 Photo by Eko Agalarov "Do you have any funny stories?" This is the same question I heard day after day from my sweet little sidekick when on yard duty at recess time. She was my faithful friend at recess and I enjoyed her company immensely. Often I did and sometimes I was fresh out of "funny stories" so she would happily jump in. Sometimes she would admit they were "true stories" and sometimes just "pretend." Either way we would smile and giggle together and that sweet student would brighten my day every time. Oh the power of laughter! In Proverbs 17:22 NLT it says A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a person’s strength.  Photo by Anastasia Shuraeva Some of my most memorable times in my classroom are when we have a great shared laugh together. Sometimes it is planned and sometimes it is very spontaneous. They always giggle when I share my favourite joke: "Why did the teacher marry the custodian?" ( I am a teacher and my husband is a custodian.) The answer is... He swept her off her feet! Sometimes life is just a little too serious for all of us. The daily grind can get to us, Pressures in life build up and as the verse says "a broken spirit saps a person's strength." If you could use a little more laughter in your life, consider the following suggestions.
So my friend, don't forget to take time for laughter and joy in your life today. A cheerful heart absolutely is good medicine and this world needs you at your best to fulfill all God has planned for you. Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you that we can have a joyful life and be blessed by the gift of laughter. We know that you want us to walk in victory, not defeat and by incorporating lightheartedness into our daily routine, that will help us to achieve that goal. May we always be mindful that our lives are meant to be lived to the fullest in you. In Jesus' name, Amen Sending you a virtual hug, Dana
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 Photo by Ben White on Unsplash I remember when I grew up, we had the privilege of praying in the public schools. Not only did we recite the Lord's prayer daily, but we also ended with a closing prayer each afternoon. Oh how I WISH we could do that in my classroom today! I attended a very small public school for several years. Added to our daily routine was also the singing of several hymns from the beloved, small, brown, hymnbook. I am a singer and my teacher Mrs. Janzen must have seen great potential in me even way back then. Every hymn session, she would smile and sing the alto harmonies loud and clear in my ear. I picked it up every time very easily. I was so proud and she was proud of me too. I would grin from ear to ear! To this day, I credit much of my ability to harmonize to her faithful and patient singing in my ear. God bless teachers like Mrs. Janzen. One of my favourite old hymns we often sang was entitled: My God and I. Simply put it talked of the unique and exceptionally special relationship between our Heavenly Father and us. It spoke of walking through beautiful meadows and talking and laughing as best friends do. The lyrics brought powerful images to mind of a Heavenly Father who is also a dear friend who truly desires to spend quality time with us.  In Romans 5:11 it says: So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God—all because of what our Lord Jesus Christ has done for us in making us friends of God. – Romans 5:11 (NLT) It is truly incredible that the God of the universe desires a friendship with us. I talk to God about EVERYTHING! He is my best friend, confidant and the keeper of my deepest desires, secret prayers and biggest dreams. I don't know where I would be today without God and trust me, I don't even want to imagine ever doing life without him by my side 24/7. There is NOTHING my God and I can't handle together and I am so grateful for the relationship we have each and every day of my life! Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you that you are a God that calls us friends. Thank you that you are never too busy to listen to us or spend time with us. We love you and appreciate the relationship we have with you beyond words. In Jesus' name, Amen Sending you a virtual hug, Dana
Copyright: © 2024 littlelessonslearnedbydana/ walkingintheword Tags: friendship with God, my God and I, spending time in God's prescence Photo by fauxels  Photo by Pixabay I fondly remember as a little kid the wonderful joy of Saturday morning cartoons. Armed with a huge bowl of sugary cereal in my lap, my favourite pjs and cozy blanket, I settled in for the pleasure of watching show after show. One of my favourites cartoons was The Justice League. I was fascinated by all the superheroes and all their special powers and abilities. One of my favs other than Wonder Woman of course, were the Wonder Twins. I loved how they always saved the day by joining forces together. On their own, they were not complete but when they teamed up, they were truly a force to be reckoned with. Through the years as a parent when I needed to enlist some help from the kids we would often in fun say “WONDER TWIN POWERS… ACTIVATE" and do the signature fist bump that the cartoon characters would do. My kids were kind of out of the loop with The Justice League and I am sure they didn’t quite get it. Nevertheless, Ty and Shannon would chime in with a hearty "WONDER TWIN POWERS ACTI-BATE" time and time again. (lol) Regardless of their lack of schema for the show, they got that it meant that teamwork matters, and I was reaching out for help. In Ecclesiastes 4: 9-10 ( New Living Translation) it says: 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. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble. My mom said it this way “Many hands make light work.” She would often say this when we were helping with the dishes or housework especially if our attitudes were, let's just say, less than ideal. We got what she was saying, regardless, loud and clear. It is true how much we need each other. We were designed to be part of an authentic community and everybody needs somebody in their corner. Who are your “people?” Your “people” are your tribe, your most cherished humans on the face of this earth. They are the people you could call on day or night. Believe me, it is an elite few. They are the ones that will come alongside you during the best and worst of times. They make the load lighter and they literally walk in when the rest of the world walks out. I am blessed to have many of these people in my life. I have swallowed my pride many times, and reached out to them for help. Some of us don't like to be vulnerable, but remember there are no prizes for independence my friends.  Photo by fauxels Sometimes in our lives we really need others by our side. It is healthy, necessary and part of God’s plan. Knowing when to rally the troops is both wise and commendable. If you haven’t found your “people” yet, don’t despair. They are out there. You must keep looking and don’t be afraid to initiate activities or help from them. Too many people sit back waiting for others. This can just keep you lonely, needy and frustrated. The verse above says it beautifully when it says "two are better than one because they can help each other succeed." Together we work towards the same goals and true friends are so happy to help. The great thing is when they need you, you are there for them too. It is a winning combo for sure. So next time you are struggling with something, remember the mantra “WONDER TWINS… ACTIVATE!” There are people just waiting to fist bump and join forces with you to help you succeed and just in case you are wondering, I am one of them! Dear Heavenly Father, We thank you with our whole hearts for the gift of others who walk through both our sunny days and storms with us. True friends are one of the greatest blessings that we can have on this earth. We know that you have designed us for fellowship and to be genuinely connected to others. Life is hard, but with you by our side and our “people” in our corner, we know we will be able to take life one day at a time. We are so grateful for that reassurance. In Jesus’ name, Amen Sending you a virtual fist bump, Dana
Tags: friendship, best friends, relationships, authentic community, supporting one anotherCopyright: © 2024 littlelessonslearnedbydana/ walkingintheword
 Photo by Byron Breytenbach on Unsplash I am sure somewhere along the way you have heard talk about is your cup half full or half empty? I heard a quote this week that challenged me a bit. It said in response to this, "I'm just grateful I have a cup!" Wow! Interesting perspective isn't it? It is so true that much of what we have we often take for granted. So much of what makes up our day to day lives, others could only dream about. We are truly blessed but in the hard times, sad seasons or discouraging moments, it is easily forgotten.  Photo by Guillaume de Germain on Unsplash In Psalms 23:5 it talks about "my cup overflows" which signifies how many blessings we truly have. Not only has God filled our cup, but it is actually overflowing with his loving kindness to us. I went out for coffee with a friend today. The young boy overfilled my beverage, and needed to pour some out before he served it to me. In this instance, an overflowing cup might seem like a nuisance, but not with our "life's cup." I have heard of many studies that indicate that anxiety and gratefulness cannot coexist. These two mindsets are literally competing for our brain's attention. I don't know about you, but I sure would like to have a life filled with gratefulness, over anxiety ANY DAY.  Photo by Gabrielle Henderson on Unsplash Gratitude journals are a great tool to express our thankfulness for all of our blessings. They are a great resource to have as well to come back to during the hard times. If you need an recommendation for a good journal, I have some available as a digital download and can hook you up. Just let me know. The very act of writing things down, puts in writing examples of God's faithfulness to us. Blessings are all around us whether it be a hot cup of coffee, a warm and cozy home, a sunshiny day or a hug from our best friend. Remember as God's children we truly do experience an abundance of favour and things to be grateful for. Our cups are overflowing right along with the fullness we feel in our thankful hearts! Tuck that in your heart today! Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you that you not only fill our life's cup but you overflow it. Your love is so high, so deep and so wide, for us it is almost too much to comprehend. We are blessed to have you not only as our Saviour but our very best friend. May we never take all that you have given us for granted but instead seek to use it all to bless others and make you proud. In Jesus' Name, Amen Until next time, Dana AuthorDana Romualdi is a Canadian elementary teacher, author, social worker, blogger and speaker. She has a passion for helping others and spreading much-needed encouragement. She lives in Canada with her husband and two grown children. When she is not working in the classroom or writing, she enjoys drinking coffee, watching Netflix and reading great books. Tags: blessings, thankfulness, gratitude, thankful heart, full cups, positive attitudeCopyright: © 2024 littlelessonslearnedbydana/ walkingintheword
 I had a yard sale in my class last week. I am retiring in 4 years and I am starting to purge things now. It is unreal the amount of stuff I have accumulated in 20 years of teaching. UNREAL, I tell ya! I told the kids everything must go and all stuff was FREE! They were beside themselves, literally freaking out. The "hot" items were peel and stick mustaches, a black cowboy hat, a melting snowman, pop-it toys and stickers of all varieties. It was so precious and comical to see what they chose. They were absolutely delighted to go back to the tables time and time again and fill their bags with yet another "treasure." It was a great way to get rid of stuff and the kids sure appreciated it. They kept asking "Are you sure you want to get rid of this?" I just kept saying "Absolutely! One man's junk is another man's treasure!"  Photo by Suzy Hazelwood My students taught me a valuable lesson that day that beauty is truly in the eye of the beholder and I couldn't help making comparisons with this experience and how our heavenly father sees us. In Deuteronomy 7:6 is says “The Lord your God has chosen you to be people for his treasured possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth. We are G0d's treasure. God's treasure? Let that sink in. We as humans are so flawed, so sinful and so unworthy of his love. Yet, he doesn't perceive us that way. Where we see broken, he sees beautiful. Where we see worthless, he sees priceless. His love for us is so boundless and magnificent. It is almost too much to take in at times. Just like my students, through their eyes, everything that had been laid out on the table was so valuable. They saw it through different eyes, like God views us.  Never forget your value. You were worth dying for in God's eyes. You are absolutely priceless and irreplaceable. I want to remind you of that today because you matter and you. are. treasured! Tuck that in your heart today! Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you that you look beyond our flaws and see someone you love unconditionally. May we be willing to see what you see and embrace all you have made us to be. Guide us to others who need to know of the treasure they are as well. In Jesus' name, Amen AuthorDana Romualdi is a Canadian elementary teacher, author, social worker, blogger and speaker. She has a passion for helping others and spreading much-needed encouragement. She lives in Canada with her husband and two grown children. When she is not working in the classroom or writing, she enjoys drinking coffee, watching Netflix and reading great books. Tags: self esteem, self worth, God's masterpiece, God love, you are valuableCopyright: © 2024 littlelessonslearnedbydana/ walkingintheword
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