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

I can’t tell you how excited I am to write this blog. Last week I was praying about what to say that was new and insightful.  If you have been connected to this ministry for a while, you might know I have already written close to 10 blogs about Christmas. What more was there to say?  The Lord knows how desperately I desire to encourage every educator to embrace their calling. Our jobs are so important. The impact God empowers us to have on the lives of others, especially chil

As a Christian educator, Christmas holds a special place in my heart. However, having worked in a public school setting for many years, I felt the tension that arises from the limitations placed on us by the law. Although Christmas is meant to be a joyous time, it's disheartening to be unable to share the joy of our faith during this festive season. We often feel compelled to conceal the true meaning of Christmas in secular celebrations. Christmas has always been about Jesus

It’s that time of year when many educators are self-medicating with sugar and caffeine! Thank goodness for coffee, although I know some prefer their caffeine cold in the form of soda or Red Bull!  With over-packed schedules filled with holiday events, sports, and various activities, it's no wonder energy levels are low. On top of all that, there's work to do! No wonder we all need an energy boost! I’m convinced a big fat dose of thankfulness is just what we need. This may sou

It all started with a burden. Over the years I watched the day-in and day-out struggles that educators faced to make a difference. Optimism would often fade as the year dragged on, leaving so many feeling discouraged and depleted. This scenario weighed heavily on my heart, and so I prayed. What could I do? For years I would revisit this sequence, sensing I was supposed to do something, but then the feeling would fade. Life was so busy with work and family. It was easy at t

When I hear the word grit , I automatically envision the Incredible Hulk in an offensive stance—teeth clenched, face wrinkled, fists clenched, ready for battle! He is unafraid, confident, strong, and amazingly resilient. Every time I watch one of those Marvel movies, I think there is no way the Hulk should still be alive. I’m sure you are thinking, “ Jackie, it’s just a movie. It isn’t real!” I know it isn’t real, but I am still mesmerized by how he survives an unbelievab

For those of us who have had the privilege of serving in a school either currently or in the past, we know one thing is for certain—gaining MOMENTUM in our work is sometimes a challenge. Whether it is a tumultuous season of legislative mandates, changes in standards and assessments, or just societal factors that sometimes create stumbling blocks, gaining momentum to reach our goals is difficult. Sometimes the barriers that hinder our momentum seem so monumental that we lose s

“If students would just be obedient, my life would be so much easier,” said every teacher at least once a day! Educators value obedience. The rules we set aren’t arbitrary. We want what is best for our students, and rules are needed to protect and guide them. However, students often don’t share our perspective. Many children see rule-following as something being forced on them, often constricting, and always a duty to determine if they are good or bad. Obedience, while imp

Pause for a moment and tally how many requests for your help you’ve received in the past month. Did the sign-up sheet for this school year’s committees just flash before your eyes? What roles do you play in your home church? What community responsibilities have you accepted? You get my point; the list could go on and on! One thing I’ve noticed about educators is that we are in a very likely position to be asked to do extra things not only at school but also at church, in t

I honestly cannot believe I am already talking about starting a new school year, but here we are! Many are already back at it while others of you who finished school in June are still soaking up the final days of summer. As a new year beckons, I want to use this blog to offer a challenge, one I wish I had taken many years ago. Before I say what the challenge is, I first want to lay some groundwork so all of you reading will be compelled to say, “YES! I accept the challeng

I hope the title of this blog piqued your curiosity, especially the part about maintaining your sanity! Crazy days are inevitable, and there may come times this school year when you will feel like there is nothing left in the tank to give. However, to hold nothing back doesn’t mean we have to sacrifice our physical or mental health. In fact, I’m going to make a case for just the opposite. Holding nothing back can actually help us stay sane when we follow a little formula m

Summer is a great time to refocus and refresh. We can look back on the prior year’s educational journey and reflect on the positives and negatives that came from our experiences. We can wonder if we “won” with those students. D id we teach them enough? Did we grow them enough? Did we love them enough? One thing I love about education is that every year is a new year. A blank slate. A fresh start. There are not many other occupations where you get to start over year af