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#blogjune Blogging challenges Christianity

Sipping from the saucer #7

I work at a Christian school. The pastor of the church which established our school has a saying: “The LORD has blessed me so much, my cup is overflowing (taken from Psalm 23) and I’m sipping from the saucer.”

I like the visual, so I’m using it here, in this month-long blogging challenge focusing on the blessings God has poured out on me.

Today: blessing #7… and it’s another work-related one.

As Head of Middle School, I decided this year to institute a new policy for my students: mobile phone collection during the school day. So I collect the mobile phones from the kids in my care – students in Years 7, 8 and 9 (11 to 14 year olds) – at the beginning of the school day, and then they collect them again at 3pm, prior to leaving the campus. It’s been working REALLY well, and the instances of cyberbullying between the hours of 8 and 3 have dropped to zero. (Surprise, surprise!)

But that’s not the point of my story. Instead, the story starts when I was on a deadline, to purchase the hardcover mobile phone storage case, so that I could use it to keep the kids’ phones safe. (There’s a HUGE amount of $$ that the school will be liable for, should any harm come to a kid’s phone while it’s in my care!) So I’d done the research, and decided to purchase a sturdy, the-best-that-money-can-buy storage case, from the Jaycar outlet that was closest to the school.

The trouble was, to make the case ready for phone usage, I needed to purchase it on the Friday, so I could have it over the weekend and cut out all the little holes so students could insert their phones securely, first thing Monday morning. But other commitments after school on Friday afternoon meant that I needed to duck out during the day to buy it.

Which wouldn’t have been a problem… but I have a fairly heavy teaching load on a Friday, with very little time between classes in which to shop.

So I found a spare 45 minutes. Not a huge amount of time, but enough – perhaps – if the traffic was light, and if I could find an easy park (I’d never been there before, and I’ve already mentioned how awful I am with parking at locations where I’ve never been before,) and if the service at the store was great, and if they had in stock the exact case which I needed to purchase. And if, after all that, the traffic was light on the way back to school, so I could get back in time to teach my next class.

Yeah. That was a lot of ‘if’s. And yet…

Who said God isn’t good? It all happened! And with 3 minutes to spare!!!

A blessing indeed. In fact, so much blessing that I was left sipping from the saucer 🙂

Have a great day, dear Reader!
– KRidwyn

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#blogjune Blogging challenges Christianity family anecdotes Life More about me

Sipping from the saucer #6

I work at a Christian school. The pastor of the church which established our school has a saying: “The LORD has blessed me so much, my cup is overflowing (taken from Psalm 23) and I’m sipping from the saucer.”

I like the visual, so I’m using it here, in this month-long blogging challenge focusing on the blessings God has poured out on me.

Today, blessing #6.

It’s my birthday today. I love that I’ve managed to make it to 44 without too much damage, physically or emotionally, to myself… and hopefully also, to those I’ve interacted with over the past 40-something years!

Anyway, yesterday after work, I arrived home with my cherubs remembering what state I’d left the house in, that morning. Knowing that Hubby would be leaving during the day for a three day conference, I’d done only the ‘most-urgent’ of the housework that morning (plates into the sink, not even rinsed) because I’d be able to complete the rest of it in the afternoon, at a more leisurely pace, without feeling as though I was a ‘bad housewife’ – because of the lack of a Hubby to witness just how lazy I could be! (And how slowly I could get it done…)

So I unlocked the house and walked in – and found the kitchen and dining room clean, a HUGE bunch of flowers on the table, and a box of chocolates and note with them!

“Happy birthday my love!!! Sorry I’m away. See you soon. Love Ian.”

I must admit, I found it difficult to read through the tears in my eyes. What a sweetheart!

And if Hubby isn’t a blessing from the One who created me, I don’t know what is.

I hope you have an awesome day today too, dear Reader!

– KRidwyn

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#blogjune Blogging challenges Christianity

Sipping from the saucer #4

I work at a Christian school. The pastor of the church which established our school has a saying: “The LORD has blessed me so much, my cup is overflowing (taken from Psalm 23) and I’m sipping from the saucer.”

I like the visual, so I’m using it here, in this month-long blogging challenge focusing on the blessings God has poured out on me.

Today, blessing #4.

When I was 17, I started dating a guy who smoked. Being from a family of non-smokers, he was my first introduction to cigarettes. After a little while, I too started the habit.

We broke up, the boy and I, and a little while later (and with the help of more than a few Snickers bars!) I quit too. And haven’t touched them since.

Nor do I like the smell of smoke, be it from cigarettes, cigars, wood smoke or traffic fumes. So when I was clearing up our backyard after a storm recently, burning off all the fallen branches (we live on acreage, with significant numbers of branch-dropping gum trees) I was raking up around the bonfire, and was finishing up the last section that wasn’t smoke covered. All that was left was to rake the small section that was currently covered by the smoke from the fire.

I figured I’d need to wait, and rake that section when the wind changed direction. The thought crossed my mind that it’d be really cool if the wind could swing just at that moment, so I wouldn’t have to wait, but I mentally laughed at myself and started walking away.

Then the smoke cleared. The wind had dropped, meaning that all the smoke rose skyward, straight up, and the area that I hadn’t yet raked was smoke-free! I guffawed – how awesome is my God, huh?! So I raked it, praising God, and then the wind returned and smoke covered that area again when I’d finished.

That had me smiling for the rest of the day. In fact, I’m smiling now, recounting the story to you.

What a great God He is!

Here’s praying that you have an amazing day, dear Reader 🙂

– KRidwyn

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#blogjune Blogging challenges Christianity

Sipping from the saucer #3

I work at a Christian school. The pastor of the church which established our school has a saying: “The LORD has blessed me so much, my cup is overflowing (taken from Psalm 23) and I’m sipping from the saucer.”

I like the visual, so I’m using it here, in this month-long blogging challenge focusing on the blessings God has poured out on me.

Today, blessing #3.

As some of you know, I’m one of those crazy people who drives to the gym for an early-morning session before the rest of the world gets up.

Well, I was driving home after my session recently when I noticed a car behind me was driving with no lights on. We were in an 80-kilometre-an-hour section of road, heading quickly toward the 110-kilometre-an-hour section, and when I say the car had no lights on, that’s what I meant. Zero lights – and the stretch of road wasn’t the safest. And it was super-dark, so I was worried for the driver’s safety. Very worried.

My first thought was, ‘How can I get the driver’s attention, to let him know?’ But there was no way I could, of course. So I turned to prayer.

“Please Lord, please let the driver of the car know that they haven’t yet turned on their lights…” and then I watched, anxiously.

Maybe five seconds passed. Literally – only five. Then their lights turned on.

How awesome is God, huh?

I mean yes, that *could* have been co-incidence… but then again, how much of ‘God-incidences- are explained away by such a ‘reason’. Me? I prefer to believe that God is involved.

Have a great day, dear Reader!-

– KRidwyn

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#blogjune Blogging challenges Christianity

Sipping from the saucer #2

I work at a Christian school. The pastor of the church which established our school has a saying: “The LORD has blessed me so much, my cup is overflowing (taken from Psalm 23) and I’m sipping from the saucer.”

I like the visual, so I’m using it here, in this month-long blogging challenge focusing on the blessings God has poured out on me.

Today, blessing #2.

I’m not big on jewelry. Apart from my earrings, which I never change, I wear a watch, three rings (engagement, wedding ring and Hubby’s wedding ring) and a bracelet. And I only ever put on my watch, rings and bracelet when I leave for work, and often take them off on the return trip.

Cue my clumsiness. I was sliding my rings onto my watch band, as I always do, when something happened and I dropped my engagement ring onto the floor of the car.

Well, I was driving. Not particularly conducive to an immediate search.

So I looked when I got home. Kids out of the car; my seat goes back, and I’m there with my head between my knees, cursing the fact that the space between drivers seat and console in a Toyota Aurion, is so incredibly tiny.

It’s pretty clean down there, but I do manage to retrieve the odd receipt  and some fluff. There a blue hairband wedged down there too – but no sign of the engagement ring.

I sigh.

The other rings are safe, with the bracelet, on the watch band. And – as per usual – I’m on a deadline, because it’s a school evening and there’s homework to get done and dinner to prepare, cook, eat and clean up after, prior to teaching again later that night.

The thought darts across through my mind. ‘Wouldn’t it be awesome if the ring was hiding under the hairband.’ I ignore it and pick up the hairband, preparing to excavate the depths of the cavity between drivers seat and console.

But no need. There’s the escapee – hiding under the blue hairband, waiting to be retrieved.

Less than a second’s worth of looking! And life was back on track, and the kids’ homework and dinner could happen on time 🙂

God is awesome. It was definitely a ‘sipping from the saucer’ moment.

Have a great day, dear Reader!
– KRidwyn

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#blogjune Blogging challenges Christianity family anecdotes

Sipping from the saucer #1

I work at a Christian school. The pastor of the church which established our school has a saying: “The LORD has blessed me so much, my cup is overflowing (taken from Psalm 23) and I’m sipping from the saucer.”

I like the visual, so I’m using it here, in this month-long blogging challenge focusing on the blessings God has poured out on me.

Today, blessing #1.

I’m claustrophobic – so much so, that I never drive other people’s cars, and driving through roadworks, and parking in crowded car parks, unnerves me.

Well, I was having one of those days when you visit several different places in the space of just a couple of hours, with different things to do in each location, and with different children each time. The final place I wanted to get to was a shop on a main road, which offered only reverse parking, and it was 4.45pm (and the place was due to close at 5pm).

Did I mention it was school holidays? So not only was it the main road, but it was busier than normal. And I was in a rush. And this road is well known for the fact that every car park fills up within seconds of being vacated.

Miss12, sitting in the front seat, was asking me where we were going next and why I was stressing. I told her that I was going to need two car parks, one in front of the other, just to park. A statistical improbability – however, God knew what I needed.

I drove along the road. It was now 4.48pm. No sign of crowds diminishing. Then I saw it. Right out the front of the shop I was heading to: not one, but two car park spaces, one behind the other, so no reversing required.

Praise God!

Suffice to say, I had shopped and was walking out of the shop by 5pm.

Because God’s awesome like that.

Have a great day, dear Reader – and see you tomorrow!

— KRidwyn

 

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#blogjune Blogging challenges Christianity family anecdotes

Introducing #blogJune 2018

So I’ve been doing this #blogJune thing for a while now; since its commencement in 2011, as a matter of fact. Each year is different, depending on my mood and where I’m ‘at’ in life, as a wife / Mum and an employee (or lack thereof) mainly.

As the years pass, I’m noticing that age is wearying me more than I’d care to admit. And as I was reading my Bible recently, Psalm 71:18-19 jumped out at me. It reads, “So now that I’m old, and my hair is gray, don’t abandon me, God, till I have proclaimed your strength to the next generation, your power to all who will come, your righteousness too, God, which reaches to the heights. God, you have done great things; who is there like you?” and then again in verse 24a:

“All day long my tongue will speak of your righteousness.”

And the thought appeared: why not #blogJune about God’s greatness to me?

Stay tuned – if you’re interested, that is 🙂

Because coming up this month are the stories of how God has blessed me – some of them huge, some of them miniscule – but all of them unexpected, smile-making, and praise-worthy.

So, till tomorrow, have a great day, dear Reader!

— KRidwyn

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Christianity Random thoughts teaching

Some recent ponderings…

“Wolf! Wolf!” cried the boy. It was just a bit of fun, getting the villagers to run up the hill; relieve him from the boredom of looking after sheep day after day after day. Sure, they got mad at him, but hey! it was something different. Different was good; even being yelled at was preferable to boredom.

“Wolf! Wolf!” he cried again. The yelling continued. This time, it was harder to hide his smirk. Furious, the villagers tramped back down the hill again.

“Wolf! Wolf!” he cried once more – but this time, in fear. The wolf had come, and was ravaging the sheep. The villagers, wise to his tricks, paid no attention. And later, when the sheep were dead, the villagers’ anger at him knew no bounds.

The problem here? Besides the dead sheep: the boy hadn’t thought about what name he’d been making for himself. He’d thought his ‘game’ was just a bit of fun. Just jokes; perfectly harmless. And yet – what had eventuated? He’d made a name for himself. ‘Liar’, ‘untrustworthy’, ‘deceitful’. No-one believed him, even when he told the truth.

The question ‘what name are you making for yourself’ is one I’ve been discussing with my students recently. Our words, our actions, our attitudes towards others, define who we are. People recognize us by them. What impression do we give others of ourselves? And are we happy with the name we are making for ourselves? At the end of the day, are we going to be satisfied with the consequences of the choices we have made?

One of my favourite Bible verses is 1 Tim. 4:16. It says, “Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.”

If I profess to be a Christian, I need to watch that my life reflects this choice. Timothy tells me to watch my life – my choices, my attitudes – closely. And to persevere in this watching. So what name am I making for myself? Is my life one which reflects Christ’s? I’d invite you to ponder this question with me, and with my students, this week.

And have a wonderful week, dear Reader!
— KRidwyn

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#AtoZchallenge Blogging challenges Christianity Life Random thoughts

S is for ‘scamper’

I love this word. I smile every time I see it. In my mind’s eye, I picture a child of 5 or 6, enthusiasm exuding from every pore, beaming widely as they run about exploring, delighting in their discoveries and keen to squeeze as much as possible into every single moment.

I remember that age… I think. I remember the excitement, the feeling of life extending forever, the knowledge of my own invincibility, convinced I could go anywhere, be anyone, do anything.

Where did that feeling go?

And why?

I’m reminded of that verse in the gospels, where Jesus said, “Unless you become like a little child, you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven.”

Honestly, I can’t actually remember the last time *I* felt that excited. That eager to squeeze the joy out of every single moment.

I should probably try that again…

Here’s to a ‘scamper’-ing day today! And have a ‘scamper’-ing one for yourself too, dear reader!

— KRidwyn

[PS That Bible verse was Matthew 18:3, by the way…]

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#AtoZchallenge Blogging challenges Christianity More about me my novel-in-progress Work Writing

J is for ‘job’

The regular reader of this blog may remember that I started a new job this year.

Head of Middle School at Caloundra Christian College.

I have well over one hundred 11 to 14 year olds to be responsible for. That’s a lot of hormones!

It’s been fun. So far, I’ve laughed and cried, exulted and been furious, enjoyed every second and wanted to tear my hair out with frustration. And that’s just before Morning Tea each day! Just kidding.

It’s been a wild ride, and I’m loving it. As a Christian, I *do* feel ‘called’ to the position, and I also feel as though I’m making a difference in the lives of the majority of the children in my care. And that gives me such a feeling of satisfaction!

But it’s also been far busier than I’d expected. So much so, that my writing has fallen seriously by the wayside. I knew it would – but not quite to this extent. No matter. This #AtoZchallenge is helping me get back some writing mojo – and when April finishes, I have JUSTINE BROWNING AND THE MEDDLING MERMAN to complete. Hopefully by Mother’s Day, which is the challenge I’ve set myself.

But school starts back next week after the two week Easter break, so it’ll be interesting to see if things go to plan…

Anyway, have a great day, dear Reader, and hopefully I’ll be back tomorrow with ‘K’ !

— KRidwyn