This is one of my favorite posts of the year! Each December I share my favorite reads from the past year. These are books that I read in 2020 regardless of publication date. This year was, obviously, quite different. For a few months (from March to June) I found myself in the strange position ofRead More
Our Cozy Thanksgiving Plans
It was an agonizing decision, but my husband and I decided not to invite family over for Thanksgiving this year. We had been looking forward to hosting Thanksgiving at our new house, especially since we now live within a few hours of most of our family members. However, we wanted to take precautions and protectRead More
6 Ways to Focus on Gratitude During the Nativity Fast
On Monday I wrote about the framework I am using to focus myself and my children on Christ during the Nativity Fast. You can check out that post, but the basic breakdown is: Focus on Gratitude (Nov. 15-Thanksgiving Day) Focus on Service like St. Nicholas (November 27-December 6) Focus on Anticipation (December 7-December 24) TodayRead More
Ways to Observe the Nativity Fast When You Are Overwhelmed
When I was a young mother (Wow! That makes me sound ancient now….), my priest gave me some very sound advice. I had been talking with him about how I felt overwhelmed by the Nativity Fast. There was just so much going on during the season and fasting felt like one more thing to checkRead More
Chat With An Orthodox Author: Sarah Brangwynne of Forty Days in the Wilderness
Last spring I was excited to begin a new series here on the blog called “Chat With An Orthodox Author.” I wanted readers to be able to connect to Orthodox women authors. While the passion and excitement for this series has remained strong, the pandemic and subsequent quarantine caused me to put it on theRead More
