Elissa discusses the ways in which it is helpful for our children to have an understanding of how even the imperfections of the people we meet are an important part of how God saves us.

Elissa recounts her week at Camp St. Sava, the official Orthodox summer camp of the Serbian Orthodox Church's Western American Diocese.

Elissa talks about the new hymnology program at her parish in Austih, TX, and then discusses the Cherubic Hymn.

Elissa asks, "If the devil's goal is to isolate us from each other and to make us miserable, do you think he is for or against tattling?"

Elissa reminds us that Satan is real and we should discuss him with our kids.

Elissa expresses how important it is to be honest and humble when teaching children, freely showing our imperfections.

Elissa details what she and her parish learned when FOCUS North America's Youth Equipped to Serve (YES) came to visit Austin, Texas.

Elissa addresses the issue of testing Sunday School students.

Elissa discusses the story of Abraham and Isaac and her favorite prayer for children.

Elissa shares the wisdom of the newly canonized St. Porphyrios with regard to raising up children.

Elissa demonstrates how talking about St. John the Forerunner can be a great way to illustrate and understand the roles of the prophets and the saints all at once.

Elissa tells the complete story of Noah's Ark to demonstrate how doing so can be used to teach children about why we go to—and participate in the disciplines of—the Holy Orthodox Church.

Elissa describes the "Psalter group" and its purpose during Great Lent.

The Sunday of Orthodoxy offers us an opportunity to discuss with our kids the Orthodox understanding of the materiality of this world and its potential for holiness.

If you are fasting from meat and dairy products, but you are not praying, studying the word of God, and making an effort to show love and charity, then your fast looks a lot like the devil's fast.

Elissa shares some of the youth-centric traditions of her home parish with regard to Holy Week and Pascha.

Elissa reminds us that we are temples of God, meant to light up and become a lamp for the world.

Elissa interviews Christian Gonzalez, the California deanery youth director of the Antiochian Diocese of Los Angeles and the West, about how we need to rethink our approach to ministering to our youth.

Elissa shares with us how to get our kids to the place where their worldview is totally dependent on the Christian story.

Elissa discusses Orthodox marriage and parenting, focusing particularly on how both involve dying to self.

Citing the writings of Elder Paisios of the Holy Mountain, Elissa demonstrates how the conveniences we have invented to make life easy have actually made it quite a bit harder.

Elissa reminds us that the body of Christ is a living organism, and we remove pieces of it to the detriment of the whole.

Elissa reminds us that it is our job to make our free will line up with God's will.

Elissa is teaching middle schoolers this year at Sunday school, and she will be using the film The Butterfly Circus as the grounding image.

Elissa discusses angels and what children can learn from them in Sunday school.

Why does it matter that our God came down to earth and took on flesh? Elissa discusses using the Jesse Tree and other means to teach our children about the Feast of the Nativity.

Gifts are a part of Christmas, and that's actually okay, but "God become flesh" is the true meaning of Christmas.

Resolutions are compatible with Orthodoxy, especially when the goal is to grow closer to God. Does Christ radiate in you?

How do you make fasting a beautiful and natural part of your home?

The goal of Great Lent is not only to deny ourselves and live for Christ, but also to let Christ live in us.

Try not to fall, but if you do, just get back up again.

Great Lent is a preparation for the ultimate Pascha—for the end of time and Christ's return.

It is good for our children to understand that the Orthodox treat bodies differently.

Elissa takes a look at the recent Pew Research Center report on religious affiliation in the United States and speculates on some of the possible causes of the decline in Orthodox Christian believers.

How will we help our children find a respectful and good way to offer Orthodoxy to this world? Elissa emphasizes the importance of being able to articulate the Orthodox faith in emulation of the twelve Holy Apostles.

Rather than picture a perfect, established, normal Sunday school and try to fit yourself into that plan, maybe it's better to start by looking at what you do have and find a flexible, innovative way to make it work.

Elissa encourages us to engage in spiritual pilgrimages and approach all of life as pilgrims.

Elissa reminds us that good stewardship heals our relationship to money and other possessions.

If we are always busy and noisy, we cannot hear the voice of God.

Elissa is tired of being caught between Christmas and Nativity. Are you?

Elissa encourages us to teach our children some prayers to say to themselves while they're standing in line for Communion.

Elissa describes how she and her fellow Sunday school teachers are involving the children in the consecration of the altar at her church parish in Austin, Texas.

Elissa discusses how the parish and Sunday school can help support the family throughout Lent.

Elissa offers some suggestions for guiding children through death and dying.

Sometimes, the God we imagine is not at all who He really is. We need to let our children see faith that is alive and real—which reflects the True God who exists apart from our imaginations.

The four Gospels offer different perspectives and even different stories on our Lord. Elissa uses this situation as the basis for a family retreat during Great and Holy Friday.

Some years, Bright Week is filled with joy, but there are other years when we are just worn out. Have we done Pascha wrong? What do we do next?

The Holy Spirit can be a difficult and abstract concept to explain to young people, so in honor of the feast of Pentecost, Elissa explores the story of the tongues of fire, as well as the prayer "O Heavenly King," to find ways to describe this most mysterious person of the Holy Trinity.

Elissa's co-author, Caleb Shoemaker, joins her for a conversation about their new book, Blueprints for the Little Church: Creating an Orthodox Home, discussing the challenges and benefits of bringing an Orthodox rhythm to the family.

Elissa talks with Dan Bein from Orthodox Christian Fellowship about this important ministry for college students.