Blessings Blog: Pick It Up - Trust God

It was rather hard to spot. It was sitting at the side of the road that ran behind our hotel. On this comfortable, sunny day, I was taking advantage of some down time for a little stroll. It’s amazing that I saw it at all; wearing years of dirt and grime and deterioration on its surface, it was hardly recognizable. Not only that, more than a fifth of it was missing. I picked it up anyway when I recognized it.

“What exactly was it?” the curious soul is surely inquiring. Well, it was a United States penny that had obviously seen better days. “And, why in the world would you waste the time and the effort to stoop and pick up a mere penny, an old decrepit one, at that?” one may ask. Well, I am prone to picking up pennies when I see them, any coin really. Of course there is the old adage, “See a penny; pick it up, and all the day you’ll have good luck.” But that has nothing to do with it. I don’t believe that at all.

But there is something I do believe that causes me to retrieve any coin I see: I pick up pennies because of the statement that has been on all United States coins continuously since 1938 – “IN GOD WE TRUST.” I grab them from the ground because I know God is allowing me to have a fresh reminder of where I need to place my trust and that He is sure to prove Himself faithful over and over again. Whenever I see one it makes me smile, and I thank God for His dependable character.

After picking up this particular marred pittance, I once again smiled. Even with it’s absent twenty-some percent and corroded surface, the words “IN GOD WE TRUST” were preserved. This pitiful little coin held an even deeper message than those that are whole, untarnished, shiny and new.

For when we are beat up, feel defeated, and looking much less than perfect, this truth remains: God is still faithful, and we can continue to trust Him. He is the One who holds all in His control, and He has guaranteed “for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28 ESV). God’s Word holds the stories of many champions of the faith to whom God spoke promises. While some were unfulfilled for years or perhaps for a lifetime, since we are able to read to the end of the story, we are shown that God can absolutely be trusted to fulfill His Word and that He has our best interest at heart. Even though often going through dire circumstances, God’s servants, Abraham, Noah, Joseph, Moses, David, Peter, Paul and numerous others were able to fulfill God’s purpose and experience His faithfulness. Each was able to pick up the mantel God was holding out to him and change the course of history for himself, for his nation and for the world because each placed his trust in God. Proverbs 3:5-6 encourages, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make straight your paths" (ESV).

Question: In what circumstance do you find yourself that is difficult, painful, seems impossible to overcome, or from which you feel there is no way out? Perhaps you feel beat up, defeated and less than perfect. Pick up God’s Word and read about His faithfulness! May He then cause you to experience the truth that He is the One you can trust every day, in every way.

Family Activity: Pitching Pennies

Pitching pennies is a fun, old–fashioned game that has many variations. Different directions call for pennies to be thrown against a wall or into a marked-off area. In some games, a participant can win an opponent’s coin by hitting it on his pitch, or the player who lands closest to the wall becomes the winner. Your family might enjoy trying several versions.

Though the weather is warmer and pitching against an outside wall is possible, we are going to suggest creating a marked out area, or in the case of indoor play, a flat mat (inexpensive plastic place mat) or even a sturdy piece of cardboard or cardstock paper to use as the target area. Cut a circle out of the mat material. Mark out the center of the circle with a couple of concentric circles. Make the first between one and one and a half inches in diameter, the second, two to three inches in diameter. Place the circular mat in a place away from any breakables, floor vents, etc. Gather several pennies per player. (Between five and ten would be ideal.)

Start with the youngest player. He will stand behind a rope or tapeline situated at a predetermined distance from the circle. Younger children may be allowed to stand closer. Each player will pitch his penny toward the circle (no rolling, please). The player’s penny that lands closest to the center of the mat takes all the pennies that have been pitched in one round. Play continues until someone wins all the pennies. You may also play with a time limit in which the person with the most pennies after a certain amount of time is declared the winner. Either each player can keep the pennies he has at the end of play, or all the pennies could be given to the winner – that might be a tough sell when young children are a part of the game. Use the rules that will work best for your family. Get in there and pitch for tons of fun!

References:

Wikipedia
Penny Pitching

Living the Word: True Treasure

This year, Mother’s Day falls on Sunday, May 10^th. Many people are blessed with at least one wonderful lady to honor. Some individuals and families may have adopted a loving and caring “mom” or “grandma” who makes their lives just a little bit sweeter. Make a gift this year that shows you treasure that special lady in your life.

You will need:

• A photo of the honoree with some of your family members
• An inexpensive photo frame for your picture size with a flat edge border at least one half inch wide
• Enough pennies to cover the frame border. Try to accumulate as many newer, shiny pennies as possible. Any older, tarnished pennies can be cleaned as suggested below

• Vinegar, salt, a couple soft cloths, and warm water
• A piece of paper on which the words “You are a treasure!” are printed by hand or with a printer (You may want to personalize the phrase)
• Super glue or a low heat glue gun
• A glue stick, a small amount of regular glue, or double-sided adhesive tape

Soak any old and tarnished pennies in a solution of one-quarter cup of vinegar and one teaspoon of salt. Allow the pennies to sit for at least ten minutes. Remove the pennies from the vinegar and wipe with a cloth. If tarnish remains, use some salt with a minimal amount of water to scrub off the rest. Rinse and wipe dry immediately.

Use the super glue or glue gun to fasten the pennies around the frame. This will need to be supervised by an adult or older child, but younger children can help place and hold the pennies for the required amount of time to insure they are fully attached.

Glue or tape the quote to the bottom of the picture. When the glue on the frame has had a chance to set and fully dry, put the photo in the frame. Wrap the gift in pretty paper.

Present your gift to your treasured someone on Mother’s Day. “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you” (Exodus 20:12 ESV).

What's New?

The DVD Video Tutorial Drawing

• We held a DVD Video Tutorial drawing at the Great Homeschool Convention (GHC), Cincinnati, OH


• Congratulations to our winner, L. Ferguson; your DVD will be mailed to you once the project is completed

Checkout our Ministry Partners

• Living to Worship - promotes wellness and fitness in your spirit and body, all for the glory of God


• Little Giant Steps - provides life-changing solutions for accelerating learning abilities in individuals whether they are gifted, typical or challenged


• MY HOMESCHOOL ROADMAP - provides life-changing solutions for parents to homeschool their children without fear of failure

Product Updates

• Our prayer is to complete the DVD Video Tutorial for all 11 songs from CD #2 by the end of April. It's in final review and will be sent to the publishers within a few days


• Work continues on songs for CD #3 with the creating and writing of the music to all 11 songs close to being complete. The next step is to write the accompanying storyline. We covet your prayers as we continue to move forward on this project

Upcoming Events

Look for us at the following venues in the upcoming months:

• Fort Bragg Post Exchange at 2053 Sturgis Street, Fort Bragg, NC 28307: April 27-May 3, 2015


• North Carolinians for Home Education (NCHE) Conference at the Benton Convention Center, 301 West 5th Street, Winston-Salem, NC 27101: May 21-23, 2015


• Fort Drum Post Exchange at 10730A Enduring Freedom Drive, Fort Drum, NY 13602: May 26-30, 2015


• Loving Education at Home (LEAH) Conference at the Rochester Riverside Convention Center, 123 East Main Street, Rochester, NY 14604: June 4-6, 2015


• Christian Home Educators of Colorado (CHEC) Conference at the Denver Mart, 451 East 58th Avenue, Denver CO 80216: June 18-20, 2015


• The 4th Annual Christmas Expo sponsored by Q102.7 KBIQ Radio at the Colorado Springs Event Center, 3960 Palmer Park Boulevard, Colorado Springs, CO 80909: 9:00am-6:00pm, November 21, 2015