JOY!

Joy to the world! The Christmas season is upon us. I find it to be a time of great joy. We can look forward to the birth of Christ as a time for forgiveness and renewal. As a class, we reflected on the importance of forgiving ourselves, others, and opening our hearts to Jesus. Wishing you all a very Blessed Christmas and a wonderful New Year! See you in 2010!

Thank you God for the ability to forgive. I am grateful to to be able to forgive because I can forgive myself and let Jesus back into my heart.

I am grateful for the ability to learn. Some things that I love to learn are exploring math and religion classes because of the social teachings.

Thank You, thank You, thank You God, for blessing us with the wonderful gifts of love and compassion.

Some things that I love learning are people's different opinions.

Joy to the world! I am grateful for joy because it makes me happy. Something that brings me joy is prayer!

Joy to the world! I am grateful for joy because being happy is a good thing. Some things that bring me joy are my family, friends, nature and my life!

Thank You, thank You, thank You God, for happiness, love, joy, peace, nature, and family and friends!

Thank You, thank You, thank You God, for blessing us in the sacraments and my faith and love.

Thank You, thank You, thank You God, for friends who will always love you for who are and will always be there when you need them.

I grateful for being a follower of Jesus. Ways that I can follow him are by teaching others his ways of life, and going to Mass.

Thank You, thank You, thank You God, for being alive!

Thank You, thank You, thank You God, for my life for my life, all the places I have gone and all the people I know, my friends and family, and being able to have you in my life everyday!

Thank You God for the ability to forgive. I am grateful to be able to forgive because it can make me a better friend and family member.

Thank You, thank You, thank You God, for this beautiful world that you created for us!

Joy to the world! I am grateful for joy because it allow us to express happiness. Some things that bring me joy are snow, coldness and wind.

To My Students - Thank You!

Although this past week was filled with warm, wonderful holiday memories, it was also one of the most challenging weeks for me as a teacher. As I sat down to read the student's journals, a small part of me was feeling deflated, wondering if I was truly answering God's call and teaching these kids anything at all? As I began to turn the pages of each journal, it was as though God was telling me, no, yelling to me to keep on keeping. It seemed as if each student had written something that touched my heart in some small way. I could have written an entry or two from each student, but because of time constraints and an increased risk for carpal tunnel syndrome, I had to limit it somewhere! You will see however, more than the usual number of entries posted for this week ~ enjoy!

"In the sacraments, we meet the risen Christ - we become the Church. Thank You Lord for allowing us to become whole. We are holy in these ways...by going to Sunday worship or mass every weekend, praying and doing acts of kindness."

"We thank You God for a rainy day that turned into a beautiful day!"

"Thank You God, for the ability to make choices. Help to guide me in the choices I will make. Some of the choices I will have to make will be to do something good or bad."

"I am grateful for the ability to freely choose with God's help. If I didn't have God's help, I would make a lot of stupid mistakes."

"Lord of the Harvest, I am grateful for abundance! The abundance in my life is energy!"

"I am grateful for the ability to freely choose. With God's help, I am grateful to be able to choose these things: to go to school and have friends."

"I am grateful for the wisdom of the church! Some ways that I can work for a just society are by praying for the strength to do good deeds."

"Lord of the Harvest, I am grateful for abundance. The abundance in my life is knowledge."

"Lord of the Harvest, I am grateful for abundance. The abundance in my life is love, church and being caring."

"I am grateful for the ability to freely choose. With God's help, I am grateful to be able to choose to make friends, keep the planet clean, and be a strong leader in my community."

"Lord of the Harvest, I am grateful for abundance. The abundance in my life is happiness, joy and having my family."

"Thank You God, for the ability to make choices. Help to guide me in the choices that I will make. Some choices that I will have to make will be to choose to be a leader or a follower and to choose between good and bad."

"Thank You God for my family, friends, teachers, guardians, and for being alive!"

"We thank You God for friends who make us laugh!"

"We thank You God for the Eucharist!"

"Thank You God, for the ability to make choices. Help guide me in the choices that I make. Some choices that I may have to make will be to do something a friend may think is cool, but it is not healthy or good for you."

"Thank You God, for the ability to make choices. Help guide me in the choices that I make. Some choices that I may have to make are saying no to peer pressure that I will face in the future."

"Thank You God for everything that you have graced me with!"

"In the sacraments, we meet the risen Christ - we become the Church. Thank You Lord for allowing us to become whole. We are holy in these ways...because we are sons and daughters of Christ and God is as holy as you can get!"

"In the sacraments, we meet the risen Christ - we become the Church. Thank You Lord for allowing us to become whole. We are holy in these ways...by having good thoughts!"

Tis the season to be grateful!

With Thanksgiving around the corner, I enjoy seeing all the posts of gratitude by my friends on Facebook; only, I wish gratitude wasn't just thought about or practiced this time of year. My prayer is that we can all take a lesson from these wonderful middle school students and be thankful everyday, all year long!

"Thank You God for knowledge, because with out it, I wouldn't be able to write this sentence."

"Thank You for everyone in my life, especially those whom I find hard to accept. Some ways that I will be more accepting of them will be to stand up for them, hang out with them and play with them."

"Thank You God for knowledge, I am grateful for knowledge because it allows us to truly appreciate God's creations."

Lord, You speak to me in different ways, thank You! Some ways in which You speak to me are in my heart and in my soul."

"Ever present God, I am thankful for You. I pray to you in these ways and for these things...through prayer and for my family, friends, my health and to make the right decisions in life."

"Lord, You speak to me in different ways, thank You! Some of the ways You speak to me are by prayer and when I have a choice and I do the right thing."

"Thank You for everyone in my life, especially those whom I find hard to accept. Some ways that I will be more accepting of them will be by finding the best in everyone."

"Lord, You speak to me in different ways, thank You! Some of the ways You speak to me are through prayer, meditation, and caring people in my life."

"Ever present God, I am thankful for You. I pray to You in these ways, by praying through Lectio Divina for peace."

" Thank You for everyone in my life, especially those whom I find hard to accept. Some ways that I will be more accepting of them will be by not criticizing."

"Thank You for everyone in my life, especially those whom I find hard to accept. Some ways that I will be more accepting of them will be by helping them get a question right, or greeting them nicely with an act of kindness."

Life is to short to not have fun, or be grateful!

We learned that just one person can make a difference in this world. We can also have fun while making a difference! God wants us to have fun! In a world that forces us to grow up too fast, it is refreshing to read what the students do for fun - simple and delightful!

"Thank You God for fun! This is how I have fun; I play soccer and paintball, I can go outside and play baseball at my friends house and during the fall, I can go outside and see how many leaves I can catch before they hit the ground or make a big pile to jump in. During the winter, I make really cool snow forts and snow men and have snowball fights!"

"Lord, thank You for the people who have made a difference in this world. Some people that I know that have made a difference are our teachers!"

"Lord, thank You for the people who have made a difference in this world. Some people that I know that have made a difference are the priests that encourage us to keep the faith."

Life is a gift, but we often take it for granted. Lord, thank You for giving me life! Things that I will try not to take for granted is just waking up in the morning."

"Lord, I am grateful to to be a voice for the poor. I can be an advocate for justice by raising awareness and boycotting."

"I can be advocate for justice in these ways... by putting on workshops about the poor and helping them get the materials and love they need."

"Life is a gift, but we often take it for granted. Lord, thank You for giving me life! Things that I will try not to take for granted will be my brother, because he is really cool and nice to me. He is a great brother!"

"Lord, thank You for people who make a difference in the world. Some people that I know that make a difference in the world are U2 and the president."

"I am grateful for the opportunity to meditate because it allows me a chance to cool off."

"Life is a gift, but we often take it for granted. Lord, thank You for giving me life! Things that I will try not to take for granted will be nature, love from parents and having friends!"

Simple words can bring great joy!

The past two weeks have been very busy at SJB. The students have been working on their priest projects, learning about angels, meditation and the difference between works of charity and works of justice! They have so much to thank God for already. When I wrote three simple words on the board, live, love, laugh, the responses were overwhelmingly joyous! If just hearing, reading or thinking positive words can bring about such happy emotions, imagine what we could do if we made an effort to say positive or kind words to each other on a daily basis!

"Live, love, laugh! I am grateful for these words, because they are the simplest way to define happiness!"

"Live, love, laugh! I am grateful for these words, because they bring joy to the hearts of others."

"I thank God to be a voice of change, because some people do not have a voice at all, and some people just choose not to use theirs."

"I thank God to be a voice for change, because it gives me a chance to let my light shine on the earth!"

" I am grateful to have been born to a family with the resources to care for me. Some ways that I can help others less fortunate are donating my time and money and fighting for their rights!"

"Live, love, laugh! I thank God for these words, because they make me think of the good and natural things we have in life."

"I am grateful to have been born to a family with the resources to care for me. Some ways that I can help others less fortunate are praying for them."

"I thank God to be a voice of change, because I can pray for change in our world."

"I thank God to be a voice for change, because youth can make a difference!"

"I am grateful for grace, because it shows me how much God loves me."

"I am grateful to learn about other religions, because it helps me to understand why people of a particular faith, do things differently."

"I am grateful for grace, because I get to eat the Eucharist!"

"Live, love, laugh! I am grateful for these words, because with out them, you couldn't tell someone that you LOVE them, or that you want them to LIVE in peace, and you couldn't LAUGH out loud!"

"I am grateful for grace because I know that God is with me."

"Live, love, laugh! I am grateful for these words because they are other words for happiness!"

"Live, love, laugh! I am grateful for these words, because these words make up me!"

Thank You Real to Reel!

A note of thanks to Peggy Webber and Owen Seery, for taking the time to interview our class about this blog! We can't wait until it airs on November, 21, 2009 at 7 p.m. on channel 22! I am so proud of the students, they are truly an exceptional group of young people! Thank you to Mrs. Rose, our principal, for being so supportive of our internet adventure! We look forward to continuing this blog and inspiring more people to live in gratitude!

We are Mediavores!

They say that the millennials are a media driven generation. While there are some downsides to "all access, all the time" media outlets, my students are learning ways in which technology can be used for the greater good! They now have the ability to share the message of love, hope and gratitude with the world through blogs, music, videos and websites. With the stroke a key or click of the mouse, a positive message can be shared ~ how cool is that?

"I am grateful for technology because it helps me to find information on certain things and it helps me to understand others better."

"I am grateful for continuing the mission of the apostles. A way that I can continue their mission is by treating everyone everyone with respect."

"Our church recognizes certain people as saints. Some people that I consider "saints" in my life are the pastors at my church and Mrs. Soloio because she does the youth group!"

"Ways in which I can share my faith with others are by being polite and respecting others."

"I am grateful for technology because it allows me to experience things I otherwise might not be able to."

"I am grateful to be able to share my faith with others. Ways in which I can share my faith are to forgive everyone for everything."

"I am grateful for technology because it helps me to keep in touch with my family who doesn't live near me."

"I am grateful for technology because there are so many ways in technology, like computers, phones and t.v.'s to get God's message out."

"Our church has recognized certain people as saints. Some people that I consider "saints" in my life are my mom because she follows in Jesus' footsteps and trys to bring me to church every sunday."

"Our church has recognized certain people as saints. Some people I consider "saints" in my life are my teachers, because they teach us important values."

"I am grateful for technology because it gives us an opportunity to communicate with people all over the world, so we can learn new things everyday!"

"I am grateful to be able to continue the mission of the church. One way that I can continue this mission is by teaching the word of God through sign language."

"Our church has recognized certain people as saints. Some people that I consider a "saints" in my life are my mom, dad, grandma and Mrs. Jag!"

Everyday Blessings!

How many of us take a moment to ask ourselves how truly blessed we are? Interestingly enough, when we do stop and ask, our answers are surprisingly simple.


"I am blessed because I was made in God's eyes."

"I am blessed because I was born."

"I am thankful for Wednesdays because it is another day to live happily."

"I am blessed because I am healthy and I have a great family."

"I am blessed because I have loving parents and a loving family."

"I thank God for Fall because I love the leaves and taking pictures of them."

"I am blessed to be a part of the universal church because everyone is the same."

"I am grateful for cool breezes because it is a sign that a new season is coming."

"I am blessed to be a part of the universal church, because it makes me realize how big our Catholic family is!"

"I am blessed to be part of the universal church because we are all united."

"I am grateful for cool breezes because I love feeling the fresh air and seeing it blow through the trees."

Scripture inspires us!

We are right back into the swing of things here at school. I am truly inspired by these students. They are so grateful for the simplest things in life. We don't need to over-complicate our lives in order to be happy. Realizing that we have all we need at this very moment, is so freeing!

"I am blessed with the gift of my life. I am grateful to be alive because I have a great family, friends and talents."

"I am grateful for change because it is a chance for new beginnings."

"I am blessed with the gift of my life. I am grateful to be alive because I can experience God's miracles on earth."

"We are grateful for scripture. One of my favorite lessons from the Bible is the Good Samaritan, because it expresses something that is rarely shown now. It shows that no matter who someone is, you should try with all your power to help them."

"I thank God for Jesus. Jesus is an important part of my life because He is the perfect role model for us and everyone on earth."

"We are grateful for scripture. One of my favorite lessons from the bible is 'do unto others'."

I thank God for my neighbors. One way I can be a good neighbor is by watering someone's plants or taking care of their pet when they are away."

"I am grateful for change because then we cna get out of the ordinary."

"I am grateful for change, because I can explore different ideas, places and I am then allowed to grow in that environment."

"I am grateful for change because when people are able to change for the better, it inspires others to do so as well."

Grateful to be back!

September is here again! Cool mornings turn to warm afternoons and the hustle and bustle of school children can be felt everywhere! I am thankful to once again have the opportunity to teach the students the importance of gratitude. Over the summer we read, Be the change by Zach Hunter, a fifteen year old modern day abolitionist. The message was direct and powerful, kids can make a difference! Here are a few of our most recent jottings!

"I am grateful for the gift of life because everyday is a new adventure for me!"

"I am grateful to be a positive influence. One way I can use my influence is by raising my hand in class."

I am thankful for the gift of life! I am grateful to be alive because there is always something exciting happening!"

"I thank God for the community in which I live. One way I can make a difference in my community is by recycling."

"I am grateful for the gift of my life. I am thankful to be alive because I can help make the world a better place!"

"I am grateful for the opportunity to be selfless. Some ways that I can sacrifice for others are maybe helping someone who has a hard time in school and help them study for a big test."

"I am grateful for school because I get to have religion class and get a proper education."

"I am grateful for the the gift of life! I am thankful to be alive because the earth is beautiful and I love my family and friends."

"I am grateful to be a positive influence. One way I can use my influence top help others is by bringing up important topics to people so that they can get involved and make a difference."

What Catholic Education means to me...

As this is the 8th grade's last week of school, I thought it appropriate to pose the question " how will the religious education you received guide you in high school and beyond?" I wanted to share with you what one student wrote.

How will Catholic school education aid me in my life?

Religion is a very important aspect in one's life. I was lucky enough to get a religious education at a Catholic school. Learning my faith in my youth will help me to be a kinder person, a more devout Christian and I will raise my children in this faith. God calls everyone to do His will and I think learning about God's will is the most important step in our life long journey to heaven. Jesus tells us to treat others as we would want to be treated. Learning to be kind to others is a small step in changing this world full of hatred and war into a world of peace and Love.

Being kind is a very easy thing to do. Whether it be holding a door open for someone, or helping someone with a large package, you can display kindness in many different ways. Going to a Catholic school, I learned many different scenarios in which one can display kindness. I believe if I didn't go to a Catholic school, I would not have the knowledge of what kindness stemming from God's Love truly is. Going to church on a weekly basis and praying in class have revealed to me that faith in God is all that really matters in our lives.

In our school we are free to practice our faith as Catholics without any discrimination. Knowing that others pray to God as you do, definitely makes you feel more comfortable to go to church or pray aloud. In a public school, children are not allowed this privilege. In Catholic school, we learn what prayer can do. Catholic school plants a seed in your soul that will grow and make you a better person. Passing down the tradition of going to Catholic school and to Mass is not only vital for the churches survival, but it allows new generations to take part in such a great and awesome way of life.

I will bring up my children in the Catholic faith because of my religious education. Taking my children to church, letting them go to parochial school and teaching them how to pray are just a few of the ways I will raise my children. God call us to spread His Good News and what better way to do that than to pass it down to our children. Hopefully my children will be as grateful as I am for a good Catholic education. As participants of a catholic school, we are a step ahead of others on our path to God because we have a deeper understanding of our faith.

Jesus asked us to be his disciples. Our parents encouraged and allowed us to attend Catholic school. Our Pastor gave us opportunities to grow in faith through retreats and youth group. Our religion teacher taught us the ways we can live out our faith. With help from all of these people, our faithfulness will flourish for all our lives.



"I am grateful for being raised in the Catholic faith. I demonstrate my faith in these ways: Coming to school even after the big Boston trip, giving a listening ear to a friend and being honest and truthful to my family and friends."

"I am grateful for being raised in the Catholic faith. I demonstrate my faith in these ways: by being helpful and grateful for everyone and everything."

"I am grateful for being raised in the Catholic faith. I demonstrate my faith in these ways: I go to church, I help others and I treat others the way I want to be treated."

"I am grateful for the years I spent at this school. My fondest memory was going to Heifer Internationals Learning center - Overlook Farm!"

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has annointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor. Lk 4:18

"I am grateful for agencies that raise awareness to social justice. One agency that I am grateful for is Dean's Beans Coffee because it give coffee growers more for their work."

"I am grateful for the gift of meditation because I can meditate outside."

"Wondrous God, I am grateful for the spring air! For me, springtime means new life." (x2)

"I am grateful for the many ways to pray. My favorite is through talking to Jesus in a quiet room."

"Wondrous God, I am grateful for the spring air. For me, spring means...my birthday and the smells and the warm air with odors."

"I am grateful for the opportunity to attend school because... I know that there are children in the world that aren't able to go to school. So I am blessed to have this opportunity."

"I am grateful for the gift of meditation. My favorite way to meditate is through retreats."

"God of all creation, thank You for nature's beauty. My favorite thing about nature is the animals in their natural habitats."

"I am grateful to do ordinary things with great love. Some of the these things are helping others with homework and chores."

"Wondrous God, thank You for the spring air. For me, springtime means fun in the sun and nature coming back to life."

"I am grateful for the gift of meditation. My favorite way to meditate is on a rock outside when it is quiet and peaceful."

"I am grateful for the opportunity to help others, because it gives me a chance to humble myself and see that I am not the only person who needs help sometimes."

"I thank God for the opportunity of change."

"

Talking with God is the greatest priveledge that we have!

I would like to open this week's blog by sharing a prayer that the 7th grade class wrote for our upcoming field trip to Heifer Internationals' Overlook Farm. We have been studying about the various forms of prayer and how prayer is one of the best means of developing and maintaining a relationship with God. The students did a wonderful job collaborating on this prayer.

"Loving God, thank You for the abundance that we have. Thank You for the resources and willingness to travel to the Heifer Learning Center. Keep us safe from harm and guide us to be understanding of other's needs. Help us to fulfill our promise of purchasing a llama and water buffalo for 3rd world villager's in need. Allow us to see the face of God in all those whom we help, just as Mother Teresa did. Please prepare us for any difficulties we may encounter on this trip. Thank You for allowing us to make a difference. Amen!"

**Prior to reading our gratitude jottings, please take a look at the links on the right hand side of the blog. You will find a video clip to an 8 minute documentary about a Heifer Learning Center in AR, directed by George Lucas. While the documentary clip is about a more extensive overnight program, our students will have the opportunity to participate in a 5 hour program called Humans and Habitats, similar to the one in the video. I am praying for fantastic day!


"I am grateful for prayer because it strengthens my heart and my relationship with Jesus."

"I am just plain thankful for the technology that we have today to figure out things and find cures for diseases."

"I am thankful for the opportunity to pray. My favorite prayer is the Hail Mary. It is my favorite prayer because She is a wonderful role model and it is great to pray to Her."

"I am grateful for the opportunity to pray. My favorite prayer is the Hail Mary, but I also like making up my own."

"I am grateful for the opportunity to overcome difficulty by praying. A time when I felt Jesus' strength was when my dog died."

"I am grateful to be able to agree to disagree. A time when the Spirit gave me strength to do this was when a student asked me to smoke with them and I didn't."

"I am grateful for prayer because it gives me guidance."

"I am grateful to be able to agree to disagree because it allows us to form our own opinions."

"I am just plain thankful for being alive and healthy!"

"I am just plain thankful for forgiveness from my friends."

"I am grateful for the ability to communicate. My strongest means of expressing myself is helping others and smiling at others too."

"I am grateful for the ability to communicate. My strongest/best means of expressing myself is the way I dress and the way I talk."

"I am grateful for the ability to agree to disagree. A time when the Spirit gave me the strength to to do this was during the election. My family wanted a certain presidential candidate and another family wanted someone different."

"I am grateful for prayer because it gives me the power to talk to God."

You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world ~ M.W.

"God open my heart to Your call. I thank you to be called to... make the world a better place."

"I think God calls me to be nice to others."

"I see the light of Christ in myself when I forgive others I see it in others, when they forgive me. I am grateful because it feels good when Jesus Christ shines in me."

"God open my heart to Your call. I thank You to be called to be a Christian."

"God, open my heart to your call. I thank You to be called to... be nice to people I don't like."

God open my heart to Your call. I thank You to be called to be a nurse or do something with animals. I don't know if God is calling me to be a nun or not."

"The Christian translation of Namaste is 'I see the light of Christ in you as it is in me.' I see it in myself by being kind to others and polite to adults. Others help me to grow in Christ."

"Unchanging God, I am grateful for the tedious activities in my life. Some routine activities that I am grateful for are, chores and rules because they teach me responsibility and discipline."

"Caring God, help me to be attentive to the needs of those around me. I am grateful for the opportunity to help someone by comforting them."

Abundance can only be found in God!

"I am grateful for my needs being met. I thank God for my health, safety and good decision making."

"Here I am Lord. Thank You for the chance to serve. Some ways that I can serve You are by doing boy scout activities, by giving to charities and by helping out where I am needed."

"Lord, I am grateful for the opportunity to repent. Some ways that I can repent are by letting go of anger and grudges."

"Abundant God, thank You for my treasures. I am thankful for my friends, family, teachers and school."

"Loving God, I am thankful for all those who have touched my life. Those for whom I am grateful are my teachers and my parents."

"Loving God, I am thankful for all those who have touched my life. Those for whom have touched my life are my family, who give me everything that I need, friends and people who help me when I need it."

"I am thankful for my needs being met. I thank God for being able to live!"

"Loving God, I am thankful for all those who have touched my life. Those for whom I am grateful are Pat Sears and J*****."

"I am thankful for my needs being met. I thank God for myself!"

" I am grateful for the opportunity to repent. One way that I can repent other than just saying I'm sorry is I can Pray."

"I am grateful for my needs being met. I thank God for the meals that my parents provide."

"God, teach me kindness. A time when I was grateful for someone's kindness was when my dad coached my basketball team."

"I thank God for my needs being met. I thank God for food to eat."

"Abundant God, thank You for Your treasures. I am thankful for these God given treasures because they give me talents and virtues."

"Abundant God, thank You for Your treasures. I am grateful for these God given treasures because they make me unique."

Back to gratitude!

"I am thankful for this cold winter day because it is from God!"

"I am grateful for being able to go to this great school."

"I am grateful for the time someone listened to me. A time I can think of is when a teacher took the time to help me in a subject and listened to my opinions."

"I am thankful for missionaries because they help us to follow in Jesus' footsteps."

"I am grateful for my life and the life of others. I thank the Lord for the life of all his creations."

"I am grateful for my gifts. My gifts from the Holy Spirit are my moral compass, my conscience and my love for my family!"

"I am grateful for missionaries because they are shining examples of the dedication to God's word."

"I feel blessed because God chose me to come to earth!"

" I am thankful to God for giving me my life and everyone in it."

The Gift of Being Present this Advent Season!

We took a break from our weekly gratitude postings in order to Celebrate the Advent Season. We often get caught up in the materialistic nature of the holiday, focusing only on the must have gifts, the parties and the treats. We lose sight that Advent is not only a period of waiting for Jesus' birth, but also a time for repentance and renewal.

The students had the opportunity offer the gift of presence to their families and to one another. The students made a paper chain and on each chain loop were different tasks to be completed for each day of Advent. Each day, the students were to tear off a loop and complete that required task or substitute it with another similar activity. After completing the activity, the students were asked to reflect on their actions, journal their thoughts, feelings and attitudes toward that activity. If the action involved others, they were asked to write about how it may have impacted the other person or people and/or how they may have felt about it.

I am pleased to share some of their thoughts on the gift of being present...

"Today I had to read a gospel by any of the writers so I chose Luke 2:1-20. Luke's Gospel was about the birth of Jesus. But his was a little different. He talked quickly of how Joseph had to go to Bethlehem and where Mary had the Baby Jesus. It was more about the angels telling the Shepard's to come and worship the baby in the manger. The angels went up to them in the fields and said 'Glory to God in High Heaven, peace on earth to whom his favor rests.' When the Shepard's came to Jesus, they understood what it meant. I really enjoyed this version of the birth of Jesus because it talks more about the Shepard's that were sort of pushed away and not spoken about a lot. This, I think showed that Jesus wanted to welcome all people - meager Shepard's and gallant kings."


"I stared into the night sky and tried to calm my boiling thoughts. I slowly but surely, slipped into a calm state of mind and I said a little prayer of thanks to God. I thank Him for my friends, family and the good times this Christmas!"

"Today I made a God's eye for our Christmas tree. As I hung it up I realized that our small little tree looked extraordinarily beautiful this year!"

"When I prayed for the world's hungry today, I also prayed for peace. I hope that one day we will have peace and that no one will be hungry."