Marie Grace Barnett, how can I ever thank you? November 25, 2015, A Lesson From The Heart of a Classroom, was the last post her red pen would mark on my page. She was my personal cheerleader, writing mentor, editor in chief, friend, and Aunt. She was everything but easy when it came to my putting words on paper and composing texts. December 9, 2015 came too soon. That is the day she entered on to the Streets of Gold, in the Kingdom of Heaven. This is my first blog without her. I hope to make her proud.

Planning for the opening day of school as a teacher is always exciting. A new class, a new year, another opportunity to share the awesome love that God has for us all. We started our class with scripture and learning how to read the Bible. John 2:1-11, the marriage at Cana, was our first lesson. In offering a chance for anyone who could find this scripture to go into our treasure chest,  the whole class was searching through the Good Book with eagerness and enthusiasm.

In reading this Gospel account of Jesus, His mother and His disciples being invited to a wedding where the wine runs out, and where Jesus delivers a sign of His glory by turning water into wine… Being a visual learner, I felt the need to show them what this moment in time must have been like. So, with one full glass water bottle, I poured the water into another empty glass water bottle that had a dusting of cherry Kool-Aid at the bottom.

In all my years of teaching, I don’t think I have ever impressed my students as much as I did in that very moment. The “Wow’s!” and “What???” As their eye’s opened their widest, thinking that I too could turn water into wine, let me know that I had their full attention. With that, I quickly shared with them that unlike Jesus, I had to use Kool-Aid to make this moment happen.

Seeing how awed they were, blessed me with a great privilege to teach them that, this is what God’s love feels like… Getting to know the incredible love that God has for us will “Wow!” us even in the hardest of times in our lives. And, that’s the kind of love that is worth learning about, a Love, that never stops loving us!

John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.

Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you, ”declares the Lord,“ plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Blessings always,

Deanna Danielle

In memory of, Marie Grace Barnett
November 13, 1931 — December 9, 2015