Criteria for what to write a grant on...

1. Interesting (interest to the writer, interested in the research...must be motivating)
2. Expertise (recognizable by committee that will review it)
3. Distinct area (doesn't overlap with current funding)
4. Synergy with overarching area of research
5. Important for Human Health
6. Have preliminary data to support hypothesis
7. Utilizes available resources (cores)

Wisdom of my post-doctoral mentor.

And he belts it out...even on 3.5 hours sleep

My only wish is that AJ would have finished the end of this song.  It was Pascha and the next line of this song (by Lulu Mae, "The Man with the Golden Toy"), "and they fell down on their hands and knees and asked where did you learn to play?  I said I got my tongue from Jesus Christ on His Resurrection Day"...

For Your Entertainment

Samantha and Andrew love to entertain Matthew.  This is an example of how they do it... Enjoy.

Reflections on Holy Week and Pascha

Christ is Risen! Indeed He has risen!

Lent this year went by so quickly! I feel like a failure in many senses from my Lenten journey... I didn't feel like I made enough time to focus on my journey, yet after this Lent I am still changed. (the Lord has mercy) Literally the 'fast' was the easiest its ever been, but it shouldn't have been that way. Usually I struggle with giving up dairy and its a true sacrifice, but since I've been dairy free since Thanksgiving, taking meat off the menu wasn't very difficult. It was harder this year explaining to the kids why we didn't have 'special treats', but it was easier to explain the meaning of this past week.

Lazarus Saturday Liturgy was bitter sweet. While we focus on the forthcoming victory of Christ over Hades, I couldn't get my mind off of the loss of Baby Quinn for the Segmour family. Yet the are related so intriciately. As Protoprebyter Alexander Schmemann said, " it is because He wept, i.e., loved His friend Lazarus and had pity on him, that He had the power of restoring life to him. The power of Resurrection is not a Divine "power in itself’," but the power of love, or rather, love as power. God is Love, and it is love that creates life; it is love that weeps at the grave and it is, therefore, love that restores life." It is love that allows the Segmour family to continue to live life and believe in the Resurrection and their future with Quinn in Heaven. Samantha came to know Quinn's story and was very sad that she passed away. It was hard to explain to her that it is okay to be sad that she wasn't here on Earth and happy at the same time that Quinn's suffering was over.

Palm Sunday celebration was beautiful. We welcomed Andrew's godbrother to church for the first time. Baby John (Jack) is so precious! We also helped our godson, Simon, and the kids understand the meaning of the day and the 'journey to Jerusalem'.

Simon is 2. Simon do you want to go walk around and hold your palm branch up to the clergy as they carry the icons in procession? NO! How about we go make a tunnel and wave the branches in the air and shout? YES!

"Hosanna, Hosanna in the Highest. Blessed is He who cometh in the name of the Lord"

Holy week continues whether we make it to Church or not. Starting Tuesday we had trouble getting to the Church together so we began what I call the 'kid shuffle'. David went. I stayed with the kids. Then vice versa. This continued all week but gradually the kids attended more services and we used the time at home to make sure the understood what was happening along the journey (and to listen to You Tube videos of some of our favorite hymns and chants). Samantha loves the evening services. She feels so comfortable and at home in the church. I love the scent it leaves on our clothes and in her hair! The highlight of the kid shuffle for me was attending Holy Thursday's evening service (the 12 gospels) with Samantha. What a blessing. I cried during the hymn, "Today he who hung the earth upon the waters is suspended on the tree".

On Pascha Matthew was well enough for all of us to be back at the liturgy together. Andrew stayed up for 5 hours! (9:30 pm- 245AM!!) He didn't want to miss anything. The procession, the hymns, the banging on the doors of Hades, the shouting in several languages (even Swedish), the darkness, the light, the haze from the incense. Experiencing Orthodoxy with every sense we have. Prepared or not. Ready or not. Pascha arrives each year and one day our Savior will be back. I must not just make the time to prepare, I must make it the priority to get ready.