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I may be late to the party but I’ve just discovered Pickleball! And after playing almost daily since my first hit, I have to admit I’m a little bit addicted… Pickleball, a sport that combines elements of tennis, badminton, and ping-pong, is not just a pastime with a quirky name—it’s ...more

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Whatever you want to achieve by blogging – money, a fully-fledged business, recognition in your field, a creative outlet, or sharing your message with the world – you need to write. There’s no way around it. Blogging is writing. Your platform, your means of communication, involves putting words onto a ...more

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Do you want to connect with influencers in your niche? Most bloggers do. But many of them go about it the wrong way. Forming relationships with influencers is something you really want to get right. Done well, it’s one of the best ways to grow your audience and brand. And hopefully ...more

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The post How to Choose a Topic for Your Next Blog Post appeared first on ProBlogger.

Choosing the right topic to write about on your blog is vital if you want to write a post that engages your reader. Rushing the choice of topic can set you off in the wrong direction and end up wasting both your time and that of your reader. While sometimes ...more

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The post 8 Secrets to Crafting Blog Post Titles That Will Set the Internet Ablaze appeared first on ProBlogger.

Titles change the destiny of your posts. Those few words at the beginning of your blog post can be the difference between the post being read and spread like a virus through the web like a wild fire and it languishing in your archives, barely noticed. This month we’ve been ...more

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This episode delves into the "day one" of creation, as envisioned by St. Basil in his second homily on the Hexaemeron. Along the way, we'll also discuss symbolism, typology and wonder. Join us for the journey!

In the first episode of a five-part Lenten series on despondency, we learn what despondency is (and what it isn't), and how it relates to our experience of time. Ultimately, despondency is a means of escaping the present moment we find ourselves in.

The present moment is a gift from God. But too often, we flee from this "gift of the now" through our mental ideations of the past and future. Today, we're calling that movement despondency and exploring the physical, emotional and spiritual paths by which we escape from the present.

In the Church, as in nature, September is a time of provision and bounty. It is also a time that re-invites us back into the arena of waiting. In this episode, we'll hear about four feast days in September in which God brings forth something new after long droughts of patience and faithfulness.

Continuing our Year in Time series, today we talk about the various ways the liturgical calendar helps us be present to God through liturgical memory.

Speaking of time—the new year is upon us! It's a season when lots of people are thinking of goals and self-improvement. In this episode, Dr. Roccas shares some strategies she has learned as a writing consultant about how to set goals without becoming perfectionistic or destructive . . . also, why shell collecting is a perfectly good new year's resolution.

About a year ago on this podcast, I started a five-part Lenten mini-series called Time and Despondency. I'm happy to announce that I've turned this series into a book to be published by Ancient Faith sometime in Fall 2017. As I finish up the manuscript, I reflect on the intersection between time and despondency. Interested in listening to the original series? Check out Part I (of 5) from last year.

Nicole looks back on the biggest thing she took away from the 2017 Ancient Faith Conference, and discusses some changes that will hit the Time Eternal podcast in the fall. Have a blessed summer!

In this new, relaunched version of Time Eternal, I walk the meditation trail at Antiochian Village and consider what it is we are called to do and become in time. Listen to the end for a special giveaway that ends September 15, 2017! (For quotes and a picture from this episode, see the shownotes in the file attachment above, or subscribe to the Time Eternal blog.)

Today I’m with Fr. Robert Holet, host of the podcast “First Fruits of Christian Living.” We’re talking about our volition to make time in a fast-paced world of distractions. Part two of this episode will air on Fr. Robert’s podcast, so check it out! (For quotations and other information from this episode, see the shownotes in the file attachment above or subscribe to the Ancient Faith blog.)

When my friend Elissa’s daughter was still a baby, she had to undergo a risky liver transplant. Elissa and I think back on that time, and the way our experience of time changes during times of illness, whether it’s we who are sick or a loved one. (For quotations and more information shared in this episode, make sure to check out the shownotes in the file attachment above or subscribe to the Time Eternal blog.)

The day I began reading Fr. Richard Rohr’s book Falling Upward, I had just been fired from my job. This episode is a close reading of his book against that backdrop, as well as an exploration of the struggle for meaning, growth, and encounter in times of struggle.

Meet some of the guests (and questions) that will feature in Season 4 of Time Eternal. Philip Roth once wrote that "in every calm and reasonable person, there is a hidden second person scared witless about death." This episode is dedicated to all those "calm and reasonable" folks out there who are secretly scared out of their minds when it comes to death. In this episode, I mentioned "Death in Orthodox Tradition," a course I am co-teaching with OCA priest Fr. Geoffrey Ready at the Orthodox School of Theology at Trinity College (Toronto). Check out our programme (Canadian spelling, people!) here: https://www.trinityorthodox.ca/ Time Eternal is now on Patreon! Find bonus content and resources here: https://www.patreon.com/nicole_roccas This episode featured upcoming TE guests Carla Moberg, Fr. Tay Moss, and Fr. Ted Paraskevopoulos. It also featured the following music by Kai Engel: "Idea" (Intro); "Behind Your Window"; and "Remedy for Melancholy" (Outro). http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Kai_Engel/

Just as death entered the world through one man (Adam, according to Romans 5), so death typically enters our personal experiences through one person. This first experience with death has a profound impact on how we view not only death but also life. Today I talk about losing my grandpa, Wilson Lyon, when I was five

The call to remember death is a constant in ascetical theology. But how exactly does one put this virtue into practice? Fr. Theodore Paraskevopoulos has made this question the focus of his pastoral ministry - and doctoral thesis. Check out Fr. Ted's podcast iSermon. If you're interested in hearing more about Fr. Ted's thesis, complete with practical suggestions for catechists and catechumens alike, you can find our uncut conversation here. And here's his YouTube channel.

While doing his chaplaincy training, an Anglican priest friend of mine was once called to the deathbed of a pre-term baby. It was the hardest death he ever attended to, and we're sharing it in honor of Infant Loss Awareness Month. May God remember all departed infants and the families who grieve them. Fr. Tay has been the priest at the Anglican Church of the Messiah in Toronto for 12 years. The interludes of this episode featured prayers from the Orthodox funeral service for an infant, which you can find here: https://bit.ly/2yYcRud The Engaging Orthodoxy panel at North Park University is available to view on the Time Eternal blog: https://bit.ly/2yuuVga As always, the intro (“Idea”) and outro (“Remedy for Melancholy”) music for Time Eternal is written and performed by Kai Engel: http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Kai_Engel/

My next book isn't the one I asked to write, it wasn't the one I dreamt of creating when I was a little girl with authorial ambitions. But in the end, I think it's the book I needed to write. In this episode, I share the story behind my next book and read the description. Under the Laurel Tree will be released later this fall, 2019, with Ancient Faith Publishing. (The intro and outro songs in this episode were "Idea" and "Remedy for Melancholy" by Kai Engel.)

Nicole reflects on an interview she watched this week between comedian Stephen Colbert and journalist Anderson Cooper, in particular, the divergent ways grief affected their sense of time. (Watch the interview here. The intro and outro of this episode is "Idea" and "Remedy for Melancholy" by Kai Engel.

Time Eternal is back from the abyss! Nicole talks about three ways the pandemic altered her sense of time and how she is trying to re-engage in the sacredness of time. How did the pandemic shift your experience of time for better or worse? Join the conversation on Instagram or Twitter. The intro and outro of this podcast are the songs "Idea" and "Remedy for Melancholy" by Kai Engel, available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 license.

In which Nicole shares some thoughts on overfunctioning in relationships, work, and time. Connect with Nicole on Instagram or Twitter (@NicoleRoccas). Mentioned in this episode: Episode 183 (“Real Talk about Over Functioning,” 2021) of The Next Right Thing Podcast by Emily P. Freeman Kathleen Smith, “Are you an Overfunctioner?” (2019) (https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca/blog/everything-isnt-terrible/201910/are-you-overfunctioner) Verses: Psalm 46(45):10 (NASB version); Joel 2:25 The intro and outro of this podcast are the songs "Idea" and "Remedy for Melancholy" by Kai Engel, available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 license.

In which Nicole explores the depths of self-care in response to a listener question, and also shares a recent experience with the pre-communion prayers. Connect with Nicole on Instagram or Twitter (@NicoleRoccas). Mentioned in this episode: ● “Is Self-Care Selfish?” from Steve Christoforou/Be the Bee (on Youtube: https://bit.ly/361lQvw) ● The Pre-Communion Prayers, or Prayers in Preparation for Receiving the Eucharist (from St. Maria of Paris Orthodox Mission in Hamilton, Ontario): https://bit.ly/362iusc ● TIME ETERNAL BOOK CLUB - August 12, 2021 - Register on Eventbrite: https://bit.ly/2UMvP5r The intro and outro of this podcast are the songs "Idea" and "Remedy for Melancholy" by Kai Engel, available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 license.

In which Nicole checks in with Orthodox-Twitter’s Favorite Protestant™ Traci Rhoades on the topic of “anniversary reaction.” Connect with Nicole on Instagram or Twitter (@NicoleRoccas). Mentioned in this episode: ● TIME ETERNAL BOOK CLUB - August 12, 2021 - Register on Eventbrite: https://bit.ly/2UMvP5r ● Find Traci Rhoades online: ○ Twitter: @tracesoffaith ○ Instagram: @tracesoffaithblog ○ Facebook: @tracesoffaithblog ● Traci’s article on anniversary reaction: The Intersection of Peter’s Passion with the Passion of The Christ” (Medishare, 2021, https://www.medishare.com/blog/the-intersection-of-peters-passion-with-the-passion-of-the-christ) ● Ellen Hendriksen, “5 Ways to Deal With Anniversary Reactions,” (Psychology Today, 2016, https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/how-be-yourself/201609/5-ways-deal-anniversary-reactions) ● Nicole Roccas, “The Love of God and the Calendar of Shame” (Time Eternal Blog, 2016, https://blogs.ancientfaith.com/timeeternal/love-god-calendar-shame/) ● "Every Moment Holy: New Liturgies for Daily Life," www.everymomentholy.com, including A Liturgy for the Anniversary of a Loss, https://static1.squarespace.com/static/59764bcb725e2575438613ad/t/603d4da4b9906c6d9e7501b6/1614630309096/Anniversary+of+a+Loss.pdf The intro and outro of this podcast are the songs "Idea" and "Remedy for Melancholy" by Kai Engel, available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 license. News Theme 2 by Audionautix is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Artist: http://audionautix.com/

In which Nicole shares 4 lessons from the recent Time Eternal Book Club read: Eternity in the Midst of Time by Wilfrid Stinissen. Also a strategy you can use for reflective reading, and a recent conversation with Molly Sabourin and Cynthia Damaskos on the Filled With Less podcast about simplifying time. Connect with Nicole on Instagram or Twitter (@NicoleRoccas). Mentioned in this episode: Eternity in the Midst of Time by Wilfrid Stinissen (Ignatius Press) The Time Eternal Book Club - stay tuned for details on our next meeting! Filled with Less podcast/video cast by Molly Sabourin and Cynthia Damaskos (forthcoming): ancientfaith.com/podcasts/filledwithless The intro and outro of this podcast are the songs "Idea" and "Remedy for Melancholy" by Kai Engel, available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 license.

Introducing “A Time for Sabbath,” an upcoming series that will launch on Time Eternal in the coming weeks. Think of it as a quest in search of… Well, in search of rest--a meaning-filled framework for rest that was woven into the cosmos since the beginning. Connect with Nicole on Instagram or Twitter (@NicoleRoccas). The intro and outro of this podcast is "Remedy for Melancholy" by Kai Engel, available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 license.

In which we kick off the new mini-series “A Time for Sabbath.” Stick around to the end for a special giveaway in honor of the church new year that starts TODAY! Connect with Nicole on Instagram or Twitter (@NicoleRoccas). Mentioned in this episode: What Happened to You by Oprah (https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250223210) My Instagram Profile: https://www.instagram.com/nicoleroccas/ The 2022 Little Church Planner by Parousia Press: https://www.parousiapress.com/collections/all-planners/products/little-church-planner-ns The outro of this podcast is the song "Remedy for Melancholy" by Kai Engel, available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 license.

In which we explore the ways our concept of rest has become flattened in a disenchanted cultural ethos, and how Sabbath might be the cure. Connect with Nicole on Instagram or Twitter (@NicoleRoccas). Mentioned in this episode: The Sabbath by Abraham Joshua Heschel The 2022 Little Church Planner by Parousia Press The outro of this podcast is the song "Remedy for Melancholy" by Kai Engel, available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 license.

In which Nicole joins her local priests and dear friends, Fr. Geoffrey Ready and Fr. Yuri Hladio, on a discursive quest to integrate the Sabbath into the theology and cosmology of the Eastern Orthodox faith. Fr. Geoffrey is the priest of Holy Myrrhbearers Orthodox Mission (OCA) in Toronto as well as the Director of the Orthodox School of Theology at Trinity College. Fr. Yuri Hladio is the priest at St Maria Orthodox Mission (OCA) in Hamilton, Ontario and graduated with his MDiv from the Orthodox School of Theology in May 2020. Together they host the Enacting the Kingdom Podcast. Connect with Nicole on Instagram or Twitter (@NicoleRoccas). Mentioned in this episode: 1) The Enacting the Kingdom podcast: https://www.patreon.com/enactingthekingdom 2) LIVESTREAM: Sep 23, 2021 (7PM EDT) of Enacting the Kingdom: youtu.be/gNrMS-hFrvk 3) The Orthodox School of Theology at Trinity College: trinityorthodox.ca The intro and outro of this podcast are the songs "Idea" and "Remedy for Melancholy" by Kai Engel, available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 license.

In which I catch up with my former professor, Dr. Ethan Katz, a Sabbath-observant Jew and historian. I first met Dr. Katz while finishing my doctorate in the University of Cincinnati History Department, and he now teaches at the University of California Berkeley, where he specializes in modern Jewish history and the history of modern France and its empire. We reflect not only about our experiences as people of faith in academic and other secular contexts, but also what observing the Sabbath looks like in the unique contours of his life. Learn more about Dr. Ethan Katz: history.berkeley.edu/ethan-katz Also mentioned in this episode: The Enacting the Kingdom Livestream: youtube.com/watch?v=gNrMS-hFrvk&t;=1094s Nicole's appearance on the Prying Priest podcast: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dr-nicole-roccas/id1527008418?i=1000536712952 Don't forget to rate and review this podcast! Connect with Nicole on Instagram or Twitter (@NicoleRoccas). The outro of this podcast is the song "Remedy for Melancholy" by Kai Engel, available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 license.

In which we discuss 4 practices or strategies for developing your own Orthodox Christian Sabbath. This is the FINAL episode in the Time for Sabbath series. Thank you for joining in on the quest for rest! We’ll be kicking off a new miniseries in November, Lord willing - listen to the end of this episode to find out more details. Connect with Nicole on Instagram or Twitter (@NicoleRoccas). Email her at timeeternal@ancientfaith.com Mentioned in this episode: Upcoming Ancient Faith Webinar: “Remembering All These Things: Holding Space for Trauma in Liturgy and Life” (https://store.ancientfaith.com/remembering-all-these-things/) Joshua Mackoul’s book _Healing Your Wounded Soul_ (https://store.ancientfaith.com/healing-your-wounded-soul-growing-from-pain-to-peace/) Psalm 92/91 - A Psalm for Sabbath Lots of books about death! Orthodox titles: Fr. Alexander Schmemann The Liturgy of Death Hierotheos (Vlachos) Nafpaktos, Life after Death Mark and Elizabeth Barna, A Christian Ending Jean-Claude Larchet, Life After Death According to the Orthodox Tradition O Death, Where is Thy Sting? Alexander Schmemann The Letters of St Ignatius of Antioch (Popular Patristics Series), SVS (Brand new) Arise, O God: The Gospel of Christ’s Defeat of Demons, Sin, and Death, Andrew Stephen Damick Non-Orthodox titles: A Grief Observed, CS Lewis When Breath Becomes Air, Paul Kalanithi Modern Death: How Medicine Changed the End of Life, Helen Warraich The Undertaking: Life Studies from the Dismal Trade, Thomas Lynch Being Mortal, Atul Gawande The outro of this podcast is the song "Remedy for Melancholy" by Kai Engel, available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 license.

In which we explore the story of Adam and Eve through the lens of trauma. Connect with Nicole on Instagram or Twitter (@NicoleRoccas). Mentioned in this episode: Webinar on Holding Space for Trauma in Liturgy and Life: store.ancientfaith.com/remembering-all-these-things Genesis 1-3 (NRSV) “Moral Injury” via Psychology Today Canada (https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca/basics/moral-injury) Treasure in Earthen Vessels: Prayer & The Embodied Life, by Dcn Stephen Muse: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/38364459-treasure-in-earthen-vessels “From the Prayer of Jesus to Prayer of the Heart,” by Fr. John Breck: https://www.oca.org/reflections/fr.-john-breck/from-the-prayer-of-jesus-to-prayer-of-the-heart The outro of this podcast is the song "Remedy for Melancholy" by Kai Engel, available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 license.

In which we explore what trauma and jet lag have in common. Send listener questions to Nicole via email (timeeternal@ancientfaith.com) or as private message on Instagram (@nicoleroccas), Twitter (@nicoleroccas), or Facebook (@Nicole M. Roccas). Mentioned in this episode: Episode schedule for the Time in Trauma series: instagram.com/p/CWYToBtLRTM The Body Keeps the Score (Book) by Bessel van der Kalk: penguinrandomhouse.com/books/313183/the-body-keeps-the-score-by-bessel-van-der-kolk-md Polyvagal Exercises for Safety and Connection (Book) by Deb Dana: wwnorton.com/books/9780393713855 The outro of this podcast is the song "Remedy for Melancholy" by Kai Engel, available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 license.

Let’s give Scrooge a break this year! (And psychoanalyze him.) Send listener questions to Nicole via email (timeeternal@ancientfaith.com) or as private message on Instagram (@nicoleroccas), Twitter (@nicoleroccas), or Facebook (@Nicole M. Roccas). Mentioned in this episode: Mark McMinn’s article on ChristianityToday.com: “The Generous Soul” (Nov 23 2017) Bessel van der Kalk, The Body Keeps the Score Lawrence Langer, Holocaust Testimonies: The Ruins of Memory The outro of this podcast is the song "Remedy for Melancholy" by Kai Engel, available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 license.

Some thoughts on how trauma affects us in the present moment of our lives. Send listener questions to Nicole via email (timeeternal@ancientfaith.com) or as private message on Instagram (@nicoleroccas), Twitter (@nicoleroccas), or Facebook (@Nicole M. Roccas). Mentioned in this episode: The quotes I read by Dietrich Bonhoeffer are from the Advent collection of his prison writings entitled God is in the Manger: Reflections on Advent and Christmas. The outro of this podcast is the song "Remedy for Melancholy" by Kai Engel, available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 license.

Some thoughts on how trauma affects our capacity for hope and our attitude toward the future. Send listener questions to Nicole via email (timeeternal@ancientfaith.com) or as private message on Instagram (@nicoleroccas), Twitter (@nicoleroccas), or Facebook (@Nicole M. Roccas). The outro of this podcast is the song "Remedy for Melancholy" by Kai Engel, available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 license.

In which Nicole dreams small and introduces her theme word for 2022. Learn more about Nicole’s trauma-informed coaching services (nicoleroccas.com/coaching). Connect with Nicole on Instagram or Twitter (@NicoleRoccas). Mentioned in this episode: Nov 2021 Talk by Dr. Rima Nasrallah (councilofchurches.ca/news/new-video-available-we-saw-the-star-in-the-east-by-the-rev-dr-rima-nasrallah) The intro and outro of this podcast are the songs "Idea" and "Remedy for Melancholy" by Kai Engel, available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 license.

How the story of Zacchaeus reveals the hidden blessing of smallness in Christ. Learn more about Nicole’s trauma-informed coaching services (nicoleroccas.com/coaching). Connect with Nicole on Instagram or Twitter (@NicoleRoccas). Mentioned in this episode: Luke 19:1-10 “The Desire: The Sunday of Zacchaeus” in Fr. Alexander Schmemann, Great Lent (SVS Press, pp. 17-18) Zacchaeus Sunday: oca.org/saints/lives/2020/02/02/1-sunday-of-zacchaeus The intro and outro of this podcast are the songs "Idea" and "Remedy for Melancholy" by Kai Engel, available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 license.

Bill presents his Effective Church model and celebrates the new strategic plan developed for the national Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA this past week at their SOBOR. In addition to Fr. Barnabas Powell he is joined in the last part of the show by Dr. Gayle Woloschak who chaired the strategic plan committee for the UOCUSA.

Bill is joined by influential attorneys Charles Ajalat and Eric Namee to talk about living a purposeful life as a layman in the Church. They also talk Church and State, and the future of the Orthodox Church in the United States.

Bill focuses on 5 of the critical dimensions of effective Orthodox Christian Servant Leaders and some of the latest research and best practices materials on the subject, as well as the teachings from Holy Scripture and the Church Fathers on how to cultivate better leaders within our churches and ministries.

Almost every news cycle is dominated with stories of both leaders and ordinary people who lost their way. Bill Marianes is joined by special guests Steven Laduzinsky, Chris Mandaleris, and Fr. Barnabas Powell, to explore Trust and ITA from the legal, financial, accounting and spiritual perspectives.

Bill Marianes and Fr. Barnabas Powell welcome guest Fr. Anton Vrame. Together they dive into the incredible data you need to know about what is going on with our Christian churches in America, including our beloved Orthodox churches. Most importantly, they start to cast a better vision about a brighter future.

Nick Kasemeotes from IOCC joins Bill Marianes to talk about the joy of giving at least 10% of your income to Kingdom work.

What kind of church and facilities would you have built if money were no object and you were committed to addressing all of your community’s needs? Now what did you actually build? The difference between your dreams and your reality could, among other things, be a measure of the effectiveness (or ineffectiveness) of your capital campaign and overall leadership program. Anthony Scott joins Bill Marianes to talk about Capital Campaigns and how to run them.

If our youth and emerging adults do not understand and practice true Christian stewardship, we have sealed the regrettable fate of many of our churches. And yet, we have a relative dearth of resources or information available to teach true Christian stewardship to this most critical group of parishioners/stakeholders.Bill Marianes talks with Y2AM Director Steve Christoforou.

Bill welcomes Jerry Minetos to the show! Jerry’s experience in the field of fund raising and church development has included lead roles in managing capital campaigns, and conducting feasibility studies for over 20 years, throughout the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America. He has brought leading-edge business development and technology skills into the Orthodox Church environment. He is currently the Development Director with Ancient Faith Ministries!