Icons...

Two icons I painted during the last two icon workshops. The top one is St. Paul
that I painted for Pavlo (one of his name saints), and the one underneath is
St. Cleopatra, which I painted for a friend.

More St Maria

Since the outreach center we've been working on is named for St Maria Skotsoba, she's been on my mind a lot.

Yet, another quote from her (just because she's so awesome)

"We like it when the “churching” of life is discussed, but few people understand what it means. Indeed, must we attend all the church services in order to “church” our life? Or hang an icon in every room and burn an icon-lamp in front of it? No, the “churching of life” is the realization of the whole world as one great church, adorned with icons—persons who should be venerated, honored, and loved, because these icons are true images of God that have the holiness of the Living God within them."

Just because it's a funny picture!

Mother Maria

One of my favorite quotes from one of my favorite saints. She martyred at a concentration camp taking the place of a jewish woman. If you're interested, here is here very interesting and inspiring story.

"It would be a great lie to tell searching souls: “Go to church, because there you will find peace.” The opposite is true. She tells those who are at peace and asleep: “Go to church, because there you will feel real anguish for your sins, for your perdition, for the world’s sins and perdition. There you will feel an unappeasable hunger for Christ’s truth. There, instead of becoming lukewarm, you will be set on fire; instead of pacified, you will become alarmed; instead of learning the wisdom of this world you will become fools for Christ.”
-Mother Maria Skobtsova

FOOD!!

At the Petting Zoo...and the park

hanging out outside our apartment...