Fear and the Unnecessary Worry It Brings

For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline. 2 Timothy 1:7 NLT –

See more at: http://www.womensbiblecafe.com/2011/05/50-scripture-verses-on-fear/#sthash.Tw4GW8ti.dpuf

I am currently reading a daily devotional by Joyce Meyer.  I love her work because she often writes about how to face fear as a Christian.

A new principal joined our school this year.  Any time there is a change in administration, fear creeps in as well.  Next to the coffee pot, while waiting for the copy machine, passing each other during the day, and while on bus duty, I have heard so many concerns about what might happen in the future.  

I understand the fears of my colleagues.  Each principal can make many changes that affect our jobs.  However, living in constant upheaval and worrying about what might happen will not make me a better teacher.

As a Christian, Joyce Meyer points out to us that we should only fear God.  In all aspects of our lives, He will lead us through, He is in control, and He can handle whatever our life throws at Him.  He promises to not give us more than we can bear, but He also reminds us of what is most important in life.

I have a choice today at work.  I could go through my day worrying about what next week will bring.  I could also go through my day as we are told in 2 Timothy, with power, love, and self-discipline.  To me, that means making sure my team feels confident in their abilities to do their job well, loving my students, and trusting that God will help me handle any change that may come my way.

Regardless of your career, I hope you are not living in fear of what may come.  I hope you are living with confidence in God.

Blessings!

 

Your God shall be my God: A Review of I am Ruth

This is an excellent book review.  I guess I have a soft place in my heart for anything about Ruth, but this appears to be an outstanding resource.

Your God shall be my God: A Review of I am Ruth.

Thanks my fellow  blogger over at http://exaltingholiness.wordpress.com.

Faith of Abraham

11 Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. (Hebrews 11:1)

I bet the woman from Proverbs 31 had great faith.  It probably gave her the confidence she needed to be the strong, God-fearing woman described to us.

I am in the middle of teaching the stories of Abraham to my middle schoolers.  For the most part, they know who Abraham was.  They can recount some of the more famous stories.  They know all about the test from God in which Abraham almost sacrificed Isaac.  They know all about his wife, Sarah, who did not believe she could have children.

My goal this week is to really drive home the point that God kept all of his promises to Abraham.  We admire Abraham’s faith in God, but God gave him every reason to trust.  God never let Abraham down.  Unfortunately, many of those promises took years and years to be fulfilled.  

Faith in God, the kind of faith Abraham had, is the understanding that God will uphold all of his promises to us.  He will carry us through the valleys, show us mercy, grace, and forgiveness.  We have to have Abraham’s faith and his patience.

Are you living life with the faith of Abraham?

Blessings!

 

Around the Colvin Cottage: Getting Back Our Groove

Bittersweet best describes our home this week.  The kids are excited to be back at their sitter’s house five days a week.  I am in love with my new class for the year.  My husband secretly is happy that  both of us now have to get up each day and work, not just him.  We are all happy to be back to a normal schedule and more predictable routine.  However, nobody is happy to say goodbye to our amazing summer!

This week was all about getting back into our groove.  Bathtimes and bedtimes are earlier.  Cleaning schedules and and cooler weather have returned.  I am back to writing at 5am, out the door by 7, and grading papers once the kids are in bed.  Superhero Son is not happy that preschool work is after dinner, but he loves that our reading time has moved until his sister is already in bed.  Other than the extra house showing Wednesday morning, our week went as planned!

Many of my friends are making new routines this fall. Some are adjusting to kids beginning kindergarten.  Others are adjusting to retirement or not returning to work to stay home with babies.  I hope your family is adjusting weither you are returning to routines or creating new ones.

Blessings!

We’ve been nominated for the LIEBSTER Award! Yippee!

Hi readers!

I am so excited to share this blog with you!  They are amazing and have nominated me for the same award.  Check them out!

Blessings,

Jessica

 

We’ve been nominated for the LIEBSTER Award! Yippee!.

Superhero Son just wants to sleep

Making Those Hard Parenting Decisions

Sometimes we find ourselves in situations that don’t have clear answers.  We cannot think of a Bible story or verse that helps direct us in a way that makes sense.  We pray for guidance, but we don’t always feel like we know how to handle the situation.  This happens to everyone.  We take advice from others, and we do the best we can.

I know that almost every parent I have ever met has had their child’s best interests in mind. Parents want to raise their children well.  Somewhere along the line, we sometimes get off track.

I had a conversation yesterday with two football moms.  These moms have little boys in the fourth grade, age 9, playing football in the same league.  They were talking about some parents who were forcing their kids to play.  The kids clearly hate it.  These kids cry at every practice.

I try hard to not be too harsh on these parents.  This may be their first time raising a nine year old.  I have spent a decade working with ten year olds.  I don’t pretend to know everything, but I know enough that I can tell them the kid isn’t ever going to want to play football.  It will be a rare case if the kid suddenly decides they like playing the sport when they are this miserable at every single practice.

So why are they doing it?  Is it mean? One parent could be overheard saying that the kid is overweight.  Football would help.  One parent may think football will toughen up their kid and prepare him for rough times in life.  Others may want their sons to feel a sense of camaraderie with their teammates.

Little boys can be tough to raise, but their aren’t always tough kids.  My advice to people in situations such as these parents would be to find someone who raised several boys.  Find a parent who worked hard to raise her sons in a Christian way.  Look at these boys and determine if their life is one you want your son to emulate. Then keep praying.  God is a parent, too.  These professionals can probably guide you well.

Blessings!

Permission to Relax!

This morning I will begin my fourth day with my new group of fifth graders.  We are back into the fast paced life of two working parents! I am already feeling overwhelmed!  However, this post isn’t really about just me.

As I picked up my kids yesterday, another mom was there picking up her son.  Let me tell you, folks!  She looked amazing! She was wearing an outfit far nicer than what she normally wears.  Her hair looked awesome!  I was blown away.  I quickly learned that she had a job interview that would change her life!

This new job was great for her career.  It also would bring more hours and tons of stress.  She was not sure she was ready for the pace of life that came with that job. As a single mom, she is concerned that she won’t be able to spend as much time with her precious little boy.

As I began my own “dinner rush” hour in my home, I thought about how I handle the added stress and fast pace of life.  I think I do it because I give myself permission to relax every once in awhile.  We know God calls us to stay busy and work hard.  However, He wants us to make time for Him first.  In those quiet moments of prayer and Bible study, we learn that God wants us to give the stress and worry to Him.

This week, I didn’t write much.  I had to push something to the side.  I couldn’t give up washing clothes, cleaning bathrooms, or feeding the family.  I gave up writing.  (Just for a few days!)  I gave myself permission to relax during those times.  I gave my family time to adjust to this new pace August brings.

Sometimes we think that taking fifteen minutes to just lay in the floor with our kids is bad.  We think the dishes are more important.  Sometimes we obligate ourselves to a point that we can barely function.  It is okay to say no to committees or organizations when we feel ourselves getting overwhelmed.

My prayer today is for each woman out there to take a few moments for herself.  I hope she gives herself permission to relax.  God has control.  We don’t have to try to wrestle control from Him.  Enjoy this life!

Blessings!

Moving Past Your Past

Anyone else haunted by mistakes of their past?
Not a good feeling, right?
Take comfort in a few words. Jesus was a friend of sinners when walked this earth. He continues to be a friend of sinners today!
The Bible promises that God has a plan for us. This plan is a prosperous plan, not a plan of misery and destruction. Jeremiah 29:11 lays it out for us. We have amazing futures when we follow God’s plan.
Forgive yourselves. Forgive others. Ask for forgiveness. Move past your past. I feel so sad for those that harbor anger and resentment from their past. It makes them miserable to the point that they cannot enjoy their blessings.
Finally, make changes in your daily life that set you up for success. Pray. Read your Bible. Listen for the voice of God instructing you.
I feel a little preachy this morning, but why waste your future on mistakes of the past?

Blessings!

Disappointment Stinks!

You know those days at work when you just feel frustrated and disappointed with a change?  That was me when I left work to go pick up my kids yesterday.

A policy change in my school district rocked my world.  The policy change affected the student groupings in my classroom for this school year.  I was upset that I had spent all summer planning lessons that needed to be altered now.  I felt bad for my team, also struggling to make sense of how we needed to adjust.  I felt angry that I didn’t know this sooner.

It’s so easy to get caught up in our disappointment.  It causes resentment and anger to surface before we can stop it.  These negative emotions will not help me or my team adjust to the changes.

After stewing and thinking about the new way my classroom will run, I decided I needed to put forth a more positive attitude for those around me.  My grumpiness was seriously rubbing off onto my kids!  I stopped pouting and started playing with my four year old and one year old.  Once I had the kids fed and bathed, I texted my team of teachers to tell them I had complete confidence in our ability to work together and figure out how to manage the changes.

I didn’t solve any problems last night.  I did, however, change my attitude so that I went to bed feeling more positive.  God doesn’t place the burden of solving the world’s problems upon us.  He asks us to act, lead, and persevere in Godly ways.

As I drink my coffee this morning and consider my day, I know that I have a lot of hard work ahead.  With the strength and courage I draw from my Heavenly Father, I know I can lead my team in the right direction today with the right attitude.

Blessings!