Motivational Speaking!

On Tuesday, March 27, I spoke to the grade 5 students at Langley Christian Elementary School. I really felt I touched them with my story, and the feedback I received was so positive!  I can't wait to work in other peoples lives

Letters the children wrote to thank me for speech:

dear mrs. Groeneveld

Thank you for coming to the grade 5 classes to talk about your story. it was very interesting to hear about your life well you're disabled I learned it must be really hard to get around  and to do lots of things. And I learned that you must have had a really interesting life.  I have a goal handicap people and I'm going to hold the doors open whenever  I can and whenever I see people that are handicapped or disabled. well I guess that's all but thanks for coming out to talk to the grade 5 class about your life and your story. 

From Grace

Dear Miss Groeneveld 

  I learned that it is a lot harder to have any disabilities than people assum.

I also learned that you have a lot of things to you.In the future I will talk to handicap people more often

                              From jane

To Ms. Groeneveld

I will not park in handicap spaces and I will not drive fast When I see a handicapped person.

I learned how good we have it here and how we take it for granted 

Thank you for teaching us about handicapped people 

From Anthony B.

Dear Ms. Groeneveld 

I have learned that I can help people like you so much more than I do now.I also learned that there are some very lucky people in this world like you that have gone through some tough times and if I was in your position I would be so scared so that would make you so brave. So from now on I will help people like you more.So thank you. 

Sincerely mary

Dear Ms Groeneveld,

Thank you so much for coming to our school and teaching us how hard it is for handicapped people everyday. I learned many things about people who have disabilities, and one of the things we're finding a parking space and having enough room to get out of your car. I’m going to be more aware of handicapped people and open doors for them and pray for them. I greatly appreciate you for coming to LCS. You really taught me to never give up and trust in God.

Thanks again, Elise 

Dear Ms. Groeneveld,

Thank you for coming to LCS to tell us about your life. I really appreciated. I learned that you can’t swallow anything and I also learned that when you get a stroke it takes a very long time to heal. One goal that I have about handicapped people is to help them if they drop something, need help reaching something or something else like that.

From, Alyssa

 Dear Ms. groenveld  

Two thing that I've learned from you is to not park in handicap because some people who need to then can't.The second is to hold open the door for Handicap because it might be to hard.one goal is to hold open the door for handicap and thank you for coming.

From MATTHEW

Dear Ms. Groeneveld

I’m going to open doors for more people who need help. And help people who drop things .thank you for visiting

 And telling us your story .from Jakob

Dear Ms. Groeneveld

I have learned lots of things about your life and other people with disabilities. I learned that people with disabilities have harder lives than I thought ever, I thought that the handicap washrooms had big enough room but no, so I hope that they will fix it and the sidewalk curves.

I bet soon you will be able to walk on your own without any help from anybody, and I hope you won't need a wheelchair to get places. Like you said people with disabilities can be whoever they want.

                                From Iain Heuving

                                                                          

THANK YOU FOR VISITING!!

To Ms.Groeneveld

Thank You for coming to our school to tell the us about you. I learned how stroke works and that it takes a long time for it to heal. I also learned how you eat if you can't swallow. Something I am going to do in the future is help someone who has dropped something to pick it up. 

         From: Joe

       To: Ms.Groeneveld

Dear Ms. Groeneveld you are such a perseverer you are so strong it is hard to adapt to things like not being able

 to swallow but you have done so well you have taught me that even if someone might be in a wheelchair you don't have to change who you really are now you have shown me that when I see a handicapped person I will talk to them and make their day better than before Thank you for visiting our school

                           -Sophie Thomas 

Thank You !!!

Thank you for sharing your life with us you have helped everyone in grade 5 so thank you so much and  hope you get stronger and one day to i do believe you will stand and i do believe you  are and always will be just like everyone.  Ms. Groeneveld

From, Payton

     Thank You!! 

Dear: Ms.Groeneveld

Thank you so much for coming to LCS! 

I really appreciate it. It was so interesting to hear about your life, and what you’ve been through. I learned how hard it is for you guys to park, move around, walk your dog, get ready for the day, and more! You have helped me realize to have more confidence and not to give up! After you came, you helped me realized how hard it is for some people to get around, and that I should really just pray for them!

Thanks again, Olivia

Thank you

-Ms. Groeneveld

Thank you so much for coming in to speak to all of us  grade five kids!I really appreciated it. Two things that learned was that we should treat people and disabled people all the same way and not to look down on disable people just because they look different.One goal I have is to open doors for elders and disabled people. Thanks again!   

From Matthew

Thank you so much for coming you taught me a lot and you made me feel more for Disabled people. I will try my best to help people like you. You made a great speech and I hope you come again Thanks so much Ms Groeneveld. 

From markus   

To: Ms. Groeneveld

Dear Ms.Groeneveld thank you for coming to our school you are so strong because it is so hard to adapt to things like being in a wheelchair  you're doing so great so far you have taught us that even if you are disabled you can still be yourself FROM:Anthony

Dear Ms.Groeneveld,

Thank you for visiting us you gave us many ideas about how to help handicapped people more and more often. I have a question do you think that God planned for you to have a stroke in your life?There is someone in my church that is handicapped and can't see so she has a guide dog.I learned a lot from you today and I hope you recover fully soon 

Thank you from Kate B

 Dear  Ms Groeneveld,

I learned it is hard getting around When you have disabilities.

And that it's hard to find a parking space and Doing other things that normal people would do.

I bet it's hard getting around in a wheelchair all the time.

When I see handicapped people I will hold the door open for them and smile because I know it can be hard for them.

Thank you for coming to our school to tell us your story and telling us what happened.

From Cole

Will definitely have to do this again!

The Secret to Success

We all want it: that big pot o’ gold at the end of the rainbow!

It could be a promotion at work; working less; having more time to care for our loved ones; gaining financial freedom or fulfilling personal morals. Everyone wants it, but only a few can actually attain it. We feel like we have an imaginary boulder stopping us from progressing in life.

Why is it that there are some people who have absolutely no problem bypassing the boulder while others can’t even go within ten feet of it? Is there a giant secret that only a few people have and the rest of the world doesn’t? Yes!! But – no not really.

Actually, every single person has it.

The secret is, ATTITUDE!

Attitude has got to be the biggest possible game changer in the history of the world. This life was not meant to be easy, and the attitude you set in motion will derive your outcome. If you want to be a pessimist, you will get a crummy attitude in return. If you’re an optimist, the world will give you a break!

The only way you can advance in life is by taking the necessary steps, and not shunning your past, but looking ahead toward the future.

First step to change is your mindset. Our minds are so creative, so capable to constantly grow and learn and adapt to any type of situation.

Carol Dwecks book Mindset gives a fascinating perspective on how abilities can be developed. YOU ARE NOT WHO YOU CURRENTLY ARE!!  Our brains are so malleable that we need to recognize that the brain is like a muscle. It constantly needs nourishment (a.k.a. NEW information) in order to have a growth mindset.

We are born with the growth mindset; we are so curious as we develop and grow into this captivating world we live in. The thrill of having a sleep over with our best friend; the fun of tying a red towel around your neck to become superman! 

We are so eager to learn about this world and what it has to offer. We become engrossed in using our talents to better off the  world!

But something happens as we age. We grow a chip on our shoulder and we start to think the world owes us something. Greed overtakes, and somehow, that chaotic puzzle called life just ain’t fun anymore, and we look for shortcuts as if this will make our time here on earth go just a little bit quicker. This is the fixed mindset.

We have the ability to be whatever we so choose to be in life. Depending on our attitude, it “affects what we want and whether we succeed in getting it”.

If we want, we can have the fixed mindset; if we want we can have the growth mindset. We shape our futures, quite literally. Everyone has a choice, try to make the right choice. And maybe, be mature in making your choice.

The chart below illustrates the difference between growth mindset vs. fixed mindset

To preview this book, click here

How are you spending your time?

We are so blessed with an abundance of food and material possessions living in North America! Yet, we continually buy, buy, buy, more, more, more. Why?

The word for this is Compulsive Hoarding. Somehow, many of us subconsciously think our THINGS will get taken away, and thus we will become nothing. I’m guilty of this too. It’s a very easy pastime, accumulating STUFF that we might need on a rainy day. The truth is that we’re just bored because we’ve been given everything in life, so that is when the compulsivity starts. The bible teaches us that if we have faith, God will always provide enough to sustain us through life.

There are many verses where this is displayed:

·        Exodus 16:17-18 (¹⁷ The Israelites did as they were told; some gathered much, some little. ¹⁸ And when they measured it by the omer (unit of measurement – 1 omer = 3.5 liters), the one who gathered much did not have too much, and the one who gathered little did not have too little. Everyone had gathered just as much as they needed.)

·        John 6:33 (³³The true bread of God is the one who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.)

·        Ecclesiastes 9:11 (I have seen something else under the sun: The race is not to the swift or the battle to the strong, nor does food come to the wise or wealth to the brilliant or favor to the learned; but time and chance happen to them all.)

Scripture can be highly symbolic, mythic, theological, metaphorical, and proverbial all rolled into one, that you may be very well taking what is written way out of context. So you need to discern what is truly trying to be conveyed. If you don’t discover what is truly being said, you may be misconstruing what the entire religion means based on your own personal thoughts. The bottom line is this: be curious! Go to places that could have leaders with the right information, like, maybe a Church perhaps? Join a small group. Talk to the Pastor, most of all, read the Bible! I believe God gives everyone gifts that they can go out and use to better God’s world. Gifts such as:

administration
creative ability
discernment
encouragement
evangelism
faith
giving
healing
hospitality
intercession
knowledge
leadership
mercy
miracles
prophecy
service
shepherding
teaching
tongues (speaking and interpretation)
wisdom

The purpose of all spiritual gifts is to serve others and glorify God. Our gifts are not our property to use as we please. We have been given them in order to glorify God. I believe in prayer, but also using the gifts that God has given to support the people around us. To sum up, I believe in prayer and action. If we don’t act accordingly and rely solely on prayer alone, are we really doing what God wants? In a way, that is sinning.

We need to bring our gifts together and better off everyone else in the world. As is said, Rome wasn’t built in a day, but if everyone works together, we can create a community of fellowship between each other

So, to sum up:

Life is short, but it’s not that short. Spend your time here on earth doing the right thing. You’ll just end up regretting not taking the leap.

Q - So... What's the right thing???

A - Everyone is different. Find your passion in life, and continue to sharpen your skills at it. There is no one size fits all answer. Lost the passion for what you had before? Switch it up! We are multidimensional people, meaning we aren't meant to do one thing for our whole life.

The last resort is this song -