Literally translated, it means “staircase wit.” As a French idiom it means to come up with an answer or think of a better answer to a question or comment after you left a conversation. The term was coined in the 1770s by Denis Diderot, philosopher, writer, and art critic. If you are a fan of …
Worth Pondering
What is a Stumbling Block?
Have you ever stumbled? Did you stub your toe? Ouch! Did you fall? BOOM! Or did you catch yourself and regain your balance? Whew! One night I was at my sister’s. We were taking things to the car, preparing to leave. I always get to carry the heavy and bulky things. It was late. It …
Do You Have JOY?
Has anyone ever asked you this? JOY means: Jesus first, Others second, and You third. It is an anonymous acronym that doubles as a quote. It’s cute, clever, and (blast the air horn) wrong—because you should never let anyone get between You and Jesus. This is not to say that Others are not important. They …
Praying With the Saints
When I was a young protestant I was taught that prayer should be from the heart (spontaneous). When people prayed reading a prayer I sat through it in judgement and didn’t listen to its content. After becoming Orthodox I came to accept that written prayers, especially by Church Fathers, were of benefit. Not only were …
How Many Times Was Jesus Born?
St. Gregory the Theologian, also known as Gregory of Nazianzus, was born in 329 in Cappadocia, an area of Eastern Turkey. In 381 he was elected archbishop of Constantinople. At the time, all the churches of Constantinople were led by the Arians. These heretics believed that Jesus was not always God. Their heresy was from …