Think about the
last time you visited your local bookstore or library;
did you come away discouraged at how hard it was to find
a book that was truly grounded in a Christian worldview?
Finding good literature today can be like finding a
needle in a haystack. Stories that truly bring
glory to the Lord, and inspire the reader to do the
same, seem to be lacking. Or are they?
Today, The Old SchoolhouseŽ
Magazine brings you an interview with
Lamplighter Ministries. Lamplighter is dedicated to
finding literature that encourages and equips the
reader to follow Christ at all times and in all
things. With over one hundred titles to choose
from, your family will have plenty to read, but you
may have a hard time deciding which book you'd like to
read first! Your children will find a treasure to claim
as their own in each elegant,
old-fashioned, hard-bound
book.
TOS: Can you tell us a little
history on how Lamplighter got started?
Lamplighter: Our
founder and president, Mark Hamby, hated reading as a
child. When he became a Christian at age 22, he was
introduced to Christian biographies which ignited a
passion in his heart for great Christian literature. He
was always looking for a role model he could
follow, someone from whom he could learn and who would
inspire and motivate him in his new life of faith. When
he read his first biographies of D. L. Moody, George
Mueller, Hudson Taylor, Amy Carmichael, Gladys Alward,
and Abraham Lincoln, he knew he had found his mentors.
Today, thirty years later, Mark is still praying
the prayer of D. L. Moody, "The world has not yet seen
what God can do through one man wholly committed unto
Christ." Several years later, after completing
seminary training, Mark read The Basket of
Flowers, which had such an influence upon his life
that he knew immediately that the world had to read it!
God continued to give Mark the desires of his heart by
helping him to find some of the greatest
life-transforming literature ever written. Through
Lamplighter Ministries, we now have one hundred twenty
titles published and a million in
print!
TOS: Lamplighter books are truly
different from the books found on library and bookstore
shelves today. Can you tell us what makes them so
unique?
Lamplighter: First, a
Lamplighter book is meticulously edited and crafted to
ensure that our readers are being influenced by the
truth of God's Word. Mark has several reviewers who will
initially screen books by following his specific
guidelines. The stories must reflect the character of
God, give the reader hope, and provide mentors who
exemplify character development from a Romans 5
perspective: "Suffering produces endurance, endurance
produces character, character produces hope, and hope
makes us not ashamed." Mark believes that strong
character has hope as its foundation. In fact, he
teaches that the measure of hope reflects the measure of
our character. So when a person finds himself in a
difficult situation, such as facing the loss of a job,
enduring a false accusation, or experiencing the loss of
a loved one, he never loses sight of the fact that God
is in control; God will deliver in His good
timing.
Lamplighter books also
provide footnotes to explain and define words or phrases
to enhance learning, and to build a greater appreciation
for the time period and/or setting of the story. Our
editors do a phenomenal job providing historical,
geographical, cultural and theological insight to our
stories. Mark often inserts Biblical texts when
applicable to reinforce the intended meaning of the
text.
TOS:
The stories you select must come under sharp scrutiny
for moral and godly qualities! Is it hard to find good
stories that meet the Lamplighter standard and how do
you find them?
Lamplighter: Yes, they
are very difficult to find, but that is God's
department-and He continues to deliver on
time!
TOS: With the turmoil in
this world ever increasing, children can be afraid in
their daily circumstances and for their future. Can the
Lamplighter books help parents affirm that God is in
control?
Lamplighter: This is one
of the main reasons we print Lamplighter books! Our
desire is to give children hope in an uncertain world,
which is controlled by an all-wise, sovereign, and
loving God. Lamplighter stories reaffirm that we have a
God in whom we can trust, for nothing is impossible with
Him. They demonstrate that all things work together
for good to them that love God. They confirm that no
good thing will He withhold from them who walk
uprightly.
We live in a day when children need
stories that convey truth and exemplify courage, faith,
perseverance, and countless positive character qualities
through inspiring role models.
We have heard parents say that, though
they may need to sacrifice in many areas, Lamplighter
books would not be one of them because they are
foundational to their children's character
development.
TOS: When
reading books we tend to enter into a "relationship"
with the characters. They influence our thinking and
desires. How can your stories help shape our own
children's character?
Lamplighter: From the very first chapter, a bond is
formed between the characters and the reader, resulting
in a vicarious experience that leads to reflective
thought and life change. It is our commitment
that each Lamplighter book instills moral values through
role models who either demonstrate exemplary behavior or
suffer the consequences of making wrong
choices. A riveting plot, a worthy theme, and
endearing characters will motivate readers, both young
and old, to adopt a similar moral code by emulating the
characters that have now been etched into their awakened
conscience.
TOS:
One reason parents homeschool is to teach their children
that God is a part of our whole lives, not just on
Sunday. They want books that lead their children to
God's word. Do Lamplighter books contain scripture as
well as good role models?
Lamplighter: A Lamplighter book without the Scriptures
is like the spring without the sun! If Mark Hamby is
overseeing what books Lamplighter publishes, you can be
sure that the Scriptures are not only found in our
stories, but conveying strong Biblical principles is
foundational to the selection of our
books.
TOS: For some children,
reading is a struggle and is their least favorite
subject. How can you win over a reluctant reader?
Lamplighter: For the
reluctant reader we recommend that they listen to the
story being read. We have found that in the vast
majority of cases children, no matter what age, are
usually begging for just one more chapter to be read.
Whether reading or listening to stories that contain
truth that transforms, there is an accumulated effect
upon the mind, emotions, and conscience. When there is
an awakening of the moral conscience, children begin to
emulate the characters who have become their heroes and
heroines.
TOS: The Lamplighter
collection has books for every age with a wide variety
for boys and girls. Which books have you noticed to be
the most popular among them?
Lamplighter: Oh dear, do I
really have to answer this question? It depends on
who you were asking; if you were asking Mark, he would
list all of the books! But here are our most popular to
date:
For younger
children, ages 2-7:
For ages
8-12
For ages 12-and up
Our most popular titles are found in
our Classic and Epic Collections, which include the book
that President Ronald Reagan said prepared him to become
the president of the United States, That Printer of
Udell's. It is very difficult to refrain from
listing all of the titles in these two collections for
this age group. I know that when Mark sees this short
list he is going to ask why I didn't include the others!
Among our best in these collections are:
Finally, I am sure our new releases
will be among our best sellers this year. I'd like to
highlight our new Heroes of Faith Series, a unique
collection that brings the Scriptures to life: The
Shepherd of Bethlehem, Exiles in Babylon, and Rescued
from Egypt. Mark's favorite new releases include: Sir
Malcolm and the Missing Prince, My Golden Ship, Throw Me
Overboard, Glaucia, the Greek Slave, and Caleb in the
Country. (To be honest with you, if you ask him tomorrow
his list might be different!)
Lamplighter Publishing
was established fifteen years ago, and this is the tenth
year of printing the Lamplighter Collection. This year
Mark is particularly thankful because his 76-year-old
father came to know the Savior after reading Christie's
Old Organ and Buried in the Snow. A few months later, he
went to be with the Lord. You can imagine the joy that
Mark experienced knowing that he will some day see his
dad again! I think some day it might become a
Lamplighter story-in fact, I am sure it will!
TOS: Thank you so much for sharing
your story with us. With Christmas coming these books
will make wonderful Christmas gifts that will help
spread the joy of the season!
A Special Note to Our Readers: We
invite you to browse our full selection of the Lamplighter
collection in the Schoolhouse Store. We are honored to
share these delightful books with you at a great
price, plus free shipping! In fact, we're on our
way to customer 67,000 and we're going to bring
Christmas to that special customer a little early this
year. Customer 67,000 is going to get a huge surprise
with a $150 gift certificate to our store, a 5 year
subscription to TOS, and a slew of other wonderful
gifts! Click here for the details.
Also, with Thanksgiving right around the corner,
our Black Friday sale isn't far behind. This is our
biggest sale of the year in the Schoolhouse Store and
we're inviting everyone that we know to shop from their
seat, not on their feet, at the Schoolhouse Store. Be
sure to check our store on Thursday to see
the huge selection of bonus items just for our
shoppers.
Sincerely,
Your Friends at The
Old SchoolhouseŽ Magazine
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