30 Prophesies: One Story BOOK REVIEW

Disclaimer: I received a FREE copy of this product through the HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way.

What a wonderful resource to have and great timing with our recently reviewed Easter Storybook.  Bible prophecy is powerful and what better way to introduce it to your littles than by reading them 30 Prophecies: One Story (How God's Word Points to Jesus) by Paul Reynolds, illustrated by Sarah Douglas, and published by Christian Focus Publications.  I received a hardback copy of this 100-page book.  It has a sturdy binding and nice heavy-duty semi-gloss pages.

She LOVES to read!!

There is an introduction that describes what it must have been like when Jesus met up with Cleopas and his friend on their walk to Emmaus.  It also covers the format for each story.  Each story covers just 2 pages.  The format for each story is as follows (from page 13 in the book)

• Prophet/Dates - Who was God's messenger, taking the prophecy to the people, and when did it happen?
• Prophecy Made & Prophecy Fulfilled - Direct quotes from the Bible of the prophecy itself and its fulfillment.
• Then and There - What the prophecy meant to the original hearers
• Prophecy Fulfilled - How Jesus fulfills the prophecy
• Scarlet Thread - How does this prophecy fit in with what God is saying about His 'One Story'? The story of how He is saving people from satan and keeping them safe to be with Him forever?
• Application - So you've learned about the prophecy, the fulfillment, and how it ties into God's 'One Story' ... but what does that mean for you?
• Prayer - sample prayer in response to what you have read/learned.

It is written for a read-to-me age of 5-11 and a read-to-myself age of 6-12.  Little Bug is 7 and was able to read it pretty well and because she knows pretty much all the stories in the Bible she was not shocked by any of the content.  There are a few stories (like one of her favorites-I don't know why- about King Herod and the death of the firstborn sons) that you might want to skip for your young child.  As a whole though, these stories are absolutely wonderful to have in your child's tool chest of Bible knowledge.  I really like how it breaks it down into the above sections and helps the reader to decipher what they are reading and what it really means.  There are said to be 353 prophecies of Jesus in the Bible and the author says he has chosen just 30 of those.

Timeline from 2000 BC to 0 AD

There is also a timeline of the biblical authors of each of the books covered in the stories that spans from 2000 BC to 0 AD.  It is broken down by authors and the chapters from the book where they are found.  The prophecies are also broken down into three sections that include:

• From the Fall to King David
• Major and Minor Prophets
• Prophecies Made by Jesus about Himself

Table of contents

It is more of a teaching book rather than an enjoyable story format, but that being said, what a wonderful resource to pair with a related Bible story from your child's favorite Bible storybook.  It can really help the older ones to break the stories down and gain deeper insight into what the story is really trying to convey and how it all works together in the big picture.  Little Bug just read this at bedtime with her daddy for their nighttime story reading.  I will be continuing to use the resource in our ongoing Bible study lessons during homeschool time.  I think it is even great for my high school student who could use some clarity at times with subjects such as Bible prophecy.

I think my favorite part is the Scarlet Thread sections.  What a wonderful thing to have in each story.  I appreciate the thought and insight put into these sections that get our kids to really see the purpose of what is happening.  That and the fact that each story is only 2 pages which keeps you from getting too bogged down into the story or missing the simple point of what is being said and conveyed in God's word. I keep calling them stories but they are truly short excerpts, prophecy statements, that are broken down for the reader to understand what is being said.

10 Key Memory Verses

Character Profiles on Bible study story authors

The last chapter, Chapter 30, is an epilogue that Jesus will come again.  The book concludes with 10 key memory verses about Messianic prophecy, Character Profiles (of the authors of the books of the Bible covered and listed in the timeline), and Prophecies broken down into sections with related scripture references.  The sections include the following:

• Prophecies about Jesus' Birth
• Prophecies about Jesus' Death
• Prophecies about Jesus' Resurrection
• Prophecies about Jesus' Betrayal and Rejection
• Prophecies about What Jesus Did
• Prophecies about Who Jesus Is

We give 30 Prophecies: One Story two thumbs up.  It will be a treasured resource book in my arsenal for Bible study.  You can connect with Christian Focus on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM, and YOUTUBE.  Please also be sure to click on the graphic link below to see what my fellow Crew members have to say about this Bible prophecy resource and the two other books reviewed Psalms for my Day and Not If, But When (Preparing our Children for Worldly Images).

Something New, A Garden Mini Video Update

Just a quick video update on the garden.  Can't wait to get planting.  Broccoli and cauliflower are already in but must get the rest going. Our last frost dates are supposed to be about May 1 to 10 but I think I am going to start planting this weekend.  Close enough, right??!  If we get a late frost I will just need to scramble and cover things up.  Hopefully all will be good :)  Happy planting!

April 2020 Garden Update

I just love this time of year when everything is starting all over.  The perennials are sprouting everywhere and things are green again.  My rhubarb and apple mint are going crazy.  So is the peppermint, citrus mint, and chocolate mint plants.  The strawberries are blooming, the asparagus is coming up (we've already harvested about 10 spears or so over the past week), and the hostas are coming right along.

Asparagus with strawberries

Horseradish

Blooming strawberries

Each year seems to get a little better in our garden plot.  The area is approximately 30 feet by 50 feet.  It has gone through a LOT of changes over the years.  First, we tilled and direct sowed, then we dug trenches and created 30 inch wide raised bed areas (that was very successful).  The problem was always the horrible weeds that kept taking everything over no matter what we did or how much we mulched.  We finally decided to try square foot gardening in raised beds and that has been a pretty successful work in progress.  We started with wooden 4 foot by 4 foot beds that eventually rotted out so we started replacing them with composite board kits specially made for square foot gardening. I kept finding them on sale for dirt cheap and as we did this we extended most of the beds to eliminate as many aisles as possible (more planting area, less weed space).

Apple mint and asparagus beds with cinder blocks

Our 4 x 4 raised beds turned into 4 x 12 beds and even one 4 x 20 foot bed!  We connected the strawberry beds together to form two 4 x 12 areas. One area houses all strawberries and the other has strawberries and rhubarb plants.  I am working on getting strawberries established in the asparagus bed to help suppress the weeds that always grow and to of course gain more strawberries!  We diminished our aisle space tremendously and kept up with the weeds pretty well last year.  The beds have very few weeds throughout the growing season due to the mulch layer (LOTS of chicken compost and wood shavings!).  What grows up over the winter and into early spring is easily eradicated as you can see from the work in progress pictures.

Heavy grass growth in the aisles from year to year and over winter.

Prior to weeding bed

After weeding, putting down more mulch, and beginning
to lay landscape fabric into the aisles

The apple mint and asparagus beds that have been connected have always been an eyesore and never well maintained.  I had seen where one raised bed option was to use cinder blocks.  It got me thinking.  Could we use that in this area?  We decided to try it this year and I think we are REALLY going to like this!  I am excited to see how it will fare over the summer.  If we can conquer this area in the weed department we will have accomplished something we have not been able to do for years.  I also saw where one of the homesteaders that I watch on YouTube uses commercial landscape fabric for their entire garden with no mulch or other cover at all.  We are trying that this year too and I like it!

I like the clean look of the fabric.  We are still working on it.

I am chomping at the bit and cannot wait to get the planting going.  We have broccoli and cauliflower in a bed already, but so much more needs to be planted.  Our last frost date is supposed to be after May 1-10.  I need to be patient!  I am really looking forward to the harvest this year.  Each year the structure gets better with the improvements we are working on.  This year might prove to be successful in the weed suppression department, I sure hope so anyway!  How does your garden grow?  Is it planting season yet where you are?  Hoping we all have a successful growing season.  Many blessings to you and yours.

I can't wait to get these in the ground!