Having a life after divorce may seem difficult to imagine during the early stages. You may feel a combination of emotions such as sadness, depression, and anxiety as well as anger and loneliness. Some days may seem better. Other times, life may feel overwhelming. Those feelings are normal when recovering from divorce. Just as a train passes through a tunnel to get to the other side of a mountain, those difficult emotions we experience are part of the healing process and are necessary in ... [Read more]
Through Elizabeth’s Eyes
I have heard that St. Seraphim of Sarov would greet everyone he met with, “Christ is Risen, My Joy.” It did not matter what season of the year it was. He would always use the Paschal greeting, and rather than use a name, he would call each person, “My Joy.” I do not think he just had trouble remembering names. He truly felt joy in the presence of each visitor that came to him. I was considering what that would be like to look at each person we meet with joy like that. We so often see other ... [Read more]
A Father, Son Walk
I’m often reminded of my priest’s words to me after my son entered my life. “All children come with a PhD,” he said, “a Parental Healing Doctorate. Your son will be your teacher.” I was reminded again of this while waiting with my son for my car to be fixed. I misjudged the time, and we had several hours to wait rather than just one. I decided we’d go for a walk and run some errands to fill the time. Walking hand in hand with my five year old son brought me reflections on my walk with my ... [Read more]
Where Are You?
Good therapy helps a person to get clearer on who they are. Where we are with ourselves, where we are with our relationships, where we are with our personal habits and ultimately where we are with our connection with God. Self reflection is a courageous choice of those who seek a healthy life. Socrates is known for saying, “The unexamined life is not worth living." Viktor Frankl, a famous Austrian psychiatrist and holocaust survivor wrote: “When we are no longer able to ... [Read more]
GREAT LENT: A time for reflection, responsibility and transformation
Most parents realize that keeping their babies healthy requires taking them to the pediatrician for their “well baby” check-ups. At each visit the doctor weighs and measures their kids to make sure they are growing at a healthy rate, checking eyesight and hearing, and answering any questions about behavior and health issues. As parents, we can’t wait for our children to reach important milestones – the first pounds gained, sitting up straight, rolling over, crawling, walking and eating solid ... [Read more]
Bird’s Nests and Healing Hearts
There is a story from the early Christian monastics that tells of a student approaching his spiritual father and saying something like, “Father, I am continually struggling with these wandering thoughts. What should I do?” The father replies, “Can you stop those birds from flying over our heads?” “No, father “Can you stop them from swooping down and building a nest on your ... [Read more]
Lenten Reflection: “Everything To Me”
A few nights ago, my son was falling asleep on my shoulder as I was reading Galatians 4:4-7. In brief, it says that God sent forth His son to redeem us so that we might receive adoption from God. Since we are now His children, God sent forth the Spirit into our hearts to cry ‘Abba Father’. We are not slaves, but heirs of God through Christ. Time and time again, I am struck by the fact that God wants us for his children. It hit me especially that night because my son was so near, and ... [Read more]
Come and See: Christ transfigures darkness into light through Song
There’s an old story that may not be true about a monk that trapped a demon in his cell. The demon begged release, and the monk said that he would release him only if the demon sang the songs of the angels, which the demon had sung prior to the fall. The demon protests but finally gives in. As the demon sings, he is transfigured back into his original angelic being and is saved from hell. That is a very brief rendition of the story, and I have no way of knowing if it is true or not; however, I ... [Read more]
A Home Filled with Prayer is as natural as breathing…
“In a home filled with prayer, God is tasted, prayer is as natural as breathing, and Holy Tradition is passed to the next generation less by preaching than by life example.” ~ Sister Magdalen of Essex (21 Century) Imagine, if prayer were as natural as breathing? Praying together as a family takes commitment and effort. Our kiddos can often be squirmy and wiggly, yet once they witness the rhythm of prayer in the home, they too, will join along and experience one of the greatest ... [Read more]
Jesus: Enlightening the World and our Families
The apolotikion we chant on our Lord’s baptism reminds us of another extraordinary event that changed the course of this world. "At Your baptism in the Jordan, O Lord, the worship of the Trinity was made manifest, for the Father’s voice bore You witness, by calling You His beloved Son, and the Spirit in the form of a dove, confirmed the truth of the Father’s Word. O Christ our God, You have appeared to us and enlightened the world. Glory to You!" This hymn confirms for us Orthodox ... [Read more]
