National Milk Day | JOY for Today

Milk and I do not have a happy history. Due to lactose intolerance in childhood, I never really developed the taste for milk. The Mr., on the other hand, loves milk. At nearly every meal, he drinks a full glass of whole milk. Regardless of your preference, there is no denying the nutritional qualities of milk. So, for those of us who are able, let's sport those milk mustaches as we JOYfully toast God's provision using this nutritionally robust drink of His creation.

National Milk Day | January 11th Annually

JOY for Today Offerings:

• Did You Know... Facts about milk.
• Wolfe Stew Connects To milk and honey.
• Bible Verses and Quotes Related to milk.
• Activity Suggestions Field trip, comparing milk, milk transformations, discussion questions, and family challenge.

UPCOMING HOLIDAYS: 

• Make Your Dreams Come True Day (January 13th Annually)
• National Vision Board Day (January's Second Saturday)
• Martin Luther King, Jr Day (January's Third Monday)

Did You Know:

1. A single cup of cow's milk contains nearly every nutrient your body needs? Containing all the macronutrients (protein, fat, and carbohydrates) and several essential micronutrients (vitamin b12, calcium, riboflavin, and phosphorus), milk is one of the most nutritious foods you can consume.  (Healthline)
2. Milk is high in electrolytes? Instead of reaching for your sports drink, try drinking milk. The electrolytes in milk come from calcium, sodium, and potassium. Because milk also offers carbohydrates and proteins, the milk will help you refuel and repair your muscles post workout. (The Fact Site & Healthline)
3. Three 8-ounce servings is recommended daily? These servings do not have to be poured in a cup. All dairy products, like yogurt or cheese, count to meet your 24-ounce daily intake. (Harvard)
4. Milking a cow at night yields milk that helps us sleep better? Higher levels of tryptophan and melatonin are found in milk gathered during the night. Tryptophan is an amino acid which produces melatonin which aids us in sleep regulation. (The Fact Site, Sleepy People & MedlinePlus)
5. People have painted with milk for millennia? Six thousand year old cave drawings used milk paint as their main medium. An advantage of milk-based paint is that it dries faster than oil-based paint. It is commonly used to create a vintage look in furniture. (The Fact Site & Wood Worker's Journal)

We'd Love to Know:   

Which milk fact are you drinking in?

Wolfe Stew Connects

Milk is an essential ingredient for life. As it is the first food we ingest and one that continues to sustain us throughout our lives, it is no wonder that the Bible references it often.

Perhaps the most notable is the promise God repeatedly conveys to the Israelites in their journey through the wilderness (from Leviticus 20:24):

I Myself will give it to you to possess, a land flowing with milk and honey. 

As literal as our nephew can be, he wondered why God lied to them because the land did not actually flow with milk and honey. Picturing white waterfalls and sticky rivers, I scoured data stores for the answer. No, neither milky rapids nor honey streams resided across the Jordan, but rather rich soil ready to support goat herds and trees full of sweet dates. Unsurprisingly, the promise of a land flowing with milk and honey is figurative. 

Milk represents life in its nourishment, abundance from its provision, and security as a result of both. Honey symbolizes the faithfulness of God who sticks with His promises, the overwhelming sweetness of His grace poured out beyond measure, and the eternity spent within God's presence.

Even in milk we see God. Milk nourishes, provides, protects; God nourishes, provides, protects. But more than just supplying us with enough to meet our needs, our God offers dessert! To those who accept what He offers, we are fattened by His faithfulness, grace, and presence. Be thankful for the life He gives, but don't stop there. Accept dessert so you can also savor the sweetness of His grace. 

In response:

1. Explain your life in terms of milk and honey. How is God supplying you with what you need to live (milk)? How is He showing you glimpses of what is to come in eternity (honey)? Respond with thankfulness for the land He's given you that flows with milk and honey.
2. Join us as we study Isaiah. In chapter one, a familiar pattern emerges: willingly choose and obey Me and blessings (milk and honey) will follow. Deny Me and destruction will follow.

Bible Verses and Quotes 

Bible Verses 

• "So they reported to him and said, 'We came into the land where you sent us, and it certainly does flow with milk and honey, and this is its fruit.'" - Numbers 13:27 NASB
• "Learn all you can about your sheep. Take care of your goats the best you can...Then there will be plenty of goat's milk for you and your family, with enough to keep the servants healthy." - Proverbs 27:23&27 ERV
• "As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:" - 1 Peter 2:2 KJV
• "For though by now you should be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God and have come to need milk rather than solid food. Everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a baby. But solid food belongs to those who are mature, for those who through practice have powers of discernment that are trained to distinguish good from evil." - Hebrews 5:12-14 MEV
• "Tell them to listen to what I, the Sovereign Lord, am saying: You were delighted to see my Temple profaned, to see the land of Israel devastated, to see the people of Judah go into exile. Because you were glad, I will let the tribes from the eastern desert conquer you. They will set up their camps in your country and settle there. They will eat the fruit and drink the milk that should have been yours...so that you will know I am the Lord" - Ezekiel 25:3-5 GNT

Quotes

• "Think what a better world it would be if we all, the whole world, had cookies and milk about three o'clock every afternoon and then lay down on our blankets for a nap." - Barbara Jordan
• "You should respect each other and refrain from disputes; you should not, like water and oil, repel each other, but should, like milk and water, mingle together." - Gautama Buddha
• "If you want milk, don't sit on a stool in the middle of a field with the hope that a cow will back up to you." - Richard Branson
• "Cheese is milk's leap towards immortality." - Clifton Fadiman
• "Look at those animals and remember the greatest scientists in the world have never discovered how to make grass into milk." - Mihajlo Idvorski Pupin

We'd Love to Know:

Which verse or quote are you pondering?

Activity Suggestions

Visit a Dairy Farm

Virtually, if you don't know of one nearby, with Ohio dairy farmer Tara Herron at Drink-Milk.com.

Compare Milk to Alternatives

• PreK-1st: Do a taste test, blind for the brave. Taste samples of an array of beverages and have leaners rank their preferences. Graph it. Discuss the nutritional qualities of each. Then have learners draw and write (printable from Wolfe Stew) about their beverage of choice.
• 2nd & 3rd: Use a Venn diagram (from Student Handouts) to compare milk to a milk alternative with the help of GonnaNeedMilk.com. Taste-testing optional.
• 4th-6th: Write an opinion paragraph, make a slideshow presentation, or create a persuasive poster to persuade people toward drinking a preferred beverage. View GonnaNeedMilk.com's "Milk vs." page to get started.

Transform Milk

Ideas from The Dairy Alliance.

• Make butter! (Our nephew still loves making his own butter this way.) Fill a glass jar about halfway with heavy whipping cream and add salt. Tightly screw on the lid. Shake, shake, shake...taking small breaks as needed until it turns into butter. Sample with a cracker.
• Make colors dance! Add milk to a small cookie sheet or tray. Then dot the surface with food coloring in varying colors. Dip a cotton swab in dish soap. Watch colors jump as you touch the dotted milk with the dish soap. Save your design by gently pressing a paper to the surface. Remove to dry.

Discuss "Would You Rather..." Questions

• Drink regular milk or a milk alternative?
• Drink three glasses of milk or eat three cups of yogurt daily?
• Use milk in art or science?

If you would like three "Would You Rather...?" questions for every January day, download this Wolfe Stew PowerPoint or get it (for free!) at our TPT store.

Take on the Family Challenge

Keep track of your milk intake. On a notecard, sticky note, in a journal, or on a white board, have each person check off three strikes, representing an 8-oz serving, daily. At week's end, celebrate with ice cream!

We'd Love to Know:

Your milk preference.

We’re excited to share one more day with you and wish you JOY for Today and HOPE for Tomorrow. 

Your Partners in JOY Finding,

Sample these related posts:

To celebrate frozen milk (and honey).

To mix milk with potatoes.

To savor milk and cookies.

To glimpse a typical ancient Hebrew breakfast.

To learn more about honey.

Find even more JOY for Today in our monthly calendars, holiday, and seasonal posts.

*Image credit: Milk by StockSnap at Pixabay