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Never Underestimate an American Mother

11/28/2016

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Few of us will ever forget Dr. Ben Carson’s remarkable address at the 2013 National Prayer Breakfast. His words were powerful, engaging, and refreshingly candid at a time when most people carefully avoided any message that could possibly be considered politically incorrect.

Ben paid special tribute to Sonya Carson, his courageous mother, and gave her credit for raising her two sons in a way that helped them reach their potential, even though they lived in very difficult circumstances.

Do you remember the powerful parenting lessons he shared?  Would you like to see if anything Sonya did might be helpful for your family? 

Here are four small things that made a big difference -- in Dr. Carson’s own words.


Believe in Your Children

“I was a horrible student. Most of my classmates thought I was the stupidest person in the world. They called me dummy. I was the butt of all the jokes. Now, admittedly, it was a bad environment, a single-parent home, you know, my mother and father had gotten divorced early on.

“My mother got married when she was 13. She was one of 24 children. Had a horrible life, discovered that her husband was a bigamist, had another family. And she only had a third grade education. She had to take care of us. Dire poverty. I had a horrible temper, poor self-esteem. All the things that you think would preclude success. But I had something very important, I had a mother who believed in me. 


Never Make Excuses or Allow Your Children to Make Excuses

“And I had a mother who would never allow herself to be a victim no matter what happened. Never made excuses, and she never accepted an excuse from us. And if we ever came up with an excuse, she always said do you have a brain? And if the answer was, “yes,” then she said then you could have thought your way out of it. It doesn’t matter what John or Susan or Mary or anybody else did or said. And it was the most important thing she did for my brother and myself. Because if you don’t accept excuse, pretty soon people stop giving them, and they start looking for solutions. And that is a critical issue when it comes to success. 


Trust in the Lord and Pray For Wisdom 

“Well, you know, we did live in dire poverty, and one of the things that I hated was poverty. you know, some people hate spiders, some people hate snakes, I hated poverty. I couldn’t stand it. But, you know, my mother couldn’t stand the fact that we were doing poorly in school, and she prayed and asked God to give her wisdom, what could she do to to make her sons understand the importance of wisdom? 


Encourage Your Children to Turn Off the TV and Read Good Books


“God gave her wisdom. At least in her opinion. It was to turn off the TV, let us watch only two or three programs during the week, and read two books apiece and submit to her written book reports which she couldn’t read, but we didn’t know that.  She put check marks and highlights and stuff. But, you know, I just hated this. And my friends were out having a good time. Her friends would criticize her. They would say you can’t make boys stay in the house reading books, they’ll grow up and hate you. and I would overhear them and say, you know, mother, they’re right. but she didn’t care.

“You know, after a while, I actually began to enjoy reading those books because we were very poor, but between the covers of those books I could go anywhere, I could be anybody, I could do anything. I began to read about people of great accomplishment, and as I read those stories, I began to see a connecting thread. I began to see that the person who has the most to do with you and what happens to you in life is you. You make decisions. You decide how much energy you want to put behind that decision. And I came to understand that I had control of my own destiny. And at that point I didn’t hate poverty anymore, because I knew it was only temporary. I knew I could change that. It was incredibly liberating for me, made all the difference.”


Watch or Read Dr. Carson's Address at the National Prayer Breakfast


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Celebrating Thanksgiving

11/21/2016

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By the time they reached the shores of America, the Pilgrims had sacrificed much of what they held dear to worship God. They left their native country, family, friends, home, livelihood and many of the comforts of life, and landed in a cold and hostile wilderness.  

William Bradford tells us, “Being thus arrived in a good harbor, and brought safe to land, they fell upon their knees and blessed the God of Heaven who had brought them over the vast and furious ocean, and delivered them from all the perils and miseries thereof, again to set their feet  on the firm and stable earth, their proper element.”

But their troubles were far from over. Bradford recounts, “It pleased God to visit us then with death daily, and with so general a disease that the living were scarce able to bury the dead.” More than half of the Pilgrims died the first winter.

And yet, when spring arrived and the captain of their ship offered to return them to England for free, not one Pilgrim accepted his invitation. Their faith in God gave them the strength to persevere.

Governor William Bradford declared, “Thus out of small beginnings greater things have grown by His hand. Who made all things out of nothing, and gives being to all things that are; and as one small candle may light a thousand, so the light enkindled here has shone to many, yea, in a sense, to our whole nation; let the glorious name of Jehovah have all the praise.”

The Pilgrims were willing to sacrifice everything for the freedom to worship God as they believed. In so doing, they laid the foundation for the creation of the greatest nation in the history of the world.

As we enjoy a feast with friends and loved ones, let’s take time to give thanks to God, to retell the story of the Pilgrims and the incredible price they paid to be faithful, and to recommit ourselves to pay the price to be true in our day. 

Wishing you a wonderful Thanksgiving!  

Here are some resources to help your family create happy, meaningful memories.

Watch
  • The Mayflower Compact (4:25)
  • The Mayflower Story (36:26)
  • The Thanksgiving Story for Children  (24:35)
  • Plimoth Plantation Virtual Field Trips
          - Mayflower (19:52)
          - Pilgrim Village (17:54)
          - Wampanoag Homesite (16:51)
          - Plimoth Plantation (30:23)
  • William Bradford for Kids (2:30)
  • Squanto, the Legendary Friend of the Pilgrims (7:09)
  • Pocahontas - Animated Hero Classics (33:58)
  • Pilgrims and the First Thanksgiving-DTH (5:20)  
  • History of Thanksgiving David Barton (6:42)
  • True Story of Thanksgiving Rush Limbaugh (14:21)

Do
  • Read George Washington’s Thanksgiving Proclamation with your family. It could be on the Sunday before Thanksgiving, Thanksgiving morning, at your Thanksgiving dinner table, or any time that works for your family. In fact you could read a quote, story, or any other meaningful Thanksgiving message together every day of Thanksgiving week. 
  • Work together to prepare your Thanksgiving feast and to clean up afterwards.
  • Do something nice for a military family and tell them how thankful you are for them.
  • Help refugees or other immigrants in your community.
  • Make or draw "We Are Thankful for You" posters or pictures and deliver them to friends and neighbors. Kids love to make it an anonymous surprise. Tape the picture to the front door or on the windshield of a car, ring the doorbell, and run.
  • Take pictures of things you are thankful for and make a "Gratitude Scrapbook."
  • The Pilgrims and Indians had friendly competitions.  You could participate in the local Turkey Trot, play games like catch, football, horseshoes, or frisbee golf.  
  • Make Pilgrim Hats and Indian Headdresses for the kids.
  • Do the Five Kernels of Corn activity.
  • Make a Gratitude Craft.
  • Do some Plimoth.org: Just for Kids activities.

Read
  • The Pilgrims Depart from the Old World
  • Pilgrims Arrive in the New World
  • Squanto and the Miracle of Thanksgiving
  • The Story of Thanksgiving
  • Stories of the Pilgrims 
  • Paying the Price to Be True
  • George Washington’s Thanksgiving Proclamation
  • Abraham LIncoln’s Thanksgiving Proclamation
  • A Thanksgiving Message from Ronald Reagan
  • Thanksgiving Quotations




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We Still Hold These Truths to Be Self-Evident

11/18/2016

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"In a world of moral confusion, and of arbitrary and unlimited government, America's founding principles are our best access to permanent truths and the best ground from which to question the current direction of our nation."

Today is a good day to reflect on what our legacy of liberty means to us, and what we are willing and able to do to preserve it for our children.

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Pocahontas for Kids

11/17/2016

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Pocahontas is the courageous daughter of Powhatan, a powerful Native American chief in the days of the Pilgrims. She is famous for saving the life of Captain John Smith. She later converted to Christianity, married John Rolfe, and chose to remain with the English the rest of her life. This is an animated portrayal of her life.
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Governor William Bradford -- for Kids

11/15/2016

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"May not and ought not our children rightly say, "Our fathers...came over this great ocean, ready to perish in this wilderness for freedom.  But by the grace of God, they were saved."  

So said William Bradford, the governor of the Pilgrims in Plymouth Colony, Massachusetts.

Thanks to Governor Bradford's journal, called "Of Plymouth Plantation," we know about the life of the Pilgrims, their struggles, and their faith. 


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11 Ways to Celebrate Veterans Day

11/11/2016

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As  Americans, we live in abundant freedom, peace, and prosperity.  Few people in all the history of the world have enjoyed the blessings we often take for granted.  

But there is a price attached to freedom.  Our men and women in the military sacrifice every day.  Many live in hell, some fight and are wounded, others pay the ultimate price.  Each one sacrifices much they hold dear to keep us free. 

Here are some great ways to honor our veterans as we celebrate Veterans Day.  

  • Attend your local Veterans Day Parade.  Wear red, white, and blue.  Take pictures.  Express appreciation to any veterans you may see.  Invite your kids to look for opportunities to say thank-you too.  Usually, even teens come home happy they went.

  • Take a veteran out to eat. Many restaurants and eating places offer discounts or free food on Veterans Day. Take a favorite veteran or two out for a treat. They will remember your kindness for a very long time. 
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  • Visit with a veteran.  Whether you call, visit them, or invite a vet into your home, this can become a favorite family tradition.  My dad and father-in-law both served in World War II. We have called them for Veterans Day and Memorial Day and invited them to tell us about their experiences.  Of course, we've heard the same stories before, but we never get tired of them.  We hope our kids tell them to our grandkids so our family legacy is passed from one generation to the next.

  • Thank a military family.  You could make them a card or a poster and take them a treat.  Tell them how grateful you are for the sacrifices they are making (or have made) for our country.  Be sure to make plenty of treats so your family can have some when you return home. 

  • Pray for those who are serving and their families.  Talk about some of the sacrifices military families make, and ask God to bless them.  

  • Watch "The Price of Freedom."   It's an amazing tribute, a powerful history lesson, and a touching musical you will always remember.

  • Serve.  Not everyone serves in the military, but we can all do something to lighten the burdens of those who do and their families.  Talk with your family about the best way you can help. The happy glow that comes from serving others may be your favorite part of the holiday. 

  • Keep a family history book. Include in it stories of grandpas, uncles, and other family members who have served in the military. Share inspirational experiences and include plenty of pictures. A family history book can become a favorite source for bedtime stories! 

  • Set up a tent. Talk about what the life of a soldier is like.  If it's too cold outside, you could set up a tent in the house, complete with sleeping bags, snacks, and great stories.

  • Read or tell a patriotic story.  Share your feelings about the blessings we enjoy in America.  If you don't have any stories handy, you could read "A Story from One of My Favorite Veterans" or "7 Heartwarming Veterans Stories" or "I Knew You Would Come."  Or you could watch some of the videos at PatrioticMoms.com, like the video of soldiers being reunited with their families. ​

  • Learn about PTSD and be sensitive to what soldiers around you might be facing.
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