S.V.H.E. Library News

Mary Jones and Her Bible

2011-12-25T21:47:00.000-08:00

Mary Jones and Her Bible by Mary Ropes is a must read. If Mary Jones could walk 25 miles in one day to buy her own Bible then you can take a few hours to read of her adventures on the way in this simple book. If Mary Jones was willing to work six years to save up money for her own personal Bible surely that catches our attention. How much attention are we devoting to Bible reading, memorization, and meditation? Most Christian homes in the United States have several Bibles. But is the Bible as precious to us as it was to Mary?

A short You tube version of Mary Jones' life is available online. Some details are left out of the video version but by watching the video your appetite for the book is aroused. Do check out Mary Jones and Her Bible from the S.V.H.E library.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EP6qFQyzCGA&feature=related

ALONE yet not ALONE

2011-12-25T19:35:00.000-08:00

Alone yet not Alone is based on the true story of Barbara and Regina Leininger written by Tracy Michele Leininger. This is a book I have read twice. Once years ago I read this book to my youngest daughter and then last summer (2011) to my two oldest grandchildren. This is certainly a book to read aloud over and over again to your children and then your grandchildren. I purchased it from Vision Forum ( if you want to purchase it) and now the S.V.H.E. Library has a copy that you can check out. What is even more exciting is that Spring 2012 a movie version of the book is to be released into theaters. A teaser of the movie is available online. Here is one link to the teaser: http://www.imdb.com/video/demo_reel/vi2495716377/

There is even a Facebook page where you can get the latest information about the movie.
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Alone-Yet-Not-Alone/179336832114404

It is the autumn of 1755 on the Pennsylvania frontier during the French and Indian War. A German family of six spend their evenings reading the Bible. They listen as the father shares God's truths with them. Then they sing hymns. The youngest daughter's favorite hymn is "Alone, Yet not all Alone."

Alone, yet not alone am I
Though in this solitude so drear
I feel my Savior always nigh
He comes the weary hours to cheer
I am with Him and He with me
I therefore cannot lonely be.

The book starts calmly and peacefully but there is trouble hiding in the shadows of the forest near the family cabin. Chapter Two tells of how Indians burned the Leiningers' log cabin and capture the two sisters, Barbara and Regina. The father and the oldest son are killed while the mother and the second son are away at the mill. As the story continues Barbara asks Regina to always remember that hymn, Alone, Yet not All Alone. Regina and Barbara are sent to live with different Indian tribes.

The story is told from Barbara point of view. We learn that Barbara has the favor of the chief's son, Galasko. He wants to make her his Indian bride. But Barbara knows that the Bible says that a man and a woman are not to be unequally yoked. She knows that she can not believe in Galasko's god. As the French and Indian War continues the Indian warriors are again called away to fight. When this happens Barbara and three other young people escape from the Indian village. They know that if they are captured it will mean death. We learn of their adventures through miles of wilderness to a British fort. Then we learn of Barbara reunion with her mother and her living brother.

But what about Regina? Has Regina remembered that God will never leave her nor forsake her? Regina is only nine years old when she is captured by the Indians. Has she forgotten her faith in God? Has she adopted the faith of the Indians? We know that Barbara's faith has helped her to escape the Indian village and survive the time in the wilderness before she is reunited with her mother and brother, but what about Regina? Is she still alive? You must read the book or watch the movie to find out exactly what happens to Regina.

God Cares About Our Storms

2011-10-13T14:34:00.000-07:00

A Gentle Thunder is another book written by Max Lucado, copyrighted in 1995.

1995 got my attention. 1995 and 1996 were very busy years for my homeschooling efforts. I could have used a book like A Gentle Thunder. Jason, our oldest, was at Salina Vo-Tech studying Computer Aid Drafting. My father thought we needed a computer since Jason was studying Computer Aid Drafting. So he gave us some money to buy a computer. We got a Compaq 486. It had about 300 megabytes on the hard drive. That computer got Paul, our third son, and Josh, our youngest son, hooked on computers. Gary, our second son, was 17. He had just bought his first vehicle. It was a red pick-up. It cost him $3900. He was able to pay cash for the truck since he had worked at jobs since he was 15 years. I remember sitting at the table in the mornings with Gary doing Algebra and Chemistry together. For Algebra we would both work the problems. We would race to see who got the problem done first and who got the right answer. This is probably not the right way to teach Math but we both seemed to have competitive spirits. When I was in the fourth grade we always had math contests.What team I was on usually won but not always. There was a boy named James who also was fast. Sometimes his team won.

Our oldest daughter Sara was 7 years old. Josh was 5 and Rachel was 3 years old. We went to church every Wednesday evening. I taught the younger children. Josh and Rachel were both in the class. Sara was in the class next door. Her teacher was named Cindy. In Sara's class they memorized Scripture. My class we taught the alphabet doing one letter per week. We had Biblical references that went with each letter. Sometimes it was an animal. For "C" we had a camel. A camel knees often especially when being unloaded with burdens. We, too, are to kneel in prayer to God. God will take our burdens. Anyway, Cindy from the class next door decided that both classes would plant flowers in June. So one Wednesday evening both classes planted flowers. But who was going to water them? Cindy did not want to water them. None of the pastors wanted to water them so the task fell to me. So almost every day that summer I went to church to water flowers sometimes taking the youngest three children with me. I remember for two weeks it was about 110 degrees about every day so I went twice a day to water flowers. Many people from the church did compliment me on the flowers in front of the church. I told them it was the Wednesday night children's classes that did the flowers. The next year the pastor asks me to take over the flower ministry. I said "NO!"

My days were very very busy. I could have used a book like A Gentle Thunder which does have a sub-title Hearing God Through the Storm. My devotional life consisted of what I taught my children. I did not have the time to do any Bible reading on my own. The Bible I still use has many devotionals for children. It also has stories highlighted with questions following it for discussion. So I would read the Bible story and then ask the questions. Sometimes I was so tired that I was thankful for the printed questions.

What got me through 22 years of homeschooling was my trust in God. I knew He was a faithful God and that He would never leave or forsake me. I relied heavily on Bible verses like Isaiah 40:11
He will feed His flock like a shepherd;
He will gather the lambs with His arm,
And carry them in His bosom,
And gently lead those who are with young.

My favorite Bible verse is Isaiah 40:31
But those who wait on the LORD
Shall renew their strength;
They shall mount up with wings like eagles,
They shall run and not be weary,
They shall walk and not faint.

The name of our school was Eagle Learning Center. My job was to train my children to be eagles and to fly above the storms of life. The only way to do this is to rely totally on the LORD.

Back to the present. All my children have graduated. Three are married. I have three grandchildren. God has been faithful. Today I got a newsletter from Dr. James Dodson titled Weathering Life's Storms. I know that the Lord does confirm His messages. He does care about our storms. I started listening to Dr. Dobson in the late 1970's. Several churches around Salina were showing his film series on Sunday evening on how to raise children. Bill and I went. We have been hooked on him since that time. You can still listen to Dr. Dobson on the radio or Internet. He has a new ministry called "Family Talk."

Now back to Max Lucado's book: A Gentle Thunder. This book has 30 chapters. Each chapter is an unit in itself. Each chapter begins with a Bible verse. That verse is explained and applied to storms in life.

For example Chapter 8 is titled Lessons from the Garden. The Bible verse is John 18:6 When Jesus said, "I am He," they moved back and fell to the ground. This chapter talks about how Satan was in the Garden of Eden and Satan was also in the Garden of Gethsemane. Max Lucado explains how Satan stumbles and is silent at the voice of Jesus. Just like the soldiers all fell backwards when Jesus said, "I am He" Satan is silent and powerless against Jesus. When Satan gets in the gardens of our life we can claim the Lord's promise to restore what Satan has stolen. Satan has no authority over us. We need to open the gate of the garden of our life to the Lord. If we have storms in our lives, in our marriages, with our children, in our homeschooling, with our health, with our finances, or whatever our needs the Lord is there to help us. All we need to do is to call out to Him.

Psalm 81:7 When you were in trouble, you called, and I saved you. I answered you with thunder."

It's Not About Me

2011-10-07T21:24:00.000-07:00

It's Not About Me by Max Lucado is a book that rescues us from the life we thought would make us happy. This books rescues us from a me-centric existence. There is more to life than just "me". That is something we all must learn as we mature in our spiritual growth. The Lord does not want us to always remain babies in our spiritual growth.

The book begins with a science lesson. It was Copernicus in 1543 who first announced that the earth was not the center of the solar system but it was the sun that was the center. People denied that fact for many years. Galileo confirmed what Copenicus taught. Galileo was also persecuted. But the truth prevailed. Lucado makes the comparison. Just like the sun is the center of the solar system, the Son (Jesus) is to be the center of our world. But is the Son the center of our universe? He should be.

If we can catch a glimpse of God's glory like Moses did, we will be changed forever. It would be natural to put the Son as the center. One glimpse, one taste, one sampling, and our faith will never be the same. This reminds me of the third question in the catechism that I learned from. Question: Why did God make you and all things? Answer: For His own glory. Steven Curtis Chapman has a new song as of August 2011 titled "Do Everything" (for the Glory of God). This song puts the emphasis on God and not on ourselves.

Lucado believes as we ponder God's glory our lives will be changed.

Although Max Lucado's book is copyrighted 2004, which was several years before Steven Curtis Chapman wrote his song, I believe the message is the same. It is not about me. We are made to glorify God. What we want to hear as we meet God is "Well done, good and faithful servant."

As homeschool parents we desire ourselves and our children to reach this level of maturity. I invite you to check this book out from the SVHE library and use this book as a read aloud book. In each chapter Lucado tells a short interesting story that imprints itself on your memory. At the end of the book is a study guide for each chapter for discussion. There are 14 chapters, which would be make this book ideal for a teen Bible study within your family or a small group. I also invite you to listen to Steven Curtis Chapman's song "Do Everything" on You tube or God tube.

1 Corinthians 10:31

New King James Version (NKJV)

Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.