bible story books.

We have a number of bible storybooks in our house that we read every night.   Not all the books every night, but we rotate through them.  there are things that I like in each one, and things that I don't like.

The lad's favourite BY FAR is the Big Picture Story bible

And I have to admit, I like this book too.  it has big pictures, simple text and sets out to do what it wants to do.. it presents the big picture of what the bible is doing.. setting out God's love story to us and how Jesus in woven throughout it.  From Amazon's page.

Presents the big picture of the Bible to children ages 2-7 through easy-to-read stories and striking illustrations. Now includes an audio reading of the book. No child is too young to begin learning about the greatest love story of all-Gods love for his people, as portrayed in the Bible. David Helm and Gail Schoonmaker have together created a colorful book of Bible stories written especially for children ages 2-7. Rather than simply retelling portions of the Bible, this book presents the big picture-the unified story running through the Old and New Testaments. Twenty-six stories together form parts of this big picture. Simply written and beautifully illustrated, this book teaches children the Bibles whole story so they can begin to appreciate the fulfillment of Gods promise to his people.

My only fault in it is that I sometimes want there to be more details.  But that is not this books' aim.  It is presenting the big picture of God's love toward us and his attitude toward people turning away from him.   God's love for his people is VERY clear to see in this book. 

Then we have the Jesus Storybook Bible

now this book is one that I really like.   It tells the story of the Bible in a fairy tale like way.  Amazon has this to say:

With beautiful 4-color artwork throughout, this Bible storybook for children ages 6 and under uses a traditional storytelling format, with a fairytale flavor, to help children learn more about Jesus.

A bone I pick with most storybook bibles is their lack of accuracy  and I do NOT have that bone to pick with this book. it is well-written. But the lad, though he likes listening as I read it, just isn't as keen on this book.   And though it is marketed for the under 6 crowd, I honestly think it's for older children in how it is written.    Good book, love listening to it on CD.

 My first bible.

This was the lad's very first bible story book and one that we both have very much enjoyed.   Perfect for when he was little, the stories are short, they are accurate without going into too much detail.  Bible stories from both the old and new testament, with a fair amount of variety.

we have on occasion read from "classic bible stories".

Short stories, decent illustrations, I like looking at the pictures with the lad and asking questions about them.  Like what does the picture make you think the story might be about?  What people do think it will be about? What are the people doing?   And then we read the stories.   Some "poetic" license is taking which sometimes makes me go hmm....and sometimes we'll look up things in a REAL bible to get the accurate information.

"Bible Stories for Children"  by Brimax Books. 

I have to admit that I found this book laid out differently than most bible story books.   Instead of being broken up into stories, it's divided into characters.   It has review pages at the each section.   Overall not a bad book.   More of a teaching/review book than a bible story book.

"brave Believers" is a bible story book put out by Thomas Nelson.   
 

Once I figured out how this story bible was laid out I decided I liked the concept.  It would give a short synopsis of a biblical event and then over the next few pages expand upon it.   I very much struggle with some of the poetic license taken in this book and would correct errors made in it.  Mostly it was how one interprets events as opposed to blatant untruth.  Scriptural references make this very easy to do though so I don't let that detract...and it's always good to show a child where to go to find truth if you wonder about what you are being taught, even if its from other believers.

Anyways, these are the bible story books that we've used over the past while.

Homosexuality and RCA

two good articles by Kevin DeYoung.  

Homosexuality and the RCA: A Call for Action, Consistency, and Faithfulness (Part 1)

Homosexuality and the RCA: A Call for Action, Consistency, and Faithfulness (Part 2)

Good articles to make you think.

Must say that I agree with him.

It's time to stop "dialoguing" and just make a decision  and let the fall out be what it is.

NOTE: I do not have a problem with homosexual persons.   But as a believer in the Lord I firmly hold to the model of what God is to the church, is what a husband is to his wife.   And two men or two women can't model this properly.   and yes, I know it can be argued that male/female marriages don't often mirror God's intent properly either...but at least they have a better chance at it.    It's the deliberateness of turning from scriptural truth and historical church truth that is at issue.   Not the love of the person who struggles (or chooses not to struggle).

 Third part in the series

 An Overture Regarding Homosexuality and the RCA

I have to admit, I read through the list of all the folks contravening synod policy and I'm wondering why they aren't being disciplined. 

part four  

Does the Heidelberg Catechism Have Anything to Say About Homosexuality?

understanding the history and times of documents being written in valuable.

Day to Day - I Kings 2:1-4

Using as a base for devotions, Day by Day by Charles Swindoll.

I Kings 2:1-4 (NIV)is the passage for today and it reads as follows: 

¹ When the time drew near for David to die, he gave a charge to Solomon his son.

 ² “I am about to go the way of all the earth,” he said. “So be strong, act like a man, ³ and observe what the LORD your God requires: Walk in obedience to him, and keep his decrees and commands, his laws and regulations, as written in the Law of Moses. Do this so that you may prosper in all you do and wherever you go ⁴ and that the LORD may keep his promise to me: ‘If your descendants watch how they live, and if they walk faithfully before me with all their heart and soul, you will never fail to have a successor on the throne of Israel.’ 

wow!   it's that a great promise?   Live for God and God will help you prosper and he will keep his promises.

I can understand from this verse how the prosperity gospel came to be.   Do right, and God will help you prosper.

The thing is... it's rather hard to do right all the time.
God helping us prosper isn't a given.

But putting that aside...Here is David, he's about to die, and therefore he wants to live last instructions, or a good guide to life, to his inheriting child.

1. Be Strong
2. Act like a man
3. Observe what the Lord your God requires
4. Walk in obedience to God
5. Keep his decrees and his commands, his laws, his regulations - as written in the Law of Moses
6. Remember God's promise to me: 

 If your descendants watch how they live, and if they walk faithfully before me with all their heart and soul, you will never fail to have a successor on the throne of Israel.

If Solomon does this, then God may prosper in all him do and wherever he goes. 

For Solomon to do this he will need to know well God's word.  He will need to stay in close communication with God.  Because THAT is how one follows the Lord God.   By knowing him well and desiring after him.   He will need to be different and stand out as one who loves God.

But we know that Solomon became influenced by the world around him.

He allowed things he shouldn't have.   He didn't stay true to what he should have.

My challenge before me is NOT to be so influenced by the world around me and the desires of my own heart, but to be more influenced by the Love that God has for me.

This is Charles Swindoll's challenge to us as well

"Start modeling the truth...the whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help you God.   Think truth.  Confess truth.  Face Truth.  Love truth.  Pursue truth.  Walk truth.  Talk truth.  Ash, that lost one!   That's a good place to begin.   From this day forward, deliberately, consciously, and conscientiously speak the truth.  Start practicing gut-level authenticity."

 

Christmas Gift Idea I'm thinking...

Supplies needed

• Etching cream
• Glasses
• Self-adhesive stencils

Instructions

• Stick adhesive stencils onto glass.
• 
• Apply etching cream onto stencil with a foam brush
• Leave it alone for 10 minutes.
•  Wash off etching cream and remove stencil.

 Wash glass and enjoy!

Windows of Wisdom - Proverbs 6:12-19

Today as we read from Windows to Wisdom by Stephen Olford we take a look at Proverbs 6:12-19.

Proverbs 6:12-19 (ESV) 

¹²  A worthless person, a wicked man,
    goes about with crooked speech,
¹³  winks with his eyes, signals with his feet,
    points with his finger,
¹⁴ with perverted heart devises evil,
    continually sowing discord;
¹⁵ therefore calamity will come upon him suddenly;
     in a moment he will be broken beyond healing.

¹⁶ There are six things that the Lord hates,
     seven that are an abomination to him:
¹⁷  haughty eyes, a lying tongue,
    and hands that shed innocent blood,
¹⁸  a heart that devises wicked plans,
     feet that make haste to run to evil,
¹⁹  a false witness who breathes out lies,

    and one who sows discord among brothers.

 Verses 12-15 talk about what a worthless person is

- wicked

- saying things with his body: eyes, feet, hands

- his heart is perverted and he figures out ways to do bad 

- continually finds ways to help people to not trust each other

To such a person will calamity come suddenly.  This person will end up broken, beyond healing.

Verses 16-19 speak to things that the Lord hates

- haughty eyes

- a lying tongue

- hands that shed innocent blood

- heart that devises wicked plans

- feet that make haste to run to evil

- a false witness that breathes out lies

- a person who sows discord among believers

I was wondering what these sections had to do with each other until I read the sixth and seventh thing that the Lord hates.   A false witness and a discord sower.  These things are part of what make a worthless person.   Even the heart that thinks up evil plans, this too is part of a worthless person.   I see that list and I want to do all I can to make sure I'm not a worthless person.   Who wants to be worthless?   Who wants to end up being broken beyond repair?

Not something I want for my life or for my child and family.

God tells us "trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.  In all your ways acknowledge him and he will direct your paths".    

If I truly believe this to be true... then I won't be a worthless person because I will have my thoughts and actions directed by him.  I won't be lying, I won't be saying wrong things with my mouth or with my body, I won't be like those who want to stir up drama, who will encourage folks to do wrong, and so forth.   My trust will be in the Lord the one who HATES such things.    If I let him direct my paths then I won't do the very things he hates (at least I'll be well on my way to that anyways). :)   

What does Olford have to say about this passage?

Olford points out that 

1. There are things that we must hate 

• first God describes what he hates (in the worthless man)
• then God defines what he hates (his list of seven) 
• vanity, falsity, cruelty, subtlety, villiany, perjury, and enmity

2. There are times that we must hate

A quote that I like "This means that when God hates, he does so with due regards to His nature as life, light and love.  .....  If you and I are to identified with the Lord of life, light and love, we also will have to hate evil and love good".

Lemon Trout

So I had lemon trout and rice for supper tonight.
the trout was on sale for 2.99/lb so.. I was happy about that.

Here's the link: Lemon Trout.

INGREDIENTS:

4 cups all-purpose flour 2 tablespoons lemon pepper 1 1/2 tablespoons salt 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper 1 teaspoon onion powder

1/4 cup grated lemon zest, divided 4 (6 ounce) fillets rainbow trout 1 lemon 1/2 cup lemon juice 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

DIRECTIONS: 1. In a large bowl, stir together the flour, lemon pepper, salt, thyme, cayenne and half of the lemon zest. Combine the lemon juice and remaining lemon zest in a shallow dish and soak fish fillets for about 1 minute. 2. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Dip the trout fillets in the flour mixture so that both sides are coated. Shake off the excess and place fillets in the hot oil. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes on each side, until golden brown and fish can be flaked with a fork. Discard the leftover lemon juice. 3. Remove from the skillet and drain on paper towels briefly before serving. Garnish each serving with a wedge of lemon.

SHOULD mention I made some changes

I did 1.5 cups of flour.
I used about 3/4 cup oil
I use dried lemon peel instead of fresh lemon zest.
I substituted paprika for cayenne powder.

It turned out okay.   I'd have no problem making this again.

The church as family, day by day - Mark 3

Using as a base for devotions, Day by Day by Charles Swindoll.

today's scripture is based on Mark 3.

In this chapter we read about a man with a withered hand, a great crowd that follows Jesus, the 12 apostles that follow Jesus about Jesus using the words of the Jewish Leaders to defend himself and about Jesus stating where his first allegiance lies.

It's an awfully varied chapter and it's hard to pick where to focus, and reading through what Charles Swindoll had to say on it wasn't particularly helpful...and I'm really not sure how this passage pertains to memories and how the church becomes family... didn't make any sense to me, so... I'm back to reading it over again and seeing how God will speak to me today.  :)

I read through this passage again and what jumped out at me where two things

1. Jesus is making a new way - he challenged what could be done on the Sabbath by healing a man, he chose apostles, he taught people, he forbade the evil spirits to talk about him, he went without food in order to teach, he challenged the religious leaders and he chose his ministry and his love of God before his physical family.

2.²⁰ Then he went home, and the crowd gathered again, so that they could not even eat. ²¹  And when his family heard it, they went out to seize him, for they were saying, “He is out of his mind.” I read that and thought HUH?  What is this all about?  I do not understand why this would cause his family to think he'd lost his mind.   It still doesn't make sense to me.

And when they came to get him, he refused to go with them saying that those who do the will of God are his family.  

³¹  And his mother and his brothers came, and standing outside they sent to him and called him. ³² And a crowd was sitting around him, and they said to him, “Your mother and your brothers are outside, seeking you.” ³³ And he answered them, “Who are my mother and my brothers?” ³⁴ And looking about at those who sat around him, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! ³⁵  For whoever does the will of God, he is my brother and sister and mother.”

ah... and thus I see where Charles gets his family thing. :)   Family ..... do we truly consider the people that we worship with, who are part of the visible and invisible church of God.. do we truly consider them to be family? Jesus did.    In fact he left his family who wanted to pull him away from his ministry to teach and lead and guide his spiritual family. 

I have to admit, I don't feel like I have family in this church, with the exception of a few.   Maybe that's my fault, maybe it isn't.   I don't know.   There are times when I long for closeness with those I worship with.   But I don't know how to gain that either.  Today I'm left with more questions than answers...

Windows of Wisdom - Proverbs 5

Today's Scripture reading from Windows of Wisdom by Stephen F. Olford is Proverbs 5:15-18

 ¹⁵ Drink water from your own cistern,
   flowing water from your own well.
¹⁶ Should your springs be scattered abroad,
   streams of water in the streets?
¹⁷ Let them be for yourself alone,
   and not for strangers with you.
¹⁸ Let your fountain be blessed,
   and rejoice in the wife of your youth, 

I have to admit to wondering why Olford doesn't take the entirety of this chapter to study as it is all about the same thing.   Don't commit adultery.  Stay true to the one that you married.

As the author says later in this Proverb

 ²⁰ Why should you be intoxicated, my son, with a forbidden woman
   and embrace the bosom of an adulteress?
²¹ For a man's ways are before the eyes of the LORD,
   and he ponders all his paths.
²² The iniquities of the wicked ensnare him,
   and he is held fast in the cords of his sin.
²³ He dies for lack of discipline,
   and because of his great folly he is led astray.

Being committed to the one that you marry is a discipline.    There are all types of distractions out there for folks in life.   People will joke about being a golf window, a computer widow, a Whatever you want it to be widow, people will spend time with people who will lead them away from their families.  It's a choice.  We can choose to stay committed to that which GOD himself has called us.   

For me... I can spend HOURS on the computer...talking with others about rabbits, guinea pigs, reading up on the lives of others, playing games and what not...hubby was complaining so I made a choice...I will sit on the couch with him and watch TV.  Do I do this every night and all night?  NO.. but I do it more often.  I will play lego with my son, I will teach him, I'll drag the family out for a walk.  It's a choice.. I can take my 'me time' later, I can do "my thing" later.   God calls me to love that which he has given me.  I can do only what I want without thinking about it, or I can make choices that serve God better and my family more, and it's interesting, the more I exercise discipline in following the calling God has placed on my life...the better I do, and the better my family does as a family.  

Anyways, what does Olford have to say?   He makes two main points

1. Divine Love Condemns lustful marriage 

• I had to read this section a few times to get what he was getting at.   A man should be the husband of one wife and should not...is commanded of God to not touch another woman in a lustful manner.

2. Divine love Commends lawful marriage

• But the contrast is that a man should desire his own wife and should want to spend time with her.  that drinking water from his own well should satisfy him.

other carnival posts can be found here: christian carnival.

Sweeter than Birdsong

Sweeter than Birdsong was an excellent read. I got this book from Booksneeze in order to review it. Booksneeze is Thomas Nelson's book blogging program which offers books in order to get reviews. They don't pay for them, they merely offer up books in exchange for the review.     Anyways, I picked this book thinking it would be a light read and I wouldn't have to think of anything, and it seemed the best of the options available for an actual book (they also do ebooks). 

BUT wow.. I was very pleasantly surprised.   It wasn't just a light read toss it away afterwards book.

Sweeter than Birdsong is an historical fiction novel that speaks of hope and faith that is inspired by real people and events. A good book to read. It speaks to hard life circumstances, of people making difficult choices, of young men and women maturing into their faith and God's calling upon their lives, and more.

The book was well written, I could quite well imagine what life was like in those days, from higher class society, to the poorer of society.  The working men and women of those days as well as the restraints placed upon them by who they were or wanted to be in life.   Be sure to reading the closing remarks as it explains what happened in real life and how characters were modified (or not modified) to fit the books storyline.    I always find it helpful when authors do that.

I would enjoy reading more novels written by the author Rosslyn Elliott.