Inside the Mind of an Educator

I have been called to serve alongside an amazing group of people in ACF Kids. We have an empowered team who do life together, pray over each other, love on one another, all while equipping small and mighty disciples to amplify the grace of Jesus to the churched, unchurched, and de-churched. Every day I see God moving in the classrooms through these beautiful souls. However, there are days when you see God moving in unexplainable ways. The days when your heart feels emotions that are too great for actual words to describe. I suppose this is what King David felt as he danced and shouted praise in the Psalms. Today was one of  those  days. One of those days...when an Elementary Team Captain, Michael Everett, decided to show his love for Jesus Christ through an outward expression of faith. He was BAPTIZED! The whole team rallied and showed flexibility and grace as they covered rooms so he and his wife could go upstairs for the baptism. He shared that he has been praying over this decision

Aristotle called courage the first virtue because it makes all of the other virtues possible. Courage is a characteristic of great leaders, and followers tend to lean into those who are bold and confident in decisions. Courageous leaders are willing to take risks and embrace failure as lessons for future attempts. Courage is not the absence of fear; it is the willingness to move forward anyway. If I am honest, I do not describe myself as courageous. I am risk-averse to a fault at times. Although others have stated I am brave for being willing to take risks and journey into the unknown, there is a fear hidden beneath the surface. Although some of the decisions I have made seem like acts of courage, often they are terrifying leaps of faith deemed necessary for survival or as an act of pure obedience to God.   Perhaps, I am more courageous than I give myself credit for, but honestly, I believe it is only because of my relationship with Christ that I can embrace risks. I battle with fear,

 One of my favorite essays is Self-Reliance by Ralph Waldo Emerson. I used to have students in my high school English classes explicate it the first few weeks of the course. The purpose was to get them to recognize their own ability to think, express themselves and a need to be who they were created to be in class. I wanted each of my students to recognize the power within and freely bring their unique perspectives into the discussion. In fact, my only rule of the classroom was to "Be Yourself."  However, as I sat in service at ACF Church, self-reliance took on a new meaning. We discussed Exodus; specifically, the chapters focused around Pharaoh's hardened heart, and it became clear how self-reliant I have become. I used to think this was such an essential characteristic for a military wife, mother, and woman. In fact, I was told once by a powerful woman in my life, "Never depend on anyone or anything. You must be willing to fight for yourself and never lean on anyon

You might wonder and ask me why What was the reason to seek this position In part, an act of obedience to apply The skills He has gifted in humble submission But I hit submit because my heart is breaking I am standing on the other side of good Where the policy and politics are faking Where hope, faith, and God once stood I see how much ground we are losing each day The passion and love for the human has faded The joy that once colored learning now bleak and gray And the educators of the world growing more jaded The politicians crying out for more accountability Relying on more funding or testing to be a magical savior The education system no longer running on sensibility And the schools are overloaded with bad behavior Identity should not come from a pronoun preference Or from labels the world defines as equitable Gender selection should not be the school's point of reference Keeping kids from reaching the potential for which they are capable I became an educator to love kids wher

Jesus Will Wreck Your Life Today Here is a message for all of Creation The tears that cease to flow today  Come from the profound realization  His great love will always find a way You may be lost and wandering astray The mountain of broken and so many sins This darkness you feel is just another day Always looking for quick fixes and wins Maybe trusting others has made you wary  Your heart is shattered beyond repair The darkness overwhelming and scary  And your shame has grown too big to bear If this is the face of your daily strife  He can destroy this sad existence Jesus will completely wreck your old life  And build one of hope-filled persistence Jesus will wreck your life today He will seek you out and pursue you This is a God who will never stop the chase You may run and evade but He knows you And Jesus has more than love He gives grace Jesus will wreck your life today He will find you in the corners of darkness He will surround you in the battle you fight He will hold you when yo

Trapped by the Sea in Front of Me and the Army Bearing Down Upon Me I have read through the Bible a few times, and listen to the Daily Audio Bible as well. However, there is something about reading the words on those thin pages that speaks to me. I also love how God will speak to you through those words in your current circumstances. A few weeks ago I read through Exodus and one verse popped out to me. It has been gnawing at me and kept drawing me back to it each night as I entered into my words of wisdom time.  This was a verse I have passed over many times, but God needed me to hear it now. However, the verse did not just get into my prayer sketchbook, but it kept screaming in my head it needed to be shared. So, this verse is meant for some of you reading today. God is wanting you to hear it and to use it in whatever situation you are in. The verse is  Exodus 14:13-14. But Moses told the people, “Don’t be afraid. Just stand where you are and watch the Lord rescue you. The Egyptians t