Family Matters

Alex & Emily talk about their whirlwind romance, getting engaged 2 months after they met and married 10 months later. They discuss how Emily “accidentally” discovered Orthodoxy with a mistaken course placement, how she struggled with making it her own, and how motherhood solidified her faith. They also discuss how believing in the good intentions of the other helps them get through challenges in life and how realizing that God is present in their children, despite what they may do or not do as parents, makes parenting a little easier.

Can Asperger's Syndrome be a superpower? Meet living proof! Presvytera Melanie speaks with recent high school graduate and class valedictorian, Trevor Wallace, about the his experiences as a young person with Aspberger's, and how he sees each person as uniquely endowed with superpowers.

Fr Alex Goussetis speaks with Fr Stephen Muse regarding his newly published book, which features narratives, wisdom, and encouragement for all parents.

Despina and Mari discuss all of the couples they have interviewed so far and share their favorite lessons they have learned from each one.

Fr Alex Goussetis offers insights into the distinction between a childlike and a childish faith.

Presvytera Melanie speaks with her parents Pete and Alexis Tsikouris about learning from their past mistakes, what they want most for their grandson with disabilities, and what they cherish most about their relationship with him.

Fr Alex Goussetis offers a Memorial Day message on ways to share our family history with our children.

Presvytera Melanie speaks about her son Michael Seraphim, describing the lessons he has been teaching her family including through the details of his timely birth, and the unique way God enlightens people through Michael, when they "have eyes to see" him as a child of God.

Fr Alex Goussetis describes the wide variety of people who will attend Divine Liturgy on Palm Sunday.

Suetta and Nate discuss their Amish and Mennonite backgrounds, how they both entered marriage with the mindset that they were “extraordinary” and how that affected their marriage. They discuss the steps they took to save their relationship and how Orthodoxy provided a solution for the spiritual structure they were seeking and how their journey in life has showed them the beauty in being “ordinary."

Presvytera Melanie speaks with Eleni Anast about finding faith, hope, and direction through prayer, spiritual counsel, and community as she and her husband grew their family through open adoption and faced their daughter's Autism diagnosis. She and her husband focus on and cultivate their children's strengths, cherish daily routines together, and balance their active lives according to every family member's needs and interests.

Fr Alex Goussetis offers practical suggestions for families as we approach the season of lent.

Fr Alex Goussetis speaks with Chaplain Sarah Byrne-Martelli on the various types of loss we face in life, helpful coping skills, and how the Orthodox faith provides avenues to healing and renewal.

Fr Alex Goussetis speaks with Social Worker Rebecca Samra on the challenges and stressors that impact families - and healthy coping practices to consider.

Presvytera Melanie speaks with her husband Father Joseph DiStefano about their lives together as a family navigating their son's intensive special needs over the years, how they address losses of their dreams for family life, and are finding new discoveries of meaning, deeper understandings of love, and simple joys of shared life together. It all comes together when the focus is on what is most important in life - God's Heavenly Kingdom.

Presvytera Melanie speaks with Hieromonk Michael Ziebarth about his relationship with Mother Gavrilia of blessed memory, the plans for republishing the book on her life, The Ascetic of Love, and experiencing God's light, joy, and peace through her example and prayers, even amid life's most difficult blessings.

Fr Alex Goussetis offers an encouraging message on how the parables of Jesus can impact our family's spiritual life.

Fr Alex Goussetis speaks with an "anonymous" guest on the blessings and travails of being a wife and mother in a step-family.

Presvytera Melanie speaks with Matushka Wendy Cwiklinski, founder of the private Facebook group "Koinonia for Exceptional Orthodox Families," about her family's experience of misconceptions of behaviors related to invisible disabilities, the difficult decision to speak on and publish material about such, the gift that persons with disabilities are to their "typical" community members, and more!

Fr Alex Goussetis speaks with Dr Evelyn Bilias Lolis on how to recognize the emotional needs of our children and methods of responding with tenderness and compassion.