David Given Schwarm

Married, Father, United

St. Innocent of Irkutsk, Indication of the Way into the Kingdom of

Faith and love which are gifts of the Holy Spirit are such great and powerful means that a person who has them can easily, and with joy and consolation, go the way Jesus Christ went. Besides this, the Holy Spirit gives man the power to resist the delusions of the world so that although he…
Elder Nazarius

Beguiling and deceptive is the life of the world, fruitless its labor, perilous its delight, poor its riches, delusive its honors, inconstant, insignificant; and woe to those who hope in its seeming goods: because of this many die without repentance. Blessed and mos blessed are those who depart from the world and its desires.
Kontakia of St. Romanos, On the Mission of the Apostles.

Be strong in Me; and you, too, Andrew; just as you were the first to find Me, you were found by me; so find the one who has wandered; Do not forget your first skill; from it I shall educate you for this new art. Formerly, naked into the deep sea, now naked into life;…
Factory Girl

Anakin Plays Bob Dylan! This amazing film sets Edie up as the poor little rich girl who soul is being fought over by two of the most brilliant men of the last century. She must choose between Dylan and Warhol–it is amazing–she choosing wrong and pays. This fictional battle is played so brilliantly–Warhol is EVIL–he…
Power

1. Power breeds reliance2. There are ends to power.3. I am not afraid4. I am not pretending to be Dave5. The end of control is not the end of power.
Solve

1. Solve the problem now, not yesterday.2. Be very hones–and learn to keep your mouth shut.3. Tell your truth, live your life, love as much as possible.4. Forget fear, be on time, be honest.5. Everything will be all right, you get what you need.6. Read as much as you can–pay close attention.7. Understand what you…
St. Paisius Velichkovsky

Remember, O my soul, the terrible and frightful wonder: that your Creator for your sake became Man, and deigned to suffer for the sake of your salvation. His angels tremble, the Cherubim are terrified, the Seraphim are in fear, and all the heavenly powers ceaselessly give praise; and you, unfortunate soul, remain in laziness. At…
Lazy

1. Do not be lazy.2. Be consistent.3. The whole truth is more then some of the truth.4. Remember to be grateful.5. A job is what one can do for them.6. Understand what you bring to the table.7. Forget what you do not need to remember.8. Listen to where the blues come from.9. Don’t be afraid…
St. Anthony the Great

I saw the snares that the enemy spreads out over the world and I said groaning, “What can get through from such snares?” Then I heard a voice saying to me, “Humility.”
Magritte and Contemporary Art: The Treachery of Images

Lisa, Jack, Kate, and I went up and saw LACMA this Sunday. I went and saw the Magritte exhibit which was outstanding–lots of great paintings, fantastic curation, awesome exhibition space, good crowd, the entire thing ruled. We also saw the Picasso print, Krishna History, Japanese stuff, and lots of other things–a really great day at…