Hope and Encouragement
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It’s Time for Opportunities
It is one of those autumns where I wonder where the days went. How can we already be into December? I find it even harder to get my mind in gear for December activities as we don’t yet have any snow – a rarity in my prairie area. As I sit and consider what I need to do with my students for the last three weeks before Christmas break my head is in a whirl. My calendar is already filled with numerous events and I still have curriculum to teach as well. It is a juggling act to balance all that needs to be done. Christmas celebrations are important; but…
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Catch Me if You Can
When my youngest daughter was a toddler and just learning to talk, she often used the words “catch you” when we were at the park. What she actually meant was – Will you catch me? But she was repeating my words where I assured her that I would “catch you” when she came down the slide. She was reluctant to try things like slides, but her uncertainties were dismissed when she knew for sure that I would be there for her and that she was safe. It is interesting how things changed when she knew that she had a safety net. Before I knew it, she was giggling as she…
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Where is the Joy?
As we venture closer to the Christmas season there are many representations of the concept of joy. The world likes to present joy as having all the stuff you want and celebrating with the people you want. If you have just the right gifts or the perfect table setting, then you will be happy. If your house has that perfect Christmas decorations, then all will be well. Christian joy is another matter. As believers, our joy is not centered on ourselves, but on Christ, the Author and Perfector of our faith. It is a celebration of all that God has done for us and all He continues to work in…
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Every Moment of Every Day
Life gets busy. Some days seem to go by in a blur of activity. I get to the end of the day and wonder what did I truly accomplish. It is easy to get caught up in the things of this world. Family issues, job expectations, household upkeep, financial concerns, health habits – all intertwine to keep our minds on the go. Perhaps, like me, you find it hard to fit the spiritual in all that some days. It’s not that I ignore God but I assume I can get to matters with Him at some future point. Sure, there are little blips of prayers going heavenward in a day,…
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Help Wanted
It is the time of year in our congregation where we are seeking nominations for various church boards. Even though our local church is a good size; it seems to be an ongoing struggle to get people to help with the ministries of the Church. It is not just our church that sees this issue. We face this lack of willing workers with various town organizations who are looking for volunteers to run programs. What’s with the lack of service attitude that seems to be increasingly prevalent today? The standard answer people give is that they “are too busy”. Having just come off of a few weeks of doing report…
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What Does Listening Have to do With Anything?
Throughout the years I have had groups of students who, for whatever reason, have significant challenges with listening. This lack of listening skill permeates negatively throughout our days into a variety of activities and tasks. As their teacher, I model behaviours and expectations, present information in a variety of ways, and say things more than once, etc. – yet to no avail. They continue to barrel ahead in their own way, regardless of instructions. Needless to say, there are many more things done wrong than there should be. There is disrespect shown to people who are speaking. There are complications when steps are missed in procedures. How often we adults…
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A Time to Talk
This morning is one of those when I wish I could have a long chat with my mother. While I can have a conversation with her, her unclear mind prohibits the close talks we have always had over the years. My mother has been my sounding board. I was usually able to figure things out when I would explain situations, concerns, problems, to her. Somehow, my mom always seemed to have the steady answer I needed, even if she didn’t totally understand the circumstances. I often found that in the process of explaining things to her, it would clarify my own thinking and help me find the path I needed.…
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Abundant Thankfulness
The day is calm with the sun just rising. Those early morning trips to work bring a wealth of autumn beauty with sultry pockets of fog in low lying areas and crisp coloured leaves on the myriad of trees along my path. It is a lovely drive until disaster strikes. A large metal object comes out of nowhere off the back of another vehicle. As it hurtles toward me, panic threatens to take hold. I cannot veer left or I will hit oncoming traffic. I cannot veer right or it will hit my driver’s window. In the flash of a second, I slam on the breaks, hoping to ease the…
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Where is Your Confidence?
Do you ever wish that you lived in a simpler time? I sure feel that way occasionally. I find life very complex in many areas. I was speaking with a fellow teacher the other day of how both families and school systems have changed over the years. In our early days of teaching, most families were intact. Such is not the case now as we have many students navigating the challenges of their parents living apart. In the past, more families had one stay at home parent. Today most families have both parents working in order to survive the ever-rising cost of living. Today teaching requires a lot more than…
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Mindfulness
There is a lot of talk about mindfulness these days. It is something I teach, even to my young students. It involves focusing on the present moment and accepting your thoughts and feelings, with no judgment. As a teaching tool, it is meant to calm us as we try to regulate ourselves in the midst of the flurry of what is going on around us. My naturopath actually brought up the concept of mindfulness again, suggesting I would improve my digestion if I practiced mindful eating. What is that about? It means focusing on just eating – not TV, reading a book, or texting. The theory is that if my…
