This week at EDS: Law of Attraction (aka...Prayer)
I am not jumping on the new-age bandwagon here....I have been a "subscriber" of this way of living long before it became hip. Do I read the material that is "out there"? Most certainly, but also discerningly. Is it of value? Always has been, (it is ,of course, a universal law..) and really one of the cornerstones of Jesus' preaching.
For those that didn't jump into "The Secret"... (a spin-off series)...the Law of Attraction states that when one is wanting or in need of anything, desire, (good or bad) it will become a reality. It will manifest itself to you if you place the proper "emotion" around it. "Believing in the reality." "Accepting that your need will be met in advance of it manifesting." "Affirming that how I think about this will occur.".... Isn't that Faith? Isn't that how we are taught to pray? You pray knowing full well that your need has been heard and that it's manifestation will occur when the timing is right. The timing could be in 5 minutes or 5 years.
How much "emotion" you put into your desire will depend on it's outcome. But, regardless, the thought you think (no matter) will be the outcome pending on how much emotion you fuel it up with. Therefore it is safe to venture that if we were to think "Positively" about our need and only fixate on the happy emotion it would bring us then our expected outcome. Same for Negative", too, unfortunately. (Thus , the phrase, "careful what you wish for"). Laws of Science play fairly.
And as we say about prayer, your attitude throughout the process is what will carry you through. If you pray, and then, "Let Go and Let God"... your happiness will radiate from you while your desire is manifesting. Thus, attracting even "more positive" desires to you along the way. God never wants us to live in worry and doubt. Fear and sadness.
Now, that I have reviewed LOA 101 with you...I will tell you about my experiences in relating this concept to my young EDS friends. I feel it extremely important to spend time with them assuring them at such a young age that thinking positively is the way to healthy living. I feel this part of my calling to teaching young people..(as strongly as I feel teaching about geography!!)
Today's message at EDS this week: "I can". "I tried". "I can turn it around". We read Dr. Wayne Dyers's children's book, "Incredible you"...this week for Chapel. I had seen this at my local favorite bookstore plenty of times but until I walked in to the Kindergarten room 2 weeks ago and heard Miss Allison reading this...I decided to sit and listen. I said..."This is Law of Attraction for kids! Let's do this all next week for Chapel." Happily, we did. There were 10 "laws" of self-respect/love that benefit anyone young or old. It is story about believing that you are "okay" as you are. You are exactly where you should be. You can achieve anything you want. It is truly a way to think positively, shape your thoughts, and not negatively fixate on bad outcomes. "I CAN" . ( which proved itself time and again this week during our lessons... )
One page of statements in the book were, "I can't". "I'm scared" "I'm too dumb". A small girl afraid and nervous..worried..the opposite page was filled with "I can". "I'm brave" and "I'm smart". Which page feels better?
Constant affirmations about what can do...what are we best at? What can my future look like? Ways to walk away when someone attempts to bring us down. My goodness. Simple and easy. Yet we adults succumb to all those worries and pressures. We quite often fall victim to negative thoughts about who we are and what GOD/UNIVERSE/SOURCE has in store for us and what we are capable of doing.... having it, if we REALLY want it. Trust and faith. Positive vs. negative. Love instead of hatred. Live and let live. Why not learn this at 5?
I am constantly reminded that the book such as Dr. Dyer's, and a personal favorite, "Everything I needed to know I learned in Kindergarten" are books that one cannot put down and should re-read forever!
Dawn M. Grinnell, Director EDS and Children's Ministries
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Friday, September 19, 2008
Peter and the Wolf
"Once upon a time there was a shepherd boy..."
We all know how this one begins. When was the last time you heard it though? Young Peter, the village's keeper of the sheep is off to another day of ho-hum, blase, mindless sheep-tending. The way this teacher looks at this is that Peter has too much time on his hand and has very active mind...he is bored. He is also craving excitement in his life needlessly. (Not the good kind.) Peter is also into ," THE DRAMA", as they say.
Each school year around this time Miss Trish, (head 3-year old teacher), and myself are reminded about our old friend "Peter" and his self-induced drama. WE begin to hear quite frequently from the same friends..."I need to go to the bathroom." Averaging about 5x in the first part of either yoga, morning meeting, or perhaps a story. (Leading to believe either our friends are having more coffee than us before their EDS day or we may need to serve them cranberry juice for snack). Neither is correct, and I am obviously using sarcasm to say that we know "our EDS Peters". Those that feel the urge to spice things when they are having trouble keeping their eyes on their fries....they want an out from the road they should be on.
Quite frequently, we notice this "Head-Hitting" when we begin Chapel. hmmmm. So, the other day Trish announces..."Well Miss Dawn, I think its time to pull out Peter and the Wolf!" "Yes,Indeed. Miss Trish". While reading the story as I have more than 100x I began to "accent" the parts I want to drive home. It is amazing though...a simple children's classic is always your best teaching tool to all parties!
It is sad. Peter really is aching and seeking negative attention. To briefly remind you, Peter is contemplating this drama thinking, "Wouldn't it be exciting if a real wolf did come into the pasture??" His thoughts were of folks running to his rescue...saving the sheep....waiting to see who would makeover him the most thinking of his compromised safety...." SO...he tries it! "WOLF... WOLF! There is wolf stealing our sheep!!!!" And without hesitation..."SUCCESS" Everyone dropped what they were happily doing and ran to Peter's rescue! Peter was so delighted with himself he couldn't stop giggling...he giggled right in front of the very people who trusted him. They were upset. They were relieved that it was only a prank and perhaps took comfort in the fact that he was just a boy, doing boy things.
The next day... guess what? He did it again. Same exact thing...his drama was working for him...so why not? Crying wolf got people to stop and pay attention to what he was doing. Crying wolf was still funny. Crying wolf was feeling comfortable for Peter. He cried. People came. (There is a part where Peter's mother is actually falling to pieces over Peter's unsafe environment....
Those that came to Peter's rescue again...were hurt. They bought the story again. They believed the cry for help. Their trust was compromised. Peter continued giggling.....however....dunt...dunt...dunt.... SO WAS THE WOLF! A wolf had been watching this drama the entire time. He decided HE needed to shake things up..."Why not earn that reputation?"
Well. we do know the end of this tale. Sadly. Peter confesses in the beginning of our story that he never ACTUALLY has seen a wolf before,not to mention what a wolf could ACTUALLY do!
When Peter screamed for the very help he wanted he wasn't trusted any more. Nobody came running. It is a heartbreaking tale of trust.
The looks on the children's faces after reading our stories, parables, teachable moral moments are the facial expressions I live each day for in teaching. Those stories remind us all about why we really come to school!
Dawn M. Grinnell, Director EDS and Christian Formation
We all know how this one begins. When was the last time you heard it though? Young Peter, the village's keeper of the sheep is off to another day of ho-hum, blase, mindless sheep-tending. The way this teacher looks at this is that Peter has too much time on his hand and has very active mind...he is bored. He is also craving excitement in his life needlessly. (Not the good kind.) Peter is also into ," THE DRAMA", as they say.
Each school year around this time Miss Trish, (head 3-year old teacher), and myself are reminded about our old friend "Peter" and his self-induced drama. WE begin to hear quite frequently from the same friends..."I need to go to the bathroom." Averaging about 5x in the first part of either yoga, morning meeting, or perhaps a story. (Leading to believe either our friends are having more coffee than us before their EDS day or we may need to serve them cranberry juice for snack). Neither is correct, and I am obviously using sarcasm to say that we know "our EDS Peters". Those that feel the urge to spice things when they are having trouble keeping their eyes on their fries....they want an out from the road they should be on.
Quite frequently, we notice this "Head-Hitting" when we begin Chapel. hmmmm. So, the other day Trish announces..."Well Miss Dawn, I think its time to pull out Peter and the Wolf!" "Yes,Indeed. Miss Trish". While reading the story as I have more than 100x I began to "accent" the parts I want to drive home. It is amazing though...a simple children's classic is always your best teaching tool to all parties!
It is sad. Peter really is aching and seeking negative attention. To briefly remind you, Peter is contemplating this drama thinking, "Wouldn't it be exciting if a real wolf did come into the pasture??" His thoughts were of folks running to his rescue...saving the sheep....waiting to see who would makeover him the most thinking of his compromised safety...." SO...he tries it! "WOLF... WOLF! There is wolf stealing our sheep!!!!" And without hesitation..."SUCCESS" Everyone dropped what they were happily doing and ran to Peter's rescue! Peter was so delighted with himself he couldn't stop giggling...he giggled right in front of the very people who trusted him. They were upset. They were relieved that it was only a prank and perhaps took comfort in the fact that he was just a boy, doing boy things.
The next day... guess what? He did it again. Same exact thing...his drama was working for him...so why not? Crying wolf got people to stop and pay attention to what he was doing. Crying wolf was still funny. Crying wolf was feeling comfortable for Peter. He cried. People came. (There is a part where Peter's mother is actually falling to pieces over Peter's unsafe environment....
Those that came to Peter's rescue again...were hurt. They bought the story again. They believed the cry for help. Their trust was compromised. Peter continued giggling.....however....dunt...dunt...dunt.... SO WAS THE WOLF! A wolf had been watching this drama the entire time. He decided HE needed to shake things up..."Why not earn that reputation?"
Well. we do know the end of this tale. Sadly. Peter confesses in the beginning of our story that he never ACTUALLY has seen a wolf before,not to mention what a wolf could ACTUALLY do!
When Peter screamed for the very help he wanted he wasn't trusted any more. Nobody came running. It is a heartbreaking tale of trust.
The looks on the children's faces after reading our stories, parables, teachable moral moments are the facial expressions I live each day for in teaching. Those stories remind us all about why we really come to school!
Dawn M. Grinnell, Director EDS and Christian Formation
Sunday, September 14, 2008
70x7=4giveness
By now you have guessed what I am about to ramble on about. I am speaking of God's favorite equation. It is actually ironic when you multiply the number above and receive 490 as a quotient...then realise that that is not many more days than a full year. It makes me know that someone CAN hurt you 365 days (and change) and you may come to expire the "legal limitation" of forgiveness...(well perhaps not in ancient times when you didn't live so long I guess!)
Peter asks Jesus today, "Lord, how many times must I forgive? Seven times?" Obviously, Simon-Peter, leaning toward the optimistic and generous view of forgiveness.....
Jesus' reply..."Seven times Seventy Peter!" Well... who would know that multiplication was so present in ancient Hebrew times?? (indeed applicable to fishes and loaves !)...
But really..seriously... the answer...a Jesus sarcasm if you will... please Peter..."7x70!!!"
Have you ever really struggled with forgiveness? Really? I have. 110%. (or 1x110) I have any way you look at it. And the outcome is still the same regardless if the answer is 490 or 110. It is still hard. And it is still necessary. For growth anyhow...
I have been struggling as to how to teach forgiveness to my students. it is a hard concept to teach young minds. They are bent on either "due justice" or should just plain forgive, no questions ever asked... hmm.??? To forgive is to go "downstream." To resist..."upstream."
Just like the fish in the river and most especially as I used today as my example of opposite polar repelling magnets. When one forces resistance you can feel the energy repelling. You don't have to "invent" a reason you can feel the the very real energy of oppositely forced resisting each other in ordinary magnets. upstream. When you hold 2 opposing magnets side by each the energy feels so off and so negative...much like our fear to forgive. When we resist forgiveness of any kind our energy is shifted. It doesn't flow nice and smoothly. It bumps along and feels awkward. It resists and repels. These feelings do not make us feel good. As good, universal energy in science we want the "click" the "snap" as we hear and feel the two energies collide into one another and stick.
We also must be aware of this in forgiveness, In realizing that letting go of our hurts and wounds is part of that magnetic release of freedom. The letting go is what sets us free..as they say. It allows good downstream energy, non-resistant energy, to flow in it's place. That is what feels right in the now. Listening to source/God in us.
I thought of a situation today very close, near and dear to me, in the last several days in preparing for this talk. It involved a love affair.... (ut, oh)! It involved a man in my life whom I became "close" to during an awkward, lost, and sad part of my life. During a time of heartache and rejection. He did wonderful things for me. He did things that "he didn't even do"... He made me feel alive again and made me willing to place some faith in not only myself but in the God-source. He made me question my willingness to really have faith in another. And want it.
I live pretty far away from this individual. And yet he lives "near by" alot. He taught the teacher about learning how to take the lesson and walk away with the assignment...study it, but really in fact, learn it. He taught me to forgive. he taught me to forgive and accept the other person in my life 7x70...like God instructs us. That is the truth of acceptance and love. It taught me to forgive him when he needed to go and get what was right for him...it taught me alot.
Thru his rejection of me I realised that it is not about me. it is not personal. But the reality was is that I had already learned this lesson several months ago. The lesson is in self-love and appreciation. It is not until we forgive our own "junk" and love ourselves that our doors swing wide open for the 7x70 math equation to happen.
The love who lives far away once said to me, " I am not sure if we have that rarefied air that is needed to call it , what it is? "... and my response... "well rarefied air obviously requires some light, cumulus, fluffy cloud cover."...I know that anyone who will forever require my forgiveness will need stormy atmospheric pressure in order in order for me to feel what true barometric pressure can do to ones' soul. Who can sustain the storms of life? Forgiveness occurs in the clean up of post-traumatic weather patterns.
I am all about flowing downstream, going with the storms, and riding out the rough weather.
That is the answer to the puzzle without jamming my pieces into spaces that don't quite fit just cause I want them too.
God quite often finds the peace you seek in the imperfect part of forgiveness. Forgive and heal. Move on and live to your fullest. Live in the moments that are real and present. Survive in the moments that shape you. Know when to throw in the towel. Love another when you can and don't look back. That is forgiveness. Truly. Love One Another as I have Loved you.
Dawn M. Grinnell, Director of Formation and EDS
Peter asks Jesus today, "Lord, how many times must I forgive? Seven times?" Obviously, Simon-Peter, leaning toward the optimistic and generous view of forgiveness.....
Jesus' reply..."Seven times Seventy Peter!" Well... who would know that multiplication was so present in ancient Hebrew times?? (indeed applicable to fishes and loaves !)...
But really..seriously... the answer...a Jesus sarcasm if you will... please Peter..."7x70!!!"
Have you ever really struggled with forgiveness? Really? I have. 110%. (or 1x110) I have any way you look at it. And the outcome is still the same regardless if the answer is 490 or 110. It is still hard. And it is still necessary. For growth anyhow...
I have been struggling as to how to teach forgiveness to my students. it is a hard concept to teach young minds. They are bent on either "due justice" or should just plain forgive, no questions ever asked... hmm.??? To forgive is to go "downstream." To resist..."upstream."
Just like the fish in the river and most especially as I used today as my example of opposite polar repelling magnets. When one forces resistance you can feel the energy repelling. You don't have to "invent" a reason you can feel the the very real energy of oppositely forced resisting each other in ordinary magnets. upstream. When you hold 2 opposing magnets side by each the energy feels so off and so negative...much like our fear to forgive. When we resist forgiveness of any kind our energy is shifted. It doesn't flow nice and smoothly. It bumps along and feels awkward. It resists and repels. These feelings do not make us feel good. As good, universal energy in science we want the "click" the "snap" as we hear and feel the two energies collide into one another and stick.
We also must be aware of this in forgiveness, In realizing that letting go of our hurts and wounds is part of that magnetic release of freedom. The letting go is what sets us free..as they say. It allows good downstream energy, non-resistant energy, to flow in it's place. That is what feels right in the now. Listening to source/God in us.
I thought of a situation today very close, near and dear to me, in the last several days in preparing for this talk. It involved a love affair.... (ut, oh)! It involved a man in my life whom I became "close" to during an awkward, lost, and sad part of my life. During a time of heartache and rejection. He did wonderful things for me. He did things that "he didn't even do"... He made me feel alive again and made me willing to place some faith in not only myself but in the God-source. He made me question my willingness to really have faith in another. And want it.
I live pretty far away from this individual. And yet he lives "near by" alot. He taught the teacher about learning how to take the lesson and walk away with the assignment...study it, but really in fact, learn it. He taught me to forgive. he taught me to forgive and accept the other person in my life 7x70...like God instructs us. That is the truth of acceptance and love. It taught me to forgive him when he needed to go and get what was right for him...it taught me alot.
Thru his rejection of me I realised that it is not about me. it is not personal. But the reality was is that I had already learned this lesson several months ago. The lesson is in self-love and appreciation. It is not until we forgive our own "junk" and love ourselves that our doors swing wide open for the 7x70 math equation to happen.
The love who lives far away once said to me, " I am not sure if we have that rarefied air that is needed to call it , what it is? "... and my response... "well rarefied air obviously requires some light, cumulus, fluffy cloud cover."...I know that anyone who will forever require my forgiveness will need stormy atmospheric pressure in order in order for me to feel what true barometric pressure can do to ones' soul. Who can sustain the storms of life? Forgiveness occurs in the clean up of post-traumatic weather patterns.
I am all about flowing downstream, going with the storms, and riding out the rough weather.
That is the answer to the puzzle without jamming my pieces into spaces that don't quite fit just cause I want them too.
God quite often finds the peace you seek in the imperfect part of forgiveness. Forgive and heal. Move on and live to your fullest. Live in the moments that are real and present. Survive in the moments that shape you. Know when to throw in the towel. Love another when you can and don't look back. That is forgiveness. Truly. Love One Another as I have Loved you.
Dawn M. Grinnell, Director of Formation and EDS
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Today's Lesson is about Signs
What is a sign? A sign is indicative of a direction of some sort. Signs tell us alot. They show us which way to a desired venue. They show us where we should be taking a right turn..or left. Our built-in GPS, if you will??? They teach us to honor the skills that are both learned and intuitive. They are the there for reasons.
Who delivers our signs? Well they could be the State of RI?...they could be Rand-McNally? But ultimately they are God. Truly. The Universal God is delivering signs to us daily. They are answers to hard questions. They are answers to heartache. They are answers. Period.
Why do we continue to drive and not stop for directions?? I know! I know. It is the AGE-OLD joke placed on "man-kind" for a century. We don't ask because we are not interested in knowing. It is that simple. We don't look. We don't see the man on the runway flaggin'us in dressed in tangerine clothes...we don't' want the knowledge. Are we TOO smart? Too egotistical? Too stubborn? Too jealous? Too everything? We think we know the right response.. We think .
Maps... it is all therefor us. The maps have been made and we just need to roll them out and look at the direction we want to go. The direction of where we want to take ourselves. Without lying about the destination.
This week in the Gospel I am talking about measuring God's Love for us and knowing that God is our runway man. He speaks of not raising the alternative route...but staying on his path. We may call it I95...as opposed to Rt 1A. The direct route to our desires. We talked about meanness and when someone offers a comment or directive an not "rising to its moment". We talk of staying on the highway of our life.
I placed a simple measurement balance before the children this week and placed some scrabble tiles on one side of our balance...they read "BAD". Then we talked about what bad things someone may say or do to you to provoke your direction.... then I placed "MEAN" on the other side and then like magic the other side of the balance got heavier...the response side replied, "NO"...and so on... the result is that back and forth behavior in negativity never balances your scales. The sign was to walk away and not respond to your friend's mean remark/behavior. Thus resulting in your side of the scale being higher as a result of your restraint, not behave in the fashion that they did. Your scale pushing you "higher" to heaven... well maybe.
The signs in your life are very clear most of the time. Even like my last example. You don't need to rise to someones ill choice of publicly embarrassing you. You can continue listening and watching your signs and GPS to steer you toward or away from what it is right or wrong.
Signs exist for reasons.To point us into the light of good direction. They show us where we need to be... not where we think we should be headed.
Dawn M. Grinnell
Director of EDS, and Christian Formation Emmanuel Church
Who delivers our signs? Well they could be the State of RI?...they could be Rand-McNally? But ultimately they are God. Truly. The Universal God is delivering signs to us daily. They are answers to hard questions. They are answers to heartache. They are answers. Period.
Why do we continue to drive and not stop for directions?? I know! I know. It is the AGE-OLD joke placed on "man-kind" for a century. We don't ask because we are not interested in knowing. It is that simple. We don't look. We don't see the man on the runway flaggin'us in dressed in tangerine clothes...we don't' want the knowledge. Are we TOO smart? Too egotistical? Too stubborn? Too jealous? Too everything? We think we know the right response.. We think .
Maps... it is all therefor us. The maps have been made and we just need to roll them out and look at the direction we want to go. The direction of where we want to take ourselves. Without lying about the destination.
This week in the Gospel I am talking about measuring God's Love for us and knowing that God is our runway man. He speaks of not raising the alternative route...but staying on his path. We may call it I95...as opposed to Rt 1A. The direct route to our desires. We talked about meanness and when someone offers a comment or directive an not "rising to its moment". We talk of staying on the highway of our life.
I placed a simple measurement balance before the children this week and placed some scrabble tiles on one side of our balance...they read "BAD". Then we talked about what bad things someone may say or do to you to provoke your direction.... then I placed "MEAN" on the other side and then like magic the other side of the balance got heavier...the response side replied, "NO"...and so on... the result is that back and forth behavior in negativity never balances your scales. The sign was to walk away and not respond to your friend's mean remark/behavior. Thus resulting in your side of the scale being higher as a result of your restraint, not behave in the fashion that they did. Your scale pushing you "higher" to heaven... well maybe.
The signs in your life are very clear most of the time. Even like my last example. You don't need to rise to someones ill choice of publicly embarrassing you. You can continue listening and watching your signs and GPS to steer you toward or away from what it is right or wrong.
Signs exist for reasons.To point us into the light of good direction. They show us where we need to be... not where we think we should be headed.
Dawn M. Grinnell
Director of EDS, and Christian Formation Emmanuel Church
Thursday, September 4, 2008
The Big Rocks
"Today at EDS", which for some of you scratching your head, might say..."what is EDS?" Is a blog-site set up for parents, grandparents, friends, and church-goers that enjoy keeping up and learning about what is going on at Emmanuel Day School, Newport, RI. It is a blog that expresses my reflections daily, teacher's insights, and those views that what we strongly subscribe to in our school.
Welcome!! I wish I could present you all with a shiny red apple and newly sharpened bouquet of #2 Yellow pencils, as I did the teachers this past week... just imagine and read on...
This Week at EDS:
Sermon and Chapel: "The Big Rocks"
The Big Rocks. Well I am sure many of you are familiar or have seen this demonstration of placing your "Big Rocks" into an empty vessel first so as to then make room for the smaller rocks, pebbles, sand and water...all items fitting into the glass jar. Trite? maybe..Usable? always, and definitely a large reminder each time you "perform" this act how impacting it can be...even with the very young mind.
After an explanation of what Big Rocks are, I ask the group of new EDS'ers "What are your Big Rocks in life?" I am astounded by the responses... I am now aware that a new and refreshing type of childhood is at hand among us since the last time I did this.
They all look in wonderment at first, and then I nudge a few responses..."How about....?" I am quickly interrupted by a voice from the crowd... "LOVE". I gulp. "Yes...great one!" "Love is certainly a Big Rock" (write it on our board).... I then to try to formulate my thought again, (something like "Family", maybe...) and then I hear, "SELF".... "WOW"..."Who said that?" and "Yes, loving ourselves should be a Big Rock!" (I am floored now). Thinking my same thoughts about the "usuals" and listing them..."friends, family, education, food, shelter"... I am still lost on the first two responses... so I look at our list and suggest that we are missing and item, right? So, I suggest, "How 'bout God?" The response..."Well, He is all around us anyway Miss Dawn. That is what you always say." (GULP) SO...I think "Self?" "Love?" maybe these kids know more than I?? As is always the case... my lessons ,most frequently come directly from them.
We did go on to complete the exercise. We had a second-string of responses of pebbles, sand and water. They all made perfect sense, and were correct. The message received in my end game... yet, it made me think hard about the first two.
Not sure about you, but my upbringing, (not suggesting demonation), didn't include self love. (sadly). Respect? maybe..as long as I followed the confines of how one can be self-respectful.
No one ever encouraged me in exploration of what self-love and self-respect meant. And yet ultimately it is the very two things that Jesus professes we do to be whole, happy and complete. ????We know through years of learning, book reading, and perhaps, therapy, that we can't love others (truly) until we love ourselves. Does this suggest that Jesus loved himself? You betcha! He'd have to!!!! (If the theory is to work anyway).
Where are we in our world and in our thinking when children can say that? I will tell you. We have made GREAT strides. We are raising children who will not succumb to the stresses of others and learn that THEY are of value. There is no place for guilt and shame in this world. Jesus would not have it for you...and if HE thought YOU thought it of yourself he would have saddled up to you in some ancient school, well, pub, synagogue,beach, somewhere and told you how ridiculous you were and to never it mind as God had real work for you.
Jesus wasn't about shame.
I felt horrible yesterday. For the first time in more than 3 years in opening and teaching at EDS I contracted my one and only illness that puts me into bed, (on the second day of school)..."Strept Throat". I felt so guilty it being Day 2 and I knew I had it... I never get sick and I always know the minute this is in my body. I had two options... Stick it out and spend the day miserably, (infecting others, maybe?) Because it was Day 2? or Go to bed and call my Doctor? After my Rock Sermon I decided to take care and love myself. Sometimes one must see to one's self for the good of the order. Thursday was a brighter day filled with my usual high energy and enthusiasm. Isn't that what God would have wanted for me? God is never interested in the leftovers of what I have to give... The Source craves my very best. And so do I! That is love at it's very best.
Please don't fill your glass jar with the smallest things...when you need to fit the larger important items you may not have the space, time, energy, or health to do so...again I am reminded that the simplest lessons are right. We are right to expect the Big Rocks in our life!
Dawn M. Grinnell, Director EDS and Children's Ministries Emmanuel Church
Welcome!! I wish I could present you all with a shiny red apple and newly sharpened bouquet of #2 Yellow pencils, as I did the teachers this past week... just imagine and read on...
This Week at EDS:
Sermon and Chapel: "The Big Rocks"
The Big Rocks. Well I am sure many of you are familiar or have seen this demonstration of placing your "Big Rocks" into an empty vessel first so as to then make room for the smaller rocks, pebbles, sand and water...all items fitting into the glass jar. Trite? maybe..Usable? always, and definitely a large reminder each time you "perform" this act how impacting it can be...even with the very young mind.
After an explanation of what Big Rocks are, I ask the group of new EDS'ers "What are your Big Rocks in life?" I am astounded by the responses... I am now aware that a new and refreshing type of childhood is at hand among us since the last time I did this.
They all look in wonderment at first, and then I nudge a few responses..."How about....?" I am quickly interrupted by a voice from the crowd... "LOVE". I gulp. "Yes...great one!" "Love is certainly a Big Rock" (write it on our board).... I then to try to formulate my thought again, (something like "Family", maybe...) and then I hear, "SELF".... "WOW"..."Who said that?" and "Yes, loving ourselves should be a Big Rock!" (I am floored now). Thinking my same thoughts about the "usuals" and listing them..."friends, family, education, food, shelter"... I am still lost on the first two responses... so I look at our list and suggest that we are missing and item, right? So, I suggest, "How 'bout God?" The response..."Well, He is all around us anyway Miss Dawn. That is what you always say." (GULP) SO...I think "Self?" "Love?" maybe these kids know more than I?? As is always the case... my lessons ,most frequently come directly from them.
We did go on to complete the exercise. We had a second-string of responses of pebbles, sand and water. They all made perfect sense, and were correct. The message received in my end game... yet, it made me think hard about the first two.
Not sure about you, but my upbringing, (not suggesting demonation), didn't include self love. (sadly). Respect? maybe..as long as I followed the confines of how one can be self-respectful.
No one ever encouraged me in exploration of what self-love and self-respect meant. And yet ultimately it is the very two things that Jesus professes we do to be whole, happy and complete. ????We know through years of learning, book reading, and perhaps, therapy, that we can't love others (truly) until we love ourselves. Does this suggest that Jesus loved himself? You betcha! He'd have to!!!! (If the theory is to work anyway).
Where are we in our world and in our thinking when children can say that? I will tell you. We have made GREAT strides. We are raising children who will not succumb to the stresses of others and learn that THEY are of value. There is no place for guilt and shame in this world. Jesus would not have it for you...and if HE thought YOU thought it of yourself he would have saddled up to you in some ancient school, well, pub, synagogue,beach, somewhere and told you how ridiculous you were and to never it mind as God had real work for you.
Jesus wasn't about shame.
I felt horrible yesterday. For the first time in more than 3 years in opening and teaching at EDS I contracted my one and only illness that puts me into bed, (on the second day of school)..."Strept Throat". I felt so guilty it being Day 2 and I knew I had it... I never get sick and I always know the minute this is in my body. I had two options... Stick it out and spend the day miserably, (infecting others, maybe?) Because it was Day 2? or Go to bed and call my Doctor? After my Rock Sermon I decided to take care and love myself. Sometimes one must see to one's self for the good of the order. Thursday was a brighter day filled with my usual high energy and enthusiasm. Isn't that what God would have wanted for me? God is never interested in the leftovers of what I have to give... The Source craves my very best. And so do I! That is love at it's very best.
Please don't fill your glass jar with the smallest things...when you need to fit the larger important items you may not have the space, time, energy, or health to do so...again I am reminded that the simplest lessons are right. We are right to expect the Big Rocks in our life!
Dawn M. Grinnell, Director EDS and Children's Ministries Emmanuel Church
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