Family Wellness Ministry

Family Wellness Ministry

Write It Out

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We have amazing opportunities for us to connect with one another in our families that can have far reaching effects. Recent neuro-science research has revealed that the act of writing by hand has multiple cognitive benefits for both children and adults. For children, it anchors learning whether it be learning a new letter or a new word.  When an adult writes down notes (rather than typing the speaker’s words verbatim), it anchors concepts because the listener must sift through what is being spoken to select the main points. The result is that the note taker walks away with a better understanding of the concepts. What causes the brain to “ramp up” learning when someone puts pencil to paper*?  The fine-motor skills required to replicate letters fires up neural pathways in the brain building new connections and avenues for learning.

How can this apply to family wellness? Provide opportunities to write as a means of deepening understanding and communication.  Following are some suggestions:

For the youngest members of the family:

·        Make an Alphabet book:  Use a lined notebook and each two-page spread can be devoted to one letter.  The left-hand page can be for pictures of people and things that start with that letter, and the parent can print out the word/name under the picture (which the child eventually can copy as they get more comfortable with forming letters).   The right-hand page can be devoted to practicing the letter itself. 

·        As children get more comfortable with forming words and sentences, provide opportunities to make cards or write letters to grandparents, godparents, their priest or other loved ones. 

·        Let each member of the family (adults, too!) write a special memory and illustrate it to share with the others.  Depending on how large the family is, you might spread out the sharings over the course of a week.   

For older children who are able to read and write:

·        Read a short story of a saint together and have each person record: 3 things they learned, 2 things that surprised them, and 1 question they still have about the saint (this is especially fun when we select the patron saints of the family members)

·        Write letters to shut-ins that can be delivered along with treats at the holidays (if you need suggestions, ask your priest or reach out to a local convalescent home).

·        Ask “How Do I Feel When” questions and have each person respond in writing describing what that feeling is like for them.  Help children to not to just name the emotion, but to describe what it feels like to them, ex:  “I feel angry like I want to yell and tell everyone that it’s not fair.  It feels like I am boiling inside and will explode. Sometimes, I just want to be left alone when this happens.”    (Bonus:  this also helps to develop emotional intelligence).  Here are a few sample questions:

o   How do I feel when someone at school/work says something mean to me? 

o   How do I feel when it’s Great Lent and I am the only one not eating meat when my friends go out?

o   How do I feel when someone gives me a compliment?

For couples: 

·        Use the “How Do I Feel When” question technique on couple-focused questions and take turns sharing your answers with one another.  Your goal is to try to “feel” what the other person might be feeling based on their description.  Here are some sample questions:

o   How do I feel when we have to decide with whom we are spending the holidays?

o   How do I feel when I think about our journey to have children?

o   How do I feel when I know that you are there for me?

o   How do I feel when I think about our soon-to-be-empty nest?

As we write, it gives the brain time to explore and express while activating those neural pathways.  The verbal exchanges and conversations should be more focused because we have taken the time to reflect before responding.  We would love to hear your stories about applying these techniques in your family!

 *It doesn’t matter if it’s a pencil, pen, or crayon on paper, a stylus on a screen, or a ink quill on parchment…the importance is engaging those fine-motor skills to connect with one another and express your thoughts and feelings.

Why Connection Counts: Parenting From the Heart

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The Property Value Principle

We’ve heard it said that real estate is one of our best investments. According to experts there are three factors that contribute to the value of real estate, as well as helping property maintain its worth during difficult times: location, location, location!

As we take a moment to reflect on our parenting efforts and consider viewing our kids as our most valued investment, we find that similar principles apply. Much like the real estate principle, there are three factors that contribute to a child’s sense of value and its ability to maintain its value during rough times (a durable sense of self identity when faced with peer pressure). These three factors that are central to raising healthy kids are: connection, connection, connection!

Kids who feel emotionally connected to their families are kids who make healthier life choices, embrace the faith and values that they are raised with, and end up in healthy relationships in their adult lives. This idea of “connection” can become a practical guide and reference point by which we relate all of our parenting efforts—from carpooling to coaching, from daily family prayer time to timely discipline.

Understanding High Risk Behavior in Kids

How important is connecting with our kids? Studies indicate that kids who get mixed up in gang activity are not kids who are looking for a life of violence and crime, but in fact they are kids who are looking for family connection.

As we think through the importance of our connection that we have with our kids, another study catches the attention of fathers. The study indicated that girls who report that their fathers are either “physically or emotionally unavailable” are girls who end up being sexually active as teenagers three years earlier than the national average of 16.

The Price of Privilege

A couple of years ago I was reading a popular parenting book, The Price of Privilege by Madeline Levine which confirmed what I had experienced working with teens over the past 10 years. Levine puts it this way:

“The various elements of a perfect storm—materialism , pressure to achieve, perfectionism, disconnection—are combining to create a crisis in America’s culture of affluence…While many privileged kids project confidence and know how to make a good impression, alarming numbers lack the basic foundation of psychological development: an authentic sense of self. Even parents often miss the signs of significant emotional problems in their ‘star’ children.”
The bottom line seems to reveal that this generation of kids has so much that points them to finding their identity in what they have and in what they do, that they end up confused about in who they are.

The Lost Art of Empathy

As we continue to reflect on why connection counts, a central interpersonal task can be found in our ability to tune in to and acknowledge the emotional experience of the other person, in this case our child. In simple terms, we are talking about empathy. Let’s be sure to note that empathy is meant to work hand in hand with boundaries and limit-setting. Too often empathetic parents have poor boundary setting and boundary setting parents are low in empathy.

Another common mix up is when there is confusion between acknowledge and agree. As a result, we track with and acknowledge the child’s emotional view as long as we agree. The opposite pattern is where we run into trouble. As we attempt to tune into the child, we track and offer emotional support up to the point of disagreement. Too often acknowledgement stops because we hold a different view or don’t relate to their experience, resulting in emotional disconnection. The child then experiences this as conditional love.

The Journey of Love

Our awareness to know what they feel is strongly connected to having enough emotional awareness to know what we feel; emotionally aware parents raise emotionally aware children. Empathy is incorporated into our communication through the skill of active listening. Empathy is that journey of love where we are secure enough to leave our frame of reference and travel to the others’ frame of reference in order to understand them and be present with them, resulting in connection and love.

Dr. John Gottman, a well-known psychologist and author of the book: Raising an Emotionally Intelligent Child, speaks of his view of the importance of the parents’ role in the emotional development of their children. Of the thousands of parents and children he has worked with, he states: “Our results tell a simple, yet compelling story. We have found that parents fall into one of two broad categories: those that give their children guidance about the world of emotion and those who don’t.”

As we think through ways that we can connect with our kids, we can be encouraged to know that emotional connecting can occur during most conversations and daily activities.

Where Good Psychology Finds Good Theology

As Orthodox Christians, we are blessed to discover that the healthiest and most sensible psychological principles are modeled and taught in scripture and by the Holy Tradition of the Church.

The unique characteristic of the Christian faith that distinguishes it from other world religions is that while other religions speak of mankind finding ways of reaching God, the Orthodox Christian faith offers the amazing grace of God finding ways of reaching us, and not bringing judgment, but love.

Interestingly, as we consider the central Orthodox Christian doctrine of the Incarnation, “God became man, so that man can become like God”, (St. Athanasius) we reflect on how God put love and relationship above all else, leaving His frame of reference and entering ours. In Christ’s own journey of love, He emptied and humbled Himself (Philippians 2:7–8) in order to reach us, find us, be with us, and bringing connection. We see God’s great act of empathy!

In the Parable of the Good Samaritan we learn about the story of a man who fell among thieves, “A certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was. And when he saw him, he had compassion.” Luke 10:33. It is in this compassion – it is in this connection – that we allow God to ‘live and breathe’ into our own personal lives, extending into our parenting efforts and into all of our relationships.

Love is a Four Letter Word

In the most basic terms, our kids spell love: T – I – M – E; and if your kids are as active as mine, love can also be spelled: P – L – A – Y. Building on this foundation, we find that our best conversations with our kids occur in their frame of reference not ours.

In our willingness and mindfulness to tune in to their world of emotions, we can cultivate a connection from the heart. Parenting from the heart guards us from being fear driven, ego driven or power driven, allowing us to stay connected through all their ages and stages. The profound story of God intersects with the story of mankind with His loving desire to be connected to His people, reminding us why connection counts.

 

TO LOVE AND TO BE LOVED

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Developmental psychologists and adherents to Attachment Theory say that the two greatest needs of an infant are to feel safe and secure. If a child’s development occurs over time in an environ- ment where they experience safety, security, and healthy relational connections, they will mature into a securely attached adult and move on to healthy interdependent relationships. On the other hand, if a child’s developmental years are scared by the experience of some form of relational trauma, such as physical, sexual, emotional or psychological abuse, the chance of developing a healthy concept of self, and healthy adult relationships is compromised. It has also been shown that a person who grows up in a secure and safe home atmosphere statistically has greater resilien- cy when faced with challenging and/or traumatic situations later in life.

A sense of safety and security for a child begins with the relationship of his/her primary from the first days of life, where they experience the caregiver’s love, tenderness, and ability to be present in a meaningful way. Of these, love is the most important, and is usually manifested through ten- derness and being tuned in to the child’s emotional needs. St. Paul reminds us of something very similar. He tells us that even though we may have the gift of prophecy, know all mysteries and all knowledge, give all our possessions to feed the poor, or even surrender our body to martyrdom, if we don’t have love, it profits us nothing (cf. I Cor. 13:1-13).

Love is a word that is often misunderstood today. It is used in a variety of contexts and we read about it in the media, but it seldom portrays its true meaning. Love is more than a felt sense. Love is a Person. St. John the Evangelist tells us, “The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love” (I John 4:8). Knowing that love is a person and not merely a feeling correctly orients us in all our relationships, both vertically with God, and horizontally with others.

Our capacity to love, weather God or others, rests not in our own ability but in God who is the very source of love. In order to love, we must first receive it, in order to give it. God as the source of love gives us the capacity to love Him and to love others. Our love for God as well as for our neighbor also has a point of intersection. St. John the Evangelist reminds us that we cannot say we love God and not love others. In his first pastoral letter, he says, “If someone says, ‘I love God,’ but hates his brother, he is a liar, for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen” (I John 4:20). Love is, therefore, two directional, interde- pendent and interconnected.

Fr. Zacharias Zacharou of St. John the Baptist monastery in Essex, England, stated in one of his talks the following: “Around us we see only tragedies and broken relationships. Nevertheless, we think that we will manage better. Unfortunately, we are ignorant of the measure of our fall and of how weak we are. We expect perfect and dynamic love from those around us who have the same passions as us, while we ourselves are unable to offer this because we are all bound by strong bonds and heavy burdens of sins. Our mistake is that we expect those around us, that is, sick and fallen creatures, to fulfill our innate need for love, which is something that only God can truly sat- isfy. We are deceived when we expect to receive from men, something that God alone can give us. He instilled in us the desire for love, and He alone can satisfy it.”

In my experience as both a priest and a therapist, I’ve witness time and again deep levels of frus- tration when a spouse feels unloved by the other, or not loved enough. Underlying wounds from previous relationships come crashing into the present marriage relationship, and the expectation of being deeply loved is once again dashed against the rocks. Outside of our conscious awareness, we continue to expect perfect and dynamic love from those around us who have the same passions as us.

To love and be loved is the greatest human desire, and because we are relational beings created in the image of a relational God, we most often seek love through human relationships. The depth of our desire for love, as Fr. Zacharias tells us, will never be satisfied in our horizontal relationships, because no human being can fill the depth of such a longing. In our repeated attempts, though, we try to fill the depth of our longing for such love through our relationships with others, and in the process, we become disappointed and sometimes hurt. This is not to say we cannot experience the love of God through others, we can, just not at the depth that our soul desires.

Fr. Zacharias looks at it this way, “When we are confronted by the ruins of human love and find ourselves completely broken, then two solutions can be given: either we turn to God with our pain, so that God enters our life and renews us, or we continue to be deceived by our human plans and skip from one tragedy and barrenness of soul to another, hoping that some time we will find perfection. The drama continues until we come to realize that we cannot achieve this on our own. We need a Third Person in our relationships. Just as the priests, who embrace one another in the heart of the Divine Liturgy, say, ‘Christ is in our midst’, so we should do the same in our life. God is not an in- truder in our personal relationships, but the One Who will cleanse and perfect them. He will make them secure because His great and eternal love will strengthen and inspire them.”

The challenge many of us face is simply giving God permission to enter into our relationships, al- lowing Him to be in the space “between” so that we may love others through Christ and allow our- selves to be loved by Him through others as well. This is true on all levels, whether between hus- band and wife, parent and child, siblings or friends. If we allow Christ, who is Love, to be the Third Person in our relationships, our deepest longing for love will be fulfilled and we will lessen our ex- pectation of having this need fulfilled by those who are unable to fulfill it in the first place. It re- mains a choice, however, we can “either turn to God with our pain, so that God enters our life and renews us, or we continue to be deceived by our human plans and skip from one tragedy and barren- ness of soul to another.”

Fr. Zacharias says, “If we understand, that in our present state, we are unable to fulfill our bound- less desire for love, then, maybe we will be humbler and more discreet in the love we expect in our human relationships. If we become aware of our own and others spiritual poverty, as well as the greatness of God’s merciful love, we will acquire compassion and forgiveness. We will be purified of our selfishness and treat others with respect and freedom. We will accept them as they are, with- out wishing to make them ‘perfect’ according to our way of thinking, and will not make demands on them, neither seek to dominate them.” St. Paul says, “love does not insist on its own ways” (I Cor. 13:5), which is often difficult to detect in ourselves the ways in which we do this in our relation- ships. It’s difficult to recognize because for starters, we have become so adept at justifying our- selves, and second, we continue to look for our hearts to be fully satisfied through others, and not by God.

To summarize, our capacity to love others in a healthy and pure way increases to the degree that we grow in our love relationship with Christ. Likewise, as we grow in a loving relationship with Christ, our sense of being loved, belovedness (our lovability) increases. This has a tremendous healing ef- fect on us! Having sought for so long a sense of being loveable through human relationships, we are now fulfilled by the love of God, which in turn frees us up to love all people more deeply!

With love in Christ, Fr. Timothy

OrthoTalks For Teens: Dealing with Difficult People

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OrthoTalks: Dealing With Difficult People

For All TEENS and Parents

Join Father Gary Kyriacou, Metropolis Pastor of Youth and Young Adult Ministries, and the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of San Francisco Family Wellness Ministry team for an in-depth discussion on ZOOM! The gathering will focus on the Orthodox Christian response to bullying, how to deal with someone that is mean, and understanding brokenness.

As the new school year begins our children are going to endure difficult situations. This series will aid the student’s social development by reinforcing the teachings of our Lord and His Church. If you are a TEEN in middle school or high school  we invite you and your parents to join us!

Join the discussion to understand our Orthodox Christian response to bullying and mean people. We will take a look at ourselves too, and do a little self-awareness.

TUESDAYS: November 16 & November 30th

Register online to receive the Zoom link.

For more information, please contact program facilitator Rev. Father Gary Kyriacou Metropolis Pastor of Youth and Young Adult Ministries (frgary@sanfran.goarch.org).

OrthoTalks- BULLY.2021.10.21

A Message from Papou

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The Prayer To The Holy Spirit 

Young friends, 

We start our prayer by inviting the Holy Spirit to come in us, to help us pray the right way. Did you notice how many “adjectives,” names we attach to the name of the Holy Spirit?

We call the Holy Spirit: 

“Heavenly King ” – he is the highest Ruler in the universe, together with God the Father and God the Son. 

“Comforter” – he comforts and protects us in our suffering and pain. We are not alone to be afraid. He is invisibly present by our side to comfort us, together with our parents.

“The Spirit of Truth” There are other false spirits, bad people and friends, who might say, or invite us to do bad things. We should never listen to them or do the bad things they tell us to do. . We should only listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit, our conscience , Who warns us of everything bad around us.

“Present everywhere” -The Holy Spirit, working through our conscience, which is his voice within us, is present everywhere to inform us, guide and protect us. We need to listen to him.

“The treasury of blessings” – There is no greater treasure than the one the holy spirit offers us. All the other treasures are earthly; easily disappear. But the Holy Spirit remains always with us, to provide us with everything we need. He is like our parents and more, always by our side to help us.

“Giver of life” – God has given us life through our parents. We have the immortal soul within us which lives forever. The Holy Spirit feeds and gives light and life to our soul, our spirit.

“Come and dwell in us” – God has given us free will and he respects it. He waits to receive our invitation to come and live in us and offer us all his help. But he also needs our cooperation. When we offer it there is no limit what we can accomplish together.

“And cleanse us from every stain, sin” As human beings we are weak and commit sins; we disobey the Holy Will of God and violate his commandments. So, we ask in our prayers to forgive us and make our conscience clean to only do the Holy Will of God.

“ And save our souls, O Good One.” – The holy spirit is the only good. As such, he loves us and desires our salvation. We conclude our prayer by asking him to save our souls. 

“Amen.” It is a Hebrew word that says “let it be”. We agree with what we said in prayer.

Young Friends, We face a new danger, a virus, that makes people sick, especially the grandparents. We need to listen and do what our governor and our parents tell us to do, to protect ourselves. We also need to pray for all of them.

Young friends, listen to your parents. Play nicely with your brothers and sisters and help them.

With love, Papou
(Fr. John Angelis)

Educational and Activity Sites For Families

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During these trying times as families are adjusting to school closures and new routines, we are grateful for technology that not only allows us to stay connected through live stream worship services but also offering families opportunities for educational learning.

By now most of us are at home with our children for an undetermined amount of time. This is a PERFECT opportunity to make memories with your children and learn things beyond “normal” math and reading.  Below, are dozens of links to free online resources. It is extraordinary how many free online learning options are available for all ages.  This is a great time to really help your child dig in and spend hours doing or learning something that they love or are passionate about.  Don’t forget that there are hundreds of documentaries on streaming services that your whole family might enjoy!

Educational and Activity Sites For Families:

The San Diego Zoo has a website just for kids with amazing videos, activities, and games. Enjoy the tour! https://kids.sandiegozoo.org/

✅Tour Yellowstone National Park!
https://www.nps.gov/yell/learn/photosmultimedia/virtualtours.htm

✅Explore the surface of Mars on the Curiosity Rover.
https://accessmars.withgoogle.com/

✅This Canadian site FarmFood 360 offers 11 Virtual Tours of farms from minks, pigs, and cows, to apples and eggs.  https://www.farmfood360.ca/

✅Indoor Activities for busy toddlers
https://busytoddler.com/2020/03/indoor-activities/?fbclid=IwAR3tYXAqw7tJRAzLExpPcJo4rApLsKtgL0AwghzxgnhwOajc4auX6o12_xw

✅Play games and learn all about animals
https://switchzoo.com/

✅Play with fave show characters and learn too https://pbskids.org/

✅Travel to Paris, France to see amazing works of art at The Louvre with this virtual field trip.  
https://www.louvre.fr/en/visites-en-ligne

✅This Virtual Tour of the Great Wall of China is beautiful and makes history come to life.
https://www.thechinaguide.com/destination/great-wall-of-china

✅Math and Reading games  https://www.funbrain.com/

✅Phonics skills https://www.starfall.com/h/

✅This iconic museum located in the heart of London allows virtual visitors to tour the Great Court and discover the ancient Rosetta Stone and Egyptian mummies.  https://britishmuseum.withgoogle.com/

✅ Read, play games, and hang out with Dr. Seuss https://www.seussville.com/

✅300,000+ FREE printable worksheets from toddlers to teens https://www.123homeschool4me.com/home-school-free-printables/

✅Geography and animals
https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/

✅Math practice from counting to algebra and geometry http://www.mathscore.com/

✅Fave kids books read by famous people https://www.storylineonline.net/

✅Crafts, activities, mazes, dot to dot, etc, https://www.allkidsnetwork.com/

✅High school chemistry topics https://www.acs.org/content/acs/en/education/resources/highschool/chemmatters/articles-by-topic.html

✅Math and reading games https://www.abcya.com/

✅Math and language games https://www.arcademics.com/

✅Hands on Elem science videos https://www.backpacksciences.com/science-simplified

✅Voice based learning… learn through Alexa https://bamboolearning.com/resources

✅Fun games, recipes, crafts, activities  https://www.highlightskids.com/

✅ClickSchooling brings you daily recommendations by email for entertaining websites that help your kids learn. https://clickschooling.com/

✅Math as a fun part of your daily family routine http://bedtimemath.org/

✅Games to get “into the book” https://reading.ecb.org/

✅Online history classes for all ages preteen through adults  https://school.bighistoryproject.com/bhplive

✅Biology  https://www.biologysimulations.com/

✅ Elem Math through 6th grade  https://boddlelearning.com/

✅Educational games K-12  https://www.breakoutedu.com/funathome

✅Digital archive of history  https://www.bunkhistory.org/

✅Test Prep for SAT, ACT, etc.  https://www.bwseducationconsulting.com/handouts.php

✅Geometry https://www.canfigureit.com/

✅Resources for Spanish practice https://www.difusion.com/campus/

✅Chinese learning activities  https://chalkacademy.com/

✅Music is for everyone https://musiclab.chromeexperiments.com/Experiments

✅Science, Math, Social Studies https://www.ck12.org/student/

✅Grammar practice for middle grades  https://www.classroomcereal.com/

✅Daily free science or cooking experiment to do at home.http://www.clubscikidzmd.com/blog/

✅Chemistry  https://www.playmadagames.com/

✅Reading passages for grades 3-12, with reading comprehension and discussion questions. https://www.commonlit.org/

✅Vocabulary, grammar, listening activities and games in Spanish, French, Italian, German, Portuguese, Korean, and Latin.   https://conjuguemos.com/

✅35,000 pages of online content on the cultures and countries of the world. https://www.countryreports.org/

✅K-5th Science lessons  https://mysteryscience.com/

✅Tons of free classes from leading universities and companies  https://www.coursera.org/

✅Free printable K-8 Reading and Math activity packs (available in English and Spanish) https://www.curriculumassociates.com/supporting-students-away-from-school

✅Digital learning content for preschool through high school https://www.curriki.org/

✅A wide range of math content from middle school through AP Calculus.  https://deltamath.com/overview

✅Day-by-day projects to keep kids reading, thinking, and growing.  https://classroommagazines.scholastic.com/support/learnathome.html

✅3 Free Weeks of Maker Stations to keep your children creating at home! Each challenge includes simple instructions using materials around the house, QR code video resources, and a student recording sheet. bit.ly/freemakerstations

✅Classes for older teens or adults https://www.thegreatcoursesplus.com/lp/t1/freemo?source_id=FREEMO&utm_source=Social_Media&utm_medium=Facebook&utm_campaign=1000614&fbclid=IwAR1vaJx-3_aCdyE75S0fTJg4JZ_jI6KJvsJb4CnXY03tnfTm3FdgflaNpYs

✅Online homeschool platform & curriculum for Pre-K to 12th grade.  All main subjects are covered, plus extra curriculum courses.  http://discoveryk12.com/dk12/

✅Printable board games, activities and more for phonics and reading all using evidence-based methods. Can be customized to any student’s needs including creating flashcards for other subjects. https://dogonalogbooks.com/printables/

✅K-8 online math program that looks at how a student is solving problems to adjust accordingly and build a unique learning path for them. https://www.dreambox.com/at-home

✅Engaging reading game for grades 2-8 that combines strategy, engagement, and imaginative reading passages to create a fun, curriculum-aligned literacy game. https://www.squigglepark.com/dreamscape/

✅Higher level math series… online video series with detailed solutions to more than a thousand publicly-released College Board SAT Math, Subject Test Math Level 1, and Subject Test Math Level 2 problems.https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbQoCpvYRYRkRRvsObOPHaA?reload=9

✅Foreign languages  https://www.duolingo.com/

✅Interactive video earth science based curriculum supplement. https://www.everyday-earth.com/

✅A safe research site for elementary-level readers. They are offering — free 24/7 access
USERNAME: read (case sensitive)
PASSWORD: read (case sensitive)
https://www.facts4me.com/

✅Resources for AP students including live reviews, live trivia, and study guides! https://app.fiveable.me/

✅Educational brain breaks to help students review essential literacy and math skills, while getting in some exercise. Find over 900 videos to help your child keep learning at home and burn off some extra energy. Our site is best used for ages 4-8. https://fluencyandfitness.com/register/school-closures/

✅Movement and mindfulness videos created by child development experts.  https://www.gonoodle.com/

✅7,000 free videos in 13 subject areas  https://hippocampus.org/

✅Carmen Sandiego videos, stories, and lessons for all subject areas  https://www.carmensandiego.com/resources/

✅Math Videos with lessons, real life uses of math, famous actors https://www.hmhco.com/math-at-work

✅Entertaining & educational videos for all levels and subjects
https://www.izzit.org/index.php

✅Online education program for toddler through high school…  https://www.khanacademy.org/

✅Free Printables for PreK-2nd Grade https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Literacy-With-The-Littles/Price-Range/Free

✅Free printables library with activities for children 0-6  https://www.littlesparkcompany.com/printables-library

✅Free at-home kids yoga lesson plans   https://littletwistersyoga.com/online-store/

✅Magic Spell is a carefully crafted spelling adventure.  https://brainbox.games/

✅Resources for AP students https://marcolearning.com/

✅Enter your math problem or search term, press the button, and they show you the step-by-step work and answer instantly.  2nd grade through college.  https://www.mathcelebrity.com/online-math-tutor.php

✅Elem Math games, logic puzzles and educational resources https://www.mathplayground.com/

✅Poetry and music  https://www.thewell.world/mindful-music/mindful-poetry-moments

✅3D printing projects and Coding projects, involving math and other K-12 subjects  https://www.instructables.com/member/EdgertonCenter/instructables/

✅Introductory and intermediate music theory lessons, exercises, ear trainers, and calculators.  https://www.musictheory.net/

✅Scads of free resources, games, learning resources, and lesson plans for teaching personal finance  https://www.ngpf.org/

✅Improve your typing skills while competing in fast-paced races with up to 5 typers from around the world. https://www.nitrotype.com/

✅Illustrated recipes designed to help kids age 2-12 cook with their grown-ups. Recipes encourage culinary skills, literacy, math, and science.  https://www.nomsterchef.com/nomster-recipe-library

✅Online curriculum that builds better writers.  https://www.noredink.com/

✅80+ do at home science activities https://elementalscience.com/blogs/news/80-free-science-activities

✅Daily lessons and educational activities that kids can do on their own  https://www.superchargedschool.com/

✅Adaptive curriculum in Math and ELA for Grades K-8
https://www.scootpad.com/

✅Novel Effect makes storytime a little more fun for kids (and grown-ups too!) As you read out loud from print books (or ebooks!) music, sound effects, and character voices play at just the right moment, adjusting and responding to your voice.  https://noveleffect.com/

✅Quick & easy at home projects curated for kids 2 and up
https://www.kiwico.com/kids-at-home

✅Teaches students how to write a paragraph through interactive online tutorial  http://www.paragraphpunch.com/

✅PreK-12 digital media service with more than 30,000 learning materials https://www.pbslearningmedia.org/

✅Curricular content hub specifically designed for K-3 students.
https://pebblego.com/free-pebblego-capstone-interactive-access-school-closures?fbclid=IwAR0ldr6TT3grhEDzJ_fEpYvNGG13kqYo5ogwEqYneW7QBkX8L4u7cEIS0nE

✅Science and math labs and simulations  https://phet.colorado.edu/

✅An online physics problem and video bank designed for conceptual, standard, honors or AP1 physics.  https://www.positivephysics.org/home

✅Prodigies is a colorful music curriculum for kids 1-12 that will teach your kids how to play their first instrument, how to sing in tune & how to understand the language of music! 21 for free  https://prodigiesmusic.com/

✅Free videos from around the world from grade 3-12
https://www.projectexplorer.org/

✅QuaverMusic is offering free access to general music activities to all impacted schools, including free student access at-home https://www.quavermusic.com/info/at-home-resources/

✅For students to practice and master whatever they are learning. https://quizlet.com/

✅ReadWorks is an online resource of reading passages and lesson plans for students of all levels K-12.   https://www.readworks.org/

✅Critical Thinking resources for K-6 students https://marketplace.mythinkscape.com/store/redtkids

✅Music Based Spanish Learning  https://rockalingua.com/

✅Science simulations, scientist profiles, and other digital resources for middle school science and high school biology
https://sepuplhs.org/

✅The Shurley English program for grades K-8 provides a clear, logical, and concrete approach to language arts.  https://www.shurley.com/

✅Sight reading and sight singing practice exercises. https://www.sightreadingfactory.com/

✅Music practice transformed  https://www.smartmusic.com/

✅Spellingcity is free right now with code VSCFree90
https://www.spellingcity.com/

✅Kid-friendly workouts — choose from Strength for Kids, Agility for Kids, Flexibility and Balance for Kids, Warm-Up for Kids, Cooldown for Kids, Stand Up and Move for Kids, OR create your own custom kid workout.  https://app.sworkit.com/collections/kids-workouts

✅A collection of hundreds of free K-12 STEM resources, from standalone models and simulations to short activities and week long sequences of curriculum materials.  https://learn.concord.org/

✅Course sets (Levels 1–5) that combine and thoroughly cover phonics, reading, writing, spelling, literature, grammar, punctuation, art, and geography—all in one easy-to-use, beautiful course.  https://www.goodandbeautiful.com/

✅At home OT, PT, and ST resources designed to build skills in children through movement and play. https://www.theottoolbox.com/

✅Science projects that can be completed with or without Internet access  https://sciencespot.net/Pages/classhome.html

✅Keyboarding practice    https://www.typingclub.com/   or https://www.typing.com/

✅Next Generation Science video game focused on middle school where students directly engage in science phenomena as they solve problems.  https://www.tytoonline.com/

✅Short videos and readings that answer various burning questions for students. There are vocabulary challenges and comprehension questions. http://wonderopolis.org/

✅Math practice  https://xtramath.org/#/home/index

✅K-5 curriculum that builds deep understanding and a love of learning math for all students  https://www.zearn.org/

✅A quick start resource to help families pull together a plan for surviving the next 1-2 months at home with their kids, but it can also be a time of slowing down and enjoying kids as they learn.
Preschool through 8th grade   https://abetterwaytohomeschool.com/learning-at-home-everything-you-need-in-one-place.html?fbclid=IwAR0Lo2FZ5cWLMt-6nto19auqTtI5kztqLqwi3japOPl1rcR_rLaNuCUcaYw

✅450 Ivy League courses that you can take https://www.freecodecamp.org/news/ivy-league-free-online-courses-a0d7ae675869/?fbclid=IwAR0tbYeSJTzmrzgs1z1Brpoh-Lg8zoqnThQAUTFqR-bBX9O6AEh2_lnLhTs

✅Spelling 1-4 grade
https://www.spellingtraining.com/

✅2,500+ online courses from top institutions  https://www.edx.org/

✅22 languages to learn  https://www.memrise.com/

✅Learn to code https://www.codecademy.com/

✅Miscellaneous games for all subjects k-8  https://www.funbrain.com/

✅Phonics and learning to read https://readingeggs.com/

✅PreK – 5 games for all subjects  https://www.turtlediary.com/

✅Online digital coloring pages  https://www.thecolor.com/

✅Every course you could possibly want to homeschool preschool – 8   https://allinonehomeschool.com/

✅Every course you could possibly want to homeschool for high school https://allinonehighschool.com/

✅Phonics worksheets for kids  https://www.funfonix.com/

✅Free stories online ages 3-12  https://www.freechildrenstories.com/

✅National Geographic Young Explorers is a magazine designed specifically for kindergarten and first grade students.  Children can listen to the magazine being read to them as they follow along with the highlighted text.   https://ngexplorer.cengage.com/ngyoungexplorer/index.html

✅Learn all about earthquakes https://earthquake.usgs.gov/learn/kids/

✅Learn all about the periodic table  https://www.chemicool.com/

✅Farmer’s almanac for kids…  Date, weather, moon phase, etc.  https://www.almanac.com/kids

✅Guide to gardening for kids  https://web.extension.illinois.edu/firstgarden/

✅Website allows students to play basic games to reinforce math skills and compete against the computer or others  https://www.mangahigh.com/en-us/

✅Space science for kiddos  https://www.nasa.gov/kidsclub/index.html

✅Math Games, Logic Puzzles and Brain Builders https://www.mathplayground.com/

✅Games, quizzes and fact sheets take kids on a journey through time.  https://www.bbc.co.uk/history/forkids/

✅NGAkids interactives offer an entertaining and informative introduction to art and art history. https://www.nga.gov/education/kids.html

✅News and more for kids  https://www.youngzine.org/

✅Randomly generates 356,300,262,144 story starters
https://thestorystarter.com/

✅Immerse yourself in cryptography  https://www.cryptoclub.org/

✅Math games galore  https://gridclub.com/

✅Tons of science experiments that you can do at home
https://www.stevespanglerscience.com/lab/experiments/

✅An interactive way to learn history  
https://www.mission-us.org/

✅Just explore, have fun, and learn some science along the way.  https://thehappyscientist.com/

✅Interactive games based on the book series
https://www.magictreehouse.com/

✅Work on the 8 parts of speech  https://www.grammaropolis.com/

✅Learn all about cells  https://www.cellsalive.com/

✅All sorts of learning here if you dig in https://www.google.com/earth/

✅Scratch draws students of all types into coding and lays a foundation for future learning.  https://scratch.mit.edu/

✅A wonderful, endlessly detailed way to get kids engaged in the world of art.  https://www.metmuseum.org/art/online-features/metkids/

✅Tests kids’ geography skills. Using images from Google’s Street View, it plops players down in the middle of the street and asks them to figure out where they are.  https://www.geoguessr.com/

✅Allows students to type in any city, state, or country to view an archive of historical photographs and other documents. It’s a unique way to help them learn about history.  
http://www.whatwasthere.com//

✅Short videos about numbers that help kids explore complex math topics and make math more fun.  https://www.numberphile.com/

✅A human visualization platform that allows students to explore the human body in really cool ways. https://human.biodigital.com/login?returnUrl=/dashboard

✅Helps kids learn to appreciate the arts by providing them with the opportunity to play games, conduct investigations, and explore different forms of art.  https://artsology.com/

✅Lets kids play instruments online. Instruments include the guitar, piano, pan flute, drums, and bongos. https://www.virtualmusicalinstruments.com/

✅Crafts, activities, bulletin board designs, and finger plays for early education teachers and parents to use with kids.
http://www.preschoolexpress.com/

✅A large selection of fun songs to help teach preschool and kindergarten students https://www.songsforteaching.com/preschoolkindergarten.htm

✅Resource section includes free flashcards, coloring pages, worksheets, and other resources for children, teachers, and parents.  https://supersimple.com/

✅Life skills curriculum for students in grades K-12. Their resources include strategies for teaching social and emotional skills.  https://www.overcomingobstacles.org/

✅Coding for ages 4-10  https://www.kodable.com/

✅No need to travel to one of the Smithsonian’s zoos or museums — this website brings your child everything from live video of the National Zoo to the Smithsonian Learning Lab right to their screen https://www.si.edu/kids

✅Cool Kid Facts gives your child access to educational videos, pictures, quizzes, downloadable worksheets, and infographics. They can use these to learn about geography, history, science, animals, and even the human body.  
https://www.coolkidfacts.com/

✅This interactive website, hosted by the U.S. Government Publishing Office, allows your child to see the ins and outs of the U.S. government by taking a series of learning adventures with none other than Benjamin Franklin. https://bensguide.gpo.gov/

✅This NASA initiative covers a wide range of topics including weather, climate, atmosphere, water, energy, plants, and animals.  https://climatekids.nasa.gov/

✅Ask Dr. Universe is a science-education project from Washington State University. Kids can send Dr. Universe any question they may have about history, geography, plants, animals, technology, engineering, math, culture, and more.
https://askdruniverse.wsu.edu/

✅Your child can play games, learn fun facts, and find out how to turn coin collecting into a hobby.  https://www.usmint.gov/learn/kids

✅From rainbows to tornadoes and winter storms to tsunamis, meteorologist Crystal Wicker breaks down the fascinating world of weather.  http://www.weatherwizkids.com/

✅Kids Think Design explores careers in fashion design, graphic design, interior design, book design, product design, film and theatre, architecture, animation, and environmental design. http://www.kidsthinkdesign.org/

✅This educational website hosted by the Smithsonian Museum takes a deep dive into ocean life. https://ocean.si.edu/

✅Brainscape offers over a million flashcard decks for every subject, entrance exam, and certification imaginable.  https://www.brainscape.com/

✅The Theta Music Trainer offers a series of online courses and games for ear training and music theory.
https://trainer.thetamusic.com/en

✅Banzai exposes students to real-world financial dilemmas to teach them the importance of smart money management. https://www.teachbanzai.com/

✅Innerbody explores the 11 bodily systems in depth. With interactive models and detailed explanations, this website will help them learn more about the internal mechanics of the amazing human body.https://www.innerbody.com/htm/body.html

✅Alcumus is specifically designed to provide high-performing students with a challenging curriculum appropriate to their abilities   https://artofproblemsolving.com/alcumus

✅Find and fix learning gaps  https://www.mobymax.com/

✅Algebra games for kids  https://www.dragonboxapp.com/

✅Fractions practice http://www.mathchimp.com/freddysfractions.php

✅Education for kids all topics https://www.ducksters.com

✅Math and logic problems for ages 5 and up to adult
https://www.aplusclick.org/

✅Science podcasts to listen to with your kids https://medium.com/kidslisten/19-great-science-podcasts-you-can-listen-to-with-kids-6fe46ac506b8#.rb23iuaw6

✅Alaskan Wildlife cams http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=viewing.webcams

✅Coding with Star Wars  https://code.org/starwars

✅Tons and tons and tons of games some learning some just fun     https://www.crazygames.com/

✅Crafts, projects, science, recipes for young children https://www.funology.com/

 ✅Amphibian unit studies  https://premeditatedleftovers.com/naturally-frugal-mom/amphibians-unit-study-resources/

✅Engineering challenges with things you have at home
https://thehomeschoolscientist.com/paper-structures-engineering-challenge/

✅Online photograph jigsaw puzzles  You can set the pieces from 6-1000+  https://www.jigsawexplorer.com/

✅Toddler and preschool age ideas  https://preschoolinspirations.com/

✅100 free online educational program ideas
https://savingdollarsandsense.com/free-educational-resources-for-kids/?fbclid=IwAR2UGmsPc7PImViwJ9mID1u7NKS9Vccq_CO1NAR0VqesLkj4Vog7HJbhZJ8

✅Bible story resources early childhood – 6th grade
https://www.life.church/kids/media/

 

Through Elizabeth’s Eyes

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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 people as obstacles, objects, or threats to our perceived sources of joy. We forget that Christ is our joy and that there is an unbreakable connection between our love for Him and our love for others.

When thinking of joyous greetings, such as St. Seraphim’s, my thoughts went to another glad greeting from Luke 1:43. In the midst of her greeting to Mary, Elizabeth cries out, “But why is this granted to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?” Perhaps we think that it would make sense for St. Seraphim to cry out, “My Joy,” if he was meeting someone like the Theotokos. Afterall, it is easy to see the cry of Elizabeth echoed in a similar cry from King David, “How can the Ark of the Lord come to me?” (2 Samuel 6:9). We can partly understand Elizabeth’s humble greeting when meeting such holiness.

But sometimes, maybe we forget that Mary is not an exception. She is not intrinsically different from us. She lived a holy life, and she is a great example for us. She bore Jesus in the deep intimacy of a mother to a child, and we are invited to bear Christ in a similar deeply spiritual way.

If you could truly live into the radiance of the invitation to bear Christ in your life, it would not surprise me if St. Elizabeth were to see you approach and say to you, “Why is this granted to me, that the temple of my Lord should come to me?”

Do you see yourself that way? Do you see other people as temples or potential temples of Christ? When viewed this way, it is no wonder that St. Seraphim addressed every visitor with the name, “My Joy.”

I cannot help but think how different a day might be when lived with the humble eyes and heart of St. Elizabeth and St. Seraphim. With my family, I’d say, “Why is this granted to me, to be a father and husband to these precious miracles, beloved of God?” Standing in liturgy I’d say, “Why is this
granted to me, to sing amidst these living temples?” Even with strangers I could say, “Why is this granted to me to meet this special person?” Perhaps I’d never find need to judge anyone again, and all day I’d simply cry out, “My Joy!” St. Elizabeth perceived the presence of Christ in the Theotokos, and St. Seraphim perceived this presence in everyone. With eyes and hearts like these, we would always be mindful that “Christ is Risen!” and, “Christ is in our midst!”

A Father, Son Walk

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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 heavenly Father.  

Delight in People and God

It is an interesting phenomenon that almost everyone seems to smile and soften when they meet a child.  Maybe children under about six years old strike us as innocent and cute. Maybe they are simply without malice and are unthreatening.  Whatever it is, as we walked through the city and through stores, peoples’ countenance would brighten and their faces would smile. This rarely, if ever occurs when I’m alone, so I am fairly certain that it was the five year old at my side.  I am also admittedly biased, and I think he is the greatest five year old in the world.  

  While it seems commonplace to delight in children, it occurred to me that there must come an age when we cease to be delightful to others.  Other people frequently seem to be obstacles and enemies. Perhaps even within ourselves, shame and contempt begin their dark work, and we cease to feel valuable or delightful to anyone.  

I wondered as I walked along, what it might be like if we could all look at each other the way we look at children, or more than that, I wondered what it would be like for us all to see one another as God sees us?  Other people would not be hindrances to our happiness or mere objects for our satisfaction. We would see all people as broken and beautiful, as wounded and beloved. And I suppose for many of us, our view of ourselves would have to shift as well because it is one thing to be loved and delighted in, but an entirely different thing to receive it.  

While walking through a grocery store, I said, “Do you know what all these people have in common?”  

“What, daddy?” 

“God loves every one of them.”

“Yeah, daddy,” he replied, “and they all want food.”

This gave me pause.  How often do we miss that God’s love, delight and unending joy are offered to us through Christ, but we settle for food or the lesser delights of this world?

Delight in Presence

For our walk, I planned destinations along the way and tasks we could accomplish.  It could have been easy to be driven by those goals and push through the day. Several times as we walked along, my son announced, “Daddy hug time!”  He grasped my arm with both hands and clutched it to his cheek laughing. He reminded me that nothing we were doing that day was as important as the time together we were sharing.  

I also thought of how often in life I have focused on arriving at some objective.  Whether that was an event, a job, or a degree, that thing took precedent, and I easily forgot about the present moment.  The present moment being the only place to truly encounter the loving presence of God. I so often forget to be like St. John at the last supper hugging Jesus (John 13:15a). 

To put it another way, St. Paul says in every moment to, “pursue what is good…rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks” (1 Thes. 5:15-18).   Can you imagine living each moment like that? Put another way, St. John of Kronstadt writes, “The Holy Trinity sees and hears me; this is the most life-giving assurance for my heart, penetrating it with peace and joy” (Kindle location 331 My Life in Christ).  God sees and hears us! We do not need to be seen and heard on social media. We do not need the attention of others because we have the attention of God.  

I hope that everyday we are walking with God, but regardless of the day, the destination is always Communion.  In this moment, while reading this, God sees you. God loves you. He bids you be freed from sin and distraction and be filled with peace and joy. 

Delight in Security

Around a hundred years ago, my grandfather, was visiting the big city.  It was quite a different sight from their country farm as he walked hand in hand with his grandson, my cousin.  For the rest of his life, grandpa would lament that he hadn’t held on tight enough, for in just a moment his grandson let go of his hand, dashed into traffic, and was killed.  

I thought of this story as my son and I stepped into an intersection.  A white coupe came speeding around a blind corner, and we stepped back onto the curb.  I thought of how small children don’t understand the dangers of traffic and the world around them.  Perhaps my son wondered why I didn’t allow him to cross the road at that time.  

Similarly, we so often do not understand the dangers around us that God can see.  God may intervene in ways we do not understand, and it can be hard to trust that He is good and that goodness and mercy are with us always (Psalm 23:6).

In very dark times, like for my grandpa, the good things and people in our lives may slip from our grasp, and we cannot hold tight to them anymore in this life.  I know that my grandpa believed that Jesus made possible a resurrection from the dead. This hope for the future helped him carry on. In this life, we are also offered the hand of God to uphold us (Psalm 63:8) and to help us see that God’s presence is our greatest need and desire (Psalm 73:23-26).  

As he walks with me, my son has a security that he would not have on his own, and as we walk in communion with God we find a security that spans from this life into eternity.   

Delight in Dependence

As the hours passed, my son grew tired.   His initial enthusiasm dimmed and his steps slowed.  I considered how ridiculous it would be to grow frustrated with him and scold him, and it would be unthinkable to notice him slowing and leave him behind.   I would never ever leave him. I slowed down, held his hand, and encouraged him. How much more so is God patient with our slowness and our weariness? Jesus scolded pride and willful blindness, but He always honored dependence.  He delighted in the dependence of children and responded in love to the dependent imperfect faith of the people around Him. When we slow down, stumble, or grow weary, we can continue to depend upon the Lord. St Innocent of Alaska states, “Strive for the Heavenly Kingdom while you can still walk. Walk even a little bit, even if by crawling, but do it in the right direction. Then in eternity you will truly rejoice for every step you have taken!”  From the first light of morning until our eyes close in sleep, may we hold the hand of our heavenly Father and walk together. For further reflection, consider reading St. Paul’s epistle to the Ephesians and consider the ways in which he encourages us to walk.  

GREAT LENT: A time for reflection, responsibility and transformation

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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 food.    Indeed, any parent would be devastated if the doctor diagnosed their child with “Failure to thrive.”   Failure to thrive is a term used to describe a child whose growth falls below the expected norm.

So often, as we grow up into adulthood, we avoid going to the doctor, we avoid looking at our mental, physical and spiritual health. Is this because we recognize that we are already falling into the category of “Failing to grow and thrive?”  Or, are we actively pursuing “solid food” growing into maturity as Christian men and women?  If so, we are in the process of transformation!  If we receive the diagnosis “failure to thrive” then in fact, we are dying and in need of help and intervention.


During Great Lent, we have a tremendous opportunity to nurture our spiritual health – to grow, to develop, to change!  But this change requires effort, discipline, concentration and application.  We do not automatically receive Christian maturity if we go to church a few times a month, do our cross and leave it at that.  It is unreasonable to expect spiritual growth to require no effort.  St. Paul’s comparison of our spiritual development to the rigorous training of an athlete applies as well to our spiritual discipline.  Are we willing to fast?  Are we willing to pray?  Are we willing to extend compassion and love to others?  As parents, are we willing to do everything possible to encourage our children’s spiritual growth?  What are our priorities?

TAKE RESPONSIBILITY. Each of us must take personal responsibility for our own spiritual health and direction our family is heading. Christ our Lord, wants to run towards us like the father of the prodigal son.  He stands at the door, waiting for our knock!  He is ready to fill our hearts with His love and forgiveness.  We, like the prodigal, must recognize our state, our sin, our ‘failure to thrive’ – and make every effort to return to Him!  This requires self-reflection and no more excuses. We must rid ourselves of “if only… it’s because… I’m too busy… I wish this or that was different…” It is time for each of us to take responsibility.  No more excuses!  Are we thriving?  Are we living our spiritual life to the best of our ability?  Or, are we failing to grow?  Nothing could be more important than the pursuit of a spiritual life. 

Let us take to heart the words of St. Isaac the Syrian:

“Be mindful of God, so that in every moment He may be mindful of you.  If He is mindful of you, He will give you salvation.  Do not forget Him, letting yourselves be seduced by vain distractions.  Do you want Him to forget you in your times of temptation?  Stay near Him and obey Him in the days of your prosperity.  You will be able to rely on His word in difficult days, because prayer will keep you safe in His continued presence.  Remain constantly before His face, think of Him, remember Him in your heart.  Otherwise, if you only meet Him from time to time, you risk losing your close friendship with Him.” 
~ St. Isaac the Syrian

In the Orthodox Christian Church, you are not alone.  We are a Church that desires maturity, desires faith, desires love.  We are a body seeking to live a transfigured life in Christ. Invite your priest to walk by your side as you run the race and growing in your relationship with God during Great Lent.  

During the next 40 days, make an appointment to receive the Sacrament of Holy Confession.  Make every effort to attend a few weekday services.  Prioritize bringing your family every week (not just once in a while) to Divine Liturgy and experience this glorious season of transformation. 

Begin today.  Begin by opening your heart to God.  Begin with “Lord, Have Mercy.” 
 


A Home Filled with Prayer is as natural as breathing…

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“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 gifts you will pass along to them – the practice of prayer and connecting to our Loving LORD. 

How do you start a practice of family prayer when it hasn’t been a habit in the past?  Start by gathering your family around icons with a small lit candle. Talk to your kids about how we light a candle before we enter the church for any service. Our home is a “mini church”, where Christ dwells, guides and is with us always. We invite Jesus to shine brightly in our lives, and ask Him to bless and protect those we love. By lighting a candle, we ignite the flame of the Holy Spirit and open our hearts to let God in. 

One of the many blessings of the Orthodox Christian Faith, is that we have countless beautiful prayers for all seasons, all reasons, and all moments throughout the day. Start with the Trisagion Prayers, the Lord’s Prayer and then the prayer to the Holy Spirit. 

 “O Heavenly King, the Comforter, the Spirit of Truth, who art in all places and fills all things, Treasury of blessings and giver of life: come and dwell in us, cleanse us from every stain, and save our souls, O gracious Lord.” 

Take turns sharing one thing each member of your family is thankful for that day, and one thing you want Jesus to help you do better the next day. This is one of those family prayer practices than can take a bit of patience to get through, but it is a wonderful opportunity to engage and connect our family in prayer. Parents and older children offer an opportunity to model sincerity, openness and reverence before God and one another. 

Copyright ©, Family Wellness Ministry, a Ministry of the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of San Francisco Dedicated to Families