Were you read to as a child?

Were you read to as I child? I was, early and regularly. My mother, my aunt (who taught me to read at five years old), my grandfather, teachers -- each contributed to my early love of being read to and reading. As this little poem expresses, there is no treasure to compare with having been read to as a child. Make sure you read to your children, not only silly, fun books (which have their place), but books that will ennoble them and stretch and mature them -- books that will give your young men a zeal for godly ventures and your young ladies hearts that long to please God in all their relationships and calling. Read to your children!

"I had a mother who read to me

Saga of pirates who scoured the sea,

Cutlassess clenched in their yellow teeth,

'Blackbirds' stowed in the hold beneath.

"I had a mother who read me lays

Of ancient and gallant and golden days;

Stories of Marmion and Ivanhoe,

Which evey boy has a right to know.

"I had a mother who read me tales

Of Gelert the hound of the hills of Wales,

True to his trust till his tragic death,

Faithfulness blent with his final breath.

"I had a mother who read me the things

That wholesome life to the boy heart brings--

Stories that stir with an upward touch,

Oh, that each mother of boys were such!

"You may have tangible wealth untold;

Caskets of jewels and coffers of gold.

Richer than I you can never be--

I had a mother who read to me."

--Stickland Gillian

http://www.1st-art-gallery.com/Frederick-Warren-Freer/Mother-And-Child-Reading.html

Happy New Year!



Happy New Year!



Here we are already, floating down the rapidly moving current of 2011 -- the flotsam and jetsam of our lives must not be allowed to deter our purposes this year, or so we determined as we reviewed the previous year -- are we on the same page yet?

For me, 2010 was a momentous year, a year of highs and lows beyond comparison. The best times were those spent with close family members and friends who are almost family. The worst were selfish moments spent wasting time with anxious thoughts. I really do believe that our loving, sovereign God has everything under His control, working out all His good pleasure for His glory and our ultimate good -- until I decide to worry instead of trust. Then my behavior belies my heart beliefs -- "I believe! Lord, help Thou my unbelief!!"

Family blessings are the best of all -- we are so grateful for each of our children. Our daughter, Anne, is pictured below at a family wedding. Her husband, Grant, saw a wonderful year of success with his clinic in Augusta, Georgia, Christ Community Health Services. The Lord blessed him and his partner, Robert Campbell, and many others who were deeply committed to the effort to raise enough money to begin reconstruction of the Widow's Home as the permanent location for the clinic. Due to this progress and the addition of other doctors to the staff, Grant was approached by others who asked him to pray about starting a similar clinic that provides health care to those needing it at lower or no costs in Columbus, Georgia, his hometown. It would appear they will be moving there this summer. Joey continues teaching American Literature to the AP classes and is head of the English Department at Fellowship Bible High School in Roswell, Georgia. And John is being blessed abundantly as he works for and mentors others with Northwestern Mutual in Athens, Georgia. Mercy is currently acting as a nanny/assistant in Kenya for two months, as well as photographer, for a dear family who have moved their entire family there for a couple of years to work with a missionary effort.

I praise God for my married children's wonderful spouses -- they are all great.

Our daughter, Anne, with her husband, Dr. Grant Scarborough, their four girls
and Grant's family

Here are my top 10 'highs' in no particular order:

1. Joe, Mercy and I were privileged to travel to Europe last April and May for 15 amazing days with our Vision Forum friends...we started out in Rome and travelled through Geneva, Paris, Noyon, London, York, Stirling, Bannockburn and Edinburgh, just to name a few cities of interest. Much of our traveling was on trains this time, and since I'd only ridden on trains once before in my life,this was a thrill for me. I particularly loved the ride through the French and Swiss Alps on the way to Geneva as well as the spectaular ride under the English Channel from Paris to London via the 'chunnel.' We ate incredible food in Rome and Paris especially and saw so many unbelievable historic sites and artifacts that I still haven't had time to process it all! Perhaps one of these days I will get all my photos downloaded into a book so that I can prove that I was there. The time spent developing close relationships was as precious to me, if not more so, than seeing famous places.

Even though this marked our third trip to Europe in less than two years, we relished every moment of it (well, maybe not the moment I had to get up at 3:30 a.m. to catch my flight home through Amsterdam because of the volcanic activity in Iceland that had lengthened our stay by two days and changed our return flight schedules. I'd barely missed the opportunity to fly back with Joe, but then God intervened...never mind, it's too long to tell right now...we met up in Amsterdam and flew on home together in an amazing way that I'll share with you someday.)

'My two girls' on the Europe tour, Meredith and Chelsea,
at the Colisium in Rome

2. Grandbaby #8 was born on June 9th! Miss Clara Hope Morecraft, third child and second daughter of our son John Calvin and his wife, Kim.

Big sister, Izalou, with Clara

My wonderful daughter-in-law, Kim, with baby Clara



3. Joe's 5-volume set of commentaries on the Westminster Larger Catechism was published -- a grand finale of a twenty-year effort on his part and the joint efforts of many others to make this dream come true.



Vol 1 of 5 is published!


http://www.americanvision.com/products/Authentic-Christianity-Series%3A-An-Exposition-of-the-Theology-and-Ethics-of-the-Westminster-Larger-Catechism.html

4. My webinar, "Mrs. Morecraft's School of Elocution and Writing," sponsored by Vision Forum, was a tremendous success, thanks to the sweet folks who signed up to hear me rant and rave about writing and related matters for eight weeks.
http://www.visionforum.com/browse/product/?productid=45973

What a great time I had teaching these classes!!

5. My father turned 86 in July and Joe's dad was 90 on November 27th. On the same day we celebrated our 41st wedding anniversary.

from left to right: my grand-niece, Emma Claire Laughlin, my niece, Ariane Belcher, my mother, Anita Anderson Belcher, me and my dad, Clynard C., "C.C.", Belcher in their garden near Haysi, Virginia -- summer, 2010

Abingdon and Haysi, Virginia, are marked as special times with my family as I celebrated my father's 86th birthday on the last day of July and mine a few days later in August. I try to visit my family around my birthday for obvious reasons -- I was not disappointed.
6. Mercy turned 20 in November. She was my accomplice/assistant during the often grueling weeks of the webinar while still working hard on completing as many College-Plus courses as possible, honing her photography skills, tutoring, singing in the choir and much, much more ... she got a lipstick-red Kitchen Aid stand mixer for her efforts. Not bad...
(and she received a pasta making attachment for Christmas from her dad -- as did daughter Anne!)

Mercy on the beach in November with her niece, Mary Piper

7. Two favorite quotes from the grandchildren for 2010:

Hat people

# 1, from Charlie, shortly after his 2nd birthday when I held him in my lap and prayed that God would 'make you a great preacher of the gospel like Granddaddy':

Joey (two weeks after my prayer): "So, Charlie, what do you want to do when you grow up?"

Charlie: "I'm gonna be a pweacher when I grow up -- wike Granddaddy."

Joey: "Really...what are you going to preach about?"

Charlie: "MOSES! (pointing finger) 'No! No! No!'"

(By the way, now he wants to be a fireman ... much difference? Don't think so...)

Joe, IV (Joey), Joe, V (Charlie) and Jennifer

"Charlie" (Joseph Charles M., V) 'trainin', as he calls playing with his trains

 # 2: Jenn (just after being with his cousins at our house): "So, Charlie, did you and Asa play much together ?"

Charlie, thoughtfully: "Umm, no. Asa, he kinda does his own thing..."

(Asa's mom confirms this evaluation...sigh...like father, like son...)

Asa Raines Morecraft, age 3

Still my fav video of all times: Asa and Izalou sing 'The Lord's Prayer' together at ages three and one.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ke5gBfJ2Q9M

8. Favorite person in 2010: Guess ... yep, you got it...my hero-husband, Joe. His preaching through the Psalms in the a.m. and Romans in the afternoon on Sundays is my life-breath, my meat, my drink. Thank you, Lord, for my husband. He struggles with physical challenges every day, and yet, every day he devotes his entire being to furthering the kingdom of His Lord on earth. May God be praised for the victory we know is sure in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Here's a recent sample of the treat we at Chalcedon Presbyterian Church are privileged to enjoy each Lord's Day. This one is based on Psalm 98: "Joy to the World."
http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=12111428209

JCM,III

9. The Phillips and Morecraft families grew even closer this year as we enjoyed conferences, visits in each other's homes and many trips together. Very special friends...

Doug, Beall, Faith and Honor in Edinburgh, listening to Joe speak

Doug and Becky singing loudly at The Baby Conference

10. Finally, my last 'high' was also mixed with several 'lows' -- losing dear friends to Heaven's glory. Their joy is unspeakable and full of glory. Our loss -- immeasurable.







My new year's resolve: To pray for others and for Christ's kingdom to 'come on earth as it is in Heaven' more than my own selfish desires in 2011.



Blessings on all of you in the new year, dear friends. If you get to glory before I do...keep my spot warm.

One small unfulfilled wish for the year:

A parting shot:

Thank you, Bertha Jean.



Here's a suggestion for a calendar with grammatical helps:

Amazing Grace - Mark O'Connor

Book Recommendations for the older crowd, Part I

John Calvin in his study

I used to trust people who said to me: "Oh, that movie/book is fine -- there's nothing objectionable in it at all." To my dismay, this was often not the case. I have come to realize that, even for Christians, the bars are set in different places for what is allowable and what is objectionable. This moves me to apologize if I have listed a book with which you would disagree in either content or perspective. Please, allow your own discernment to hold sway. As my Granny would say, "Use your sanctified gumption!"

We are each responsible before God to make intelligent, discerning decisions in all areas of life. I, as well as many of these authors, are still "sinners, saved by grace," struggling against our own ingrained sinful attitudes and perspectives; and, even with my best efforts, I will sometimes err on one side or the other -- either omitting something flawed that is otherwise worthy or including something that falls beneath the biblical standard: "Whatever is true, honorable, right, pure, lovely and of good repute. If there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things." Phil. 4:8 ASV, paraphrased

Some of you may wonder why I haven't included books by C. S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien. Their writings had a profound influence for good on me as a young reader. I took a mini-semester course called "The Inklings" in college in which we examined the writings of Lewis, Tolkien and Williams, the prominent members of this literary society of friends. I am very aware that many of my readers have problems with reading about wizards, witches and magic which dominate much of the writings of these incredibly gifted authors. Does that mean that I won't read some of their writings? No, I have read and enjoyed many of their books (not all are my favorites but were enjoyable when I read them). I believe I understand their philosophies, having studied their lives and what influenced them and why they wrote as they did. I don't share many of the ideas which they embraced nor would I include the occult in my writing; but I don't believe I am sinning when I read their writings with a critical attitude. I know that sifting what they wrote through the grid of biblical analysis as I read is necessary as I seek the honor the Lord in this area. However, I would not recommend these or any book of this genre to immature readers who have yet to develop the 'grid' necessary to sufficiently discern good from evil.

Although the biblical standards are clear, in my opinion, these decisions fall in the area of 'Christian liberty' where we must each be responsible before God and apply wisdom. No matter what you are reading -- whether Lewis, Calvin or Morecraft -- you are responsible as a Christian reader to 'rightly divide the word of truth.' You must always wear the 'spectacles' of Biblical discernment. You are responsible, before God, for everything you do -- every minute of time, every thought, every 'idle' word. I believe it is entirely possible to read an imperfect book or story and separate the wheat from the chaff. The problem with doing this, however, especially for the young or immature reader, is that the written word can be even more seductive than the silver screen. Let the reader beware!

My 'disclaimer' stretches in both directions. I apologize ahead of time for leaving out some of your favorites as well as including some you may not prefer -- let me know what they are and why you like or dislike them. Please don't include the following in your 'like' list:

*soupy romances that claim to be 'Christian'

*poorly-written books, stories or any sloppily-written work that claims to be 'Christian'

*books full of images or language that portrays sin as 'fun' or glorifies evil

*articles, essays, stories or other writings that are inaccurate in their depictions of real-life characters or events, when real history is involved.

I realize some books I recommend, including my 'list-maker books,' may not match up to your personal criteria. I hope we can meet on 'middle ground' here and decide for ourselves whether we will read these books. I have attempted to list books that have a basic Christian principle behind or underlying them -- whether the writer was a proponent of Christianity or not -- and that are well-written, to one extent or another. Thank you for understanding my dilemma. As with all things in this fallen world, there are no perfect books since all are written by sinful men and women. I hope you will develop a Christian 'grid' that is based on 'thus saith the Lord' through which you sift and sort all that you read and write.


With these thoughts in mind, here is my 'cautious' short list of recommended books for older young people and adults (I hope to expand this as time permits):

Theology:

Authentic Christianity: Commentaries on the Westminster Larger Catechism, and other titles by Joseph C. Morecraft, III (did you think I wouldn't recommend my husband's greatest works?) These five commentaries are available both from Amercian Vision or Vision Forum. (same price) They are the product of over 20 years of work as he preached through the WCF Larger Catechism. Very practical and scholarly at once, they are useful for a thorough understanding of Scripture as only this catechism gives us. President of American Vision, Gary DeMar says either spend thousands of dollars and many years getting a seminary education or purchase these five volumes and learn as much or more! What a deal!!

Order from American Vision here: http://www.americanvision.com/products/Authentic-Christianity-Series%3A-An-Exposition-of-the-Theology-and-Ethics-of-the-Westminster-Larger-Catechism.html


or order from Vision Forum:
http://affiliates.visionforum.com/idevaffiliate.php?id=1137&=http://www.visionforum.com/browse/product/?productid=48562


The Institutes of the Christian Religion, and other titles by John Calvin
http://affiliates.visionforum.com/idevaffiliate.php?id=1137&=http://www.visionforum.com/browse/product/?productid=47220

The Institutes of Biblical Law, and other titles by R. J. Rushdoony, perhaps the most important theologian of our times.

http://chalcedon.edu/store/Biblical+Law/the-institutes-of-biblical-law-volume-i/

or order from Vision Forum here:
http://affiliates.visionforum.com/idevaffiliate.php?id=1137&=http://www.visionforum.com/browse/product/?productid=42281

The Sovereignty of God, by A. W. Pink. "Who is regulating affairs on this earth today -- God or the devil?" from the introduction.

By This Standard, by Greg Bahnsen. Does God's law apply today?

Knowing God, by J. I. Packer


History:

The History of the Reformation, and other titles by Merle D'Aubigne such as,
The Protector: A Vindication.

The Great Christian Revolution, and other titles by Otto Scott.

How the Irish Saved Civilization, by Thomas Cahill. (A book about Iona)














For You They Signed, by Marilyn Boyer, the stories of the signers of the Declaration of Independence.

http://affiliates.visionforum.com/idevaffiliate.php?id=1137&=http://www.visionforum.com/browse/product/?productid=47525


Providential Battles, by Christian historian, William Potter. Twenty of the greatest battles in the world that altered history.

http://affiliates.visionforum.com/idevaffiliate.php?id=1137&=http://www.visionforum.com/browse/product/?productid=35272

Classics and just for fun: Tune in next week!!!

Of books, there is no end...

Here's my theory and I'm sticking to it: the family that reads books together -- aloud -- as a part of their weekly fellowship, will always be 'on the same page.' I was read to often as a child and still love the sound of my mother's voice reading some favorite passage from a book, old or new. I am comforted and still inspired by the memory of my grandparent's voices as they read or quoted favorite stories, poems and passages from the Bible aloud. And visits home are never complete without my dear Papa's voice reading Scripture or Spurgeon's Morning and Eveningdevotional to the gathered family. Nothing makes me happier today than reading some of my favorite books and theirs to my grandchildren. But not just any book will do. I try to read stories to my grandchildren that are beautifully written with an underlying biblical theme, pleasing to the eye and ears. Books will influence us much like jumping into a strong stream that leads to an ocean: we will be carried along in one direction or another. Make sure you are aware of that as you read -- choose the 'ocean' towards which you want to be carried.

Reading aloud to someone is one of life's pleasures that brings blessings to both the reader and the recipient. And reading when you are alone is a treasured blessing like no other. Books can take you to places you may never visit except in your mind -- you can travel back in history or into the future; visit desert islands, medieval castles or lush forests in the Amazon valley or into hidden vallies in the Swiss Alps. Go wherever the skillful author takes you as you broaden your vocabulary, hone your writing skills and find opportunities to grow spiritually, socially and mentally as the Lord works noble thoughts and spiritual truths into your heart and mind through your reading.

My husband likes to say, "Those who read lead." And this is true. If you want to be a leader, you must be a reader. We are called as Christians, not only to follow our great Leader, the Lord Jesus, but to imitate Him in all our choices and even our preferences. Work on making wise choices in your reading preferences. Here are some lists of books I like and some that I love. They are far from complete, so check back occasionally for other recommendations.

First, I'd advise your purchasing two books that have done much of the work for us in sorting and choosing worthy books.  Honey for a Child's Heart, by Gladys Hunt was the first book I used to help in book selections when my children were small. Now in its fourth edition, you will find it spiritually uplifting as well as informative. I still have the first edition and cannot tell you about the more recent ones -- you are on your own here! A more recent one, written by friends of mine, The Book Tree: A Christian Reference for Children's Literature, by Elizabeth McCallum and her daughter Jane Scott, should be in every Christian home. Both of these books set out a Christian philosophy for choosing books as well as commentary on each selection.
I'll list a few books from my longer list in several blog posts. If your favorites aren't here, feel free to comment and ask me or inform me about them. I may not have gotten to your favorites yet, or I just may not know about them. Here goes:

Pre-school: (age 5 and under)

Winnie the Pooh and related titles, by A. A. Milne

Goodnight Moon, by Margaret Wise Brown

The Very Hungry Caterpillar, by Eric Carle

Blueberries for Sal, by Robert McCloskey

The Child’s Story Bible, by Catherine F. Vos

Guess How Much I Love You, by Sam McBratney

Make Way for Ducklings, and other titles by Robert McCloskey

All the Places to Love, by Patricia MacLachlan

Little Bear, and other titles by Else H. Minarik

Owl Moon, by Jane Yolen

The Little Engine That Could, by Watty Piper

Peter and the Wolf (musical edition), Sergei Prokofiev

The Tale of Peter Rabbit, and other titles, by Beatrix Potter

Curious George, and other titles by Hans Rey

A Child’s Garden of Verses, by Robert Louis Stevenson

The Lord is My Shepherd, and other titles by illustrator Tasha Tudor


Elementary Fiction: (ages 6-12)

Aesop’s Fables, by Aesop

Treasury of Fairy Tales, by Hans Christian Anderson

The Mitten, by Jan Brett

Caddie Woodlawn, by Carol Ryrie Brink

The Pied Piper of Hamelin, by Robert Browning

Riding the Pony Express, by Clyde Robert Bulla

The Secret Garden, by Frances Hodgson Burnett

The Incredible Journey, by Shelia Burnford

The Courage of Sarah Noble, and other titles by Alice Dalgliesh

Hans Brinker and the Silver Skates (DVD), Hans Brinker; Or, the Silver Skates, by Mary Maples Dodge

William Tell, by Margaret Early

The Matchlock Gun, by Walter D. Edmonds

Old Yeller, by Fred Gipson



Tanglewood Tales, by Nathaniel Hawthorne

Saint George and the Dragon, by Margaret Hodges

Huguenot Garden, and other titles by Douglas M. Jones, III

The Jungle Book, and other titles by Rudyard Kipling

Frog and Toad, and other titles by Arnold Lobel

Hiawatha, and other titles by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

The Lost Princess, and most other titles by George MacDonald

Iron Scouts of the Confederacy, by Lee McGiffin

Sarah, Plain and Tall, by Patricia MacLachlan

Anne of Green Gables, and other titles by L. M. Montgomery

The Railway Children, and other titles by E. Nesbit

Annie Henry and the Redcoats, and other titles by Susan Olasky

Two Little Confederates, by Thomas Nelson Page

Treasures in the Snow, by Patricia St. John

Five Little Peppers and How They Grew, and other titles by Margaret Sidney

The Bronze Bow, and other titles by Elizabeth Speare

Heidi, by Johanna Spyri

Little House in the Big Wood, and other titles by Laura Ingalls Wilder


Middle School Fiction: (ages 12 +)

Little Women, and other titles by Louisa May Alcott

Coral Island, http://www.visionforum.com/1137.html&url=http://www.visionforum.com/browse/product/?productid=51704 and other titles by R. M. Ballentyne

The Pilgrim’s Progress,http://www.visionforum.com/1137.html&url=http://www.visionforum.com/browse/product/?productid=51704 http://www.visionforum.com/browse/product/?productid=29870
by John Bunyan

Canterbury Tales, adapted by Barbara Cohen, by Geoffrey Chaucer

The Moonstone, by Wilkie Collins


The Adventures of Robinson Crusoe, by Daniel Defoe
Any book by Charles Dickens except Great Expectations

The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

The Count of Monte-Cristo, and other titles by Alexandre Dumas

Johnny Tremain, by Esther Forbes

Lieutenant Hornblower, and other titles by C. S. Forester

The Gift of the Magi, and other titles by O. Henry

The Dragon and the Raven, http://www.visionforum.com/1137.html&url=http://www.visionforum.com/browse/product/?productid=24297 and other titles by G. A. Henty

All Things Bright and Beautiful, and other titles by James Herriott

Hind’s Feet on High Places, by Hannah Hurnard

Tales From Shakespeare, by Charles and Mary Lamb

Brothers of the Sled, by John Leeper

The Scarlet Pimpernel, by Baroness Emmuska Orczy

The Girl of the Limberlost, and other titles by Gene Stratton Porter

A Lantern in Her Hand, and other titles by Bess Streeter Aldrich

Men of Iron, and other titles by Howard Pyle

Light in the ForestThe Light in the Forest, by Conrad Richter

Beowulf, the Warrior, and other titles by Ian Serraillier, translator

Kidnapped, and other titles by Robert Louis Stevenson

A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court, and other titles by Mark Twain

The Princess Adelina, by Julie Sutter http://www.visionforum.com/1137.html&url=http://www.visionforum.com/browse/product/?productid=24297http://www.visionforum.com/browse/product/?productid=47832

Around the World in Eighty Days, and other titles by Jules Verne

Augustine Comes to Kent, and other titles by Barbara Willard

The Horn of Roland, and other titles by Jay Williams

The Swiss Family Robinson, by Johann R. Wyss



Elementary and Middle School Biography: (ages 12 +)

Augustine: The Farmer’s Boy of Tagaste, by P. de Zeeuw

The Talking Wire: The Story of Alexander Graham Bell, by O. J. Stevenson

Daniel Boone, by James Daugherty

Carry on, Mr. Bowditch, by Jean Lee Latham http://www.visionforum.com/1137.html&url=http://www.visionforum.com/browse/product/?productid=65830

Alone, Yet Not Alone, by Tracy Leininger http://www.visionforum.com/1137.html&url=http://www.visionforum.com/browse/product/?productid=65830http://www.visionforum.com/browse/product/?productid=65987

John Bunyan, Author of Pilgrim’s Progress, by Sam Wellman

The Columbus Story, by Alice Dalgliesh

A Confederate Trilogy, by Mary L. Williamson

Robert Fulton, Boy Craftsman, and other titles by Marguerite Henry

George Fredric Handel: Composer of Messiah, by Charles Ludwig


Stonewall, by Jean Fritz

Johannes Kepler: Giant of Faith and Science, by John Judson Tiner

Robert E. Lee: Christian General and Gentleman, by Roddy Lee

Eric Liddell, by Catherine Swift

Queen of the Reformation, (Katherine Luther), by Charles Ludwig

Most of the books above are for high school age and above as well. I love some children's books as much as those targeted for adults. The simplicity of style is often refreshing and adult-aimed humor in children's books usually makes me smile. One such book, targeted perhaps for a children's audience but with a deep and abiding message is Matthew Wheelock's Wall - 1992 publication written by Frances Ward Weller and illustrated beautifully by Ted Lewin. You will want to purchase several of these for gifts. The message of the book always brings tears to my eyes -- building for future generations.

We'll stop there for now...this should give you plenty of reading materials to get you started for your long winter's reading by the fireside or under a cozy quilt. I pray that finding and reading good books will be an adventure for you that will never end!
Happy Reading!!