“When God enters the equation, His output always exceeds your input.” Mark Batterson ( The Circle Maker , 2011) I wonder. · Do you think Moses envisioned parting the Red Sea? · Do you think Esther imagined she would be instrumental in saving her people from annihilation? · Do you think Joseph predicted he would save his family and an entire nation from starvation? · Do you think Deborah thought her words would be the impetus for the Israelites’ critical victory over the C

For the past year and a half, I have posted a weekly blog. For those of you who have been on this journey with me, you know it has not come easy. I love to talk, but writing is not natural for me. However, God has called me to serve in this way—for now. Each week is literally a step of faith and an act of obedience. Each week God seems to provide the words, and lately I feel we have been on a roll. Until this week. I have started three blogs, and while I have written quite a

A couple of weeks ago, our oldest daughter sent us a video of our granddaughter, Harper, jumping off the diving board for the first time! You could see the angst in her face as the words of her patient swim teacher coaxed her to the edge of the board. She wavered, wanting to jump but simultaneously shaking her head as she glanced down at the water below. It took a little while, but eventually her trust in the instructor and her desire to please those around her outweighed her

August is just around the corner. Can you believe it? Educators are gearing up while children (and parents) are counting down the days to the first day of school. I love the start of the school year! There is a buzz in the air as rejuvenated educators enter spotless, empty classrooms awaiting their special touch. Magic happens here. Students who were lonely over the summer will feel part of a family once again. They will learn. They will grow. They will make new friends. It

· A parent accuses you of treating his child unfairly. · A colleague misinterprets something you said and responds by talking to others, not you. · Your supervisor criticizes you in front of others. · Your additional responsibilities take away from your effectiveness in the classroom. All of these examples (and more) are pretty legitimate reasons for having a good ‘ole pity party. Most educators I know work extremely hard and are committed to doing their very best for kids. W

We love summer! For many it is a time to catch our breath and squeeze in a vacation with the family. Vacations are about making memories, bonding, and enjoying life! However, sometimes the hardest part of any vacation is the journey to the destination. “ Are we there yet?” becomes the proverbial nails on the chalkboard for many parents. Children (and some adults) find it difficult to embrace the journey even though special memories are often made along the way. I have be

An examination of employment data in education reveals that most classroom teachers are women. Over 75% of teachers are female; that number is 90% in primary schools. Additionally, though leadership positions in education have historically been dominated by males, a growing number of females are assuming administrative jobs. Recent studies reveal that over half of principals are female, and the number of women in leadership positions at the central office level is increasing

As I shared last week, I love nature and the outdoors. I always look forward to summer time. I grew up in Kansas where we had four distinct seasons. Each season revealed creation’s beauty. Fall brought colorful leaves. Winter gave us soft, white snow. Spring produced new blooms. Summer generated flowers, garden vegetables…and weeds. We live in Texas now. While there are four seasons, the variances are more subtle. Summers are hotter, so I have to be a bit more diligent in th

When we bought our house several years ago, we inherited a beautiful jasmine vine. The vine encompasses a space between our two garage doors which allows us to enjoy it on a regular basis. In the early summer the vine abounds with fragrant blooms that fill the air—one of God’s gifts of creation! About a month ago, we were entering our home and happen to notice something was wrong with the jasmine vine. The once flourishing plant was half dead. Brown leaves were scattered up a

Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” If you have lived very long at all, you know this familiar children’s rhyme is simply not true. In fact, I suspect there are many who would rather be hit with a stone than endure some of the ugliness spewed these days. While criticism can often be instructive, we’d all be lying if we said it didn’t sting, even a little. I had the blessing of receiving a healthy dose of criticism lately, and while it was har

Last week’s blog, Hello Summer https://www.victoriouseducator.com/blog/hello-summer challenged all of us to use this summer as a time to strengthen our walk with the Lord by establishing spiritual routines of prayer and Bible study. I promised this week’s blog would follow with resources and suggestions, but before I share my thoughts, I want to lay some groundwork. First, I am no expert on this topic. I am sharing what has worked for me, and I truly hope many who read th

How would you describe summer? For educators, summer is special…very special! As I reflect back on my summers “off” (you know why I am putting that word in quotations), I find the activities in which I participated varied depending on my season of life. Early in my career, summers were filled with part-time jobs and college classes. We managed to squeeze in a few mini-vacations, but these usually included visiting relatives because it was cheap! After we started a family, the

I think I can, I think I can, I think I can.” This popular phrase from the American fairytale, The Little Engine That Could , is often used to help children understand the value of hard work and optimism. We all know the power of a positive attitude; however, maintaining an “I can” attitude can be challenging, especially if you are trying to live an obedient life. Maybe it’s just me, but the more time I spend in God’s Word, the more unworthy I often feel. I know I’m not sup

By the time May rolls around, most educators are hanging on by a thread. As hard as it is to admit, we often find ourselves dreaming of summer—resting, sipping a cool drink by the pool, void of the loud voices that surround us throughout the year. Of course, this may only be a daydream, but it is often what helps us make it to the end of the school year! During my many years in public schools, I witnessed a variety of approaches to the month of May. It reminds me of watching

We have all experienced (or said) the dreaded “Yes, but…” statement. I like to refer to such statements as ones that superficially validate what was said but, ultimately lower the boom by revealing the true sentiment of the speaker. In schools, these statements sound like this. · “Yes, I can see your point of view, but I think…” · “Yes, I know my child made the wrong choice, but…” · “Yes, I know you feel over-extended, but…” · “Yes, I recognize you have a problem, but…” Most

As I sit down to write this blog on Easter weekend, I am praying that all of you have been blessed to hear the message of Easter in your places of worship. I am so grateful to live in a country where we can worship freely. Aren’t you? Thank you for taking the time to read this blog on your Easter weekend. I will keep it short, which won’t be easy given the many encouraging verses I could share about the power of the resurrection! As we return to our schools and students next

Promise: A declaration to do what you say you will do. “I promise to be kind.” “I promise to tell the truth.” “I promise to do my school work.” “I promise to share.” “I promise to be on time to class.” A wise teacher sent a note home to all parents on the first day of school. It read: " If you promise not to believe everything your child says happens at school, I'll promise not to believe everything your child says happens at home

As I thought about my next blog topic, I asked God to give me a message of encouragement for Christian educators. I truly believe our schools are a mission field. People need to see examples of love, forgiveness, peace, and joy that can only come from knowing Jesus. I decided to begin by sharing an example of how I personally experienced this type of Godly teacher during my years as a student. I thought and thought, recounting all my teachers from kindergarten through colleg

As a building principal for many years, I had the opportunity to witness how different perspectives can drastically alter the decisions we make and the actions we take. Consider the example below. A young girl with Downs Syndrome is included in the regular classroom for part of the day. She is well-received by the students and seems to be flourishing. The classroom has a reading corner in the room with a bathtub. It is super comfy, and students love to read in the bathtub, es

Springtime for educators is probably the worst time to talk about creating margin. Everyone is scrambling to teach as much as possible before the testing window opens. High stakes tests often end up determining the success of a year’s worth of work. While we know there is much more to success than test results, we would be lying if we said the results did not matter. Most teachers I know work tirelessly to ensure all of their students are successful come test time. It is hard