Posts Tagged ‘literature’

Mystery Novels About Creation

Thursday, December 2nd, 2010

mystery-novels-about-creationRecently I’ve had the pleasure of reading three books in the Truth Seekers Mystery Series. I won the books as a door prize for the Ultimate Homeschool Expo Fall, which is a holiday edition of the Ultimate Homeschool Expo. The door prize was actually very appropriate for our homeschooling this year, since we not only studied mystery stories, but we also studied the creation vs. evolution debate. My two older sons watched the DVD series by the Institute for Creation Research, and we talked about each 30-minute DVD, discussing the information presented. My oldest son Bryan is visibly offended every time he sees evolution presented as fact in videos and books. I told him that evolution is taught in the public school system as fact, and that most people don’t know both sides of the debate.

The Truth Seekers books, by Christina and Felice Gerwitz, are actually fiction books that contain lots of information about creation science, presented in a fun way as the characters are engaged in a mystery. Many chapters end with a cliff hanger – one chapter literally had a character holding on to the side of a cliff with no safety rope, since the rope had been cut. Each of the three books I read centered their mystery around an archaeological dig, bringing to light surprising facts about creation science. Evolutionists are treated with dignity, not portrayed as idiots. My husband often reminds me that many intelligent people believe in evolution.

When the books arrived at my door, I accidentally started reading the second book first. The heart-stopping suspense kept me reading, since someone fell out of an airplane without a parachute. Further on in the story, there was a mansion with trap doors and secret passageways. Suspicious people weren’t what they seemed. So much action permeated the book that it was truly a pleasure to read. I handed the books to my 9-year-old son, who devoured them quite quickly and wanted to talk to me about different scenes. For example, the first book started with a boat chase with a helicopter hovering over the boat, letting FBI agents on board. Bullets were flying, and the main characters tried to stay down to avoid getting hit.

Christian young people really ought to have a strong foundation of creation science to be able to defend their faith in the real world. What better way to do that than to read some suspense-filled mystery novels?

Stratford-upon-Avon

Wednesday, June 2nd, 2010

stratford-upon-avon

When I was a student in England, I was able to get cheap theater tickets, and I mostly enjoyed watching Shakespeare plays. I argued to myself that one of my classes was Shakespeare, and what better way to study it than to watch as many plays as possible? I counted how many plays I saw in that one year, and I discovered that I had attended 12 plays. The cheap student seats were usually not very close to the front, but I could hear just fine, and the choreography was wonderful. My favorite place to watch plays was in Stratford, the home town of Shakespeare. Stratford-upon-Avon was only about 2 hours south of the university by train, so I often went there on a weekend, either alone or with friends. I also went with a group of international students whenever there was an opportunity.

stratford-upon-avon-2

The costumes were phenomenal, and the fact that they were speaking in a British accent made it more authentic for me. The sets were beautiful, too. I noticed every detail. Actually, watching a Shakespeare play can give you an overall feel for the play that you cannot get just by reading it. After all, it is a play, and it was written to be performed.

Shakespeare’s birthplace is presumably the house where Shakespeare was born and where he grew up. It is a half-timbered house. It looks quaint both inside and out. The kitchen includes an open fireplace with a pot, and the bedroom has a cradle where presumably Shakespeare was rocked. Anne Hathaway’s cottage (where Shakespeare’s wife lived when Shakespeare was in London) looks similar to Shakespeare’s birthplace, but the gardens are much more beautiful. It has a picket fence around it.

stratford

Holy Trinity Church in Stratford was beautiful, as most church buildings in England are. Each church is built in a cross shape facing the east where Jesus was born. The massive stone walls and beautiful stained glass windows bring about a feeling of awe as you enter. Most churches have a crypt where people are buried, and a lot of them let you go up the steeple to look down on the town. The river Avon winds around the town, and people take boats on the river. Stratford is quite picturesque, since many of the regular houses are thatched cottages. There are always good views when walking around Stratford.