About us

My name is John and I'd like to introduce you to my little business of doing and teaching woodworking and woodcarving. We've named it STD Woodworking with much love for St. Dimitrie of Basarabov. This amazing and wonderworking Saint has helped my family by his prayers and so I want to honor him with my talent for woodcarving.

I've always loved woodworking. You'll see that right now, the only thing I make is crosses. Before the Resurrection of Christ, a cross was the worst thing a tree could become. It was a barbaric and shameful method of execution. But after the glorious Resurrection of Christ, the world changed forever. Now, a cross is the best thing a tree can become because it reminds us of Him. By His death, He defeated death.

I was brought up as a secular humanist and atheist. This was my education from the time I was in grade school until I graduated from college. In my home, selfishness, deception, and divorce had pretty much ripped my family apart. I spent ten years looking for answers in the Episcopal church, but schisms and politics created no peace for me there. Through much soul searching (and more importantly, by the intercessions of the Theotokos), I converted to Orthodoxy. For the last 15 years, Orthodoxy has been my pearl of great price and a safe harbor in a sea of doubt and confusion. Romanian, Russian, Antiochian, Serbian and Greek... no matter the language, I love all Orthodoxy and all Orthodox are my brothers and sisters. I believe that Eastern Orthodoxy alone is the fullness of the Christian faith.

God has given me a beautiful, smart, and faithful wife and together with her, I now have a real family and I am a happy man. She grew up in Romania, but we share exactly the same beliefs and values. We both love Orthodoxy very much. We love the Pascha, liturgy every Sunday, and Vespers. We love to visit the monasteries. As Orthodox Christians, we would never cheapen our faith by trying to sell it to people. Being Orthodox isn't easy in this society. It isn't just about believing something, but also doing. Orthodox people have been the victims of often forced proselytism for a long time. Instead, we pray that God puts the desire to learn more about Orthodoxy in each person's heart. Instead of arguing about religion with others, I'll just make my little crosses. If you like them, I'll show you some helpful tips to make them too.

We list items I've made on E-bay from time to time. We also list on www.etsy.com. Etsy is just for handmade items. My seller name in both sites is stdwoodworking.