Of Praise and Puppies and Feet...

Luke 18:16 "But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God." 

      Every Wednesday, I ask for student volunteers to lead class devotions.  They have to prepare ahead of time, and the class needs to give that student their full attention as if he/she was the teacher.  For most classes, I have to make a schedule to get them to do it.  This class brought joy to my heart.  They practically knocked each other down trying to get to the calendar to sign up.  It  is already full into November.  AND, you would think it would be mostly girls wanting to do it.  Surprise!  It's the boys!  Oh, my heart!  One boy, who can be a stinker, has his day in a few weeks.  He has already consulted me about what he would like to talk about!

     This little guy sitting in my rocking chair is leading.  He did a FABULOUS job.  He had an outline of what he wanted to say.  He started with the Plan of Salvation and worked through to how a Christian should live his/her life.  He had 3 scriptures to support each point and questions to ask the class as well.  I will have to scan and show you his notes.  I was just blown away.  It also give me such great joy to see them sitting, eagerly looking at scripture, using their highlighters and post-its to mark scripture they want to remember.

God is so good!  I have to remember these guys and girls are kids.  HIS kids.  And because they are kids, they will misbehave.  So do I!  We all have a sin nature.  But I can't let the calling out or silly things that they do cloud who they are as children of God and how God can shine brightly through them, whether they raise their hands in class or not!

  

     This is my "furry child" Bailey.  She does not make me want to get up in the morning.  I want to be cozy like her.  She likes to take my "warm spots" when I get up.  She is a definite "warm spot" stealer.  So, when you visit, be aware, if you get up, a furball may steal your "warm spot".

    So, my last musing is "Feet".  I am not a big stickler about kids sitting straight in their seats unless undivided attention is needed, we have a guest, it is Chapel, etc.  Kids have wiggles.  Teachers have wiggles.  Hard resin chairs are not comfortable.  The students have clipboards, and I frequently let them work around the room.  Movement keeps us all from getting sleepy 'cause I'm not sharing my coffee with a bunch 10 year olds.  No way!

     Well, I am sitting at my desk while they are working on a map of Europe (They are fascinated by the tininess of Luxembourg.  We call it a little "peanut".)  I just look up.  At first, I am hugely amused by the many sitting arrangements this dear boy can get himself into.  These pictures were taken in a span of 10 minutes.

Then, I look around.  I see all kinds of missing feet and legs from under the tables.  I see kneeling and foot tucking.  I laugh at their various contortions. (See how many you can spot.  There are 4 students at each table...)

Well, I look down at my own foot. Tucked under.  Hmmmm. Well, if you can't beat them, join them! At least my shoes were both the same!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Blessings,

Heather

What's the WORD, Humminbird?

What are some scriptures or thoughts from your devotions that you would like to share?  

I have been working through the New Testament in my devotions since last summer.  I love all of the Letters of Paul.  I really enjoyed and learned a lot from reading Romans.  John was a favorite read as well.  I loved his perspective on the life of Jesus on earth.

Right now, I am reading 1 Timothy.

 Here is the verse of the day from Bible Gateway:

“For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord's.” Romans 14:8 ESV

I have been blessed many, many, many times in the course of my teaching with God popping a verse in my head at the right moment. Or, what really freaks kids out, we do the next page in our devotional book, and it points right to the class's needs of the moment.  God is so good!

The verse above is another one of those "dewdrops of mercy".  It really hones in on my heart's desire for my class this year.  I am trying to find special scriptures to use in my classroom this year.  My new class is a burden on my heart.  There was a lot of "bullying" of sorts last year.  They are definitely a class of  "people-pleasers".  They were fine when I had them for English (I teach Fifth Grade, but the Fourth Grade teacher and I switch for English and Math.), but at specials or when teachers weren't looking (even though teachers have eyes in the backs of their heads...), their behavior left much to be desired.  I just need this class to be covered in prayer.  I am going to start the year being tough on them.  No fun privileges to earn for behavior.  "Why?" you may ask.  Because they know how to be good to get rewards.  I am concerned about the heart attitude behind their choices, and I don't want to feed the "people-pleaser" part of them, if that makes any sense.

So, I am asking you, dear friends, to cover this class with your prayers.  Pray for me for wisdom in ministering to their hearts.  Also, if you can think of some good scriptures I can have them memorize that focus on the heart, I would greatly appreciate it.  I am not a parent.  It is not in God's plan for me to be able to have children.  So, I have a dog.  And students.  I consider this kids as my own, I love each class dearly, and truly believe in the importance of a partnership between the teacher and the parents.  But with being a parent comes lots of learning and wisdom. I don't have that.  I would  appreciate any advice you can give me for this "strong-willed class".

Thank you so much!

Blessings,

Heather

 

P.S. Here are a few pictures of my classroom from last year.  It will be pretty much be the same this year.  I thought I would share it with you so you can kind of visualize who you are praying for!