We are living during some difficult times. There is political upheaval and divisiveness with our presidential election just around the corner; rumors of a pandemic with the Coronavirus; and fears of an economic slump, just to name a few. Children hear and read many things, especially via social media, much of which is inaccurate. As Christian parents, building hope in our children is critical for their future.

Psalm 71:5 expresses that our hope and trust should be in God. I especially like the version in the New Living Translation: “Oh Lord, you alone are my hope. I’ve trusted you, O Lord, from childhood.”

Teaching our children to put their hope in the Lord is the foundation for their successful future. Talk with them about what is happening in the world. As I have repeatedly written, help them to memorize scripture verses on hope, faith, and trust. I have put together some websites below that have those Bible verses readily available.

There are many children’s books based on stories in the Bible and scripture verses that give hope. I have included a couple of websites with some suggestions.

Please do not assume that your children are not hearing anything about what is going on in the world, because I can assure you that they are. Being an assertive parent is vital to your children’s Christian understanding of our chaotic times.

Some children’s Christian books on hope can be found at the following websites:

Bible verses on hope can be found at the following websites:

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.