I Have a Student...

Well, I have 12... and they all need prayer.

Everyone has baggage, problems they carry around with them. I am no different I have it to, stuff from my past and present that I use as a crutch or an explanation for why I behave a certain way. Today, as I was dealing with that one student I had a thought.... we all are born with a sin nature because of Adam's sin. We are fleshly and carnal, we just are there is no changing that. There is another factor that was exposed to the sin Adam committed, our DNA. Now, it is not an excuse either really, but having baggage of being bi-polar, autistic, dyslexic, or having another genetic "flaw" can also be a burden. Being tagged as a problem kid, or a nuisance adds to the baggage we carry.

If a person carries it long enough they can start believing they are "dumb", can't get anything right, always going to be bad, and all the other things they here people say about them.

So, how do we teach ourselves that the baggage we carry around doesn't need to be carried? How do we learn to drop it at the cross and move on with our lives?

One way is to have someone telling you different everyday, but that someone should be yourself! I can only do so much to encourage my 12 students to think better of themselves. I am one person in a sea of people, they need to learn to do it themselves.

That is where I believe the fruit of the spirit comes in. We have flesh to battle everyday, we need to fight it and if we are Christians (all my students say they are), we have been given all they need to live a successful life here on earth and in the kingdom to come, through the Holy Spirit. They just need to learn to bring those things and thoughts to their minds and stop quenching the spirit. We put the Spirit in a corner of our heart and don't let Him out till we "need" Him. Let's let the Spirit fight the daily battle and bring to our minds the things we need to remember about how to have the fruit of the Spirit.

I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.  For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.  And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.  Galatians 5:16-26

I hope I can get this across to my students, teach them that we need to let the Spirit guide our daily lives. I know it is hard, because I don't do it all the time myself. I am trying though and I think that is what God wants, for us to try to be like Him.

Thanks for reading. Please pray for my students! God Bless You ALL!

Here is a good video if you choose to watch it :)

Loving it... Loving Them!

There are many times you will hear teachers say "These kids are.... " You can fill in the blank with all kinds of things... I have said, "driving me crazy, awesome, cool, scaring me (yes, really), and a myriad of others. Even parents say them.... little humans can and do, know how to push buttons and invoke all kinds of feelings, good and bad. If you ever know a teacher that always has nothing but good to say about her class.... run!!! Just kidding, I love my kids but they still drive me crazy and I will tell you if I need too, so I am not sure that teacher is being honest with herself!

look at the first letters starting at true...

I do not know how many of you that are reading this are teachers, whether in a school, or a church. Or if you are ministers, missionaries, or parents. I only know a few of my readers personally. What ever it is that you do in life know this... Ministry is hard! It is emotional! It is time consuming!

I think about the work I do minute by minute... even when I sleep. No, not just the work at the school, even though that consumes a lot of my thinking. I also teach Sunday School, AWANA, sing on our Praise Team,  serve on the Missions Committee and have many people outside of these things I work with, as well as looking after my family. I am afraid every day that I will do something detrimental to turn someone from God instead of drawing them closer to Him. Even though most days I am emotionally drained and I show it, I love ministry, it is just hard and overwhelming at times. Pray for your Pastors, leaders, teachers, anyone you know, who is working for the LORD, for they need it. Satan is alive and well, he is NOT giving an inch, he is trying to do all he can to get us to stop what we are doing!

So, I said all of that to say.... I love my job! No matter how much I get hurt or feel like a failure at times.

I love my students too! Every single one of those hard to handle little darlings! I want to lead and guide them in more than just the core subjects of Reading, Spelling, Math, and Language, I want to inspire their minds to love God and serve Him when no one else in their little lives may be! I want them to grow up not just to be well educated in the way the world thinks, but to also be well instructed in the ways God wants us to live and serve others. All of the children in my class, say they believe the truth in these verses;

"For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve. After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep. After that He was seen by James, then by all the apostles. Then last of all He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time."                  1 Corinthians 15:3-8

This is the truth that you must believe to get to heaven, that Christ lived a perfect life, died, was buried, and rose again on the 3rd day according to the scriptures. The other part is testimony to the fact that Christ rose! All of my student say they believe this, the Bible says that we must believe this to be called the sons of God. The next step for me, is helping them become people that will serve God and others. To me that is more important than the reading and math, even though they need that also. Please pray for me as I endeavor to do this.

Papers Graded

In the past few weeks a lot of things have taken place, I have graded papers every week (pray I keep that up and don't get behind like I usually do).  We have taken test, had an open house, had a Indian Taco fund raiser, started to make a corn maze (yes, a real one) and even had time to get some learning in! Here are some pictures of various things and you can even see some of the children.

Thanks for reading. Not sure how much of this blog makes sense! or fits with the title... Please pray for the other staff, for me and my kiddos, we need it really! God bless you all!

Small Library... but growing		1st and 2nd graders
4th -7th graders		1st - 4th graders