What do your students want to do when they grow up?

The Kentucky Faith and Public History Education Project has a list of famous Kentucky Christians on our website at https://kentuckyfaithandpublichistory.org/famous-kentucky-christians/. The list names a person, gives a brief statement for which they are famous, and a link to more information available online. It is a preliminary list of people. We're adding to it continually. It is a wonderful resource for homeschool history projects. It is a treasure trove of inspiration that homeschoolers can find to be aspirational. A very important objective of this directory of famous Kentucky Christians is to illustrate that the Christian message does not divide peoples' purposes or value into clergy and laity where one calling is more to be regarded than another. Jennie C. Benedict's life is such an example.

Jennie C. Benedict was an entrepreneur living in Louisville in 1884. She was in search of a project for which she had both passion and skill. Her process started with faith. She expressed how faith triggered her search with these words:

"Feeling a desire to prove what a woman can do in the business world without capital, and being confronted with the necessity of falling into rank in the marts of trade, I began,... to examine myself for the purpose of ascertaining whether or not I possessed a God-given talent; and if so, what it was..." (The 1893 Blue Ribbon Cookbook p. 12). 

Eleven years later she quoted this poem in the preface for the book (p.16):

                    "It is not the branch of work alone that lifts to a higher sphere,

                    For man may choose the humblest part, to find the great is near.

                    God gives us all our part to do, and with our life the right

                    To leave our path unbeautified, or mighty in His sight."

 Benedict  went on to write several cookbooks, some articles and a memoir. She lived from 1860-1928. She was from Louisville. Her recipe for cucumber sandwiches, Benedictines, remains a staple at Kentucky Derby parties. 

What do your students want to do with their lives? Is there a person on the famous Kentucky Christians list that matches what they want to do? 

Citations

Benedict, Jennie C. The Blue Ribbon Cookbook. 1893. ONLINE at archive.org/details/blueribboncookbo00bene/page/12/mode/2up. ACCESSED 9/29/2021.

Reber, Patricia Bixler. Researching Food History Cooking and Dining. 2016. ONLINE at researchingfoodhistory.blogspot.com/2019/04/advice-from-creator-of-kentucky-derby.html. ACCESSED 9/29/2021.