Outgoing Mail: October

 

~~~I am continuing to share about the Fruit of the Spirit. I am using Creative Faith & Co.'s Produce in Me devotional. The lessons are available in Spanish and in English, and have cute printables that can be attached! This month's topic was Gentleness. This devotion was much shorter than the others, which gives room for me to respond to my kids' letters!

Hi Friend!

The next fruit of the Spirit that we are looking at is Gentleness! Jesus Christ sets a good example to us of Gentleness. Isaiah 42:3 was talking about Jesus where it says, "A bruised reed He will not break, and a smoldering wick He will not snuff out." I encourage you to take a minute to read what Matthew 12:18-21 says about Jesus. Are you gentle to those around you? We can practice gentleness in our words and our actions! It can be hardest to be gentle to those in our families or who are close to us. A few more verses on gentleness that I'd like to share are: 

- Proverbs 15:1, "A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger." 

- Titus 3:2, "Always be gentle toward everyone."

- Philippians 4:5, "Let your gentleness be known to all men, the Lord is at hand."

Hillary Krippaehne shares 

"Going deeper:

 Who do you need to ask forgiveness from for using harsh words instead of gentle words? Humble yourself and have a tough conversation today.

 Draw a raspberry and write in the different circles words that you relate with gentleness. Think about how you have to handle different fruits gently, and apply this to your everyday life.

 Illustrate Ephesians 4:2-3.

 When do you need gentleness the most? Write a prayer, asking God to produce gentleness in you during those moments."

RESPOND

I pray that you show the Lord's gentleness to all those in your life! Love, Hannah

I included the illustration that goes along with the lesson and a coloring page. 

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I saw a cool illustration about the NASA scientist Katherine Johnson, and that inspired this letter! I love sharing what I learn with my kids. Most of my text is from the Katherine Johnson Biography for Kids. 

Dear Friend,

   I know this has been a hard year for schooling, and I am sure that there have been points where you have been discouraged or frustrated. I want to encourage you to keep working hard, even if Covid19 sets you behind, because you are young and intelligent and have so much potential! Know that I am praying for you! And I hope that this story of a mathematician encourages you to continue working hard...

   "Katherine was born in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, in 1918. She was the youngest of four children... From the time she was young, Katherine loved learning, especially mathematics. And she was very good at it. Her mother was a teacher, and her family was supportive of continuing education. Katherine and her siblings were encouraged to make more of themselves. Her parents moved the family near West Virginia State College. The college offered high school on campus. Katherine enrolled when she was only 10, and graduated high school when she was 14. Then she graduated that same college, with highest honors, at 18.

   Following in her mother’s footsteps, Katherine also became a teacher. In the early 1950s, she began working at Langley in the computing section of the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA). When the Space Race to put a man on the moon took off, NACA became NASA...

   In 1962, IBM computers were new to NASA. And, like anything new, the computers calculations were viewed with no small measure of caution. If the calculations were off by even just a little bit, lives would be at risk. And the newly fashioned computers weren’t completely stable, known to quit working at inopportune times. John Glenn was preparing to orbit the earth in the Friendship 7 mission. He was familiar with Katherine’s excellent reputation for calculations. John called for Katherine to redo the computer calculations by hand. Only when she was finished, did he agree to continue with the mission. And its success pulled the United States ahead in the race for the moon. Katherine continued her vital contributions to NASA, working there for over 30 years, until her retirement in 1986."

Katherine Johnson said, "You lose your curiosity when you stop learning," and “If you attack the problem right, you’ll get the answer.”

   I want to remind you that James 1 says, "If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you." And I want to encourage you to ask God when you find yourself needing wisdom! 

Love,

Hannah

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Happy Writing!