kristinsdóttir

Heather Zydek says, “I learned that Orthodoxy is the only faith that has maintained the basic doctrines and style of worship used throughout the ages of Christianity to date, and as such it also closely connects to the Jewish theology I knew had to fit somewhere in understanding Christianity at its fullest.”

I love “How-I-Became-Orthodox” stories. This is a good one.

(the pic is a postage stamp showing the Studenica monastery in Serbia; found it here, where you can see more Orthodox-themed postage stamps)

One more great link brought to my attention by the wonderful Erin at A Dress a Day: She Wears Shwe Shwe. It features women of South Africa wearing garments made out of traditional shwe shwe fabric. Again, I must quote Erin: “There’s a difference between photographic exploitation and photographic celebration, and I get a more celebratory feel from this site. I hope you do too.”

(the pic? A singularly beautiful quilt — based on a pattern by Kaffe Fassett — made from shwe shwe fabric and apparently created by the very talented Skwandalee. I hope she doesn’t mind me showing it to you. More of her things here at Flickr)

Erin from A Dress a Day also found this extremely nifty chess dress image at the National Archives of Canada site. It’s “Mrs. Ritchie, who here portrays Chess in a black costume with red and white checkered inserts, and a necklace and coronet made of chess pieces.”

My sister was recently diagnosed with Lyme Disease. Because the symptoms of Lyme Disease can mimic those of Multiple Sclerosis, she encouraged my dad (diagnosed several years ago with MS) to get tested.Well. He has Lyme Disease.

My sister says they may be able to do something for him, as he wasn’t yet wheelchair-bound. Mercy.

More on this later.

These haori and michiyuki are up for auction now online.

If you buy them, I won’t have to.

:-)

Prayers of Thanksgiving:

O Lord my Savior and my Master, I, Thine unprofitable servant, with fear and trembling give thanks unto Thy loving goodness for all Thy benefits which Thou hast poured so abundantly upon me, Thy servant. I fall down in adoration before Thee and offer Thee, O god, my praises; with fervor I cry to Thee: O God, deliver me henceforth from all adversities and mercifully fulfill in me such of my desires as may be expedient for me. Hear me, I entreat Thee, and have mercy, for Thou art the Hope of all the ends of the earth, and unto Thee, with the Father, and the Holy Spirit, be ascribed glory, now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.

I praise Thee, O God of our Fathers, I hymn Thee, I bless Thee, I give thanks unto thee for Thy great and tender mercy. To Thee I flee, O merciful and mighty God. Shine into my heart with the True Sun of Thy righteousness. Enlighten my mind and keep all my senses, that henceforth I may walk uprightly and keep Thy commandments, and may finally attain unto eternal life, even to Thee, Who art the source of life, and be admitted to the glorious fruition of Thy inaccessible Light. For Thou art my God, and unto Thee, O Father, Son and Holy Spirit, be ascribed glory, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.

More Orthodox prayers here. Thank you to the many people who work on the Orthodox

Christian Page.

(photo credit to elmada at Flickr. It’s a small church in Zgorzelec, Poland)