Excellence

Greetings:

“Excellence can be attained if you care more than others think is wise, risk more than others think is safe, dream more than others think is practical, and expect more than others think is possible.” Neila Connors says in her book If you Don't Feed the Teachers, They'll Eat the Students.

We often are afraid to risk. And, the result is that we lack excellence in what we do.

Today - risk and be excellent.

For Kingdom Education,
Doc

Teachers 'R Readers

Greetings:

In 2 Timothy, Paul writes to Timothy from prison, “When I was in Troas, I left my coat there with Carpus. So when you come, bring it to me, along with my books, particularly the ones written on parchment.”

C. H. Spurgeon comments on this passage, “He is inspired, yet he wants books. He has been preaching at least 30 years, yet he wants books. He’s seen the Lord, yet he wants books. He’s had a wider experience than most men, yet he wants books. He’s been caught up to heaven and has heard things that are unlawful to utter, yet he wants books. He’s written a major part of the New Testament, yet he wants books.”

Reading is fundamental. We emphasize this to our students, but do we model it ourselves? I believe that we grow and become better at what we do if we take the time to read. I have just finished my 20th book this year. I devour books – not everyone can. Nevertheless, you should be able to read at least four books a year. In fact, a statistic I just read says that if you set aside 15 minutes a day, you will read about two dozen books a year. That’s over 1,000 books in an average lifetime.

So – read.

For Kingdom Education,
Doc

Sometimes No

Greetings:

Sometimes we pray and pray ------

And it seems that God doesn’t listen, or He says No. Those are the hard times of prayer. Getting the Yes’s are always so much more enjoyable. Nevertheless, I have learned that we often need to be thankful for the No’s.

Garth Brooks had a song about thanking God for unanswered prayers. In it is the line – “Just because He doesn’t answer doesn’t mean He don’t care. Some of God’s greatest gifts are unanswered prayers.”

One such prayer was uttered in Gethsemane – by Jesus for the Father to remove the cup from Him. I thank God on a daily basis that that prayer was not answered in the affirmative. If it was – I would still be lost.

Let us learn to rejoice when God says No.

For Kingdom Education,
Doc

An Old Chinese Proverb

Greetings:

An Old Chinese Proverb says:
"Tell me, I may listen. Teach me, I may remember. Involve me, I will do it."

As educators - and as Christians, this speaks volumes. Too often we are quick to just tell someone something, try to teach them something, when we need to take the time to walk beside them and let them do it for themselves. In today's business jargon it is called "empowering."

Let us this week seek to empower the young people that we are working to teach and mold. Get involved with them.

For Kingdom Education,
Doc

Graduation Day

Greetings:

Well, today we are not holding classes because it is Graduation Day for our Seniors. Graduation is not the end – it is really the beginning.

They started this course of study and looked forward to completing it. However, now the information that they have gathered is expected to be put to use. When they graduate, then they really start to live out what they have worked at.

That’s kinda like life. (Sorry English enthusiasts). We live out what we work at here on earth when we stand before Christ when we graduate. It is not the end – but the beginning of something wonderful and exciting.

Today, share with someone how you are looking forward to your graduation ceremony and the reception to follow – and how they too can have such a wonderful plan.

For Kingdom Education,
Doc

Ducks or Eagles?

Greetings:


I have been blessed to read some interesting books and articles. One such book referred to the way we are either D.U.C.K.S. or E.A.G.L.E.S.

The definition of these names is:
D.U.C.K.S. = Dependent Upon Criticizing and Killing Success
E.A.G.L.E.S. = Educators Affecting Growth and Learning for Every Student

We all know some of each of these people, and it is easy to point them out. However, the true response would be to look at yourself and ask –“Which one am I?” And, if you don’t like the answer, today is the start of a brand new you. Start making a conscious effort to change. It isn’t easy, but it can be done.

We are 7 1/2 school days away from the end of this year – finish strong! Finish well!

For Kingdom Education,
Doc

Living in Faith

Greetings:

God challenges us to have faith - to pray in faith - to live in faith. We often make this a release to demand from God. Living in faith and demanding from God are two different spheres.

When we demand, we are wanting our will, our way, our desire, our purpose. When we live in faith, we want His Will, His way, His desire, His purpose. Some people believe that power in prayer is getting God to give us what we want. Not so. True power in prayer is getting what God wants.

I need to come to the Father with my requests, stay before Him with the until I learn His heart and desire - and then leave with the answer that is the best.

Hebrews 11:1 (HCSB) - "Now faith is the reality of what is hoped for, the proof of what is not seen."

Today - sit at the Father's feet until you get His Heart.

For Kingdom Education,
Doc

Your Choice

Greetings:

"Study to show thyself approved unto God..." 2 Timothy 2:15 (KJV)

I am a student of Life Long Learning. I believe that if we stop learning, we stop growing, and if we stop growing, we die. So, I am not ready to stagnate or die - thus I keep learning. As educators, we need to encourage our charges to love learning. And, that is not an easy assignment.

I hope that you are constantly looking for ways to grow and improve. Reading is a major way to do this. Taking classes is a way, and looking for new ways to reach and teach your class is another. The year is fast closing, but it is never too late to look at ways to grow.

As one mentor used to tell me, "You can sit soak, and sour - or you can go, grow, and glow." The choice is yours. I am praying you select the best one.

For Kingdom Education,
Doc

Joshua's Challenge

Greetings:

In Joshua 1:8, the Lord challenges Joshua by saying – “Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful” (emphasis mine).

We all want to be successful in our lives. However, often we get it backwards. We want success and then we will include God. God says, the way to success is to put Him first (Matt. 6:33). And we do this by giving Him time each day – reading His Word and praying.

This week be successful by reading and praying. Spend time with Him, and He will give you the goals He wants for you.

For Kingdom Education,
Doc

Character Building

Greetings:

"Work hard so you can present yourself to God and receive his approval. Be a good worker, one who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly explains the word of truth." 2 Timothy 2:15 (NLT)

We often work so hard at so many things, yet think that our character is something that just happens. God tells us to "work hard" at developing who we are. This is something that we need to pay attention to 24/7/365. I am so surprised at how it seems no matter where I go, I run into someone that I know. I go to the Mall - there are some of the students there. I went to get my haircut - a person from the church was there. We went to the beach and ran into school families there. I cannot afford to let my character lag for one minute - there are others watching.

Philips Brooks an American Bishop of the 19th century stated: "Some day, in years to come, you will be wrestling with the great temptation, or trembling under the great sorrow of your life. But the real struggle is here, now, in these quiet weeks. Now it is being decided whether, in the day of your supreme sorrow or temptation, you shall miserably fail or gloriously conquer. Character cannot be made except by a steady, long continued process."

Remember that others are watching you too, and keep working that you may hear Jesus say, "Well done."

For Kingdom Education,
Doc

The Next Leaders

Greetings:

Today, I want to present to you five sentences that just might unleash the next generation of leaders.

* "Has anyone ever told you that you have the gift of..." Many are not confident of their abilities. By encouraging them with their strong points, you could help the next great leader (scientist, Pastor, politician, etc.) to step out and grow.

* "I think you can do this and I'll walk with you." Being a mentor and walking beside them may just give them the courage to step out.

* "How can we be the best possible stewards of our gifts and opportunities in this situation?" This may unlock the thoughts and plans of one who could make major change in our world.

* "What would you do if you knew you could not fail?" Some are so afraid of failing they won't even consider what they are capable of achieving.

* "I would like to share with you the incredible influence I believe you could have with your God-given design." Giving them a Christian view of themselves could jump-start a champion for Christ that may be the next great Christian leader.

As Christian Educators, we should be seeking to unleash the leadership potential in every one of our students. And, as I have found, we should be seeking to guide them into full-time service for Christ - no matter what field of endeavor they choose.

For Kingdom Education,
Doc

A Child's Bible

Greetings:

I hope this wasn’t one of our students --- read and enjoy today.

A child was told to write a book report on the entire Bible. This is their essay.

"In the beginning, which occurred near the start, there was nothing but God, darkness, and some gas. The Bible says, 'The Lord thy God is one, but I think He must be a lot older than that. Anyway, God said, 'Give me a light!' and someone did. Then God made the world.

He split the Adam and made Eve. Adam and Eve were naked, but they weren't embarrassed because mirrors hadn't been invented yet. Adam and Eve disobeyed God by eating one bad apple, so they were driven from the Garden of Eden. Not sure what they were driven in though, because they didn't have cars.

Adam and Eve had a son, Cain, who hated his brother as long as he was Abel. Pretty soon all of the early people died off, except for Methuselah, who lived to be like a million or something.

One of the next important people was Noah, who was a good guy, but one of his kids was kind of a Ham. Noah built a large boat and put his family and some animals on it. He asked some other people to join him, but they said they would have to take a rain check.

After Noah came Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Jacob was more famous than his brother, Esau, because Esau sold Jacob his birthmark in exchange for some pot roast. Jacob had a son named Joseph who wore a really loud sports coat.

Another important Bible guy is Moses, whose real name was Charlton Heston. Moses led the Israel Lights out of Egypt and away from the evil Pharaoh after God sent ten plagues on Pharaoh's people. These plagues included frogs, mice, lice, bowels, and no cable. God fed the Israel Lights every day with manicotti.

Then he gave them His Top Ten Commandments. These include don't lie, cheat, smoke, dance, or covet your neighbor's stuff. Oh, yeah, I just thought of one more: Humor thy father and thy mother.One of Moses' best helpers was Joshua who was the first Bible guy to use spies. Joshua fought the battle of Geritol and the fence fell over on the town.

After Joshua came David. He got to be king by killing a giant with a slingshot. He had a son named Solomon who had about 300 wives and 500 porcupines. My teacher says he was wise, but that doesn't sound very wise to me.

After Solomon there were a bunch of major league prophets. One of these was Jonah, who was swallowed by a big whale and then barfed upon the shore. There were also some minor league prophets, but I guess we don't have to worry about them.

After the Old Testament came the New Testament. Jesus is the star of the New Testament. He was born in Bethlehem in a barn. (I wish I had been born in a barn, too, because my mom is always saying to me, 'Close the door! Were you born in a barn?' It would be nice to say yes).

During His life, Jesus had many arguments with sinners like the Pharisees and the Democrats. Jesus also had twelve opossums. The worst one was Judas Asparagus. Judas was so evil that they named a terrible vegetable after him.Jesus was a great man. He healed many leopards and even preached to some Germans on the Mount. But the Democrats and all those guys put Jesus on trial before Pontius the Pilot. Pilot didn't stick up for Jesus. He just washed his hands instead.Any way's, Jesus died for our sins, then came back to life again. He went up to Heaven but will be back at the end of the Aluminum. His return is foretold in the book of Revolution."

For Kingdom Education,
Doc

Obedience at Work

Greetings:

Simon answered, "Master, we've worked hard all night and haven't caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets" (Luke 5:5).

Have you ever argued with God? One of the first sermons Jesus ever gave was from a boat. It was Simon Peter's boat. Jesus used a businessman's business to preach the Gospel. However, Peter had to first make his business available to the Master. When he did, something wonderful happened to his business.

You see, Peter's fishing business was in a slump. They had just fished all night and caught nothing. Nevertheless, Peter made his boat available to Jesus to use as He wished. Jesus used it to preach to the multitudes. After Jesus used Peter's boat for His purposes Jesus did something interesting for Peter. He blessed his business. However, Peter almost missed the blessing because he began to argue with Jesus. Peter was looking at the market conditions instead of the instruction of Jesus. Something inside of him made him reconsider Jesus' instruction. Jesus rewarded his obedience. "When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink?" (Luke 5:6-7).

We see a number of Kingdom principles we can apply in our work lives in this story.
1) We must be willing to let God use our work life for His purposes.
2) We must not look at circumstances and argue with Jesus when His instruction seems to contradict what we have seen or experienced already,
3) We must obey the Lord.

When we obey the Lord we might just see Jesus use us for His glory and bless our obedience.

For Kingdom Education,
Doc

Never Alone

Greetings:

I am passing a good lesson on that I received from Clif Jeter.

The Cherokee Indian's Rite of passage:

Do you know the legend of the Cherokee Indian youth's rite of passage?

His father takes him into the forest, blindfolds him and leaves him alone. He is required to sit on a stump the whole night and not remove the blindfold until the rays of the morning sun shine through it. He cannot cry out for help to anyone. Once he survives the night, he is a MAN. He cannot tell the other boys of this experience, because each lad must come into manhood on his own.

The boy is naturally terrified. He can hear all kinds of noises. Wild beasts must surely be all around him. Maybe even some human might do him harm. The wind blew the grass and earth, and shook his stump, but he sat stoically, never removing the blindfold. It would be the only way he could become a man!

Finally, after a horrific night the sun appeared and he removed his blindfold. It was then that he discovered his father sitting on the stump next to him. He had been at watch the entire night, protecting his son from harm.

We, too, are never alone. Even when we don't know it, our Heavenly Father is watching over us, sitting on the stump beside us. When trouble comes, all we have to do is reach out to Him.

This reminds me of God's promise in Joshua 1: 5 - "I will not leave you or forsake you." (HCSB)

For Kingdom Education,
Doc

Lessons on How to Treat People - Part 5

Greetings:

This is the last of the stories that have been shared with me that talk about treating people right. As we seek to apply them, we will see the world change.

"Little children, we must not love in word or speech, but in deed and truth." 1 John 3:18 (HCSB)

Fifth Important Lesson - Giving When it Counts.

Many years ago, a volunteer at a hospital got to know a little girl named Liz who was suffering from a rare and serious disease. Her only chance of recovery appeared to be a blood transfusion from her 5-year old brother, who had miraculously survived the same disease and had developed the antibodies needed to combat the illness.

The doctor explained the situation to her little brother, and asked the little boy if he would be willing to give his blood to his sister. He saw him hesitate for only a moment before taking a deep breath and saying, "Yes I'll do it if it will save her."

As the transfusion progressed, he lay in bed next to his sister and smiled, as we all did, seeing the color returning to her cheek. Then his face grew pale and his smile faded.

He looked up at the doctor and asked with a trembling voice, "Will I start to die right away." Being young, the little boy had misunderstood the doctor; he thought he was going to have to give his sister all of his blood in order to save her. Yet, he was willing to die for his sister to live.

How far are you willing to go for another? To what degree will you care for those in need? As we go into the week-end, think on this - and listen for God's voice.

For Kingdom Education,
Doc

Lessons on How to Treat People - Part 4

Greetings:

This week I am sharing some Lessons on Treating People Right that I have gleaned from emails sent to me. Some of these you may have read - but the important point is do you apply them.

"Based on the gift they have received, everyone should use it to serve others, as good managers of the varied grace of God." 1 Peter 4:10 (HCSB)

Fourth Important Lesson - Pickup in the Rain

One night, at 11:30 p.m., an older African American woman was standing on the side of an Alabama highway trying to endure a lashing rain storm. Her car had broken down and she desperately needed a ride. Soaking wet, she decided to flag down the next car. A young white man stopped to help her, generally unheard of in those conflict-filled 1960's.

The man took her to safety, helped her get assistance and put her into a taxicab. She seemed to be in a big hurry, but wrote down his address and thanked him.

Seven days went by and a knock came on the man's door. To his surprise, a giant console color TV was delivered to his home. A special note was attached.

It read: "Thank you so much for assisting me on the highway the other night. The rain drenched not only my clothes, but also my spirits. Then you came along. Because of you, I was able to make it to my dying husband's bedside just before he passed away... God bless you for helping me and unselfishly serving others."
Sincerely, Mrs. Nat King Cole.

When we help others, we never know when they may need it the most. Today - seek out someone to help - especially if they least expect it.

For Kingdom Education,
Doc

Lessons on How to Treat People - Part 3

Greetings:

This week I am sharing some Lessons on Treating People Right that I have gleaned from emails sent to me. Some of these you may have read - but the important point is do you apply them.

"Consider it a great joy, my brothers, whenever you experience various trials, knowing that the testing of you faith produces endurance. But endurance must do its complete work, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing." James 1: 2-4 (HCSB)

Third Important Lesson. - The obstacle in Our Path.

In ancient times, a King had a boulder placed on a roadway. Then he hid himself and watched to see if anyone would remove the huge rock.

Some of the king's wealthiest merchants and courtiers came by and simply walked around it. Many loudly blamed the King for not keeping the roads clear, but none did anything about getting the stone out of the way.

Then a peasant came along carrying a load of vegetables. Upon approaching the boulder, the peasant laid down his burden and tried to move the stone to the side of the road. After much pushing and straining, he finally succeeded.

After the peasant picked up his load of vegetables, he noticed a purse lying in the road where the boulder had been. The purse contained many gold coins and a note from the King indicating that the gold was for the person who removed the boulder from the roadway. The peasant learned what many of us never understand! Every obstacle presents an opportunity to improve our condition.

Today, focus upon the opportunities that are disguised as obstacles in our path.

For Kingdom Education,
Doc

Lessons on How to Treat People - Part 2

Greetings:

This week I am sharing some Lessons on Treating People Right that I have gleaned from emails sent to me. Some of these you may have read - but the important point is do you apply them.

1 Peter 2: 17 (HCSB) - "Honor everyone."

Second Important Lesson - Always remember those who serve.

In the days when an ice cream sundae cost much less, a 10-year-old boy entered a hotel coffee shop and sat at a table. A waitress put a glass of water in front of him.

"How much is an ice cream sundae?" he asked. "Fifty cents," replied the waitress. The little boy pulled is hand out of his pocket and studied the coins in it. "Well, how much is a plain dish of ice cream?" he inquired.

By now more people were waiting for a table and the waitress was growing impatient. "Thirty-five cents," she brusquely replied. The little boy again counted his coins.

"I'll have the plain ice cream," he said. The waitress brought the ice cream, put the bill on the table and walked away The boy finished the ice cream, paid the cashier and left.

When the waitress came back, she began to cry as she wiped down the table. There, placed neatly beside the empty dish, were two nickels and five pennies.

You see, he couldn't have the sundae, because he had to have enough left to leave her a tip.

When others serve us, we must show our appreciation. We should never "expect" others to serve us - God created us all. Today, show those who do things for you true appreciation for their efforts.

For Kingdom Education,
Doc

Lessons on How to Treat People - Part 1

Greetings:

"There is no favoritism with God." Romans 2:11 (HCSB)

This week I am going to share some Lessons on Treating People Right that I have gleaned from emails sent to me. Some of these you may have read - but the important point is do you apply them.

- First Important Lesson - The Cleaning Lady:

During the second month of college, one professor gave a pop quiz. This is what a student wrote about the experience.

"I was a conscientious student and had breezed through the questions until I read the last one: 'What is the first name of the woman who cleans the school?' Surely this was some kind of joke. I had seen the cleaning woman several times. She was tall, dark-haired and in her 50's, but how would I know her name? I handed in my paper, leaving the last question blank. Just before class ended, one student asked if the last question would count toward our quiz grade.

'Absolutely, ' said the professor. 'In your careers, you will meet many people. All are significant. They deserve your attention and care, even if all you do is smile and say 'hello.'

I've never forgotten that lesson. I also learned her name was Dorothy."

Today, make sure that everyone you come in contact with feels that they are the most important person in the world.

For Kingdom Education,
Doc

National Day of Prayer Points - 5

Greetings:

REVERENCE, RESPONSE, REQUESTS, READINESS, and that brings us to the last point - REVERENCE.

"[For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.] Matthew 6: 13 (HCSB).

Many versions drop this last sentence. But, as we consider it, it does bring us full circle in our prayers.

We began by seeing that the focus of our prayers should be on God. When we focus upon Him, we see that our response will be to defer to His will when we make our requests. We will seek to be ready to be a part of His plan. When all of this comes to be - the circle is completed by focusing on God. Everything that we pray is made possible by the Kingdom, power, and glory of God Himself. Take a moment today to read David's prayer in 1 Chronicles 29: 11 -13.

This week, as we have thought about the lesson on prayer that Jesus gave, I pray that this has challenged you to dig deeper and to strengthen your prayer-life.

For Kingdom Education,
Doc

National Day of Prayer Points - 4

Greetings:

Today is the National Day of Prayer. We are to spend time today praying for our Nation, our leaders, our people and the future of our Country. Join me in praying today that God will once again be the focal-point of our nation. We have looked at the Lord's Prayer this week, and see that we are to focus upon God in REVERENCE, defer to His will as our RESPONSE, give our REQUESTS, and today consider that we are to pray for our READINESS to fulfill God's plan.

"And do not bring us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one." Matthew 6: 13 (HCSB).

If we pray with God as our focus, if we seek to do His will, if we seek a clear conscience before Him, then we are going to be in the battle. And, we need God to win the fight. So, we need to be ready for the fight, this means we need to know the battle-plan, understand our enemy, and be ready for the fray.

Our nation is moving farther and farther away from the truths that God established. If we believe in what we say we believe - we are in for a fight. Pray for God to direct away from the false problems, and to give us wisdom to see the real needs. We can be side-tracked by all the little issues and miss the main thing. The main thing is people need Jesus as their personal Savior. Without that, all the little skirmishes will keep changing and never be settled.

Spend time today praying to be ready for the main thing. Pray to be in the right units fighting the right battles. Pray that our nation will have a revival of God's Truths.

For Kingdom Education,
Doc