Mountain of Grace Homeschooling and Life Thereafter : Faith

Showing posts with label Faith. Show all posts

Wednesday, August 4, 2021

Book Review~ Help Your Kids Learn and Love the Bible

Disclaimer~I received a COMPLIMENTARY copy of this product through the HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way.

As a parent, helping my kids know, understand, and love their faith is important to me. Part of this knowledge is knowing and understanding the Bible. Today, I get to share with you a new book by Danika Cooley, Help Your Kids Learn & Love the BIBLE from Bethany House Publishers.

Help Your Kids Learn & Love the BIBLE

Danika Cooley

Publisher: Bethany House

Paperback: 198 pages

"Danika Cooley has a heart for seeing the next generation truly know and embrace God's Word."

~ Jim Daily, president Focus for the Family

As parents, we cannot deny that we want what is best for our children. We'd be a fool to even try to deny this. We search for the best preschools, schools, or homeschool curriculum. We make them eat the proper foods and get the proper amount of sleep. We send them outside for exercise and fresh air. As parents, responsible for these amazing gifts from God, we take our job seriously.

But often, we find ourselves slipping in certain areas. It is easy to get caught up in day-to-day living. For many parents, teaching the faith and passing it on to their children slips through the cracks. I see it too often with the little ones I teach at Church and at different homeschool co-ops I've taught at over the years.

As parents, we need to put in the time and energy to teach them about the faith and the Bible. By doing this, we are giving them life-changing skills, soul-nourishing words from the Bible, and the knowledge to stand up for their faith.

Help Your Kids Learn & Love the BIBLE gives parents the tools and confidence to study the Bible together as a family. This valuable resource will help you understand your fears and help you overcome them to become a strong leader when teaching your children about Scripture.

The book has three parts, broken up into eleven chapters.

Part 1~ You're the Leader

Chapter 1- Making the Bible Approachable for Your Kids

Chapter 2- A Good Start to a Strong Finish

Chapter 3- Finding Time in an Age of Hustle

In this section, parents are encouraged to read the Bible daily with their children. The everyday excuses that can be made or might pop up are addressed. The different ages of children are brought up and options are given to parents to help them make the right choices for their children. Age- appropriateness is mentioned.

Part 2~Faithful Reading

Chapter 4- Who Wrote this Thing, Anyway?

Chapter 5- Keep the Message in View

Chapter 6- A Library of Books

Chapter 7- Profitable Discussion

In this section, the importance of reading the Bible daily is discussed. Reading scripture daily is important for parents and children. This section discusses where the Bible came from, the different versions of the Bible, and brings up the historical context of the Bible.

*For Catholics, it is mentioned that the version of the Bible translated by Saint Jerome still remains the "approved" and "authentic" translation. I felt the quotations were a derogatory way to put down our faith. It just felt a little rude and not necessary.

Part 3~A Daily Walk

Chapter 8- Reading the Word Together

Chapter 9- Hide the Word in Your Child's Heart

Chapter 10- Praying the Word Together

Chapter 11- Study the Word When You're Not Feeling It

In the final section, various ideas are presented with helping your child learn and explore the Bible. Crafts, projects, and fun activities are discussed. I loved this! I do this in my religious education class every Sunday. Kids learn so much more when they are hands-on.

Conclusion: Reaping Fruit from a Living Branch

After reading, Teach Your Kids to Learn & Love the BIBLE, you will be encouraged and strengthened to teach your children about God's word and help them strengthen their relationship with Our Lord.

About the Author~ Danika Cooley

Danika Colley is an award-winning Children's author, homeschool mother of four, and Bible curriculum developer. She encourages parents and families to intentionally raise biblically literate children. She and her husband are committed to leading their children on the path to love their lives for God's glory. They have both worked hard to study and learn the Bible with their own kids. Danika has a bachelor of arts degree from the University of Washington.

Find more about the author on her Website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube.

~REVIEW~

I found the book to be filled with lots of valuable advice for parents. Danika shares plenty of suggestions on how to teach the Bible to your kids, how to encourage your kids to read the Bible, and how to make it a necessity in their lives. I whole-heartedly agree that kids learn about life and the world through the things they are exposed to. They learn by example.

We need to encourage our children to create strong habits. Reading the Bible daily is one of those, probably one of the most important habits we can teach them to do.

As a Catholic, I hear too often that "we" don't know the Bible as well as other denominations. This always seemed odd to me, since the Mass has 3 different readings from the Bible daily. I'm sure, it's like everything else. You have some that do and some that don't. If you're looking for a schedule, here is a great one for Catholics. This book does a fantastic job of helping make this a priority in today's famillies.

Overall, I found the book insightful. Danika offers parents some wonderful ideas, advice, and encouragement. There were a few mentions of Martin Luther, the Roman Catholic faith, and a few other topics that don't go along with what we believe, but I was able to easily overlook them. Some of the book recommendations would not work for Catholics, but there are plenty of resources available to us.

Find Out More About Bethany Publishing House

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Help Your Kids Learn & Love the Bible

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Till Next Time,

Monique

Sunday, May 2, 2021

Sunday Inspiration~ May 2, 2021

Please Note~ This post may contain affiliate links. If you choose to click on a link, add it to your cart and complete your purchase, I will receive a small percentage. We are very grateful for this additional source of income. Thank you.

Till Next Time,

Monique

"I am the resurrection and the life:

he that believeth in me,

although he be dead,

shall live,"

~John 11:25

Wishing you a joyous Easter!

Christ is Risen!

Alleluia!

Till Next Time,

Monique

Sunday, April 5, 2020

Sunday Inspiration~ Palm Sunday

Blessings on this Palm Sunday!

Till Next Time,

Monique

Tuesday, March 31, 2020

Review~ The Easter Storybook

Disclosure~I received a FREE copy of this product through the HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way.

After Ash Wednesday, I have been reading ans sharing wonderful stories of Jesus's life with my adorable first grade religious education students.

I have been sharing stories from The Easter Storybook from David C. Cook. I love sharing stories about Jesus and hi life with my students. It helps them see why our faith in God is so important.

The Easter Storybook from David C. Cook is a collection of 40 stories that focus on Jesus's life. It's not just a simple Easter storybook though. This fantastic book starts when Jesus is little and goes through his life. It includes stories when Jesus is in the temple as a child, his apostles, the last supper, his crucifixion, and his appearances after he has risen from the dead. The 40 stories are fully illustrated in bright colors making them eye catching and appealing to young readers. The books is geared for children ages 4-8, but the whole family can enjoy this beautiful book.

Mountain of Grace Homeschooling Book Review

The book is broken up into 40 stories with the hope that one story will be read each day during the Lenten season. Each page includes the day, a reference to the Bible passage (you could have older kids search for the actual bible passage), a quote from the Bible, the story, and a few questions for discussion. On the opposite page is the colorful illustration to go along with the story.

The Bible passage and questions help families walk through their Lenten journey. As children read through the book, they will learn about Jesus. They will learn who He is, what He did during His life, and most importantly why His death and resurrection are so important.

(I apologize for the lack of pictures of the inside of the book. The book is in my classroom and the we have been quarantined at home so I haven't been able to take any pictures)

~ How I Used The Easter Storybook~

For this review, I received a physical hardback copy of The Easter Storybook written by Laura Ritchie and illustrated by Ian Dale . The book is a larger book which is perfect for little hands and for sharing as a read aloud. It's 90+ pages long. The color illustrations are fantastic.

Since my kiddos are older, I received this review to share with my first grade religious education class. They were the perfect age to share this book with. My plan was to share on story with them each Sunday during the Lenten season. Obviously since the book contains 40 stories, I knew I had to pick a few I wanted to cover. Of course, I wanted to include the important stories about the last supper, Jesus's death, etc. Unfortunately, our classes were canceled this Lenten season due to the virus roaming around. I was able to only share two stories with them. The children enjoyed the stories and they were just the right length to share in class. I usually try to find a short story to read to go along with our lesson. The stories in The Easter Storybook are perfect for that. The language is simple and easy for kids to understand. The stories are short and hold the children's attention.We all know we're lucky if we can keep them focused for 15 minutes at that age.

My plan next year is to work into class the various stories in the book into the lessons we are covering during the year...the Story of the Good Samaritan, Jesus and his disciples, the Parable of the Lost Son, etc.

~ What I Thought of The Easter Storybook~

Overall, I enjoyed the storybook. The stories are the perfect length for kids. The pictures were colorful and appealing to children. They were a simple addition to our Lenten lessons.

As a Roman Catholic I didn't find anything that went against our teachings, like I have in other children's books. The only flaw in the book for Catholics was that Jesus's mother, Mary was missing. Mary was an important of our Lord's life. I feel that the author missed that. Mary wept at the feet of Jesus when he was crucified.

If you're looking for a new book to add to your children's Easter books, I definitely recommend The Easter Story!

Discover more about The Easter Storybook from David Cook

Be sure to check in with the rest of the Homeschool Review Crew to see what they had to say about this wonderful Easter storybook for kids!

Till Next Time,

Monique

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Thursday, March 12, 2020

Review~ Venturing with God in Cong0

Recently, the kids and I were given the oppurtunity to read Venturing with God in Congo by Darrell Champlin. The book, published by Conjurske Publications, is a collection of missionary tales from Darrell Champlin's time in Congo. After his death in August 2015, his wife Louise worked with Conjurske Publications to create this amazing book about his life's work....Spreading the message of God!

For this review, we received a physical copy of the book, Venturing with God in Congo from Conjuske Publications. The book is a beautiful, hardback compilation of stories from missionary Darrell Champlin. The graphic picture on the front of the book is stunning. The eyes peering out of the dark,lush greens is striking. The coiled up snake is lifelike. The cover definitely grabs the attention and encourages readers to jump on in!

The book itself is 290 pages. There are 49 chapters if you include the Introduction and Epilogue. Each chapter is between four to ten pages long. The length of the chapters makes it a perfect book for reading out loud as family or for a independent reader. Older readers and adults should be able to get through the book fairly quickly. The book also features a timeline, photos of the family, a map of Congo, and a pronunciation guide for names.

Venturing with God in Congo transports readers to the missionary fields of Africa. Readers will be thrilled, encouraged, and inspired as they read the stories of the Champlin's family time in Congo.

The family spent 10 years (1954-1964), working in the jungles of Africa. After reading the introduction, readers join the family on the boat trip across the ocean and then quickly venture into the mysterious jungle. The family quickly adapts to life in the jungle as "jungle rats" Leopards, rogue elephants, snakes, wild boar, monkeys, and Cape buffalo add excitement to the journey. We explore the beauty of the lush jungle, read about a people untouched by God living in darkness, and discover the hidden dangers the missionaries face during their journeys.

This riveting memoir of the family's missionary work gives us a glimpse into what daily life is like for missionaries around the world. We see the power of God at work and see what God can do through the people he uses!

"Do you know God?"

With one simple question, Darrell Champlin brought the word of God to the people of Africa. Story after story, we see the work of God through this amazing man. With great respect for the people, the land, and the animals, Darrell Champlin gives us a glimpse into his daily life. We read about his preaching and about individuals converting to the Christian faith and finding God. We hear stories about adventurous hunting trips, the dangers living in a wild jungle and country, the joys in life God gives us, and even a few unexpected twists and turns. Throughout the stories, readers will find bible passages. These bible passages only bring out the importance of God's meaning in our own lives.

Darrell Champlin lived a dangerous, adventurous life many of us never will experience. Even if we are not called to live a missionary life this way, we can still see God's strength through this amazing memoir.

I encourage anyone who is interested in missionary life to read Venturing with God in Congo.

Learn more about Venturing with God in Congo.

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Be sure to read what the rest of the crew thought about this amazing book about God and his mission for us!