Fr. Barnabas Powell, Author at Faith Encouraged Ministries

“New” Doesn’t Always Mean “Better”

BlogNovember 6, 2020255Views 0Likes 0Comments

The packaging is more colorful, the content is said to be far and away so much better than the old product, and millions of dollars in advertising will be spent to convince you that this "new and improved" product is an absolute "must have" if you are going to have any happiness in your life! And…

Gratitude Enables Attentiveness

BlogNovember 5, 2020196Views 0Likes 0Comments

My daughter sits in front with me in the car many times as I drive. And she is old enough now to notice that daddy sometimes has a challenge with patience with other drivers! She’s learned my “triggers.” Well, yesterday, she looked over at me when a person in front of us didn’t move when…

Hard Words to Hear

BlogNovember 4, 2020217Views 0Likes 1Comment

I was in my first round of theology school when I came across the phrase for the first time: "The Hard Sayings of Jesus." As I read the article that was meant to explain the difficult passages in the Gospel where Jesus said things like "Unless you love me more than your family, you can't…

Wisdom Is Hard Earned

BlogNovember 3, 2020215Views 0Likes 1Comment

Extended times of chaos and fear have a way of wearing us down to the point of despondency and hopelessness. As I watch events today I see that wearied look in many faces, and even, sometimes, in the mirror! A too long focus in immediate challenges, problems, disappointments, and fears can have that effect on anyone. But…

A Prideful Delusion

BlogNovember 2, 2020535Views 0Likes 3Comments

There is a powerful word in the wisdom of the Orthodox Faith that acts as a real warning to you and me. It is the word “prelest.” It literally means “the state of spiritual delusion or deception.” This is a great spiritual illness in the teaching of the Church and is to be recognized and…

Watering The Barren Places of Our Lives

BlogOctober 30, 2020227Views 0Likes 1Comment

Life is simple. It is. Life is not complicated. Life is not hard to figure out. I know, amazing statements given the complexities of our daily lives, but it is true. Notice I didn’t claim life was easy! And that, dear one, is the difference. But it amazes me how much I complicate life, my life. I complicate my…

Do You Forget?

BlogOctober 29, 2020246Views 0Likes 0Comments

It never ceases to amaze me when I succumb to fears that flow from a forgetful faith. It seems a week doesn't pass (or sometimes even a day) when I am either mindlessly faithless or I have reduced my faith to mere "decoration." But that is easy to do in a world where serious devotion is…

The Protection of the Theotokos

BlogOctober 28, 2020195Views 0Likes 0Comments

“I know that you believe you understand what you think I said, but I’m not sure you realize that what you heard is not what I meant.” This saying has been around a long time and been attributed to several famous and not-so-famous people, but it rings true, doesn’t it?: It’s hard to communicate AND easy to miscommunicate, especially if…

Ask Seek Knock!

BlogOctober 27, 2020271Views 0Likes 0Comments

We moderns love systems. What I mean is we read all the time about "10 Ways to Boost Your Metabolism," "4 Steps to a New You!," "8 Days to a Clean House!," and so on. We simply can't resist clicking on those links to read those stories. We seem desperate to find the right "system"…

Having Healthy Relationships

BlogOctober 26, 2020252Views 0Likes 0Comments

What is it about close relationships that either blind you or enlighten you? What I mean is, I’ve known folks who were so close to someone else that they were absolutely blind to that other person’s faults. I’ve seen it get so bad that the two people were so enmeshed with each other that they…

Author page: Fr. Barnabas Powell

Fr. Barnabas Powell

“New” Doesn’t Always Mean “Better”

Gratitude Enables Attentiveness

Hard Words to Hear

Wisdom Is Hard Earned

A Prideful Delusion

Watering The Barren Places of Our Lives

Do You Forget?

The Protection of the Theotokos

Ask Seek Knock!

Having Healthy Relationships

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