Orthodox Biz Blog

My parish is in the Diocese of the South, and does not have a bishop at present. When we do have a bishop, that bishop covers an area the size of Western Europe with over 70 different parishes. The fact is that a bishop presiding over the South could spend every Sunday away from home, and still not be able to visit all of his parishes in a given year.

God's Will and Doing the Right Thing

If you have some free time, please come to the book signing.  If you can't make it, tell your friends. 

Author: Peter and Helen Evans
Title: Get Serious: Who Ever Said Christianity Was Nice?
Event Date: Saturday, May 30th
Event Time: 1:00 - 4:00 p.m.
Store Address:
Borders Express
Springfield
6725 Springfield Mall
Springfield, VA 22150
703.971.9443

Suicide is the active hastening of the moment of death, to the point where one commits self-murder. There is usually very little confusion or doubt about whether one is dying. In the course of a terminal disease or advanced age, the Christian prepares for the moment that the Lord will "require of him his soul," when he will enter his repose. When death is known to be approaching (and frequently, this is known to the person well in advance of the actual event), then it is better to prepare in prayer and repentance, instead of avoiding death by electing one "heroic measure" after another. A Christian is correct to forego a medical treatment that will only delay the inevitable - especially a treatment that will make his preparation for death more difficult. If he knows he is "terminal" or dying already, he is also correct to make an "advance directive" whereby he refuses, in advance, any "heroic measures" like resuscitation.

P&H Evans: When do we know when to die? We know of people in their 90's who have had resuscitation. Does the Church have an answer?

 

Fr Jonathan: The Church would never refuse resuscitation or any heroic measure or treatment to anyone who wants to prolong their life. It is likely, in such an instance where a 90 year old wants resuscitation, that such a person needs more time to repent, more time to prepare for death. The Church should assist and defend all possibilities for repentance. The mature Christian, who can say "For me to live is Christ and to die is gain," would probably not expect resuscitation in a situation like this, at such an advanced age or at a terminal stage of illness.    

      

This statement is from St. Paul (Philippians 1.21): the Christian's life is understandable only in the context of preparing for the next life -- the intermediate state of the soul in Paradise first, then after the Last Day, eternal Heaven. In such a worldview that differs radically from modernity, death is not the final measure, but this life is to be viewed in the perspective of eternal life ( i.e., I would agree with most of the dismal contemporary ethic -- perhaps even that of Peter Singer -- if there were no resurrection).

Therefore death for the Christian is an entering into the direct consciousness of Jesus Christ, which is the aim of all his loves and aspirations. Until that moment which Christians call "repose," then all of life -- especially the painful parts -- is made meaningful by Christ and is enabled by Him. A Christian is able to understand the meaning of his suffering by first denying that God was the author of the evil he is experiencing. Christians do not get angry at God ( i.e., they are not being Christian when they do so): this is a modern heresy of the contemporary therapeutic culture. Rather, a Christian prays that his suffering and dying might become redemptive for his own soul and for others. This is what St. Paul prayed for in Colossians 1.24: "Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I complete what is lacking in Christ's afflictions for the sake of His Body, that is, the Church."

P&H Evans: If God is all-forgiving, won't suicide be forgiven if repented of beforehand? We've heard people tell others that as long as they repent first, then God will forgive them. Therefore it's OK to end a life they are not happy with. What is the Church's view of such thinking? Is it possible to repent in advance of a planned sinful action?

 

Fr Jonathan: The problem with this question is with the word "repentance." Here, it seems to mean something like "I feel bad about what I'm going to do." It doesn't even mean "I'm sorry," which is a statement of remorse.

Modern and popular ethics has forgotten that it is impossible to either repent or to have sorrow for a decision before it is made, and for an action before it is done.  It is altogether possible to feel badly about what one is about to do, and about the consequences of the contemplated action. This is probably what is meant when a person contemplating suicide says that he is sorry, or that he is "repenting beforehand." He feels badly about the consequences that he imagines.

Those bad feelings are reasonable, and are probably not felt badly enough. The suicidal person usually underestimates the grief and the pain his attempted or completed suicide inflicts on his loved ones and upon society in general. The bad feelings are usually reported as depression, which has become a nearly meaningless term: but in reality, the content of the feeling is frequently the fear of death and of death's aftermath in the next world. It is possible that the suicidal person is deeply experiencing the psychic environment of Hades in this world: if this is true, then every suicide is completely irrational and mad, while being completely responsible and culpable.

The Church is grieved by such tragic foolishness. It is true that God responds with compassion and forgiveness to every expression of true repentance. But repentance means a remorseful turning away from sinful attitudes and actions. If there is no turning away, then there is no repentance. If a suicide is contemplated, and the person truly repents, then that must mean that he "changed his mind" and did not go through with his plans. If he carried out his suicide, then he must not have repented.

Is God all-forgiving? Certainly: He offers forgiveness to all, for this is the universal embrace of the Cross. But does everyone truly desire forgiveness? Obviously not. Suicides were suicidal in the first place because they either did not desire, nor could they believe in, the forgiveness that God freely offers.

 

P&H Evans: Many believe they should end their life if it stinks now, because we automatically go on to a higher level of existence where there is no suffering. So, instead of making more of a mess of their own lives and perhaps others, it's better to go on to the higher level of existence. Is there anything Christian in that? What is the Church's idea of the next life?

 

Fr Jonathan: The "next life" is what the Church calls the "intermediate state of the soul." It is the mysterious existence of the soul which is separated temporarily from the body (with which it will be reunited at the Last Day). During this intermediate state, the soul will be completely immersed in the fire of God's grace. That fire will be experienced as healing light by those who repented, and desired God's love through Jesus Christ. That same fire will be experienced as caustic pain by those who rejected Jesus Christ and His Church. The pain will be felt as the very passions brought into the next life from this life - but these passions will go completely unchecked and unslaked, because the physical body will not longer be there to limit the range of these passions. The frightening, tragic terror of this caustic pain (which is called Hades) is that the very despair which prompted a suicide in this life, will become an unlimited despair with no end in the next. There is no "higher existence" for those who refuse the grace of Christ, only a "lower" one. There is only a terrifying amplification of passions there that are rehearsed now, if one rejects the love of God today.

The best way to stop "making more of a mess" of their own lives and that of others is to repent and to believe in Jesus Christ, and to enter His Church. For the Church to say anything other than this is to distort the Gospel, and to "make the children stumble.

P&H Evans:  You've explained it very clearly, but we'd like to bring it down to everyday circumstances. When we attend the funeral of a suicide and hear people say, "They were so tormented in this life, but now we know they are at peace," are you saying that we shouldn't count on them being at peace just because they died?

Fr. Jonathan: Yes, I am certain of this. No one achieves peace simply because they die, and this in a nutshell is the whole deception of suicide. Suicide is appealing because it promises a cessation of pain. The suicidal will discover, in grievous disappointment, that there is no cessation, but only amplification.

If the Gospel is to be believed at all, then we must accept the apostolic message that there is a "life beyond death" to be desired and another to be avoided -- that latter "life" is the existence in Hades, which is an amplification of passion and existential pain. I'm trying, at this point, to avoid the word "torment," mainly because it is so laden with maudlin and western notions of demons as tormentors. This is not the case, as Satan and all his associates are the ones who suffer the most from their own rejection of God's peace.

The only way that a person can achieve the condition of being "at peace" is through Christ, and through Christ alone.

This is an article we wrote a few years ago, but feel is just as valid now; especially for Memorial Day. 

Peter: That's the key to the whole dispute. They're basing their claims on the idea that "we're all just animals."

Brian: Of course we are animate beings, but we are not beasts - that's the key distinction. Generally, non-religious animal rights activists hold the position that we're just extremely intelligent, hairless monkeys. We evolved to that state through random mutation and natural selection with no recourse to divine guidance... we 'just happened' to turn out this way.

Of course, the Christian rejects that entirely because we are the only creatures made "in the image and likeness" of God. There was once a philosophical notion, very popular especially among secularists, that the only thing that separates animals from humans is that we are aware of our own mortality. I think that might have come out of the existentialist movement.

Helen: Now we're getting into the idea of a soul.

Brian: Yes, that's part of how He created us. You might say that when He breathed into us, that was the coronation moment when we became different from the animals. It was our ensoulment. The word for soul and breath is the same in several languages. He did not do that with the animals. He blessed them on the fifth day with their own special blessing, but he did not breath into them the way he did with us.

Helen: Earlier, you said you don't like hunting, but does that also mean you don't like eating meat?

Brain: I want to talk about that. I do eat meat and there is nothing wrong with eating meat.

Helen: You don't find that hypocritical?

Brian: No, although I fully grant the apparent contradiction; and I sometimes struggle with it myself because I'm a huge animal lover. But I'm also a huge meat eater and I don't like vegetables. When facing this question, Christians and, I would say, faithful Christians especially make this error. They believe the question hinges or not on whether we can eat meat. They know they can certainly eat meat, there are so many examples in the Bible: the Paschal lamb, the seafood on the shore, we know that community in that area ate meat. So the faithful Christian says, "there, case closed, done."

The problem is, that's not the end of the debate, that's the beginning of the debate. We've established that we can eat meat - but how? Can we slaughter any animal? Can we torture any animal? Can we starve any animal to death? What does it mean to treat an animal humanely? How should we care for an animal during its lifetime so we don't take from it the happiness that God wants for the animal? He blessed them, so we know they have some measure of happiness. Should we steal that because we want meat at the moment for our convenience? So as Christians we can eat meat and seafood, we can use animals for other things, including experimentation, which is a very important thing as well. The question is how do we do it. I think this is especially pressing right now because we're heading to a factory farming system, which I think by any Christian standard is a horror. I'm talking about animals that are kept in small cages that never see light, sun, grass and fed by tubes and never touched. They never experience love of any kind and then they are slaughtered in a terrible way. This is a moral outrage for us.

In line with our rights, dominion also gives us responsibilities. A primary responsibility is that, when we use these living beings that God has created with their own unique animal dignity, we have to show them respect and mercy. As God shows mercy to us we have to show mercy to others. There is a magnificent book on this subject by Matthew Scully called "Dominion." It's the most brilliant argument I've read for animal protection and he wrote it from a conservative viewpoint. The power of his argument - and I'm just going to piggyback on him since he's done much deeper thinking on the subject than I have - is that we have a moral obligation to care for animals, to protect animals, specifically because they do NOT have rights. They are completely and utterly at our mercy. So we, as beings that have rights and have dignity and experience mercy from a merciful God, we have the absolute moral obligation to show them mercy as God shows us mercy. To not do that is to, be ourselves, not human. It's to attack our own dignity because that's part of who we are. With dominion, we have that responsibility as a reflection of God's responsibility to us. That turns the argument on its head. It rejects the secular animal 'rights' movement but, in rejecting that, makes a much more powerful argument. I mean, a conservative argument for animal rights is a very powerful thing indeed. It was even endorsed by the Sierra Club.

Helen: Well, here we're in a problem of degree again. You talked about farming where animals are caged and untouched and fed by tubes, but we've seen the other side of the coin where in England it's mandated to give farm pigs stuffed toys to keep them company and, supposedly, happy.

Brian: I don't know if that would help the animals or if it would just scare them. But the point is that the conversation about "what is the appropriate degree of protection" is just beginning. We're starting the conversation, but it really hasn't happened yet. Most Christians now, are in violation of the moral obligation to care for animals because we buy meat that is produced by the factory farms. But what's the alternative? I don't know. Sure we can go organic or free-range, but those methods need a lot more space than factory farms. Can we go that route and still feed people? So this is still a conversation that needs to happen in the Christian community. It's not cut and dried. It is a matter of degree.

Helen: We can talk about this from a purely moral point of view, but some are starting to change our idea of what human beings are. Along this line, people are beginning to talk about pets as 'companions' of humans.

Brian: That's another problem. In this subject, because it is so emotional, people tend to veer into one camp or the other. Now that movement which is to animalize humans or humanize animals is very dangerous.

Helen: Why is it dangerous?

Brian: Once you start treating animals like humans, it becomes that much easier to treat humans as animals. We've seen it in the euthanasia movement, we've seen it various artificial insemination movements. Artificial insemination didn't arise out of nowhere. It came from veterinary medicine. Animal medicine is often the canary in the cage for human medicine. There are not always negative aspects, but because veterinary medicine can be more progressive and because a number of techniques from animal medicine have been moved into human medicine with great success and a great benefit for us all, we tend to look at those successes and think we can take just about anything we can do to an animal and do it to a human. So we get artificial insemination; we get euthanasia, we get sterilization, we get cloning, and all different kinds of cell research. It's also come into the public discussion in terms of animal experimentation. We experiment on animals. Why not experiment on humans? Why not use the prison population. These are bad guys, put them to some use.

Peter: China is already doing that.

Brian: They are and have been for quite some time, and they weren't the first. If we blur those lines, whatever we do to an animal we can do to a human and that's why it's so vital to make the distinctions. I think it's very important that we create a wall of defense around our understanding of what it means to be human. We have to really know what that means, so that we can recognize these distortions and counterfeit ideas when they come to us. And they do. They surround us every day.

Many have pondered that perennial question: "What is the purpose of the universe?" and not found a satisfactory answer.  Yet, in a recent interview with Michael Novak, he gives us a profoundly simple and understandable answer.  It also answers our question of, "What is America for?"  Along the way we also touch on the question of what legacy we want to leave to future generations.... spotted owls, obscure mosses or a free republic?

Michael Novak is a resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, author of "On Two Wings" and over 20 other books.

What follows here is a selection from our interview. 


Helen: So when people say it's not �cool� to be political, or they are not aware of how government affects them, they are just not aware of their responsibility.

Mr. Novak: You're a sovereign as a citizen and if you're not involved in your government, you're not doing your job. In the long run that's very bad for the Republic. The whole condition for keeping what we have is that people act as sovereigns. So we must pay attention, we must be aware, we must be very jealous of our power. Don't let that power get away from you.

Peter: There are two aspects to this. The republic depends very much on the quality of the people and the quality of the people depends very much on the quality of self government.  Big government seems to go hand in hand with the decline of individual sovereignty.

Mr. Novak: If people don't care about politics and don't learn about politics they are leaving a vacuum into which government expands. They go hand in hand.Those people who do not care are turning this country into another country of big government and their children will not inherit a free society. (emphasis ours) If that's what they want, it's too bad.They should just know that's what they are choosing when they don't become involved.

Peter: They are choosing by not being aware of the implications of their choices.

Mr. Novak: They are choosing by not fulfilling their responsibility.They're just not acting like sovereigns.

Helen: One of the things people forget about the Great Experiment is that it is indeed an experiment in human freedom and liberty and that, because freedom is freedom, we can't predict any outcome or how it will progress.

Mr. Novak: That's why our Founders always wondered about how long it would last. The price of liberty is everlasting vigilance.  You've got to be on your guard every minute or you will lose it. In most of history, societies have not been free. It's a very rare society that is free. The default condition of human societies is tyranny.  Every society's inclination is toward tyranny, unless you resist it constantly.

Helen: Talking about the sovereign, I'd like to get to the idea presented in your book �On Two Wings� that there is a present misconception that the Founding Fathers were simply �men of reason.� However, you say that they based this new society on two wings: faith and common sense. Can you tell us where this misconception came from, that the Founding Fathers didn't bring faith in a higher power into the making of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution?

Mr. Novak: There was no misconception about this idea until well into the 20th century.  It was well understood that, in the beginning, our Founders would not have declared war on Great Britain in search of their independence unless they had faith that God was the God of Liberty.  Great Britain was the greatest military power in the world. It had the greatest army and the greatest navy.  We had no army, we had no navy, we had barely a munitions factory on this side of the water. Yet they dared to make war on this great power because they knew from their Bible that God created the whole universe with all the vast space and silence so that somewhere there would be some creature in it, male or female, that could recognize what He did and could accept His friendship. He offered His friendship, but He wanted the friendship of free men and women, not slaves.  So, He had to make them free.

Ben Franklin said that "where there is friendship, there must be freedom."  That's why the very first article of the charters in Pennsylvania is the charter of religious freedom.  In the Society of Friends, the Commonwealth of Friends, its first city, Philadelphia, is called the City of Brotherly Love.  Where you have Brotherly Love - which is a form of friendship - you must have freedom. And Jefferson said the same thing, "The God who gave us life gave us Liberty at the same time."  So the whole purpose of the Universe is Freedom. (emphasis ours) Therefore a whole people cast its fate on the cause of freedom. They knew God wasn't a Pollyanna God.  The good guys don't always win; they sometimes take a terrible beating.  So it wasn't guaranteed we'd win, but it was a good shot. It was in accord with the general momentum of the universe. The universe moves in the direction of Liberty.  So they trusted in that and they wrote in the Declaration of Independence, "with a firm reliance on Divine Providence." Well, if you don't have a munitions factory you'd better rely on Divine Providence! 

(end of selection)

The entire interview can be seen at the website of Peter and Helen Evans, "http://peterandhelenevans.com/articles-menu.html#EXParticles-menu.html#EXP".

What is the Orthodox Church's stand on IVF and cloning? What should be done with so-called "leftover" embryos which are not implanted? What does a 2,000 year-old faith have to say to modern technology on the sanctity of human life?

"The great discomfort among many secular Americans is that the religion that they have dismissed for the last half a century needs to be revisited because we are now being visited by religious fanatics. The fanatics sense that our secularism is a great weakness of character that makes us vulnerable to defeat, and they are correct." --Rev. Johannes L. Jacobse

Helen: Does the Church consider birth control to be abortion?

Fr. Tom: No.

Helen: Does it allow birth control?

With all the new democracies that have popped up around the world in the last 25 years (80 or so), none are based on the sovereignty of the individual, except ours. We're taking this opportunity to give a history lesson about our democracy, lest we forget. We begin with a segment of an interview with Senator Wallop.

Let's Get Back to Basics.

Politicos are gearing up for the fight over who should fill the vacancy on the highest court in the land. Yet, a recent poll revealed that a vast majority of the ordinary citizens of America cannot name a single one of the Supreme Court Justices. More disturbing is that a large segment of our population doesn't understand that judges are supposed to interpret and apply the law, not make it up. It's time to get back to basics, or civics. We had a very interesting chat with a fellow who will take us through some of the basics of what our country is about.

Yesterday we had breakfast with Star Parker, along with about 300 others at the Leadership Institute. It was a very enjoyable beginning to the day listening to how the Republican party can win the votes of Joe, Jamal and Juan Jose.

This past election we the people voted for change or a fresh start. What can they do different with this administration and economic condition. I have a few ideas that might help you get a little more out of your web site in the next year ahead of us.

Many are concerned about the direction our country is going. Some call it anti -Christian, some call it post Christian, some call it secular. Whatever it is called, it is time to turn back the tide and bring Judeo Christian values back as the foundation of our culture and society.
From the video by Peter and Helen Evans

If you want to get our newsletter into your mail box, send a request to we2rone@cox.net and put subscribe into the subject line.

Jesus' attitude toward earthy riches was most succinctly summarized in the Gospel of Matthew 6:32 'For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.' His concern is that we should not assign them too high a place in our own concerns. He continues, immediately (v. 33), saying, 'But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.'

Finally a mainstream book that features Orthodox authorities! Fr. Tom Hopko, Dean Emeritus of St. Vlad's Seminary, speaks on Abortion. Fr. Hans Jacobse, President of the American Orthodox Institute, speaks on War. Fr. Jonathan Tobias, editor of Second Terrace blog, speaks on Euthanasia. There are other voices in this book, but preponderantly Orthodox. We can finally be heard in the public square.

Yes, our book; Get Serious, Whoever said Christianity was Nice? or the Church's Stand on Contemporary Culture, is finally in print and we're very excited. We want to let you know that it can be ordered from "http://www.tatepublishing.com/bookstore/book.php?w=978-1-60696-301-2"

Also, if you, or a group you know, would like us to speak on the topics in the book or some other aspects of contemporary culture, please contact our speakers bureau at "cynthia.damaskos@orthodoxspeakers.com".

We hope you enjoy our book! and if you want to be on our newsletter and get info directly into your mailbox, send a request to we2rone@cox.net. and just say subscribe in the subject line

Peter and Helen Evans were recently featured in an interview on Inside Catholic. Click here to see it.

ELEOS BLOG (14): PASCHA 2009: Magnify your Purpose with God’s Essential Oils, Loving EveryOne Selflessly

Di: Christos Anesti!

Angel: Alithos Anesti!

Di: Alithos O Kyrios! Which of our many beautiful oils would be appropriate for us to feature, honoring the greatest Feast Day of the year in the Orthodox Christian Church – Holy Pascha?

A: Well, sister, the name of our therapeutic-grade essential oil blend, Magnify Your Purpose, enters my mind every time I hear EIKONA sing the ancient hymn:

We are approaching that time of year when the mail box will be full of announcements from the sons and daughters of friends, relatives and acquaintances announcing the upcoming graduation of a young adult from high school or college.

Summer is here and its time to get busy! Here are some tips to getting your home ready for Summer.

Tea Party, April 25th, Washington DC

Friends, Americans, Patriots - lend me your ears!

We are gathered here on this beautiful day - not because we are filled with hate - but because we love our country.

With the economy in the tank, businesses need all the tourist dollars they can get. Which is why local police ruining family vacations with speeding tickets is a bad idea. Unfortunately, with towns and cities hurting for cash, the RADAR gun is getting more use than ever. New evidence proves that speed enforcement isn't about safety, but about making money for local governments. Not only is speeding not a serious cause of accidents, but a new study has shown a correlation between declining municipal revenues and increased speeding fines. Worse, as police focus on traffic enforement, other types of crimes tend to go up. Business owners need to get the facts to guard their businesses from the harm strict speed enforcement can cause.

NOT a Christian nation? Of course we are!

President Obama has been at it again - repeating the rather provocative statement that America is not a Christian nation. To be sure, he's said this for years and he also says that America isn't a Jewish or Muslim nation either. Rather, he says that we're "citizens" gathered around a "set of principles."

According to a recent article, dying in one's sleep is actually a frightening thing for Orthodox Christians. This seems foolish to the world, but much Orthodox truth seems counterintuitive like this.

I. Making Decisions at the End of Life in a Post-Traditional Culture: Finding One's Way to God

Orthodox Christianity offers orientation in the cosmos. More precisely, it leads us away from our passions and purifies our hearts so that we can be illumined by the uncreated energies of God and come into union with Him.

Angel: Hi, Di! We’re over halfway through the Great Fast, during which we often recite or read silently the Lenten Prayer of St. Ephraim:

O Lord and Master of my life, take away from me the spirit to be lazy and neglectful, the desire for lust of power and idle talk. Grant me, your servant, the spirit of moderation, humility, patience and love.
Yes, O Lord and King, grant me to see my own faults and keep me from judging my brethren, for You are blessed now and forevermore. Amen

In last night's "Prime Time Press Conference" the Dear Leader promised that he would "cut the deficit in half" by the end of his first term. Sounds like a good thing, right? Wow, he's going to cut something bad that starts with a "d" in half! With all the bad financial news lately, this sounds like dramatically good news. Not so fast. Sit down, take a deep breath and pay close attention.

Let's discuss this article http://www.alliancealert.org/2009/03/09/barna-9-of-american-adults-have-a-biblical-worldview/.  It says that only 9% of Americans have a Biblical worldview.  Alot more think they are Christian and we've seen surveys where about 90% think they are "spiritual."  What that usually means is they make up their religion as they go along.   

D: Hi, Angel sis. Today let’s clear up some misconceptions about MLM and our Eleos business, clarify how Young Living (YL) is neither a “Ponzi” nor a “get rich quick” scheme, and show that is an equitable, private, debt-free, green, grass roots, and seed to seal company that offers rewards to everyone from new customers to entrepreneurs.

Angel Hi, Di. Isn’t it wonderful that Young Living (YL) has just had an incredible harvest of Idaho Balsam Fir?
Di Hi, Angel, that’s so true! The harvest was at the YL farm in Idaho, of course, only thirty-five miles from the Canadian border, and it was done under ideal conditions – in extremely cold and pristine soil!
A Like in Michigan! The soft, evergreen fragrance makes me think of our Greek Orthodox summer camp in Rose City, Michigan. This is what led me to give our YL conifer blend Evergreen Essence the nickname of “campessence”. (Laughs)
D Exactly! Our sense of smell is very profound and evokes even our earliest memories from childhood!
A What do people say about Idaho Balsam Fir?
D It’s been called the “jump in the bottle oil” because that’s what it might make you want to do, and “the happy oil” and the “put it wherever it hurts oil” for obvious reasons!
A Where is this exhilarating oil found?
D Idaho Balsam Fir is exclusive to YL and is bottled in 5ml and 15 ml sizes. It‘s also in Animal Scents Ointment (for pets and their owners), the supplement BLM (for bones, ligaments and muscles) and in the essential oil blends of Believe, En-R-Gee, Egyptian Gold, Gratitude, Sacred Mountain, and Transformation. And before I forget, it’s in the new Deep Relief Roll-On, YOUR favorite, sister!
A Oh, Di, you know me SO well. I carry the roll-on in my purse at all times, and I use it if I feel a headache coming on, am stuffy or have pain from tendonitis. …Don’t you have a quote from St. Basil or another church father about balsam?
D Yes, in the Prolog, Bishop Nikolai Velimirovic (1880-1956), the “Serbian Chrysostom”, states, “For Christ’s presence is like that of some life-giving, scented balsam which restores health, enriches life and gives savor to man’s soul, thoughts and words.”
A Wow, the wisdom of the church fathers includes knowing the benefits of God’s incredible trees!
D Our “green” Patriarch, Bartholomew continues to remind us to be stewards of the earth.
A And as we can see, using the earth’s treasures wisely is good for us and for the earth. In concert with this, whenever YL chops down a tree, it plants another in its place, as part of its dedicated reforestation program.
D When we breathe in the essence of forest trees captured within essential oils, we breathe better like we do in the forest itself. The trees produce oxygen, and their aromatic oils carry oxygen swiftly to all our cells.
A How does Idaho Balsam Fir work, Di?
D You can hear Gary Young speak about Idaho Balsam Fir’s global effects by going to the YL site, www.youngliving.com, under opportunity (conference calls). He explains that Idaho Balsam Fir (Abies balsamea) is anti-inflammatory, anti-tumoral, anti-bacterial, anti-viral, anti-coagulant, anti-depressant, and anti-stress.
A It’s calming and uplifting.
D Yes, this oil relieves stress by lowering cortisol levels. In fact, its universal benefits are much like those of lavender, the “Swiss Army Knife” of oils. But that’s enough technical stuff. To my mind, the best part is its “sparkly” aroma that inspires me to think of Christmas!
A I agree and just love it. To encourage us to try this awesome oil, YL has a special promotion this month and next; anyone earning 165 PV in one order will get a free 5 ml bottle of the lovely Idaho Balsam Fir AND a 10 ml Deep Relief Roll-On!
D Generous! And these unique products come from Young Living farms -- nowhere else!
A We’re so blessed to have these oils and to be able to share them through our blog!
D To explain just a bit more, the PV (product value) listed in the catalog and online is roughly based on the product’s wholesale dollar value.
A Thus the PV total of your order is what gives you the free products. To obtain Idaho Balsam Fir or anything else from our extensive virtual online health and wellness store, visit us at www.youngliving.org/eleos (6422) or www.youngliving.org/angelbrock (287231).
D Since we’d love to hear about and answer your questions, we invite and encourage you, our readers, to respond to our blog in the comment box below!
A Until next time, blessings!
D Amen!

www.peterandhelenevans.com/Our current crisis is not a financial crisis. It was not caused by some complicated financial dealing that only a few 'experts' can understand. No, it was caused by a whole lot of people doing things that they knew were wrong. Our current crisis is a moral crisis.

The financial meltdown was caused by the failure of credit markets. When you boil it down, credit is really just another name for trust, which is another name for a mortgage, too. As long as we trust that our debtors will pay us back, the system works better than anything the world has ever seen. But, as soon as doubt and uncertainty replace trust, the whole structure falls down. That's where we are today.

In one of my favorite Sherlock Holmes stories, the esteemed detective had deduced that the villain was an American. But, all the suspects were purporting to be British. How to figure out which one was lying?

Elementary, my Dear Watson! Holmes tossed the prime suspect a ball. He caught it with his left hand, at which point Holmes promptly arrested him.

Why, you might ask? Because the man was right-handed. A right-handed European man would catch a ball thrown to him with his right hand. A right-handed American, however, would wear his baseball glove on his left hand. That means a right-handed American would catch a ball with his left hand, which is the exact opposite of how the rest of the world works.

Globally, Orthodox Christianity is known to be highly conservative concerning what is frequently referred to as "traditional Christian morality." In Europe, for example, more progressive and liberal elements of society spare no effort in attacking the Church as a bastion of traditionalist repression, especially concerning homosexuality.

Ironically, however, in the United States an image seems to be growing of the Orthodox Church as more liberal towards sexual sins than, for example, the Evangelical denominations. Quite a few people, judging by chatter on the Internet, are getting the impression that Orthodoxy is similar to the Episcopal Church in respect to moral issues.

Obama's stimulus plan won't help the economy, and might actually sound the death knell of the dollar. After all, the whole thing is predicated on the idea that you can borrow and spend your way to prosperity. That is just plain nuts, of course. You don't borrow your way to wealth - you produce your way to wealth. Americans are tapped out and swimming in debt, so producing for the domestic market is a tough slog right now. Good thing there is a big world out there, and a good way to sell what you produce is to target it.

Last month I issued an invitation to harpists to upload their favorite arrangements to my website: www.HarpMusicNow.com and I am pleased with the response. These uploads add an element of diversity as they are very different than the kind of harp music that I produce. Ruthann Ritchie uploaded a harp and voice version Caledonia, a tribute to Scotland by Dougie MacLean. Alice Freeman of Windy Wyoming shared two traditional Celtic pieces, The Cutty Wren and The Star of County Down. And Susan Strick graciously uses the website to debut her original composition Amandina, flamboyant piece and the first installment in a series of "gypsy" pieces. A sound sample of each of these pieces can be heard on the home page.

I offer my heartfelt thanks to these harpists. There are now a total of 33 titles available for download on the HarpMusicNow website! If you have not visited the site, please do.

There is still room for plenty more uploads. I am particularly looking for arrangements for wire strung and triple or cross strung harps. If you have a contribution and you are not yet a member, please contact me directly. A timely upload could earn you a complimentary membership!

Maryjean Zarick
www.HarpMusicNow.com

Angel Hi Di, this is so awesome to get together for our blog. Several people have emailed to ask us how to use Clarity and all our other Young Living therapeutic grade essential oils. We need some clarity on this issue (laugh). To start, the easiest way is to inhale them.
Di Right, sister, just open the bottle, take a deep breath, and take in the aroma of the oil.

In the U.S., Orthodox Christians rarely get the opportunity to feel good about celebrities. There are quite a few people who claim to be Orthodox who work in movies, in politics, and in the arts. Unfortunately, almost all of these people are not what could be termed spiritual role models. Nominally Orthodox politicians get busted for corruption, Hollywood Hellenes live tabloid lives that shame everyone, and our artists cause no end of mischief. We are so used to this state of affairs, most of us don't even react anymore. Which is why when someone who is genuinely Orthodox, and famous, does something important we need to take notice.

Di Here we are finally on OrthodoxBiz together writing a blog, talking on our cell phones and looking at our computers, you in Michigan, and I in Pennsylvania.
Angel We joined the twenty first century (laugh).

What is Joomla? Joomla is an award-winning Content Management System (CMS) that is used world wide to generate everything from simple personal home pages to complex corporate web sites. Joomla has been developed and is maintained by a world-wide community of programmers. Their individual effort and collaboration includes the availability of thousands of ready-made additional features (known as extensions) which can be added to your website as your needs grow.

Rod Dreher is an Orthodox Christian and columnist for the Dallas Morning News. He's also a contributor to the Orthodox Christian Network, where his Just Thinking podcast is one of the network's most popular shows. He was also the target of a critical article recently published on a prominent conservative blog site.

The economy is down, unemployment is through the roof, we’re in the worst financial crisis since the great depression. Sounds like the worst time to start an online business right? Wrong! The year 2009 could be the perfect time to start an online business because of all the turmoil going on in the business world. Let me explain…

My first Christmas Eve in Poland, I was invited to a friend's house to celebrate. It was 1992, and though I had been teaching in Poland for six months, most of my time had been spent around other ex-pat Americans. This was my first real Polish holiday, and I had looked forward to it eagerly.

A Website exists for a reason. That seems axiomatic, but the fact is that many Website owners lose site of that fundamental fact. Before taking on any Web project, I always ask future Web entrepreneurs, "What is the purpose of your Website, and how do you plan to make money off it?"

Growing up in Northeastern Ohio with an Italian mother meant that Christmas was a time for bringing out the vinyl Mario Lanza record. This amazing tenor of a by-gone era could really belt out those classic Christmas songs. If I close my eyes, I can still experience the smell of Christmas cookies baking, the sight of frost on the windows and the sound of Mario Lanza nailing the high note in “O Holy Night.” In 2004 when my youngest brother was dying, he took great comfort in listening to the CD version of this same album, especially one particular song called “Guardian Angels.” The lyrics tell of an angel with shining wings, standing at the bedside, ready to lead one to Paradise. This song was played at his funeral in December of that same year. The melody haunted me until I finally sat down to work it out on the harp. Each time I played through the piece, I found myself wondering who had written such a comforting melody. A Google search revealed that the composer was none other than Arthur “Harpo” Marx.

Content Management Systems are growing in popularity as a framework for running Websites. A Content Management System (CMS) automates many of the repetitive tasks associated with running a Website. Using a script framework and a database, a CMS lets organizations sponsoring Websites focus on publishing content to the Web. A CMS framework also comes bundled with all kinds of capabilities such as interactivity (discussion forums, comments, blogging), membership, syndication (RSS feeds), podcasting, and a whole lot more.

Are you an Orthodox Christian with friends or relatives in or around Damascus, Syria? Do you belong to the Antiochian jurisdiction, and so have ties to Syria that way? If so, you might want to notify all your Syrian contacts that Damascus, ancient seat of civilization and the home of the Patriarch of Antioch along with thousands of Christians, is about to be destroyed by Israel.

There are quite a few great programs out today, including the VERY FIRST episode of our newest series with Dr. Demetrios Katos, so please spread the word. Direct links and descriptions are available below.

Of special note: The newest episode of "OCN Now," on which I briefly discuss our current End-of-the-Year Matching Campaign. Please listen in, share with friends and consider giving to OCN during this great opportunity. When you do, your gift will be matched dollar for dollar. Find out more below...and thanks for your support!


OCN Now: Would you like to help OCN share Orthodoxy with the world?



Come Receive the Light: Was Jesus God? A Rational, Philosophical Defense of Christian Faith



Worship in Spirit & Truth

Just Thinking: Orthodoxy & America



Special Moments in Orthodoxy: Book of Acts, Part III



Theologically Thinking: Truly Universal Health Care!?

Get Wisdom: A weekly Bible study program for teens and young adults


Turning to the Fathers


Remember: You can DOUBLE your donation!


Click here to find out how you can give.

Let me tell you something Google and the other Search Engines don't want you to know.

Several studies have shown that web surfers' eyes jump over paid results and go directly to the natural results. One study on Google showed surfers preferring natural results 3 to1. So instead of shopping for Google Adwords, consider the natural method for getting more traffic.

My family members are Evangelicals of the Pentecostal variety. I was raised in that faith, but being Orthodox for almost 10 years has distanced me quite a bit from the world of megachurches and televangelists. Still, visiting home frequently means coming face-to-face with it, as my retired dad usually watches several hours of televangelism a day. He's good about keeping the TV off when my kids are awake, but after they are in bed, he often turns on programs he's recorded during the day.

We got herded into the room blindfolded. We knew that we had gone down some steps into a basement and that it was cool. Other than that, we weren't sure where we were or what was happening.

We heard chanting. Suddenly, the blindfolds were removed, and robes were hurriedly put on us. As we stood there blinking, we found ourselves in a candlelit room with various symbols on the wall. On the floor, was a great diamond around which we found ourselves arrayed. As we stood there, a ceremony began that would bind us to this brotherhood. The service was intoned by robed men reading from leather-bound service books.

Handy links to all of the Orthodox Christian Network's new shows are included below.

In addition to those mentioned in the title of this post, be sure to check out "Journeys to Orthodoxy" for the story of an African-American jazz musician and Assistant Professor of Music at Ohio State University who recently entered the Orthodox Church.

When it comes to search engine placement, content is king. One way to get content on your site is to have a blog component installed. The other day I was checking out how people were getting to www.freebeerbuddy.com. One of the keywords that people had typed in was Mark Dallmeyer.

What a week! All our shows are back, now that a couple have returned from their summer siesta. You can listen to all 10 of them by clicking on the links below or by tuning in to any of our 27 online Orthodox radio stations at the listed times (EST).

When it comes to web site design, e-tailers today face many choices. They have more technology than ever at their fingertips to create a site full of bells and whistles, but at the same time, they want to deliver a quick and seamless shopping experience so consumers can get in, get their product, and get out.

The following is checklist designed to help you gauge the search engine friendliness of your website. If you are planning a website this checklist will help you avoid the common pitfalls of unfriendly designs.

The popularity of search engine optimization may have slipped with some retailers in favor of paid search, but is still a critical component of any retailer’s search marketing strategy.

Written by Dianne Tzouras June 19, 2008 Welcome to my blog.

Semper paratus. Always be prepared.

After liturgy and fellowship on the last Sunday in March, I stopped at a red light in the left lane and then, when the light turned green, I crashed into the car in front of me.

Word of mouth is a proven way of driving sales. When product buyers give a thumbs-up, the endorsement car­ries powerful credibility that retailers and manufacturers cannot duplicate in product descriptions. Little wonder, then, that customer reviews can pack the same punch online. Maybe more, because of the Internet's power to distribute consumer comments more widely and rapidly than word of mouth.

What do “Hits” mean?

Hits would be any request to the server which is logged. This could be both human, as in visitors or other computers, such as search engine spiders or bots. The request can be for anything. It could be for HTML pages, graphics, audio files and more.

What are “Visits” then?

Well if “Hits" are times the files are accessed by man or machine, then visits are when a request is made to the server from a given IP address.

Content writing for the Web might not look too tough, but I promise you it is harder than it looks. Anybody and everybody can write - you learn how to do that in grade school. The problem is not everybody can write well. To hopefully put you back on the right track I thought I would share with you a handful of tips that pros use when doing any sort of web site content writing.

Last month, I was asked for advice on choosing the right payment gateway, specifically for the pros and cons of working with PayPal over the other more expensive options. I’m keeping this list of pros and cons quite short, hopefully this will help you decide if PayPal is the best solution for your online e-commerce website.

Retailers are creating a presences on social networks to make a minimal investment in an attempt to gain maximum exposure.

Roxy, a retail clothing store, posted a video on the social network and video site You Tube to get potential customers interested in its brand.

As gas prices continue to increase, Congress continues to blame others while ignoring practical steps to stop the pain Americans are feeling at the pump. To lower gasoline prices and reduce our dependence on foreign oil, we need real solutions to our energy challenges. http://www.americansolutions.com/ is a site that is petitioning the government

Icons in Sound is a relatively new program on the Orthodox Christian Network. The host, Vlad Morosan, is an expert on Orthodox liturgical music. I feel like this is a show that practically every Orthodox Christian needs to listen to, and listen to every week.

Why? Because we don't go to church except on Sunday.

I'm often accused of being something of a Joomla Content Management System Evangelist. I'll admit it. I am a little passionate. But I think with good reason. This blog is actually a reprinting of a case study I did concerning Maryjean Zarick and her Paradise Music site. I wrote it up to highlight some of the great stuff Joomla can do for a small business person, and I decided to share it as a blog here to help spread the word.

I wanted to reconnect with the seasonal store shopping experience to understand first hand why stores are getting so hammered by online merchants at Christmastime. The stores I visited were nicely decorated and neatly stocked-and hauntingly empty. Parking was easy and checkout was a breeze. I got suitable gifts and prices were good.

Here is a letter I wrote to hopefully make people aware of what is going on in the public school system. I called the superintendent of schools office, the school and school board. As of yet no one has called me back as is the case whenever I have a concern.

Written by Dianne Tzouras April 12, 2008

Tempus fugit. Time flies as we get older. The Marketing Bootcamp Teleclass I took this year was about preparing the soil for new growth in business and life.

James Carville, the political campaign strategist, hung a sign at Clinton’s Little Rock campaign headquarters that read: “It’s the Economy, Stupid” became ensconced in American political folklore—and helped get Bill Clinton elected President in 1992.

In February 2008, Kosovo declared independence from Serbia. This capped off a process which had begun with NATO's airwar on Serbia from 24 March to 10 June 1999. That campaign killed an estimated 5,000 Orthodox Christian Serb soldiers, and wounded an estimated 10,000 more. This is in addition to the estimated 500 innocent Orthodox Christian civilians that were killed by bombs striking non-military targets. The direct damage of the bombing campaign has been estimated at $30 billion dollars in one of the poorest nations in Europe. Serbia is not expected to recover from the U.S.-led bombing campaign for another decade or more.

For optimizing Search Engine Placement and driving referral traffic, getting links to your business or ministry site is absolutely essential. Unfortunately, despite the critical need for this, many Webmasters don't even know how to check the links they currently have, much less how to get more.

My ninety-one-year-old grandmother was in horrible pain. As she lay in the hospital bed, dehydrated and unable to even take her own medicines, she repeatedly cried out to God, "Lord, help me!"

My father and I sat at her bedside watching her struggle. "She's praying for healing," I said to my father, "I don't think God is going to answer that prayer. I think he's already rendered His judgment on this, and she's praying the wrong prayer."

A short time later, she suddenly switched her prayer. She cried out, "Lord, take me on!" She prayed that prayer three times. Then she became very still, as if sleeping. Within five minutes, I noticed she wasn't breathing.

"I guess she finally prayed the prayer that God was willing to answer," I said to my father as we verified that she was gone.

Customer reviews and other user generated content is becoming a "must have" for retailers to compete online. 50% of merchants surveyed have adopted the technology, according to a new report from The E-Trailing Group Inc. Of the merchants who have adopted customer reviews, 58% said improving customer experience was the most important reason for adding the program to there site. We find that

Tune in this week to Come Receive the Light, the national Orthodox Christian radio broadcast, to hear Fr. Stephen Freeman, author of the popular Orthodox blog "Glory to God for All Things", as he speaks with Fr. Chris about deepening our spiritual life through Holy Confession, fasting and prayer during Great Lent.

MIT did a study of 500 International Companies looking to figure out the key ingredients to success in the global economy. The results of this study were summarized in a book by Suzanne Berger called How We Compete: What Companies Around the World Are Doing to Make it in Today's Global Economy.

The book itself makes interesting reading, if you like this kind of literature, and I highly recommend it. For those that don't go in for that sort of book, let me summarize the key findings.

Modern businesses and ministries run off software. We need it to do everything from sending emails, to preparing presentations, to finding new members/customers online.

In this blog, I would like to take a moment to recommend some great Open Source Applications which can really make your business life easier, and which won't stretch your budget.

What would you say if I told you there was a medication that could help you to relax, make you feel better, and improve your relationships with your family and friends—would you be interested? If I told you there were no side affects, that it was free, and that you could easily get this medication—would you take it?

A few months ago I was working in a soup kitchen. One client—we’ll call her Kathy—had a glazed look in her eyes. I tried to talk with her, but she was in her own world. If you have ever had the joy of working at a homeless shelter or soup kitchen, you have met individuals like Kathy; people who, for whatever reason, can’t communicate coherently with others.

The Orthodox tradition recognizes numerous saints of a certain type: Fools for Christ. These individuals, like Kathy, had difficulty relating to others “normally.” Yet the Church in her holy wisdom found it appropriate not only to accept such individuals, it actually recognized them as truly saintly men and women, inspired by God.

This raises the question: what, according to our faith, is “normal"?

Though I rarely have time to watch TV, the other night I did catch a rather intriguing episode of Animal Planet. It seems that in the high dry interior of Kenya, there was rumor of a lioness who was keeping company with an antelope. An animal expert traveled to the game reserve to see if there was any truth to the rumor. She did, indeed, find an adolescent lioness who seemingly had abandoned her

When a European journalist based in Ammam Jordan calls a writer in Central Florida for a comment on church bombings in Mosul, only to end up on a conference call with an Assyrian activist in Beirut - you know things have changed. The world is just not the same.

According to CIO magazine, a recent survey of over 200 CIO's for medium and small enterprises revealed that 83% of them were leveraging some kind of Web 2.0 technology. That is excellent news for those of us who are into the Web design space and don't care much for static Websites.

Unfortunately, many business professionals and Christian ministers will read that statistic and ask, "What is Web 2.0?"

This week I'm starting an 8-week telephone course with Susan Sly called Marketing Bootcamp. Now I never took a business class, unless you count Economics as a senior in high school 46 years ago. Economics comes from the Greek for taking care of your own house. The Church uses economia (economy) in efficiently and fairly solving problems.

One fall evening in 1954, a car sped through dusky Pennsylvania twilight. Headlights off, it careened recklessly towards a blind intersection in a cornfield. In a sickening split second, it smashed broadside into another car.

There were three people in that second car. When the dust and smoke cleared, two bodies lay among the twisted metal. One was my mother, who would remain in a coma for a month. The other, my aunt, was killed instantly. My father escaped with only scratches. Looking up to the sky, he asked “Why us, God? We were on our way to be missionaries!”

Like a lot of other Orthodox Christians who spent time in a Greek parish, I've done my share of festival duty. Several years in the Gyros booth, a couple in the parish bookstore, one doing church tours - been there done that.

In late 2007, Dr. Clark Carlton, author of the well-known five-volume Faith Series of books on Orthodoxy, published an Open Letter to Orthodox Christians on behalf of Ron Paul. In his letter, published on LewRockwell.com, Dr. Carlton lays out his case for why Orthodox Christians should support Republican Ron Paul for president.

Dr. Carlton believes that our unique experiment in self-governance is at a cross-roads, and that only rediscovering Constitutional principles as espoused by Ron Paul can save our Republic.

I got to do something really nice last week. As an Orthodox Christian and Web professional, I'm always thrilled whenever I get to help out new ministries get started. That is why being able to help the online presence of a new ministry dedicated to helping our missionary families was such an honor.

The Rise of Wicca!

The journalists look at this process and see a way to write sensational headlines that grab the readers' attention. Many conservative leaders look at this and immediately start denouncing the sorry state of affairs, while asking for our donations to help rectify it immediately. Theologians of all stripes launch into attacks on the foundations of the new mystery cults.

But, I'm a business analyst. I look at this situation and see a really good marketing opportunity for Orthodoxy.

My Bachelor’s degree is in music, but not just music. Technically I hold a degree in Music Therapy. I am an RMT, BC - Registered Music Therapist, Board Certified.

As part of the process of earning my Board Certification, I served a 6 month internship at a major state mental hospital in Napa California. I later worked for the State of California in two of their other residential facilities.

If I say the phrase, Orthodox author to you, what name comes to mind? Tolstoy? Dostoevsky? Perhaps a Theological writer like Bishop Kallistos Ware or Father Alexander Schmemann?

But, if you searched for the phrase Orthodox author using Google for the first few weeks of December 2007, you wouldn't find any of those famous authors at the top of the search results.

Instead, you would find Heather Zydek and Father Leon Castner .

Almost everyone knows the story. Three Magi follow the star to Bethlehem and present Gold, Frankincense, and Myrrh as gifts to the infant Christ.

Do we know why the Magi give these gifts?

Back in September 2007, a poster on the Website Orthodox Circle wrote an impassioned plea. He and his wife are adult converts to Orthodoxy. They have visited our church in the past, but are now attending a mission closer to their home. The gentleman wanted to know, in regards to growing the Orthodox Church, “How can we inform the masses about our church, so that it doesn't seem so strange to the protestants?”

I heard my wife screaming on the phone. I ran into the room, thinking something major was going wrong. Like a home invasion, or a fire or something.

Turns out, she was yelling at technical support because she couldn't get the Website our umbrella school uses to track grades and attendance to take her recent updates.

The old saying, "A picture is worth a thousand words" may be a cliche but in the case of technical training - it's absolutely true.

Every Web designer has that moment of grace at least once. A moment when you look at the layout, the colors, the text, and the images - and the page just works. Everything is just perfect. I had that happen recently. I remember how ecstatic I was. This was the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, or at least so I thought.

Welcome to my blog. Please send me your questions and comments.

Seizing the day and using our God-given talents: This is why my sister and I chose MLM (multilevel marketing) as the basic structure for our business.

HELPING OTHERS BY BEING TRUE TO OURSELVES

At age nine, I taught my three-year-old sister Angel how to read.

THE VIOLET ROSE

(Or... On loving your neighbor as yourself...)

Once upon a time in a land not so far away there lived a little girl named Rose who had a beautiful rose garden. The little girl loved her garden and all the roses in it. Whenever she needed to get away from the trouble that little girls sometimes have, Rose would walk through her garden, fondly touch the roses and blissfully breathe in their fragrance.

A few years back I was attending a Greek Orthodox parish. At coffee hour one Sunday, I asked a recently Chrismated couple how their Thanksgiving had been the week before.

"It was good," the husband said, "But it was hard eating vegetarian when my family was having turkey."

I laughed, because I'd just spent Thanksgiving at the home of an Orthodox priest with a big, fat turkey in the deep fryer.

Having a first period class in college was bad enough. But, when the class was Russian History during the Middle Ages with an elderly professor nearing retirement, well that was downright torturous. Especially when the professor was a man known for his dry wit.

I remember sitting there one morning, bleary eyed, as he stood in front discussing the Great Schism between the Orthodox and Roman Catholic Churches and its effects on Eastern Europe.