Creativity: it is....
Beautiful saying of Elder Ephraim and Elder Porphyrios
"Compel yourselves; say the prayer; stop idle talk; close your mouths to
criticism; place doors and locks against unnecessary words. Time passes and does
not come back, and woe to us if time goes by without spiritual profit."
Elder Ephraim (from morning offering blog)
Christ
is our Friend, our Brother....
…He is whatever is beautiful and good. He is everything. In Christ there is
no gloom, melancholy or introversion, whereas man suffers from various
temptations and situations that make him suffer. Christ is joy, life, light, the
true light, which makes man glad, makes him fly, makes him see all things, see
all people, suffer for all people, and want all people to be with him, close to
him.
Listen to the patterns
I found out this beautiful term some days ago. It strikes me a little bit because I found that this is somehow relevant and co-operate with the vigilant and still heart. Be quick to listen and we will discover many things around us have their patterns and the routines to do something.
And, by the way that just add one more item to the barney of life's complexity! In its moving and irreversible properties, yet this life process somehow have their unique and nice patterns.
Let's talk and think, what patterns are included here? Just look at the Sun that rises and sets in its proper time. Our daily activities, our way of speaking and even the thinking method of our personal being. Have not discovered it yet?
Listen.....
Power to step forward
It's like the flowing river that keep going on and on with or without realizing it. The life is always moving, changing and transforming and when I am pondering on these things, I just can not say what I am seeing that just keep moving without any one is able to stop it even for a little while.
Yesterday, this and that happened, now this and that is happening and that was a totally new and irreversible so does also the tomorrow and that must be at the door knocking.
Oh, life.... See, how mysterious you are! I even can not grab you here into my mind.....
Lord, have mercy on me!
Wonderful saying of Father Gregory
God immediately forgives everything to those who ask forgiveness in a spirit of humility and contrition and who ceaselessly invoke His holy name. As the Psalmist says, 'Confess to the Lord and call upon His holy name' (cf. Ps. 105:1).
St. Gregory of Sinai
from Morning Offering Blog
Day and a day
Once again in learning of Stillness
Kristus telah Bangkit! CHRIST IS RISEN! Pascha Greetings around the world
KRISTUS TELAH BANGKIT!
Holy and Great Friday 2009 AD
In this most amazing day for All Orthodox Christians, I am pondering to the great saying of Elder Macarius of Optina:
Christ says, as it were: I accepted the cross for the salvation of mankind;
and whomsoever I specially long to draw unto myself, on him do I first shower
sorrows; his heart do I first pierce with arrows dipped in the wormwood of
grief. This I do so that he may die to the extreme fascination, to the
sweetness, of transitory joys and powers. The scourge of sorrows is the banner
of my love. Thus did I wound the heart of my servant David; but when the stream
of tribulations had separated him from the world, then did a dread meditation,
an unwonted, blessed trend of thought well up in his mind and take full
possession of his whole being....I give thanks to Thee O Lord, have mercy on me!
The Time of [Quiet]
Tour de Jakarta 2009 (4 friends)
Well, due to numerous activities, I am a little bit late to update it. I am so sorry for this. Let me to remember some good experience I got during my trip with my friends to the old part of Jakarta, the capital city of Indonesia. And I was very glad to visit the historical places around this 8,000,000+ populated city.
We departed at 8:10 pm by local transportation bus and enjoyed the trip along the highway, and passing some good scenery of developing country here, and some contrast. And of course one thing cannot be forgotten, the homeless and the hopeful staring eyes along the way.
At 12:20 we arrived in Block M, in Central Jakarta and stopping by to look for some interesting goods with special sales, a fun thing to do with some friends. After that we went to the spot, to the National Museum (Museum Nasional). There we see magnificent relics of Indonesian past history, started from Hindu era under Kutai Empire in Borneo until the independence day from Dutch and Japan colonizations. That was nice experience to explore the 'tanah air' (father land) from the very heart of Indonesia.
At 13:10 we went to the National Monument tower (Monas Tower), which was built by the first President, Soekarno in 6o's. And then we continued to the monumental religious places i.e. Istiqlal and Dutch Cathedral.
We went home at 3:10 and went back to the lovely dorm. (photo will be attached soon)
Space
It is a very nice word for me for this week. Realizing that the physical world of us and thus of mine always in the border of time and space, I am always amazed by the fact that how magnificent the place and the time God has granted me to live according to His will. It's been amazing. Lord, have mercy on me a sinner that sometimes, I didn't recognize the wonderful and marvelous work of Thy hand. The sky, thunder, desert and the lake, they all tell your greatness O Lord. And I was contemplating this poignant and deep consideration of Metropolitan Gregory (18th century) in his book "How to live a holy live. That's a profound book I am reading.
The other things I am rejoice upon are my participation in some Orthodox youth groups in Facebook (The saying of the desert fathes), Yahoo (Orthodox-convert) and also the newest one in orthodoxspace.com has been a very great experience to share and support each other in the brotherhood, friendship and community (although in CMC world) of Orthodox Christian Youth around the world.
Lord, have mercy!
Featured Post
Embracing Paradox, Being a human with colourful emotions
In the tapestry of human existence, threads of sorrow and joy are intricately woven, creating a complex and beautiful mosaic of ...
Popular Posts
-
A stone laid by the river say, "Friend, love the poverty and you be rich for what for if I'm rich but then I forget the poor Love t...
-
Today is the very first day of this teaching block season and for me this has been the second time to be in classrooms to teach the students...
-
I love the idea of making certain 'raw materials' from the nature into some useful shapes and goods. Cooking would be the first in m...