What do you see when you look into the eyes of your students? Joy? Excitement? Wonder? Despair? Loneliness? Anger? Many believe our kids are in trouble today. Our culture is full of mixed messages, and many of these ideas have caused people to devalue the church. Approximately 50 million children leave home each day to attend public schools. Most are unchurched, and many of them have never heard the name Jesus . To say our schools are a mission field is an understatement.

I think it is safe to say that 2022 isn’t panning out as anyone thought it would. As the pandemic rages on and schools struggle to stay open, frustration and discouragement are running rampant. It really is a helpless feeling. It’s time to pray! Like most of you, I set some New Year’s resolutions for myself. One spiritual discipline I know I need to grow in is prayer. One of my memory verses is Luke 5:16. “But Jesus often withdrew to the wilderness for prayer.” Two words sta

This week’s blog is inspired by a good friend and fellow victorious educator, Lindsey Nelson. With her permission, I want to share with you the powerful words Lindsey sent me this past week. I keep feeling the Lord is saying to our VEM educators, “Approach this year with expectancy! Expect God to show up. Expect God to do big things. Expect God to walk with you when you are running on empty. EXPECT! We have a God we can expect great things from and who doesn’t disappoint!”

Each new year brings with it new resolutions, different goals, and special terms to encourage and challenge us. Social media feeds are bombarding us right now with advertisements and friendly targets for 2022. A typical pledge in the new year is to adopt some type of exercise and/or diet regimen, a promise to get healthy in the new year! The holidays can certainly take its toll on our waistlines! Physical health and fitness should always be a priority for us, but as with an

Have you ever looked back on a past life event and said to yourself, “Oh, now I get it!” I’m sure we all have done this at one time or another, especially at the culmination of a long, challenging year. I can remember heading into 2021 with great expectations. I think we all did. Although things have been somewhat better, many would say 2021 was nearly as difficult as 2020. In fact, the Omicron variant is soaring as we speak. As the pandemic drags on, confusion and uncer

Christmas 2021 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 2022 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

It is impossible to think of Christmas without thinking about gifts. For the last few months we have been bombarded by advertisements for the “perfect” gift! For believers, however, Christmas goes far beyond material gifts. It reminds us of the gifts we receive through our Savior, Jesus Christ! While material gifts bring temporary satisfaction, the gift of Jesus changes our lives forever. He truly is the gift that keeps on giving! So what are the “gifts” we receive as belie

Mary responded , “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.” And then the angel left her. Luke 1:38 In preparation for Christmas, I have been reading back through the Book of Luke. The verses are familiar, but it feels like I am reading it for the first time. There is so much packed into each chapter. I catch myself wanting Luke to slow down and give me more details! It doesn’t matter how many times we read the same passages, the Holy Spirit

Signs of Christmas are everywhere. From the poinsettias in the grocery stores to the bright lights decorating our downtowns, a spirit of celebration fills the air. You can’t go anywhere without seeing evidence of the upcoming holiday. Even the stewardess on my flight today had on red and white nail polish! Everyone is so excited about Christmas…or are they? I couldn’t help but wonder if there are students in our schools today who are experiencing a sense of dread this holida

As educators, we make hundreds of decisions daily. Experts estimate we make nearly 1500 decisions during the course of a single day. Some decisions are made impulsively; others require serious contemplation. Wise decision making doesn’t come easy. It is something to be cultivated. Life is a series of choices, and we all know choices have consequences. No one wants to make unwise decisions. I know hindsight is 20/20, but wouldn’t it be nice to have clear vision BEFORE we ma

Thanksgiving is a holiday that conjures up warm feelings for me. It isn’t quite as crazy as Christmas, and it represents many things I love – good food, family, cooler temperatures, and fall colors. As educators it is often a time for us to help our students focus on gratitude. It’s not unusual to see bulletin boards decorated with turkey feathers acknowledging all we have to be thankful for. Many teachers use this holiday to choose writing prompts emphasizing thankfulness.

Every time I hear the chant , “Go! Fight! Win!” I am transported back to high school. I grew up in a small town in Southwest Kansas. Friday nights in the fall were all about football and cheering our local team to victory! I feel certain “Go! Fight! Win!” was and still is a staple at most sporting events. As weird as this may sound, I was reminded of this cheer when recently reading about an Old Testament battle. Most of us are familiar with Moses and his difficult job of

“What are you thinking about right now?” the teacher asked the daydreaming student. “I don’t know,” came the honest response. The teacher inquired further, “Well, you have to be thinking about something.” “No, not really,” the student replied. Teachers sometimes refer to this mental state as la-la land. This often happens to me when I go on a walk, especially if I’m by myself. There have been times when I have walked for half of an hour just gawking around and suddenly real

Today is Halloween, and I imagine most teachers are not looking forward to the “sugar-high” most students will be experiencing on Monday! The only thing worse is when Halloween falls on a school day. I can remember years ago when we used to let everyone dress up. I have to admit it was fun, but I’m not sure much learning actually occurred. Thank goodness most communities have opted for fall festivals as an alternative. Everyone seems to enjoy this holiday, which is now cons

This past week I read several articles cycling through social media on how overwhelmed teachers are feeling this year. High hopes of returning to “normal” have been shattered by the cloud of COVID and the effort to make up for lost instructional time. Many teachers feel beat down; worse yet, many are contemplating other careers. It all frightens me. Now more than ever we need Christian educators in our schools. Granted, we can’t ignore reality. Teaching can be overwhelming,

Facing challenges is something many of us would rather do without. Challenges take us out of our comfort zone, setting off an internal whirlwind of questions. Will we be victorious over life’s trials, or will we experience defeat? Will we adapt, persevere and grow, or will we succumb to feelings of inadequacy and doubt? Will we embrace the challenge? Challenges seem to affect people differently. We often see this in our students. Some face challenges head on while others beco

“The power of yet!” recently came out of the mouth of my nine-year-old great niece. She was literally quoting her first grade teacher, one of our Victorious Educator Ministries members. (If you ever doubt that you have an impact on your students, let this be a kind reminder that they remember your words and attitude even years after they were in your classroom!) The quote spoken in a casual conversation at my home has led to this week’s blog. How might we connect the “powe

I have been taking walks down memory lane lately. I announced my official retirement last week; as a result, my mind has been flooded with forty years of memories! You know what else? The memories have all been positive! While I know there were definitely dips in the road, by God’s grace those less than favorable remembrances have faded, leaving me with a heart full of gratitude. I am so thankful for all of the experiences and beautiful people God placed in my path over t

Life can be hard. This past week I made a new acquaintance on the job. We seemed to bond quickly, and within a short time I learned she was getting ready to commemorate the one-year anniversary of her husband’s passing. He died of a heart attack, leaving her with four children at home. In addition, she had lost her father and cousin within the last year. I just stood there in shock, not quite knowing how to respond. My heart ached for her as I humbly said, “I’m so sorry.”

“There is a wide-open door for a great work here, although many oppose me.” 1 Corinthians 16:9 When I first read these verses penned by Paul during his time in Ephesus, I couldn’t help but make application to our lives as Christian educators. My very first thought was this: Any Christian educator could probably say the same thing. Whether your school is private or public, opportunities and opposition co-exist. Knowing what we know about Paul and all of his missionary journ