Tag Archives: Jesus

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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We’re Thankful For…

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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

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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

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Where Everybody Knows Your Name

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“Making our way in the world today takes everything we’ve got. Taking a break from all our worries sure would help a lot. Sometimes we want to go where everybody knows our name, and they’re always glad we came…” Just a little change to the words in the television theme song ‘Cheers’. Our class this week reminded me of the lyrics to this unforgettable melody, stressing a sequence of notes that is musically satisfying.

A smile that says, ‘it’s you!’ A quick, long wave like a puppy dog’s tail that conveys, ‘I’m so glad to see you.’ A hug that expresses, ‘You mean something to me.’ Priceless. With that being said, I thank my 1st grade class of 2013 for that warm greeting. Just like all of them, It was very special. They have all grown so much since last year. It was so great to see them.

As our class is coming together this year, it is wonderful to see them with that same little wave and smile. As they look around to see if all their friends are in the room, I hear a little voice ask, “Where’s Cathrena.”(Cathrena, Ben & Mark are our class helpers) We are very blessed to have them with us. What a beautiful feeling that was. I wanted to call Cathrena on the spot and tell her that she is missed already, and it is only our second class!

I once read a small article that left an impression on my heart. It stated how we all need friends who will stick close, listen, care, and offer help when it is needed — in good times and bad. The article shared how it is better to have one true friend than dozens of superficial acquaintances. Also, how instead of wishing we could find a true friend that we should seek to become one. There are many people who need our friendship. Then, we should ask for God’s guidance to them, so we can take on the challenge of being a true friend.

While I prayed one day, I asked, “Lord do our hands really know how to love?” I looked down as my hands came together. The left hand made the shape of the letter ‘L’ and my thumb and fore finger formed the letter ‘O.’ The rest of my three fingers on that hand spread into a very clear ’VE.’ All I can say is, God is forever blowing me away with His awesome love.

As I conclude this week’s blog, I want to thank Ryan for bringing in his rock collection, and treating our class to our first Show and Tell. It made a perfect ending to planting pumpkin and flower seeds, and talking about how important it is to take care of all God’s creations.

“Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you.” – Matthew 7:7

Deanna Danielle

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New Kids on the Block

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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

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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.

A Day of Discovery

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The stone was rolled away so that everyone could see… The angel announced to the women that Jesus, who was crucified, was no longer in the tomb. “He is risen, just as He said. Come and see the place where He was lying.” Matthew 28:5

We started class with a picture of The Last Supper to color. Ally asked, “Did they get haircuts back then?”  Since I’m a hair stylist myself, I am sure she figured who better to ask. Knowing that 490 B.C. was the first time Greek men chose short haircuts, I replied with a smile and answered, “Yes they did!” ”Then why was Jesus’ hair so long?” she asked. Sometimes a smile is all you can give to answer the innocence of their questions. My best was, “If He didn’t get a haircut, His hair would be way down to here!” pointing to my side. She just smiled. Questions are a wonderful  way to discover so many new things. They give us a deeper understanding of the people and world around us. Questions also bring us closer to knowing more about ourselves and our God.

With such a beautiful day outside, I felt too guilty keeping them in the classroom. So, after we finished a chapter in our workbooks, we headed out to the garden of the Blessed Mother. There I read them a book from one of my favorite authors, Max Lucado, Because I Love You. It’s a story about a wise and loving man named Shaddai, who builds a wonderful village for his children.  With his own hands, he built a protective wall around the village, rock by rock. One day Paladin, the most curious child in the village, discovers something troubling about the wall, something that made him doubt  Shaddai’s love. Through the hole he found in the wall, he chose to go out into the dangerous wilderness. Shaddai does not abandon him.  It’s here that Paladin realizes the great love Shaddai has for him. When I asked our class, “What does this story mean to you?” I was amazed at how they all reflected on the love of their parents, teaching them to do what is right and safe.

Back indoors, we concluded our class with wooden popsicle sticks. Placing them on top of each other to make a cross. They decorated them with markers, flowers and love, knowing that  Jesus has risen, just as He said. As we celebrate the Easter season, may we look at the cross and reflect on the greatest love anyone could ever know. May we take this moment and make it a a day of discovery, seeking the questions that help us to grow, and go deeper into the knowledge of God’s everlasting love for us all!

“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.” Matthew 28-19

“Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the Name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit”. Acts 2:37-38

May you be blessed abundantly today and forever,
Deanna

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Change Of Plans

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I am grateful for the opportunity to share God’s love through our first grade class. During the last two weeks, our class has been involved in the filmmaking of 201 Boulevard. My plan was to film one hour a week for two weeks, to prepare for a film festival that I would like our class to be part of.

At our first week of filming, I was asked to take in a second class. No problem. With Dominique, Kristin, Hope, and Juliana helping, we can do this. I had prepared a lesson, so the girls could lead part of the class while I went into another classroom to start filming. I have to say, after filming for a few minutes, I knew we had a lot of little stars in our class, and they were all ready to give it their best. I’d say, “Okay, say that line one more time,” after they had already said it five times. They’d just giggle, with a sigh and smile, saying, “again!” They were so excited to get it just right.

Back in the classroom, the lesson was going on about Adam and Eve. How God told them  never to eat the forbidden fruit on the tree in the middle of the Garden. As Dominique shared how they bit into the apple, Ewan raised his hand and said, “I eat apples, am I bad?” Thank God for His grace as we enter these precious moments and respond to  sensitive questions! Both filming and class were cut short when we were reminded one of our parish priests was waiting for us at the church. We quickly packed up and headed over.

On our arrival, the priest said, “repeat after me.” He said, “Jesus” and the class repeated, “Jesus” and at that moment a few of the kids began chatting, so to get their attention he turned to them and said “HELLO.” In a moment, 28 first graders repeated “HELLO” in his same tone! It was so funny the priest, himself, could not keep a straight face.

As we plan our time, it’s very important that we leave room for change, because it’s often in the change of plans that some wonderful things will take place. As I plan for this upcoming week, week 3, to finish with the filming project, I pray for God’s blessing, peace, grace, protection and guidance to live my life in the plan He has prepared for me. As David said in the Psalm 139:3-18 , “ You chart the path ahead of me and tell me where to stop and rest. Every moment You know where I am…” This always reminds me that God takes care of us.

Last week was Dominique’s last week with our class, since lacrosse practice has begun. Now, it’s up to Kristin and me to fill in the joy that Dominique’s presence brought to our class. We are going to miss you Domi!

I look forward to sharing our film production with you in next week’s blog.

Blessings Always,
Deanna
Picture taken by Dominique

Picture taken by Dominique

Love

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What is love? As I asked this question to our class, there were so many beautiful answers. However, the most beautiful melody came from Charlotte, when she responded, “Love is a gift from God.” You could almost hear angels singing along with her as she spoke those words.

Valentine’s Day is a very special day of the year, when love seems to be celebrated in many countries around the world. With cards, flowers, romantic dinners and jewelry, we seek the most perfect way to say, “I love you.”

 I come from a family who showed me great love, honest love, and the finest love, yet that love could never compare to God’s love. The reason is that love comes from Him, through all of those whom I love. So could you even imagine how great the Giver of Love really is?

The greatest definition of love I have ever read is in 1 John 4:7-12, Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.  Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.  This is how God showed His love among us: He sent His one and only Son into the world that we might live through Him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and His love is made complete in us.

When I think of Jesus, I see and feel love; such an overabundance, that I want to share it with the world. If we could just take one moment out of our schedules and place it on God, silent whispers could change our lives. This is love that has always been there right from the start.

Elizabeth, Samantha, Emma, Charlotte, Jack, Ewan,  Aidan M, Patrick, Gianluca, Ally, Aidan S, Nikolaus, Paula, Mary, Salvatore, Dominique and Kristen, may the little stories of our 1st grade class, show the great love that God has for each and every one of us.

With love and blessings,

Have a wonderful Valentine’s Day!

Deanna

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One February morning after a winter blizzard, on our son’s birthday, there was a gift outside our window. These two hearts were in our driveway. They were the size of two cars, with no other tracks around, just a few tire marks on the street and a few foot steps on the ground.

Have you visited the treasuries of the snow? Have you seen where the hail is made and stored?… Job 38:22

Baptism

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Our first day back to class, after being off for three weeks, was a great adventure. A first grade teacher’s absence brought our class size up to 27 sweet little faces. I thank God for blessing me with wonderful teacher’s assistants. They are Dominique, Kristen, Hope & Juliana, I could not have done it without their dedicated support! Thank you, girls…

Baby dolls dressed in white, water, bucket, sea shell, oil, candles, and some cute lil’ couples, we are ready to roll. Our first couple up was Gianluca and Samantha. They chose the godparents, and they named the baby Jackson.  (For me, it is very important to bring the children as close to the moment as possible when teaching them, because we all do not learn the same way. Auditory learners learn best by hearing. Visual learners learn best by seeing, and the kinesthetic learner commonly known as “do-ers” need to touch it.)

 We started off with a blessing, the feeling they received when they first entered the church. Everyone had a partner and they placed the Sign of our Lord’s Cross on each other’s forehead. Aidan and Jack reenacted when our Lord Jesus Christ instituted the Sacrament of Baptism, by being baptized by John the Baptist in the River Jordan, and the Holy Spirit descended on Him in bodily form like a dove. And a Voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with You I am well pleased.” Luke 3:22. We talked about people getting baptized into the Christian faith and the promise to live in a Christian way, and how a baby obviously can’t make any promises, so the parents and godparents make the promises for the baby. I showed them oil, and shared how holy oils are used for anointing. Then they all lined up, excited to have that feeling of when water was poured on their head. They must all do well washing their hair, because their heads went straight back while the small sea shell dripped a little water on their foreheads. And last, but not least, holding a candle, we talked about how they are a light in this world. And when the Lord Jesus said, “Is a candle brought to be put under a bushel, or a basket, or under a bed? and not to be set on a candlestick?” Mark 4:21. As I asked them to close their eyes, then open them, I shared how they are all a light in this world that has its eyes shut. The smiles on their faces, let me know that they knew that they are all very special.

Baptism is the foundation of the whole of Christian life. It is the gateway to life in the      Holy Spirit. Through Baptism a person is reborn as a daughter or son of God. It is through Baptism that an individual begins his or her relationship with Jesus Christ and the Church.

Of course, they were all to young too remember the day they were baptized, except through pictures and stories that are shared with them. So, going through auditory, visual and a kinesthetic steps. It is my prayer, that they will always remember and embrace the beauty of being baptized.

“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.” Matthew 28:19

Wishing you all a very blessed New Year!

Deanna

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