A new spiritual discipline for us will be the daily reading of The Prologue of Ohrid, the lives of the Saints arranged for daily reading, compiled by a Saint himself, St. Nikolai Velimirovic. This books is commonly read in monasteries during meals and is very inspiring. We are going to read it over breakfast, instead of gossiping about our neighbors. 🙂
No matter what you dear Protestant folk may or may not believe about The Saints, reading their lives is very inspiring. They exemplify “He or she who endures to the end will be saved.” These people are our heroes of the faith!
I also use The Bible and the Holy Fathers for the daily scripture readings of the Church. Along with the Gospel and Epistle readings there is commentary, usually from St. John Chrysostom.
We find that living our daily lives according to the Church calender is always beneficial. It’s a great organizing principle.
As for other resolutions, there’s always “eat better and exercise more!” I suppose this yearly vow has had some benefit because I am fairly fit for an ol’ lady. I thought today I would get my bike down from the rafters and start riding again. We’ll see how that goes!
I always resolve to have a better garden and year by year it does seem to improve, barring unforeseen attacks from the Evil One in the guise of gophers. We are having a drought here in central coastal CA so I may not be able to use much water. Lord, have mercy and send the gentle rains.
I have some educational goals that I won’t bore you with and some travel plans I hope pan out and some sewing/knitting projects. Old lady stuff. 🙂
I like resolutions. I don’t keep them perfectly (far from it) but it’s always useful to sit down and write down what’s important and make plans to head in that direction. If you aim for nothing that is a target you will be sure to hit!
I was looking at the Bible and Holy Fathers book…but that is spendy.
I have Chrysostoms commentaries on my computer and he was a fascinating expositor.
Calvin loved him… 🙂
I don’t see much difference in resolutions and goals. For 2014 I’d like to continue steady with my diet and exercise. I’d like to not just read my Bible but glean as much as I can for my personal growth and relationship with God. I’d like to see people helped through my blog. I’d like to see more of the positive than the negative as I come into contact with people, churches, and everything else. I’d like not to fall apart when I turn 60 in June!! To know deep in my heart that God delights in doing new things even as we are older and have made mistakes along the way. Learn how to be a friend. Maybe put together a gathering for those of us who hang out here so we can enjoy one each others company. Run another 5K. See about reading more. I’ve had trouble doing this the last few years. I’d love to see God supernaturally heal someone this year as it seems I know so many who have serious health issues. I’d like to see the Broncos win the Super Bowl with Peyton having a monster game. I want to see this blog flourish and for God to bless Michael and the rest of you in unexpected ways.
Gary, Who exactly BELONGS here? We’re all a bunch of misfits that like to hear our own voices!! 🙂 I always worked at understanding some of your posts and you decide to bail before I got things down. As I have defined things you belong here as you are the straw that stirs the drink!! Happy New Year!!
Perhaps the only one who doesn’t belong here is not the one who thinks that he/she knows everything, but rather the one who thinks no one else, besides themselves & all who look like them know anything?
God bless and keep all close and focused on Him in the year ahead – not easy to do in this chaotic time
2014. I’m writing my goals / resolutions / hopes today.
The one that struck me the most is the hope of being an inspiration to my kids, and not really sure what that looks like. Not trying to be something grand, but the realization that years from now I hope that I have walked with some consistency in the faith…and the knowledge that that will be a gift of the Spirit, not a work of the flesh. I know my weaknesses.
So…goals surround prayer and reading and contemplation as they often do. Creating space for those activities are the action on my part. The hope is the action of the Spirit and what will be the fruit.
The one predominate thing on my list is to journal as much privately as I do blog and do things publicly. Trying to write about my kids in journals I have set aside for them. And I’ve made goals on GoodReads and have lots of bookish friends to keep up with, which helps 😉
Looking forward to this year. I know it will not look like what I expect, so I am just looking forward to how it unfolds. Surprises, not pleasant, have already greeted us, and we are already only a day into the year. So, I trust that God is at work in ways we were not expecting, and I trust He is up to something that will turn to the good.
Praying for this place…for conversations that deepen and broaden and stretch us without harm. Praying for prayer to happen and for insight and creativity. Praying for jobs.
I don’t usually go for resolutions and such, but I have been kicking around the idea of reading the whole bible, cover to cover, not in any length of time, but daily. I ahve a hard time starting in Genesis, so I might do NT first. I also want to write the whole bible down. I have this thing about pen and paper….
Other stuff…. I need to de-clutter my house. This is the longest I have ever lived in one place and it shows. I also need to address the weight/health issues. But some of that is already in the works. So, we shall see.
Otherwise, as others have said, I really would like to be more deliberate in my expression of faith. Find a church body where we will at least not feel like complete outsiders. Make planned time to read and pray, not just in snippets in the car or in bed (although those will stay) Maybe write more. I think that there will be a lot of changes this year for us, if the last few weeks are any indication.
And for Stu… I don’t exactly feel like I fit in here either, but that is what is so cool. No one has kicked me out or yelled at me or called me stupid… I sometimes have a hard time following some of the more esoteric threads, but I like it and it is somewhere I feel that its ok to just be me. Peace to you, whatever you decide.
My New Years resolution is to remember to turn on the comments before I publish…
No resolutions (don’t believe in them), but many changes.
Happy New Year!
Well, folks, it’s been an interesting interlude for me but I don’t really belong here. See ya.
Happy New Year Michael. It’s like Noelle said, trying to be better is all I can do.
covered,
My focus this year will be on prayer…seeing what he does because I’m not getting any better… 🙂
Gary,
I’m not sure why you feel that way, but the cyber door is always open…
A new spiritual discipline for us will be the daily reading of The Prologue of Ohrid, the lives of the Saints arranged for daily reading, compiled by a Saint himself, St. Nikolai Velimirovic. This books is commonly read in monasteries during meals and is very inspiring. We are going to read it over breakfast, instead of gossiping about our neighbors. 🙂
http://www.amazon.com/The-Prologue-Ohrid-Reflections-Homilies/dp/0971950504
No matter what you dear Protestant folk may or may not believe about The Saints, reading their lives is very inspiring. They exemplify “He or she who endures to the end will be saved.” These people are our heroes of the faith!
I also use The Bible and the Holy Fathers for the daily scripture readings of the Church. Along with the Gospel and Epistle readings there is commentary, usually from St. John Chrysostom.
http://www.amazon.com/Bible-Holy-Fathers-Orthodox-hardcover/dp/096225360X
We find that living our daily lives according to the Church calender is always beneficial. It’s a great organizing principle.
As for other resolutions, there’s always “eat better and exercise more!” I suppose this yearly vow has had some benefit because I am fairly fit for an ol’ lady. I thought today I would get my bike down from the rafters and start riding again. We’ll see how that goes!
I always resolve to have a better garden and year by year it does seem to improve, barring unforeseen attacks from the Evil One in the guise of gophers. We are having a drought here in central coastal CA so I may not be able to use much water. Lord, have mercy and send the gentle rains.
I have some educational goals that I won’t bore you with and some travel plans I hope pan out and some sewing/knitting projects. Old lady stuff. 🙂
I like resolutions. I don’t keep them perfectly (far from it) but it’s always useful to sit down and write down what’s important and make plans to head in that direction. If you aim for nothing that is a target you will be sure to hit!
Uh oh, messed up the italics tag.
I was looking at the Bible and Holy Fathers book…but that is spendy.
I have Chrysostoms commentaries on my computer and he was a fascinating expositor.
Calvin loved him… 🙂
Michael, it is expensive. I got it for $20 somewhere. It was a gift from God!
I hope Gary/stu sticks around.
Gary,
Stick around, dude.
I don’t see much difference in resolutions and goals. For 2014 I’d like to continue steady with my diet and exercise. I’d like to not just read my Bible but glean as much as I can for my personal growth and relationship with God. I’d like to see people helped through my blog. I’d like to see more of the positive than the negative as I come into contact with people, churches, and everything else. I’d like not to fall apart when I turn 60 in June!! To know deep in my heart that God delights in doing new things even as we are older and have made mistakes along the way. Learn how to be a friend. Maybe put together a gathering for those of us who hang out here so we can enjoy one each others company. Run another 5K. See about reading more. I’ve had trouble doing this the last few years. I’d love to see God supernaturally heal someone this year as it seems I know so many who have serious health issues. I’d like to see the Broncos win the Super Bowl with Peyton having a monster game. I want to see this blog flourish and for God to bless Michael and the rest of you in unexpected ways.
Gary/Stu….it’s really important to have varying viewpoints to challenge us all…hope you decide to come back!
Gary, Who exactly BELONGS here? We’re all a bunch of misfits that like to hear our own voices!! 🙂 I always worked at understanding some of your posts and you decide to bail before I got things down. As I have defined things you belong here as you are the straw that stirs the drink!! Happy New Year!!
#15 amen, runner
Perhaps the only one who doesn’t belong here is not the one who thinks that he/she knows everything, but rather the one who thinks no one else, besides themselves & all who look like them know anything?
God bless and keep all close and focused on Him in the year ahead – not easy to do in this chaotic time
Happy New Year ,Em!
And to you, Em. So glad you are back.
2014. I’m writing my goals / resolutions / hopes today.
The one that struck me the most is the hope of being an inspiration to my kids, and not really sure what that looks like. Not trying to be something grand, but the realization that years from now I hope that I have walked with some consistency in the faith…and the knowledge that that will be a gift of the Spirit, not a work of the flesh. I know my weaknesses.
So…goals surround prayer and reading and contemplation as they often do. Creating space for those activities are the action on my part. The hope is the action of the Spirit and what will be the fruit.
The one predominate thing on my list is to journal as much privately as I do blog and do things publicly. Trying to write about my kids in journals I have set aside for them. And I’ve made goals on GoodReads and have lots of bookish friends to keep up with, which helps 😉
Looking forward to this year. I know it will not look like what I expect, so I am just looking forward to how it unfolds. Surprises, not pleasant, have already greeted us, and we are already only a day into the year. So, I trust that God is at work in ways we were not expecting, and I trust He is up to something that will turn to the good.
Praying for this place…for conversations that deepen and broaden and stretch us without harm. Praying for prayer to happen and for insight and creativity. Praying for jobs.
Praying much. That has not changed.
I don’t usually go for resolutions and such, but I have been kicking around the idea of reading the whole bible, cover to cover, not in any length of time, but daily. I ahve a hard time starting in Genesis, so I might do NT first. I also want to write the whole bible down. I have this thing about pen and paper….
Other stuff…. I need to de-clutter my house. This is the longest I have ever lived in one place and it shows. I also need to address the weight/health issues. But some of that is already in the works. So, we shall see.
Otherwise, as others have said, I really would like to be more deliberate in my expression of faith. Find a church body where we will at least not feel like complete outsiders. Make planned time to read and pray, not just in snippets in the car or in bed (although those will stay) Maybe write more. I think that there will be a lot of changes this year for us, if the last few weeks are any indication.
And for Stu… I don’t exactly feel like I fit in here either, but that is what is so cool. No one has kicked me out or yelled at me or called me stupid… I sometimes have a hard time following some of the more esoteric threads, but I like it and it is somewhere I feel that its ok to just be me. Peace to you, whatever you decide.
Happy New Years!!