A book of daily reflections from Abbot Tryphon, an Orthodox Christian monk and a well known podcaster and blogger from Ancient Faith Radio. The book is divided into daily devotionals, one page for each day of the year. No particular pattern is followed, though some topics align with feast days or fasts.

A broad range of topics are covered. Abbot Tryphon reflects on church theology, church tradition, and offers guidance about how to live out the Orthodox faith in our day to day lives. Some of these topics are repeated, but if the book is read as it was designed, they will serve as refreshers and reminders, not repetition.

The book is written in an approachable tone and style, and is wonderfully non-academic in character. I have seen many people worried that Orthodoxy is “too complex” or “scholarly” of a faith, but Abbot Tryphon displays the teachings of the faith with simplicity and warmth. If a reader does not know much about the faith, they will learn plenty. If they already know a good deal, then they will find straightforward reflection to carry through their day.

The only potential drawback is that many of the reflections were original posted on Abbot Tryphon’s blog, so the book is not wholly original. But it is great to revisit them on paper, and this will pose no problem for those who have not read his blog.

Gorgeous! It is so well designed!

I don't know what I was expecting from this book. I certainly wasn't expecting to be schooled in the journey of my faith or about how to build relationships with her family and her peers, with a saint and, by extension, with Christ.

Lydia is a high school senior heading to university whose entire world has been turned on it's head by her family's conversion to Orthodoxy. She's not even sure she believes in God and now her entire family has--very suddenly as far as Lydia is concerned--developed faith in God, found a place to worship that is completely foreign, gotten baptized and begun a new life. Lydia was not ready. She feels betrayed and awkward. Out of place in her own home. Her mother gives her an icon of St Lydia and Lydia decides to write her letters. The book is a series of these eponymous Letters to St. Lydia. Unbeknownst to Lydia, St. Lydia writes her back.

I enjoyed this book greatly. I have been through that awkward stage of not knowing who I am and where I fit, just recently. It's a recurring theme in my life. It's not a fun place to be and so I was related a lot to Lydia and her moment by moment groping toward faith. Little baby steps, questioning, contemplating, even becoming angry or sad or frightened are all parts of the journey toward God. The point is to keep moving and not to stop.

This book is a gentle reminder that we are not alone. That the universe isn't divided into what Fr Stephen Freeman calls a "two-story universe". The universe is one plane with two stages of existence, the Church Militant (those of us striving toward salvation) and the Church Triumphant, the great Cloud of Witnesses referred to in Hebrews 12:1. Just because we cannot see into or are unaware of that part of the totality of existence that is here alongside us doesn't mean it is not there or that those members of the Church Triumphant are similarly unaware of us and of the things that trouble us or bring us joy. St. Lydia's responses to Lydia's letters attest, albeit in a fictional way, to the great love they have for us which is a reflection of the great love God the Holy Trinity has for us.

It is a Mystery. And that is okay. It is okay not to understand it. Not to "get" it. As the song goes, "When we've been there ten thousand years/Bright shining as the sun/We've no less days to sing God's praise/Than when we first begun".

4 stars

Full Disclosure: I was given an Audible credit to purchase this book in return for an honest review. Thank you for the opportunity to do this, AFP!

Useful and beautiful!

Great book! I bought an extra copy or two to lend to people.

Well done!

This book was a beautiful resource. I actually even turn to it myself as an adult as the language is so helpful! I have recommended it to serval catechists as it blends beautifully with Maria Montessori's approach in the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd. This is absolutely the best guide available I have found.

I absolutely love all the details! Fast day, daily readings.....One thing I would wish for is smaller dimensions so I could carry it in my bag. It is more of a notebook size. It still is great. I highly recommend it. I am new to Orthodoxy and it has all the calendar information I was looking for to keep me on track.

To begin my review, I feel like I should share a little about our family. I have 6 daughters ages 13,12,9,8,7 and 3. I was hesitant to get this book because I was afraid it was going to make me feel inadequate, one more holy thing I should be doing for my kids during Lent. But I was pleasantly surprised that the readings did not seem too daunting. I listened to the book in several different situations in order to get a good feel for how I would use it during Lent. I listened to the majority of the book on my own, sometimes out loud. My kids would sometimes stop and listen and even ask questions afterwards. My 8 year old made me pull up videos of the Holy Fire.
The car ended up being the best place for listening! The kids were already seated and were a captive audience. My 12 and 13 year olds said that they enjoyed the reading and were able to answer the questions at the end. They said that they didn’t mind listening. “It wasn’t bad,” was there very descriptive response. I also had my 9,8,7 and 3 year olds listen in the car. My 9 and 8 year old were able to follow along pretty well, my 7 year old had a little more trouble paying attention. My 3 year old played, but she obviously heard some of it because she proudly answer “Jesus!” to all the questions. I was surprised when my 9,8, and 7 year old were also able to answer the questions. My kids really enjoy listening to books during car trips, so this will be a great addition for Lent. Also, having something to listen too just feels easier than having to sit down and read something out loud. I like easy!
One surprise of the book was that I really enjoyed it just for myself. It was very pleasant to listen too and the readings each day were just enough to help get me focused on Christ and feel more empowered to guide my children through Lent. I also really enjoyed the ideas for each week at the end of the book. The ideas were so simple, you don’t have to be a Pinterest Queen to be able to do them with your children. Many of them I am looking forward to doing with my kids each Lent. I love that the authors provide many different ideas, so if one doesn’t sound like it would work for the family, there are still other ideas to choose from.
My only complaints have nothing to do with the book itself, but with Audible. There are no written chapter titles. So while I knew what number chapter I was listening to, I couldn’t just look and click on Week 3 Monday. It would also be nice to have titles for the Appendix section so that I would know where to click to get the ideas for each week. I’m sure I can do the math and count, but it would still be nice to have things labeled. But like I said, that’s an Audible thing and has nothing to do with the authors.
Overall I thought this was a great book. I learned so many things that I didn’t know (I joined the Orthodox church 7 years ago). I look forward to having this tool in my mom tool belt each year for Lent!
I received a free copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

A great bedtime routine book for every Orthodox family.

I got this book as a gift and my baby absolutely LOVEs it! The content is very educational and the pics are really nice.

Fun and engaging read for both my daughter and myself. Highly recommend!

**I listened tot he audible version of this book**

I prefer to avoid the news, don’t watch a lot of television, and hardly pay attention to headlines. Some might argue that it leaves me uninformed, though I have enough trustworthy people in my life who keep me abreast of things in the “need-to-know” category. As a person who has had a tendency toward anxiety, I prefer to look for what is “pure, honest, noble, just, pure, lovely and of good report,” (Phil. 4:8) and keep my thoughts on those things.

The title of this book piqued my interest, because it picks up on what some of us miss - that there are wonders, every day, if we have eyes to see, ears to hear, and minds to understand. Father Michael Oleksa’s “Stories of God’s Providence” points mostly to autobiographical moments in his own life where, upon reflection, he (and now we, the readers or listeners) could see how God was working. I appreciated the reminder to use that lens, to pray and to trust that there is more going on in any given situation - how even an incidence of pickpocketing could lead to greater things.

A wise man once told me that, wherever I was, I should look for the golden nugget that was being offered at that time. This book is full of examples of golden nuggets. From Alaska to Romania, from seminary to retirement, there are glimpses of providence, not just for Father Michael, but for all of us.

This book is worth reading, for the reasons above, and also for the pieces of history and cultural education that it also provides. I found the information about the internment of Aleuts during WWII informative and surprising - there are parts of American History that haven’t been written into our history books. It’s always good to learn to see beyond what is presented directly, to learn more about others, and to increase in compassion.

I only gave 4 stars for performance of the audiobook because there are obvious differences in the quality of audio and the volume of speaking between chapters. The differences do not impact the story or what’s offered, but I couldn’t give it a 5 for performance because of that.

I hope that anyone who chooses to listen to this would also enjoy it! It was a book that I was comfortable allowing my children to listen along with, and one that we would listen to again.

An excellent Bible with an all to real leather like touch.

This is an excellent Bible with a beautiful cover. The only thing I wish the OSB had was 2 ribbons rather than the one.

Very good historical note! Definitely helpful in practicing daily prayer.

***I listened to this book on audio***

Dear Potential Listener (or reader),

I remember meeting a young woman much like the character of Lydia in this book. She about the same age, and her parents were converting to Orthodoxy. She, unlike Lydia, was “going along with” her parents’ conversion, but she had a lot of the same questions and concerns expressed by Lydia. I couldn’t help, as I listened, imagining my young friend at that time in her life. She struggled with what to say to her friends, how to relate to her parents and how to navigate the transition from childhood to adulthood. The questions that Lydia wrestles with in this book may be universal. Her insights, however, show that this character is not as superficial as some teen characters (or actual teens) might be.

Saint Lydia’s responses to young Lydia’s letters to her are thought-provoking and wise. In another review I read about this book, a reader shared that there were elements of “automatic writing” in this story - I disagree. The main character doesn’t imagine up the responses of the saint that she is writing to. The author creates the responses from Saint Lydia, providing an idea of what the interaction could have been; in the story, the teenaged Lydia never actually reads the responses from the Saint. That said, I found the interactions fascinating. It gives a glimpse of the kind of friendship one might develop with a saint or saints. I found myself wishing for a written copy so I could easily highlight and re-read some of the responses and advice that were given.

In my own life, when I’m not at home with family, I work as a therapist. My current population of clients includes those who have seen more and experienced more than most, and who need support to move forward. Lydia’s horrific experience in March of the story resonated as one that many of the people I work with have gone through. The author did a good job of letting me know what had happened without going into too much gory detail. My heart broke with Lydia, and then I sobbed with her in thankfulness for the responses of those who genuinely loved her. The depiction of love shown to her after the event shows so well how we can respond to others who have experienced trauma.

I hope, listener, that you will give yourself a chance to listen and to enjoy it. If you’re thinking of sharing it with your children or teens, it might be better to listen through first, once, just so that you know what is included. Knowing what will be “talked” about can help you consider how to talk about it with your teen if you’re listening together, or if you give it as a gift. The overall messages are spot-on. The depictions of teens and their experiences are also well-done. The best part, though, is that throughout the book, there is an encouragement for the teen (and for all of us) to pursue a relationship with God for oneself, to know His love, to grow in it, and to share it with others. There is a call to depth of life, love, and living.

I hope, listener, that you’ll enjoy this book as much, or hopefully even more than I did.

Much love, Another reader.

This is a beautiful reproduction of a traditional Nativity icon. Blue is my favorite color and in this case, it reminds me of our Blessed Mother. I was delighted to see that it was made in Ukraine as I was finally able to visit this country of my heritage this summer. I did not buy any fragile items while there because I did not want to take a chance of their being broken - so this was the perfect Christmas ornament for me this year. This ornament arrived in perfect condition. Thanks.

I love the book. I would highly recommend it. I think it is one to have in your collection to read over again. I would not lend it to anyone. Just looking at saint nectarios face gives me peace.

This was a great read!