| Meredith Ludwig Curtis |
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 Celebrations are never complete without stories. And our American Thanksgiving is full of stories. Here are two chapter books that are lovely to read aloud to your children or grandchildren during the week of Thanksgiving. Divide the chapters up so that you can finish the whole book in a week. The children will love these books and they give them a look back in time to the very first Thanksgiving.
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 Celebrations are never complete without stories. And our American Thanksgiving is full of stories. You can Learn from the Pilgrims and Puritans in my blog, but there are many more picture books and chapter books that are lovely to read aloud to your children or grandchildren. Here are some picture books to read aloud. Picture Books to Read Aloud Samuel Eaton’s Day: A Day in the Life of a Pilgrim Boy by Kate Waters with Photographs by Russ Kendall (Scholastic 1989) is a lovely picture book with photographs taken at Plimoth Plantation, a living history museum. Samuel sailed over on the Mayflower with the Pilgrims. At the beginning of the book, you meet Samuel and he shows you his village. Then we go through his entire day with him, from putting on his stockings to doing his chores, from helping with the rye harvest to gathering mussels for the evening meal.
My children loved this book when they were little. Children love to learn about other children! Samuel is obedient and prays before he goes to sleep. The family says a blessing before their meals. It’s refreshing to see prayer included in a Scholastic book. I don’t know if this has been edited out of more recent versions. The photographs are vivid and attractive. There is a also a section in the back where you can learn more about Samuel Morton, Plimoth Plantation, and the rye harvest at the back of the book.  Oops!
I caught myself complaining! I want to be joyful always and give thanks in all circumstances. What can I do? Wake Up with a Thankful Heart Each morning before you climb out of bed, start the day with thanking the Lord for His blessing. I usually wake up and say, "Good morning, Lord, I love you! Thank-You for ..." This starts my day off on the right food. I am now grateful, instead of grumpy. It also reminds me how truly good God is to me. Focus on the Blessings, Not the Needs "Did you get a couple of songs?" I asked Dom, a good friend and singer on our worship team. "Yes," he replied, holding a pile of sheet music 2 inches thick. I smiled to myself. I'd rather people be overzealous than lazy or disinterested. I like his heart to worship!  Due to our recent kitchen disaster months ago, we could not host Thanksgiving dinner, but had the privilege of sharing the afternoon with the Brooks family. Steve, a former chef, went to town, cooking up a storm: 4 turkeys, 3 kinds of stuffing, 2 kinds of cranberry sauces, 2 kinds of gravy, green bean casserole, green beans, mashed potatoes, hash brown casserole, .... and more! I won't even mention desserts.
But, first we sang a couple of songs, read the poem, 5 Kernels of Corn, and each shared 5 things we were thankful for. It took a long time for us to all share--there were about 20 of us! :) People shared the usual things, "Thank you for my family, my church family, my husband, my wife, my amazing children, Aunt Matilda, my job, my health. My son, Jimmy summed it up well, "I'm thankful for Jesus saving me and teaching me how to live for Him. I'm thankful for my family, my church family, food, and football. Wow! He summed it up well.  Plimoth Plantation by William Bradford is a history of the local church in Scrooby that fled to Holland and later crossed the Atlantic Ocean to settle at Plymouth Plantation. William Bradford served for many years as governor of the first settlement in New England. Plimoth Plantation is a detailed history of Plymouth Colony from 1621 to 1646. You will learn about key people in the colony too. William is considered the Father of American History. Similar to other books you will read from the colonial period, William compares the events that occurred in Plymouth with events from the Bible. You will learn about the Mayflower Compact, early colony laws, and treaties with the Indians. I find it interesting that Mr. Bradford very carefully shows you details of the Lord’s blessing and judgment. I learned things in this book that I had never heard before in history class.  What a glorious privilege to lead God's people in worship. If you have the privilege of leading worship in a celebration service or small group, this is for you!
If you are like me, you always want to grow in leading people into God's Presence through worship. How can you grow in helping others connect with God. Here are seven things that will help you become more effective as a worship leader. Ask God Questions Ask God 4 questions at every church function. Keep your ears and eyes open. Remember He promises to answer when we ask for wisdom according to James Here are the questions I ask each week. 1. What does He want from us? 2. What does He want to impart to us? 3. What is inside people’s hearts? (What are they struggling with? Hurting about? Excited about?) 4. How can you inspire/encourage them to focus on Jesus with and without words. Memorize Scripture |
AuthorMeredith Curtis, homeschooling mom & worship leader, is married to her college sweetheart. She is blessed with 5 amazing children, 3 adorable grandchildren, and an awesome church family! 
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