a glitch in the system

So, I promise I'll post again next week.  My husband and I have just moved into a new house and we have no internet access at this point.  Its hard for me to get online long enough to be able to write the entire post.  I hope everything is going well for you all and that God is blessing you with the ability to truly love during this holiday season!

Dare 10: Love is Unconditional

My apologies for the late post.  I had every intention of getting it done yesterday, but God seems to have had some different plans in mind.  He's been stirring a lot on my heart the past couple of days.  A lot of uncomfortable realizations are coming to the forefront and I know God is wanting me to pursue Him in stronger ways than I have before.  
This week's dare is about unconditional love.  Reading over the chapter in the book, it felt as though it didn't apply much to loving our students.  It dives into the different types of love (greek-- agape, phileo, eros)... and quite honestly, I would really need to dig into the meaning of those words deeper for me to feel okay with applying it to our love for our students.  
But, part of what I am coming to realize is just how hard it is for me to fully accept that God's love for me is unconditional, which means that it is even harder for me to grasp what it looks like for me to love unconditionally.  
I'm just going to quote what the last part of the chapter says here...
"When your enjoyment of each other as best friends [referring to a spouse here]...is based on unwavering commitment, you will experience an intimacy that cannot be achieved any other way.  But you will struggle and fail to attain this kind of marriage unless you allow God to begin growing His love within you.  Love that "bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things" (1 Corinthians 13:7) does not come from within.  It can only come from God.  The Scriptures say that "neither death, nor life, nor angles, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 8:38-39). This is God's kind of love.  And thankfully--by your choice--it can become your kind of love."

So, I think what I, personally, need to work on this week, is attempting to understand, beginning to comprehend just exactly what it means that God loves us unconditionally.   It is obviously the only way that I'm ever going to begin getting to love thing right.  I have to learn from the only one that does it perfectly... And I need to accept it for myself, so that I can truly give it to others.  It actually feels extremely overwhelming to even begin to think about it... 

So, i guess my dare for you this week is to go before God and ask Him to reveal His love to you in a way so clear that the only possible thing for you to do is to go share it with someone else... everyone else.  Its the only way we will ever learn to love our students the way God has called us to love them... 

And I'll be praying for you, too.  Praying that your hearts are open to receive love... praying that you would allow yourself to KNOW that you are worthy of His love... it may be really hard for some of us, but it will definitely be worth it...  

It will be a couple weeks before I put up another post.  I'm going to wait until after Thanksgiving since next week will probably be a very short and crazy week for most of us.  If you feel challenged to, please take this dare and really begin working it out in your life during that time.   

<3 
 

coming soon, I promise

Hello fellow teachers, I see that the site has already had several hits today, and I'm sorry the newest dare has not been posted.  I will get it up tomorrow afternoon for sure.  Have a happy Monday! :)

Dare 9: Love Makes Good Impressions

Strive for full restoration, encourage one another, be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you.  Greet one another with a holy kiss. 2 Corinthians 13: 11-13

Dare 9: Love Makes Good Impressions

It is interesting to me how often scripture speaks of how we should greet one another.  We teased my husband a couple weeks ago when he told our LifeGroup that we should be greeting each other with a holy kiss.  We decided that a group hug might be more acceptable.  But the reality of it is, is that Paul has taken time out of many of his books to instruct us on how to greet each other!  He even takes time at the end of Romans to ask them to individually greet 27 of his friends and loved ones for him. 

In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus speaks about loving your enemies.  He says, "And if you only greet your own people, what are you doing more than others?  Do not even Pagans do that?" (Matthew 5:47)   It is easy for us to address the people we like graciously, but Jesus says we also need to address our enemies with this kindness.  

Until I started working on this week's dare, I didn't realize how much attention was paid to how we should GREET each other! I think it's kind of neat actually.  

So, what does that mean for us as teachers?  I'd say a lot, don't you think?! In a day I have 65 possible first greetings with my students, and you can double that number because I have most of them twice a day.  Not to mention my coworkers!  

"When someone communicates that they are glad to see you, your personal sense of self-worth increases.  You feel more important and valued.  That's because a good greeting sets the stage for positive and healthy interaction.  Like love, it puts wind in your sails." 

Harry Wong (the First Days of School guy) always talks about the importance of greeting your students before class with energy.  I think some of my better days with my students, especially when I've had a tough group of kids in the past, started with me standing outside the door and giving each student a high five or a big smile and "how are ya!?" as they walk into my classroom. 

"It doesn't have to be bold and dramatic every time, but adding warmth and enthusiasm gives you the chance to touch [you students'] heart in subtle, unspoken ways."  

This Week's Dare

This week is an easy dare!  Think of a few ways you would like to greet your students.  Remember, you probably greet your students several times a day, even if you have the same group of kids all day long.  Practice greeting them with a smile and enthusiasm.  Each one of them.  Remember... you might be the first person who has ever shown excitement to see any particular student.  You might be the first person who is truly working to love that student.  Do it well. 

Love you all! :)