Fifty Maxims from the Shed: Matushka Sophia Daniels

1. Be gentle.
2. Be meek.
3. Be obedient to the will of God.
4. Be kind.
5. Be silent.
6. Don’t be double-minded.
7. Be patient.
8. Don’t try to figure things out.
9. Don’t be afraid. You are not alone. God is always with you.
10. Don’t worry. God is not present in the “worry”.
11. Don’t believe everything you think.
12. Be humble.
13. Judge less. Pray more.
14. Be strong in your faith.
15. Don’t feel guilty, feel weak. Christ comes to us in our weakness.
16. Don’t forget how dear everyone is to God and treat each person accordingly.
17. Don’t forget how dear you are to God, how much He loves you.
18. Bond to God as your Father by spending time with Him in church, in prayer.
19. Fast. If you can’t fast, eat sensibly.
20. Do the best you can.
21. Don’t seek suffering. It will come.
22. Don’t seek consolations. They will come.
23. When tempted say, “Get behind me Satan. Come quickly, Lord Jesus, come quickly!”
24. Strive to pray in your heart, always.
25. Use your prayer book. These prayers teach us how to pray.
26. Pray in your own words. Tell Jesus everything in your heart. He knows it anyway.
27. Remember, where there is destruction, there is sin and amend your ways accordingly.
28. Always remember we are not defined by culture, agenda, or politics. We are defined by Christ.
29. Never let hate into your heart. It will color all your relationships.
30. Live each day simply in the day, not worrying about tomorrow.
31. Don’t think you are bringing Christ to others. They are bringing Christ to you (even the sinner).
32. Stop reading “words” (eg “theosis,” “deification”) and read the “Word” (Christ).
33. To know the Word, Christ, read the Scriptures every day.
34. Think of your death. It changes your perspective on life and teaches you what is important.
35. Seek peace, not “things” which bring no peace but anxiety.
36. Try to do something good for someone each day, especially someone you find hard to like.
37. Serve Christ by serving others.
38. In the morning think about what you need to do and who you are going to see, and ask God’s blessings on both.
39. At night, think about who you saw and what you did, and examine your conscience.
40. Pray for those you’ve hurt over the years.
41. Stop talking and preaching. Listen.
42. Always remember your opinion is probably wrong, based on your own subjective experiences.
43. Accept everyone as he or she is, and not how you think they should be.
44. Love everyone unconditionally.
45. Remember the one who is hardest to love needs it the most.
46. Have a regular prayer rule in a special prayer corner.
47. Enter fully into the life of the Church.
48. Enter fully into the Church’s worship and sacraments.
49. Enter fully into the tradition of the Saints. Walk with them daily (by reading their sayings and lives).
50. Commit your way to the Lord. Trust in Him and He will act. Psalm 37:5

Some of these maxims I got from others. Mother Karitina wrote to me that she tries to eat sensibly. An interviewee on the news said, “Judge less. Pray more.” And I read in a mystery novel, “Don’t believe everything you think.” But all of these are now part of my own struggles and prayers. - Matushka Sophia