The Power of Today

Icon of Jesus with crown of thorns.

From the moment we become aware of our mortality our minds ‘live’ in the future. Will we have enough money to retire? How much life insurance do I need? Will I ever pay off my student loans? The preoccupation with the future means we ignore the present. The spiritual problem with ‘living in the future’…

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Remember Your Conversion

Candles lighting

Whether we were ‘born into’ the Church of became Orthodox later in life, each of us has a conversion story. We can remember that day, or season, when we realized our faith in Christ was something that we were serious about. We also can remember days or seasons when that faith waned a bit, and…

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Resolution of Peace

Peace written on sandy beach near waves.

If you chose this year not to make a New Year Resolution, it isn’t too late. In fact, I may have found some inspiration for you this year. We cannot deny the world is filled with chaos and frantic souls searching for meaning in life. Money doesn’t comfort. Material comfort doesn’t soothe. We are all…

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Hope Never Fades

Bible with flowers and "Hope" card.

Whether you have lived for one year or one hundred years, you know what it means to hope for something. When our hope is based on a promise, we remain laser focused. When the One Who makes the promise is God, our hope never fades. As Christians we have the benefit of reading the story…

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Being Faithful

Silhouette with "FAITH" at sunrise background.

When we think about being faithful to someone, we imagine loyalty and sacrifice. If we are faithful to our friends, we fight for them. So long as our friends do not abandon us and our priorities continue to be aligned with their priorities, we remain faithful and willing to fight. If just one thing changes,…

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Marble and Gold

Inside View Of A Church With Jesus Christ Idol

Many people complain that the Orthodox Church adorns our church buildings with majestic marble and gold. “Jesus was a simple carpenter,” they say. What these same people forget is that it was God who commanded the absolute best materials be used to build the temple. God didn’t stop at gold and marble. He demanded the…

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Consecration

Church altar with crucifix and candles.

Today the Church commemorates the consecration of the most glorious church of the Resurrection of Our Lord, God and Savior Jesus Christ. Built by Saints Constantine and Helen in the 4th Century, this Church stands as a reminder to the world that God was resurrected from the dead. Although the building has seen changes and…

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Not About Us

About Us" in blue puzzle pieces.

The past few days I have been writing about the importance of the Church. The Church teaches us morality. The Church teaches us to love. The Church teaches us about God. The Church also teaches us to embrace the importance of humility and patience. The Lord said to his disciples, “He who hears you hears…

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True Forgiveness Begins with Coexistence

Forgiveness engraved on wet sand

As you can imagine I meet many who struggle in the art of forgiveness. Many say they can’t seem to forgive no matter how much they try. We’ve been wronged! We can’t get over what they did to us. I’m still angry. I know I should forgive them, but I just can’t. These are all…

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Don’t Be Led Astray

Ancient cliffside monastery with rugged landscape.

It is tempting to trust everything someone in authority says. We know intuitively that not everyone will speak the truth. In fact, many will speak lies to further their own agenda. This is true not only in politics, but also in the Church. For centuries the Church has been fighting against such realities, always remaining…

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