Orthodox Christian Crafts for Pascha and other times

 With Holy Week approaching here are ways to help our littles.  Looking for a fun craft to add to your church school lesson or perhaps a Lenten retreat or just someway to reinforce the lessons of the season at home? You are not going to believe this post! I gathered my favorite Orthodox crafts, all one place, to make it easier to pick.

  Whoo hoo, let the fun begin!!

If you like what you see and wish to pin it, please be courteous and take from the source post, give credit to these incredible people who inspire us. Photo heavy post after the jump.

Sunday School Teacher Gifts-Free Printable

It's that time again.

The time of year to express our gratitude to all those who work so tirelessly for the benefit of others.

Last year, these are the little tokens offered to our Church School to express the sentiment.

Here's how I made them.

The World Weeps

Icon from The Life of Christ in Icons Board Book by Marina Paliak 2011

Here are one of the adorable crafts from our Lenten Retreat.

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From the Little Fields of Basil Bookshelf:My Yellow Balloon

My Yellow Balloon
Author: Tiffany Papageorge
Illustrator:  Erwin Madrid 

Most Holy Theotokos Intercede for Us

Xronia Polla! Happy Annunciation to All!

It's a beautiful day, it is always a beautiful day when we celebrate the sweet Mother of God, 

Most Holy Theotokos.

I have been asked why we celebrate her as we do.

It's simple.

She is the Mother of God. 

She is the one who accepted God's will as her own, without trepidation.

She is the one who prays for us, the way every mother prays for her children and intercedes for us, the way a mother intercedes when their child needs support or understanding.

‘Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.’ 

Luke 1:24-38

There are so many ways to apply this to your life everyday.

Accept God's Will.

 'For nothing will be impossible with God.’

Luke 1:24-38 

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20 Orthodox Crafts for Lent and Other Times

With Holy Week approaching here are ways to help our littles.  Looking for a fun craft to add to your church school lesson or perhaps a Lenten retreat or just someway to reinforce the lessons of the season at home? You are not going to believe this post! I gathered my favorite Orthodox crafts, all one place, to make it easier to pick.

  Whoo hoo, let the fun begin!!

If you like what you see and wish to pin it, please be courteous and take from the source post, give credit to these incredible people who inspire us. Photo heavy post after the jump.

Raise your Cross

Cross projects are always fun and can be easy or complex.  

This one is very satisfying and easy for little hands.  

I wish I could show you the ear to ear grins.  Once completed these look beautiful in the windows.  Make them with your children at home or at church school. Ours stayed up in the window for the longest time, I think until we moved?

Supplies needed are construction paper, scissors or exacto knife, tissue paper and clear contact paper.
Pair this with a lesson about the Cross and singing the hymn together.  

Great Sadness-Memory Eternal

"With a very heavy heart, His Eminence informs you of the untimely passing of the Rev. Fr. Matthew Baker, who tragically died in a car accident early this evening. Fr. Matthew was recently assigned to the Holy Trinity Parish of Norwich, CT, following the retirement of Fr. Paul Pantelis. During this evening's snow storm, Fr. Baker was traveling home from the parish when he had an accident from which he did not survive. His children who were traveling in the car with Fr. Matthew are thankfully not injured. The Metropolitan spoke directly with Presbytera Katherine a few moments ago and expressed the love and sympathy of the entire Metropolis and assured her of our prayers, presence and support.

More information will be forthcoming tomorrow.  Please join His Eminence as we pray for Fr. Matthew's eternal repose. We pray for Presbytera Kate, their six beautiful children, Fr. Matthew's mother and their entire family, that the Lord surround them in His comforting and peaceful embrace. May he rest in peace! May his memory be eternal!" Metropolis of Boston

More information will be shared by His Eminence and the Metropolis.
In the meantime, to assist this special family, a fund has been set up at
http://www.gofundme.com/nizf2g

Sharing this with great sadness, our hearts and prayers go out to the Baker family.
Please share this information, as we try to support this sweet family.
Eleni

True Love

True Love is able to shine through every single barrier.

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Here and Now

Hello there...I'm back.

Well- truly I never left, I've been writing posts several times a day (in my head) and they are really good ones. You the kind that make you giggle as you read them. I'm giggling at least.  The challenge is finding time to put down. The break was necessary and good.

Thank you for checking in, here is a little preview of what has been happening and what is ahead.

What have I done with my window boxes for the season?

It looks gorge and cost less than $5.

We had our annual St Nick Party, loads of fun!

Just keep swimming...

The school year is fast approaching and some new and not so new challenges are ahead.

Here is some wisdom to help along the way.

Usually I look like the one on the left, but sometimes that's me on the right.

The Holy Fathers and the Saints always tell us, "It is important to get up immediately after a fall and to keep on walking toward God." Even if we fall a hundred times a day it does not matter; we must get up and go on walking toward God without looking back. What has happened has happened-it is in the past. Just keep on going, all the while asking for help from God.

Elder Thaddeus of Votovnica

The Most Amazing Night

We had an exceptionally warm evening last night.  We also got to see quite a light show!

Source

The fireflies were out en masse, it was phenomenal. We didn't take pictures just enjoyed the show.

It was so much fun, sitting by our dining room window together in the dark.
We watched them, counted them and even named some of them.

Blink, blink, blinky blink.

Definitely worth being late for bedtime.

Fireflies in the Garden

BY ROBERT FROST

Here come real stars to fill the upper skies,

And here on earth come emulating flies,

That though they never equal stars in size,

(And they were never really stars at heart)

Achieve at times a very star-like start.

Only, of course, they can't sustain the part.

Source

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Thinking about window boxes: Part One

I love window boxes. I'm not sure why? Perhaps it's because you can see and sometimes smell the beautiful flowers, while inside the house? Perhaps it's because it reminds me of my Yiayia's home, she didn't have window boxes but a big raised concrete planter wall filled with geraniums and begonias. 

On the years we couldn't spend the summer with her in Greece, she would mail us petals in her letters. I always looked forward to those sweet little colorful petals. Sometimes, it was whole pressed flowers placed inside the paper, written in blue pen on super thin tissue-like letter paper.  This is an art that is being lost by the way.

(Tangential thought being shared here)
The art of letter writing, the art pressing flowers, the art of making connections, somehow I feel like we all have to work harder at it these days. I strive to slow down and appreciate the little acts of beauty around me.  Perhaps, this is why so many of us blog? To try to help the world slow down for a nanosecond and notice the beauty around us.

(ok now it's ended)

The aroma of geraniums always take me back.  Our Yiayia would also put pots in the deep window sills, her little patio was a wonder of color, shade, aroma and love.

What aromas of spring and summer bring back beautiful memories for you?

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Pentecost and Kites

Pentecost was this past Sunday. It started with a beautiful liturgy, followed by the Kneeling Vespers and an evening with 800 of our closest friends and our Hierarch for dinner.  In between we were able to squeeze in some kite flying.  Made at school and one of the most awesome kites I have ever seen. SO MUCH FUN! What's Pentecost without squeezing in some kite flying after all.

Did you do anything special to help the little people celebrate the day?


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From Little Fields of Basil Bookshelf: The Littlest Altar Boy

Still need something for your Pascha/ Easter Baskets?

Introducing... a new feature!

Here is our very first book review.  Drum roll please...

Chocolate Chip Kale Cookies

40 Days-40 Days of Lenten Recipes

Kale is all the rage. It's easy to grow, high in vitamins but it's bitter. It's not something our family cares for very much. Have tried it as chips, blech! Gross! No matter how much you salt them, and try to convince yourself they taste just like real potato chips, trust me, THEY DON'T. Now kale in soup, a different matter, not bad in soup, not bad at all. But the child, won't go near it, even in soup.
Now I have found a new way to add this healthy green leafy veggie to our life. COOKIES! 

21 Favorite Ideas to Decorate Easter Eggs

40 Days-40 Lenten Recipes (and more)

So with Easter/Pascha approaching, a girl's thoughts turn to... the eggs of course.
It can't be recipes and food all the time.

I started thinking about all the gorgeous egg tutorials I've seen on Pinterest.

So I thought I'd share some of my favorites and some history I learned, along the way.

Enjoy and then let's get cracking!

Sorry couldn't resist.

Lent and being too busy?

I had the pleasure of hearing one of youth, a second grader answer a question this weekend during Church School that made every adult want to leap up and applaud. The question was, "what season are we in and what is it?"  The answer, "it's the 40 days of Lent and it's when Jesus was in the desert and was being tempted by the Devil. So we remember it by trying to stay away from stuff that tempts us." What a great kid!

Take time ( a minute or if you can even longer today) and a say a prayer, make the connection that counts.
It does make a difference!

Here's an easy prayer, not always to easy to say but powerful.

Jesus Christ, Have Mercy on Me, a Sinner.

I was introduced to this below over the weekend. It's very thought-provoking and I know not new but worth a revisit. Let me know what you think about it? Would love to hear from you.

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DEVIL'S CONVENTION

Satan called a worldwide convention.

In his opening address to his evil angels, he said,'We can't keep the Christians from going to church.'
'We cannot keep them from reading their Bibles and knowing the truth.'
'We cannot even keep them from forming an intimate, abiding relationship experience in Christ. If they gain that connection with Jesus, our power over them is broken. So let them go to their churches; let them have their conservative lifestyles, but steal their time, so they can't gain that relationship with Jesus Christ.'

'This is what I want you to do angels ...

Distract them from gaining hold of their Saviour and maintaining that vital connection throughout their day!'

'How shall we do this?' shouted his angels.

'Keep them busy in the nonessentials of life and invent innumerable schemes to occupy their minds,' he answered. 'Tempt them to spend, spend, spend, and borrow, borrow, borrow.'

'Persuade the wives to go to work for long hours and the husbands to work 6-7 days each week, 10-12 hours a day, so they can afford their empty lifestyles. Keep thern from spending time with their children.'

'As their family fragments, soon, their home will offer no escape from the pressures of work!'

'Over-stimulate their minds so that they cannot hear that still, small voice. Entice them to play the radio or cassette player whenever they drive. Keep the TV, VCR, CDs, and their PCs going constantly in their home and see to it that every store and restaurant in the world plays non-biblical music constantly. This will jam their minds and break that union with Christ.'

'Fill the coffee tables with magazines and newspapers. Pound their minds with the news 24 hours a day. Invade their driving moments with billboards. Flood their mailboxes with junk mail, mail order catalogues, sweepstakes, and every kind of newsletter and promotional offering free products, services and false hopes.'

'Keep skinny, beautiful models on the magazines so the husbands will believe that external beauty is what is important, and they will become dissatisfied with their wives. Ha! That will fragment those families quickly!'

'Even in their recreation, let them be excessive. Have them return from their recreation exhausted, disquieted and unprepared for the coming week'.

'Do not let them go out in nature to reflect on God's wonders. Send them to amusement parks, sporting events, concerts, and movies instead.'

'Keep them busy, busy, busy! And when they meet for spiritual fellowship, involve them in gossip and small talk so that they leave with troubled consciences and unsettled emotions.'

'Go ahead, let thern be involved in soul winning; but crowd their lives with so rnany good causes they have no tirne to seek power frorn Jesus.'

'Soon they will be working in their own strength, sacrificing their health and family for the good of the cause.'

It will work! It will work!

It was quite a convention. The evil angels went eagerly to their assignments causing Christians everywhere to get busier and more rushed, going here and there.
I guess the question is has the devil been successful at his scherne? You be the judge!
Does 'busy' rnean: B-eing U-nder S-atan's Y-oke?

Author unknown

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New spin-Old game

40 Days-40 Days of Lenten Recipes (and Games!)

There are times when you have some waiting to do with the little people in your life and sometimes that waiting is hard to do.  Whether you are trying to cut down on screen time or just have something more interactive to do together, sometimes it's the old games that are the best!

I remember playing hangman with family and friends for hours growing up. It is a great game, involves executive functioning and language and some fun visual spatial skills. As a little game, it has it all.

The problem is hanging the man.  The origins of the game seem to point to Victorian times? All the same, not a visual wishing to perpetuate.  A friend of mine came up with this alternative at church camp this summer and I LOVE IT!

The alternative is ...ta, ta, taaaan!

Build a church.  

Here are some of the fun we had, sorry for the poor pictures, you get the idea.

Do you have any old games you have modified? 

Would love to hear about them, as always looking for something fun!

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Icon Letter Craft

40 Days-40 Days of Lenten Recipes (and Crafts!)

Now for something a bit different, being that it is the Sunday of Orthodoxy. I had hoped in this 40 days series to not only have recipes, but also craft ideas. This is a special craft to us and one of our favorites.  

An Icon Letter!

This idea came to me while looking at all the wonderful family photo letters people have made on Pinterest. It popped into my head and I ran with it. We have made these for baptisms for some special little ones. But as I think about it, it would make a great craft for church school and retreats. It can be a wonderful way to learn about icons and each child's Saint. 

The process requires downloading pictures of your icons and printing them out. We used regular printer paper and it worked just fine. I made duplicates on my processing page and made them different sizes.  Then print them out, cut them out and go to town with the mod podge.  We do both sides and once it's all dry, glue a small hanger bracket to the back. It is a fun activity, where we spend some time together and have some nice talks about the Saints and Icons too! 

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