Theology lessons for Children
At lunch one day this week, Autumn brought a book with her to the table. She actually wanted to read it instead of eating her lunch. So, what was this book? It happened to be a new book that’s coming out on Athanasius. Yes, Athanasius. This book is newest release in a series written by Simonetta Carr on figures from church history.
Earlier this year, I reviewed one of the other books from the series on John Owen. Reviewing that book challenged me to think critically about biographies and what we, and our children, learn from reading them.
There is a saying that if we do not learn from history then we are doomed to repeat it. There are also other sayings about history and why we study it. I always told my middle school students that we studied history so that we could learn from the past and not have to reinvent the wheel over and over. Both of these sayings apply to this series of Christian biographies for children.
I asked Simonetta what she wants children to learn from this book on Athanasius. She said, “Most of all, that Jesus is fully God. Hopefully, they will also realize that we don’t always understand some biblical doctrines, and it’s OK. They will see the importance of Christian councils and creeds, and hopefully be better prepared to face future Dan Browns (they pop up every few years).”
This was exactly what my daughter took from this book when she read it. I listened as she gave a summary of the book to my younger daughter. She saw that it was important for Athanasius to stand firm in his belief that Jesus was fully God and fully man (she actually said that).
Her reading of the book opened the door to a really important discussion about salvation and the trinity. Sometimes it’s hard to know how to help children understand why theology matters. But, it does. It matters quite a lot. This biography recounts a time in history when Jesus’ deity was questioned. It was challenged. People chose to believe Arius’ teaching because it seemed more logical and easier to believe and follow. But, what is easier to believe is often not right. As parents, this is a lesson we have to teach our children.
Today there is a great deal of controversy about hell and whether it is really real. Is this controversy any different than what Athanasius faced? Perhaps not. It comes down to questioning the Word of God and choosing to believe what the Bible says or what is easier to believe.
Ms. Carr’s hope is that understanding the past will help our children understand their faith, theology, and the Word of God better. This equipping can help our children discern what is the Truth and what is not. I have been watching my oldest daughter do this more and more. I pray that she will continue to do so throughout her life.
This review is a bit unorthodox and meandering. I realize this. So, let me tell you in a quick tidbit about this book. It is a biography for children grades 3-7. I would recommend it for 8-12 year olds rather than 7 year olds as the back cover states. The illustrations are a mixture of paintings by Matt Abraxas (which are wonderful) and authentic photographs and artifacts from the past. Ms. Carr tells the story of Athanasius’ life and acknowledges clearly what is known and what is unknown about his life. In contrast to many novel biographies written today, Ms. Carr has stuck to what is known and not filled in the gaps with conjectures. This book tells the story of an interesting time in church history.
This youtube video briefly summarizes the book:
Do I think well of this book? Is it worthy of reading and discussion? My daughter is in agreement with me–quite definitely. She told me with certainty today, “I love history, Mommy, and I love this book!”
Please note that I received a complimentary copy of this book for review from Reformation Heritage Books.
Historical Fiction for Girls
A few years I read a book titled Honey for a Child’s Heart by Gladys Hunt. I love this quote about what good books do:
“Good books have genuine spiritual substance, not just intellectual enjoyment. Books help children know what to look for in life. Reading develops the taste buds of the mind as children learn to savor what is seen, heard, and experienced and fit these into some kind of worthwhile framework.” Gladys Hunt, Honey for a Child’s Heart, p. 21
There is a saying that goes “You are what you eat”. Essentially, what you put into your body shapes how your body feels and what you are able to do. In the same way, you might be able to say “You are what you read.” Our minds are stretched or stunted by what we read and put into our minds. What we read feeds how we interact with others and with the world around us. It shapes our worldview. What we read doesn’t determine our actions and thoughts, but it does feeds them. After reading Ms. Hunt’s book, I desired for my children to grow to love good books. I knew they needed to be fed a diet of good books rather than “junk” books. So began my search… Over the past two years my oldest daughter has grown to love reading. Her reading level happens to be above her maturity level at the age of 7. So, I am on a constant search for books that are appropriate for her to read.
Recently, I had the chance to read two books from a series of historical fiction Wendy Lawton has written for girls, the Daughters of the Faith series. The first book I read was The Tinker’s Daughter. It is a story based on the life of Mary Bunyan. John Bunyan, the puritan preacher who wrote Pilgrim’s Progress, had 10 children. Only the name of one of them is known, Mary. It is also known that she was blind from birth. This story is loosely based upon those few facts and what can be known about what life was like for the Puritans. At the beginning of the story, John has been taken to Prison and his second wife Elizabeth is expecting her first child. Mary sets out at the beginning to find a way to provide for their family while her father is in prison. There are several things I love about this story. -It is well written. Attention was paid to details–even in how color was described in terms of sound or touch, which is appropriate when speaking to someone who has never seen color (or at least that’s what I found when I researched it). -I like the use of the glossary at the back and the italicized words to help readers know which words are explained in the glossary. It is very helpful and makes the story more sound more feasible. -The story of how Mary came to truly trust God to take care of her and her family was a sweet, hopeful, and encouraging story. -I am glad that the author explained at the end what is and isn’t known about Mary Bunyan. This will help readers understand that this is historical fiction–but it is not a biography. Just as many movies say they are based upon a real story, so are many books. These adaptations are not 100% true to the real story, but they resemble what is known. I did ask Autumn to read it and she acquiesced, but she didn’t get into it. I think this is because though she can read the book, she still wants a few pictures. This would be a great book for 4th-8th grade girls. It is listed in Heart of Dakota’s history read alouds for 6-8th grades.
The second book from this series is The Captive Princess. This story is based upon the life of young Pocahontas. Wendy Lawton follows the same format of using a glossary to help readers with words that are important to the story and that need to be explained. Her writing again is engaging and interesting. I could picture what Pocahontas’ world was like. I have to admit that I knew very little about Pocahontas until I read this story. It again is a historical novel based on what is known about Pocahontas’ life. I was drawn in more by Mary Bunyan’s story, but both stories are good reads. They are books that I would feel comfortable with my daughters reading. I know that they will remember who Pocahontas was after reading this story. Heart of Dakota’s reading program also recommends this book as part of their 4th-5th grade optional selections for girls. Knowing that confirms to me that this book is appropriate for girls in grades 4-8.
There are 8 books in Ms. Lawton’s Daughters of the Faith series. They are each set within 1600-1950. These books could be a great supplement to your homeschool history curriculum or reading for historical/biographical fiction. Some of the stories, I suspect, are more based upon fact than others simply because there are some figures in history that more is known about than others. If you’re not homeschooling, I would also recommend these books to parents who have children in school and are looking for good books for their daughters to read. I highly recommend this series for girls in this age range. Yes, I did say “girls”. I happen to be one of those people that believes girls are more likely to be interested in some books than boys–and that the same is true in reverse about other books.
Please note that I received complimentary copies of these books for review from Moody Publishing.
Book about Wisdom for Children
Wisdom and Grace
One thing I love to do is write a review about a book I enjoy! Yesterday, I received a book in the mail that I’ve been looking forward to reading for two months.
That book is Get Wisdom! by Ruth Younts. I shared a few months ago that I’d begun to search for devotionals that I like for children. I found a good one in God’s Names by Sally Michael. This is another good one. It’s very different than God’s Names, though. God’s Names is much more of a read aloud book and is less interactive than Get Wisdom!.
In the beginning of the book, Ms. Younts wisely begins by talking about what Christian wisdom is and how wisdom and the Gospel are related. She explains that we can’t be good enough and we can’t earn God’s love. She also explains why we want to be good. The scriptures in this page are ones that I want to memorize with my children so that they will be written on our hearts. The next section gives a definition for each of 23 traits (like listening and orderliness), a Bible verse, a prayer, and a symbolic picture to help children remember what the words mean. The next section includes a lesson plan for each of the traits. There’s a short introductory activity, the memory verse, discussion questions, and often role play suggestions for each trait.
At the beginning of the book, Ms. Younts says that the best age range for this book is K-4. I agree with that age range. This book would be perfect for children’s church or another time when you have children of these ages together. I thought of my church and the times that we have been volunteering to help watch children while the parents are taking classes at a local shelter. Most of the activities would work for home devotions as well. Only one of 23 activities wouldn’t.
What I liked best about this book is the appropriateness of both the questions and the definitions. I know that my Kindergarten and Second grade daughters would both be able to answer these questions and understand the definitions. When I was a classroom teacher, one of the most difficult things was to structure an activity so that all ability levels could participate. Ms. Younts has done an excellent job with this book of making that possible with this book.
If you’re looking for a book to use once a week for homeschooling, for family devotion times, for Sunday school, or for children’s church with K-4 graders and you have multiple age children, I highly recommend this book!
Please note that I received a complimentary copy of this book for review from Shepherd Press.
It’s been a long time…
I have two other blogs where I post my thoughts about life, homeschooling, saving money, cooking, book reviews, and so many other things. I had forgotten why I had started this blog. I started it solely to be the lists of my favorite books that I come across as a book reviewer. So, today I am updating my lists of favorite books. For detailed reviews of these books, please go to my blog: http://lovetopaint.blogspot.com You can search in the search box for the title and it should bring up that review. Thanks for visiting this blog!
Living With Distractions
Lately, I’ve felt myself to be out of whack. My schedule has been off and I’ve slid into a bad habit of watching too many videos on Netflix during the kids naptime. It’s one of those times when I know what the best thing is to do, but I’m just not making myself do it. What I need to do is turn off the computer, go outside, sit on the porch, and read a book or work in my garden. I need to seek peace and calm instead of avoiding the silence by losing myself in the television shows I watch.
Recently, my husband suggested a book for me to read. It was Distracted by Maggie Jackson. I began reading it. This book is very different than the books I usually review. It is a sociological and at times psychological analysis of our attention span and some of our cultural habits as a people.
The premise of this book is (in my words) that the rise of technology in our world is contributiong to a decline in our ability to focus and pay attention. Our relationships and learning are suffering because of it. So, is all of the technology in our world really progress? Is this the progress we want?
From the beginning, this book really made me think. My husband and I have chosen not to text and instead we have prepaid cell phones. We aren’t gamers and we don’t go into chat rooms. We are very low tech in many ways. Even so, I’ve realized how often I check my email and facebook and how much time has gotten sucked away by me watching shows online. I’ve even started to have eerie and surreal thoughts about what is real and what is virtual. I’ve caught myself at times thinking about how I would describe something on Facebook. This really concerned me when I saw this in myself. Essentially, my attention span is being split and is declining. I am distracted from what I really need to do and what is most worth investing my time in.
Reading this book reinforced some of the things I have seen in myself on a micro level and have been concerned for our society about on a macro level. Texting is really only the tip of the iceberg and this book opened my eyes to a lot of things that are going on that I didn’t even realize. For example, Maggie Jackson quoted a study that found that 20% of the players on EverQuest “say that they consider themselves denizens of the game who are just visiting Earth.” Distracted, p. 56. Wow! Truly, the virtual world has taken hold. It is seeming more real to many people than the life they are really living in person.
Here are a few quotes that hit me the most from this book:
“Freud had an experience when he was outside with a crowd watching a slide show and he wrote this about it ‘Until 9 p.m., I remain spellbound, then I begin to feel too lonely in the crowd, so I return to my room to write to you all.’”
On the next page, she writes “Now we slip easily in and out of virtual worlds and multitask each other, wondering if our seemingly miraculous power to be in many places at once brings us closer or keeps us apart…Increasingly, we sense that crucial aspects of our humanity, our ability to focus, be aware, and reason well–may be eroding, even as we surrender to the dreamlike joyride that this way of life offers. Now it’s time to confront the challenges of our day. Does intimacy survive a seemingly limitless realm of infinite prospects? Can we bolster the quality of our life by split-screen living? How do lives of perpetual movement shape our attachments to each other and change our experience of place? Facing these challenges leads us first into the “new room” in the house, the virtual space where the lights are always on.” from pg. 42-43 of Distracted
A few months ago, I read Nurture Shock on the recommendation of a friend and was very challenged and encouraged by it. Both that book and this one are written from a secular perspective (which I would define as one not concerned with God). In a similar way to Nurture Shock, Distracted has challenged my thinking and how I see the world we live in. It is also challenging to me to consider the role that I desire technology to have in my children’s lives.
I live intentionally in a way hoping to glorify God in how I live my life. So, although this book is not concerned with God, it does encourage me in how I seek to glorify God by not “needing” technology or becoming entrapped by it.
I highly recommend this book. The writing is good (as you can see from the quotes), though at times very intellectual. But, it is worth pressing on and taking your time to get through. The parts I learned the most from were in the first half. There is a large section in the second half that is about a study involving Buddhism and attention. Buddhism is written about as a behavior/lifestyle rather than as a religion.
One last quote I think is worth pondering:
“If we want to shape our own future, we must consider how we want to live and how we want to define progress, and as we do so, prepare to welcome to our ranks the thinking person’s most prickly yet necessary companion-doubt.” from Distracted by Maggie Jackson, pg. 215
Please note that I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book for review by Prometheus Books.
Awesome Bible Study On Love!
Often books about love address one aspect of loving–the act itself, but not what is behind the love. It is the heart that is behind the love that matters and this is what Cynthia Heald digs into in this study. She addresses what love is, what it looks like, what it means to love one another, forgiving one another and reconciling, as well as how to speak to one another in love. I was blessed by this study as I have been by the others studies I have done by her. Her studies point you to the Word not to yourself or to popular psychology. This study would be a wonderful one to do to by yourself or with a Bible study. Often I find that small groups actually do “book” studies with questions attached that point people to the Word and to their own hearts and experiences. I would describe this book as one that points you to the heart of God–a loving heart. This study focuses much more on reading the Word than Ms. Heald’s words. There are wonderful quotes and short stories which she shares, but the majority of the study is questions and reading the Bible to see what it says.
I use Cynthia Heald’s Becoming a Woman of series as part of my morning devotionals and I highly recommend them. They are biblical and don’t read into the Word and infer things. It is hard to find good Bible studies that don’t ask you to infer how the people in the Bible are feeling or expand what the Bible says. But, Cynthia Heald doesn’t do that in her studies. She points you to the Word and has you read a lot of passages in the Bible (sometimes singular verses, but also a lot of passages). This one did include a lot more verses than passages, whereas the other books I’ve gone through had me look up a lot more passages.
I enjoyed this study and I hope it will encourage you if you go through it! I know I’ve written about this series before and it has been a blessing to me =) So far, I’ve gone through the books on Prayer, Faith, Grace, and now Love. And I’ve really enjoyed each one of them.
Please note that I recieved a complimentary copy of this book for review from NavPress.
Girls Gone Wise In a World Gone Wild
Mary Kassian’s book, Girls Gone Wise in a World Gone Wild, is a comparison of the woman gone wild in Proverbs 7 and the wise women of Proverbs 31 and other parts of the Bible. She looks at 20 character traits of the wild woman and what the traits of the wise woman would be.
Normally, I wouldn’t have picked this book to read. The cover and title wouldn’t have appealed to me. I review books and was sent a complimentary copy of this book. I trust that the Lord works in all things and so I began reading it. He has used this book in my life four times in the past week since I began reading it. I have been amazed at the timely reading of this book in my own life.
#1 The first day I read the first 50 pages of this book and puzzled as to why I was reading it. The chapters were about women having affairs and the temptation to be unfaithful. The next day a friend shared with me that she had been having an emotional affair with a man. God prepared my heart to hear her, not judge her, and have compassion. I encouraged her to flee temptation.
#2 A few days later during a small group discussion at my home, this book came up again. A conversation had been related in which a wife nit picked at what her husband said in front of his family. I related a story from this book. The story had hit me very hard. A woman wrote a letter to Ms. Kassian about how she treated her husband for 30 years. She bucked him at every turn and wouldn’t go along with anything he said (her words). After 30 years, her husband left her for another woman. Two years later, she said that she would have been married for 32 years, but instead all she has to show for it is an empty house. The woman wanted young women to know the falsehood of what feminists have been teaching women. She was thankful that Ms. Kassian was speaking to young women to open their eyes and encourage them to love the Lord and submit to their husbands.
#3 The next morning, I turned on VH1 hoping to see some old 80s or 90s videos like Glee. No luck. Instead, there was a video by a popular singer of today. Oh, my goodness! I realized in that moment how sheltered my life is. I do not expose my eyes, heart, and mind to the things that were on that video. I realized that the content of that video is commonplace today. Women are inundated by sexual messages that are ungodly and full of sin.
#4 The last time this book came up was two days ago, when I heard about a popular Christian singer coming out. I grieved as she claimed that the translators have mistranslated the Bible (she inferred this on Larry King Live) and that homosexuality is not a sin. Many people commented on blogs that many churches and denominations have come to a fuller and deeper understanding of human sexuality–implying that homosexuality, affairs, and such are not sins. That isn’t what the Bible says. It is clear. I read a sign in front of a church that says “don’t re-write the Bible, just re-read it”. Ms. Kassian is urging young women in this book not to be deceived by the world, but rather to look to the truth in God’s Word about sex.
Affairs, sexual sins, homosexuality, lewd talk… our culture is filled with these things today. If we become desensitized to it, we can easily fall into these sins and not see what’s wrong. Mary Kassian wants to sound an alarm and make young women aware of what they need to watch out for. She wants young women to guard their hearts and minds. She wants them to protect their relationships and not go down the slippery slope to sexual sin.
If you live in the world and are surrounded by this culture and are struggling to know what is right and wrong, please read this book! It will give you a strong defense and help strengthen your resolve not to give in to the temptations of the world to sin.
I was reminded in my heart of the phrase “But for the grace of God, there goes I” as I read the first 50 pages. I am not experiencing these temptations right now, but I was reminded how important it is that I continue to guard my heart and mind as well as the hearts and minds of my family.
Please note that I received a complimentary copy of this book for review by Moody Publishing.
Wonderful Reformed Bible Storybook
I grew up Quaker–yes, Quaker! As a liberal Quaker, actually. I never heard about reformed theology, covenant theology, predestination and the likes. The first I heard of all of this was when we lived in Georgia and began attending a PCA (Presbyterian Church in America) church. We felt the Lord challenging us to know what we believed and why. My husband and I sought the Lord in His Word and sorted through what we thought and felt convicted of. We joined that church and have held to reformed theology since.
A New Page…
I added a new page up top today to list my favorite Homeschooling Resources (my favorite books about homeschooling). One of the books (The Organized Homeschooler by Vicky Caruana) is one that I just read this week. It made me think a lot about homeschooling and the organization in my life. It also made me realize how defensive we often are as homeschooling parents (me included). I’ll be honest, teachers in schools are the same way. We are afraid that someone is going to tell us that we are doing things wrong or that they’re going to question us and we are going to have to defend ourselves. Ultimately, I think we’re afraid that we won’t be good enough.
But, that’s all a bunch of lies that we tell ourselves. We are not perfect–we’re never going to be. But, we are doing our best and trying to love our kids well and raise them in the ways of the Lord. I think this is true of everyone, though, not just homeschooling parents or teachers. We need to preach the gospel to ourselves every day and accept God’s mercy and grace. He loves us–no matter what. We don’t have to worry that we won’t be good enough. We already are.
Which leads me to the homeschooling books =) If you read one of them and it makes you feel unsettled or upset (like they did me at times), then I think it is wise to take those things before the Lord. Sometimes they are things that God wants to work on with us and other times they are not things that apply to us. That’s the thing about books. No book (except the Bible) is a one size fits all kind of thing! =)
The Best Fiction book I’ve read in a long time…
“Warm, pollinated air whispered over me. The hospital’s circulation filters removed all the germs and odors from the indoor air, but they also stripped it of its personality.” writes Christine Berry in The Familiar Stranger
From the first chapter, and even the first paragraph, I knew this was a good book. It reminded me of NCIS (probably my favorite TV show). The characters have personality. As the reader, you see their flaws, but they’re part of who they are and you want to know their story.
I realize more and more what a skill writing a good story is—to convey important details about a conversation and not make it feel too slow or too fast, but very real and believable. That was what pleased and surprised me about Ms. Berry’s writing. It didn’t feel stilted or ingenuous.
I wanted to read this book because the premise sounded intriguing and different. And it proved to be so! I don’t want to give anything away about this book. From the back of the book, you know that the story is about a man who was planning to leave his wife (though she doesn’t know) when he has an accident and wakes up with amnesia. I thought I knew how it would end at the beginning and it did turn out that I was right, but it felt like a long shot and there was enough doubt in my mind to make the journey from the beginning to the end very interesting.
Honestly, this is the best fiction book I’ve read in a long time. Please check it out if you’re looking for a good read!
Please note that I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book for review by Moody Publishing.
