THE GOD OF HOPE
The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. Psalm 34:18, NIV I recently attended a LIFT Gathering in Florida. Sitting right next to me was Sandy, a precious educator who had recently experienced the deaths of four members of her family, including her young adult daughter who died […]
ACCEPTING HELP—EMBRACING THE ABUNDANT LIFE
The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance [to the full, till it overflows]. John 10:10, AMP Have you ever had a student who refused your help, no matter how much you cared, encouraged, or supported them? […]
BEARS OUR BURDENS
Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens. Psalm 68:19, NIV Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation. Selah. Psalm 68:19, KJV Educators carry many kinds of burdens: students with learning challenges, frustrated parents, ever-changing curriculum, deadlines, expectations, and the […]
NO RECESS TODAY
No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. Hebrews 12:11, NIV “I’m not comin’ in, and you can’t make me!” These bold words came from a fourth grader after I informed him that he had […]
WAITING WITH HOPE
But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently. Romans 8:25, NIV For many educators, December can feel like a season of waiting. Waiting for students to understand concepts, programs to go smoothly, grading to be completed, or energy and focus to last until the last bell. But […]
TWO CHOICES
Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. Isaiah 26:3, KJV A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones. Proverbs 17:22, KJV Ever had one of those days that starts off wrong and just keeps getting worse? On […]
REDEEMED BY HIS PRECIOUS BLOOD
For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. 1 Peter 1:18-19, NIV One year, I had a particularly […]
SHIFTING MY FOCUS TO PRAYER
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6, NIV Confession time: I used to wake up every morning feeling like I was staring up at Mount Everest. Except instead of snow and […]
GOD’S TIMING
For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Ephesians 2:10, NIV A friend once shared with me that each of us encounters at least one pivotal moment or season—a definitive point in life that reveals our character and shapes who we become. For every […]
PRAY OVER YOUR CLASSROOM EVERY DAY
Therefore, I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. Mark 11:24, NIV As a middle school librarian, my schedule was always flexible. Each day brought a different mix of students and teachers into the library. And unless the visiting teacher had excellent classroom […]