This week’s episode of the Orthodixie Podcast, an “oldie but goodie”, is about that big event of summer. (I’m away at Camp St Raphael this week; prayers coveted.) For all the Old Marrieds out there, here’s a little chuckle someone sent me a while back: A wife was making a breakfast of fried eggs for her husband. Suddenly, her husband burst into the kitchen. “Careful,” he said, “CAREFUL! Put in some more butter! Oh my gosh! You’re cooking too many... Read more

An outbreak of dancing plague, also known as St. Vitus’ Dance or epidemic chorea, began on this day in 1374 in Aachen, Germany. Stolen from the Writer’s Almanac … From Aachen it spread across central Europe and as far away as England and Madagascar. Dancing mania affected groups of people — as many as thousands at a time — and caused them to dance uncontrollably for days, weeks, and even months until they collapsed from exhaustion. Some danced themselves to... Read more

“After Mass someone came up to me and said, ‘What about ironing boards?’ So then I started saying it would be a blessing of surfboards, boogie boards, skate boards, skim boards, ironing boards, school boards, executive boards and even two-by-fours. We got them all except school boards and executive boards.“ Uh. There’s more. HERE. Thanks to FWD from Bob Born. Read more

Fr. Charles Baz, Pastor of St. John Orthodox Church, Levittown, New York, writes: “I have received the sad news of the falling asleep in the Lord of His handmaid, Mother Christina Baz, Abbess of the Patriarchal Convent of our Lady of Saidnaya in Syria. Not only was Mother Christina related to me (her mother and my grandfather were siblings), she was known to several people in our Archdiocese, to priests and bishops, to His Eminence Metropolitan Philip, and to all... Read more

A while back, commenting on the sad state of a former rock star, I wrote: I believe it’s possible to take one’s struggles and temptations and turn them into a craft: poetry, prose, lyrics and art. The muse might possess a bit of madness but, as long as the madness is wrestled with, art is born. Yet, in a fallen world, the madness itself may become the quest. Instead of the hound that drives a man toward greatness, it becomes... Read more

Also, check it out on our Parish Life Conference webpage! Special thanks to Producer, Doug Burns, and webmaster Eddie Brega. Read more

WDMS? Go here. Read more

Okay. But it is a sobering thought that young men continue to spill blood and sacrifice limb and life for all who stand in the shade of that flag. On this June 14th, I’d like to introduce you to the author of Warriors Remembered, retired Army Colonel Albert Nahas: Albert is a longtime member of St George Orthodox Church, Houston. There’s more about Al, here. For more info on his book, Warriors Remembered, go HERE. A note from the author:... Read more

Last blog entry informed that the Huneycutts were travelin’. Above is a pic, from across the lake, of the cabin (center) where we stayed on the Alabama side of Lookout Mountain on our way to North Carolina. The view from the porch. The view out the windshield, exiting the cabin’s drive. God’s Country. The Nantahala River @ the NOC in NC. View of God’s Country interrupted by 13 year old boy. The Fam. Nothing much else to see here —... Read more

Recently, the Antiochian Archdiocese’s Department of Missions and Evangelism announced a contest to write the best 30-second or less explanation of what the Orthodox Church is, essentially an Orthodox “elevator speech”. I’d never heard of an “elevator speech” but the announcement went on to say that in the business world, an “elevator speech” is a very brief explanation of what one does for a living or what one’s company does or stands for. It is a speech, or pitch, useful... Read more