Part of the joy of homeschooling is the amount of reading we do together.
We've worked our way through all of Laura Ingalls, all of Tolkein, (Hobbit, et al), Narnia, Betsy-Tacy series, Hannah Hurnard, Newbery Award winners, and various devotionals. Too many others to list here.
(Science, History, Math, Spelling, English, Handwriting, Art and Music, Phy. Ed)
One series I was introduced to as a child, have read to my older children, and am now reading to my two younger is the set my Patricia St. John. (See my Books page)
We just finished "Star of Light" today. I felt compelled to share part of a chapter we read today.
Page 243, (In my copy)
""Jenny looked very serious.
"I don't know an awful lot myself," she replied doubtfully; "who'll teach me, Auntie Rosemary? At school they don't talk like you do. We mostly learn the names of kings in Scripture. I suppose I could go to Sunday school, but we usually all go out in the car on Sunday afternoon."
"Yes, it does seem difficult," said Aunt Rosemary. "But it's quite all right, because you've got your Bible, and you've got the Holy Spirit of Jesus in your heart to show you what it means. There was a king called David long ago who wanted to understand the Bible, so he prayed this prayer: 'Open Thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of Thy law.' God answered his prayer and whenever he read the Bible he saw all the way to Heaven mapped out in it; and he said this: " 'Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.'
"If you read it faithfully and regularly every day, asking the Holy Spirit of Jesus to make you under-stand, you'll find that He lights up and explains all the things you find dark and difficult."
"There are such long words in it," said Jenny, still rather doubtful.
"Not in the gospels," answered Aunt Rosemary. "Start with those. And I'm sure you'll find Mummy and Daddy willing to explain hard words if you ask them. They are interested in everything that interests you. Have you told them what happened to you and why you want to read the Bible?"
"No," said Jenny frowning, "I wanted to, but somehow I couldn't explain."
"Well, it would be a very good thing to tell them in words" said Aunt Rosemary, "but a far more important thing is to tell them by works. If you have really put the Lord Jesus in the very middle of your life, if you obey His voice every day as He speaks to you in the Bible, He will soon change you very much. His love will begin to show instead of your selfishness. His patience instead of your bad temper, and His helpfulness instead of your laziness. And directly that begins to happen Mummy and Daddy will know all about it without any telling. But I should try to tell too, because it would be such a lovely thing to share."
"Yes," agreed Jenny frankly. "They'd certainly be pleased if I really got nice and good and never got into rages, and I expect they'd want to know why, too. I should think I'd better show them first, and then they'll believe me when I tell them. Let's go home now, and I'll show them I want to help with the packing.""
I love the way Patricia St. John illustrates the deepest concepts, so even a child can understand and grow.
Her characters are so real, and their struggles are yours and mine. I am always amazed at the nuggets of truth in each of her books.
It's a delightful way to do school, reading a chapter or two from them in the morning.
We've worked our way through all of Laura Ingalls, all of Tolkein, (Hobbit, et al), Narnia, Betsy-Tacy series, Hannah Hurnard, Newbery Award winners, and various devotionals. Too many others to list here.
(Science, History, Math, Spelling, English, Handwriting, Art and Music, Phy. Ed)
One series I was introduced to as a child, have read to my older children, and am now reading to my two younger is the set my Patricia St. John. (See my Books page)
We just finished "Star of Light" today. I felt compelled to share part of a chapter we read today.
Page 243, (In my copy)
""Jenny looked very serious.
"I don't know an awful lot myself," she replied doubtfully; "who'll teach me, Auntie Rosemary? At school they don't talk like you do. We mostly learn the names of kings in Scripture. I suppose I could go to Sunday school, but we usually all go out in the car on Sunday afternoon."
"Yes, it does seem difficult," said Aunt Rosemary. "But it's quite all right, because you've got your Bible, and you've got the Holy Spirit of Jesus in your heart to show you what it means. There was a king called David long ago who wanted to understand the Bible, so he prayed this prayer: 'Open Thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of Thy law.' God answered his prayer and whenever he read the Bible he saw all the way to Heaven mapped out in it; and he said this: " 'Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.'
"If you read it faithfully and regularly every day, asking the Holy Spirit of Jesus to make you under-stand, you'll find that He lights up and explains all the things you find dark and difficult."
"There are such long words in it," said Jenny, still rather doubtful.
"Not in the gospels," answered Aunt Rosemary. "Start with those. And I'm sure you'll find Mummy and Daddy willing to explain hard words if you ask them. They are interested in everything that interests you. Have you told them what happened to you and why you want to read the Bible?"
"No," said Jenny frowning, "I wanted to, but somehow I couldn't explain."
"Well, it would be a very good thing to tell them in words" said Aunt Rosemary, "but a far more important thing is to tell them by works. If you have really put the Lord Jesus in the very middle of your life, if you obey His voice every day as He speaks to you in the Bible, He will soon change you very much. His love will begin to show instead of your selfishness. His patience instead of your bad temper, and His helpfulness instead of your laziness. And directly that begins to happen Mummy and Daddy will know all about it without any telling. But I should try to tell too, because it would be such a lovely thing to share."
"Yes," agreed Jenny frankly. "They'd certainly be pleased if I really got nice and good and never got into rages, and I expect they'd want to know why, too. I should think I'd better show them first, and then they'll believe me when I tell them. Let's go home now, and I'll show them I want to help with the packing.""
I love the way Patricia St. John illustrates the deepest concepts, so even a child can understand and grow.
Her characters are so real, and their struggles are yours and mine. I am always amazed at the nuggets of truth in each of her books.
It's a delightful way to do school, reading a chapter or two from them in the morning.
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