A New Month Means a New Challenge

People gathered in ornate church interior.

Today is a good day to be reminded by the Church about the source of life. We may think life comes from the earth but that is only the tip of the iceberg. We only get our flesh and blood from the earth. That flesh and blood remain dead without God. The Lord said to…

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Who’s the Boss?

We all have someone we listen to; someone we obey out of love and loyalty. It may be our spouse, our parents, or even the ‘boss’ at work. If we’re being honest there is one boss we obey, but it is not out of love. We obey the government out of fear. Fear does not…

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2026 Daily Lenten Journey Day 7

A person engaged in a Lenten devotional prayer with candles and religious items.

A Celebration of Truth and Communion One of the things I love about Great Lent is the Sunday themes. The theme sets the tone for the week, both the week we just finished and the week ahead. Today the Church celebrates the victory of Holy Icons and the Incarnation of Christ. Year round every Sunday…

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Holding Jesus

Two hands together holding a small baby

I love blessing babies. Holding their tiny bodies as they often stare into the dome of the Church during the blessing brings great joy. It seems we all ‘get into the game’ when a baby is around. We all want to hold the baby. Babies remind us of God’s love and promise. Today is the…

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The Blood of Christ Saves

Priest giving communion to a young boy.

Throughout my years of ministry I have heard many ‘catch phrases’ about salvation. Among my favorites is about the blood of Christ. Phrases such as, ‘saved by the blood’ indicate deep faith in Christ. They also indicate an ignorance of the Scriptures. When Orthodox Christians speak about the Blood of Christ, we speak about Holy…

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Christmas Isn’t Over Just Yet

Father and son sleeping on the couch

Christ is Born; Glorify Him! These words rang out across the Orthodox world yesterday. Bells rang. Christmas carols echoed through the towns. Families gathered to exchange love and gifts. Today is a different story if you pay attention. The ‘world’ has already moved on. We have not. For centuries Christians waited for Christmas to begin…

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Final Checklist for Christmas

Chalkboard to-do list with humorous text.

ONLY THREE DAYS UNTIL CHRISTMAS and right about now you are beginning to panic you may not finish all the things you have to accomplish before Christmas. There are only 24 hours in a day, so I decided to help you narrow down your final checklist for Christmas. Prayer, fasting, charity, and worship are the…

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