Mein Got Im Himmel!
I thought I could handle really, really hot food.
I was wrong.
Or, well, perhaps we should define hot.
Tabasco is something most people can handle. It's heat rating is 2,500 scoeville heat units (SHU). Today I tried this: 119,700 SHU.
Pain. Breating in new air made it hurt worse. One drop. Exactly one drop set my mouth on fire for five or six minutes. Good stuff.
-----------------------------------------------------------
Time for real news.
My spiritual life has been a suckfest lately. My particular bad "habbit" has been tough to break. But I've renewed the fight as of yesterday with the novel approach of, you know, actually trying. This includes, but is not limited too, actually praying when I'm supposed to. Sticking to the fast better than I have been, and not making any bullshit excuses about the 'futility' of things.
Also. I will probably not be in any church for Pascha. Why is this you ask? Because my best friend is seriously considering converting back to Orthodoxy (his grandparents were Ukranian Orthodox, his parents sent him to Catholic school...thus he lost all faith in religion). At his house, on that same Paschal weekend, he is throwing a big LAN party. The scheduling of this was very bad for me, and I was incredably stupid as I wasn't even thinking in terms of this years date for Pascha when I was consulted and I basically said, "Whenever is fine."
Long after that, after even I had realized my colossal blunder and was planning on how to, delicately, be absent for half the party while not looking like a jerk to them for walking out in the middle of it, when the host, my friend Chris, drops this little bomb. "Oh yeah, did I menttion? I'm thinking of converting to Orthodoxy now."
Well, that settled it. I'm going anyway. I'll get to something in the way of services, but this will be my only chance to talk with him at length in person...and I'm stupidly scheduled to pick someone up and bring them anyway. Not to mention that someone is coming from England in no small part because that date was one which I OK'd. So there are courtesy issues. But, in all seriousness, I was on the verge of telling him I couldn't go when I remembered his comment about converting. I talked to Fr. Peter about it. He's not pleased, but what can you do? He very much recognizes the importance of winning Chris over. He backs me on this, he's just very unhappy about the fact that it's happening at a part. Well, what can I say. It was stupid, but it did wind up afforing me the opportunity to, with Gods grace, see my best friend get Saved.
Pray to God for my friend Chris.
Alexei.
I was wrong.
Or, well, perhaps we should define hot.
Tabasco is something most people can handle. It's heat rating is 2,500 scoeville heat units (SHU). Today I tried this: 119,700 SHU.
Pain. Breating in new air made it hurt worse. One drop. Exactly one drop set my mouth on fire for five or six minutes. Good stuff.
-----------------------------------------------------------
Time for real news.
My spiritual life has been a suckfest lately. My particular bad "habbit" has been tough to break. But I've renewed the fight as of yesterday with the novel approach of, you know, actually trying. This includes, but is not limited too, actually praying when I'm supposed to. Sticking to the fast better than I have been, and not making any bullshit excuses about the 'futility' of things.
Also. I will probably not be in any church for Pascha. Why is this you ask? Because my best friend is seriously considering converting back to Orthodoxy (his grandparents were Ukranian Orthodox, his parents sent him to Catholic school...thus he lost all faith in religion). At his house, on that same Paschal weekend, he is throwing a big LAN party. The scheduling of this was very bad for me, and I was incredably stupid as I wasn't even thinking in terms of this years date for Pascha when I was consulted and I basically said, "Whenever is fine."
Long after that, after even I had realized my colossal blunder and was planning on how to, delicately, be absent for half the party while not looking like a jerk to them for walking out in the middle of it, when the host, my friend Chris, drops this little bomb. "Oh yeah, did I menttion? I'm thinking of converting to Orthodoxy now."
Well, that settled it. I'm going anyway. I'll get to something in the way of services, but this will be my only chance to talk with him at length in person...and I'm stupidly scheduled to pick someone up and bring them anyway. Not to mention that someone is coming from England in no small part because that date was one which I OK'd. So there are courtesy issues. But, in all seriousness, I was on the verge of telling him I couldn't go when I remembered his comment about converting. I talked to Fr. Peter about it. He's not pleased, but what can you do? He very much recognizes the importance of winning Chris over. He backs me on this, he's just very unhappy about the fact that it's happening at a part. Well, what can I say. It was stupid, but it did wind up afforing me the opportunity to, with Gods grace, see my best friend get Saved.
Pray to God for my friend Chris.
Alexei.
posted by Alexios at 4:09 PM
1 Comments:
Chaerete, Alexios mou adelphos!
(I know I'm not using the vocative case, but who cares?!) I found your blog and both enjoyed it and was encouraged by it. Why? Well, "Ja, mein Gott, 's war heiss!" about your experience with that hot stuff.
About your struggle with a "habbit", hmm, well, yes, that too, and at age 55 I'm still struggling! You'd think it would have gotten easier with time, but some people just don't seem to get any older, and who's fault is it? "…and remember all his kindnesses … in renewing your youth like an eagle's" (Psalm 103: 2, 5).
But most of all I could relate to what you wrote about having to go to a LAN during the weekend of Pascha. And with a friend who is on the verge (pray God) of returning to holy Orthodoxy. If there ever was a good reason to go to a LAN, this is it! We must exercise a little "ikonomía" in this case, I would think. Pascha will still be with you, even at the LAN. To be a witness of your friend's "resurrection" might be part of the deal, who knows? The time you spend with him, especially during Pascha, can be and hopefully will be "kairós" and not just "chrónos" time, that is, the time that participates in God's eternity. If this is what is to happen, it is God's will, and blessed be His name!
Forgive me for being so bold as to write a comment to your entry, but as I said, some things about it impressed me, and I just wanted to touch you, dear brother.
May the Lord grant you a "kalí sarakostí" (beautiful 40 days) and a smooth and pure path to Pascha!
Visit my blog, if you dare (I mean, care) to. I sometimes stretch the limits of holy Orthodoxy, but I have found out what many holy elders have discovered, God's love is very elastic—it springs back, that you can depend on. His love really DOES cover all offenses (especially when committed out of indiscreet zeal), and He wasn't joking when He said, "Father, forgive them…" "So, as the thief I confess… Lord, remember me in Your Kingdom."
Pray for me,
Romanós the sinner
Post a Comment
<< Home