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Jump Rope Jitters
Turn the rope. Hop over the rope as it comes to your feet. Turn the rope again and repeat. The basic mechanics of jumping rope are not difficult. Yet, for my students in the early grades, this task can be daunting. Jumping rope effectively takes coordination and a sense of rhythm, which my young students do not all have as of yet. I must say I have had more than a few chuckles watching my students as they attempt to make the skipping rope cooperate. Tangles and missteps abound in the early days of learning. On some students I can see the intense concentration on their faces as they try…
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Restoration
Do you ever feel drawn in a particular direction without a reason? I think at times the Holy Spirit nudges us – directing us in a way to broaden our understanding and grow in the faith. That was me this morning. For whatever reason, I felt compelled to open up a long put aside notebook. It is not a journal like I normally keep – one that documents life events and feelings and perceptions of my world. This one is a place for me to share my commentary on how Scripture touches me deeply and ministers to me again and again. Since I started blogging, this unique journal has largely…
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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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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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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…
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The Power Source
As I enjoy a leisurely breakfast I contemplate recent changes. For almost two years now, I have been able to enjoy a relaxed morning as I have been teaching from home in an online school. No long commutes. No making bag lunches. No long hours of preparation. I merely got myself ready and headed to my home office. I no longer have the freedom to go out for walks whenever I need a break. I miss time spent in my garden and enjoying the flora and fauna of my lovely country home throughout the day. I no longer have those precious early morning weekday hours to study and write.…
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Why
It’s a favourite toddler question. Why do I need to go bed? Why do birds fly? Why are apples red? Our young ones can find more “why” questions than we can ever imagine. It is their way of making sense of the world. Their inquisitive minds absorb incredible amounts of information in those early years. We are built to want to know the why of things. In our quest to gain the knowledge of the world, we want to know how things work and why things are as they are. Our human minds want to make sense of things and understand their purpose. The urge to know why has led…
