Finding joy in the everyday

It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge. Albert Einstein Being a teacher is a huge responsibility. Not only do you have important things that you must teach your students, you also want them to develop a love of learning and be excited about learning. Most students develop that love of learning when they have a teacher who is enthusiastic, keen and interested in each person in the class as an individual.  Teaching does not come naturally to all people. I have had some duds, teachers who taught with no passion and no real interest in me. I have had some mean teachers that were just nasty and I can not remember a thing they taught me, but I do remember their sour words and meanness. However, once in a while you come across a teacher that leaves an indeliblele mark on you and you remember them all your life.  In Titus 2, older w omen are encouraged to be active in looking after the next generation of women te...

Hohenzollern castle, Germany The random word this week was Castle and I thought I would use it for my Art Friday as well. Here are some fascinating facts about castles.  For a long time, the majority of castles were made from wood. Some were kept in functional state for 4 or 5 centuries! Castles did not have toilets! Waste products were removed in rooms called “garderobes”, with holes that led out of the castle into moats. Average time of castle construction was 10 years. You would not want to be in a hurry for a new home. England is currently home of 1500 castle sites, but many more are lost to time. The oldest is Windsor Castle, the home of Queen Elizabeth II.   Almost every stairs in the medieval castles were tight clockwise spiral stairs. They were created that way to make combat more difficult for right-handed invaders who had to ascent on those stairs and use their weapons. At first, castles were built for military and government means. As cen...

I am starting something new this year and I have to thank Mary for this brilliant idea!!  I will be using a word generator to pick a word to write about.  If you would like to try it yourself, here is the link to the word generator that Mary recommended.   Todays word is Castle. ***** Castle:   a large building, typically of the medieval period, fortified against attack with thick walls, battlements, towers, and often a moat. Usually consider it to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble. My home is not as big as a castle and it isn't surrounded by a moat (which of course would be heaps of fun but rather impractical), but I do like to think it is a place that protects us from attacks and shields us from the worlds violence and sadness. However this is becoming much more difficult. There was a time when  our homes provided all the  defence  we needed against outside intrusions and influences. We could locked th...

Have you ever heard of the “Doldrums”? Sailors of the past dreaded the doldrums, it was bad news — it occurred when their sailing ships hit areas of complete calm where the winds disappear altogether, trapping the boats for periods of days or weeks. Colloquially, the "doldrums" are a state of inactivity, mild depression, listlessness, or stagnation. Are there times when you feel uninspired, unexcited, weary? We seem to just run out of steam and even thinking about cooking  dinner is almost impossible.  I certainly have and I am sure you have too.  It can hit us when we least expect it and pull us down quickly. It happens to women at home, women who go off to work, women with children and women with no children. This feeling of weariness and being uninspired can hit any of us throughout the year, it doesn't not discriminate.  What is important to remember is that this is normal and all women feel this way from time to time. However, remaining ...

Antony Charles Robert Armstrong-Jones, 1st Earl of Snowdon Royal photographer 1930 - 2017 Lord Snowdon was married to Princess Margaret, younger daughter of King George VI and younger sister of Queen Elizabeth II. Margaret and Snowden divorce in 1978 (married in 1960). Lord Snowden died on the 13th of January this year and in remembrance of his royal photography I thought I would share a small selection of his work.  Snowdon's first royal assignment in 1957 Queen Elizabeth II and Princess Anne photographed by Lord Snowdon, October, 10, 1957 Queen Elizabeth II Queen Mother, Elizabeth (1997) The Queen and with her grandson Peter Phillips Princess Dianna and Harry Princess Dianna Queen Mother, Elizabeth  William and Harry Harry and his Dad (Prince of Wales) HRH Princess Margaret, 1967 Princess Anne, Queen Elizabeth's only daughter

But Ruth said:  “Entreat me not to leave you, Or to turn back from following after you; For wherever you go, I will go; And wherever you lodge, I will lodge; Your people shall be my people, And your God, my God. Where you die, I will die, And there will I be buried. The Lord do so to me, and more also, If anything but death parts you and me.” (Ruth 1:16-17) Ruth was born in the land of Moab, a border nation and frequent enemy of Israel. Ruth was a Gentile. When famine struck the land of Judah, Elimelech, his wife Naomi, and their two sons, Mahlon and Kilion, journeyed from their home in Bethlehem to Moab for relief.  Elimelech died in Moab.  Mahlon married Ruth in Moab while Kilion married Orpah.  After about ten years, both Mahlon and Kilion died. Ruth, out of love and loyalty to her mother-in-law, accompanied Naomi back to Bethlehem, while Orpah stayed in Moab. There was a relative of Naomi’s husband, a man of great wealth, of the family of...

And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.  (Matthew 21:22) Have you watched the stories from Syria and wish you could reach out and help those poor innocent children who are suffering so badly? Have you seen families in your church that are in desperate need for assistances but its beyond your capability? Have you heard of someone with financial problems and would love to help but you can't?  A family breaking up due to domestic violence? I have and I feel powerless and weak. It makes me feel really sad and wanting to cry.  I want to help but don't know how and feel that these problems are just too big for me.  😕 Does this mean we can never help solve the problems around us? No, we can make a differences and huge differences.  Every Christian woman has access to a tremendous source of power—PRAYER.  How many of your prayers have been answered? Many I am sure, some might be small but others amazi...

Queen Victoria   (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death. From 1 May 1876, she adopted the additional title of Empress of India. She inherited the throne aged 18, after her father's three elder brothers had all died, leaving no surviving legitimate children. Victoria married her first cousin, Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, in 1840. Their nine children married into royal and noble families across the continent, tying them together and earning her the sobriquet "the grandmother of Europe". After Albert's death in 1861, Victoria plunged into deep mourning and avoided public appearances. As a result of her seclusion, republicanism temporarily gained strength, but in the latter half of her reign her popularity recovered. Her Golden and Diamond Jubilees were times of public celebration. Queen Victoria reigned  of 63 years and seven mont...