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Where is Our Constant?
Recently my husband and I returned to a spot that holds special memories for us. It was lovely to see the same sights and relive some of the pleasant moments we had enjoyed there. The hard thing about revisiting this spot was in seeing a number of changes. The place we had seen in the past was aglow with lights of all sorts. It was like walking through a fairyland. Not so this time. There were some lights and a sparse number of decorations, but that was all. Sadly, things do change. We see change all around us. As we begin a new year, it is often with the thoughts…
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Steadfast and Sure
Today I spent time with my daughter and granddaughter. It was an afternoon with lots of smiles and laughter. Both delight in life and in the joy of being together. It was fun to watch mother and daughter interact. They were quite playful. At one point my granddaughter was in my daughter’s arms and just flung herself backwards. She had no fear as she trusted her mother to hold onto her and keep her safe. Children frequently have the trust factor down better than us adults. They feel safe in their parents’ arms and have no doubt that they will be caught should they fall. In the Psalms we are…
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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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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…
