Volume IV, Number 1
A friendly Orthodox Christian ‘Zine JANUARY 2009
PSALM 137 (138)
by David
I will give thanks to You, O Lord, with all my lheart,
For You hear the words of my mouth;
And I shall sing to You in the presence of angels.
I shall bow down and worship toward Your holy temple,
And I will give thanks to Your name
For Your mercy and Your truth;
For You magnified Your teaching above every name.
On the day I shall call out to You, hear me speedily;
You shall treat my soul with great care in Your power.
O Lord, let all the kings of the earth give thanks to you.
For they heard all the words of Your mouth;
And let them sing in the ways of the Lord,
For the glory of the Lord is great;
“For the Lord is high, and He watches over the lowly things;
But the high things He knows from afar.
If I walk in the midst of affliction, You shall make me live;
You streteched out Your hand against the wrath of my enemies,
And Your right hand saved me;
The Lord shall repay them on my behalf.
O Lord, your mercy endures forever;
Do not forsake the works of your hands.
Orthodox Study Bible— NKJV
THE FRUIT BASKET
Edited and published monthly
by An Orthodox Christian
The goal of this publication is to provide a friendly, light, Orthodox
Christian ’Zine (a mini-magazine) that contains a blend of “something to exercise our minds, something to make us laugh, and something to make us meditate on spiritual matters.” It is also a venue for
sharing our insights and interests.
Articles or comments from our readers are welcome. We reserve
the right to edit for suitability, clarity and space. Printing of items
does not imply endorsement by the church or the priest or even the
editor of this publication.
Send comments or articles
by phone to Margaret 440-238-7867 after 6 pm.
Email to [email protected]
or by snail mail to
The FRUIT BASKET, 18893 Howe Road
Strongsville, OH 44136
© 2009 The FRUIT BASKET
www.sttheodosius.org Click Parish Publications for back issues.
Dear Folks, We would love to hear from you. 1.Please send in (a)
short items of interest, inspirational or otherwise; jokes, puzzles,
other, traditional holiday custom or recipe, or what have you.
(b) Original writing that could be an encouragment to the rest of us
in our Orthodox Christian walk—gleaned from reflection, or experience during your life as a practicing Orthodox Christian. It could be a
passage from the Bible or from a sermon, and tell why it is meaningful
to you.
2. Typed or handwritten is fine. Don’t worry about spelling, grammar or punctuation— all material is proofed before printing.
3. If your submission has already been printed someplace, please
include the source of your material, if possible..
4. The whole name of the person submitting material will be printed
unless some other preference is indicated.
2
A publication like this needs the heartbeat of the people—your wisdom,
insight, humor, etc.—to make it come alive. The Editor
The FRUIT BASKET
JANUARY 2009
MEDITATION
...trust in your God and return to
Him. Be loyal and just, and wait
patiently for your God to act.
—Hosea 12:6 GNB
Father, help me to take the time during
these days in January to sit quietly and to
wait bfore thee. Amen.
From the Bless Your Heart Each New Day
Calendar donated by Kathy Z, of Parma
We got mail...!
My mother, Mary P,. passed away in March of 2008. She
was at the Jennings Home. I just want to thank you for sending her The Fruit Basket. I used to read it to her. She especially liked the short stories about the “old days.”
Thank you, again.
Patricia P. of Brecksville
Please accept my condolences. Thank you, for your gift and thoughtfulness in letting me know that you mother enjoyed the Fruit Basket, and
that it contributed to the sharing time as you visited with her. It is so
helpful to me to get feedback on what people enjoy.
The Editor
3
Feast of the Theophany
of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ
Commemorated on January 6
Theophany is the Feast which reveals the Most Holy Trinity to the world
through the Baptism of the Lord (Mt.3:13-17; Mark 1:9-11; Luke 3:2122). God the Father spoke from Heaven about the Son, the Son was
baptized by the St John the Forerunner, and the Holy Spirit descended
upon the Son in the form of a dove. From ancient times this Feast was
called the Day of Illumination and the Feast of Lights, since God is Light
and has appeared to illumine "those who sat in darkness," and "in the
region of the shadow of death"
(Mt.4:16), and to save the fallen race of
mankind by grace.
In the ancient Church it was the custom
to baptize catechumens at the Vespers
of Theophany, so that Baptism also is
revealed as the spiritual illumination of
mankind.
The origin of the Feast of Theophany
goes back to Apostolic times, and it is
mentioned in The Apostolic Constitutions (Book V:13). From the second
century we have the testimony of St
Clement of Alexandria concerning the
celebration of the Baptism of the Lord, and the night vigil before this Feast.
There is a third century dialogue about the services for Theophany between the holy martyr Hippolytus and St Gregory the Wonderworker. In
the following centuries, from the fourth to ninth century, all the great Fathers of the Church: Gregory the Theologian, John Chrysostom, Ambrose
of Milan, John of Damascus, commented on the Feast of Theophany.
4
The monks Joseph the Studite, Theophanes and Byzantios composed
much liturgical music for this Feast, which is sung at Orthodox services
even today. St John of Damascus said that the Lord was baptized, not
because He Himself had need for cleansing, but "to bury human sin by
The FRUIT BASKET
JANUARY 2009
water," to fulfill the Law, to reveal the mystery of the Holy Trinity, and
finally, to sanctify "the nature of water" and to offer us the form and
example of Baptism.
On the Feast of the Baptism of Christ, the Holy Church proclaims our
faith in the most sublime mystery, incomprehensible to human intellect,
of one God in three Persons. It teaches us to confess and glorify the
Holy Trinity, one in Essence and Indivisible. It exposes and overthrows
the errors of ancient teachings which attempted to explain the Creator
of the world by reason, and in human terms.
The Church shows the necessity of Baptism for believers in Christ, and
it inspires us with a sense of deep gratitude for the illumination and
purification of our sinful nature. The Church teaches that our salvation
and cleansing from sin is possible only by the power of the grace of the
Holy Spirit, therefore it is necessary to preserve worthily these gifts of
the grace of holy Baptism, keeping clean this priceless garb, for "As
many as have been baptized into Christ, have put on Christ" (Gal 3:27).
On the day of Theophany, all foods are permitted, even if the Feast falls
on a Wednesday or Friday.
!
Troparion - Tone 1
When You, O Lord were baptized in the Jordan
The worship of the Trinity was made manifest
For the voice of the Father bore witness to You
And called You His beloved Son.
And the Spirit, in the form of a dove,
Confirmed the truthfulness of His word.
O Christ, our God, You have revealed Yourself
And have enlightened the world, glory to You!
Kontakion - Tone 4
Today You have shown forth to the world, O Lord, and the light of Your
countenance has been marked on us. Knowing You, we sing Your
praises. You have come and revealed Yourself, O unapproachable Light.
!
http://ocafs.oca.org/FeastSaintsViewer.asp
5
COMMUNING WITH GOD IN PRAYER
The goal of the Christian's life on earth is salvation in our Lord Jesus
Christ, and, at the same time, communion with God. The means for this
communion is prayer, and through his prayer the Christian is joined in
one spirit with the Lord (I Cor. 6:17). Prayer is the focal point and
foundation of spiritual life and the source of salvation. Without prayer, as
St. John Chrysostom says, there is no life in the spirit. Without prayer
man is deprived of communion with God and can be compared to a dry
and barren tree, which is cut down and thrown into the fire (Matt.
7:19). !
As with any spiritual endeavor, however, the Christian must learn how
to pray properly. As St. Tikhon of Zadonsk cautions us: Of no value is
that prayer in which the tongue prays but the mind is empty; the tongue
speaks, but the mind lies silent; the tongue calls God, but the mind
wanders amongst created things. We must, therefore, pray in fear and
trembling and try in every way to ensure that our minds are with our
words, or, as St. John of the Ladder tells us, to enclose our mind in the
words of our prayer, [so that] the heart may respond to the words of
the prayers. !
6
Excerpt taken from "These Truths We Hold - The Holy Orthodox
Church: Her Life and Teachings". Compiled and Edited by A Monk of
St. Tikhon's Monastery. Copyright 1986 by the St. Tikhon's Seminary
Press, South Canaan, Pennsylvania 18459.
The FRUIT BASKET
JANUARY 2009
PRAYER (Continued)
From Selected Directives on the Spiritual Life
Thus, go and sit still and quietly in your room, and be mindful of God.
Withdraw your mind from everything, and give it to God without any
speech. Open up your heart to Him; cleave to Him with love. Being
mindful of God is the contemplation of God. God attracts to Himself
the striving and looking mind, and He illumines that mind with His light
and life. Cutting off all images of existing things and turning to God, the
mind sees God without any form or image, and thus has a clear vision
of God even though its comprehension is imperfect. Just as the eye
receives a visual impression of an object and by that very act of seeing
obtains knowledge, so the mind by directing its loving consciousness
toward God, in the silence of purely looking with the mind, is illumined
by Divine Radience and Being. Although the mind cannot comprehend
the object of its contmplation, since God is incomprehensible and His
glory is utterly inaccessible, the mind yet truly knows that it is God alone
Who is and that He alone has a transubstantial being. Thus feeding its
love for God and satisfying its yearning for the great goodness pouring
out of God, the mind is granted eternal and blessed rest in Him.!
—Theoleptus—
In prayer, your mind must descend into your heart. The essence of
prayer is the spiritual turning of the mind and heart to God. The mind in
the heart stands consciously before the presence of God, filled with due
reverence, and begins to pour itself out to Him. This is spiritual prayer,
and all prayer should be of this internal nature. External prayer, whether
at home or in the church, is only prayer’s verbal expression and shape;
the essence or soul of prayer is within a person’s mind and heart.
Spiritual or inner prayer comes when he who prays gathers his mind
within his heart and directs his prayer to God in silence. Without this
inner spiritual prayer there is no prayer at all, for this inner spiritual
prayer alone is real prayer, acceptable to God. Nobody can dispense
with this inner prayer. We cannot live spiritually unless we turn ourselves to God in prayer. But the only way we can thus direct ourselves
is through spiritual activity; for God is spiritual. !
—Theophan the Recluse—
7
MORE ABOUT THE THEOPHANY
Taken from the Homily of St. John Chrysostom on the Theophany:
Holy Hierarch St. John Chrysostom writes that “it is not the day of the
Savior’s birth that we should call His Appearance, but the day on which
He was baptized. He did not become known to all by His Birth, but by
His Baptism, and that is why it is not the day of His Birth that is called
Theophany, but the day on which He was baptized.” !
St. John the Baptist obeyed Christ’s words, and the Jordan received
into its waters the One by Whose command it had began to flow.
According to the Gospels, after being baptized the Lord immediately
came out of the water.
8
Regarding that
“immediately,” Church
tradition states that St.
John the Baptist
would hold anyone
coming to be baptized
neck-deep in the
water until he had
confessed all of his
sins. Only after doing
Baptizing in the River Jordan
so would the person
docsouth.unc.edu/neh/floyd/ill14.htm
be allowed to come
out of the water.
Christ, Who was without sin, could not be held in the water, and
therefore immediately came out of the river. As He was coming out of
the water, the Heaven was opened, and the Holy Ghost descended in a
bodily shape like a dove upon Him, and a voice came from Heaven,
which said, Thou art My beloved Son; in Thee I am well pleased!
(Luke 3: 21-22). Just as, in the days of Noah, the dove announced that
the flood waters had receded, so here the dove pointed to an end to the
flood of sin. The Holy Spirit appeared to the people in the form of a
dove because that bird was the symbol of love, purity, and meekness.
Thus the Holy Spirit is the source of purity, the bottomless depth of love
for man, the teacher of humility and peace.!
The FRUIT BASKET
JANUARY 2009
HISTORICAL NOTES
According to Church tradition, St. John the Forerunner’s preaching and
his Baptism of the Savior took place at the site of the ancient crossing
over Jordan, approximately 5 km from the river’s entrance into the
Dead Sea. Already in the times of King David, a ferry had been set up
there, and in the 19th Century the place was referred to as “Pilgrims’
Ford,” on account of the multitude of pilgrims coming together there to
be washed in the waters of Jordan. It was by that path that 12 Centuries before the Savior’s Nativity, ancient Israel, led by Joshua son of
Nun, entered the Promised Land. It was there that, one thousand years
before the Divine Incarnation, King David went beyond Jordan, fleeing
from his own son Absalon, who had risen up against him. It was at that
site that the prophets Elijah and Elisha crossed the river. Later, already
during the Christian era, Venerable St. Mary of Egypt departed by that
way for the desert beyond Jordan to weep over her sins. Today, the
nearby Greek Monastery of St. John the Forerunner reminds pilgrims of
the events of Theophany which transpired there. !
The Great Blessing of Waters
Back in Apostolic times the Holy Church had already been celebrating
the day of Holy Theophany; among its ordinances it bequeathed the
direction: “may you hold in great reverence the day upon which the
Lord showed us Divinity.” Since antiquity, and in remembrance of the
Baptism in which Jesus Christ descended into the waters of Jordan, the
Orthodox Church has performed the Great Blessing of the Waters, both
on the eve of the Feast and on the actual Feast. The Order of Service
for the Blessing of the Waters, and the grace imparted to the water on
the Sochel’nik, the Eve of Theophany, and on the actual Feast of
Theophany, are one and the same. The solemn Blessing of the Waters
stems from the tradition of the Church of Jerusalem, where already in
the first centuries of Christianity, solemn processions to the River Jordan
for Blessings of the Waters to commemorate the Savior’s Baptism were
made. From antiquity in the Church of Russia as well, there have been
solemn Blessings of the Waters both on the Eve and on the Feast of
Theophany. !
9
BLESSING OF WATER
The Solemn Blessing of Water, in commemoration of Christ’s Baptism
in the Jordan, is the main feature of the Feast of Epiphany. St. Gregory
the Wonderworker, in the homily quoted above, commented: "The
Lord, Who has come upon the Jordan River, through its streams
transmitted sanctification to all streams (of water)." And precisely, in our
liturgical books, the blessing of water is referred to as The Blessing of
Jordan, since it is considered as the re-enactment of Christ’s baptism.
By His baptism in the Jordan, Our Savior imparted upon water a
mystical power of sanctification, a "sign of heavenly streams" of divine
grace. (cf. St. Gregory the Wonderworker, Ibid.)
St. Basil the Great (died 379) affirms that the blessing of water came to
us as a "mystical tradition" (of. On the Holy Spirit, XXVII, 66) and that
the water, through the prayer and blessing of the priest, receives a
"quickening power of the Holy Spirit." (Ibid, XV, 35) St. Ambrose
(died 397) also taught that it was the Holy Spirit Who "consecrated the
waters through the prayer of the minister." (cf. On the Holy Spirit, L. I.
c. VII, 88) Consequently, in the prayer for the blessing of the water we
always find the epiklesis—the invocation of the Holy Spirit.
10
The Solemn Blessing of Water according to the liturgical prescriptions
should take place on the Eve of the Epiphany. However, the presently
prevailing custom is to bless the water on the Feast of the Epiphany
itself, immediately after the Divine Liturgy, when the majority of the
parish faithful are present. In the Old Country, it was a custom to go in
procession to the nearest stream or river to perform the ritual of the
Blessing of the Water. A stream symbolizes the living waters of the
Jordan River where Our Saviour came to be baptized by St. John. This
is described in the sticheras of St. Sophronius which are sung during the
procession to the stream or river.
In the ritual, after the incensing of the water, the scriptural readings of
the prophecies (Is. 35:1-10; 55:1-13; 12:3-6), the Epistle (I Cor. 10:14) and the Gospel (Mk. 1:9-11) are taken. In his Gospel, St. Mark
informs us that as Our Lord Jesus Christ was coming out of the river,
the "heavens opened and the Spirit descended upon Him as a dove.
And a voice came from heaven, saying: ‘You are my Beloved Son and
my favor rests on You!’ The lighted triple candle, called "Trolca," is held
in front of the celebrant during the Gospel reading.
The FRUIT BASKET
JANUARY 2009
Among the various petitions mentioned in the ceremony during the
blessing of the water is the sanctification of homes. With this the Church
imposes a duty and obligation upon the priests to bless the homes of the
faithful entrusted to their pastoral care at the beginning of the New Year.
Theologically speaking, the blessing of homes constitutes an invocative
blessing, meaning that by his prayer and by the sprinkling of the Holy
Water the priest invokes God’s protection upon the home and those
living in it. The prayer, printed below, best explains its meaning.
As our souls, so also our homes become tainted by the sins of those
living in them and, consequently, lose God’s protective power. Every
year, then, at the Feast of the Epiphany, they should be blessed again to
secure for them God’s blessings and protection. Just as the faithful
cleanse their soul of sin at least ONCE A YEAR, and the church is
blessed with the newly blessed water every year, so should the homes
of the faithful be yearly blessed to invoke God’s blessings and protection on it and its inhabitants.
As we renew the insurance on our home every year, so we should
renew our insurance of God’s protection and his blessing which is of
greater importance and more effective. As we welcome our priest
during the holy season of Epiphany to bless our home, let us be mindful
that he is bringing to us the "blessing of Jordan," and that unless God
protect and bless our home, we "labor in vain." (Ps. 127:1) !
PRAYER FOR THE BLESSING OF HOMES
O God, our True Light and Savior, You have deigned to be baptized in the Jordan by John the Baptist to renew all men by the
cleansing water of regeneration (Tit. 3:5) and to enter under the
roof of Zacchaeus, bringing salvation to him and his house (Lk.
19:9), now, You, O Lord, protect also all those who dwell in this
house from all harm and injury; grant them Jordan’s blessing,
purification of soul and body, and good health; and hear all their
supplications, which are for their salvation and life eternal.
For blessed are You, O Lord, together with Your Eternal Father
and Holy Spirit, now and ever, and forever. Amen. !
http://www.byzantines.net/feasts/epiphany.htm
11
WORD SEARCH FOR JANUARY
D X D D V P T B Z R N Y L W T Y R T M Z
K M M S T T H G C L R H E K N T Q T A X
Z F N E M P Z M N A T P D O V T J R R Q
T T H K N T T F U X I M H H N J L R T M
R J Y A N H Q N K P F T L E Z Q M M Y V
V Y B L Q T A M H Q N F W T R Y Q D R O
I M L F H J Z A N A P Y A D T H P F T R
R T E W M Z N M T Y E E L H P T C G A A
G H S O C Y G S M A R D C R Z O J V T S
I E S N B Z R X R G Z B T J P M T M I
N O I
F
S W N Q S E Z W M V F N I N R A O
M P N V T P D H Q D Y R T R G T H S N M
A H G N C A T T W M T P G N W E Y T A I
R A O H Y L K L C S Y K M M K L J S O H
T N F K I N Q J D
I
E R B X T T C A F P
Y Y W S M G E G O P R L K R W S N L R A
R H A D M X Y M F R T C C N T O K B O R
A B T G J K W M W X D R U I T P F Y M E
G C E G G K L C R O G A H M C A G C E S
N R R D R M Q Z R N N Z N L C
I H I
J N
E D S L G Y X M M L T S T P R
I H V D E
S R B L E S S I N G O F H O M E S R C V
R P L P X S D R I B E H T D E E F I T K
A
I G R O E G F O A N I N T S B R T O T
L B J O H N C H R Y S O S T O M K M P N
C L M G G W J D Z B L R Y L B D R Y L L
M B Z V
I H C A L A M T E H P O R P T P
S N O I T U L O S E R S T G R E G O R Y
12
EVERY JOB IS A SELF-PORTRAIT
OF THE PERSON WHO DID IT.
AUTOGRAPH YOUR WORK
WITH EXCELLENCE.
The FRUIT BASKET
JANUARY 2009
Word List for JANUARY
Martyr Tatiana of Rome
New Years Day
Prophet Malachi
Resolutions
Snowflakes
Snowmen
St Anthony
St Gregory
St Nina of Georgia
Theophany
Ven Seraphim of Sarov
Virgin Martyr Agnes
Apostle Timothy
Basil the Great
Blessing of homes
Blessing of Waters
Circumcision
Epiphany
Feed the Birds
Icicles
Icy blasts
January
John Chrysostom
Jordan
IT SHOWS IN YOUR FACE
Anonymous
You don’t have to tell how you live each day;
you don’t have to say if you work or you play;
A tried and true barometer service in its place,
however you live, it will show in your face.
The false, the deceit that you bear in your heart,
will stay inside where it first got its start;
For sinew and blood are a thin veil of lace—
what you wear in your heart you wear
in your face.
If your life is unseelfish, if for others you live,
for not what you get but how much you can give;
If you live close to God in His infinite grace,
you don’t have to tell it, it shows in your face.
Submitted by Ann L.
!
13
WE’RE THE SURVIVORS... BORN BEFORE 1941
We are the survivors!! Consider the changes we have witnessed!
We were born before television, before penicillin, before polio shots,
frozen foods, Zerox, plastic, contact lenses, frisbees and the Pill. We
were before radar, credit cards, split atoms, laser beams and ballpoint
pens. Before panty hose, dishwashers, clothes dryers, electric blankets, air conditioners, drip-dry clothes...and before man walked on the
moon. Lots of us died from pneumonia, scarlet fever, childbed fever,
ruptured appendix or congenital heart defects.
We got married first and then lived together! How quaint can you be!
We thought fast food was what you ate during Lent. We were before
house husbands, gay rights, computer dating, dual careers and commuter marriages. We were before day-care centers, group therapy
and nursing homes. We never heard of FM radio, tape decks, electric
typewriters, stereo sound, artificial hearts, word processors, yogurt and
guys wearing earrings. For us, a chip was a piece of wood. Hardware
meant hardware, and software wasn’t even a word.
Pizzas, McDonalds and instant coffee were unheard of. There were 5
and 10 cent stores where you bought things for five or ten cents.For
one nickel you could ride a street car, make a phone call, buy a Pepsi
or enough stamps to mail one letter and two postcards. You could buy
a new Chevy coupe for $600...but who could afford one? A pity too,
because gas was 11 cents a gallon! Betty Friedan had just written the
book, The Feminine Mystique, that rocked us back on our heels and
made us examine our feminine roles in our culture, and gave permission
to develop careers to those women who were so inclined after getting a
taste of the working world when the flood of women hit the work force
during the war. How many of you remember Jack and Heins?
In our day, Rock Music was a grandma’s lullaby and Aids were helpers
in the Principal’s ofice. We were certainly not before the difference
between the sexes was discovered, but we were the last generation that
was so dumb as to think you needed a husband to have a baby.
14
Submitted by Helen C.
!
The FRUIT BASKET
JANUARY 2009
Cryptogram Challenge for January
The following message is written in code using regular letters instead of
numbers or other symbols.Your task is to figure out which real letters
the code letters stand for. Start by writing the real letters (shown in the
Cheat Chart below) above the code letters. That should help you to
figure out some of the words. When you discover another letter, write it
in the chart below and also write it above the code letters in the puzzle.
E
L E N M
D Y Z
Q F M
M C W F
Q F M
Y D
R Y J Q F C I G T, Y
B Y Z P,
J I E H J M I M T T
E I
T I Y K D B C G M --A J T Q B E G M
J I E H J M I M T T
E I
M C W F
J T.
CHEAT CHART--IT GIVES YOU SOME OF THE LETTERS.
REAL LETTERS
a
CODE LETTERS C
e
M
i
E
o
Y
u
J
y
s
R
T
n
p
I
O
Fill in the chart below as you find other letters.
a
b c
C
d
e
f
g
M
n
o
p
I
Y
O
q
h i
j
k
l
m
E
r
s
T
t
u
J
v w x y
K
z
R
15
ADMIT YOU WERE WRONG
Taken from 52 Simple Ways to Encourage Others
by C. E. Rollins
Oh, how stubborn many of us are in maintaining our position—even
when we suspect we may be wrong! Such stubbornness can be
wounding to others. Over time, the person who is continually told his
ideas have no merit, his decisions are wrong, or his opinions are invalid
will become discouraged. The same is true for the individual who loses
every argument or who never hears an admission of “I was wrong, you
were right” from another person.
To become an encourager rather than a discourager...
Point out the Merit of Certain Ideas
Give applause when it’s deserved. (You won’t be a lesser person for it
but a greater one!)
Admit Your Mistakes
Don’t try to justify why you did certain things, thought a certain way, or
drew certain conclusions. Just admit that you were wrong. Learn to
say, “I’m sorry. I was wrong on that one.” Thank the person for
showing you the right way.
Acknowledge Good Outcomes
Perhaps you did not agree initially with a decision or course of action.
Say, “I can see now why you did that.” Or “I can see the benefits of
having chosen this course.”
Eliminate “I told you so” From Your Lexicon
If a mistake has obviously terrible repercussions, talk to the person in
these terms, “I’ve been thinking about how we might improve this
situation. Here are three of my ideas for your consideration.” (By
providing alternatives, you aren’t setting yourself up as having the “right”
way with all other ways labeled “wrong.” You are giving the decisionmaker options.)
Recognize That All Opinions Have Merit
Each person has the right, privilege, and responsibility of his or her own
16
The FRUIT BASKET
JANUARY 2009
ideas. The ideas may not be appropriate for a particular group of
people, at a particular time, or in a particular circumstance. They may
not be feasible or workable. They may not be affordable. But...they
are not stupid, dumb, or worthless. All ideas and opinions have within
them the potential to lead to new and better ideas and opinions. The
most off-the-wall ideas frequently trigger a creative chain reaction
resulting in a truly ingenious solution to a problem.
In recognizing another person’s ideas, decisions, and opinions as having
merit, you’ll be affirming the value of the person and encouraging a
continued flow of communication and creativity. !
m
fro ugie
A
17
FOOD ONE-LINERS
The snack bar next door to an atom smasher was called "The Fission
Chips."
A new chef from India was fired a week after starting the job. He kept
favoring curry.
A couple of kids tried using pickles for a Ping-Pong game. They had
the volley of the Dills.
The four food groups: Fast, Frozen, Instant, and Chocolate.
A friend got some vinegar in his ear, now he suffers from pickled
hearing.
Overweight is something that just sort of snacks up on you.
Sign in restaurant window: "Eat now - Pay waiter."
I thought you were trying to get into shape?
I am. The shape I've selected is a triangle.
Submitted by Mickey
“Dear, if you’re gonna pad your bra with Kleenex, take
them out of the box first.”
18
The FRUIT BASKET
JANUARY 2009
BIBLE BRAIN WORKOUT FOR JANUARY
161.Which king of Israel burned his own palace and perished in the
flames?
162.When were looking glasses turned to use for the worship of God?
163.Which prophet saw in a vision a chariot with red horses?
164. Where do we read of a courtier who was trampled to death?
165. What name was given to a son to commemorate his birth during
his father’s exile?
166.Which woman advised her husband to erect a gallows on which he
himself was hung?
167. When was a king cured of disease by means of a plaister of figs?
168. Which captain first befriended a banished prince, and afterwards
killed him?
169. Why did the law of Moses decree that a criminal worthy of death
must always be buried on the day of his execution?
170.Quote from Scripture a recipe for making and keeping friends.
Answers on page 22
How did you score? A+ Bible Scholar 5 or more Correct ;
A Superior 4 +correct; B+ Pretty good 3+ correct: C Fair
2+ correct;
Less than 2, an opportunity to make reading the
Bible daily a wonderful habit!
!
Dear Lord,
So far today, I am doing all right.
I have not gossiped, lost my temper, been greedy, grumpy, nasty,
selfish or self-indulgent. I have
not whined, complained, cursed, or
eaten any chocolate. I have
charged nothing on my credit card.
But I will be getting out of bed in
a minute, and I think that I will
really need your help then.
Submitted by Augie
19
The World's Tallest Snowman Is No Man
Bethel, Maine (ap) -This ski town of about 2,400 residents already
holds the record for tallest snowman, dedicated in 1999. Since then,
they have been waiting for someone else to break the record. When no
one rose to the challenge, the folks here decided they'd have to break
the record themselves.
"Olympia," named for Maine's senior senator, Olympia Snowe, stands
nearly 10 feet taller than "Angus, King of the Mountain," who was
dedicated by the town in 1999. That snowman, named for then Governor Angus King, was created by the same folks responsible for Olympia
.
To get an idea of
scale, Olympia is
about 30 feet shorter
than the Statue of
Liberty (without the
base). Her arms
consist of 27-foot tall
Evergreens. Her
'carrot' nose, painted
by schoolchildren, is
8 feet long. Her
eyes are made from
giant wreaths.
The 'snowwoman' towering over
this village wears a giant red hat
and a 100-foot-long scarf, and her
blonde tresses are made from
rope. She gets a little bling from a
snowflake pendant that's 6 feet
long.
Olympia 's eyelashes are made from
skis and her bright red lips are
painted tires.
20
The FRUIT BASKET
JANUARY 2009
She was built with a
series of concentric
circles. The crane
dumped the snow into
frames and volunteers
climbed in for long
hours of shoveling and
packing the snow.
It took more than a
month, dozens of volunteers and tons of snow to
create Olympia . Jim
Sysko, a civil engineer,
oversaw design and
construction. Mark
Bancroft donated the
150-foot crane used
during the project.
"People love it. With all of this snow, we did something good with it,"
said Darlene Ginsberg, who directed traffic with one hand while holding
a cup of hot coffee in the other.
After the ceremony, local resident Julia Reuter stepped to the microphone and led the crowd in an impromptu sing-a-long to the classic
song, "Winter Wonderland."
Submitted by Kay C.
21
R
E
D
EL
S!
E
U
BL
Forget health food.
I’m at an age
where I need
all the preservatives
I can get.
If th
in h ere’s no
ea
choco
late
I’m ven
not g
oing
.
22
le. d.
b
a
e
opp start
t
s
n
e u st get
b
d
u
oul uld j
w
I I co
If
The FRUIT BASKET
Gone Crazy.
Be Right Back!
JANUARY 2009
BIBLE BRAIN WORKOUT ANSWERS
161. 1 Kings 16:15-20
162. Ex. 38:8
163. Zech. 6:2
164. 2 Kings 7:17
165. Ex. 2:22
166.Esth. 5:14 and 7:9-10
167. Isa. 38:21
168. 2 Sam. 14:1-21, 18:14
169. Deut: 21:22-23
170. Prov. 18:24
23
THE FRUIT BASK ET
18893 Howe Road
Strongsville, OH 44136
!Sunshine Greetings from
St. Theodosius Orthodox Cathedral
CALENDAR for January 2009
1 Circumcision of Christ
2 Ven. Seraphim of Sarov
6 Theophany of our Lord Jesus Christ
Great Blessing of Waters
7 Synaxis of St. John the Baptist
11 Ven. Theodosius the Great
17 Ven. Anthony the Great
30 Synaxis 3 Hierarchs:
Basil, the Great
Gregory th Theologian
John Chrysostom