This post is going to be short on text because I have a couple things that I have found bring me closer to God when I think about them on a regular basis. Try it out and see what you think!
1. Everything we've done in the past shapes the Christian that we are today.
2. There isn't ONE thing in your past that God cannot use to make you a better Christian.
He wants us to repent and start over no matter how terrible we have been. You are putting limits on God if you think that He cannot use you!
Are you consistently giving your past to the Lord? Or are you putting them in your worldly closet and keeping them hidden?
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Be Still
One of my firm beliefs about life as a Christian is that my walk HAS TO BE a daily renewal of a commitment to be more Christ-like. I try to consistently remind myself that I may do a better job at some things than I did in the past but in no way shape or form am I ever close to achieving the level where I can quit trying to be a better, more Christ-like person.
I found a verse in my night Bible readings that really threw this in my face.
1 Thessalonians 4:11-12 says:
“Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.”
There are so many Christian women I know, including myself that have serious issues in these areas. I often think, “Wow, that woman is addicted to drama.” I’ve always thought that this was not a good way to be, but I had no idea that it was addressed this specifically in scripture.
Lead a quiet life and mind your own business is just as relevant today as it was back then. We need no extra visualization to tie this to our own lives. Women must have been gossipy beings ready to spew any information they had about anyone that people may want to hear even back two thousand years ago! I like to talk and so sometimes I find myself talking about other people. I am praying about and trying to train myself to be aware when these conversations go beyond what I would be comfortable discussing in front of the person in question AND my grandmother. Just prayer for awareness has started to change. Gossip feels different when you are conscious of the fact you are directed to stay away from it in this passage and others in the Bible.
Work with your hands can mean be productive, you can say that you are valuable until the cows come home but until you earn the respect of your peers in any situation you will not truly be independent or have the appreciation that you want and deserve.
My prayer for you this week is that you take this verse to heart and actively think about times when Jesus would tell you, “Be still.” Be it your mouth or your mind, I hope you are thinking daily about how you can be a better Christian.
Keep storing gifts for yourself in heaven sisters and brothers, and we will celebrate together some day!
I found a verse in my night Bible readings that really threw this in my face.
1 Thessalonians 4:11-12 says:
“Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.”
There are so many Christian women I know, including myself that have serious issues in these areas. I often think, “Wow, that woman is addicted to drama.” I’ve always thought that this was not a good way to be, but I had no idea that it was addressed this specifically in scripture.
Lead a quiet life and mind your own business is just as relevant today as it was back then. We need no extra visualization to tie this to our own lives. Women must have been gossipy beings ready to spew any information they had about anyone that people may want to hear even back two thousand years ago! I like to talk and so sometimes I find myself talking about other people. I am praying about and trying to train myself to be aware when these conversations go beyond what I would be comfortable discussing in front of the person in question AND my grandmother. Just prayer for awareness has started to change. Gossip feels different when you are conscious of the fact you are directed to stay away from it in this passage and others in the Bible.
Work with your hands can mean be productive, you can say that you are valuable until the cows come home but until you earn the respect of your peers in any situation you will not truly be independent or have the appreciation that you want and deserve.
My prayer for you this week is that you take this verse to heart and actively think about times when Jesus would tell you, “Be still.” Be it your mouth or your mind, I hope you are thinking daily about how you can be a better Christian.
Keep storing gifts for yourself in heaven sisters and brothers, and we will celebrate together some day!
Wednesday, October 3, 2007
Creation in Action
I want to dedicate as many posts as I can to my personal experiences with our products. As the education director I feel that it is my duty to try out the material that I put in the product. One main goal that we have for BSFK is to give new ways to teach and to have ways that the children can teach themselves.
I wanted my Sunday school class to experience all that goes into preparing a good lesson. They are 4th to 6th graders and can all read. We are blessed to have been able to scrape together enough archaic equipment to have a computer lab in our church. I had eight regulars in my class so I put them in groups of two and had one group for each of the weeks’ lesson.
I did the activity over a whole quarter (three months) so that saved the church money on educational resources and allowed me to have the students complete many tasks.
The tasks that I had each group complete were:
• Making a task list
• Choosing their lesson material from the teachers guide
• Typing up a script
• Photocopying their activities and worksheets
• Teaching one week’s lesson
Task List
The first week we had a guided discussion of what pieces there are to a lesson each week and how a teacher has to plan for those things. I took notes as we discussed and at the end of the lesson we had a good list of tasks for them to complete before their presentation days.
Lesson Material from Teacher’s Guide
The teacher’s guide has more information than they could cover in one lesson’s time so I had them choose what they were going to cover and who was going to cover it. Some of the groups typed their script right out of the material while others chose to hand write a list of what they were going to say and type from that.
Typing up the Script
I didn’t feel that my students would be able to present from just an outline, so I had them type a full script. I showed them how to put the name first followed by a colon and then what they would say after that. An example is below:
Sarah: God said, “Let there be light”
Ian: We know light as coming from the sun but this was God’s light. The sun had not been created yet.
It took them several weeks to get this done. Some of the groups finished before the others so I let those students explore some of the suggested activities in the teacher’s guide.
Photocopying Activities and Worksheets
This was the last step before they presented. They had to make enough copies for the class and a key for each of the presenters/teachers. They all thought it was neat to get to go to the office and use the copier.
Teaching
I brought my laptop each week for their presentation. We used the manual advance version of the Creation lesson. One of the presenters advanced the slides and the other held the script. They were a little slow because I didn’t have a good rehearsal week. That would be something that I would do differently next time.
The kids had a great time with this unit. They learned a lot about their content area and also that there is a lot that goes into presenting a lesson. When they were getting weary I reminded them that their Sunday school teachers had to do this every week and that their school teachers had to do it five times a week!
This was a wonderful experience for the students and I both. We all really enjoyed the new approach to Sunday school. They had to do a lot of problem solving and collaborating. I also feel that the more presenting children do at a young age the better they will do at speaking when they are adults.
This week’s reflection verse is 1 Samuel 12:23. It says, “As for me, far be it for me that I should sin against the Lord by failing to pray for you. And I will teach you the way that is good and right.”
This is how we should feel about any of the children whose lives we touch by teaching them. It touched my heart and sums up how I feel about all of you educators who take the time to read my reflections and visit our site!
I wanted my Sunday school class to experience all that goes into preparing a good lesson. They are 4th to 6th graders and can all read. We are blessed to have been able to scrape together enough archaic equipment to have a computer lab in our church. I had eight regulars in my class so I put them in groups of two and had one group for each of the weeks’ lesson.
I did the activity over a whole quarter (three months) so that saved the church money on educational resources and allowed me to have the students complete many tasks.
The tasks that I had each group complete were:
• Making a task list
• Choosing their lesson material from the teachers guide
• Typing up a script
• Photocopying their activities and worksheets
• Teaching one week’s lesson
Task List
The first week we had a guided discussion of what pieces there are to a lesson each week and how a teacher has to plan for those things. I took notes as we discussed and at the end of the lesson we had a good list of tasks for them to complete before their presentation days.
Lesson Material from Teacher’s Guide
The teacher’s guide has more information than they could cover in one lesson’s time so I had them choose what they were going to cover and who was going to cover it. Some of the groups typed their script right out of the material while others chose to hand write a list of what they were going to say and type from that.
Typing up the Script
I didn’t feel that my students would be able to present from just an outline, so I had them type a full script. I showed them how to put the name first followed by a colon and then what they would say after that. An example is below:
Sarah: God said, “Let there be light”
Ian: We know light as coming from the sun but this was God’s light. The sun had not been created yet.
It took them several weeks to get this done. Some of the groups finished before the others so I let those students explore some of the suggested activities in the teacher’s guide.
Photocopying Activities and Worksheets
This was the last step before they presented. They had to make enough copies for the class and a key for each of the presenters/teachers. They all thought it was neat to get to go to the office and use the copier.
Teaching
I brought my laptop each week for their presentation. We used the manual advance version of the Creation lesson. One of the presenters advanced the slides and the other held the script. They were a little slow because I didn’t have a good rehearsal week. That would be something that I would do differently next time.
The kids had a great time with this unit. They learned a lot about their content area and also that there is a lot that goes into presenting a lesson. When they were getting weary I reminded them that their Sunday school teachers had to do this every week and that their school teachers had to do it five times a week!
This was a wonderful experience for the students and I both. We all really enjoyed the new approach to Sunday school. They had to do a lot of problem solving and collaborating. I also feel that the more presenting children do at a young age the better they will do at speaking when they are adults.
This week’s reflection verse is 1 Samuel 12:23. It says, “As for me, far be it for me that I should sin against the Lord by failing to pray for you. And I will teach you the way that is good and right.”
This is how we should feel about any of the children whose lives we touch by teaching them. It touched my heart and sums up how I feel about all of you educators who take the time to read my reflections and visit our site!
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
No Wrong Place to Teach
When I think about having a Bible study with my children my first reaction is always that we will never find time when we are all there to do this on a regular basis. Well, a verse in Deuteronomy has inspired me to think outside the planner.
In Deuteronomy Chapter 11, Moses is telling his people how to faithfully obey the commandments of the Lord. Verse 19 (NIV) says, "Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up."
Wow, I am always amazed at how suitable the Bible is for people in any time. What other book is so timeless? There is none. Sure we now drive along the road but as for the rest there isn't anything that doesn't directly apply to our lives.
The challenge that I made for myself and that may be relevant in your life is this, I want to use the times of day that are usually considered for getting ready or getting to someplace to teach the word of the Lord to my family.
Here are some easy ways that this can be done (even while your hands are full!!)
In Deuteronomy Chapter 11, Moses is telling his people how to faithfully obey the commandments of the Lord. Verse 19 (NIV) says, "Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up."
Wow, I am always amazed at how suitable the Bible is for people in any time. What other book is so timeless? There is none. Sure we now drive along the road but as for the rest there isn't anything that doesn't directly apply to our lives.
The challenge that I made for myself and that may be relevant in your life is this, I want to use the times of day that are usually considered for getting ready or getting to someplace to teach the word of the Lord to my family.
Here are some easy ways that this can be done (even while your hands are full!!)
- Listen to the Bible on tape or CD in the car.
- Have your children who can read, read to the rest of the family from the Bible.
- Make memory verse flash cards for yourself and your children and practice them in the car.
- Instead of reading library or school books before bed time pull out the Bible and tell a story from there.
- Sing your favorite worship songs as you get ready for your day or ready for bed.
These are just a few!!
There is no wrong place to teach the Word to your family. I pray that God interrupt my thoughts with ideas to better serve Him. Thinking about and talking to God are the only activities that will never make your schedule unbearable. No matter how busy I am it all seems easier to cope with if I have more God in my thoughts.
With God NOTHING is impossible!
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Making Bible Connections with Your Kids!!
One of the jobs of a Christian parent is to build strong biblical foundations in our children. This can be made fun if you handle your Bible stories correctly. I propose setting a set Bible Study time for you and your children. Then your job as teacher-parent is to find ways to make connections with your children so that this will be a time that they look forward to as much as watching television or playing video games. Let’s face it, if your schedule is anything like mine your children are probably dying for some one-on-one attention.
There are multiple stories in the Bible that you could use to excite the minds of the youth. The Bible is not lacking in mystery and adventure, friendship and love, all things that my children look for in a good story. If making connections from Bible stories to kids of today is not easy for you, then I have a couple examples below to help you.
Sampson – Super hero. He had super-human strength, power given to him by God.
Jeremiah – Super hero. He was able to prophesy, what kid doesn’t like stories about seeing the future!
Noah – The story of Noah is one that is familiar to many kids, but if you put a peer pressure swing on things it can make them think of it like never before. Have you ever thought about the pressure he must have felt from those around him? Perseverance through peer pressure is never a bad lesson!
Esther – In America we still have few women in power. This is one huge similarity that we have to people in the Bible. Esther was a strong woman of God who was also in power. She makes for a great Bible story for children.
Paul – One man who turned his life away from evil and took on a whole continent of people to spread the word of God. What more empowering adventure do you want!
Alright now, having the stories is only half the battle. As the designer of your own Bible study you have to do a little more than read the stories and tell the kids it relates to them. Here are some pointers on how to make your lessons give the message that you want. Remember: Only you know your children and their experiences in the most personal way!
Be prepared. (Study the story and pray about its message. Do this ahead of time.)
Make connections. (Be thinking of how the story pertains to your life experiences and those of your children.)
Take notes. (We have so many ideas that we forget if they aren’t written down.)
Ask questions. (Have prepared thought provoking questions so that you can have a feeling for how effective your story was in connecting to your children.)
With these few ideas you can be well on your way to providing a rich environment of learning from the Bible that your kids will never forget!
There are multiple stories in the Bible that you could use to excite the minds of the youth. The Bible is not lacking in mystery and adventure, friendship and love, all things that my children look for in a good story. If making connections from Bible stories to kids of today is not easy for you, then I have a couple examples below to help you.
Sampson – Super hero. He had super-human strength, power given to him by God.
Jeremiah – Super hero. He was able to prophesy, what kid doesn’t like stories about seeing the future!
Noah – The story of Noah is one that is familiar to many kids, but if you put a peer pressure swing on things it can make them think of it like never before. Have you ever thought about the pressure he must have felt from those around him? Perseverance through peer pressure is never a bad lesson!
Esther – In America we still have few women in power. This is one huge similarity that we have to people in the Bible. Esther was a strong woman of God who was also in power. She makes for a great Bible story for children.
Paul – One man who turned his life away from evil and took on a whole continent of people to spread the word of God. What more empowering adventure do you want!
Alright now, having the stories is only half the battle. As the designer of your own Bible study you have to do a little more than read the stories and tell the kids it relates to them. Here are some pointers on how to make your lessons give the message that you want. Remember: Only you know your children and their experiences in the most personal way!
Be prepared. (Study the story and pray about its message. Do this ahead of time.)
Make connections. (Be thinking of how the story pertains to your life experiences and those of your children.)
Take notes. (We have so many ideas that we forget if they aren’t written down.)
Ask questions. (Have prepared thought provoking questions so that you can have a feeling for how effective your story was in connecting to your children.)
With these few ideas you can be well on your way to providing a rich environment of learning from the Bible that your kids will never forget!
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
A Bright Thought for a Bad Day at Work!
I don’t know too many people who can say that they love their job. On the other hand, I can think of many who say that they hate their’s. I too have had jobs that I despised but am now at a fortunate time in my life where I am doing a job that I love, teaching and learning. Praise God! Through a long process God has shown me that this is where my gifts are and also where my heart lies.
I have had many jobs in the past, as I always find myself working at least three of them at time, so I have had hundreds of co-workers. Some people are unhappy 90% of the time and others, although in my experience very few, are content 90% of the time even if the task at hand is unpleasant. I lie somewhere in the middle of these. I am cheery and fun most of the time but I have a fiery temper so once it’s flared up I must admit that I can be one of those unhappy people too.
Well, for those of you that suffer from any sort of dislike or bad attitude at work, have I got the passage for you (and me!).
Colossians 3:23-25 (NIV) says:
“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. Anyone who does wrong will be repaid for his wrong, and there is no favoritism.”
This passage gives me peace. The next time I let a manager, co-worker, or boss start pushing my buttons I am going to try and remember that God is my real boss. If the person is doing something wrong it’s not up to me to get mad about it. As long as I am trying to be more Christ-like every day the awful things that humans can do to mess up interactions at work won’t bother me so much.
Having a fiery temper, I like to find thoughts, ideas, and processes that I can train myself to use to defuse my anger when it flares. Breathing is all good but you have to calm down first. If I use tools like the one that Paul gives us in his letter I will not only help myself in the workplace but also help secure an extraordinarily lovely place for myself in heaven! It doesn’t get any better than that!
I have had many jobs in the past, as I always find myself working at least three of them at time, so I have had hundreds of co-workers. Some people are unhappy 90% of the time and others, although in my experience very few, are content 90% of the time even if the task at hand is unpleasant. I lie somewhere in the middle of these. I am cheery and fun most of the time but I have a fiery temper so once it’s flared up I must admit that I can be one of those unhappy people too.
Well, for those of you that suffer from any sort of dislike or bad attitude at work, have I got the passage for you (and me!).
Colossians 3:23-25 (NIV) says:
“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. Anyone who does wrong will be repaid for his wrong, and there is no favoritism.”
This passage gives me peace. The next time I let a manager, co-worker, or boss start pushing my buttons I am going to try and remember that God is my real boss. If the person is doing something wrong it’s not up to me to get mad about it. As long as I am trying to be more Christ-like every day the awful things that humans can do to mess up interactions at work won’t bother me so much.
Having a fiery temper, I like to find thoughts, ideas, and processes that I can train myself to use to defuse my anger when it flares. Breathing is all good but you have to calm down first. If I use tools like the one that Paul gives us in his letter I will not only help myself in the workplace but also help secure an extraordinarily lovely place for myself in heaven! It doesn’t get any better than that!
Wednesday, September 5, 2007
Let's Get Finished!
If you are at all like me, you can start a million projects but getting any one of them finished is a chore. Unfortunately, I still haven't found a job where that is a quality that they look for so, instead I have to pray. Pray that I can finish things.
Sitting here at my friend's house today I see that she must have the same thoughts because taped to the side of the computer is a sign listing 2 Cor. 8:11-12:
"Now finish the work, so that your eager willingness to do it may be matched by your completion of it, according to your means. For if willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what he does not have."
Paul is telling us here that we are to finish with the vigor with which we started. If you are willing to work it all the way through you will be judged on your work, not what someone thought you would do.
Sitting here at my computer I pray for the strength and willpower to finish my assignments and projects with the willingness with which I started them.
The Lord is Good!!
Have a wonderful week!
Sitting here at my friend's house today I see that she must have the same thoughts because taped to the side of the computer is a sign listing 2 Cor. 8:11-12:
"Now finish the work, so that your eager willingness to do it may be matched by your completion of it, according to your means. For if willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what he does not have."
Paul is telling us here that we are to finish with the vigor with which we started. If you are willing to work it all the way through you will be judged on your work, not what someone thought you would do.
Sitting here at my computer I pray for the strength and willpower to finish my assignments and projects with the willingness with which I started them.
The Lord is Good!!
Have a wonderful week!
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