That's It Folks!

The orders have gone, the desk is cleared, the toys packed away and the shop is shut. Yep, sorry for the inconvenience, but we are now shut until after the bank holiday while the premises are being renovated. Anyone who wants to take advantage of our August free post offer can email or phone an order through - we will send it out post free as soon as we can when we re-open.
See you in September!
Lorna

Tripped up by Tedd...

Sorry, that was the sort of awful pun that only my husband is allowed to come out with! The truth is that I found Tedd Tripp's book 'Shepherding a Child's Heart' very helpful and it still comes off the shelf from time to time so that I can remind myself of the importance of sticking to my guns when discipline seems to be heading out of the window with the children (not the children heading out of the window...). So I was interested to see his new book, written with his wife, entitled 'Instructing a Child's Heart'. I have to confess to not having read it from cover to cover, partly because I started to struggle a bit with it. I definitely like the basic principles he sets out, and some examples can be helpful. However, at the risk of once more sounding racist, my struggles have been with the 'Americanisms'. I would love to find a family, British or otherwise, who actually has conversations as set out in this book. Please let me know if you do and I will take my hat off to you.

Here's an example... Billy has been complaining about his breakfast and this is a suggested response...

" Billy, complaining comes from the heart. Your complaints over breakfast expose internal problems, don't they? a complaining spirit shows a thankless, ungrateful heart toward God and others. 2 Timothy 3:2-4 lists ungratefulness with sins of godlessness..."

Now, while this may be a worthwhile conversation to have about complaining, I know that in reality our breakfast time complaints are more likely to be met with "Come on boys, eat up, we need to get to the shop"!

I don't like to focus though on the negatives and the positives I draw from this and other of Tedd Tripp's books is that he reminds parents not to focus just on the outward behaviour of our children, but to look to their sinful hearts and help them to recognise the sin that is within. He stresses the importance of a Biblical worldview that is not clouded by the changes in society. He highlights the need for clear and careful communication. He emphasises the importance of living out our faith in front of our children and 'practising what we preach'. For this, I can overlook the 'Americanisms'.

Instructing a Child's Heart, by Tedd Tripp, published by Shepherd Press, £10.95

Lorna

Where did that office chair go...?

What a wonderful provision it is to have a carpark... not only for cars, but for the children to play in! Here's some pictures from todays antics in the carpark... the boys enjoyed having a friend to play with them... and she came up with a novel way of using the office furniture!
Lorna

Empty Arms

What a heart-rending story about a 'normal' family who suffered the sudden death of a 2yr old girl. As such, it is an intensely personal story, and the author, the mother Keren Baker, makes it clear that grief manifests itself in a range of emotions which are different for each person. The book is essentially a practical one but with spiritual applications that Keren found helpful in those early days of bereavement. Whether you have walked the path of bereavement or not, I feel this book is helpful because it is so practical. From funeral arrangements to scrapbooks, from timeout to keeping busy, from studying God's Word, to singing hymns through tears. As Keren says, none of us know how we might react in a similar situation, but she gives advice on how we can be helpful to others who may suffer this difficult trial. There were snippets of information about how the other children in the family grieved and acknowledgement that her husband grieved very differently - I would have liked to have known more, but at the same time, felt that Keren had already opened up so much of her heart that I could hardly expect more from someone who had suffered such heartbreak only 3 years ago.
I pray that the Lord will continue to uphold this family as they continue their journey.
Empty Arms - A Mother's Journey Through Grief to Hope, by Keren Baker, published by Evangelical Press in a small hardback, £7.95
Lorna

The Invincible Refugees

Another great historical story by Beth Coombe Harris! Set in the times of the persecution of Huguenot's in seventeenth century France, the fiction is good and interspersed with true events. It is encouraging and fascinating to know of times when Huguenots were instrumental in the conversion of their persecutors. From the conversion stories of the various characters to the simple family conversations and the careful parental guidance in spiritual and practical matters, the spiritual content is thoroughly sound and much profit can be gained from the book.

In comparison to Deborah Alcock - another great author of historical fiction - I think Beth Coombe Harris suits a slightly younger reader, the fiction is a little predictable (for an adult) and the historical information is not as detailed as Deborah Alcock. I would highly recommend Beth Coombe Harris to a young reader (10+yrs, depending on reading ability) who is interested in history. A friend has suggested that this particular book by Beth Coombe Harris is the best she wrote.

Lorna

The Invincible Refugees, by Beth Coombe Harris, published by Gospel Mission, £6.95

Free Postage!

To heat up the Summer and bring a glow of sweetness and light all round we have zeroed our postal rates for the duration of August. Even if the cricket gets rained off you can be sure of this deal. Any order over £5 qualifies for FREE POSTAGE. It even applies to those churches/ ministers/ pastors/ missionaries/ schools etc, who already get their 15% discount off our books. Oh yes and trade customers as well! The only qualification is that the goods are sent to a UK address. So make sure to take advantage of this in advance of your Summer holiday - if you are so favoured to be able to have such a thing! Why not 'read and leave' and thus spread good books around hotels, guesthouses, youth hostels etc etc, at home or abroad?

Jeremy

'Hold-Fast!'

Truth for Today Publications (TFT) of Forest City, North Carolina, USA did the Christian public a great service back in 1997. They republished 'Hold-Fast!' in a nice slim hardback edition. It originally came out in 1909, written by John E Hazelton. It's aim was to sketch out in a simple way the continuity through the centuries since the New Testament church the way in which the Apostolic faith has been maintained by God. It gives little cameos of particular individuals who were instruments in God's hand for perpetuating the truth. The author is not so much concerned with denominations as with doctrine. He gives most space to matters in England from the Reformation onwards.

This is such a unique and valuable book that I am concerned to keep it on my shelves. However I have only got one copy left in the Shop. All my attempts to contact TFT have been fruitless: I wonder in fact whether they are still operating. So this post ends with an appeal. Does anybody out there know what is going on with TFT, or failing that, do they know of any stock of 'Hold-Fast!' available for purchase?? I will be most grateful for any help.

Jeremy