Visiting people is like a breath of fresh air for the soul. I love visiting friends and find there isn't enough time to do it. I also love hosting people. Love being surrounded by friends. We have a, now annual, gathering of a big bunch of friends who all met online (I thank the Lord for a certain parenting forum!) and there can be up to 30 of us. It was lovely to have all those people in my house.
I love going to see people. I have lots of friends who like visitors. I love those places where you feel at home and can happily make your own drink or wander round feeling at ease. I miss some of those friends who now live further away.
I know I don't invite people in as much as I should. So if you're a friend who is reading this, please pop by. I if haven't directly invited you recently, then take this as your invitation. Let's get a date in the diary, or just pop in one evening - I'm usually here! Maybe this will inspire me to contact people. Perhaps when this 5 minutes is up, I should contact some people. And I should also invite Jesus into my home more often. I should make sure He feels welcome and that I feel at ease in his company.
So pop in,come visit. Can't wait to see you x
Friday 24 January 2014
Friday 17 January 2014
Encouragement
Encourage. To encourage. Encouraging.
It's something a parent tries to be to their child. I like to encourage their inquisitiveness...until they ask too many questions! I like to encourage their creativity.....until they make too much mess. I like to encourage their tastes....until they ask to listen to One Direction! No, truly, I want to encourage my children.
I want to encourage my own two girls, and also the children I teach. I have one or two with low self esteem so I try harder to encourage them. They all work so hard and make great progress. I'd love to have more time to encourage them further.
Encouragement is something that can be so badly lacking between adults. My family are very encouraging. My girls are a constant source of encouragement, and my husband encourages me (as long as it fits in with basketball!!), but within work there is little encouragement. Not just in my school, but in so many. It breaks my heart to hear teachers feeling so depressed, being treated so badly, and feeling so bad about themselves. One of the members of management at my school constantly tells me I have low self-esteem. Yes, they are right. It's a product of constantly being told I'm doing everything wrong.
So in order to encourage me to encourage the children I'm working with, maybe I need to be encouraged. God encourages us. He asks us to love Him, and to love others. Some people are much harder to love than others, but we should try. And keep trying.
So I'm trying.....hard. And I promise to keep trying, so do keep encouraging both me and each other.
It's something a parent tries to be to their child. I like to encourage their inquisitiveness...until they ask too many questions! I like to encourage their creativity.....until they make too much mess. I like to encourage their tastes....until they ask to listen to One Direction! No, truly, I want to encourage my children.
I want to encourage my own two girls, and also the children I teach. I have one or two with low self esteem so I try harder to encourage them. They all work so hard and make great progress. I'd love to have more time to encourage them further.
Encouragement is something that can be so badly lacking between adults. My family are very encouraging. My girls are a constant source of encouragement, and my husband encourages me (as long as it fits in with basketball!!), but within work there is little encouragement. Not just in my school, but in so many. It breaks my heart to hear teachers feeling so depressed, being treated so badly, and feeling so bad about themselves. One of the members of management at my school constantly tells me I have low self-esteem. Yes, they are right. It's a product of constantly being told I'm doing everything wrong.
So in order to encourage me to encourage the children I'm working with, maybe I need to be encouraged. God encourages us. He asks us to love Him, and to love others. Some people are much harder to love than others, but we should try. And keep trying.
So I'm trying.....hard. And I promise to keep trying, so do keep encouraging both me and each other.
Friday 10 January 2014
See
What do I see when I look at you, little bear? Tonight I saw tired eyes, crying eyes, eyes that wanted Daddy when Daddy wasn't there. Eyes that pleaded with me to understnd and to see more than the stroppy, shouty six year old. Eyes that wanted me, but didn't want me in equal measure.
I looked at you and was cross. I could see the giant pile of marking in my mind's eye, the hours of work I needed to do, and the lack of patience I have.
I stepped away. Giving you space to calm down, but really giving myself the space. Then I saw how God sees me. How He doesn't step away. How he looks on and never leaves me.
I saw you afresh. Looking broken and sad. My arms went around you, your little arms went round me and we held each other until you stopped sobbing and your breathing slowed.
I saw you. Beautiful, sensitive, innocent you. And I saw the love I hold for you, and for your sister. And I saw agaim the love that Father God has for all of us.
I looked at you and was cross. I could see the giant pile of marking in my mind's eye, the hours of work I needed to do, and the lack of patience I have.
I stepped away. Giving you space to calm down, but really giving myself the space. Then I saw how God sees me. How He doesn't step away. How he looks on and never leaves me.
I saw you afresh. Looking broken and sad. My arms went around you, your little arms went round me and we held each other until you stopped sobbing and your breathing slowed.
I saw you. Beautiful, sensitive, innocent you. And I saw the love I hold for you, and for your sister. And I saw agaim the love that Father God has for all of us.
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