Thankful Thursday-Welcoming the new

Hello dear friends,
I have missed you in the past couple of weeks. I had all the good intentions of staying in touch, and I have been thinking of you every day, but a) I didn't have a connection available, although I did carry my laptop with me and b) I have been busy living Christmas.

Today I am so thankful. I was looking forward to TT. It has become my favorite meeting point with Christian, believing, loving souls.

I am thankful for Christmas. For Christmas as in the birth of Jesus Christ, and for Christmas 2007. Without the first, the second wouldn't exist!

Christmas 2007 was the first Christmas we have spent beautifully and lovingly as a family. We have always spent Christmas, New Year and Epiphany, the whole three weeks of celebration, with C's parents and family or with C's parents staying with us. I grew unhappy with the stuck up atmosphere of the gatherings. The pressure was too much, the preparations, the facade, the fuss. I longed for Christmas and loathed the holidays, can you see what I mean? I SO much wanted us to celebrate as a family!

This year God offered me this very precious wish of my soul. We have spent Christmas as a family, in very beautiful surroundings. We travelled to Vienna on the 23rd of December, and we stayed till the 26th. We all were more relaxed, spending all the time walking around and marvelling at the sites and enjoying each other's company. (I shall post about our trip in the next few days).

C amazed me-God amazed me. C was a different man. He willingly accepted my request to go to church on Christmas morning! He even called the Greek Orthodox Bishop of Central Europe himself to find out at what time the Christmas service would begin on Christmas morning! He came with me and the children but he went out of the church before the end of the service. I actually encouraged him to do so because he was getting restless, and I didn't want him to curse inside the church. However, he later said he remembered a hymn he was singing at school. He even sang it with me later at home. i have never sang a hymn with C. It was so , uplifting is the best word I can come up with. It was as if we were praying together.

Here I am on my way out of the church of the Holy Trinity, Vienna. I felt very comfortable in it, with the people and the service. It reminded me of the Greek Orthodox church where my late grandfather officiated in England.

and here I am with F, sharing a piece of antidoro, a small square of blessed bread.

The day before, on December 24th, we visited Linz and its lovely cathedral, the largest in Austria. I do not know why we went there specifically. We were meant to go to Salzburg, but we went to Linz instead. I believe it is a miracle. When we entered the cathedral, there was a Christmas service on, with young children walking forth bringing light and singing beautiful carols, and a lady priest reading some gospel passages in German. I do not understand German, but the understanding was deeper than words.

C and the kids walked in. We stood and listened. There was a statue of Virgin Mary. We lit little candles at her feet.

And look what we saw in the basement. A lovely creche.

I couldn't contain my tears. I was sobbing and I was so happy that my husband and children were in church, that we found our way to a Christmas service, that C was happy, too. We walked out of the church and we kept discussing and we talked more about Christmas and what a huge sacrifice God made to send us His only son, so that we may not be afraid and in despair. Friends, I didn't know what to say! I have read so much, and been to so many services for years, and I didn't know how to explain to my children why the birth of Christ is so important. What I said about fear and despair is what I felt myself this year, what seemed important to me.

I am scared like a blind person whose eyes ache when he sees the light. I sometimes I feel lost when I am getting out of my comfort zone of know it all. But I have began applying a phrase that comes to my lips: "Kyrie Eleison", God have mercy.
I find myself saying to Christ: I do not know what to do, I do not know what to say about this. Please, please say it for me. Please lead me and I will follow.

Thank you Lynn, thank you Iris, thank you dear friends. May your lives always overflow with Christ's ample blessings in 2008 and always.