by Jessica Ryder-Khalil Today’s guest post by frequent contributor Jessica Ryder-Khalil is the perfect read for everyone seeking peace during the flurry of preparations this holiday season. My family’s shortbread dough is comprised of just three ingredients: flour, sugar, and... Read More

By Phoebe Farag Mikhail I have a delicious fall/winter book stack, I must say, and I’m glad I have the opportunity to share it with you! Many of these books also serve as wonderful holiday gifts, so consider this my... Read More

by Phoebe Farag Mikhail In the Coptic Orthodox Church, we don’t have an Ash Wednesday to kick off the Lent the way the Catholics and some Protestant churches do, or a Forgiveness Sunday rite the way the Eastern Orthodox Churches... Read More

This past Saturday, the Coptic Orthodox Church celebrated the Feast of the Nayrouz—Coptic New Year. The Coptic calendar is based on one of the oldest calendars in civilization. My dear friend Maria Andrawis, who has worked with refugees and IDPs... Read More

by Phoebe Farag Mikhail The Great Lent is the “springtime of spirituality,” but for those with younger children, figuring out how to engage them in the season can be a challenge, especially when they are too young to fast from... Read More

Some of my readers may not have been aware of the attack on Armenia in the Summer of 2020 by Azerbaijan, and the subsequent violence in the Fall over Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabkh), a section of land surrounded by Azerbaijan but historically... Read More

By Phoebe Farag Mikhail My gift list this year is focused on something we all need this difficult year of 2020: self-care. Each of the books, products and shops below are ones that I have used that brightened my mood,... Read More

by Phoebe Farag Mikhail Let’s stop the arrogance. Let’s stop the pride. Let’s stop accusing our friends and family of being brainwashed because they disagree with us. Let’s stop assuming that we know more than others because we read something... Read More

Many of my readers are in the United States, and if you aren’t a desert monastic living in a cave, you probably know it’s Election Day during a contentious election year. I didn’t know how much this election has weighed... Read More

Today’s post is the fourth in a listening series, where I get the amazing opportunity to amplify the voices of my black and African brothers and sisters. Read the first post, “A Common Enemy,” here, and the second post, “Coming to America,” here,... Read More