This appeared in a recent blog article by the Association of Christian Schools International called, “13 Ways to Build Resilience In Your Children“. When you can’t write it better, use the experts.
Welcome to 2021! Now What?
2020 was a year for the history books. And not one I’m sure any of us wants to repeat it. We no sooner got 2020 started than we had to change EVERYTHNG we knew about how to work from home, live, shop, wear masks, sanitize everything, communicate and wash our hands (just like grandma told us). Zoom even became a household word, a verb, a place to meet and a communication tool (what it was designed to be).
Storytime with Moose
As part of an MBC initiative, “MBC Storytime“, Moose and Heyoo read stories leading up to Christmas 2020. Here, Moose reads the book Princess Charity’s Courageous Heart, based on the parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37). Princess Charity’s Courageous Heart was written by Jeanna Young & Jacqueline Kinney Johnson with illustrator, Omar Aranda.
It was mostly fun to do and I hope you enjoy it. For Olivia! Moose
Advent; Anticipating the Coming of Christmas
As a kid I grew up in a main line denomination and I still remember some of the liturgical portions of those church services. I also remember that there were seasons marked out on our church calendar. Lent and Advent are two prominent ones I remember. As we approach Christmas this year, let’s talk about the Advent season that we are currently in. I am reminded that Advent candles shine brightly in the midst of darkness, symbolizing and remind us that Jesus came as Light into our dark world.
Advent means ‘coming’ in Latin. It could also mean “arrival”. Advent involves four candles around the wreath. A new candle is lit on each of the four Sundays before Christmas. This is the coming of Jesus, the Messiah, into the world. Christians use the four Sundays (weeks of Advent) leading up to Christmas to prepare and remember the real meaning of Christmas. That being the birth of Christ.
The Candle of Hope – Like the prophets in the Old Testament, we hope for a Messiah to save us from the sin in the world (Isaiah 9:6-7). We anticipate our Saviour’s arrival. This candle assures us we can have hope that God will fulfill the prophecies declared in the Old Testament about Jesus. Hope doesn’t disappoint us (Romans 5:5). We hope Jesus will return soon to this dark and despairing world.
The Candle of Peace – One of the hallmarks of the Christmas story is when the angels appear to the shepherds and proclaim, “Peace on earth,” in Luke 2:14. Jesus brought about peace, in the most unexpected ways, when he arrived. Jesus brings us peace in a number of ways. First, he gives us inner peace. Because of his work on the cross, we have a chance to receive salvation and be indwelled by the Holy Spirit (John 14:27). Not only do we have the peace that comes from our assurance of salvation, but we also have the peace of mind knowing God will heal this broken world and will come again.
Second, we have peace with others. We put aside our differences (Galatians 3:28), especially with other believers, because we belong to the same family. We have the same purpose: to let others know about the peace of Christ. The Hebrew word for peace: Shalom, goes far beyond not fighting with others or peace as we know it. Shalom is how things are meant to be: a slice of heaven.
The Candle of Joy – this candle reflects the joy that comes through Jesus’ arrival, and through the salvation he has gifted us. Christians may wonder why the church decided to make this particular candle a different color than the others. This week celebrates the joy of Christ’s coming to earth. It is also known as the Shepherd Candle to highlight the joy the shepherds experienced when they received the good news about Christ’s birth (Luke 2:8-20). During the middle of the night, the darkest time, the shepherds encountered angels.
The Candle of Love – We know that virtues such as love, hope, peace, joy, and faith are important in the Christmas story as well as in our daily walk with Christ. Love plays a vital role in the Christmas story. Because of Joseph’s love for Mary, he didn’t stone her when he found out she was pregnant with what he thought was a child out of wedlock with another man (Matthew 1:18-19). Mary has a natural motherly love for Jesus, and ultimately, we see God’s love for everyone by sending his son for us (John 3:16). Jesus focused on preaching love throughout his ministry.
Two of his greatest commands involve love: Love God, love your neighbor (Matthew 22:36-40). Love is the greatest of all the virtues on the Advent wreath and encompasses Jesus’ entire purpose for being on earth (1 Corinthians 13:13).
The Christ Candle – In addition to the love candle, we light the white candle at the center of the wreath on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. The white tends to symbolize Christ’s purity, showing Christ’s righteousness and blamelessness. The Christ candle represents Christ and the role he plays in the Christmas story. Jesus brought light into the world through his arrival on earth as a baby.
We can’t leave the Advent season without a reminder that the story doesn’t end at Christmas. We know that in Jesus’ life on earth that Christmas leads to Easter, to His death on the cross. Without Easter, Christmas is nothing more than carols, turkey, cookies, pie and a nap.
Have Merry Christmas & see you at Easter.
Ripples of Caring and Kindness
A stone dropped in a pond generates waves in a beautiful changing pattern, a rippling ring radiating outward from a centre that gradually returns to quietude. The expanding ring is called a wave packet. Individual waves travel at different speeds, the long ones going fastest and the shortest ones slowest.
“Even the smallest act of caring for another person is like a drop of water – it will make ripples throughout the entire pond.” Jessy and Bryan Matteo
Ripples of caring and kindness can go a long way out from us. Lots of ties we don’t see the results of those ripples as they affect the lives of the people we connect with, but it also goes out and touches the people they connect with. The influence of our caring and kindness, our example, is multiplied.
Here’s another way to look at it. One of my favourite quotes is about apple seeds. They are pretty small, but have great potential and possibilities. “You can always cut open the apple and find out how many seeds are inside, but there’s no way you can cut the seed and find out how many apples are in it.”
Jesus told a parable in Matthew 25:34-40 about the sheep and the goats. In it he says, “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’
And again in Matthew 10:42 he says, “And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones who is my disciple, truly I tell you, that person will certainly not lose their reward.”
“The Ripple Effect” Poem
Drop a pebble in the water, just a splash and it is gone, but there are half-a-hundred ripples, circling on and on and on.
Spreading from the center, flowing onward to the sea, and there is no way of telling, where the end is going to be.
Drop a word of cheer and kindness, just a splash and it is gone, but there are half a-hundred ripples circling on and on and on.
Bearing hope and joy and comfort, on each splashing, dashing wave – til you wouldn’t believe the volume, of the one kind word you gave.
Drop a word of cheer and kindness, in a minute you forget,
But there is gladness still a-swelling, and there’s joy a-circling yet.
For you’ve rolled a wave of comfort, whose sweet music can be heard, over miles and miles of water all around the world, by just dropping… One Kind Word
Building Resilience in Campers
At Widjiitiwin, campers and staff often get scrapes, bumps and bruises. Sometimes they get sick for a day or two. Sometimes they fall and hit their head, arm or butt.
Camp is far and away the safest place for these things to happen to children. Because children are away from home, they adapt and learn the skills needed to deal with relatively minor adversities of life. Of course, they do this with the warm and thoughtful assistance of caring staff.
When children at camp face a bit of diversity, the staff at camp – cabin leaders, the chiefs, program staff, directors, even kitchen and service staff – are all here to pick them up, help with their adaptation skills and move on.
What better place to learn to handle the trials and tribulations of daily life is there than camp? We can’t think of any.
Camp has this incredible way of impacting so many people in so many different ways. When campers think they are spending the summer simply having fun, they often have no idea the character, social skills and self-confidence they are building at the same time. Camp helps foster empathy toward others. It can make them responsible, kind and brave. It also makes them resilient.
Campers are pushed (gently) out of their comfort zones every day when they are at camp. They are encouraged to try new things. Sometimes they make mistakes, but campers are taught that the only time you fail is when you stop trying. Because of this attitude, campers learn to pick themselves up and brush themselves off. They learn to face adversity — a skill they carry with them for the rest of their lives. At SALT we call it “failing with dignity“.
Cabin leaders teach campers that being tough doesn’t mean you’re void of emotions. You can be brave and scared at the same time. It’s okay to cry, feel frustrated, even walk away if you need a break (as long as the cabin leader knows where they are). It’s okay to ask for help. Campers face different kinds of challenges very day, all summer, from attempting the ropes course, swimming for the first time, conquering stage fright or just introducing themselves to new people. But every time they face a fear, even if they struggle, they become a little more resilient each time. They learn to embrace stepping out of their comfort zone.
Self-confidence is not something that comes naturally to all campers, but it is something they develop after a summer at camp. They naturally begin to see themselves as capable, smart, brave, athletic, kind, interesting and strong. It sets a solid foundation for the people they are becoming.
Camp helps mold campers into confident and resilient individuals, all disguised as the best summer they’ve ever had.
Borrowed in part from Camp Laurel
Have You Been to God’s Night School?
Have you been to God’s night school? You know you have. I certainly have. Too many times to count. It’s the middle of the night and for seemingly no good reason there you are, lying WIDE AWAKE. Even if you’ve had a sleeping pill, fan on, window open or warm milk (I never did understand that one) and all the other perfect sleeping conditions, you just CAN’T. FALL. BACK. ASLEEP. Whatever is occupying your subconscious mind wakes you up. And keeps you awake even after using the bathroom. You try listening to music, tossing and turning, changing pillows, reading, making notes (that are, of course, unintelligible in the morning), blankets up, blankets down, switch side to side, 87 different positions and by the time you have done all of that it finally occurs to you that maybe, just maybe I should pray.
Over the last few weeks my sleep has been disturbed many nights. I worry. I always have. I can tell you that I have an average of 12.7 nights a month when I lie awake and I lose just over a half hour of sleep each time. And you likely do as well, though maybe not so many. We worry about our kids, our work, our spouse, our friends, family & loved ones, even the pandemic. Why should I worry? What does it help?
If you can’t sleep, then get up and do something instead of lying there worrying. It’s the worry that gets you, not the lack of sleep. Dale Carnegie
Jesus says it so well in Luke 12:25-31 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? If then you are not able to do as small a thing as that, why are you anxious about the rest? Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass, which is alive in the field today, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith! And do not seek what you are to eat and what you are to drink, nor be worried. For all the nations of the world seek after these things, and your Father knows that you need them. Instead, seek his kingdom, and these things will be added to you.
Worrying doesn’t accomplish much does it? BUT, prayer does.
If you are up late tonight (or the next time you are wide awake not sleeping), ask God this one question, “What’s next God!“. And when you’re lying awake, you can most definitely pray. Start with those who God brings to your mind.
She Chose Life for Me!!
World Adoption Day is coming up on Monday, November 9th and I want to thank a woman I never got to meet.
I need to thank my birth mom for giving me life. Many of you know that I’m adopted. My birth mom was Elizabeth Madge Osmond. She had other options after discovering she was pregnant with me, but she chose life and adoption for me. I am SO very grateful for that. She passed away in the summer of 2018, and I feel a loss for someone I never got to meet.
You can likely guess that I am pro life and you would be right. Every life is precious and we are all made in the image of God.
At Christmas of 2019, my oldest daughter, Nicole, reached out to my half brother Sam and basically said, “I think my dad is your brother”. As it turns out I was a HUGE surprise to the family that she had kept for 55 years (and she was known for not being able to keep a secret). As Sam informed Jill, my sister, she had to sit down as it was quite a shock. Jill started contacting my uncles to see if anyone might have known something. As it would turn out there was in fact some knowledge about me within the family.
There are no secrets, just delayed knowledge.
Since then, I have grown to love this new family of mine. They have shown me great grace and taken me in as one of their own (which I am). It is fantastic to find some people that I look like. At 6’2″ I am actually average height for a man in the Osmond family. That’s both weird and cool at the same time.
I became the impetus to start a regular video chat with the cousins on the first and third Sunday evenings of each month. First to introduce me, now to build community with family. We cross five time zones in Canada and the USA. And we’re planning a family get-together/reunion next summer in Pictou, Nova Scotia.
I have been writing about adoption around the World Adoption Day for few years now. If you want to read any of those other blogs, you can check them out on the Widjiitiwin.ca website.
God’s Goodness in Pain & Suffering
And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28
This verse doesn’t mean all things will be good. No matter how rose-colored our glasses are, there’s nothing good about cancer, sex trafficking, the Covid-19 pandemic, or death. Until Jesus returns and conquers Satan once and for all, sin will continue to drag its poisonous tentacles across our world, damaging and destroying everything in its wake.
The truth of Romans 8:28 reminds us that although sin and Satan are powerful, God is more powerful; He is able to redeem and restore anything for our good and his glory. All things may not be good, but God can and will use all things for good.
Crucially, though, this promise is limited to “those who love God,” and “those who are called according to His purpose.”
And, don’t miss Romans 8:29 – “For those God foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers”. The “good” God has promised his children is to conform them to the image of Christ, for the purpose of bringing himself glory.
A wise Bible teacher once said, “God allows everything into our lives for one of two purposes—either to bring us into a relationship with himself or, if we already know him, to make us more like His Son.”
The last paragraph (from The Shack) is a helpful way in looking at God’s goodness and pain/suffering.
“Just because I work incredible good out of an unspeakable tragedies doesn’t it means I orchestrate the tragedies. Don’t ever assume that me using something means I caused it or that I needed to accomplish my purpose. That will only lead you to false notions about me. Grace doesn’t depend on suffering to exist, but where there is suffering your find grace in many facets and colours.”
Joni Eareckson Tada said, “God permits what he hates to accomplish what he loves.” There is no greater evidence of this than the cross of Jesus Christ. God permitted what he hates–the sacrifice of his Son–to accomplish what he loves–salvation for all who will put their trust in him.“
Randy Alcorn said, “Good Friday isn’t called bad Friday because we see it in retrospect: We know that out of the appalling bad came inexpressible good. And that good trumps the bad. Although the bad was temporary, the good was eternal. If someone had delivered Jesus from his suffering, Jesus could not have delivered us from ours.“
Adrian Rogers said, “In the chemistry of the cross God takes things that, in and of themselves, are bad, and He puts them together, much as a chemist might take chemicals that, in and of themselves, may be deleterious and mixes them to make a medicine that brings healing. The good is not to make us necessarily healthy or happy but to make us holy, to make us like Jesus.”
Remember and Return
“Let any man turn to God in earnest, let him begin to exercise himself unto godliness, let him seek to develop his powers of spiritual receptivity by trust and obedience and humility, and the results will exceed anything he may have hoped in his leaner and weaker days.” – A.W. Tozer
Meandering Moose 