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Showing posts from February, 2018

Growing into Truth

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There is a running joke I have with my husband. Whenever we do something that is completely predictable, or on brand behaviour for someone we know well, we say with affectionate humour “Classic Peg!” (It’s a SNL skit that we’ve adopted). I get a ‘Classic Jo’ every time I forget to set a timer and end up burning food. There are some things I still do, even though past experience or sheer logic would teach me to change my ways. While it’s good to be able to laugh at oneself with someone who knows and loves you well, there are some things I do which are ‘Classic Jo!’, which I really do want to change. Personal makeovers are most certainly a long game, but effort alone isn’t the solution, there are some things that can only be changed by God, his truth and in his good time. When I was younger I erroneously thought I would have worked through all my issues and learned all I needed to know to do life well come middle age, but growing older has only meant encountering a whole new set of situ...
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Letting things go

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  Have you ever been told to, “Let it go?” It has become a bit of a cliche phrase in recent years (thanks to an over-commercialised song), however being told to let things go can be a challenge; especially when you believe it’s something worth fighting for. I sometimes find humour in singing to my daughte r Let it go, when she has worried long enough about a problem that it begins to impede her ability to move on. Her audible groan and exaggerated roll of the eyes communicate her dislike of being casually told to get over it; not something a 14 year old can do easily. While I try to make light of her world crushing problem (slightly thoughtless, as I was once 14, and yes it is world crushing at the time) the truth is as a parent there are equal moments when issues arise with our children that we feel we cannot let go of. The reason for the struggle to let things go can be many factors: pride, the importance of being in control, an unresolved injustice, or a clear understanding tha...
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New Beginnings

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  New Beginnings: two words that hold such promise and hope. Just saying it out loud I can’t help but breathe out slowly and then smile; I love a new beginning. I was reminded this week how starting a fresh can be so mentally positive. On Monday afternoon my mother rang to wish me and the children a blessing for the start of a new school year. She said, “Tomorrow is a new day, with no mistakes in it” (a favourite quote from Anne of Green Gables). I have closed the book of 2017; putting it on the shelf of life. While I’ve done this happily (some pages I wish weren’t written), I know it contains valuable lessons I will one day be glad to read again. However, for now I begin a new book, the story of 2018. Unlike the New Years resolutions that get made on January 1 and are invariably broken by January 31, my only resolve is to look ahead with hope and courage.   Allowing yourself a new beginning, is an important part of being resilient. It’s a positive mindset that says you’re e...
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