Beautiful prayers for those struggling with depression. A lifeline.

I just finished reading Fr. Freeman’s book. While I am not of the Orthodox tradition, I greatly appreciate his writing on the loss of the consciousness of God in our every day life. I found his book very helpful and expensive of something that I have struggled to articulate and upon reading his writing felt like saying yes this is it!

My son is 4 years old and he loves this game. He calls it the "Michael Game" (after St. Michael the Archangel)
You can easily modify the content (which is rather advanced for a small child) to fit your audience.

We hope to see more games like this. A great tool for catechesis.

The game had many good reinforcements of our Faith and of specific Bible stories. That was good. A few were uneasy about the 'gun-shaped' Blaster used to defeat the Passions, but not sure how else you would make that happen. Overall it was very enlightening and raised many discussions afterwards about life situations and the choices we make. Good job.

The 2021 Icon Calendar, Icons of the Apostles of Christ is a must for all Eastern Orthodox Christians and those who appreciate Iconography. Each month's Icon is suitable for framing. The calendar provides information on Icons, the Apostles, and the Iconographers. Each date states either the significance of a saint or church celebration. As we end this year that has been like no other in our lifetime this calendar will serve on a daily basis in 2021 that our faith will prevail.

God be praised! This censer works better than an air freshener, as it assists in helping our prayers arise in God’s sight as incense. 7 inches is the perfect height. If anyone wants to practice being an acolyte, this may be a good place to start.

Still my favorite book to explain all the basics when you are new to Orthodoxy, and it's a good refresher at any time.

An adventurous, heartfelt, satisfying read. In this multifaceted book, Christine Rogers captures the intensity of the domestic life of a family, the upheaval of city besieged, and the restoration of a broken soul through a young man’s journey and the discovery of an icon. Marko’s life is upended when the Turks besiege Rhodes and he is forced to flee. However, even before the Ottoman fleet crested the horizon, Marko had been suffering from guilt and brokenness in his own family. Finding himself outside the city during the siege, Marko meets a pair of monks who are leaving the island as well. Through his travels with them and the discovery of an icon of a saint whom no one recognizes, Marko finds his way to understand how to deal with grief, loss, and guilt. I was initially drawn to this book as I am a big fan of historical fiction. However, I was won over by Ms. Rogers’ style of writing and her ability to create realistic characters that the reader is drawn to. I also found the theme of the restoration of relationships to be incredibly meaningful and one that will resonate with readers, young and old. Readers can look forward to a quest not only to return Marko to his family but to reestablish his family as well.

For several years this has been a gift to my daughter-in-law — by her request! It has become a cherished part of their family life. It is beautiful, a daily reminder of their faith life and daily life ( the size of the daily box allows all family events, appointments, etc to be penciled in)! Thank you for providing this lovely calendar.

God created us on Purpose with a Purpose. My wife and I are enjoying going through this book together. Thanks to the authors for writing this book.

I couldn’t put this book down. I highly recommend this book to all: cradle Orthodox and converts; Catholics who want to understand about the Eastern lung of their church; to Protestants who want to live like Christians in Apostolic and Patristic times. It is one of the most important and impactful books that I have every read and wish I could have read it 40 years ago.

I learned about history such as why and how the Orthodox mind differs from the Western mind, both Catholic and Protestant. I learned about theology and how the Fathers viewed and taught the faith the way Dr. Constantinou does so well. I learned apologetics which, coincidently, helped me address questions my Godson called to ask me while I was reading this book. Most importantly for me the book was both catechetical and prophetic: catechetical in that it showed me how lacking my mind and practice was from the Church’s Apostolic and Patristic phronema (mind of the Church); it was prophetic in how I was able to see my sin so that I can repent and cry out like blind Bartimaeus – LORD Jesus, Christ, have mercy on me!

“To God be the glory.”

Alex from Southern California

I couldnt put this book down. I highly recommend this book to all: cradle Orthodox and converts; Catholics who want to understand about the Eastern lung of their church; to Protestants who want to live like Christians in Apostolic and Patristic times. It is one of the most important and impactful books that I have every read and wish I could have read it 40 years ago.

I learned about history such as why and how the Orthodox mind differs from the Western mind, both Catholic and Protestant. I learned about theology and how the Fathers viewed and taught the faith the way Dr. Constantinou does so well. I learned apologetics which, coincidently, helped me address questions my Godson called to ask me while I was reading this book. Most importantly for me the book was both catechetical and prophetic: catechetical in that it showed me how lacking my mind and practice was from the Churchs Apostolic and Patristic phronema (mind of the Church); it was prophetic in how I was able to see my sin so that I can repent and cry out like blind Bartimaeus LORD Jesus, Christ, have mercy on me!

To God be the glory.

Alex from Southern California

I loved each story in the book, especially BIG IN HEAVEN. That was
classic.

Very good/as expected

Sometimes, when facing an intimidating project, all that is needed to inspire confidence and get started is simply having the necessary tools and good instructions. In Toolkit for Spiritual Growth, Fr. Evan Armatas offers the necessary tools to get started in a life of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. He draws on the Holy Scriptures, the example of Christ and the saints, as well as his experience as a parish priest to present the Christian reader with a beginner’s guide to the basics of spiritual discipline. As an introduction, this book is not too lengthy or verbose. It is divided into three chapters, one for each of the disciplines, and each chapter can be read or listened to on Audible in less than an hour. It is not an academic or polemical work, but Fr. Evan does offer some biblical justification for these practices as he interacts with anticipated questions and objections.
In his chapter on prayer he answers the questions, “What should prayer look like, physically? How is it done? Where should one pray? What should one say and when?” He discusses liturgical prayer, according to the “rhythm and method of the Church,” versus extemporaneous prayer. And he outlines how to set up a prayer corner. The chapter on almsgiving encourages Christians to view charitable giving as more comprehensive than feeding and clothing the poor, and to not overlook the use of individual gifts and talents in meeting the varying needs of others, starting within one’s own home. In his final chapter, Fr. Evan explains the purpose and meaning of the regular fasting days and seasons of the Orthodox Church calendar, and he offers some guidelines for fasting.
I appreciated Fr. Evan’s constant reminder that “matter matters” and “what we do with our physical selves’ matters”. When we pray, our prayer space, lighting, direction, routine, posture, and attire all mean something. When we give to others, putting ourselves in a space of real physical contact is important. When we fast, we fast from physical food. I also appreciated his stress on seeking the guidance of one’s priest as these practices are communal and Christians are not meant to go it alone. This book gives the reader the practical guidance and encouragement to get started in these disciplines and it whets the appetite to learn more about them from the fathers and saints of the church.

I bought as gifts for godchildren who have children. They are beautiful, high quality paper.

Beautiful translation, one of the best I have seen.

Loved it, but also I wish there were a small one like this that I could put in my car either on a chain or something of the like.

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus defines the three key elements of the spiritual life: fasting, prayer, and alms giving. In this new book Fr. Armatas does not bring us another theological treatise, but uses his many years of pastoral experience to provide us with a practical guide to these important spiritual disciplines. In a book filled with wisdom and spiritual insight, Fr. Armatas explains the history of these disciplines, the forms in which they are found in the Church, the obstacles that the faithful may encounter in trying to practice them, and advice on how to overcome those obstacles. Fr. Armatas understands that our lives are often complicated and that most of us will fail if we attempt to emulate the lives of the saints. He offers specific, concrete suggestions on how to begin with small, manageable steps, each of which makes the next step a bit easier. I highly recommend the book--and recommend, as well, that readers listen to Fr. Armatas’ “Orthodoxy Live” podcast every week on which Fr. Armatas answers questions from callers about traditional Christianity.

This is such a beautiful book--I purchased it for a dear friend who is pregnant, but once reading it I want to purchase more copies for myself (even though my sons are grown) and other moms I care about!