Posted in The Inheritance by Christoph von Schmid
We really enjoyed reading what you thought about chapters 1-3 last week before putting our discussion up, so I hope that you don't mind if we do that again. I don't mind saying that I am just now going to read these chapters to our children this afternoon. The joy of homeschooling is partly in being able to live through unplanned events as a part of daily life and not as an annoying intrusion into our planned lives. We have not been able to read it yet. If you have, please share your thoughts on it.
I did write up my chapters 1-3 and will be posting that too! I look forward to the end of this story and seeing if all of our wonderings have been answered from the last discussion! Jeannie (and anyone who joins us later), I look forward to reading your discussion on 1-3 as well as these chapters.
Thank you ladies! I hope you have a great week, and I also hope to get some more extra-curricular-type posts up in the very near future!
Blessings~
Jacque
Seeking Rest in the Ancient Paths Homeschool
It's not too late to join in this reading of The Inheritance.
Jacque:
I did get my reading done as well as my discussion, and I don't think I can cover all of the wonderful themes and times I wanted to jump up and shout. It is a wonderfully inspirational story.
We had wondered if they were, indeed, inside the home where the treasure was buried underneath. I can hardly believe they really were. So, all of this time, they were living above a great treasure. That is amazing. I must say kudos to our 10yo, Eric, who asked me at the end of chapter three if they were living in the house where the treasure had been hidden. Ok, maybe it was only me who didn't get that.
Of course they find the treasure. Some of the items show their age as they pull them out of the vault, only to become so beautiful later in the story. I loved how Mrs. Vollmar just was taken with the beauty and long-lasting-ness of the jewels. The way she fawned over the pictures of the grandparents. Mr. Vollmar saying that age takes away our 'beauty' so-to-speak, but our spirits live on. They are constantly applying the Word and spiritual side to everything. That is how it was with (my husband, Matt's) Grandmother. She lived God and breathed God. It wasn't a conscious effort because it didn't have to be. It was second-nature to her, and it came out in all things. It didn't have to be thought-through. That is how Mr. and Mrs. Vollmar are.
What about the letter Lucas Vollmar wrote to his son and grandchildren whom he knew he would never even meet? The blessings he passed onto them, without even knowing them. The prayers for them and their souls to be good and honest. And, the last words... those of salvation in Christ? What a heritage that I do not think many can comprehend. Do we realize what our prayers and hopes and dreams in the Lord are for our future generations? Our prayers are so important to the future of our children and grandchildren.
I mean, Hugh was a young man when his father passed, but he apparently knew what his father had taught him and lived by it well enough to pass it to Frederick. This isn't something that just all of a sudden comes into one's heart. Not that it isn't possible with one who wasn't raised that way, but here, it is clearly something passed from one generation to the next. What a blessing and a heritage to read these words from a grandfather to his grandson. For Frederick to hold the letter his grandfather wrote to him before he was ever born. To him and his children. Wow.
And Frederick counts it a blessing that the treasure was hidden all this time. He truly knows the providence and hand of God. To know that it was necessary for his father and himself to learn the value of hard work and money is a virtue he clearly understands. He isn't lamenting all his father went through and asking God why they had to go through hardships when all along the treasure was right under their feet. He is thankful and knows the providence of God in it.
Ha... get this... do you see what he considers it? A HEDGE of protection. He said it may have caused him to "turn his head" and indulge himself had he known about it sooner. What wisdom.
To give our children the Lord is what is of great value. It is of eternal value. All of these other things that probably just take our eyes off of the Lord anyway will pass away. They will all be chaff blown away. Only our fear of the Lord and what we have learned of God will last. What we have done in Him. That is a tall order in today's society, but it really is our only option. This story tells us we can do it. Live for the Lord above wants and desires of our own doing. We can focus on the Lord and present our children with a Godly heritage. It is possible.
Thinking back to the time when Mr. Vollmar almost sold the Ecce Homo... That is mind-boggling. What if he had sold it? What if it had been just something of monetary value? God was there. All the time.
I love all of the Christian influences on all of the plates and other objects they found in the treasure. Mr. Vollmar telling his children in great detail of how the treasure is wonderful, but not nearly as valuable as Jesus and piety and living the goodness of God. It seems to draw me in and set me right there with them as they talk about each goblet or coin. I am taken with the warmth he holds in all the Godliness represented here far above the monetary value of each piece.
The old man was touched by the true piety and love for God and a Godly life in this family. It stirred his soul. The love for God that the Vollmars had was infectious. The faith in God and the desire to fill the shoes his parents and grandparents and even great-grandparents left as a heritage was inspiring to the old man. It was inspiring to me. It is right. It is how we can all live our lives.
The Word says there is nothing new under heaven. Yes, our times are different. But, we are faced with temptations as are common to man. They have been around for centuries, since the fall. I do not believe this is just a story. I believe it is something to strive for, even if we are the first generation. How beautiful. I would love to copy down my favorite quotes, but then I would find myself copying pages of what Mr. Vollmar had to say.
We had wondered if they were, indeed, inside the home where the treasure was buried underneath. I can hardly believe they really were. So, all of this time, they were living above a great treasure. That is amazing. I must say kudos to our 10yo, Eric, who asked me at the end of chapter three if they were living in the house where the treasure had been hidden. Ok, maybe it was only me who didn't get that.
Of course they find the treasure. Some of the items show their age as they pull them out of the vault, only to become so beautiful later in the story. I loved how Mrs. Vollmar just was taken with the beauty and long-lasting-ness of the jewels. The way she fawned over the pictures of the grandparents. Mr. Vollmar saying that age takes away our 'beauty' so-to-speak, but our spirits live on. They are constantly applying the Word and spiritual side to everything. That is how it was with (my husband, Matt's) Grandmother. She lived God and breathed God. It wasn't a conscious effort because it didn't have to be. It was second-nature to her, and it came out in all things. It didn't have to be thought-through. That is how Mr. and Mrs. Vollmar are.
What about the letter Lucas Vollmar wrote to his son and grandchildren whom he knew he would never even meet? The blessings he passed onto them, without even knowing them. The prayers for them and their souls to be good and honest. And, the last words... those of salvation in Christ? What a heritage that I do not think many can comprehend. Do we realize what our prayers and hopes and dreams in the Lord are for our future generations? Our prayers are so important to the future of our children and grandchildren.
I mean, Hugh was a young man when his father passed, but he apparently knew what his father had taught him and lived by it well enough to pass it to Frederick. This isn't something that just all of a sudden comes into one's heart. Not that it isn't possible with one who wasn't raised that way, but here, it is clearly something passed from one generation to the next. What a blessing and a heritage to read these words from a grandfather to his grandson. For Frederick to hold the letter his grandfather wrote to him before he was ever born. To him and his children. Wow.
And Frederick counts it a blessing that the treasure was hidden all this time. He truly knows the providence and hand of God. To know that it was necessary for his father and himself to learn the value of hard work and money is a virtue he clearly understands. He isn't lamenting all his father went through and asking God why they had to go through hardships when all along the treasure was right under their feet. He is thankful and knows the providence of God in it.
Ha... get this... do you see what he considers it? A HEDGE of protection. He said it may have caused him to "turn his head" and indulge himself had he known about it sooner. What wisdom.
"A good education and the fear of the Lord is the best heritage we can leave our children."
Amen to that. Riches are nice. It is (or it would be) nice to not have to worry about things like money. It would be nice to buy things when we needed them. But, as he said, "riches have been the ruin of many". They really have. Doing without or working hard to get things builds character. Being handed everything only makes men selfish and causes them to expect things. Mr. Vollmar said they must continue to be frugal and train their children that way. I agree.To give our children the Lord is what is of great value. It is of eternal value. All of these other things that probably just take our eyes off of the Lord anyway will pass away. They will all be chaff blown away. Only our fear of the Lord and what we have learned of God will last. What we have done in Him. That is a tall order in today's society, but it really is our only option. This story tells us we can do it. Live for the Lord above wants and desires of our own doing. We can focus on the Lord and present our children with a Godly heritage. It is possible.
"To learn to do good and to work with one's own hands will provide more security than all the riches one can gather in a lifetime." F. Vollmar
Thinking back to the time when Mr. Vollmar almost sold the Ecce Homo... That is mind-boggling. What if he had sold it? What if it had been just something of monetary value? God was there. All the time.
I love all of the Christian influences on all of the plates and other objects they found in the treasure. Mr. Vollmar telling his children in great detail of how the treasure is wonderful, but not nearly as valuable as Jesus and piety and living the goodness of God. It seems to draw me in and set me right there with them as they talk about each goblet or coin. I am taken with the warmth he holds in all the Godliness represented here far above the monetary value of each piece.
The old man was touched by the true piety and love for God and a Godly life in this family. It stirred his soul. The love for God that the Vollmars had was infectious. The faith in God and the desire to fill the shoes his parents and grandparents and even great-grandparents left as a heritage was inspiring to the old man. It was inspiring to me. It is right. It is how we can all live our lives.
The Word says there is nothing new under heaven. Yes, our times are different. But, we are faced with temptations as are common to man. They have been around for centuries, since the fall. I do not believe this is just a story. I believe it is something to strive for, even if we are the first generation. How beautiful. I would love to copy down my favorite quotes, but then I would find myself copying pages of what Mr. Vollmar had to say.
Posted by 
Posted by 
Posted by Jeannie
Posted by 
Posted by 
