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Ladies,

It is time to share our next sneak peek, and it is one that with the passing of my Dad this week is nearer and dearer to my heart than ever. For Bible in the World History Guide, we will be scheduling The Most Important Thing You'll Ever Study: A Survey of the Old Testament by Starr Meade.

Starr Meade is the author of Grandpa's Box, which we carry and schedule in Preparing Hearts for His Glory. The Most Important Thing You'll Ever Study is an amazing course that guides students in a walk through the Bible from beginning to end to better understand the big picture. Understanding the big picture is truly an area where Starr Meade has been gifted by The Lord. Meade guides students to know what God is like, what He requires, and how to have a right relationship with Him through reading His precious Word. God chose to reveal Himself to us through the written Word, His Holy Book the Bible. To see God's overall message, the Bible is to be read like any other book... from beginning to end.

To gather the Bible's meaning, we need to study and analyze it. We need to think deeply about the it. Meade shares that each book of the Bible has at least one or more main arguments and important points to make. Following these arguments and points requires study. Of course, we need to turn this "head knowledge" into "heart knowledge," affecting how we live out of our lives. But, as God's Word says, "Knowledge (of God) is the beginning of wisdom."

Meade shares that she looks upon her survey of the Bible as a study. This study is based upon reading God's Word each day and studying it. The focus is on seeing the Bible as a book, with a main character that is God Himself. In His Book, he reveals His own character. This leads us to ask as we read His Word, "What does God do in the story? What do we learn from Him about what He does?"

Next, Meade shares that we need to understand that each book of the Bible was written by a human author who had a reason (or intention) for writing his portion of the Scripture. This intention helped determine what was included in that particular book of the Bible. Even though all Scripture is God breathed, knowing to what audience and for what purpose the human author wrote the book helps us understand what he wrote.

Meade also reminds us that while the Bible is to be read and studied like a book, it is not just any book. This means that we cannot pick and choose what we believe or agree with as we read God's Book. Instead, all of our "beliefs, opinions, and preferences must bow before the truth that God reveals in Scripture." This is such an important distinction that sets study of God's Word apart from the study of other books!

Last, Meade reminds us that because of sin's effect upon us, we are in need of the Holy Spirit's help to grasp what God is saying in His Word and to be moved to obey it. "Real understanding requires the work of the Holy Spirit in our hearts." Apart from God, we will never truly understand His Word. Studying also requires hard work and diligence! God has good reason for each part that is included in Scripture. This means it is worth the work to get to know His Word well.

In our guide, we will schedule Bible study daily. The study will include reading God's Word and answering questions in the companion study guide. Meade's context directs the study and helps students delve more deeply into what God is saying and revealing about Himself in His Word.

Students will also have memory work that will be required to be memorized daily and recited at the end of each quarter. This memory work is still being selected but will most likely include memorizing the names of the Books of the Bible in order, the Ten Commandments, the 23rd Psalm, and one other passage.

Students will continue to keep a daily prayer journal. They will also listen to hymns as part of their Bible time this year, using Selah's Greatest Hymns CD. This CD includes 15 wonderful hymns with liner notes that give either a little background on the hymn or give a personal note about the hymn from one of the members of Selah. Hymn study is a wonderful Charlotte Mason inspired part of the school day, and taking into account the maturing age of our students, the Selah Greatest Hymns CD brings hymn study to our students in a way that will speak to their hearts. Even if you are not a fan of Selah, this Greatest Hymns CD will probably become a favorite. I didn't own any Selah CDs, yet this particular one is so highly recommended so many places (and is so beloved by my mother and sisters) that I had to include it. It speaks to my heart now too!

Hymns included are as follows:
Be Thou My Vision
Great Is Thy Faithfulness
Bika Mono Ve (Pass Me Not, O Gentle Savior)/It Is Well With My Soul
There is a Fountain
Amazing Grace
How Great Thou Art
His Eye is on the Sparrow
Be Still my Soul/What a Friend We Have in Jesus
By and By
When I Survey the Wondrous Cross
Part the Waters/I Need Thee Every Hour
Precious Lord, Take My Hand/Just a Closer Walk With Thee
There is Power in the Blood
O Sacred Head Now Wounded
Be Thou Near to Me (with Jim Brickman)

Students will earn one full credit of Bible: Old Testament Survey by completing the study plan I've outlined above. The plan includes Scripture reading, studying, answering questions, memorizing, recording entries in a prayer journal, and hymn study.

Blessings,
Carrie

Dear Carrie,
What a testament you are to the healing love of Christ! That you would bless us with another wonderful sneak peak this soon after your dad's homecoming to heaven truly speaks volumes to the amazing work Christ has done and is doing in you and your family. Thank you for choosing this book! I have wanted to use it several times over the last two years! The only thing that stopped me was wondering what you were going to use in the next guides. I am so happy I waited. Grandpa's Box is a favorite in out house. It never gets packed away with the other Preparing books when we are not using that level. It is always out and someone is always reading it. Even the 21 year old! Now my kids read it to their 6 year old twin cousins every time they come over. I am certain we will enjoy this study as well! Thank you for letting the Lord use you and your talents to bless so many!

Sarah,

Thanks so much for your words of encouragement! The ministry of Heart of Dakota was very important to my Dad (and my mom too)! They have been encouragers (and helpers) in so many ways as we have worked with this business over the last 14 years. My parents helped at conventions, watched our kids while we were gone to convention, prayed over the families who used our guides, shared our work with their friends and their families, and thanked God for His blessing and provision right along with us. They were happy that their girls were partners in the Lord's work, were pleased we were homeschooling our children, and were thankful for the connections between all of our boys. Since our earthly Father was such a man of God and an example of living life according to God's plan and not our own, this is why Julie and I can proceed in joy knowing that we are about our heavenly Father's business. Somehow it feels right, as if our Dad is pleased with us as we seek to please The Lord.

Blessings,
Carrie

Simply wonderful!! What an excellent pairing with the World History guide!! I can hardly wait!!

Wow, this sounds excellent! I love hymns and we loved Grandpa's Box! Thanks for the update.

Carrie,
What a blessing this sneak peak is. I used The Most Important Thing You'll ever study with my daughter and had determined that I would use it with Noah whether you scheduled it or not. I felt it was that good and so did she. She would often share during our family devotions things she had learned from this study. Then for you to add the Selah Hymn CD makes me very happy. I love Selah and their music has been used by God to help get me through some tough times in my life. One of the highlights this year in MTMM is listening to Noah sing the hymns at the top of his lungs each morning. I can't wait until this guide when he will be doing that again.
Thanks again for the way you allow God to work through you to bless so many families in their homeschooling journey.
Lynn

Carrie, (and Julie)

To be honest, I was surprised to see you here so soon after your Dad's homegoing. I was imagining myself in your place and how hard it would be for me to go about my daily business. But these words of yours brought tears to my eyes and joy to my heart as well:

"this is why Julie and I can proceed in joy knowing that we are about our heavenly Father's business. Somehow it feels right, as if our Dad is pleased with us as we seek to please The Lord."

Your Dad (earthly and Heavenly) certainly is pleased with you both, I have no doubt. Thank you for continuing to serve with such faithfulness and perseverance amidst your grieving. Continuing to hold you all up in prayer.

And thank you for the Bible study portion of this Guide. Nothing could be more important.

This looks so good! I'm not familiar with this book but it sounds like it is an excellent choice as always. Since this is just covering the Old Testament, is there a New Testament survey that will be included in later guides?

Although we are a long way from high school, I love these sneak peaks! Are you still planning on including Pilgrim's Progress with this guide? The scope and sequence has that scheduled for the World History guide and then NT for the 3rd guide.

Exciting! Thank you for sharing.

I appreciate knowing what you are planning, and I love reading why you selected these things and some of the features.

We have Selah's Greatest Hymns and love that CD!

This is amazing! Just think, this is only ONE class in the new world history guide! I can't wait to see other sneak peeks. Would it be wrong to order this guide for *me* since my oldest is only finishing 6th grade this year ?

BTW, how long will each school day take with this guide?

Thanks!

We love Grandpa's Box here so I'm very excited about reading another book from Meade. Thank you so much for incorporating music into the Bible Box. This multi-faceted/multi-sensory approach to education has become one of my favorite parts of our HOD journey! I love the use of music/art/dvd's alongside the incredible literature choices. It provides such a rich, well rounded education. I feel so blessed!

I am so excited about this! Two of my very favorites - "Grandpa's Box" and Selah's hymns! I actually found this CD in particular an incredible balm to my spirit as we went through the past 6 months with Dad. There is nothing like the words of hymns (other than Jesus Himself and the living Word) that speaks to my heart. I am looking forward to this next year with this Grandpa's Box-like resource and Selah's hymns. I cherish these times with Wyatt.

In Christ,
Julie

Ladies,

I'll just pop-in to answer a few questions asked in this thread. We will be adding Pilgrim's Progress in this guide, as I have just shared in the following sneak peek: viewtopic.php?f=6&t=14816

We will also be planning to schedule the New Testament Survey in the guide that comes after the World History guide.

Blessings,
Carrie