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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…
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Turning the Agony of Waiting into a Positive Thing
Outside the sun rays waft their way through the trees. Morning arrives with all the hope and promise of a new day. Yet, that is not the way I feel. Sidelined with a cancer diagnosis and subsequent surgical recovery, I am sitting in my rocking chair, bundled in blankets…waiting and wondering – what does my future hold? I feel powerless and frustrated. Rewind back a number of years and again I sit and wait – wondering when God will provide me with a job. Questions arise – why is employment so hard to find? Why does there have to be a recession now? Let’s face it – if I think…
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Wham!
Have you ever had life going along relatively smoothly and “wham”, life changes in an instant? That was my week. An altercation with a deer on my rural commute left me quite shaken and my SUV in pieces. And so, my week changed. Time spent with the insurance company and auto body shop. Trying to arrange for a rental vehicle. All these details that I really didn’t want to add to my week but was forced to. I have relied on my four-wheel drive vehicle with its excellent winter tires to help keep me safe in snowy conditions. Now, I have a vehicle to drive without those things. With parts…
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When the Downside Turns into the Upside
The autumn breezes are finally turning chill. It has been an exceptional fall, with some of the warmest weather on record for our northern climate. Yet, as I walk through my garden, I feel somewhat dismayed. Weeks ago, I did my typical fall cleanup but the weeds have regrown and are going to seed because we have yet to have a killing frost. I start to lament and grump a bit. I have lots of other things I would rather be doing than weeding in October. When I consider the situation, I have to give myself a talking to. Yes, there are some negatives to our prolonged warmer weather, but…
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Following the Pattern
It is rare these days to buy furniture entirely ready-made. How often do we see a lovely item in the store, only to discover when we go to purchase one that it comes in a box with numerous pieces and must be assembled? Wading through the assembly instructions can be daunting. Trying to find the correct parts and the corresponding screws is time consuming and frequently frustrating. The temptation is to just get the job done and put it together the way we think is best. That can lead to disaster though, as we end up with spare parts or things not working right. Each of these projects does come…
