~Do you buy Organic Food and use Essential Oils For Ailments?~
What kinds of organic food and drink do you buy? What are your favorite brands of organic foods? What are your children’s favorites?
Are you a vegetarian or vegan?
Do you use any natural remedies, vitamins and supplements?
What essential oils do you use , for what and why?
Do you use a natural sweetener? Do you drink organic teas- green tea, herbal tea?
Please share your favorite natural remedies and products. TIA! 
~Ain’t this the Truth~
“People are unreasonable, illogical, and self-centered. Love them anyway. If you do good, people may accuse you of selfish motives. Do good anyway. If you are successful, you may win false friends and true enemies. Succeed anyway. The good you do today may be forgotten tomorrow. Do good anyway. Honesty and transparency make you vulnerable. Be honest and transparent anyway. What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight. Build anyway. People who really want help may attack you if you help them. Help them anyway. Give the world the best you have and you may get hurt. Give the world your best anyway.” ~Mother Theresa
Our parish priest of 35 years, Fr. Mitsos, use to say, “People are people”. The evening before Fr. was ordained Fr. Mitsos’ wife (Presvytera), who had known me my entire life, gave me some advice as we were about to give our entire lives to serving Christ and his Church. She said , “Lisa, just be yourself, people love you for you, for the person that you are.” I have always been a very open and transparent person and have followed the will of God for my life. I think people misunderstand this because the world teaches us otherwise. It is amazing that people like Mother Thresea and St. Nekatarios, suffered for the life they led and the love they gave to people. A few years ago when I read the life story of St. Nektarios I was stunned to read the hell people put him through. It really is true that there is “nothing new under the sun” and that we humans do the same things to one another year after year, century after century. The only way to overcome is to grow closer to Christ, who suffered the worst injustice, through the process of theosis and to have pity on those that cause you pain because the don’t get it and to continue to “love them anyway” and “give the world your best”. Hard, I know, but what choice do we have if we if we call ourselves Christians?
~Attention! Help Needed, Quickly!~
Washer is on the fritz….do we repair at yet undetermined price, but it will most likely be a couple hundred dollars, or do we buy a front loader? I remember a lot of discussion on front load washers from MOMYS and the WS. I do at least 4-5 loads a day and need a sturdy large capacity machine. Advice, experience, recommendations please share! Is it he Whirlpool Duet that everyone is always raving about? TIA
ETA. Maria~Angelica are going to go look at washers this morning. Keep the advice coming, thanks!
Updated: Well, we did our shopping and I am happy to report that we got a great price for a Duet washer and it will be delivered in the morning.
~Look What a Tasty Treat We Received Today!
A very nice lady from Church came by the parish rectory this afternoon and blessed us with this lovely Edible bouquet. Isn’t it beautiful; It was such a nice surprise! We are really enjoying her very thoughtful and delectable present; it made us feel so welcomed and loved. When Maria~Angelica woke up from her nap she enjoyed a pineapple flower; good thing too because she has a little cold and is in need of all the fresh fruit she can get. We all love fruit around here; I adore pineapple, the boys love strawberries, Fr. enjoys melon and we all love grapes. So this gift from such a dear lady is very much appreciated and really made our day brighter! Thank you, thank you , thank you! Thank you for thinking of us!
~God Grant me Patience~
The Penitential prayer of St. Ephraim the Syrian
“O Lord and Master of my life, take from me the spirit of sloth, faint-heartedness, lust of power, and idle talk. Instead, give to me, Your servant, the spirit of chastity, humility, patience and love. Yes, O Lord and King, grant me to see my own faults and not to judge my brother, for You are Blessed from all ages to all ages.” Amen.
Prayer of St. Philaret
Metropolitan of Moscow
My Lord, I know not what I ought to ask of Thee.
Thou and Thou alone knowest my needs.
Thou lovest me more than I am able to love Thee.
O Father, grant unto me, They servant, all which I cannot ask.
For a cross I dare not ask, nor for consolation;
I dare only to stand in Thy presence.
My heart is open to Thee.
Thou seest my needs of which I myself am unaware.
Behold and lift me up!
In Thy presence I stand,
awed and silenced by Thy will and Thy judgments,
into which my mind cannot penetrate.
To Thee I offer myself as a sacrifice.
No other desire is mine but to fulfill Thy will.
Teach me how to pray.
Do Thyself pray within me.
Amen.
