Sounds from the Bahamas

Happy Sunday All


~Bernadine~

Five Years Ago ~ Memories

This is my first time linking up for Five Minute Friday with The Gypsy Mama.


This weeks prompt is to spend five minutes writing about where you were or what you were doing 5 years ago.  (I hate writing and not editing but here goes...)


Five years ago I talked to her regularly on the telephone. Late at nights we had deep conversations. I knew that no matter what difficulties I encountered along the way she was there to give me advice and encouragement along the way.

I knew that when I experienced triumphs that I just had to share with someone before I burst with joy she’d be there excited to hear about them and rejoice with me. I knew this and I took it for granted five years ago. The encouragement, the advice, the sharing, the hugs, the love… all this I took for granted five years ago.

I wish I knew five years ago what I knew today, that you should never take the people in your life for granted, because five years ago I started saying a seven month long goodbye to my mom…


(That's my five minutes)

Here are the rules if you want to join in.

1. Write your heart out for five minutes and then show us what you’ve got.

2. Tell your readers you’re linking up here and invite them to play along.

3. And most importantly, go visit, read, and encourage the fellow five-minuter who linked up right before you.


Trusting Him,
~Bernadine~

Nevertheless Moments

Have you ever been to the place where life was going in one direction and you wanted it to go in another? I have. However for all intents and purposes at that time where I wanted to go and where God wanted me to be were not in harmony. I call moment like these nevertheless moments; the moment when what I want and what God wants are polar opposites, unthinkable even.


I recently read this nevertheless moment which is a defining moment for all of us. It comes by way of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, the moment when the weight of the sacrifice, the weight of our sins seemed just too heavy a load to carry.

And he went a little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt. Matthew 26:39

Nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt...

I'm over at Laced With Grace today. I'd love for you to stop by and read the rest of my post Nevertheless Moments

Trusting Him,
 ~Bernadine~

Be Ready at All Times



photo credit: inmagine.com

 “Good to see you Ms. M,” he said with the same sweet smile he’d had in my fourth grade class. He was now a high school senior but seemed to be the same soft spoken, sweet natured child I had taught years before.

As he walked away, I smiled as memories flowed through my mind. It was shortly after recess when a parent came to bring a project his child had forgotten at home. After the parent left a student said, “Ms. M, you owe *Sam an apology.”

“Really?” I enquired, “why?”

“Because you punished him and he has his project.”

“But he didn’t have his project this morning,” I said.

I had been having a problem in my class with students completing their homework assignments. So when I gave the last assignment I had told the students that anyone without their projects would stay inside during recess and “think about their sins” do some extra work. Unfortunately, Sam who had his homework done 99% of the time was caught up in that and had to stay inside with the other repeated offenders.

I decided I didn’t owe Sam an apology because he didn’t have his project in on time. However, I felt the eyes of the students upon me waiting as if in anticipation of what I would do. So although I didn’t feel as if I was wrong I decided that I would apologize.

“Sam I’m sorry I punished you,” I Said. Sam’s reply was something that forever etched him in this teacher’s memory. He said, “That’s okay Ms. M. You were right, I didn’t have my project.”

To this day I try not to make blanket statements to my class because somehow it always seem as if the students who appear to be less deserving get caught up in the punishment.

However, this is why the Bible tells us that we are to be ready at all times.

The day we choose not to forgive,

To hold on to anger,

To step outside the boundaries set out in His word, may be the day He calls our name.

We are not perfect so like my student we’ll get it wrong sometimes. Jason Crabb said in his song Sometimes I Cry,

sometimes I can't get it right
no matter how hard I seem to try

So on the days when we can’t seem to get it right, let’s ask Him to keep us on the right path.
 Let’s try to forgive and ask forgiveness, to live in readiness for when He shall appear.

Trusting Him,
~Bernadine~

*Student's name has been changed.

Thoughts...

It’s February,

And I just realized I haven’t posted

Anything on my blog since January… bad blogger.


image courtesy of
fotosearch.com



Sometimes life gets interrupted in ways you don’t expect.

Sometimes putting letters together to form words and words together

To form sentences seems like too much of an effort.

It’s not that the thoughts are not there,

They’re swirling around in my head,

They’re shared with trusted confidants…

They’re whispered in quiet conversations with God…,

But yet they remain unresolved.

However in all the years I’ve known Him,

He’s never failed to respond to my call…

So I know that eventually

Answers will come.

‘Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.’ Jeremiah 33:3 (NKJV)

 Trusting Him, 

~Bernadine~