In elementary and middle school I attended private Catholic and public school. I was the only practicing Orthodox Christian besides my brother at both schools. At times, it was quite difficult being the only one who wasn’t either a Catholic, Protestant, or atheist. There were many times that I was asked to explain things, such as icons and certain Saints, to a crowd who wasn’t interested in learning.
At any stage of life–high school, college–finishing the school year can feel overwhelming with the demands of education, family, friends, social life, and our faith. Balancing these aspects can be challenging, but with thoughtful strategies, you can manage your time effectively and stay motivated. Here are some tips on time management, balancing responsibilities, staying motivated, and the importance of exercise and the outdoors! I believe that with balance we can bring ourselves more peace in life.
When people would ask me the classic question, “How was your summer?” I found it an understatement to merely reply, “good.” This past summer, I jumped on nearly every opportunity available to me—all which enriched my spiritual, social, and family life in a unique way. I want to share some of my fruitful experiences with you to give ideas for your upcoming summer. When considering summer plans, trying to find a balance between service, family time, fun, and spiritual growth can be very difficult. Hopefully my experiences will give you some ideas for your summer itinerary!
It is a truth (nearly) universally acknowledged that homeschoolers stuck in the deep midwinter must be in want of an outlet for their energy. Add on the swift approach of Lent, and accomplishing anything–let alone productive schoolwork–seems like a far-off dream! Here are some ideas for EASY activities that might help make your lessons more joyful as you get through the winter slump.
Each year, I like to share a “wrap-up” of the best books I’ve read throughout the year. This year, I’m pleased to join my recommendations to those of our wonderful team of interns. We hope that if you pick up any of these books, you’ll not only enjoy them but you’ll get something meaningful from them as well!
In the quiet moments of our busy lives, fasting invites us into a deeper communion with God. As Orthodox Christians, the sacred tradition of fasting is a journey of the soul, a practice that transforms daily routines into opportunities for spiritual growth. Through the act of fasting, we learn to find beauty in simplicity, strength in discipline, and a profound connection with our faith. Join our interns as we share some of our favorite fasting recipes, from breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks!
I spent five weeks in Romania this past summer, visiting family members whom I had not seen for years. Naturally, everyone asked me what I planned to study after high school, to which I would reply, “English and the Classics.” Judging by their knitted brows and expressions of pity, I guessed that they were less than satisfied with my answer. Desperately trying to find a hope for my future, they would question, “You’re not interested in math?” I would laugh and brush it off, but I truly began to pity those deprived of the love of classical literature.
For many homeschooled students, the prospect of college after high school is one shrouded in doubt, anxiety, and very realistic financial concerns. The potential culture shock inherent in going from being a teenager on the somewhat-sheltered scale to becoming a college student is a bit scary. But more important is the knowledge that most four-year universities will require you to shell out ridiculous amounts of money for basic courses like English and Biology, even if they haven’t got any direct relevance to your major. In this article, I will expound upon the possibilities open to homeschoolers for obtaining college credit while still in high school and give some advice based on my personal college-in-highschool experience.
How often do we feel overwhelmed in life? Not only by the endless tasks, obligations, and even things we love to do, but by how our world seems to be full of things that could be done better? Something that has been on my mind a lot lately is the pro-life movement. I recently found out several women in my life are pregnant, and it fills my heart with so much joy! However, it seems almost daily I am bombarded with heartbreaking news from those who don’t support life in the womb. So my question stands: how can we do this better? How can I support the life of babies (while still being a few years from having a family of my own) and inspire others to do the same?
Since you’re reading this, you probably know something about our work at Saint Emmelia Ministries, whether it’s our conferences, online discussion groups, or the Saint Macrina Lecture Series. But here are five more resources you might not know about!
There are so many books out in the world, and not all of them are edifying. What we put into our brains matters. If we put junk into our brains it will affect our souls and our thoughts, but if we put edifying knowledge and pure thoughts into our brains, it will be beneficial for us. Our faith calls us to keep a pure mind and heart, for what goes in comes out. Sometimes it is hard to find good books and it is even harder to find good Christian and Orthodox books for teens and children to read. So here are some I have enjoyed!
The Bible tells us to serve each other and to treat our neighbors as ourselves. If you want to do something that will benefit other people, there are so many things that can be done. It can feel overwhelming to consider taking on a big project, but helping others doesn’t have to involve taking on something big. There are so many little ways you can help.
When my mom first announced to my family that we would be attending a new church–that is, the Orthodox Church–I didn’t know what to feel, let alone to think. I was fourteen at the time and had never had any particular consistency with the denominations of my church; we mostly went wherever was closest to us. So, her announcement didn’t seem too out of the ordinary, and we didn’t put too much thought into it; we loved God and knew we should attend Church every Sunday. But what inspired this particular decision?
In just a few months, I will enter the eighth year of my homeschooling journey. My mother pulled me out of school at the end of second grade, and since then she has always been my favorite teacher.
The adjustment to attending a public school and switching to a classical education those “many, many” years ago was a slow process. On top of the rules at school that made my mom uncomfortable (why wasn’t she allowed to visit me during the days?), I experienced and saw bullying. My mom barely knew what I was taught during the long eight hours I was away from her, and I didn’t see my siblings as much as I would have liked. By the time I woke up in the morning, got ready, had breakfast, and raced to the bus stop, I already felt a longing for the comfort my mom has always provided me. Hours later, at lunch time, I would wonder why I couldn’t be at home enjoying a simple lunch with my family. Instead, I was crushed in a huge lunch hall with hundreds of loud and disrespectful children.
It pretty much goes without saying that each Orthodox Christian is called to contribute to the life and health of their own parish–it’s part of our tithe, our almsgiving, and our prayer. It brings us closer to Christ and to those in our community by turning our gaze outward from ourselves to the whole body of Christ. And, of course, it’s simply a necessity if we want our parishes to operate smoothly and bear fruit.
At the same time, it can be a challenge to find a ministry that fits well. It doesn’t make sense, for example, to join the cleaning rotation when you have to rush home to put grouchy toddlers down for a nap. Nor does it make sense to commit to something that you’re simply uninterested in and therefore have no motivation to help with longterm. And it definitely doesn’t make sense to make a commitment that you simply don’t have time for! And sure, giving beyond your normal tithe is always helpful, but not always possible…and monetary giving doesn’t help your family become part of the fabric of the community in the same way that interfacing with your fellow parishioners does.
When I asked a chanter at my church how to get over my chanting nerves, he laughed and said, “Realize it’s not about you.” Ouch. This was a difficult comment for me to swallow because I realized just how self-absorbed I was! My fear and insecurity were preoccupying my ability to truly serve God and praise Him with my voice. I needed to come to the realization that it wasn’t about me: it was about God! I had to get over myself.
Something you might not know about me (or maybe you already do know this, and you’re about to be like, “please, Mindi, enough already!”) is that I used to be a Children’s Librarian. One major aspect of my job was planning storytimes, which meant thinking a lot about pre-literacy skills and teaching parents how to help their children hone these skills. So today, I’m going to talk about the six areas of early literacy and ways that you can strengthen your child’s skills in these areas, specifically by engaging with our Faith!
“So, how will you get into college?” If you’re a homeschooling high schooler, you’ve heard that question. I did, and it worried me. Now that I've been accepted to college, I’ve learned the answer is: “Just like everyone else.” Homeschoolers have the same rate of acceptance as brick-and-mortar school students, and there generally aren’t any application requirement differences for homeschoolers. Nevertheless, the process will inevitably feel different sometimes.
“The only thing in his sock drawer is a sandwich!” my brother said as he frantically prepared for school one morning. It was Holy Week, and he was looking for socks. He couldn’t find any in his dresser, so my mom told him to look in his brother’s drawers. He found only a sandwich, forgotten by our exhausted brother one night after services. We were trying to juggle the demanding work of private school with the many services we had during that week.
