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"Remember those who led you, who spoke the word of God to you; and considering the result of their conduct, imitate their faith."   Hebrews 13:7

If you were asked to name your earliest childhood friend, how far back could you stroll down memory lane?  Was this friend someone in your neighborhood?  Maybe someone you met at school? Perhaps you played together on a sports team?
 
My daughter is very blessed that her favorite St. Matthew Preschool 3 buddy back in 1999 still remains one of her closest and best friends, even eighteen years later! Despite the fact that Jen was always the tallest girl in the class and Kristine was always the shortest, their personalities, sense of humor, and convictions have always been extremely compatible and complementary of one another.  
 
After all these years of spending so much time together, both girls have also come to know each other's extended families quite well, but the one extended family member that Kristine always adored and admired was Jen's grandpa.

"Whatever you do for the least of these, you have done unto Me." Matthew 25:40

We live in a society where "list making" is a very prominent organizational strategy.  We make grocery lists, "To Do" lists, favorite playlists, check lists, chore lists, and even wish lists.  Sometimes, my desk can be so cluttered with lists, that I need a list to remind me to finish each list!

Recently, I had the opportunity to speak with third grader, Joe Lancaster, and learned about his "Do Something" list.  He told me that he began this list last year when our school motto was "Do Something", and he explained that his list includes ways that he could help people who are sick, hungry, or in need.  Over the summer, his mom heard a news story about "The Detroit Food Pantry" and how Citizens Bank would match any amount given to this organization.  He told me that his reply was, "Oooooh! That's a good idea to put on my "Do Something" list."

We began this school year with the motto of "Do Something", based on the Scripture verse "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." (Philippians 4:13)

Throughout the year, we have been in awe of the tremendous blessings that the Lord has showered upon us and the strength that He has given us to do many things in His name.

As I sat and reflected with a group of eighth graders, we came up with the following list of memorable 2016/2017 blessings:

"And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith."  Hebrew 12: 1 - 2

There is a famous line that goes "back in my day..." followed by some outlandish statement such as walking five miles up hill both ways to school. I would laugh at how often my grandmother would use this statement.

Now that I am older and listening to my students' and my own children's stories, I also find myself frequently chiming in with similar statements such as, "Well, back in my day, I used to make .50 an hour for babysitting" or "Back in my day, I had to find a pay phone to call my parents to let them know I was running late" or "Back in my day, our first video camera was about the size and weight of a small safe!"

During one of our school's recent track meets,  I was reminiscing about the old video camera days as I was watching how easy it is now for parents to video their children from their phones.  As I was talking to a group of parents about my original gi-normous video camera, I remembered a treasured memory that this huge piece of equipment captured for a grieving family.