Stephanie Kauffman
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6/8/2025 0 Comments

The fear of Commitment

​Commitment: God doesn’t ask about our ability or our inability, but about our availability.
            This is a quote that I need to hear. So many times my first thought with something new is, “I can’t do that!” I’ve been many places, but it’s never been with the confident demeanor most people think; it’s a fearful thing to step out of one’s comfort zone. Perhaps also, the fear of failure keeps us from trying something. We have it in our heads that everything must be a success story. Edison tried around 1,200 experiments and took 14 months to create the light bulb. Had he given up, we’d be still in the dark about it. (pun intended!) He didn’t let his failure stop him. God also doesn’t need us to be perfect; He knows we can’t. He just wants us to be willing, and then He can use us in ways we’d never have imagined.
            This is a challenge to me; make sure I choose the right thing, and then be committed to seeing it through with God’s help. It’s hard; I get impatient when things don’t go right. Staying the course can take courage. What are things you are committed to doing or being?
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6/1/2025 0 Comments

Natural Comfort

​Comfort:  A good laugh is sunshine in a house.
            I’m thankful for this saying, since my sense of humour is very highly developed. With my balance issues I learned at a young age to laugh at myself. It was either that, or die of embarrassment every time I fell down a set of stairs, or flipped into the water trying to get out of a canoe, or…! If the absurdity of a situation can make you laugh, then it can help diffuse a tense situation. I was blessed with a sister that had an acute “humour-bone” like I did so our family spent more time laughing than yelling. Of course, there is an appropriate time and place, and occasionally our laughter landed us in the doghouse. But even now, years later, all one of us has to do is say, “do you remember …” and laughter rolls again.
            It doesn’t have to be just funny to cause laughter. Sometimes a smile comes when I look at the flowers outside my house, or see a kind gesture happening to someone. A little kid stomping in mud puddles will always get a full-blown grin (as well as a desire to join them!). Most of all, the amazing skies God gives me morning and evening brings awe and joy into my heart. What are things that bring laughter and smiles into your homes?
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5/25/2025 0 Comments

Do unto others...

​Church: Ask yourself, “What kind of a church would ours be if everyone was like I am?”
            My first thought when I read this quote was, “Ooh boy, we’d be in desperate need of a plumber, carpenter and electrician!” In other words, while I might be okay with drama and music, I’m very sad when it comes to practical or technical matters. Repairs are NOT my thing! So I can be very glad that not everyone is like me! A church desperately needs others who can do so many things I can’t do. But on the other hand, I do have some talents that are valuable too. I seem to be able to talk to most people, and that’s needed as well. I think it’s important to acknowledge honestly what talents God has given you, and be thankful for others with their talents.
            I also think this is a good reminder not to be too judgmental. I know my weaknesses and my failings. If I want people to accept me for who I am, faults and all, then I need to do the same for the others I see every week in church. God created us all; He knows we need each other’s strengths both in the spiritual realm and in the physical day to day needs. What are things that you are able to do easily? How do you use them to help others?
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5/18/2025 0 Comments

And the jury says....

​Christian: If you were arrested for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you?
            This is quite a convicting thought. I have been watching some police/legal dramas and trying to understand the way our legal system works. Movies don’t show the way real life always works, but it does give a bit of input into the need for proper evidence because “circumstances” aren’t always what they may appear to be. So, do I live my life in a way there is no doubt what I believe in? My fellow churchgoers may believe me, but do my colleagues, my neighbours? That is certainly a goal to work toward. I decided this blog would do well to have a picture of a small snowman I made. He definitely didn’t have the character to last long but melted under the heat of the sun. It’s a point to me as I look at him to decide that with God’s grace hopefully I can be a stone statue, not a wishy-washy snowman-Christian.
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5/11/2025 0 Comments

Simple Sayings - Character

​Character: What you laugh at tells plainer than words what you are.
            I will admit I have a very strange sense of humor; I can find the strangest things funny. So what does that say about me? But humor, in my opinion, is a vital part of life. It helps to ease stressful situations if you can find something humorous in it, and most people will respond to something funny. Most importantly, learning to laugh at yourself will help you not to become egotistical.
            I will admit though, as a teacher, my sense of humor can put me in some difficult situations. It’s hard to discipline someone when you’re trying not to laugh. Or if everyone around you is solemn and serious and you can’t keep from snickering - oops! I’ve had a few church episodes that got me in hot water with my father.(But hey, when one pastor stands up to preach causing the 2nd preacher on the other end of the bench to go sailing onto the floor, I just can’t unsee that!!! How do you sober up to listen to the guy speak?! sigh) Have you ever had any good laughs that maybe just weren’t at the right time?
Whether you are a funny person, or of more serious demeanour, the important thing is that you build a character that pleases God.
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5/4/2025 0 Comments

Simple Sayings - Challenge

            Challenge: If you were another person, would you like to be a friend of yourself?
            Ooh, this is a tough one! If I’m totally honest, I would say some days yes, but other days, no. However, I take comfort in the fact that if I can acknowledge some days I’m not a good friend, then I’ve taken the first step to recognize my need to change some of my ways. We are all human; it’s not going to happen in a moment, but step by step we can become better people – and if that isn’t a good challenge to take on, what is? Maybe one challenge I need to apply is to simply “stop and smell the roses along the way”. And if you can’t find roses, enjoy the flowers in front of you. Live in the moment and not in the past or the future. That way you don’t miss out on the here and now!
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4/27/2025 0 Comments

Simple Sayings - Bible

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​            Bible: There are two parts to the Gospel: believing it, and behaving it.
            This is short and to the point. I definitely can say I believe the Bible – but I guess I must say that more than I’d like to admit, people might not see me “behaving it” the way I should. This quote poked at my conscience about the times I groused about some driver when I’m travelling on the road, or rolled my eyes when I saw someone doing something I didn’t think very smart. God has shown me such grace – I need to learn to “practice what I preach” in many ways. I can be thankful for each new day to try again. The Bible is our roadmap. We just need to remember to keep checking that we are following the right route!
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4/20/2025 1 Comment

Simple Sayings - Attitude

​            Attitude: The pessimist says, “It can’t be done;” the optimist says, “It can be done;” the peptimist says, “I just did it.”
            Easter Sunday – the perfect Sunday for this saying – Christ “just did it” for us! He is risen indeed, and He is the perfect example of right attitude.
            I don’t know about you, but I find it’s easy to have a good attitude when things are going well; however, when things go wrong and every time you take one step forward it feels like you’ve gone backwards two – well, Miss Groucho comes to the forefront quite quickly. Or have you ever started the day out in a good mood, and after 10 minutes with someone who is totally negative, you find yourself grumbling too? Why is it that a negative attitude can quickly pull the positive one down, instead of the other way around?
            Since it is Easter, it’s also important to understand that despite the ups and downs in life, Christians will end with a positive outcome. The grave is not the pessimistic finish for us. It’s the start of eternity!
            So my goal for this week is to try and be the peptimist (I like that word) instead of the other two. How do you rate your attitude? Are you the pessimist or optimist? What are guidelines you have to aim towards the positive outlook on life?
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4/13/2025 1 Comment

Simple Sayings - Anxiety

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​            Anxiety: If you brood over your troubles, you will have a perfect hatch.
            I believe I can safely say at least 99.9% of mankind has had to deal with some type of anxiety. Some people struggle with it more than others. Unfortunately I am one of those that have a lot of anxiety. I don’t know if it is because of my vivid imagination, but I have no trouble coming up with “worse case scenarios” in the flash of a second. So this saying is very opportune for me. One of my ways to combat my tendency to worry is to look at the skies. I live in an area where God sends me the most amazing sunrises and sunsets. To watch the changing colors and vastness of the sky helps me to put things in perspective. Then I realign my thinking to the fact I serve an amazing God who is never surprised or caught off guard by events.
            Don’t let your troubles hatch. What do you do to cope when anxiety starts nipping at your heels?
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4/6/2025 0 Comments

Simple Sayings - Ambition

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​Ambition: No one is a failure in this world who lightens a burden for someone else.
            Ambition is certainly a good thing to have as long as one doesn’t take it to excess. It’s a hard, cold thing when a person puts ambition to succeed above anyone or anything else.
            But where would we be without ambition? Our ambitions give us a goal and a reason to keep going. It doesn’t have to be complex. It might be as simple as getting out of bed some mornings! Perhaps it’s to graduate, to get a new job, to save money for something. Whatever the objective, ambition can help us learn something new, to challenge us to become better people in our personal lives and in our communities.  You can also have short term or long term ambitions. As I am just ending my spring break, my newest ambition is to head to the classroom this next week and finish off the quarter well. What ambition might you want to challenge yourself with this next week or month? Even if it's simply to do something for someone, that's special! Whatever you choose, be a bright light on your horizon – someone may need that from you! Your light might start someone's else's light.
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    February 26, 2021
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    For a time in life when we supposedly have nothing to do because of Covid restrictions, it's amazing that I have trouble finding time to write here!
    Life in the classroom is exceedingly busy as the students are pushing to make up the beginning days we couldn't be in school. So there are no extra moments there. I still work/volunteer at the local thrift shop regularly and deliver the newspapers. Then any spare time I have, I have been working on book #2. The Girl with Nine Lives has sold well; I still need to get some more sold, but do hope to see book #2 hit the printers sometime this year, if possible. To that extent I have a poll to take. Titles are hard for me. This book starts where the first one left off. Tales of my adventures in teaching in at least six places. So with that in the back of your mind, what would be your favorite title out of the following:
    1. The Teacher with Nine Lives
    2. Lessons Learned Along the Road
    3. What is Going on Here?
    4. Around the World in Many Schools 
    Send me your vote on the best title in your opinion!

    February 12, 2021
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    Where does the time go? It feels like I should be frozen in time. After an extra mild winter, we were nailed with minus 47 wind-chill and -33+ temperatures for a week now! Makes it hard to do anything except get to work, and come home and wrap in a cozy blanket. 
    The blog definitely took 2nd place.
    But I'm so thankful and humbled at the wonderful remarks and reviews I've been receiving from people. It makes the struggles I've gone through worthwhile when I hear how people have identified and laughed and cried over incidents. That was my prayer when I first started writing.
    For all those who have asked, yes, I'm working on book #2. It will be slightly different as it is more the adventures of a teacher and the various cultures I experience along the way. When it will come out? Totally up in the air!

    January 24, 2021
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    Well, I have managed to get my books! It is an exciting moment when you have a physical visual of fifteen boxes waiting to be loaded into your vehicle full of your books with your name on them! It is also a huge blessing to immediately need to divest yourself of half of them because they have sold to various people and two bookstores. Thanks, Lord! Another blessing is that I'm receiving comments from various buyers that they had trouble putting the book down until they had it finished! I pray the lessons I learned the hard way will be of help and comfort to others who read this.

    January 16, 2021
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    For those of you who have read my book "The Girl with Nine Lives", or are reading it, or are waiting to read it and have wondered what that crazy little kid looked like, I have put two photos here for you. The little girl in the red dress on the horse is 'Stacy', shortly after she was adopted. That is the horse they gave her to help work her leg muscles. The black and white photo is almost two years later. It was taken for the immigration application to get Stacy into Canada. You notice she is smiling here. The doctors hadn't started sticking her with all those horrid needles yet! 
    I do not like to have my photo taken, but this will give you a visual to keep in your mind as you read about Stacy's adventures, or misadventures. As an adult, I have to admit, looking at the four-year old's picture - I can see her attempting to walk on air.
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    January 12, 2021
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    What a week! As a teacher on a Hutterite colony for grade 5-12, life is non-stop from 9:00-3:30. This coming Friday is the end of quarter, so report cards will be due. So that always makes one extra busy.
    But I had 2 highlights in this week. 
    The first: I came home and stumbled over something on my step. When I picked it up and entered, I found out I was holding MY copy of my book! I felt like a mother receiving her first child. The awe and wonder of holding something I'd created and labored over for - yes, about nine months- well, that is quite the feeling.
    The second: Last night the doorbell rang. I answered and a man stood there with a floral arrangement. I was sure he'd come to the wrong house, but he had the right name. Imagine my amazement when I saw that friends from the States had arranged these lovely roses to be delivered to celebrate this milestone in my life. In today's Covid restrictions, such a thoughtful, kind gesture means SO much! I never get flowers, so I'm still just smiling over it.
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    January 5, 2021

    How many of you make New Year's Resolutions? How many of you don't because you know you won't keep them?
    As I look at 2021 and wonder what this year will bring, I've decided to try a couple resolutions. 

    A poet once said, "It is better to have loved and lost, than never to have loved at all." I feel that can be applied to resolutions too. As I start this year as a new author, I'm scrambling to figure out what I'm doing! This has definitely pulled me out of my comfort zone. I've asked the Lord, "What have I done? Am I stepping off this cliff to float or fly?"

    So my New Year's Resolution is to have a website and put a blog on it. Will this last? It will be interesting to look back in December 2021 to see what has happened here! Tech stuff is NOT my thing. But as a teacher, I always tell my students, "Just try. You never know what might happen." So how can I do less than I preach? I will try this. No guarantees, but I've made a start!  Happy New Year to you all!
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