From all of us at As the Stars of the Sky Foundation, happy new year 2023! Thank you so much for your continued support as we strive to promote the importance of literacy in a child’s life.
What Are You Depositing?
I think this quote from Pastor Charles Swindoll is so true! As parents, we must remember that we are constantly making memories with our children. What are you depositing in their memory banks?
How often do you spend time with your children? Whether it is eating a meal with them, driving them to school or an activity, or reading bedtime stories to them, we spend quite a bit of time with them so we should be cognizant of the fact that we are depositing into their lives each and every moment that we are together. And, being together includes not only physical presence, but also via the phone or internet.
What are we depositing into their memories? What will they remember of us? What will they learn from us? These are all very important questions that we should ask ourselves on a regular basis.
If we think that we only deposit into their memories on special occasions, we are wrong. Of course, special occasions are important, but it is our everyday deposits that will last the longest in their memories.
I have adult children now and I still try diligently to continue to make good deposits into their memory banks. And, I will continue to do that as long as I have breath! Let’s continue to give our children, young or old, precious memories to remember!
Teaching Your Children about a Gentle Answer
A gentle answer turns away wrath but a harsh word stirs up anger. Proverbs 15:1 NIV
As parents, we often struggle when our children are arguing among each other. When angry words are said, the typical reaction of a child is to lash back, and then the argument escalates. Proverbs 15:1 is an important verse for children to learn and understand.
In an online article, author Felicia Mollohan discusses this verse and how she has been successful in teaching children about it. She actively asked questions, to encourage children to think for themselves and come up with answers and then they discussed the answers. Here are the questions she posed:
What does it mean to have a gentle answer?
Give me an example of a gentle answer?
What does wrath mean? Are there other words that are synonyms (mean the same) with “wrath”?
What are some things that make you really angry? How do you respond to those things?
Do you respond with a gentle answer?
What does it mean to have a harsh word?
What does it mean to “stir up anger”? Do I need a spoon for that?
How does this all work together?
With young children, you can use stuffed animals to illustrate the discussion. That way, they can get a better understanding. With older children, you can have them play roles – one is angry and says something that is hurtful and the other one responds with a gentle answer.
Learning how to respond gently when someone is angry or how to not respond with harshness takes a lot self-discipline. It is best to develop these abilities within the family, as there will be a lot of opportunities to practice. When your children face the outside world, they will be better equipped to handle anger from others.
To read the entire article and for more references for games to play to help children learn, visit:
https://ministry-to-children.com/a-gentle-answer-proverbs-151-for-kids-and-adults/
https://catsinthecradle.blog/2017/05/08/a-soft-answer-activity-proverbs-151/
As Christians, We are Called to Pray for our Leaders
As the day for our major political elections draws near, Christians, more than ever, are encouraged to pray for all those in authority over us. In 1 Tim. 2:1-2, the Apostle Paul makes it clear that praying for those in leadership enables us to live a quiet and peaceable life. Moreover, verse 3 provides that it is good and pleasing to God for us to do this.
As most people, I am so displeased with the constant criticism and personal attacks made against those in governmental leadership positions. It really saddens me to hear and see this happening!
Christians must rise up and do what we are called to do – pray! There is no doubt that prayer can and does change things. Let us pray individually and collectively for our country and leaders.
The Ability to Read Brings True Freedom!
As parents, we should be constantly searching for good role models for our children - those in modern times and those in our history. I would like to dedicate this blog post to the great African American statesman Frederick Douglass who taught himself to read and write. He went from being a slave to being a newspaper publisher and revered leader for the abolitionists and rights of women because he could read, write, and speak well.
Douglass is quoted as saying “What is possible for me is possible for you.” It is so important that we teach our children this! Despite some of the worst adversities possible, he overcame them and so can they.
Never underestimate the power of reading!
To read more about the amazing life of Douglass, please visit:
http://www.frederickdouglass.org/douglass_bio.html
https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part4/4p1539.html
Making America’s Parks More Welcoming to Diverse Groups
The National Park Service (NPS) has embarked on a major push to make our beautiful national parks more welcoming to diverse groups of people. According to the NPS’s statistics, in 2019, over 327 million people visited the national parks. Statistics also establish that the majority of visitors are not “people of color” and NPS seeks ways to improve this.
In conjunction with the National Park Foundation (NPF), a nonprofit organization chartered by Congress that generates private support, the NPS has established a number of programs as an outreach to our communities. These include:
The National Park Service Mellon Humanity Fellowships
Junior Ranger Angler program to encourage children to learn about all the recreational activities involving fishing
American Latino Heritage Fund to preserve and protect the history and culture of Latino Americans
NPF’s Kids program introducing children to our parks through a variety of activities online
The National Park as Classroom education program which provides teachers with free curriculum, field trip ideas, and workshops for students
The Strong Parks, Strong Communities initiative supporting local programs all over the country
In a thought provoking online article titled Here’s How We Make The National Parks More Diverse, author Ted Alvarez gathered a number of recommendations from a variety of knowledgeable people as to what more the NPS can do. Some of the recommendations included the NPS partnering with local city parks and having NPS rangers be more visible around communities; teaching about the history and contributions of African Americans with our national parks; and having children and families come out and experience the parks, if just for a day’s outing.
I have traveled and visited many parks over the years with my family and can say that we absolutely loved the beauty and adventures that our parks have. Especially during the pandemic, I recommend that all families, no matter what race or national origin, make plans to visit some of them.
To read the entire online article and obtain more information on this topic, please visit:
https://www.backpacker.com/news-and-events/national-parks-diversity
https://www.nationalparks.org/our-work/programs/programs-connect
https://www.nationalparks.org/our-work/programs/all-programs
Why Does As the Stars of the Sky Foundation Promote Literacy?
Why does As the Stars of the Sky Foundation promote literacy? I found this quote by Kofi Annan, the former Secretary General of the United Nations, that expresses in a nutshell the answer to that question. Of all the Secretary Generals, I believe that his work to promote literacy throughout the world was the most impressive.
Literacy is key to the successful life of every human being. Without the ability to read, and read well, a child will not progress and reach his/her highest possibilities. To be effective, reading should start from an early age, when the child is very young. This gives the child the ability to learn language and cognitive skills that become of primary importance when starting school.
Literacy fights poverty because a literate person has the tools to improve his/her life and earn a good living. A person who cannot read or read well is often left to do the low paying jobs and then struggles to support a family. Poor healthcare unfortunately results as well.
Literacy is the key to development of our towns and cities. Without a literate population, government services cannot be performed properly and as needed.
From a Christian perspective, literacy enables a child to reach his/her divine destiny. I strongly believe that God has given each of us a divine destiny which He wants us to achieve. Literacy is the means by which we will be able to do the work that we are called to do.
Yes, it is ultimately a bridge from misery to hope, as Kofi Annan states!
Teachers Play a Critical Role in Advancing Literacy
“A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops.”
― Henry Adams
My blog centers around promoting literacy. Most of my writing is geared toward what parents, grandparents and other adults can do in the home. What about outside the home? Teachers are the ones who spend approximately 7 hours a day, Monday through Friday, with our children. They not only teach, but also are role models and motivators and as such, they are vital to our children’s ability to read and development of the love of reading.
When did you last speak to your children’s teachers about the importance of reading? When was the last time that you visited your children’s classrooms? What type of books are in the classroom? How often do the children visit the library? What can you do to help these teachers to promote reading more?
Teachers often are overworked and have many different lessons to cover during a school day. However, they understand the importance literacy plays in a child’s education and overall life. Try volunteering at the school to assist. Donate books to the classroom, especially books that your children have already read. Then, they can be the ones to tell their friends about the books. Helping your children’s teacher to be better teachers benefits your children and others.