new year, new word.

monday morning, during my usual quiet time, a.k.a. scrolling through instagram, i realized there were only two days left of 2013. my next thought was, kelly you better pick a word for 2014. the thought was fleeting and i quickly got back to looking at everyones pretty pictures. 

later that morning, i decided to multitask (since the time that i should of been spending with the Lord was spent on instagram. {that was hard to admit}) and listen to the day's readings in podcast form as i did my hair. what i didn't expect to happen was the hot steamy tears rolling down my face as i realized that a) i passed 2013 with out spending very much time with Christ. and b) he smacked me up side my head with my word for 2014 write smack dab in the middle of the epistle reading.

the  reading was this,

 "But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay, some for honor and some for dishonor. Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work. Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. But avoid foolish and ignorant disputes, knowing that they generate strife. And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel 

but be gentle to all, 

able to teach, patient, in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth, and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will."

2 Timothy 2:20-26

New King James Version (NKJV)

when i heard the word gentle, a warmth washed over me, my heart stirred, the tears started to roll, and i
knew gentle was My Word for 2 0 1 4.

gentle: adjective\ˈjen-t^əl\
: having or showing a kind and quiet nature : not harsh or violent 

Gentle is a reoccurring theme in my life…Kelly don't yell…Kelly easy…Kelly just talk to us, we CAN hear you. over the last 15 months my mom has claimed live gently as her motto. when gentle stirred my heart i couldn't believe it, and her words echoed in my ears.

it comes as a shock to most people when i admit this out loud, but I AM a yeller. i have been my whole life. it's not something i like to admit. and it is something that i *think about* trying to change often. but every time i *think about* changing my bad behavior my next thought is always "why should i change? i've been this way my whole life, old habits die hard, and really who cares? well self i care. your children and husband care and deserve to be treated gently." 
i truly desire to treat them gently in all that i do and say. 

as the podcast continued on, the priest gave a small homily on the reading quoting
saint john chrysostom

"Therefore let us not be provoked with these men, 

let us not use anger as an excuse,

but let us talk with them gently and with kindness. 

nothing is more forceful and effective than 

treatment that is gentle and kind."

~ Saint John Chrysostom

my momma has always said, "kill 'em with kindness" and my grandmother m always said, "you catch more bees with honey." i think its about time that i take this all to heart and live a gentle life. 

tell me what is your word for the year, or do you even do a word for the year? 

do you have and resolutions? this year i have only one, to take care of my heart: draw nearer to Christ and show love the way he does, gently.

5 things. 4.13

via

1. we are scheduled to close escrow on friday. lord willing. i am so excited i can hardly contain myself.

2. i have been doing a lot of reflecting lately. last night i had a revelation. all these years i have been a little upset that my husbands job has required him to work night and weekends. when really i should be thankful for the special time that i have had with my boys. special time that will always be near and dear to my heart. the three musketeers. but don't tell them that's how i think of us. they already find me too silly.

3. i have had so much fun the last month or so day dreaming about our "new" home. i want to get white slip covers so bad i can taste it. i love the above room. even if it'a a grainy photo. when i showed this little bit of inspiration to my husband the other day he said, "i love the contrast of the white and turquoise." makes my heart want to explode.

4. my mom pointed out something to me this week, also involving my husband. she said, "i love the way he values your opinion and lets you "fight" with him." my mom had been in an abusive relationship for 15.5 years, she got out about a year and a half ago. so thing she notices about my relationship with my husband that maybe i take for granted mean so much to me.

5. the orthodox church is more than half way through lent now. it feels weird that easter is so much later than the western easter. but even still i can't wait to celebrate the pascha.

this week

it's holy week.

holy week is the week leading up to easter.

i know right.

let me explain.

We are Eastern Orthodox Christians...

Christians of the eastern church (i.e churches under the jurisdiction of  *Constantinople*  a.k.a. orthodox churches whether it be greek, serbian, russian, antiochian, romainian, etc.) have not celebrated easter yet...we celebrate easter on sunday as in sunday april 15th western churches are those under the jurisdiction of *Rome* and/or follow the georgian calendar.

the eastern & western churches used to be one in the same. they split in 1054 in what was called the Great Schism. 

easter doesn't always fall separately. last year it didn't. so i didn't feel weirdo. this year it does. so i sort of feel like a weirdo. i only feel weird when i have to explain it, and i always have to explain it ha!  my boys think it's awesome when this happens because they get to celebrate Easter twice on to separate days. once with my family and once with the in-laws.

being silly before one of our many services this week.

in the eastern church two things have to pass in order for it to be Easter. 

     1. the first day of spring. i.e. the vernal equinox. the eastern and western church differ on when the vernal equinox actually is because 1) they follow different calendars.  2) the moons 

     2. passover. easter cannot be on the same weekend as because Jesus had come to Jerusalem to celebrate the festival of passover before his crucifixion took place and died only hours before the passover meal was eaten. therefore with passover being last saturday there wasn't enough time for jesus to be crucified and rise on the third day before sunday. does that make sense?

and just so i'm clear i am not saying either is right or wrong. so please don't think that.

for a more in depth explanation thats easy to understand go here.

you know you wanted a religious history lesson. 

i was born and raised catholic. western

my husband was born and raised orthodox. eastern

both faiths...CHRISTIAN. 

when we got married and discussed how we would raise our children we decided we would raise them in both churches...but when my first bebe came along we decided to raise them Orthodox. it was on my husbands heart in a big way, so i studied and converted. the way i saw it i was still a Christian and at the end of the day as long as i'm loving JESUS together with my family all is well in the world. the rest doesn't really matter.

hope you all have a fabulous weekend!
we'll be celebrating.

Christos Anesti!
Christ is Risen!

p.s. thanks for letting me talk about this. Orthodoxy isn't hugely popular in the U.S. (in my town we have 1 orthodox church. in bigger areas like los angeles, new york, and chicago there are more) so i always feel awkward talking about my faith, because not everyone knows or fully understands what it is.
it's christian.