i recently found a peanut butter with no oil for the same price, its 100% peanuts only so Im eating that one, all the others had added oil so try find the correct peanut butter, try whole food stores, organic stores will have it
Lent 2024
- Thread starter KulturedKaveman
- Start date
i recently found a peanut butter with no oil for the same price, its 100% peanuts only so Im eating that one, all the others had added oil so try find the correct peanut butter, try whole food stores, organic stores will have it
I agree oil is oil it includes all oils, but a person can still eat coconuts, avocados and olives thats not oil
Cornelius V.E.
Orthodox
The power of true, sincere, and deeply ingrained outcome independence. May God be with you, and may we all seek to follow Christ who demonstrated the highest levels of outcome independence as it concerned the things of this world (especially regarding what other people thought about him).
Kingdom
Orthodox
You can also make your own using a good food chopper (>500 watts). Use short bursts of about 20 seconds each with a break of about a minute in between to let the engine cool down. After about 6-7 bursts you will get the sludge mollasse
I think in general the idea of avoiding oil is that fats tend to contribute towards a feeling of being satiated, so the idea of being specific about just avoiding olive oil is missing the point. That doesn't mean we should go insane looking at the labels for everything we eat, but swapping out olive oil for a different kind of oil does miss the point.
The same goes for the wine thing. The idea is to avoid the intoxicating effects. It misses the point entirely to drink beer because it is not specifically against the letter of the fasting restrictions.
Taking a very literal approach to the rules, and then finding ways around them based on "technicalities" is an extremely Pharisaical way to fast.
The same goes for the wine thing. The idea is to avoid the intoxicating effects. It misses the point entirely to drink beer because it is not specifically against the letter of the fasting restrictions.
Taking a very literal approach to the rules, and then finding ways around them based on "technicalities" is an extremely Pharisaical way to fast.
My situation is a little different GoodShepherd, my family has never shown any hostility toward my conversion to Orthodoxy, more like disinterest. Like you I often go to the prayer corner to do evening prayers after everyone has gone to bed, but often I just feel like I'm over here doing my weird little thing and it's totally disconnected from my family life, aside from how it impacts how I behave toward them... which more often than not, is not very much.
Oftentimes I'm second-guessing myself, thinking that I'm just failing rather miserably at all aspects of my spiritual life and the thought of trying to impose this on my family seems hypocritical. Any times I've tried to incorporate any elements of my faith into everyday life - even just trying to do evening prayers during the afternoon while my family is around, or sitting together and reading a Bible story from a kids' Bible, has been a completely disastrous flop.
On top of that, a big factor is that my wife is just not really capable of handling the demands of Orthodox life, she's accustomed to going to the local megachurch and dropping the kids off in the nursery so the whole notion of standing with them together in the Liturgy seems completely impossible. Our general day-to-day rhythm of the family is extremely dysfunctional, and that's about as far as I can explain without being critical/complaining about my wife. All I can really do is hope that someday in the future things somehow get better in this regard.
But the cumulative effect of it all is that it feels almost impossible to stay positive or focused on anything good, it feels like almost every aspect of my life and my self is really bad right now and getting worse, and nothing I try is really helping me.
Oftentimes I'm second-guessing myself, thinking that I'm just failing rather miserably at all aspects of my spiritual life and the thought of trying to impose this on my family seems hypocritical. Any times I've tried to incorporate any elements of my faith into everyday life - even just trying to do evening prayers during the afternoon while my family is around, or sitting together and reading a Bible story from a kids' Bible, has been a completely disastrous flop.
On top of that, a big factor is that my wife is just not really capable of handling the demands of Orthodox life, she's accustomed to going to the local megachurch and dropping the kids off in the nursery so the whole notion of standing with them together in the Liturgy seems completely impossible. Our general day-to-day rhythm of the family is extremely dysfunctional, and that's about as far as I can explain without being critical/complaining about my wife. All I can really do is hope that someday in the future things somehow get better in this regard.
But the cumulative effect of it all is that it feels almost impossible to stay positive or focused on anything good, it feels like almost every aspect of my life and my self is really bad right now and getting worse, and nothing I try is really helping me.
Your situation and mine sound very similar, I practice my faith in secret at home, nobody knows when and if I go do my prayers, I have found a way to work around them, even my lent meals I make my own in a slow cooker in big batches so I dont intefere with their daily lives, Iv also never forced my kids to go to church as my wife doesnt go and doesnt really want them to go but many times they want to come to church with me then they come and I go alone with 3 kids and stand at the liturgy and although its not easy and can be distracting at the service Its actually good for them, think about it all day they play games, watch tv, at school, they always occupied with something, church is the only time they forced to be quite and still, its good for their minds and soul and also teaches them patience, I bond well with my kids during the service, they hold my hands, play with my beard, sit on lap, hug etc, my wife sounds similar to yours in many things you mentioned, woman in general like their comforts, its ok, my wife also not interested in church, its ok give your wife time you keep on doing your thing faithfully, becareful with your thoughts remember that our thoughts dont come from us just a reminder not to entertain them. Its also our responsibility as the father and husband to someday lead our families to Christ and they not gonna listen to our words but to our behaviour and actions, and also our prayers I prayer for my wife and kids everyday its very important Im sure you do too, we have to be patient, just the other day I read the story of some Christian soldiers the turks captured and they tried to persuade them to become Muslims and offered them money and high positions if they renounces Christ, they kept them in horrible conditions in prison and gave them the worst of food and treatment, this lasted for 7 years then finally they cut off all their heads because they remained faithful to Christ, you and I we must also endure our difficulties, it wont last forever and some day we gonna die anyway so at least look forward to the next life if thats all you have, I do that many times myself, I did remember to mention you and the other guy at my prayers at the liturgy today
Not sure how you guys eat meals as a family but try eat meals all together as a family, at least once a day, we eat all together at the table and only on the weekends we will have a movie playing while we have supper but still at the table, another good thing to do with your family is go for walks together a few times a week, we always do this and the kids sometimes take their bikes and my wife takes the dog, its gonna help your family become more functional try it you will see what I mean, its good family bonding time, with your wife also try take her out alone once a week, either a walk or coffee and if you can afford a restaurant or a good night out somewhere, woman need this Iv learnt, so how I practice my faith at home while my wife is busy getting kids dressed and making their food Im outside feesing the chickens so I go do my prayers or maybe after I drop them off at school then while mt wife is busy getting ready or washing the dishes then I go do my prayers, if kids are home will do it while they watching tv while they waiting for their lunch to be served then I quietly disappear unnoticed and go do my prayers, my reading I do either early morning, on the toilet haha or late at night, I also have books on my phone. For us men we need some physical activities to do they lift our spirits and also calm our passions a bit so I either push some weights, run a bit, chop woods, be in the sunshine and fresh air, this will help with our mental health as men I find, sometimes my exercise is just doing chin ups on my bathroom door after an evening shower and some quick exercises in my bedroom while Im getting dressed, maybe you already doing these things and even more things I dont know but these things they help me, just a personal question how is your sex life with your wife?
Preparing my next lent meal, this is my slow cooker, underneathe all these vegetables I have brown lentils, and a bag of soup mix grains which is basically split green peas, barley, more lentils and rye I think, I chopped up x3 fresh chillies, onions, a whole lot of kale, green peppers and added coarse salt and cummin, this will last me for about 3 days, I cook in big batches, I will make a pot of rice and will mix this with rice or pasta, can also be eaten with bread, I sometimes also add avocado once I have plated my food, on days where oil is allowed I will dash some extra virgin olive oil over a meal like this. I will still eat fruits and other snacks during the day like bananas, nuts and all kinds of other fruits, peanut butter and jam sandwiches (the peanut butter without oil). These are the kind of meals I have during lent and I make my own food on the side so I dont disturb the rest of the house, this can also be frozen in batches and defrosted as needed (not in a microwave thats bad) this is breakfast lunch and supper by the way.
Yesterday was an oil and wine day. Went out for some fried shrimp and a couple of beers. Do any of you know what liturgical date caused the fast to be relaxed?
Looks like it was the day of the Holy Apostle and Evangelist Mark (on the new calendar)
Alcohol is always allowed on the weekends during Lent. Shrimp are counted as insects are not prohibited.
Other than that, may everyone have a blessed Palm Sunday today!!