Homeschool Review: The Brinkman Adventures, Season 6 #hsreviews #AudioDrama #MissionaryStories #AudioMissionaryDrama #BrinkmanAdventures

I fell in love with the exciting Brinkman Adventures years ago, and I am always looking forward to the release of new stories.  For purposes of review, we received the Digital Version of Season 6: Underground Rising and we couldn't wait to jump in and get started to see where we would be traveling on mission this time.  How perfect was it that this season started us off with a visit to World War II since that is exactly our focus in history this semester?  GOD's perfect timing -- I love it!

Season 6:  Underground Rising contains six missionary stories in just over 2 hours of listening time.  This is perfect family listening for a long car ride together (headed on vacation or to visit family for the holidays?  Don't forget to take your CDs.) or can even be used during your family devotion time.  Listening to one episode each evening would make for some great discussions about how much GOD loves each and every one of us and would be a beautiful way to incorporate mission education and prayer into your family time.   Be forewarned though:  Once you start listening along, you may not want to stop.  And you are definitely going to want to have a map handy to mark all of the neat places you learn about.  In Season 6 alone, we visited the Netherlands, Wisconsin, India, Thailand, and Myanmar/Burma.


Each episode of the Brinkman Adventures is based on true accounts of real missionaries in GOD's service on the mission field.  Although some names and details must be changed in order to protect their calling and keep their familes secure, all of the stories are true.  The stories are active and draw you right into the midst of them.  As we "listen", we "see".  That said, it makes it tough to choose a "favorite" story.   Each and every episode tugs at my heartstrings -- and quite often bring me to tears as I listen.  The first two episodes of Season 6 take us underground in Nazi-occupied Holland where Jewish families need help to survive and episode four reminds us to trust GOD's plan -- even when it takes you far away from home to India -- where you know no one.  Episode three reminded me that I am offered grace because I am a follower of the KING's SON.

Hearing a roomful of children and teens pray to accept JESUS as their SAVIOUR as they begin to realize what unconditional love truly is brought me to tears.  Y'all . . . this is what it's all about.  Only JESUS can change the hearts of people and these audio dramas put us right in the midst of GOD at work.  Following GOD is not always easy, but it is always, always the right path.  I need the reminder for myself -- and I want my children to hear it often.  More than anything else, I desire for my children to give themselves fully to JESUS.  I appreciate the engaging way the Brinkman Adventures encourage us to wholeheartedly follow GOD.  Every time.  Even when we don't see how.

The last two episodes grabbed my attention immediately as they introduced us to Dave and Karen Eubanks -- a Green Beret and Special Education teacher.  My brother is a Green Beret and it was a perfect calling for his life.  Listening to Dave's call to full-time missions was intriguing and I appreciate so much how GOD prepares us for HIS ultimate plan in ways that we least expect.  It is the perfect reminder that GOD works through our lives and only HE sees the big picture.  I also appreciate that when listening along might get tough or intense, the Brinkman Adventures suggest that families listen together.  The gunfire is real, the danger is evident, but what a blessing that the focus is always on the health of the family unit.  These are mission stories that you will want to hear over and over.  They never get old and they remind us what our mission at home should be as well:

Love each other.
Unite in a work for freedom, justice, and peace.
Forgive and don't hate each other.
Pray with faith.
Act with courage.
Never surrender.

One of my favorite things about the Brinkman Adventures is that you can find the backstories of each episode on the website, follow the family blog, and meet the real-life missionary family that the adventures are based upon.  There are pictures, videos, and more detailed information about each person and location mentioned.  This is a great resource that helps us put faces to the missionary stories.  It helps us to remember that they are real people sharing JESUS in real time.

I especially enjoyed reading through the Real Stories for Season 6 and seeing the beautiful pictures of Omie's special tea cups because I have been an avid collector of all things tea party for as long as I can remember.  Some of my very favorite teacups and teapots (pictured below) belonged to my grandmother, too, and I love holding them close as I remember the stories that she used to share with me.  What a precious memory brought to mind while listening to the first two episodes.

The "extras" provided in the Real Stories section are fascinating and cover a wide variety of information that really makes a huge difference in how you listen to the audio dramas. Don't skip this section.  It is an invaluable resource for your homeschool.  There are videos, recipes, maps, and more.  It's fun to journey along with real-life people as they visit the same places the Brinkman family has taken us.

You are going to want to make sure and check out the Facebook page, too.  I think you'll enjoy the podcasts links and featured articles there that direct us all to a life of on-mission service.

And finally, jump on over and order up some adventure for yourself.  Brinkman Adventures is offering a 10% discount for my readers this month.  What a great way to kick off Fall!  

We love every episode we've listened to and are always anxiously awaiting the next.  This is a the perfect time to share it with your family -- and stock up for Christmas, too.


As always, I'd love to hear how GOD speaks to you through the Brinkman family escapades.  Please, please share with me what HE is sharing with you and yours.  Let's speak life together.

I was given the opportunity to review Season 6: Underground Rising of the 
Brinkman Adventures as a member of the Homeschool Review Crew.   You can check out the Crew Review and see what other members of the Homeschool Review Crew thought of these adventures by clicking on the graphic below.

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Homeschool Review: Books of the Bible At-a-Glance #hsreviews #BooksOfTheBible #BibleSummarySheets #BiblePrintables

I was talking with one of our ministry leaders yesterday about the fact that basic Bible information seems to be lost.  Kids don't know BASIC information and it just grieves my heart.  We conducted an informal poll a few weeks ago to see just how many "stories" from the Bible that the middle schoolers could recall and were shocked to see the lists they came up with.  On average, a Wednesday-night-only student could list a few facts for about 7 stories from the Bible.  A Sunday/Wednesday student could only recall about 10 different stories.  This led us to keep asking questions and we stopped some of the high school students to ask them to name as many Bible stories as they could.  The results were similar.  Too similar.  There's a disconnect with basic Bible knowledge and we want to do better.  The truth of the matter though is that far too many adults don't know basic information either.

What are we missing as we teach?  How can we better introduce GOD's Word to children, students, and adults and help them to fall in love with it for themselves?  How can we better explain that the Bible is one beautiful love letter from GOD to each of us and it is relevant to our everyday life?  How can we break it down so that it doesn't seem so daunting at first glance -- and so that people will have a DESIRE to dive deeper into it?  I have spent the past few weeks reading through and teaching from the Books of the Bible At-a-Glance reference sheets from Teach Sunday School and I'm praying that they will be a difference maker in how we raise students up to do church outside the walls of the church building.

These are the questions that I start every lesson with in both Children's Ministry and Middle School Ministry:

How many books are in the Bible?  [66]

How many "parts" is the Bible divided into?  [2]

What are those parts of the Bible called?  [Old and New Testament]

How many books are in the Old Testament?  [39]

How many books are in the New Testament?  [27]

What is the first book of the Bible?  [Genesis -- which means beginning]

What is the last book of the Bible?  [Revelation]

What are the Books of Law?  [Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy]

What are the Gospels?  [Matthew, Mark, Luke, John]

They are basic Bible facts that I think every student should know.  They just scratch the surface of all that students need to know for life, but they offer a beginning and I am able to add more  and more information each week.  For example, this week I added these questions to our introduction:

What book is smack dab in the middle of the Bible?  [Psalms]

How many chapters does Psalms have?  [150]

Over how many years was the Bible written?  [1500]

How many different authors were inspired by GOD to write it?  [40]

What languages was it written in?  [Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek]

Did you notice that the questions are getting a little more difficult?  I know that our kids can handle it and I know that they can fall in love with reading their Bibles.  It's our goal that children and middle schoolers move into high school knowing what GOD's Word says and that means we do what we need to in order to provide them the right tools for learning.  The overview of each book provided from the Books of the Bible At-a-Glance is fast becoming one of my all-time favorite tools.

Books of the Bible At-a-Glance is a book-by-book printable that offers an idividual summary sheet of each of the 66 books of the Bible.  These "cheat sheets" provide a plethora of information for budding Bible scholars and have become the perfect training tool for use in both Bible Drill and Middle School Bible Study.   We want to make sure that each student has exactly what they need to become passionate about GOD's Word so we start by putting an age-appropriate copy of it in their hands.  We give them a Bible and encourage them to own it by underlining, highlighting, and making notes right on the pages of it.  Add to that a 3-ring-binder with a copy of the Books of the Bible At-a-Glance and you have the perfect combination for study.

Each page follows the same format so students can open right up and easily find out about a specific book of the Bible.  The At-a-Glance page lists the proper name of the book, the order it falls in either the Old or New Testament (there's a number and a slide graph showing where it falls), the author of the book, the date in which the book was written (or the approximation if it's hard to know for sure) and the time period which it covers, the "claim to fame" for the book (something that really sets it apart from the others), famous stories found in the Old Testament books and problems addressed in the New Testament books, famous or most referenced verses in each book, and the important points about each book.  As you can see in the picture below, the pages are clear, concise, and easy-to-read.  They are visually appealing and easy-to-use and help students identify what is important to remember about each particular book.  We are finding them to be just as engaging for adults as they are for 3rd graders. 

The only things that aren't already identified on the page for you are the division that the particular book is in (Law, History, Wisdom & Poetry, Major Prophets, and Minor Prophets in the Old Testament; Gospels, History, Paul's Letters, General Letters, and Prophecy in the New Testament) and the number of chapters in each book, so we have students write those two things on their copies of the pages in their notebooks.  This hands-on approach is perfect for reinforcing placement and helping them learn how to find an "address" in the Bible.

It makes for a great study guide to the entire Bible -- and my students add notes that they want to remember as we talk about different passages in class.  For example, in class Wednesday night we discussed a series of the longest and the shortest.  We went searching for these as a way to become more comfortable with GOD's Word.  Students looked up the longest book in the Bible [Psalms], the shortest book in the Bible [2 John], the longest chapter in the Bible [Psalm 119], the shortest chapter in the Bible [Psalm 117], the longest verse in the Bible [Esther 8:9], and the shortest chapter in the Bible [John 11:35].  They were able to make these notes on their Books of the Bible At-a-Glance pages, making the notebooks even more valuable to them.  I love watching them own it -- and I love watching the adults own it, too.  We are all learning so much MORE as we study and read together.

You can find even more information about the Books of the Bible At-a-Glance when you visit the following Social Media pages.  Trust me on this one -- you are going to want a copy of this printable for yourself.

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Books of the Bible At-a-Glance is a great discipleship tool.  Check it out.

I was given the opportunity to review the Books of the Bible At-a-Glance reference sheets from Teach Sunday School as a member of the Homeschool Review Crew.   You can check out the Crew Review and see what other members of the Homeschool Review Crew thought of these handy summary sheets by clicking on the graphic below.

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Homeschool Review: Critical Thinking Detective Vocabulary (Book 1) #TheCriticalThinkingCo #HSReviews

We are in the home stretch of our homeschooling journey as my "baby" completes her Junior year of high school.  Only one more year and she will be thinking about college.  Of course, each child is different and that calls for a unique approach to how we best school them.  I hope that I have correctly looked at the individual strengths and weaknesses of each of my four children and picked the best path for their specific learning style.  The Critical Thinking Co.™  has offered some neat things to use in this approach over the years, so I was especially happy to introduce the Critical Thinking Detective:  Vocabulary to my daughter.  I know that we need more work on vocabulary and writing skills and this little gem provides some of both.


Written for students in grades 5 - 12, this vocabulary workbook (softcover, 38-pages) offers vocabulary word development in the form of mysteries that need to be solved using your knowledge of words and their meanings.  Acting as the "lead detective," students work through 12 different "cases" to solve problems as presented.  Each "case" contains 18 - 25 vocabulary words that students MUST define and understand in order to prove the guilt or innocence of the given suspects.  They use the vocabulary words to define the parameters of each case, using a process of elimination to make an "arrest."  After students determine the guilt or innocence of the suspects and solve the mystery, they have additional practice using the vocabulary words in a separate fill-in-the-blank activity.  It's really a fun way expand your vocabulary and prepare for standardized tests.  The majority of the workbook is printed in black and white, but the suspects are pictured in bright spots of color for each case.  This helps keeps you interested and makes you want to solve the next case.

The deal is, these aren't easy words.  Using a combination of the hardest words from the SATs and the top words most commonly looked up on an online dictionary, students are stretched and challenged as they explore synonyms and antonyms and use critical thinking skills to narrow down the "suspects" through a process of elimination.  This means that you have to understand BIG WORDS or at least words that aren't used in the normal day-to-day conversation in order to follow the evidence presented in each case.   And if you don't understand the words, you've got to look them up, figure them out, and make them make sense.

Critical Thinking Detective:  Vocabulary offers a fast-paced review, but it's tough.  The page below shows my daughter's first attempt at solving the case of The Antique Double-Dealer.  She thought she would sit down and whiz through the workbook, but was stopped in her tracks and forced to spend some time pondering over each sentence.  I love that she's been challenged to learn new words and to make sure she understands how to use them in the correct context.  I also like that she's honing a new skill -- using a real-life dictionary.  My go-to resource in college was a rather large blue dictionary and I was happy to share it with her.  Yes, I know that it would be MUCH EASIER for her to find these words online, but I like seeing her look through the pages to find the words she is unsure of.

Meant to be used as a supplement, Critical Thinking Detective:  Vocabulary offers additional practice for any grammar curriculum and will help boost your student's conversation skills to a new level.  Personally, I don't want my daughter to just "work through" the pages of vocabulary.  I prefer that she "learn through" the pages instead and I've encouraged her to spend time incorporating the new words into her world through conversation and writing.  As I type this, she is writing a Bill at Girl's State that proposes new drivers must watch a video on the dangers of texting and driving before they take their permit licensing test -- and she's using the very vocabulary words she's been studying. THAT is what it's all about, folks.  Real-life knowledge that becomes real-life skill.

For more information about the many resources offered from The Critical Thinking Co.™  please visit the following Social Media sites:

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You'll want to also make sure to visit the reviews of my fellow Crew members as we are reviewing 6 different resources that will help empower the mind of our children.


As an added bonus, The Critical Thinking Co.™ is offering the following coupon and freebie to my readers:

Free Critical Thinking Puzzles!

A $75 Value! Delivered weekly to your inbox. Choose PreK – Grade 8. Sign Up Now!

https://www.criticalthinking.com/toscrew

Special Offer from CriticalThinking.com!

Free Shipping + 15% Off Any Size Order! Use Coupon Code: TOSCREW18. Expires 12/31/2018.

I was given the opportunity to review the Critical Thinking Detective:  Vocabulary book from The Critical Thinking Co.™ as a member of the Homeschool Review Crew.   Make sure that you visit the  Crew Review to see what other members of the Crew thought of all of these great resources.  You can click on the picture below to jump right over there.  

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Homeschool Review: Kayla Jarmon Books #hsreviews #Christianmoms #Christianfamilies #proverbs31girl #Christianlife #Christianbloggers #Christianwriters #Christianauthor

Every so often, I have the pleasure of reviewing books outside of the parameters of "school" and I have to admit that I like it.  I like it a lot.  I have always enjoyed reading, but  I especially enjoy sharing quality books with the children that I love and minister to at church.  I was excited when I was given the opportunity to read these three precious books from Kayla Jarmon and share them with you.  I very much like the heart that shines through the pages as I read, and I think you will, too.  Kayla Jarmon is just the kind of friend we all need in our lives.  
Kayla began her writing career by writing poetry as a young girl and she easily progressed to writing stories for her children.  She is a natural storyteller and we are all blessed with the fruits of her labor.  The books that I have been enjoying are A Boy and His Dog, Don’t Forget Me, and Dying Is Part of This World.   Don’t Forget Me and Dying Is Part of This World are both included in her Discussion Series which offers parents an easy way to approach difficult topics with their children through conversations that contemplate the truths of GOD.

Now, we are definitely dog people at our house and we have loved special dogs like crazy through the years.  One of my all-time favorite pictures is of my favorite son and his sidekick, Bubba.  The first book that I received access to is called A Boy and His Dog and it walks us through a day of fun-filled activity of a boy and his best companion.  As I read through the pages, I could just see my almost 19-year-old man-child running through the woods with his dog by his side way back in the day.  Oh, the fun those two could have together -- and the beautiful bond they shared.  In this 44-page book, Kayla captures the heart of a little boy as she chronicles his day from wake-up to fall asleep with a furry, four-legged friend by his side.  This book is perfect for all of the boys (and men) in our lives who have an unshakeable bond with their dog.

Don’t Forget Me is a 70-page conversation that takes place between a baby held safely in  his mother's womb and the AUTHOR and GIVER of life.  What I absolutely love about this book is that GOD reminds the sweet baby the HE is always here.  The baby doesn't understand the importance of GOD telling him repeatedly to "Remember, I'm here," but as the time draws close for him to meet his parents, GOD gently nudges him and shares that "Forgetting is easy in the world."  Oh, what truth.  How often we forget the GOD who loves us unconditionally as we become enamored with the things of the world.  When birth is near and the baby begins to feel the pain of labor, GOD speaks softly and says "The joy's coming, and when it comes neither of you will remember the pain or the sorrow, because the joy will be so great."   What a tender moment to share with the children we love so dearly.  They are worth the pain and the sorrow because the JOY of holding them close is worth it all.  Don’t Forget Me ends with Scripture References that will take you straight to GOD's Word for such conversations starters as Birth Pain and Sorrow Turned to Joy, Made By GOD, and Children are a Gift.

Book 2 in the Discussion Series is entitled DyingIs Part of This World.  This 58-page book is divided into 7 chapters.  Each chapter is short (2-5 pages) and can easily be read in one sitting.   Dying Is Part of This World tackles the hard subjects of what death is and what happens when someone dies.  Kayla takes what is usually a very difficult conversation with littles and weaves GOD's Word throughout in such a way that makes it much easier to deal with, talk about, and understand.  She explains that it is okay to be sad when someone dies, but that we were not meant for this world long-term.  Praise GOD that this earth is not our home!  She also explains that what awaits us in Heaven is beautiful and perfect and that there is no sadness there. 
I like how Kayla explains that there are no constraints of time in Heaven and I appreciate the websites she shares for further study on the topic of Time Here and There.  She includes Scripture References at the end of each chapter that bring comfort and peace and help to further explain the theology behind death.  There are also 5 Discussion Questions at the end of each chapter that help open up a dialogue between parent and child to make sure that everyone is understanding what is being read and discussed.  Dying Is Part of This World is beautifully written and brings comfort to the young and old.



For more information on great children's books written from a Christian perspective, please visit the following Social Media sites:

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For purposes of review, I was given access to pdf flip-books that we could read together online.  All three books are available to purchase in paperback format and will also be available on Kindle.  It is also worth noting that Kayla working on a radio drama/audiobook format as well.  I can't wait to hear those.

I was given the opportunity to review these three precious books from Kayla Jarmon as a member of the Homeschool Review Crew.   Make sure that you visit the  Crew Review to see what other members of the Crew thought of these sweet titles, too.  You can click on the picture below to jump right over there.  

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Homeschool Review: YWAM Publishing's Billy Graham #hsreviews #YWAMPublishing #ChristianHeroes #ChristianBiographies #Truebiographies #HeroesofHistory #HeroBiographies #TrueStories #ChristianHeroesThenandNow #Homeschoolcurriculum #Teachthemwell

You might remember me sharing that my mother-in-love gifted us with a set of books years ago that shared the inspiring stories of Christian heroes and missionaries and we all fell in love with them.  We've enjoyed reading quite a few titles from YWAM Publishing ever since and couldn't wait to get our hands on Heroes of History - Billy Graham: America's Pastor (206-pages, softcover) when the opportunity to review arose again.

We have previously enjoyed reading and reviewing two other books from the Heroes of History series (Milton Hershey:  More Than Chocolate and Ben Carson:  A Chance at Life) and one from the Christian Heroes:  Then & Now series (Jim Elliot:  One Great Purpose).  All of these books are available in either paperback or e-book format and there are Downloadable Unit Studies/Curriculum Guides available for most every title.  Bring on the Study Guides!  You already know how much I appreciate the way these guides add a new dimension to our living history studies and the Billy Graham Unit Study is no exception.

I was about 10 years old when I saw Billy Graham in person.  He held a rally in Jackson, MS and my family was in attendance.  (Sidenote:  the MainMost was there with his family, too, although it would be quite a few years before our paths crossed.)  I will never forget hearing that distinct voice as Billy Graham shared the LOVE of JESUS with a packed-out crowd.  My uncle was a music minister and was helping to lead music at the crusade so we were invited backstage before the service began.  I was in awe then, and I am still in awe today, of a man who was totally and completely sold-out to GOD.  Over the years, I've read several of the books he has written and many of his wife Ruth's books, so I was overjoyed to share this book about him with my children.  Of course, they know who Billy Graham is and have heard me say many times that I firmly believe that GOD had placed Billy in this particular time in history to walk us through some pretty tough things as a nation, but I wanted them to understand a bit about the man behind the passion for themselves so that they could fully appreciate his calling.

Divided into 17 chapters, Billy Graham:  America's Pastor welcomes the reader to walk alongside one of the greatest men of all times and join him on the day-to-day.  We have learned so many things as we study the pages of this book.  Did you know that Billy Graham used to be called Billy Frank?  We didn't either.  At the ripe old age of 13, when Billy Frank asked JESUS to come into his heart and become LORD of his life, he dropped the Frank to signify to himself and those who knew him that he was a new creation in CHRIST.  What a wonderful thing for my children to read -- and even better was for them to find out that Billy gave his testimony for the first time at the ripe old age of 16.  He was nervous and awkward and stumbled over his words, but he spoke when called upon and GOD was faithful to the one HE had called.  How important it is to me that my children see the footsteps of FAITH and the FAITHFULNESS of the FATHER.

Billy Graham:  America's Pastor is written in a conversational tone that makes it easy to understand.  Through its pages we see the calling and the shaping of the called.  Billy Graham was energized as he spoke about JESUS and he did not shy away from speaking truth to anyone -- presidents, foreign leaders, rich, poor, famous, or just regular folks like me and you -- Billy knew that we all need a relationship with GOD and he shared just how to have that.  He was on a mission and nothing derailed him from that mission.  Did you know he even turned down a visit with the Prime Minister because GOD was sending him elsewhere?  This book invites you in to his life and travels and introduces you to his family and friends in such a way that you'll feel like you've known them all of your life.  Billy Graham was such a national treasure for us all and I'm overjoyed that my children now have a better understanding of who he was.  It makes their work with Operation Christmas Child a little sweeter because they know the man who raised and loved its founder, Franklin Graham.

One of my favorite things about YWAM Publishing is that they offer such great resources to complement good literature.  What I like about the Study Guides is that they give ample opportunity for students to take the reading of a book SEVERAL steps further.  With guides for small groups, classroom use, and homeschoolers, they make it easy to pick up and learn.  The Unit Study Curriculum Guide for Billy Graham is divided into two parts.  Part One is 74-pages long and Part Two is 5-pages long.  Part Two contains the Social Studies reproducible resources to be used with the Social Studies chapter of Part One.

Part One contains 8 Chapters.  There are Key Quotes that complement the book and could be used for memorization, a Display Corner that offers suggestions to make this a hands-on study with timelines and pictures displayed in a corner or room of your home, Chapter Questions that break down each chapter of the book with pertinent questions to aid your students in reading comprehension (answers are provided in the appendix), and Student Exploration options that contain activities to reflect a variety of learning styles (arts & crafts always call to my daughter, but online videos appeal to my son).   We have discussed the Community Links chapter and enjoy finding evangelical offerings right here at home and appreciate both the Related Themes and Culminating Events chapters because they ecourage us to stretch outside our comfort zone when we near the completion of our study.  We aren't there, yet, but we are discussing how to celebrate Billy Graham when we finish this study.  BUT  . . . my all-time favorite chapter of the Study Guide is the Social Studies chapter.  I love the maps and timeline and so does my girl.  You can see her progress below as she marks places significant to Billy's life in red and cities where he held rallies in purple.  A fun way for us to personalize this is to mark the places that we've actually been and visited.  It's a neat way to bring it all home.

The entirety of the Study Guide is designed to open up conversation and that it does.  I can think of nothing better for us to talk about that the beauty of what the LOVE of GOD provides HIS people.



For more information on finding quality literature for your study of Heroes of History and Christian Heroes:  Then & Now, please visit the following Social Media sites:

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You will definitely want to check out the two newest hero titles.  Benjamin Rush: The Common Good (a Heroes of History title) and John Newton: Change of Heart (a Christian Heroes: Then & Now title) have just been release this month.  I can't wait to add them to our library.

I was given the opportunity to review Heroes of History - Billy Graham: America's Pastor from YWAM Publishing as a member of the Homeschool Review Crew.   Make sure that you visit the  Crew Review to see what other members of the Crew thought of it and other titles, too.  You can click on the picture below to jump right over there.  

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Homeschool Review: Planet 316 Story Bible #hsreviews #planet316 #planet316storybible #childsbible #bible

So here's the deal . . . if I find something that makes the Bible come to life in such a way that the kids in my ministry want to dig deeper into GOD's Word, then I'm excited.  I can think of absolutely nothing better than watching children jump into the Bible with smiles on their faces.  I wish that you could hear the giggles and conversation that surround me when I share the Planet 316 Story Bible and the companion Planet 316 Story Bible App on Sunday nights in Children's Worship.  Planet 316 and WorthyKids/Ideals have hit it out of the ballpark with this resource and I am all in.  Y'all, words do not do this justice.  There's something special about watching children start to own their study of the Bible and the delight on their faces when Bible characters come to life before their eyes is priceless.


They say a picture is worth a thousand words and I agree.  The pictures below show how involved the children become when we pull out our Planet 316 Story Bible.  The Augmented Reality feature of the book when combined with the Planet 316 Story Bible App is super cool because it transforms the mere reading of a story into a first-hand experiencing of the story.  So how does this work?  You simply download the free app, open it up, and hold it over the pages of the Story Bible.  The app scans the pages and the scene jumps off of the page.  There is music, characters speak at the touch of the screen, and animals moo, coo, and chirp -- all designed to bring the Bible alive.   And guess what?  Each character has a different voice (Moses even has a slight southern twang, so you know that makes us smile).  One of my favorites is listening to sweet 3-year-old JESUS giggle when the Wise Men present HIM with their gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 

The Planet 316 Story Bible itself is a beautifully illustrated, hardcover book (304-pages) that can be read and enjoyed as a stand-alone resource.  It contains over 100 Bible stories divided into the Old and New Testaments.  The stories are clearly labeled as to where in the Bible you find them.  They begin with Creation in Genesis 1 and continue all the way to The Return of JESUS through Revelation 22.  In Children's Worship, the kids love to take turns choosing the story and interacting with the screen.  Noah's Ark was lots of fun because of all the different animal sounds, but hearing GOD speak through the crackle of fire from the burning bush and watching Pharoah run from the hoards of buzzing flies made studying Moses one of the best experiences ever.  The children enjoyed watching Goliath fall after that small stone went whirring throught the air and were impressed with the lapping waves of water after Peter took his eyes off of JESUS.

Don't those smiles warm your heart?  This innovative interactive Bible experience is one that I'm now recommending to all of the families in our children's ministry.  There is a ton of technology that is after the hearts and minds of those we hold most dear.  Why not put GOD's Word in their hands instead?

For more information about the Planet 316 Story Bible and the companion Planet 316 Story Bible App from Planet 316 and WorthyKids/Ideals, please visit the following Social Media sites:

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This is a Bible and App that is worth having -- and sharing.  I know you will enjoy it as much as we do.

I was given the opportunity to review the Planet 316 Story Bible and the companion Planet 316 Story Bible App from Planet 316 and WorthyKids/Ideals as a member of the Homeschool Review Crew.   Make sure that you visit the  Crew Review to see what other members of the Crew thought of it, too.  You can click on the picture below to jump right over there.  

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