Tag Archives: God

Words Written with Love

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Along the coast of Mexico stood a beautiful villa. A sign in front read, ‘Rooms Available’. A man driving by needed a room, so he check in. After putting his bags down, he decided to go for a swim, since it was a glorious, warm day. After beginning to swim, he noticed a sign which read ‘No Swimming — SHARKS!’ He got out of the water, using unkind words, he kicked and tore down the sign, and left the villa in a fury.

Again, the ‘Rooms Available’sign was posted. The next gentleman to check in, unpacked, and went for a stroll. He, too, decided to go for a swim. As he stepped into the water, he caught sight of another sign that read “No Swimming — SHARKS!’ With his heart pounding, he quickly returned to shore. When he approached the rocky beach, he knelt down and prayed, “My Lord and my God, thank you for letting me see this sign, for you rescued me today from being eaten by the sharks.” As he looked out over the water, many moving shark fins were visible. He again thanked God for saving him. Upon his return to the villa, he shared his story with everyone.

This is the story that I shared with my class. After reading it to them, I asked, “Do you think the sign, ‘No swimming — SHARKS!’ were words written with love?” Looking at their expressions, as they answered, “Yes,” you could see there was no doubt amongst them. I now held up a sign with the 10 commandments written on it. I explained, “These, too, are words written with love, by the hand of God.” Exodus 31:18.

With the opportunity to share with our class the differences, between harboring anger and nurturing love within ourselves, I could clearly see that this class is ready to be the reflection of the Ultimate Love.

Some great kids have been added to our class lately. They are Gianluca, Joseph and Frankie. This was Frankie’s first class with us. Here are a few of his written words of love, “Today our class learned about the Ten Commandments. We also learned about being happy for each other and to love everybody.”

As Nancy Spiegelberg once said, “Lord, I crawled across the bareness to you with my empty cup, uncertain in asking for any small drop of refreshment. If only I had known you better, I’d have come running with a bucket.”

Many Blessings,

Deanna Danielle

Words written with love!

Words written with love!

 

 

A Solid Foundation

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God’s word always teaches us about peace, unity, service, and unconditional love. In Philippians 4:8, we read, “Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious … think about these things.” It is truly ‘these things’ that are far more important then titles and possessions.

I am always inspired when I hear one of my students ask, “What does that mean?” This week, the word ‘foundation’ is credited to Madeline. This word brought to my mind three different materials to build with. As I split the class up into groups, I asked them to build me a house.

To one group, I gave cards, the next group, blocks, and the third group, I gave Legos. I have to say, they all did a great job. However, as for the card house, like the big bad wolf, we blew it down. The blocks were put together like a castle, but with just a touch, it could not stand. As for the Legos, they were solid, even when turned upside down. I wanted them to see, clearly, that is what being built on a solid foundation looks like. It can’t be shaken, and even when turned upside down, they do not fall apart. They are locked together!

Jesus spoke these words in Matthew 7:24-25, “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.”

Every week, we start our class with prayer, then we look up Scriptures. I explained, “This is just as you did when you were learning to tie your shoes. You began by finding the laces. Then, you thought about how to put them together and make a bow. As you practiced, something remarkable happened, and by instinct, you learned how to tie your shoes! In the same way, the more time we spend in prayer and God’s word, we will begin to build a solid foundation. Virtues, like truthfulness, justice, charity, patience, and much more, become your natural way of living. You won’t need to think about them as much, because practice has made them a part of who you are.”

As Molly wrote, “Today, I built a house… I learned, if you focus and you build a foundation, your house will stand forever. The same will happen with your heart and home.”

Many Blessings

Deanna Danielle

That is what the Scriptures mean when they say, "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love Him." 1 Corinthians 2:9

That is what the Scriptures mean when they say, “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love Him.” 1 Corinthians 2:9

 


Can’t Touch It!

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As my students entered the classroom, there on everyone’s desk was a beautiful, freshly picked apple. My first words to them were, “Can’t touch it!” As I saw a few hands get very close, I could only imagine how hard this had to be, after a long day at school. I took advantage of the moment, however, and read them the story of Adam and Eve.

I read how God created heaven and earth, then the garden of Eden, where life began. Next, He created a man and a woman, whom He guided, blessed, and gave them everything they needed, and more. God warned them to stay away from a certain tree in the middle of the garden, saying, “You must not eat from it or touch it, or you will die.” The book followed how life was filled with much happiness, until one day when a very great temptation arose. Disobeying God’s warning, Adam and Eve had the desire for more, and ate from the tree, which resulted in the the fall of man.

After reading the story to them, I said, “You may all eat your apples now.” I believe Cecilia spoke for the class, as a look of concern came over her face as she asked quietly, “Is it okay to eat apples now?” You’ve got to love it! Priceless moments like this say they care.

I now asked them why Jesus died on the cross. The responses from most of my students were great on how He died. On the other hand, even though James could not find all the words, he knew the reason why He died, and it had something to do with our sin. Gabriella also got it right when she said, “He died so we can go to heaven!” As we read and meditate on the living word of God in the Bible, we can truly see how it is an invitation to a beautiful way of life. The story of Adam and Eve is not the end, it is just the beginning. God let it be known that He would never leave us, or forsake us, if we call upon Him.

John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world that he gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” When I think about all that God has done for us, I could not put my words together any better than the singer, Big Daddy Weave, in his song, Overwhelmed.                                 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BiGb14tTaH4

Wishing you all God’s beautiful blessings,

Deanna Danielle

Picture taken by Ben

Picture taken by Ben

You’re Perfect for This

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We’re off to a great start. 201 Boulevard, 4th grade class of 2015, is on its way. After starting our class with prayer, we had a one-to-one icebreaker. We had the privilege to learn a little about each other. Molly, Gabriella, Zachary, Cecilia, Hannah, Alessia, Madeline and James, consist of the smallest group of students I have ever had, by far. They are a great group of kids!

During the summer, my friend invited me to her church. During the homily, the priest invited the children to come to the altar. He presented them with a beautiful gift bag and said he had something special for them. He pulled a cookbook out of the bag, and asked them, “What is this used for?” Then, he pulled a Bible out, and again asked, “What is this, used for?” His questions blessed me with a great idea to do the same for our first day of class. So, that is what I did.

I brought to class a large shiny, gold Vince Camuto tote bag. They all saw the bag, and with great curiosity, they wanted to know who it was for, and of course, what was in it. Before opening the bag, I told them the greatest gift was in it. It was a priceless education in the love that our God has for us through His living word. I then pulled out the Bible.

Along with a few other things that I pulled out of the bag, one of them was a shape-sorting block. All of the pieces were in tact except one. I explained how this one missing piece makes this toy incomplete, and that is what life would be like without them. I also shared with them, that it is impossible to put the square in the circle, and the circle in the star. In the same way, God has a very special plan for each and every one of us.

God made no two fingerprints alike. We read in Ephesians 2:10 “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” In the same way as the shape-sorting block, we were made to fit perfectly into our own space. A young man named Christopher Coleman once quoted God’s words to him, “You’re Perfect for This.” Life would not be complete if it was any other way.

    Christopher Coleman’s story: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qu0yjJgKU0w

Many blessings,

Deanna Danielle

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The Sound of Music

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As my class has gone on summer break, I am excited to write once more, until we start up again in September. In addition, I am even more excited to write about such a wonderful subject. Dads!

Dads come in all different shapes and sizes, with many different personalities, careers and hobbies. As I think about the word Dad, I know I’m very blessed to have one who is such an awesome reflection of our heavenly Father. My dad has always been there for me, showering me with the greatest gifts of his love. Throughout the years, he continually brings me peace. He is a great protector, and his wisdom and sense of humor has always filled me with a joyful heart and laughter.

When I was a teenager, my dad would often come home and knock on the locked side door. It only drove me crazy because he walked past the front door which was open, and now I would have to stop what I was doing, to get up and open the door. One day, a friend called. She told me that the night before, her Mom and Dad were at a wedding, and her dad had a heart attack on the dance floor and died. She was very sad, knowing that she would never see him again. As we hung up, there was that knock at the door, only it sounded so different this time. It was now the most beautiful music I ever heard. There was my dad at the door.

Each and every day, our heavenly Father knocks on the door in the same way, waiting for us to get up, open the door, and let Him in. In the book of Revelation 3:20 we read, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.” Jesus taught us in Luke 11:2, that when we pray, we should open our prayer with, “Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name.” He also asked a question in Luke 11:11-13, “Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, sinful people, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!”

 It is my prayer that this Father’s Day, we all open the door to the most beautiful sound of music we will ever hear. That is the sound of our heavenly Father who loves us more than we could ever imagine. The One who cares for us more than we ever could deserve, whose words are true, faithful, and trustworthy. The One who made all the delicate, inner parts of our body as He knitted us together in our mother’s womb, as said in Jeremiah 1:5, “I knew you before I formed you in the womb,” Our Father in heaven is all deserving of our praise and worship. Holy is the Lord God Almighty. Yes, the earth is filled with His glory. So, open that door, and together let us celebrate a Happy Father’s Day!

Blessings always,
Deanna Danielle

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A Crown Of Glory

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Anabelle asked a question about loving God more than anything. As a teacher, I believe  great questions are a gift from the student. It gives us the privilege to share, though our experiences, and compliments us, through them showing interest in the subject matter we are passionate about teaching. Questions help us to learn and grow. Matthew 7:7 teaches us to, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.”

With Anabelle’s question, I was able to share with our class, my personal story. Years ago, while giving my four year old daughter a shower, this thought came to me. “Whom do you love more?” I stopped for a second, as I thought about that. So, I started to pray, “Lord, I love you more. You gave her to me and without that gift I would not have her.” As my daughter got out of the shower, she looked up at me and asked, “Mommy, who do you love more, me or God.” I smiled, and thanked God for preparing me for that question. As I knelt down and looked into her eyes, I said, “Honey, I love God more.” As her eyes widened, I continued with, “Because God gave you to me. If He didn’t, I wouldn’t have you. And, I am so grateful that He has blessed me with your love!” With that she smiled.

As we age, the more we can share. With experiences, come a greater understanding. As each day unfolds, I find myself relating more to Proverbs 16:31, “Gray hair is a crown of glory…” And you can’t buy that! “For you, O Lord, have made me glad by your work; at the works of your hands I sing for joy.” Psalm 92:4

To my students:

Through all our class’s great moments this year, I had the wonderful opportunity to get to know Alexa, Lucas, Ryan, Chase, Nicholas, Joseph, Anabelle, Adrienne, Lily, Dominic, Colin, Gianni, Siena, Anjali, Isabella, Sebastian, Ella, Ian, Matthew, Nicolas, Mark & Ben. God made all of you very special. Just remember always to say, “Present” when your name is called, because you are a gift! I will miss you all very much, as you move up to the second grade and prepare for your first Holy Communion. May God bless you always!

“Continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.”     2 Timothy 3:14-15

Many blessings,

Deanna Danielle

Here is our latest and greatest iMovie, on YouTube.
You can view it at:
201 Boulevard 2014
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=98Lih3Feitk

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Class of 20014, you did a great job! Keep up the good work!

Lil’ Stories, Big Lessons

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As we gathered around on the class rug, I shared a story about three women who were arguing over the best way to pray. In the story, one woman said, “The best way to pray is on your knees.” Another woman said, “It’s best to be praying while you are standing.” The third woman said, “It is definitely best to pray while laying down.” As they shared their views, a gentleman working on the telephone lines over-heard them arguing.

“Ladies,” he interrupted, “You have it all wrong.” He proceeded to tell his story; “Do you see this pole? Three weeks ago, I was fixing the wires at the top, when I slipped. On my way down, head first, one of the loose wires wrapped around my ankle. I was hanging 10 feet off the ground, upside down. I know for a fact, that is the position you pray your best in!” To my surprise, the boys in our class thought this was the best story. Through their giggling voices, all they keep saying was, “Tell it again, tell it again.” I guess slapstick comedy never goes out of style.

When we think about the moral of this story, it holds great truth. Sometimes we spend a lot of time bickering over things, while forgetting the most important parts. In this case, it is not how we pray, but that we pray. With that, may we, like my 1st grade boys, find the joy and laughter in our everyday. May we never loose the child that lives within us.

Jesus used many parables as a means of illustrating profound, divine truths. I remember one year while teaching an 8th grade class, I read to them, Matthew 18:12 “What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off?” One of my students responded, “He’s selfish.” Taken a back by his response, I said a little prayer for God to give me the right words. With that, I smiled and said, “You are right. God is selfish for you and me. He will go all the miles to find us, because we are that important to Him. Even if it meant going to the Cross.

A reading from Matthew 18:1-4 “At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who, then, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. And He said, “Truly, I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”

It has been said that a parable is an earthly story with a heavenly meaning. Lil’ Stories, Big Lessons.

May God bless you always.

Deanna Danielle

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Easter Blessings

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For our last class before Easter break, I thought it would be fun if we had an Easter Egg Hunt. As we entered the classroom, Chase and Ryan were the first to notice some hidden eggs. Their eyes widened and a look came over their faces that expressed, THIS IS GREAT! At that, they yelled out “Eggs,” pointing to the ones they saw. The next thing I knew, the whole class, like little chicks on the loose, were off and running. My natural instincts came into play; a quick “Uh uh,” slang for, “Don’t do it; stop right where you are.” It was like a game of freeze tag. They all stopped mid motion. I said, “Come back to the door, prayer first.”

I find it best to first huddle together on our knees in prayer before they go to their seats. It’s the best place to thank God and pray for everyone we love, and to pray for each other. Also, to introduce our lesson for the day and new classmates. At that point, I welcomed Nicolas. We now have twenty first-graders in our class.

Today, I read our class, The Story of Easter. The story was about a little girl named Alice who loved to read her favorite Bible stories. One day, when Alice was sitting in her garden reading, a giant screen appeared before her. As Alice got up and walked through the screen, she entered the land of the Bible, and had the privilege to walk though the story of Easter. It was here that she saw how much God loves us. How, through Jesus and His death on the Cross, “He gave His life to purchase freedom for everyone.” 1 Timothy 2:6

As I spread this great love of our Lord to our class, it is my prayer that they will always hold on to this awesome truth. The Cross–there is so much to be said about it. What man could think in God way? None. Only through the Holy Spirit of God, could we understand. Why did God the Father choose a cross, with all the other ways to die, why a cross? That is the simplicity of God’s love, found anywhere and everywhere. It’s the arms stretched out to hug and hold, comfort and love anyone who choses to come into them. If only we would.

“May the Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn His face toward you and give you peace.” Numbers 6:24-26

Easter Blessing today and always,

Deanna Danielle

 

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All Hands Are In

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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

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Through a Child’s Eyes…

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 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

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