REFLECTIONS

Shonda Rhimes is an influential storyteller in modern television. As the creator of Grey's Anatomy, Scandal, Bridgerton, and more, she's known for crafting complex, diverse characters and emotionally rich narratives. Several years ago I read her memoir Year of Yes. In this book she shares how learning to say "yes" transformed her life from fear and burnout to joy and authenticity. Saying yes doesn't guarantee ease or clarity. But it opens the door to transformation. It's brav

I hope you are finding time to read the Scriptures! You can read a little each day, and there are multiple apps that can give you the church's daily readings or help you follow a reading plan. Have you ever been reading and had a verse jump out at you that you hadn't noticed before? This happened to me recently when I was reading 1 Corinthians chapter 9. Verse 23 struck me, which states, "This I do for the gospel's sake, that I may be partaker of it with you."

Today, heaven and earth are united in a holy mystery! Today we celebrate the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos, her falling asleep in peace, her translation into life, and her continued intercession for the whole world! The Church, in her hymns, does not speak of the Theotokos as someone lost to the grave, but as the one who, having given birth to the Source of Life, has now been received into the fullness of that Life.

The Transfiguration of Christ is one of the most beautiful and radiant feast days in the Church. We are able to experience it today because the disciples witnessed it firsthand. Their humanity was evident as they fell to their faces in awe, but there is also something strangely comforting about that. Christ saw them and reassured them, "Don't be afraid." Then He asked them to keep this revelation quiet until after the Resurrection. Can you imagine carrying something that monu

Our Holy Orthodox Church is such a blessing and light to the world, reminding us of what is important, navigating us towards reality, directing us to focus on things that are from God. Our church is constantly inviting us to make love our aim and to desire the spiritual gifts as we celebrate two life-changing feast days in August: the Transfiguration of our Lord on the 6th, and the Dormition of our Holy Mother of God, the Theotokos, on the 15th.

August 1 brings us to the Dormition Fast. This special time of year again reminds us that our dear Theotokos is a great example for us. She is not an exception to the human race. She began her life being presented in the temple, she bore Jesus within herself, and she ended her life having become a Temple of the Holy Spirit. We are called to do likewise. The way that she walked with Jesus is the way we are called to walk with Him.

As we enter August, our Orthodox Church invites us into a special time of preparation for one of the most beloved feasts of our liturgical year, the Dormition of the Theotokos on August 15th. To help us prepare spiritually for this celebration, the Church asks us to follow traditional fasting guidelines and be especially intentional in our prayer and charitable works while focusing our hearts and minds on the example of the Theotokos.

My friends in the Midwest are experiencing thick, smoky air from the Canadian wildfires. For those of us in the Pacific Northwest, that heaviness is all too familiar. It starts with one small spark and suddenly thousands of acres are scorched, homes are displaced, and the sky is filled with haze. As I've watched the fires unfold back in my home state, I've found myself reflecting on how quickly things spiral out of control in our relationships and within communities. Misunder

St. Mary Magdalene is commemorated July 22 I'm blessed to call St. Mary Magdalene my patron saint. Called Equal to the Apostles , St....

"God loves us beyond comprehension and we cannot diminish God's love for us." - St. Peter This quote is attributed to St. Peter. Many sources listed it but also noted that it is not from the Bible. Perhaps Peter spoke these words. Nonetheless, this is simple and strong language about God's love for us that summarizes a lot of what is in the Bible. No matter how far we have fallen or how distant our minds may be from Him, He is still loving us, ready to embrace us.

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

Jesus intentionally chose and invited these twelve Apostles to follow Him and they faithfully walked side by side with Christ during his earthly ministry. He chose simple, ordinary men to enlighten and change the course of the world. Indeed, they did. These followers of Christ left their familiar routine to follow the King of the Universe! The twelve Holy Apostles left their comfortable life to learn from the Master. Through the grace and power of the Holy Spirit, they spre