As followers of Jesus we love our God who loves children. Therefore we must teach our children to be kind loving people who will grow up ok in our not so perfect world. Back to school in a week or so, Labour Day weekend kind of marks the timing for us. We do have some summer days ahead still, it’s not over yet. Now a lot of school and activities begin. Whether it is kindergarten or higher learning, starting in September is like a new beginning for many. A small child starting school is a big step.
Moving along into each grade is a big deal as well. Let’s give the little ones love and praise as they brave that first step into a school setting.
As for the grade school child, we must continue to show them patience and kindness as they navigate each grade they go to. School work, new teachers and friends are all important things and we can remind them they are ok and can do this. A healthy outlook and encouragement.
Then onto High School, a whole new adventure for sure. Meeting many new people and having many classes instead of only a few. They need a sense of belonging. Learning how to organize their lives differently. Teaching them to stay open to new friendships and remembering everyone else is as nervous as you may be. It’s ok. Jesus teaches us Don’t Be Afraid. High School is a chance to build a new community. Let us not compromise on friendships and hard work.
As for higher learning students onto College or University keep an open mind. Be kind to yourself. Living in residence, or commuting can a different experience. Be open to changes, don’t be afraid to ask for direction or help. Ask the questions. This is a major life experience for you that many don’t have the privilege to have. Take in every moment. Encouraging our young adults to grasp all this with open minds and hearts.
So you see, September is a big month for our Children. Let’s remind ourselves and them, that God loves you, no matter. The choices we make today carry out into our futures. God is with us and them along the way, and teaching our young people that, is truly a blessing. … 30 August 2026
Our children are a gift from God. Blessings for sure. Grandchildren are a bonus legacy showing us if we raise our children with love and care, it can carry on in our lives. Children around the world grow up with many differences in daily routines, family structures, education and even play It does take a village to raise the children, extended families neighbors and other family and siblings step in. It is a privilege to be around, raise or have children in places in our lives. They have so much to teach us. They remind us it is the small things that matter. They have unconditional love and a sense of wonder.
Being in a world full of electronics, we have to remind ourselves that they don’t need these things to be kids. Unstructured time, freedom to play, make up their own rules is important, as soon enough they will be an adult out in the world. Getting messy, painting playing in puddles or dirt and using their imaginations helps prepare them to be creative. Warm hugs, encouragement, it is important for parents and caregivers to give children undivided attention without phones or interruptions.
Feeling safe and validated. Bedtime stories and routines. My children loved catching bugs and worms, that I often found in their pockets doing laundry. Sports for some is good team building and learning skills that may be hard. There is no real success in life without it being hard in the beginning. We can teach the children that the kindness you put out into the world will come back to you. Children are not burdens but blessings. Remember we were all children once. …24 August 2026
Be kind, for everyone you meet is going through something. Jesus knows our pain and hurts and cries with us. Grief is a subject most don’t like to talk about. There are so many assumptions about grief.
People want a timeline but there is no timeline. Loss of a partner is only one type of grief. We need to move on, they say one of the worst things someone can say. When I was told this all, I could think of was
I hope they don’t ever have to feel the pain I feel.
We all know life keeps going even if we have been stopped in our tracks with a loss. Life as you knew it day to day just changed.
Seems night time is the worst for many. Summer time, holidays and many traditions even ever so small is no longer the same without your person. The loss of your person is a different kind of grief. I did not say necessarily harder than any other grief, just different. That person engulfed our life.
You had someone to share perspective on everyday decisions and ask the questions you may not have thought of. It is losing everyday life as you knew it. You can even lose community you had as a couple as people feel awkward. Grief can be lonely even in a crowded place. But we put our head up and carry on. Memories will never leave you, and it’s ok to have your moments – a song, an experience you wish they were there to share with you. Sometimes it leaves you numb for that moment you are remembering.
Just because our people are not here, does not mean they ever leave our thoughts. Even when you can’t believe they are gone your heart will hold them forever. So yes the loss of our person is different. In the worst of times we are grateful for every moment you shared. So until we see them again hold the small things with love and cherish every memory you have in your heart. Talk about them with pride and smile when you remember the time you got to spend with them. Go forward knowing that love is in our memories and our person will never be erased. …17 August 2026
As the summer months move along, we enjoy our beautiful summer adventures. Going into August our crops and gardens are at their peak.
We will soon be enjoying the fruits of our labor. Flowers are blooming and looking beautiful. Shows us we sow the seeds, results are endless.
Our lives are made up of many seasons. Beginnings and endings. We are born only to grow and learn as we go along. We go to school or work from a young age. We learn how to make friends and hopefully get along ok in our world.
Then we perhaps go to high school, get a summer job and dream big. Perhaps onto higher learning or a trade or continue working along. Maybe we marry, buy a home, have a family, work hard. Maybe even
start our own business. We could move to a new place far away from home to again begin a new life. So you see we start new beginnings and endings all the way through. New careers, new lives, raising families, perhaps new relationships along the way. Then endings pop up. Even giving up our dreams. End of relationships and marriages. Unexpected illness and death. Then grief or loss of family and friends. The ending of our lives as we knew it is always a challenge.It really is a constant beginning and ending.
So as they say take each moment as a blessing with open hearts and take our endings while can be a blessing, as a bump in our road with hope in our hearts for a fulfilling future. We were never promised another moment, only God’s love as we travel along. So we thank God for each one. …10 August 2026
Jesus teaches us to examine our own flaws before passing judgement on others. Have you ever been judged or judged people yourself? I believe we judge all the time without always realizing that it is exactly what we are doing? Until it happens to us.
I know we have to try to get along as a whole but there are always going to be traits in people we don’t know, or we don’t have, or we want to have or even are not right or proper. We can agree to let it be. As long as we can be pleasant and kind no matter. We will never ever all be the same, and forever people have disagreed. We have to see, we will never ever all be of the same mindset and so surround ourselves with those who lift us up. Our world is made up of so many different people, it is a true challenge
not to judge.
It is full of bad energy and feelings. One thing is we don’t always see a person as a good person unless we know what they do for a living, where they live, how much they earn, what kind of car they drive, how we dress, do they travel? There is constant judgement. We have to learn to let it be. It is us as people to reap the consequences of judgement. I’ve learnt we can never please everyone. We have one chance at our life.
It can change in a moment. Savour the good and the bad. Enjoy yourself and surround yourself with kindness and Love. It is ok to not always agree but we don’t have to. God tells us to focus on yourself and our own flaws and in the long run, we reap what we sow….28 July 2026
We are, however called to love each other. Last week of July already. Time just goes by so fast. It is how we spend our time in work and play that really matters. Taking in all life offers us. Embracing even the slower calm days of summer.
Lately a lot has gone on in our world with sports and weather challenges. This is both disappointing and unexpected turns in our lives. While things are cancelled we can spend extra time
indoors with those we care about. Life is really a choice how we react when in crisis and unexpected challenges come our way. If we wake up with a semi plan in our hearts, it helps. Or you may be that person that goes by what happens, happens.
We live in a world of judgement and complaining. In the long run how much do our complaints get us. We can make change and advocate for it. We can try to embrace ourselves first and carry that out to others. Enjoy the small things. It is ok to dream big and reach for the stars but reality touches us when we are thankful, work hard and are kind. There is so much crisis and pain in our world and it is ok and not have worries, but it’s out there.
I believe it is our approach and attitude. Showing love and kindness may help even for one person. It is the small things God has tried to show us that matters. Our self worth for ourselves is not how others see us but how we see ourselves.
Jesus was kind to everyone. Kindness is not so hard. It does not mean we sweep things under the carpet. It means we try to let our actions dictate and acceptance goes along way. It does not mean you have to agree with everything.
So spend those moments with family, friends and colleagues. Do what we can to embrace the moments that can be gone in a split second. We only have one chance each day to be kind and embrace life. … 26 July 2026
Prayer does not change God but it changes you who prays. It does not change you unless you allow it. Does God want us to embrace change and be this way? At one time windows were just a hole in a room. Application was something written on a piece of paper. Keyboard was a piano, and Mouse was a little animal. File was an important office document. Hard Drive was an uncomfortable road trip. Cut meant with a knife. Paste was glue. Web was a spiders home and virus was a flu bug. Apple and blackberries were fruits. Does this all matter, maybe, perhaps. It was a time when we spoke to each other face
to face. We spent time together without checking a phone as god forbid we miss a message or email. It seems phones and computers are always in our reach.
Even our shopping is done online and our bills. You don’t even have to leave your property. You can watch virtual reality for a park or beach experience. Never leave your home.
Don’t get me wrong, technology can be amazing but it does not make us compassionate kind people. It is a part of life not always for the better, although to some it is. You don’t have to embrace this but it is the future. We should have respect for both sides. Those that embrace the changes but those who choose not to.
We are inspired to keep moving ahead and be content and dream big. It requires us to renew our minds, trust in the transitions, they really are opportunities for growth.
So let’s go with change knowing we really can’t stop it. We can still put our phones and computers away and spend quality time with our friends and family. While we let go of our resistance and realize it’s ok not to go for it all. … 20 July 2026
Blessings in our lives are not just biblical. They can be blessings of goodwill and an expression of happiness and kindness. To celebrate our beautiful moments, life gives us.
I personally was blessed to be a stay at home mom to my 4 children for some years. Society sometimes frowned upon a stay at home mom in some ways. People always ask what do you
do, and when the answer was stay at home mom the reaction was always mixed. I believe I was truly blessed to have the opportunity to stay home. I never waivered on my appreciation of the blessing I had. It was a given chance to take in every moment. I was run off my feet and exhausted but would not have done it any other way. I was able to volunteer at my children’s school and church. So you see, my life has been truly blessed.
I ventured out years later and worked at a funeral home for years and in a daycare. Now I ventured into retirement These in my eyes are all blessings. We just have to look around and our blessings are right in front of us. To wake up in a warm cozy bed, a warm cozy home and enjoy our morning coffee without even a thought. Maybe before we have judgement and opinions we should give blessings and kindness to others.
It is our attitudes and options we choose that give blessings to those around us. Making sure people know they matter. It is about how we live with our blessings. No matter how hard we worked our blessings are a
gift. Most blessings are right in front of us we just have to be open to recognize them. …14 July 2026
I’ve said it before there is no right or wrong way to pray. Just saying. God just would like us to talk to him occasionally and walk in his word throughout our daily lives. He does not tell us what to do, but gives us the opportunity to fix things, and live our lives with what is. He gives us hope and inspiration to have dreams right until the end.
With so many things in our world to pray for we should be genuine in our ongoing conversations with God. Pray with an open heart and pray anywhere. You can pray in your car, home, kneel down or just at night silently in bed.
Lately I’m sure we pray for a win in our sports teams and even pray for a good day at work. God listens no matter. We pray for our world around us. We pray for friends and family and those we care about. We pray for those we have never met but hope that with many prayers, God will answer. Praying is a simple thing to do. You can speak or pray silently. You can admit mistakes and misconceptions and ask forgiveness always. Trust in God and your own words and always have gratitude. So in conclusion just believe and pray
even if it’s a simple request. It is good for you and your relationship with God. …5 July 2026
Do sports even bring people together? I believe they can be powerful reminders our world can be together on this stage.
Baseball, football, hockey, lacrosse and most recently soccer teams from around the world. In the past weeks we have enjoyed baseball and especially soccer with the FIFA World Cup. Some will say the cost of these events goes far beyond what we can imagine but are the results worth it?
All I know is the excitement and bringing people together has been amazing. So many different countries, some that live in not much joy, the sport is giving a bit right now. You just have to watch the Mexican supporters dancing in the streets with many fans from South Korea and Japan. These are memorable highlights. Worlds apart coming together.
The games themselves watching player after player extending a hand to help a player up after they just
wiped them out. Or a high five when each other score. The shared flag celebrations showing crowds singing and dancing together under so many mixed national flags.
So as we go through the 2026 FIFA World Cup remember it accommodates 48 teams playing a total of
104 matches across the countries Canada, Mexico and the USA. So no matter if we are a fan or not, our faith
and athletes are intertwined with discipline and perseverance and so much team work on and off the
playing field.
There are few things in our world bringing so much joy outside of our own worlds. So let us let it be, as it
unfolds. Enjoy and scream and shout for joy over a goal or good play. High five a stranger and be happy and joyful. … 28 June 2028
As we approach mid year of 2026 we can reset our lives for patience and resilience for the next six months. Lots has already happened this year. Some good and some not so good experiences. Try to celebrate the victories and reflect on the challenges.
We can move along with mindfulness. Our world is not a nice place sometimes but with belief even in awful situations there can be light. God stays faithful. It is like a restart when things go wrong.
Prayers do get answered, maybe not always as might hope or expect or right away. We are given frustrating moments and difficult people. We can be challenged to choose peace and endurance. That’s when we press our restart again. For many it’s losing a job, a relationship, our place we knew as home and even our friends and family. It can be a daily struggle to find joy again. Although this sounds easier to some than others, it can be hit us in any aspect of change in our lives.
So as we go along halfway through 2026 let’s listen to what Morgan Freeman suggests …Let’s
pray every day but realize this, just because we ask for patience, it does not mean God gives us
patience. He gives opportunity to be patient. If we pray for courage, God does not just hand us
courage. He gives you opportunity to be courageous. And finally if you pray for better
family life to be closer, God does not just put that warm and fuzzy feeling feeling in us. He gives us
opportunity to love each other.
So perhaps in all this we can try to embrace change and growth and work side by side. I
believe it will make the second half of 2026 much more rewarding and maybe we will even be
surprised at the results. … 22 June 2026
How do we live our lives? Are we as kind as we could be? Think about this…
Hate has four letters, So does Love
Enemies has seven letters, so does Friends
Lying has five letters, so does Truth
Failure has seven letters, so does Success
Negativity has ten letters, so does positivity
Cry has three letters, but so does Joy
So what should we choose? What do we choose? How do we want to live our lives? It really is a choice. What really truly matterIs it our success, careers, what we own, where we live? Or is it a combination of all that we think is important? Kindness in our world I believe helps. Our attitudes toward life in general is important. We need to take each day and moment and be grateful. Enjoy the small things in our world. Our world would so much better if our opinions changed. Yes it is very hard as we see things happening which are beyond our comprehension, but one small step forward can help when we don’t judge. Perhaps it is our jobs to help one another. Our experiences do help form us, but our attitude and acceptance that makes us good people.
Accepting everyone starts with us. It means letting go of resentments and some opinions.
It does not mean ignoring bad behaviours or not having boundaries but simply being at peace as we go along, realizing that we are not all the same and we can’t change everything. So you see it is a choice on how we live our lives.
We are so blessed and helping others and accepting others can be part of the solution. So try not to close your heart to others as somehow it shows us, we are more blessed when we give than when we receive. – 15 June 2026
Did you know there is no right or wrong way to grieve. We all grieve in our own way and time. After the passing of a friend or loved one it can be chaos. People you haven’t seen forever show up. Perhaps bringing food, gathering and checking in. I guess we have to realize the many relationships a person has obtained in their lives. There are many types of grief. Losing a job, losing a marriage or relationship, having to move away from a place so familiar to you, just major changes in our lives can cause immense grief. God shows us there is never a rush in grief, but instead he walks along beside us in our pain
and changes we encounter.
Grief can hit us at any moment. A song, a person, a book, a movie, a vacation and even an experience. It hits unexpectedly. The emotion and love can come in waves. The heartache is real. It seems most people try to be understanding and kind but my experience has been everyone is different. If you have not experienced grief just know, sitting and holding space is a good way to be there for someone going through grief. Sometimes the impact of life changes does not hit until all the festivities of celebrating one’s life is finished, and everyone goes about their lives again. Learning how to have family gatherings in divorce and in death can be challenging.
It can be a huge impact on everyday life. So next time you know someone experiencing grief know it is theirs to go through in any timeline. And actually there really is no timeline.
Since you left, life has not felt the same.
I miss you quietly in the memories.
Time keeps moving along.
But my heart holds the memories forever. – June 8, 2026
As always it is good to start off your week refreshed and with a renewal of our faith and confidence . Start with kindness and attitude of acceptance . No matter how you are feeling letting go, renewing is a good practice. So many things factor into our health and well being and overall mindfulness.
This all helps us cope with all life gives us as we go through every day struggles. Remember that each day is a gift and what we endure and handle is far more and beyond our expectations.
Illness , death , loss of family and friend relationships . All a test to our emotional well being .In our world these days we have to try our best to stay positive . It is very challenging but with faith all things are possible . So enjoy your days, take in all that is good around you and most of all be grateful for the small things. – June 1, 2026.