by Deborah Hanyon, MPH, RDN, ACE-CHC | Mar 16, 2022 | Holidays and Special Events
WHO WAS SAINT PATRICK?
As a protestant, I'm ashamed to say that I have never heard about St. Patrick in church. Maybe somewhere he was discussed, however, I don't remember learning about him in church in the 30+ years I've been a Christian. I researched him on my own when my son was younger. So, I am familiar with his life. However, today, I decided to revisit his story because St. Patrick's Day is this month. So, who was Saint Patrick anyway? A brief biography follows.
St. Patrick was a Christian missionary who lived in the late 4th-Early 5th Century.
He is considered the “Patron Saint” of Ireland. In the strictest sense, a “Patron Saint” is someone who is supposed to be a heavenly guide or protector of a particular group of people and/or a particular geographic region. In this case, Ireland.
Perhaps this is why the Protestant church is hesitant to discuss him as we don't believe in praying to saints. However, you don't have to pray to Patrick to genuinely appreciate him and what he represented. If you read his “Confessions,” which are his own words, you will find that he was a very humble man who did not consider himself anywhere near holy. Also, he spoke straight out of the Bible.
As a role model, Patrick is a good example of how a Christian (true believer) should view himself. His words remind us of how a true believer should trust in and rely on God as our source of strength and comfort.
When Patrick was 16 years old, he was kidnapped by pirates from his home in Great Britain.
He was taken as a slave to Ireland where he took care of animals. In his confessions Patrick discusses how he believed he was being corrected by God when he was kidnapped and that the Lord used the experiences of hunger and deprivation as a means to bring him to knowledge of the true God.
Patrick had a dream during the six-year period before he escaped and returned to his home in Great Britain. In the dream, God spoke to Patrick and he was converted. He states that before this experience, he had heard of the truths and laws, but did not apply them to himself. His conversion opened his eyes to his own sinfulness and need for God.
Patrick Heads Back to His Hometown
While working with the animals in Ireland, Patrick had a dream. In the dream, God revealed to him that he would be going back home on a ship. And that’s just what happened. He escaped and found the ship. However, at first, the crew of the ship wouldn’t allow him to board. As a result, Patrick went to where he was staying and prayed. A short time later, the crew came looking for him and said he could come along with them on the ship.
While on the voyage home, part of which was on land, he and his comrades were starving and losing faith. Patrick prayed to God and, shortly thereafter, they came upon a herd of pigs. Patrick saw this as an answer to prayer and as an opportunity to witness to the people he was travelling with. The meat from the pigs sustained them, along with wild honey, until they arrived at their destination. Patrick states in his “Confession” that he did not eat the wild honey.
Patrick's Spiritual Battle
Patrick discusses that during this trip, while sleeping one night, Satan attacked him and he had a giant boulder on top of him. Apparently, he overcame this, though it is not clear exactly how, because he made it home in one piece.
When he returned to his home, his parents were so happy to see him that they begged him to never leave again. However, he felt led by God to return to Ireland to witness to the people who did not know the true God.
He did not immediately leave, and according to his “Confession,” sometime later he was accused of a sin that he had previously committed before becoming a Christian. He states that he had already confessed to this sin before being accused, and that he did not understand why the person he confessed to shared the information with others in the church.
Regardless of why, Patrick believed that this was the method God used to correct him to push him to do what he had been called to do: “Go to Ireland and preach the gospel.” Many people became Christians because of Patrick’s missionary work in Ireland.
Was St. Patrick a Christian Martyr?
Patrick was not martyred in the traditional sense. That is, he was not executed. However, based on his “Confession,” he was persecuted by the leadership of the church in Britain, probably because they were offended by his pointed discussions of our sinfulness and need for repentance.
Very similar to the Pharisees in Jesus’ day, the leadership was offended by him and wanted to shut him up by accusing him of sin in order to delegitimize him. God used this persecution to send Patrick where He wanted him to go: Ireland. (Matthew 15:12)
The Legend of the Shamrock
While in Ireland, Patrick followed God’s leading and “drove out the snakes” (snake is symbolic of Satan). The Legend of the Shamrock, which is often connected with the driving out of snakes, refers to the 3-leaf clover, which Patrick used to represent the 3 persons of the Holy Trinity. The “driving out of snakes” and the “the shamrock” are often connected in stories.
It is not clear how Patrick died, but many sources say he died around 461 AD.
In addition to this short article, I have created a fun “Who was St. Patrick” Activity Pack for your kids.
I included the delicious recipes we created for “Kid-Friendly Reuben Sandwiches and Baked Sweet Potato Fries as well.” So don't miss out!
See also:
Who was Nicholas of Myra? Activity Pack
St. Patrick's Day Recipe Cards
Venturing with God to Congo – A Missionary Story
Religious Freedom and the Church
Free “Wings of Fire” Novel Study Guide
10 Surprising Facts about St. Valentine
References
The Confession of St. Patrick
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Patrick
by Deborah Hanyon, MPH, RDN, ACE-CHC | Dec 8, 2021 | Holidays and Special Events, Homeschooling
DRAWING HAS ENDED
Enter the Christmas Blessings Drawing Below.
No purchase necessary. Must be 18 to enter. Void where prohibited by law. **Open to US/Canada residents only.** This giveaway is in no way sponsored, endorsed, or associated by Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or Pinterest. By entering this giveaway, you agree to release Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, Woman to Woman Ministries, and all participating bloggers of all liability. Contest ends at 12:01am EST on December 13, 2021. Winning entry will be verified. Winner is randomly chosen by Rafflecopter and will be emailed.
[et_bloom_inline optin_id=optin_5]
by Deborah Hanyon, MPH, RDN, ACE-CHC | Dec 2, 2021 | Getting Kids Moving, Homeschooling, Nutrition and Health
9 Educational camping ideas for kids
Going on a camping trip with kids is always interesting, right? Children love to play and have fun in nature but how about you change the game and plan an educational trip to the outdoors? Camping should be fun but if you also teach them some survival skills and nature basics that won’t hurt.
In this article, I will show you which educational camping activities are perfect for young kids. I guarantee you that they won’t get bored over them as they will be occupied with new things. Check the camping ideas that will awaken their curiosity and the will to explore.
Learning New Things in Nature
I will show you how you can teach your children some new skills, and knowledge through games, play, exploration, and other types of activities so they will be more educated and prepared for life.
Camping Activities
In this section, I will list activities that are linked to camping itself. Invite your kids to help you with the tasks around the campground and they will know how to survive in nature when they get older.
Pitching a camping tent
Invite your children to help you to set up a family cabin tent where you will spend nights and play. Grab the instructions and start building the tent. I see how children help their parents set up a tent at the camps and they can be of great help.
Kids can pass you the poles or even insert them into the sleeves. Give them an easy task so they will be able to accomplish it. Talk to them in the process so they will know what has to be done to enjoy tent camping.
Make a tour inside a tent when you will be done with the setup and show them what features the tent has and how to adjust them regarding the needs.
Making a Campfire
Teaching them how to make a campfire is important. The first thing to mention is that fire is dangerous and can make damage or hurt people, so they should be cautious while starting it and when it burns.
Ask your children to go pick some kindling and tinder while you pick some logs. Go in the forest together and pick the firewood. Set a fire together while explaining the process.
Cook your Favorite Dishes
When you have a campfire burning, you can make some delicious meals. How about making some pancakes or s’mores for the kids? Let them bake a pancake and put their favorite filling on.
Learn from Mother Nature
Mother Nature is our biggest teacher. Plan a daily hike in the woods where you will explore a new area, learn about the trees, and wild animals. If the trees have marks, teach them why the trees are colored. Get some books about plant recognition so they will learn to identify the plant species. It is especially important that you teach them about poisonous plants like poison ivy, poisonous oak, and others that they should leave alone. You can also download an app about plant identification on your phone if you want.
Make an Herbarium
Kids can pick some of the tree leaves and plants and make a herbarium. Tell them to pick 10 plants (tree leaves, bush leaves, or plants from the meadow). The picked items should be dry to put in the herbarium.
What does the herbarium have to have? Each plant should have its (Latin) name, place, site, date, and the name of the picker. I enjoyed making one when I was young, and I am sure your children will too.
Grab some Nature Books
I encourage you to pack some kid's books about nature. These books are great as the children will be able to stay occupied, have fun and learn at the same time. Pick picture books like pack some kid's books about nature. or others if you have younger kids (3-7 years).
Before going to the wild, go to the library with your kid and let him pick his favorite books to read at the campsite.
Play Scavenger Hunt
I love this game! It is a game where the participants make a list of items that must be found in nature. You can make two teams. Each team should find all the items first to win the game. I recommend that you pick items such as an oak tree leaf, a fruit, a feather, etc. so children will learn about nature while searching.
Do you want to make a scavenger hunt even more exciting? Give a task to take a picture of a bird or to record the sound of an animal. Don’t forget to take a camera or a phone to do that.
Play Games
Play games that involve nature like deer, deer, deer, fire tender, food chain lap-sit, flower face, judge nature says, and others that will make your camping trip interesting and educational.
Teach them about Good Camping Etiquette
When you go outdoors with the kids they should know how to behave and what is good camping etiquette. Teach them about the “leave no trace” rule and put a few garbage bags around the camp so they will throw trash there and not leave them on the ground in the camp or in the woods.
Teaching your children to be responsible and environmentally aware is important as they will leave the place as it was, without changing the natural habitat of the wild animals. Did you tell them that bears love food and trash? Make sure you mention this fact so they will be strict to leave the place clean.
Use your imagination and include activities that you see as worthy to do at a campsite with your family members to entertain and learn. Happy camping!
Leadership Resources Help Parents Raise Confident Children
The Basics of a Healthy Recipe Makeover
About the Author:
“Tadej Kozar is \the founder of Camping Valley. The site is an extension of my lifestyle and passion for outdoors. Everything that I learn, experience, and find valuable is on the site for you. We live in a technological era, but nature is reminding us more and more that we should go to the places where our heart and soul feel like home.”
w 15:12)
