Obscure Bible Heroes {Blogging Through the Alphabet - N}

N is for Noah's Wife

Genesis 7:7 "And Noah went in, and his sons, and his wife, and his sons' wives with him, into the ark, because of the waters of the flood."

The hero that I picked for this week is someone so obscure that her name isn't even mentioned in the Bible! There is only a slight mention of her, in passing. Surely we can see from the evidence of what is written about her family, though, what a special lady she must have been!

I am talking about Noah's wife. We all know Noah. Even pagan cultures around the world have generational stories about a man who built a boat to save all the animals from a worldwide flood. Noah is mentioned many times in Scripture - about how wicked the world was at the time he was alive, and how he was righteous and found favor with God. We can attest to his great faith, and how he followed up that faith with his actions. God used him greatly to save the animals when the earth was destroyed, and used his family to begin the re population of the earth following the flood. Very little is mentioned about his wife, or his sons' wives, though, so most of this post is my own personal speculation.

I would like all the ladies reading this to put themselves in the shoes of Noah's wife. Imagine one day that your husband comes home from his morning walk and prayer time, and tells you that it's going to rain (something that had never happened before up until this point) and that all the earth and people on it will be destroyed. He tells you that God is going to save your family though....so don't worry! At this point, I am the type of lady who would be quite worried and want to know exactly what the plan was! I can almost picture my husband telling me not to worry....that everything was going to work out just fine! 

Next your husband mentions that God Himself gave him plans and specs to build a huge boat. Most wives would then be worrying about the finances and the means of gathering all those supplies! And lastly, he adds in the tiny detail about the animals....oh and... we are also bringing two of all the animals, and seven of certain species, onto this boat with us! So her next thought would logically turn to feeding all of these creatures!

The Bible doesn't tell us if she agreed or disagreed, or even what she thought of the plan! Perhaps she thought it was ludicrous, or perhaps she wholeheartedly embraced it and immediately began helping with preparations. The important thing that we do know is that in the end, her and her sons, along with their wives, were all a part of the salvation. They were all included on the Ark. I can't help but think of the great influence that mothers have on their children. If her attitude was skeptical or discouraging, I don't think her sons and daughters-in-law would have also been members of the group that believed and entered the Ark. Too often I have seen a critical mother turn her children away from the things of God. It is important to note that she did not do this. All her family were saved, and she must have had a part in influencing them for good in this matter.

From the very obscure life of Noah's wife, I take away some great inspiration and lessons for my own life as a wife and mother. 

Like Noah's wife, I want to support my husband in the vision that God gives him. I want to do my best to help see the plan accomplished, and do whatever it takes to gather provisions or supplies for the journey. I want to keep a positive and encouraging spirit, so that my children will also join up in the endeavor and be committed to helping with whatever ministry God entrusts our family with. In the end, I hope to see something great accomplished through our small family, and I certainly don't need any of the credit. It will be enough to just be known as "the wife". 

"Noah's Ark" from commons.wikimedia.com

Review: Hewitt Homeschooling

Research papers are a wonderful way to study a topic in-depth and really do some serious learning about a particular subject. Research papers can also be difficult for a young student to grasp. There are so many steps involved in the process: choosing a topic, finding sources, researching the information, sorting through all your information to see what's relevant, writing a rough draft, editing, then completing a final copy. Students will have the need for doing research papers for the rest of their academic years, so the earlier a student starts learning and practicing the process, the better equipped they will be.

Hewitt Homeschooling  has come up with a very efficient and user friendly way to teach elementary students the process of doing a research report. We recently had the opportunity to use My First Report: Southern United States in our home school. This resource can be used as an entire unit study, and is suggested for grades 1-4.

Kelly just completed 3rd grade, and likes writing so I thought this would be a good fit for her. She had no trouble at all with the questions or projects. In fact, they may have been a bit on the easy side. I think a 1st and 2nd grader would need a good deal of help with this, and it would probably be 'just right' for a 3rd grader. Older children who struggle with writing or the mechanics of putting together a research paper might also find this helpful.

What is included in a packet? We received a 58 page packet of papers. There was a cover sheet, and then a fact sheet and question sheet for each state that is covered in the report. There are several maps - not only one of each state, but also a United States map and a North America map, so the student can learn the perspective of where the Southern States are located in relation to their own home state or other regions.

Also included is a crossword puzzle for review, some copywork, and reproducible blank 'report' papers in 3 different size ruled lines. The student can choose the width that they are most comfortable writing with, and the parent is allowed to reproduce as many of those sheets as the student needs to complete their report. (The remainder of the pages are not allowed to be copied - parents would need to order one packet per student).

This "My First Report" can be used in two different ways. A student can use it solely as the basis for a research report in the elementary grades. Picture this as a skeleton of a report, and the student learns how to "flesh it out". It gives good starting information, plus interesting tidbits and probing questions for the student to look up on their own, find the answers to, and write about in their report. There is a very thorough list of resources and books that can be obtained and used for bibliography as well.

Another way a parent could use this with their child is as a complete unit study. There are 11 states that are covered in this Southern States packet: North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas. There is enough material here to investigate one state per week, and stretch this study out over a quarter or more. 

Unit Study ideas: There is a very creative list of ideas for further study in each of these academic areas: Bible, History, Geography, Social Studies, Reading, Language, Math, Science, Health, Music, Art, and field trips. I love all the ideas of songs to listen to in the Music section. The Southern culture is rich in its musical heritage and contributions to American music, and I would have never thought to include these songs in our study of the Southern States. There are also many clever games that you can make and use to remember the facts learned. 

How we used it: We basically used the My First Report as a springboard to learn more about the Southern States. We have used most of the maps, and have gotten through about half the states so far. Because it's our summer time, and school is less intense, we are really being relaxed about having some fun with this and discovering many of the extras that go along with the unit study. Last year in school, Kelly learned the location and capitals of all the states, so this has been a great review of those facts for her. She remembered a few things from last year, but has learned a lot of new things as well through this study. She really loves knowing what each state's bird, motto, and state song are. One of Kelly's favorite activities was the states and capitals crossword puzzle that is included.

Fun Stuff: Since a southern staple food is biscuits, one of the extra activities we did was to take an afternoon and make biscuits from scratch. They turned out pretty good too! Kelly learned how to knead and cut biscuit dough.

Overall thoughts: I really love how the unit study integrates so many areas of learning into this project. A parent could make the research report as in depth as they want, and Hewitt Homeschooling really lays everything out so you can jump right into it and not have to spend much time coming up with resources and ideas. There is so much here in the packet that it would be difficult to cover it all, and there is also a wide variety of ideas and activities to appeal to a broad range of interests.

How much does it cost? The entire packet costs $8.95.

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Copyright 2012-2014 - "Be The One" - www.aclassofone.blogspot.com  All rights are reserved. No text, photos, or content may be reproduced without direct permission from the author.

Obscure Bible Heroes {Blogging Through the Alphabet - M}

M is for Mordecai

Esther 10:3 "For Mordecai the Jew was next unto king Ahasuerus, and great among the Jews, and accepted of the multitude of his brethren, seeking the wealth of his people, and speaking peace to all his seed."

Mordecai is a true unsung hero. Ask any little girl who her favorite Bible character is, and at least half will probably answer Esther. The story of Esther is a special one: the young orphan girl who is captive in a strange foreign land, and grows up to save her people. There is so much to love about Esther - her determination, her purpose, her wisdom, and her simplicity. In this case, behind a great woman is a caring man - Mordecai - the cousin who raised Esther as his own daughter and instilled these wonderful qualities into her character. 

Esther 2:7 "And he brought up Hadassah, that is, Esther, his uncle's daughter: for she had neither father nor mother, and the maid was fair and beautiful; whom Mordecai, when her father and mother were dead, took for his own daughter."

Mordecai had been taken captive along with other important Jewish men, and carried away into captivity. As was the case for many of the Jewish elders, Mordecai served in the king's palace in Persia. He served faithfully, even under trying circumstances, and had the favor of the king.

It is not known when Esther lost her parents. Perhaps it was during the siege of the Jewish homeland, or perhaps later when she was already captive into the land of Persia. What is important to note is that Mordecai took over the rearing of Esther when she had no one else. He instilled such a deep level of character and sense of purpose in Esther, that she was ready and able to not only become the queen in her captive land, but also rise to the occasion and save her people when the circumstances dictated that all the Jews in the land of Persia should be killed.

Mordecai was a man of integrity who sought no reward for himself. His life's purpose was continually wrapped around the benefit of others: the king, the servants, Esther, the Jews. He was a faithful man who did his job well. While he could have been bitter about being a captive in a strange land, he instead decided to quietly save the king's life from a mercenary's plot. He carefully raised up Esther, not knowing that one day she would be the one to save all the Jews from Haman's wicked plot to eliminate them. Instead he thoroughly prepared her for life, never allowing her to nurse a bitter spirit of hatred or revenge towards those who caused the death of her parents.

In the end, Mordecai and Esther were able to establish forever the Jewish holiday of Purim and encourage their people to be more for the Lord.  God used them both in a great way, because of the courage and faithfulness of one man, to do what was right when it was not convenient or easy.

Esther 9:29: "Then Esther the queen, the daughter of Abihail, and Mordecai the Jew, wrote with all authority, to confirm this second letter of Purim"
Esther 9:31: "To confirm these days of Purim in their times appointed, according as Mordecai the Jew and Esther the queen had enjoined them, and as they had decreed for themselves and for their seed, the matters of the fastings and their cry."

May we, like Mordecai, seek peace in our lives, and encourage those under our influence to do the same. While seeking peace, may we also have the courage to not compromise our convictions no matter what the presumed cost might be, always realizing that we were placed in our circumstances "for such a time as this", to bring glory to God, and magnify His name. May we also find someone to invest in, and make a difference in their life, like Mordecai did for Esther. 

Copyright 2012-2014 - "Be The One" - www.aclassofone.blogspot.com  All rights are reserved. No text, photos, or content may be reproduced without direct permission from the author.