Septermber

Praises/lessons from my classroom:

1. Before students go to recess, I call the names of students that need to finish incomplete work or rewrite their sloppy handwriting.  Today, when my students returned from lunch and recess, one of my students pulled me aside.  He looked up at me with a cute little grin and said, "Ms. Alex, last year when names were called for missing work I was always called.  This year you haven't been calling my name for missing work!"  I'm so blessed to get to see kids grow and celebrate their small accomplishments like doing their homework!

2. Another one of my boys made me smile the other day. In a period of about two hours I heard the phrase: "My father said..." as he tried to connect to the lesson that I was teaching to what he already knew.  Around the fifth time of hearing this statement I couldn't help but smile as the Lord brought two thoughts to my mind.  Number one: I am so happy that this boy's father is spending time with him and investing in his son's life.  Number Two:  What if believers thought like this way?  When anything came under question or uncertainty we would remember what our heavenly father had said about the matter.  The enemy's lies wouldn't stand a chance!

3. As a teacher you find that there are students that are very easy to love. On the flip side, there are always students that you don't naturally love. Christ, however,  did not come to save those who were easy to love.  Rather he came to save his enemies that had destroyed the world that He had created because of their disobedience.  I'm learning to love when it doesn't come naturally.

4. It may seem silly, but I think that I like chapel sometimes more than I like church.  In church we use a lot of Christian-ese and the songs we sing focus on us and our problems.  When I go to elementary chapel I am drawn into the presence of God because of its simplicity.  In chapel we focus on the basics: God sent His Son Jesus to die because he loves us; God is all-powerful, all-knowing, and omnipresent; God treats us like his children; and God gives us grace even when we mess up.  I am refreshed by these truths. Meditating on them with simple songs and commonly-read verses is refreshing.