Let Your Light Shine
Who do your good works glorify – God or man? I am always asking my students to give evidence of their answers. In reading, I want them to go back to the text and give me evidence for their thinking. When they are answering a critical thinking question, I want evidence to see where from where their thinking stems. I want to be able to follow their line of thinking, whether or not I agree with their answers. This got me thinking. Does my life give evidence of my faith in God alone? Can people follow my path of thinking when they look at how I come up with solutions to life’s problems? Do they know that I live for an audience of One and pray to God for wisdom in the big and small things of my life? I’ve had people ask me questions about how I can be so peaceful in the midst of a life storm or detours. Honestly, it’s not about me. I rest in the knowledge that God alone holds the universe together. I can have peace and joy in the midst of life’s circumstances. Out of obedience, I do what He’s called me to…
Belonging
Remember that time you were in a meeting or classroom and you just didn’t feel like you belonged? The energy and motivation for learning can come from a sense of belonging. When students feel connected in a classroom community, we can activate their cognitive learning. When they feel they don’t belong, students spend more brain power being on edge than on higher order thinking. When they feel it’s a safe environment to share their emotions, their struggles, their celebrations, they will begin to build each other up and encourage the success of their classmates. When we treat students with kindness and high expectations, they will respond well and learn together. The more we value them, the more they will respond in kind. Some students need much more support than others, but it does not mean we need to lower our expectations. The same goes for the home and boardroom. Valuing a foster child, a distant relative, or a college intern goes a long way to helping create a sense of belonging. My motto “Love God Love People” reflects my understanding of our deepest need to find true belonging. In Christ, we find our true belonging. We are fully known and…