Stories Change Hearts

Good Hearts Need Good Stories

The Latest Larkin News

How to Spend More Quality Time With Your Children

News

How much quality time do you spend with your children?
Even with spending so much more time at home now a days, it can still be difficult to get everybody together for some fun family time that has a positive impact on your children. That was one of my big desires as a father to my six children. It took work to accomplish, and even then it, many times, resulted in simply playing games together. That was fun, and provided family interaction, but it seldom resulted in impacting my children’s character or spiritual growth.
Okay, so here’s my solution. Read exciting stories to your children! It gets them out from in front of the computer or TV, and it engages everyone in the same adventure. Now, here comes the real exciting part. Each time you finish a chapter or a thrilling part of the story, while your children are still excited, ask them questions about the character of the people in the story. Did they show good character or bad character and what were the consequences? What spiritual lessons can be drawn from the adventure? Did anyone see the influence of Jesus anywhere in the story? How could the person in the story have handled the situation differently? Have you ever experienced anything like that and how did your respond?
By using exciting stories to teach you will not only have a fun, interactive family time but, because the emotional centers of your children’s brains are engaged in the discussion, what you are teaching goes straight into their long-term memory! And THAT, my friends, is AWESOME!
God’s blessings to you all,
Alan W. Harris

My Greatest Parental Fears and God’s Answer

For Fans/Readers· For Parents/Teachers· News

Parenthood is both an amazing and terrifying adventure. When I first became a parent, my wife and I were so excited at the opportunity to shape these innocent little lives into mature, responsible, caring adults. Like all parents I felt a huge responsibility to teach my children the important lessons of life, but as my children grew, I became frustrated at their poor attention span and their lack of interest in the things I was trying to teach them. I couldn’t seem to get the lessons I wanted them to learn to stay in their heads! I was afraid that I wasn’t preparing my children for life and I felt like a terrible parent.

To have more positive interaction with my children, I wrote an adventure story I thought they would like, and would read some of it to them as I finished each chapter. I even made up voices for the characters to make it more fun. When I realized that the children were really engaged in my tale, I began to ask them questions to make sure they understood the character and spiritual lessons I wanted them to get out of the story. Over time I did notice that the character of my children was improving but I attributed that to my wife’s and my persistence.

Years later my oldest son admitted, as I had feared, that he remembered very little of what we taught him as we homeschooled him and the others, but he said that he still remembered everything (his words) that I taught him using the stories. It turns out that if you engage the emotional center of the brain with an exciting story when you teach, a fascinating action takes place in the brain. The lesson you are teaching bypasses the short term memory and goes straight into long term memory. What an “AHA” moment that was! Think about it. As a parent, grandparent, or teacher, what would you give to know that when you taught your children or grandchildren, they would remember it forever? Using engaging stories to teach has been proven to consistently do that!

If you want to know more go to: https://storieschangehearts.com/teaching-through-storytelling/

FINALLY. . .IT’S HERE!!!

For Fans/Readers· For Parents/Teachers· News

          After months of annoying delays, the AUDIO VERSION of the first book in The Flintlock Sagas series, The Young Frontiersman, is finally available. This is an exciting Christian adventure story about surviving the wilds of Kentucky in the 1770’s. If it were not difficult enough to survive the inhospitable wilderness and the war-like native tribes, also the British agents were trying to destroy every American settlement they could get their Indian allies to attack. Full of adventure, fun, and important character and spiritual lessons, this story not only makes history come alive, but also draws the reader or listener closer to God. Check it out here. God’s blessings to all of you during these difficult times!

In His Service,

Alan W. Harris

Written for Girls but Exciting enough for Boys

For Fans/Readers· For Parents/Teachers· News· Stories

I am excited to announce the newest book in The Flintlock Sagas series: THE MAKER’S MEDICINE GIRL!

With three daughters and seven granddaughters, it is high time that I wrote something specifically for them and here it is:

Terrors and dangers filled the Kentucky wilderness in the 1770’s, and no one knew this better than sixteen-year-old Remember Warren. After her village was burned and her family and friends were violently murdered by savages, the girl finds herself the slave of a renegade trapper and his Shawnee squaw. Bitter and resentful, Ember rejects God as she tries to find a way to survive the oppressive captivity.

Though she doesn’t believe it, God has not forsaken her.  He begins to work on her hard heart, using creative ways to reveal Himself to her and to show His love to her and to those around her.

Can Ember look beyond the hardship? Will she listen for God’s higher purpose for all her suffering? Could God redeem such horrible experiences? The story reaches its climax as Ember is forced to make a desperate run for her life that will put her new faith to the extreme test.

To read more or to order this exciting new book go to StoriesChangeHearts.com.

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Please spread the word about this thrilling Christian adventure story that was written for girls but exciting enough for boys!

In His Service,

Alan W. Harris

NOW AVILABLE FOR FREE DELIVERY

For Fans/Readers· For Parents/Teachers· News

 

The first book in my new series The Flintlock Sagas, The Young Frontiersman in now available for FREE SHIPPING to almost anywhere in the world. People all over the globe who are eager to read exciting adventure stories that glorify God and encourage the reader can order The Young Frontiersman through The Book Depository and have it shipped to them FOR FREE!

To my American readers, I encourage you to send this information to anyone you know living in another country. It would be a special blessing to missionary families.

TURN THE QUARANTINE INTO A BLESSING

For Fans/Readers· For Parents/Teachers· News· Stories

Would you like to turn your social isolation into positive memories and great discussions?

 

Alan Harris the author of the Tales of Larkin and the Flintlock Sagas and his family want to do something to encourage you during this difficult period in America.  To provide entertaining and character-promoting diversion during this unprecedented time, the Harris family is making a FREE audio version of Alan’s exciting first book available. Enhanced with voice characterizations and read by Alan, old and young alike love the action-packed adventure of Hawthorn’s Discovery.

Just email Alan at StoriesChangeHearts@gmail.comfor a code and web address for the free download. Totaling about 13 hours, spend your evenings listening together, laughing together, and talking through challenging thoughts together in a Christ-honoring, bonding experience. For families, these stories create teachable moments that instill truth and challenge the enemy’s lies. You will also have access to discussion questions that emphasize godly character qualities and help you and your children process and apply the truths revealed. Some of the most cherished memories of the Harris family are the evenings spent experiencing the five books of The Tales of Larkin together. Find more details about the stories at StoriesChangeHearts.com. Jesus made some of His most memorable points within the context of a story. Learn how you can do that too!

You can share this offer with others and we will send out the codes until we run out. Blessing to all and be safe!

Get the free discussion guide!