“I learned that you can tell a lot about a person by the way (s) he handles these three things:
a rainy day, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights.” Maya Angelou Recently my daughter Shannon and I had an amazing experience of performing in a childrens’ theatrical production in our home town called Annie Junior. It was our first show together and clearly a dream come true for both of us. I have directed many plays in my teaching career, yet had not had much opportunity to be in any. My daughter was an orphan and servant and I was a servant as well. It was produced and directed by good friends of mine, Terry and Lenore Raisbeck who are extremely talented and gifted in the arts. I have long admired them and to be able to perform with them was so wonderful for both my daughter and I. They run a theater company called The Little Tomato Theater involving youth from our area and the shows that they produce are absolutely second to none. What an meaningful experience for kids to be a part of something so magical and memorable. It was so exciting to watch Shannon grow as an actor and get into character as both a rough and tumble orphan and a prim and proper servant. Polar opposite roles for sure, yet she played them both very well! Nearly 2500 people came to see this heart warming show where an adorable redhead finally gets a family. I will never forget when the curtain opens with all the orphans in place ready to sing their big number, a clear crowd favourite, “Hard Knock Life.” The song speaks to the “rotten, smelly life,” these orphans endure day after day at the hands of a cantankerous, task master, the manager of the orphanage, Miss Hannigan. Fortunately, through a wonderful turn of events, not only Annie, but all the orphans have a happy ending when the very rich and compassionate Oliver Warbucks comes to their rescue. Their once “full of sorrow” life now had a bright future and the audience could not have been happier! It is wonderful when life is like that and things work out for the best, yet as you know it does not always work like that in real life. Happy endings do not always come in the real world. Many times we can feel like those orphans and that nothing seems to be going our way. Crisis, serious problems or maybe just a million little things bring us down. Life gets so hectic and the day to day grind can really take its toll. My mom, a retired teacher regularly volunteers in my classroom. She comes in with the most creative insights and simple life lessons to share with the kids each week. Last week she decided to launch a discussion on expressions and what they mean. She was curious to see what the students thought certain common clichés meant. It was cute to see what the kids thought about these common expressions. I had to chuckle to myself when she said “What about this one? Stop the world. I want to get off!” I was feeling that way lately with being into the crazy season of final assessments, report cards, and final projects and exam prep for my own kids. Interesting though that she also mentioned an original expression that my comical grandfather, her dad used to regularly say as well. He always had a positive spin on things and unique perspectives despite his circumstances. When asked how he was he would often reply “Everything’s jiggaloo!” Simply he meant like we often say these days “It’s all good!” A good example of a positive outlook for us to follow. Perspective is a truly wonderful thing. No matter how hard we have it in life, there is always someone who has a worse scenario than us. It is easy to complain about little things when truly we are so blessed and have so much to be thankful for as Canadians. Sometimes it is good to make a conscious effort to take inventory of what we truly have. We forget too quickly all the wonderful things that God has given us to make our lives more comfortable and meaningful. The expression “This too shall pass,” often holds true for many of the challenges we face, although we sometimes cannot see it at the time. Sometimes getting away from things for a while can be just what you need to get a healthier view on things. Recently, my husband and I went away for a weekend together to a quiet retreat center, not far from home. He works afternoons and we were really needing a chance to have some time together to reconnect and talk about things other than what errands needed to be done and the day to day household chores. It was very quiet there with very few guests that weekend. All the staff kept apologizing for the lack of activity on the grounds yet in reality this was exactly what we needed. A welcome change from the hustle and bustle of life. I work with 20 little kids in one room all day long, so a quiet, restful atmosphere was absolutely heavenly. We felt that the staff catered to our every whim and we left feeling refreshed and rejuvenated. This is something I recommend for all married couples. You really need to take time for each other and carve out time for just the two of you to keep your sanity in the busyness of life. The world lost a wonderful and compassionate soul this week. I have long admired Maya Angelou who is an actress, poet and civil rights activist and her deep insights and perspectives on things. She went through many challenges in her youth but she learned how to overcome them and made a name for herself. Her positive outlook on things and determination to keep focused on the things that really matter in life where truly her saving grace. She was a powerful mentor of Oprah Winfrey and I have included one of her quotes on the blog this week. I don’t know what you are going through right now. You may have a “rotten smelly life” or your life may be going very well, quite “jiggaloo” as my grandpa would say. Life has good times and bad and we have to handle them all. When the bad times come, we need to remember that life can be hard, but God is good. The Bible says: He will never leave us or forsake us which means God is there as a source of comfort for us always. Talk to people you trust too. It is very healing to know people can relate and they have been where you are and have lived to tell about it! Keep your perspective everyone! Whatever you are going through can be used to make you a better stronger person if you let it. Often our biggest struggles with time, patience and the right outlook can become blessings if we are open minded to it! God Bless! Dana Deuteronomy 31:6 ~ Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord God goes with you: He will never leave you or forsake you. Little Lesson Learned: The right perspective can turn a seemingly impossible situation around quickly if we allow for this possibility. Copyright: Littlelessonslearnedbydana, 2014
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“Butterflies can’t see their wings. They can’t see how truly beautiful they are, but everyone else can. People are like that as well.” Anonymous A beautiful thing took place for my family last weekend. We had the incredible experience of witnessing the water baptism of my two teenagers. In our particular faith (Pentecostal), we dedicate our children as babies and then each individual chooses the right time to be baptized in water for him or herself when he or she is ready. Both my kids decided that Easter Sunday was the right time for them. Together with family and friends they shared their stories of how they wanted to live a Christ centered life and make a public confession of their faith. This time our church started a new tradition with baptisms which was having a parent or significant mentor speak a blessing over the person being baptized. This was a very powerful experience for me and for those who attended as well. It was extremely emotional, yet so meaningful. A very proud moment for parents when their kids have chosen on their own to live for God and can get up in front of a packed church and declare that. We witnessed a beautiful thing take place that day. Parenting teens certainly has its ups and downs, but when a parent experiences a moment like this, it is one they will truly always cherish. Likewise I heard a beautiful thing tonight. I attended a concert in my hometown that was truly incredible. This small orchestra made up of mostly teenagers played a wide variety of songs from pop to classical and left the crowd mesmerized with their incredible talents. The most impressive thing about this orchestra was that all their instruments were made from garbage, literally. The call themselves The Recycled Orchestra and they were from Paraguay. Among the various instruments were violins created from paint and baking cans and saxophones created from eaves trough tubing. Why you might ask? The reason is that this is the only option they had to bring music to this impoverished area. It was unreal that instruments made of junk made such beautiful music mimicking the actual instruments they were based on so authentically. I did not anticipate this when I went there and was so impressed by this group. I heard something beautiful arise from what others would see as just a pile of rubble originally. It always amazes me when people can see such potential in something. Who would think that a cookie tin could be converted into part of a guitar or a oil can a string base? Wow! A concert to remember that is certain! They kept saying talent is everywhere but opportunity is not. This was their way of creatively trying to level the playing field a bit and I would say they were very successful. There is a saying that one man’s junk is another man’s treasure and I literally witnessed this tonight. Beautiful things are all around us but we can get so busy it is hard to notice them sometimes. A child’s giggles, a favourite song, a sunny day, a warm hug, a wonderful visit or even a hot cup of coffee. Beautiful things come our way all the time and we sometimes need to remind ourselves how truly blessed we are to be able to experience them. As people we may not feel like we are that beautiful at times. We may struggle with feelings of low self worth or a sense of inadequacy, yet God specializes in making beautiful things out of our lives. We bring Him brokenness and he provides healing. We bring Him fear and he brings us peace. We bring Him worry and he brings us faith. On our own we cannot do it, but with God’s help He can bring out the beauty in all of us if we are open. A song I have sung often is called Through His Eyes of Love and the lyrics say “Through His eyes of love. See yourself the ways God does. Through His eyes of love. You’re perfect through His eyes of love!“ When Tyler was little he had a collection of tiny ceramic dogs. He loved and handled them so often that they were very nicked and scuffed. When I noticed what rough shape they were in, I inquired about what he wanted to do with them. Tyler quickly replied that he just loved them “that much more,” because of their nicks. He was looking through eyes of love and something beautiful was seen despite their obvious flaws. It is so vital to focus on seeing the beautiful things that exist in all people. I believe we need to attempt to focus more on seeing the potential in people around us over their shortcomings. What a world we would have if we all tried to envision more frequently what could come from a person or situation if the right opportunity and encouragement was provided. I have often shared the starfish story when I have speaking engagements. The story is told of a little boy who was walking along the beach one day. The tide had gone out and had left countless starfish stranded on the beach. One by one, he began frantically tossing them back into the water. An older man witnessed this and inquired about what the little boy was doing. The boy explained that he had to save the starfish. The negative man scoffed saying “There are so many starfish and only one of you! What difference can you possibly make?” The little boy sweetly replied as he tossed a starfish in the water, “a huge difference for this one!” He saw the beauty and potential. We all have beautiful things inside of us to offer this world. I know there are beautiful things just waiting to be shared in you and I want you to see it as well. Take a good look in the mirror tonight and know that a truly beautiful person is looking back at you. Believe this and let the world see it too! Until next time, Dana Isaiah 61:3 ~ God gives: “a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.” Little Lesson Learned: Beautiful things are in us and around us. Take time to realize that and notice them today.
Tags: beautiful things, beautiful things in time, God's transformation, recycled orchestra, starfish story, Christian blog“Life is a journey with problems to solve, lessons to learn, but most of all experiences to enjoy.” (iliketoquote.com) The sun was out today and it felt absolutely wonderful! After a very cold and long winter, what an encouragement it was to feel the warmth of the beautiful sunshine. Normally I am a stickler for wearing coats at school, but today I admittedly bent the rules a bit. I took my students out a little early because I had yard duty and it was so nice. When we got outside, it was even more beautiful than I anticipated, so when I was asked if they could remove their coats, I quickly agreed. It was so funny to see each child’s face light up as he or she was set free from the bondage of heavy winter gear. They could run around in total freedom and they were clearly delighted. One kid was laying on top of the enormous pile of coats making “snow angels” in total bliss! So funny and sweet! What a wonderful feeling to feel the sun on your shoulders and the freedom of recess! I remember those good, carefree times when I was a kid so fondly. For many years I sang with a group called The Dale Butler Band. It was a very memorable time in my life singing at many local venues in the area for concerts and fund raisers. The repertoire of songs was very diverse including: southern gospel, pop, bluegrass, country and easy listening. The band was amazing and singing backup with such a talented group of vocalists and musicians was an incredible experience for me that I will always cherish. Although I had many favorites in the band’s very broad list of titles, clearly my favourite songs were the many hits of John Denver. I have long been a fan of John Denver so when Dale phoned me to join up with his band for the first time to work on of all things a John Denver tribute show, needless to say I was elated! Although it is a hard decision, I would say my favourite John Denver song is Sunshine on My Shoulders. If I do say so myself Dale and I had some beautiful harmonies going on it and I just loved the “feel good” message it provided. Every time after that, if ever we had John Denver songs on the line up, I would always put a request in for that one! The chorus says “Sunshine on my shoulders makes me happy.” The first verse goes on to say “If I had a day, that I could give you, I’d give to you a day just like today. If I had a song, that I could sing for you, I’d sing a song to make you feel this way!” The song just speaks to me that if we could, we would love to provide wonderful days for everyone. It would be so perfect to order only sunshine and rainbows for this world, but clearly that is not what life is really like. Problems and heavy hearts can prevent us from frolicking in the sun like we once did. When I led group therapy sessions, I often ran groups based on The Twelve Steps. The first step is admitting we have a problem and that our life had become unmanageable. We cannot make profound change, until we realize what is hindering us from moving forward. To illustrate this in a funny and creative way I would often do what became affectionately known as “the backpack” skit. In this skit I would wear a heavy backpack that represented my “problems” and showed how people try to handle them in a variety of ineffective ways. I would cover the backpack with a sweater illustrating how we think we are covering it well yet are sadly mistaken. People realized I had a big, noticeable hunchback under the sweater, representing that people can see when we are burdened even if we are in denial. In the skit I would also try to ignore it, convince myself it didn’t really exist or minimize the impact these problems were having on my everyday life. The skit ended with the message that we must surrender our problems by acknowledging them to be truly free. I showed this by removing the backpack and encouraging people to seek help from professionals, family, friends and God. Life was never intended to be a struggle and to start the process of breaking free as soon as possible was essential. It was a comical way to illustrate this premise, but many people told me that this little dramatic production really touched them and gave them some much needed perspective. It is very difficult to admit that we have struggles at times. We want to save face and don’t want to make it seem to others that we are not our old selves. I have always said that reaching out for help is not a sign of weakness, but a sign of true strength. It takes very strong and courageous people to admit they cannot deal with things on their own. A very powerful TV show I sometimes watch is called Intervention. Intensely I watch feeling the pain of the addicted and their families, as I have worked with them. I cry at their heartaches and rejoice when the addicted person accepts the much needed treatment offered. The first step to a better life has begun! How exciting for everyone. The Bible says “ I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” You may be burdened with very difficult issues. Your heart may be so heavy, to even get out of bed each morning is next to impossible. My wish for you is to release these burdens to God, get help and take the positive steps to recover that are needed. It was never part of God’s plan that you would just exist and go through the motions in life. One of the most powerful sermons I have ever heard emphasized that each and every one of us was created with a specific purpose. Each one of us has enormous potential and we were created to fulfill that potential, yet stress and problems can sometimes get in the way. We all have talents, skills and love to offer this world as only we can. The speaker said sometimes we doubt that and say to ourselves God must be thinking, “Oh great! What am I supposed to do with this one?” You are here for a special reason and don’t you forget it! Life was meant to be enjoyed and you were created to be a celebrated gift to this world. Let that sink in. There is no one else quite like you, and this world desperately needs what you have to offer. Oh how I want you to fully grasp this. I wish for you sunshine on your shoulders and a song in your heart. Do what you need to do to get back to that place if you need to. Know that when life gets hard, there are better days in store if we keep taking one day at time, reach out for help and believe in God’s plan for us to heal and move forward. I have included the link to Sunshine on My Shoulders below as well. I hope you enjoy it and know that this is my sincere wish for you! Dana Philippians 4:13 ~ I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength. Little Lesson Learned: Step into the sunshine. You deserve to be happy and feel lighthearted. It is God’s plan for you! Copyright: Littlelessonslearnedbydana, 2014 "The inability to open up to hope blocks trust, and blocked trust is the reason for blighted dreams.”- Elizabeth Gilbert I cannot tell a lie! Old Man Winter I have officially had it with you! I had one last nerve and you got on it today big time! After shoveling my driveway three times and not being able to feel my face, I lost it. I actually started crying. My puzzled and very concerned kids were very sympathetic to their dear old mom, yet I am sure they were wondering what was going on here? I assured them it was just me being sick of winter and today it was really getting to me! This is the longest, most severe winter we have had for quite some time here in Leamington, Ontario and quite frankly we have all had ENOUGH! It is reassuring to see that the calendar is now reading “March,” so it will not be long now that the sun will indeed shine again! There is a light at the end of this very snowy and white tunnel as dim as it may seem at present! A cute book called Moe the Dog In Tropical Paradise by Diane Stanley makes a great connection to the way we are all feeling these days. It was an incredible find at a school book fair for the very low price of $3.00 and students love its very funny storyline. Moe is so sick of winter and wants to go on a vacation, but unfortunately can’t afford it. Instead he creates his own “tropical paradise,” at his house complete with calypso music, beach sand, lounge chairs and beautiful painted tropical sunsets to lift the spirits of both himself and his best friend. He made the best of an unpleasant situation and in the process by using a little creativity, gave himself a much needed break from the everyday drudgery of a harsh winter. Sound familiar? My students are feeling it too. No longer are they so excited to play in the snow, and eager for recess. I see them dragging their feet to put on all their gear, and they are certainly less enthused then normal to have some nice, free time. I assured them last week that it won’t be long now and all they will have to grab for recess will be a light jacket and maybe a skipping rope! Oh I can’t wait! Life has a way of handing us both good and bad days, but it is what we make of it all and how we handle the down times that reflect our true character. My daughter and I are in an upcoming production of the musical Annie in our little town of Leamington. One of my favourite songs from this play is "Tomorrow." In the song the lyrics say “The sun will come out tomorrow. Bet your bottom dollar, there’ll be sun! Just thinking about tomorrow, clears away the cobwebs and the sorrow! ‘Til there’s none! When I’m stuck with a day that’s grey and lonely, I just lift up my chin, and grin and say… The sun will come out tomorrow!” A great song for me to apply to how I am feeling today. My mom always says on some of my hardest days “There’s better days ahead!” Just knowing that this is true is very helpful because we all need encouragement and hope to keep us going. Sometimes we may be working so hard at something, but not see results right away. It could be with job related tasks, or finances, family matters or fitness goals. The list goes on and on. Knowing that with hard work and patience we will eventually see better days and results is something we all have to remind ourselves to stay motivated. Sometimes when we least expect it, a breakthrough will come. I remember when I wanted to get a job so badly after I graduated with a social work degree. There were not many prospects at that time, and most places were looking for volunteers. I ended up getting a job with the Salvation Army in Windsor based on a tiny little ad I barely saw in the paper. The job taught me so much and has laid a strong foundation for learning how to effectively help people in crisis and offer them hope. Everyone needs hope. Without it we are wandering aimlessly without purpose and with no end in sight to our current negative situations. One of my clients years ago had a hard time sharing her personal story of struggle. She had been through so much in her short life she found trusting people very difficult. I remember one day she said “I want to tell you so much about myself, but I don’t know what you will do if I do. I feel so hopeless and I am afraid if I really open up, you will basically say you have heard enough and there’s the door!” I am happy to say that trust was built between myself and this individual slowly and as her story very carefully and cautiously unfolded, I think she was surprised at my reaction. She waited and I smiled thanking her for trusting me enough to share her most private and precious aspects of her life with me. I assured her that I was here as long as she needed me and I would see her next week. I think it really shocked her to have that reaction, but I am so glad because I saw real growth in this individual and her overall recovery journey. Hope is a wonderful thing. It illuminates the dark corridors of the soul. It tells us that things can and will get better and reminds us we just need to hold on a little longer! Maybe you are struggling with winter like me, or maybe your concerns go much, much deeper. The Bible says “cast all your cares upon Him for He cares for you.” Putting our heart’s cry into prayers can be a very effective way of dealing with our heavy burdens. We no longer feel we are carrying them on our own, but instead have assistance from our Heavenly father. Just like the poem “Footprints,” when there is only one set of footprints during life’s hardest times, we are not alone, but rather are being carried by an awesome and loving God. Don’t give up. Don’t despair. I am in your corner and I am routing for you! Whatever your concerns are, stay hopeful as it will enhance your spirits. If like me you are struggling with winter, remember this white wilderness will soon pass and we will overcome! In the meantime, enjoy a coffee, some nice family time, a good nap or some other form of pampering you enjoy to lift your spirits. You won’t have to shovel for too much longer and just think before you know it, it will be grass cutting season! Until next time, Dana 1 Peter: 5:7: Cast all your anxiety on Him; for He cares for you. Little Lesson Learned: Hope is a wonderful thing we all need and desire. Remember to speak life into people who are discouraged. You can provide exactly what they need to "keep on keeping on!" © 2014 littlelessonslearnedbydana (Dana Romualdi) Dana Romualdi, the copyright holder reserves all rights to the content on the blog and website Little Lessons Learned by Dana, including the right to reproduce, distribute, and display the content. No content or photographs may be reproduced or modified. Blogs may be shared on social media platforms in their entirety only with full credit given to the owner. Any photographs used by other photographers are used with permission and are also protected. All Rights Reserved.
Never let yesterday’s disappointments overshadow tomorrow’s
dreams. (Argus Communications) Dreams. We all have them. Some are small. Some are average and doable, and then there are the dreams in a category all their own, the really BIG dreams! These are the dreams so big that you hold them protectively close to your heart and only reveal them to the few selective people you completely trust. These dreams are so precious and personal that at times you are afraid to even give them a voice in case someone may shoot them down, or try to talk you out of them before they are given a fair chance! When my kids were little we had a favourite CD we would always listen to by the Martins, a trio of Christian recording artists who happen to be siblings. I cannot tell you how much their music touched my heart with their heartfelt lyrics, positive messages and rich harmonies. The favourite CD that we almost wore out was very appropriately entitled, “Dream Big!” Of all the songs on the CD that one, the title track, really connected with us and we chose to play that song over and over. It struck a chord with us! No pun intended. We played it to such an extent that Tyler came to call it our “feme” (theme) song. He would say often “C’mon Mom! Let’s dance to our feme song!” We would break into our little impromptu dance sessions that would certainly not be featured on any dancing TV reality show any time soon, yet the crazy moves sure brought smiles to our faces! Hey if the theme song of our family was to be a song entitled “Dream Big,” I would gladly take it! This special little ritual our family had started involving this song touched my heart so deeply that I did something I have never done before. I wrote the Martins a personal thank you card and letter. In it I explained how their music ministry had impacted our family in such a powerful way and how we had very affectionately deemed their song Dream Big as our family theme song. I don’t know how to explain it but I knew despite the volume of fan mail I am sure they receive on a regular basis, that I KNEW I would get a response from them. I actually looked for it in the mailbox often. Well imagine my excitement when I received a huge envelope from the Martins poking out of my mailbox! Inside was an autographed picture and a thank you note from them for sharing my family’s story about how their song had touched us! How cool is that? It sure made our day! The lyrics of that song start out with this line that says “ I believe anything is possible when you understand who Jesus is.” This really spoke to my heart as it describes that on our own what seems impossible may not be when our dreams line up with God’s will for us. When this is the case, He makes it happen in His will and time. I LOVE my job as an elementary school teacher. It is a lot of work to give your all day after day to 20 cute and curious little people, but it is also extremely rewarding. I sometimes wonder who the real teacher is because my students teach me so much each and every day. My teaching career started with substitute teaching as fulltime teaching jobs were and still are very hard to come by in our area. On a trip to Florida in 2007 we were having the time of our lives at Disney World and enjoying the spectacular fireworks show entitled “Wishes” immensely. Throughout this amazing and colourful show the voices of various iconic Disney characters such as Pinocchio, The Little Mermaid, and Aladdin were heard stating their “big dreams,” or wishes for the mesmerized crowd. When you really stop to think about it, almost every Disney movie is about some character trying to fulfill a deep heart’s desire or big dream. At one point in the show, the grand finale, the crowd is asked to focus on their wish and concentrate really hard and to wish it into reality. I came to find out that my husband and I wished and prayed for the very same thing, which was that I would get a fulltime teaching contract very soon. Well four months later God blessed me with the best Christmas present I could ask for, which was a fulltime teaching contract in a beautiful, little school right in my hometown! It was my big dream, and God’s will for me and it came to pass. How exciting for me and my family! The publication of my book Magic Kisses has been another very big dream that finally came true for me. Believe me it did not just happen overnight! It took many years, heartfelt prayers, diligent research, and partnering with the right team to finally bring it to life. In my mind I wanted it done yesterday, but the perfect timing for its completion was right now. It is hard to wait when our dreams are not being fulfilled. We get frustrated and angry. We question God, or wonder why life is unfair, yet we don’t really know what is going on behind the scenes. The book has sparked many intriguing conversations about big dreams that others in my circle of influence have had. They have confided in me very personal stories about their big dreams and projects that have been temporarily shelved. They have also implied that seeing a big dream come to pass for me has brought them both hope and new inspiration. They have indicated that now may be the time to dust their big dreams off and take another very serious look at them. Wow! That is amazing! If I can have a small part in coming alongside someone and encourage him or her to pursue a big dream, I am both humbled and honoured! It is never too late and trust me, I’ll be thrilled and proud to be in the front row for them with my megaphone and pompoms! Walt Disney himself was fired from his first job for of all things, lack of ideas! Are you kidding me? The great “imagineer” himself got let go because he had “no creativity” in one person’s very inaccurate perception! Thank God he continued to pursue his dreams as I cannot imagine what our world would be like without the amazing contributions from the incredibly talented Walt Disney! So what is your big dream? Don’t let others get you down. Remember though that dreams often take great time and effort to come to life. We cannot force things through on our timelines but when we add God in the mix, it is very exciting to see what is within the realm of possibility! So what is the soundtrack of your life right now? What is your theme song? Dream Big is a great option! Consider that my friend and if you do you never know what could actually be possible. Dana Matthew 19:26 ~ With God all things are possible. Little Lesson Learned: Keep your dreams alive and believe that God wants to make them a reality when they line up with His will for us. Be excited! You just never know when the right people and opportunity will come along to bring your dreams to life if you are open! Copyright: Littlelessonslearnedbydana, 2014
"Patience is not the ability to wait. Waiting is a fact of life. Patience is the ability to keep a good attitude while waiting."
~ Joyce Meyers
Whoever said patience was a virtue, sure got it right! We live in a society where we have a hard time being patient. We are so used to getting things quickly that we often get easily frustrated when waiting for something. The bottom line is many things in life are worth waiting for, and when they happen for us, in hindsight we see that the timing was perfect!
I remember being very overdue for my son, Tyler waiting for his birth and I shared my frustration with my grandmother. She always had great wisdom and when I asked her about when she thought I would ever have this baby of mine, she simply replied without missing a beat, "When the apple is ripe, it will fall!" Very true, isn't it? Simply it means, when the time is right, it will happen!
My daughter, Shannon has incredible musical abilities. She plays piano, flute, and ukulele and has a very lovely singing voice. The only problem was as a young teen, she was very shy and nervous at first to share her talents with the world. For years I encouraged her to play and sing in public, or to audition for a play, but she clearly was not ready. She was interested, but it was not her season, her time. Recently that has all changed! She has now been in bands and choirs, has played keyboard and sang at church, and even performed in musicals! Most recently, you can find her faithfully posting on Instagram and Facebook. She posts music videos of her proudly performing, as well as encouraging blogs and posts she has written. She is clearly out of the shadows and into the spotlight, using the gifts that God gave her. I am so proud of her! It is a beautiful thing to witness someone blossom and begin to showcase his or her talents. It is incredible to see people believe in themselves and take wings and fly! Nowadays, it is a rare thing to not hear Shannon singing some Broadway show tune or worship song, or playing the piano downstairs with gusto. I am not complaining though, because it is literally music to my ears. No pun intended! Incidentally, Shannon has a social media handle on Facebook and Instagram known as The Confident Christian! (@ the_confident_christian_) How cool is that? From unsure to completely confident through time and God's grace! Give her a follow! You won't be sorry. She is a far cry from the shy, little girl she used to be, but it is her TIME!
It is also so amazing when my students in class grasp the lessons and finally "get it!" Learning is very individualized. Everyone learns at his or her own pace. Kids may be struggling with a difficult math concept, or have trouble reading, and then it seems BOOM, things begin to take a turn for the better! That moment when you see the lightbulb go off and it finally registers, and that kid is making progress is so amazing! It is so rewarding to witness and often becomes one of the true highlights of this very interesting career called teaching.
Recently, a little girl was having difficulty with multiplication and found her worksheet quite challenging. I told her to "jump around" and do the questions she did know first. She misunderstood me and LITERALLY started jumping like a hopscotch game in the classroom saying "5 x 0 is 0! 5 x 1 is 5! etc." Not quite what I meant but she said " Mrs. R. I get it now!" Very cute!
Several years ago, I recall an encounter I had with a wounded butterfly on my lawn. Out for a walk on a beautiful spring day, I noticed a little butterfly struggling in the grass. Not only did it have a large chunk missing from its wing, but to add insult to injury, our sprinklers were on and it was completely soaked. Despite these seemingly insurmountable odds, the butterfly fluttered and flapped, trying to get off the ground. I was moved with compassion at the determined tenacity of this little creature and had to intervene! I carefully lifted the fragile insect onto my driveway to give it an opportunity to at the very least, dry out. I was determined to try to help if I could. For many hours I checked in on my tiny winged friend. My husband felt that the butterfly could NEVER fly with wings like that, but guess what? My story has a happy ending, because I actually witnessed it fly away and I was very touched by this wonderful sight.
Maybe you feel like that butterfly. You are trying so hard to fly, but it is not yet your time, even though you wish so much that it was! Life has perhaps dealt you some hard blows and as much as you are trying to rise above them, you have never felt lower. Please know, Your time is coming my friend! Don't give up. When the time is right it will happen! Remember, It is not about how you start, but how you finish. I have been where you are and I have lived to tell. God's timing is perfect and there is truly a season for everything in life.
I have had several miscarriages, and remember feeling I may never be a mom, but I am now so blessed with my two children, Tyler and Shannon. God is so good and I cannot imagine my life without them. Maybe you are ready to share your gifts and talents with the world, but you are shy or nervous, like Shannon was. You wonder what others will think or say, or you may be afraid of failure. You will never know what you are capable of, if you don't put yourself out there! You are an amazing person who has so much to offer this world! Step up to the mic and let's hear your voice! I believe in you and so does God! So listen up! Stand up straight! Shoulders back! Take a deep breath and smile! Relax, because this is your time or your time is coming! Rest in that knowledge, and enjoy your moment, whenever it comes. Until next time, Dana Little Lesson Learned: There is a right time for everything and good things do come to those who wait! Ecclesiastes 3:1 For everything that happens in life, there is a season, a right time for everything under heaven. Copyright: 2024 littlelessonslearnedbydana ( revised edition, 2013: first edition) (Dana Romualdi) Dana Romualdi, the copyright holder reserves all rights to the content on the blog and website Little Lessons Learned by Dana, including the right to reproduce, distribute, and display the content. No content or photographs may be reproduced or modified. Blogs may be shared on social media platforms in their entirety only with full credit given to the owner. Any photographs used by other photographers are used with permission and are also protected. All Rights Reserved. Tags: Christian blogger, Christian blog, transformations, timing is everything, God's timing, butterflies, lessons from butterflies, encouragement, classroom anecdotes, spiritual guidance
Shan and I at The Butterfly Conservatory in Niagara Falls, Ontario. I prayed a butterfly would land on me as a sign from my sweet Mom. It happened! |
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