Be Sure to Participate with Your Children in the National Day of Prayer on May 7

The National Day of Prayer is observed annually in the US on the first Thursday in May and was officially established through the efforts of President Harry S. Truman in 1952. As our nation unites in prayer, my call of action is to include our children in this event.

The roots of this special day go back much further though than 1952, all the way to the Second Continental Congress in the 1770s and President John Adams in the 1790s, as prayer and fasting were deemed vital to the establishment and growth of our nation. In 1988, the law creating this day was amended to include two explicit intentions: it would be a day when believers of all great religions could unite in prayer and it would one day bring renewed respect for God to all the peoples of the world.

The theme this year is “Pray God’s Glory Across the Earth” based on Habakkuk 2:14. If you have not included your children in this event before, please consider doing so. There are many children’s activities and I have listed some in the links below. I especially like what is written in the image for today’s blog about the prayers of children: they are pure and truthful!

Be sure to set aside time on May 7 to join millions of others to pray for our country and our leaders. The website link for the National Day of Prayer below has suggestions for prayers and provides a schedule for the national broadcast beginning at 8 p.m. Eastern time.

For general information & activities for children, please visit the following links:

Celebrating March as Women’s History Month

March is celebrated annually as Women’s History Month. It began back in 1911 when the first international women’s day was held. In 1980, President Jimmy Carter entered a proclamation declaring the week of March 8, 1980 as Women’s History Week to celebrate all the contributions that women have made. Seven years later, the U.S. Congress passed a public law authorizing the president to declare the month of March each year as Women’s History Month.

The National Women’s History Alliance selects the theme each year. For 2019, the theme is “Visionary Women: Champions of Peace & Nonviolence”. This theme honors "women who have led efforts to end war, violence, and injustice and pioneered the use of nonviolence to change society."

An excellent source of information about women’s history is www.womenshistory.org. It has an enormous amount of information about events and also features articles, exhibits, and even has tools for students and educators.

I encourage parents to spend time with their children learning more about women in history. Perhaps consider volunteering at your children’s schools or at a community event to promote the importance of women.Women have played vital roles in our families, communities, and governments.Our children must learn more about the contributions of women to truly appreciate them.