take one step. Then another. And another. Just keep doing! We can only meet God in the Eternal Present.
May we diligently persevere in Life’s Headwinds… rejoicing that there’s always Sonshine above those stormy clouds and Providential Tailwinds in unexpected places!
Ocean of Love
Detail of Shell Mosaic, Angel Wing, by Marie
…whatever passes along the paths of the seas. O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! ~ Psalm 8:8-9
When you pass through deep waters, I will be with you; your troubles will not overwhelm you… the hard trials that come will not hurt you. ~ Isaiah 43:2
The soul cannot get enough of beholding the beauty of nature. Oh, if man would only lift his mind above this earthly realm to the Heavenly Jerusalem, to the inconceivable beauty of Paradise where the finite, earthly mind ceases to operate… There every saved soul will live in an ocean of love, sweetness, joy, amazement, and wonder! ~ Elder Ephraim, Arizona Monastery
Numinous Harmony
Foamy Lace – A Beach Microcosm – the Small within the Great!
The Holy Spirit binds together the separated spirits of each one of us. ~ St. Cyril of Alexandria
In her voyage across the ocean of this world, the Church is like a great ship being pounded by the waves of life’s different stresses. Our duty is not to abandon ship but to keep her on her course. ~ St. Boniface
…put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. ~ Colossians 3:14
Sometimes the stars sing me to sleep with their silentness. ~ Shared by Ellie
Where ocean meets shore,
foamy constellations ebb –
eclipsing star shells.
Briny bubbles burst
like salty supernovae
in the waxing tide.
To Merge, to Become –
Triadic Axials of
Harmonic Oneness.
PTL
Aquarium Photo of Jellyfish ~ Shared by Ellie
Scripture Art – Psalm 148
Happy Family Day to my kith and kin… by blood, heart and Holy Spirit.
PTL = 🎵 Praise the Lord! 🎵
Amen!
Christ is Our Peace
Christ is Born!
Christ is our peace… ~ Ephesians 2:14
All anxiety disappears. This is the aim of the Orthodox way of life… To put God first and seek the Holy Spirit. The anxieties of modern life are only symptoms of our separation from God. ~St. Paisios the Athonite
Whatever gentleness you use in speaking with others, that very same gentleness will Christ use with you. ~ St. Joseph the Hesychast
This life is nothing but to prepare for the Eternal life. If eternal life is a whole ocean, this life is a drop of the ocean, but on this drop, depends our eternal life. ~ Elder Dositheos
Svetitskhoveli Cathedral in Georgia – shared by Garret
Greetings on the upcoming Feast of St. Basil’s Day tomorrow!
As we celebrate St. Basil the Great’s Day and attend that liturgy, we also remember his many miracles, and perhaps bake the very special and traditional – “Vasilopita” Cake, which commemorates one of his miracles in particular.
Words are truly the image of the soul. The time for prayer is one’s whole life. ~ St. Basil the Great
Congratulations on your Saint’s Day today Melania! (Dec. 31/Jan. 13) God grant you many years!
May your day be filled with God’s plentiful Blessings, and with His Peace from Above – which surpasses all understanding!
Glorify Him!
Wake the Day With Gladness
This Morning’s Sonshine Broke Through Storm Clouds
Today we commemorate the heavenly birthday of sainted Good King Wenceslas! Many westerners have been introduced to him through an ancient Christmas Carol, retelling one of his miracles.
In this carol, St. Wenceslas helps distribute alms to the needy on the Eve of the Feast of St. Stephen the Apostle, Deacon, and Protomartyr (celebrated on the third day of Christmas); when the churches were opened and yearly collections from the Poor Alms Boxes were dispersed among the needy of the community. This was the original purpose and meaning of Boxing Day!
St. Wenceslas was martyred on today’s date (September 28/October 11) in the year 935. He is buried in Prague.
A beautiful hymn was penned in the 9th century by St. Joseph the Hymnographer – a Greek monk, and one of the many liturgical poets and hymnographers of the Orthodox Church. The hymn was later translated into English, and woven into the ancient 13th century carol melody used for Good King Wenceslas.
This ancient hymn was also later sung on St. Stephen’s feast day and many other special days of the martyrs. Some churches add on St. Joseph the Hymnographer’s hymn to carol of Good King Wenceslas, as an extra and final verse:
Christian friends, your voices raise.
Wake the day with gladness.
God Himself to joy and praise
turns our human sadness:
Joy that martyrs won their crown,
opened heav’ns bright portal,
when they laid the mortal down
for the life immortal.
Whatever we do, let us always try to do our very best to please God our Creator… that we may wake each day with gladness, and rejoice to see heaven’s bright portal break through the clouds… to illumine the way ahead!
Kinship of Creation
Scene from recent walk – ship sailing through diamonds.
When the night is dark
the stars shine brighter
here and ev’rywhere
The dawning Dayspring
connects all His Creation
through the Created
Flora, fauna, earth,
air, water – in us, in them –
a sacred kinship
What a beautiful day the Lord has provided!
May His glorious, Gladsome Light beam on you…
And through you…
Reflecting all the way…
To the other side of this amazing world!
With love in Christ.