If you’ve ever listened to Fr. Evan Armatas’ call-in show on Ancient Faith Radio, you know the gentle way in which he masterfully takes rich, sometimes hard-to-understand concepts and drills them down into practical nuggets that listeners can immediately apply. This book is no different. Using his signature, user-friendly insights and relatable personal examples, Fr. Evan shares practical wisdom on the disciplines of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving in a way that motivates readers to want to grow in each area. Through Toolkit for Spiritual Growth, readers will be better equipped to engage on the path towards spiritual maturity in a truly transformational way. I cannot recommend it highly enough.

Very informative!

This is really well done!

In this book, Fr. Evan Armatas offers the Orthodox Christian world an important collection of helpful tools for spiritual life. Regardless of one’s familiarity with the Faith, the tools found in this book will be useful ones. New Orthodox Christians will find a helpful introduction to the basic tools for growth in the Orthodox Christian life. Seasoned Orthodox Christians will find in its pages both the means to measure their growth and a myriad of suggested ways to give their spiritual life a little tuneup.

The book begins with an introduction in which Fr. Evan discusses the three spiritual disciplines of Orthodoxy: Prayer, Almsgiving, and Fasting. The rest of the book takes a closer look at each discipline, taking the reader to its very heart. He begins with a look at the scriptural basis for that discipline and builds on it with the teachings of the Church fathers and theologians. Fr. Evan also adds a sprinkling of personal stories and anecdotes along the way, which grow this toolkit beyond the mechanics of Orthodox Christian growth, enlivening it for the reader.

This reader was especially heartened by the section on almsgiving. So often, that discipline is mentioned, but not well elaborated. Often when I have read about almsgiving, I have come away from the reading feeling shamed and put down for my failures in this area. And that is not necessarily a bad thing: clearly I need to grow in my almsgiving. Any giving that I have done after those readings was given out of guilt, to attempt to ease my conscience. Fr. Evan’s book left me feeling encouraged that what I have to give - and what I am giving - is an acceptable gift. And believe it or not, that support and encouragement makes me WANT to give more. For me, this section of the book was the tuneup that my heart needed right now, and I am grateful.

The next time I read this book, I would not be surprised if a different discipline’s section is the most useful to me. We shall see. This toolkit is one that will be of use to me (and to all of its readers) for a lifetime.

Father Evan has had a huge impact on my spiritual life. I have listened to his podcasts for seven years, and they have transformed my faith and illuminated the richness of our Orthodox Faith. When I heard he was writing a book, I couldn’t wait to read it. The best part is, it outdid my expectations.

In Toolkit for Spiritual Growth Father Evan beautifully, yet simply, articulates the theology of the Church while explaining the significance of prayer, fasting and almsgiving. This book offers a blueprint that inspires the reader to live a ‘right-ordered’ life through the faithful practice of these three spiritual disciplines. Father Evan has a gift, and this book is a timeless resource that can deepen one’s faith while turning hearts toward God.

I was extremely fortunate to be able to preview this book. I have been an Orthodox Christian for more than 20 years, and found Fr. Evan's book very illuminating and thought provoking. I will read it again to more fully digest and internalize the wisdom he provides. Fr. Evan gently shows how Scripture and the Church lovingly guide us to Christ and why efforts that are solely self-directed will fall short. And he clearly explains why prayer, almsgiving and fasting are the foundations for a healthy spiritual life. Anyone who is serious about their quest to become more Christ-like would benefit from reading and seriously considering the content of this book. Highly recommended.

Some good writing here. Challenges believers and skeptics alike.

In reading the news today, even in just trying to figure out how to navigate our daily lives, the tendency to feel uncertain, anxious, and off-balance can be overwhelming. Dr Rossi's volume, All Is Well, is a thoughtful exploration of how one can maintain peace of soul in the midst of chaos. The book draws heavily on Fr. Thomas Hopko's Fifty-Five Maxims, but also upon Elder Thaddeus' Our Thoughts Determine Our Lives, a personal favorite of mine. Much of the book focuses upon the idea that by curating what we take in, in terms of media, news sources, and the company we keep, we can maintain our spiritual peace despite all hardships that swirl around us. This is not a sugar-coating or waving off of suffering, nor a denial that hard times will come; rather, it is a surety and certainty that come what may, God is God, and He is in control. Dr. Rossi deftly weaves deep spiritual truths with personal anecdotes to make this a reassuring, profound, and enjoyable read.

I loved this book. Such a mix of sweetness, sadness and a deeper love for our priests. I was sorry when it ended. More. Please.

A magnificent and essential book for any Orthodox Christian! Simple, concise and wonderful to read, A Toolkit for Spiritual Growth, clearly explains Scripture's rationale for developing the three disciplines of prayer, fasting and almsgiving. But Fr. Evan does not stop there. In a loving and compassionate way, he teaches his readers exactly *how* to implement these disciplines in the day to day of life. If you've ever asked the question *how do I pray?* or *how should I fast?* you will find the answers in Toolkit. This is not a book just for beginners, it is for anyone who is serious about walking in a Christ-like Way. I highly recommend you read Toolkit!

Powerful messages, succinctly written.

I thoroughly enjoyed it. I'll be passing it around to all my church friends.

Review of Stephen Siniari’s Big in Heaven

Have you ever asked yourself how to incorporate what you read in Scripture, the lives of the saints, the Fathers, and other Orthodox religious books into your daily life? If so, then the stories in Father Stephen Siniari’s Big in Heaven is the next book you should read.

Using his vast experience as an Orthodox priest and rescuer of troubled street youths, he illustrates the power of God with drug addicts, promiscuous girls, and angry, hurt, and betrayed adults. Not all his encounters result in joyous endings; such is life.

Fr Stephen’s character, Father Naum, is a humble poor soul, taken for granted, underpaid, Christ loving Orthodox priest who pastors his flock first in Western Massachusetts, then in a poor ethnic neighborhood in Philly. Some of the people he encounters are good Orthodox Christians, but many are lapsed believers, angry, abused, or molested. In addition, we encounter a good Protestant minister and a thoughtful Orthodox Jewish Rabbi whose parishes are in the neighborhood. There are also faithful Orthodox priests and bishops in these stories. Life being what it is, however, we also encounter rigid Orthodox priests and molesting bishops.

Each story makes you want to laugh or cry and move on to the next one. It is a page turner.

In all the stories we see Fr Naum’s commitment to Christ and to his relying on the grace of the Holy Spirit to assist him with the people he encounters. Ever conscious of God’s benevolence, power, and compassion he relies on Him in ministering to them. There are references to Scripture and other writings including the Morning Prayer of the Fathers of Optima. We see how Fr Naum translates these spiritual messages into his daily ministering of the Gospel. These stories make one think about one’s own spiritual life and as such educate us to the glory and power of God.

As a side note, the name “Naum” if pronounced in two syllables “Na,” “um,” is the polite literary way of saying “yes” in Arabic. Fr Naum is always saying “yes” to whomever he encounters.

I had a chance to read early manuscripts for this work and it is a treasure, especially for those new to the faith and curious about the question of "now what?" Fr. Evan is of far greater intellect than he will ever admit to, and it shows here; he takes deep, theological concepts and presents them in a fashion that is not only digestible for all levels of laity, but immediately practical in a way that can be implemented in the life of the believer immediately.

At any level of theological understanding, this is a much needed book, as it goes right to the heart of Christianity: living "the way" and not just talking about it. How do we actually *do* theology? This book addresses that very thing in the most practical manner possible. I can't recommend it enough.

Excellent book for people interested in Eastern Orthodox Church!!

Of all the memoirs I have read, this is the most engaging, the most moving, the most life-changing. Princess Ileana takes us through decades of her life as a princess in Romania, disabusing us of any notion that being a princess is a fairy tale existence. She exhibits her deep faith through her constant care and concern for the common people who live around her. She learns nursing skills from her mother, the Queen, and uses them through two World Wars. During World War II, she exhibits great grace and intelligence in dealing with both the Nazis and the Bolsheviks as they ravage her country. It is with great sadness that she accepts exile from her beloved Romania and its people. Given her great faith and gentleness of spirit, it should come as no surprise that Princess Ileana became Mother Alexandra, who founded the Orthodox Monastery of the Transfiguration in Ellwood City, PA, the first English speaking Orthodox monastery for women in the United States. I would recommend this book to anyone who would like a personal look at WWII especially, rather than the point of view of a political scientist or historian. I would also recommend it for anyone who wants to see the events in Europe of the first half of the 20th Century from a Christian perspective.

Great book with special meaning throughout.

As a relative newcomer to Christian Orthodoxy, this book has been very helpful to me. It helped me understand what drew me to the Orthodox Church in the first place. And it is helping me form a good mindset for approaching both my daily life and my prayer life. I appreciate Fr. Freeman's compassion for people and the struggles they have in the modern world.

Fantastic book. You can only read one story at a time or it’s too much for you to process. Thank you!

This book is everything. With parts biography, memoir, history, faith, war, and medical drama, Ileana, Princess of Romania, constructs vivid images of the country and the people she loved and served, and the struggles and joys she experienced through her time at the Hospital of the Queen's Heart.

The writing has a lyrical flow that is both refined and approachable, and the experience of reading it, story aside, is a pleasure. Story included, it is a book that will stick with you for the imagery, heroism, and love evoked by the setting and characters.

Hearing a description of this book excited me because World War II history has long been a favorite area of self-study. What surprised me the most, however, is how much of a delight it is to read. The love that this princess and her mother had for their country, their people, and their faith in God is almost palpable as Princess Ileana tells her story, in her own words. Her writing style and descriptions drew me in immediately and left me thinking of her life and experiences in my day to day living. I am inspired and encouraged by her life and am grateful that I was able to learn of her through this book.