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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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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…
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Casting Your Cares
It is a memory I cherish – my little three-year-old girl singing her heart out. She has always loved music and she was taken with a musical group that visited our church. One of their songs that she latched onto was the praise chorus – I Cast All My Cares. She sang that song over and over for weeks. Even at this young age, she grasped the importance of this beloved chorus which is based on the following verse: “Cast your cares on the Lord and He will sustain you.” Psalm 55:22 As she sang that song over and over, I was given the reminder of how our loving God…
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Where Is the Joy in This?
One of the many tasks I have as a teacher is outdoor supervision for recess breaks. Generally, I enjoy walking around and engaging with the students in their various activities. Of course, there are always the moments when conflicts arise. Sadly, bullying and unkindness occur. Some of the hardest words to hear are when children approach me and says others are being mean to them and they don’t know what to do. Sometimes I have to directly intervene, but frequently my advice to these students is to go enjoy another part of the playground and remove themselves from the bad situation. I remind them that it is lovely to be…
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God Can Do Dramatic Changes in Us
A young man stands there with a smug, arrogant look on his face. There is actually delight in his demeanour as one of the followers of “The Way” (another name for the early Christian church) is stoned to death. This is what he is working for – to eliminate those in this new movement; a movement he doesn’t truly understand. Young Saul hears the words of Stephen, whose last speech was a great oracle of faith. Stephen clearly speaks of God’s plan of salvation in Jesus Christ alone. Yet Saul appears immune to all he hears. Saul quickly gains a strong reputation for his tactics to round up and arrest…
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I Remember You
The early Christian Church faced many trials and tribulations. As the fledgling Christians tried to make sense of their new way of life, they had many questions. It wasn’t an easy road they faced. There were many ups and downs as they navigated new relationships and a new lifestyle. Psalm 63 was written by David when he was facing deadly enemies. It was prescribed for daily public prayers for the early church. As the early Christians faced trials, these words offer great solace and hope: “O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek You; my soul thirsts for You, my body longs for You, in a dry and weary…
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Take Heart
Right now, I am going through some major dietary changes with the hope of healing my gut as a result. While I eat very healthy, my body has not been responding as it should. Years of high stress have taken their toll on my system. The changes are very hard to do and mean that I must omit some favourite and staple foods from my diet. As I read the labels of the foods in my kitchen, I frequently get discouraged as I discover another food I cannot eat. The six months needed to heal my gut seem like forever. In the midst of this struggle, someone reminds me to…
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A Listening Ear
One thing most humans seem to crave is someone to listen to us. That does not mean someone just sitting with us with semi-interest. What really matters is having someone to truly hear what we have to say – without judgment or formulating their own answers while we are talking. When I think about how there are times I only half listen to people it makes me shudder. Why is it so challenging to take the time to really hear what is on the heart of another? It is very easy to get wrapped up in our own little worlds. Our needs and wants seem to take over and take…
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Let Your Heart Speak
As I sit at beside my mom my heart is in pieces. It is difficult to watch her slowly deteriorate. Her earthly shell is wearing out and her mouth is barely able to produce any audible words. Still, I carry on a “conversation” with her like I used to – telling her about her grandkids and so on. Mom does her usual mumbles. Somewhere deep inside of her she is responding to what I have to say. I notice a significant change in her when I started reading her Scripture. These particular words seemed to reach into the depth of her spirit and create a reaction: “Do not let your…
