Growing in Gratitude

Jimmy ran to the window to see if his guests had arrived. He couldn’t wait for his birthday party to start! He helped his mom blow up balloons, then he tied them to the mailbox. As the guests arrived, Jimmy’s eyes widened when he saw the big, shiny packages that everyone had brought for him. When gift-opening time came, Jimmy grabbed a present and tore into it. It was a Lego set! Instead of thanking the friend who gave it to him, Jimmy just grabbed another gift and started opening it. He continued this way, not thanking anyone, until all the gifts were opened. After the party, Jimmy’s mom came into his room and talked to him about what had happened. When Jimmy realized that he had forgotten to show appreciation for his gifts, he decided to write thank-you...

Read More

The Cure for Grumpiness

Do you ever feel grumpy? Mona the monkey was feeling that way. She didn’t want to cuddle or let her mother pick itchy bugs out of her fur. She didn’t want to play catch-me -if you-can, or jump from tree to tree by the river. Mona was a miserable grump. Sometimes, we get grumpy too and that’s okay. . . if it’s just for a little while. But if we hold onto our grumps they can make us cranky. Cranky leads to crabby, and no one likes to hang around with crabby crabs. Mona’s best friend, Fern, knew the cure for grumpiness. “What you need,” she told Mona, “Is a Whatever.” “What’s a Whatever?” Mona asked with a grumpy frown. “I bet if we look together, we can find one in no time,” said Fern. With a loud sigh, grumbling,...

Read More

I’ve Brought Some Corn for Popping

by Sandra Merville Hart This line from the beloved Christmas carol “Let it Snow” started me wondering when the tradition of popping corn began. People have known how to pop corn for thousands of years. Ears of popcorn were found in the Bat Cave in New Mexico that are about 4,000 years old. Found in 1948 and 1950, a penny is larger than the smallest of these ears while others are about 2 inches long. Popcorn remnants discovered in Mexico have been dated to around 3600 BC. One-thousand-year-old popcorn kernels found in North Chile still pop. Aztec Indians in the 16th century used popcorn for ceremonial headdresses and necklaces. Young women danced a popcorn dance wearing popcorn garlands on their heads. Pearls or Nonpareil were names that the kernels were sold...

Read More

Oh, Bring Us a Figgy Pudding

by Sandra Merville Hart We sing the familiar Christmas tune, “We Wish You a Merry Christmas,” every year. If those early carolers refused to leave until they received a serving, it must be delicious. When did folks originally sing this song? The song is believed to date back to England in the 1500s. Carolers sang to their neighbors with greetings of the season. They hoped wealthy citizens would give them a treat, such as figgy pudding, to thank them for singing to them. The song, “Here We Come A-wassailing,” asked for a drink from rich neighbors’ wassail bowl, an invitation to warm themselves around the fire, and maybe a pork pie. “We Wish You a Merry Christmas” specifically requests Figgie Pudding. The tradition of making this dessert at Christmas...

Read More

What Did the Magi Eat on Their Journey?

  by Sandra Merville Hart The Bible tells us in Matthew 2:1 that Magi from the east came to Jerusalem after Jesus was born in Bethlehem. It doesn’t give an exact location. Yet northern Arabia, Syria, and Mesopotamia were considered the “east” by the Jews. What might they have eaten along the way? Nuts, dates, and figs lasted a long time and were easy to pack on camels. They also needed to bring food and grain for their camels. The Magi may have traveled on sand dunes and desert for many miles. They’d also follow the rivers and streams as much as possible so they and their camels had plenty to drink. Folks living in the region likely shared water from their wells. When going through towns, they’d buy fresh bread, meat, fruits, and vegetables for the...

Read More

President George Washington Declares a Day of Thanksgiving

by Sandra Merville Hart The Revolutionary War was over. Leaders wrote a new United States Constitution. The nation elected its first president. Peace reigned again. New Jersey Representative Elias Boudinot asked that Congress pass a resolution to request that President George Washington declare a thanksgiving observance. Congress passed the resolution. President Washington liked the idea and agreed. On October 3, 1789, Washington issued a proclamation that Thursday, November 26th was to be a national day of thanks to God. He reminded Americans that God’s care had led them through the Revolution and helped them establish a new government and Constitution. Washington sent the proclamation to state governors. Newspapers printed it to tell citizens about it. There...

Read More