I've Been Pretty Busy

I've been busy since I started working for the Orthodox Christian Network a year ago.  As a result, my personal blog has been neglected.  So tonight, I thought I'd share a bit of what  I've been doing this past week or so. 

Here are a few of my favorite articles on OCN:

• Humans of New York Interviews Refugees in Greece
• Looking Through Love
• St. Catherine’s Vision Presenting Third Divine Compassion Conference
• Anticipation

My work has kept me from posting my recipes.  I'm still cooking.  I'm just not finding time to blog about it. Here are a few of my favorite recipes for the cooler weather

• Crock Pot Sunday- Slow Cooked "Country" Pork Ribs

• Euvarelakia (a meatball egg-lemon soup) 

• Zucchini Cornbread is Worth the Try

I'm also sketching. It activates a part in my brain that gives me peace, like prayer, but not the same.

I'm still drawing on lunches.  I hope I always do this.  It's a nice way to communicate with my son.

And I'm still selling cards.  If you are looking for cards, please consider www.vscardbox.com.  We'd love to have your business.

Thanks for coming to my page.   -Presvytera Vassi

V's Cardbox

 

Order your cards while you still have time to send them.

 

 

http://shop.vscardbox.com/Pascha-90-002.htm
 

 

 

Baptism?  Wedding?  Name Day?

Visit my website for Orthodox Cards to send all year long. 

 

V's Cardbox

 

 

http://shop.vscardbox.com/Assorted-Orthodox-COMBO.htm

http://shop.vscardbox.com/Assorted-Orthodox-COMBO.htm

http://shop.vscardbox.com/Assorted-Orthodox-COMBO.htm

http://shop.vscardbox.com/Assorted-Orthodox-COMBO.htm

 

http://shop.vscardbox.com/Assorted-Orthodox-COMBO.htm

 

Are You Getting Ready for Lent?

http://shop.vscardbox.com/Prayer-of-St-Ephraim-90-001.htm 

 



As the days pass and we find Lent quickly approaching, there are several things we can be getting in order to have productive Lent.  Have you found your Lenten Cookbooks? Do you have the service books for the special services:  Akathist, Presactified Liturgy, Compline?  Do you have a plan for any extra charitable works or donations?   This is the time to lay out a plan.  Easter will be here in a few short weeks.  Are your Peeps in a row?  (giggle.) 

The card of the Prayer of St. Ephraim is available on my website, www.vscardbox.com   Click on the ONLINE STORE, to order your card today. 

Remember When it Used to Snow?

I am feeling a bit nostalgic for snow today after seeing so many facebook posts on this morning's flurries in the north eastern states.  I imagine it will be a long time before I see snow again.  At least I hope so.  I am no longer prepared for cold weather.  I no longer have a Colorado winter- worthy coat or a hat to keep my ears warm.  We no longer need those things now that we are in South Carolina. 
 
Which has lead my mind to wander a bit on the idea of living in the present.  If you are wondering how that happened... this will take longer to read than the process actually occurred... but here goes:  I love living in the South.  I can't believe that I am finally used to the idea that I probably won't see snow but a few more times for the rest of my life.  Why am I thinking of the rest of my life?  Live in today.  Orthodoxy is all about living in today with our mind focused on Paradise.  Kids live in today, as if that's all there is.  That's why they freak out all the time- because they can't imagine that in a few days their troubles will be resolved or disappear.  Adults live in tomorrow, making sure everything is taken care of so they don't have troubles and some times forget to live in the moment, missing wonderful opportunities.  I wonder if "living in the moment" is one of the many ways we are to be like children.  "Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven"  Matthew 18:3 (I had to look up the exact verse.)  Yeah, that's it!  Become "like" children but be an adult about it... Live in the moment but remember that tomorrow is another day and you have responsibilities.  Stop distracting yourself with how much or little snow you will ever see again and get back to your blog post.  You have a pile of stuff waiting to finish and dinnertime is coming. 

Whew!  So yes, somehow I  turned the topic of snow into a theological monologue in my head about Matthew 18.

So, while you are out, muttering about the windshields that need to be cleaned before you leave.  I hope that you remember to stop for a moment and say, "Thank you, Lord.   I had almost forgotten to enjoy the moment I was in and I was about to miss it." 

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Here are the pictures I was going to post, my first V's Cardbox photos from 2003. We no longer produce them but I go to them when I feel nostalgic for early snow. 

 

 

It's Not Too Early for Christmas Planning and Christmas Cards

It may seem too early to be talking about Christmas, but the older I get the more planning it requires.  Gone are the days when just showing up with a wrapped gift was enough.  Now I am the one hosting the holiday and so I am the one who has to prepare.

 

We will have a simple meal but I need to be sure the freezer is empty enough to for the spanakopita I hope to make in advance.  I might even make a pot of dolmathes.   

 

And then there are the Christmas cards.  I like to send them out on Christmas Eve if not the day before.  Our family enjoys the holiday celebrations from Christmas to Theophany so I try to send my cards around that time.  But who has time to address envelopes when company is coming? 

 

Our newest card is at the printer and we are taking pre-sale orders.  I like that it has the message of the Annunciation more than the birth, because the Annunciation is what started the whole miracle of Christmas.  When we reduce Christmas to snow and mistletoe or even a baby in a manger, we miss the bigger picture.  Christ's birth all began when a young girl said "yes" to God's will, and with her "yes" salvation came into the world. 

 

 

^…to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph… and the virgin’s name was Mary. And coming in, he said to her, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.”  Luke 1:26-28

 

 

 

 

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.  John 1:14

 

“Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.” Matthew 1:23

 

You can find these cards and more at

www.vscardbox.com 

Words of Comfort in Grief

 

With the Saints give rest, O Christ,

to the soul of Your servant

where there is no pain,

nor any sorrow, nor any sighing,

...but Life everlasting.

 From Orthodox Funeral Service

 

 



Virgin Mary, Mother of God.

In Honor of the Mother of Our Lord.

 

Orthodox Christians remember the Virgin Mary during the first fourteen days of August leading to the her Dormition on August 15th.  We remember her by fasting and attending the Paraklesis Service. 

This icon is from the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church in Columbia, SC. 

Prayer...It Isn't the Least...

 

This card features a picture of the stained glass of Assumption Cathedral in Denver, CO.  The colorless sketched glass allows natural light in without discoloring the gorgeous iconography.

 

What inspired this card?  I was tired of hearing people refer to prayer as the least they can do, as if prayer were a last resort.  "We can't be there so we will pray."  Prayer isn't the least.  It's the first and most important thing. 

There are time that we will need to do things for someone or even ourselves.  It is during those times we should first pray for God's will to be done.  We should pray for discernment, that we do the task correctly.  We should pray for strength do complete the task before us, to finish the job well.  And then we should do what needs to be done.

But there are also times when there is nothing we can do,  when it is out of our control.  We will know someone who has an addiction or is unforgiving; someone with an illness we can't cure. Then we pray for mercy, forgiveness, grace, intercession.

Below is one of my (most) favorite prayers...It is attributed to St. Philaret, of Moscow (1867) who is commemorated on November 19.

O Lord, grant me to greet the coming day in peace. Help me in all things to rely upon Your holy will. In every hour of the day reveal Your will to me. Bless my dealings with all who surround me. Teach me to treat all that comes to me throughout the day with peace of soul, and with the firm conviction that Your will governs all. In all my deeds and words guide my thoughts and feelings. In unforseen events let me not forget that all are sent by You. Teach me to act firmly and wisely, without embittering or embarrassing others. Give me strength to bear the fatigue of this coming day with all that it will bring. Direct my will, teach me to pray, pray You Yourself in me. Amen. -

 

V's Cardbox

 

How many times have you paused in the evenings to watch the sunset, to see God's glory?

May your good works cause people to pause for a moment to give God glory.  

 

 

 

Cards are available at our store... www.vscardbox.com 

A Little Something About Me...

I’ve always wanted to be a photographer but the time never seemed right until my son was born.  Like any respectable new mom I was taking daily pictures of our son and before I knew it, a photographer had emerged.  Eventually I found myself taking pictures of scenic views when we went on walks through the parks and botanical gardens in Denver, Colorado, or on drives through the Rocky Mountains.  As Christmas approached we found a way to offer personalized gifts by making greeting cards with the pictures I took.  Everyone in my family received their own box of cards as a gift and that is how V’s Cardbox began. 

 

 

  

 

 

 

Today, V’s Cardbox offers greeting cards for “name days” and various sacramental occasions including baptisms, weddings, funerals and ordinations.  Printed on heavy cardstock in a local shop, our cards are 4.25” x 5.5” and include an envelope.  Most cards are blank inside so you can personalize them to your needs.  We also offer seasonal cards for Christmas and Pascha and are looking to grow our product line in the coming years. 

 

 

As a way to offer thanksgiving to God for His many blessings we also offer at least 10% to national Orthodox charities including IOCC, OCMC, OCN and more.  Each month we feature a different ministry to support.  

 

You can find our cards in over 30 church bookstores, including the St. Photios Shrine Gift Shop and Image and Likeness.  Our online store can be reached through our website: www.vscarbox.com and you can “like” us on facebook. 

 

I am happy to see how V's Cardbox just kind of came about, that it wasn't forced.  I've recently had the same experience with blogging.  But rest assured, family and friends aren't getting posts written in their honor this Christmas.  They should probably expect another box of cards.  (not really.)

 

 

V's Cardbox

Visit Our Online Store

Visit our online store

www.vscardbox.com

 

 

Now Available...

Visit our website or our store for more information,

Happy Mother's Day!

I hope no one is cooking today!  And now that Bright Week has passed it's time to resume my writing. 

 

I hope you've had a blessed day.

Don't Rest Yet! Finish the Race!

It's amazing what a little ambition can do.

Some days we only have to push ourselves a little further to win the prize and then we will see that we are strong.  Finish the race my dear friends. Don't rest in defeat in front of the finish line. There is one more week till our Lord's glorious resurrection. There are only 7 more days of this gifted time to see things more clearly. Finish the race with ambition. And when it is time to celebrate on the other side of the line, you will rest knowing only joy and gratitude.

PRAYER, FASTING, and CHARITY.

www.vscardbox.com

New Cards Available- V's Cardbox

 

NOW AVAILABLE

www.shop.vscardbox.com

 

When you want them to remember what you wrote, write it on something they'll keep.

New Cards Available at V's Cardbox.

 

We have new cards available on V's Cardbox. 

Go to the website and follow the link to our online store. 

 

This month we feature Orthodox Christian Network as our Charity of the Month. 

A portion  (10%) of our sales will be sent to OCN.

My Busy-ness is My Business

I like to keep busy.  I don't know if it's a normal busy.  Most people go to jobs and know how much busy-ness is expected of them.  I've been a mom for almost 10 years and haven't worked outside of the home since our son was one, and in the past nine years, as his level of independence continues to gain momentum, I am at a loss of the amount of busy-ness I need to have peace.  It is a balance I have yet mastered. I doubt I ever will. 

 

Part of what keeps me busy is my card business, V's Cardbox.  You can find my website at www.vscardbox.com I use my own photographs and add quotes and thoughts to them.  The cards are based on Orthodox Christian themes, not because there is a high demand or market for these items but because there is a vacancy.  There is an emptiness of an Orthodox voice in the world.  It's such a subtle voice, a whisper of sorts, that calls out how we are to relate to God and one another.  And it's the nuance of this whisper that inspires me to do what I can to let it ring loud and true. 

 

I used to keep busy with Youth Ministry.  Those were some fun years.  I was much bolder then.  Now I find my medium to be the internet, with this blog and my cards and my cooking.  It's funny how time and life change things.

 

I hope you enjoy some of my pictures below... many are currently available online, others are coming available soon to our online store http://shop.vscardbox.com/