September 22, 2007
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The Hope Chest is a free e-mail magazine sent to over 1200 families around the world.   The publisher is Virginia Knowles, wife to Thad and mother of 10 children.  Check out Virginia’s web site at www.VirginiaKnowles.com or e-mail her at HopeChestNews@embarqmail.com.     

Hello, my dear friends!

Welcome to the September issue of The Hope Chest Home School News.  This month, I’m delighted to be sharing with you about Life, Literature, and the Library.  In this issue you will find:

♥       A Few Thoughts on Life by Virginia Knowles

♥       Check These Out: The Companion Unit Study for You HAVE to Read This One!  Book by Cheryl Bastian, Review by Virginia Knowles

♥       “Choosing Great Literature” and “Beyond Picture Books” Excerpts by Virginia Knowles from Common Sense Excellence: Faith-Filled Home Education for Preschool to 5^th Grade

♥       Quotes on Books

♥       A Final Word of Encouragement from Virginia

Blessings,

Virginia Knowles

www.VirginiaKnowles.com

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A Few Thoughts on Life

By Virginia Knowles

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Did you know that today (September 22) is Yom Kippur? Last night, for the sunset starting of the holiday, Thad and I had the privilege of attending a service at Gesher Shalom, a local messianic (Christian) synagogue which our daughter Mary sometimes attends with a friend.  (They are also having four services today, but we aren’t going.)  For those who aren’t familiar with it, Yom Kippur is the Day of Atonement, the most solemn High Holy Day on the Jewish calendar.  Only once a year, the high priest could enter the Holy of Holies for a special sacrifice to atone for the sins of all the people.  The Old Testament holiday was a “shadow” picture of what was to come: Yeshua Ha’Meshiach (Jesus the Messiah) who sacrificed himself, entering the Holy of Holies on our behalf to take away our sins, once for all.  You can read about it in Leviticus 16 and Hebrews 9.  You can also see my related painting and commentary at http://www.virginiaknowles.com/TheThroneofGrace.  You can also find out more about messianic Judaism at http://www.jewsforjesus.org/.

I am quite fascinated by the Old Testament! This year, I made a goal in January to read the entire Bible.  I don’t think I have done this since I was a teenager.   So far, it’s been quite a ride through history and theology, and not always a comfortable one since parts of the Old Testament can be pretty intense.  Those who think of God Almighty only in terms of “gentle Jesus meek and mild” can be in for quite a shock when they encounter the consequences of perpetual and blatant disobedience and unbelief.  However, the thought that comes to me most as I read is the sovereignty and providence of God, the concept that he is in control of everything that happens, that far from living in random chaos, we each have a unique purpose and a destiny in our lives.  As Ravi Zacharias shares in his new book The Grand Weaver: How God Shapes Us Through the Events of Our Lives, each thing that happens to us, good or bad, is used by God for good in the lives of those who believe in him.

This makes a difference in how we teach literature – or at least it should!  In the 7^th and 8^th grade English class which I teach in our Providence home school co-op, I had intended to do a study on the book The Children’s Homer by Padraic Collum, which is the “youth” version of The Iliad and The Odyssey.  I reasoned that it would be a good “classical education” literary introduction to Ancient Greece, which they will be studying in their history class.  One of the parents, after evaluating the book herself, raised some questions about the prudence of doing this.  I hadn’t read it all the way through yet (shame on me) but had chosen it based on recommendations of others.  As I was reading it more closely myself, I concluded that the mythological content was not appropriate for this particular group of students, based on their spiritual maturity and academic comprehension levels.  I just could not get enthused about having to write a study guide for it either.  I realized that we could do a whole lot better than this by studying portions of the Old Testament as literature.  (In my public high school, I even took a “Bible as Literature” class, so this is not a far-fetched idea.)  I decided to focus on the life stories of Joseph, Esther, and Daniel.  I introduced the life of Joseph in last week’s class, and you can find a web link for the audio file at the end of this article.  The study guide packet that I developed includes the full text of the Biblical passages, which I pasted in from www.ESV.org.  In my class introduction to the story, my emphasis was on the sovereign providence of God in our lives, no matter what happens.  In Joseph’s case, he was sold into slavery by his jealous brothers, rose to prominence in his master’s household, was falsely accused and thrown into prison, rose again to power there, and after interpreting Pharaoh’s dreams, was made second in command of Egypt.  He was used by God to spare the surrounding nations from the prophesied famine.  He also demonstrated his abiding faith in sovereign providence by forgiving and blessing his brothers, assuring them that even though they had meant it for evil, God had meant it for good.  This next week, we will be studying the Jewish exile Esther.  As her godly cousin Mordecai reminded her, she had become queen of Persia “for such a time as this” to rescue her oppressed nation from the murderous intents of the evil Haman.  Again, this is such a clear picture of God’s sovereign hand of providence in human history.  So, instead of filling my student’s thoughts with the tangles of Greek mythology, I have the precious opportunity of turning their gaze to the goodness of God, and to contemplating how the Lord might want to use their own lives in the Larger Story of his will for this world.  We are each here “for such as time as this” and we should make the best of our opportunities through diligence, wisdom, integrity and compassion. 

In my class presentation, I also mentioned a letter I had written to Pastor Headson Makazinga in Malawi, who travels throughout his region on foot to shepherd several churches and evangelize the villages.  In the letter I wanted to encourage him that his work there is not in vain, so at the end of the letter I wrote:

“I thank you for giving out your life for the gospel to extend the Kingdom of God in Africa.  You may not see all of the results in your time here on earth, but you will surely see them in eternity.  There is nothing greater than this that you could do.  Your life will have a powerful effect on many nations and many generations because it is consecrated unto the Lord, and he does not ever waste what is offered up to him in love.  And let us not grow weary in doing good, for in due season we will reap if we do not give up. Galatians 6:9”

Ladies, I also want to encourage you that your labors in home schooling your children will not go wasted if you commit them to our Sovereign God and submit to his will for your life.  You are making a difference for eternity!

Blessings,

Virginia

P.S. If you would like to pursue these topic further, check out these web links:

The Life of Joseph and the Sovereignty of God –  20 minute audio presentation for Providence co-op English class.  Please note that this was not professionally recorded – it was a live classroom session! This file is only available at www.yousendit.com until noon on Saturday, September 29.  After that, you can contact me to send it to you.

Living and Learning in the Sovereign Hand of God - an article I wrote for The Old Schoolhouse Magazine several years ago

Truth and Grace in the Stories of Our Lives -- from the April issue of the Hope Chest

Free MP3 downloads of all 300 messages at Sovereign Grace Ministries Web Site – listen to folks like C.J. and Carolyn Mahaney, Josh Harris, Al Mohler, John Piper, R.C. Sproul, Ken Sande, Bob Kauflin and more

In a Little While – new music CD by worship songwriters Mark and Steven Altrogge.  I played the song “Whatever My God Ordains is Right” in my English class when we talked about Joseph.  You can click to read the lyrics to this song, which was adapted from a 17^th German hymn by Samuel Rodigast.  You can also listen to other song samples here, and for a limited time, you can also get a free download of the song All I Really Need.  Enjoy!  I love this CD, which my daughters Mary and Julia gave me for my birthday.

P.P.S. While I was writing this issue, my sister Barb called and asked me to tell her teenage daughter the story of when I was baptized.  I thought you might like to hear it as well.  I was christened as an infant in the Methodist church, but we stopped attending when I was a small child.  In 1976, I came to faith in Christ at a family reunion in Pennsylvania.  You can read that story here: My Story of Liberty in 1976.  Then in 1980, when I was 15 and on a Teen Missions trip in Israel, I had the opportunity to be baptized in the Sea of Galilee at Capernaum.  The team leaders wanted our assurance, however, that our parents and pastor would not be offended by this.  There was no time to write home and ask (it would have taken a few weeks to get a reply), but by “divine coincidence” I received a letter from my mom (who had only recently started going to church again) sharing that my pastor had just baptized her in a pool.  There was my answer, just in time!  So I had the blessing of a “believer’s baptism” in the very waters where Jesus walked!  Pretty cool, huh?

P.P.S.  My friend Colleen sent me an encouraging birthday e-card a couple of weeks ago which had the following quote from Max Lucado’s book Cure for the Common Life.   I liked it so much that I sent it along to my relatives.  My Uncle Dick Hess, whose wife Fay was largely responsible for me coming to the Lord in 1976, responded that it would fit in perfectly with a Bible study he would be leading at the Muncy prison in Pennsylvania that week.  So even my “random” e-mail turned out to be part of sovereign providence!  Here’s the quote:

Your life has a plot;

your years have a theme.

You can do something

in a manner that no one else can.

Every year is another chapter

God fills with the plans

He has written just for you---

"What you have done is wonderful...

All the days planned for me

were written in your book before I was one day old.

Psalm 139:14, 16 NCV

I hope today is only the beginning of new joys and special blessings in your life.

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Check These Out: The Companion Unit Study for You HAVE to Read This One!

Book by Cheryl Bastian

Review by Virginia Knowles

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Books!  Libraries!  Ah, the very words stir my home school mommy soul.  Our bookshelves doth overflow abundantly here at the Knowles.  That’s one reason why I am thrilled to review Cheryl Bastian’s newest book on the topic.  Check These Out is the companion unit study for You HAVE to Read This One! which I reviewed in March.  The other reason I’m excited is because of my personal respect for Cheryl, whom I have known for all but a year or two of my entire home schooling career.  Cheryl’s practical advice, wise counsel, and faithful prayers have shaped my life tremendously over the past 14 years, and I am forever grateful to God for providentially placing her in my life.   She played a key role in editing my own books years ago.  Besides being my treasured friend, I have to say that this lady knows her stuff!  In her many years as a home school mom of six, she has also been a support group leader, an academic evaluator and guidance counselor, a freelance writer, and a public speaker.  She is even willing to travel outside of Central Florida, so if you’re looking for a conference or support group meeting speaker, you may want to “check her out.” Cheryl has a radiant passion for igniting literary fires in families.

I could talk all day about Cheryl, but what about the book?  Check These Out, a full-size 139 page spiral bound book, is a four week unit study on libraries and books.   You and your children will learn about how the library works, the publishing process, evaluating authors and illustrators, genres of literature, and much more.   This is truly an integrated unit study, covering all school subjects (Math/Computers, Language Arts, Social Studies, Science, Music, and Art). The format is ultra-useable: all activities and book lists are marked for three different levels from preschool to middle school, so you can pick and choose what would be suitable for each of your students.   Not only that, to make planning and evaluation efficient and effective, Cheryl has thoughtfully provided weekly overview calendar grids and skills checklists for each separate level.  There are also over 30 pages of reproducible activity sheets covering myriad skills such as alphabetization, using the Dewey decimal system, using Venn diagrams, writing book reports, and more.  If that weren’t enough, she provides dozens of web links on her own web site to extend the lessons in this book.  For example, she links to web sites for authors, the Library of Congress, the American Library Association, puppet making, poetry, and much more.  This is not just a “read about it” unit study.  There are countless hands-on activities, art projects, and funny original poems to enjoy.  I think you will like this practical book!

If you poke around on Cheryl’s web site, www.CherylBastian.com, you can find samples of the pages in this book, as well as her web links.   You can order Check These Out for $18 plus shipping, or combine it with You HAVE to Read this One! (which sells by itself for $14) for $30 plus shipping.  Such a deal!

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“Choosing Great Literature” and “Beyond Picture Books”

Excerpts by Virginia Knowles from her book

Common Sense Excellence: Faith-Filled Home Education for Preschool to 5^th Grade

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CHOOSING GREAT LITERATURE

“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right,

whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable --

if anything is excellent or praiseworthy -- think about such things.” Philippians 4:8

After the Bible, high-quality literature is the lifeblood of a Christian home education program.  It enriches the mind and nurtures the powers of reasoning and relating.  My goal for literature study is to reinforce character qualities, nurture relationships, pique the imagination, and expand the child’s horizon of knowledge and insight about the world and people around him. I love literature, and I sincerely hope that I can transmit some of this passion to you, my dear readers!

It’s not enough for children to read!  It matters what they read!  Garbage in, garbage out!  We become who we are largely because of the books we read and the entertainment we choose. I believe that parents need to be gatekeepers of these things, to make judgment calls about what is acceptable, and to cultivate our children's tastes in the right direction. I believe it is each parent's privilege and obligation to monitor and direct what their children read, watch or hear, rather than acquiescing to what is popular or convenient.

Set your criteria for good books.  Each family is different, but when I choose literature, I specifically want to see these qualities:

·        an affirmation of the virtues I want my children to develop

·        a healthy “building up” attitude toward family life and proper authority

·        accurate information about nature, history, geography, life skills, or other concepts

·        words and ideas which make sense to a young child

·        imaginative and interesting text that is not overly dependent on fantasy

·        good grammar, since this serves as a model for my child’s speech and writing

·        great artwork! (or at least not shoddy)

·        absence of objectionable elements such as advocating polytheism or nature worship in the name of tolerance, or deceit under the guise of creativity

Screen the books you bring home from the library based on your criteria.  The unfortunate thing is that you can’t judge a book by its cover.  Ones which look perfectly sweet on the outside and even most of the way through the book, turn out to be icky at the end, so it’s not always safe to just hand the books to our children and let them read.  We really need to pre-screen them from front to back.  I find this is even true with books by authors that I generally like.  Not all of their titles are consistently good quality!  While I was working on developing a list of fantastic picture books to recommend for use with Alpha-Virtues, a primary grade Bible-based curriculum that I was attempting to write, I often checked out over a hundred picture books at a time from the library.  I sat down and thoroughly read each book by myself, rejecting any that were mediocre or offensive, and exclaiming over my very favorites. I did find some truly horrid picture books, while other books left me with a very uneasy feeling.  These all went in the reject pile.  After I culled out the so-so books and the downright yucky ones, I took the “thumbs up” pile and read them to my children to see if they liked the titles I picked.  Yes, it was a real picture book marathon, but they didn’t complain at all.  In fact, they begged for more!   I recommend that you go through this type of screening process in your own home, though not on that scale.

Ask your librarian to buy books that you want, or borrow them through inter-library loan.  The library is there for you, the patron.  If you build up a good rapport with your librarians, they will likely be happy to accommodate your needs. If there is something you want, and you think would be useful to others in your area, just ask!

Use a mix of old and new books. Many of the books I like to share with my children were ones I read when I was a child.  Being born into a family of bibliophiles, I even have many books lovingly preserved by my parents and grandparents from their own early years.  Even so, I must say I have mixed feelings about older books. Some are truly timeless classics, even if the artwork and printing methods are a little primitive.  They still have enduring, endearing quality.  However, just because a book is touted as a “classic” or it won a Caldecott or Newbery Award doesn’t mean it will still interest and inspire today’s young children.  I like an old-fashioned flavor in stories, but I prefer more recent artwork.  In my mind, a picture book must feature either a strong story line or very attractive pictures (preferably both!) or it isn’t worth my time.  I’ve read many of the children’s lit guides that are popular with home schoolers, including Books Children Love by Elizabeth Wilson, Honey for a Child’s Heart by Gladys Hunt, and The New Read Aloud Handbook by Jim Trelease. I’ve found lots of neat books in them, but my only disappointment with these guides is that they were written so long ago that they don’t include the really excellent titles that have come out since their publication.  Many of the recommended titles are not even available in libraries anymore, or are, like I’ve already lamented, unattractive to my 21st century children.  

Make a decision about the use of fantasy stories. There are sharp differences of opinion in the home school movement on the use of fantasy. Some parents do not tolerate any amount of fantasy, and others feed their children a steady diet of it.  I think I fall somewhere in between.  I do not reject all fantasy.  For example, I love C.S. Lewis’ book The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe, which is in the Chronicles of Narnia series.  (I can’t vouch for the rest of the books in the series, as I have not read them since I was a child.)  The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe is a Christian allegory focusing on the sacrifice of Jesus (in the story, he is the lion Aslan).  The literary language is rich, descriptive, and fraught with meaning.  Younger children like the sense of adventure and the fanciful characters, while older ones can begin to appreciate the more abstract concepts about human nature, sin, courage, loyalty, revenge, and so forth.  While I was reading this book to my children a few years ago, I kept marveling about how deep it was “for those who had ears to hear.”  What about ordinary, garden variety fairy tales like “Snow White” or “Hansel and Gretel”?  I personally tend to be more lenient with these, for better or worse.  I am more pleased when a story has the villain attempting to use magic powers, and the hero or heroine trying to thwart this. Witches should be portrayed as wicked.  If there is a fairy, such as in one of my favorite tales, “Diamonds and Toads”, she should be like an angel who is sent to reward virtue or to help in a supernatural way. 

Avoid stories which glorify occult powers.  The overall world view espoused in the Harry Potter, Pokemon and other occult-tainted books is incompatible with the Biblical teachings our family holds dear. Yes, I could read them with my children and talk about such objectionable elements as the young hero casting spells to exact revenge on his enemies. However, it doesn't seem fair to excite their imaginations with a thrilling tale, only to be a party-pooper and shoot it all down again. There are enough other good books and movies out there which affirm and don't undermine a Christian family's faith and values. I’ve heard people say that these books are beneficial because they encourage reluctant readers to read. Yes, literacy is important, but why? Because the words and ideas are important! Someone might say, “Well, these books teach valuable lessons about kindness or courage.”  So maybe they do, but if so, who do you want teaching your child lessons about right and wrong?  Someone who is casting spells, which is a practice that is detestable to God? We can do better than this!  If my theme in life is to glorify God, to teach my children his mighty acts, to sing his praises, and to celebrate his goodness, then I would be “shooting myself in the foot” to then turn around and make light of the things which deeply grieve God. I do not want to see pictures or descriptions of “benevolent” wizards, or the “good” people using crystal balls, magic wands, or anything like that.  I’m not saying that this sort of story will never slip into our house, but I’d rather err on the side of being too cautious than to not care at all.

  BEYOND PICTURE BOOKS

Children eventually need to be able to sit and pay attention to the spoken word alone.  This helps them form pictures in their minds based on the descriptive words in the text. 

Transition into text-only books with lightly illustrated books.   These will increase your child’s attention span, while still providing