Easy Access

Where do you wish you could go? How often would you want to go? How easy should the trip be? What I'm thinking of right now is easy access to my neighbor's house! There is one common neighbor's backyard separating the two of us and in the summer we can walk through grass and a few stray bushes and within a minute, we can be sitting together over iced tea and hilarious conversation. I love it. It's like an extension of  my own yard and the years of friendship are evident to both of us. But in the winter, deep snow and lately, perilous ice, have prohibited easy access for both of us. I really miss that! I can still walk down the driveway, follow the sidewalk, and climb her driveway and there I am, but that easy access in the backyard has become the norm. Easy access may be something I will continue to seek the older I become. But think of the easy access we have to our Father-all year long. Deep snow, perilous ice, pelting rain, nothing matters. No backyard extends our access and with a repentant heart and faith in Jesus as our newborn Redeemer, God is accessible every minute of every day. It couldn't be easier. Remember to "access" Him this busy season. He doesn't get too busy for us and longs for us as His children. Be blessed by the Lord and highly favored. Merry Christmas. Barb

Path of My Prayers

The path I cut with our snow blower takes nothing more than a pull of the starter and a little gas and oil. No pleading or communication needed. The conversation I have with my cousin after not speaking to her in person for months, requires no effort because our relationship consists of one long conversation with very long pauses. But what about the path of my prayers? For me, that takes a little effort and some words; very specific words that will clear the path and open a way for my words to make their way to God's ear. Clutter falls into my life and chokes out goodness and forgiveness leaving behind the litter that will stand in the way of the petitions and thanks I am trying to pray. In order for my prayers to be acceptable to God, even with my Precious Savior interceding for me, I need to clear out the clutter and debris that is in the way. That means I start my prayers with confession. I ask the Lord to reveal to me any unconfessed sin that is in me so I can confess it. I declare my forgiveness for others so I can be open to His forgiveness for me. That begins to open the path of my prayers so I can present my thanks, praise, and petitions and nothing will be standing in the way to stop my prayers. We are in a season full of reasons to pray often and love much. Keep prayer paths open. We don't want to miss one thing the Lord has in store for us. Be blessed by the Lord and highly favored.
Barb

Thankfulness

I only need to look at the calendar or listen to the radio to turn my thoughts to the approaching holiday. I always loved Thanksgiving. What's not to love with a fantastic meal and less stress than the hustle and bustle of Christmas. Everyone talks about all the things they are thankful for and we try to model for our kids the importance of being thankful for everything we have; our abundance, health, home, etc. The older I get, my thankfulness changes. Not that I'm not thankful for all the things mentioned here, but maybe it's age that changes perspective. During a recent trip to my small hometown to bury my mother, I saw family I hadn't seen in forty years and special friends I've had for over fifty-five years! I realized how thankful I was to still have all of them; that each one is irreplaceable and filled my heart to overflowing. Imagine how much our Lord loves us. We love with a human heart and He IS love! He loves us so that we have love to pass around...whether to our family, students, or friends. He IS love so we HAVE love. I'm thankful His pure love depends on nothing I do but solely on His mercy and grace. His mercy, grace, and love. Now there are reasons to be grateful. Have a happy Thanksgiving; blessed by the Lord and highly favored.
Barb

Have No Fear of Bad News

What would it feel like to drive to work in the morning knowing no one could deliver bad news? That nothing anyone could say to you would be bad. No parent could question you, no administrator or principal could hand down one more responsibility or make you accountable for any more tasks. What if you could feel that assurance? Would you walk a little taller? Feel a little more confidence? Have some peace in your heart? Well, as a believer, you have a God that you can trust completely. You might falter during the day, you may fail to meet a deadline, you may use your words to hurt someone, or not use words to help someone. But every day, every slip, every sin, can be forgiven and we can trust that the Lord will pull us back up toward Him. Psalm 112:7 says, "He will have no fear of bad news; his heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord." I believe we walk with His confidence and assurance; not that we won't ever get bad news, but we won't get it from the Lord. And when we do get it, He will walk with us and give us what we need to walk through it. Be blessed by the Lord and highly favored.
Barb

Oooo- Oooo Pick Me!

I remember asking questions in my classroom. Teachers ask a lot of questions. And then what do you do? I used to look around and decide just who I was going to call on for the answer. Do I call on the one who always gets it right? Do I call on someone ignoring me, hoping to "jar" them into paying attention? Do I call on someone who probably won't get it right but if they did it would boost their confidence? What's my purpose here? I would scan the crowd of desks and in a nanosecond I would weigh all the options and call out a name. My heart would rejoice at a correct answer or I'd feel a bit unsuccessful if someone got stumped. I would much rather hear the right answer and think I had taught them something. Compare that with God. It says in 2 Chronicles 16:9, "The eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to Him." He looks around to see who is ready; who needs what God has to give to finish His work on earth. Who is willing? Who knows the desires of God's heart and needs His strength to complete the work? Personally, I want to be the one with my hand waving in the air like our students do when they're bursting with eagerness to get the teacher's attention. I want the Lord to see me and count on me to do His work. Isn't that our job? Isn't that why we're here? To glorify Him? To develop that relationship with Him so that we know His desires and how to serve Him? Pick me, Teacher! Pick me, Lord! Be blessed by the Lord and highly favored,
Barb

Strength for the Asking

I have a pillow that is embroidered with Scripture. It says, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Philippians 4:13." I have read it a thousand times, I've heard it in sermons, and I've heard people in conversations say that they rely on Christ's strength when they have none. But how does that work? How do we actually get strength from Christ? I believe the answer lies in a promise Jesus made two thousand years ago. He knew He would be leaving this earth but promised a Holy Spirit would take his place. We are promised that when we accept Jesus as our Savior the Holy Spirit takes up residence inside us. That's what gives us the "strength for the asking" when we think we have none. The same power that raised Christ from the dead is available to us...through that same Spirit that indwells every believer. So every morning when you think you can't face whatever trial is ahead of you, seek the face of Jesus, God's loving arms, and the power of the Holy Spirit. God is in control of your day and He has way more resources than you do! Be blessed by the Lord and highly favored.
Barb

Prayer

If you're anything like me, prayer isn't new to you. What IS new to me is this idea: Prayer is not specific words said at a prescribed time in a certain way. Prayer is a relationship with the Lord. It is continuous and can be as easy and automatic as breathing. It is where we start every morning and end every night. It happens when we are thankful and when we are full of fear; hurting, discouraged, happy or sad. Our God wants to hear from us when everything is going well or when we're overwhelmed. He will listen to our anger and loves to hear our praises. All He wants is to deepen the relationship we have with Him and when we pray, we are communicating with the One who is sovereign and in control. Whatever our circumstances are, good, bad, or ugly, God is still good. He doesn't change just because we do. He is constant, faithful, and all His promises are true. So try lifting every "thing" to the Lord today and give Him the burdens, thank Him for His blessings, and praise Him for who He is. Be blessed by the Lord and highly favored.
Barb

Free Courtesy Ticket

Last week I went shopping in Hastings. I had never been there despite its proximity to Grand Rapids. Driving through town for the first time, everyone in the car was taken with its charm and quaint appearance. We shopped a little, found a nice place to eat, shopped a little more, and just enjoyed having fun on a beautiful, cool, crisp fall day. Then we headed back to the car. I sat down behind the wheel and noticed a little yellow envelope tucked under my windshield wiper. You know the feeling you get in your stomach when you see flashing lights pulling up behind you or...you see the dreaded notice on your windshield. I grabbed it and read, "City of Hastings Police Department Parking Violation Ticket." I checked the sign on the curb thinking I had been quite careful where I parked and noticed a two hour limit posted. My heart sank. Then I read further. Everywhere there was a dollar sign to show amount owed, I saw, $0.00. Despite the fine chart on the back of this notice, I had no fine. I breathed a sigh of relief, thought about the leniency granted to me, and thanked the Lord for the gift. As I was thanking Him, I thought, "Wow. That's a lot like how I can feel every day when I feel the Lord's mercy and grace for all the 'illegal' things I commit in my sinful life." I felt extreme gratitude to the police in Hastings for the forgiven debt shown to me in my "Free Courtesy Ticket." How much more am I indebted to my Creator for the ever- present mercy He shows all the time! Be blessed by the Lord and highly favored. Receive His mercy and pass it on.
Barb

My New Heart

In Ezekiel 36:26-27 God promised to restore Israel not only physically, but spiritually. It says, "I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws." I believe this verse is meant for me too. Whether I am in a classroom, with my family, or enjoying the solitude of communing with my Lord, I have his Spirit living in me. It is that Spirit that shows love to students, family, or strangers. I can't do it alone but need the grace of my heavenly Father to work in me. Use this power or gift or grace to guide you today; to follow where you're led and love like only God can love. He's just doing it through you. Be blessed by the Lord and highly favored.
Barb

Meditate on This

I'm taking a class called, "Solitude, Meditation, and Prayer." Our pastor is an awesome teacher and I respect his interpretation and appreciate his delivery. We are encouraged to meditate on several verses of Scripture each week, finding some time of solitude to do this. This week I chose Psalm 119:10-16. Several years ago I chose these same passages as memory work and while it sounds very familiar and I can fill in many phrases, I can't say as I totally memorized it. Our goal in meditating is not memorizing but I find myself in my daily walk, wishing I could pull some of God's Words out of my head and actually use them; for myself or for others. So this week my meditation has been dual purposed. What I found was the same premise I used in my classroom. Repetition Repetition Repetition. As I read and reread and reread and tried to connect the words so I could remember them, I began to develop so much more meaning to the verses. Here they are. I hope they bless you today.
"I seek you with all my heart;
    do not let me stray from your commands.
I have hidden your word in  my heart
    that I may not sin against you.
Praise be to you, O Lord;
    teach me your decrees.
With  my lips I recount
    All the laws that come from your mouth.
I rejoice in following your statutes
    as one rejoices in great riches.
I meditate on your precepts
    and consider your ways.
I delight in your decrees;
    I will not neglect your word."
Be blessed by the Lord and highly favored.
Barb

Hold the Rod

Do you know the story in the Bible about Joshua fighting Amalek? The only way Joshua could prevail over Amalek was when Moses was holding his rod above his head. When his arms got tired and the rod was lowered, Joshua would begin to lose. Aaron and Hur helped Moses hold his arms up under the weight of the rod until Joshua finally defeated Amalek.

This story made me think of life's battles today. We can't really fight them alone. We don't have the strength. If we're lucky we have friends or colleagues that will help us fight the battles; friends to pray with us and support us. As teachers, we all face common problems and battles and having a "team" to lean on is a blessing we don't want to be without. Go to your "Aaron and Hur" today and thank them for helping you hold up the rod. May you be blessed by the Lord and highly favored.
Barb

Keys of the Kingdom

I wish to share with you an idea I got from God's Best for My Life, by John Ogilvie. He based his idea on Matthew 16:19. It says, "And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven." Ogilvie goes on to say that Jesus has given US the keys of the kingdom and we use these keys to unlock the various kinds of doors we meet in other people. There is a key of listening, a key of discussion, a key of witness, prayer for another, and the key of unchanging love. We can use these keys to admit people to the kingdom or we can block them if we don't share what we know or have found.

My favorite sentence says, "We have the power to forgive in His name and to assure people of His love." What an awesome responsibility! What will you do this week with the keys that have been given to you? Be blessed by the Lord and highly favored.
Barb

Hangin' On

It's the middle of September and I managed to get sunburned at the beach yesterday. The sun doesn't care what the season is. It still burns.While I was there I was reminded of the water show I watched a few weeks ago from the same spot. I sat fascinated while three men danced and sped all over the waves on small boards the size of skate boards. The difference was they were attached to long ropes that were then attached to sizable sails. Maybe sailboarding? I don't know the term but during this two hour performance, I noticed how effortless they made it look. They held on, they followed the direction of the wind, they jumped and somersaulted in the air, landed on their feet, breezed into shore, turned and sped back out towards the deep, and started all over again. All the while they seemed carefree and safe. Never having seen this kind of "sport," I was mesmerized. Then it came to me. These men were at the mercy of the wind and their sails. They probably were exerting a lot of energy but their level of expertise made it seem simple. It's like us. In life, we are at the mercy of a Holy God, connected to us by His Son, Jesus. God does all the controlling while we speed, jump, turn, expend energy, and try to act like we're in control. But if our wind shifts or dies down or we get in over our heads, we find we are really not in control at all. I want to remember every minute of every day, who really provides the ropes and the sails in my life. I'll hang on for safety, mercy, and goodness. Be blessed by the Lord and highly favored.
Barb

Overwhelmed?

Isaiah 43:2 says, "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;" We heard this in church this morning as the pastor was addressing the topic of being OVERWHELMED, and what we can do when this happens.

My guess is there are several of you who are already feeling overwhelmed and you've completed only a few days of school. The advice we heard was the path Mary, the mother of our Lord, took when the angel told her she was going to have a baby. ( Her feelings might be similar to what you might be feeling now; specifically in your job. Not to say there are no other areas that are overwhelming in your life.) What I heard was this: let go of the need to control the situation...we live in a broken world and don't always know ahead the path we walk because we walk by faith; let others help you out...we as teachers rely on each other all the time, and let God give you strength...we know we don't have enough for the job anyway so why not ask He Who is Most Powerful to be your strength?

My prayer for you this week is that while you acknowledge those times when you feel you are overwhelmed, you seek the face of Jesus, knowing He is ultimately in control and it is in Him you will find your rest. And the reprieve from feeling "overwhelmed." Be blessed by the Lord and highly favored.
Barb

It's All New

Greetings to all teacher friends and others! I took the summer off from writing and from everything really, and loved every minute of it. But all of a sudden it's almost September and while I am not setting up a classroom, fall does bring a bit of "new." I know the trees shed old leaves, the grass needs no more attention, I will get rid of annuals in my pots, but for us Christians, there is newness. The newness comes in more than new school clothes, new shoes, new pencils, or even new classroom assignments. Our "new" comes in a "new heart and new spirit," (Ez. 18:31), in a "new life," (Rom. 6:4), "new birth into a living hope," (1 Peter 1:3), and God's compassions which are "new every morning," (Lam. 3:23.) The good news is that we can claim all this "new" every day of our lives, not just when a season changes or a new semester begins. Blessings to all of you as you start your "new" school year. Remember whose child you are and be blessed by the Lord and highly favored.
Barb

Time to Make Noise

I'm sure, as teachers, we have all had days when we say, "1-2-3-eyes on me," or we flash the lights, or we clap our hands or raise our hands (hoping students will see us) and the whole point of whatever we do is to get everyone to be quiet. If they would just listen! Then there are those times of the day when we allow the noise and in fact, hope that the noise and movement will transform students into better, quieter learners later.

Believe it or not, there are times for us, as adults, where we should not be silenced; where we are free to make some noise and offer celebration. One of those times is now, at Easter. Now is when we should be shouting our loudest and lifting our hands the highest. I love the account in Luke 19 where Jesus is riding into Jerusalem on the donkey and people around him are yelling, "Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!" They are making so much noise, it is making the Pharisees nervous and they ask Jesus to keep his people quiet. Jesus' reply is, "I tell you...if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out." v. 40. It's as if this message of praise, Jesus' impending sacrificial death, His gift to us, this act that would save all who choose to believe, is so magnificent, so miraculous, that it cannot be squelched. It must come out! It cannot be held in.

This Easter weekend we celebrate the greatest gift of all. But we can make noise about it all year through. Share your joy with someone and make some noise about your Redeemer, Creator, and Risen Lord.

Be blessed by the Lord and  highly favored,
Barb

Focus

What is your focus? And if I knew the plural of "focus," I could ask you about many of your "foci"? As teachers and staff in school buildings, we probably feel inundated with stimuli all day long and what we thought was going to be a focus, becomes just one little part of our day; maybe not even a very important one.

How does this happen? I remember the speed at which I had to think on my feet and change direction by the minute sometimes. Kids demanding attention, my lesson demanding some attention, hopefully, and then there's those that I answered to as a staff member and employee. The list goes on. And it could be different every day.

But what does the Lord say about  my focus? Do you think He doesn't care about our daily responsibilities and distractions? He tells us plainly in Philippians 4:8, "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable-if anything is excellent or praiseworthy-think about such things."

So where do you see things in your day that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent or praiseworthy? On any given day you most certainly can and do witness these kinds of things, but on other days, doesn't it seem impossible to find?

I don't have an answer as to how you keep your focus on the above command. But I do think that by knowing that that's where the Lord wants our thoughts and by watching for them or modeling them, we will increase our chances of experiencing the kind of focus that's good for our hearts and glorifying to God.

Be blessed by the Lord and highly favored,
Barb

Who's in the Tree?

I would like to say every devotion I write comes right out of my own experience or my heart. But sometimes I read something and I feel compelled to share it. I  find a nugget in someone else's writing and off I go. This is the case today. The idea came from a small devotional by Charles Stanley from June of last year. What he wrote was not intended for teachers but it is certainly applicable.

Who hasn't been discouraged by a student or maybe a parent? In our district, probably discouragement comes daily. We serve the underprivileged, the under achievers, high poverty, low motivation, broken-in-many-ways families. That's what you signed up for if you're teaching here. But I don't mean to make it sound like there's no hope. You really can't make a career in an environment where you don't see hope.

What I'm saying is that you are the hope. You are the servant here. You are the constant in someone's chaos; the light in a very dark world for some of them. Just as Jesus spent time with the outcasts, the sinners, the sick, the rejected, you, too have a calling. In Stanley's devotion he likened Jesus' visit with Zacchaeus to an opportunity to serve a "spiritually needy" man. He looked up a tree and intentionally singled him out by saying He would join him at his house; Zacchaeus, a despised tax collector in need of a Savior.

Jesus took the time to look up and pursue a relationship with someone in need. Not unlike what you do every day in your job. No doubt you will find someone up a tree today, waiting and hoping for a teacher, a secretary, or a principal to be available, aware, and  accepting just like Jesus. Who's in your tree today? We'll pray that you will have what it takes to look up and be willing to serve.

You are, after all, blessed by the Lord and highly favored.
Barb

Kindness is a Secret

Where does kindness come from? If you had to explain it to someone just learning the English language, what would you say? You can't hold it; you can just see evidence of it like when we "see" the wind. You can't smell it or taste it, but maybe you can feel it. You might use words like, "helping others, doing something nice, or encouraging someone." But really, kindness looks different to different people.

Last year, I was reading some student work on a wall at one of the schools I  visit. I don't remember if there was a picture or just the writing but it said, "Kindness is the best secret language." I wrote it down in my collection of things to write about someday thinking it was worth some thought, not really knowing what the student was thinking when they wrote it or if it was even original. But wherever it came  from, I think it tells us kindness is another language we can use to communicate with just like our learned oral language. Maybe the secrecy comes into play because it's not taught by textbooks. It's observed or modeled and it can be learned or ignored.

There are countless references to "kind" or "kindness" in the Bible. "Kind word cheers you up. Blessed is he who is kind to the needy, kind to the oppressed, he is kind to the ungrateful, love is kind, be kind and compassionate, to whom I can show God's kindness; understanding, patience, and kindness," and on and on. We read these verses and because we read them in God-breathed Scripture, we know they're true. It really isn't much of a secret at all. It's more of a command. It's what Jesus was all about and it's our goal to make modeling this "best secret language" not so secret any more.

Be blessed by the Lord and highly favored.
Barb