PARISH VOICES

In my previous reflection, I shared about a walk I took with my son five years ago. On that walk, I thought about four things that we can delight in amidst our walk with God, our Father. I'll conclude with my final two thoughts here. Around a hundred years ago, my grandfather was visiting the big city. It was quite a different sight from their country farm as he walked hand in hand with his grandson let go of his hand, dashed into traffic, and was killed. I thought of this

In my last article I spoke about the Church and how it is a place of love where we experience family and the comforts of home. That is the hope of every church community that they exhibit a welcoming, warm place for visitors and members alike. In this community of believers, called the Church, it is also a place where our Christian pathway is experienced and strengthened. It is a place where we can strive for our humility and grow in love for all people...

When my son was born, Fr. Tom told me, "All children come with a PhD, a Parental Healing Doctorate. Your son will be your teacher." I was reminded again of this while waiting with my son about six years ago. I had misjudged a car repair appointment, and we had hours to wait, not minutes. I decided we'd go for a walk and run some errands to fill the time. Walking hand in hand with my five-year-old son brought me reflections on my walk with my heavenly Father...

Pentecost marks the moment when the Holy Spirit descended upon the Apostles, empowering them to spread the Gospel. "But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me." (John 15:26) The Spirit of God, eternally existing with the Father and the Son, became a guiding force, filling the disciples with divine inspiration. This moment was not simply about receiving knowledg

Have you ever had one moment in life that changed your entire life? Today, let's zoom in on one moment in the life of St. Andrew where two questions changed his entire life. Andrew was a follower of John the Baptist, and he was there to witness Jesus arriving on the scene to be baptized. John the Baptist said of Jesus, "Behold, the Lamb of God" (John 1:36). St. Andrew heard this and felt something deep in his heart, and he decided to follow Jesus. I imagine him making a hasty

The Church is our foundation for our Christian walk. Gathering together in its building as a family in God’s love creates a home where we can get to know Christ more deeply. Growing up, my family lived away from extended family. All the grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins lived in Northern Illinois. We moved a handful of times to other midwestern locales until finally ending up in Woodinville in the beautiful state of Washington when I was twelve years old. My parents t

Lately, I’ve made a conscious effort to avoid the news. When I scroll through social media, I quickly bypass stories and reels, moving past anything that might pull me into the weight of current events. At times, this feels necessary for self-preservation. But it also raises a deeper question: When does the search for peace turn into blindness? In shielding myself from the world’s troubles, am I also shielding myself from reality? Am I blind?

The devil is not particularly creative. He has been using the same strategy since the beginning of time, and tragically, we keep falling for it. It's what I call "truth, truth, twist"—he takes something that is genuinely true, acknowledges it honestly, and then adds just enough of a twist to lead us astray. If Satan simply lied outright, it would be too obvious. We'd see through it immediately. But when he wraps deception in undeniable truth, we're much more likely to accep

Even though Lent is in the past for 2025, I'd like to reflect on it one more time. In many Christian circles, the season of Lent arrives alongside the question, "What are you giving up for Lent?" I would like to suggest two different questions that I find more helpful and relevant to us all year round. For the first question, let's look to Jesus' words in Luke 9:23, He says "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me

I'll be honest, after the joy and light of Pascha and all the celebrations, life often feels like it returns to normal. The Rhythm of work, responsibilities, and routine can make it seem as though nothing has changed. Fr. Tom always likes to say "It's always sunny in Seattle!" Well, it was actually Sunny this week! Although we experienced visible light this week, work kept me so busy that I barely had the chance to savor the sunshine. We also received pretty big news at work

Death, for me, took on a different meaning three years ago. The cancer diagnosis was bleak. Initial reading of the biopsy concurred with CT scans that it was an aggressive cancer. I was a candidate for surgical removal of the tumor (a 9 hour surgery) followed by palliative chemo to give me more time. Two days after the biopsy, I had my regularly scheduled hair appointment. I told Holly, let’s cut my shoulder length hair short. Chemo is around the corner. I went home. The GI

Holy Week is upon us. Every day of this week has important themes to encounter, but I am thinking a lot about Holy Friday. I’d like us to consider our own response to the cross of Christ and to our own particular crosses in life. I would like to share with you a painful story from the life of my grandmother. She was born over a hundred years ago. Life was hard, but it was made harder still due to the selfishness of men. She had two girls and a boy...

Suffering is an undeniable part of life. Pain, distress, or hardship is something we all face. For me, suffering has never been just defeat; it has been survival. It shapes our fears, dictates our decisions, and weighs heavily on our hearts. We instinctively try to control our circumstances, believing that if we hold on tightly enough, we can avoid the pain. Yet, as we enter Holy Week, Christ offers another path. He is inviting us on this path with Him. This path is one of su

A work in progress—that’s what we all can claim. We are being refined each day. Hopefully, we are getting closer and closer to God...

I have heard that St. Seraphim of Sarov would greet everyone he met with, “Christ is Risen, My Joy.” He would call each person, “My Joy.”

I give up my thoughts and I accept what I feel, I bear it, I live it, and I offer it to God. I call to Him in my feelings so He can heal...

I'm a busy person. Too busy, really, and often prone to plunge forward in life with a Sisyphean list of to-dos, virtually impossible to...

Hope is an important thing. How is yours holding up? When the world around us is full of fear and stress, it can seem hard to have hope.

During Bible Study on Wednesday, we reflected on the word discipline and what it means. For many in this world, discipline carries...

"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good testimony...."