Raised & Redeemed

Come inside St. Paul Antiochian Orthodox Church in Naples, Florida with me for a special tour of an Orthodox Christian church! In this video, Theophan—a dedicated parishioner of St. Paul—takes us through the church and explains the history, icons, saints, traditions, and spiritual meaning behind what we see. But this isn't just a church tour. As we walk through St. Paul, we talk about what the...

What happens when someone raised Mormon begins questioning everything they were taught about God, salvation, the Church, and Jesus Christ? In this episode of the Raised & Redeemed Podcast, I sit down with Sunny to hear her story of growing up Mormon, leaving the LDS Church, walking through a season of rebellion, returning to the Lord, and ultimately discovering Orthodox Christianity. Sunny sha...

What does healing from our childhood trauma look like as Orthodox Christians? In this deeply personal conversation, Michaela Nikolaenko sits down with Christina Taylor of Orthodox Family Life to talk honestly about growing up in dysfunctional families, the lasting effects of childhood trauma, learning to forgive our parents, and discovering healing through Christ and His Church. Both Michaela and...

What does Orthodox Christianity have to say about alternative medicine, yoga, meditation, herbology, acupuncture, psychedelics, and even Brazilian Jiu Jitsu? In this episode of Raised & Redeemed, Michaela Nikolaenko sits down with Dr. Michael Christian Kuhn, Doctor of Health Sciences, functional health and nutrition consultant, founder of Orthodox Health, host of the Orthodox Health Podcast, a...

Can Orthodox Christians go to therapy? Where should we turn when we’re struggling—to a priest, a therapist, or both? And how do we understand trauma, mental health, and spiritual warfare through an Orthodox Christian lens? In this episode, I sit down with Fr. Timothy Pavlatos, an Orthodox priest and counselor with 25+ years of experience integrating psychology, therapy, and Orthodox theology. We d...

This is our first year participating in the Dormition fast, and it's so amazing the way you learn and grow in the faith just by TRYING to live liturgically -- even if you do it imperfectly. I also realized some of the internet crazies come out during the time of fasts, so I'll be responding to some of the criticisms I got online during this time. Lord have mercy on us! Goarch.org: https://...

Have questions about Orthodox Christianity but don't yet have an Orthodox Priest you can ask? In this episode, I speak with Fr. Philip at St. Herman of Alaska Orthodox Church in Lake Worth, Florida, to answer some of the biggest, and most misunderstood, questions people have about the Orthodox faith. We cover everything from what to expect when visiting an Orthodox church for the first time, w...

If Satanism is a counterfeit of Orthodox Christianity, then doesn't that reveal deep truths to us about the fullness of the Christian faith? In this eye-opening conversation, former Satanist, Erika MacDougall, explains how darkness imitates what is holy, how demons influence art and culture, and how Christ led her from deception into the fullness of the Orthodox faith. Together, we explore the...

What is the purpose of suffering in Orthodox Christianity? Why does God allow suffering? Why do good people suffer? Is there actually a purpose for the pain? In this episode, we explore the Orthodox Christian understanding of suffering as one of the primary ways God transforms us into His likeness. We'll read through Scripture together and examine what Christ, the Apostles, and the early Church te...

Backpacking across the country to "find himself," panhandling in Las Vegas, and hitchhiking to Burning Man, Landon Scates never expected he would have found Christ instead. But on the long desert road home, everything changed. In this episode, Landon shares his full testimony from his early departure from God, through dark and disorienting years on the road, to an unexpected encounter wi...

Before I knew Christ, I read birth charts, taught yoga, and believed my Sun, Moon, and Rising sign were the key to my identity and destiny. In this episode of the Occult to Orthodoxy series, I'm sharing my honest journey from astrology to Orthodox Christianity — the history of astrology, what the Bible and Church Fathers say about it, and why the Magi following a star actually points us AWAY f...

Have you ever visited a psychic medium or watched psychics on TV and wondered how they know the things they know? In Part 15 of the Occult to Orthodoxy Series, we're pulling back the curtain on psychic mediums and spirit communication: what they are, what they claim to do, where these practices came from, and what is actually happening in those sessions from an Orthodox Christian perspective....

It was the desire to heal my inner childhood trauma that first hooked me into the occult and New Age spirituality. What I didn't know then: the adult self that's supposed to do the reparenting is also broken, and we cannot be our own saviors. In this episode, I break down what inner child work actually is, where it came from (Jung, Bradshaw, IFS, and more), how the New Age spiritualized it into so...

What are the spiritual dangers of shadow work? Isn't it just a therapeutic technique of healing your inner traumas? Or is is something darker, like embracing your inner demons? In this episode of the Occult to Orthodoxy Series, I break down: — What shadow work actually is and where it came from — Why Carl Jung's framework is fundamentally incompatible with Orthodox Christian anthropology — What Or...

What is the twin flame and soulmate deception? In this episode of the Occult to Orthodoxy series, we are exposing the dark reality behind the New Age concepts of Twin Flames and Soulmates. While the world tells you that searching for your "other half" is the path to spiritual ascension, Orthodox Christianity warns that this pursuit often leads to idolatry, trauma bonding, and the destruc...

What is an Orthodox Christian view on past lives? In this episode, we discuss: 💡 The ancient origins of reincarnation (India, Greece, and beyond) 💡 How these beliefs made their way into modern New Age spirituality 💡 My personal testimony of believing I was a witch and temple prostitute in past lives 💡 The Orthodox concept of prelest (spiritual delusion) and how demons distort identity 💡 Why r...

What is the difference between the occult third eye and Orthodox Christian nous? In this episode of the Occult to Orthodoxy Series, we explore the darker truth behind third eye awakening, pineal gland activation, and New Age spirituality—contrasting it with the authentic teaching of the Orthodox Christian Church on the nous, the true “eye of the soul.” Drawing from personal experience in the occul...

What is the difference between secular, New Age, and Orthodox Christian meditation? Each method claims it will provide us with peace, clarity, and presence, but can each one fully deliver? New Age meditation tell us to empty our minds to find peace. But Scripture doesn't say that. In fact, the Bible and the Orthodox Tradition teach us to KEEP GUARD OF OUR MINDS so that evil things don't en...

Can Orthodox Christians do yoga? While yoga is often the spiritual gateway into the new age and Hinduism, most Christian content about it is either surface-level or sensational. In Episode 8 of the Occult to Orthodoxy Series, we examine yoga from what it actually is at its root, to what the poses depict, to how it was deliberately repackaged for the Western world, to spiritually neutral alternativ...

Is chakra healing dangerous? What does the Orthodox Church teach about Reiki, kundalini yoga, sound healing, and breathwork ceremonies—and why do these practices feel so real? In this episode of the Occult to Orthodoxy Series, we go deep on the chakra system, the spiritual framework that underlies almost every energy healing practice in the New Age world, and an Orthodox Christian understanding of...

Millions of people believe repeating numbers like 111, 222, 444, 777, and 11:11 are messages from angels or the universe. But is this actually how God communicates? In this episode of Raised & Redeemed, we break down the truth about numerology and angel numbers from the perspective of Orthodox Christianity, Scripture, and the teachings of the Church Fathers. If you’re leaving the New Age, ques...

Tarot cards, oracle cards, and even “angel cards” are often presented as harmless tools for guidance, self-reflection, or connecting with the spiritual realm. But what does Orthodox Christianity actually teach about them? In this episode of Raised & Redeemed, Michaela Nikolaenko shares her personal experience using tarot and oracle cards during her years in the New Age—and explains why the Ort...

What does the life of a priest's wife actually look like? What made Destinie want to become an Orthodox Christian? In this special episode, I sit down with Khouria Destinie Winn, wife of Fr. David Winn, mother of four, and creator of Ascetic Life of Motherhood, to talk about her journey of becoming Orthodox, homeschooling, marriage, biblical femininity, veiling, Lent, and what it truly means t...

In this part 4 of the Occult to Orthodoxy series, I break down crystals, evil eye charms, dream catchers, and sage, all items used in the occult for spiritual protection, from an Orthodox Christian perspective. We answer questions like: • Do crystals actually have power? • Should Orthodox Christians own evil eye charms? • Why does burning sage sometimes “feel” like it works? • Are these things dem...

In Part 3 of this series on New Age vs Orthodox Christianity, we're breaking down the spiritual worldview behind manifestation, law of attraction, and even the prosperity gospel, vs true Christian prayer. We'll be working through: • What manifestation actually teaches at its core • How the Law of Attraction and “co-creating with the universe” mirror ancient occult practices • The subtle di...