Craft your own comfort with these uplifting cross stitch projects featuring spirit-boosting quotes. Cross Stitch for the Soul is a collection of beautifully designed motivational and inspirational quotes rendered in easy cross-stitching techniques that will raise the spirits, both during the making process and beyond, as gifts for loved ones or as treasured pictures on the wall. Cross stitch is a wonderfully calming and mindful occupation, a chance to slow down, embrace the process, and create something beautiful. The twenty designs in this collection feature quotes that will resonate with anyone in need of a little boost. Designed by leading cross stitch designer Emma Congdon, aka Stitchrovia, whose modern styling appeals to crafters of all ages and abilities, these inspiring quotes will provide comfort, motivation, and an all-around positive spin on life, reminding us that we are brave, we are strong, and we have the power to make our own futures—one stitch at a time!

Teachers begin the professional journey with a treasure chest full of experiences, hopes, and expectations gathered from early childhood. Yet the everyday stresses and challenges of 21st century classrooms often leave teachers with neither time nor energy to recall their initiating dreams and desires. In this innovative workbook you’ll be expertly guided through a journey of self-discovery, back to the roots of your story, your evolution as a teacher, and the rituals and routines that help or hurt. You’ll take time out to remember the ways that teaching blesses you. You’ll learn to confront the inner critic and push back against the voice that tells you to do more, more, more. You’ll discover the legacy you leave with your students. You’ll fall in love with teaching all over again. Illustrated with 115 actual journal entries by 17 teachers in response to 65 well-crafted writing prompts, you’ll be held in a supportive international community as you rediscover yourself and your innate strengths. A facilitator’s guide featuring step-by-step lesson plans prepares you to offer this work as a writing group with peers.

This book explores the advantages of and challenges concerning Special Religious Education (SRE) in multicultural Australia and argues for the need for General Religious Education (GRE) as well. Through the lens of the most recent scholarship, and drawing on an in-depth qualitative study and specific case studies, the book examines the current debate on the role of religious education within government schools. It addresses key concepts of values education, spirituality, health and wellbeing, and cultural and religious identity. It analyses why it is important to retain SRE, together with GRE, as government policy. It explores highly relevant, controversial and contested issues regarding SRE, including the 30% of Australia’s population who declare themselves as having “no religion”, and brings fresh insights to the table. While secularization has increased in both the national and international spheres, there has also been an increase in fundamentalism within religious beliefs. Events such as the September 11 terror attacks and the more recent mass shootings by white supremacists and eco-fascists in Christchurch, New Zealand, and Pittsburgh and San Diego in the USA are reminders that religion is still a major actor in the twenty-first century. This poses new challenges for the relationship between church and state, and demonstrates the need to revisit the role of religious education within government schools. While the importance of GRE is generally acknowledged, SRE has increasingly come under attack by some researchers and teacher and parent bodies as being inappropriate and contradictory to the values of the postmodern world. On the other hand, the key stakeholders from all the faith traditions in Australia wish to retain the SRE classes in government schools. The book addresses this burning issue, and shows that it is relevant not only for Australia but also globally.