St. Patrick's Day Ideas

I have been deciding on whether or not I really wanted to celebrate St. Patrick's day. I didn't know that much about the date and I am not one for doing things just because so I used my handy dandy google to learn more about it. Do you know about St. Patrick. He is credited for bringing the gospel to Ireland. So as I read more I thought it is a good day to teach the boys about laboring for God's kingdom. I want the boys to know about lives of people that have given their lives to building God's kingdom. I pray that God ignites their hearts with a passion for this one day and for now I want to expose them to men and women who lived with such passion. So here are our tentative plans for the day:
1. Awake to green all over - in honor of the country St. Patrick reached.
2. Green Eggs and Ham with Green toast (I will add food coloring to green milk and let them paint their toast before it goes in the toaster) and green milk. We will enjoy a reading of Dr. Seuss - Green Eggs and Ham. And no there is nothing spiritual about this Seussish breakfast but God's word says that whether we eat or drink - WHATEVER we do to do it to the glory of God. I don't want my boys to separate sacred and spiritual - having green eggs and ham can be just as sacred as fasting. I want all of their lives to be wrapped up in Jesus - the fun stuff too!!!!
3. We will make us some green shamrock jello jigglers for a treat later in the day
4. We are going to make some green clover cookies and "secretly" spur some friends and family on toward love and good deeds. We are going to package the cookies with this little poem explaining the real reason we celebrate St. Patrick's day, and share them with some of those we love. Here is the poem:

You might think I’m a Leprechaun
here to spread a little luck
But the truth you see is that luck to me
is nothing but a bunch of schmuck!!!

Today is not about a pot of gold
But a man named Patrick who dared to be bold.
God gave him a heart for a country
that was green all over.
Full of folklore, shamrocks
and fields of clover.

So to Ireland he went with one intent
to call the Irish to repent.

He told them of Jesus, his life and how he died.
Irish Luck, they said, would give them eternal life.
He said NO this comes ONLY when
In Jesus we abide.

God turned the hearts of the Irish
and a new life without the need of luck began
God did this great feat using one faithful man.

So today as we celebrate the life of St. Patrick
I wanted you to know what this day was really about.
Not leprechauns, not luck, not pots of gold
but one man who loved God and dared to be bold.

It is Jesus who made St. Patrick bold
He can do the same for you
if the truth be told.
Enjoy your sweet clover
While you stop and think this over:

Jesus died so that you may live.
How will you spend this life He gives?

5. After our "secret spurring" we will come home and enjoy our jello snacks and read some books about St. Patrick's life. I may order this dvd. I found it on Amazon for about $5 so we may give it a shot and watch it with the boys.
6. I am thinking a green pesto pasta for dinner...not sure yet.

Throughout the day, I plan to talk with Jake about what St. Patrick did - what the life of a laborer looks like. Hope these ideas spur you own to enjoy and celebrate the life of a laborer.