Wolfe Stew

After watching my turtle recover from his tumble down the stairs yesterday (he's alright), I realized this is what turtles do: they take risks. They don't know what's at the bottom of that fall, but they trust their shell to protect them. I wonder, what shell protects you? Does your shell of protection provide joy and confidence or fear and isolation?  Meet Our Turtle: Waldo World Turtle Day Stops: Did You Know...   Two we knew; three we didn't. Wolfe Stew Connects  Musings by the Mrs. Bible Verses and Quotes  Inspired by turtles. Activity Suggestions   Care, costumes, reading, crafting, games, habitats, and maps. Did You Know: Turtles existed alongside dinosaurs?  Turtles lived more than 220 million years ago, before snakes, crocodiles, and alligators. ( World Atlas ) The oldest turtle on record lived to 188?  Named, Tu'i Malila, this female radiated tortoise lived on Tonga Island but was originally from Madagascar. ( Tongan Tribes ) More than 356 species exist?  T

I refuse to imagine a single day that couldn't be made better by chocolate. And chocolate chips, to quote the Mr., "are a teacher's best friend." So, however you utilize your chocolate chips of joy - whether independently or in a recipe - be certain you take the time to savor them. May 15th Annually Chocolate Chip Day Samplings: Did You Know...   Five things we didn't know. Wolfe Stew Connects  Musings by the Mrs. Bible Verses and Quotes  Inspired by chocolate. Activity Suggestions   Our chocolate chip cookie recipe and educational tie-ins. Did You Know: Ruth Wakefield invented the chocolate chip accidentally? In the 1930's, while mixing a batch of her favorite butter drop do cookies, she realized she had no baker's chocolate. She substituted a semi-sweet chocolate bar, first breaking it into bits. What emerged was unexpected: a cookie with chocolate chunks. Now, however, we know this cookie as our beloved chocolate chip cookie ( Lemelson.Mit.Edu ). For he

(Updated 5.11.2023) To our moms and sisters-in-arms (whether by blood or by faith), here's to the happiest of Mother's Days. We pray that today you see a glimpse of your worth and a reflection of the JOY you inspire in others. Thank you for carrying out in faithful diligence your role and for your continued resilience in fighting the good fight. JOY flows through you. May's Second Sunday Mother's Day   Offerings: Did You Know...  Five we didn't. Wolfe Stew Connects  To knowing your worth. Bible Verses and Quotes  About motherhood. Activity Suggestions  Card-making ideas, "Would you rather...?", and Family challenge. Did You Know: The founder of Mother's Day was a grieving daughter? A year after her mother passed, Anna Jarvis honored her at church. The following year, 1907, Jarvis organized the first Mother's Day observance where every mother in attendance received recognition. ( Farmers' Almanac ) Carnations are the original Mother's Day fl

Wield your lightsabers and don your Jedi robes: it's Star Wars Day! Annually we embrace this sci-fi universe and greet each other with the common phrase, "May the Fourth be with you." It is a day to dream of a reality beyond this one, to connect in our common interests, and to imagine ourselves as epically awesome (Which, I want you to know, you already are.). Even if you are not an avid fan, engaging in  Star Wars  discourse, celebrations, or observations will likely elicit JOY in someone you know. And, if nothing else, it always helps to know, "the 'Force' will be with you, always." Star Wars  Topics: Did You Know...  (Tidbits we find intriguing.) Wolfe Stew Connects  (Why it matters to us.) Bible Verses and Quotes  (Words that resonate.) Activity Suggestions  (Ways to celebrate. New feature: "Our Nephew's Suggestion" ) Did You Know: "Gobbledygook" was the adjective associated with Lucas' original Star Wars  draft?  20th Cen

Oh May... you're nearly here. We've been waiting for you. The end of a school year is always bittersweet. In many ways we cannot wait for it to end, but then there are the goodbyes and the beginning of next year's worries (if that hasn't started already). As you wind up your school year, know that we are right here winding it up with you. We're offering ideas and growth activities to aid you in the journey. Here's what we're offering on the May 2022 Wolfe Stew menu: May 2022 Ideas for Every  Day Calendar  (family friendly, educational) May 2022 Growth for Today Calendar  (personal growth, Bible-based) Blank 2022 Calendars   Bible verses  Inspirational Quotes May 2022 Ideas for EVERY Day  View the current month's calendar  at the Learning Lab Tab. May 2022  (updated for you!) May 2021   May 2020 Also, consider sampling our  JOY for Today  posts, where we celebrate selected days throughout the year by offering facts, connections, scripture, quotes, and

Yes! Let's celebrate honesty. While honesty may not immediately bring JOY, the truth is it builds the foundation for trust and a relationship built on trust sets a solid foundation for JOY. Let's make the commitment to work on honest communication within every relationship. We need all the JOY we can get! Photo from pxhere Honest Offerings: Did You Know...   Wolfe Stew Connects Bible Verses and Quotes   Activity Suggestions  (For families, classrooms, or individuals) Did You Know: Honesty Day's date is strategically chosen to balance out April Fool's Day? By ending the month with honesty, M. Hirsh Goldberg (creator of Honesty Day) believed it would help us end April on a "higher moral note" ( Washington Examiner ) .  The creator of Honesty Day wrote a book about lies? The book is titled  The Book of Lies: Fibs, Tales, Schemes, Scams, Fakes, and Frauds That Have Changed the Course of History and Affect Our Daily Lives  and explores how commonplace lying is in o

  Jesus the Good Shepherd by Bernard Plockhorst at PublicDomainPictures.net He saved me, from myself My anger dwelled inside, for years From child to teen to adult I traveled the rivers of my own tears   Finally, after a journey of trouble I chose the path that led to Him I tried to hold onto the pain I wanted to stay in the grim   Darkness and Sin surrounded The water of life washed me free The Light pierced the flesh My Father had me use my eyes to see   Haunt me no more The painful screams The fear of failure The scary dreams   My Father claims me And I claim Him I rely on prayer And on Holy Hymn Thank you, My God Thank you, Holy Spirit Christ saved my life So, I no longer fear it For more original literary works, visit our Reading Nook .