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Michelle in IL
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| Posted: Sept 17 2006 at 4:15pm | IP Logged
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Hello,
We have been using My First Catholic Bible for the last couple weeks. It looked like it would be good for us to use this year. It has 5 "stories" for each week. There is a prayer that goes along with each story. And each week they learn a memory verse--it is a broken down to a little bit day by day until at the end of the week, they have learned the whole verse.
I am wondering if anyone else is using this and what are your thoughts.
I do not like how they handle each "story". For instance, we just did Esau and Jacob last week. One day we talked about their birth and also how Esau gave away his birthright to Jacob. Then the next day, it jumped into Jacob going away and meeting Rachel and how he ended up marrying Leah instead. In the next day's story he's traveling back home about to see Esau again.
I am leaving out a few details here but this is what I've noticed missing. There was no mention of Isaac giving Jacob the blessing instead of Esau and that that was the reason he actually left home and ended up meeting Rachel. Seems like an important part of what happened. Also, it never mentioned Jacob working for another 7 years and marrying Rachel finally.
It just seems like there are important pieces missing here. I am a fairly new Catholic and fairly new to religion in general. If we had not studied something else last year, I would not have been able to fill in the gaps for my kids.
I am getting frustrated and as I have looked ahead a little, it doesn't seem to be getting any better.
Has anyone else used this and what was your experience?
Thanks so much,
Michelle
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JodieLyn
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| Posted: Sept 17 2006 at 4:40pm | IP Logged
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I believe this is what I've been getting my children.. but we're not using it as the sole resource but rather something that is in normal "bible language" but familiar stories.. which I've found it does do well. Sorta a stepping stone to get the kids reading an adult Bible on their own.
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Jodie, wife to Dave
G-18, B-17, G-15, G-14, B-13, B-11, G-9, B-7, B-5, B-4
All men who have turned out worth anything have had the chief hand in their own education.
-Sir Walter Scott
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stacykay
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| Posted: Sept 17 2006 at 6:10pm | IP Logged
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Hi Michelle,
How old are your children?
I think, like Jodie said, it can give them a taste of Bible reading, with the real words  . I think it would be difficult to have a Bible cover everything and be illustrated,(it would be big!) for children.
Does it cover any of the books of the "apochrypha?"
Is the rest of it (the prayers and memory verses) "Catholic" in tone?
I did check out the Amazon site for this Bible. The reviews seemed favorable.
We have The Golden Children's Bible, which is the same Bible I received when I was little (7 yo and Episcopal at that time  .) It does include the parts that were missing in yours.
We also use The First Step Bible for my younger dss (the review of this states it is for 4-8 yo.)
For my 11yo ds, we are now using Jeff Cavin's Great Adventure Bible study.
Overall, if you are doing Bible study each year, and if you otherwise like this Bible you have, you will eventually cover the holes (or if it is something you really think they should know, you could pull out your Bible, and read the gaps.) That way, this year or two, you can use it, and not have to spend more $$$ on another one.
There are some areas I will not be going over with my 11yods (we are using the Ignatius study Bible,) as I think he is still a bit young for some of it. But as each year goes, I can add more and more into it.
I hope this helps and didn't confuse you!
God Bless,
Stacy in MI
dss Matt-18, Mike-15, Pete-11, Mark-8, Paul-4, and John-2.
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Patty LeVasseur
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| Posted: Sept 17 2006 at 6:39pm | IP Logged
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I have this Bible and I don't much care for it. It is published by Thomas Nelson and while they do publish other nice books, they are Protestant and this Bible reads to me like a Protestant trying very hard to write a Catholic Bible. For example, they skip right over the bread of life discourse (John 6). I appreciate them even trying, but it still seems a little off to me.
I prefer the Catholic Picture Bible by Father Lovasik as he tries to present the Bible as one continuous story and to help show the connections in the stories like the Great Adventures series. I just have to add that you might need to edit for your children's ages: for example they have a picture of the beheading of John the Baptist.
I don't know how old your children are but if you are also looking for Bibles for them to read themselves "just for fun", the Toddlers Bible by V. Gilbert Beers is one that all of my children have loved to read themselves (usually at bedtime) when they were early readers to the point where I have had to replace it from so much use.
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Patty
mom to four blessings
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Michelle in IL
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| Posted: Sept 17 2006 at 8:17pm | IP Logged
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Thank you so much for those who responded. I will definitely look into the suggestions made.
I am thinking that I am just using it wrong. I was planning on it being bascially our primary bible/religion studies this year. I am thinking I will shelve it for now and save it for when they are ready to read it on their own. My kiddos are 5 1/2 and almost 7. DD7 is just getting a little more fluid in her reading so I don't think she's ready to be reading this on her own yet.
Now, what to do instead... 
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JodieLyn
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If you don't follow the directions exactly.. my kids have enjoyed the Friendly Defenders cards. We more sit together and read them.. work on repeating the verses.. don't really use them as flash cards.. though that will probably change here in a bit with my oldest 9.
I like them because even if my kids can't answer those type of challenges.. they'll have heard them before and know that there IS an answer.
Anyway, it's basically beginning apologetics.. and my kids find them fun.
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Jodie, wife to Dave
G-18, B-17, G-15, G-14, B-13, B-11, G-9, B-7, B-5, B-4
All men who have turned out worth anything have had the chief hand in their own education.
-Sir Walter Scott
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Erin
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JodieLyn wrote:
| If you don't follow the directions exactly.. my kids have enjoyed the Friendly Defenders cards. We more sit together and read them.. work on repeating the verses.. don't really use them as flash cards.. though that will probably change here in a bit with my oldest 9. |
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We enjoy these also. On Monday we read them and discuss and then I blue tac them to the dinning room wall, they quiz Dad at tea time (poor man often doesn;t know the answer  ) then throughout the week we revise the card at the tea table. Really easy way to do apologetics
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Erin
Faith Filled Days
Seven Little Australians
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4Real Forums : Domestic Church
Topic: My First Catholic Bible?
