Opening with Creation and closing with the promise of happiness in heaven, My First Handy Bible presents 23 micro-Bible stories in chronological order over a total of 61 pages.

These brief Bible story re-tellings for toddlers range from three to five sentences in length in most cases and come with a verse reference if you’d like to dig deeper into the event being retold with your children.

I absolutely ADORE the design of this first Bible storybook – it comes with a sturdy, bright plastic handle, a clip to hold the pages closed, and sturdy board book pages.  We’ve been stuffing this book into our church bag every Sunday for our little ones to flip through during the service.

We’ve also read it together as a family where I had an enthralled audience of my 22 month-old, four-year-old, and six-year-old (who would often beg me to keep reading).  The very short stories are well suited for tiny attention spans, and we’d often read more than one at a time.

Unfortunately, I wasn’t keen on the artwork throughout – characters who should be portrayed as adults were instead shown as preschoolers and young children (though some were shown at appropriate ages as well).  Adam and Eve were tiny children, and Joseph was shown as a young lad even during his time in his position of power in Egypt for example.  Jesus is depicted as a fairly typical storybook Jesus – a man with straight, long hair.

That aside, all of our girls have really enjoyed this storybook Bible, its concise stories and illustrations featuring young children.

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Yes!  We made it to Nova Scotia!  We arrived the evening of August 22nd, 2012 after 7 days of driving.  What an adventure .  Although I expected to be updating the blog as we drove along it just. didn’t. happen.  Whenever we stopped somewhere with WiFi I just ran in, grabbed food and headed back to the bus!  Either that or Larry was the one running in.  We couldn’t really leave the bus alone with all of us in a stopping place because we couldn’t lock the front door properly!

In any case, it’s all a bit of a blur.

If anything is certain – I thank God for portable DVD players.  Our children were SO happy as long as we were on the road and they were plugged in.  Hey – whatever it takes!

In any case, they were pretty cheerful, the trip cost less than we expected, and we’re all ready to forget it now (although the children have fond memories of their trip, Larry and I were a bit burned out at the end of it).  I didn’t even take photos.  (I’m a bit photo challenged at the best of times.)

Larry did ALL the driving – what a man!

SO!  The house needs  a LOT of work!  It’s in progress and likely will be for a couple of years .  We’re still mostly living out of boxes – left all the furniture behind in Alberta, and don’t have much built yet (but we did buy a nice new couch and clothes dryer and Larry built me my first bookcase, dining room table, bed, and island for the kitchen).

Life is good, baby is due to arrive in 2 weeks – stay tuned .

For the past four or so years my husband and I have lamented the long, bitterly cold Albertan winters.  Every winter I say, half in jest, ‘Let’s move to Nova Scotia!’  Determined to stay in Canada, Nova Scotia has always seemed to be the ideal combination of a more moderate climate paired with affordable property prices.

This year – we’re doing it!

Many of you know how God abruptly moved us from our 80 acres north of Edmonton with a dramatic series of generator breakdowns (two in a week) followed by the fire ball/explosion of the BRAND NEW generator a week after that – removing our main source of winter electricity and taking out our heating and running water system with it.

We weren’t really sure what God had for us after that.  We obviously were called to help my husband’s parents – his mother suffered a fall and serious shoulder break a few days after we arrived.  We spent several months pitching in on farm chores (sometimes working full time hours), but then Larry’s wrist (he has a repetitive strain injury) started acting up and we knew we couldn’t keep going.

We decided to list our existing properties for sale and see if they moved – we tentatively started haunting the MLS listings online.  God moved, financing appeared, obstacles were removed, a midwife was found – and we now have a deal on a house and 3 acres in southern Nova Scotia closing on August 3^rd!  We’ll be hitting the road as soon as we can manage after that!

It’s still hard to believe, despite the fact that almost ALL of my books are now packed up (I gave away 14 boxes yesterday – I CAN’T believe it!!) and there isn’t much left to do here (well, you know how THAT goes!)

So….why are we moving?

1.  We couldn’t have unless God blessed it!  It has really been awesome to see His hand in this.

2. The climate in southern Nova Scotia is incredibly temperate.  Here in Alberta the temperature ranges from -40C to +35C easily in a year.  In southern Nova Scotia it is more like -20C to +20C – I like that.  I don’t cope very well with extreme heat, and the deadly cold is a bit scary – it was nearly -50C for a while this past January at our old place.

3. Longer growing season!  Our existing land is a 2B, maybe a 3A growing zone if we’re lucky.  Southern Nova Scotia is a 6A!  The golf course near Yarmouth opens in March and closes at the end of October – we don’t golf, but that tells me winter is actually four months there…instead of….ermmm, almost six!

4. Deeply affordable property.  The accepted offer on the place we’re buying was $17,050.  956 sq. ft. 3 acres.  Power.  Well.  Barn/Worshop.  Hard to beat that!  I was saving up to get the electricity (grid) into our old place, and honestly – it would have cost around that much alone.  Crazy.  Here’s a link to the listing for the house (which is still up right now and listed as sold).

5. Homeschooling – yes you can!  It isn’t funded provincially like it is here in Alberta, but there also seem to be fewer hoops to jump through.  There is one man in charge of homeschooled students – you send him your registration, a letter outlining your goals for the year, and a report at the end of the year stating your progress – it seems pretty laid back.  Also – we’ll only be around 15 minutes from the local homeschool support group!  I’ll have to clock it this fall!

6. Close to amenities!  It’s true – you can be out in the boonies in Nova Scotia as well, but we were blessed to buy a place only 15 minutes or so from THE shopping center of Southwest Nova Scotia – Yarmouth!  Though small in population, it is MIGHTY in services – and shopping! It also boasts the only baby-delivering hospital in the SW for what it’s worth.  They also have a ton of recreational activities – dance lessons, sailing lessons, kayaking lessons, swimming lessons, all sorts of music lessons, ice rink, Canada Day fireworks – they have it all.  Really.  And Atlantic Superstore too!  Who needs Halifax (3 hour drive)?!

7. The ocean!  Well, I’ve never seen the Atlantic Ocean – (YES, we haven’t EVER been to Nova Scotia!)  It’s just a hop, skip, and a jump away now!  We don’t have ocean frontage – nor do we want it (too many little kids to supervise!) – but if we cross the road the ocean is just , hmmm – 2 acres away I think – we’re on a little peninsula finger.  We’re also around 5-10 minutes away from a white sand beach down at the south end of the peninsula (Comeau’s Hill Beach) that is a popular spot for sea kayaking out to the Tusket Islands.

8. Midwifery – well, it isn’t as widely available as Alberta, and it’s a bit messed up, but I was blessed to find a midwife 2.5 hours away that will take me (thank God!)  All four of our girls have been born naturally at our home (or that of relatives) and I was imagining some rude conversations (me being bossy/stubborn/uncooperative/not listening) if I tried delivering at the hospital.

9. Friendly people.  I know this varies depending on whom you talk to, but I have read SO many accounts of friendly Nova Scotians, and that’s what I’m choosing to believe J.  Friendly Nova Scotia – here we come!

10. Fishing.  Well, we don’t do this right now, but Larry hopes to learn!  Wedgeport (around 5 minutes away) has the Sport Tuna Fishing club, and there are plenty of inland fishing opportunities (we’re right on a tidal river/inlet that comes up beside the peninsula – see #7), and I think we can clam, and…cheap lobster?  I don’t know how these will all work out, but it sounds exciting!

So – how exciting!  The more we learn about Nova Scotia and the opportunities available to us there, the more thrilled we are with the path that God has put our family on!  Even more exciting – I’ve even found some bloggers online who also have young families they’ve moved down east for very similar reasons to ours.

We’re in for a BIG adventure, driving across Canada, Alberta to Nova Scotia sometime this August.  Watch this blog for photos and updates once our journey begins!

Bryan earned a bachelor’s degree in print journalism from the University of Tennessee as well as a master’s degree in historical theology at Dallas Theological Seminary. From there he went to the University of Virginia, taking a PhD in the field of ancient church history. He is currently professor of theology at Moody Bible Institute in downtown Chicago, where he has been since 2002. He teaches courses in theology, church history, and Western civilization from the ancient and medieval periods. He is the author of Getting to Know the Church Fathers: An Evangelical Introduction (Brazos, 2007), as well as several scholarly articles and essays. Bryan has always enjoyed epic adventure stories as well as historical fiction, but most of his reading these days is taken up by academia.

Today Bryan lives in downtown Wheaton in a Victorian house built in 1887. He and his wife Carolyn are parents to two children. For recreation Bryan enjoys basketball, traveling, and hiking anywhere there are mountains. The Litfins attend College Church in Wheaton, where Bryan has served on the Board of Missions and as a deacon. He also helped start Clapham School, a Christian primary school in Wheaton using the classical model of education.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Book Three in the Chiveis Trilogy

War and disease have destroyed the modern world. Centuries later, feudal societies have arisen across Europe. No one can remember the ancient religion of Christianity—until an army captain and a farmer’s daughter discover the Sacred Writing of the one true God.

As Teo and Ana encounter the forgotten words of the holy book, they realize its message is just what their kingdom needs. Though exiled from their homeland, they join their hearts in a quest to return. But now an ancient pact has united the enemies of the Christian faith into a dark alliance that threatens to consume the known world. Racing to stay one step ahead of their enemies, Teo and Ana must battle heinous villains, stormy seas, and the powers of the underworld itself. As armies begin to mass for a final battle, the odds favor the forces of evil. Can Teo and Ana bring divine truth to Chiveis—or will the Word of God fade from the earth forever?

If you would like to read the first chapter of The Kingdom, go HERE.

My Thoughts: I’ve read the first two books in this series (second was better than the first!), and I’m eager to see how the series concludes.

The Helping Hands series of books is designed to help you guide your child through difficult times of learning and adjusting in his life (new baby, bullying, strangers etc.)  Meant to be read by a parent to a child, the books also contain ten helpful tips at the end of each title by a child psychologist for parents – to help them know how best to support their child.

Thanks to our homeschooling experience our girls haven’t had to face bullying (thank God for homeschooling), but since I was sent Matthew and the Bullies randomly to review, I thought I’d read it to my girls and see what they thought.  While the main characters are boys, they really enjoyed the story about how Matthew struggled with bullying at school and how he (and very importantly – the adults in his life) worked together to solve the problem peacefully.

The artwork by Ian Cunliffe is cheerful and child-friendly, and while the story is a bit wordy, the fictional writing style keeps children engaged with the story – my girls have asked for repeat readings.  What I appreciate the most is the emphasis on encouraging children to turn tot he adults in their lives for assistance, and the emphasis on not fighting back, but looking for a peaceful solution.

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The Christian Writers’ Market Guide is without a doubt, the most comprehensive reference for breaking into the Christian writing market out there.  This thick, directory-type book includes contacts for many markets (adult fiction, children’s, cartoons), contact information for getting in touch with libraries, magazine article markets, and even photography.  Literary agents are included, poetry markets, and even writing contests.

With 560 pages and 1000+ markets, the listings are comprehensive, including: annual printing volume (or submission acceptance rates), royalty rates, turn around time, guidelines, contact information, and many other pertinent details if they apply.  A CD is also included with all of these details available digitally if you’d like to speed up the search process.

The version of the guide that I have is a 2009 copy, but an updated 2012 version is also available for only a few dollars more, and it includes updated contact names and information.

If you are SERIOUS about writing in the Christian marketplace (and aren’t interested in going the blogging/self-publishing route), then this is one book you’ll certainly want on your shelf.  This is really a one-of-a-kind resource for Christian writers.

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Robin Parrish always writes stories with interesting premises (though there is one in particular that I did not appreciate), so I was excited to read his latest – Vigilante.  Once again, Parrish certainly doesn’t disappointed with a cookie-cutter plot or one that has been rehashed too many times in Christian fiction circles.

Instead he delves straight into the action with a military hero – Nolan Gray – who stages his own death and sets up his own hidden, secret underground lair that he sets out to use to not only enforce his views of justice and righteousness.  He also uses this base and his support personnel to wage carefully planned publicity aimed to stir up the general populace to set things aright in a society gone wrong.

With plenty of super-hero action, high-tech gear, and intrigue, Parrish also manages to add just the lightest hint of romantic interest without it being inappropriate or taking over the storyline.  While the story may not provide an open and shut case for any specific position, it does encourage readers to ponder questions of justice, revenge, punishment, and others.

Like quite a few of Parrish’s offerings Vigilante makes a great read for men and anyone who enjoys high-action reads.  While holding to the clean writing style of Christian fiction and encouraging readers to think about God, it never bogs down in overt sentimentality or the strongly romantic themes that can often be prominent in the Christian marketplace in general.

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When Peter and Julia discover a mysterious silver garden outside of their grandparent’s home on a summer visit, they are swept away into a world, which appears beautiful, but hides dark secrets of slavery.  Called to think beyond themselves and offer themselves up as leaders of an in-progress revolution, the two siblings discover they possess mysterious powers that they must learn to harness to help those in need.

Fantasy is tricky for a reader like myself who feels that good characters shouldn’t use magic due to the Bible’s admonitions to avoid it at all costs.  Unfortunately the characters in Chosen Ones (book one of the Aedyn Chronicles) are definitely skirting the boundaries of my comfort levels.  While the gifts the children possess could be seen as supernatural giftings, their guide – a holy man of sorts – pretty much admits to be using a type of magic near the end of this first short novel for young adult readers.

If that wasn’t enough to discourage me from reading the rest of the series, I’m afraid the rather awkward writing style would – McGrath’s skill with the pen just isn’t enough to keep me interested in the rest of the series (even if the magic wasn’t an issue).

The Christian allegorical undertones are clearly present – the slaves worship a Creator God who they remain loyal to while being dominated by demonistic man-beings and the children are called to free them so the land of Aedyn can return to glory – there are enough points against this book to put it in my giveaway pile.

This book is deeply discounted at both AMAZON.COM and CHRISTIANBOOK.COM if you want to try it for yourself.

The ESV Grow! Bible is a full Bible containing the complete ESV translation of both the Old and New Testaments along with helps for young readers from 8-12.  This is the regular ESV version presented in two columns – no simplification for younger readers – so your child will need to be a confident, independent reader to be able to read this Bible.

Spread throughout the text are information boxes tackling the big ‘W’s’ – Who, What, Where, When, Why, and How to help your child dig into the facts presented in the Bible and to help your child go deeper by making connections and providing additional information.  4U boxes help your child personally apply certain sections of scriptures to your child’s life.  Cross Connections boxes help to draw connections between scriptures and how they point to the gospel of Christ – both prophetically in the Old Testament, and more directly in the new.

Six section introductions are provided along with an introduction for each individual book of the Bible (fairly standard book introduction information but a mini-timeline for each book is included at the bottom of the page – which is super-neat).  A helpful glossary is included along with colorful timelines, maps, articles, and charts, to help your child explore the Word of God more deeply. Illustrations are included throughout, but respect the growing sensibilities of tween readers by using photo-realistic art in most cases, for a more ‘grown-up’ feeling.

I LOVE the mini-maps that are included in the ‘W’ boxes as appropriate – like “Where is Nineveh?” included right at the start of the book of Jonah with a helpful illustrated map.  The illustrated family trees, timelines, drawings of notable buildings, descriptions and explanations of certain cultural traditions that are foreign to most modern readers, and other inclusions are all excellent and truly helpful additions.

In a few instances, our family doesn’t agree with the ‘4U’ sections because we don’t hold to many institutional church traditions (Christmas, Easter etc.), that wouldn’t be a big concern for us – we always encourage our children to ask us any questions they have or if they are confused.

Perhaps most importantly is the emphasis of the additions on the gospel, continually pointing children towards God’s saving love and the sending of His Son to redeem us – to pay for our sins.  A clear gospel presentation is included in the first Cross Connections Article and the Cross Connection callouts throughout the book keep reminding readers of the incredibly goodness, mercy, and forgiveness of God.

The ESV Grow! Bible presents a great balance between a straight-up Bible that includes just the text itself, and a full-blown study Bible where the commentary, notes, etc. can overwhelm the text itself and often overshadow it.  Just enough helpful information is included to reveal and clarify the meaning of the scriptures themselves without getting heavily into adding layers of external meaning to the text, which I greatly appreciate.  The helps it does include make this edition of the ESV a great support for young, growing Christians.

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Mark Stone starts hearing a cacophony of agonizing screams when he talks with people on the telephone.  These screams are followed soon after by the death of the person he spoke to on the phone.  When he hears these same fearful screams when speaking to his wife (whom he is separated from) he springs into action as he tries to save her.

Though not Mike Dellosso’s first novel, Scream is the first work of his that I read.  Dellosso successfully weaves the strands of suspense, and redemption together into a fast-paced thriller.  While some parts of the novel are somewhat formulaic (such as the spiritual tie ins) and unsurprising, he does manage to pull off a surprise twist at the end that I didn’t see coming.

If you’re just starting to read Dellosso though, I recommend some of his later works – Darlington Woods or Darkness Follows (both of which I have also reviewed) in which his writing has become more polished.  Both offer premises that are more unique than a kidnapping style suspense story, and are more engaging because of it.  If you just can’t get enough Dellosso though, this is a decent novel – just not his best work.

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