Isaiah 43:1 You are mine.

<sup>Pray for a clear heart, and a clear mind. Ask what The Lord needs to reveal to you, and jump on in the boat for the story.


John 21
3</sup> Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We will go with you.” They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.
⁴ Just as day was breaking, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. ⁵ Jesus said to them, “Children, do you have any fish?” They answered him, “No.” ⁶ He said to them, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in, because of the quantity of fish. ⁷ That disciple whom Jesus loved therefore said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment, for he was stripped for work, and threw himself into the sea. ⁸ The other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from the land, but about a hundred yards^[a] off.
⁹ When they got out on land, they saw a charcoal fire in place, with fish laid out on it, and bread. ¹⁰ Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish that you have just caught.” ¹¹ So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, 153 of them. And although there were so many, the net was not torn.
¹² Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” Now none of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord. ¹³ Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and so with the fish. ¹⁴ This was now the third time that Jesus was revealed to the disciples after he was raised from the dead.

Jesus and Peter

¹⁵ When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?”


Now for those of you that have read this story a time or two (thousand because it is often used to talk about the different types of love) know that there is more to it. 

But I am stopping right there. At that last word. These.

These

T͟Hēz/ Plural form of this

So in this story, the these or this Jesus is referring to is the 153 fish Peter caught that day. Those fish which required a lot of time and a lot of effort because He had been fishing a while that day. He had fished, and he had fished, and caught nothing. Then, he cast his net out again and caught a net "full of large fish, 153 of them." I do believe this is a fisherman's dream. 153 large fish all together in one net, in one swoop. Can you imagine Peter's excitement here? 

Ladies, I know that whole fish reference may have just passed you by and you cannot understand why 153 large smelly fish are exciting. So bear with me. Think of the one thing that would make you more excited than anything. What is your number one want right now?

Peter wanted those fish, bad. So think about that one thing you want, bad. 

Jesus asked him, do you love me more than these 153 large fish you really badly wanted?

Because I don't know what your "these" may be that God might be asking you do you love Him more than, I am going to replace that word with "fish." Don't get distracted though. I'm sure you love God more than you love fish. but there is something significant in your life that you really want and God is trying to have you stop focusing on it and turn fully and whole-heartedly back to Him. 

Your fish may be the craving for a new job, a bigger pay check, a husband, a new job, a baby, or something more. 

At times we get so focused on the fish in our life that we lose sight of God. We forget who we are and whose we are. It is so easy to get distracted these days living in a world where the focus is always on the next big thing.

I want to pull in some more scripture from Isaiah 43 that can be a great help for turning that focus from the fish Jesus is asking, do you love HIM more or that? 

Isaiah 43:1 says that He who created you, and formed you says "you are mine." The rest of 43 goes on to say that He will never leave you nor forsake you, that no matter what you go through He will be there. 

Jesus wants to know if you love Him more than your fish, because He knows that when you pass through the waters He will stay with you, not your fish. He is trying to assure you that if you go through any sort of waters in your life, your fish will be gone. 

Fish (remember your these) in the water (trials of any kind in life) are gone. They cannot sustain you. 

So just as Jesus was asking Peter, which do you love more those fish, or me, He is asking you the same thing.

If you get nothing really from this, let The Lord whisper this in your life

"Do you love me more than these? (John 21:15) Because you don't belong to those things. I created you. I formed you. You are mine (Isaiah 43:1). Your identity is not found in that thing you want really badly that you may or may not have. Nothing can come close to how much I love you and nothing else can ever define your identity like I can. Remember that. You are mine."

 

  

Isaiah 55:8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts neither are you waysmy ways, declares The Lord.

This time next week I will be in Concord, NC attending the SheSpeaks2014 Conference. Those few short days are packed full of trainings, teachings, workshops, worship, and fellowship to help me sharpen the writing and speaking skills The Lord has blessed me with. That being said, I (knowing this when I registered back in early 2014) am to take with me a writing piece to have peer edited. As I have been praying, thinking, searching, and re-reading my old posts, I feel led to write a brand new post to take with me. So as you read this, I ask that you join in prayer for my time next weekend.



When you put God in a box, and He puts you in Franklin.

Let me share with you a little background before I share with you the heart of the story.

I graduated high school in four years, then went off to attend college. At Appalachian State University I spent four years studying Middle Grades Education. At 21 years old I began my career as a teacher. At 22 I began my career in ministry.

I know, that is a lot of life covered in four short sentences, but the backstory is not as important as the story story. Keep reading, and you will see how that little snapshot is relevant.

In that one year as a Middle School Teacher, I felt called to ministry. I just knew that teaching NC state curriculum was not supposed to be the limit on my teaching. I love to teach, but I wanted to teach a little bit more than 6th grade science.

I also will tell you I knew what that ministry would be too. I would be in Young Adult Women's Ministry working with Middle School age all the way to women in their mid 20s. I was just so sure in my heart of hearts that I was going into ministry, so I was just so sure that is what it would be.

Funny how we can be like that, huh? Maybe it's not you, maybe it's just me. By "that" I mean that we can be so convinced of one thing that we get this false confidence that we know all.

I cannot tell you how many times I prayed specifically for the position I knew The Lord wanted me to be. So much so that I eventually became frustrated with the fact no doors opened. I mean, I was so good at what I was doing. I was so good working with teens and women my own age. People around me commented on how they could see things in my past that had prepared me for that sort of ministry. I eventually put myself in a box, and in a box along side me I placed God.

By "putting God in a box" I mean I forgot how big, powerful, and sovereign He really is.

I told Him what He had prepared me for instead of really having an open mind to what He was preparing me for. I told Him what doors He should open for me. Again, funny how we get like that, huh? That false confidence creeps in and we start telling The Lord what to do.

I had limited my prayers to what I had wanted. I limited what God could do to what I wanted. I put God in a box. Needless to say, in this season of life I have started a career in ministry, but it is not Young Adult Women's Ministry. In this season of life, the Lord has placed me in Children's Ministry. I won't even begin to try to tell you why, or how God place me here. Knowing my tendencies, that false sense of confidence might creep back up if I try to figure it all out.

I put God in a box, and He put me in Franklin.

Hear me when I say that being in Franklin is not a punishment. Children's ministry is not a punishment. God did not scold me for putting Him in a box. He did however prove Himself to me, yet again. He is God, and I am not. He knows what He is doing, I do not. He is not surprised, I am (easily I might add).

He has things in store for me that are far greater than anything I could ever fathom. He has things in store for you that are far greater than anything you could ever imagine!

Join with me to make the decision to not place God in a box, not to shrink Him down and limit our prayers to our wants but pray boldly for The Lord to allow you to be part of what He is blessing.

If you're surprised by what the outcome is, remember that God isn't and His ways are better than ours.

It's only been a few short weeks but I can say that I love that God placed me in Franklin.

-B

Matthew 25:45 “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’

Matthew 25:45 “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’

And the rest of the story, Matthew 25:31-46 of the final judgement was truly just a story until Saturday May 31, 2014.

Many things can be and will be said about social media, but it can be used for good. One day thumbing through I came across a post from a friend Katie Owen sharing what I saw as an opportunity to serve a ministry who was short on volunteers. Little did I know how that one share, and that one thought, and that one story would change my heart and unveil my eyes to something so real. 

Not knowing what I would be getting myself into I signed up to join this ministry and volunteer that coming Saturday. I called a couple of girlfriends too and when Saturday morning came, we woke up a little earlier that desired, and were on our way with little to no idea of what was to come.

Sometimes not knowing is best because it opens up the "anything is possible door." 

I don't want to give every detail, because like a good movie or book, if it's all shared others won't experience it for themselves.  I will tell you though that working with the LOT (least of these) ministry was one of the most amazing things I have been a part of. You think you are giving 2 hours of your morning to bless others, but the people who come to eat breakfast will bless you more than you could imagine. To see the joy on their faces pouring out from their hearts is something unforgettable. It will humble you, and put you back into perspective. The people you serve with and the people you serve are unlike any people you will find. 

I will also tell you that once you serve once, you will be back. The people, the love, the stories, and the body of Christ coming together outside of the Church walls will have you hooked. 

You may not have Jesus knock on your door and ask for food, but He will surely place opportunities at your feet to serve another. 

By serving others, you have served The Lord. I won't beg you to experience these Saturday mornings, but I can tell you if you do, you won't leave the same as you came. 

Proverbs 15:22 Without counsel plans fail, but with many advisers they succeed.

The first thing before anything else, I would like to praise The Lord. He has moved in huge ways in such a few short weeks.

From getting to go and be the hands and feet in Baltimore Maryland for the Southern Baptist Pastors Conference, to camp in the middle of no where with hundreds of students hungry and broken for The Lord, to doors opening for me to relocate to follow my call into ministry. The Lord is good. 

Omniscient, Omnipotent, Omnipresent. 

During all these opportunities and open doors, looking back the most important thing I had through it all is the counsel of older godly women I have in my life. Without them, there is no way I could stand strong through this. Spiritually, mentally, emotionally, or physically. 

Because God is Omniscient, Omnipotent, Omnipresent, He uses other people to speak into our lives. 

That being said, if I could give you only one piece of advice for life, I would say that you should have a mentor or two in your life and a group of women (or for guys, men) who can give you advice both for the world and for your faith walk. 

In Baltimore I was blessed by about 7-10 women who have been walking with The Lord much longer than I have. I had the opportunity to ask them that same question I just answered for you "if you could give me only one piece of advice for life, what would it be?" That one question blessed my life.

I got some awesome answers, which I had no idea that I could or would need to use so quickly in life. 

Ask questions.

Be adventurous.

Put your hope in The Lord only. 

Be still and wait on The Lord. 

God is not surprised, remember that. 

All of these answers came from women that I can now go to for anything. That one simple question bridged my heart to theirs and it opened the door for more godly guidance and counsel in my life. 

If you try to walk through your Christian life alone, you will surely fall. There is a real enemy seeking to stop you every second of every day, and you cannot defeat him alone. 

Many of you have a counsel of people in your life that are close in age to you, and that is great, but nothing is sweeter in those struggling moments then having somebody who has walked through them walk with you, tell you how they got through it and how you will too. 

If you don't have a mentor, seek one. Not an earthly family member, but an older spiritual mother (or father, guys) in Christ. It will be one choice you will never regret. Also, seek counsel from older women (or men, guys) and ask them questions. Ask them that one question, "if you could give me one piece of advice for life, what would it be?" I promise it will bless your life. 

Praying that mentors will be found and counsels will be set into place, because without counsel plans fail but with many advisers they succeed. 

-B

Romans 12:6-7 Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to exercise them accordingly... if it is teaching, then teach.

As the end of my first year of teaching comes to an end, I felt it necessary to share what I have learned. When I was about to start teaching, I searched for advice. Anything I could read, anybody I could talk to, and there were a lot of things I learned that nobody taught me, but the kiddos. 

So here is a letter to the first year teacher, from a first year survivor. 

First: take a deep breath

you may not get a lot of time to take a lot of those. Kidding. Even though it does not feel like you have time to even breath at times, you do. When you start to feel like that, stop right then and take a deep breath.

You will take a lot of deep breaths. Side note, do so loudly so you will be able to tune out the kids asking if you are okay, or why you are breathing so hard. 

Second: be yourself

you have nobody to impress, your a newbie and everybody knows it. If they don't know it yet, they will figure it out fast. That is not a bad thing at all. I used the "I'm a newbie" card a lot. It gives you a little bit more wiggle room to try new things and make mistakes. Definitely takes the pressure off. So be yourself and try those things until somebody tells you it's not a good idea and adjust things as you go. If you don't there will be so much pressure to live up to this unreal person you have created. It is okay to make mistakes around co-workers and the kids. If you teach the kids it's okay to make mistakes they will start to try more too. 

Third: become familiar with what you cannot do

knowing exactly what you cannot do gives you wiggle room. Plus, it is much easier to know what you cannot do instead of what you can do. Learn those things asap. 

Fourth: learn when to ask permission and when to wait and ask forgiveness later

that is very important. If you feel like you have to ask before you do any and every little thing, you will go insane. You will also drive others insane if you are constantly asking "can I...(fill in the blank)?" As long is it is not one of those things that is on the cannot do no matter what list it may fall under one of those categories. 

Fifth: set boundaries

if you do not set boundaries during your first few months, you will definitely not have them throughout the 2nd half of the year when you begin to question why you even became a teacher. Again, kidding. If you ask that question, you won't truly mean it but that honeymoon period will be over quick and all your kids are now being themselves. Fully. All day. Every day. Learn what time is a good idea to leave school each day, and how late of an exception you will make for those busier days. Do NOT check email outside of school except for special circumstances. You will set up the unreal expectation that you can and will respond to a parent at 9:00 pm if necessary. Decide what type of work you will bring home and what you will not. I did not bring any work home and everything that needed to be done got done. There is no rule anywhere that says you must work at home or on the weekends. Don't do it. Teaching is your job not who you are. Do not lose your identity to your work. Pick 3 things and do them WELL. Do not overwhelm yourself. You are a new teacher, you are not hot of the press teacher of the year. You cannot do it all. If you try to manage teaching and be everywhere all the time, you will never get anything else done. Added bonus, boundaries or not, you will never have time to pee, so start learning to hold it now. 

Sixth: remember that every day is a new day

yesterday is not today and today is not tomorrow. Remember that. Do not carry anything from yesterday into your today. If you do that, those kids will never stand a chance. Even if that same kid drives you nuts every day in the same ways, let him have a new chance every day. PS: throw out that "I will love all my kids the same. I will not have favorites" idea because you will not not have favorites or enjoy all the kids equally. People are different, and there are different personalities. You will not like them all but you can give them a new chance every day. 

Seventh: take time to learn all of your students

whether you have 25 or 125, take time to learn them all. It will pay off in the long run. They will know you care and you will learn how to discipline, teach, and reward each of them. And trust me, without that you have nothing. If you don't learn the kids you cannot build relationships with them. The most important thing is to build relationships with the kids not how much they learn. 

Eighth: know now that you will not have 185 instructional days and THAT'S OK

Some days you will learn absolutely nothing and you will watch the Magic School bus and play silent ball. Some days you will color, go outside dig in the dirt, and cut and paste. Do not take those opportunities for granted. Those are some of the best teacher days. Yes you have data to meet, and EOG scores to raise, but if you don't take those days off and enjoy those slow days your kids won't learn from you. They will check out quick fast and in a hurry. Take time to let the kids have fun. They can learn in fun ways. Do not beat yourself up for the days you get nothing academic accomplished. 

Ninth: kids love rewards and "I like" has more power than "I don't like"

Rewards are better than discipline. Telling kids you like something they have done is way better than fussing at a kid because you don't like what they are doing. Whatever grade you teach, they deep down secretly want to please you. "I really like" will take you MUCH further than "I really don't like" plus it will make you a more positive person. Reward what you like, ignore what you don't, they will catch on pretty quick. 

Tenth: set your standards HIGH and BE TOUGH

I don't care if you are the most laid back person ever, when you have 25 different sweet little children in your room, if you don't set some standards quick you will have chaos. It is OK to tell kids NO, you may not get up without permission in this room and NO you may not go to the bathroom. It is easier to say NO first and then later say yes. If you start saying yes a lot at first you will be walked all over. If you are not tough with the kids at first you will be walked all over. You might as well slap a welcome sign to you because congratulations, you are a door mat. You can love the kids and have fun but still be tough. There is a difference between being strict and being mean. Your classroom may be the only structure they see in their life. You may be the only one that sets rules and standards for them. They may not like you for it but later in life they will understand. You are helping develop their character. Remember that, they don't need a friend they need a mentor. 

I feel it is safe to stop at 10. 

What I would have changed about my first year is being spread too thin. Some days I was to tired and the kids caught it. Be prepared for the kids to ask if you are tired, or if you are in a bad mood. They will ask and it is frustrating. Law is it frustrating, but just take it as a compliment that they are comfortable enough to ask. You can reteach anything but you cannot recreate an environment. 

If you take nothing from my letter remember this ONE key thing. Take time to pray over your room and for your kiddos. Take time to pray before you discipline. What makes a good teacher is not how well she teaches, but her walk with The Lord. Pray pray pray. Seek The Lord's guidance in all you do. I could not have made it through this first year without Him. 

With 14 days left until summer vacation, I cannot help but to reflect. I have loved my first year and I have loved my kiddos. I have loved the days that crashed and burned. I have loved the days we painted, colored, played with food, and watched the Magic School Bus or Bill Nye. I have loved being deemed the "bully teacher" and earning that title (ps, be okay with the kids joking with you. let them know when it is appropriate and when it isn't, and no two kids will joke the same that's why you have to learn them all) because I had fun and the kids had fun. I have loved the crazy pictures the kids draw of me on the board, and the forced teacher appreciation letters. I have loved the cute awards, letters, and pictures the kids created for me. I have loved being called a witch and a dragon, having my hair, shoes, and outfits critiqued by preteens because that means they are comfortable enough to share their opinions, and at times way too comfortable. 

What I am trying to say is enjoy it. Soak in every moment. Let nothing steal your joy. Who you are on day one is not who you will be on day 185, I promise. Start praying, taking deep breaths, and learning how to hold your pee now. You will not regret it.

You will have a great year, you will be great, and it is okay to make mistakes. 

Sincerely,

a first year survivor teacher of tweens.