Waiting for something beautiful to bloom

John Chapman was known to be unconventional and/or slightly strange, yet, his story lives on in the folk hero better known as Johnny Appleseed. John established orchards throughout the American Midwest because he had been given the precious gift of vision and knowledge, yet, it was the determination and drive to share what he was given, that has left us with reaping benefits. Note: Orchards don’t grow overnight, they can take 7 to 10 years before there is any fruit. However, from there, you have a tree entitled to bear for centuries!

Have you ever tucked seeds into the dirt, and waited for something beautiful to bloom? For me, I recall it being my favorite time of the year in the breath-taking season of Autumn. The leaves on the trees were starting to change their color and the air was crisp and with a light dew when I gave my 1st graders a few seeds, some dirt and tiny terra-cotta pots. Filled with enthusiasm, my class was ready for action as questions, thoughts and wonder filled the air, “Can I have some more seeds,” “When will it grow,” “I’m going to put mine in the sun.” All around me were bright happy faces, as I watched them cultivate the soil.

As tiny as they may be, seeds have within them, everything they need to become all that they were created to be. The Parable of the Mustard Seed produces evidence for this notion, “Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in its branches.” [Matthew 13:31-32]

In the same way, there is opportunity to plant seeds of ambition to take fresh root and thrive, in the lives of those we have been given to love. To cultivate the best possible environment to help ensure healthy growth in the lives of our men, women, and children, truth must be taught. Before my grandmother entered into the gates of heaven, she shared with me some beautiful memories of letters that my dad had sent to her while he was in the army. Her biggest regret was that she did not keep them all. She said; “It would have been a book in itself!” Several years later in 2012, as our younger son prepared for Italy, I shared my grandmother’s story with him. I suggested he journal his semester abroad so that someday his children and grandchildren could hear all about his experience. His response, “I’ll think about it…” as he was soon to board the plane. Several weeks into his trip I received an e-mail that read, “What’s up mom… I know you wanted to me write a journal but I’m probably not going to do that. Bobby is a pretty good writer though, and he has a blog online. So far he has made a post for everyday. If you want to keep up on what we’re doing, you can read it at… He has pictures to go along with it. Tell Vin, Dad and the girls I said hi. love you. – Joe.” As curiosity grabbed me by the hand, I clicked on to read his friends observation’s. His blog was informative, funny, and straight to the point. So much so, that it inspired me to share my journey of teaching and the heart of the classroom through my own blog. Through my grandmother’s story, I’ve embraced the planted words of her loving regret and have been encouraged to not only write it down and keep it, but to share it as well.

There is a paradox that my son shared with me in the conception of free will, called Buridan’s Donkey. It dates back to the 14th century, wherein a donkey that is equally hungry and thirsty is placed precisely midway between a stack of hay and a pail of water. Since he couldn’t make a rational decision between the hay and water, he dies of both hunger and thirst. In life, we may not always know the best route to take, still, movement is important. Pray first, then take the necessary steps.

Many great treasures get lost and are easily misunderstood in the power of time, size, and struggle. I pray that we never loose sight of this incredibly precious moment, while we are waiting for something beautiful to bloom. Words from Solomon remind us “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens.” [Ecclesiastes 3] Life, like a seed is a process. Our activity, choices and tasks of daily work in this world are meaningful as we rely on God’s wisdom (planting), timing (watering), and goodness (sprouting).

From an activity in the classroom and my grandma sharing her heartfelt thoughts, to my son’s e-mail, my Blog Bloomed!

What is within you that is waiting to sprout? Don’t be afraid to make the move!

Get all the advice and instruction you can, so you will be wise the rest of your life. [Proverbs 19:20]

“For such a time as this.” [Esther 4:13-14]

A teacher is not so much responsible for what our students know, but more so for the seeds we plant to help them grow.

Father in the Name of Jesus, by the power and grace of the Holy Spirit, be with us, direct our path, fill us with the riches of Your grace, transform our mind with a healthy balance that is good for our body and soul. Guide us with Your gracious love, that we may press forward to being all that You created us to be. In Your Holy Name we pray… Amen

Sweet blessings always,

Deanna Danielle

Deannadanielle.com

Transformed By God

The more we understand the more we can appreciate this life that we have been given. One of my favorite quotes on this discussion derives from a Chinese philosophy book, “Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn.” As we understand life through a time that no longer exists; we realize that it must be lived by moving forward. Too often we look back, and as Lot’s wife, become a “pillar of salt,” frozen in time and held back by our own fear of moving forward [Genesis 19:26]. The truth is, the past is a stepping-stone to becoming all that we were created to be!

As I reflect on life, it gives me hope to know that what is impossible with man is possible with God. Stories of old are like treasures that can help in starting something new, and the beauty is that there are so many lovely treasures found in the living word of God. Throughout the Bible we can see clearly that the great patriarchs of the faith were by no means perfect. They all held their own doubts, frustrations, irritability and restlessness. Nonetheless, what they all shared was through their weakness they held on to the strength they found in our Creator (God), and with that, they moved forward.

I can say with confidence that we don’t always control the results of our efforts. Still, it is imperative that we work towards what we feel called to do while leaving the results entirely in the hands of God. I often share these words with my students, “Even though we may never make the team, that doesn’t mean we won’t own the team some day.” If the desire for the game is strong we need to keep our eyes on the opportunities, whether it is to play or just help out, and God will direct the path.

You are important. We have all been given one life to live and if you are reading this, you are, somewhere in-between your birth and death. Your life and my life and every life around us counts. We matter to God and He created each and every one of us with purpose. We know this is true, because as Jesus was suffering on the cross with nails in His hands and feet, a back that was ripped apart from scourging, a crown of thorns pressing into His head, spit on His face, humiliation, abandonment and above all this our sins and the sin of the world on Him, He spoke these incredible words, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do” [Luke 23:34].

It is hard to imagine the level of hatred that can actually live in the human mind, soul, and spirit, as to bring on such torment, and evil to another human being, let alone God in the flesh. Jesus was treated in such a way by those He came to save, yet, His love for us endured. It was prophesied in the book of Isaiah: “He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with His stripes we are healed” [Isaiah 53:5]. The “stripes” referred to, are to the lashes Jesus received. Don’t live a life unfulfilled. May we seek God first, in all we do and be transformed by God and the riches of His grace.

When our children were in their early stages of life, I prayed to God for some special time to share with our oldest son. He was growing-up so fast and every-day becoming more and more independent. Being a mom, wife, stylist and all of the other roles I would play on a daily basis, I felt a need to just spend some fun time together with him. As life was pulling us in every other direction, on this one particular day we headed out to his little league game. When we arrived at the field, no one was there. So, I went over to the pay phone thinking maybe we’re at the wrong field. As I proceeded to pick up the handset receiver, I noticed the cord was cut, my thoughts, “What do I do now?” That’s when I felt the presence of the Lord. That still small voice so powerful saying, “This is the time you have been praying for.” A sweet peace filled me, and I said to my son, “Well baby, let’s wait around a few minutes and see what happens. In the meantime, let’s play some ball.” We had so much fun and just to play and laugh with him was priceless. Before we knew it, his team and the other team players started coming in from all ends of the field. We were in the right place, we were just a half-hour early.

Several years had passed and he was now thirteen years- old, standing on the big field, pitching. As I watched him I felt such a joy, our little boy was growing into a young man with such a heart for God. As I tucked our children in that night, I gave him a kiss and shared how proud I was of him, and happy, knowing that he had a heart for Jesus. He then turned to me and said, “Mom, before every pitch, I make the sign of the cross and ask God to protect me and help me make the move.” As I listened to him, so filled, I said, “Honey, most men have yet to capture that wisdom, I love you.”

God does hear our prayers and He does care about protecting us and helping us make the move. The moves that we need to make in our lives to be all that He has created us to be, to move forward.

The psalmist wrote in Psalm 32:8-9, “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with My loving eye on you. Do not be like the horse or the mule, which have no understanding but must be controlled by bit and bridle or they will not come to you.”

Life is not always easy, but we can be encouraged by those who were and/or are very active in spreading the Gospel message about Jesus and His protective love for us, in all situations.

Lot’s wife looked back. This was more than just a glance over her shoulder; it was desire to return to the ways of old. Called to press forward to save life, yet, she could not let go, and paid for it with her life.

A teacher is not so much responsible for what our students know, but more so for the seeds we plant to help them grow.

Father in the Name of Jesus, by the power and grace of the Holy Spirit, be with us, direct our path, fill us with the riches of Your grace, transform our mind with a healthy balance that is good for our body and soul. Guide us with Your gracious love, that we may press forward to being all that You created us to be. In Your Holy Name we pray… Amen

Sweet blessings always,

Deanna Danielle

Deannadanielle.com

Workers in the Vineyard

Being a visual learner, I always feel the need to produce a mental image for my students. Building up students to be out-of-the-box thinkers, while watching them gather together some basic life-long tools for their shed, is a wonderful privilege. Whether we’re engaged in a creative activities, discussion with thought provoking questions, or silent in prayer, the ingenuity of my grammar school students always drives our class to experiencing more.

There are several ways of teaching, but the most efficient way to pass on information, is when it’s from the heart. When we speak through experience and connect through understanding, our vision tends to rapidly expand while stimulating the brain.

Several years ago, my sister had asked me to take-care my niece and nephew for the night. After working all day, I stoped in a Hallmark store to find a fun game to play with them. They were both under the age of eight, yet all the games they had seemed to be for older kids. As my eyes scanned the shelves, I noticed a beautiful Coca-Cola home town winter village puzzle. I thought to myself, “This is great!” I didn’t notice where it said, ‘1,000′ pieces. That evening, my Aunt joined us (puzzles were her past time hobby) and she noticed!. As I excitedly presented the box to them, her eyes opened widely, as she laughed at my humorous error. Giving it our best shot, we worked on it for all of about 5 minutes before they walked away.

As I put the pieces back in the box, a desire to continue and not give up lingered. Feeling as-though this puzzle was a gift to me, I saved the few pieces we put together and placed them on the top. While working on it over the course of time, early mornings, late nights, and sometimes in-between things, I couldn’t help but see that the process of putting this puzzle together was a great reflection of life itself, a lesson to be learned.

This is what I learned in connecting puzzles to life:

It’s best to first spread out every single piece, making sure the picture side is facing upward. We all have been given time in this world. In living a healthy, well balanced life, it’s so important to Recognize the Blessings given to us daily. I remember reading a commentary page in one of my Bibles that said, “Take notice today of ten things God has created.” Leaving our home that day, I saw buildings, houses, the highway – way more concrete than nature. Praying about it, “Lord, it’s so hard to find you in all this cement,” was like being flipped over to the picture side of my life. I started to see more blessings than I had before. I looked up and saw the most beautiful sky, I noticed God’s presence more than ever.

Next, sort the pieces. The corner and edge pieces should be set aside into piles, the interior pieces into smaller sections. Getting Organized is one of the toughest challenges for many of us today. The good news is, if we are not born with this great skill, we can learn it! Being organized gives us more free time for God, family, friends and ourselves. It also reduces stress. Organization gives us more space and can simplify our life by allowing us to work smarter and not harder.

Third, when putting together the puzzle, it’s best to start with the border, that defines the space when working through the other piles. When our Priorities are kept in order, it plays an important roll in becoming all that God has called us to be on this road to success in managing our time. In setting small goals, it helps to lead us to larger ones. Identifying our responsibilities helps to set-up our daily list of priorities, family, commitments, personal time.

Homestretch, when a piece doesn’t fit, and it seemed like it was the perfect one… This can happen often, but don’t worry. It’s easy to get frustrated or even give up too soon, but here is where Patience is needed. Remember, every piece has apart in it, even when it seems like it doesn’t meet the required purpose. When we envision how the puzzle needs to look or what piece needs to be found and placed, then the connection between the brain, eyes, and hands start to work together to find the perfect fit. Paying attention to detail, will help to find that certain piece in the pile and to place it where it belongs. Nonetheless, we can often find ourselves rotating the piece and trying to force it where it doesn’t belong or trying it in different spot, maybe even placing it aside and getting a another piece, only to once again achieve the opposite of success. – That’s okay, challenges help us grow.

Last but not least, Practice helps build up skill level before taking on even bigger puzzles. Our memory will recall how to do a puzzle once completed; knowing where to start, paying attention to detail, shape recognition, problem solving, planning, etc… By keeping it close at hand so that we can work on it whenever we get a chance, is the fact for attaining and achieving any goal towards which we desires.

So to Recap:
*Recognizing the blessings *Get organized
*Put your priorities in order *Have patience
*Practice

These are all stepping stones in putting together a deeper, brighter and more dynamic version and vision for our lives.

As my friend and I were driving home from a beautiful day at the beach, I asked her what she thought about the Parable of the ‘Workers in the Vineyard’ ~ Matthew 20:1-16. As the story goes, those who started work later in the day earned an equal pay as those who started early in the morning. Her response was that she was ok with that. Referring and relating it to God being equally generous to all (Many debate how they feel about this parable.) Truth is, we need to step out of the box, so we can grasp a broader point of view. We are all like the workers in the Vineyard, and the day is a representation of the fact that we all can receive equal treatment in heaven no matter what age we turn our life around. However, when the eyes of the heart are opened, our vision expands and our brain is stimulated by the fact that the workers whom started early had the privilege and responsibility to be a worker and gather up a treasure that would go beyond, what the eye can see. This treasure is lives touched through sacrifices made, little things that go unnoticed and generosity. In other words, it’s not just about what we will receive at the end of the day ~ yet, what will we bring?… When we stand at the gates of heaven will we stand alone or will we stand in awe as we hear those beautiful words, “My child, look around you for great is your reward.”

His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’ [Matthew 25:21]

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” [Matthew 28:19-20]

A teacher is not so much responsible for what our students know, but more so for the seeds we plant to help them grow.

Father in the Name of Jesus, by the power and grace of the Holy Spirit, be our protection, direct our minds, watch over our paths, help us to listen, understand and believe. Guide us with Your gracious love… Amen…

Sweet blessings always,

Deanna Danielle

Deannadanielle.com