Inadequate

I am inadequate. I am inadequate but this God, my God, tells me I am perfect. I was made for this moment. An almighty, wonderful, beautiful God tells me I am made for this moment. He died and rose again and He has made me adequate. His grace is enough. I recognize my inadequacy daily and daily I am reminded that I have been made adequate. I am good enough for Him. He died and rose for ME. Whoa. WHOA.

Today I got to hang out with three boys who I have babysat for over eight years. The youngest is 6 and I remember the first time I got to hold him as a baby. He was, and still is, so sweet and so pure. However, today, as a 6 year old with 2 older brothers, he decided to tell me that he knew every single cuss word and the first 2 letters of every single cuss word. Using my "teacher brain", I was trying to think of something creative to tell him, something to make him NOT want to even think about cuss words..but my brain froze, and my first instinct was to laugh. So...I laughed. I thought, "What in the world am I going to do when I am a teacher and some kid starts explaining to another kid all the different cuss words?" I don't have a clue what I am going to do. Maybe pull them aside and explain to them how those words are inappropriate, maybe tell them that they are not to be used in my classroom, maybe explain the disrespect within those words...I don't have a clue. I am inadequate in many areas in teaching. BUT, I am a continual learner. I will always be a continual learner. I will rely on the strength, wisdom, and counsel of the Holy Spirit. I will rely on Him always. I pray I will rely on Him always. The Holy Spirit blows my mind to pieces and I am beyond thankful that He is within me. He makes me who I am. I am who I am because of the Holy Spirit. All I can do is praise. All I can do is ask for His wisdom, His guidance, His understanding, and His patience. Praise Jesus that we all have access to these things! The King of the UNIVERSE has granted us, me, access to His awesome power. Wow. How sweet it is to be loved by Him. How sweet it is.

Ideas from an Expert

My mom is a teacher and always comes home telling me cool ideas she has learned or implements in her classroom. I hope I become half the teacher she is.

Ideas:

1. Every morning stand outside your classroom to greet your students with either a high five, hug, or handshake (teach your class a "secret handshake" that no one else in the school is allowed to see)

2. From an old paned window create a chalkboard - use chalkboard paint to paint the glass of the windows

3. Elf on a shelf - This elf is watching you and relaying your behavior to Santa!

4. Class Meeting - Sometime during the day hold a class meeting. Talk about the weekend, show and tell, or give each student a compliment

Called to be a teacher.

True Life: I'm going to be a teacher. I am called to be a teacher. I have experienced a desire, a strength, an excitement for teaching that can only be attributed to that sweet Man upstairs. He has called me to be a teacher and I couldn't be more thankful. I was made for this. Beautifully and wonderfully made to be a teacher. I know it will be hard but I continue to remain thankful for those hard days because when I am weak, He is so strong. When I am weak He is glorified and I pray that would remain my greatest desire. To glorify my God. To glorify my King, my Counselor, my Healer, my Provider, my Unfailing Love. To glorify Him in my weakness.

This semester I interned in a sweet 2nd grade classroom in a town where everyone knows everything about everyone. Every Friday I would ask the kids what they were going to do during the weekend. Their response, almost every time, sounded something like this, "Well, I'm gonna go ride my four wheeler and then maybe go shoot some deer with my Dad's shotgun." Hilarious. It took all I had not to bust out laughing at this response. I'm from a city and a home where shooting deer was like shooting Bambi...you just didn't do it. Fine example of culture shock.

Next semester I will be student teaching in one of the 2nd smallest schools in the county. I'm in 4th grade and there are 12 (yes, 12) children in the classroom I will be teaching in. I am thankful and I am excited. So excited. As I begin student teaching I will remember...I was made for this and I am a continual learner. I am not perfect and I will never be perfect but I do love a God who is. He will provide all I need for each and every day. He has never failed. His promises are never broken. He will prune, shape, and mold me into the teacher He so desires. I'm ready. My prayer as I prepare for student teaching is that I would show these 12 students the selfless Love of Christ. As I prepare to enter the classroom each day I will say, "Lord, send me." Send me to carry Your glory, to spread Your Name to these students. Lord, send me.

Psalm 63

O God, you are my God,
earnestly I seek you;
my soul thirsts for you,
my body longs for you,
in a dry and weary land
where there is no water.

I have seen you in the sanctuary
and beheld your power and your glory.
Because your love is better than life,
my lips will praise you as long as I live,
and in your name I will lift up my hands.
My soul will be satisfied as with the
richest of foods;
with singing lips my mouth will praise you...