Hello from Karen Whiting! A few special days are coming in January. January 16 is Martin Luther King Day who strove for freedom for all people. It’s the third Monday of January. MLK wanted every person to be free. As a preacher, he spoke about how Jesus sacrificed to free us from sin. He also spoke up about the rights of people to be free. Alas, there are more slaves around the world today than any other time in history, totaling about 27 million people. Even in the US, there is human trafficking, another form of slavery.

Every year January 16th is known as National Religious Freedom Day. It commemorates the adoption of a state in Virginia of Thomas Jefferson and the basis of the First Amendment. It’s a great day to speak out about your faith. Many people around the world are not allowed to practice freedom of religion or be Christians.

January 22, 2023 is Celebration of Life Day! John the Baptist leapt in his mother’s womb letting his mom Elizabeth know that Mary carried the savior in her womb, baby Jesus. Yes, the first person to ever worship Jesus was an unborn baby when Jesus was also an unborn baby! That’s an exciting thought. John knew Jesus was the Messiah.

Try these activities to Celebrate Life and Freedom

• Leap up and praise Jesus! Thank God for religious freedom
• Read Psalm 139 and talk about how God creates people. 
• Collect baby clothes and items for a homeless shelter.
• Congratulate women who are going to have a baby.
• Smile at everyone you meet. Respect their freedom.
• Read about people who helped free others or took care of unwanted people, like Martin Luther King, Abraham Lincoln, and Mother Teresa.
• Look at your baby pictures and chat about what you were like as a baby.
• Ask your parents what they noticed first about you!
• Get permission to make cards or tray favors for children in a hospital or people in a nursing home. 
• Make a heart shaped collage of baby pictures.
• Make birthday cupcakes to celebrate everyone in your family! Light one at a time and tell that person what you love about him or her.
• Donate used toys, canned good, and clothes to a shelter.
• With your family bake a meal for a neighbor who is ill or has a newborn baby.
• Write leaders and ask them to work to save lives, especially the unborn.
• Pray every day for freedom.

Thanks for visiting the blog post today. May you rejoice in your freedom and pray for all people to be free and have freedom of religion! If you have not already subscribed to this blog, please do. We are a great group of children’s authors!

Karen Whiting

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