Showing posts with label Scent of Holiness. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Scent of Holiness. Show all posts

Monday, March 17, 2014

{Lenten Reading} ~ three books to consider

I am doing work for my far away church for their
small bookstore and library.
I wrote on three books that would be
three possibilities for Lenten/spiritual reading that 
we have in stock at our small store.
*
Below are the three books and the small reviews I wrote
to recommend them.
*
May God bless our Lent with the fruit He so desires of us!




This book, written by Matushka Constantina Palmer, who lived for 5 years in Greece and spent a significant amount of time at some woman's monasteries. This book contains lessons she learned from the nuns and her time there.  It is a delightfully easy book to read and one that I found to be very encouraging.  I think we can forget that our Saviour Jesus Christ teaches us how to live the Christian life in love. This book is a very kind and loving as it teaches and inspires us how we too can live as Christians.  Wonderful and inspiring Lenten reading! When I read it I found I could not put it down! 



The beginning publisher’s blurb for this book says: “The life of a princess is not all glamour, handsome princes, and beautiful clothes. It is also devotion to duty, sacrifice for your people, and a lot of just plain hard work.”  Royal Monastic is a well done biography on Princess Ileana of Romania, who later became Mother Alexandra, the founder of Holy Transfiguration Monastery in Ellwood City, Pennsylvania.  This book shows how through many trials and sufferings, God can still be with us and bring beauty and goodness in to our lives, bringing salvation and blessings to us and to many surrounding us.





One of my friends said this book transformed his life. I have talked with parents who said that reading this book, including the chapter on the upbringing of children, changed their approach to parenting completely.  Elder Porphyrios is now Saint Porphyrios and his gentle words, his humility and deep compassion for those who sought his help, along with his deep and abiding faithfulness to the Orthodox Church, make this book wonderful spiritual reading to encourage and instruct us.  I cannot praise this book and Elder Porphyrios enough! God is wonderful in His Saints! 

Friday, February 14, 2014

Reflections on The Scent of Holiness


there are two reviews of this book 
that I have seen on Orthodox blogs,
here and here.
Like Mat. Anna I had a hard time 
putting this book down! 
*
I really enjoyed this book...
it in part reminded me of the time
I spent at the Greek monastery in Quebec,
though never as long as Mat. Constantina did
and without being an insider as it were.
*
It is a gentle book,
going back between stories of God's work in monasteries,
to humorous episodes and marveling at God's mercies.
It shows a life and world that still exists today
and that I wish more people knew about.
*
One of the strange things of a life of one 
like myself as an Orthodox convert is
that much or all of one's family are 
not going to understand what one has found in 
Orthodoxy.
*
When reading a book about the beauty and
world that is found in Orthodoxy and especially in
women's Orthodox monasteries, 
it always brings me to this wish that my
loved one would know this beauty.
*
Mat. Constantina did an excellent job in writing this book;
she is a good storyteller!
If you have not read this book and want to know of 
the beautiful world that is found in the woman's Greek 
monasteries... this may be the book for you...
I am so glad I read it as we head towards Great Lent.
*
May God bless and keep all of us as we
journey towards Christ's Death and Holy Resurrection! 

Wednesday, February 12, 2014

Baby Slippers and Blanket Squares



I am making little baby slippers!
Ravelry here.


This yarn is even more beautiful in colour;
a bright ruby red...
It is being made into squares for a small blanket.


I am making a baby blanket of blue and yellow squares...
my cousin is having a baby boy... :)


I am finally getting around to reading
Mat. Constantina's book
(Some of my Orthodox blog friends have already 
written on this book, here and here).
*
It is an easy read, like the longer Russian book 
Simple stories that teach things gently...
I am finding it encouraging and engaging. 
*
Great Lent is coming soon ~ and I am finding this 
read to be something that is preparing ~ and encouraging ~ 
me for this.
*
I have sock yarn coming in the mail... with
size 1 DPNs... 
I am hoping to start on these
 by the beginning of Lent...
Mr. Husband only wants me to knit him socks,
so socks it will be! 
*
I am using an older pattern from my Oma's 
and am really excited about this.
*
What are you reading and creating?
Yarn along with us!