CREW Review- Journeys of Faithfulness

 

Yes, it is Apologia again!  Can you tell I love this Company!?  Nothing they offer has ever disappointed us!

 

Journeys of Faithfulness is no exception.  My 14 year old and I were so excited to receive this book to review.  Many of our reviews involve the younger boys, so it was fun to anticipate having something for "the girls" to do together.

 

Journeys of Faithfulness, written by Sarah Clarkson, is a Biblical, fictionalized account of Mary and Martha, Mary, mother of Jesus, Queen Esther and Ruth.   Devoting three chapters to each, Sarah writes an account of what might have taken place in those women's lives, including how they might have felt.  Each section is then followed by a devotional text and then a set of questions based around scripture.  The questions are not direct questions about the text per se, but rather follow themes you have read about or points that Sarah brought up in her devotion.  Following that there are a few pages of blank lines  to record any thoughts or feeling you have.

I originally had planned on using this book as a Bible study for my daughter and I to use together.  Once I received the book, I realized the format was slightly different than I had expected so we changed course slightly.  We each took turns reading the three chapters for a  woman mentioned, one a night, and then came together on the 6th night and read the devotion together as well as looked up scripture and answered and discussed the questions together.  This gave each of us time to read alone for three nights and form our own separate opinions of what we were reading.  Then we had some much needed mom and daughter time to compare thoughts and feelings.

Keep in mind, this is not an actual scriptural account of Mary and Martha, Mary, Esther and Ruth.  For those, I would encourage you to pick up your Bible and read about these amazing woman and the journeys that God had planned for them.  These are, however, a wonderful fictionalized account of what each may have felt, and what may have motivate them to act as they did.  The key word being MIGHT.  We may never know this side of Heaven the intimate details of theses ladies' lives, but I do think there is value added when we can see them as real people, not just a story.  Sarah recommends this book for ages 12 to adult.  I feel that if you have a child who can distinguish fact from fiction and knows these accounts already from a pure Biblical view, they will enjoy this approach.  At younger ages, our family feels it is important for a child to know only the facts, and careful not to infuse a lot of if, then and maybes.  (veggies excluded!)

If you are looking for a Bible study, this may not be exactly what you are looking for.  If you are looking for a springboard to facilitate discussion and spark interest in what the Bible has to say, you will not be disappointed in Journeys of Faithfulness!  Enjoy reading it and allow it to point you to where all truth lays- the Bible!

 

Journeys of Faithfulness can be ordered for $13.00 from Apologia.

To read what other CREW members had to say about Journeys of Faithfulness, click on the banner below.

 

Disclaimer- We received a copy of Journeys of Faithfulness in exchange for our honest review of the book.  Opinions expressed are our own and were not influenced by the company in any way.