Tag Archives: faith

Putting Others First

Posted on by
1

As we walked into the classroom, Gabriella asked if she could speak to our class. I said, “Of course.” Giving her the option to speak now or later, she chose later.

When our workbook lesson was complete, Gabriella got up to speak. She shared with our class how one of her friends had lost everything in a recent house fire. Also, how he was in need of anything extra that we could donate, such as clothing, blankets or money, because he and his family now have nothing.

After she spoke, I put on a movie. It was the story of Ruth, a woman who held the attributes of what it truly means to love, to be loyal, and to live out a pure, unselfish lifestyle. As the story goes, Ruth refused to leave her mother-in-law, Naomi, after their husbands had died. She said to Naomi, “Don’t urge me to leave you, or to turn back from you. Where you go, I will go, and where you stay, I will stay. Your people will be my people, and your God, my God. Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord deal with me, be it ever so severely, if even death separates you and me.”

While watching the film, I couldn’t help but see Gabriella’s kindness reflecting that of Ruth. I saw a heart that cares so much for someone else, that nothing stops them from putting others first. Gabriella put away any of her personal thoughts as she stood up and requested help for a friend.

As we celebrate this Easter Season, let us remember the words of John 15:13 “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” Jesus did this for us so well.

IMG_1631

“But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.” Jeremiah 17:7-8

You Are The Cool Kids

Posted on by
Reply

New beginnings have always been an energy booster. Whether it’s a new year, a new job, tool, or outfit, something about fresh and new seems to be a great time to do our best, be our best, even go an extra mile.

After speaking about this with my class and asking if they had any New Year resolutions, I heard a lot of inspiring thoughts. They answered with, doing better in school, keeping their rooms clean, and many other wonderful and positive thoughts.

I shared with my class that it is a great time for us to get closer, and learn more about God’s love for us. Somehow, through our conversation we ended up discussing doing what’s right, responsibilities, and cool kids.

I just had to ask, “What makes someone a cool kid?” It was pretty interesting to listen to their thoughts. My passion for teaching about our faith welcomes these conversations. It is an awesome opportunity to share the truth with them, when it seems as though so much of our world through television, social media, and false teachings bombards them. They are given a credit card before they learn how to save money, drugs before they have any idea of the long term effect, and a vision of what cool kids look like, without even knowing the individuals personally.

How we live our life, treat others, and invest in knowledge that is beneficial, is essential. The greatest thing we can do this year is to get closer to God and to learn about His truths and how great His love for us is, so that we may be victorious on this journey set before us. I said to my class, “Always remember, YOU are the cool kids!”

“These are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His name. John 20:31

Blessings always,

Deanna Danielle

Teach me Your ways, O LORD, that I may live according to Your truth! Grant me purity of heart, so that I may honor You. – Psalm 86:1

 

 

 

A Time for Service

Posted on by
Reply

Children enjoy being a part of anything larger than themselves. As a teacher, it is a delight to see their smiles shine brightly when I choose any of them to be my helper, or to lead a group on a special project. They can hardly ever contain their excitement, and they always seem to do their best to meet my expectations.

We have been preparing for our cupcake and lemonade fundraiser to help ECAP. They will put together Thanksgiving food baskets for those in need in our community. It was a pleasure to have their Area Director take the time to come and speak to our class. He spoke of his job, the families who are in need of their assistance, and the importance of those who partner with them, including us!

Watching my class prepare for our fundraiser, listening to their questions for Mr. Brown, along with asking for his business card, has truly impressed me. It always brings me joy to see Christ-like hearts in my students.

I’d like to share two little writings from my class. “Today, Mr. Brown came into our classroom and taught us about his job and how he makes baskets for people who do not have a lot of money, and people who are less fortunate than us. I understand how he helps people, and I love that!!” – Alessia. “Please God, let the people who are less fortunate than us have the most spectacular Thanksgiving. Please let them know that you care for them. Most importantly, let them have hope and faith through the rough times that they go through.” – Cecilia.

Fourth grade is a wonderful time to learn and explore, to grow and have fun. It is also, a time for service. In Matthew 25:35-40, we read, “For I was hungry and you gave Me food, I was thirsty and you gave Me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed Me, I was naked and you clothed Me, I was sick and you visited Me, I was in prison and you came to Me. Then, the righteous will answer Him, saying, Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink?  And when did we see You a stranger, and welcome You, or naked and clothe You?  And when did we see You sick or in prison and visit You? And the King will answer them, Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these, my brothers, you did it to Me.”

Blessings always,

Deanna Danielle

FullSizeRender-1

“Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. If one person falls, the other can reach out and help.” Ecclesiastes 4:9-10

All Hands Are In

Posted on by
1

The greatest love anyone could ever know, is to know God’s awesome love for them. This is why it brings me great joy to teach about our faith. As my class and I gathered around in a tight-knit circle, I held Noah’s Arc puzzle flashcards. I believe working together makes life a little easier and more enjoyable. So, with teams of two, I gave every team a piece of the puzzle.

I shared with our class the story of Noah and how God called him to do what no one had ever done before, and that was to become the first major shipbuilder. God told Noah to go into the ark with his whole family and take with him seven pairs of every kind of clean animal, a male and its mate, and one pair of every kind of unclean animal, a male and its mate. He also took seven pairs of the male and female of every kind of bird. It rained for forty days and nights, as Noah, his family and all the animals sailed on to a place where only faith in God could take them.

I shared with our class how Noah did everything just as God commanded. Reflecting upon this story, I thought about how it took a team, God’s team, to bring about this fresh new start. Keeping that huge ship clean and orderly could only work with everyone giving it their all by working together; cleaning up, feeding the animals, collecting eggs, and tending to all the needs that took place. We even get a glimpse of how the raven and the dove helped out, by seeing if the water had receded from the surface of the ground. As I share the meaning of these beautiful scriptures with our class, it is important to me that I show them the joy of working together. With a piece of the puzzle in hand, along with team work, they put all the pieces together. From the unknown to the beautiful, all hands were in. They all had fun working together.

 Mother Teresa of Calcutta put it best, “I can do things you cannot, you can do things I cannot; together we can do great things.”

Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

May God bless you always,

Deanna Danielle

photo

The Good Shepherd

Posted on by
Reply

The chapter we covered this week in class talked about how good shepherds love and care for their sheep. It also shared how Jesus calls Himself the Good Shepherd. We learned a lot about the nature of sheep. Sheep have very interesting personality traits, many similar to us. We also learned how good shepherds are a reflection of God’s love for us.

In this chapter, all the kids had the opportunity to pretend that they had a little sheep. I believe that once they learned they had to give it a name, they became very close to the it. When I asked them about the name they chose and why, they all gave more or less the same response; “Because I love that person, they are very special to me.” Anabelle said, she chose the names, Mary and God, for that reason alone.

I turned on a video as I shared how they are all very special, and will always be, because God made them and gave them all a meaning and purpose. The film was about a little crippled sheep who felt left out and different. This then brought him a lot of anger, to the point of going out into the wilderness on his own. He wanted to prove to the rest of the sheep that he did not need them. This pride brought the little sheep into great danger as he faced a giant lion. This made Siena turn to me and say, “My hands are sweating!” As she waited fearfully of what was going to happen. Sure enough, just as the great lion was getting ready to feast, the Good Shepherd interceded and saved him.

Even after the blessing of being saved, the little sheep was not very happy. He was still crippled and different from the rest. Then, one night when all the sheep were on their way to the green pasture, he had to stay back at the barn. On this night, there was one very bright star in the sky, and a lovely lady and her husband entered the barn. Next the little sheep realized that a beautiful baby boy was just born. Then, the couple looked around for something to help keep their newborn baby warm on that cold night. The little crippled sheep realized, for the first time, that God had a great purpose for him. The little sheep would be the one to help keep the newborn baby warm.

After the film, I said, “Look at my lips. There is something I want you to remember always.” They asked, “You want us to remember your lips?” I said, “No, I want you to remember not only what I say, but I want you to see what I am saying. I want it to be seen with your eyes, heard with your ears and received in your heart. God made you very special, and has great plans for you.” I have to say, that all their little smiles, are enough to make a teacher feel the presence of God’s great love in the room.

 When we feel broken, it is truly a time when we see the hand of God in action, protecting us. As the psalm of David says, in psalm 23, “The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside quiet waters, He refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for His name’s sake. Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.”

May God bless you always,

Deanna Danielle

Image

Through a Child’s Eyes…

Posted on by
1

 Looking back at our last class blog, I cannot believe it was in the month of November. Since then, we’ve celebrated Christmas and entered into a brand new year. As I reflect upon our classes that have passed, I ponder thoughts for upcoming sessions. Lessons on how to keep the kids engaged and enthusiastic, in learning about our faith.

From coloring, to our workbook, working on a project to role playing, or watching a movie to telling stories. All the kids have their favorite activity. However, the two most sought-after requests, besides being a class helper, that I am asked are: “When are we going to pick out of the treasure chest?” and “Are we going to have a snack today?” Seasons may come and go, years may pass; nevertheless, human nature has always remained the same. Seeking out the treasures in life and filling our bellies, have always been a top-priority.

Through a child’s eyes, there is so much we can learn. Being a teacher and a mom, I have to say that “I may prepare a lesson, or provide the meal, but somehow, I always leave with the treasure.” Whether it’s something astonishing that a student shares, or the simplicity of when my little girl says, “Hey mom, this spoon has a happy face…”  You know it could only be God’s grace touching the heart.

So, let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive His mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most. ~ Hebrews 4:16  And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep His love is. ~ Ephesians 3:18

And, if I may say so myself, “That would even make the spoon smile :)”

Blessings always,                                                                                                           Deanna Danielle

Image

We’re Thankful For…

Posted on by
1

Little hands, colorful paper, and thoughts of what we are grateful for, helped to make our Thanksgiving turkeys this year.  As we prepare to celebrate this festival that began with the Pilgrims back in 1621. I asked our class to share what they were grateful for. For Alexa, it’s God and Jesus; Lucas, his garden; and Ryan, his house. Dominic, Chase, Nick, Joseph and Annabelle are grateful for family. Adrienne is thankful for the earth; Lily, for oxygen; and Mark, for his faith.

Today, our program also had its annual Thanksgiving food collection.  All the items went to our church’s food pantry. This will help feed many people here in our own home town this Thanksgiving. Together, all the students filled 100 bags! So, I like to say; Way to Go! Great job!

At our prayer service, I had the privilege to read  beautiful scripture of Jesus feeding over five thousand people. Matthew 14:13-21, “When Jesus heard what had happened, He withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place. Hearing of this, the crowds followed Him on foot from the towns. When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, He had compassion on them and healed their sick. As evening approached, the disciples came to Him and said, ‘This is a remote place, and it’s already getting late. Send the crowds away, so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food.’ Jesus replied, ‘They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.’ ‘We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish,’ they answered. ‘Bring them here to Me,’ He said. And He directed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, He gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then He gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people. They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.  The number of those who ate was about five thousand men, besides women and children.”

This reminds me that Jesus was truly the One who taught us about Thanksgiving. He not only preached this, but lived by example. Whether He was feeding four thousand, five thousand, or God only knows how many more not listed in scripture. We see our Lord’s divine ability to completely meet the needs of all the Earth. This, in itself, is an awesome  blessing to be grateful for. Ephesians 5:20 says, “Always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

So, this Thanksgiving, as we’re thankful for all the wonderful things in our lives, may we join together to pray for the poor, the homeless, the orphans, and the widows. Let us pray for all the needs of others and the needs of ourselves. May you be blessed with peace, happiness and great health this Thanksgiving season and always!

Deanna Danielle

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

How to Get to Know Someone

Posted on by
Reply

The only way to truly get to know someone is by the amount of time we spend with them. Having a class of 19 first-graders once a week, for only an hour and a half makes getting to know every one of them both joyful and challenging.

For our first day of class this year, I decided to prepare pin style name badges for each of the students. When I was through with writing their names, I was afraid the pin might stick them. So, to avoid this, I taped the badges to ribbon and created necklaces. These cute lanyards would now serve three purposes: First, to get to know their names, Second, I could use it as a class lesson, sharing with them that they are a gift from God, thirdly, they are recyclable and we can use them each week.

Three weeks have passed since our second class. One week the school closed for a tornado watch and the last two weeks I had been attending seminars. So, returning this week, I thought I’d keep it simple and make old-fashioned stick-on name tags. Funny how the kids remembered our routine, as they approached me asking for their name tag necklaces. Taken by surprise, I have to thank God for the new opportunity I had. I was able to share with them how we began with the ribbon necklace so they can see how they are all gifts from God. Now, today, we have name tags, because every gift has a name tag on it, and they are all presents to their families, me and everyone they meet.

There is a saying that I have come to know because it describes a part of me very well. It goes like this, “Tell me and I will forget. Show me and I may remember. Involve me and I will understand.” I have to say, I’m still working on remembering everyone’s name. However, their little personalities speak loudly. From those who are there, ready to respond, to those who are a little more quiet, and still those who find the chairs a little too uncomfortable to sit in for too long. This is the beauty of being a teacher. It is my prayer that as I get to know them, that they get to know our Loving Lord through their involvement in our class lessons. The truth is, “How to Get to Know Someone” is truly by the gift of time we have to spend with them.

”In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by Him; and without Him was not any thing made that was made. In Him was life; and the life was the light of men.”   John1:1-4

Many Blessings,                                                                                                                    Deanna Danielle

photo

There is no love greater than the Creator

Posted on by
Reply

Does love get any greater then its Creator? In the spring of 1980, I met with the school counselor to prepare for High School. He asked me about my future plans and the classes that I would like to take. I told him I wanted to prepare myself for becoming a teacher. He said he did not recommend that route for me. I asked him what he thought I should do, and his response was, “Do what your mom does.”

So, I went home and watched her cut and style hair. I had no idea what she was doing. However, God blessed me with the thoughts of “Apples don’t fall too far from the tree.” As I shared my thoughts with my mom, she prepped me with some great advice. She said; “First, I want you to get a job this summer, working in a salon, to make sure it’s what you really want to do.” That’s just what I did. Thanks mom, for always giving me great advice. You are truly the best!

Every time I share this story, most people respond with; “ How dare your counselor tell you that.” The truth is, I feel like he was an angel in disguise. His guidance opened the door to a great adventure, from traveling to seminars as far as Spain and Africa, along with many destinations in between. Also, to having my work published in international magazines and runways. My favorite was “We girls can do anything,” a fashion show that brought in a new line of clothing for young girls.

I’ve been blessed in this industry. It has given me the opportunity to meet many wonderful people while bringing up a family. Along with some time to write books, produce videos, volunteer, and teach religious education to some awesome kids.

In Luke 12: 6-7 we read “Are not five sparrows sold for two cents? Yet not one of them is forgotten before God. “Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear; you are more valuable than many sparrows.” So, I conclude with, there is no love greater than the Creator. May we enjoy each day, for every day is a gift. That is why it’s called the present.

Many Blessings,

Deanna Danielle

 

New Kids on the Block

Posted on by
Reply

It’s that time of the year again. You can smell the fresh apples and pumpkins as you walk into the grocery stores. The leaves are starting to fall from the trees, and yellow school buses are bringing in that crisp feeling of a brand new school year. Curiosity fills the air. What will my teachers be like? Who will my friends be? Will I get too much homework? These are some of the thoughts of children. The thoughts of teachers may be: Who are my students? What will they be like? Will this planned lesson grab their attention, touch their hearts and inspire them to want to learn more?

Three sets of twins, and one twin solo. There must have been something in the water six years ago, for this is seven of my seventeen new students this year. As we introduced ourselves to each other and shared a little bit about our families, I was amazed to hear how many children were in the individual families of our class this year, and they are all awesome.

I thought to break the ice in class this year, I’d write them a little story they could relate to. It’s about a little boy who was very shy, and afraid of his own shadow. How he wanted so badly to go and play with the other kids, only he was too afraid. Until, one day when he felt the Holy Spirit of God wrap around him like a big hug, he heard these words, “Don’t be afraid, I am here with you, and I will be with you wherever you go.” I called this story Johnny. As I shared the title of this story, I heard this sweet and surprised voice speak out and say, “Hey, that’s my name.” No money can buy the smile that kids can put in your heart.

As the day continued and the children were drawing, I saw tears falling from one of my student’s eyes. “Why are you crying?”, I gently asked her. All of a sudden, this innocent little voice sitting next to her says, “She doesn’t want to share the crayons.” I love these open doors to teach bigger lessons. That, the only reason we cry when we don’t share is because it makes us sad. However, God teaches us that sharing brings us joy. As she looked at me and smiled, I knew that after when I would read to them the story of David and Goliath, that she would deserve David’s stone. For she was the one who knocked out the Goliath in this day, as she made up her mind that it is more fun to share.

So, I am looking forward to spending this year learning more about the love, mercy, and grace of our Lord with our 1st grade class. The new kids on the block. Jesus called the children to Him and said, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.” – Luke 18:16

Many blessings,

Deanna Danielle

Image

As we Learned about the Holy Family, all the Kids held on to this yellow string. I used this string to represent, how we are all part of that same family. We are brothers and sisters in our Lord, Christ Jesus.