My table full of gifts – from Russia with love. I got this all from my angel Nikushka!
A Russian Orthodox Christian music CD called «Приидите,
поклонимся. Песнопения Божественной Литургии» (in
English: Come, Let Us Worship. Chants of the Divine Liturgy).
поклонимся. Песнопения Божественной Литургии» (in
English: Come, Let Us Worship. Chants of the Divine Liturgy).
A little wooden box, made in Russia. Not only is it pretty, but it
smells very good: like bark and resin. My mother would have loved
this. She loved beautiful old fashioned objects like this – and so do I.
smells very good: like bark and resin. My mother would have loved
this. She loved beautiful old fashioned objects like this – and so do I.
Yuri Gagarin exclusive collector's coin (Юрий Алексеевич
Гагарин Эксклюзивная коллекционная монета). Ура!!!!!
This year, we have "black Christmas" in Finland. That means, ground is black and we have no snow, except in Lapland. We have less than 5 hours of daylight, so it's very dark. Air temperature is about +2 °C or 36 °F by day. Abnormal weather at this time of the year. Too bad, because I love snow, and winter is my favorite season.
After all, it's a Christmas time, no matter whether it is black or white. Internal is more important than external. We can find a bigger light, inner light – Christ in our hearts. Christmas is the birthday of Our Saviour Jesus Christ. He brings the light into the darkness. Though the ground is black the whiteness can be in you.
This year, I'm going to spend Christmas alone again. Never mind, I used to live like a monk in his cell (in Russian: келья). Haha. Actually, I like this peace and silence around me. Last year, "my Russian angel" saved my Christmas by chatting back and forth with me. Finally, I didn't feel the loneliness at all.
There is a saying, "present but not present". But you can also be present even though you're not physically present. Presence is very subtle mental or spiritual experience. Time and space are not only dimensions, and physical world is not the only world we live in. Am I here if my heart is there, and where is love if she is not here with me? We have to admit, things like these are ultimately mysteries, at least not clear. For me, the physical things are not so important. I am a mystic at heart. I deeply feel, I'm a spirit already, not just after the death.
Besides, death doesn't really exist. The Bible says, "He is not the God of the dead, but of the living, for to him all are alive" (The Gospel of Luke 20:38). Lord himself says, "Whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?" (The Gospel of John 11:26). Now this is very radical statement, and I believe it's true.
Besides, death doesn't really exist. The Bible says, "He is not the God of the dead, but of the living, for to him all are alive" (The Gospel of Luke 20:38). Lord himself says, "Whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?" (The Gospel of John 11:26). Now this is very radical statement, and I believe it's true.
To being more down-to-earth, these days I'm going to read a lot and watch some nice movies (like old Disney and Soviet cartoons) and chat with my angel. What I am reading? A Russian short stories, chapters of the Bible, and the Finnish children's book called Joulupukki (in English: Santa Claus) written and drawn by Mauri Kunnas. I got that book as a Christmas gift when I was 11 years old. So this is very nostalgic reading experience for me.
Christmas is the celebration of peace and joy that light up the whole world. On Christmas night, the angels said to the shepherds, "Be not afraid; for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which shall be to all the people... Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men in whom he is well pleased" (The Gospel of Luke 2:10, 14).
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year 2016 to all my friends! （＾—＾）
"Christ is born! Glorify Him!" (A traditional Orthodox Christian Christmas greetings.)
Teisuka
A later addition:
A few days after Christmas, I received a huge parcel from my Russian angel Nika. The parcel included many kinds of lovely gifts: souvenirs and decorative items, like different sorts of boxes (also a wooden box), a wooden mug, a beautiful Moscow plate, a Russian tablecloth, three bars of chocolate, a lollipops, a tea pack, a refrigerator magnets and postcards, Ded Moroz (in English: Grandfather Frost, in Finnish: Pakkasukko) and Snegurochka (in English: The Snow Maiden, in Finnish: Lumityttö) figure candles, and a beautiful Russian spiritual music CD. My absolute favorite is the exclusive collector's coin of Yuri Gagarin (Nika knows I'm a fan of Gagarin and I love all kinds of space stuff)! ^^
Wow, these are my best Christmas gifts for years! Feels like I'm a child again. :) Thank you very much, my sweet angel. You are the best, and I love you! Большое спасибо, ангел мой! Я люблю тебя! ♥
Teisuka
(Updated December 31, 2015.)
A later addition:
Christmas Gifts from Nika
A few days after Christmas, I received a huge parcel from my Russian angel Nika. The parcel included many kinds of lovely gifts: souvenirs and decorative items, like different sorts of boxes (also a wooden box), a wooden mug, a beautiful Moscow plate, a Russian tablecloth, three bars of chocolate, a lollipops, a tea pack, a refrigerator magnets and postcards, Ded Moroz (in English: Grandfather Frost, in Finnish: Pakkasukko) and Snegurochka (in English: The Snow Maiden, in Finnish: Lumityttö) figure candles, and a beautiful Russian spiritual music CD. My absolute favorite is the exclusive collector's coin of Yuri Gagarin (Nika knows I'm a fan of Gagarin and I love all kinds of space stuff)! ^^
Wow, these are my best Christmas gifts for years! Feels like I'm a child again. :) Thank you very much, my sweet angel. You are the best, and I love you! Большое спасибо, ангел мой! Я люблю тебя! ♥
Teisuka
(Updated December 31, 2015.)
First snow on my home street, November 22.
A beautiful frozen tree in my neighborhood.
Christmas icon or the Eastern Orthodox icon of the birth of Christ.
A Finnish picture book called Joulupukki (in English: Santa Claus)
by Mauri Kunnas. I got this book as a Christmas gift when I was
11 years old. Ah, that was so long ago... and still like yesterday.
11 years old. Ah, that was so long ago... and still like yesterday.
Christ is born, glorify Him!
ReplyDeleteEven if I'm an orthodox, I didn't know about this greeting, but probably because I'm not such a religious person.
Anyway, I do believe in Christmas. And I STILL believe in Santa:) Teisuka, I wish you to have beautiful Holidays and I hope that NeXT year you will spend them next to year angel:) Monica
Hi Monica. "Christ is born! Glorify Him!" (^^)/ Thank you for visiting, my friend, and for your good wishes. I also hope that next year I could spend Christmas together with my angel... Oh, and me too: I still believe in Santa Claus! I saw him just today on my home street. Yes - really! Haha. :) Do you know that he lives in Finland? To be exact, Santa lives in the mountains of Korvatunturi in Lapland Province, Finland... :) Merry Christmas and all the best to you, Monica. May your dreams come true in 2016! ~Teisuka
DeleteMerry Christmas brother Teisuka, enjoy your chat with your angel, and have a joyous New Year....we have no snow either but it allows me to run in the winter.....you are in my thoughts :)
ReplyDeleteHi Glenn. Thank you very much for your message, brother. So glad to see you here. Merry Christmas to you! And I wish you all the best in 2016: happiness, health, love, peace, joy, prosperity, and so on! You are in my prayers, too. :) Best wishes, Teisuka
DeleteHey, Teisuka! Happy New Year and Merry Christmas!
ReplyDeleteDon't mourn we have the lack of snow too, something wrong with the world today) May you be blessed with wonderful friends and gifts and a season filled with peace and snow) Nice souvenirs! Gagarin forever!) I like bast shoes though that is not my size)
Victor
Privet, Victor!
DeleteHappy New Year 2016 to you, my friend! Many thanks for visiting here. Yeah, that's strange there is no snow neither in Moscow. There is really something wrong with the weather... "Peace and snow" – this sounds like a good New Year's wish. I agree with you. :) Da, Gagarin forever! He is also my childhood's hero and eternal idol. All the best to you and your loved ones, Victor. Let the bell ring beautifully for the glory of God AD 2016! :)
Teisuka
hi Teisuka^^/ Merry Christmas and Happy New Year my dear friend! ♥(ˆ◡ˆ)♥
ReplyDeletei tried to leave a comment on your G+ page , but i barely managed to add a '+'. some does not work again. hope it's not on my new laptop xa-xa :D
very nice articlу and pfotos. thank you.
also i want to say im very happy you liked Christmas gifts i gave you^-^ я старалась :)
i wish you a lot of snow and a lot of the joy of Christmas, my dear friend!
Greetings from Moscow\^^/ Nika
Hi Nikushka,
DeleteMerry Christmas and Happy New Year, my dear! ^^/ С Рождеством и С Новым годом, милый друг! ♥ Many thanks for your positive feedback and good wishes. Also, thanks again for your lovely gifts. I hope you like my gifts as much. A lot of snow and a lot of joy – that's a good wish! Спасибо! The same to you, my Snegurochka! （＾—＾）
From Finland with love,
Teisuka
P.S. Guess what? Just yesterday a real winter arrived to Finland from Russia! At the moment, a new snow covers the ground, and air temperature is -15 °C. It's so beautiful out there... Спасибо, Россия! Ура!!! Ха-ха. :D
Oh wowwowwow, nice gifts from Russia!! (⁎⚈᷀᷁▿⚈᷀᷁⁎)
ReplyDeleteThey have so much beauty in the Russian culture! o(〃＾▽＾〃)o
It's true, you are where your heart and mind is! You can be with someone even if your physical body is not there with them. Much love and snow and happiness to your and your angel's year 2016!! (✿ ♥‿♥)
Hello, Gilmore.
DeleteOh, thank you very much for your great comment that made me smile! :) Indeed, Russian culture is so full of beauty. "You are where your heart and mind is." Exactly – amen to this! At least there is one person who understand my "philosophy of spiritual presence". Haha. Many thanks for your good wishes to me and my angel. For my part, I wish all the best (happiness, health, love, peace, joy, success and so on) to you and your loved one in the year 2016! :)
Blessings,
Teisuka
¸.•´¸.•* ♫ Oh... you got so much gift in Christmas Teisuka-san... LOL... I actually did not receive anything just recall.... LOL... My Christmas was fun because I was travelling many places... total drove more than 3000 miles... It is like driving from New York to California one way... A lot of driving indeed... from cold to warm weather too in a short 2 weeks.
ReplyDeleteAs of snow... I did not experience any as well... but tonight according to the forecast, there will be some snow coming... It is Sunday tomorrow so it is okay.... LOL...
Anyway.... hope your new year is well so far.... take a good care and I wish your days fill with wonderful moments my friend...
Hello, Shawn-san.
DeleteI can always recognize your style even without a signature... ;) Thank you very much for being here today and for your nice comment. I really appreciate that. Yes, these were the best Christmas gifts which I have gotten for many years. My angel takes good care of me. ^^
Sorry to hear you didn't receive anything this year... but just a mere remembering, time, and nearness can be the best gifts we can get... I hope you had a wonderful trip. Wow, you drove more than 3000 miles? Such a driver you are! :)
My New Year has started well, full of love and romanticism... And now we have also snow and cold weather in Finland, and I'm grateful for that. Haha.
Have a wonderful weekend, my friend, and Happy New Year 2016! Be well and stay warm. :)
Teisuka
Hi Teisuka,
ReplyDeleteSorry for not coming to your blog station for quite a while. And it was really a pleasant surprise to see your new blog entry with pictures of the gifts you received from your Russian angel. Hope you had a lot of fun during Christmas holidays, even though you were basically all by yourself. :-)
I agree with you that one's inner world is more important than the outside one. In the Western culture, we always try to gain happiness by pursuing things outside of ourselves, like all these material stuff, and that kind of happiness is usually short-lived. It is only through inner peace that we can enjoy lasting happiness. Of course, it takes a lot of practice to feel that kind of peace. So I'm trying to be more mindful in life and do some meditation whenever possible. I haven't seen any result yet, but I believe I will get there eventually if I keep practicing mindfulness.
The other positive change about me is that I pray more nowadays and a lot of times it works! This has definitely increased my faith in our Lord and makes me feel more control of my life. Of course, having control over my life is not my purpose (maybe I should pursue the opposite, that is, giving up attachment, haha...), but I think it definitely can help me be on the right track toward whatever goals or purposes I have for my life.
So I suppose you've read a lot recently? It's amazing that you still keep that children's book from your childhood. I wish I could have been like you in taking care of old stuff. I miss those things from my childhood, but I lost all of them long time ago.
I hope everything has been going well for you in this new year, my friend. Let's keep our faith and continue feeling His grace in 2016. I'm sure it will be a great year for both of us! :-)
By the way, as it will be 63rd birthday of our beloved Teresa Teng tomorrow (January 29), I just created a new music video featuring her song entitled "Love." Please check it on my YouTube channel when you have time.
Enjoy the rest of the week and the coming weekend, my dear friend!
Bao
Hi Bao,
DeleteLong time no see! Many thanks for your kind words and good wishes, my friend. Always glad to read your wise messages. Yes, I had a nice Christmas holidays – I hope you had too. I agree with your opinion regarding the inner world vs. western materialism. What comes to mindfulness (in Finnish: tietoisuustaito), I think it's a good thing in a psychological sense. For my part, I also practicing Christian meditation and (especially) so called 'Jesus Prayer'.
I'm glad to hear about your faith has increased. Having control over one's life is a great thing as well. In the same time, I like this Bible verse, "cast all your anxiety on him [God] because he cares for you" (1 Peter 5:7). This means safety – that everything is in the hands of God. :)
And yes, I remember today (January 29) is a birthday of our beloved Teresa Teng. Today, in the Orthodox evening service (вечерня) I remembered her in my prayer. I'm going to check out your new video on YouTube as soon as possible.
Blessings and all the best to you, my friend. May this be a happy and lucky year for you! "Let's keep our faith and continue feeling His grace in 2016." Amen to this. Have a wonderful weekend, Bao, and see you on YouTube! :)
Teisuka