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Where Did I File That?
In my work as a teacher, one of my tasks is to help my children learn how words are put together in order to both read and write them. After a few days of doing excellent work on spelling words on their individual whiteboards I asked my students to write a story. As I made my rounds, checking student work in progress, I was surprised to see many of them incorrectly spelling words in their stories that we had been working on lately in word study. The next day as I talked about the importance of putting what they learned about words into practice, I grabbed a piece of paper…
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Imitate What is Good
You’ve met them. They frequent almost every crowd and ease their way into situations where they are not welcome. On the outside they might appear to be all they should be, but they harbour deep feelings of entitlement and superiority. These people figure their agenda is always the correct one. After all, they know better than everyone else, so they think. A connected value they seem to share is that of selfish ambition. They are thinking more of their own advancement and power than the needs and wants of others. The Church is not immune to the influence of people like these. Most church groups have those that fit this…
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Could I Have a Compliment Please?
My head is reeling. Where do these words come from? How can someone I think of as a friend say something so hurtful? I had been happily walking along my school hallway when I met up with someone whom I trust very much. Our conversation was short, yet it pummeled me in the gut. All my old insecurities reached for the surface and pain took over. I struggled through the remainder of the afternoon and when I reached my car at the end of the day, the tears flowed freely. As I made my long commute home, I tried to process all that was said to me. Having someone question…
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Miracles From Heaven
Sometimes something comes across your path that just inspires you. God is like that. He reaches out to us in so many ways, touching our hearts with His message of love and hope. Recently I watched the movie Miracles from Heaven. It is a moving true story about a young girl who has an incurable stomach disorder. Her journey of pain is a difficult one to watch – throwing up constantly, being fed through a tube, living with a distended stomach, enduring multiple procedures and tests. My mother heart ached as I watched the mother in the story fight to find out what was really wrong with her daughter and…
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The Ripple Effect
My students are enjoying a scientific study of liquids this month. We have liquid races to determine viscosity. We take water and see how it changes between steam and ice. They love exploring all the properties of different kinds of liquids. One thing that intrigues my students is the pattern of water when you drop a single stone into it. This ripple effect is beautiful to watch and the students marvel as the circular ripples fan out from the initial impact point. When we went to speak to our pastor about funeral arrangements recently, one thing he spoke about was the ripple effect that my in-laws have created. It is…
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When Danger Beckons
I drive along and all is quiet. It is pitch black outside with snowflakes hanging tenuously on the spruce trees I pass by. Pristine countryside surrounds me and the radiating light of the stars is refreshing. The beautiful scenery and calm are deceiving, however. As I continue my journey, not much is visible ahead even though my high beams are on. As I move ahead, I pray for a safe journey. Then I see it. Just a whisp of light reflected in something. It moves and turns. I slow to a creeping pace, feeling that something is out of place. There it is again – that ever so subtle reflection…
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Reaching Out to Those Who Need Us
Some days I really wonder what God is doing in my life. As I trudge through my day, I question why life has to be so hard at times. How am I supposed to move forward with so many obstacles? If I constantly focus on the obstacles themselves, I get weary and downtrodden. This kind of attitude really doesn’t get me anywhere. It helps to have a change of perspective. God is working in our lives each and every day, through both good and bad circumstances. While we may question His purpose and plan when things are tough, He does have a reason when He allows us to traverse through…
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I’ll Get to It
As I sit at my desk, I am overwhelmed by all the piles around me. I have a habit of placing files or books on my desk when I think they are important and I don’t want to forget them. In teaching, however, there are a number of things that are priority, and so I often end up with a perpetual mess. Let’s face it – we have all done it. We pile stuff, collect things, leave messes, and so on, usually with the mindset that we will get to it later. Or perhaps it is the emails unread and unanswered or financial matters that need our attention that are…
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What Are You Looking for in This New Year?
I am definitely a bargain shopper. It started back in university days when I had to put myself through school and every penny mattered. As a young stay-at-home mom, my bargain hunting skills increased to help meet the needs of my growing family and work within our limited resources. It is still an adventure to scout out and seek a good deal. While fun and productive, it is time consuming. Yet the benefits are great as I find ways to stretch our finite dollars. Because saving money matters to me, I find it worth my time and beneficial for my well-being to find opportunities to be more cost effective. Time…
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Grow in Grace
The tree is up. Presents abound under his branches – those gifts of love to those who matter the most to us. Perhaps there are duty gifts there as well, for those to whom we feel obligated. It takes time to prepare gifts or search for those that suit the needs and wants of others. It is worth the effort to bring joy and happiness to those around us. Some people go to great extremes trying to show their care to others by extensive gift giving. Our Heavenly Father lavishes us with gifts also. His gifts are ones that don’t tarnish or break. God’s gifts are good and perfect. The…
