TURN MY HEART

Turn my heart toward your statutes and not toward selfish gain. Turn my eyes away from worthless things; preserve my life according to your word. Fulfill your promise to your servant, so that you may be feared. Psalm 119:36-38, NIV The Lord allows us to make our plans, but He directs our steps. What a […]

LORD, HELP ME

But their scribes and Pharisees murmured against his disciples saying, Why do ye eat and drink with publicans and sinners? And Jesus answering said unto them, They that are whole need not a physician; but they that are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. Luke 5:30-32, KJV I will […]

CRAZY ON PAPER

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts” Isaiah 55:8-9, NIV Two years ago, I had my second first year of teaching…for the first […]

HIS WORKMANSHIP

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 Even in Kindergarten, Sondria had a reputation. Her escapades of bad behavior led many teachers to give a sigh of relief in September if her name did not appear on […]

PERSEVERANCE BRINGS FRUIT

But the seed in the good soil, these are the ones who have heard the word in an honest and good heart, and hold it fast, and bear fruit with perseverance. Luke 8:15, NASB About three years ago, a friend gave me some fruit and vegetable seeds even though I have never gardened before and […]

DEFIANT JOY IN THE FACE OF FALSE ACCUSATION

Though an army may encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; Though war may rise against me, in this I will be confident. One thing I have desired of the Lord, that will I seek: That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the […]

WHERE DID I LOSE MY CONFIDENCE?

The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes a healthy, your whole body will be full of light. Matthew 6:22, NIV When did I lose my confidence? As a young, unmarried, childless teacher, I had all the answers. Parents of teenagers would come with the problems that they saw in their children […]

TEACHING FOR HIM

For God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love and of a sound mind. 2 Timothy 1:7, NKJV A collective shudder went around the entire school as word spread like wildfire that the Thompsons had arrived! The way the doors slammed, you would have thought the school was […]

REST IN HIS PRESENCE

And He said, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” Exodus 33:14, NKJV When a verbal dispute broke out between two of my female students in our freshman composition course, I remained calm. When the verbal dispute nearly escalated to physical, I still remained calm and de-escalated their intense verbal exchange. In doing so, […]

GIFTS TO GIVE AWAY

Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms. 1 Peter 4:10, NIV “It’s my birthday this week,” Taniesha whispered in my ear. After I inquired if she would be getting a birthday cake, this troubled foster child informed me that she was too […]