Yeah, anymore...

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My Current Reading:

The Arena by St Ignatius Brianchaninov

This is primarily instructions written for monks, but he does such an excellent job of summarizing the early Church Fathers and presenting their teachings in more of a modern setting, making them more accessible for this clueless American. Tough medicine, good stuff.

The Fellowship of the Ring by J. R. R. Tolkien

No explanation really necessary, the LOTR Trilogy is such a fantastic and well written saga. Of course I've seen the Peter Jackson movies, but it had been way too long since I had read the actual books. I just love the struggle, the good versus evil epic, outcome uncertain.

Prayer Life

A young monk sadly asked Poemen: "My body, Abba, has been weakened by ascetic practices, but my passions do not yield."

"The passions, my child," answered the wise Father, "are similar to tough thorns; in uprooting them, your hands will of necessity bleed."

(Note: The Philokalia defines passions as an appetite or impulse, usually sinful, that violently dominates the soul)

An Eastern European Perspective

Linked off the Drudge Report,

The United States is only one superpower. Today they lead the world. Nobody has doubts about it. Militarily. They also lead economically but they're getting weak. But they don't lead morally and politically anymore. The world has no leadership. The United States was always the last resort and hope for all other nations. There was the hope, whenever something was going wrong, one could count on the United States. Today, we lost that hope.

-Lech Walesa

Putting My Nose to the Grindstone

Yes, I'm still alive.

My work schedule has been quite...nuts. I could start at 5 a.m. one morning, then 1 p.m. the next. It would be 11 hours one day, then come back in 7 hours later for an 8 hour day, go home and sleep; then work a 13 hour day the next....just exhausting. Will make for a nice paycheck though...

One week into February and then I'll have a set schedule, until then I'm just in survival mode...must. not. loose. mind.

Some people fantasize about money, furs, jewels, and lupines. I dream of a routine -there, at 36 years of age it's official -I am old.

But at least I don't watch the Weather Channel.