Okay, Maybe I Don't *Totally* Fail At Life - Editied Version

I went.

I saw.

I sneezed.

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.
.
.
....

Um...apparently all the incense gives me a headache and sneezies.

Other than that, no disasters! :)

Unfortunately, the entire service was in Serbian(?) Slavonic(?) - not English. So I understood *nothing*.

The people were polite, no one stared, that I noticed. I didn't trip any old ladies accidentally, or trip over my own feet and take down an icon or anything.

Communion...I sort of didn't even realized it had happened, because only four people received. This is in retrospect. Now that I think about it, the thing at the very end, where everyone went up and took a piece of bread from a bowl and the priest blessed them (I think, again, not in English) was likely *not* Communion, as I assumed at the time, but just people taking blessed bread and getting a blessing. So...I could have gone up? But I thought it was the actual Communion, so I didn't.

It's a very small church. Very small. It was kind of weird not being crushed into a pew, but nice.

*Because* of the headache, I didn't hang around for the coffee hour. Plus, I don't drink coffee.

So. A success, all in all.

I enjoyed the service, it was very interesting. Just from what I've read and listened to (Ancient Faith Radio, for the win) I had a general idea of what was going on, generally. Still, understanding the language would have helped. :)

Oh, also, the Ukranian Catholic Church is right on the other corner from the Serbian Orthodox Church. *So* glad I got there early, because the church I drove by on Friday was actually the Ukranian church! I got there, and there was a fire truck and ambulance in the parking lot, and I circled, and realized that the church didn't quite look right, and then I saw the right church across the street!

Hah!

Edited to include stuff I left out earlier: I really left a lot out. Like, I thought it was neat that the church was set up with half chairs, half empty space. So the people who wanted to, and could, stand through the whole service had space. And those of us who wanted to be able to sit could do so out of their way. And how, even though it wound up being an hour and a half long, with most of it standing, you don't really realize it. How nice it was that no one was talking under/over the priest or the choir. No musical instruments! The whole service was chanted! The priest had a lovely, strong voice which was pleasant to listen to, even not knowing what was being said. Everyone was dressed nicely! Most of the men were wearing suits! Not a single tank top or pair of blue jeans! No flip flops either! 99% of the women wore skirts, and the ones who didn't were wearing nice slacks. The two women who received Communion covered their hair!

In Which I Fail At Life

So, I'm not going to the church tomorrow.

I just, I don't feel up to it, which is stupid. I know.

I just had an argument with my mother about my weight and my being unhappy and depressed and lacking self confidence and she's convinced that if I could just feel better about myself then I wouldn't be so unhappy and who the hell knows, maybe she's right. I don't know.

I agreed to go see 'someone' (not a shrink. i refuse. they're all quacks.), but like a nutritionist/exercise consultant type, whatever they're called. Because it's not working on my own. I was loosing weight, gaining muscle, and then it stopped, and reversed. I admit I slacked on the food, and I need to exercise more, but I don't *feel* like it. I don't feel like I have the energy. I *know* that if I *did* force myself to do what I need to do, I'd start *feeling* more entergetic, but I just can't be bothered. Which is because (as mom thinks) I'm depressed. But I don't *think* I'm depressed....

Whatever.

I suck.

I'm going to go make myself a salad.

Guess Who

Okay, some people may (by some people, I mean *me*) remember a movie back a few years (like 9) called Dracula 2000. Er...not so much a good movie, but vampires! so, yeah.

Anyway, the guy who played Dracula was kinda yummy. I mean, he was the highlight of the movie. And, to be honest, the only thing I remember from it. Other than that....eh. And, whenever I watch it (because I own it, you see), I always wonder what happened to the good looking man. Like, was he ever in anything else, or did this movie kill his career?

Here, let me show you a picture:



Well. Last night, I was watching a little show on E! while I was falling asleep. In honor of the New Moon movie coming out, they were running this half hour special, 10 Vampires We Love or something like that...anyway...they had the guy from Dracula 2000. Guess who he is?

No, no, guess.

Guess.

Any idea?

Here's a picture of him, sans vampire hair and paleness:


Gerard Butler. *dies*

I mean, now that I know, I see it. But...I never even guessed!

Yes, yes, I'm easily amused. Don't judge me. :p

Also, another thing that shocks me, every time I think about it.

Inigo Montoyea from Princess Bride (which, by the by, is an awesome movie and you should all watch it):



The actor today:


Mandy Patinkin

*mind boggles* How'd *that* happen....

Names

Right, this's probably one of those rambling posts. Bear with me.

Also, this is all just my opinion. 'Kay?

Names are important, and kind of powerful, in magical terms. Basically, the belief is that if you know the name of an entity, you can call on and control it to a certain extent. The same is true with humans, but you (usually) would also use some of their blood or hair (and/or an object of great personal importance to them, and it helps if you have a picture....and, y'know, y'all don't really need to know all this. I digress.) in the rituals, because they have a physical body as well as a spiritual element. *Anyway*...

In ancient times, all the gods had names. They still do, but most people don't think they do anything (or exist). Funny enough, when an exorcist is casting out a demon, they'll seek it's name - why? Control. If you can name a thing, you gain a measure of control over it. Think back to Adam naming all the animals. Like that. Or...Rumpelstiltskin. The gods had names, and in order to call upon that god, you had to know the name, and the proper ritual, and the right bribes. But, without the name, none of this did any good. You could perform the ritual and the sacrifice until you turned blue, and do it all perfectly, but if you had the wrong name. Zip. Or, worse, the wrong god showed up (or the right one), pissed, and turned you into a little puddle of goo.

Anyway. Not that you can summon God by knowing His name, because, He being God, it just doesn't work that way. Other 'gods' and spirits could be summoned that way and bargained with because they aren't really gods. The point is, I learned (through my partially misspent youth) to be *really* careful with names. (And blood and hair, but again, I digress.)

But God, God isn't a name. God is more like a title. Like Adonai. Lord. I know the Jewish name is Yahweh, or Jehovah, or YHWH, (correct me if I'm wrong), but even these are just supposed to be approximations of His 'unspeakable' or 'unpronounceable' name. Right?

Moses asks Him for His name, and God says, 'I Am Who I Am'. (Exodus 3:13-14) Or, y'know, 'shut up, I'm not telling you.' I'm certain that He does have a name (not one that we'd comprehend, because, who names God? God. And if You're God, and You can name Yourself, what do You call Yourself? Steve? Captain Awesome? He Who Must Not Be Named? He Who Walks Behind the Rows?) Anyway...

So, I personally just call God, God. Or Lord, or whatever, because it's a title, not His actual name, in my mind. And I do my best to be respectful of those who don't want to write out what they see as His name...like the people who write G*d, L*rd, etc. (I can't remember what I've seen them do to Jesus, so I won't try to reproduce it.) I get it, I just don't feel the need for it. It's all the same thing to me.

And, fine, if you feel Yahweh is the way to address God, more power to you! I, personally, don't think God is limited to one language. But you need to be respectful.

*So*, uh...when you're all about the 'proper Hebrew this, and the text that, and I only use the KJV Bible and a Strong's Concordance and the Holy Spirit tells me all!'....and then you refer to God as 'Yah'. Um...what?

Maybe I'm missing something, but it seems...flippant? Disrespectful?

*hand wavy* I could be wrong, I could be. I don't read/speak/anything Hebrew or Greek. I'm one of those terrible people who has to rely on translations*gasp* for biblical texts. I don't even *own* a Strong's Concordance.

But that's the way it reads to me.

So, if ya'll'll excuse me, I'm off to read some more of this blog I've tripped over and shake my head. The disrespect I see up there is only one of the things that drives me nuts about it. And why, you may ask, am I still reading it?

It's like watching a train wreck. I know I should look away, but I *can't*.

My New Snoods, Let Me Show You Them

Snoods in their natural habitat.


Yellow snood on my head.



Peach snood. :)

Very, very pleased with these. Light weight and soft, they cover the whole head/hair, without being too tight over the ears. :) Yes, that's a little bit of straggly hair out the back, but that's because my hair's actually short.

I bought both these here: UnderThere.

Now, all I need to do is figure out what to wear on Sunday. Oh, decisions, decisions...

The Kinder Report Day 11: Sick Day Edition

There is no Kinder Report today. I've called in sick from school.

Nor am I actually up & typing this. Delayed posting for the win.

Here's what my weekend has encompassed:

B&W, W&O Chapter 14: The Mystery of Ordination

Right, so, post title a bit misleading. I finished the chapter last night, but to be perfectly honest, I don't feel like doing even a short recap.

Instead, I'm just going to say that the last chapter was just as good and informative as the rest of the book. I've finished it, and I feel like I learned a lot. The author has an excellent writing style, very easy and personable. Giving out pertinent information without over loading the reader. Conversational, almost.

I'd recommend the book to anyone who wants to learn more about Orthodoxy, however, the author does write based on the assumption that the reader has a basic grasp on history and the Church itself. So, I'd also recommend that the reader read two other books first:

The Orthodox Church & The Orthodox Way by Kallistos Ware. They're the books I started with (thanks to a recommendation from Alana) and I think they form an excellent basic understanding from which one can move on and build upon with other books.

I've pulled the name of my next book out of a bag, and it is....Anything Goes, which is a biography of an actor I love, John Barrowman. So. Fun stuff!