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Being a Huldah
Huldah is a prophetess who lived in Jerusalem at the time of King Josiah in Old Testament times. Josiah was one of only a few God-fearing kings in Judah. At this time of history, the high priest had discovered the Book of the Law, written by Moses, which had been lost for many years. King Josiah asks his leaders to go inquire of the Lord for himself and his people. Josiah knows the Lord is angry for His people turning away from Him. The king wants God’s guidance for himself and the people he governs. The king’s advisors seek out Huldah, a prophetess. The message Huldah gives the king’s men…
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When God Feels Far Away
A mother sits with her dying daughter and wonders if God really knows her pain and suffering. A young man loses a job for which he worked so hard. Why did God let that happen? Let’s face it friends – I could give you example after example of times when we wonder where God is at the moment. Sometimes it feels like we are in a canoe, frantically paddling trying to catch up to where we perceive God is at. When life hurts, it is easy to feel that our Heavenly Father has abandoned us. When life throws us curve balls and things don’t turn out the way we think…
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The Benefits of a Generous Spirit
To anyone else this pair of scissors in my sewing room looks much like any other. They are part of the cadre of tools I have to make the sewing process easier. Yet, they are not just any pair of scissors. They represent my mother’s generous spirit and giving heart. My mother never had a great deal of money. For many decades she used the same pair of scissors to sew a variety of garments, quilts, and household items – both for our family and for others. When I was in high school, she finally had extra funds and purchased a new pair for herself. I remember how happy she…
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Being Well Equipped
Recently two of my sons went on a backcountry hunting trip. It involved lots of hiking in treacherous places with elevations that require strength and endurance. One of my sons lives in that area and so had been in the territory before. He was able to train for the trip in the place where the excursion was to occur. My other son trained as well to build his strength, but he lives in a different location and his training area was not as arduous. While both made it through the trip okay, one son managed the trip better than the other. The training he did in the local area could…
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Look and Find
Favourite books for my children and grandchildren, as well as my students, are Look and Find books. These books have vivid pictures filled with many intricate details. The objective of the books is to find particular items within the multitude of pictures on each page. I have had young ones fascinated for long periods of time with these delightful books. I must confess – I enjoy searching with the kids. I love puzzles and mysteries and these books are a fun way to do some problem solving. It’s so exciting to finally succeed at finding the hidden object. Sometimes when we are feeling low, it can feel like we are…
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The Big Three
Some days are filled with such long to do lists or other obligations. When life gets crazy busy, I just want to be directed to the main things I need to do. What can I do to survive and still do what is needed? Well, there is no magic list fairy that is going to tame my to do list or give me an outline for how I should spend my time. As much as I would like some kind of direction, I find I am pulled in many different directions each and every day. Even in my faith life I have those feelings. There are many different agendas out…
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When Being Thankful Seems Impossible
Lately I find listening to newscasts extremely frustrating. There is so much hurt and pain in the world. I don’t think a day goes by without some natural disaster occurring or major accident or political turmoil being reported. At times, the weight of it all lies heavy on my heart and mind. It is so easy to find myself drawn to thinking about all these unpleasant things and letting those thoughts detract from my day. Perhaps you are similar – bad reports all around us drain us of our energy. We can feel powerless as we learn of all these terrible things going on in our world, many of which…
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The Good Deposit
The chains are binding his hands and feet. His accommodations are cold and dark. Many have deserted him and at times he is lonely for the life he once had. He knows the end is near and that soon he will be in heaven with Jesus and that brings joy; but there is also an urgency to give some parting words of wisdom to his beloved associate in this time of great persecution. The apostle Paul mentors young Timothy. Now that Paul knows his time on earth is short, he feels it imperative to give Timothy one last farewell letter. In this letter, Paul offers encouragement to stand firm in…
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Who Are You Called to Be?
Piece by piece I wade through piles of paper. It is amazing how much stuff I have collected with years of teaching. The task of sorting through mounds of lessons plans and activity pages makes my brain tired. How do I prioritize? Some choices are easy – like ditching old curriculum. Other choices not so much. As I look through some materials, I envision the plans I had to use all these things – grand ideas of what I was going to do as a teacher. Part of my choices as to what to keep center on what kind of teacher I am now. I need to consider what I…
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God Leads, We Follow
As I look out at my students and see them all on task, I am grateful. Getting my students on track is a big task in the early weeks of school. When we finally get to the point where the majority know what they are to do and when and where they are to do it, we have accomplished a great deal. Our classroom would not be successful without obedience to both school and classroom expectations. Obedience is part of the framework that helps our day run successfully. Of course, I always have those darling little imps who like to frequently push the limits. They quickly learn, however, that obedience…
