I could not have read this book at a more appropriate time. If there ever was a need to be reminded ‘All is well’, now is that time! That being said, this book covers a wide range of topics that are applicable during any season of life. This is definitely a book that I will be reaching for again and again, highlighting different passages as I grow as an Orthodox Christian.
Dr. Rossi is so very candid connecting his personal life to the lessons he is sharing. This makes the book very relatable. He also uses many quotes from scripture and the Holy Fathers. His career as a psychologist, life as a monastic, married man and father, widower, alcoholic and professor provide such an extensive range of life experiences from which he shares many truths in simple, easy to read sections.
This is a book that can be read even if you cannot commit to long bouts of reading, which is wonderful for a busy mom like me. It actually is probably best read in smaller chunks so that the reader can process and fully understand the wisdom of Dr. Rossi’s words. I really enjoy how simple this book is to read. Each chapter is brief and has short anecdotal stories/thoughts that explain the topic.
I am glad to be able to add ‘All Is Well’ to my bookshelf. I will definitely be recommending this book to friends.

I was provided with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

A Review of Fertile Ground: A Pilgrimage Through Pregnancy by Laura S. Jansson

Laura S. Jansson’s Fertile Ground: A Pilgrimage Through Pregnancy is a “guidebook through [the] sacred terrain” of pregnancy, told through 37 weeks – or entries – of pregnancy. The book opens with the beautiful “Prayers of a Woman with Child:” two prayers to Jesus Christ and one to the Theotokos, asking for protection, mercy, and the safe development and delivery of the child and mother. I read these prayers occasionally whenever I picked up the book, adding my own thoughts and images to what they ask, for there is so much I hope for in the course of my own pregnancy.

Jansson addresses many of these hopes, as well as common fears and uncertainties a woman might have. The book is divided into seven parts: “Welcoming a New Reality,” “Experiencing Pregnancy,” “Exploring Birth in Symbols,” “Fearing Labor,” “Braving Labor,” “Becoming a Parent,” and “Preparing for Birth.” Within each section, Jansson has included a week’s devotional that corresponds to the common development or focus of that week in pregnancy.

The thing that rings beautifully in this book is the themes to which Jansson gives each week. “Welcoming a New Reality” focuses, for example, on the themes of fiat (or decree), co-creation, recognition, and hospitality. It is this first theme on fiat that sets the tone (and answers, if I’m being honest) to all my questions, worries, and joys about being pregnant and a new mom. Jansson explores the Theotokos’s generous but troubled “yes” to God when she is told she’ll deliver the Savior of the World. “[A] fiat,” she writes, “is not a game plan. When the Theotokos said yes, it was with questions” (23). This simple observation creates room for me to remember in my own pregnancy that it’s okay to have questions and that some of our greatest spiritual guides and advocates had many questions of their own! This was a wonderful place to start the book, for the decree of pregnancy is a life-changing experience.

I enjoyed reading each week and lingered over the in-depth spiritual analyses that Jansson shares. She writes with such intuition and beauty that I refused to read ahead – wanting, instead, to savor her words. Through my own journey of pregnancy, her writing became the voice of a friend, particularly in Part Two of the book when I read “Week 16: Unknown.” “And if our God is one who is known,” Jansson writes, “He is also One who seeks to know. He reaches out not just to humanity in general but to each of us as a unique person … This total intimacy is the divine goal I reach toward as I seek out knowledge of the infant in my womb” (95-96). These words brought me incredible comfort and reminded me during a worrysome part of my pregnancy that I shouldn’t focus so much on the unknown and my quest for answers and certainty (and the lure of comfort I thought those answers might bring), but rather, on the Divine Creator, who already knows the number of hairs on my baby’s head. This chapter, in particular, really helped put much into perspective for me.

Jansson’s book is, indeed, a pilgrimage of its own, and the journey through 37 weeks ended much too soon. As I write this, I am 39 weeks pregnant, awaiting the arrival of my child at any moment. This book was gifted to me when I became pregnant and is a perfect gift for any woman who is expecting!

(Adapted. Complete review available at: http://www.brandiwillisschreiber.com/desertpastoral/2020/8/26/a-review-of-fertile-ground-a-pilgrimage-through-pregnancy-by-laura-s-jansson)

I LOVED this story but more importantly, so did my children. We listened to the Audible version provided to me by Ancient Faith Publishing, and while we usually listen to audio books in the car, my children would ask me if we could keep listening in the house. The conflict between the main characters in the story seems so ordinary yet so common among children that my own kids immediately identified with it. I also loved the exploration of Macrina's inner conflict - I think this is the inner conflict of many people, even Christians, who don't fully understand Christianity. Although this is the third book in the Sam and Saucer series, it does stand on its own. Melinda Johnson's narration is dynamic and engaging.

Rooted in Prayer Virtual Church Camp was an absolute delight.  I have five children
ages, 12, 10, 8, 5, & 2, and two nephews ages 10 & 7.  I gathered all the children every
afternoon for five days for church camp.  We started with prayer and then watched the twenty
minute lesson.  Elissa Bjeletich and Kristina Wenger were engaging and they presented the
material in easy to understand language aimed at early elementary ages.  The three minute
stillness challenge was awesome!  I gave each child an assigned spot on the living room floor
for watching the lessons so that transitioned well to the challenge.  It was a bit difficult having
my two year old dancing around while the rest were trying to be still but I told them she just
helped increase their efforts.  The three minutes really showed me how little time I spend each
day in stillness.  And it also showed me that I don’t have to wait for the children to be in bed
before I can expect any stillness.  Even with a two year old, it is possible to gather the family
and just sit still.  
After the main lesson, we left the living room and headed for the table where I had laid
out the craft(s) for the day.  There we also met and talked and had our discussion.  I loved the
variety of crafting options.  I am not crafty at all so I gravitated toward the simpler crafts, but my
mother, who is very crafty, was able to work with my older children to do some more
complicated and fun crafts.  One example was the icon cloth.  I had my four year old use fabric
markers to design his, while my mother worked with my older children to use the sewing
machine and hand stitch their own designs.  Both ways came out beautifully.  My younger ones
typically finished with their crafts before the olders so having the handouts were an excellent
way to keep them occupied while the others finished up.  We would then head back to the living
room to watch the saint of the day and listen to music with Miss CeCe.  The stories about the
saints were amazing.  My children did know most of the saints stories already but still found
them well told and interesting.  The music with Miss CeCe was the unexpected highlight of the
afternoon.  Her songs were so catchy and beautiful.  We’ve all been singing Welcome to the
Temple for days now.
The most surprising result of the week of church camp was this deepening sense of
prayer.  My children have all grown up in the church and have been saying family prayers since
they were born and attend church on a regular basis, etc.. so you would think they would have a
very firm grasp of what prayer is and its importance.  And yet, somehow, despite being actively
lived, this week of church camp still seemed to open up a huge appreciation for and
understanding of prayer that just wasn’t there prior.  I can only reason that it came from being
“taught” by Elissa Bjeletich and Kristina Wenger.  I am so grateful for this week to totally
immerse ourselves in prayer.  It gave the whole week a focus.  The excellent crafts and yummy
snack ideas were icing on the cake.  
For those wondering who would most benefit from this church camp...I think the answer
is wide open!  I went into the week thinking my 4, 7 & 8 year olds would get the most out of it,
but really, the older ones (10 & 12) were also fully engaged and enjoyed the crafts and lessons
as well.  The biggest hits were the watercolor prayer journals, the embroidered icon cloths, and
the mod podge mint tin icon diptychs.  Which, by the way, were the perfect use for all the tiny
handout icons I have that keep on piling up in our house!  And, myself, a 40 year old mother of
five, got a lot out of the week.  I highly recommend using the virtual church camp in your own
family and if your parish offers it, don’t hesitate to sign up your kiddos.  It is totally worth it!
Max (age 8): I did like the crafts that we made.  My favorite was the squishy balloons. 
Sometimes if you want to keep silent and pray we need something squishy in our hands.  
Ben (age 4): My favorite craft was the squishy balloons and making the jars (the
glycerine/sequin jar).  I liked all of the crafts we made.  There are other ways to pray.  We could
just light a candle and be quiet together.  I liked the story about St. Paraskevi.  She shared all of

her money and all of the things that she had.  She sold all of it because she was gonna grow up
to be a Christian.  
Giovanni (age 7): I liked the crafts.  The story about St. John.  I liked how he visited the
orphans.  St. John is special to me because he’s my patron saint.  I can sit still, make the sign of
the cross, stand.
Enrique (age 10): I liked the story of St. John because he never wore shoes.  I liked how
he visited people.  I liked the hard and soft hearts.  We made hard sugar cookie hearts and jello
hearts.  Sitting in silence was a new way I learned how to pray.
Sofia (age 12): All of the crafts were really fun.  The lessons of the saints were really
cool.  St. John, his body is still incorrupt and you can write a letter to him and he answers
them.  
Tess (age 10): I liked the activities and I definitely enjoyed the lives of the saints.  I liked
the music too.  I really liked how the teachers set it up.  I thought it would be pretty much work,
but they made work and learning, which is normally not a very desirable thing for a kid; they
made learning fun.
Esther (age 2): I like Miss CeCe.

I love this book so much. Every morning I use it after my daily Bible reading, and I usually journal about the day's message, which is inspirational with good insights applicable to daily life. Highly recommend!

Perfect Timing!!! Dr. Rossi had no idea that this book would be published in 2020 when the most encouraging reminder that we could read would be exactly, "All is well!" However, as Dr. Rossi has said often in other place, "It is the Lord." This little book is a reflection of a genuine life of faithfulness in the midst of struggle. Out of that that faithfulness and struggle comes a loving voice that provides countless golden nuggets throughout the text. One of my favorites is this one, "The world consists in ugliness, and the world consists in beauty. Without denying the ugliness we are to keep our mind on the beauty, as best we can." That simple reminder can go a long way in our struggle during these trying times. There are many more such encouragements throughout the book. This is a readable, loving and timely work!

This book was a surprise and delight. I don’t usually read short stories, but I couldn’t resist a collection that dives into life in an American Orthodox parish. Wow. These stories sear right through you. I wanted to devour them but had to make myself stop at the end of each one and let it sink in before picking up the book again. The characters are the essence of real people. They make you laugh, they do horrific things, they live out lives that are too strange to be fictional, and they are so very human. The writing style is also striking—dialects come and go, seemingly random little details are fully illustrated to place you right there with the characters, and some particularly wrenching moments are gently glossed over and left to the reader to unpack. The author broke a lot of the so-called rules for fiction, and it really worked to his advantage. I couldn’t love this book hard enough.

Ancient Faith Publishing provided me with a copy of Big In Heaven in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Father Naum. He is quite a story teller. The richness in which he describes people, places and things leaves you with the feeling of having experienced them yourself. Fascinating, raw and mindful. The Church. Big In Heaven left me pondering my soul, my spirit and my connection to our creator. Hope Father Stephan considers writing more stories.

Better understanding of the book of Hebrews than I ever had. Father Farley is a great teacher. I like how the book of Hebrews is formatted into five parts. "Christ Superior to angels" was an eye opener and profound like I never had a priest or preacher explain before. I like the book cover picture too. Thank you Father Farley. I will be purchasing more books.

Thank you so much for sending the lamp, however, just to let you know that there are places on the side that the lamp is rusted.
I am not going to return it , i am happy with it as is , however ,since you emailed me asking about it ,I thought I would let you know just in case in the future you send more to other clients and they would complain.

My suggestion , is that if you can open one of the items you have in stock and inspect it , so as to know what I am referring to.

My son loved it! Wish there were more books like this!

Absolutely a phenomenal read - authentic, speaks to the heart and brings the reader greater knowledge of the early Christians, as well as our Saints in modern times.

This is a touching, insightful story of human interactions and resolution of problems. It is a timely reminder in our divisive world.

A book to pray your way through.

What a privilege to read the latest book written by Dr Al Rossi, titled All is Well. Although a scholar and experienced college professor, Dr Rossi never tries to impress the reader with his intellectual acumen, although he could. Rather, in his relaxed conversational style, he invites you into a discourse that touches upon the many dimensions of his life - love of family, commitment to Christ, psychological and pastoral insights – all conveyed in an array of warm narratives. His vigor, intellectual curiosity, and thirst for spiritual growth will inspire readers. In this book, Dr Rossi reminds us that we sometimes overcomplicate the path to holiness, that God is as close to us as our next breath.

Rev. Dr. Alexander Goussetis serves as the Director of the GOA Center for Family Care

This book is like the gift of Dr. Rossi himself. I’m really happy to have it. There is so much wisdom and comfort in this book, which is exactly what knowing Dr. Rossi has given me in life. It’s also a gift from all who have befriended Dr. Rossi, beginning with the Lord, then the saints, his wife Galena, his children, family, and friends. Some of these friends are modern-day elders and leaders, such as Fr. Thomas Hopko. Others are people he has only chanced to meet but who have responded to him, and to Christ. The book is joyful, but real and transparent. It’s his own experience of what abiding in Christ can really mean. As such it is very helpful to me. I will keep it with the few books I set aside to regularly read.

This deluxe edition is excellent all around. Cover, binding, paper, print; it's all beautifully executed. Perhaps the best feature is the translation. This edition was necessary as we don't currently have a beautiful translation in modern English. I bow to the anonymous monks who have given us such a gift.

The hospital of the Queen’s Heart, by Princess Ileana (who later became Mother Alexandra in Pennsylvania) is an inspiring read. It a breath of hope in times of despair. She recounts her struggles and triumphs while building a hospital in memory of her mother, Queen Marie, at the foot of her castle of Bran, Romania.
It is encouraging to read how she followed her dream, a dream to prosper and built, not for the sake of pride or self fulfillment, but for the sake of her country and her her people. It is encouraging to read how God miraculously supplied all her needs, through donations that seemed sent to her from heaven.
She tells of the people who were sent by God to help, the patients who found God through her ministry, the ministry of service not by preaching empty words but by offering love and serving the poor before the rich.
At one point, when it seemed overwhelming and hard to continue, when the world was at war, when the need was much greater and what she is offering seemed very little, princess Ileana writes;
“Still, I had continually in mind, those days, the story of St. Francis, who, while working in his garden, was asked by one of his disciples what he would do if the world were to come to an end on the morrow. St. Francis answered, as he continued hoeing down the rows, “I would go on weeding my garden.” So I decided that whatever happened, I would go on building my hospital.”
Adding to the narrative, she adds the Romanian and Orthodox Rituals and cultural aspects to her story. It was interesting to see Romania through her eyes and hear about the church traditions.
It is a heart warming story that needs to be heard today to show us the true meaning of service and strengthen our faith.

I just finished the third book in the Sam and Saucer series with my 7 year old son. WOW! What an amazing story with an even better lesson. While reading this book I was able to facilitate an amazing discussion about God, the Bible and the biggest rule to follow. My son loved this book so much. He has asked for us to paint our own Angels Icons. The author has a very creative way of capturing the attention of children and teaching them about our Orthodox Faith while making this equally enjoyable for the parents to read aloud.

Growing up poor in a Protestant Evangelical Pentecostal preacher's family, I learned at an early age the meaning of "hypocrisy" long before I knew how to spell the word itself.
I found it in the hard eyes of those self-styled super spiritual guides populating the church board, who would weekly dissect the doctrinal nuances of Dad's sermons, and Dad himself if they could, even as they insisted his paltry salary should be enough to live on.
That he drove a school bus part-time while Mom worked as a waitress or in sales at J.C. Penney was a scandal! After all, the drafty old parsonage with a coal furnace that tended to cough up black smoke through the vents in the heart of winter may not be perfect, but it was free.
The nerve! After all, with a crippled and retarded daughter in his family, the pastor was indeed blessed to get the pulpit in any church teaching faith healing! Girl's not healed, after all. Pastor's faith must be lacking.
So, I was surprised to find some painful, yet oddly inspiring similarities in the short stories penned by Fr. Stephen Sinari in his book "Big In Heaven." The tales of Fr. Naum and the all-too-human, sometimes saintly diamonds in the rough who comprise St. Alexander the Whirling Dervish Orthodox Church and the ethnic Philadelphia neighborhood it serves, are fictional. They are also true.
In the four years since I was baptized into the Eastern Orthodox faith, I've learned our Truth is not limited to history and dogma but shines forth in parables, allegories and the stylized stories that buoy the holiness and sacrifices of our those saints and martyrs populating our icon walls and temples. The same is true for the characters Fr. Stephen shares.
Still, I suspect that much in "Big In Heaven" borders on the autobiographical. After all, the author is an OCA priest whose nearly 40 years of ministry have spanned inner-city parish pastoral callings as well as extensive work on the streets serving the homeless, and at-risk and trafficked teens.
"Big In Heaven" makes anyone with faith, and particularly those raised in or converted into Orthodoxy, consider anew the unfathomable depths of God's mercy and grace to his soiled children, staggering toward personal Golgothas and the hope of salvation and theosis.
It was early in the book, where Fr. Stephen introduces Curtis, "an altar server who new the Liturgy in a way not even [Fr.] Naum could understand." Curtis "knew when to have the censer ready, how to cut the bread for the nafora, when to light the candles, how to ready the boys for the processions, when to boil the water for the chalice, even the best way to hold the cloth at Communion time."
Curtis, Naum's bishop had once remarked, was the best server he had ever seen. This same Curtis, a 35-year-old born with Down syndrome deemed unworthy of believer's baptism at a local Protestant church due to his handicaps, but welcomed into Orthodoxy.
Fr. Stephen's writes of a parishioner, seeing Curtis donning a hand-me-down cassock to enter the altar and serve, declaring: "Curtis is a genius over there, in heaven."
That declaration brought tears to my eyes, and I remembered the childlike, halting voice of my now 70-year-old sister, rocking and holding a doll while singing "Jesus loves me, this I know . . . ."



I highly recommend this book with one minor caveat: In future reprintings, how about some additiional parenthetical or by footnote definitions or context for the "inside Orthodoxy" and liturgical terms used from Greek or Slavonic languages?