Blessed is the Nation

 

Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD; and the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance. ~Psalms 33:12

I love history, especially American history. Perhaps it's because I can "put my hands on it." I can visit the places, taste the food, and see the reenactments. Sometimes I get to participate in the reenactments. Being able to do all these things makes history real. It helps me remember. 

This year my home state of South Carolina is celebrating its 250th anniversary. Planning a vacation with all the celebrations should be simple. Yeah, right. There's always too much to choose from. As I planned, I could also see what types of literature lend themselves to exploring my state's history.

In the Hello U.S.A series, I found celebrations for each month in different parts of the state. January was the Cowpens Battleground. There's always a reenactment there; though it's not in the book, there's another reenactment at Walnut Grove Plantation in the fall. In May, Beaufort celebrates with a Gullah Festival. Have you ever heard someone speak Gullah? And in August, Georgetown moves further into SC history with the Blue and Gray Festival.

Food is always an important part of any state's history. I love cooking in an open hearth or over a campfire. One of the books also features Benne cookies brought to SC from Africa. I noticed there is a Peach Festival and a Chitlin Strut. Not sure I want to try chitlins but why not be adventurous?

Kate Salley Palmer is a SC author who wrote Frances Marion and the Legend of the Swamp Fox. This unique picture book for ages 8-12 takes readers into the swamps of SC with Frances Marion. There's a state park by that name located in Huger, SC. That will be a great place to hike but I better take the insect repellent.

Then there's Ford the Pacholet by Richard C. Meehan, Jr. It's a novel for ages 10-18. You won't find the name Pacholet on any map but you will find Pacolet. Pacolet is a river and a mill town in the Upstate. The book features adventure, romance, and the Catawba tribe during the Revolutionary War.

Now it's time to go explore. Were plantation houses first built as log cabins? Are there battlefields in my county or neighboring counties? What would a soldier have to know to forage for food during the war or his family at home? Is there a good place to find arrowheads? (Try looking in freshly turned fields along old trails and wagon roads. The Blackstock is a notable road in my area. It goes from the mountains to the sea.) I wonder what songs were sung around campfires? What are brush arbors and who led the revivals? Where are the old cemeteries located with Revolutionary and Civil War veterans?

There's so much to do and so much to see. What if I could time travel? Since I'm doing project-based learning perhaps I could write a piece pretending I traveled to Cowpens during the battle. I'd probably have to dig a little deeper to learn more of life in the 1700s.

I just ran across information on a famous pirate who was hanged in Charlestown in the 1700's! Ah but wait. We have a nation blessed by God for a purpose. The purpose of spreading the gospel, to love our neighbors whether they live near or across the ocean. To tell the next generation what God has done for us. If you've been taught history correctly, you know the Pilgrims came here for freedom to worship. We are His inheritance because He gave us a place to proclaim His salvation. 

When we vacation this year, dig a little deeper and see God's purpose in the history you see all around you.

Heavenly Father, help us not forget that we are blessed when You are our God. Just like Israel in the Old Testament, when we turn away only trouble will follow. You, Lord, chose this place for your people. Help me be ever mindful of Your goodness. In Jesus's name. Amen.

Hey Kids:

Perhaps you've visited many historical places and eaten the foods cooked over the fires. Perhaps you've seen muskets fired and smelled the powder. But what about the historical significance of the Bible?

Easter is fast approaching. Often churches produce Passion Plays to help people of today know what Jesus would have seen and felt in first-century Jerusalem. We see reenactments of the crucifixion. Reenactments make the history so much more real. 

There are places across the nation that give us visuals into Biblical history.

• The Creation Museum and The Ark Encounter (Northern, KY)
• Field of the Woods (Murphy, NC)
• The Book of Daniel or other Bible stories performed (Gatlinburg, TN and Lancaster, PA)

Perhaps your parents would like to add Biblical history visits to this year's vacation.

Teaching without Preaching

  

Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 

Ephesians 6:1 NIV

 Celebrate Black History month with Precious and the Boo Hag by Patricia McKissack. McKissack is a black author who gives us insights into the Gullah culture as well as finding a wonderful way to teach children to obey their parents and resist the devil.

We've all heard the different names people use, especially with children, to describe Satan. Most often we hear him referred to as the devil, but it's likely we've also heard and used the term "boogerman" or "boogeyman." In Gullah culture, he's called Boo Hag and is portrayed in a more feminine way.

The Rocks Cry Out

 

 But He answered and said to them, “I tell you that if these should keep silent, the stones would immediately cry out.” ~Luke19:40 (NKJV)

There are hearts all around us, in the stores, in classrooms, magazines, everywhere I look I see hearts. Love is in the air with Valentine's Day upon us. Jesus tells us to "love one another." February is a good time to check up and see if we truly love; love like Jesus loved. In Luke the people were praising Jesus as he entered the city of Jerusalem, just a few days before he would be crucified. The people seemed to love him, but in a few days they would cry out, "crucify him."

What is love? Is it a feeling, a temporary emotion, or is it something that endures? The people were praising Jesus because they thought he would overthrow the Romans. Their love, for the most part, was temporary. But true love is lasting, deep, even unto death. 

Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. ~John 15:13(KJV)

When the Pharisees told Jesus to make the people stop praising, Jesus answered that if they didn't praise him, the stones would immediately cry out. God's creation praises him even if and when we don't. The picture of the heart stones is from If Rocks Could Sing a discovered alphabet by Leslie McGuirk. Rocks, stones all sizes demonstrating love. Their size doesn't matter. The place they were found doesn't matter. They all say love just by the way they are shaped. They cry out love. Their shape will stay the same as long as the world stands unless they are broken in some way. Jesus's heart was broken when he sweated great drops of blood as he prayed in the garden. His heart was broken when he hung on the cross, dying for our sins. But his love for us remains the same. There is no greater love than Jesus's love for us. He gave his life that we may have eternal life. 

Many of us say we love Jesus. Is it temporary like the crowd on Palm Sunday or has he worked a love in our hearts that is eternal? Have we allowed Him to give us the gift of eternal life or are we still trying to work for our salvation? The thief on the cross next to Jesus couldn't do good works and neither can we. Like the thief on the cross, we have to cry out to Jesus in repentance of our sins. You may want to cry out today. My prayer today is just an example of what you may want to tell Jesus.

Dear Lord Jesus, I have sinned. Please forgive me and save me. Thank you for loving me and dying for me. Thank you for your gift of salvation.  In Your name, I pray. Amen. 

Hey Kids: 

Do you like to collect rocks? What can you do with a pocket full of rocks? In Leslie McGuirk's book If Rocks Could Sing, she collects rocks that look like letters and then adds other rocks that look like things the letters could stand for — like V is for Valentine, E is for Elephant, and my favorite J is for Joy and she has little rocks that look like happy fish. They remind me of Nemo. 

Other books about rocks that you might enjoy are by Patti Rokus. She uses rocks to tell Bible stories. One is A Savior is Born: Rocks Tell the Story of Christmas. The other is He is Risen: Rocks Tell the Story of Easter.  My grandchildren loved collecting and retelling the stories with their own rocks after reading these books. 

Isn't it amazing how even the rocks praise our Lord and Savior? 

Raising Kids to Follow Christ

 

 That the generation to come might know them, even the children which should be born; who should arise and declare them to their children: That they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments: ~ Psalms 78:6-7

Children have always been my passion. I taught 4K for most of my 30 years of teaching. I look for information and books to stretch my ability to help children learn, to learn the three Rs and to learn about Christ. My friend, Lee Ann Mancini, has written  Raising Kids to Follow Christ.  I wish it had been written when I was raising my children. The chapters are conversational. I felt like Lee Ann was sitting there encouraging me as a young parent. Encouraging is the right word here. She isn't high-minded or judgmental but rather takes us through useful information every parent can use.  She incorporates scripture with each recommendation, so it's not her that speaks, but God's Word. Each chapter builds on the previous with good instruction beginning with building a spiritual foundation for our children and taking that instruction through the years. 

I really like the way each chapter is broken down into small bites. As a busy parent, I needed small bites of information I could ponder while changing a diaper or fixing a meal. These are meaty small bites such as Praying Over Our Children (even while they are still in the womb), The Ten Commandments (memorizing them by living them out before our children), and Tell the Next Generation (instilling allegiance to God like we show allegiance to our sports teams - go all out). 

Some of the chapters address character development and building a strong Christian foundation. She offers practical methods for connecting children to Jesus and cultivating trust in God. One of my favorite chapters is Helping Shape a Godly Worldview. To me that was always a hard concept but Mrs. Mancini breaks it down so it's a natural process of everyday life. 

I often hear people say "Kids are mean." Lee Ann has a chapter that helps us instill virtues in our children. She helps parents realize virtues are caught, not taught. There's also a chapter on the fruits of the Spirit. Every chapter is built on the idea that we must demonstrate not tell our children how to live godly lives.

At the end of the book is chapter by chapter questions. I love this because I can reflect on what I've read and if I have a question about how she recommends handling something I can easily find the chapter. 

Mrs. Mancini's conclusion is "Raising kids to be followers of Christ is all about the salvation of our children." We want to know that one day we will sit down in heaven and our children will be sitting across the table from us. 

Heavenly Father, thank you for giving us writers who point us to the ultimate instruction book, Your Word. Thank you, that you've given them the gift to break down the scripture in such a way as to increase our understanding. Father, help us follow through with the concepts in Your Word to raise our children to be followers of Christ so that we may spend eternity together in heaven. In Jesus's name, I pray. Amen. 

Hey Kids:

Do you have a devotional time with your parents?

Are you asking questions? 

Are you expressing your thoughts about your family life, church life, and school life? 

Can others see Jesus in you? 

As you ponder these questions, what do you notice you are doing right? What are one or two things you could work on? You may want to place a sticky note somewhere obvious to you as a reminder of the great things you're doing and the work yet to be accomplished.