We are never going to be minimalists. Minimalism has become a popular ideal lately. And those who call themselves minimalists have a few important things things right. Stuff should not control us… we should be in control of our things. And the things we have should be cared for and orderly. In fact, in the …
Protection of the Most Holy Mother of God
The Veil of the Most Holy Theotokos We celebrate the protection (or veil) of the Most Holy Mother of God on October 1st. This feast commemorates an apparition of Our Lady to the church wherein the robes of Our Lady are kept. So what happened? Well, the faithful were gathered in the Church at Blachernae, …
Dormition of John the Theologian
The Passing of the Holy Apostle and Evangelist, John the Theologian On September 16th/26th, we celebrate the passing of the Holy Apostle and Evangelist: John the Theologian. St. John is my favourite apostle and gospel writer. He is also honoured on his other feast day, May 8th, and during the Synaxis of the 12 Apostles. …
Puzzle at Home: A Montessori DIY
Wood puzzles are expensive! We use a couple of animal, number, and alphabet wood puzzles already. However, I found other great wood puzzles I wanted our girls to have. The only problem, with shipping, these puzzles would cost us around 100 dollars! Clearly there has to be a better way. I went on Pinterest, and …
Exaltation of the Cross
The Universal Exaltation of the Precious and Life-Giving Cross We celebrate the Exaltation of the Cross 40 days after the Transfiguration. This feast commemorates St. Helen finding the true cross, and the date Constantine dedicated the Church of the Resurrection, built upon the same site in the year 335 A.D. St. Helen was sent to …
Rublev’s Trinity: The Icon
.This week’s article on the Trinity icon is co-written by Kyleshka and the Badger Dad. Who’s Rublev? Andrei Rublev, (pronounced “Rooblyohff), a monk from Holy Trinity Monastery, is the iconographer behind the most popular icon of the Holy Trinity. We do not know many of the details of his life. But here is what we …
The Beheading of the John the Baptist
The Beheading of the Honourable and Glorious Prophet, Forerunner, and Baptist John August 29th is the feast of John the Baptist’s beheading. This feast occurs at the close of our church year. Just as the death of John the Baptist occurs as Christ begins His public ministry. The Beheading of John We recognize John the …
7 Communication Skills I Learned in 3.5 Years of Marriage
I often feel behind when it comes to communication skills. After moving around a lot as a child, I never had the time to make close friendships. Having a helicopter-style parent for a mother didn’t help with this either. However, now that I am an adult (and married), I have taken on the challenge of …
Dormition of the Theotokos: Feast Day and Icon
The Falling Asleep of the Theotokos Although the Dormition of the Theotokos is not in scripture, we know a lot of what happened from Tradition. When the time came for the soul of the Theotokos to be united with her son in heaven, the apostles and disciples were brought mysteriously to Jerusalem. This happened so …
Holy Apostle Matthias – Post Feast of the Transfiguration
Apostle Matthias August 9th we celebrate the Holy Apostle Matthias. Here is some of what we know about him. The Apostle Matthias is of the tribe of Judah. Like Jesus, he was born in Bethlehem. Matthias is one of the original 70 disciples, and so we know he also “walked in Jesus’ footsteps” during the …