As parents, and I think moms especially struggle with this, there seems to be a constant urge to be ‘doing’ things. Exercise more, read to our kids more, organize more, work more, etc. The problem is, when we are trying to do so many different things, we can’t do anything well! Hence why trying to [...]

As a convert from evangelicalism, the biggest struggle I have with Orthodoxy is carrying the rhythm of the liturgical year from church to home.  Not by any lack of desire…I simply often don’t know how.
The strange thing for many of us converts is that Orthodoxy is a faith that is so rich that it can [...]

The Nativity Fast is quickly approaching. In America, it is very hard to follow the fast when everyone else anticipates Christmas with feasting. However, let us try to counteract culture and adopt the rhythm of the Orthodox church year into our celebrations of Christmas. We fast to prepare for our twelve days of feasting from [...]

This Friday marks the feast of the Dormition of the Theotokos. Preceded by a two week fast, this feast commemorates the death and assumption into heaven of the Theotokos. I find it especially important to celebrate this feast in the home as it teaches children an appropriate attitude towards death. [...]

August 6th marks yet another great feast in the Orthodox Church. This event has manifold significance in Orthodox theology, being seen as a foreshadowing of Christ’s second coming and also as representing the transformed state in which Christians will some day appear. Dependent on the age of your children, this concept might be [...]

“To fall is to sin. To stay fallen and not try to get up is devilish.”
I was told this during a confession once. I had been talking about some sins I struggle with that have been negatively affecting my mothering. Fears, passions, habits. My confessor told me this to comfort me. To encourage me. In [...]

This Sunday, June 29th marks another great feast, that of Saints Peter and Paul. This feast is always preceded by a fast that varies in length dependent on when Pentecost falls. This year the fast is just the 6 days preceeding. If you haven’t already done so, meet with your priest/spiritual father [...]

My daughter Lucy just turned 4. All she wanted for her birthday was a party. Why a party? Because a party mustinclude cake and presents, of course! Now given that we put so much effort into celebrating our own birthdays, we should really make Pentecost a very, very big deal. After [...]

Every home is to be a little church and one of the primary tasks of every Orthodox family should be to create an environment within the home that will foster ‘church’ growth. An Orthodox home should be an environment in which prayer, spiritual education, and outreach are present. Although I cannot guarantee that [...]

As will quickly become evident even if I had chosen not to add this disclaimer: this blog is geared towards moms (and dads, too!). I have 3 little ones wreaking havoc in my home and at random intervals away from crowd control, I have been trying this past year to gather ideas to help teach [...]