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Showing posts with the label 2022

World Kindness Day 2022 | JOY for Today

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(Updated 11.2.2023) Kindness grants JOY not just to the receiver but also to the giver. If that's true, why aren't we all kind to everyone we encounter? Is it fear? Is it that we think the other person is unworthy? Maybe we think it's unfair: we haven't received kindness, why should we spread it to another? Or perhaps we dismiss personal responsibility for kindness because it does not come naturally to us. But we all have the capacity for kindness within us, no matter our personal circumstances. Showing kindness might cost strength, courage, and humility but it produces exponential JOY. JOY for Today Offerings: Did You Know...  Facts about kindness. Wolfe Stew Connects  With a kindness competition. Bible Verses and Quotes  about showing kindness. Activity Suggestions  To promote kind words, actions, and thoughts in the classroom; "Would you rather..." questions; and a family challenge Did You Know: Even animals demonstrate kindness?  Male fiddler crabs refrain

Veterans Day 2022 | JOY for Today

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Thank you, Veterans, for serving to defend our freedoms. Today, we stand JOYFULLY united in honor of you! JOY for Today Offerings: Did You Know...  Three we didn't. Wolfe Stew Connects  To a war we all fight. Bible Verses and Quotes  Inspired by veterans. Activity Suggestions  Informational resources, letter-writing templates, bulletin board ideas, Would You Rather questions, and family challenge. Did You Know: Veterans Day does not have an apostrophe? Because the day is for honoring ALL veterans, the apostrophe is intentionally absent. No one individual or veteran group owns the day, so no apostrophe is necessary. ( Defense.gov ) Veterans Day and Memorial Day serve different purposes?  Veterans Day honors everyone who has served - whether in war or peace, still living or deceased. While Memorial Day honors soldiers who died while fighting or as a result of fighting. Mostly, the intention of Veterans Day is to express our thankfulness to veterans for their sacrifice. ( Defense.gov

Halloween 2022 | JOY for Today

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What about Halloween brings you JOY? Is it costumes? Candy? Spending time with family and friends? Challenging your fears? This year, I find myself distanced from Halloween and, surprisingly, am learning to embrace the JOY in that. JOY for Today Offerings: Did You Know...  Three we didn't. Wolfe Stew Connects  To celebrate or not to celebrate? Bible Verses and Quotes  Inspired by Halloween. Activity Suggestions  Costumes, trick-or-treating tips, pumpkin life cycle, writing, crafts, games, discussion questions, and family challenge. Did You Know: Halloween began as the Celtic festival Samhain?  October 31st was the last day of their year and represented the transition from harvest to winter. Moreover, this time of year was often associated with death. The Celtic belief was that on the night before the new year, the boundary between the living and dead was weakened which permitted ghosts entry to earth. To ward off ghosts and help predict the future, Samhain (pronounced sow-in) parti

November 2022 Calendars | Printable: Blank, Holidays, and Personal Growth

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I am tired today! Are you tired, too? The seasonal shift affected me physically this year, perhaps for the first time ever. Regardless, I am still loving fall. So breathtaking! The street that welcomes you into our neighborhood is lined with yellow trees that shine in God's glory. I'm determined to take my time in raking up the leaves on our front yard because each time I open my door the colorful splendor raises my spirits. How are you doing, Leader? Is there something in your world lifting your spirits that you are clinging to, too? I certainly hope so! If not, I hope you find that something soon. Please know, we are always cheering you on in the life-giving work that you do. Here's what we're offering on the November 2022  Wolfe Stew  menu: November 2022 Ideas for  Every  Day Calendar  (family friendly, educational) November 2022 Growth for Today Calendar  (personal growth, Bible-based) Blank 2022 Calendars   Bible verses  Inspirational Quotes November 2022 Ideas for

Statue of Liberty Dedication Day | JOY for Today

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(Updated 11.28.2023) She welcomes immigrants coming to our shore and serves to remind us of the freedom we've obtained. I ask: are you spreading that hope? Are you living in that freedom? When we learn to, we discover profound JOY. JOY for Today Offerings: Did You Know...  Two we didn't. Wolfe Stew Connects  Musings from the Mrs. Bible Verses and Quotes  Inspired by the Statue of Liberty and freedom. Activity Suggestions  Art, history, discussion, and family challenge. Did You Know: The Statue of Liberty was a gift from France? Originally named Liberty Enlightening the World , the statue was the dream child of Edouard de Laboulaye and was sculpted by Frederic-Auguste Bartholdi. It simultaneously memorializes the centennial of our independence and abolition of slavery. ( StatueofLiberty.org ) Fundraisers in both France and the United States paid for the statue? France gathered money from public fees, entertainment, and a lottery, while the U.S. relied mostly on entertainment eve

Reptile Awareness Day 2022 | JOY for Today

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Reptiles fascinate. With such a wide variety of them in existence, it is difficult to imagine you cannot find one (or two) that bring JOY to you. Yet another way to welcome JOY is to know with confidence that you are aware of how to identify, guard against, and treat attacks of potentially dangerous reptiles. JOY for Today Offerings: Did You Know...  Four we didn't. Wolfe Stew Connects  Musings from the Mrs. Bible Verses and Quotes  About reptiles. Activity Suggestions  Language center, research resources, questions, and family challenge Did You Know: There are over 10,000 reptile species? While reptiles live on every continent except Antarctica, their favored habitats are deserts, oceans, and cities. ( Everything Reptiles ) They come in all shapes and sizes? From just over one-half inch long ( Brookesia nana  at National Geographic ) to weighing in at over a ton ( saltwater crocodile  at National Geographic ) to measuring over 32 feet in length ( reticulated python at Reptiles Co

Columbus Day 2022 | JOY for Today

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Oh, Columbus Day, the years have not been kind to you. Once, this federally recognized holiday meant schools and all other government agencies closed so we could celebrate the Renaissance era discovery of the Americas that shifted the course of history. Now, it is a source of conflict and many of us avoid the topic altogether. To find JOY for this day, I challenge you to embrace Columbus' spirit of adventure, his persistence in pursuing his dreams, and extending grace to others as you remember the abundant grace that has been extended to you. October 10, 2022 JOY for Today Offerings: Did You Know...  Two we didn't. Wolfe Stew Connects  Musings from the Mrs. Bible Verses and Quotes  Inspired by and from Christopher Columbus. Activity Suggestions  Books, poems, activities, discussion questions, and family challenge. Did You Know: Columbus survived a pirate attack?  As a teenager he worked on a merchant ship and remained at see until 25 when pirates attacked his ship off the Portu