Journey Across America: Idaho

So much of our lives these days is disposable. I know some people who don't even own dishes; they just eat off of paper plates all the time. We throw away just about everything from paper plates to TVs. Many people trade in their cars after a few years of use. Few things come with a "lifetime guarantee" any more. We have become a disposable society, and our children are learning that nearly everything can be thrown away and replaced.

When we tell our kids that God endures forever, I'm not sure they have any idea what that really means. In this technological age, everything has a short lifespan. The kids barely begin playing the latest and greatest video game system when another one comes along. Kids are so immune to the idea that things can last a long time that the idea that God and His Word last forever and never change is a foreign concept.

That's why we're heading to Idaho today on our "trip" across America. Idaho's motto is "Esto perpetua," which means "May It Endure Forever." We're going to take a look at Idaho from the perspective of things that endure. Our verse for today is Daniel 6:26b "For he is the living God and he endures forever; his kingdom will not be destroyed, his dominion will never end."

As we travel through Idaho, we will be making our own mountains out of salt dough because of all the things on earth that endure, mountains are high on the list. We'll also be making our own sand dunes. We'll talk about how even though both mountains and sand dunes last for a long time, they won't last forever. Eventually, time and erosion will wear away both of them, but God will endure forever.

We're also going to pan for gold, one of the most enduring metals. We'll talk about how gold is refined by fire to get rid of all the impurities. We'll discuss how families pass down gold jewelry from generation to generation so it endures for a long time. We'll talk about how we can't pass down faith from generation to generation and everyone has to make their own decision to follow Jesus.

Just for fun, we'll have some French fries as a snack because Idaho is known for producing potatoes. We'll also learn a bit about the wildlife of Idaho, and we'll take some time to work on our service project for the summer.

When we're done, hopefully, the girls will know that in this throw-away society, one thing endures -- God.