flynn7

A powerful way to get your tween/teens to start writing, thinking, and spending time with God is through a " Faith Journal !" As a parent or youth worker, you can use these for down time, and inspire them to discover the power of solitude in a location that's special to them. The only goal is that it's private and quiet. However, you might choose to lead them into understanding exactly what to do with this "time." Certain days, they'll write, other days draw, reflect, answer tough questions, read prayers or complete activities. Grab a smaller lined notebook or even sketchbook, and consider adding some of these components from the list below to get them started. Decorate the front/back as they wish, with guidelines that it is "spiritual" and inspiring. Provide papers, markers, icons, glue, glitter, etc Add Quotes : Ask them to write and decorate those pages: "What will you do with the time that is given to you?" Gandolf, Lord of the ...

As Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Pre-Christmas parties are approaching with great popularity, for us, it is a frequent reminder to "stay the course" and focus on the calendar of the Church. We are Orthodox Christians living in secular societies, and although these conversations can be challenging with other PTA moms and co-workers, I thought I'd share how we at least try to respond. It's not worth it to get into debates about whether or not such activities have pagan roots, or if they are simply harmless celebrations of costumes and candy, of turkey, family and football.  The only question to ask is: Are we giving our children the best chance for a holy life? We often go digging through trash to find a spark of something good to hang on to, especially, in order to justify our participation in events that our consciences speak otherwise about. This struggle can leave us troubled in our thoughts and souls, wondering if we did the right thing. I like to remove all doubt...

In need of a good road trip game or ice breaker for your youth? Try playing the "Orthodox Alphabet Game." This works with all ages and is a creative spin on the traditional game, "I'm going on a picnic and I'm bringing with me... a pples, b ananas, c hips, d onuts...etc " Take turns adding to the alphabet something related to our Orthodox faith. Ask each person to repeat the previous letters until the whole alphabet is memorized. Get creative and have fun, without worrying about having the right supplies! A is for ...? (Altar Boys) B is for ...? (Beeswax) C is for...? (Chanter) D is for ... ? E is for....Ecumenical Council (yes, one boy really said this!) F is for... ? G is for... ? (Great Schism) H is for... ? I is for... ? (Icons) J is for... ? K is for... ? (St. Katherine) L is for... ? Push the envelope by not repeating any answers, and only accept Church related words. Consider the books of the Bible, Orthodox Saints, our history, the Sacraments, lit...

A dear friend spent all of July again this year hearing the confessions of maybe 300 or so teenagers in America. A tough job? Sure, it must be exhausting, but for him and every other clergy, our good Lord sends strength, accountability, and compassion to offer just the right medicine to these wounded souls. And this is just what he discovered: wounded souls . My clergy-friend and I both agreed, the devil is working overtime on our kids. What they are facing today is worse than we faced. It's more intense, more damaging, and more in their faces than ever. I share with you a few of these findings. For boys aged 11-18, they are simply bombarded with pornography. Our media has made this extremely accessible. But I liked my friends response- he explained that every time a young guy looks and deletes an image he is training himself to do this when the right one comes along, so therefore after a few short years of marriage, he will want to click "delete" and search for the next...