12-18-2015

Mary’s Minute

“If there is to be any peace it will come through being, not having.”

                        ~ Henry Miller

I think we are all still in the hustle and bustle stage of the holiday season.  This stage for some people is a jolly one, while for some it turns stressful.  We are busy “preparing” while we remain cheerful in order to spread cheer.  For me, although I am happy and love the joy of the season, I am running around like mad most of the time.  There comes a point that all becomes calm for me.  It may be a moment in church, the calm after the wrapping paper explosion, or maybe a simple moment when I catch a twinkle of Christmas lights.  At some moment, all becomes tranquil, and I am at peace.  There is something about Christmas that always gives me that wonderful feeling.  It may not last long, but there is something incredibly special about Christmas peace.  It is the kind of peace that I truly believe could solve all the problems in the world if everyone could experience simultaneously.  Wishing you and your family love, joy, and the special peace of Christmas!

                                                Mary

12-11-2015

Mary’s Minute

Last night I had the pleasure of watching Charles Dickens’ Christmas classic, A Christmas Carol.  I was thinking of the different perspectives of the basic theme of the play, and was intrigued with subtitles for the play.  “A Christmas Carol:  a story of _____________”  Phrases that came to my mind included, a story of missed opportunities, a story of greed, a story of the true meaning of Christmas, or a story of regrets.  The one that I personally like the best of the words that floated through my head was, “A Christmas Carol: a story of new beginnings.”  At intermission my Bill commented, “This is really sad,” after seeing the ghost of Marley and the ghost of Christmas Past, but the ending is wonderful with Scrooge committing to a life of generosity and kindness.  The focus turns away from the past where regrets and missed opportunities lie, and instead resides with gratitude for a new beginning.  Although the past is used as a tool for Scrooge to make positive change in his life, the real story lies in the present and future.  Scrooge cannot regret the past, but must move forward in a positive way.  That is what Christmas can be for all of us.  We can look back to learn how we can grow, but we cannot dwell in the past.  We cannot think of missed opportunities, but must be thankful for new beginnings.

                God bless us, everyone!

                                Mary

12-4-2015

Mary's Minute

Single moments have the power to change our lives.  In the blink of an eye our lives can be forever changed by an event, such as an accident.  Another example of the power of the moment is the "aha" moment of the student when they learn something new. We also recognize the power of words, and how saying one thing to a person can be a moment that is life-changing.

We look at life and realize that it is the compilation of moments that make us who we are.  It is this interplay of moments and the cumulative effect that living has on us that truly define us.  In education this is called scaffolding and means that we strive to provide students with rich learning experiences so that when an unexpected learning moment arises they are ready for it.

In life, we cannot control much of what happens to us, but by filling our hearts and heads with positive thinking, we are better equipped to deal with the negative things that occur. In order to be successful we have to use our experiences to face the unexpected in the most positive ways.  In other words, we cannot control much of what happens, but we can control our attitude towards it.

Everything can change in a moment that we cannot predict, but we can be prepared by making the experiences that are within our control positive.  

                                                                    Have a great week!

                                                                    Mary