Completely Known

1 You have searched me, Lord,
and you know me.
2 You know when I sit and when I rise;
you perceive my thoughts from afar.
3 You discern my going out and my lying down;
you are familiar with all my ways.
4 Before a word is on my tongue
you, Lord, know it completely.
5 You hem me in behind and before,
and you lay your hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
too lofty for me to attain. Psalm 139: 1-6

One of my students came in the room today, and I could immediately tell that something was different. Her speech was different. Her body language was different. This was not what I was used to seeing at all. Later, she shared that there was, indeed, a reason for the differences I was seeing. But even before she told me, I knew.

Last week, another student was just not himself. His participation in class was not like usual. His face lacked the usual charming grin. He slumped over onto the table with his head down. And I immediately knew he wasn’t feeling well at all. Later, he did complain that he didn’t feel well, but I already knew. It wasn’t long before he was at the nurse’s office and headed home for the day.

It’s pretty amazing how well we get to know our students. I know their personalities. I know what they enjoy doing and with whom they enjoy doing it! I know about their pets, their families, and their likes/dislikes. I know their strengths, and I know their weaknesses. But even though I know an awful lot about most of my students, I don’t know everything. I can’t possibly know everything.

But God knows me completely--inside and out.  Every last detail that is me, He knows it.

This passage from Psalm 139 is a favorite of mine. It comforts me to know that God knows me completely. He knows my thoughts and motives, my words and my actions, everything about me. And He uses that knowledge for my good.

There is a song on the Christian radio right now that reminds me of this truth every time I hear it played. It’s called “Known,” and it’s by an artist named Tauren Wells. I’m including a link here, so you can listen to the words on YouTube and let them seep in. I hope you’ll take the time to do that.  Click here:    Known by Tauren Wells

God knows me completely, and He loves me completely--all the unique and gloriously fabulous mess that is me! I don’t have to hide from Him. I don’t have to pretend to be something I’m not. He knows I’m a sinner in need of His precious grace and mercy, but He loves me anyway. Thank you, Lord!

And because He knows me, I can trust Him to lead me and guide me, to teach me and direct me in just the way I need.

Lord, thank You for knowing us completely and loving us fully. Help us to understand this truth this week and to rest in it. Help us to submit to Your molding so that You can shape us into all that You mean for us to be.

No Greater Love

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And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Ephesians 3: 17b-19

Valentine’s Day has come and gone already. This is one of the three holidays that we celebrate at school. Halloween, Christmas, and Valentine’s Day are the three party days of the year. Chocolate candy, cupcakes, little cards and treats, stuffed animals, flowers and other gifts change hands and get stuffed into elaborately decorated boxes. Games are played. Fun is had by all in the name of love!

And that’s just the kids at school! Think of all the adults enjoying an evening eating out, giving and receiving flowers, jewelry, cards, candy . . . . Love is in the air!

I believe we were created to live in relationship with others - to love and be loved in return. But I’m convinced that many, many people - even those who are in a serious relationship - don’t really understand love. And I think that was the same in Paul’s day - when he wrote the book of Ephesians so long ago. These verses were part of his prayer for the believers at Ephesus. What did he want them to know and fully grasp? He wanted them to know the extent of God’s love for them, even as he acknowledges that it is beyond comprehension, this “love that surpasses knowledge.”

God’s love isn’t a feeling; it’s an action. It’s a conscious decision. It’s a selfless giving. Undeserved. Forgiving. Everlasting. Sacrificial. Not expecting anything in return.

John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.”

Romans 5:8, “But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

1 John 4:19, “We love because He first loved us.”

Paul says this is what fills us -- to know and receive God’s love.

I don’t know if you have a “Valentine” this week. I don’t know if you have someone on this earth who loves you the way you long to be loved. But I know that there is no person on earth whose love can fill the void that exists in our hearts when we don’t yet know and receive the love of God.

So I pray Paul’s prayer for each of you reading this little blog:
Father God, I pray that every person reading this will allow the Holy Spirit to help them understand just how much You love them, that they will know this love that fills the void in our hearts, that they will grasp how vast this love is, and that they will be filled to overflowing with it. There truly is no greater love than this - a perfect Savior who laid down His life for me. (John 15:13) Thank you, Jesus, for Your perfect love!  

Progress Report

19 I know your deeds, your love and faith, your service and perseverance, and that you are now doing more than you did at first. Revelation 2:19

I can hardly believe that it’s already time for our next round of Parent/Teacher conferences, but here we are! I have spent quite a bit of time this last week preparing to meet with parents to discuss their child’s progress. I have poured over all the assessment data and progress monitoring data, I have updated charts and graphs, and I have written comments of my thoughts and observations.

For some students, all the information is pretty coherent. It is evident that they are making gains towards our goals. They may not be there quite yet, but they are getting closer and closer, and all of the scores I have collected are showing growth. Those are the conferences I look forward to holding!

For other students, the information is much more difficult to decipher. Sometimes they seem to be making progress, and other times they seem to be falling back again. They may do really well on one assessment, but on a different test, they don’t do so great. And I can’t always explain why. These conferences are more difficult to feel prepared for.

All parents (and teachers) want to know that their students are making progress. It’s not so much about meeting every single standard at grade-level expectations - although that would be fabulous! It’s really more about showing and knowing that the students are improving. We all know that it is very unrealistic to expect all students to reach these standards at the same time, so we don’t expect that. But we do expect them to improve from where they started and move steadily towards those goals.

As I was thinking about that, a question came to mind. How am I doing in my spiritual walk with the Lord? If I were to receive a progress report, what would it say? How are my attitude and my thought patterns? Am I using my time wisely? Am I providing evidence of growth? Making progress? Reaching goals?

I don’t know if you are familiar with Revelation chapters 2 & 3, but in those chapters, John relays a message to seven churches. In each message, Jesus gives them a type of progress report, naming things they have done well and things they need to turn away from. Some churches receive only one or the other, but most of them receive some of both. He encourages each church to persevere and names a gift or reward they will receive for being faithful, and He also names consequences for not repenting of sins. In all the letters, it is clear that Jesus wants them to continue being faithful and to turn their faith back to Him if they’ve failed.

I think it’s good for me to examine my own heart and to spend some time asking the Holy Spirit to show me those things in my life that need improvement. I know I am a work in progress, and there are many things that need to change to make me more like Jesus. I’m pretty sure I’m more like my students with all the mixed information -- improving some, but not consistently. One day at a time, one piece at a time, He is helping me to make progress.

So as I spend time this week speaking to parents about their child’s progress at school, I am also going to spend some time reading through these letters in Revelation 2 and 3, and I am going to ask God to give me a progress report. I know I could never do anything to earn God’s grace and love -- He’s already poured that out all over me! But I want to please Him in all that I do. So this week, I’ll ask Him to show me one thing to work on--one place where He wants to make me more like Him. And then I’ll ask Him to help me. I’ll surrender to His loving hand and allow Him to change me a little each day until that piece mirrors Him. And hopefully, He will be able to tell me what he told the church in Thyatira -- that I am now doing more than I did at first--that I am making progress.

Father God, Thank You for always working on me! Thank You for Your encouragement and Your discipline. I want to be more like You. I want to please You. But I need You to transform my mind, to change my heart and make it more like Yours. Show me where I’m holding back, and help me to surrender to Your hand.

Take Heart!

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Tonight my heart is heavy. Over the past week, two families in our small community have experienced heart-breaking, life-altering circumstances--one from a sudden diagnosis, another from a horrible accident.

I’ve been reminded this week that everything in your entire life can change in the blink of an eye. Those tragedies that you read about or hear mentioned in the prayer requests of others--one day, that could be me. It could be my family whose lives are forever changed. None of us are guaranteed tomorrow. We cannot know what tomorrow holds. It’s possible that tomorrow will bring heartache like we’ve never known before. All the plans and dreams for the future could be completely altered in a blink.

These are things we all know, but this week, for me, the knowing feels different -- it’s a much deeper kind of understanding than I had before.

I’m sure there are many who hear of these situations and question God. Why them, God? Why this? Why now? I feel those questions, too. And I have no answers for them.

Over the last couple of weeks in our Sunday School class, we have been studying the Exodus. One of the ideas we discussed was this misconception we seem to have that if we follow Jesus and obey God and do our best to live for Him then our life will be easy and problem-free. To the best of my knowledge (which is, granted, not exhaustive by any means!), there is no promise in scripture that followers of Christ will get a charmed life free from all problems and heart-ache. In fact, Jesus pretty much said the exact opposite in John 16:33 when He said, “In this world you will have trouble.”

None of us know when the trouble will come. None of us know what that trouble will look like. But I don’t think Jesus was talking about things like getting a stain on our favorite sweater or a child who doesn’t make the cut for the varsity team or not having enough money to go on vacation or even not getting a promotion we had hoped for. In this chapter, Jesus was trying to prepare His disciples for His arrest, trial, and crucifixion, as well as the persecution they would experience after His death and resurrection. He warned them that they would be scattered, put out of the synagogue, and even killed. These were life-altering types of troubles.

And still today, people experience many, many troubles that seem unbearable--even people who love God and do their best to honor and serve Him. I don’t know why some people experience such pain and heartache, while others do not. Some deal with abrupt life changes; others deal with painful, slow, gradual changes; and still others deal with problems that few in their lives even realize are there. We all have trouble in this broken world, and if we haven’t yet, chances are good that we will at some point in our lifetime.

But I am comforted by what Jesus said to His disciples in John 16:

22 “So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy.”

And the full verse I mentioned earlier, also found in John 16:

33 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

When we have a relationship with Jesus, we can have this joy and peace that the world does not have and cannot understand - even in the midst of our troubles. We have a hope that is difficult to describe to those who don’t have it - a hope for a day when all will be set right, a hope for an eternity with Jesus in a perfect world no longer tainted and broken by sin.

Until then, we will deal with troubles in our lives. And hopefully, we will find ways to help each other through those difficult days. I pray that each of you reading this tonight has the kind of relationship with Jesus that gives you peace, hope, and joy, and that if you don’t, you will learn more about that from someone who does.

God, it’s hard to see those dear to us suffering. We pray for your healing - physical, emotional, and spiritual. Make Yourself known to them. Help those who are hurting to see You and feel Your presence. Take away their fear, and give them Your peace. Thank You for the hope we have in You. Help us to make the most of each and every day You give us, to stop taking for granted things that are not guaranteed, to keep things in proper perspective, and to honor You with all we have and do. Guide us as we try to help one another through the difficult days.

Voice Recognition

When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice. John 10: 4-5

Have you ever been in your classroom and heard voices from the hallway that you could immediately identify? Ever been able to identify which of your students was talking in line, even though your back was to them? Can you tell which of your co-workers has her class outside your door?

I have small groups of students back to back to back most of my day, and many of my students come to my door when it’s time and wait for me to invite them in. If I get a little off schedule and they have to wait for me to finish up with my previous group, I can almost always hear them in the hallway. Most of the time, I can even tell which students are there waiting. I can tell by the sounds of their voices. I’m sure you would recognize your students’ voices pretty accurately by this point in the year, too.

I know them by their voices because I have spent so much time with them. This is true of many people in my life -- my kids, my husband, my close friends. I know their voices well.

Jesus said that his followers would have that recognition, also.

So why does that feel so hard sometimes? Why is it that I sometimes feel like I don’t hear God’s voice at all?

For me, it gets hard when I get too busy to listen. When my quiet time is cut short, and I rush through it -- reading the devotion, reading the scripture, but not allowing time for it to soak in. I have to allow time to listen. I need to sit awhile with a quiet mind in a quiet place so I can hear. And I have to do it every day so that I recognize God’s voice.

Jesus taught using parables, and often his disciples had to ask him later to explain his teachings further. The parables were not completely clear to them. They even asked Jesus why He used this method of teaching instead of being more explicit in Matthew 13:10. Jesus answered in verse 15 by quoting Isaiah:
“For this people’s heart has become calloused;
They hardly hear with their ears,
And they have closed their eyes.
Otherwise they might see with their eyes,
Hear with their ear,
Understand with their hearts
And turn, and I would heal them.”

Jesus had many enemies who sought to trap Him in His teachings. They were listening for the wrong reason - not to learn truth, but to find something to use against Jesus. But Jesus told His disciples they were blessed because they did see and hear (verse 16).

Are you needing to hear from God today? He is not hiding, but He does desire that we spend the time with Him to learn His voice and to truly seek Him and His truth. If we keep our heart, eyes, and ears open to Him, He will reveal Himself. We can’t recognize a voice that we don’t hear regularly, but if we invest the time in the relationship, it becomes hard to miss.

God, we want to hear Your voice and know Your truth. Teach us to recognize Your voice. Help us to be better listeners. Thank You for faithfully revealing Yourself to us as we wholeheartedly seek You.

For Small Groups:
Share ways that help you to be still and listen for God’s voice.

Bundle Up!

But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it,25 so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. 26 If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it. 1 Corinthians 12: 24b-26

It is cold today, and I don’t like it one bit. Whenever I have to go out in the cold, I bundle up. I don’t know if anyone else does this, but I like to wear lots of layers if I know I’m going to be outside in the cold and snow. I wear leggings under my pants with insulated bibs over top. I wear at least two pair of socks inside my insulated boots. I wear gloves inside my mittens. I wear a T-shirt under a sweatshirt under my coat. I cover my head in a hat that always catches my ears, and I wear a big scarf around my neck.

I have a set of a picture book that I often read with my first grade groups around this time of year. It’s called Under My Hood I Have a Hat. It cracks me up at the end because when the little girl gets all bundled up and goes outside in the snow, she falls down and can’t get up because of all her layers. And that’s how I feel when I am dressed for being out in the cold. Yup, I can barely move!

But without all these layers, something inevitably becomes uncomfortably cold. And it doesn’t matter which part of me gets uncomfortably cold, even when it’s only my feet or only my hands or only my ears, my whole self feels miserable. And at this point, my whole self usually goes inside to warm up! My time out in the cold and snowy weather will be over. I’m done.

This makes me think of how Paul used the body to describe the church. As believers, we are all part of a larger body. And if one part suffers, we all suffer. If one part is hurt - physically, emotionally, spiritually, mentally - it affects the whole.

In my physical body, I know this, and in the cold weather I take care to bundle my whole body. It would be ridiculous to wear layers on my legs, torso, head, and hands, but try to go out bare-footed in the snow. I would be useless out there like that!

But I am mindful tonight that I do not take as much care of the members of my church “body”. I sometimes don’t even notice when a fellow believer is struggling or hurting. And if I do notice, I don’t always do anything about it--especially if they don’t ask for help or say anything about their struggle. Why am I like that!?

Sometimes, I don’t know what to do for them, and so I do nothing. But really, there is at least one thing that I can always do for the other members of my body. Something that is amazing and powerful and can help them through anything - just like all my layers keep me warm. I can pray. I can also encourage and honor and speak truth and extend grace and mercy.

Friends, this teaching job is hard. It demands so much of us. And it is easy to become discouraged and hurt. It is easy to feel overwhelmed and drained. It is easy to get to the uncomfortable point where you just want to take a break - to go inside and warm back up.

So let’s take care of one another! Let’s wrap each other up in a warm, cozy blanket of prayer each week. Let’s prepare a nice, warm cup of kind words for one another. Let’s find ways to protect one another from the harsh winds of criticism and the biting chill of over-work.

Because, truthfully, we need each other, and we are so much stronger together.

Father God, thank You for each and every one of the fellow believers that You have placed in my life - especially those in my school with me each day. Lord, protect them from the attacks of the Enemy that continually come. Strengthen them with Your great might. Encourage them with glimpses of Your hand at work around them. Help them to know they are loved and important, and help me to see ways that I can help them to be encouraged this week.

For Small Groups:
In your group, randomly draw the name of another and make a commitment to pray for him/her at least once a week for the next month. Make an effort to do some little form of encouragement for him/her this month - maybe a note or a small gift, maybe offer to do a small job, etc.

It's Kinda Like Sledding

Isaiah 41:13: “I am the LORD your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you."

“This is the superintendent calling to let you know that there will be no school tomorrow.” Oh, the joy that phone call can bring! A snow day! The first one is always particularly exciting. The last several years, we haven’t really had much snow, but this year we started off with a bang! I’m not sure exactly how much there was here at my house, but probably 8-10 inches.

My family all got out in it to play – snowball fights, snowmen, sleds, and snowboards. We have a small hill in our front yard that we’ve always used for sledding with the kids. It’s not a super fabulous sledding hill, but it works. My daughter got the sleds down from the attic, but then she had a little trouble getting started. She stood there at the top of the hill looking down and asked, “How do I do this again?” It really has been a while!

That first trip down the hill is never the best ride. The sled tends to stick a little, and you often need a bit of a push. (I told you, it’s not the best sledding hill!) But the more you go down, the smoother the path becomes. The snow packs down and makes the slide faster and easier.

I was struck by the thought today that my faith journey is a little like that. When starting out in this process of obedience, the first steps tend to be frustrating and tentative – a little awkward and unsure. But as I continue to step out in faith and obedience, each time it gets a little easier to trust God.

It’s not always a smooth ride down the hill, though! Sometimes I get off the track, sometimes I mess up and end up tumbling off the sled and into the snow, and sometimes I don’t have enough momentum to make it to the bottom without a push!

When I’m sledding, I expect those things to happen. I don’t get upset over those blunders. Those are usually the times when I end up laughing the most! And when I’m watching my kids, there is just so much joy in the whole scene.

I think that’s how it should be in my attempts to follow Christ, too. I should know that it’s not going to be perfect and let it be OK when I stumble and fumble and tumble. There should be joy in the journey! But sometimes I allow fear of failure to overwhelm me. In my classroom, I never expect the students to do everything correctly on their first try. I know that mistakes are an important part of the learning. I need to be reminded of that, though, when it comes to my spiritual walk, as well.

Father God, thank you for the joy and beauty of the snow! Thank you for the lessons You teach us as we walk with You each day. Thank You for Your patience and love as we stumble. Help us to find Your path and to follow You always! Help us to lighten up and enjoy the ride!