Bible Journals--Reading Through the New Testament

My Matthew 11--Jesus promises to carry my burdens!

Hi Everyone!

I thought I would share an idea we are doing in our home school recently, just in case it is a good fit for anyone else out there. . . 

With the coming of the New Year, it is always a good opportunity to have a little re-evaluation of your home school.  Just a time of reflection of what is working, what is not, and what perhaps you want to do more of or even less of.

One thing that always stands out to me when I evaluate our home school, is that my ultimate goal is to lead my children to Christ.  Yes, I know--I cannot choose Christ for them.  If I could, I would, trust me!  :)  But while it will be up to them whether or not they choose to follow Jesus with their lives, while they are still living under my influence I feel strongly that I need to teach them about Him.  

And what better way to learn of Him, than straight from His Word?

I read somewhere recently that there were just 260 chapters in the New Testament, and there are 262 week days in a year.  So if a parent read with their child just one chapter per day during the week, you could read your way through the entire New Testament during the course of a year and still have two days "extra" for make up days.  That thought really struck me.  I have read the entire Bible through myself several times, but I have never read through the Bible with my child.  Of course, the goal is not to read THROUGH the Bible--the goal is to learn of HIM through the Bible.  Finishing the last page is not the reward, but knowing Him is.

With this mulling around in my mind, I thought about how I could apply this into our lives, into our home school.  And as I thought about it, I became convicted that I needed to do this, and the key would be doing it WITH our daughter, not as another assignment for her to do by herself.  To read through the New Testament together, discussing and sharing as we went along.  

So God gave me a plan.  It is simple, but I don't know but sometimes the very best plans ARE the simple ones.  And it has been such a blessing to me even in this short time that I would not hesitate to recommend this idea even to adults just doing it by themselves, if you don't happen to have a child handy! ;)  And it does not matter that we are a ways into the New Year already--we did not start at the beginning of January because I had not even read about this idea until the month had already started.  Remember that the goal is to get to know Jesus, not to finish by a certain date.  For materials all you need is a notebook of some type--don't worry about being fancy, we are just using a spiral notebook--and your Bible. :)

So here's the plan:

1)  Read through a chapter together--for my daughter and I, we are actually reading the chapter and at the same time listening to it on the dramatized Bible, so we are reading AND hearing.  I love the dramatized Bible!  We listen using a free Bible Gateway app.

2)  Draw a picture from the chapter.  This can be anything you want--either something literally from the chapter, or something that the chapter made you think of that is more of an application of what that chapter is talking about.  And yes--stick figures are just fine!!!!  Even for adults!

3)  Write a verse.  Choose any verse from the chapter--the one that speaks most to your heart or stands out the most to you.  Our verses that we write end up in a way being the caption for whatever picture we draw.

4)  Write something that you learned from that chapter.  This might not be a "something new that you didn't know before" kind of thing.  Just anything that that chapter is trying to teach.  The big picture summary, the thing that God speaks to you about.

5)  Write a question about that chapter.  Sometimes my daughter will have very literal questions such as "How many 10 year olds were there in the crowd?"  But it is also a good time to really apply this chapter to your life and give yourself a question to think about.

And there you have it--our little Bible Journal plan.  I am being blessed by doing this, and I love to see our daughter reading and learning how to think about and apply the Bible to her own life.

An example of Matthew 13 from my daughter's Bible Journal, and the same chapter from mine.  This time we choose different verses to illustrate.  Sometimes we end up choosing the same verse.  Always we share when we are finished with our page.

My daughter's Matthew chapter 1.  I love how she illustrated Isaiah giving the prophecy!

My daughter's Matthew 4.  I love her "Something Learned"--that the devil knows the Bible.  Shouldn't WE study and learn the Bible as well?

Well, that's it for our Bible Journals.  I hope you will find this idea encouraging to get into our Special Love Letter.  It will be a blessing to you if you do--God has promised!

~Susan

Virtual Field Trip--Gorham/Portlnd Maine

Good Morning Everyone!

Well it's about time!  Time for another Virtual Field Trip, that is!  ;)  So if you would like to join us on another Adventist Historical field trip, just follow the link below and see where Austin and I are taking you this month.  We are guest posting, over here:

Virtual Field Trip--Gorham/Portland Maine

~Susan

Happy New Year!

Good Morning and Happy New Year Everyone!

Yes, yes, I know.  It's been a long time!  I'm still here--have just been super busy since I last posted.  We had a very good Christmas, though, as all of my siblings and their families and our parents were able to meet together at my older sister's house in Florida.  This is not as easy as it might sound, as one sister is a missionary overseas, and my brother is out in Arizona so we are spread far and wide.  In fact, this was the very first Christmas ever that our entire family was together ever since we kids grew up and left home, which has been 25-30 years ago!  So it was very special indeed!

And today marks the beginning of a new year.  A fresh beginning.  A new page in our life's journey.  Do you like to make New Year's resolutions?  I do not usually make a written list of resolutions, as I know only too well how difficult it can be to completely stop or start doing something.  But even though I do not make formal resolutions, that does not mean I do not take some time to reflect on the past year, and to pray about the new year coming.

In my reading this morning, I came across a special letter that I wanted to share parts of with you.  It is rather lengthy, so I will be selecting paragraphs out of it to share, but if you would like to you can always go and read the letter in it's entirety since it is published in a book called "Testimonies for the Church," Vol. 2, by Ellen G. White.  The letter begins on page 261, and is actually a letter that Ellen White wrote to her son on his birthday, when he turned 19 years old.  But even though it was written as a birthday letter, the truths in it are just as applicable when thinking about starting a new calendar year as well.

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"Another year of your life closes today.  How can you look back upon it?  Have you made advancement in the divine life?  Have you increased in spirituality?  Have you crucified self, with the affections and lusts?  Have you an increased interest in the study of God's word?  Have you gained decided victories over your own failings and waywardness?  Oh, what has been the record of your life for the year which has now passed into eternity, never to be recalled?

"As you enter upon a new year, let it be with an earnest resolve to have your course onward and upward.  Let your life be more elevated and exalted than it has hitherto been.  Make it your aim not to seek your own interest and pleasure, but to advance the cause of your Redeemer.  Remain not in a position where you ever need help yourself, and where others have to guard you to keep you in the narrow way.  You may be strong to exert a sanctifying influence upon others.  You may be where your soul's interest will be awakened to do good to others, to comfort the sorrowful, strengthen the weak, and to bear your testimony for Christ whenever opportunity offers.  Aim to honor God in everything, always and everywhere.  Carry your religion into everything.  Be thorough in whatever you undertake.

". . . Be not deceived.  God is not mocked.  Nothing but holiness will prepare you for heaven.  It is sincere, experimental piety alone that can give you a pure, elevated character and enable you to enter into the presence of God, who dwelleth in light unapproachable.  The heavenly character must be acquired on earth, or it can never be acquired at all.  Then begin at once.  Flatter not yourself that a time will come when you can make an earnest effort easier than now.  Every day increases your distance from God.  Prepare for eternity with such zeal as you have not yet manifested.  Educate your mind to love the Bible, to love the prayer meeting, to love the hour of meditation, and, above all, the hour when the soul communes with God.  Become heavenly-minded if you would unite with the heavenly choir in the mansions above.

"A new year of your life now commences.  A new page is turned in the book of the recording angel.  What will be the record upon its pages?  Shall it be blotted with neglect of God, with unfulfilled duties?  God forbid.  Let a record be stamped there which you will not be ashamed to have revealed to the gaze of men and angels."

Greenville, Michigan, July 27, 1868
Testimonies for the Church Vol. 2
p. 261-268, Ellen G. White

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Isn't that letter inspiring?  And sobering?  All at the same time.  The time is now--right now, this minute.  And the goal is Him.  Jesus.  Abiding in Him.  Working in Him.  Communing with Him.  Everything is Him.

A lot of people you see on Face Book choose a word for their word of the year.  I think that is a neat practice, though I have not participated in that myself.  But I think if I were going to, I would have to choose instead a word of my life, and that word could only be "Jesus."  For that is what I want, this year, next year, and every year after that.  Jesus.

And deep down, isn't that also what you want?

Because if we have Him, we have everything.

And without Him, nothing else matters.

Have a beautiful day with your Savior.  And may you grow closer to Him than ever before in this New Year.

~Susan