Truth

_________________
«Русскому человеку лучше всего удаётся невозможное!»
***
Только нашей земли не разделит
На потеху себе супостат:
Богородица белый расстелет
Над скорбями великими плат».

Анна Ахматова

The Gospel According to Luke 8:5-15


The Lord said this parable: "A sower went out to sow his seed; and as he sowed, some fell along the path, and was trodden under foot, and the birds of the air devoured it.
And some fell on the rock; and as it grew up, it withered away, because it had no moisture.
And some fell among thorns; and the thorns grew with it and choked it. And some fell into good soil and grew, and yielded a hundredfold."

And when his disciples asked him what this parable meant, he said, "To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of God; but for others they are in parables, so that seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand.
Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. The ones along the path are those who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, that they may not believe and be saved. And the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear the word, receive it with joy; but these have no root, they believe for a while and in time of temptation fall away.
And as for what fell among the thorns, they are those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not mature.
And as for that in the good soil, they are those who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bring forth fruit with patience."

As he said these things, he cried out "He who has ears to hear, let him hear."

_________________
«Русскому человеку лучше всего удаётся невозможное!»
***
Только нашей земли не разделит
На потеху себе супостат:
Богородица белый расстелет
Над скорбями великими плат».

Анна Ахматова

Amen

_________________
«Русскому человеку лучше всего удаётся невозможное!»
***
Только нашей земли не разделит
На потеху себе супостат:
Богородица белый расстелет
Над скорбями великими плат».

Анна Ахматова

_________________
«Русскому человеку лучше всего удаётся невозможное!»
***
Только нашей земли не разделит
На потеху себе супостат:
Богородица белый расстелет
Над скорбями великими плат».

Анна Ахматова

The Gospel According to Luke 8:26-39

At that time, as Jesus arrived at the country of the Gadarenes, there met him a man from the city who had demons; for a long time he had worn no clothes and he lived not in a house but among the tombs.
When he saw Jesus, he cried out and fell down before him, and said with a loud voice,
"What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beseech you, do not torment me." For he had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. (For many a time it had seized him; he was kept under guard, and bound with chains and fetters, but he broke the bonds and was driven by the demon into the desert.) Jesus then asked him,
"What is your name?"
And he said, "Legion"; for many demons had entered him. And they begged him not to command them to depart into the abyss.

Now a large herd of swine was feeding there on the hillside; and they begged him to let them enter these. So he gave them leave. Then the demons came out of the man and entered the swine, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and were drowned.

When the herdsmen saw what happened, they fled, and told it in the city and in the country. Then people went out to see what had happened, and they came to Jesus, and found the man from whom the demons had gone, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind; and they were afraid. And those who had seen it told them how he who had been possessed with demons was healed.

Then all the people of the surrounding country of the Gadarenes asked him to depart from them; for they were seized with great fear; so he got into the boat and returned. The man from whom the demons had gone begged that he might be with him; but he sent him away, saying, "Return to your home, and declare how much God has done for you." And he went away, proclaiming throughout the whole city how much Jesus had done for him.

_________________
«Русскому человеку лучше всего удаётся невозможное!»
***
Только нашей земли не разделит
На потеху себе супостат:
Богородица белый расстелет
Над скорбями великими плат».

Анна Ахматова

Boom! this is out of control!

Meet Napa. Napa is a patient of mine at the Black Hills Animal Hospital. Napa is a tried and true, real service dog. She was born and raised by a non-profit in Ohio that breeds and trains service dogs for the disabled. Napa’s owner has a real disability. The non-profit flew her to Ohio to be trained with Napa to work together as team. Napa is trained to perform many tasks including picking up items and carrying them to her owner. Napa helps her owner to live her daily life. Napa is current on every vaccination. She is weighed monthly at our clinic — a requirement by the non profit to make sure she is cared for and kept at the perfect ideal weight. Napa’s cost is estimated at $20,000-50,000 (breeding program, foster homes, training for 2 years, feeding, medical care, paying for disabled owners to train with and travel to them). Most dogs don’t make it out of the program. Napa is elite. She is one of the most highly trained dogs I’ve ever worked with.
Napa was attacked by a dog today. A dog running loose in a Dollar General. Another dog walked in the door at the same time. Two dogs that had no business walking in a store. Napa has been attacked by dogs twice already in the last six months.
This has got to stop. Please stop taking your dogs into stores. They are not service dogs. A vest you bought online does not make your dog a service dog.
A service dog assists a person with disabilities by performing trained tasks.
Service animals are working animals, not pets. Comfort or emotional support dogs do not qualify as service animals under the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Service dogs are so highly trained they don’t even BARK at another dog. They stand still next to their handler.
Taking your pet into public places and letting them interact with, bark at, threaten, and provoke or attack a service animal puts the real service dog at risk. It puts disabled people at risk as well. Napa’s owner could hardly stand to control her and try to help her.
If Napa becomes skittish or dog reactive in public….. she will be sent back to the service dog organization. Let that sink in. Her owner will have to give up Napa because you had to take your dog into every store and restaurant with you. You didn’t control your dog. You have put zero training into your dog. You couldn’t be bothered to put your dog on a leash today.
Let that sink in.
We must do better.
Please leave your dogs at home. And please leave your fake service dog vests at home as well.
Sincerely,
Napa’s veterinarian
Melissa Mez DVM

_________________
«Русскому человеку лучше всего удаётся невозможное!»
***
Только нашей земли не разделит
На потеху себе супостат:
Богородица белый расстелет
Над скорбями великими плат».

Анна Ахматова

Wow! "El Tonto por Cristo" ("A Fool for Christ") has won the Austin Film Society Pioneer Feature Film Grant for 2024. It is a black-and-white film about a fictitious Orthodox men's monastery on the Texas coast, with an abbot who is a "fool for Christ."
<<Out of 96 projects, our film was selected for support, and we couldn’t be more excited.
Filmmaker Richard Linklater founded the Austin Film Society (AFS) in 1985. Linklater is currently the AFS's artistic director and serves on its board. ( We are big fans)
This recognition means so much to us, and we want to thank you all for being part of this journey. Your belief in this project has been invaluable, and we’re thrilled to celebrate this milestone together.>>
I hope it will be released this Fall, but I don't know anything for sure. Can't wait! (с)

_________________
«Русскому человеку лучше всего удаётся невозможное!»
***
Только нашей земли не разделит
На потеху себе супостат:
Богородица белый расстелет
Над скорбями великими плат».

Анна Ахматова

_________________
«Русскому человеку лучше всего удаётся невозможное!»
***
Только нашей земли не разделит
На потеху себе супостат:
Богородица белый расстелет
Над скорбями великими плат».

Анна Ахматова

Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. (Romans 12:1)

_________________
«Русскому человеку лучше всего удаётся невозможное!»
***
Только нашей земли не разделит
На потеху себе супостат:
Богородица белый расстелет
Над скорбями великими плат».

Анна Ахматова

The Gospel According to Luke 8:41-56

At that time, there came to Jesus a man named Jairus, who was a ruler of the synagogue; and falling at Jesus' feet he besought him to come to his house, for he had an only daughter, about twelve years of age, and she was dying.

As he went, the people pressed round him. And a woman who had had a flow of blood for twelve years and had spent all her living upon physicians and could not be healed by anyone, came up behind him, and touched the fringe of his garment; and immediately her flow of blood ceased.
And Jesus said, "Who was it that touched me?" When all denied it, Peter and those who were with him said, "Master, the multitudes surround you and press upon you!" But Jesus said, "Some one touched me; for I perceive that power has gone forth from me." And when the woman saw that she was not hidden, she came trembling, and falling down before him declared in the presence of all the people why she had touched him, and how she had been immediately healed.
And he said to her, "Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace."

While he was still speaking, a man from the ruler's house came and said, "Your daughter is dead; do not trouble the Teacher any more." But Jesus on hearing this answered him, "Do not fear; only believe, and she shall be well." And when he came to the house, he permitted no one to enter with him, except Peter and John and James, and the father and mother of the child.
And all were weeping and bewailing her; but he said, "Do not weep; for she is not dead but sleeping." And they laughed at him, knowing that she was dead. But taking her by the hand he called, saying, "Child, arise." And her spirit returned, and she got up at once; and he directed that something should be given her to eat. And her parents were amazed; but he charged them to tell no one what had happened.

_________________
«Русскому человеку лучше всего удаётся невозможное!»
***
Только нашей земли не разделит
На потеху себе супостат:
Богородица белый расстелет
Над скорбями великими плат».

Анна Ахматова

_________________
«Русскому человеку лучше всего удаётся невозможное!»
***
Только нашей земли не разделит
На потеху себе супостат:
Богородица белый расстелет
Над скорбями великими плат».

Анна Ахматова

Amen

_________________
«Русскому человеку лучше всего удаётся невозможное!»
***
Только нашей земли не разделит
На потеху себе супостат:
Богородица белый расстелет
Над скорбями великими плат».

Анна Ахматова

We should go to the Liturgy even if we stand there like logs.
Someone might say: "I'm not what I should be, I don't understand anything there, I can't concentrate."
But go as you are. An elder says:
"When you enter a perfumery and then leave, your clothes will smell nice, even if you didn't want them to, even if you didn't buy anything." He says the same thing happens when you go to the Liturgy.

Maybe you couldn't do anything spiritual, but it's already something that you went, that you stood there like a log. So tell yourself: "I am going as I am – an unpolished log. Because God can work with an unpolished log."

And if you don't go because you say, "I can't concentrate," things will get worse and worse, and you will never improve.

Metropolitan Athanasios of Limassol

_________________
«Русскому человеку лучше всего удаётся невозможное!»
***
Только нашей земли не разделит
На потеху себе супостат:
Богородица белый расстелет
Над скорбями великими плат».

Анна Ахматова

_________________
«Русскому человеку лучше всего удаётся невозможное!»
***
Только нашей земли не разделит
На потеху себе супостат:
Богородица белый расстелет
Над скорбями великими плат».

Анна Ахматова

_________________
«Русскому человеку лучше всего удаётся невозможное!»
***
Только нашей земли не разделит
На потеху себе супостат:
Богородица белый расстелет
Над скорбями великими плат».

Анна Ахматова