Helen Keller

     Last month I was required to do a research report on a topic of my choice. I have always been fascinated with Helen Keller, so I picked her. I read her book (The Story of My Life) and a couple other articles on the internet and got to work. There are a lot of things I learned about her that weren't in my history book. She wrote 12 books, several articles, lots of letters, and a story that she accidentally plagiarized. She knew sign language, read Braille, and learned how to speak by feeling the movement of the mouth and tongue and the vibrations of the larynx. (Think about teaching a deaf and blind person to speak... trying to talk with her hands in your mouth. Then she would stick her hands in her mouth then back into yours #howaboutno) She was deaf, yet she learned English, French, German, Greek, and Latin. (the only other language I know is pig latin...) She did a lot of cool things, and she didn't let her disabilities stop her. I think that's pretty inspiring. A lot of people don't even know how to properly clean a toilet, let alone know 5 different languages. There are a lot of ordinary things she did that are difficult even for people who can hear and see. Through all of her struggles, she kept a positive attitude and never gave up when people told her to quit.

-Dakota

How Much Do You Love Your Family?

     Have you ever had that warm, fuzzy feeling of loving someone or being loved?
     Last week, my mom and dad were gone, and my grandma came to our house to babysit Carl. But when Grandma left to pick up Jeff from work, I was left to watch little Carl. As we played together, I noticed how fast he is growing up and what a delightful human being he is. Although he doesn't always listen, he is a really good kid. That night, he asked me to put him to bed. We sang songs and talked a little before he laid down to sleep. I realized how blessed I am to have a family. There are times when I can't stand them, but I love them all the same.
     More than once, I've heard people say, "I hate my family." I've also heard a quote that sort of goes with this: "Hatred is too strong an emotion to waste on someone you that you don't like." Why do we waste our passion on hating people, instead of using our passion for better things? I could say more on this, but I'll get myself  back on track.
     Think of the good things about your family. Are they smart? Are they kind? Do they like to help? Are they overprotective? They love you and are concerned for your well-being. Do they make you do things you don't want to? They're giving you experience for life, whether it's developing work ethic or stepping out of your comfort zone.
     Even if you aren't happy with them, "We love because He first loved us." -1 John 4:19


-Dakota