CHRISTMAS JOYS

Christmas traditions, parties galore, pagents, shopping, and much much more can rob us of the joy of Christmas. However the message and spirit of christmas will remain the same tried, true, and tested. Christmas lives in our hearts and is commercialized only if we allow it. The age old colors, and family traditions may fall by the wayside but the true spirit of CHRISTmas lives on forever. To all my blog readers have a very Merry Christmas.

my poem entitled

Christmas Joys

Oh what joy, oh what bliss

Christmas memories make me wish

The joys of Christmas past

Will keep our hearts and minds steadfast

Forsake the old, embrace the new

For me does not ring true

Star, manger, immaculate babe

Cannot be replaced

Oh what joy, oh what bliss

Announcing angels did not miss

Peace on earth shall reign

When he comes back to earth again

The Pursuit of Excellence

Behold the turtle. He makes progress only when he sticks his neck out. If there is one thing I have learned in my life it is not to fear failure but to embrace it and learn from my mistakes. I prefer to call it "education." for if we do not make mistakes how do we learn. Well I think I have chosen the right peofession in that department. I cringe when I think of loved ones, colleagues, friends, students and acquaintances I have unintentionally bruised with my words. But I have tried and I am still trying to evaluate these mistakes and learn from them. Who among us has not gone through a day without making some mistake or error. Mistakes, errors in judgement, no one is immune yet we look at ourselves mercilessly and say we are failures because of one mistake rather than pick ourselves up brush ourselves of and keep pursuing excellence. We are sometimes like the proverbial cat who, having sat on one hot stove, swore never to sit on any stove again. Like Thomas Edison we must never give up. I am always encouraged by the scripture that says I may be knocked down but I am never knocked out. The pursuit of excellence comes with a price and sometimes it may become very lonely while in the race. I often think of Paul and his desire to run the race with excellence. Jesus was not mediocre he pursued excellence and he told us that we would be even greater. Hmmm! was he talking about me? Did he mean that? If He did than I need his discipline and his courage and his great love. It is not a crime to fail but it is a crime to give up on our dreams, goals and pursuits.

Thoughful teacher signing out

Eureka Moments

Have you ever had a "eureka moment?" Wikipedia describes it as: any sudden unexpected discovery, or the sudden realization of the solution to a problem, resulting in a eureka moment (the moment of unexpected discovery). The eureka effect is also known as the aha phenomenon. Now! I have known this for awhile but it did not really hit me until today. We have a couple of student teachers at our school and one of my professors from Brandon University was evaluating one of the students in the classroom next to me. I was so thrilled to see him and show him my classroom. I don't know why but I suddenly realized I had achieved my dream of someday teaching in southern Manitoba with my own classroom and my students and my school. I just seem to have this totally satisfying feeling of pride and accomplishment. Isn't it interesting that I did not feel this at my graduation. I know that Mel also showed a sense of pride that one of his students now has her own classroom and is achieving success in her career. What an awesome feeling that was. I am so thankful to all of those travelling professors who came up to Thompson for five days every week to teach us. I am also very grateful to all the students whose lives that I have been able to touch (and who have touched mine) in the last 6 years. What do I do now? I have had my "aha" moment but how can I top that? Maybe I need to finish my Masters. Oh well we'll see what the future holds, but right now I am very happy to be teaching grade six at Westpark school.

Satisfied Teacher Signing Out

Month of Birthdays

This is a month of Birthdays for us!
September 27th we have Angela and Joshua
October 1st we have Jason
October 3rd we have Conal and Victoria
October 2oth I have a birthday

This could be another why Fall is my favorite time of year!Hmmmmm! Hadn't thought of that before.

Happy Birthday everyone!!!

Love My Sister Week

this week is love my sister week. God has blessed me with four wonderful sisters and one great sister-in-law. This poem is for you!
Sister Poem

Why I love my sister

The Importance Of A Sister

© Shiv Sharma

A sister is someone who loves you from the heart,
No matter how much you argue you cannot be drawn apart.
She is a joy that cannot be taken away,
Once she enters your life, she is there to stay.

A friend who helps you through difficult times,
Her comforting words are worth much more than dimes.
A partner who fills your life with laughs and smile,
These memories last for miles and miles.

When she is by your side, the world is filled with life,
When she is not around, your days are full of strife.
A sister is a blessing, who fills your heart with love,
She flies with you in life with the beauty of a dove.

A companion to whom you can express your feelings,
She doesn’t let you get bored at family dealings.
Whether you are having your ups or downs,
She always helps you with a smile and never frowns.

With a sister you cannot have a grudge,
She is as sweet as chocolate and as smooth as fudge.
Having a sister is not just a trend,
It is knowing you can always turn to her, your best friend.


Source: Why I Love My Sister, Sister Poems http://www.familyfriendpoems.com/family/poetry.asp?poem=18378#ixzz11IYihGuW

Autumn Joys

Fall is my favorite time of year. It reminds me of how amazing God is. He paints our world in color to remind us of his magnificance. I felt inspired to write a poem about fall. Enjoy! I am also posting pics of my backyard and my newly painted dining room.

Autumn Joys
How sad to see the greenness go
But oh!the joy as colors flow
Burgundy, red, gold, and yellow
Leaves us feeling humble and mellow
Cascades of color surround our senses
As the leaves of autumn line the fences
Saying goodbye to days of summer
The earth succumbs to winter slumber
With the promise of spring and transformed freshness
We wait in the peaceful grasp of winter softness
To embrace the greenness once again
By
Lona

AWESOME DAY!

It was an awesome first day of school today! I am already in love with my students! They are a great bunch of kids! Thank -you Lord for a great day!

ITS SHOWTIME!

Tomorrow starts another 10 months of teaching. I thank God for such a wonderful place to work. It was awesome to get to know my colleagues a little better these last two days. I also enjoyed the peaceful setting and beautiful scenary. It was a great time of worship, fun and yes business. My prayer for this year is to improve my teaching, my spititual life, my health, and my relationships with family, friends, students and colleagues. God is good!

Lazy Hazy Days of summer cont'd

After school came to a close at the end of June, I had one full week of much needed rest before company came. I was thrilled to have my sister come and see me with her new husband Carmen. It was wonderful to see her so happy. We had a really great visit! I had a few more days of alone time and then off to the North for family camp. It was great to see some old friends as well as meet new people. Of course it was good to spend time with my daughter and the grandkids. Nelsons brother Don came to visit with the intention of staying only one night. He was vacationing down here and wanted to leave his RV as he was travelling to Ontario for a family reunion with Brendas sisters. It turned out that Don got very ill and had to be taken to Portage hospital by ambulence. It was a God thing that they weren't on the road when this happened. We were very happy to be there for them at this time as it was almost a week before they got away. At the same time Angela and the kids came to visit and I had my grandson Joshua staying with us for ten days. It was a fun and interesting time. Accomodations worked out great though because both Angela and Don had their RV's. but for some reason or other the kids all seemed to want to be in the house Hmmmm!!. In August we were blessed with the birth of another grandson. His name is Levi Henry Zacharias. What a splendid name for a spectacular grandchild. He is absolutely perfect and beautiful like all my grandkids of course! Thanks Brad and Vivian for another grandchild to love and spoil. It was so awesome to spend time with Benjamin as well. What a great child he is, so much fun to be around. He is a very happy, content little boy. We got back from Saskatoon and Angela, Shane, Brenda, Don, and the kids were still here. I kicked them all out on the eighteenth of August because I was really needing to get started on school stuff. However it was great to be able to enjoy my summer at home with family and friends, up north and in Saskatoon . I forgot to mention it was a pleasure to spend time with Donna and Bob this summer and our friends George and Barb dropped in on us as well. All in all it was a splendid summer. Now its back to the grind. However I am looking forward to some structure and routine in my life, at least for a few months, at which time I will be longing for summer again. I can honestly say my life is not boring or mundane. there will probably come a time when I will enjoy the banalities of life. For now I will enjoy the unexpected, the joy and pain of teaching, the wonder of grandchildren and the awesomeness of family and friends.

The Lazy Days of Summer!

Whatever happened to the Lazy Hazy Days of Summer when all you did was play outside, go swimming at the local beach, visit with friends and lie around reading. I forgot!! that was during my childhood! This has been a busy summer, however it was good! Lots of visits with family and friends. Nelson is away right now visiting family in Fort Nelson. He is going hunting and fishing with his brothers. I have been busily getting my classroom ready for another year of teaching grade six. Teaching is a very demanding but rewarding profession. How wonderful it is to teach in a christian school where you are respected and appreciated. I am excited about teaching another year and impacting young lives and minds. What a terrifying but awesome responsibility it is. Thanks to all you wonderful people at Westpark for welcoming me back. You make my job worth coming back to. I miss Nelson, I need the garbage taken to the dump and the lawns mowed and supper made for me when I come home. Just kidding! I really do miss your presence. Enjoy your vacation, be safe, come home soon!