Story Bible
My husband and I created a Story Bible, maintaining the language of the KJV, but focusing on the stories as a beginning reader. We used a large font and kept a lot of open space on the page. We kept the story sections short with chapter headings describing the story within that section and arranged the stories in a chronological flow as much as we could. In the New Testament, we combined the details of stories from the four Gospels. Then, we sprinkled 'gem' verses throughout the text that work well for memorizing or copy work.
I have been happily surprised at how this simple format has drawn people into the Bible who never had a desire to read it before. I got a call from one mom who was so excited to tell me that her 21-year-old son, who had no religious inclinations, was drawn to this Bible and had started reading it with her. I had another young woman tell me that her non-religious father was peeking over her shoulder while she read it on a plane ride and soon said, "I think I'd like to read that." I watched a little granddaughter who was just starting to learn to read curl up in bed with it. I found her crying one night -- "What's the matter?" I asked her. She said she had just read about Cain and Abel and couldn't understand how a brother could be so mean. She wasn't just reading words. She felt the story.
As l worked through the Old Testament, two overwhelming messages were deeply impressed on my heart: First, with God nothing is impossible. And secondly, Righteousness exalteth a nation. I felt His love for His children which has always been the power of the book. I mentioned the gems that are sprinkled throughout the stories. The way they were chosen is they just seemed to sparkle when l came to them and a feeling came to me as to where to place them. When I was all done, an impression came to me, "Notice the first one and the last." When I looked, the very first one was Romans 8:16: "The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God." And at the end of Revelation is Psalm 82:7: "l have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High." Is there any greater message of self-worth we can give our children? The book is bookended with this Truth.
The Story Bible is not meant to replace the Bible; it's simply a heart warmer.
Paperback 5.5x8.5 668 pp.