“O Lord, Grant me to greet the coming day in peace…” Summertime is wrapping up and it’s rhythms and structures (or lack thereof) are in full swing and need to be shifted and readjusted as we head into the next academic (and ecclesiastical) year. For our family summer has actually been much busier than our standard slow-paced rhythm of the school year in our hybrid homeschool model. Lots of fun and exciting…
Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit, and there are varieties of services, but the same Lord, and there are a variety of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone. I Corinthians 12:4-6 This is a topic I have been mulling over for quite some time. When my oldest son started as an altar boy a few years ago I was quite…
Prayer! It’s the most important thing for our spiritual lives – the thing that will help us to uphold those other two pillars – fasting and almsgiving. Prayer is the way we speak to and with our heavenly Father as well as his beloved Son, the Theotokos and the heavenly hosts. And when should we pray? Always… pray always. This is clear – and so there is the Jesus Prayer, there is…
So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen.- Matthew 20:16 During evening prayers a few months ago my 6 year old daughter shared feeling repentant for the fact that she had rushed on to something else after her friend had dropped a cup of markers without going to help her clean them up. Firstly – wow. I was impressed at the level of…
When my oldest was 3 years old I had a conversation with a dear Orthodox friend about how to manage children at the midnight Paschal celebration. At that time our church didn’t have any other little children and I wasn’t sure how I would manage or how my son would react. When I was little we had lots of children and I remember clearly our parents setting up sleeping bags in the…
O Lord and Master of my Life, take from me the spirit of sloth, faintheartedness, lust of power, and idle talk. But give rather the spirit of chastity, humility, patience, and love to thy servant. Yea, O Lord and King, grant me to see my own sins and not to judge my brother for Thou art holy unto ages of ages. Forgive me a sinner! A blessed Great Lent to all…
“How can you say to your brother or sister, ‘Brother, Sister, let me take the splinter out of your eye,’ when you don’t see the log in your own eye? You deceive yourselves! First take the log out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to take the splinter out of your brother’s or sister’s eye.” – Luke 6:42 (Common English Bible Translation) I find a tricky area of…
“Why did God let Adam and Eve eat the apple?” “Mama, what is love? How do I know if I love everyone?” “Why does God let me throw up? Does God think this is for my good?” Phew! Being a mama to curious children is tricky. I don’t know about you, but I really sometimes wish that they would just accept that that is the way it is! Sometimes when I hear…
Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. – Luke 12:32 I must confess that I have struggled with worries and fears my whole life. You know who you are if you can relate. I absolutely recognize this as a deficit in faith and also know that I am imperfect and that as long as I struggle against my fallen nature and cry out…
Two nights ago I held a large celebration at my home for a milestone birthday for my mother. It was a truly joyous event. God granted us health and good-weather and lavished us with good food, music and company. Many of my mothers friends came from out of town to celebrate, including one of my mother’s oldest and dearest friends who has a loving but turbulent relationship. Perhaps she had a bit…
