Bless My Husband's Heart

I worked on a new blog all day. Then I realized my thoughts were not cohesive and I needed more understanding before I published it. So it will not be published. Following is an explanation of my strange writing process and how I decide whether a blog is ok to publish or if it needs work.

I have been told I can be a condescending know-it-all and if I was a man, I would be called a mansplainer. My reason for explaining so much is really simple so let me ‘womansplain’ it to you and maybe someone out there can relate.

Teaching is the way I learn. And I love to learn! Yep. I have been doing this since I was a little tyke sitting in my bedroom explaining lessons to my imaginary friends. By voicing the steps of a new procedure or thought I quickly find the holes in my understanding then go back and search for the missing pieces. Sometimes my theory is hopeless and sometimes I learn something new. Occasionally, it leads me to a new area of interest.

When I read a book that has interesting new ideas that I have never heard before, I have to either voice them to my poor husband, teach them to myself or blog about it to see if I really understand it. By the time I finish, I have internalized the information and understand what I don’t understand. This is what it takes to get stuff through my thick head.

When I was in college I was taught that there were different types of learners. Unfortunately my type was never discussed. I wish I was like those of you who can simply learn by tinkering, reading or listening. And if you think what I’m saying is crazy-talk, you are probably one of those fortunate souls. Please be tolerant of my nonsense. I am learning.

And bless my husband’s heart.

Educators: The Eyes of Little Texans are Upon You

 

National Holocaust Museum

While going through the museum, questions kept creeping into my brain. What led someone to think this genocide was ok or that it didn’t happen? So many drank the Hitler Kool-aid and they were who kept him in a power position. Why didn’t they realize that their unquestioning devotion was what placed him in that position? What were the precursors to this genocide? What led those who stood up against this carnage to do what they did? What, pray tell, made folks do nothing? And where would I have fallen in this scenario? I’ll let you research for yourself the answer to these questions. My questions were answered and it was eye opening.

What I want to share with you is that those who took a stand against this genocide were labeled “up-standers”. So I noted what the careers of the up-standers were and I was pleasantly surprised that the majority of the female up-standers were educators. But to keep a level-headed perspective on the situation also I note this quote from my favorite educational psychologist, Israeli, Haim Ginott.

I am a survivor of a concentration camp. My eyes saw what no person should witness: gas chambers built by learned engineers. Children poisoned by educated physicians. Infants killed by trained nurses. Women and babies shot by high school and college graduates. So, I am suspicious of education. My request is this: Help your children become human. Your efforts must never produce learned monsters, skilled psychopaths or educated Eichmanns. Reading, writing, and arithmetic are important only if they serve to make our children more human.

So according to Haim Ginott, an education does not immunize you against becoming an agent of hate. However, educating children on ethics and making children more human is critical.

Clearly, this puts educators in a pivotal position. Maybe the most important thing teachers teach each day is empathy, understanding, patience and kindness. Teach what you were hired to teach, but remember what is truly crucial is how you teach. It is how you handle yourself and others that speaks louder than any words that are preached from an old-school Baptist pulpit. Remember, as an educator, you are in a powerful position of influence.

As a young public school teacher who felt that teaching God’s love was so much more important than teaching science, I came to the following conclusion after a great deal of soul searching. There is no call to cease teaching reading, writing, science, history, athletics, ag, music and math to begin preaching because actions speak so loudly to students. A Christian education is taught when I do my job to the best of my ability, with integrity, showing children love and kindness regardless of whether I teach in a public or private Christian school. Children watch how their teachers interact and this is where ethics are taught. This is not taught from a textbook. Those eyes are on you, educators.

Christian Educators, Pray!

 If the Rapture were to be tonight, I believe tomorrow there would be scarcely a handful of teachers left in public schools. Yet, daily we are labeled as subversive and hear accusations of indoctrination and worse. They say we are teaching our students heinous things when in reality, we protect them, love them and make every effort to teach them to read, write, think and cope in this world. Public educators are being discredited, and slowly, slyly, gradually de-funded. And the worst is probably the looks of distrust we get when we admit our profession.

As a group we are the majority. We are also kind, trusting and compassionate and easily pushed around. This has left us vulnerable to political attacks and use as political pawns. As educators we can’t wrap our heads around why people would knowingly do this. That is because we are not running the same race as them and certainly are not motivated by the same things. If we were, we wouldn’t be educators.

So what can we do? Two things will help, the third is the real answer.

First, we must educate ourselves as to how the enemy works and who the enemy is and what is his motivation. Ignorance of the enemy is not acceptable. Read and enroll in online educator political discussions. This is non-negotiable.

Second, we must vote and vote only for those we know and trust. No straight ticket votes and no assumptions due to a D or an R or any rhetoric or promises. Vote based on actions, not words. And if you don’t know about a candidate, do not guess and vote. Just skip voting for that particular office. The ballot is not a STAAR test. You can leave some blanks.

Third, and this is the most important thing: pray. Pray daily and pray big and pray again. Pray for every child and every parent. Pray for our state leadership. Even if it is only five minutes, make time in the morning to bring it all to the Father. He is why we do what we do. He is all-powerful and you are His child who serves His precious children.

Feeling the Agony of Defeat?

 

My husband and I have a passion for protecting Texas public schools. We did not plan this, it came about organically due to working in public education for 37 years in various positions from teacher to superintendent, all over the state of Texas. Together, we have a perspective into public education that very few Texans are privileged to see. We have seen the amazing work that public school employees do daily, against all odds and we know it is God’s work. We have repeatedly seen educators take on the role of not only educator, but protector and mentor for the children in this state and we are passionate about public education for that reason.

"Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me" (Matthew 25:40, 45, NIV)

We have also seen first-hand, the well-planned relentless attacks and lies about public schools and their educators by those in state office who want to use public school funding for their own purposes. Many Texans are buying into their deception and we are heartbroken. In our own county, we have seen a qualified experienced public school supporter defeated at the polls by an unqualified candidate who supports the defunding of public education. We are discouraged to say the least. But the following story helps me take heart in the face of this defeat.

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In Acts 20, the situation was that the Apostle Paul had been spreading the good news about a risen Christ to people all over, establishing thriving churches full of followers of Christ. However, Paul is told repeatedly that he would go to jail and suffer for this work. And he knew this to be true.

 "And now I am bound by the Spirit to go to Jerusalem. I don't know what awaits me, except that the Holy Spirit tells me in city after city that jail and suffering lie ahead. But my life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus-the work of telling others the Good News about the wonderful grace of God. (Acts 20:22-24 NLT)

We know that Paul continued in his work and was imprisoned and he did suffer. He must have had moments where he succumbed to thoughts of defeat. In his lifetime he only saw a tiny portion of the success of his mission. But we also know, looking back two thousand years later, that Paul’s efforts were not in vain. God used his work in spreading the gospel to the world and today we read his words in the millions of Bibles that are currently published.

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You see, the lesson is that yes, we may not see success of our mission in this lifetime. But God is in charge and he will make beauty come from the ashes. And our part we play is to listen to his voice and follow the God-given passion in our hearts. So know that if God has ordained it, you must continue even in the face of eminent defeat. We have seen that God takes small efforts and assignments and exponentially multiplies the outcome.

Does God Like Football?

Courtesy AyD Photography

Does God like football? Undoubtedly, this is the most ‘Texas’ question of all time. Does He like sports? For that matter, does He like competition in any form? Well yes, I think He likes competition when it teaches his lessons in a way that no preacher could voice. I believe God uses whatever means necessary to communicate and teach us about him. When the players learn obedience, patience, perseverance, discipline and servitude in the form of teamwork, it is all about His values and not the world’s.

One of the first things we were told when we moved to this little Texas town was that this town was not a ‘football town’. And after 11 years, we've seen more L’s than W’s, confirming this declaration. Year after year, we have watched as our little team rung up more personal fouls than touchdowns. We have seen coaches come and go and we have seen parents move their kids away to an adjacent winning school in hopes of better results. However, slowly, the tables have turned.

Normally when our team was down, the penalties were relentless in play after play. Several years

ago, I noticed an attitude change in the coaching leadership and staff. It was no longer about the wins and losses, but about the kids and sportsmanship. For me, one of the first evidences of this attitude change came on a particular night early this season when we were behind on homecoming and the coaches, and consequently the team, kept their composure and focus. I realized that our team had turned the corner when we came back from behind in the second half of that game.

I believe football is a gift from God, but anything can be made an idol, and for the most part, sports have that place in the USA. Many times I see parents forfeiting their child’s spiritual development in exchange for non-stop games and practices. This is the very definition of idolatry. And idolatry is the big ‘numero uno’ sin against God. This is when we forget who is in charge. 

In my small town, I have unexpectedly been able to see the good side of sports again. Funny how I couldn’t see it until the wins started rolling in. These kids get to see coaches who have many of the qualities of our Father in heaven. And for some, that is the only good father-figure they will ever know. 

Isaiah 40:28-31 NIV [28] Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. [29] He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. [30] Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; [31] but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

The Most Overlooked Story

David and Goliath, Daniel and the lion's den, Joseph and the coat of many colors, Adam and Eve in the garden, Abraham and Isaac, John the Baptist baptizing Jesus, Noah building the ark, The Ten Commandments, Zacchaeus climbing the tree, and the journeys of the Apostle Paul are all engraved in my mind.  For each, I visualize that Sunday School poster on the wall.  But I have no recollection of that poster of Nehemiah building the wall. It is the overlooked story that I will retell in this blog.

Nehemiah is in the Old Testament right between Ezra and Esther.  I have read it before but until this last week I have been fuzzy on the story.  As a part of my morning reading, I have seen Nehemiah's relevance in a new light. I see that it gives very practical instruction on living out our faith in a world that is divided. The story begins in a time period after the Israelites have lost it all: their family members, their city, and their temple. This happened because they lost their desire for following God. Nehemiah is a Jewish survivor who lives outside of Jerusalem. He is a cupbearer to the current ruling king.  He is concerned about the fellow survivors who are still in Jerusalem so he seeks out a report about them.  This is the report Nehemiah receives in his own words.

Nehemiah 1:3-4 New International Version (NIV)

They said to me, “Those who survived the exile and are back in the province are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burned with fire.”When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven.

Can you see his God-given passion? His next reaction was to pray and fast over this matter. On behalf of the Israelites, he begged for forgiveness for their betrayal of God. God put in Nehemiah's heart a passion to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem, a huge task for a guy who was a nobody in the current ruling system. However, he boldly went to the pagan king who he served and asked for permission to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem and the king granted his request! This set off immediate resistance in the form of two men in power named Sanballat and Tobiah who, for whatever reasons, did not want the Israelites to rebuild the Jerusalem wall.

While Nehemiah was rallying the Israelites to rebuild the wall, the angry Sanballat and Tobiah were drumming up the resistance by plotting inside infiltration of the workers with lies and deception, and physical assault.  Wherever the workers turned, they were attacked by some method.  But the Israelites responded in this way.

Nehemiah 4:15-18 New International Version (NIV)
When our enemies heard that we were aware of their plot and that God had frustrated it, we all returned to the wall, each to our own work. From that day on, half of my men did the work, while the other half were equipped with spears, shields, bows and armor. The officers posted themselves behind all the people of Judah who were building the wall. Those who carried materials did their work with one hand and held a weapon in the other, and each of the builders wore his sword at his side as he worked. 

Over and over again in the book of Nehemiah, they suffered both covert and overt attacks.  However, the Israelites continued to work with constant vigilance, sometimes with half of their work crew on guard while the other half continued the building.  They never let up their guard, always carrying a weapon with them even on the way to the water fountain.  In a subsequent attempt to stop the building, Sanballat sent a message to Nehemiah about Jews plotting to revolt.  Nehemiah's response was this.

Nehemiah 6:8-9 New International Version (NIV)
I sent him this reply: “Nothing like what you are saying is happening; you are just making it up out of your head.” They were all trying to frighten us, thinking, “Their hands will get too weak for the work, and it will not be completed.” But I prayed, “Now strengthen my hands.”

In yet another attempted to stop the building of the wall, messages were sent to Nehemiah of a plot to kill him.  Nehemiah's response was not to run away or hide but to realize that the messengers were sent by the enemy and not God.  Finally, the wall was finished and the enemies and surrounding nations lost their self-confidence because they realized that this work had been done by God.  

What an amazing story!  Retelling it moves me yet again. This story is so much like what we endure today.  Anytime there is an undertaking by passionate Christ-focused people, the enemy is there attacking in covert and overt ways.  Being in public education for 35 years, I see this vividly in the work that is done there.  I know many Christian educators who, like Nehemiah's crew, continue to do their job with passion while holding a weapon (sometimes literally) in the other hand.  There are powerful 'Sanballats' out there who, for whatever reason, want public education to fail.  I could name some of them, but I won't.

Public education is often attacked by ridiculous rules and regulations, lack of funding, ridicule, lies and deception. And we are seeing assault with physical weapons far too often.  Consequently, some educators are being trained to carry weapons. Yet while guarding against the enemy with their weapons, wisdom and voting rights, they continue to do their job to reach children. Why? They were given this task by God and they know God will see them through. 

Thank you Lord, for the victories we have had as educators.  We know it is all You.  Like Nehemiah, may we first seek you and second, be wise and vigilant. 

A memorial to educators who have given the ultimate sacrifice to their profession and students.
Picture by Jbaldwi1

All scripture references are from New International Version (NIV) Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Warriors

My job in school technology provides me the opportunity to view many coworkers throughout the day. It is the dedication of those who work under the area of special education and counseling that constantly amaze me. Some of their daily challenges include children that are autistic, hyperactive, nonverbal, limited in mobility, homeless, pregnant, abused, unloved, angry, aggressive, lacking basic social skills or in need of a bath and clean clothes.  They have endless meetings with parents and guardians to keep them informed.  Then back in the office, they dot the i’s and cross the t’s on tedious government rules, regulations and paperwork to defend against lawsuits that are inherent to dealing with these issues.  

They also must keep up-to-date on the newest state and federal rules and regulations which involve many tiresome conferences.  In their free time, many of them work on their own continuing education in their field of specialty.  At the end of the day they see precious little results for their efforts.  Then they get up and do it again. Many of their cases seem hopeless yet they persevere. They are warriors. If you think that makes them a sad, depressed group, you would be wrong.  They greet everyone with a smile, laugh and enjoy the people around them.  

They do this job as if working for the Lord himself and it is obvious to me that they have a deep faith in God that keeps them going against such overwhelming odds. What I have observed is that their lives are not separated into secular and Holy.  What they do every day is done through the power of their faith in God. They are missionaries in the truest sense.  Their work life is a continuum of their faith.  What they do daily, they do out of a love for God and his children.  

I see them as described in these verses.  

Colossians 3:17,23-24 NIV

[17] And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. 

[23] Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, [24] since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.

We could all learn from these educators.  Do we separate our lives into the secular and the Holy?  Is a mail carrier, mechanic, or lawyer less in need of doing all in the name of the Lord Jesus or should they separate their lives so that a relationship with Christ is left at home? Should God be reserved for high Holy days?  Unless you are a telemarketer or a thief, your job is probably an answer to a need! And what is more, you probably have a need for direction, wisdom and guidance. Know that you too are appointed by God and very much require his presence and direction throughout your day.  

The life of Jesus was not divided into secular and Holy.  Wherever he was, whatever he did, it was with and for his Father.  I know what you are thinking.  “But that was Jesus and applying that to our vocation is going from the sublime to the ridiculous.”  It seems that way when we compare our life to Jesus' life.  However, we all know we need patience in our job, doing what we do, dealing with issues and people that are difficult. We all need to view our work as Holy and appointed by the Lord.  We need to make every day a take-God-to-work day.  We need to be reminded of this scripture often:  

1 Corinthians 10:31 NIV

[31] So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.

According to the Apostle Paul, we are not to divide our lives up into secular and Holy because it is all for the glory of God. Whether we are taking care of our bodies by eating and drinking or at work answering to a boss, we are to do it as if for the Lord. What if before leaving for work, we checked to see if we are taking our lunch, keys, phone, wallet and our relationship to Christ with us?  Can you imagine the change in our workday if we remembered He loves us, appointed us, and is in control?