A Set Apart School Year Pt.1

Many of you know the events surrounding the ten plagues of Egypt as God prepared to deliver His people from bondage.  The early part of the book of Exodus lays out this turbulent and uncertain time for the Children of Israel as they await their deliverance with hesitancy in Moses as their deliverer, an increased workload from Pharaoh, and to make matter worse bloody water, frogs everywhere, and lice!  

In the field of education, things haven't looked too different in the past few years as we grappled with the pandemic and its many after effects. There was much hesitancy with following the new virtual trends, policies, and shifts in curriculum. The workload and demands on educators and administrators have increased and Covid has infiltrated every aspect of our daily lives. 

Did you notice is that I only mentioned three of the ten plagues?  In the book of Exodus chapter eight verses 22-23 God speaks to Moses and says,  "And in that day I will set apart the land of Goshen, in which My people dwell, that no swarms of flies shall be there, in order that you may know that I am the Lord in the midst of the land. I will make a difference between My people and your people.  Tomorrow this sign shall be".  Verse twenty-four verifies it with, "And the Lord did so."  After the third plague, God drew a line in the sand and made a distinct show of protection over His chosen people. From then on, until the tenth plague, whatever occurred would have not have the ability to touch them.  

So it is my prayer this school year that Jesus draws a double line for you so that YOUR school, YOUR faculty and staff, YOUR students, YOUR parents, YOUR neighborhoods, YOUR bus drivers, YOUR programs, YOUR families, YOUR health, and YOUR finances will experience a set apart school year overflowing with the heavenly outpouring of love, peace, joy, transformation, protection, favor, wisdom, patience, success, creativity, healing, and unity!  No matter what else is going on negatively in education, make this declaration your own and stand on His promises concerning you. 

Declare that YOUR school and everything attached to it will experience God's favor this year.  Have a blessed school year! 

The Lord is with you and you are loved,

Toni

Part 2 blog post

Photo credit: https://iamtraffic.org/engineering/crossing-double-yellow-line/

A Five Piece Nugget from the Lord

It amazes me now how a Friday at home use to mean an extended weekend due to a special occasion of some sort for myself or the family.  A Friday at school was always our work hard, play hard day (Yay Fun Friday).  But now, Friday has lost its oomph and pull as the most popular day of the workweek since many of us don’t have a normal work week anymore.

COVID-19 pandemic has turned the field of education on a topsy-turvy spin like no other.  Shut down districts have been thrust into distant-learning teaching and learning practices.  This shift has had a varied effect on educators and schools as it pertains to, meeting student's physical and social needs and of course the availability of technological learning opportunities in rural, urban and suburban communities.

To be honest, some teachers are working harder than before as they strain to make sure their students are still progressing. My husband, who teaches on both the high school and college-level puts in a full day holding Zoom meetings, sending emails, making calls, grading papers, and creating and uploading assignments.   On the flip side, some teachers, myself included,  can only do so much as they are limited by a lack of internet access for all of their students.  

To be even more transparent, some educators needed this time away.  For them, it truly has been a rough year and they wished every day were the last day.  One thing we all had in common prior to this, however, was that our workloads only increased and the sacrifices of time and money to make a difference was the expected norm.  

But that the time we sacrificed often came at a price, especially if you had a family at home. It is difficult to give your all to your family, your job, and yourself.  Our days would start early and end late as we sped out the house, put on the six million hats we're required to wear at work, then head off to practice, church, civic group, a second job, or to help our kids with homework, prepare dinner, finish up school work, and then get ready to start it all over again for the next day.  Burning the candle at both ends never has a happy ending.  Somebody or something always pays the price.

When I look back over the twenty-three years I've been in the classroom, I can see those years where my marriage suffered, my parenting suffered, I suffered, and my teaching suffered because I had too much on my plate or just didn't have my priorities in check. Therefore, right now, I am so thankful for this time I have at home.

I did not always feel this way. Due to some heath issues earlier this school year, I was “sheltered in place" and unemployed.  It was no one's fault. It was unexpected and I had no idea what the future held for me. I had boo coo time on my hands and the house pretty much to myself until my family returned at the end of the day.  I couldn't really go anywhere because my health would not allow it.  I didn’t like the uncertainty and helplessness I felt.  

 Now, with this pandemic, the only thing that's different is that my family and I are together.  It's yet another unexpected shut down for me that is no one’s fault.  I still can't really do much of anything (because everything is closed), and I again have a share fair of spare time on our hands.  I feel like I'm in some sort of perpetual Spring Break Groundhog's Day kinda life.  Oh, I’m not complaining.  I’m just keenly aware that sometimes I need more time and a do-over to get things right.  Sometimes these do-overs are just for me, and sometimes God takes me through things twice so that I can confidently walk with others pointing out the potholes and paths for them NOT to take.

Last night, after seeing a “fend for yourself” look in my eyes, my middle kid asked if she could pop the rest of some nuggets in the oven for dinner.  I gave her a quick yes not because it meant less work for me, but because I couldn’t wait to pop one of those delicious morsels into my mouth.  PSA…If you like Chick-Fil-a nuggets (and I do), then you will looove the Southern Style Chicken Bites from Sam’s Club. I came across them for the first time about a week or two ago. You can now have that Chick-Fil-A satisfaction on a Sunday from the comforts of your own home although, you may have to improve your kitchen customer service and your assortment of sauces to get the full effect.

Today, God gave me some nuggets of wisdom to share with you since I ate up the chicken kind.   You see, God’s in the business of giving things to us that we know nothing about.   He knows that our end result will be fullness in Him and expects us to share our experiences with others.  The time He gave me, you now have.  The lessons I learned and are still evolving in, you now have the opportunity to grow in them too.

Now I don’t want you to think I’m making lite of the effects of this pandemic on anyone.  It is stressful to not know how bills are going to be paid or how groceries are going to be bought. I understand.  It's a kick to your pride when you have to tell your kids no to things you've always said yes to. Been there. Calls have to be made to cancel subscriptions and future plans are scratched as you now eyeball things to see if you could get one more use from what was easily wasted before. Did that.  I understand educators who may feel like the field is changing too fast for them to keep up and they feel outdated and just plain tired and unsure about going back to work when this is all over.   I know.  But I held His hand and came out...better.

It's all because God gave me these nuggets:

Questioning

Reflecting

Crying 

Repenting

Repeating     

I also do not want to assume that this pandemic is stressing you out.  As I said before, some educators welcome this time. They are having the time of their life. My health issue led me out of what I know was going to be the most challenging school year of my life.  My first time at home sitting at home was not all full of despair. Even with all of its uncertainties, it was a blessing.  I am a better person for it. My family is better for it.  

And yet even in those days of peace, God still wanted me to partake of these nuggets:

Questioning

Reflecting

Crying

Repenting

and Repeating

As a Christian, our first and foremost devotion is to God and let's face it, sometimes we put everything else in front of Him because...well, He's not going anywhere.  He'll be there and He'll forgive us.  While that may be true, living our lives without our Sovereign God at the helm has its consequences!  Everything about us will be less than what He desired and designed.  So no matter how you feel about being home right now, God has a plan for you to be a better person, a better spouse, a better parent, a better teacher, a better member of your congregation, a better whatever He needs you to be when this is all over. 

Don’t forget to click on the hyperlinks.  That’s where I hid the dipping sauce.

Nugget #1:  Question

In prayer, ask Him questions.  

Does my life please You?  Does my marriage please you?  Does my parenting please you? Why did my school year go the way it did?  Does my attitude please You?   Do my thoughts please You?  Am I attending church for the right reason?  What's going to happen next?  Why is all this happening?  What's Your part in all of this?  What's my part in all of this? 

Then be prepared to receive answers as you slowly digest another nugget.

Nugget #2: Reflection

In meditation, read the bible and listen for His voice.  You have the time, now make it a point to read His word every day.  Need a starting point? Choose a good bible app, I use YouVersion.  Start one of their daily plans. They have tons of them (with reminders!) that can guide you through the Word of God for any area of life.  There are also many websites that provide bible studies with videos and study guides.  Check out Biblestudytools.com and utilize Right Now Media’s  free COVID-19 sign up period.  As you read, listen for God's voice. He is always speaking to us in one way or another even when we feel like He’s silent. 

Nugget #3 Cry

I put this in here because it is necessary.  We are human and we feel emotions.  I cried a lot during my time of reflection and meditation.  I cried a lot afterward.  I cried angry tears and scared tears.  I cried apologetic tears and thankful tears.  When truths began to be unearthed, whether they are good or bad, your emotions may just spill over into your eyes. Tears are refreshing and help to remove layers so that God can get to work.

Nugget #4: Repent

 Jesus spoke with His disciples prior to His crucifixion about the coming of His Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit is available to teach us, comfort us and counsel us. [John 14: 16-18, 25-27 and 16:5-15] and God’s word, when it is read with the purpose of understanding His ways, will do just what it promises as it instructs, convict, corrects and trains us. Self-reflection through God’s word should always lead us to an acknowledgment that our ways, actions, thoughts, and words are not up to God’s standards. The Holy Spirit will point this out to us. 
True repentance not only acknowledges your faults, but apologizes for them and does an “about-face” turn. The Holy Spirit helps us to make that turn because we can't truly change without God's divine assistance. True repentance also realizes that forgiveness is necessary, only comes from a loving and holy God and is complete.  Jesus removes our sins from us as far as the east is from the west. His forgiveness is final. Hallelujah!

Nugget #5 Repeat

Well, you prayed, learned something about yourself, cried about it, repented and probably cried some more.  It just starts over, like a never-ending bowl of pasta.  Oh wow, what if Chick-Fil-A had never-ending nugget bowls?!   I digress…

Our walk with God is a never-ending progression towards becoming more like Jesus.  There is always room for improvement and God is always working on us, in us and through us.

As you take your nugget bowl up for another five-piece refill, ask another question. Reflect on your life through His word as you look for the answer. Be honest with yourself as God pulls back areas of your life that expose a need to improve or a reason to rejoice and cry out to Him. Repent of doing things your way and repeat the process all over again.

The Apostle Paul said it best in Philippians 3:12 _AMP , “ Not that I have already obtained it [this goal of being Christlike] or have already been made perfect, but I actively press on so that I may take hold of that [perfection] for which Christ Jesus took hold of me and made me His own.”

When this season is over, there will arise a group of people who are refined and ready. It will be because they took advantage of this time to actively press towards God. They will look different.  They will sound different.  They will live different.  Will you be one of them?

The Lord is with you and you are loved,

Toni

Image nuggets of wisdom source: http://www.savedhealed.com/nuggets.htm

A Prayer In and Beyond My Four Walls - (Part 3 in the revival series)

Some time back in October, I came across a prayer on a website that I frequent just about on a daily basis.  It’s called Bless Every Home.  This awesome website allows you to pray a daily prayer for your neighbors. The ultimate goal for this ministry is not just that you are praying for your neighbors, but that you are also caring for them and witnessing to them as well.  I urge you to check it out and sign up.

This prayer is based loosely on a prayer from that website. 

The glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together.

_{Isaiah 40: 5}

“In all things and in every home in my neighborhood” especially those whose children attend  _{name(s) of your neighborhood schools}, “reveal Yourself, Jesus, as Savior, Healer, Reconciler, and Restorer.” Prepare the hearts in every home to receive You upon Your revelation. 

Truth Jesus.  Silence the adversary.  We speak a muting of his voice and his agents of darkness in music, television, social media, and movies. 

Truth Jesus. We release Your truth to be manifested and preached in Your churches – all of the churches in this city.

Truth Jesus. We release Your truth to be manifested and spoken over all of the policies, laws, and decision making for our city and schools. 

Lord send a revival for us all!  

Forgive us for our role in what causes you grief about our city, our community, our church, and even our own family. Shine Your light of truth on our hearts so that we may see where we need to repent completely. 

 “Shine Your healing light in broken families, marriages, loneliness, abuse, illness, anxiety, fear, and everything else that is robbing my neighbors”, my family, my schools, my city and all of the homes and families within it of Your truth, love, and peace.  May we see what needs to be healed and made whole and be willing to do the work to activate the change.

In Jesus’ name we pray,

Amen

The Lord is with you and you are loved,

Toni

Photo retrieved from https://www.pinterest.com/pin/309552174358917479/

Teaching: It's Not a Losing Battle (Part 2 in revival series)

Happy New Year! I pray that you had a blessed holiday and a restful break.  Depending upon your instructional calendar, you may be either returning to work getting in those final skills before the end of the semester, preparing for a new crop of students, welcoming in the kids who moved over the holidays, or just getting your students ready for the last half of the school year.  Some folks go back to school saying, “Let's get ‘er done!” or “When will this be over?”.

I want to talk to those of you who really didn’t want to go back to work. Not because you would rather stay home with your cute cuddly young’uns or still have housework that lost out to your Netflix binge, but because you really don’t like the atmosphere in which you work; the overwhelming student behaviors, redundant paperwork, unsupportive parents and maybe even unfriendly coworkers.  Been there, done that, so I know how you feel. I also know a solution that I tried once.

Last week I wrote a blog about revival that spoke a little about this solution. But let me tell you a  story first. 

A long time ago, there was a man by the name of Gideon. If you look in the bible in the book of Judges chapters 6-8, you can read about the full life of our story’s hero. Now, this Gideon had been living the last seven years of his life being oppressed. His work was constantly disrupted and destroyed no matter what he or anyone else around him did.  No matter how hard he and his people tried, they couldn’t do their jobs because of the destructive, overwhelming force of the Amalekites and other countries around them.  Seven years! Seven years of feeling like, “Why even bother?  They’re just going to tear it up anyway!”  Seven years of struggling to live and support your family only with little to no evidence of your hard work! 

So, we find Gideon in verse eleven of chapter six in the book of Judges hiding, all alone in a winepress threshing wheat. It had gotten to the point that he couldn’t even do his job the way it was meant to be done! Although he received a visitation by God (whom he doesn’t recognize as such) with the world’s best pep talk ever (which he doesn’t believe) Gideon is reluctant to take on the mantle of leadership that he is being presented with. God has selected him to free his people from their oppression.  Gideon does everything from questioning God’s

faithfulness to His chosen people, listing his reason for being unqualified for the task, to asking for proof (several times) that God will do as He promised. 

I want you to realize that the Amalekites weren’t just some pestering group of people that got on Israel’s nerves. They totally outnumbered the Children of Israel.  Then to make matter worse, the Amalekites joined forces with the Midianite people and more people of the East so much so that their total numbers were beyond recording and only listed as “numerous as locusts with their camels as the sand by the seashore in multitude”.

Gideon armed only with the assurance that God was with him, gathered a force of over thirty-two thousand fighting men. However, God told him to send twenty-two thousand home! Then, to make matters worse,  God ordered Gideon to send all but three hundred back home.  

Why?  

  Israel’s successful outcome of this uneven battle would never be attributed to their own methods and strength, but by God’s and God’s alone.  

If you continue reading Judges chapter seven, you’ll see that before Gideon and his men had the opportunity to employ their own strength, God’s strength and methods were already at work in these three ways:

        -specific instructions with confirmation  (Judges 7:9-11)

        -sound  Judges 7: 16-18

        -light  Judges 7: 19-21

With just trumpets and clay jars holding lit torches, Gideon and his army of three hundred like-minded men watched as God fought their battle for them. 

The impossible became possible because one person answered the call, gathered others, listened for God’s voice and followed the instructions to sound the trumpet and shine the light.

So, do you really work in an environment that’s never going to change?  Will the teaching profession just continually get worse?  In all honesty, the outlook doesn’t look very promising for some who are in those challenging and struggling school systems.  But is it something that one just has to accept, deal with or get out of?  

There is a solution and yes I’m going to say “prayer”.  

Don’t look at me with that tone of voice! Yes, I heard your question, “Well if it worked so well for you, why do you have all those blogs about wanting to quit and being frustrated?” 

Remember in the case of Gideon, there was a lot involved with winning that war; belief, obedience, repentance, unity, and perseverance.  If you keep reading the rest of Gideon’s story, you’ll see that he and his small army still had to pursue their enemy even past the point of exhaustion and were denied assistance from those who could’ve helped. 

I did not pursue to enemy past the point of exhaustion. I was once a

I was once a part of a gathered group of teachers who purposed the enemy together in fervent prayer for our school, our system, our students, and our own families and our prayers were answered.  But the fervor died down when the smoke cleared and some folks moved away.  I was content with focusing on battles in my own classroom because it was out of my comfort zone to actively look for fellow soldiers in my school to join me in fighting the war.  

While I am currently not assigned to any school, I still see the need for revival.  I am no longer on the front lines, but I still hear the cannons in the distance and smell the smoke on my daughters in high school and my husband who is both a teacher and coach.  It is while gazing at my own battle scars that I urge you to rethink the enormity of the issues you are facing as an educator and the power you have to make a difference.   

Meditate on the story of Gideon and know you are not in a hopeless situation.  Remember God’s method involved these three things:

        -specific instructions with confirmation

                Listen to what God is saying to you and obey

        -sound  

                Speak up and out for Him

        -light 

                Be the light so that others can see Jesus with 20/20 vision

The Lord is with you and you are loved,

Toni

Prayer for City Revival (Part 1 in revival series)

Lord God, send a revival to my city/county…

Refine Your churches. I call, in the Spirit, for a “cease and desist” of religious meetings in this city and release in Jesus’ name, assemblies filled with Your presence.

I call for, in Jesus’ name, a unification of the churches – across denominations, race, size, and status – “one new man” in Jesus Christ.

Lord God,  send a revival to my city/county. 

Unify Your people in every section of government, every school, every church, every civic league, our police force, our judicial system, our hospitals, clinics and EMS workers, our social service department…  

Let there be no place where Your people aren’t a unified light for You.

I call for, in the name of Jesus, the faculty and staff of every school who are called by Your Name, to unify themselves to establish Your authority over the enemy and his demons and adverse spirits at their schools and in the families and communities they serve.

I speak and release an angelic and the holy blood of Jesus hedge of protection around my family and all who take this stand.

Send Your Truth to the churches. Soften the hearts of the people. Open our eyes – heal our blindness to see people the way You see them.

Open our ears – heal our deafness so that we may hear AND obey Your voice.

Open our mouths – heal our muteness and stupor that we may speak Your love and truth.

Restore our movement – heal our lameness, weakness, and fatigue that we may walk with strength and purpose in Your will.

Revival starts with us.

Revival starts with me.

Lord Jesus, in Your mercy and grace, send a revival.

In Jesus’ name,

Amen

Day 36: A Daily Desk Prayer

Section 6: For Our School Systems

Join with us today and pray our prepared prayer on page 66 from the FORTY DAYS OF PRAYER FOR EDUCATION free eBook. 

A DAILY DESK PRAYER

-by Toni Young

Dear Heavenly Father,

Lord, to You I commit this day and every child I teach.

I give to You my mind and lessons, 

but more so Lord, my speech.

Tune my heart to sing Your praise, 

whether things seem up or down.

I, am Your student. You are my teacher. 

So I lay down every crown.

In Jesus' name,

Amen

Book excerpt: Teaching Tips from Week 36

As we come to the end of our school year, I just wanted to share a few pages from my book that will help you coast your way to the end.  Sometimes you just need a little reminder...  

Ten Tips For Better Teaching

1. Purpose – Remember that you have been destined and designed for this.  Regardless of what you think, God has created you, everything about you to impact the life of your students.          Jeremiah 1: 5
2. Prayer – Continue to pray without ceasing.  Be specific in what you desire and what you need. God has promised to give you wisdom and rest.  Just A.S.K. (ask, seek and knock)  Matthew 7:7 and Matthew 11: 28-30
3. Power – Understand that you have been given power from on high to trample the enemy.  Your words, God’s Word spoken again by you are weapons against the enemy and they are life to your every need.  Speak life.           2 Corinthians 10: 4-5
4. Preparation – Plan up to the very end.  Kids who have nothing to do can and will begin to get on your nerves.  You don’t need the bible to tell you that!
5. Pollinate – Although you may feel a little stretched, be willing to speak encouragement or help out a fellow teacher (especially the new ones) during this time of year.  Help out those who need help in growing. 
6. Perseverance – 2 John 1: 8 Says it best: Watch out that you do not lose what you have worked for, but that you may be rewarded fully.  Don’t give up now.
7. Personality – Nehemiah 8:10 says that “the joy of the Lord is your strength”.  Now’s not the time to be a sourpuss.  Draw joy and love from Jesus so that you can be a reflection of His joy, His compassion, His loving kindness towards others.  Let your light so shine…
8. Pleasing – Hebrews 13: 20-21 says “May the God of peace,… _v21 equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to Him, through Jesus Christ…”  Allow God to do the work in you so that you will be pleasing to Him.  In doing so, you will also become pleasing to those around you.  
9. Placement – Jeremiah 29:11 God knows the plans He has for you.  This tip on placement is not just about a choice in grade level, school or district, but it’s much deeper than that.  It’s really about trust.  Trust God to place you in situations, in ear shot of conversations, around your colleagues so that you can be used HOWEVER God needs for that particular need.  Someone may just need your smile or encouraging word and God places you two in the hallway alone.  Every time, every situation belongs to God.  
10. Peace - Isaiah 26:3 You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.  Trust in God and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct you paths.  Peace comes directly from God. Seek Him and you will find it.

Hold His hand and finish this race.

Remember keep starting your Monday with the Master.

Young, T. (2014). Start Your Monday With The Master. Sandston, Virginia: JDI Publisher Co.

Image retrieved from:  https://www.pinterest.com/pin/471611392198706215/

Day 33: For Our School Systems

Section 6: For Our School Systems

Join with us today and pray our prepared prayer on pages 58 and 59 for teachers from the FORTY DAYS OF PRAYER FOR EDUCATION free eBook  and enjoy the accompanying song entitled,  Anoint Me Lord, by Vicki Yohe.

This prayer was submitted and read aloud at an Educators Prayer Breakfast held September 27, 2014 by one of our prayer leaders, Ms. Linda Nicholson.

Almighty God, I set myself in agreement with the Word of God and with what You once established in American education. I release my hope and faith in Your Word. I patiently expect Your glory to manifest in schools all across our nation.

Artwork by Vanessa Renee Williams

I come before You on behalf of the students, educators and administrators of the entire educational system in America. Lord Jesus, I ask You to restore honor, integrity, virtue and peace in American classrooms. I confess Isaiah 53:13, “All thy children shall be taught of the Lord, and great shall be the peace of thy children.” Every time I hear a report of violence and terror in our schools, I will say out loud, “Our children are taught of the Lord and great is peace and the anointing of them!”

And Jesus, You and I know the educators and the administrators cannot teach and run our schools without You and Your anointing. So, I intercede and give thanks for those You have ordained and placed in positions of authority and responsibility in our schools across America. I believe for Your anointing to be in them and upon them.

I am not waiting until I see the Spirit of God moving in this situation. I am starting my confession now! Combine my faith with those who are also praying and believing for the wisdom, honor, strength, wealth power and glory of God to be demonstrated in our school systems.

I am releasing my faith for the next generation!

Lord Jesus, I thank You for the redemptive work You are doing in our schools and in the people who run them. The students and teachers are on your heart and they are on mine too. Our schools will be a joy, a praise, and a glory before all nations of the earth! Nations will fear God and tremble because of all the goodness, peace, prosperity, security and stability You have provided to us.

In Jesus’ name,

Amen.

Submitted by 

Linda Nicholson 

Daycare Director - Zion Apostolic Christian Memorial Temple

Petersburg, Virginia