When I taught the elementary grades, my litmus test for the children’s well-being was to observe them during recess and ask, “Do they have a skip in their step?” Even a child at rest will swing a foot, shrug a shoulder, or sway. I’ve learned skipping is a universal expression of joy. My children would skip in the recess line, on the playground, and to their desks when they returned to the classroom. It’s in a child’s DNA to skip. … Continue reading →
Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” ~Romans 12:19 ESV I looked over my class list for the new year and saw a name I recognized. Their family was very involved. I also knew one of this child’s older relatives loved me dearly and had loved me since I was a kid. I anticipated a great year. We were reacquainted at open … Continue reading →
He prayed more fervently, and he was in such agony of spirit that his sweat fell to the ground like great drops of blood. ~Luke 22:44 NLT He had proudly denied the existence of God and spewed nothing but hate for him. But that was before he lay on his deathbed, sweating-blood scared. The movie, God’s Not Dead, details the story of a battle between a college freshman and an atheist philosophy professor who challenges the young student to prove … Continue reading →
Your own ears will hear him. Right behind you, a voice will say, “This is the way you should go,” whether to the right or to the left. ~Isaiah 30:21 NLT “Tune in, not out.” Something I could say almost daily. As a middle school teacher, I’ve witnessed numerous ways middle schoolers use, attempting not to listen to what a teacher says. Perhaps the subject is boring. Maybe, they hate school in its entirety—I did for most of my educational … Continue reading →
Suddenly, their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. ~Luke 24:31 NLT Sometimes, we try to communicate something to a child, a student, or even an adult, and we get a blank look. The expression that asks, “What language are you speaking?” Others don’t always understand God’s truths the moment we speak them. The coffee police taught me that. I was once a public school teacher. During third-period study hall, I brewed coffee in my back room to enjoy while … Continue reading →
Instruct the wise, and they will be even wiser. ~Proverbs 9:9 NLT “Hey, it’s __________’s mother.” The sun blazed in my eyes as I looked her way. I had not seen this parent in several years, but according to her and her husband, I had made a wise investment in their son. Her son and five other sixth-grade boys arrived at our school in the same year that COVID-19 emerged. I didn’t know what her son looked like for months … Continue reading →
Lesson Plans I rushed home to prepare the lesson. Tonight’s class would be ready for chapter eleven in our book, and I hadn’t finished collecting my thoughts. My style facilitates discussion more than a lecture, so I rely on questions to prepare the conversation. But what I thought would be a lesson for my class was a lesson for the teacher. I turned to the study guide in the back of the book and paused at the Ebenezer story. How … Continue reading →
We love because he first loved us. ~1 John 4:19 What’s your response when someone says, “I love you?” I love you, too, of course. For many years, I worked as a special education teacher. All my students had special needs, but I once had a little boy who was my “super special” one. He had multiple physical and cognitive challenges and needed help with almost everything. He was also one of the sweetest, most pleasant little guys I ever … Continue reading →
Look beneath the surface so you can judge correctly. ~John 7:24 NLT Those tricky appearances can be . . . well . . . tricky. “Don’t take this the wrong way because I don’t mean it ugly, but where do you get your clothes from?” The conversation took place during one of our monthly birthday breakfast celebrations. As I prepared my plate, a teacher from the elementary section asked the question. She seemed hesitant even to ask, but I wasn’t … Continue reading →
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever. ~1 Chronicles 16:34 NLT He told them to give thanks . . . and they listened. The day was the Monday before our Thanksgiving break. The Upper School principal was to deliver the chapel sermon. The kids had heard him speak many times during the school year, but usually to correct them about some mischievous behavior, not share a sermon. This time, he would do the … Continue reading →
