Author: Margie Cole

Hello TSJ Friends, Good morning! What is the weather like today? This is often our first question each day. Especially now that most of us are quarantined and hoping to walk outside for our sanity and preferred exercis We have been blessed today with clear sky and amazing sun.  Vitamin D we love you!  Off we walk with masks and smiles under the masks! Question ~ WHERE ARE YOU? Where are you on this beautiful never- before – been lived Wednesday (even if it seems like the “same old” story)? What “state” are you living in?  I mean where are

Dear TSJ Friends, (Please remember to click on the green header for easiest reading.) In one of my morning “meet-ups” with God recently I was highly inspired by reflections on an ancient biblical voice (Habakkuk) that sounded so up to date it was rather jolting.  The lasting value of story always amazes me.  And Habakkuk caused me to  vividly picture desolation when I reflect on the fields of our farm. In fact, as I age and reflect on our current events I realize there is nothing all that new about human behaviors and longings.  Disasters have always happened.  Peoples’ dreams

Happy Wednesday TSJ Friends,  Today’s post is a simple summary and reminder of some basics of human learning and development of mind, body and heart/soul.   We all know that the basics of our education are the three rs:  reading, writing, arithmetic.  They are foundational to our whole educational system! And look at what we can do because of those basic skill sets!  But today I am focusing on two other sets of three.   First:  the three basic components of building and growing relationships – from the womb to the grave. We are created for relationship.  According to Martin

Dear TSJ Friends,  I wonder . . . are you having an L-of-a-day?” Solomon and I hope so!   And we hope your eyebrows are raised and there is a quizzical grin on your face asking yourselves, “What the dickens are they talking about?”   You see, Solomon and I have been having some fun here at headquarters.  Together he and I and Mr. John are discovering that each day brings with it numerous opportunities for loving, learning, laughing, listening and living full out!  We believe with all those L’s we also gain experiences that lead us to wisdom!  As you

Dear TSJ Friends, I have recently had to reboot my phone and my computer when it freezes up and breathed a sigh of relief when it worked! It makes me think about the value of re-booting our spirits.  What do you do to reboot your mood when on overload? I am sure many of you remember a few years ago when I was all excited and happy about getting rubber boots as I had wanted them for a long time. I liked how I felt in them and even splashed around in mud puddles just for the joy of it.

Happy Wednesday Dear TSJ Friends, I am re-learning about the usefulness and power of story.  You may ask, “why?”   Stories are valuable as teaching and learning tools.  because stories can be repeated and we hear them differently each time – from different ages and stages of life’s journey. Last week I introduced a possible  “Then and Now” series of stories … and started with Mom’s Tattered Dresses.   Today, however, I have a story with a fun task I learned in grad school that I encourage you to try. You may be able to see for yourself how our earliest memories can foreshadow our