400th Anniversary of the King James Bible

When I was a kid going to Sunday School and Vacation Bible School, I worked hard to memorize any Bible verses we studied in our lessons.  After all, there were always rewards such as a sticker, pencil, bookmark or other small prizes.   And yes, I was competitive enough that if other kids in our class were learning the verses, then I wanted to, also.

We were always given the verses from the King James Bible.  I now prefer to read a modern translation simply because the wording is more natural and easier to understand.


However, the KJV (King James Version) has certainly stood the test of time.  This year we are celebrating the 400th anniversary of the King James Bible.  Here is its story.

In 1526, the first translation of the New Testament into English was published by Tyndale.  Then in 1604, King James I of England authorized a new translation of the Bible into English. That one was the King James Version of the Bible.  The completed work was published on May 2, 1611.  It was printed in black letters with small italicized Roman type.  It became the Bible used by English-speaking Protestants.  Later it became known as the Authorized Version and went through several editions and revisions.

May 2, 1611 to May 2, 2011, that's 400 years.  The King James Bible is the most printed book in the history of the world!

So The Emperor Thought He Could Stand In the Way of Love!

 

(photo by Hdconnelly, Dreamstime.com)

There are several stories of how Valentine's Day began. Probably the most popular is about St.Valentine, a Roman priest who lived during the third century.

Rome at that time was ruled by Emperor Claudius. Claudius wanted men to volunteer for the army; however, many men did not want to join because they didn't want to leave their wives and children. Claudius thought that if men were not married, they would want to sign up for the army. So he decided to not allow people to marry!

Foolish, foolish Emperor Claudius, he actually thought he could stand in the way of love!

Of course this did not go over well. St. Valentine used to marry people before the new law, and he continued to do so.  He would secretly perform marriage ceremonies.  One day he was caught and thrown in jail and scheduled to be put to death.

The prison guard had a daughter who visited him in his cell and became his friend.  The day he was to die, St. Valentine left her a farewell note thanking her for her friendship. He signed it, "Love from your Valentine."  He died February 14, 269 A.D.

It is believed that St. Valentine's note began the exchange of love and friendship on February 14.  And, of course, people are still laughing at  Emperor Claudius because he was foolish enough to think he could stand in the way of love!

Sailor, Poor Man, or Millionaire?

 (Photo by Tony Campbell,Dreamstime.com)

Fun Valentine Traditions  It is said that if a woman sees a robin flying overhead on Valentine's Day, it means she will marry a sailor.  If she sees a sparrow, she will marry a poor man and be very happy.  If she sees a goldfinch, she will marry a millionaire.

If you cut an apple in half and count how many seeds are inside, you will also know how many children you will have.

Take a dandelion that has gone to seed.  Blow the seeds into the wind with one breath. The number of seeds left is how many children you will have.  (We used to do this when I was a kid.  But we cheated by blowing more than once if too many seeds were  left . . . or we didn't blow very hard so we'd get the number we thought we wanted!)

In the Middle Ages, young people drew names to see who their valentines would be.  They would wear these names on their sleeves for one week. The saying we are familiar with--to wear your heart on your sleeve--means that it is easy for other people to know how you are feeling.

Think of six names of boys or girls you might marry.  As you twist the stem of an apple, recite the names until the stem comes off.  You will marry the person whose name you were saying when the stem fell off.  (We used to cheat with this one, too.  After all, you could twist really hard when the "right" name came along!)

Proverbs According To Children

An elementary school teacher collected some well-known proverbs.  She gave each student in her class the first half of a proverb, and then had them come up with the rest.  Smile!

Better to be safe than . . . punch a 5th grader.

Strike while the . . . bug is close.  (photo by showface, dreamstime.com)

It's always darkest before . . . daylight savings time.
 

 Never underestimate the power of . . . termites.

Don't bite the hand that . . . looks dirty.

A miss is as good as a . . . Mr.

You can't teach an old dog new . . . math.

The pen is mightier than the . . . pigs.

An idle mind is . . . the best way to relax.

Happy the bride who . . . gets all the presents.

A penny saved is . . . not much.

Laugh and the world laughs with you, cry and . . . you have to blow your nose.

Children should be seen and not . . . spanked or grounded.

If at first you don't succeed . . . get new batteries.

You get out of something what you . . . see pictured on the box.
 

Have Fun With a New Groundhog Day Perspective!

Groundhog Day has more significance to me this year than just wondering if Punxsutawney Phil will see his shadow. Of course, I'm hoping he won't see his shadow so spring can come early this year.

But I want to go beyond my childhood memories of Groundhog Day and elementary school, which by the way, was long before the birth of the internet.  I remember sitting in my third grade class while Mrs. Zook passed out purple ditto coloring pictures of a groundhog.  I certainly had no way of knowing there would someday be an internet with more than mere coloring pages available.

I have just now spent some time surfing the internet using the search phrase, Groundhog Day. My, what a famous little guy Punxsutawney Phil is!  I am amazed at the many new opportunities the internet offers us to observe this historic day. There are places to go, facts to learn, and products to buy. And they all have to do with February 2, Groundhog Day.

First, I learned that there is a Punxsutawney Groundhog Club that you can join.  All you need is $10.00 a year and a good sense of humor.  There are currently 58 chapters all over the United States and Canada.  Hopefully there is one near you.  If not, you can start your own chapter.  I've read that there is even a surprise gift from Punx'y Phil himself for anyone who starts a new chapter.

One benefit of being a member of a chapter is meeting people who would want to go with you to visit Western Pennsylvania to see Punxsutawney.  There you could participate in many Groundhog Day festivities downtown, including going south of town to visit Gobbler's Knob where the famous Phil is featured every February 2.

Many internet searches come up with some sort of trivia.  My choice of  trivia from my Groundhog Day search is that a groundhog's life span is normally 6 to 8 years.  We don't have to worry about Punx'y Phil, though.  He drinks a magical punch during the annual Groundhog Picnic, which gives him seven more years of life.  As long as that punch is available, Phil will be around.

For all of us chocolate fans, you can buy Punx'y Phil in solid milk chocolate. His description guarantees that he will not melt if he sees his shadow.

You can send an e-card on Groundhog Day!  Think of how touched your family and friends would be to know you are remembering them on such a meaningful day.

During my web surfing, I found so many Groundhog Day products. Lollipops, pins, magnets, ornaments, cookie cutters, bags & purses, jewelry, caps, gloves, cards & stationery, ceremics, mugs, clothing for infants to adults, coffee, hot sauce, and miscellaneous. You can even buy cookies with a choice of white iced, chocolate iced, or gingerbread.  Or bake your own with groundhog cookie cutters.  Yes, there's something for everyone!

For anyone lucky enough to have been born on Groundhog Day, you can find "Born on Groundhog Day" shirts.  This is a good item to wear to prove to people you're not the "stiff shirt" they may have always thought you were!

My web surfing even turned up a site that has a Groundhogese translator.  Did you know that you can get anything you want to say translated into groundhog language? You simply enter the phrase in your language and within seconds, you will see it written in Groundhogese.  You can even play the audio of the translation!  I was eager to try this.  So I typed in "Can Phil really forecast the weather?" And the translation came back:  "Grunt chitter squeak grunt chitter sheeah?"

Then because it was so much fun, I tried another sentence, and typed in,  "What do you predict Phil's prediction will be this year?"  The answer, as promised, came back in Groundhogese:  "Ooat ooat hehaa grunt Chitter'hehaa chirp ehteht squeak ehteht squeak?"

You may want to go to the translator site and learn some Groundhogese for yourself.  Watch out, though.  It messes up Spell Check!

I've saved the best news for last.  Here it is!  Punxsutawney Phil got married just in time for Groundhog Day.  Yes, he did!  Her name is Phyllis. You can see her here.  Maybe next year there will be little Phils and Phyllises to help us observe Groundhog Day.

Now that's something new to talk about at lunch!  

Resource: groundhog.org

Dr. Martin Luther King, by Jenny, a Second Grader

 We had a writing contest in which the students were to write about someone who was a hero to them.  Jenny chose Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  Here is her essay.

My hero is Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  He stood up for what he believed and didn't care what other people thought who wanted to fight and be mean.  He believed that all people should be treated the same.  And he was right because we all have the same feelings and we all get sad or are happy.  We all get hungry and need to eat.  And everyone needs to be treated nicely and fairly. And that's just how it is.

But Dr. King didn't want to be like the mean people and fight.  So he followed Gandhi and did things in a nice way.  He got other people to be nice and peaceful, too. But everyone still knew they didn't like the way things were.

He wrote a speech called "I have a Dream"  It is hanging up in our classroom with his picture.  I'm glad he told us about his dream, and I'm glad our school is now like his dream.  If it wasn't, Serita might not be allowed to be my best friend.  I would not want her to have to go to another school, especially if it wasn't a nice school.  I like sitting next to her at lunch and playing with her at recess.  But I couldn't do this if people made a fuss because her skin is brown. 

I hope that I can be as brave as Dr. King was.  And that is why he is my hero.  What he did is good enough for me to follow it.

Jenny didn't win the contest, but she is still a winner, don't you think?

We're Going To The Birds!

Today while filling up my bird feeders, I started thinking about all the sayings we have in the English Language that have something to do with our fine feathered friends.     (Photo by Chantal Ringuette, Dreamstime)

The early bird gets the worm.

Cooped up.

As the crow flies.

Bird's eye view

Spring chicken.

Birdbrain.

A bird in hand is worth two in the bush.

Chickenhearted.

Proud as a peacock.

Testing her wings.

Empty nest syndrome.

Eats like a bird.

Pigeonhole.

Bluebird of happiness.

Birds of a feather flock together.

Can you think of more?  Please comment !