“How do you explain to a child the reasons why it is important to go to church?”

This is a question I hear rather often, and I heard it again recently from a concerned parent. Make no mistake, our culture rejects church going. Instead of church on Sunday, kids are drawn to sports practices and high-stake league games, birthday parties, video game marathons, and Super Bowl parties. Sunday is now a day to sleep in (because Saturday might as well be a work day), and workaholics like to use their “free Sundays” to head into the office in order to catch up on those extra hours they need to run the rat race with yet more effort than their usual 40+ hour work week. Pointing out that not a single one of these Sunday distractions should replace an opportunity to receive the Holy Eucharist, one receives the “poor schmuck – he just doesn’t know that I MUST do these super important Sunday activities for the sake of the all-important FILL IN THE BLANK achievement” look. Now I’m on the soapbox….

First of all, we Christians really should “TAKE BACK SUNDAY FOR GOD”. If I were to do a bumper sticker, that is what it would say. What if we told the world that it could not claim the Lord’s Day? What if we told the schools and extra-curricular coaches that we don’t care about “open gym Sundays”, “dance try-outs”, “power-lifting”, or “select soccer practices”? Let’s go back to what the Bible says about honoring the Sabbath, considering that this directive is included in the same list of commandments as “Thou shalt not murder” (fun fact: honoring the Sabbath is listed BEFORE the prohibition about murder).

How can we possibly explain to our children that church is not only important, but it is soul-saving, when we cannot even do without fun and games on the Lord’s Day ourselves? Everything that is not already in the Kingdom of Heaven is already going to hell. Think about the people tempting you to miss church. Are they seeking the Kingdom? If we Orthodox adults are completely faithful, committed, and doing what we should as Orthodox Christians, then our kids should have zero problem rejecting Sunday activities, because we would never sign them up for these things in the first place.

Back to our question: “How do you explain to a child the reasons why it is important to go to church?”

Here are my thoughts:

• Get up and be on time to church yourself. Do not accept the whines and cries of your bed-hugging child and (you do this everyday for school) prioritize being on time for church the same way you prioritize being on time for school or catching the school bus. If this means you take your screaming kid to church in pajamas, so be it. Eventually, your child will realize that you mean business, and he or she is going to church looking like a real person or not.
• Children live in the now and in the flesh. They understand two things: food and fun. Use these things to your advantage. Young children do not care that “church is good for them” since they’re only thinking about “what’s for breakfast?” In fact, using a reward for good behavior is very effective. Saying things like “after church we can have lunch at (insert favorite restaurant)” or “we can get donuts if you are good!” can do wonders for motivating a young child to attend church and be quick about getting dressed on a Sunday morning. We teachers know this, and we use rewards all the time. Your child gets stickers for math drills, ribbons for field days, and certificates for perfect attendance. This is the child culture, so how can we possibly expect kids to naturally desire to sit in church for two hours without a carrot of some sort? Using rewards for good behaviors also affects bad behaviors. A trip straight home and an immediate, non-negotiable Sunday nap do a lot to keep a three-year-old in line once he realizes that bad behavior means no McDonald’s or Shipley’s Donuts after church. You can even set your child up for church success by practicing pretty long quiet play times and whispering skills at home. Blatant disobedience and flat-out refusal to show appropriate respect during the Divine Liturgy should result in swift and effective correction. The most important job you have as a parent is to instill in your child a fear and respect for God and His house. This is especially important during the Creed, the Lord’s Prayer, and while receiving the Eucharist.
• One day you wake up and notice that you can have a meaningful conversation with your child. Kids this age (let’s say somewhere between 10-14 years old) are still not really capable of making the right, hard decisions for themselves. Having meaningful conversations and actually engaging your child about making a real decision about being a Christian, and how to have a real relationship with Christ is so very important. Remember, your child goes to school and spends all day listening to the church or non-church experiences of their peers. Frank, and open communication is the only way you can help your child navigate these influences. With regard to time, if you are not spending quality time with your kid, you probably won’t be very successful if you’ve waited until now to try to get him to church. The world is winning the battle for your child’s heart and mind already. Keep Sunday holy, and this will help you set a good example for your pre-teen kid. Prepare yourself to be a good apologist. You should not be losing arguments with your teen when it comes to Orthodox theology.
• Finally, don’t take hostages, but let there be consequences for poor choices. Speaking from experience, I recommend giving your teen freedom to decide whether or not to attend church or serve behind the altar, but make choosing to sleep in instead of going to church the most important choice for the day. We told our three kids, “Hey, we’re headed to church,” only to watch them roll over with a groaning “uh-huh”. They all knew that failure to appear before the Eucharist meant that this particular teen would not be driving around town all day or hanging out with friends in the evening. Church attendance meant that the rest of the Sunday could be an enjoyable friend-fest. Sleeping through church was an instant wing-clipping that required them to remain at home for the rest of the day. This was the rule, even when the “important Sunday activity” was school-related or a “required” sport practice. Bottom line: Church wins. Always.
• Doing these things is not being a jerk to your kid, nor is it nagging or being a mean mommy. What you are doing is showing your child that church and God matter more than his fleshly desires or passions. Someday, when he is old, he will understand these things. Understand that you are teaching your child to have “eternal eyes”.

It is my desire to provide some practical advice for parents who are struggling to actively engage their children into the church culture. Please feel free to contact me with comments/questions.

BE STRONG and TAKE BACK SUNDAY!

This Season of Life

We all have them. Good days and bad ones. What happens when you feel like the bad day has lasted for months, or even years? How hard is it to keep your chin up, when it’s all you can do to get out of bed in the morning? No one ever told me about life’s mundanity. Fun fact: the actual word “mundane” stems from a Latin word “mundus” meaning “world”. Merriam Webster explains that the word has to do with things relating to the world or earth. This is in contrast with those things relating to the heavenly. In other words, things that are mundane relate to things of earth, like our immediate needs or things that we worry about as humans (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mundane#learn-more).

Perhaps this is why the mundane things get us down. When we are down, we are forgetting about the things that should be our main foci in life. In my experience, when I’m down in the dumps, I am not thinking of anything really important. Mostly, I’m tired of the routine. I’m tired of dishes, laundry, taking care of puppies, or paying bills. In fact, I’m fed up with all my chores. I begin to dream of vacation.

We, as Christians, are called to something greater. We are not to worry about the things of life, the mundane, things. We are supposed to keep our minds on heavenly things. The important things. The things that really matter in the long run. This is all to say, that sometimes we find ourselves in a crummy HERE. The key to surviving a mundane HERE is remembering that it is not our FOREVER, because we can affect our THERE. Nothing is forever, unless you want it to be, but how can we escape the mundane? Let’s think for a moment….

Let’s look at the THERE of our lives. Where do we want to be in 20 years? In 20 years, do you plan on working the same job? Do you want to be in the same house? Hopefully, you will want to be married to the same person. If you have kids, they’ll be grown in 20 years. What kind of people do you dream of them growing into? Is your HERE going to be a good path to your THERE? The life you live in the HERE will determine the life you have in your THERE. Even if you are stuck and trapped in a job you hate or a routine that makes you crazy, the THERE should be part of your planning for your future. Create your HERE to get you to your THERE. This is the difference between the mundane and the heavenly. Living a godly life is your THERE. The HERE is just the things you need to do to get THERE, and yes, they can seem mundane. This means, your HERE should be intentional. You need to make time for good books, some Scripture, the Church, good and meaningful kid time, quality family memories, and those things that will help you in your journey to the Kingdom.

WHAT ABOUT THAT SEASON OF LIFE?

Once, I was a broke mom of little kids who never got to go anywhere. It was a treat to drop the kids at Camp Grandma and head to a movie or a couple’s dinner (where I did not have to cut someone’s food into bits). This lasted years, and it was really hard, but it was just the season of life we were in at the time. Kids don’t stay helpless forever, and when they’re old enough to have freedom, you enter a new season. Finally, they fly the nest, and you’re in yet another season. There are things you can to in order to survive each season of life:

1. Never get trapped. Find cheap ways to escape for a day or a weekend. This will require effort. Learn to camp (buy a tent and some sleeping bags). State parks are a great escape, and the family time is priceless. Your THERE will need some good stories to share with the new significant others in your kids’ lives :^) These are the ties that bind, and getting your kids out is a great way to have meaningful conversations with them without the influences that distract them.
2. Prioritize family time and make it sacrosanct. Your family is a part of your THERE; your current boss is not. If your job will not permit you to disconnect, you might need a new job. Do not allow the kids to disconnect during car rides. Ear buds, phones, IPads, and the like have no place during family time.
3. Create a family stupid movie night. When you’re broke, popcorn is cheap, and a good movie is easy (don’t let the kids pick, because they won’t pick the good movies you want them to see). Pick a movie that is quotable or has a good story. Older movies are fun because they’re campy.
4. Binge watch a good series together and ONLY together. We got into Stargate Atlantis because it’s a bit scary but also the good guys always win. This is important. No depressing stories or people getting shot in the head. Good stories. Period. We also like Star Trek and other sci-fi series. Why? Because sci-fi is almost always the type of thing you can watch just for fun!
5. Find a family activity that everyone can do, and learn to like things your kids like. Play CATAN, learn to like VR games, or establish a family game night with snacks and cokes.
6. Go to church EVERY SUNDAY. This routine is the easiest. If the kids behave, grab a donut on the way home or eat a fun lunch. If they don’t behave, you don’t have to beat them because the lunch/treat is enough to miss out on after misbehaving in church. Feel free to reward good behaviors in front of the one who isn’t getting rewarded for good behavior.
7. Lastly, make Sunday family day. Do NOT attend birthday parties and stuff on Sundays. Resist the temptation to participate in sports/dance/school activities on Sunday and reject the coaches and teachers that want to rob you of your Sunday. Teach your kids that Sunday is NOT just another day, because it’s not. You need Sunday to recharge for the week. Don’t miss this opportunity to blob around as a family and maybe even nap. It’s a simple rule for a profound reason.

I pray for you daily. Keep the faith and keep your chin up. Remember that your HEREs and your THEREs are what you make them, and don’t be discouraged when your HERE stinks. It’s just a SEASON OF LIFE!

P.S. Take heart. These suggestions above are things we did with our kids. They are all grown, yet, we still camp together, and we still have movie and game nights. Now, we have included the spouses of our kids and we love spending time together. I am a third level paladin elf in D&D and we all play dumb games together. Who knew this would be part of my THERE, but I wouldn’t have it any other way :^)

I’m back, and I’m motivated…

It’s been a day since I wrote here, for a myriad of reasons. Now, kids are grown and gone, and I am beginning to worry about my future grandchildren. So, this blog is now dedicated to my personal de-modernization efforts. With this, I mean to share sources and conversations about how we as parents, and dare I say, grandparents, can have impactful and meaningful interactions with Generations X-Y and Z. I welcome your input, and I welcome your suggestions. I am still a teacher in a K-12 classical academy, and have been doing this for 20+ years now and I understand well how teachers and parents are in the trenches. Listening to my students, speaking with my children, and participating in teen SOYO helps me see the culture in action. Let’s do good things with this information. Welcome to the team!

I enjoyed this speech. Dr. K doesn’t pull any punches!

Christ is Born!

I know I’m not alone when I say that Advent is the most inconvenient time to fast. Thanksgiving. Then all those Christmas goodies. Not to mention those challenging coffee hours where no one really knows what’s fasting and what is not (I don’t read labels btw). My young adult children find it very difficult to “Be Orthodox” this time of year. Why? Why is this so hard to do?

What is counter-cultural about Advent?

1. Fasting in college. Dining halls. Parties. Not conducive to the Advent season. Actually, trying to fast is a quick way to be labeled “different”.

2. Church, church, and more church. This is the hardest. PKs understand. Why so much? Why? Because church is where home is.

3. Commercialism. Christmas is NOT about Toys R Us. It is not about new cars and Coke commercials. Minion yard decorations? What DOES that have to do with Christmas? Anything?

We have to wade through it all to see what Christmas REALLY is.

This year, I asked my folks in church to read ON THE INCARNATION by St. Athanasius. Why? Because it’s life changing. The idea is that the more we can know and comprehend about the Incarnation, then somehow this helps bring Christmas back to life. So read it if you haven’t, and if you have, then read it again, but this time, slow down. Drink your coffee, and take a moment to meditate on the depth of it all.

Dump the Minions, Snoopy, and yard snow globes. Discover the real meaning of Christmas and pass it on to the zillions who can’t see past the hype. Hang an icon of the Annunciation or the Adoration of the Magi in your front yard, and be Orthodox on purpose.

Happy New Year!

Oh my. Is THIS what we’ve come to?

I came across this the other day while Christmas shopping:

I must admit, I chuckled at first when I saw it. Then, as I stood there in this religiously based store, I felt sad. Sad for those who think that Christ is the type of person that ever would have “dabbed”. My students dab. Rock stars dab. Cartoons dab. But would Christ have done it too? The modern equivalent of spiking the ball?

Next, I wondered where our society gets the idea that Christ was just “one of us” and people feel so confident in this idea that they print shirts like this. Well, yes, He was human, but was He really just like “one of us”? I think not.

The point is, that we tend to project our fallen humanity onto Christ instead of thinking about the perfect humanity that He took on for us. It’s so much easier to think of Jesus as one of the guys, temptations and all, than it is to think of His perfect Godhead and how much we fall short of even His humanity. He sanctified the human body by donning it. He doesn’t copy us, we are to copy HIM! So, this Christmas, let us thank God that Christ was the perfect “one of us” so that we can endeavor be more like Him.

What’s wrong with being “Secular” anyway?

What’s wrong with being “secular”?

Take a moment to think about what you did yesterday. Did you get up to the morning news or the Today Show? Did you go to work? Hang out at the gym? What fast food did you eat recently, or did you meet someone at Starbucks or for a meal? Towards the end of the day, did you drive anywhere besides work? Use your cell phone? And finally, did you take a long hot shower and put up your feet to watch your favorite live or recorded TV show?

If any of this sounds familiar, then you have experienced the secular life. This is a life which is mostly YOU-centered. One in which you go about your daily routine using the time-saving technologies available and participating in the hustle and bustle of a modern life. We seem to be in such a hurry, and we have so many cool technologies, but what exactly are we saving our time for? K-cups and washing machines, and for what reason? Where does the time go?

Here’s a harder question for you: do you pray? Do you even consider God at any time throughout the day? Or, is your attempt at prayer a failed one as you lay your head on your pillow and fall into a minor coma every night? If you DO pray, then how many “please provides” and “please gives” are in your prayer as opposed to the “forgives” and “have mercies”?

Now you’re probably defensive. Are you thinking of all the many ways you can defend this way of life?

“So what if I’m ‘SECULAR’? I work!” may be your natural response, or perhaps it’s more like,

“Well, I’m a modern person in a modern world. I’m no nun!”,

“Not EVERYONE can be a monk!”

Sound familiar? You are not alone. Most of us think that the ascetic life is unattainable in our realities.

True, we can’t all be called to the ascetic life in the same way monks and nuns are. And, honestly, why would anyone try NOT to be secular? Is avoiding secularism even possible in this day and age? It is, after all, ALL we know as modern Americans, am I right?

But is it all we know? As Orthodox Christians, we have amazing examples of the Christian life to draw upon. Let’s just stop for a moment to think about what Orthodox Christianity really is:

—Orthodox Christianity is an ALL-ENCOMPASSING religion. This means it should permeate ALL areas of life. This is Biblical. This is what the Church teaches. This is what Christian martyrs die for. It’s not just about Sunday mornings. It’s a way of life.

—Orthodox Christianity is old-fashioned. Christianity in its truest form seems old-fashioned to the modern mind. Complete with the clear RIGHTS and WRONGS that our grandparents would have taught us. Christianity hasn’t changed. Mankind hasn’t changed. God doesn’t change. So why do we think the things that USED to apply to the Christian life do not apply to us today? Fast? You mean, NO WATER before Church, no McDonald’s for 40 days?! Ludicrous. Who does that nowadays?

—Orthodox Christianity predates modern addictions, but I’m sure early Christians had their addictions too. While the Apostle Paul did not have a smart phone, distractions have always been around. Phones have changed our collective psyche, and its temptations are effective at providing alternatives to a life of reflection and quiet. Look around church next Sunday and notice how many people glance at their phones, or sadly, just give the smart phone to the toddler to keep him quiet throughout the service. Why do people do this? Because we are all on schedules! We can’t sit still for more than three minutes. What if some person needs to contact me? What if I MISS something important (i.e. something MORE important than the church service I’m attending at this moment in time). That, and we are a culture of entertainment and instant gratification. We are a generation of addicts.

—Orthodox Christianity is not to be confused with the practices of the general population. Ask Abraham. Ask Jonah. Ask Ruth. Faith always comes at a cost. Beware of being too “NORMAL”. Never in the history of Christianity have Christians eagerly sought to be “part of the crowd” (shout out to those martyrs who flatly refused to render their pinch of incense to Caesar). Being anti-abortion, anti-same sex marriage, and anti-all inclusive will become harder and harder. Be ready.

Finally, remember that the point of not being secular is to point people to Christ. Nothing else matters. No one is more important. No thing can stand between YOU and GOD. Not job, not friends, not even family. If God is the most important focus in your life, everyone else will eventually accept their place. Give your kids to God; He owns them anyway. Christians are NOT to be lost in the secular culture.

SO, WHAT ARE CHRISTIANS TO DO TO AVOID THE SECULAR LIFE?

–Pray. Pray often. Pray aloud. Pray privately. Sing prayers. Pray in the shower and everywhere you go. Learn to use a prayer rope and learn to pray the “JESUS” prayer. Why? Because when you talk to God all the time, it becomes habit. Eventually, it will become who you are and you will seek His company often.

–Study. Read the Bible. Read books about the Bible. Read about people who pray. Read about the saints and martyrs. Why? Because these things strengthen us. They make us realize that we are NEVER alone in this struggle. They show us what is required of us now and what will be required of us later.

–Let life pass you by. When things conflict with church, fasts, feasts, and your Christian walk, it is time to walk away. Do not make excuses; the world doesn’t accept them anyway. This is, by far, one of the hardest parts of being a modern Christian.

–Dare to be defiant. Don’t forget that it was most often the defiance of the saints that led others to salvation. Be ready to be the “ONLY ONE” who objects.

–Don’t fall for the tricks of the world. Life will encroach. Coaches will scream at your kids for missing Sunday games. Jobs will pass you by. Opportunities will be lost. People will roll their eyes at you and call you “silly” and “religious fanatic”. Let them. Do not care. Find new friends. Get another job.

–Guard your kids. Recognize the dangers. Game of Thrones, had it been on prime time 20 years ago, would have been considered soft porn. If it’s popular, then it’s dangerous. Set limits to technology and keep up your guard. Try to recognize sin disguised as pop culture. Be ready for your kids to call you “old”; they are enslaved to the culture.

–Expect your children to be worldly. If you hand them computers that fit in their pockets, then you must expect them to know more than you think they know. About everything. Innocence is lost early. Have hard conversations with them. The kind of honesty required is surprising; don’t be timid. Realize that you too can fall victim to the culture.

Finally, know that everything in this life is preparation for another, better life. Keep your focus and guard your priorities. At the end of it all, what we want is a “Christian ending to our lives”.

You will not be “secular” when you willingly reject the culture of modern society. When you recognize the traps that are laid before you, and when you strive to keep The Kingdom of God in your sights. You will know that you are living rightly when you face struggle and the contempt of this world. This is OK; it just means that you are correctly focused and doing life the right way! Embrace the “weirdness” of being ORTHODOX ON PURPOSE.

Ol’ Army

If you know me at all, you know that I’m an Aggie. This means I attended Texas A&M University and totally “drank the Aggie Kool-aid”.  Older Aggies refer to their days in the Corps of Cadets as “Ol’ Army”.  This is the idea that, the old ways were the right ways, and the “Ol’ Army days” were a time when everything was good in the world. Never mind those “New Army” rules since obviously the next generation had it much easier than we did. Did the class of ’93 even do push-ups? Unlikely.

Sadly, and perhaps like an Ol’ Ag, I have begun to relate this phenomena to my life in the Church. To clarify, I think you will understand what I’m talking about if you have ever thought something like:

“WOW! My mother would have NEVER let me run around in church like that!”

or,

“No way my parents would have EVER let ME wear that!”

or my personal favorite,

“Gee. Can we not text all during church? Please?”

You get the point.

At what point in our lives do we look around and decide that the old ways were the BEST ways?  And why exactly do the rules, as we remember them, deserve to be followed still? Today, I found myself thinking about the “nones” or the millennial generation (from about 18-30 yrs old). Our church has a handful of members in this age group. These are the kids that go off to college somewhere and who often end up refusing to claim a religious affiliation later in life; hence, the “NONE” in the box marked religious preference. There are a lot out there, and their thinking is a lot different than mine.

It then dawned on me, THIS is my kids’ generation. My own children walk among the “nones”.

I have two children in college, so this issue is dear to my heart. I have to wonder, WHY would someone search for Orthodoxy? Why would a 20-something enter into the Orthodox Church (or any other church for that matter) when there are so many easier options? Once we consider that, then what role do we older folks play in their inclusion in the Church? Do young people reject Orthodox Christianity because there are just too many “rules”?  The irony is, the longer one is Orthodox, the more one begins to crave and appreciate “the rules”. Nothing the Church does is aimless, and the more mature one becomes as a Christian, the more the life of the Church becomes one’s own. But this is not something that can be forced, so how exactly can you relate that to someone who cannot understand why the Orthodox Church rejects so many of the ideas that are accepted as normal by most even while still in high school?

There is certainly some form of chronological snobbery on both sides of the aisle. Me, because I expect certain behaviors from younger people, and them, because they believe my generation is too “Ol’ Army” to be open-minded. I admit, the idea that there are no such things as “Ladies’ Rooms” at Starbucks still irks me.

There is a part of me that knows that when people are seeking truth that they will seek it until they find, well, something. When they find our little church, what will my role be? How will I receive them? Could my behavior at Greek Fest 2018 affect someone’s salvation? The answer: yes, of course it could.

My goal for this week: I need to find out what Ol’ Army ideas have value and which ones I keep simply due to my inability to adapt. I want to become more able to speak “None”.  I will pray for patience and humility as I continue to realize my many imperfections and strive to love the hard to love.

 

How or why did the “Bible Answer Man” finally find his answers?

Christ is Risen!

It’s been exactly one year since I posted on this blog. I know what you’re thinking. Here’s the skinny, I simply have had no life. Two college kids, an elderly father with dementia, church, work etc. etc. So, long story short. I’m baaaackk!

Welcome “BACK” to my forum for ladies who want to have some serious and not-so-serious church-related discussions.

Let’s just get on with it shall we?

Recently, a popular protestant author, Hank Hanegraaff, converted to the Greek Orthodox Church. This has lots of folks worked up, and I’ve seen lots of posts about both sides of his conversion. Interesting. It makes me wonder what most people think about us Orthodox Christians. As a former Southern Baptist, I think I understand most of the rhetoric, but what are your thoughts?

Myrrh, women, and selfless service

MATTHEW 28:

Jesus Has Risen

28 After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.

² There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. ³ His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. ⁴ The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.

⁵ The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. ⁶ He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. ⁷ Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.”

⁸ So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. ⁹ Suddenly Jesus met them. “Greetings,” he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. ¹⁰ Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”

THOUGHTS?

This passage always gets to me. How would that be? How is it to watch someone you love be horribly murdered, then take the little money you have and invest it in expensive ointment (for a dead body), and then get up at o’dark-thirty and walk to the tomb where you will encounter who-knows-how-many scary soldiers. There you will see the body of someone dear to you, and then anoint a corpse with oil. I can’t imagine the horror of it all. Women were tough back then.

This whole event strikes me as an act of complete, selfless, and unconditional love. Wow. I wonder just how much of this kind of love I show on a daily basis? I wonder sometimes what the conversation would have been like between these women? Did they even sleep the night before? My thought for the day is that it is interesting that so many Orthodox women fail to see the importance of their roles in the Church. We should remember that the first people to hear the GOOD NEWS were women. God appreciates this kind of service that only women seem to do, and we should be the kind of servants that give of their time, energies, and show the love of Christ to even those who cannot appreciate it. Let’s take the Myrrh-bearing women and apply it to our daily walk.+

 

 

Keep it simple…so I will remember it…

I am a khouria, a mother of three, a high school teacher, a scout leader, a Civil Air Patrol member, a music instructor and a daughter to a father with dementia. I have about 5 minutes to myself a week, and I would like them to count. This is why I started this blog.

If you are anything like me (and I’m guessing you are!) then you have a zillion things going at all times. Usually, my brain can manage to focus on a short message, or ponder a Bible verse as I go through the day, so I like short messages. Sometimes the little things can lead to big revelations, so most of my posts will be short and to the point.

My vision for this forum is for Orthodox women, moms, students, Khourias, Presbyteras, Matushkas, bake-sale helpers, and those who just want some worthwhile conversation to have a place to find encouragement and fellowship among other Orthodox ladies.

There are only 3 simple ground rules:

Let’s keep those posts positive!

No church politics please. Christ forgives and so do I.

Be kind.

 

Welcome to Khouria’s Corner!

My favorite verse:

Proverbs 3:5-6

Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
And lean not on your own understanding;
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall direct your paths.