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The Best Day
As I sit in my rocking chair, a new day is dawning. From my vantage point I can see the subtle changes that occur each morning. As the brilliant morning colours appear, the sky is alive with anticipation of the day to come. It is an exciting time of year as dawn is finally much earlier. As I go about my morning routine, I do so in daylight. That is therapeutic after the long winter months where I had to get going for work in the dark. What a difference it makes in our lives when we start our days in the light of Christ! It changes our perspective. Just…
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Hide and Seek
My youngest grandchild is getting into playing peek-a-boo. She finds it great fun when I hide my face behind my hands and then pop them open and say “boo”. We have many delightful moments together as we find variations in hide and seek type games. I remember playing similar things with my own children as young ones. Gradually they learned to cover their own faces to play the game themselves. The interesting thing with my wee ones was that, when their faces were covered by their hands, they believed that I couldn’t see them at all. As long as they couldn’t see me, surely, I couldn’t see them. It was…
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Don’t Give Up
It feels good to walk to the meeting area each day. Gathering with other believers is restorative and the opportunities for ministry are many. Yet, each day is disturbing. A slave girl keeps following them. Day by day the girl troubles them. All they want to do is to reach the meeting place with the other believers. Each day this fortune teller shouts out as they pass by. While her words are accurate – “These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you a way to be saved” (Acts 16: 17b NIV) – her outbursts trouble Paul and Silas. Paul’s solution is simple – he asks…
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Whom Do You Follow?
Do you have favourites that you follow? Our world is full of huge social media machines such as Instagram and Twitter that entice people to focus in on the accomplishments and opinions of others. Some of us can spend hours scrolling through posts to see what our favourite people are talking about or which sporting team has the most success, for example. For many people, their value is centered on how many people acknowledge their efforts or like their accomplishments. There is a constant need to see how many or who is following their endeavours via social media. With so many people clamoring for our attention, it is hard to…
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Complete Makeover
His weary feet bring him to yet another town. His sojourn has been long, but he is determined to hold onto his purpose. In each community he successfully weeds out the menacing followers of Christ, known as the Way. After all, he is doing God’s work, he thinks, maintaining the beliefs of the Israelites and getting rid of heretics. He is certain that his calling from God is to get rid of any semblance of Christianity. The book of Acts describes Saul’s actions: “Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples. He went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues in…
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Reading the Reviews
When I have larger purchase to make, I like to investigate which is the best rated item. I search the internet to find the reviews of others to learn the pros and cons of particular products to make a wise choice. I can spend considerable time researching different sources to gain a better understanding of the item in which I am interested. There are so many products on the market these days and it would be hard to narrow down my choices if I did not have some additional information on which to base my purchase. I want products that have a good track record. I am reluctant to invest…
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Fan the Flame
The embers flick about, tossed about by the breeze. The fire slowly dies out as the ashen logs deteriorate. Before long, only a shadow of the former fire remains. Blow on the fire and it strengthens. What almost dies out comes back to life. With adequate fuel, the oxygen brings vibrancy back to the flames. Our Christian walk is similar. In 2 Timothy 1:6 (NIV) the apostle Paul addresses Timothy, a young pastor: “For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands.” Timothy has a gift from God. What particular gift, we do not…
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That’s Not My Problem
Over the years I have always had a contingent of students in my classroom with a strong ability to care for others. These children are quick to notice when someone else needs help. They are more in touch with what is going on with other students in the class. Their ability to reach outside of themselves is a gift. This gift often comes with a price, however. Frequently, these students spend an inordinate amount of time looking to the needs of others, and they don’t get what they themselves need to have done completed. Sometimes, they are borderline nosy – wanting to get in on any conversation or interaction that…
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Absolute Joy
A little girl stands at the top of a hill. All around her are children, filled with glee as they go racing down through the snow with their sleds. She is uncertain. It is all so strange to her. Only weeks ago, she was in the hot, arid climate of Africa. She has had to adjust to many things since her move to our country. Our cold winter is a shock to her. Her experience with snow is limited and sledding is a large unknown. One of the staff on outside recess supervision approaches her with a sled. I can see the discussion and the sign language as the…
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Look at Me
“Teacher, teacher, watch me do this.” I hear this comment multiple times in my teaching week, particularly on the playground. As students think they have mastered a new skill, they want to share that with me. It validates them in their minds. It helps them stand out in the myriad of students outside and gain that prized teacher’s attention. As we all do, these students want to matter and feel that have something special to contribute to school life. This need for validation seeps into adulthood as well. I know I often have done things for the “show” factor. I want people to see that I am smart or organized…
