‘Parenting Toward the Kingdom’ is not just a reference book, it’s an action book. If you’re anything like me you breezed through it, highlighting & dog-earing every other page, intending to go back to the beginning, extracting each of the points that stood out into a notebook for further consideration, drawing from that some questions to ask yourself, and from there build a strategy to implement at home, etc etc… Again, if you’re anything like me — you have not gotten around to that yet! Well Ancient Faith has done all of that for us in this Companion Guide. Rarely does procrastination pay off, but this is far more thorough & practical than anything I would have cobbled together myself. Driving home the fact that it is the behavior of the parents which shapes the personality of the child, the guide emphasizes productive self-reflection with questions like: “How are you tempted to react in this instance?”, “What values are good for you to focus on in moments like these?”, “What are some ways you can connect with your child after something like this?” As parents we are often challenged to step back & think before reacting to things our children do, which we all know is easier said than done. Working through this guide has helped me to really focus on particular issues & scenarios, study them, draw lessons from them, and create a plan to change my own behavior — by moment, bit by bit. Anyone who has read (and reread, and read again…) ‘Parenting Toward the Kingdom’ will have a blast with the Companion Guide; even those who haven’t read it will be able to use this guide since the relevant quotes for each section are pulled from the book, so you’re not obliged to refer back to the original. I can’t wait to get a parish parent group together to work through it all over again!

I love love love this! I had already read Parenting Towards the Kingdom and have been working on implementing it in my parenting (no easy feat with 6 kids ages 1-10, and homeschooling to boot!), and so I was super excited when I saw the companion guide. As I started reading through it, I decided that I will be approaching my priest about doing a study group with other parents in my parish. The best thing is that you don’t even have to really have the book to be able to do this companion guide (obviously having both is ideal, but the pressure of having to read a whole chapter by the next meeting can be daunting in certain seasons of parenting). Parents can rest assured that even if they can’t commit to the whole book, they can still get SO MUCH out of this guide! I also love that it is the product of actual book studies. 10/10 recommend!

There's a lot to like about The Vestibule of Heaven. The concept was brilliant, and the plot had me hooked. There was something familiar and cozy about the story that left me sad when it was over. My chief complaint was that the characters felt more like allegories than people—particularly Kyle, Kiera, Nathaniel, and Aiden. Many of the conversations they had with Kelly seemed like they were simply there to move the plot along. Fully developed characters would've taken this story to the next level.

Thank you to Ancient Faith Publishing for sending me a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

This should be the new go-to parenting workshop in Christian parishes. Using the book and this companion as a basis for conversation, prayer, and action - we as Christian parents would be far better off and, ultimately, our children. My wife and I have turned to Parenting Towards the kingdom countless times. Now. With the companion guide, it has given us even more depth to the conversation. I’m looking forward to using this in a parish parenting group at our Church and I hope that it’s used that way in parishes around the country.

Outstanding Book! Must Read! See An Orthodox Priest Now! Do Not Delay! It’s Later Than You Think!

My son and I read this book together and we loved it. It was a little slow at forst but we ended up being excited to read the next chapter every night.

Very encouraging, nurturing. The authors' very honest confessions alleviate the crush of the burden of guilt, enabling the reader to feel more comfortable about Confession for such, knowing that even a priest may struggle with the same passion/thought.

I highly recommend this book for families as they go through the Lenten season.

Reading this book is very helpful in preparing for confessions. It opens a window into yourself.

I was born in the late 90s - Like many of my generation, the topic of Pornography and its effects on society has largely been swept under the rug. But even prior to Orthodoxy, I've been part of movements to bring it out into the light and open a dialogue about the harmful and chaotic effects it has on the human brain. Now that I'm Orthodox, I can see that the damage mentally is bad, but so is the wound on our very soul. For a long time, I'd wanted to see the Orthodox Church in some form tackle this issue with the gravity it deserves. This book came along at a perfect time.

Now, I will say - as an American convert, it is a bit difficult to get into the flow of the narration. Often times I did have to go back and relisten to fully engage and absorb the message being presented. There were many times when what was said, I wholeheartedly agreed with and has completely changed my outlook on this topic even more so towards Christ. There are plenty of secular reasons to be against Pornography, but now knowing it by what is really is - Demonic Iconography to quote the book - However, near the end there are themes that start to crop up that sounded nearly borderline Puritan to me, especially being that one of my jobs is working in the entertainment industry and working on various media titles in development. But perhaps that is for the better - if something riles you up while reading, then perhaps more attention to that is necessary. But still, it offers some to wrestle with especially for newer converts because it does not hold anything back, even things we may cling to out of some form of desperation. Initially, this was a four-star review, but upon reflecting - that is unfair.

This is a book that will certainly require multiple readings, and I highly recommend pairing it with the neuroscience research on the effects of Pornography for a full understanding of not just the damage and malevolence of it, but how we as Christian communities, led by the ultimate Good, can strive to better ourselves and be free of this modern digital drug. The book recognizes why people are drawn to it, the pain that drives us toward it over and over, but we are not powerless to it. Because even this, we can turn to Christ - we can turn to saints as well, like St. Moses the Ethiopian and St. Mary of Egypt.

We're not powerless against the face of the internet's proverbial super-stimuli drugs (which studies show pornographic content has the same effect on our brain as heroin and cocaine), because in our corner we have such love and support, that truly - the lie that 'everyone uses it' is now totally and unequivocally false. In conclusion - this book shows that despite all this, there's hope. Like Christ and many of our saints who went to the sinners of the flesh and brought them to the light of God. This is one of the steps we can take in the modern age, to approach this subject with the Christian mindset, and pull ourselves and others from this abyss of empty and evil passions.

Note: Book was purchased and listened to via Audible.

In this age that struggles between ultimate nihilism and implicit Gnosticism to the degree in which even members of Christian institutions unknowingly or perhaps frighteningly more knowingly subscribe to a dark narrative that wholly rejects the goodness of God's creation, there came a book that dared to say "But God made creation to be beautiful."

There was always a hint of guilt, prior to my learning of the underlying Gnostic beliefs that tampered with my heart, that I would go on these hikes and look upon the beauty of the nature that surrounded me. Certainly, it beats the overcrowded and loud mess of urbran sprawls all over the world - but, was it true this was wrong? I struggled so long, 'is it okay to even appreciate this view, knowing we live in a fallen world?' To enjoy the flowers as they bloom, the sheer incomprehensible beauty of rays of sunlight peering through dark monsoon clouds that are frequently present in the summers here, and to see the stars in the sky and stare in awe at the majesty of God's creation... was this all wrong?

This book lays it out in a healing way. Because that's what must be done - Healing. I'm not liturgically educated enough nor ordained to teach, and I don't want to confuse any of the messages of the book in this review but I can tell you, after many readings of it (well, listenings), it has given me a peace within my heart that I lacked before so heavily. Now when I see the beauty God presents us; at first it was hard to contain a tear. It was like taking off a pair of black sunglasses that only showed you darkness, but now, there's light everywhere. There's vibrancy, there's - here's this word again - beauty in what God has given us!

If you've ever had the thought, "I hate people." or "I hate this world." - Read this book. Read this book, and go on a walk on a nature trail. Let your heart sing of the hymns of God's loving nature, and forsake the narrative of nilhism and Gnosticism that society pushes evermore.

*Disclaimer: I am a recent convert of two years as of this writing, baptized officially a year ago during Pascha. I am constantly learning and re-evaluating what I thought I knew from my protestant and new age background. Book purchased on Audible.

This Prayer Bracelet is so stunning and delicate. I love it.

I’m not one to read anything that may have any romance to it but this one is so good. Such a wonderful story I enjoyed so very much. I did end up giving away my copy because it is that good. 😊

I love how the author brought an immersive and thoughtful perspective to several of the timeless tales involving children from the Bible.

Enjoy learning about the children of the Bible

My priest recommended this particular little book before Great Lent. It’s a beautiful compilation of Kathismas with David’s Psalms, complete with lovely drawings. This book is a powerful tool to be prayed during — and after Lent.

My girls and I love reading each month and doing the accompanying activities! It has been a blessing to our family!

This lenten devotional has been perfect. It's personal, practical, and always encouraging you/challenging you in looking to Christ. I also enjoy learning about saints I didn't know before. I really appreciate that each day's devotional is short enough and accessible enough to actually keep up with throughout the lenten season.

Needed corrective to burial practice in the USA.

A group from Saint Herman Church are reading it and discussing it once a week. Love the book. Thank You!