Our world and its creation and Narnia and its creation are similar in many ways. For example, neither just "came" into existence. Both were created by a being that we can talk with. In our world, God didn't have any help. In Narnia, Aslan didn't need any help. In the beginning, they both had evil beings in their world. Both worlds started out with just two people living in it. This book and its fictional account of Narnia's beginnings and our account of our world's beginnings are also very different. For example, we don't have talking animals, fauns, wood spirits and other imaginary animals. Also, in our world, God didn't use magic to get people to come in his world. In Narnia, the first two people that lived there were named Frank and Helen, while in our world they were named Adam and Eve.

I don't think the first people in our world wore crowns, but in Narnia they did. C.S. Lewis' fictional account of creation did not help me appreciate the true account at all. There were too many differences and not enough similarities. One thing that I didn't mention is that the way that the Witch got into Narnia was just too different from the way that evil got into our world

The Magician's Nephew is a book about a boy named Digory and a girl named Polly who wander into Digory's Uncle Andrew's forbidden study. It's forbidden because Uncle Andrew has been conducting a secret experiment there. Out of dust from the lost city of Atlantis, he made magical rings that can take you to and from other worlds. In one of those worlds they accidentally awaken an evil witch who does cruel things to people and mistreats Polly and Digory, but it is in a different world that the land later to be called Narnia is born.

The story of the birth of Narnia is a lot like the birth of our world, which can be found in Genesis chapter 1 and 2. They both started out as darkness; formless and empty. There was nothing except God, or Aslan in this case. From the Creator's voice all things came to be. There was also a garden with a tree that produced beautiful, delicious fruit. The witch, who had gotten into this land too, tempted Digory to taste some fruit, just like the serpent tempted Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden.

But there are also differences between these two stories. First of all, God was not a lion. Chosen animals were not made to speak. Aslan created land, water, sky, and animals in a different order than God.

Also, when Satan tempted Adam and Eve, they ate the fruit, unlike Digory, who resisted. Even though it is fairly different, I believe this book written by C.S. Lewis was meant to reveal our creation story as you have never thought of it and make you think deeper and appreciate every little detail of the world that we live in.

When the children entered the garden for the first few times, they described it as: "The sweetest, most mysterious-looking place one could imagine." There was grass that was brown in color that covered the ground. Clumps of bushes grew out of the grass, the bushes were dead, but if they had been living they would have roses sprouting all over them. One of the strangest and loneliest things about the garden was the rose vines which grew all over the walls clinging from tree to tree.

The garden was transformed from just a garden to Mary's own little place. She called it her secret garden because she could escape to it and no one knew where she was. She describes it as being "shut out from the world in some fairy place, just like in the fairy books she had read." After a short time the garden became alive and flowers sprouted everywhere.

At the end of the book Burnett describes the garden as: "A place of wilderness with colors of autumn gold, purple, violet blue and flaming scarlet. On every side were sheaves of late lilies standing together, lilies that were white or white and ruby. Roses climbed the walls and the sunshine, deepening the yellow trees could make one feel like they were standing in a temple of gold."

Shiloh is about Marty Preston's struggle to keep a beagle he finds. He names it Shiloh. The story revolves around the suspected mistreatment of Shiloh. Marty's concern causes him to work twenty hours for the owner, so that he can keep Shiloh.

Marty could have gone to the sheriff to report a mistreating or he could have gone to the game warden to report off season shooting. It is never right to lie because in Exodus 20:16 the Bible says "Thou shall not give false testimony against your neighbor." That is the tenth commandment. Shiloh is a good book. It shows how deep a friendship can be with a boy and a dog.

Shiloh is about an eleven-year-old boy named Marty Preston who meets a little abused beagle near the old Shiloh school house. Marty falls in love with the dog at first sight, then because he found the dog near Shiloh school house he names the dog Shiloh. Marty's father wants him to return Shiloh to his real owner. They find out that the real owner is the villain, Judd Travers. Judd Travers is not kind to his dogs. He starves, kicks, and curses them. A few days later Marty sees Shiloh resting under a tree in their front yard. Marty builds a cage for Shiloh up on a hill. Later this is discovered and he is able to work for Judd to pay the price for Shiloh.

The sad thing about all of this is that Marty lied to keep Shiloh a secret. Though I can sympathize with his desire to protect Shiloh, I feel it was wrong to lie. Circumstances don't justify lying. There is always another way to resolve a problem. Lying is wrong and often one lie leads to another in the cover up attempt. Lying can easily become a habit which hardens the heart. God strictly forbids lying in one of the Ten Commandments. These are generally accepted as a code of morality among many religions and people. I do not think Marty should have lied and the following are some Bible verses to defend my conclusion:

• Proverbs 12:22 Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord but they that deal truly are His delight.
• Proverbs 19:9 A false witness shall not be unpunished and he that speaks lies shall perish.
• Proverbs 28:3 He that covers his sins shall not prosper; but those who confess and forsake them shall have mercy.

I enjoyed Shiloh as a simple story of a boy and his love for a dog. Beyond that, it reinforced my conviction that lying is never justified.

Shiloh, a fun-loving beagle and Marty, a young country boy team up against Judd who is Shiloh's owner in this heartwarming story. To save Shiloh, Marty had to hide the abused beagle in the woods, buy and sneak food to the dog and lie to his parents and Judd on more than one occasion. The lying and sneaking soon take over his life and Marty finds himself trapped in a hole, getting deeper and deeper. Besides the wonderful moments running with Shiloh through the hills, Marty feels trapped scared and miserable because of his lies.

Lies do that to you. As the Bible says, "Truthful lips endure forever, but a lying tongue lasts but a moment." (Proverbs 12:22) Marty's lies didn't last and the truth would have been much easier. The Bible also says "The truth will set you free." If Marty had told the truth, then the trapped feeling would have never been felt and he wouldn't have to worry all the time.

Marty lied about keeping Shiloh and eventually the truth came out. He also caused Shiloh to become injured! Marty could have spared himself much pain and heartache by simply telling the truth first.

Marty could have kept Shiloh by just bargaining to work for Judd in the first place! If that didn't work, then he could have gotten proof of Judd's abusive actions. There was much more Marty could have done to save Shiloh than lie. He also could have just trusted God to work things out for the best!

I feel that it is never right to lie, no matter the circumstances. The Bible says, "Whatever is done in secret shall be shouted from the rooftops." In a situation of life and death, I feel obeying God's commandments is more precious than lying.