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The Constitution: Article 1

Many Americans today know little about the Constitution. As a blueprint to how our country works, it’s important to understand how the Constitution supports our American way of life and our freedoms. The Constitution contains seven sections, called Articles, that establish a three-branch system of government with “checks and balances.” Each branch has just enough power to keep the other branches “in check,” while fairly balancing the distribution of power among them. This is so the government works fairly, and no branch gets too powerful. Article 1 outlines the powers and ...

Freedom Train, Part 3

The Underground Railroad (“UGRR”) network helped thousands of slaves escape to freedom. We think of it as a heroic cause where the good guys always won. However, for every enslaved person who escaped, many more were recaptured, tortured, even killed. Mary, a recaptured slave girl, ran ...

Communicating with your children

Do you have difficulty talking to your children? Well, don’t even think you’re alone. All concerned parents have had problems communicating with their children at one time or another. I know I did, especially when my kids were teenagers. As a teacher, I have read materials that have offered some practical suggestions for parent-child communication. Give some serious thought to the following suggestions for better communicating with your children: * Learn to listen. Know that you will eventually have a lot more two-way conversations with your child if you begin by letting your ...

Love is in the air

One of the best things we can offer our children is our love.. It is very important that you tell them daily how much you love them unconditionally and always there for them. On February the 14th every year we celebrate Valentines Day - a day celebrated by millions and millions of all ages. All the grade school children will be taking little Valentines cards to school with them to give to their classmates and teachers while many parents will send in sweets and treats. I recall especially in the old days when I was a “home room mother” Valentine celebration in the ...

The gift of work

Author Richard Foster tells how, as a teenager, he signed up for an internship in Alaska, thinking he would have the adventure of “working on the first high school above the Arctic Circle.” The adventure turned into hard work, however, and Foster found himself digging a sewer line through the frozen tundra. An Aleut native who stopped by for a few minutes commented to Foster, “You are digging a ditch to the glory of God.” Those words changed Foster’s perspective; every chunk of earth became progress “to the glory of God.” Caught up in mundane tasks, humanity sometimes ...

Black History Month: The Freedom Train, Part 2

Enslaved fugitives referred to the Ohio River as the River Jordan. It was a metaphor for freedom like the Israelites’ flight from slavery in Egypt through the parted waters of the Red Sea. Except the River Ohio waters did not part for the slaves. They had to cross. Underground Railroad helpers were often ready to assist. A black woman called “Aunt Jenny” worked on a Parkersburg boat dock tracking boat arrivals and summoning slaves to service the boats. With her network of contacts, she could monitor law enforcement activities. Jenny signaled station master John Stone in Belpre ...