Then Samuel turned to leave, but Saul caught hold of his cloak and it tore. Samuel said to him, ‘The LORD has torn the kingdom of Israel away from you today and given it to someone who is a better man than you. Israel’s majestic God does not lie or change his mind. He is not a human being—he does not change his mind.’
1 Samuel 15:27-29
I have met some very resolute people. They are people who make decisions, and once their decision is made, there is no stopping them. You just know that no amount of pleading, arguing or even shouting will change their mmd. Maybe they are displaying something of the character of God.
Our God is resolute in his decision to save his creation and bless his people. He has made his mind up about us. In his great love for us he made the decision to send us a servant-king, his only Son, Jesus Christ, to save us from an existence devoid of mercy and empathy. He has decided that we are his children.
I am glad that my heavenly Father is a decisive parent. His unswerving resolve is my comfort. He will not change his mind about you or me. We are his and he is ours forever, and his sure will is that we live in his presence for all time.
Thank you, heavenly Father, for choosing me to be your child. Help me live in your presence today and bring me safely to the end of the journey you have set for me to travel. Amen.
by Adrian Kitson, in ‘Renewed Hope for each Day’ (LCA, Openbook, 2000)
Prayer Points
We pray that God blesses next year’s Prep students as they have their transition afternoons
We praise God for each member of our community and the blessings they bring to our school
We thank God for being our decisive father who never gives up on us
We pray for the Tran, Tran and Truong families
Micah Award
To Benjaminsam for displaying humility and service to others
When we consider the word ‘appreciation’ our minds are drawn to words like admiration, approval, enjoyment of, gratitude and thankfulness. We see appreciation around the school every day; students using lovely manners, encouragement being given and positive feedback being given and received. There is a great deal to appreciate about our school and our community. We appreciate the gifts and blessings given to and surrounding us by recognising and valuing the gifts and talents of ourselves and others. We celebrate the positive aspects of our school environment, provide and care for each other and value and care for school property and other physical assets. Just like a snowball gathers size and strength as it rolls down a hill, so does appreciation build, strengthen and reinforce a positive environment.
Another aspect of appreciation is of God and what He has done for us. The intensity of our response increases ten-fold. Words like total respect, wonder and awe now enter our vocabulary. If there are so many things to appreciate about our school, all these things can be attributed to God. Just as appreciation builds a positive environment at school, appreciation of God builds, strengthens and reinforces a positive relationship with God.
‘Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!’
Philippians 4:4
Christian appreciation is recognising and valuing highly the gifts and blessings given to and surrounding us. It is an attitude of gratitude for learning, loving and being. It is a positive attitude that responds in wonder and awe to, and with respect for, the created world – its fragility and its potential. All of this would not be possible without God.
In the Prep/1 classroom we have been learning about writing letters and sending them in the mail.
Ask us to whom we have written letters.
Year 1/ 2
In the Year 1/2 classroom the students are learning about Celebrations. They are using the app ‘Clips’ to express their ideas.
Talk to your child about how families like to celebrate events.
Year 3/4
In the Year 3/4 classroom we have been focusing on Active Listening. Here we are presenting a role-play on how to show active listening in a conversation with a friend. Ask us about the strategies we can use in one of these conversations.
Year 5/6
In the Year 5/6 classroom we have been learning about migration. We are reading a book about a boy who immigrates to Australia to join the Gold Rush. Ask us the difference between immigration and migration!
