About Welcome Valley Media and the Welcome Valley Reader
Welcome to Welcome Valley. This is a free site available to anybody who likes to read stories or who is interested in studying the Bible. It is a Christian site, but those who are not Christians are certainly welcome here too. What you will find on this site are a collection of stories springing from the classical narratives of the Bible, a series of short essays, and a set of Bible study guides that will help you to discover what the Bible actually says for yourself. You will also find a series of stories that present the Christian message in very simple English.
To clarify exactly what is here, most of the stories are not quoted verbatim from the Bible. While I have tried to be faithful to the Biblical accounts, I have also added bits of information from other sources and what we all know of human nature. The stories are generally family friendly, but they are told at an adult level. It’s only fair to note that, like history in general, they often contain an element of violence. There's also an element of my interpretation involved and an effort to relate the individual story to the bigger picture of Biblical history. I’ve tried to recognize the difference between my thoughts and what we know from the record, but do feel free to take your Bible—or a borrowed Bible—and compare. The section entitled Stories from the Book Itself does take its stories directly from the text of Scripture.
You will also notice that the stories are treated as historical. Some scholars won’t like this, but it is my conviction that the histories printed in the Holy Bible are true and accurate accounts.
The Bible study guides follow a simple
format which focuses on what the Bible says rather than the comments of the
author. In this section you will find actual Biblical texts printed along with
other Bible references to look up for yourself. While some background
information is supplied and study questions are included in each lesson, the
main focus is on the Scriptures themselves.
Please don’t let the idea of the Bible scare you away. The Bible is a lot more interesting and a lot more relevant than you might think. I encourage you to overcome the fear that many people have of getting too close to the Bible. It isn’t boring, and it isn’t dangerous. Go ahead! Look for yourself!
For most of its history, this site has been called "The Welcome Valley Reader." Since I'm interested in adding multimedia material, I'm using the Welcome Valley Reader designation for the part of the site that is primarily literary in nature, and the broader term Welcome Valley Media for the site as a whole. Hopefully this change will not prove too confusing.
It is appropriate to give credit where credit is due. Unfortunately, this is difficult. I first heard Bible stories when I was young enough to be frightened by the scary parts. I grew up studying them at home, at Sunday school, in a Christian high school, at the college level, and beyond. God and His book have been a major interest. The stories were largely written off the top of my head either while or after reviewing the Biblical accounts. Where I learned some of the extra information, I can’t always say. Did it come from a teacher? A commentary? A sermon long forgotten except for one or two details? In many cases I just plain don’t know. I have used Tyndale House Publishers' The Illustrated Bible Dictionary for some research. Adam Clarke's commentary has also been consulted. The Bible study section is similarly indebted to a lifetime exposure to multiple resources. The primary book, other than the Bible, consulted for the study section was Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance, a book which helps one find Bible verses based on the words they use. Still, my life has been enriched by more sources than I can remember. I have tried to avoid unattributed direct quotes (except maybe from the Bible itself.) If you think I’ve quoted without giving proper credit or violated a copyright, please e-mail me, and—assuming that this proves to be the case—I’ll rectify the situation.
This site is noncommercial. Except where indicated otherwise, the materials you
find here have been released to the public domain. You can download them, copy
them, put them on your web site, print them, e-mail them, distribute them, read
them before an audience, etc. No permission is necessary. You may translate them
into any language, but if you do, I’d appreciate it if you’d supply me with a
copy of the translation to possibly publish here. For a formal statement, please
see the Copyright Information
page.
This site isn’t about me, it’s about the great Christian reality that has so enriched my life. However, you do have a right to know who is behind the site. I’m just a middle-aged Christian bachelor. I trusted Jesus Christ as my personal Savior as a young boy and renewed that commitment as a teenager. Theologically, you’d describe me as very conservative and evangelical. While I have studied the Bible at the college and seminary level, my only degrees are is an A.A.S. from a technical college in the area of telecommunications and an A.A. in Ministerial studies. I do preach part time, but earn my living at a lumberyard. It is my hope that the information on this site will help people find everlasting life in Jesus Christ and then to enjoy that life to the maximum.
If you have any questions or comments, please contact me at mail@welcomevalley.com.
One other item may interest you. The name Welcome Valley is an English translation of the Native American name for the area of northwestern Wisconsin where I live. Properly, this shallow valley near my home is called Bashaw Valley.
Thank you for visiting The Welcome Valley Reader. Please enjoy your time here, and check back soon for new material.
C. David Cash
This work is in the pubic domain and may be copied and distributed freely.
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