Explorers Dream Big and Do Big!

 October, with Columbus Day right there on the calendar page, makes me think of explorers, and how much the world has benefited from them.  Columbus himself was mocked and doubted by the people of his day, but he pressed forward anyway and made great discoveries.  Sadly, he died without ever knowing the significance of what he had done.   Without any modern technology, he literally could have been setting sail for “Destination: death”.  He went anyway.    

     Most people dream bigger than they “do”.  If exploring the unknown were left to people like me, the human race would still be sitting at “Go”.  Fortunately, some exceptional people dream big and “do” bigger.  But we all can be explorers in our own way.  

     Get some inspiration from the experts by reading about some of the explorers from history.  How about a biography of Columbus, preferably one that doesn’t dwell upon his faults.  Or, follow Lewis and Clark, whose trail west from St. Louis in 1804 took them right through the very area where The Family Vision now operates and many of us live.  Their journey of over 8,000 miles opened up a whole new world to our growing country, inspiring many to journey into the unknown West in search of opportunity and a new life.  

     This great Westward Migration, especially the Oregon Trail, has always fascinated me.  Grab a book like Trailblazers : The Men and Women Who Forged the West.  You’ll learn about all sorts of explorers from early Europeans to cowboys, gold diggers, and pioneers.  Enjoy some fascinating photos, too.  Pioneer Women gives a glimpse into the life of women on the frontier.  Kids will enjoy Pioneer Days.  This book will help them recreate some of the pioneer past with projects, games, activities, and foods.  

     We don’t often think of missionaries as explorers, but we really should.  Every missionary is venturing into the unknown in many ways.  Truly an explorer, David Livingstone mapped vast areas of unknown Africa, sharing the Gospel along the way.  Early American missionaries were some of the first to venture into unsettled areas and make contact with Native Americans.  Missionaries who went overseas, rarely knew much about what or who they would find when they reached their destinations.  So any book about a missionary will fit the theme.  

      These days, you don’t have to go very far to explore, besides maybe venturing here to our lending library and consignment shop, or to good websites. A good book can take you almost anywhere or educate you on almost any subject.  Check out Apologia’s Exploring Creation with… books.  You can learn all about God’s world through all the different branches of science.  Or, pick out a good book from our history section on mapping the West with Lewis and Clark or going West in a wagon.  You’ll find a great selection of biographies on explorers, too.  

     Explorers have sailed the seas, blazed trails, settled new lands, and rocketed to the moon.  Just as their adventures often took them farther away for longer than expected to unusual destinations, your explorations at TFV may take some time and have you going home with some extra discoveries.  However, you will be happy you ventured out!

Reading is Rewarding!

Katie

Request the following titles from the Family Vision Library here:

Trailblazers : The Men and Women Who Forged the West, by Constance Jones

David Livingstone, by Janet & Geoff Benge

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