Coming from Protestant evangelical background to Orthodoxy, I was exposed to Fr. Stephen Freeman's One Storey Universe on his podcast. It really hit me hard.
For me, God was always upstairs, distant. Shifting to "everywhere present and filling all things" was eye opening. The chapters on icons and the about the eschaton were impactful as well.

I really like it! The images are beautiful. I’m looking forward to 2023 now.

I use mine every day, so I bought one for each student in my High School Sunday School class. They loved them!

Wonderful song to sing along to while reading this delightful board book with stunning illustrations!! Excellent book for my toddler!!

I read this with an online book club and had the pleasure of interviewing the author as part of the study. This was a wonderful choice to read during Lent as a devotional and way to pursue practicing joy in Christ.

This book includes reflections for each section and is well researched. I enjoyed the references to a variety of other sources by the author, showing that she is well-read herself.

I would recommend this to groups or individuals to better practice joy in Christ.

It's so beautiful to learn about the sacrifices of such amazing martyrs!

A fantastic starting point. Short, sweet and to the point.

Father Stephen De Young is probably one of the most known Orthodox priests in America, outside of his parish. He holds a PhD in Biblical Studies and the host of the The Whole Counsel of God podcast and co-host of the Lord of Spirits podcast on Ancient Faith Radio.
His knowledge on biblical history drew a lot of attention from Orthodox faithful and also non-orthodox as well
as secular circles to the ancient roots of Christianity.

In this his recently released book “Whole Councel of God. An introduction to your Bible”, he is giving answers to critical questions like “What is the Bible?”,”What’s in the Bible?, “Which Bible I should read?” and “How should I read my Bible?”.
Book is very well written so even a simple, uneducated layperson like myself, can understand easily without getting lost in deep theological terms and discussions pointed out. Father De Young is putting a spotlight on the approach of Protestant, Catholic and Orthodox traditions to the Gospels and Old Testament. I can’t highly recommend this book enough to all who are interested in to find a answer to the question of “How Bible came to be?”
Fr. De Young is also discussing the different methods of translation of the scriptures and enlightening us in the subject of Aleandrian, Byzantian and Western manuscript text types.

In “Whole Counsel of God”
Fr. De Young guiding the reader on “How we should read our Bible” according to Church tradition and the Fathers. The book is very helpful to understand and apply the scriptures into our daily lives as well.

Father Steven De Young is also the author of the books “Religion of the Apostles: Orthodox Christianity in the First Century” and “God Is a Man of War: The Problem of Violence in the Old Testament”

A familiar fragrant aroma. Wonderfully floral and rich.

I highly recommend this book both to those who have recently begun to approach the Bible with the desire to fully understand its roots/history, as well as those already familiar with their Bible. In the latter case I have found that when Fr Stephen expounds on a subject he seeks to present a full and complete teaching, to clarify, or to refute prior conclusions that relate to our Bible. Yes, you may encounter things you already knew, but you will always learn more from him and you will be left with a sense of satisfaction that is felt with knowledge of the word of the Most High God.
Thank you Fr Stephen.
Glory to God!

This book is, ostensibly, a book for teenagers or young adults, but it is certainly not limited in appeal to that audience. I didn't have to put it in that category and read it "as children's literature" to enjoy it. I just enjoyed it for myself as an adult.

Late 19th-century British educator Charlotte Mason defined literature as "the fit and beautiful expression of inspiring ideas and pictures of life." That is the definition that sprang to my mind as I read The Fullness of Joy. Being a novel about St. Seraphim of Sarov, it is not only a fit and beautiful picture of his life, but also an expression of inspiring ideas in a way that uniquely touched me.

One thing that certainly makes this book different from other books about Saint Seraphim is that it is told from the perspective of a bear that came to the holy man and stayed with him. Knowing that he had a tame bear visit him and hearing that bear's story are quite different things. It is not a beast fable, because the bear does not transcend normal bear abilities to be able to talk or think intellectually. It is just that the narrator is able to tell us what the bear is feeling and what the bear observes in her beloved Batiushka. Saint Seraphim expects nothing of the bear, but he welcomes her and feeds her, and she in turn is loyal to him and tries to help him. This is an effective way of allowing the reader to sit with Saint Seraphim through his battles in spiritual warfare, his ascetic efforts, and his attack by robbers. Because the bear does not have the ability to mentally process what happens, she simply feels and acts, and allows the reader to draw her own conclusions.

The format of the book is as an illustrated chapter book, and the illustrations, drawn by the author reminded me of those of Renée Graff in the Little House books. They have the effect of shining just enough light on the places and events described in the story without detracting from the reader's opportunity to imagine the story for himself.

Overall, this book feels like a gift to the reader, an opportunity to see but not be told what to think about this remarkable saint of the Russian wilderness. I gave it to my teenage daughter, a bibliophile who read it one afternoon, and her only response was, "Wow... Just wow." This is one novel that will hold up to, and maybe even demand, multiple readings. After all, that is what literature does.

I loved it and bought a second copy for a friend. I hope there is a sequel!

I found this book to be very helpful. My husband and I are grieving the loss of our 37 year old daughter and have
been attending grief group meetings. this book is what we have needed to show us how to live with grief by our
Orthodox Faith. I read it frequently and would highly recommend it to anyone grieving or not. Thank you for
writing this book.

Georgia Briggs once again stirs the thoughts of her readers through a fictional account, The Fullness of Joy: A Story of Loss and Renewal, published by Ancient Faith Publishing. Although the novel is earmarked for young teens, its evocative writing invites older readers as well - especially those who love St. Seraphim of Sarov and/or have a heart for animals - to ponder the saint’s life from an unusual perspective. A fictional bear whose emptiness drives her through the woods finds her way to St. Seraphim’s home. Over time, she observes him, accompanies him, and even comes to trust him although she does not particularly like humans.

The saint ever and always has bread in his pocket that he shares freely with the bear and all of the other creatures that come to his humble home. But it is not the bread alone that feeds the bear. St. Seraphim calls her what he calls everyone, “My Joy!” The bear accepts this proclamation as a christening, and, for her, being named is akin to being accepted and wanted. St. Seraphim makes room for her in his heart, his home, and even at his table. That warm welcome feeds Joy’s soul, even though she is just a bear.

Brigg’s pencil drawings season the story with beauty and intrigue. Their subtle coloration invites the reader deeper into the life of St. Seraphim, as seen through Joy’s eyes, beyond the written words on the pages. The characters’ demeanor in the illustrations make the reader want to be their friend, and invite the reader to feel that they, too, have been called “My Joy!”

This book is not a half-baked, light read. The subject matter is heavy, but the reader steps away with a taste of what it may have been like for St. Seraphim to pray on a rock for 1,000 days and to be beaten within inches of his life by men who sought only earthly treasure. Briggs sprinkles crumbs of St. Seraphim’s wisdom throughout the novel. These treasured crumbs, flavored by St. Seraphim’s love for God and His creatures, nourish the reader, even though they are passed along unexpectedly, through the simple mind of a bear.

Looks very nice and has many great prayers inside.

It is beautiful! And it was shipped a lot quicker than I had anticipated. It is a wonderful thing for my church. These booklets helped me extremely in my walk and search into orthodoxy.

A beautifully written and helpful book.

Great cards, great price, great service.
Thank you.

This Bible arrived packaged well and in great condition. At first glance through the pages, it looks as though there was an incredible amount of time taken to put this together with all of the footnotes and beautiful full page icons. I am really excited to roll up my sleeves and dig in. As a newcomer into learning about Orthodoxy and hopefully becoming one, this Bible will definitely help me.

Absolutely love this book! I love the illustrations, timeline and information. The kids love it!