Wolfe Stew

Happiness is happening to have an umbrella when it rains. JOY is holding an umbrella big enough to share with another. National Umbrella Day | February 10th Annually JOY for Today Offerings: Did You Know...  Five facts about umbrellas. Wolfe Stew Connects  To the importance of umbrellas. Bible Verses and Quotes  About umbrellas, coverings, and protection. Activity Suggestions  Art, books, weather, discussion questions, and family challenge. UPCOMING HOLIDAYS:   National Inventors' Day (February 11th Annually) Valentine's Day (February 14th Annually) Ash Wednesday (46 Days Before Easter - February 14, 2024) Did You Know: Umbrellas were first used to protect us from the sun? And, as they were a sign of status, only the wealthy got to use them. ( Farmers' Almanac ) They date back 3,000 years?  Evidence of their existence is found in both China, Egypt, and other civilizations from 3,000 years ago. At that time, the covering was feather, leaves, paper, or sil...

It's not the coldness that brings us joy. No, joy is the warming up process that follows the bitter cold. Come in from the cold; know JOY. Come in from the Cold Day | January 22nd Annually JOY for Today Offerings: Did You Know...  Facts about keeping warm. Wolfe Stew Connects  To sharing warmth. Bible Verses and Quotes  Related to the cold. Activity Suggestions  Appropriate attire, outdoor activities, writing prompts, discussion questions, and family challenge. UPCOMING HOLIDAYS:   Library Shelfie Day (January's 4th Wednesday) Spouses' Day (January 26th Annually) National Inspire Your Heart with Art Day (January 31st Annually) Did You Know: Our body temperatures are not stable? They fluctuate throughout the day, usually starting lower in the morning and reach a peak in the evening. Younger people are usually warmer than older people. Women are usually warmer than men but seem colder because their bodies focus on keeping their cores, not their extremities, war...

(Updated 11.8.2024) JOY to the world! He is with us. May your Christmas be full of JOY as you abide in His glorious presence! JOY for Today Offerings: Did You Know...  Four we didn't. Wolfe Stew Connects  To love. Bible Verses and Quotes  About Christmas. Activity Suggestions  Carols, Would You Rather, and Family Challenge Did You Know: December 25 is, more than likely, not Jesus' actual birthdate?  While it has become our tradition to celebrate His birth in December, He was more likely born in fall or summer. ( Belief Net ) Jesus' birth was not precisely on the fold of B.C./A.D.?  While His birth was the reason for the label change (from Before Christ to Anno Domini - the year of our Lord), His birth was not precisely at the transition. The main reason being that the idea for the label change did not emerge until 525 A.D. By that time, it was not only challenging to uncover His precise birth year, but it also took less precedence than accurately calculatin...

Winter often denotes a season of waiting - waiting for the thaw so life can begin again. It's what we do in the waiting that's challenging. Whether you approach this winter with wonder or discontent, we're praying JOY finds you in it. December 21, 2022 JOY for Today Offerings: Did You Know...  Five we didn't. Wolfe Stew Connects  To winter outlooks. Bible Verses and Quotes  About winter. Activity Suggestions : Science Activities with Book Pairings, Would You Rather, and Family Challenge Did You Know: Japan gets more snow than most countries? Of the top ten snowiest destinations  HGTV  lists, five are in Japan. Niseko, Japan tops the list with an average annual snowfall of 50 feet. ( Fact City , and  HGTV ) Russia experiences the coldest winters? Canada comes in second and Mongolia third. ( Fact City ) Humans undergo a type of hibernation?  While we do not sleep through the winter, we do eat and sleep more because of the decreased daylight hours which i...

(Updated 1/19/2024) " Groundhog " by Maureen Farrelly at Public Domain Pictures Find JOY today in an annual tradition that, though somewhat silly, brings HOPE to many! Dare to HOPE that warmth will rise again in your life. Groundhog Offerings: Did You Know...  Facts about Groundhog Day Wolfe Stew Connects  To hope. Bible Verses  About the changing of the seasons. Activity Suggestions  Make predictions, watch the event, have a snack, research, and create art. UPCOMING HOLIDAYS: National Pizza Day National Inventors' Day Valentine's Day Did You Know Groundhog Day is: Also known as Imbolc (Pagan) or Candlemas (Christian)? A good marker of the seasons? Set halfway between winter solstice and spring equinox, it logically makes sense to position season-ending forecasting efforts here. Not the original way people would predict winter's end? To Christian Candlemas observers, a sunny Candlemas day foretold 40 more days of winter. A custom brought to America by the Germa...

We believe there is merit to finding JOY in every day and reflecting on our past as we look forward to the future. To support commemoration of daily holidays in the classroom, as a family, or individually, we plan to sprinkle “blog”fetti here and there throughout your year. Each holiday post will feature: Facts about the holiday. Our personal connection to it. A Biblical tie in. An activity suggestion. Just click the link to what interests you or read on through. We are thrilled to celebrate our way through 2022 with you! Facts about New Year’s Day New Year’s celebrations are an ancient tradition, at least 4000 years old. The New Year used to be celebrated on the first day of spring (a.k.a. the vernal equinox). Emperor Julius Caesar of Rome named January the beginning of the year. Janus, January’s namesake, is a Roman god with two faces: one for looking back on the past and one into the future. We’d Love to Know: Which time of year do you think makes more sense for New Year’s celebra...

 It’s nearly 2021, a year I think we’re all hoping will be better than the last. Unlike any other time in our lives, we’re ready to leave 2020 in the annals of history. Yet, there is likely a lot we’ve gained from 2020: time with family, picking up new hobbies, (re)evaluating our values. Hopefully, 2020 has strengthened us. As we enter into 2021, we’re looking for reasons to celebrate. And if you are too, we have one for every day for you. For each January day, we’ve chosen a holiday and paired it with complementary link pairings targeted at Preschool to Sixth grade learners and families. If the days and the links are all you need and you’re good to go, here’s the January 2021 calendar for you: Above is only a graphic. Download your January 2021 Calendar here. If you’d like a few more details before you commit to a click, keep reading below. Here are links to transport you to your desired date: Week One (January 1-2, 2021) Week Two (January 3-9, 2021) Week Three (Januar...