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Parenting in Repentance, Growing Together in Love, Gratefulness, and Joy
With vulnerability and transparency, Fr. Stephen Muse draws on his journals of over thirty years, to offer glimpses of parenting as a lifelong spiritual journey. He draws the reader in by sharing stories of wonder, joy, and pain from moments in his life that became divine messages. Part memoir, part catechism and part call to action, readers will discover parenting revealed as a path to salvation, as the author reminds us of the vital importance of relationship with the source of love and life—the Triune God.
- GenresParenting
117 pages, Paperback
Published January 1, 2022
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
January 22, 2025
"That's how the demons work. The more we give in to the narcotic alternatives they offer us to avoid reality and ignore our conscience, the weaker our spiritual immune system grows. The heart hardens just a little bit and it becomes easier and easier to ignore our conscience. When we do, these spiritual viruses multiply and take over until habit makes us their slaves."
"Conception to birth recapitulates the universe in a fruit that bears creation's image, what the Holy Fathers call a 'microcosm.' All this occurs without our having a choice in the matter and without realizing what is happening to us. It is part of the unfolding of a much greater design than that of the cosmos, for the seed of this bidden fruit contains the Image of the uncreated divinity and a potential for acquiring the divine likeness which may be realized over a lifetime, but is not guaranteed. The outcome of this venture is less certain. It requires our conscious participation with divine grace, for it is an antiphonal liturgy, a prologue to a wedding invitation between the uncreated One and the creation through the Logos."
"Conception to birth recapitulates the universe in a fruit that bears creation's image, what the Holy Fathers call a 'microcosm.' All this occurs without our having a choice in the matter and without realizing what is happening to us. It is part of the unfolding of a much greater design than that of the cosmos, for the seed of this bidden fruit contains the Image of the uncreated divinity and a potential for acquiring the divine likeness which may be realized over a lifetime, but is not guaranteed. The outcome of this venture is less certain. It requires our conscious participation with divine grace, for it is an antiphonal liturgy, a prologue to a wedding invitation between the uncreated One and the creation through the Logos."
September 17, 2022
As per request, here is my review! This was a hard book to rate because I loved most of the content, but it seriously needed some better editing.
This book is a collection of reflections on parenting by an Orthodox priest as he looks back on his experience with his childhood, his struggles and joys in his own parenting, and his observations of his grandchildren. It mixes story with theology and psychology to aid the reader in thinking more deeply about how being a parent can bring one into closer relation with God and the world around (and within) them.
So, I loved that this book immediately addresses trauma and child abuse as well as acknowledges the difficulty one can have trying to break the cycle of abuse and do better when parenting their own children. This definitely doesn't get as much notice in Christian books as it should. I enjoyed the overall gentle message and the way the author weaves deep retrospection into his story-telling. I drew a lot of comfort from it as I attempt to parent my own child and heal from my own past abuses. It truly has some wonderful things to say and teach!
However, I think this book could've been more. As it stands, it's more of a "daily devotional" with little chapters that could easily be read in fifteen minutes. But it lacks an overarching thread to pull all the pieces together. At times, it felt disjointed or underdeveloped: I wasn't sure where it was going. It has so much going for it (good writing, great message) but all of that needs more structure and just more, period. I think it has great potential to be a full book if the ideas could be fleshed out and the themes were expounded. It also needs better editing. I found a number of typos, fragments, and grammar mistakes throughout the book that detracted from the reading and made it appear less professional. It could be heady at times. Some definitions of more technical words/concepts or examples of how to apply what's being said would make this book more accessible to the average reader.
Overall, the book felt like a good start to something bigger. I think the author should flesh it out, expound on the details, create a more connected work, get it thoroughly revised and edited, and you'd have an absolutely fantastic book with the potential to help a lot of parents.
This book is a collection of reflections on parenting by an Orthodox priest as he looks back on his experience with his childhood, his struggles and joys in his own parenting, and his observations of his grandchildren. It mixes story with theology and psychology to aid the reader in thinking more deeply about how being a parent can bring one into closer relation with God and the world around (and within) them.
So, I loved that this book immediately addresses trauma and child abuse as well as acknowledges the difficulty one can have trying to break the cycle of abuse and do better when parenting their own children. This definitely doesn't get as much notice in Christian books as it should. I enjoyed the overall gentle message and the way the author weaves deep retrospection into his story-telling. I drew a lot of comfort from it as I attempt to parent my own child and heal from my own past abuses. It truly has some wonderful things to say and teach!
However, I think this book could've been more. As it stands, it's more of a "daily devotional" with little chapters that could easily be read in fifteen minutes. But it lacks an overarching thread to pull all the pieces together. At times, it felt disjointed or underdeveloped: I wasn't sure where it was going. It has so much going for it (good writing, great message) but all of that needs more structure and just more, period. I think it has great potential to be a full book if the ideas could be fleshed out and the themes were expounded. It also needs better editing. I found a number of typos, fragments, and grammar mistakes throughout the book that detracted from the reading and made it appear less professional. It could be heady at times. Some definitions of more technical words/concepts or examples of how to apply what's being said would make this book more accessible to the average reader.
Overall, the book felt like a good start to something bigger. I think the author should flesh it out, expound on the details, create a more connected work, get it thoroughly revised and edited, and you'd have an absolutely fantastic book with the potential to help a lot of parents.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews