Thought and Reading

We have been reading a lot during these last couple weeks. As a family, we have finished the first 'Little House' book and started into the next. Katherine absolutely LOVES them and we spend a great deal of time reading and hanging out together, which never would have been the case right now had Jay not gotten so sick causing him to still be at home. Our other readings are the Bible, our routine readings that include the daily readings and our own selections.

I have enjoyed reading in Genesis lately. I find myself thinking about how there is reference to how men are the sons of God and women are the daughter's of men. Now, if you think of it just as it is as I have stated, it only stands to reason that it is particularly sexist and that it does not include us all as children of the Almighty. If you read it in context, and I mean start from the beginning and get there, it really makes more sense than it gives way. You see, God made 'man' from the earth, dirt...woman was made from Adam's flesh. It only stands to reason that men, who were born of God and earth, would be sons of God and women, being born of Adam's rib as he slept, as a gift from God, should be referred to as the daughter's of men, for we have sprung forth from his flesh. It also brings into light, our union in marriage, we become one flesh again, we are no longer our own persons, but one. The rib is joined back to the body of Adam and we can begin to work symbiotically toward our eternity, together in oneness and unity. We are two halves of the same whole, we each have a share in our eventual eternity whether or not we work together. Just something to ponder...

I have been reading a little in a couple books: Dorotheos of Gaza: Discourses and Sayings, Elder Macarius of Optina and The Spiritual Psalter. I like them all very much, the one that has my most attention is the Psalter...I will one of my most recent favorite portions:

"Third Stasis, #117: Life's lessons-eight evil thoughts

Know that there are eight evil thoughts that bring about all that is vile: those of sensuality, lechery, love of money, anger, inappropriate grief, despondency, vainglory, and pride. All these conduct warfare with every man."

Here it goes on about each in turn, but here is the one that I like best...

"...If you want to conquer pride, then whatever you do, say not that you do it by your own labors, or with your own strength. But if you fast and stand vigil or sleep on bare ground or sing psalms, or serve in the altar or do a great number of prostrations, say that it was done with God's help and protection, not by your own strength and effort."

Well, off to have lunch withe little family...and I am sure some of you are wondering, the answer is, yes, I am knitting almost daily too =)