Telling to the Generations to Come . . .

Sweet Gracie and Sarah Beth -- sisters who love to express what God has done in their lives!

Last week, I was privileged to spend two evenings in a most exhausting, yet pleasant enterprise. (Oh, my stars! Gracie is rubbing off on me!) Sisters Sarah Beth and Gracie decided to enter the current Homeschooling Today magazine essay contest. The topic in general was the Vision Forum Jamestown celebration in June, with each entrant able to choose a direction of interest to himself or herself. It was this grandmother’s absolute joy to be asked to help with organizing thoughts and proofreading.

Sarah felt compelled to talk about the importance of God’s people raising up stones of remembrance to God’s faithfulness. Then when future generations ask, “what mean these stones”, we can share the story with them and strengthen their faith. She gave examples from biblical history and the history of the founding of America. One of those memorials is Providence Spring at the Civil War prison at Andersonville, Georgia. As a family, we hope to be able to visit this memorial in October when we take a trip to Ft. Benning.

“Earnest” would be my adjective for Sarah’s writing style. She takes each opportunity to share with others very seriously. What an impression this topic has made on her, and what a good job she did of expressing her desire to be vigilant in carrying forth the memory of the hand of God on His people!

Gracie’s topic of choice was the importance of refuting the current politically-correct mis-information about the purposes for the founding of the Jamestown settlement. She stressed the need to be careful of our sources and especially to make every effort to make decisions based on primary sources.

Gracie tends to . . . well, let me say that Gracie is the most prolific reader I have ever known. She has read many older classics twice and tends to appreciate books far above what most people think of as 15-year-old fare. So her writing tends to be 18th or 19th century-leaning. It is delightfully quaint and usually flowery (thus the parenthetical remark in the first paragraph!). She is learning to restrain herself and reign in her desire to use up every allowable word!

Kitty, who is now 18, has been our most prolific writer in times past, easily taking a story premise and turning it into a creative work of fiction in no time. But lately . . . well, let’s say the winds of change are blowing, and Kitty has taken to buckling down to her graduation requirements. She is looking forward to the possibilities of the new season she is entering, and she just didn’t think she could take the time to write an essay.

I will ask the girls if I may post their essays, because I know they would be a blessing to many. They certainly have been a blessing to this grandmother! Thank you, Lord, for precious young ladies who love to share what You have laid upon their hearts.