I was recently asked to recall individuals (apart from immediate family) who had influenced the direction of my life for the glory of God . In other words, who discipled me either directly or indirectly? Honestly, I strained to think of anyone off the top of my head, but I thought surely several would come to mind if I took the time to ponder the question more deeply.  So, I began the mental journey of thinking back to my childhood by asking myself, “ Who were the teachers, a

When we last visited our granddaughters, I observed a digital variation on the classic game of "connect-the-dots." Simple worksheets to pass the time have been transformed into captivating games in which children color numbers to reveal a hidden image. There are random numbers clustered all over the page, each number representing a color. As they worked, I watched how they occasionally paused to guess what the image would be. However, most of the time they simply kept colorin

So shall I plant sequoias And revel in the soil Of a crop I know I'll never live to reap?   Then sow my body to my Maker And my heart unto my savior And spread me on the road, the rocks, and the weeds.   John Mark McMillan, “The Road, The Rocks, and the Weeds” I’ve written two blogs for Victorious Educators since I became a teacher.  The first one was written in May of 2023, four months after I started my new career.  It was bright-eyed, hopeful, and passionate, and it looked

Have you ever been reading a familiar passage in the Bible when suddenly you discover something you had never noticed before? It happened to me this past week, and I can’t quit thinking about the profound implication of this overlooked detail. I hope I have piqued your interest because this one small fact has the potential to significantly influence our entire school year! Before sharing my aha moment, I want to set the stage. It was after the resurrection.  The disciples had

Like many educators across the United States, we have just completed the school year and are deep into our summer break. In my district, which is in a suburb of Wichita, Kansas, we finished our school year at the end of May. Our school is now looking forward to the beginning of the new school year. Last year we had high points and low points, but through it all, we had the opportunity to make an impact in our building. For me last year marked the end of a profound thirty-seco

The recent rulings by governors in Oklahoma and Louisiana are causing a stir among believers and unbelievers alike.  As usual, everyone seems to have an opinion, so I thought, why not share mine? My heart and mind have been processing an appropriate response since the mandates came out. As Christian educators, we should be ready to respond to questions whether these mandates impact us or not. I want to make clear the thoughts I am sharing are my opinions based on what I feel

Victory Series: It’s Time to Share! God is at work every day, all day, in our schools through the lives of Christian educators. It’s time we share with each other what is happening.  It shouldn’t be kept a secret! One of the aims of Victorious Educator Ministries  is to encourage others by sharing how God is working in our schools. When Nicole mentioned her Good News Club in our Facebook group, I knew we had another victory to share! After talking with Nicole, one thing that

Victory Series: It’s Time to Share! One of the aims of Victorious Educator Ministries is to encourage others by sharing how God is working in our schools. As we all know, it takes a village these days to serve the many needs of our changing population of students.  It is exciting to know God has placed social workers in many schools today to be His hands and feet. Let me introduce you to Rhonda Cole.  Rhonda is a bold Victorious Educator who believes in lifestyle evangelism.

Last summer I was fortunate to spend a couple of days in our nation’s capital for a work trip. It was my first time experiencing DC, and I didn’t have much time. I wanted to make sure I saw as much as I could in the short amount of time I had. By the way, you better be prepared to do some walking if you are going to see all there is to see. I was fascinated by many of the monuments and the history they represent.   Monuments are built to help us remember something or someone

Victory Series: It’s Time to Share! God is at work every day, all day in our schools, through the lives of Christian educators. It’s time we share with each other what is happening.  It shouldn’t be kept a secret! One of the AIMS of Victorious Educator Ministries  is to encourage others by sharing how God is working in our schools. When I heard about what Lindsey Nelson was up to in her school, it prompted me to interview her because I knew how uplifting this would be for eve

Once again, it is that time of year when we stop and take a moment to show our appreciation for our teachers. I, like many others, want to thank each of you for all you do to support students. The thank you notes, e-mails, and goodies in the lounge are all appreciated as we make the push to finish the year strong. However, we know that what really keeps us going, year after year, is the belief that we are making a difference. Often this is referred to as our purpose.   When a

Moses said , “Please, Lord, send someone else.”  Exodus 4:13   I have always had a soft spot for the underdog.  My heart is drawn to people who have been wounded, abused, or held down in some way.  It is my greatest joy to see them overcome the obstacles in front of them and reach their fullest potential.  When I first began to feel called to go into education, I never really had a doubt that I would end up in a “tough” school working with kids from “rough” backgrounds.  Even

Over the weekend, I had a deeply moving experience listening to an Easter sermon given by Rob Warren, Lead Pastor of Doxa Church in Madison, Wisconsin (see the link at the end of this blog). It wasn’t just what he said that left me undone; it was what I witnessed toward the end of the service.  Following the message, the church had scheduled baptisms. A video was shown of individuals who were scheduled to be baptized giving their personal testimonies. Just before the beginnin

Years ago I arrived early in the morning to work with a group of elementary educators.  The office was bustling as usual when two young girls entered. They appeared to be sisters and were apparently well-known to the office staff. Neither said a word; they just sat their small bodies in the big adult chairs as if this was routine.  I felt myself drawn to them, and so I turned and smiled.   Instead of bright eyes and reciprocal grins, I was met with blank faces and sad looks.

As a Christian educator, I am often led to think I am here to serve Christ by making a difference for everyone I meet. I hear stories of how a fellow Christian or pastor leads hundreds to Christ, serving in faraway places to spread the Gospel. Even though we cannot overtly preach the Gospel in schools, I feel we can impact countless students in education. Most of our students come into our classrooms willing to trust our guidance and follow almost everything we tell them. We

Several months ago, she was having a conversation with someone regarding her experiences at work. She listened intently, asking questions, truly curious about this person’s situation. She treasured the opportunity to be brought into her friend’s confidence. As she walked away from the encounter, she sensed the Holy Spirit saying, “ Do you realize how far you’ve come? You could have interjected your thoughts and experiences into the conversation, but you didn’t. Not only did y

They say hindsight is 2020. I’m not sure I necessarily agree, at least not all the time. Sometimes when I look back on my life, God’s activity and purposes are clear to me; at other times, not so much.  One thing I do know is that God wastes nothing (one of my all-time favorite sayings). God has taught me many lessons and continues to make Himself known as I walk this life with Him. I’ve been thinking recently about how beneficial it would be if believers took the time to sha

The field of education thrives on dissatisfaction. Dissatisfaction is what makes us better, right? Setting goals, implementing strategies, collecting data, and evaluating progress fuels the continuous improvement model woven into our school culture.  It’s how we work. Engrained in every serious educator is a desire to improve, whether it be in lesson planning or student performance. To say we are satisfied might lead to complacency, and no one wants that! In a sense, dissatis

But now, this is what the Lord says—     he who created you, Jacob,     he who formed you, Israel: “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;     I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters,     I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers,     they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.  For I am the Lord your God,  the Holy One of Israel, your Savior; I give

One of the most rewarding aspects of education is witnessing progress. The young child who struggles to string sounds together suddenly starts reading words. The angry teenager becomes more self-controlled and learns how to manage emotions. The discouraged teacher gets a second wind and embraces the call to teach once again. We are all energized by progress. Progress reminds us that our efforts are paying off, and this motivates us to keep going!  For those of you who have be