Today's Personal Joy-spots [Sept. - Dec.]

Sept. 1    a quiet day.  quiet is life-giving

Sept. 2    spending 4+ hours talking on the phone with my friend processing.  she

               gets me.

Sept. 3    my first hike in 2 weeks - so good to get back among the trees

Sept. 4    errands completed  

               made up a recipe for a tomato, basil, feta, balsamic vinegar, olive oil

                    salad AND it tasted amazing.    

Sept. 5    just finished a sewing project I started years ago

Sept. 6    script writing with 'the boys' - I love hanging out with them!  They make
               me laugh.
Sept. 7    'butterflying' with all the people I knew at the party - I LOVE people!
Sept. 8    Jeff's sermon . . . check out www.northview.org
Sept. 9    more 'butterflying' - this time at the church picnic
Sept 10   windows washed and no sign of a wasp nest
Sept 11   got my braces off today!
Sept 12   it's the little secret things, that only God knows, that brings the biggest
               smiles
               made the most perfect blackberry muffins today
Sept. 13  days of procrastinating to wash my windows and it only took minutes
               to do
Sept. 14  grafting in my mouth is done - let the healing begin
Sept. 15  I got to pray with a friend.  I love to pray.  I love my friend.
Sept. 16  listening to neighbourhood noises through an open window.
Sept. 17  when someone shares the deep stuff with you
Sept. 18  sitting in a room filled with people that share the same passion
Sept. 19  finding the few last blackberries on my walk
Sept. 20  I got called in to work today!! yeah for kindergarteners!
Sept. 21  my mouth doesn't hurt today - hopefully the grafting has healed. the
               teeth have settled.
Sept. 22  lunch out with my daughter - she is a delight!
Sept. 23  de-cluttering
Sept. 24  Olivia (grade 1) thinks I'm the best teacher ever!!!
Sept. 25  I am so thrilled for my friend who is going to Thailand
Sept. 26  already booked to teach for 2 weeks in Feb.
               an invitation from Paris to participate in something very fun
Sept. 27  today a bumped knee and scraped hand on the school's Terry 
               Fox run opened up the floodgates of sad for a little kindergartener 
              whose 'daddy went away for a long time because he was 
              drinking beer and wasn't suppose to' . . .  You just never know 
              when those God-appointed moments will show up. 
Sept. 28  I was invited to go to Paris to co-ordinate the puppet 
                segment of a TV program!
                eye doctor said my eyesight hasn't changed in years 
                - definitely a gift.
Sept. 29  getting better at persevering at the gym - 3 sets of 20 instead
               of 3 sets of 10 
Sept. 30  sunshine.  clean house.  laundry and ironing done.  schoolwork done.
               cake in the oven.  
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Oct. 1     when someone runs in for a hug and hangs on for a long time :)
Oct. 2     I have amazing people in my life.  wise.  discerning.  caring.  creative.
Oct. 3     'you are a kind teacher'
               an email from a long ago friend trusting me with the surprise tough
               stuff in her life
Oct. 4     when a teacher trusts you with her class of little ones.
Oct. 5     celebrating the victories of a beginning reader
Oct. 6     perfect day hiking Ptarmigan Ridge - Mt. Baker
Oct. 7     wearing heels :)
Oct. 8     Thanksgiving with my children 
Oct. 9     to be called a 'confidante'.  coffee with a friend (2x in one day)
Oct. 10   a phone call from my friend.  
               leftover turkey from Thanksgiving
Oct. 11   advil 
Oct. 12   Duncan (age 5) told me I was the apple of his eye
Oct. 13   hot water and lemon
Oct. 14   merino wool socks form costco 3/10$
Oct. 15   dr. appt cancelled.  dr appt rescheduled for the same day
Oct. 16   Cassidy (age 5 - boy) told me he was going to invite me to his
               birthday party so we could watch Batman together
Oct. 17   a million errands done.
Oct. 18   drama practice with the boys - I get to be 'saucy' 
Oct. 19   coffee with an old friend - I 'relove' her
               movie out with new friends
Oct. 20   hiking a familiar trail - leaves in their majestic fall colors
               vacuumed the car (been wanting to do that for a long time)
               ironing done
               anticipating a fun writing session with 'the boys'
Oct. 21   writing with anticipation that the words
                         I am putting to print are the right ones.     
Oct. 22   coffee with D. - being trusted
Oct. 23   praying with an amazing group of intercessors.
               praying for a friend
Oct. 24   no cysts.  no cancer.  yeah!!!
               breathing in and out
               a fireplace.  a warm blanket.  
               found a book I was going to buy anyway at the thrift shop 
                         in excellent condition
Oct. 25   Anika said the reason I like coming to Deroche is because
                         I like the kids :) . . . I do!  I do!
Oct. 26   it's Friday.  thinking take out. wine. fireplace. BIG warm 
               blanket. 
Oct. 27   everyday that I make it to the gym is a good day for my body
               so glad makeup was invented - it's in the covering up that
                         I have hope
               out with friends
Oct. 28   another sewing project done
Oct. 29   a big box of purdy's chocolates on the staff room table
                        Tekoa - never get tired of your run and dive hugs
Oct. 30   found the book on my own bookshelf everyone is having
                         to buy online and I got mine from the thrift shop
               went to the gym - second time this week
Oct. 31   Kiersten - lucky Thailand
               my 'pumpkin' blanket            
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Nov. 1    having the right words that bring life to another
Nov. 2    Friday  
Nov. 3    preparing well
Nov. 4    friends that love me and I know it       
Nov. 5    peace after a 'storm'       
Nov. 6    dried flowers in a juice box
Nov. 7    invited to Vichy, France   
Nov. 8    laughter
               water
Nov. 9    made it through the paper pile   
Nov.10   hiking Sumas Mt. - so thankful for mittens and neck
               warmers
               coffee with friends (V&C)
               trusted 
Nov. 11  laughing with my daughter (A)
Nov. 12  bran muffins and tea
Nov. 13  having a creative directing idea
Nov. 14  an innovative, on-the-spot problem fix
               a caring friend (M)
Nov. 15  money in my wallet
Nov. 16  it was Dayton's (age 5) first time spelling his name all by himself
Nov. 17  a gift from a friend who thinks I have a 'great mind'  :)
Nov. 18  playing games with my favorite contender and daughter - Aleah
Nov. 19  my friend M. 
Nov. 20  the beautiful drive to Deroche - the mountains with fresh snow
Nov. 21  reading stories to kindergarteners - I love reading.  I love k's.  I love good stories.
Nov. 22  get to wear the most amazing costume for the christmas play
               affirmation about my character in the play choices
               Naomi (grade 2) tied her shoelaces for the 1st time - she was so excited; 
                       she just knew her parents would be proud of her :)
Nov. 23  thanksgiving dinner at D&M's
               listening to the heart of a missionary (J&P)
               a rare compliment from a friend (J)
Nov. 24  invited
Nov. 25  homemade soup and biscuits
Nov. 26  thinking on the spot; choosing to be positive
Nov. 27  Duncan welcomed me this morning with "you're still the apple of my 
                      eye Mrs. Kampen and you always will be"
Nov. 28  coming home FROM the gym means I actually went :)
Nov. 29  practice makes way to success
Nov. 30  the possibilities in a day, any day, are endless
Dec. 1     mocked but not defeated
Dec. 2    Christmas tree is up and decorated
Dec. 3    coffee with a friend
Dec. 4    encouraging words from a tough director
Dec. 5    pizza
Dec. 6    one coke left in the fridge and its mine!
Dec. 7    scoring a basket in the teacher against grade 6 basketball game.
Dec. 8    going to the gym is always a good way to start the day
Dec. 9    valuing the 'voice' [position of leadership] I've been given
Dec. 10  excited about performing this week
Dec. 11  advil 
Dec. 12  a friend to process with (Lia)
Dec. 13  strength to be gracious
Dec. 14  random 'I love you Mrs. Kampen!' from my kindergartens
Dec. 15  affirmation is imperative to one's existence
Dec. 16  my children were all home for lunch
Dec. 17  hugs from my kindergarten's [Aliyah. Akaila. Zoe]
Dec. 18  it only hurts if you care - sadly, I do.
              a Christmas present from Curtis - markers.  a notepad.  a magnetic snowflake
              big fat snowflakes falling - promising for more? maybe a snow day tomorrow?
Dec. 19  best audience to act to - felt so good
Dec. 20  my friends came to watch the show - thank you Lia, Rebekah, Jonathan, 
              Seth, Victoria, Adica
              a lovely gift from Lia - Restored :)
Dec. 21 Andrea came to the show tonight - brought me a rose with heart-melting
              words on the card 
              children - I love them!
              words that are life-giving
              fuzzy penguin socks from Tristan (kindergarten)
              rum balls from Akaila's mom
              precious gifts from precious children
              fun texts from my friend Melanie about my performance while I'm
              performing :)
Dec. 22  found the last CG calendar for my daughter -shhh.  it's a surprise!
              wrapping presents
              finding the perfect gift
              believing God is all about restoring relationships
              friends who support you
Dec. 23  Aleah's friend Nikita is sleeping soundly on the couch 
              a day of cleaning and no where to be
Dec. 24  a present from a friend - don't know what it is yet - yeah for surprises :)
Dec. 25  wonderful sounds and smells in the house; love the children being home
Dec. 26  K&K stayed 2 nights - love it!! 
               lemon tea and honey
               leftovers
               going to the movie 'The Hobbit' - finding great seats even when it was
               full
Dec. 27   Benylin's cough syrup 
               finding receipts for returning items
Dec. 28  threading 
Dec. 29  slept all night - no coughing!
Dec. 30  the sun is shining - no small feat in the Fraser Valley - great day to
              prayer walk
              'accidentally' met a new neighbor - Rose
Dec. 31  big fat snowflakes
              overcoming
              an invitation to a NY party
              I did it!  365 days of recognizing and recording everyday joy-spots!!!
               

Joy-spots . . . introduction to

January 20/12

Life has bumps.  Our choices either give life or take it away.  'Today' I choose to be life-giving - to find, to make, to be . . . a joy spot :). With the 'gentle' adamancy of my good friend Lia (and Deste) I am writing my ideas. . .  sharing my joy spots; the 'ah-ha' moments in my day that lead me, guide me to finding and being a bright spot in someone's day.  It propels me, fills me, excites me and gives me purpose. [important note: I'm talking about joy here, not happy. 'Happy' ticks off a wish list; 'joy' is a way of being, a result of/the fruit of desiring to walk in the character of God]

I was listening to a friend a few weeks ago as she shared her sadness.  Stories I had heard often before . . .  wondering if anything I could say or do would ever really make things different.   What if we trained, or in some cases, rewired our thought processes to find the pieces in our lives, in our day that remind us of life, like a knot on a tow rope that we hang onto as we move forward.  Key word here is 'move forward'.

I've just started sighting 'pinterest'.  It is filled with quotes and pictures and intentions to make us smile. to exercise our creative muscles.  It inspired me to take the pieces that I already have and make treasures out of them.  It added to the push to start this blog spot. So with that said; may you be prompted in reading my bits to search for ones in your own life.  to find the the spots of sometimes hidden treasures that bring you joy.  fill you with life. . . :)

Quotes that inspire me . . .

"Her life improved dramatically when she decided to break the rules and find beauty where she'd been told there was none."(sorry, couldn't find the author to this, possibly 'Curly Girl')

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"You will know that forgiveness has begun when you recall those who hurt you and feel the power to wish them well." . . . lewis b. smedes

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What if you woke up today with only the things you thanked God for yesterday?

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I teach.  What's your superpower?

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You were made by GOD and for GOD and until you understand that, life will never make sense.

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"Do everything with excellence then, for excellence is not an act but a habit."  Aristotle

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"Earth's crammed with heaven, and every common bush afire with God.  But only he who sees,
takes off his shoes". . . e.b.browning

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You have been my friend. That in itself is a tremendous thing. I wove my webs for you because I liked you. After all, what's a life, anyway? We're born, we live a little while, 
we die. A spider's life can't help being something of a mess, with all this trapping and eating flies. By helping you, perhaps I was trying to lift up my life a trifle. 
Heaven knows anyone's life can stand a little of that. - "Charlotte's Web" E.B.White
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There is no beautifier of complexion, or form, or behavior, like the wish to scatter joy and not pain around us. 'Tis good to give a stranger a meal, or a night's lodging. 
'Tis better to be hospitable to his good meaning and thought, and give courage to a companion. We must be as courteous to a man as we are to a picture, which 
we are willing to give the advantage of a good light.   - Ralph Waldo Emerson
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Don’t you ever get the feeling that life is too small? . . . Like, there are parts of you in different places, and you have to go and find them?  - Diana Evans '26a'

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Do not abandon yourselves to despair.  We are the Easter people and hallelujah is 
our song - Pope John Paul II

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For the man sound in body and serene of mind there is no such thing as bad weather; 
every day has its beauty, and storms which whip the blood do but make it pulse more vigorously. ‘ George Gissing
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A day of ‘rain’ cleans out the emotional cob webs in the closet of memories - Marilyn Kampen

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‘To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children . . . 
to leave the world a better place . . . to know even one life has breathed easier because you have 
lived.  This is to have succeeded.’ Ralph Waldo Emerson

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"I want His Joy, to pursue His Joy, to respond and react in Joy, to discover new 
Joy in my regular, old life, to give Joy, and multiply Joy in the lives of my children, to serve with greater Joy..." (quote on Andrea Roukema’s fb; her gramma’s favorite one)

[it makes you think that the mandate you live by is what forms you, creates you, you find fruit in 
and from, the legacy you leave . . . ]

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Every problem comes with a provision attached to it and a promise . . . one man walking with God is always a majority.
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Love hurts. Life hurts. Not everything is settled before we die. Faith is not an inoculation against hardship.  Not everyone dies of old age. Christ-followers don’t get passed over by pain. So where does this leave us?  It leaves us in the back seat, with the book open 
and tears falling, too tied-in to stop reading.  It leaves us caught mid story and caught, unwilling to close the book, our options narrow.  We can say it doesn’t matter to us what happens, but that is a lie.  We can harden our hearts so that life’s darts don’t sting, 
until eventually we don’t even flinch when a stray one hits home, or we can stick with our story: believing not as much in the hoped-for-happy outcome as in the ultimate 
goodness of the Storyteller.” (‘The Beautiful Ache’- L. McLeroy)
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Jesus knows me, this I love. 
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I always wonder why birds stay in the same place when they can fly anywhere on the 
earth.  And then I ask myself the same question.  Harun Yahya
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The man who said it can't be done. . . should not interrupt the woman doing it.  (unknown)
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God grant me a vacation to make bearable what I can't change.  A friend to make it funny and the wisdom to never get my knickers in a knot because it solves nothing and makes me walk funny. (unknown)
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My cooking is fabulous, even the smoke alarms are cheering me on. (unknown)
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I'm not random.  You just can't think as fast as me.(unknown)
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The most beautiful people we have known are those who have known defeat; known suffering; known struggle; known loss; and have found their way out of the depths.  
These persons have an appreciation;a sensitivity, and an understanding of life that fills
them with compassion, gentleness, and a deep loving concern.  Beautiful people do not just happen. (Elizabeth Kubler Ros)
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Friendship is the comfort that comes from knowing that even when you feel all 
alone, you aren't.  [ ? ]
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Forgiveness is the fragrance that the violet sheds on the heel that has crushed it. 
[Mark Twain]
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No I didn't lose my mind.  It got scared and ran away. [ ? ]
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Every child has an inner artist.  The challenge is to remain an artist after you 
grow up. [Pablo Picasso]
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Hope is the little voice you hear whisper 'maybe' when it seems the entire world is shouting 'no'!
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I love those random memories that make me smile no matter what is going on in 
my life right now. [ ? ]
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If I could choose wealth or health, I'd choose health because in the end, the king and 
the pawn both go back into the same box. [Mentalist]
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Pretend you're a star and poke a hole in someone's darkness. [ . . . ]
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Strong is what happens when you run out of weak.
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Every day is a good day, some days are just better. [quote from my dad]
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The Bible is meant to be bread for daily use; not cake for special occasions.
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Fear is nothing to be afraid of . . . it's just the door we push through to get to the 
other side.(annvoskamp.com . . . holleygerth.com)
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For attractive lips, speak words of kindness. For lovely eyes, seek out the good in 
people. For a slim figure, share your food with the hungry.
For beautiful hair, let a child run his fingers through it once a day.
For poise, walk with the knowledge you'll never walk alone.
(Sam Levenson)
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Don't compare your love story to those you watch in movies.
They're written by scriptwriters, yours is written by God.
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An arrow can be shot only by pulling it backward.  So when life is dragging you back 
with difficulties, it means that it's going to launch you into something great. (unknown)
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The greatest thing a man can do for a woman is to lead her closer to God than 
to himself.
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Religion is for people afraid of going to hell; spirituality is for people who have 
already been there.
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Lord, I can't say it in words . . . could you please just listen through my heart.
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Bad spellers of the world . . .UNTIE! :)
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Joy is what happens to us when we allow ourselves to recognize how good things
really are. (m.williamson)
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Wake up every morning with the thought, the expectation that something 
wonderful is about to happen.
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Perhaps strength doesn't reside in having never been broken but in the
courage required to grow strong in the broken places.
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The best day of your life is the one on which you decide your life is your own.
No apologies or excuses.  No one to lean on, rely on, or blame.  The gift is yours -
it is an amazing journey - and you alone are responsible for the quality of it.
This is the day your life really begins.  (Bob M.)
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Some people believe that holding on and hanging in there are signs of strength,
but there are times in life when it takes much more strength to just let go.
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Sometimes when I say 'I'm okay', I want someone to look me in the eyes, hug me
tight and say, 'I know you're not'.
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An essential aspect of creativity is not being afraid to fail.
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Love is kind.  Anything less isn't love at all.
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Before you talk, listen.  Before you react, think.  Before you criticize, wait.
Before you pray, forgive.  Before you quite, try.
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Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of
enthusiasm. - winston churchill
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He who refuses to embrace a unique opportunity loses the prize as surely
as if he had failed. - william james
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You're the strangest person I ever met, she said & I said you too & we decided
we'd know each other a long time. - curly girl
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Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. - Romans !2:12
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Gratitude begins when my sense of entitlement ends.  - sevenly.org
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Faith is deliberate confidence in the character of God whose ways you may 
not understand at the time. - Oswald Chambers
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Storms make trees grow deeper roots.
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Once in a while someone amazing comes along . . . and here I am! - Tigger
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Don't feel bad if people remember you only when they need you.  Feel
privileged that you are like a candle that comes to their mind when there
is darkness.
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There's always a [truth] behind [just kidding] a little [emotion] behind
[I don't care] a little [pain] behind [it's okay] a little [I need you] behind
[leave me alone] and a lot of [words] behind [the silence]
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You are . . . the cheese to my macaroni' the horizon to my sky; the bacon 
to my eggs; the laces to my sneakers; the jelly to my peanut butter;
the gravy to my mashed potatoes; the smile to my face; the bubbles to my
bath; the milk to my cookie; the ink to my pen; the ketchup to my french 
fries; the water to my ocean; the icing to my cupcake.
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When I saw you I fell in love, and you smiled because you knew.
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It takes a certain level of darkness to see the stars.
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God beckons storm clouds and they come.  He tells the wind to blow and
the rain to fall, and they obey immediately.  He speaks to the mountains,
'you go there,' and He says to the seas, 'you stop here, and they do it.  
Everything in all creation responds in obedience to the Creator . . . until
we get to you and me.  We have the audacity to look God in the face and
say, 'No.'  - David Platt   'Radical'
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Don't ask what the world needs.  Ask yourself what makes you come alive
and then do that.  Because what the world needs is people who have
come alive.  - Howard Thurman
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Because I'm beginning to think happiness is a sensation, or a visitation, 
not a way of being.  It goes up and down, up and down and sometimes 
there are bruises.  Diana Evans (2a)
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Memory is a child walking along a seashore, you never can tell what 
small pebble it will pick up and store away among it's treasured things.
- Pierce Harris
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Time stands best in moments that look like ordinary life. - Brian Andres
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Don't you ever get the feeling that life is too small? . . . Like, there are
parts of you in different places, and you have to go and find them.
- Diana Evans (2a)
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Memories are like sand castles - only by putting them in a safe place
can you prevent them from washing away.
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One word can shift the atmosphere of your day.  Kind begets kind.  
Biting bites back.  Light dispels darkness.
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I remember my mothers' prayers and they have always followed me.
They have clung to me all my life.  - Abraham Lincoln
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Only those who try to resist temptation know how strong it is. 

After all, you find out the strength of [an] army by fighting 

against it, not by giving in. You find out the strength of a wind 

by trying to walk against it, not by lying down. A man who gives 

in to temptation after five minutes simply does not know what it 

would have been like an hour later. That is why bad people, in one 

sense, know very little about badness. They have lived a sheltered 

life by always giving in. We never find out the strength of the evil 

impulse inside us until we try to fight it: and Christ, because he was 

the only man who never yielded to temptation, is also the only man 

who knows to the full what temptation means--the only complete 

realist. -Clive Staples

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some people are like slinkies . . . not really good for anything; but you can't
help smiling when you see one tumble down the stairs - ? [this quote
was read at a funeral I went to yesterday.  it was oddly the perfect end to
the eulogy for a 29 year old woman who died way too soon]
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A good life is when you assume nothing, do more, need less, smile often, 
dream big, laugh a lot, and realize how blessed you are.
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The soul always know what to do to heal itself.  The challenge is to 
silence the mind.
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'What day is it?' asked Pooh.  
'It's today,' squeaked Piglet.
'My favorite day,' said Pooh.
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The quieter you become, the more you can hear.
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One of the hardest parts of life is deciding whether to try harder,
or walk away.
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If you carry the bricks from your past relationship, you will end up building

the same house. [kushandwizdom.tumbir]

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Beautiful things don't seek attention.  [The Secret Life of Walter Mitty]
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Comments & Quotes from Children

I was calling out the names for attendance today and mis-pronounced 'Tinarah' - when I apologized she said, 'that's ok. I like it when people say my name wrong. It makes me feel like a treasure box because you have to know the secret password.' :)
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When reminding Ariana to say thank you, I said, 'thank you Mrs. Kampen' as a model for her to follow. She looked up at me confused and said, 'my name isn't Mrs. Kampen' :)

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during journal writing today, Jackson (kindergarten) asks: 'Mrs. Kampen, I don't have a
clue how to spell 'a' . . . ' :)

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as I'm marking my grade 1's writing assignment, I read: 'The best part of Jump Rope for Heart . . .
was skipping with Mris. Capin' . . . even hard days have bright spots; you just never know
when you'll be blindsided by one :)

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smile of the day: watching Amy (grade 2) doing the 'macarena' as she sings O Canada in assembly. :)

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"what is special about the month of February?" 'It's Valentines day!' "Why do we celebrate Valentine's Day?" 'It's God's birthday." (this comment from the same class of students that think we celebrate 

God's birthday at Thanksgiving.' Oh, how I would love to speak to them truth. . . (sigh)
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today after participating with the class in gym, Clayton says, 'you're not like old at all; what are
you - 35? My response, 'you are my new best friend.' His response, 'hmmm, . . . I've never 

had a teacher for a best friend before.' :)
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just before dismissal I asked my grade 1 class what the best part of their day was . . . Memphis
said 'being with you.' (insert squishy-melty-very humbled feeling here :) )

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didn't know you could pick your nose with your big toe - thank you Jacob (grade 1)
for sharing that with me today :)

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"the no. 1 reason I like school - I get to put stuff in my duotang." (quote from Wesley - he's 7)

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so . . . I asked the class today why we celebrated Thanksgiving - first response: "it's Jesus
or God's birthday - I can't remember which one"

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"sorry Mrs. Kampen, but I accidentally dropped my felt pen in your tea!" . . .
(I was just thankful he told me :S)

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another fun yesterday kindergarten moment was when Kaeden said, 'I'm not mad at you anymore. I forgive you.' This was after I took away his computer privileges for a very valid reason. :)

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today in show and tell, Jesse stood up and told us at length about how much his mom loved him :)

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so . . . we were sounding out the word 'children' today - I made the 'ch' sound and James, thinking he has the right answer, jumps up and shouts 'shit!' . . . no one even noticed. He got about as much reaction as if he had said 'apple'. . . oh, I'm going to miss James, and Samantha who has a pet rock 

named 'Arsa' and . . . :)
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when I told my class that they were getting a new teacher, Kaeden kissed me on one cheek
and James kissed me on the other. :)

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so . . . at show and tell, James told us he wants to grow up and be a balloon maker and
Cooper has new underwear, black with guitars on them . . .:)

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15 snowsuits to zip up; mittens to stuff in; scarves to tie; boots to put on the right feet . . .
3x today . . . gave me a whole new perspective on a snowy day.

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so. . . James (age 5) walked into the staff room again today. I told him he had to knock at the door if he wanted me, so he turns around, closes the door behind him and knocks. I open the door and bend down, at which point he sits on my knee and tells me that Jesse said he could see his 

underpants and that made him sad. . . Yet another sunshine spot in my day, compliments of James :)
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so . . . Brandon (age 5) told me today "that he went to Africa on the weekend and saw a wooly mammoth and then he went to Mexico to go dirt biking . . .for real!" . . . how's that for a 

fun weekend! :)
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so . . . today James (age 5), wearing a bright orange shirt, walks right into the staff room at lunch looking for me. "What did you want James?' . . . "I just wanted to see you.' :)

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we were talking in kindergarten today about where our food comes from . . .popcorn comes
from corn, milk comes from cows, eggs come from chickens, french fries come from
"McDonald's!" (unanimous answer) . . .:)

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Yesterday Jesse (age 5) told me he loved me, today we held hands at recess and in the afternoon
he said ' I just have to give you a hug teacher' :) . . . so thankful for the bright spots.

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had such a good day in kindergarten - Jesse (age 5) told me that he loved me and Brendan was sure
he saw God in Disneyland - he was wearing stars :)
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Andrea came to class late after lunch; when I asked her why she said: 'because my friend
wanted to give me a hug.'
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When I walked into class today, the teacher I sub for says: Yeah, I'm glad it you.
a normal sub wouldn't know what to do but you're so not normal [meaning that
I understand her day plan without too much added detail].  I love working for Patti!
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while reading a story to the class today [A Friend Like You: apple cheeks. apple pie.
you're the apple of my eye], Duncan (age 5) calls out "Mrs. Kampen, you're the apple
of MY eye" and then draws a picture of the two of us playing marble-works together
under a rainbow.
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Cassidy: Mrs. Kampen I want to invite you to my birthday party so we can watch
batman together.
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Grant (age 5) brought a silver duck for his show and tell.  He had received it from his
father as a baptism gift.  Adia asks: 'what's baptism?'  Grant's response: 'it happens in
a church.  They sprinkle water on your forehead and then everybody there becomes
your family.'
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Thanksgiving: it's when we stay home and we love each other (kindergarten)
We thank for everything we got.
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I wish you were a real teacher. [grade 6 student - meant a full time teacher
instead of a teacher on call.
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Today I taught a grade 6 student how to tie their shoes and another one
what 1-0 was.  moral of this story: DON"T DO DRUGS OR DRINK WHILE
PREGNANT!!! (I'm not being mean here; with complete sincerity)
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Dayton (age 5) wrote his name for the 1st time - all the letters in the right spots!
Naomi (grade 2) tied her shoelaces for the 1st time today (Nov. 22) - she gave me
       credit for teaching her but I know it 'takes a village'
Maisie (grade 3) drew a picture of her grandpa watching her with a telescope from
       heaven.
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I'm going to sit with you Mrs. Kampen because I know you don't like to be alone.
(K - Aliyah)
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It's really fun to hug you (K -Aliyah)
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