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Listen to Understand
“Be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger.” James 1:19 ESV Listen to understand, not to respond. I heard this statement years ago, and it’s something I think about often. I like to write it on the board in my classroom when prepping my students to give each other feedback, having them pause…
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Learning vs. Practice
“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” 2 Timothy 3:16-17 ESV Earlier in the school year I asked my chorus students what they would do to address parts of…
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You Are Safe
“He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.” Psalm 91:1 ESV Although seemingly so simple, I’ve come to realize that being safe is a big deal for me. Perhaps it’s because I haven’t felt safe in certain environments or with certain people (after all, I…
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Justice, Kindness, and Humility. . . in My Classroom
This verse popped in my email this week as a Verse of the Day. Micah 6:8 ESV “He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” Let’s look at what this verse…
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Seeing Through the Trees
“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” Lamentations 3:22-23 ESV I’m in the middle of a Bible study on the Book of Job, and one of the study questions this week was, “When has an encounter with nature…
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For Such a Time as This
“And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” Esther 14:14 ESV It’s a new year. A time for reflecting, setting goals, and making resolutions. Yuck. I don’t know about you, but I’m not a person who does any of those things. It might be because I’m a teacher and a new calendar…
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My Turkey
“Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? And not one of them is forgotten before God. Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows.” Luke 12:6-7 ESV I’ve written about seeing turkeys before – it’s become a family joke when I come back from a run: “See…
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Burdened
“Come to me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28 NIV Man, this was a rough week. Starting Sunday morning, I felt heavy, as if I couldn’t get out from under something. I’d felt this way before and wasn’t thrilled to be back in that place,…
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Roadblocks
“In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.” Proverbs 3:6 ESV A few weeks ago I took a morning run along my normal path, when I noticed a family of deer on the side of the road. Running near deer is not foreign to me – I usually run on the…
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It’s A Lot
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6 ESV I started my new job just over one week ago – a new town, new school, new grade level, new colleagues, new processes…