My Fiance & Her Animals

Hello.

This is my first entry on Spruce Island. It is dedicated to, about, and in praise of my beloved Katherine Ramos. While I'm now in Vancouver alongside Brother Cyprian and she's down Stateside, I thought the Saint Herman community would enjoy this read.

Indeed, I am engaged to a celebrity.

More Canada Day photos from the Jordan's party...

Click on either of the collages above to see more Canada Day photos from up at the Jordan's house...

Click on the collage below to see more photos of breakfast at the Jordans house after Canada Day...

Tribute to Victoria...

Kurt and Victoria Jordan always throw a Canada Party but this year, after planning the party, Victoria found out whe would have to miss the party as she would be in Montreal for school at the time. So this is our "we miss you Victoria - wish you were here" tribute to Victoria.

Click on the collage to see more photos or click here...

news...

It's time to let you all know (if you don't already)
That on Saturday, Laurenn and I got engaged!

Thanks for your prayers,

details to come.

-David

our newest little sister...

Matushka Jenny gave birth

on June 22, 4:35 pm to a healthy baby girl.

Miss Bridget Antigone Hainsworth.

Many Years!

.

Goodbye Victoria - see you in 5 weeks!

Vic's going away party

Victoria is going to Quebec for 5 weeks for school (she is studying to become a french teacher) so we had a going away party for her at Milestones in Langley last night. There were 22 girls there - it was a great time!

Click on the photo/link above to see photos of the evening.

Orthodox Hockey team

Hey I hear from Dave P. that Thomas Wildeman is the person I should contact in regards to the Orthodox Hockey team.

Thomas, my email is theological.disciple@gmail.com- please email me. Two buddies of mine, from St. George's Greek Church in Vancouver, are interested in joining.

Thanks and God Bless...

Fr. Lawrence Concelebrates the Archbishop's Anniversary

{Click on any of the images for a larger view}

We were blessed to have Fr. Lawrence here with us at St. Herman's in Edmonton for our beloved Archbishop SERAPHIM's 20th Anniversary celebration of his Consecration to the Episcopate.

On Saturday morning, a Hierarchical Divine Liturgy was served by Vladika SERAPHIM, His Grace Bishop BENJAMIN of San Francisco, and His Grace Bishop IOV of the Moscow Patriarchal Parishes in Canada. The Bishops served together with 16 priests and three deacons!


The whole weekend was a joyous reminder of our Archbishop's work for the Lord.

Fr. Lawrence having a visit with Presbytera Jaime Rene and little John Rene.

Vladika Seraphim's 20th Anniversary

A wonderful retrospective online photo exhibit!

EIS POLLA ETI, DHESPOTA!!!!!

The Goads' Reply to the fiveyearoldswithsticks

Recently there was a ridiculous post on this blog, by a 'pretender' to the real man's game of hockey...

This is our reply...



(posted by Dn. Kurt, in Victoria's name)

"No mowe penciws, no mowe books. Oh, dat scwewy wabbit! .."

Schoow's awmost ovew! And, as any student, aduwt ow youf knows, that means pawty time!

Dave and I awe pwanning to pawty down wif the seniow youf in Wangwey fowwowing ouw Vespewaw Wituwgy on Duwsday June 28th. We'ww head out to ouw pawty destination aftew Wituwgy is ovew (appwox. 8:30) and pawents can pick up theiw youf at awound 10:30 ow 11:00.

Dewe is, howevew, a swight hitch in ouw cunning pwan, uh-hah-hah-hah. Dave and his woommates awe moving out of Casa Phiw this month, pwanning to be moved out by the 26th. Dis puts us in a bit of a tight spot fow a pawty wocation, uh-hah-hah-hah. So, this is ouw officiaw pwea to aww you Wangwey-dwewwing St. Hewmanites. Oh, dat scwewy wabbit! If one of ouw Wangwey dwewwews wouwd be wiwwing to host the youf fow a few houws that evening, we wouwd be etewnawwy gwatefuw, and you wiww be handsomewy wewawded. Which is to say, you get a big hug, thank you, and pewhaps some kind of chocowate.

Anyone wanting to vowunteew theiw home to us pwease give me a caww duwing the coming week. I'm best weached on the chuwch phone wine, as my ceww phone is off whiwe I'm at schoow.


(confused?)

Travel Journal

Hello everyone. If you are interested in seeing a travel journal for my recent trip to the Holy Mountain, go to http://athostrip2007.blogspot.com.

"No more pencils, no more books..."

School's almost over! And, as any student, adult or youth knows, that means party time!

Dave and I are planning to party down with the senior youth in Langley following our Vesperal Liturgy on Thursday June 28th. We'll head out to our party destination after Liturgy is over (approx. 8:30) and parents can pick up their youth at around 10:30 or 11:00.

There is, however, a slight hitch in our cunning plan. Dave and his roommates are moving out of Casa Phil this month, planning to be moved out by the 26th. This puts us in a bit of a tight spot for a party location. So, this is our official plea to all you Langley-dwelling St. Hermanites. If one of our Langley dwellers would be willing to host the youth for a few hours that evening, we would be eternally grateful, and you will be handsomely rewarded. Which is to say, you get a big hug, thank you, and perhaps some kind of chocolate.

Anyone wanting to volunteer their home to us please give me a call during the coming week. I'm best reached on the church phone line, as my cell phone is off while I'm at school.
Thank you!

Certain Death Awaits 'The Goads'

Men of the East (east of the island),

Behold your demise. Behold, aye, and tremble. These bold hockey
warriors await you on the fields of Panorama. They are fell men,
hardened by weeks of ruthless training. Death is no obstacle, nor
skinned knees, nor winded priests. Nay, but anon you shall see their
mettle, and their valor shall shine forth in a blaze of glory, and you shall be like wet noodles under their chopsticks.

Meet them, if you dare.

Cordially yours,

the fiveyearoldswithhockeysticks

Canadian Orthodox Messenger

The latest issue has arrived and will be available at church for Wednesday vespers. However you can also access it online:

http://www.archdiocese.ca/com/183.2007.Summer.pdf

If you have a good colour printer, you can get much better prints of photos from the online edition in the reports of:

Dn. Kurt Edward Jordan's ordination
The women's retreat with Frederica Matthewes-Green
The Kenosis/Resonance debut concert

along with other news around the archdiocese and some excellent articles.

another sunday with the family...

(click the picture to see the slideshow)

Pictures of St. John's...

...are, by popular request, now up on the St. John's website, with a few more links and info here.

Orthomansions on the drive...

There has oft been talk of lofty ideals, communal livings, houses for many, a community of like minded idealists who were willing to suffer through the reality of their naivete, but not in my history has there been such an opportunity as this.

St. John's, our newest daughter mission, has the MOST AMAZING building. I don't think anything better could have been given as a mission parish site. It needs a bit of work, but that is even better, it gives us all something to help with, a sense of immediate purpose, and its just such a cool space. Upstairs has about 6 rooms I think, and the middle floor has a bunch, and there is even a top floor with two rooms. the basement is full of boxes of weird but loveable old catholic gear, organs and shuffleboards, throne-like couches from which to sing praises, latin books of all sorts and myriad other wonderful things to discover.

the kitchen has a gas stove, the dining room has beautiful acoustics, there are front and back porches, and OH MAN the GARDEN POTENTIAL! its ridiculous. seriously, there could be enough veggies to feed a bunch of people. well, it used to be a convent, so it makes sense. anyways, the yard is huge too. Sure, there are structural problem, the roof leaks in places, a handrail is loose, and who knows what else.

The fact remains, that God has blessed this community in a way that is so glaringly obvious.

Not to mention that it is SO close to commercial drive, such a cool community to live near. Organic veggies, patchouli oil, italian coffee shops, memphis ribs (sniff),

anyways. We have to be thankful to God for this gift, and when people ask about orthodoxy in Vancouver, it won't be too far off that there is another thriving english community, replete with the coolest in house atmosphere ever. After vespers last week we sat down, talked some good church talk and enjoyed a nice ale in the dining room with some candles and guitar. It really will take on its own atmosphere quickly and comfortably, in large part thanks to a beautiful creaky old building.


God grant you many years St. John's!

Pentecost

Let Us Attend

there it is.....copies should be available at the church bookstore soon.

"As many as have been baptized into Christ..."

Leviathan cometh

P1030749.JPG, originally uploaded by pasivirta.

Fr. Crispan and his band of merry men have been practicing on sunday nights. I was privy to a game of shinny, it proved to be very informative. Herr Wildeman, I believe it is time we had a meeting/mens breakfast/practice of our own. They have some strategery worked out, and it behooves us to bring the noise all across the water=tower in order to continue the tradition of Goads being hard to kick against.

The Men of the Island stand no chance. It will be a day of weeping and gnashing of teeth like has never been heard before in the peaceful domain of the british retirees and government lackeys.

It's done!

The Synod (a.k.a. ROCOR, ROCE, or ROCA) and the Moscow Patriarchate have officially ended their excommunications of each other. This does NOT mean that all ROCOR churches are now MP, but it just means that ROCOR is in eucharistic communion with her mother Church and the rest of the Orthodox world.

It's to be expected that there will be some "fallout" and some discontented persons complaining about it, but they are, by far, the smaller faction within ROCOR.

Considering all the deception and intrigue caused in the Church by the Soviet authorities, it's about time for some healing to start.

Let's pray for them.

guess who?

Can Ah Get a "Lord have mercy!"

A blast from the past

Boy, what you find in old computer files.....perhaps some of you remember the events recounted in this piece that appeared in The Canadian Orthodox Messenger, must have been in 1995.....! -- Mat. D.


Flood of Catechumens

by
Donna Farley

Since being received under Bishop Seraphim's omophor nine years ago, St. Herman's church in Langley has seen a slow but steady stream of converts enter the church. However, in recent months the stream has turned to a sudden flood, until the number of catechumens currently totals twenty-nine and a half. Most of these will be received by baptism this Pascha-- which will probably create a literal flood in the church hall, where they will be immersed in the horse trough we use for a font!
Several whole families help to make up the number, including the extended family of a former Mennonite minister who moved here from Vancouver Island in order to embrace Orthodoxy. And the "half"? One of the newer catechumens is "with child"; the entire family will be received in the fall after their newest member is born.
There is a fair bit of shuffling each Sunday, as the catechumens, making up about a third of the congregation, come forward to be prayed over at the litany of the catechumens. Meanwhile, we now need a roster to accommodate readers, altar servers and choir members.
As always, we need to be vigilant and pray. Though we rejoice in growth, we can sometimes see the parable of the sower being played out around us. Still, the possibility of a building of our own is now on the horizon, while several of our members are considering a vocation to the diaconate or priesthood, and, God willing, may one day found other missions in our Archdiocese.

--30--

Theo (definitely no lemur!) and other church pictures for your viewing pleasure.

see the rest of the pictures on my flickr...

the problem with rock and roll...

So. I love loud heavy music. Its cathartic soul crunching cymbals, double kick rolls, punchy bass lines and screaming melodies speak to my heart in a way that not much does. It helps me know that others out there live in chaos, and need to express it in a way that words just aren't able to.
But, what about that affirmation, does it continue our comfort in the chaotic lifestyle we choose? I live so busily and as a relatively young unmarried man, I assume that whatever path the future takes, I will only become busier unless I, as Annie Dillard puts it, "Go at my life with a broad ax" and take back silence and peace.
We love to take time, go slow and ingore the constraints of time when we are in church. we have nowhere better to be because we are in the Kingdom of God. We pray slowly, we pray long, we do it over again. we take our time to be careful to do it all exactly right, to give honour where it is due, with no thought to our other endeavours. (hopefully, Lord have mercy)
Loud and fast music (which I am currently listening to-Rusty Cage-) brings a spirit of immediacy, a spirit of competition, and a spirit of temporality with it. Constant drum beats bring us back to the ticking of the clock, our beating heart and the fact that we are human. While this is good on some levels, we must always remember our mortality, we also must remain living with one foot in heaven and one foot on earth.
Music changes our presence. when we listen to music that is even formally calm, it reminds us of the eternal nature of heaven, the immortal nature of the soul, and the unending mercy of God. okay, I am getting a bit sermony here, and reading interpretations on to things, but not completely. I think that there is inherent codes formally embedded in music.
Things that cue memories or thoughts or thought patterns. I have been listening to a heavy metal band a bit lately, and it has ramped up the speed with which I live life, and I don't think it is the best thing for me to live in that place. when I am able to go to a quiet place with nothing on the walls and quiet people, the difference is obvious. It is truly peaceful, and there is no rush.
Existence for us is naturally entrenched in a chronological worldview. what time is it, how much time is left. and that often puts us into competition with the clock, ourselves, each other. and I think it is these competitions due to temporality that bring us into conflict. Think about what it would be like to have eternity to live the same life we are living now. we never die, nor do we grow old. we all stay 35-45. (sounds like a good middle ground to me) nobody would fight anyone because in time, everyone could do everything, have everything, see everything, etc etc that they wanted. now, I know I am basing that on fulfilling desires, which are also always corrupt, but you get the point right?
okay. so I started on rock and roll and got to existence and time.
and I originally thought I would talk about the lifestyle examples of rock stars who never have to grow up.

Calling all servants

Hello all. I'm wondering if anyone might be available to help Brian Butcher and his family move next Monday (the 30th). He could definitely use the help as he has 6 kids and a lot of items that need to be moved (that's a lot of beds and dressers!). I confess I also have selfish motives as I desperately need him at a rehearsal that evening since we have an important concert in a couple weeks. So, in a way you, would also be serving me (please don't let that turn you off) and my choir of merry men. If you can help anytime day or evening let me know and I'll give you more details.

thanks,
Dan

You know you're Orthodox if...

• On Wednesdays and Fridays you eat Japanese food.
• You are more comfortable standing in church than sitting.
• You can suck/vacuum up the crumbs of bread out of your hand without coughing.
• You can sing ison to any song (and you know what an ison is… LoL).
• Lent to you means peanut butter, tofu, soy, lots and lots of pita bread and hummus, and services at least five times a week.
• You’re used to skipping breakfast on Sundays.
• On your first encounter with long words, you pronounce them stressing the ‘next to the next to last’ syllable.
• You wonder why the Pope crosses himself backwards when you see him on TV.
• You wear comfortable shoes to church, because you know you’ll be standing a long, long time.
• To you, a ‘topless’ gal is one without a headscarf.
• You get great deals on Easter candy.
• You spend time figuring out the best way to remove smoke stains from your ceiling and wax from your walls.
• Before you pray, you say a prayer.
• You don’t flinch when someone throws water at you.
• When you first tell people who ask what religion you are, at first they think you’re Jewish. Oy!
• You’re experienced at removing wax from clothing.
• The service routinely starts at least 15 minutes late and lasts 2 ½ hours — and nobody around you complains.
• You consider any service two hours or under short/regular.
• You know you’re in an Orthodox church when the priest says, “Let us complete our prayer to the Lord", and there’s still half an hour to go.
• At the end of Holy Week, you have rug burns on your forehead.
• Your Easter isn’t Easter without an all-night party (featuring 10 dishes of sausage with cheese).
• Your priest is married.
• You have seen all members of clergy in purple robes.
• You can differentiate between the eight different chanting tones.
• You typically celebrate a feast day by observing strict fasting.
• You celebrate feast days the night before.
• You address the City as Constantinople instead of Istanbul.
• You can say "Lord have mercy" 40 times without making a mistake.

I added:
• You can say "Christ Is Risen"/"Indeed He Is Risen" in a million languages.
• You have tournaments of red-egg-cracking on Pascha... And you usually know who's being a wise-guy with the wooden one.
• You have multiple priests' numbers in your cell phone.
• You actually read the Bible in your spare time.
• You've slept overnight in your church for a retreat.
• You've grown accustomed to the taste of wine because you've had it since you were a baby.
• Even if you don't speak the language fluently (i.e. Albanian, Greek, Russian, etc.) you could still carry on a decent conversation about food in it.
• You've been or plan on going to Alaska.
• You could write a book on the symbolism in an Orthodox wedding... during the wedding... because they are just that long.

and, seen on a bumper sticker: "If you're Orthodox, Honk 40 times!"

A visitor

Roseanna I. & her almost-two-year-old Lizzy are hoping to come visit the area around the last week of May and first week of June. She'll be spending part of the time at her aunt's in Langley, but would also like to stay some of the time with folks in the parish. Our newer members won't remember, but Roseanna is from an OCA clergy family and she spent some time in this parish a number of years ago (I don't recall the exact number-- time flies!

If you can provide accommodation for any part of the dates around Sat. May 26 to Fri. May 8th, let me know and I can put you in touch with her.

IT'S OFFICIAL

Can I? ....... Really?
Alright!

The Long-Johns are coming off!

And Sweet-Sweet Margret is out on the town!
(scooter)

PARTY TIME!

IMG_0228.JPG
Originally uploaded by gigascoigne.

Just in case any of you missed the invitation in the church bulletin:

PARTY! FRIDAY! chez Gascoigne!

To celebrate Theo's safe arrival and baptism we're throwing a party in our little basement suite--so pray for good weather because we want the place packed!

Festivities start at around 3-ish for those who prefer early arrivals and departures. We'll have tea and sweets available, then from 7-ish --or maybe earlier depending how often my arms are free to get things in and out of the oven--we'll have yummy Bright-Week style supper, booze and cigars.

We will be providing plenty of meat dishes--and I will take requests, though I'll tell you in advance that we'll already be having one dish of each of the usual animals--including lamb.

We would ask that people bring some sort of side dish to fill the table out. Drinks are also welcome. Beer and Scotch will be present for toasting, as well as a few other things, but they may run out so it might be a good idea to BYOB.

Also--neither Greg nor I smoke so if you like NICE cigars you might want to bring them along. And of course Paschal pipe smoking is expected.

So come one and all--including kids if you like (we have Playstation AND Xbox)--and help us celebrate Theo's arrival.

Christ is risen!

Paschal Greetings from Alberta!

From one St. Herman's to another, Christ is Risen!

Wishing you all the joy of the Paschal season...

--------

Also, just wondering if you can help with something. Our good friend Joseph Friesen, a parishioner (and parish council member) here is a third-year Engineering student and is starting a co-op term (six months) out near SFU. He's looking for either a room-and-board type scenario or a roomate situation, preferably with some fellow Orthodox Christians. He wants to be close to both church and his work (which is in Burnaby). Any suggestions or directions you all might have would be most welcome. He's a great guy and will be a welcome addition to St. Herman's. Please feel free to email me at matthew.francis{AT}shaw{dot}ca if you have any ideas, and I'll pass them on to Joseph. Thanks so much!

Photos from Sunday

Congratulations Father-Deacon Kurt!

And here is Sid (Innocent) becoming a taper bearer (aka. candle boy). Congratulations Sid!

New Mom Rhiannon with baby Theo (see the post below for info on the baby shower on April 13th)

the newly Ordained Deacon Kurt Edward!

, originally uploaded by simply victoria.

Photos of Dn. Kurt's ordination

Hi folks-- Victoria is hoping her camera turns up at church tonight. Meanwhile if anyone else has good pics of the ordination, could you e-mail me or post some somewhere....particularly one of the family, and maybe one of Kurt & the bishop during the actual ceremony. I am writing up a report for the Messenger and M. Sophia is very close to deadline and needs the material if it is going to get into the next issue.

Info on B.C. churches

My dad is back in Canada and currently staying in Salmon Arm. He wants to go to church for Pascha, but doesn't know anything about any of the Orthodox churches in the area. Does anyone have any information and suggestions about where he can go to church, priests for him to contact, etc.?
I know there is a Ukranian one in Kelowna that we visited on our honeymoon, and I seem to recall an OCA mission somewhere there, too, but I don't know any details.
Thanks,
Biss

The Nativity Story -- an audio commentary

Just in case anybody's interested, Fr. Justin and I recorded our very own audio commentary for The Nativity Story a few days ago. You can download it as an mp3 and play it on your iPod or whatever as you watch the DVD. Details here.

And Not a Lemur

IMG_0181.JPG
Originally uploaded by gigascoigne.

See? How cute is THAT? Much cuter than Tom and Katie's. Now no more questions.

Indeed he is REAL

IMG_0162.JPG
Originally uploaded by gigascoigne.

Maria T. took this photo when Theo was a week old, just after his very first bath--he was a little cold so I snuggled him. We can't wait for his Holy Bath on Pascha. Looking forward to seeing you all next Sunday!

Rhi and Theo

Widget Real? or, Surrey Suri

Hey!!! What's with the no information whatsoever about the most anticipated Gascoigne since Bamber to hit earth?

We on the Island are beginning to think there is no Widget, that it was all pillows after all, or that said Widget (who is reported to be named "Theodore", but can we really be sure, huh, can we) is so horribly strange looking (cf 'The Lemur Boy of Milton Keynes') that the 'parents' are currently in negotiations with certain media outlets (most of which have the word 'Star' in the title) to rake in the cashola at their little mutant's expense! Oh the horror, the shame! Can I have some?

SHOW US THE BABY!!!

God Bless the OCA

Oh man.

Many Years to our beloved archbishop, and not to take away from his elevation, but I have to write about this news piece on the OCA website that explains the financial scandal.
I am almost in tears (good ones) feeling honoured and loved as a member of the faithful who has been so honestly spoken to by the higher ups in the church. they have come forward, dealt with a very difficult issue, opened it wide for all to see, and humbly asked that we all ask forgiveness, of each other and of God.
Honestly, I was so upset by a church that hid its problems ( I was 19 or 20, so perhaps at the height of idealism) and this is such a healing balm. Yes, the chancellor was in the wrong, and he will be disciplined, but for his own salvation, God grant, and the leaders of our churches did as best they could. They didn't hide anything, and they admitted that things were worse than they were first willing to admit.
I read this and I feel as though these men really are Loving God enough to admit to the whole world their own weakness.
I was very blessed to read it.

and yes, Many Years, your eminence, for our sake and yours.

Eis Polla Eti Despota!!

The Holy Synod of the OCA has elevated our Vladika Seraphim to be Archbishop! Glory be to God!

From our chancellor:


To The CLERGY, MONASTICS AND FAITHFUL OF THE GOD PROTECTED ARCHDIOCESE OF CANADA;

At the spring session of the Holy Synod this week in Syosset, NY, Bishop Seraphim was elevated to the rank of ARCHBISHOP.

Therefore throughout this Archdiocese as of today , in commemoration and your prayers, please remember now His Eminence Archbishop SERAPHIM, Archbishop of Ottawa and Canada.

Is pola eti despota!

Archpriest Dennis Pihach
Chancellor
Archdiocese of Canada OCA

HOORAY!!!

A world without hatred...

I was surfing around recently and came across this quote:

"I can easily imagine a world without violence - a world without hatred - a world of love, peace, kindness and understanding.

I can also imagine that we should attack this world, for they wouldn't expect it and our losses would be minimal."

As an ex-soldier, I snickered at the obvious humour of it.

But then I thought about it...

The fallen world that we live in would react that way if suddenly faced with a peaceful world. As a matter of fact, they do react that way when the true peace of Christ that exists within Christian hearts is expressed. Why is there hostility toward the Gospel? Because true peace is something that evil cannot abide.

So these words then, quoted above, from the fallen human condition, speak truthfully.

But that's just a quick thought of mine, feel free to ignore it.

Happy Saint Cuthbert's Day!

Just because it is the day of one of my favorite saints, I figure I can get away with promoting my own blog here...;-)


Here is an Orthodox hymn for St. Cuthbert, but it does not really tell you what it is about the "English St. Seraphim of Sarov" that appeals to such a wide following.

Kontakion Tone 1

Having surpassed thy brethren in prayers, fasting, and vigils, thou wast found worthy to entertain a pilgrim-angel; and having shone forth with humility as a bright lamp set on high, thou didst receive the gift of wonderworking. And now as thou dwellest in the heavenly Kingdom, O our righteous Father Cuthbert, intercede with Christ God that our souls be saved.

so...

I have decided not to live in a van. I know it would add stacks and stacks to my cool-o-meter, but it would also slow the debt paying, so I will be taking the responsible route, and merely taking you up on all of your offers for hospitality without the van. I will come and visit and you can feed me, but you won't need to lend me a shower, I will maintain my close proximity to one of those, not only for you, my lovely friends, but for the unexpected case of visitors on sunday, so they aren't scared away by 'eau-de-van'

the van was cool, and a good price, but I already have a car. so I will keep the status quo. thanks for the offers...

and make sure you bring your kids to youth group this week.

David

There goes the neighbourhood!

Anyone here checked St. Herman's address at Google Maps lately? I was curious to see how up-to-date their maps and satellite images were, and, well, here's the satellite image:



And here's the "hybrid" image -- note how the map already takes into account new streets that did not yet exist when the satellite image was taken:

So.../Summa

I am thinking of buying a van, which, I know isn't in itself a big deal, but I am thinking about living in it for a while. Now, I know this won't help the project that some of you are strongly encouraging me towards (marriage and children so that you may point and laugh-thanks Kurt) but it will help save money and it has been a dream of mine for a while. I would actually get to do it and find out that its not what I thought it would be, or that it is, and either way would realize that romanticizing things like this is silly.
In any case, I want to know if there are any willing participants out there. not roommates, or vanmates as it were, but would you be willing to host me for a night of showering and laundering etc if I needed it. I think I will have a homebase near the langley area, but knowing that I was welcome to show up (with warning) and clean myself and my clothes and perhaps even eat with you and your family would be awesome. This is all a part of paying off my student loans, and also the canadian dream of living in a van, down by the river. Granted, there wouldn't be the constant flow of people on thursday nights, nor would the van be a great place to host gatherings, but maybe there would be more riverside campfires and BBQ's in the summer.
anyways. just thought I would put that out there in public to see what interest there is in this sort of thing.

and, while I am at it, I want to wax orthodox a little, since I used to write so much on here, and its been a while, the cobwebs are still in my vision.

I love being orthodox. I love our community. it is so much more real to me the more time I spend here, I knew it would be like what I hear about getting married. For the first while I was SO enamoured with it, I talked about it nonstop,I was legalistic and hard core about the walls, the boundaries, and I was just blinded by excitement and love for this new way of seeing the world. I am now much less emotionally twitterpated, and am realizing how much real life and normal work needs to happen in me to become less sinful, and that it really is not about the heart shattering intensity with which I discovered this that my life will continue, but with soul strengthening sobriety and slowness of action that I will stabilize and grow in every aspect of my being due to the form that Orthodoxy takes. change? what change? slow, deliberate and possible change. we are healed slowly, we grow slowly, but the healing and the growth are real specifically because they are the result of perseverance through faith in the truth of how the world works.
God made this place to work in a specific way, love, forgive,die;repent, rinse, repeat.
phew.

Wow.

Everyone may have already seen this, but it was new to me, and I thought it was so cool, I just had to let everyone know about it. Being in Vancouver with the East Side, it gives one pause...

http://saintjohnwonderworker.org/Why_Need_Poor.html

It's a...

Ladies and gentlemen ....

The first one out of the womb is a .... BOY!

That's right. He's John Samuel Zacharias and he is cute, was born on March 8 at 5:32 am, weighs in at a lean 7 lbs 5 ounces and stands a towering 22 inches.

We appreciate your prayers and we ask you to continue praying for the health of mom and child and the spiritual strengthening of this growing family.

All our love and gratitude for your prayers and gracious gifts.

sincerest love,
John Samuel, Cheryl and Matthew Zacharias

(Oh. And Biss would like everyone to note how terribly excited she is.)

Big Poppa Gascoigne

IMG_0117.JPG, originally uploaded by gigascoigne.

he looks a bit tired eh? click the pic to see more...

Just for fun...

Sometimes during Scripture readings, we hear things differently from the way they actually are:


I found this over here.

Widget has emerged!

Mom & baby are doing fine. The wee boy is only waiting on a final selection from the short list of names!

(ssshhhh, it's a double post)

Raising Men

I found this wonderful wonderful post at Wittingshire.

When my boys were three and four, they spent a good bit of time patrolling the perimeter of the back yard with stick guns. One day they were making particularly gruesome sound effects and my feminine squeamishness, which I try to keep tamped down while mothering boys, got away from me. "I really don't like you pretending to shoot people," I told them.

"We're not pretending to shoot people," my older son said. "We're shooting pretend people. Dangerous ones."

Oh.

As one who has both boy and girl children, I can tell you they're different from birth. My daughter is something of a tomboy, and still she's nothing like her brothers. She has never hit anyone over the head with a zucchini, for one thing. She has never knocked her father's legs out from under him and laughed when he fell on her with bone-crushing weight. She has never lost a toenail or fingernail, climbed higher in a tree than the cats will go, picked up unidentified insects with her bare hands, or picked them up again after being bitten the first time. She has never captured a big black spider in my good Tupperware and left it for me to find unexpectedly while putting away leftovers.

My boys--sweet and well-behaved as they truly are--do those things regularly.

My job as mother is to keep my mouth shut unless death or dismemberment is imminent. "They're boys," Jonathan says, when I come to him worried about their latest escapade. "That's what boys do."

Now, my boys memorize poetry. They clean up the supper dishes, with a little reminding. They tell their sister that they love her, and they prickle with indignation when other boys talk about girl germs. They're not Neanderthals. They're going to be good men, strong and tender, trustworthy, confident, brave.

They aren't learning this from me (except by my refusal to squelch it). They're learning it from their father, grandfathers, uncles; from the men at church who greet them with outstretched hand and expect them to answer audibly and shake firmly, from the men who lead worship; from the male friends who take them up in cherry-pickers, bulldozers, fire engines, and out in boats, who stop by to show them a new motorcycle, who talk to them with great seriousness about dinosaurs, asteroids, and snakes. Thanks to these men, my boys are going to know how to be men--not bullies, not henpicked eunuchs, but men.

Unfortunately, they have many friends who won't know how to be men, who are already less than confident in their maleness.

Some of these are boys whose mothers watch anxiously the whole time they're playing lest they hurt themselves, who forbid toy guns and swords and urge their sons to play "games everybody wins," which to a boy means a game nobody wins, that has no point.

Some are boys whose fathers are gone and who carry the weight of guilt not their own, who feel somehow complicit in other men's abandonments, other men's unreliability, other men's cruelty.
Some are boys whose energy is treated by teachers and parents as a curse, whose enthusiasm is treated as naivety, whose curiosity is treated as a distraction.

It's almost as if some people don't like little boys.

I do. I like their energy, their toughness. I like their forthrightness, their ruthless logic, their dislike of cant. I like their natural gallantry, their instinctive desire to protect those who are smaller and weaker. And I like that they include me in that group, though I am yet, for another few years, larger and stronger than they.

So I sympathize with Russell Moore, who "is aiming to raise up violent sons." Moore is being deliberately inflammatory, of course, but in a very real sense he means what he says:

I am not seeking to raise sons who are violent in the amoral, pagan sense of contemporary teenagers playing Grand Theft Auto video games or carjacking motorists. I want them to be more violent than that.

I want them to understand that the Christian life is not a Hallmark Channel version of baptized sentimentality. Instead, it is a cosmic battle between an evil dragon and the child of the woman, an ancient warfare that now includes all who belong to the Child of the Promise (Rev 12). I want them to forgive their enemies, not because they are good boys, but because they understand that vengeance against the Serpent comes not from their hand, but from that of the anointed Warrior-King (Rev 19), whose blood-soaked garments don’t often transfer to the imagery of a Precious Moments wall-hanging. And I want them to exercise self-control of their passions, not because it is polite, but because they are called to struggle against the Evil One, even to the point of cutting off their own limbs rather than succumb to devices.

And as Gary of Both Worlds says:

Men are in the image of God. And our need to prove ourselves on some field of combat, to confront danger and, yes, to win a beauty, reflect a side of God which few hymns uplift. Men and boys are often bored in church because many churches have become overloaded with feminine sensibilities and sensations.

So men and boys light out, like Huck down the Mississippi--not irresponsibly, but in search of something. Into the unknown, or the backyard, we go, Aslan at our sides. There be wild things here, and adventures to be had.

Tell their stories!

Aaron is making a doucumentary, for school. Its about Icons, or more specifically, people telling stories of their patron saints. He wants to film people with the icon of their own patron saint, telling their stories and maybe your relation to them. Basically to share these amazing stories with people that might not have a clue about them.

He will need around three people, and will film you in your home (or outside of your home, it dosen't really matter as long as there is enough light). Kids are welcome to participate as well!

So, if you're interested contact either one of us.

Thanks!

Concert on Rompost TV!

I just saw the little segment about the "Give Rest O Christ" concert on Rompost Romanian Language TV. They put it at the top of the broadcast, and it was great-- they cut in a few pictures from St. Arseny Camp, and let our people speak about the choirs and about the camp. Everyone looked great, and we even got to hear a little of that fabulous music again!


You can catch a re-broadcast this week

Wednesday at 9 AM or

Saturday at 1 PM

on Channel M Multicultural TV, Shaw cable Channel 8.

reality TV

oh man, amen.

oh man, amen., originally uploaded by pasivirta.

One of the 9 bazillion pics I took on saturday. thank you to all who helped, Victoria for your safe and serene driving, and to Stephanie for the hot food and warm dry house after the wet cold day on the mountain.

Take a bow!

The Debut of the Kenosis Male Chorus and the mixed voice Resonance Singers!

It was beautiful-- and best of all, if you missed it last night, the concert will be repeated tonight at 8pm at St. Mark's College, UBC Vancouver. PLUS all proceeds go to the St. Arseny Orthodox Youth Camp.

There are a couple more photos on my FlickR account here.

Hi Everyone,

I was just talking with my mother and she told me that my 38-year-old
cousin, Chrissy went in for a hysterectomy and now, today, there are
some very serious complications. Her wounds opened up and she's
hemouageing (?). They are 'redoing' the operation. It looks like it may have
been botched. Last year, she just got married, her dad - my uncle Charles -
had a very serious stroke, and her mom - my Aunt Sally - had a heart attack.
My Aunt takes care of my Uncle full time, now this...

Whew! They seem to have a target on them these days. Please pray for
them, but particularly for my cousin Chrissy, who is in surgery as I write
this...

Thanks Guys,
Sandy

Hey Look, a picture of snowshoeing. Go to Saplings or check your email for details about the youth group trip!

about the New Blogger

I've switched to the customized template for my Refreshment blog, and it's great-- finally, no more messing around with cut and paste for links! Plus, the drag and drop editing for the layout is wonderful.

I did however lose my LibraryThing and FlickR links on my main blog. I'm sure there's a way to get them back again, but if you make the switch, be aware this may happen to your blog as well.