St Patrick's Breastplate

Once I found this, I just loved it. I hope everyone likes it as much as I do, it should be on all our breastplates as we face our spiritual warfare in these great times of Lent. First is my favorite part, then I will post the entire thing =) (I found this on Orthodoxwiki)


Christ with me, Christ before me,
Christ behind me, Christ in me,
Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ on my right, Christ on my left,
Christ in breadth, Christ in length, Christ in height,
Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of every man who speaks of me,
Christ in every eye that sees me, Christ in every ear that hears me.

Lorica means breastplate in Latin. The story of this prayer is that Patrick and his followers used this most beautiful prayer to protect themselves from the people who wanted to kill them as they travelled across Ireland. It is also called the Deer's Cry (Fáed Fíada) because their enemies saw, not men, but deer. It may not have been written by Patrick, but is considered to reflect his theological focus on the Trinity.

I arise today
through a mighty strength,
the invocation of the Trinity,
through belief in the Threeness,
through confession of the Oneness of the Creator of creation.
I arise today
through the strength of Christ with His Baptism,
through the strength of His Crucifixion with His Burial,
through the strength of His Resurrection with His Ascension,
through the strength of His descent for the Judgment of Doom.
I arise today
through the strength of the love of Cherubim,
in obedience of Angels, in the service of the Archangels,
in hope of resurrection to meet with reward,
in prayers of Patriarchs, in predictions of Prophets,
in preachings of Apostles, in faiths of Confessors,
in innocence of Holy Virgins, in deeds of righteous men.
I arise today
through the strength of Heaven:
light of Sun, brilliance of Moon, splendour of Fire,
speed of Lightning, swiftness of Wind, depth of Sea,
stability of Earth, firmness of Rock.
I arise today
through God's strength to pilot me:
God's might to uphold me, God's wisdom to guide me,
God's eye to look before me, God's ear to hear me,
God's word to speak for me, God's hand to guard me,
God's way to lie before me, God's shield to protect me,
God's host to secure me:
against snares of devils,
against temptations of vices,
against inclinations of nature,
against everyone who shall wish me ill,
afar and anear, alone and in a crowd.
I summon today all these powers between me (and these evils):
against every cruel and merciless power that may oppose my body and my soul,
against incantations of false prophets,
against black laws of heathenry,
against false laws of heretics,
against craft of idolatry,
against spells of witches and smiths and wizards,
against every knowledge that endangers man's body and soul.
Christ to protect me today
against poison, against burning,
against drowning, against wounding,
so that there may come abundance of reward.
Christ with me, Christ before me,
Christ behind me, Christ in me,
Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ on my right, Christ on my left,
Christ in breadth, Christ in length, Christ in height,
Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of every man who speaks of me,
Christ in every eye that sees me, Christ in every ear that hears me.
I arise today
through a mighty strength,
the invocation of the Trinity,
through belief in the Threeness,
through confession of the Oneness of the Creator of creation.
Salvation is of the Lord.
Salvation is of the Lord.
Salvation is of Christ.
May Thy Salvation, O Lord, be ever with us.

Service of Love

On my way home I had a lot of time to think about a varied many things. One of those things was love. (Surprise, Surprise!) I have been reading excerpts from a book called, "Wounded by Love" a book about the life of Elder Porphyrious of Mount Athos. It is a sort of commentary, journal entry-style writings of his life and experiences. More to the point, it opens doors about love, it begins to lift the veil. I started to think about how love is not merely an emotion, because if it were simply how we felt, it would be fleeting and changeable. We know differently, love does not change, but we do and our emotions sway. If love were just an emotion, then it would be right up there with anger and jealousy, for example. What an awful thought, love as a simple passing emotion with no more substantiality than what it creates in that exact moment? Instead, I am thinking that since love, true love, not just the kind we fall in love with, is not a changeable feeling about things, it is more consumable than we realize. Love is so many things, but moveable is not one of them.
We are born into a family, out of relation we love each other in our disfunction, I do not think that we ever really stop no matter how hard we try, we might get hurt and things get in the way, but love does not stop. We grow up and we take what we have learned about love and apply it to real world situations, not all of them turn out so great, but we learn our limits, hopefully. It is how we approach this love that will be the deciding factor for us, is it simply an emotion, and just like an emotion, can we just get rid of it if we get tired enough of it and this person or situation? Or have we had a better example that is not so flighty and fickle? What are our examples, where do we learn love? Well, for most, it is the picture of our parents and family structure. Thankfully for me, my parents stayed married through all the rough patches. This shows me that love is patient and has plenty of endurance, love is not a mere feeling. But what sort of love can keep them together after all these years? A symbiotic coexistence that is inclusive of forgiveness, patience, self-sacrifice and faith. Some do not believe that faith makes much difference since we seem to do all the work between ourselves as it is, but you see, to some, faith is a simple emotion also. Perhaps it helps in our ability to relate if we both believe the same things, but where do our feelings really get us in the end? They are the spark that gets us going, but what really keeps things burning? It is our willingness to serve those we love, we would do 'anything' for them, so far as to die for them if need be, to take their place in any necessary hardship. So, why is it that we forget that love is a service for others, an obedience (OH NO! not THAT word!). We also have to remember that obedience is not always being told what to do, it is also realizing what we need to do in order to make things work better, to coexist. When we create a family with another person, with children or not, we are binding ourselves that in order to make this relationship work, we are willing to sacrifice and compromise, or else it will not work. Any person of experience can tell you that love is work, but why does that have to be a bad thing? Just because a larger chunk of us do not care for our employment, why must we apply that attitude to other areas of work, particularly our love? People are turned off by love because of the way it has made them feel, but if we serve love, we cannot really ever lose anything except ourselves in God because no one can take Him from us.
God asks us to love our neighbor, perhaps this does not mean, 'I like you', but, 'I will serve you as if you were Christ.' If our Lord and God and Saviour was standing in front of you, would you not ask what it is you can do for Him, to serve Him? If God is supposed to be everywhere, then why are we not asking Him this every day and with every breath and showing Him through our service for Him? If we are supposed to be made in His image, why do we not treat each other as if Christ were each of us? If we sin against God and we are in His image, does it not stand to reason that we sin against one another? This is why we ask one another forgiveness of sin, known or unknown, word or deed, mind or thought. "...Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors." We are asking God to forgive us as we have also forgiven one another, so let it go into the wind, let Pride die in that moment to ask forgiveness in humility and receive forgiveness from our struggling fellow human family, as well as God. Prayer is also service because we must set ourselves aside and acknowledge others and ask God for help, not only for us, but for those for whom we care. Since we are fallible and God is our salvation and hope, through prayer we can work wonders in cooperation with God.
The greatest expression of love has been Christ's crucifixion, "for God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son.." (not ver batum, but close enough, perhaps in one translation), a sacrifice of love which IS love. On top of that, we have Mary who so loved God, she watched her Son be tortured, humiliated and crucified in order that He fulfill His promise. She knew that it would be an horrific event, but she also understood God's love for us through His sacrifice and and exhibited this through her own sacrifice. If we are called to be Christ-like, should it not be shown in our obedience, duty and service to God? Mary was deemed a worthy vessel to bear, raise and love Him, through her obedience and love for God. Christ calls us to service, to take up our cross and gives us His example to follow and so we must set down our shield of Pride and take up the sword of service, humility and righteousness. The saints of His Church have proved themselves worthy through their service and humility to God to not only inspire us, but show us that it is possible to be as Christ is because they accomplished that enormous task, with His help. The Bible says that we should believe, but what is belief without love and what is love without service and service without sacrifice? Our new commandment is to love one another as He has loved us, does that not mean to be crucified, if need be, for your neighbor whether we know or like them at all, believers or not? "Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. For our God IS a consuming fire. Let brotherly love continue. Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some have unwittingly entertained angels. "-Orthodox study Bible, Hebrews 12:28-13:2. In black and white. It is not so that people will see what we can do for them, or even what Christ can 'do' for them, but that we show them who He is through our actions that they may keep Him in their hearts, whether or not they can tell that is what is there. If I cannot talk, I can smile, if I have bread, I can share, if I have anything, I can give, for that is fleeting, but God is not. Our active participation in His life, service to His flock and creation, love for all He has given us and shown, the martyrdom of oneself through love for our spouse, family and neighbor should be a prime concern. Unfortunately I am a miserable failure in this, though I try...let's just say I have much room for improvement.
Now we get to the part where I try to discern what all this actually means for me in application and reality. Let's see, for love of my husband my service shall be to anticipate his needs before he says them...cook, clean and organize...raise our daughter in a fitting manner for a Christian to the best of my ability...stand for him (and Him) in all I do...place him at the top of my list of priorities...listen to all his dreams and disappointments without judgement...be with him and let him know I always will be...do things for myself so I am a more cheerful giver of myself...support him in all he chooses to do...love him the way he needs to be loved, not the way I want him express love. There are so many other things, but this is a good start. As for Katherine, my love shall serve her by doing things for her own good...show her an example of what a woman should be, no matter how bloomin hard that is...do the right thing, which usually means the hard thing...take her to church, for without the grace of God and His church, I have no hope of success, but guaranteed failure...Pray, Pray, Pray!...attempt to listen to God in His wisdom for guidance and opportunities to show her how to be a daughter to Him. I could go on, but I think that you get the point.
For now, it is sufficed to say, God is Love, Love is Service, Service is Sacrifice, Sacrifice is Selflessness (or as Katherine has just informed me, Sacrifice is Giant) and Selflessness is humility and humility is Christ, therein is our circle of self-realization
Please forgive me a sinner if I have offended in any way and pray for this unworthy servant of Christ our God.
Much love and service to everyone, until next time.

Away From Home

When we left CO I was not sure what to expect. We had our route planned out and the stops along the way, but I had no way of knowing what would actualy happen. Jay was sick most of the time, Katherine got a cough that still has not totally gone away, but it is hardly there at all. We made it to the Holy Protection cathedral in LA for services on sunday and it was a beautiful church, sort of mission style and the incense permeated the walls, or so it seemed. Jay and I went down to the pier the night before he left so we could have a mini date. I like being with someone who is so easy to walk and talk with, or not. We are a good match, in my humble opinion, no one else could be more perfect for me. Katherine and I had a rough patch getting ready to leave for the trip, but once we got on the road, things smoothed out. We went through New Mexico and Arizona, I have not been to these states before...well, AZ I have passed through a 20 mile portion up by Nevada, but that hardly counts as there are no towns. We had a nice visit with my grandma and aunt. The day we had to take Jay to the airport was tough, Katherine fell apart and wanted to go with him and that was hard to watch, I cried a little too, but mostly for her longing for her papa. He made it fine ad Petra and Andrei invited him for dinner when they so graciously picked him up. (THANK YOU!) The next morning I was up at 4:30 doing the final packing of items for our trip up to Fresno. We made good time, took the carpool lane all the way out of the LA area and I am grateful for it. We arrived in Fresno to Kat and Misha's and I was glad to be there, no more driving for awhile. It was nice being in another familiar place. They are like family, without actualy being related. We got to meet Kat's parents, so nice and hospitable. Katherine loved playing with Steve, she is really liking grandpa guys these days, she has been following my dad around for days now =). The baptism was nice, albeit a little different than what I am used to (the whole service as well), but very lovely all the same. Talia is such an angel baby, so sweet and darling, I think she knows everything already. The baptism was during the Liturgy, a first for me. What a little doll baby, I just love her (and Kat and Misha too =) ) It was a short time, but I think it was just enough at least this time around. It is a bummer we are not closer, but I guess that is what vacations are for. We were off to San Francisco to the cathedral and meet with Fr James to recieve the keys for the apartment where we stayed that night. We drove around after stopping to go to the bathroom and Katherine offered her money in her change purse to pay for parking...I think she was a little tired of driving in circles looking for a spot and when she found out all the ones in front of the cathedral needed was a little change, she was more than happy. We went in to venerate and light some candles before vigil and there seemed to be something stirring around the quiet, big church. Within minutes a line of priests began to pour through the front doors. I told Katherine that was Fr James and he heard me and came over to give us the key and instructions. I asked who was in the entourage and he informed me that it was the Metropolitan of Georgia and he was travelling with 2 nuns, with their american contact, Fr Gerasim of Platina. I did not know what to think. The Metropolitan served a Molebin at the tomb of St John and annointed everyone with the oil from his ever-burning lampada. During the Molebin, the nuns sang, as if it were just like breathing, so effortless, their unison was remarkable, beautiful and with a melancholy tone that portrayed a purity I have not experienced in my life. It was enough to draw tears of repentance for everything, I felt as if I were being bathed in the beauty of their song and prayers, though I knew not what they said, it spoke to my heart and soul in ways that I was indeed needing without knowing it. We made it to the place where we would stay, a bit under remodel construction, but a roof just the same. We slept in the quiet of the apartment, arose and went off to Liturgy where the Metropolitan served. What a treat and blessing. We got on the road to Sacramento where we would meet Fr Paul, a longtime family friend, for lunch. We walked to a near deli where he treated us to a full meal and would have gotten us more if he had the chance, such a nice man, I very much like him. We walked and talked and Katherine held his hand. After a lovely visit we loaded ourselves back up and got on the road to Oregon. We made it in the late of last tuesday night and here we stay. I am grateful that we have this opportunity, but I am not looking forward to the very long drive home. I know I will have to remind myself to just get to the next stopping place...then it is not so bad. Still, over 1200 miles! So here we are, relaxing a bit, praying for the safe delivery of baby Liam any day now. We head back some time next week, when all is said and done...until next time.
I know this is sort of a funny, perhaps boring commentary of our travels, but it has made a huge impact that will likely stay with me for a long time. What a way to begin to prepare for Great Lent and the Bright Ressurection.
I am so grateful, for everything.

Me

When I was small, love was what she gave me
Love was something that came and never went
No matter what I did, she would always love me
Nights of popcorn and movies
Kisses and hugs, all kinds of love


I got a little older and I started to grow
Harder and without heed
Her love would never leave me, but I would run from it
Love became a broken heart
In a young girl grateful for the lesson
Aching from the breaking


I grew further along the path of myself
As far as I could get to being me
Where would I end up
Love became a sort of carefree thing
Love all, forget the rest


People came, people went
I stayed with me
Not much else to do
Just live


He came along and wanted me
He walked up with a heart in his eyes
The same broken light in my own
Together we became whole
So much love
To have
To learn
To give

We had a baby girl
Who knew the love I could have inside
Like my heart was outside of me
Love was a new place

We have grown together
We have cried together
We have loved together
Love is a great place


Now I have been a mom for awhile
I look in the mirror
I see her there
For all she has given me
The love that never left and kept me through the years
I am a compilation of years of women
Generations moved by love
I am her
I am her mother
I am more than me

I understand her now
I am her now
I love her more than ever
Love is something I have
learned
wanted
received
given


She can never leave me
Nothing can ever part us
We are the same

She is the love I have to give
The love that lives here
The love that grows

She is the arms I have to hold
My own heart and Hers
My little girl asleep

She is the eyes I use to see
The love, the life, the world
What I have, who I am

She never knew what she had to give
She is my mother
She is my sister
She is my daughter
She is me
Happily

the mountain

Well, here I sit...thinking, wandering through thought and space. I am not sure where to start. It is nearly the Nativity of Christ (O.S.) and I am feeling a little bit of relief and a bit of joy as would be brought by such an occasion. The birth of Talia Noelle (friends' baby) has sparked a new light in my heart, in general and for the season. I love Creation. I love the work of God's hand! I remember when I became a mommy and I go back to that place in time that I still love and will never forget. To become a mother is a simply wonderful, fulfilling experience. I get to be a mommy every day of my life, for eternity, I will never not be a mom. I still love it and someday I will look back and think of these moments as I already do of those all those years ago. Probably you are thinking, "Where on God's green earth is this going? Are we just talking about how much we love babies and motherhood...?" Well, i don't suppose I have a real point, but it is indescribable to be a parent...
At times, I think that since I am too distracted to live my life perfectly in struggle, focused on God, I am given such beautiful sidetracks as motherhood and marriage. Thank God for His mercy! If I had to choose my distractions (to learn my lessons), they would be as lovely as these! So long as I learn to see the plank in my own eye, learn to love as sweetly as my daughter, learn to be loved as my husband tries to love me each day and take for granted nothing, perhaps I may succeed in this struggle that is life. There is no race to win, only love and compassion to be had. We should rejoice, the birth of Christ is at hand! Sometimes I think people don't really get it...and sometimes, I think I don't really get it! I try, perhaps that is enough for God...for now. I am grateful for the Grace of learning, I am more than grateful for the Grace of Love and understanding. I am beginning to understanding real love. It is like being at the bottom of a mountain and looking up...the feat, is that I can actually see the mountain and it is not blurry. I can see the beauty from this point and now I wish to climb it. Now, for the lifelong task of climbing the mountain and finding more wholeness in the perfection that is Love. With God's help, I can do all things. Even if I never reach the top, I expect the view is spectacular...

My Meager Fruits of Fasting (Thus Far)

So, I tried to start this blog already and be all 'PC' about why we are still in the Nativity fast and everyone else is celebrating the birth of Christ, well, not everyone, there are some who celebrate christmas without Christ being the reason they do it. Anyway, we are still 13 days out until the 25th of december (by the church calendar, the one in place when Christ was alive, that did not get changed by Pope Gregory XIII, hence Gregorian/civil calendar) which ends up being January 7 by the Gregorian/civil calendar. Anyhoooooo, I am writing because I have been thinking a lot during this fasting period about my life, as it is and what it will be. Maybe because I am going to be 30 this next birthday, am I putting a little more thought into things...maybe just simply because of where I am spiritually in my journey. Perhaps just a combo of the two. I have been feeling like I am shown to myself, in pieces, as if broken, but more like those tangram pieces that they give you in math class and can make many different shapes by putting them together. I sort of feel like I am looking at myself in bits and pieces and trying to figure out the picture it should make. Feeling like I want to change the shape and picture of myself, but not truly knowing how to do it without slipping back into old habits and just letting the former shape fill the places out of familiarity. I am thinking that I need to start with one piece at a time, the foundation. Well, that seems like the easy one, God. Hmmm, easier said than done...do I do everything God asks of me? In my own limited and simple capabilities, like a child still learning? Yes. In the way I know in my heart and mind to be the entirety of my ability? No. There is that fine line there, where one starts and the other stops, is a mystery, but perhaps one day I can fulfill the merging of the two, the bringing together of the physical self and motivation with the heart and mind. That maybe my capabilities can serve the heart and mind in God,...well there is a blasted novel idea! Is there a right way for us to come to God? Is there a right way for us to grow in God? This is what I figure...we are given tools, from God, to come to Him, to lay down ourselves and take up our crosses to follow Him. If God was truly standing before me, in the figure of Christ the Man, what would I do? Well, honestly I don't know, but I would hope that I would fall down and ask forgiveness. Why is it that it is usually during the Great Lent that I find myself better prostrate before God, in heart, mind and body? Perhaps it is God's infinite mercy that we are given things in stages, the feasts throughout the year that bring us the eventuality of His crucifixion after we pass through Great Lent. I know I should rejoice that it does not seem so difficult during the fast of the Nativity, but I know in my heart that it is perhaps a new realization, like levels on my spiritual journey. The real struggle seems to lie in finding and holding onto Christ and God through the holiday season, where Santa and snowmen have become the icons of our country and representatives of Christmas. In a place where it is taboo to even say Merry Christmas anymore for possibly offending someone who does not celebrate it, for Christ's birth or not. Pete sakes! Not to mention, the big fat guy in a suit is the commercialized version of St Nicholas, a REAL man and Bishop of the very early Church and the reason for our stockings being filled secretly in the night (cuz he really did that). We have a way of becoming morphed into the new, societal ways in life through temptation and acting as if it was always that way. Where do I go with that? How do I continue through every year? How do I teach my child Truth, the unwavering Truth of God? I will live it, as we live through each feast of the liturgical year as it was when it happened, to the best of my ability. On Nativity, on Christmas, I will go to church and fellowship and eat with like-minded individuals who are truly rejoicing in the birth of our Saviour as we do every year. I would like to celebrate it with friends and family if it were possible and I will leave that to God's will. I will be saying, joyfully, "Christ is Born!" To which I will get a reply, perhaps with more joy and reverence than my own declaration, "Glorify Him!" So, how do I put my pieces together as they are laid before me? How do I find out the shape of myself without reverting back to MY old habits? Start with God and trust that He will show me the way to Him through the everyday of my life. It may sound simple, but it is an uphill battle. I will hold fast to the teachings and traditions of the Church given to us, to the family and friends (who are really family) who God has given us in His mercy to help us along in our struggles to aid us in our journey, to learn things in a new light, to find myself looking at a picture of myself that is created while I am looking to God for answers because all things are possible through God in His mercy and Love. I will consider this, the turning of a new leaf, the start of my next journey that has been waiting to begin for quite sometime but my spiritual legs needed to be stronger to last the length. These concepts are not particularly new, but I am now feeling strong enough to take on the challenge without taking two steps back each time I try. So the end of this blog is really the beginning of the next step in my life. Here's to remembering and keeping the old along with embracing the new. With all my Love and Faith in Christ our God, until next time.

"Mommy, who is the pirate?"

Yesterday at our time for volunteering at church, Katherine and I were alone for a bit and it has been awhile since that has happened. Petra and Taia were running late and I just figured there was a good reason for it, both for them AND us. Taisia was still asleep and that little dear gets precious little napping as it is and I am glad she slept, very glad! Oh how I remember those days! So Katherine and I went in to say hello to our friendly, familiar Saints found in their same old spots, just waiting for us as if we had never gone. Katherine is up on my hip, big as ever and how she grew so much I will never know. It is so quiet but for the creaking of the boards in our aging floor, not to mention the ticking of the ancient heater. So familiar and nice.
It started out in a normal sort of way when Katherine asked which Saint was which, St Panteleimon, St Sergei, St Xenia and St Nicholas and from there she wanted to know about one across church. She pointed and asked and I thought she was asking about the Royal Martyrs on the wall when she said, "that big one..." So we went across and when we got there she corrected me and directed me to the table of the departed right next to it, the only candle stand that she can reach and does often =) She asked about who are the other women there with the Mother of God and those guys on the other side and such. We discussed it a bit and then she asked me, "Mommy, who is the pirate?" I said, "What pirate?" I am thinking, "What THE....?" She pointed and I saw what she meant...the skull of Adam is at the foot of Christ on the Cross and Christ's blood is flooding down to free Adam. As I have heard it told, the cross was placed above the spot where Adam was buried all those years earlier and that the Earth shook and cracked open and Christ's blood fell on Adam's skull. Firstly, we talked about how that is what it looks like under our skin and that is Adam's skull (she has learned about Adam and Eve in church school so she is at least familiar). Then we talked about how it is so important that we see this, because God became a Man and shed His blood and now Adam didn't have to be in the 'Naughty" place anymore. (In all honesty, how else do you explain hell to a 4 year old, I figure, just words they know...) We talked about how we get to be with God in a special way when we have communion and she said, "because we have God in us...." Just take a minute and think about that. Anyone who has a child will understand when there are times you cannot describe a moment, the precious few moments that we are afforded to see inside of their little heads. I think what surprised me is that I not only had answers for her, but that she had just as many answers for me. We went on to talk about the Apostles and Angels and what it is like in Heaven. She pointed out how lots of the Angels had "poky things" (spears) so we talked about why that is (to be the warriors of Heaven and keep out all the evil angels who have chosen their fate) and how we want to go to Heaven and take the place of one of the fallen angels and sing there with all the ranks of Angels. "Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal!"
I have given it a little thought and I am increasingly glad to have the plethora of Icons in our church. For children, particularly those that don't read, it is so nice to have illustrations of people who have gone before us in our christian family as well as scenes from the Bible. If we are to enter the kingdom of Heaven as a child, what better place to start than searching the faces of our ancestors and re-evaluating the stories of the Bible God has given us for our own Hope and Salvation, especially through eyes of our children. They are such great tools to have in aiding us on our journey. That a child can learn so much and understand more than I can imagine through the depiction on the wall is so beyond my mind. And so it should be. The innocence of a child is known only to God and the child, and throughout our lives we can recapture glimpses of ours that we have lost in the faces and words of a our children, and at times, other peoples kids. We can see our own faults so sweetly held up by the mirror image of our child's face. So much sweetness, so much hope, so much Love! It is THAT love of a child that we should find ourselves magnifying as we turn our hearts to God: pure and loving with total trust. If God gives me enough time, I hope to grow up to be the person my daughter sees when she looks at me. Lord have Mercy on me, a sinner. I look forward to many more lessons about God from my little girl!