Author: Sasha Rose Oxnard

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…

We move too quickly. We are always seemingly in a rush. Have you noticed? Especially with children – who can take exasperatingly long to do the few things they need to do to get out of the door.* So sometimes we are not even in a rush but we are rushing our children. Perhaps this doesn’t apply to you, or you think it doesn’t, but perhaps it does. Pay attention. We are…

As I started writing this post I was just on a plane home from our yearly summer vacation in the Midwest. Lake swimming. Paddling. Turtling and familiar hikes – all some of the wonderful traditions that my kids participate in yearly just as their father did and their grandmother and great grandmother before them. Traditions handed down from generation to generation. Priceless. Today’s society is so anti tradition. So concerned about rectifying…

Summer is officially here. We spent a beautiful first week of summer break – lazing around reading-aloud on a picnic blanket in the sun, building complicated tunnel and bridge creations in the sand box and a lovely road trip to visit one of my oldest and closest Orthodox friends and her children. Letting down first from the rigor of Lent and then from the business of the school year is a beautiful…

Christ is Risen! I don’t know about you, but after a busy Lenten season and a full and glorious Holy Week and Paschal celebration settling back into “old” rhythms somehow feels a bit empty. In our home we aim to celebrate the 40 days of Pascha and anticipate the feasts of Ascension and Pentecost, but I slightly overscheduled us this year for the weeks after Pascha and I am spent. This also…

We spent the third week of Great and Holy Lent (when I started to write this post!) contemplating the life and legacy of St. Gregory of Palamas and the beauty and simplicity of the Jesus prayer. How can we bring such a profound and yet simple practice to our children? Our children, for the most part, are so on the go – from the moment their eyes pop open in the morning…

“For I was hungry, and you gave me to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave me drink; I was a stranger, and you took me in.” (Matthew 25: 35) – Meatfare Sunday   A blessed beginning of Great and Holy Lent to all of you. As a child I used to joke that my mother’s favorite game was “Lent”. I don’t remember this well but I can only assume I was…

The concept of a “devotional” is not one that I grew up with, but certainly a concept that has become more popular recently in Christian culture. Merriam-Webster defines the term “devotional” as “a short worship service”. But in general I see a devotional as any short spiritual reading or practice which aims to open our minds and hearts to the grace and glory of our Lord. Just a brief google search of…

For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. – 2 Peter 1:5-9   As a parent I find myself constantly wanting to bring my children…