Collect Rocks Day | JOY for Today

Rocks and humans have a shared history. Early humans found shelter in caves and recorded their histories on the walls. Today we use rocks in endless applications. Your rock collection may be conventional: a display in your home or the border for your garden. Or your rock collection may be unconventional: reapplied to your face daily or reflected in the smiles of the people you meet, but you do have one. And, after connecting with the ideas in this post, we're hoping that your rock collection will bring you even more JOY!

Gemstones by byrev at Pixabay.

JOY for Today Offerings:

• Did You Know... Five facts about rocks.
• Wolfe Stew Connects To God's rock collection.
• Bible Verses and Quotes Inspired by rocks.
• Activity Suggestions: Start a rock collection, learn about rock formation, read books about rocks, share opinions about rocks, and go on a rock walk.

UPCOMING HOLIDAYS: 

• International Day of Peace (September 21st Annually)
• Fall Equinox (September 22, 2024 - Changes Annually)
• Johnny Appleseed Day (September 26th Annually)

Did You Know:

1. There are more than 700 rock collection clubs in the USA alone? RockSeeker.com keeps an updated list of rock collection clubs and organizes them by state. There are 18 in my state! If you don't see yours on there, use the link to add it to the list.
2. Ochre was perhaps the first mineral humans valued? They used its distinctive red hue, courtesy of oxidized iron, to draw hieroglyphics on cave walls. Because it is a mineral, ochre doesn't wash away or decay. Spain is home to many of these paintings of primarily animals, like horses, bison and the now extinct aurochs, and date back 35,000 to 24,000 years. However, the earliest use of ochre is traced to the Paleolithic period, some 285,000 years ago. (Rock Seeker & Live Science)
3. Lapis lazuli was one of the first minerals to be traded? Originally found in Afghanistan over 6,500 years ago, lapis lazuli's brilliant blue hue lent itself well to eye-catching jewelry but was also used for practical purposes like game boards, hair combs, and bowls. Artifacts containing lapis lazuli have been found in ancient Mesopotamian, Egyptian, Chinese, Grecian, and Roman civilizations.  (Rock Seeker & Gemological Institute of America)
4. Diamonds are not the rarest gemstone? Color-changing alexandrite from Russia, intensity altering neon blue grandidierite, California's official gemstone benitoite, aquamarine's cousin red beryl, and laboratory discovered taafeite are a few of the gems considered more rare than diamonds. And many of these are also more expensive than the common diamond. (How to Find Rocks & Luxe Digital)
5. Rocks are useful in many ways? Over the years, rocks have been used for tools, weapons, jewelry, makeup, medicine, and storytelling. Perhaps the most unusual to us in modern times is rocks for storytelling, but when you rename it "paleontology" it is no longer unusual. Some common items that come from rocks which may surprise you include table salt, baby powder, drywall, caulking, electronics, detergent, toothpaste, and chalk. (Rock Seeker, YurTopic & How to Find Rocks)

We'd Love to Know:   

Which rock fact will you add to your collection?

Wolfe Stew Connects

My paternal grandmother loved rocks. On every road trip pit stop, Grandma could be found stooping along the side of the road looking for her next treasure. It's fascinating, then, to note how many of her grandkids - whom she's never met - also collect rocks. Our nephew still has his yellow stone from Yellowstone, a large trophy of a rock from a camping trip, and numerous stashes of gems from tourist shops. 

What's even more fascinating is to consider that God collects rocks:

• In the priest's ephod, specific rocks were precisely arranged to represent each tribe of Israel. (Exodus 28:15-21)
• In Jesus, the cornerstone, who was once rejected by us but is now essential to our faith. (Ephesians 2:19-22, Acts 4:11, & Isaiah 28:16)
• In Peter, whose name means stone, is the rock on which Christ builds His church. (Matthew 16:18)
• In us, living stones that are added to the foundation of our spiritual ancestors. (I Peter 2:4- 6 & Isaiah 51:1) 
• And if the disciples stayed quiet on Christ's triumphant return, then the rocks would cry out. And indeed we would! (Luke 19:39-40)

In fact, there's a possibility that Jesus worked to shape stone. Joseph, His father, was a carpenter. At that time, the son learned the trade of his father. Also at that time and in that place, buildings were made out of stone and not wood. So while on earth, Jesus likely shaped stone. (Brant Hansen ~9:40 & Christian Post). Even if Jesus didn't shape stone while on earth, He certainly shapes stone now: He's masterfully working to shape each of us.

Alternately, rocks are also used to teach lessons:

• Moses striking the rock in the wilderness which prevented him from seeing the promised land. (Numbers 20:11)
• David, not a well-seasoned warrior, killed Goliath with one well directed stone while the trained soldiers watched. (I Samuel 17:49)
• Jesus warned accusers against condemnation by asking the one without sin to throw the first stone. (John 8:1-11)

When we collect rocks to hurl them, we cause wounds. Let's be the type of people who leave the wound-inflicting rocks at the feet of Jesus. Let's be the type of people that seek out beautifully unique rocks to treasure. Let's be the type of people who look at a rock and consider our spiritual ancestors, our spiritual family now, and our eternal family that is to come.

In response:

1. Find a rock. Keep it in an accessible place to remind you where you came from, where you are going, and to leave the wound-inflicting rocks at Jesus' feet.
2. Join us in our Isaiah study. We're currently being reminded that God is God and there is no one else. Indeed, on Christ the solid Rock we stand! 

Bible Verses and Quotes 

Bible Verses 

• A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing. Ecclesiastes 3:5 KJV
• "You shall make a breastplate of judgment...cover it with settings of precious stones arranged in four rows...The stones shall correspond to the names of the children of Israel." Exodus 28:15-21 NCB
• Listen to Me, you who pursue righteousness, you who seek the LORD: Look to the rock from which you were hewn and to the quarry from which you were dug.  Isaiah 51:1 MEV
•  The Lord Jesus is the "stone" that lives. The people of the world did not want this stone. But he was the stone God chose. To God he was worth much. So come to him. You also are like living stones. Let yourselves be used to build a spiritual temple - to be holy priests who offer spiritual sacrifices to God. He will accept those sacrifices through Jesus Christ. I Peter 2:4-5 CSB
• And I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it. Matthew 16:18 NASB
• But Jesus answered, "I tell you, if my followers didn't say these things, then the stones would cry out." Luke 19:40 NCV
• No one is as holy as the Lord! There is no other God, Nor any Rock like our God. I Samuel 2:2 TLB 

Quotes

• "We can choose to throw stones, to stumble on them, to climb over them, or to build with them." - William Arthur Ward
• "A gem cannot be polished without friction, nor a man perfected without trials." - Lucius Annaeus Seneca
• "Leave no stone unturned. Deeply explore the beauty of your life." - Neil Gaiman
• "There is life in a stone. Any stone that sits in a field or lies on a beach takes on the memory of that place. You can feel that stones have witnessed so many things." - Andy Goldsworthy
• "Successful people see adversity as a stepping stone rather than a stumbling block." - Shawn Achor
• "Stones are the bones of the Earth, silent witnesses to the passage of time." - Unknown
• "Stones are mute teachers; they silence the observer, and the most valuable lesson we learn from them we cannot communicate." - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

We'd Love to Know:

Which verse or quote would you add to your rock collection?

Activity Suggestions

Rock your learners with these activities.

Start a Rock Collection

Visit Scout Life's article "How to Start a Rock Collection" for tips on: 

• What to collect
• Where to find them
• Recommended tools 
• Display options

You can even submit a photo of your favorite rock!

Learn about Rocks

• PreK-3: Watch "Be a Rock Detective" by SciShow at YouTube. 4 minutes 22 seconds. Includes: Igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic.
• 4-6: Explore an interactive website: "Landforms, Rocks, and Minerals" by Scholastic. Includes: slideshows, key vocabulary, songs, and test for the rock cycle, sedimentary, igneous, and metamorphic rocks, weathering & erosion, fossils, and minerals.
• Everyone: Stop by Gemological Institute of America's GemKids for the book and word of the day along with careers that involve working with gems. Featured on the day when we visited were:
• The Book of the Day: The Birthstone Book
• Working with Gems: Appraiser
• Word of the Day: Chatoyancy

Read a Book

• PreK-1st: Everybody Needs a Rock by Byrd Baylor; illustrated by Peter Parnall. Gives you 10 rules for rock collecting and reminds you not to worry about the people who just don't get it. Our favorite rule is Number 10: "Don't ask anybody to help you choose...You have to make up your own mind. You'll know." Ends with the invitation to write your own rule. 
• 2nd-3rd: I'm Trying to Love Rocks by Bethany Barton. An entertaining informational book about rock formation. For instance, after sharing that diamonds are carbon under pressure the text reads: "So I just have to squish a rock to get a diamond? AWESOME! Let's make some diamonds." Illustrations are likewise engaging. More cartoony than realistic, yet still informative. Makes geography approachable and entertaining.
• 4th-6th: My Book of Rocks and Minerals: Things to Find, Collect, and Treasure. Edited by Olivia Stanford. Includes photographs, captions, and tips to aid learners in every step of rock collecting from where to go to identification. Includes fascinating historical examples and practical uses. Full of fascinating facts like that "Apatite is a mineral found in your teeth!"

Discuss "Would You Rather..." Questions

• Add obsidian or serpentine to your rock collection?
• Collect rocks or coins?
• Search for rocks near a volcano or on a beach?

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

Take on the Family Challenge

Go on a family walk and don't come back until everyone's found a rock. When you return, share why you chose the rock you did and what you plan to do with it.

We'd Love to Know:

If you know any rock collectors.

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 accept your position as a stone in a wall.

To connect with God's Precious Corner Stone.

To meet my grandma.

To see how God shaped David to face Goliath. 

To see mica on an ABC Nature Walk.

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