I observed something today about myself. I strive for perfection in everything that I do. Yet, I treasure the leaf with a hole in it, am there to make sure no one bullies the individual standing out in a crowd, and love helping the one needing extra teaching to learn the lesson. I do believe imperfection is perfect!
~Marie T. Morrison~
Showing posts with label teaching. Show all posts
Showing posts with label teaching. Show all posts
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Sunday, December 12, 2010
THE CHALLENGE!
Challenges come in all sizes. Not only that, the size of the challenge can be small to one person, yet be quite large to another. Either way, respect is given to the beholder, urging one on to carry the given cross, doing what is possible to make it lighter. It can’t be done alone; God must have His hand in it.
I recall my cross country skiing days. Every time I would try to ski down a slope, after trudging up the mountain, I would fall numerous times. This went on for several years. I knew who my true friends were, as they continued to ask me to join them, though I would slow the group with my incessant spills. I’m surprised myself that I kept at it, as I would be wet and cold by the end of the day, being embedded deep into the snow each time my body made contact with it.
One night, while conversing with God, I was exasperated, wishing I could stay up on my skis for once. His reply to me was so simple; “I will hold you up. Remember that!” I couldn’t wait for the next ski trip. Nine of us began our downhill glide, going through the trees and leaning to the left or right to get around the snow covered bushes. I felt the wind on my face, passing one friend after another, grinning big. To God, I was saying, “I did it! Look at me! Thank you!”
I was the second one down the mountain. The first person there was laughing, not believing his eyes, as I was always the last one to get back to the car. As the others came in, they, too, were laughing, talking of me zooming by them, leaving a trail wind behind.
Challenges do come from God. He knows what He is doing, wanting us to break down the barriers placed before us, strengthening our wisdom. They are the building blocks, teaching us how to experience life to the fullest. Our new knowledge spreads, all of us learning from one another.
The lesson learned is taught to the next generation. I remember how afraid I used to be on a certain part of the road I had to travel daily. I would be nervous the moment I began my drive, dreading what was ahead of me. It took another conversation with God for me to switch my thinking, looking at this part of the road as an exciting portion of my drive rather than a scary one. Soon, I couldn’t wait to reach that point, to prove to both God and myself I could handle it easily. I shared this experience with my own children, as they expressed how they hated that same stretch of road. They quickly forgot how that part of the ride had been a scary one. There were not fearful sections anymore, only new challenges to meet and overcome.
Driving in a snowstorm used to unsettle me. Now, I only have to say a prayer to God, telling Him we will get through it together. He doesn’t let me down. A former student and friend, Andrea, said how great it is to live where the temperatures drop below zero in the winter. She said the ‘challenge of the very cold is one I enjoy.’ That is my dear Andrea for you. She never seems to have a bad day, looking forward to the challenges in her daily life, keeping a chipper voice along with her contagious smile.
It is a choice on how to approach the given challenge. For instance, I could make my health and pain control me. Long ago, though, I decided I control my life, not my pain. There is only one chance at living in this world. I wasn’t going to let it waste away. God is there to help carry the burden, which is only another word for challenge. The weight is heavier if God is not part of the equation. I only need to recall what he once said to me, “I will hold you up! Remember that!”
I recall my cross country skiing days. Every time I would try to ski down a slope, after trudging up the mountain, I would fall numerous times. This went on for several years. I knew who my true friends were, as they continued to ask me to join them, though I would slow the group with my incessant spills. I’m surprised myself that I kept at it, as I would be wet and cold by the end of the day, being embedded deep into the snow each time my body made contact with it.
One night, while conversing with God, I was exasperated, wishing I could stay up on my skis for once. His reply to me was so simple; “I will hold you up. Remember that!” I couldn’t wait for the next ski trip. Nine of us began our downhill glide, going through the trees and leaning to the left or right to get around the snow covered bushes. I felt the wind on my face, passing one friend after another, grinning big. To God, I was saying, “I did it! Look at me! Thank you!”
I was the second one down the mountain. The first person there was laughing, not believing his eyes, as I was always the last one to get back to the car. As the others came in, they, too, were laughing, talking of me zooming by them, leaving a trail wind behind.
Challenges do come from God. He knows what He is doing, wanting us to break down the barriers placed before us, strengthening our wisdom. They are the building blocks, teaching us how to experience life to the fullest. Our new knowledge spreads, all of us learning from one another.
The lesson learned is taught to the next generation. I remember how afraid I used to be on a certain part of the road I had to travel daily. I would be nervous the moment I began my drive, dreading what was ahead of me. It took another conversation with God for me to switch my thinking, looking at this part of the road as an exciting portion of my drive rather than a scary one. Soon, I couldn’t wait to reach that point, to prove to both God and myself I could handle it easily. I shared this experience with my own children, as they expressed how they hated that same stretch of road. They quickly forgot how that part of the ride had been a scary one. There were not fearful sections anymore, only new challenges to meet and overcome.
Driving in a snowstorm used to unsettle me. Now, I only have to say a prayer to God, telling Him we will get through it together. He doesn’t let me down. A former student and friend, Andrea, said how great it is to live where the temperatures drop below zero in the winter. She said the ‘challenge of the very cold is one I enjoy.’ That is my dear Andrea for you. She never seems to have a bad day, looking forward to the challenges in her daily life, keeping a chipper voice along with her contagious smile.
It is a choice on how to approach the given challenge. For instance, I could make my health and pain control me. Long ago, though, I decided I control my life, not my pain. There is only one chance at living in this world. I wasn’t going to let it waste away. God is there to help carry the burden, which is only another word for challenge. The weight is heavier if God is not part of the equation. I only need to recall what he once said to me, “I will hold you up! Remember that!”
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
TEA
I love to sip a cup of tea. It is most relaxing. I start my day with a cup of Irish Breakfast tea, using loose tea placed in a small , empty tea bag, made for such a purpose. Mid-morning, I might go for the Earl Grey tea, finding it soothing as I work on a hobby, read or plan a lesson. It can raise my spirits, leaving me calm and good -natured, getting my creative juices flowing.
Remaining in high spirits, it is time to tackle the laundry, clean up the kitchen and perform other mundane household duties. I usually have the house in silence as I work, taking this time to say prayers for those going through rough times and to have my conversations with God. My conversations are as if I was talking to my best friend, which in a way, I am! I may be expressing gratitude for the previous day’s activities, or telling Him how I will need to come up with the right words to use while teaching a class for my Church.
Time goes quickly by. After my lunch, I may finish it off with a cup of red bush tea. This gives me energy to start my afternoon plans. I will likely be venturing out to the Church, to facilitate an adult group of students, sharing what I have learned with them. Often, I bring my thermos cup of brown rice tea with me, to keep my voice from getting hoarse, while at the same time, giving me a bit of nourishment to remain at my high level of excitement as I teach.
The rest of the day zooms by. It may consist of working with one more religious ed. student out of my home, a child unable to make it to Church classes. I offer a cup of peppermint tea to my young lady, while I have apple cinnamon tea. We wrap our hands around our mugs, sipping them as we discuss together different Bible stories, curled up on the couch, facing one another as we converse.
Tea is something I would offer to all my groups of students while I was still teaching full time. They loved it, sipping green tea with honey as I taught. Some had never seen a teabag before, ripping it open to pour into their cups. They quickly learned from their peers how to use the teabag properly. These same young people came to visit me, years after they were in my class, asking for a cup of tea while we visited. What a nice way to reconnect, making a pause in a busy life, to sit and enjoy the company of another.
We tend to forget about the simple things in life, such as enjoying that cup of tea. God wants us to nourish our bodies and our souls, rather than rushing around so. It does not take long to enjoy a cup, but it can bring a long-lasting effect upon one. Others feel the calmness, responding in the same way, letting the tenseness leave the shoulders and neck. This calmness can be passed on to the next individual, and so forth. It is the way God’s world should be, rather than getting angry because of the slow driver in front of us, or the person who takes forever to write a check and post it in the ledger before allowing us to reach the clerk at the counter. Even picturing that cup of tea in a time of tenseness can let the anxiety dissipate.
Spoil yourself. It is actually okay! Go find a favorite mug and purchase some fun flavors of tea. Grab a relaxing book, take off the shoes, cozy up on the couch, sip your tea and enjoy the moment! It is just what God has ordered!
Remaining in high spirits, it is time to tackle the laundry, clean up the kitchen and perform other mundane household duties. I usually have the house in silence as I work, taking this time to say prayers for those going through rough times and to have my conversations with God. My conversations are as if I was talking to my best friend, which in a way, I am! I may be expressing gratitude for the previous day’s activities, or telling Him how I will need to come up with the right words to use while teaching a class for my Church.
Time goes quickly by. After my lunch, I may finish it off with a cup of red bush tea. This gives me energy to start my afternoon plans. I will likely be venturing out to the Church, to facilitate an adult group of students, sharing what I have learned with them. Often, I bring my thermos cup of brown rice tea with me, to keep my voice from getting hoarse, while at the same time, giving me a bit of nourishment to remain at my high level of excitement as I teach.
The rest of the day zooms by. It may consist of working with one more religious ed. student out of my home, a child unable to make it to Church classes. I offer a cup of peppermint tea to my young lady, while I have apple cinnamon tea. We wrap our hands around our mugs, sipping them as we discuss together different Bible stories, curled up on the couch, facing one another as we converse.
Tea is something I would offer to all my groups of students while I was still teaching full time. They loved it, sipping green tea with honey as I taught. Some had never seen a teabag before, ripping it open to pour into their cups. They quickly learned from their peers how to use the teabag properly. These same young people came to visit me, years after they were in my class, asking for a cup of tea while we visited. What a nice way to reconnect, making a pause in a busy life, to sit and enjoy the company of another.
We tend to forget about the simple things in life, such as enjoying that cup of tea. God wants us to nourish our bodies and our souls, rather than rushing around so. It does not take long to enjoy a cup, but it can bring a long-lasting effect upon one. Others feel the calmness, responding in the same way, letting the tenseness leave the shoulders and neck. This calmness can be passed on to the next individual, and so forth. It is the way God’s world should be, rather than getting angry because of the slow driver in front of us, or the person who takes forever to write a check and post it in the ledger before allowing us to reach the clerk at the counter. Even picturing that cup of tea in a time of tenseness can let the anxiety dissipate.
Spoil yourself. It is actually okay! Go find a favorite mug and purchase some fun flavors of tea. Grab a relaxing book, take off the shoes, cozy up on the couch, sip your tea and enjoy the moment! It is just what God has ordered!
Friday, January 1, 2010
CLIMBING TO ACHIEVEMENT
CLIMBING TO ACHIEVEMENT
Happy New Year 2010! It seems as if it was only yesterday we were wondering what would happen at the turn of the new century. The blackout never happened, and people quickly made the transition of writing '20' for the first two numbers of the year, saying goodbye to number 19. Conversations included how there would be positive changes in individual lifestyles. I wonder now how many people can remember what they said during the course of those conversations. We can hardly remember what was to be a life changing decision for 2009!
Years ago, I decided to write down my own changes for the New Year, narrowing my list to five. I decided not to call them resolutions, naming them 'goals.' It would be much easier for me. There was not a concern about breaking a resolution. I might briefly fall away from my goal, but I could get back up and resume my climb to achievement. I did obtain my goals. Gradually, they became a natural part of my life, which was one of my wishes.
My first goal that year was the most important, to become more spiritual. Those around me laughed, wondering how I could improve my already strong spirituality. I knew there was much more out there! I began to take classes, read religious works and volunteered often in religious instruction. I laughed to myself one day, realizing I was facilitating four classes a week. l enjoyed my audiences, ranging from age seven to those over 65 years old. I have loved those I have gotten to know, richly benefitting from their own spirituality.
God continues to bless each and everyone one of us with His own Spirit. He has created us to be individuals, where the teaching and learning from one another never ends!
God continues to bless each and everyone one of us with His own Spirit. He has created us to be individuals, where the teaching and learning from one another never ends!
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