A Prayer from Sister Julie

So, I’ve been an inactive blogger. I’m starting up again…I promise. I really want to have this blog for the future.

This is a letter which came from my good, childhood friend Julie who has just become a novice.  It came with her RSVP for our wedding, sending her regrets. This letter warmed me inside and out.

Dear Erica,                                                                          Sept 2, 2008 (Prophet Samuel,                                                                                            repose of Fr. Seraphim of Platina)

So, here you are preparing for your wedding, your marriage — such a joyful and profound sacrament. May God bless you! The world turns such things upside down — joyful feasting becomes gluttony, a bride’s adornment becomes vanity and self-love and so on. That’s what the world tries to sell us. Be strong and keep your mind and heart on the things above. Contemplate the mystery you are about to enter into. Prepare you heart and adorn your soul and enter into the true, deep, rich, spiritual joy of this sacrament. And as you stand in the midst of the Church, know in your hear that what takes place on earth also takes place in heaven and surrounded not only by the visible Church, family and friends, but by the invisible Church — the saints of all ages, the Theotokos, the angels, etc…and you are standing before our Lord, in the midst of the Church and in my own feeble way, I will be with you too, through my heartfelt prayers for you and Sean.

This is only part of the letter but one of the sweetest prayers and blessings for our marriage.

Christ is Risen!

Truly He is Risen!

Well, here’s the new home with a new name and everything. Sean came up with it for me. It came about for obvious reasons back in elementary school when a teacher said umm in front of my name once upon a time and then a song has been sung at me since then as a way of teasing me though I have learned to take it as a sort of blessing. (If you are still unsure about what the song I’m referring to is, scroll to the top of the page.)

Well, I haven’t blogged in months. Originally it was because I wasn’t going to blog during Lent. (Unfortunately, this wasn’t because of an attempt at piety, most of my fellow bloggers don’t blog during Lent and I find it highly unsatisfying to blog when there are no readers to follow my crazy ramblings.) The break from blogging turned into a relief as my life became somewhat more chaotic. What with a wedding looming five and a half months in the future, studying for my licensing exam, taking the test, starting my new job after getting licensed (yay!), trying to find an apartment, learning to direct and take on more choir-related responsibilities, learning to sing things for Holy Week I had never sung before along with the added stress of Holy Week and Pascha, needless to say I felt overbooked.

Things have calmed as of now. I’ve been recovering from a 48 hour bug, so with a two day break from work and other responsibilities, I finally felt up to blogging again. This isn’t to say that I’m not happy with how things are going. I’m really happy about my life. God has been blessing my life in ways I can’t even begin to thank Him for.

I’ve been overwhelmed with happiness as well, I have my wedding dress and veil hanging on my bedroom door to the right of me, my wedding crowns sitting on a bed stand, flower girl baskets resting in a corner, all of them reminding me that this really isn’t a dream. We really do just want to be married. It didn’t really feel all that real until we found an apartment. Well, to be honest Sara found it for us. We love it. it’s a cute little two bedroom apartment in Huntington Beach. Sean moves into in 9 days. I’ll be following him into it in about…ohhh 178 days (not like I’m COUNTING or anything.)

It’s all going really smoothly. We have most of our furniture (stacking up in my room as of right now) given to us by caring friends and family members. We’ve both been really thrilled with the helpful family and community that God has led us into.

Glory be to God in all things.

I’m going to share my favorite picture of Simeon and me from Pascha. (He’s technically Sean’s godson but I’m self-adopting him. He’s just too cute. Sean needs to share the cuteness.)