A cool breeze Moves through the Late afternoon like a Generous thought. Unhurried Unannounced Loosening the hold of the new Heat, which waits patiently To take on everything and Everyone. Never asking, just arriving and Demanding summer. But the wind, sudden and full, Spills out from the ocean and Stretches across the sky Insisting on spring and lots of laughter The most human of sounds. Unguarded, contagious, and Committed to briefly abolishing All the seriousness of life. Returning lightness, Inviting joy Ebbing and flowing Shining and shimmering Loosening the heart Enlivening the soul Brightening the spirit. Revealing the Spirit! Serene Ocean Waves on Sandy Beach · Free Stock Photo If you have a question or prayer request, please reach out here . If you can donate, please click here .

There is a black obelisk that Rose without warning. Ominous, absolute, and indifferent. Quaintly called 'the silent treatment,' It was erected without consent Like a monolith from an ancient, merciless cosmos. Its surface offers nothing. No handhold and no reflection, No light and no warmth. You circle it day in and day out. You try to speak to it. You implore, but it gives nothing. This is not absence. It is a presence. A deliberate, destructive dark energy. Its purpose is to reorganize the soul Around its own diabolical gravity. Quietly inserting chaos to make sure Self-doubt settles in where Certainty once lived. Anxiety, too. Enough to fill the lungs like Breath heaving against the midnight sky. It makes you wonder if You are the void. The obelisk does not care. That is its power. It exists to devour the soul. But there is a greater truth. This kind of stone, however ancient, No matter how strong, was raised by human hands. And what hands have built Can be broken. So, choose. Destroy it! Then walk away from it. Go and kneel at the base of the cross. It's the only megalith that has ever mattered. Seek the illuminated darkness. If you have a question or prayer request, please reach out here . If you can donate, please click here .

A short reflection to help you deepen your relationship with the Holy Spirit. Read : "If the Holy Spirit is peace of soul ... as He is in reality, and if anger is disturbance of heart, as it actually is ... then nothing so prevents His presence in us as anger" (St. John Climacus, The Ladder of Divine Ascent , Step 8: On Freedom from Anger, #14). Ponder: Anger is a killer that destroys our relationship with God, self, and others. Here are a few steps we can take to reduce or eliminate the anger we carry. First, anger comes from a churning, irritated heart. When it flares up, don't automatically say something or act on it right away. Be restrained. Second, take time to grieve your own sins. While this may sound frustrating, the idea behind it is that the flame of anger will be reduced or extinguished if we realize that we have done some of the same things that anger us about others. Third, seek humility. Very often the source of our anger is pride. When we seek the approval of others, we become angry when we are not the center of attention. Actively desire to support others. Fourth, remember that the goal is not merely controlling anger in the moment. Rather, we are called to reach a place where the soul is genuinely unmoved by insult or praise alike. By taking these actions, each of us can move more deeply inward, which is to say that we are becoming more intimate with the Holy Spirit each day. Pray: "Most Holy Spirit, save me from myself and sanctify me." Ask: If you have a question or a prayer request, please reach out here . A Coptic Orthodox icon of Pentecost. If you can, please donate by clicking here .

You begin to forget who you were before them. The silence they weaponized taught you to shrink. Every room became a minefield, you learned to read the air before breathing it. Their voice replaced your own, until doubt felt more familiar than certainty. You isolated not because you wanted solitude, but because explaining the inexplicable exhausted you. You scanned faces, tones, and pauses for danger. You became a student of someone else's moods, a stranger to your own. The cruelest theft wasn't your confidence, it was your sense of self. Healing begins the moment you remember you had one. That self never left, it was only buried. And buried things, given light and time, still grow. Grayscale Photography of Cup Beside Closed Window in Empty Room · Free Stock Photo If you have a question or prayer request, please reach out here. If you can donate, please click here.

A short reflection to help you deepen your relationship with the Holy Spirit. Read : "Do not go outside, return within yourself; in the inner man dwells truth," (Bl. Augustine, On True Religion ). Ponder: Augustine's call to turn inward reminds us that the Holy Spirit is the indwelling presence of God. In other words, the third person of the Most Holy Trinity does not remain aloof and closed up in the heavenly kingdom. He also lives within us and permeates our body, mind, and soul. Thus, to retreat from noise and seek interior truth is to encounter the Divine Counselor already residing there. Pray: "Most Holy Spirit, save me from myself and sanctify me." Ask: If you have a question or a prayer request, please reach out here . A Coptic Orthodox icon of Pentecost. If you can, please donate by clicking here .

Spring's light does not arrive by force, But by a slow, faithful return. Each day grows longer, and What was once frozen strives to become A little more alive. Discernment shares this rhythm. There's rarely a blazing stroke of clarity, No sign carved bright in the sky. But a patient, quiet thaw. A subtle brightening, a gentle breathing. The soul leans into this warming Because it waits for the Spirit To whisper through what clamors. Stirring the inner life Relieving the soul of its strife. So, strip away the illusions Layer upon layer, The way ice retreats from stone and bark. Listen for the unremarkable answer and See the light returning after months of dark. Be willing to wait for that one, still morning Between one breath and the next When you can hear that true, Warm, loving sound of Your soul coming back from death. Like the tree which stands in winter We become ourselves once Frost has been stripped of our soul. Not all at once, but gently, And without end. Full Moon over Alpine Landscape · Free Stock Photo If you have a question or prayer request, please reach out here . If you can donate, please click here .

We thought we loved them. But they definitely did not love us. Sometimes we enter relationships that Seem caring and helping, Even loving and lasting. But after a time, We discover that our significant other is Playing a dangerous and diabolical game with Our bodies, minds, hearts, and souls. What we were fooled into thinking was Dedication and determination, Even sacredness and safety, was really A malicious plan to trick us into Clinging to a perceived safe haven inside A cold, dark, daily maelstrom of pain Filled with unhealthy attachments Distorted emotions, harmful manipulations and Abuses too numerous to count. They confuse and confound us by Pretending to rely on us Reinforcing the pretense that they care by Flattering us and Surprising us with gifts. But the constant unpredictability of Their physical, emotional, intellectual, Relational, and yes, even spiritual attentiveness Causes lethal overdoses of adrenaline and dopamine In their spectral ability to cause at will: Stress and serenity Codependency and calm Threat and reassurance Isolation and activity. This is diabolical action. And here's how you begin to heal: Grieve. But don't just grieve the person You thought you knew. Grieve love. Grieve the love you deserved. And remember. Seriously and soberly remember: You are worthy of the kind of love that DOES NOT Require you to commit emotional and spiritual suicide on a daily basis. Silhouette of Woman Standing Behind a Curtain · Free Stock Photo If you have a question or prayer request, please reach out here . If you can donate, please click here .

A short reflection to help you deepen your relationship with the Holy Spirit. Read : "Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness." Ponder: This portion of Romans 8:26 translates the Greek word synantilambánetai as "helps." Such a vivid compound word literally means 'to take hold of something alongside someone,' like two people carrying a heavy object together. It doesn't mean 'doing it for you', but 'with you' . In other words, the help in this sentence is directed at weakness, not inability. The person is still engaged and straining, but the Spirit comes alongside in that effort. This brings something to mind for all of us. While it is true that we are called to love and sacrifice for others, what very often happens is that we do too much, we over function. I myself did this recently. I was trying to help a friend, but I did "one more thing" and it caused an ancillary problem (nothing major, but still an annoyance). My point? Let us fully listen to the Spirit and do what we are told to do , no more and no less. This is an act of obedience. To do things any other way, is an act of arrogance. Pray: "Most Holy Spirit, save me from myself and sanctify me." Ask: If you have a question or a prayer request, please reach out here . A Coptic Orthodox icon of Pentecost. If you can, please donate by clicking here .

Bleak winters and Bright Summers Falls that are crisp and Springs that brighten the spirit. There's never a time that Lacks love, save the hearts that Cry for help and souls that Search the dead. Even so, the barren ground still Holds the colorful promise That under a cold silence New green is being kept. And we, like the seasons, Return and returning, To find something deep within. A warmth, a light A sprig of peace Watered by the tears that Wash away the fear, and Give birth to hope Through the vivid memories Of the past and the Bright visions of the future. Lies and loss become love and truth. These are things that last and are Witnessed through the millennia By the mountains and the oceans and The living silence that permeates time and space. So, don't ever stop Feeling as deeply as you do, Crying and laughing And frowning and smiling Filled with fear and hope and Desire and detachment, Find love, lose hate, and celebrate renewal. Live life like the reds and greens that Sprout from the snow. Red-petaled Flowers on Braches · Free Stock Photo If you have a question or prayer request, please reach out here . If you can donate, please click here .

What a trio they've been Taking their turns Denying their actions Reframing events Misdirecting priorities Dread-inducing tirades Demanding obedience Plotting an ignominious decline. It all began so simply, so quietly Feelings dismissed Thoughts doubted Mind questioned Heart damaged Love twisted Loyalty muddled Priorities confused. Then it worsened Belittling continued Apologies demanded Never valued Second guessed Future scrapped Confusion reigned Evidence destroyed. Their prey seemed lost forever Living in a fog Eroding mind Doubting heart Fleeing love Forgetting gifts Constricting breath Disappearing self. Eventually a whisper broke through Recognize the wrong Trust a memory Feel without a flinch Rely on deep instinct Find boundaries Stand on solid ground Learn to say no. What followed was a willingness to take the hard way back Listening to truth Healing the body Opening the mind Cleansing the soul Reclaiming the self Listening to the call Taking the true path. And now there's a daily reminder You are not scattered remains, You are cherished! You are not forgotten, You are seen and heard! You are not abandoned, You are called! Be what you really are and see what you will become! A Streetlight at Night · Free Stock Photo If you have a question or prayer request, please reach out here . If you can donate, please click here .

A short reflection to help you deepen your relationship with the Holy Spirit. Read : " Illumination : 'That you may declare the wonderful deeds of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light' (1 Pt. 2:9). " Understanding : 'I bless the Lord who gives me counsel' (Ps. 16:7), for the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of guidance and understanding. " Knowledge of the principles of truth : This is one of the essential attributes of the nature of the Holy Spirit and it is acquired by those who cleave to the Lord: 'The Spirit of truth who teaches you all things' (Jn. 16:13). 'The Lord God has given me the tongue of those who are taught, that I may know how to sustain with a word him that is weary' (Is. 50:4). " Inner alertness of the heart : 'Morning by morning He wakens, He wakens my ear to hear as those who are taught. The Lord God has opened my ear, and I was not rebellious, I turned not backward' (Is. 50:4,5)." "The Holy Spirit grants [these attributes to bear] witness to truth against falsehood and all the powers of evil, so that they may live by them in perfect enlightenment, understanding, knowledge, and alertness, perceiving not only evil itself, but all that resembles evil. When these qualities exist in us, they are the practical evidence of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit (Matthew the Poor, The Communion of Love , pp. 193-4)." Ponder: Think about this: when we are baptized in water and spirit, and believe in Christ, the Holy Spirit gives us special qualities to recognize and resist evil. So, ask yourself ... Do I seek truth? Do I speak up for myself and others? Do I defend the faith? Do I resist evil? Pray: "Most Holy Spirit, save me from myself and sanctify me." Ask: If you have a question or a prayer request, please reach out here . A Coptic Orthodox icon of Pentecost. If you can, please donate by clicking here .

Each week I send a short reflection to help you deepen your relationship with the Holy Spirit. Read : "Breathe in me, O Holy Spirit, That my thoughts may all be holy. Act in me, O Holy Spirit, That my work, too, may be holy. Draw my heart, O Holy Spirit, That I love but what is holy. Strengthen me, O Holy Spirit, To defend all that is holy. Guard me, then, O Holy Spirit, That I always may be holy." - Written by Saint Augustine (b. 354 - d. 430) Ponder: The Holy Spirit hears us and helps us. How will I respond today? Pray: "Most Holy Spirit, save me from myself and sanctify me." Ask: If you have a question or a prayer request, please reach out here . A Coptic Orthodox icon of Pentecost. If you can, please donate by clicking here .