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Tending the Garden of Our Hearts: Daily Lenten Meditations for Families
Are you looking for a way to keep your family engaged in the true spiritual nourishment Lent has to offer? Tending the Garden of Our Hearts offers family devotions based on the scriptures for each day of Great Lent, including questions to discuss and ponder and an appendix full of hands-on activities to bring the lessons of the season to life. Whether you use it every day or dip into it occasionally as time permits, this book will help the whole family get more out of this crucial season of the Orthodox year.
264 pages, Paperback
Published February 1, 2019
35 people are currently reading
69 people want to read
About the author
Elissa D. Bjeletich
7 books57 followersThis author is also published under Elissa Bjeletich Davis.
Elissa D. Bjeletich grew up in rural Napa Valley and attended the University of California, Berkeley, where she studied Comparative Literature (English, Spanish, Italian and Danish.) Elissa has five daughters and a son who reposed in 2005. Active in youth ministries and at Orthodox summer camps, she directs and teaches Sunday school at Transfiguration Greek Orthodox Church in Austin, Texas. She sits on the Advisory Board of Youth Equipped to Serve (YES), a ministry of FOCUS North America, and is the host of four popular Ancient Faith Radio podcasts: Light Streams In, Everyday Orthodox, Raising Saints, and together with Kristina Wenger, Tending the Garden of Our Hearts.
Tending the Garden of Our Hearts: Daily Lenten Meditations for Families written with Kristina Wenger, is a collection of meditations for families, to carry them through Great Lent, Holy Week and Pascha. From Bible stories to spiritual lessons to Saints' lives, the meditations both educate and inspire conversation in the home.
Blueprints for the Little Church: Creating an Orthodox Home written with Caleb Shoemaker, is a practical and down-to-earth guide for bringing an Orthodox rhythm to your family's life.
Welcoming the Christ Child: Family Readings for the Nativity Lent is a journey through the Old Testament, with 40 stories from Scripture to read aloud and questions to inspire conversation. Families can choose to read this book together throughout the year, or to make it a 40-day Advent preparation for the Nativity of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ; either way, these timeless stories from Scripture will equip families to engage in fruitful discussion.
The Grace of Being There: Single Mother Saints in our Lives is a collection of essays, in which Elissa contributes a chapter on one of her favorites: St. Helena.
In God's Hands: A mother's journey through her infant's critical illness is her testimony to God's faithfulness through suffering and struggles.
Elissa D. Bjeletich grew up in rural Napa Valley and attended the University of California, Berkeley, where she studied Comparative Literature (English, Spanish, Italian and Danish.) Elissa has five daughters and a son who reposed in 2005. Active in youth ministries and at Orthodox summer camps, she directs and teaches Sunday school at Transfiguration Greek Orthodox Church in Austin, Texas. She sits on the Advisory Board of Youth Equipped to Serve (YES), a ministry of FOCUS North America, and is the host of four popular Ancient Faith Radio podcasts: Light Streams In, Everyday Orthodox, Raising Saints, and together with Kristina Wenger, Tending the Garden of Our Hearts.
Tending the Garden of Our Hearts: Daily Lenten Meditations for Families written with Kristina Wenger, is a collection of meditations for families, to carry them through Great Lent, Holy Week and Pascha. From Bible stories to spiritual lessons to Saints' lives, the meditations both educate and inspire conversation in the home.
Blueprints for the Little Church: Creating an Orthodox Home written with Caleb Shoemaker, is a practical and down-to-earth guide for bringing an Orthodox rhythm to your family's life.
Welcoming the Christ Child: Family Readings for the Nativity Lent is a journey through the Old Testament, with 40 stories from Scripture to read aloud and questions to inspire conversation. Families can choose to read this book together throughout the year, or to make it a 40-day Advent preparation for the Nativity of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ; either way, these timeless stories from Scripture will equip families to engage in fruitful discussion.
The Grace of Being There: Single Mother Saints in our Lives is a collection of essays, in which Elissa contributes a chapter on one of her favorites: St. Helena.
In God's Hands: A mother's journey through her infant's critical illness is her testimony to God's faithfulness through suffering and struggles.
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February 7, 2019
Note, Ancient Faith Publishing is providing me a print copy of this book as an incentive for an honest review. Because the print version was not available at the time, this review is based on an electronic advance reader copy in PDF format.
Tending the Garden of Our Hearts is a book of daily devotionals, specifically designed for the 50 days of the Eastern Christian season of Great Lent and Holy Week. The book is written to be used in a family setting, though it can be profitably read by an individual.
In addition to the daily readings and thoughtful discussion questions for each day, the book contains an appendix, detailing three "Countdown to Pascha" family craft ideas (in a similar spirit to an Advent calendar) and 30 pages of crafts and object lessons for the different weeks of the season. The daily readings are written in a style that is accessible to all but the youngest children, yet they contain enough depth to fully engage adults.
Having successfully used Elissa Bjeletich's similar Nativity-themed, Welcoming the Christ Child with our young family (three children under 6 years old), I was happy to find this book in time for Great Lent, and I can't help but compare the two as part of this review:
Comparison #1: While Welcoming the Christ Child comes with a set of ornaments and has the pictures repeated in the book, Tending the Garden of Our Hearts does not. One of our kids' favorite things during the Nativity fast was uncovering the picture and then figuring out how it related to the story. The "countdown" craft ideas may make up for this. (Because I received an advance reader copy, the devotionals we read were not done during Great Lent, and thus we haven't yet tried out any of the countdown ideas.)
Comparison #2: The readings in this book seem a little longer. They're certainly not too long (3—4 pages), but holding the attention of busy, young kids occasionally became a challenge.
A fantastic inclusion is the opening "How to Use This Book" section, especially the encouragement that you don't have to play catch-up if you miss a day (or five). With this type of daily devotional, trying to make up for lost time often becomes discouraging, and it's nice to have "permission" to just move on.
The readings follow the general "theme" of each week of Great Lent and Holy Week, and most are based on the life of a saint. Each one is interesting and thought-provoking at many levels.
The questions at the end of each reading are of two flavors: There are two to five how-well-were-you-paying-attention type questions (with answers); these serve as a recap, if needed, of the main points of the reading, and are particularly good for sparking discussions with younger kids. These are followed by a longer, open-ended discussion question. With our young crew, we don't use the discussion questions, but they're excellent, and I look forward to the day when we can.
I believe this book will become a treasured tradition at our house for years to come.
Tending the Garden of Our Hearts is a book of daily devotionals, specifically designed for the 50 days of the Eastern Christian season of Great Lent and Holy Week. The book is written to be used in a family setting, though it can be profitably read by an individual.
In addition to the daily readings and thoughtful discussion questions for each day, the book contains an appendix, detailing three "Countdown to Pascha" family craft ideas (in a similar spirit to an Advent calendar) and 30 pages of crafts and object lessons for the different weeks of the season. The daily readings are written in a style that is accessible to all but the youngest children, yet they contain enough depth to fully engage adults.
Having successfully used Elissa Bjeletich's similar Nativity-themed, Welcoming the Christ Child with our young family (three children under 6 years old), I was happy to find this book in time for Great Lent, and I can't help but compare the two as part of this review:
Comparison #1: While Welcoming the Christ Child comes with a set of ornaments and has the pictures repeated in the book, Tending the Garden of Our Hearts does not. One of our kids' favorite things during the Nativity fast was uncovering the picture and then figuring out how it related to the story. The "countdown" craft ideas may make up for this. (Because I received an advance reader copy, the devotionals we read were not done during Great Lent, and thus we haven't yet tried out any of the countdown ideas.)
Comparison #2: The readings in this book seem a little longer. They're certainly not too long (3—4 pages), but holding the attention of busy, young kids occasionally became a challenge.
A fantastic inclusion is the opening "How to Use This Book" section, especially the encouragement that you don't have to play catch-up if you miss a day (or five). With this type of daily devotional, trying to make up for lost time often becomes discouraging, and it's nice to have "permission" to just move on.
The readings follow the general "theme" of each week of Great Lent and Holy Week, and most are based on the life of a saint. Each one is interesting and thought-provoking at many levels.
The questions at the end of each reading are of two flavors: There are two to five how-well-were-you-paying-attention type questions (with answers); these serve as a recap, if needed, of the main points of the reading, and are particularly good for sparking discussions with younger kids. These are followed by a longer, open-ended discussion question. With our young crew, we don't use the discussion questions, but they're excellent, and I look forward to the day when we can.
I believe this book will become a treasured tradition at our house for years to come.
February 28, 2019
I was given a review copy of this book by Ancient Faith Publishing in exchange for my honest review.
I follow the work of several Western Christian writers and speakers, and they often reference doing daily devotionals as a family. While I know that there are many devotional books available from Western sources, I am not aware of many such Orthodox Christian resources. So I was delighted to learn that Elissa Bjeletich and Kristina Wenger had created Tending the Garden of Our Hearts: Family Meditations for Great Lent.
Reading Tending the Garden has brought me great joy, and, as a result, I have already begun getting excited for Great Lent, Holy Week, and Pascha (the Resurrection).
Before I began reading, I wondered if the writing style would feel more geared toward children and not as useful for adults. However, I quickly found myself encountering new, helpful ways of thinking about Orthodox ideas. The writing style felt accessible to children, but not off-putting to adults. I think the book will work equally great as a daily Lenten devotional for my family now, when we're adults only, and with kids in the future.
In the book, the weeks of Great Lent are organized into themes. I often wondered how authors Elissa and Kristina came up with so many well-thought-out topics to connect with each theme. For example, they mention a number of saints that I knew little or nothing about, such as Elder Dobri. He is described in the fourth week of Lent, which focuses on the Cross and the ways that different people have taken up their cross and followed Christ (Matt. 16:24).
Elder Dobri was a Bulgarian who fell asleep in the Lord just last year. This very humble man lived a simple life of holiness. In his nineties, he spent much of his time begging on the street outside of a cathedral in Sofia, the capital city. People later learned that the money Elder Dobri collected all went to several different churches to fund their restoration. He himself was living in a small building in the churchyard of his native village, where he slept on the floor and ate very little. And, when he wasn't collecting money, he was helping with repair work on the church where he lived. People recognized Elder Dobri's holiness because "he simply radiated kindness and meekness and love.... When people put some money into his cup, he would give them a loving look and thank them for their charity" (pg. 132).
I love reading about saints like this--people who, in our ordinary world, found ways to embrace the love of God and pour it out to others. Some of the other saints discussed in the book include St. Xenia of St. Petersburg, St. Constantine the Great, Mother Maria of Paris, and St. John of the Ladder. The rich diversity encourages readers to consider what their own unique path to holiness might be, recognizing that God has unique plans for each of us that won't be exactly like anyone else's life story. And, really, the whole purpose of "tending the garden of our hearts" is to seek holiness in our lives, to learn to become channels of God's love into the world.
So I am resoundingly recommending this wonderful new book from Ancient Faith Publishing, with much gratitude to the authors for their excellent, whole-hearted work, which will bless many families this Lent and in the years to come.
I follow the work of several Western Christian writers and speakers, and they often reference doing daily devotionals as a family. While I know that there are many devotional books available from Western sources, I am not aware of many such Orthodox Christian resources. So I was delighted to learn that Elissa Bjeletich and Kristina Wenger had created Tending the Garden of Our Hearts: Family Meditations for Great Lent.
Reading Tending the Garden has brought me great joy, and, as a result, I have already begun getting excited for Great Lent, Holy Week, and Pascha (the Resurrection).
Before I began reading, I wondered if the writing style would feel more geared toward children and not as useful for adults. However, I quickly found myself encountering new, helpful ways of thinking about Orthodox ideas. The writing style felt accessible to children, but not off-putting to adults. I think the book will work equally great as a daily Lenten devotional for my family now, when we're adults only, and with kids in the future.
In the book, the weeks of Great Lent are organized into themes. I often wondered how authors Elissa and Kristina came up with so many well-thought-out topics to connect with each theme. For example, they mention a number of saints that I knew little or nothing about, such as Elder Dobri. He is described in the fourth week of Lent, which focuses on the Cross and the ways that different people have taken up their cross and followed Christ (Matt. 16:24).
Elder Dobri was a Bulgarian who fell asleep in the Lord just last year. This very humble man lived a simple life of holiness. In his nineties, he spent much of his time begging on the street outside of a cathedral in Sofia, the capital city. People later learned that the money Elder Dobri collected all went to several different churches to fund their restoration. He himself was living in a small building in the churchyard of his native village, where he slept on the floor and ate very little. And, when he wasn't collecting money, he was helping with repair work on the church where he lived. People recognized Elder Dobri's holiness because "he simply radiated kindness and meekness and love.... When people put some money into his cup, he would give them a loving look and thank them for their charity" (pg. 132).
I love reading about saints like this--people who, in our ordinary world, found ways to embrace the love of God and pour it out to others. Some of the other saints discussed in the book include St. Xenia of St. Petersburg, St. Constantine the Great, Mother Maria of Paris, and St. John of the Ladder. The rich diversity encourages readers to consider what their own unique path to holiness might be, recognizing that God has unique plans for each of us that won't be exactly like anyone else's life story. And, really, the whole purpose of "tending the garden of our hearts" is to seek holiness in our lives, to learn to become channels of God's love into the world.
So I am resoundingly recommending this wonderful new book from Ancient Faith Publishing, with much gratitude to the authors for their excellent, whole-hearted work, which will bless many families this Lent and in the years to come.
March 1, 2019
(I received an advanced reader copy of this book in return for an honest review.)
As most, if not all, Orthodox Christians know, Lent is one of the most difficult times of the year as the days just seemed packed with services, readings, and prayers—not to mention all that normal life entails, especially for families. Enter Tending the Garden of Our Hearts which meets the needs of a functional Lenten devotional that is flexible enough for families to use with regularity.
I will admit that I was somewhat skeptical at first hearing that Ancient Faith was publishing a daily Lenten devotional for families. Families get busy and kids require a lot of attention and time; nobody can guarantee that they will be available for seven weeks of devotionals. In fact, even when I was single and living alone, I struggled with completing a Lenten devotional without having to double-up on reading when I happened to skip one or two days.
To my pleasant surprise, authors Elissa Bjeletich and Kristina Wenger foresaw this and planned accordingly. In their instructions on how to make the best use of this volume, they recognize the nature of family life and the “rhythms” that are involved. Therefore, they have arranged the book in such a way as to allow families to adapt it easily for their own needs. It is unnecessary—though certainly beneficial—to read each of these as a family each day. If life happens, it is okay to skip that lesson and move on to the next one. This simple allowance, I feel, is extraordinarily moving and helpful to keep parents and families from being too self-critical that they are not able to keep to a plan when life happens.
Furthermore, the daily lessons are simple enough to be understood by small children but meaningful enough that even the parents will benefit from reading them. Reading through these and thinking how I might make use of them in my own family, I realized that it will probably be beneficial for a parent to read through the lesson beforehand to be familiar with the topic and message so that if it needs to be adapted for little ears to understand it is easier for them to do so.
I love the structure of readings being divided into weeks and then subdivided into days. I think keeping the message that the Orthodox Church teaches on Sunday as the theme for the entire week is extraordinarily helpful as it allows us to learn and reflect over several days. Rather than rushing quickly from one topic to the next, we are invited to slow down and reflect which seems incredibly helpful at this time of the year.
I highly recommend this book to all families and even to those of you without families who might benefit from having a guided devotional that allows for a group to gather and discuss these important truths.
As most, if not all, Orthodox Christians know, Lent is one of the most difficult times of the year as the days just seemed packed with services, readings, and prayers—not to mention all that normal life entails, especially for families. Enter Tending the Garden of Our Hearts which meets the needs of a functional Lenten devotional that is flexible enough for families to use with regularity.
I will admit that I was somewhat skeptical at first hearing that Ancient Faith was publishing a daily Lenten devotional for families. Families get busy and kids require a lot of attention and time; nobody can guarantee that they will be available for seven weeks of devotionals. In fact, even when I was single and living alone, I struggled with completing a Lenten devotional without having to double-up on reading when I happened to skip one or two days.
To my pleasant surprise, authors Elissa Bjeletich and Kristina Wenger foresaw this and planned accordingly. In their instructions on how to make the best use of this volume, they recognize the nature of family life and the “rhythms” that are involved. Therefore, they have arranged the book in such a way as to allow families to adapt it easily for their own needs. It is unnecessary—though certainly beneficial—to read each of these as a family each day. If life happens, it is okay to skip that lesson and move on to the next one. This simple allowance, I feel, is extraordinarily moving and helpful to keep parents and families from being too self-critical that they are not able to keep to a plan when life happens.
Furthermore, the daily lessons are simple enough to be understood by small children but meaningful enough that even the parents will benefit from reading them. Reading through these and thinking how I might make use of them in my own family, I realized that it will probably be beneficial for a parent to read through the lesson beforehand to be familiar with the topic and message so that if it needs to be adapted for little ears to understand it is easier for them to do so.
I love the structure of readings being divided into weeks and then subdivided into days. I think keeping the message that the Orthodox Church teaches on Sunday as the theme for the entire week is extraordinarily helpful as it allows us to learn and reflect over several days. Rather than rushing quickly from one topic to the next, we are invited to slow down and reflect which seems incredibly helpful at this time of the year.
I highly recommend this book to all families and even to those of you without families who might benefit from having a guided devotional that allows for a group to gather and discuss these important truths.
February 27, 2019
“...every home has a rhythm...[during Great Lent] the Church invites us to weed through our schedules and to slow down, to refocus our attention and our hearts on growing closer to God.”
This daily devotional is an answer to any busy family’s prayers of how to bring the richness of Great Lent to life in their home. In this one place, a parent can quickly find a daily meditation, questions to discuss and engage their children, and numerous activities.
This book is well organized and easy to use. It is divided into weekly themes inspired by the designated Sundays of Great Lent. The daily meditations contain varied stories from the Old and New Testaments, the lives of the Saints and martyrs, church traditions, historical references, prayers, and the wisdom of church leaders and monastics. These stories are narrated in a way that captures the attention of listeners of all ages. Both my children and myself learned and reflected on a different aspect of Orthodoxy daily. Additionally, there is an appendix with various weekly themed crafts and activities. There is so much material in this one book that your family will have much to learn, discuss, and create for years to come.
Last Lent, our family of six listened to the podcasts of these daily meditations. We greatly benefited from the diverse topics discussed and the activities suggested. We chose the “Path to Pascha” activity as a means to count down the days of Great Lent and to anticipate the coming of Christ. This sand garden uses rock stepping stones, placed daily, to form a path to a central candle, “the light of Christ,” which was finally lit on Pascha. The children especially enjoyed this daily reminder of the joy to come at the end of our Lenten journey.
This book is a must-have for any Orthodox family as a complete resource for daily meditations, discussions, and activities throughout Great Lent.
*Disclosure: This book was gifted to me in exchange for my honest opinion.
This daily devotional is an answer to any busy family’s prayers of how to bring the richness of Great Lent to life in their home. In this one place, a parent can quickly find a daily meditation, questions to discuss and engage their children, and numerous activities.
This book is well organized and easy to use. It is divided into weekly themes inspired by the designated Sundays of Great Lent. The daily meditations contain varied stories from the Old and New Testaments, the lives of the Saints and martyrs, church traditions, historical references, prayers, and the wisdom of church leaders and monastics. These stories are narrated in a way that captures the attention of listeners of all ages. Both my children and myself learned and reflected on a different aspect of Orthodoxy daily. Additionally, there is an appendix with various weekly themed crafts and activities. There is so much material in this one book that your family will have much to learn, discuss, and create for years to come.
Last Lent, our family of six listened to the podcasts of these daily meditations. We greatly benefited from the diverse topics discussed and the activities suggested. We chose the “Path to Pascha” activity as a means to count down the days of Great Lent and to anticipate the coming of Christ. This sand garden uses rock stepping stones, placed daily, to form a path to a central candle, “the light of Christ,” which was finally lit on Pascha. The children especially enjoyed this daily reminder of the joy to come at the end of our Lenten journey.
This book is a must-have for any Orthodox family as a complete resource for daily meditations, discussions, and activities throughout Great Lent.
*Disclosure: This book was gifted to me in exchange for my honest opinion.
February 28, 2019
Tending the Garden of Our Hearts is a simple and well-rounded devotional for Orthodox families. The way the topics are chosen, such as Prayer, Fasting, etc. each week are very helpful and engaging. the stories and examples given are not only helpful and easy to understand, but they cover a wide variety of sources for teaching in the Orthodox Church. One minute we are discussing Old Testament Saints, the next is Saints of recent memory, and the next we are discussing a parable of Jesus. All the way through, accessible-yet-deep analogies and examples are given that make clear the spiritual truths of Orthodoxy for both children and adults. As an Orthodox convert who has done a lot of reading at this point, I was surprised how many things in this simple book I had not heard.
The book contains activities in the back for families to help engage their children in Lent, such as a Pascha calendar (like an Advent calendar during Christmas/Nativity). I think these, in particular, would be very helpful to any family. I also appreciated the questions after each chapter, and the "For Discussion" notes at the very end certainly got me thinking.
One specific thought I had about the book that I found very valuable was that this book would be a great one to give an "Ortho-curious" friend who has no interest in becoming Orthodox, but wants to find a way to participate in Lent. I think this book would be a fantstic gift for Protestant friends who feel this way, as it very simply covers basic practices of the faith in ways both Children and those unfamiliar with Orthodoxy would find very accessible. Even my non-Christian friends would love the themes of forgiveness and personal transformation. I think this book offers an entry point to Orthodox thought, through Lent, to children, non-Orthodox, and adult Orthodox even.
The book contains activities in the back for families to help engage their children in Lent, such as a Pascha calendar (like an Advent calendar during Christmas/Nativity). I think these, in particular, would be very helpful to any family. I also appreciated the questions after each chapter, and the "For Discussion" notes at the very end certainly got me thinking.
One specific thought I had about the book that I found very valuable was that this book would be a great one to give an "Ortho-curious" friend who has no interest in becoming Orthodox, but wants to find a way to participate in Lent. I think this book would be a fantstic gift for Protestant friends who feel this way, as it very simply covers basic practices of the faith in ways both Children and those unfamiliar with Orthodoxy would find very accessible. Even my non-Christian friends would love the themes of forgiveness and personal transformation. I think this book offers an entry point to Orthodox thought, through Lent, to children, non-Orthodox, and adult Orthodox even.
February 26, 2019
The book “Tending the Garden of our Hearts: Daily Lenten Meditations for Families” is a gentle walk through the season of Lent appropriate for the whole family. I wholeheartedly recommend this book as a way to have a daily refocusing for your family as you navigate the Liturgical services and activities of the Lenten season.
The podcast, Tending the Garden of our Hearts on Ancient Faith Radio, has been a family staple of ours since the first episode aired. So when I was given a chance to review Elissa Bjeletich’s and Kristina Wenger’s new book with an advanced copy, I did not hesitate to offer up my time for an early read and unbiased review. And, let me tell you, I love this book. The book is structured to have a daily reading that focuses on the themes and readings of the liturgical calendar. Each day offers a list of questions, and most importantly the answers, that help bring forward the key points. The final chapters of the book offer suggestions for family crafts and Lenten countdown activities.
I find that this book helped to add the structure to Lent at home we have been missing in the past years. I love the concept of building a tradition of a daily focus not only on the actions we pursue during Lent but also taking the time to ruminate on the reasoning behind those choices. The readings are beautifully written with poignant stories to illustrate those themes. Incorporating a craft takes the reading a step farther. Giving little hands (and big hands) a way to celebrate the journey of Lent.
Overall, I greatly enjoyed adding this book to my library and look forward to using it this year and many years to come.
This title is available as a book, kindle version, and as an audio-book read by the authors.
February 14, 2019
A very helpful, well-written Lenten devotional! I feel like Lent can be such a challenging time with figuring out fast-friendly meals, attending more services, and dealing with our sins which tend to surface more without the comforts we're used to, so it is quite welcome to have a prepared meditation to read with our family at the end of each day which reminds us of the great journey we're on, together, and why. It also greatly helps us, as catechumens, to understand the services we're attending in a greater way, so that in turn we can interpret them for our children.
Read
June 12, 2025Every Orthodox Christian - convert or cradle - should consider using this beautiful resource for Great Lent. Although it is geared towards families, I can also say so much of it is equally applicable and useful for the single person. It’s for a diverse crowd. There is so much I learned about our Faith’s history and the beautiful Saints - and Christ! - whom we have to call upon in our daily, ascetical, and spiritual struggles. I can’t wait to go through it again next year!!
April 28, 2020
Could use better end-of-chapter questions, but this is a good resource for Orthodox families.
March 5, 2019
* Filling the gap for Orthodox Christian family devotionals! *
Last year we, at Orthodox Pebbles, discovered a wonderful Lenten family resource, the Ancient Faith blog and podcast “Tending the Garden of our Hearts” by Elissa Bjeletich and Kristina Wenger. We were so inspired, that we created printable activities to coordinate with some of its material. This year, we were very excited to find out that the contents of this enriching project have also been collected into a book. We received it a few days ago, eagerly read it through, and were reminded of how spiritually uplifting the Great Fast can be if approached in the right frame of mind.
The book is a daily devotional guiding the reader into a journey of spiritual growth during Great Lent. The text is clearly written, so that the children can have a greater understanding of that important period in our Faith, and at the same time, equally benefitting to the adults, prompting them to reflect on fundamental concepts and values of our Faith.
It is divided into seven parts, one for each week of Lent, and one for Holy Week and Pascha. Each week of Lent focuses on a theme inspired by the specific Sunday of that week: Forgiveness, Orthodoxy, Prayer/St.Gregory Palamas, The Cross/Humility, The Ladder/Almsgiving, and Fasting/St.Mary of Egypt. Each day explores the theme of the week using examples from Holy Scripture and the lives of the Saints, some of them ‘everyday Saints’, equally remarkable as the glorious and well-known heroes of our Faith. At the end, the Appendix offers a variety of crafts and activities that the whole family can do together.
“Tending the Garden” is a wonderful Orthodox resource, designed to make our precious family time spiritually uplifting during the preparatory period of the Great Fast. It has come at just the right time, filling the need for Orthodox Christian devotionals for both families and individuals alike. We wish “Tending the Garden” a blessed journey in the hearts of all of us!
We were offered a free copy of the book in exchange for our honest review. We honestly recommend it. Thank you!
Last year we, at Orthodox Pebbles, discovered a wonderful Lenten family resource, the Ancient Faith blog and podcast “Tending the Garden of our Hearts” by Elissa Bjeletich and Kristina Wenger. We were so inspired, that we created printable activities to coordinate with some of its material. This year, we were very excited to find out that the contents of this enriching project have also been collected into a book. We received it a few days ago, eagerly read it through, and were reminded of how spiritually uplifting the Great Fast can be if approached in the right frame of mind.
The book is a daily devotional guiding the reader into a journey of spiritual growth during Great Lent. The text is clearly written, so that the children can have a greater understanding of that important period in our Faith, and at the same time, equally benefitting to the adults, prompting them to reflect on fundamental concepts and values of our Faith.
It is divided into seven parts, one for each week of Lent, and one for Holy Week and Pascha. Each week of Lent focuses on a theme inspired by the specific Sunday of that week: Forgiveness, Orthodoxy, Prayer/St.Gregory Palamas, The Cross/Humility, The Ladder/Almsgiving, and Fasting/St.Mary of Egypt. Each day explores the theme of the week using examples from Holy Scripture and the lives of the Saints, some of them ‘everyday Saints’, equally remarkable as the glorious and well-known heroes of our Faith. At the end, the Appendix offers a variety of crafts and activities that the whole family can do together.
“Tending the Garden” is a wonderful Orthodox resource, designed to make our precious family time spiritually uplifting during the preparatory period of the Great Fast. It has come at just the right time, filling the need for Orthodox Christian devotionals for both families and individuals alike. We wish “Tending the Garden” a blessed journey in the hearts of all of us!
We were offered a free copy of the book in exchange for our honest review. We honestly recommend it. Thank you!
March 6, 2019
I was a bit apprehensive when I first received “Tending the Garden of our Heart: Daily Lenten Meditations for Families” because I had no ready family with whom to share it. When I started making my way through the book, however, I found its explanations and anecdotes absolutely refreshing, as the chapters were more like short homilies and akin to what the Church Fathers call “arrow prayers”: direct yet spiritual and full of meaning.
The book is divided into seven chapters covering the weeks of Great Lent, and Holy Week and Pascha, and built around the saint or event commemorated that each week (Sunday of Orthodoxy and Orthodox Christianity; St. Gregory Palamas and prayer; St. Mary of Egypt and fasting, etc…). Each chapter has daily readings that are three to four pages long, replete with stories from the Bible which are complemented by short hagiographical stories, ending with a series of questions and answers to reinforce the theme, and with corresponding appendices for activities by age groups.
The tone of the book makes you feel as though someone is reading it to you, so one can only imagine what an audiobook version will be like! It highly readable, and not mired down in the usual theological-speak that many Orthodox books have, especially those on Great Lent, Holy Week, and Pascha. That being said, “Tending the Garden of our Heart” is not simplistic: it uses the rich language of the Church without making the text inaccessible to its audience (those exploring or reacquainting themselves Orthodox Christianity, younger audiences, etc…). Had “Tending the Garden of our Hearts” been released some ten years ago, I would have most certainly used it as my parish’s Sunday School curriculum for the whole year, and I could even see it used as such in many Summer camps.
With “Tending the Garden of our Hearts”, Elissa Bjeletich and Kristina Wenger have blessed us with a comprehensive and practical spiritual tool, and I highly recommend it for all readers. It would be a welcome addition to a parish or personal library.
Full disclosure: I was provided a print copy of this book by Ancient Faith Publishing for a fair review.
The book is divided into seven chapters covering the weeks of Great Lent, and Holy Week and Pascha, and built around the saint or event commemorated that each week (Sunday of Orthodoxy and Orthodox Christianity; St. Gregory Palamas and prayer; St. Mary of Egypt and fasting, etc…). Each chapter has daily readings that are three to four pages long, replete with stories from the Bible which are complemented by short hagiographical stories, ending with a series of questions and answers to reinforce the theme, and with corresponding appendices for activities by age groups.
The tone of the book makes you feel as though someone is reading it to you, so one can only imagine what an audiobook version will be like! It highly readable, and not mired down in the usual theological-speak that many Orthodox books have, especially those on Great Lent, Holy Week, and Pascha. That being said, “Tending the Garden of our Heart” is not simplistic: it uses the rich language of the Church without making the text inaccessible to its audience (those exploring or reacquainting themselves Orthodox Christianity, younger audiences, etc…). Had “Tending the Garden of our Hearts” been released some ten years ago, I would have most certainly used it as my parish’s Sunday School curriculum for the whole year, and I could even see it used as such in many Summer camps.
With “Tending the Garden of our Hearts”, Elissa Bjeletich and Kristina Wenger have blessed us with a comprehensive and practical spiritual tool, and I highly recommend it for all readers. It would be a welcome addition to a parish or personal library.
Full disclosure: I was provided a print copy of this book by Ancient Faith Publishing for a fair review.
March 13, 2019
I was blessed to receive this book as an e-book for an honest review by Ancient Faith publishers and I am enjoying it so much that I will also be buying a paperback copy to add to my book collection! This book will fast become a must have for Orthodox families. Western Christians have long had devotionals to help guide their reflections, and to assist with the practical application of God's word each day. Thanks to the loving and painstaking collection of reflections in this book, Orthodox Christians now have a practical, and relatable devotional to help guide their busy family lives during the Lenten period. The book is written in a conversational tone yet draws upon the Orthodox saints, patristics, scripture references and suggested application in our daily lives during the Lenten journey. The book is organised in weeks according to the countdown to Pascha with featured themes, and also breaks the devotionals into each day as well. The How To Use this Book section is a welcome inclusion, lovingly encouraging us not to fret if we fall behind in our readings each day. As busy parents, we can stumble here and worry that we have let it all go. But the authors, who also are on the walk with us, empathise with us too and advise us to "show Christ's love and mercy" to ourselves and "happily skip along"! I love the cover chosen for this book, illustrating the stillness and beauty inherent in the readings for this time of the year, when we go deeper, pray more and strengthen our relationship with the Lord. The back of the book features a Crafts and Activities section which will keep children of all ages entertained and engaged. I am so thankful to the authors for taking the time to reach out to us in contemporary terms, without straying from the Orthodox Way. It really is a living book which I am sure will be treasured by families for years to come. I would highly recommend this book to all Christian families as a valuable, and engaging, Lenten resource for all ages.
June 26, 2019
Tending the Garden of our Hearts is in one way a very traditional book of lenten meditations but in another way it´s a very unusual and creative initiative.
The spiritual books of the Orthodox tradition has primarily been written by monastics and for monastics striving for the peak of spiritual life in a context of seclusion. Lay people have had the arduous task of trying to apply this to a life in the modern world with it´s challenges (which is not made easier by living as a convert family in the secular country of Sweden!). In Tending the Garden of our Hearts is a wonderful application of the traditional lenten monastic spirituality unto modern family life.
The book is built around the seven weeks of the great fast and ends with pascha. Each day has a text related to the theme of the week wth following questions and topics for discussion. The texts are written masterfully in a way accessible for lay people and children but with a deep base in the biblical texts, lives of saints and experiences from everyday life. I´m very impressed by the way Bjeletich makes the core of Orthodox spirituality shine forth through deep layers of time, advanced theology and monastic settings.
The appendix with inspiration for crafts and activities is a treasure for families with small children. Many elements of the faith are abstract and can be hard to understand for children (and adults…). The crafts have been a beautiful way to connect as a family and a practical way of passing on the faith to our small children (5 and 2,5 years old).
Tending the Garden of Our Hearts will be my family´s lenten spirituality book for years to come and a treat to rediscover each pascha.
Tobias Rydqvist (ThM), Sweden
The spiritual books of the Orthodox tradition has primarily been written by monastics and for monastics striving for the peak of spiritual life in a context of seclusion. Lay people have had the arduous task of trying to apply this to a life in the modern world with it´s challenges (which is not made easier by living as a convert family in the secular country of Sweden!). In Tending the Garden of our Hearts is a wonderful application of the traditional lenten monastic spirituality unto modern family life.
The book is built around the seven weeks of the great fast and ends with pascha. Each day has a text related to the theme of the week wth following questions and topics for discussion. The texts are written masterfully in a way accessible for lay people and children but with a deep base in the biblical texts, lives of saints and experiences from everyday life. I´m very impressed by the way Bjeletich makes the core of Orthodox spirituality shine forth through deep layers of time, advanced theology and monastic settings.
The appendix with inspiration for crafts and activities is a treasure for families with small children. Many elements of the faith are abstract and can be hard to understand for children (and adults…). The crafts have been a beautiful way to connect as a family and a practical way of passing on the faith to our small children (5 and 2,5 years old).
Tending the Garden of Our Hearts will be my family´s lenten spirituality book for years to come and a treat to rediscover each pascha.
Tobias Rydqvist (ThM), Sweden
April 29, 2019
As an Orthodox Christian grandmother, mother, and Sunday School teacher I highly recommend this book of meditations, questions and answers, crafts to families as a treasure trove of ways to keep the purpose and practice of the 48 days of Lent before Easter. The readings easily grasped by young members of the family with questions and answers following each day's meditation. The Church Fathers and Saints are included in each day's message. The appendix offers outstanding crafts and projects to help focus on drawing closer to God, understanding better why we pray, fast, and give alms, and how we can love our neighbor better.
April 15, 2019
While this book is designed for families with children to use during Lent, I have found it to be helpful for me. Lent is a busy time for all Orthodox Christians and to have these short nuggets about the characteristics of each week is very encouraging. I plan to read it again next year.
April 29, 2019
This was such a wonderful way to go through Great Lent with our family. We would read a chapter every night with our kids and it brought about such amazing discussions and really helped deepen our experience our lenten journey.
April 19, 2020
Wonderful resource for Orthodox Christian families to read through during Great Lent. Informative, and challenges you to reflect every day on the work of God in your heart.
April 28, 2019
Great book to read with the family!
April 22, 2025
This was written by a good friend of mine! I was so glad that my daughter was finally old enough for us to do read this together as a family over Lent. It's truly a great family devotional.
This book is for Eastern Orthodox families looking for ways to draw closer to Christ and learn more about the faith during Lent. It's divided up into six parts, one for each week of Lent, and each part includes seven daily devotional readings that match the week's theme (which closely follows the overarching themes the Church prescribes during Lent as well). The daily devotionals end with reflection questions for all ages, and the back includes an Appendix with suggested activities for each week for all age groups.
I really loved this concept. The daily readings were short enough to be done during a meal or just before bed, and the questions were helpful in getting my daughter to think about what she read and how to apply it. I greatly appreciated how the Holy Week devotionals were shorter since the authors knew that week would already be busy! My daughter (7 years old) looked forward to this every night, and I noticed a deepening in her understanding of God and Lent during this time, which was soooo good to see. I also learned a lot from reading this devotional, whether it was a story about a saint I never heard of or an explanation of an Orthodox tradition that I'd never put together before. It was a really good way to bring Lent into the forefront of our focus while also helping us come together as a family.
I did not try any of the suggested activities. I am just not that kind of mom, and my daughter's school schedule doesn't always leave her with time for much more than homework and recoup time, so I did not try to do any of them, but I loved the option and the ideas. They would be especially good for homeschoolers or Sunday School classes! I also know that there are supplemental worksheets and a family podcast to go along with this devotional, which I also think is great since it gives families a ton of options for how to come together during Lent and interact with this devotional in a way that suits their family structure and preferences best.
Overall, I definitely recommend this for Orthodox families with kids from lower elementary to lower high school (upper high school/college if your children weren't raised Orthodox, since many of the concepts might be too simplistic for older kids who have been immersed in Orthodoxy, but just right for someone who is new to it). It was a true gift to our family to be able to experience Lent together through the help of this lovely book! Thank you my friend for this wonderful book!
This book is for Eastern Orthodox families looking for ways to draw closer to Christ and learn more about the faith during Lent. It's divided up into six parts, one for each week of Lent, and each part includes seven daily devotional readings that match the week's theme (which closely follows the overarching themes the Church prescribes during Lent as well). The daily devotionals end with reflection questions for all ages, and the back includes an Appendix with suggested activities for each week for all age groups.
I really loved this concept. The daily readings were short enough to be done during a meal or just before bed, and the questions were helpful in getting my daughter to think about what she read and how to apply it. I greatly appreciated how the Holy Week devotionals were shorter since the authors knew that week would already be busy! My daughter (7 years old) looked forward to this every night, and I noticed a deepening in her understanding of God and Lent during this time, which was soooo good to see. I also learned a lot from reading this devotional, whether it was a story about a saint I never heard of or an explanation of an Orthodox tradition that I'd never put together before. It was a really good way to bring Lent into the forefront of our focus while also helping us come together as a family.
I did not try any of the suggested activities. I am just not that kind of mom, and my daughter's school schedule doesn't always leave her with time for much more than homework and recoup time, so I did not try to do any of them, but I loved the option and the ideas. They would be especially good for homeschoolers or Sunday School classes! I also know that there are supplemental worksheets and a family podcast to go along with this devotional, which I also think is great since it gives families a ton of options for how to come together during Lent and interact with this devotional in a way that suits their family structure and preferences best.
Overall, I definitely recommend this for Orthodox families with kids from lower elementary to lower high school (upper high school/college if your children weren't raised Orthodox, since many of the concepts might be too simplistic for older kids who have been immersed in Orthodoxy, but just right for someone who is new to it). It was a true gift to our family to be able to experience Lent together through the help of this lovely book! Thank you my friend for this wonderful book!
June 21, 2021
5*****Stars
Eastern Orthodox Great Lent is loooong. And on those days when I want a glass of wine and some cheese that’s a bad thing. But when I can subsume my ego and my desires and really focus on the time we are given in Great Lent to fast from certain foods, and withdraw from the world to reflect in prayer on all that God means to us and does for us it’s a very good thing.
This book was a tremendous aid to me this year in navigating the many weeks of Lent with more purpose and focus. As a recent convert the book was particularly helpful in outlining some of the traditions I was unaware of not having grown up in the faith.
The book has a different focus for each week of Lent and I loved that deep dive into each of the topics covered: Forgiveness, Orthodoxy, Prayer, the Cross/Humility, the Ladder/Almsgiving, Fasting and finally Holy Week.
The book is designed for families, but I read it by myself this year. It quietened my mind and heart each evening and helped me focus anew each day. I’m looking forward to using this book again next year with our whole family.
Eastern Orthodox Great Lent is loooong. And on those days when I want a glass of wine and some cheese that’s a bad thing. But when I can subsume my ego and my desires and really focus on the time we are given in Great Lent to fast from certain foods, and withdraw from the world to reflect in prayer on all that God means to us and does for us it’s a very good thing.
This book was a tremendous aid to me this year in navigating the many weeks of Lent with more purpose and focus. As a recent convert the book was particularly helpful in outlining some of the traditions I was unaware of not having grown up in the faith.
The book has a different focus for each week of Lent and I loved that deep dive into each of the topics covered: Forgiveness, Orthodoxy, Prayer, the Cross/Humility, the Ladder/Almsgiving, Fasting and finally Holy Week.
The book is designed for families, but I read it by myself this year. It quietened my mind and heart each evening and helped me focus anew each day. I’m looking forward to using this book again next year with our whole family.
April 24, 2020
Our family used this book as a daily Lenten meditation and LOVED it. It was particularly special this year since we couldn’t go to church, but the book had everything we needed to keep us connected to the various saints and events commemorated during lent. This book was truly a gift and I can’t wait to do it again next year. My kids are 5 and 7. A lot of it was over the 5 year old’s head, but I know that even she absorbed some important things. We chose to do the sand/stone garden idea from the appendix and placed a stone each day to mark our journey through lent. The kids were thrilled to light the candle in the middle on Pascha. I highly recommend this book for Orthodox families, or even for individuals to read through as a Lenten devotional (I definitely would’ve enjoyed reading this on my own).
April 28, 2025
This is a wonderful daily devotional for Great Lent. I am not Orthodox, but I deeply appreciated the thoughts in this book. The discussion questions are deep and thought-provoking for adults and children alike. The other comprehension-type questions are something I would probably skip. The tone and structure of the sentences are definitely geared toward a younger audience, but it doesn’t come off as annoying for an adult. The extra activities and crafts seem like a lot of fun and are do-able. We didn’t read it as a family this year (just read through it myself), but I’d like to next year.
May 6, 2024
I read this with my kids from Lent through Pascha and I loved the short little lessons and the activities suggested. It was a wonderful way to bring this time of the year to life for them!
Christ is Risen!
Christ is Risen!
May 26, 2020
A beautiful book for the family to read during Lent each year. It is just as nourishing to me as to my children. I have recommended it more times than I can count!
April 20, 2022
Great read for pasta.
April 25, 2022
We’ll definitely make this a yearly Lenten read!
July 16, 2022
Nice reflections for each day of Great Lent. Definitely written to be read as a family with your kids, but it is still worthwhile for adults.
May 28, 2023
My kids ages 6-12 enjoyed this book for Lenten Devotions. A few friends asked if it was for the younger kids, but I feel like it is best for elementary and middle schoolers.
April 20, 2025
I read this every night to my 5 year old during Lent. We both learned something and it created a ton of discussion between the two of us. I would find it beneficial to read it again during future Lenten periods and next time I’ll try to incorporate the activities at the end! HIGHLY RECOMMEND!
August 21, 2022
Great Lent companion for the family! Simple, practical. Great crafts and activities ideas at the end of the book!
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