One wall of my high school Spanish classroom is covered in student work. It is currently entitled, “El Amor y El Miedo," which translates to “ Love and Fear .” Most of my walls have helpful vocabulary, cultural decorations, or school news, information that is there for the students but not new to me. This wall, however, keeps grabbing my attention. I stand in front of it as if I’m in a museum, soaking it in. To me, it’s an emotional tug to my person but also a nudge to my aca

I know, I know. Our last blog focused on protecting your heart, and now I’m telling you to open your heart. I promise I haven’t lost it! I figured since we were still in February, we should keep this heart theme going a little longer. After all, the Bible says everything flows from our hearts ( Proverbs 4:23 ), so it is probably worth a deeper dive. The previous blog addressed three ways to protect our hearts: (1) be intentional about what we meditate on; (2) control and

How is your heart doing these days? Do you even think about it? Do you realize your heart needs to be protected and guarded? I recognize these questions are direct and not easy to answer. I’ve been asking them of myself, too. I was ready to write a blog this week about something “lovey” since it is February! In schools, we are inundated with candy hearts, chocolate kisses, and Valentine’s Day cards. Love is in the air much to the chagrin of educators who have to navigate all

A couple of weeks ago the weather here in Texas was unseasonably warm. The wind was mild, and the sun was shining. It was perfect conditions for some afternoon tennis! Our favorite courts happen to be right next to an elementary school. Since we play in the latter part of the day, we never see students. However, this day was different. For some reason, a group of about ten students was hanging out on one of the courts. They were just messing around being kids. Boys and gi

Does God ever “Wow!” you? Does He ever send you a message that makes you pause and say, “OK. I’m listening, God!” I was reading in Judges this past week, and I stumbled upon these verses. See if you can identify the words or phrases that stopped me in my tracks. The angel of the Lord appeared to him and said , “Mighty hero, the Lord is with you!” Judges 6:12 Then the Lord turned to him and said , “Go with the strength you have, and rescue Israel from the Midianites. I am se

The past few months have been pretty special for me. My oldest daughter and her family have been within 30 minutes of us as they prepare to transition to a new season in their lives. I have thoroughly cherished every moment with my two granddaughters reading books, constructing puzzles, riding scooters, going on walks, and having deep conversations (as deep as you can with a four and seven-year-old). I was recently reminded of one particular conversation I had with our oldes

Christmas 2022 is in the books. All the hype is over, and as much as we want to embrace the spirit of the season, many educators are already thinking about 2023 and their return to school. Before you allow yourself to delve back into a work mindset, I want to encourage you to take some time to internalize Christmas. In doing so, our hearts will be strengthened and our minds will be ready to take on a new year! I’m taking my inspiration from Mary. We all know the story. Gabri

I hope the title of this blog got your attention! You might be wondering what in the world I am talking about since we all know Jesus is the reason for the season! Christmas is the celebration of Christ’s birth, but I would contend it is also a time to celebrate the impact His birth has had on the lives of those who believe in Him. In other words, Christmas is a time to celebrate the people we are becoming because of Jesus. Whether we recognize it or not, all of us are chan

I love Christmas time! I have such fond memories of singing Christmas carols, reuniting with family, opening gifts, and eating (or should I say “overeating”) crazy delicious foods. When I became an educator, December was a month full of Christmas themes, activities, and parties. Celebration was in the air! On the last day before Christmas break, it was not uncommon for students to bring presents. I taught both elementary and secondary students. It didn’t seem to matter. I ca

When it comes to teaching, discipline is not one of my favorite topics. I really do think I was traumatized during my administrative practicum. I was placed in an elementary school with a veteran principal. She was one of the few female administrators in the district, and I felt fortunate to train under her. I learned a great deal about leadership from her, and for that I am grateful. However, I was caught off guard one day when she asked me to participate in a disciplin

When it comes to most things in life, we all want to get better and be better. That certainly holds true in the field of education. Improvement is embedded in the culture of schools. We want our students to show academic growth throughout the year. We want our building and district assessment scores to reach levels of excellence. We want to grow professionally as educators. Better. Better. Better. Deep down everyone wants to be better. What if I told you that you could have a

Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me. I suspect many of us used this response when we were children. Perhaps we even taught it to our own children. It’s a defense against name-calling and taunting. The saying has been around for ages. One of the first mentions of this adage was in the March 1862 edition of The Christian Recorder (1). Despite its longevity, I doubt very seriously that this statement has ever been effective in curbing verbal bull

“ I’m always so busy during the holidays just trying to keep my head above water. The time between Halloween and Christmas is often a blur .” Sound familiar? This statement was made during a recent conversation I had with a teacher as she contemplated the school’s upcoming calendar. Being an educator during the holiday season is both invigorating and exhausting. There is so much fun centered on decorations, activities, and special events. However, everyone still has to teach

Sometimes the Lord gives us a glimpse into something wondrous. He provides chances in life to view familiar scenes through new eyes, eyes that see beyond the present to future possibilities. What better place to experience such events than in a school? I was recently reminded of something I already knew—teachers can impact the future of children in ways we can only imagine. Schools are changing. While much remains the same, education continues to evolve. One major change I

I want to start off by thanking you for taking the time to read this blog. I realize time is precious, and the fact that you are willing to spend a few moments here is not lost on me. I am taking a different approach this week in order to gain insight into how this ministry can better serve Christian educators. In order to do this, I need to take just a moment to share my heart with you. It has been close to twenty years since God first laid this ministry on my heart. Over

How many of you have ever asked your own children, “ What did you learn today?” I suspect many of your kids responded like mine by saying, “Nothing .” As educators, we know this answer is nonsense, but children often have a hard time articulating their learning. It’s as if they forgot the content before their backpacks hit the entryway floor. Maybe it’s just laziness. Perhaps they simply are “done” talking about school by the time they get home. Whatever the reason, as a l

It isn’t fun to write a blog on suffering. Suffering is not a topic anyone wants to talk about. It is so much easier to pretend it doesn’t exist. It was difficult to watch and listen this past week as Hurricane Ian left devastation and suffering in its wake. I was not only concerned for family members and friends but also for those educators who will be instrumental in helping pick up the pieces when the waters recede. It seems as though there has been too much suffering l

When I think of all the sermons I’ve heard, the Bible studies I’ve completed, and the books I’ve read, I don’t remember anyone ever delving deep into the goodness of God. I mean really examining God’s goodness and how understanding His goodness can literally change everything! The reason for this may stem from the fact that we all think we understand the term “good” pretty well. After all, goodness is something everyone values, believers and unbelievers alike. While goodne

I want to use this week’s blog to tell you about something that may seem a little unusual. It seems lately I have been thinking in terms of analogies. I see or hear something, and I automatically catch myself creating a spiritual application in my head. Sometimes the applications make perfect sense, but at other times they are quite the stretch! I wish I knew if anyone else did this. If you do, please tell me in the comments. I would love to not be the only one! One of my

The beginning of each new school year is always so exciting. The smell of fresh paint and clean rooms awakens our senses to a fresh start. It is exhilarating to reconnect with colleagues, make new friends, and welcome the smiling faces of students who are delighted to be back in school! One thing I love about education is no two years are alike. With each new year comes new opportunities. As believers how can we make the most of the time we are given? Before we tackle this