God's Treasures Through the Eyes of a Child: Fictional stories based on Biblical truth

By Barbara Fulcher

This is a book that takes the reader back in time more than two thousand years and places them in a front-row seat to view the most influential life ever lived...the life of Jesus Christ.

Taking great care to maintain accuracy, author Barbara Fulcher masterfully personalizes stories of the Bible by inserting fictional characters as the protagonist. By doing so, she transforms the story into a touching personal experience that is especially relatable to young readers.

When most of us pass from this earth, we will not be remembered far beyond our burial date. But there are a few special individuals who live a life that touches others in a way that is never forgotten. Barbara Fulcher is one of those special few, and this book is but one piece of evidence solidifying her legacy.

It is my honor to introduce you to God's Treasures: Through the Eyes of a Child and to its author. Barbara Fulcher is an evangelical Christian. She is an author for the first time at the age of ninety. Barbara is a wife, a musician, a teacher, a student of biblical history, and the matriarch of a family currently numbering thirty-one children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. But, most importantly to me, she is my mother.

Now, read and enjoy God's Treasures: Through the Eyes of a Child, and experience how it will bring you closer to the person you need to know the most-Jesus Christ.

-Russ Fulcher, United States Congressman

• Language: English
• Publisher: Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Mar 11, 2021
• ISBN: 9781098035051

Book preview

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God's Treasures Through the Eyes of a Child

Fictional stories based on Biblical truth

Barbara Fulcher

Copyright © 2020 by Barbara Fulcher

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods without the prior written permission of the publisher. For permission requests, solicit the publisher via the address below.

Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.

832 Park Avenue

Meadville, PA 16335

www.christianfaithpublishing.com

Printed in the United States of America

Table of Contents

Josiah Meets the Savior

Don’t Lose Jesus!

Feed My Sheep

Father–Son Meets FATHER–SON

God Is Great

Susannah and the Centurion

Right + Wrong = ????

From Kids to Believers

Miracles

The Hole in the Roof

Be Happy

Be a Pharisee? No!

Little Man, Big Heart

The Son of God

Josiah Meets the Savior… Again

God’s Greatest Missionary

Friends

Jailhouse Gates

My Uncle Paul

The Right Choice

The Unknown God

The Boat Ride

Only a Shepherd?

Endorsements

The following was my inspiration for the manuscript stories. I am sending them exactly as they were written.

I like my grandma’s stories ’cause they tell a story about the Bible but in the eyes of a kid. She tells about what bigger words mean and uses the Bible in some parts.

—Calvin, age 11

I have a motto I learned at camp—I’m Third. It’s a three-step guide for life. It means God first, Others second, and I’m Third. And my great-grandma lives it. Grandma Fulcher is wonderful at many things and enjoys almost everything. She also makes the best cinnamon rolls I’ve ever had! But she has a gift, and it’s not just great baking skills, it’s her gift of putting others before herself.

When my first letter from Grandma Fulcher came in the mail, I didn’t know what to expect. But after I read it I just couldn’t wait for the next one to come in. Grandma puts all of her heart and effort into these letters, because they’re not just some old stories. They’re messages of God working through people and their hearts, and it’s still a fun-filled book to read. And after you read her stories, you feel a ginormous connection with Jesus.

—Colby, age 11

My Great Grandma stories are the best stories to help people learn about Jesus. The best stories in the West.

—Kade, age 9

The stories in this book have taught me multiple lessons about trusting God. Each story inspires me to do the right thing. I hope for other people like you reading this are encouraged to open this book and read these stories and learn to trust God, too.

—Michael, age 11

I love Grandma’s story about Eli and Zacharia, because Eli taught his friend how to be hopeful and happy. Grandma did a good job teaching us that Jesus can bring miracles like healing the blind men.

—Carly, age 8

In the story about Isaiah (the kid fisherman), Isaiah started out as a sad boy. But his new grandma helped him understand that even when things are hard in life, you can be positive and happy because we know that no matter what, God is great.

—Bret, age 10

Thank you for writing us stories. I love how you use kids in the stories. I love all of them. I really like the story about Azar and how he prayed and asked Jesus to put the goats back in the pen. And how he brought tools to the men who lowered his Papa from the roof. Then Jesus healed his Papa.

—Luci, age 6

Foreword

I heard a sermon many years ago that I have never forgotten. It was from May of 2000, when John Piper was speaking to 40,000 college students at a conference in Memphis, TN. It’s now known as The Seashells Sermon, and became the foundational message for his book, Don’t Waste Your Life.

In the sermon, Piper compared two true stories that he had recently heard. The first was the news that two women from his church had died while serving as missionaries in Cameroon. Both in their eighties, they were giving their final years to making Jesus Christ known among the unreached, the poor, and the sick. One day, the brakes on their car gave way, and there they went—over a cliff, and gone—killed instantly.

Piper showed a headline read Tragedy in Cameroon, but then he asked the crowd, You tell me, was this a tragedy? He went on to share how these two women were finishing their lives of service to the poor and unreached, for the glory of Jesus Christ, while all of their friends were retiring on beaches in Florida. I’ll never forget the passion in his voice when he shouted, No! This is not a tragedy! This…is glory!

After a long pause, Piper continued, Let me tell you what tragedy is… and he showed a headline from a recent copy of Readers Digest titled, Early Retirement in Florida. It was about a couple named Bob and Penny, who retired early from their jobs up north and moved to Florida, where they cruise around on their thirty-foot crawler, play softball, and collect shells.

With his voice again raised, he shouted with intensity, "Now that is a tragedy!"

In the closing of his sermon, Piper gave an image of Bob or Penny giving an account before the Lord: Here it is, Lord—my shell collection! And I’ve got a nice swing too! Oh, and look at my boat! He pleaded with his young audience to not waste their lives pursuing such a tragic dream.

That message (and subsequent book) had a huge impact on my life. And here’s the reason it’s relevant to this children’s book: Often when I think of that sermon, I think of my grandma.

My grandma, Barbara Fulcher, recently turned ninety years old. Despite her excellent health, she hasn’t retired to Florida, and she doesn’t waste time on beaches or boats, collecting seashells, or even watching TV. She spends her days in her Bible. And not just casually reading—but studying and writing. Grandma writes detailed, book-by-book studies. She writes chronological studies and historical studies…for all different ages! And when she isn’t writing, she teaches weekly Bible studies and leads worship (piano) at a local elderly home. She is an amazing woman, a true inspiration, one of my personal heroes in the faith.

You hold in your hand one of Grandma’s most precious works—a collection of stories that she has written for the children of her own family line. For years, my grandma has been writing these wonderful stories to her grands and great-grands and mailing them hard copies each month, all over the world to wherever they are.

For my family personally, receiving her stories has provided unique joy. We have served in the foreign mission field since 2008, and wherever we’ve been in the world, like clockwork, we have received Grandma’s letters. It’s been a sweet and dependable treat to receive in the mail, along with her priceless handwritten encouragements, each word carefully written and full of love.

In these stories, Grandma uses true accounts from scripture, but writes them through the eyes of a child (a fictional character) that she has inserted in the story. Her stories are engaging, colorful, and beautifully written. But what I love most about them is how they plainly teach of the hope, grace, and unshakable Truth that we find in Christ Jesus.

Heartfelt stories to her grandkids inspired the book that’s in your hand, Through the Eyes of a Child. I pray your children will be drawn closer to the heart of Jesus through my grandma’s stories. It’s an honor to share part of her legacy with you.

In Christ,

Brock Johnson

President and Founder

Buena Vista Sports Academies

Josiah Meets the Savior

Luke 2:8–20

God’s Treasure: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (John 1:1)

The Word was made flesh and made His dwelling among us. (John 1:14)

Boys and girls, have you ever wondered what it would be like to see the sky filled with angels? Have you ever wondered what if you could see the baby Jesus in the manger?

Well, meet Josiah. In our story, he was there!

*****

The first Christmas! It happened a long time ago. In fact, it was over 2,000 years ago. But it was one of the most important days that ever happened.

I want you to meet Josiah. He lived in a little town in Judea called Bethlehem. He did not live where the rich people lived. He did not have nice clothes. He did not have any toys. His papa was a shepherd. It was his job to go out on the hillside and care for the sheep. Someday Josiah, too, would be a shepherd. Josiah loved his papa and his mamma. Josiah was a good boy.

Now, it was getting to be late in the day. It was time for Papa to leave and head for the Judean hills. It was time for Papa to go to work. Josiah ran up to his papa and said, Papa, let me go with you. I’ll be good. Papa, I will stay awake all night and help you care for the sheep.

Papa hesitated. Then he said, Josiah, some day you will be a shepherd boy. Perhaps it would be good for you to learn how to care for the sheep. It may be dangerous. If lions or bears come close, we must kill them. If anything scares the sheep, we have to go out in the dark and find all of them.

Josiah said, Oh, Papa, I am not afraid. Please let me go.

And so it was. Papa and Josiah headed out for the hills. Oh, what an adventure for Josiah. By the time they got there it was dark. There was no moon. But the stars twinkled bright as if to say Welcome, Josiah. The sheep were quiet. There were many other shepherds who had arrived first. They had built a fire. All of the men sat around the fire telling stories. The night grew on. The fire dwindled. Josiah’s eyes began to close. He fell asleep. Papa covered him with an old blanket and said, Pleasant dreams, little shepherd boy.

The camp was quiet.

Suddenly out of the darkness was a brilliant light! The shepherds were startled. What? Where? Who? They were terrified. Josiah awoke! He grabbed his papa’s hand—only to find Papa shaking with fright. Then out of the blinding light appeared a heavenly being. It was an angel sent by God to this little humble shepherd camp. The light was the glory of God shining on the shepherds. Josiah, too, was frightened. He wondered if he was dreaming. Then the angel spoke! Do not be afraid (Luke 2:10). At that moment fear left Josiah. Suddenly he felt all warm and safe and secure. He let go of Papa’s hand and his eyes were glued on this heavenly being.

The angel continued speaking. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today, in Bethlehem a Savior has been born to you. He is Christ the Lord! (Luke 2:10–11). Then the angel continued, You will find the Babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger (Luke 2:12).

The Savior! The Savior! People had waited for hundreds of years. He’s here! He’s here! And the shepherds were the first to know! The angel had told the shepherds!

Suddenly the sky was filled with hundreds of angels—maybe thousands. They were praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men!" (Luke 2:14).

Then they were gone.

It once again was a quiet night. Around them everything was still. But not the shepherds!

They started shouting to one another. "Let’s go see this