Parable of the Bags of Gold

We just learned about Jesus' teaching stories called the Parable of the Sower,
the Parable of the Weeds
the Parables of the Hidden Treasure and the Pearl,
the Parable of the Wandering Sheep,
the Parable of the Unmerciful Servant,
and the Parable of the Wedding Banquet.

Another Parable Jesus told is called the Parable of the Bags of Gold.

Jesus told his followers a story of a man who was going away from his land for a long time.
While he was gone, he asked three of his servants to come and see him.

He gave the first servant five bags of gold, the second servant two bags of gold, and the third servant one bag of gold.

The first servant with the five bags went out and used that money to try to earn more money, and he earned five more bags.
The second servant with the two bags went out and used that money to try to earn more money, and he earned two more bags.
The third servant with the one bag went out and dug a hole in the ground, and buried his bag of gold to hide it.

When the master came back he asked to see the servants to see how they did with his money.

The first servant showed him that he earned five more bags of gold.
His master was very happy and said that because he did good work he would be rewarded.

The second servant showed him that he earned two more bags of gold.
His master was very happy with him also and said that because he did good work he would be rewarded.

The third servant told him that he was afraid of someone stealing the gold bag, so he hid it in the ground to keep it safe.
His master not happy!
He was very angry with the servant for being lazy and not using the bag of gold that he was given to try and make more.
The second servant showed him that he earned two more bags of gold.
His master was very happy with him also and said that because he did good work he would be rewarded.
So he took the bag of gold away and gave it to the first servant.

Jesus wasn't talking about real servants and having bags of gold.
He was telling us about the gifts God gives us, and the gift of his love.
We need to use the gifts he gave us to help other people and to share God's love with others, not hide it away because we are afraid.


(from: wikipedia - parable of the talents or minas)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: John the Baptist

Saturn - Cassini-Huygens

We've learned about the first space exploration missions to Saturn, Pioneer 11 and Voyager 1 & 2.

On October 15 1997, we launched the Cassini-Huygens spacecraft.
After seven years it reached Saturn, and orbited the planet to take pictures of Saturn and it's moons like Titan.

We have learned a lot about Saturn from these pictures, including an interesting picture that showed a hexagon shape at the top of the planet.


(from: wikipedia - saturn's hexagon)

In 2004, the Cassini part of the spacecraft launched the Huygens probe to land on the moon Titan.
It landed on Titan and sent back some information about the surface along with some great pictures of things we've never been able to see before.


(from: wikipedia - huygens (spacecraft))


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Galaxy

Spanish - Counting to ninety nine

We just learned how to count to 89 in Spanish, let's keep going!

90 noventa - sounds like no-ven-tah /?/
91 noventa y uno - sounds like no-ven-tah ee oo-n-oh /?/
92 noventa y dos - sounds like no-ven-tah ee doh-ss /?/
93 noventa y tres - sounds like no-ven-tah ee t-day-ss /?/
94 noventa y cuatro - sounds like no-ven-tah ee koo-ah-t-doh /?/
95 noventa y cinco - sounds like no-ven-tah ee see-n-koh /?/
96 noventa y seis - sounds like no-ven-tah ee say-ss /?/
97 noventa y siete - sounds like no-ven-tah ee see-ay-tay /?/
98 noventa y ocho - sounds like no-ven-tah ee oh-choh /?/
99 noventa y nueve - sounds like no-ven-tah ee noo-ay-vay /?/


(from: wikipedia - Association of Spanish Language Academies)

Do you remember how to say it in French?
French - quatre-vingts dix, quatre-vingt onze, quatre-vingt douze, quatre-vingt treize, quatre-vingt quatorze, quatre-vingt quinze, quatre-vingt seize, quatre-vingt dix sept, quatre-vingt dix huit, quatre-vingt dix neuf

Hydrogen

We just learned about the element Titanium

Another chemical element is Hydrogen, called "H" for short on the Periodic Table.

Hydrogen is a chemical that all by itself is a gas in the air.
There is more hydrogen in the universe than any other type of element!

Many types of molecules have hydrogen in them.
Like water is hydrogen and oxygen.
A very strong dangerous acid is hydrochloric acid, made from hydrogen and chlorine.
A chemical sometimes used for cleaning is hydrogen peroxide, which is hydrogen and oxygen.
In the sun's core, hydrogen is part of what makes all the energy for the sun.
There is a type of battery called a hydrogen fuel cell that uses hydrogen to help make energy.

There are many uses for hydrogen, it's a good thing there is so much of it!


(from: wikipedia - hydrogen)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Volcano

Hornet Moth

We just learned about the Colossal Squid.

We know that some insects are dangerous, like hornets.

Other animals sometimes try to make themselves look like dangerous animals.
They do this so that they can be safe from other dangerous animals that might want to eat or kill them.

One great example of this is the hornet moth, that looks just like a hornet but is a harmless moth.


(from: wikipedia - hornet moth)

In nature when one animal looks like another dangerous one, it is called batesian mimicry.
What a fancy word for a copycat!

Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Naked Mole Rat

Transverse Colon

We've learned about the first part of the large intestine, called the ascending colon.
After the used up food goes up the ascending colon which is on the right side of your body, it turns and goes across your stomach area, all the way to the left side of your body.

This tube that takes the food from the right side to the left is called your transverse colon.


The transverse colon gets water and salt from the food as it takes it over to the other side of your body.

(from: wikipedia - transverse colon)

The word transverse means going across.

Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Forearm Pronators

Tunisia

We just learned about the country of Chad.

Tunisia is a country on the North East part of Africa.
It is on the Mediterranean Sea, and is very close to Italy.


(from: wikipedia - tunisia)

The flag of Tunisia is a red rectangle, with a white crescent and star in the middle.
The red is for the blood of the people in their fight for freedom.
The white is for peace, and the crescent and star are for the beliefs of the people of Tunisia.

(from: wikipedia - flag of tunisia)

To eat in Tunisia you might have lablabi, which is a soup made with chick peas, garlic and cumin spice served with bread.

(from: wikipedia - lablabi)

In the city of El Djem there are some very large old buildings, like a giant ampitheater where people used to watch performances.

(from: wikipedia - tunisia)

The flower Jasmine is very popular in Tunisia.

If a man is wearing white jasmine on his left ear, it means he is not married.
If someone gives another person white jasmine it means they are in love.
And if someone gives another person jasmine that is does not have any nice smell it means they are not being nice.


(from: wikipedia - culture of tunisia)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Russia