The weather today couldn’t have been prettier! Our first Liturgy was very well attended, 55 people including 15 newcomers. We were delighted to welcome so many new people! The choir sang from the loft (you can see them in the nave after communion) and sounded beautiful. Moppet was very well behaved, and while Mittens could have been better, she also could have been worse. After Liturgy we gathered under the pavilion for a fish dinner. The children had a wonderful time feeding the horse leftover baby carrots. All in all, a very auspicious beginning. Glory to God!

[ETA: A friend posted this saying on a blog post today and I loved how it went straight to the heart of the matter:

Sayings of Elder Joseph of Optina:

Patience

Without patience, even a temporary home is not built, let alone the eternal one … But we keep looking for the easy way.  What is easy for the body is not useful for the soul, and what is useful for the soul is difficult for the body – so we should proceed through labor to the Kingdom of Heaven.]