Firstly a reminder that this week the Celebration Assembly
and Working Bee is on Thursday, not Friday. (This
has been in the newsletter all term).
With all these ideas about parenting, and more to come, I want to end the term with, I think, an important thought.
We all want to be the best parents we can be. None of
us want to get to the other end of our children's childhood and feel that we
are responsible for messing them up.
However, according to research, you and I will probably feel this at some point, especially if we are mums, (and, because we are not balanced ourselves, we will have done some messing up!)
Shame and guilt are so unproductive in our lives. We are so much better motivated when we seek to live in the love and acceptance of God's grace and acknowledge that life is about learning and growing to become a more open vessel of God's love in our lives.
Community Notices
With all these ideas about parenting, and more to come, I want to end the term with, I think, an important thought.
You
are not a perfect parent and that is just life.
I
am not a perfect parent and that is just life.
No
one else who you think looks like a perfect parent, is one.
However, according to research, you and I will probably feel this at some point, especially if we are mums, (and, because we are not balanced ourselves, we will have done some messing up!)
Shame and guilt are so unproductive in our lives. We are so much better motivated when we seek to live in the love and acceptance of God's grace and acknowledge that life is about learning and growing to become a more open vessel of God's love in our lives.
Richard Rohr says, "Jesus was consistently and heroically
concerned with the healing of human shame, fear, and guilt, leading to his
final and full identification with all human shame on the cross—so we ourselves
could become, as Paul says, “the very goodness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21).
In a way, that is the whole message, starting with Yahweh “sewing
tunics of skin” (Genesis 3:21) for Adam and Eve, because they felt
so ashamed and inferior. Yahweh had just asked them “Who ever told you that you
were naked?” (3:10). “I surely didn’t,” he seems to
imply."
It has been liberating for me to acknowledge and accept that:
1. I am messed up myself, and so is
everyone around me in one way or another.
2. I am fantastic in a whole variety of ways, even
though my mind often likes to focus on the negative.
3. I am on a journey with God, whose
Spirit sets me free and who is in a process to grow me up and fill me up so
that I can be more and more like our 'glorious God' (2 Cor 3:17-18).
4. My children will have their own issues to face,
because of me and in spite of me, and that is the very thing that has the
potential to lead them to Christ and to seeking freedom and life and strength
in God.
5. My identity is not in my children's
behaviour now or in the future. They have their own choices. I simply need
to concentrate on submitting my own 'stinking thinking' and knee jerk
reactions to God so that I can be increasingly free to operate with joy and
peace and wisdom in the now - and that is a huge part of my own
growth. The quicker I learn to do this, the better. But the layers get deeper
and, the older I get the more aware I am of what is my 'stuff'. This 'growing up process'
isn't going to end, and actually is one of the joys of life.
6. When I model to my children that I know I am a work in process, that I have messed up, that I do know that God is at work in me and
through me in spite of this, that I will get
advice or counselling for my own 'stuff', (and that I am fantastic in some ways!) I
am teaching them to learn and grow themselves.
I am learning to set aside accusing thoughts that derail me and
limit me and make me a lesser person and parent, and to gradually live more
in a 'submitted' and humble way that kindly inquires of
myself, and of God, about why I struggle with particular
stinking thoughts (leaving feelings of shame or guilt) or knee jerk reactions
that seem disproportionate to the situation.
These thoughts help me to keep things in perspective as a parent.
I hope that they also help you these holidays. We're in it
together with you for your children!
I look forward to seeing you at the Celebration Assembly and
Working Bee on Thursday.
Blessings
Helen
School News
Celebration
Assembly and Working Bee
We will be having our celebration assembly and working bee on
Thursday 24th September. The assembly
will be in the Lifeway auditorium. We
would love to see as many of you there as possible. School will be finishing as normal at 2.55pm that day.
If you are able to help at the working bee, can you please
complete the attached form:
Handmade
Glass jewelry and hand made greetings cards, designed by Lynn Williams, will be
on sale at the Celebration Assembly on Thursday as a fundraiser for Equity
School in Kenya, which is a school for AIDS orphans. Please come with money for
beautiful Christmas presents.
On the last day of term (25th September), students
can be taken home after the roll has been taken at 1.30pm. They need to
remain at school over the lunch break and be present for the roll call at
1.30pm.
$4 School Lunch this Friday
Complete the order form here
and send $4 to school this Friday for your child to have Mac & Cheese and
jelly and fruit. This is the first of a
regular offer. An email will be sent out
with further details about this
Mahurangi
Christian School Parent App
We now have an App for the school, which will enable parents to
-To report an absence, and
-Check the school calendar for upcoming events.
-View the weekly Newsletter.
In addition to these features we now also have the ability to
contact all parents through the app with reminders about meetings, and to be
able to quickly contact parents if there is an emergency at the school. Everyone who has downloaded the app onto
their phone will receive the notifications like a text message. The app is completely free.
In order to download the app to your phone, go to your app store
and enter “The Parent and Teacher Calendar App” and then click “install”. Once installed you will need to go to the MCS page.
Wanted
Room 1 is also in need of old phone
books. If you have any old phone books
that you no longer need, could you please send them into school.
Is there anyone who can help us with sewing some cushion
covers for us to make Room 3/4 look really smart? Please let Helen know if you
are able to help.
The children are currently working on the school production and are needing to be able store the
costumes. We are needing the following
items:
Storage of costumes
·
coathangers - one per
child, or let us know if you have spares
·
clear plastic bags (eg
in which duvet covers, blankets or pillows are purchased in).
Praying for the school
Every Monday morning from 8.45 – 9.15 we have prayer time for
the school. All parents, caregivers and friends of the school are welcome to
attend.
Yummy Stickers
It’s that time
of year again when we need to collect up all the yummy stickers. If you have been collecting them at home,
could you please send them into school before the end of term.
Foster
care – Voices from the frontline
Ursula Elisara has recently
released her book on fostering within NZ.
The book is $20 and can be purchased through the school office.
Make,
Explore, Create at Auckland Libraries
Mahurangi East Library will be
having Digital Maker School Holiday Fun from the 28th September to
the 9th October. Further
information can be found at aucklandlibraries.govt.nz
Kip
McGrath
Kip McGrath Warkworth - English and maths
tuition aligned to the NZ curriculum. Programmes designed to suit individual
learning styles for Years 1- 12.
Phone Ann Cook on 422 2305 for a free assessment
Onboard
Skateboard School
Onboard Skateboard School run
skate board holiday programs and events.
They will be running a hub event on Sunday 13th September at
the Snells Beach Skate Park, from 9am – 12noon.
They provide all the gear, and cost is $5 per person. Register at www.onboardskate.org.nz.
Aquakidz Learn to Swim Holiday Program
Ages 4 years and up
Mahurangi College Pool
5 days - $75 per swimmer
5th to 9th October - morning classes
Contact Cindy 4259924/ 0211635050
Kids
Holiday Programme
The Presbyterian Church in Warkworth will be running a holiday
programme again in the next school holidays.
The programme is for students in Years 1-6.
Theme: “POLAR
EXPEDITIONS”
October 5 – 9, 9.15 - 12.30
Suggested donation:
$2 per session \
Contact Ann
Cates for more information
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