Snatches of January.

    “Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise: Be thankful unto Him, and bless His name.” Psalm 100:4 

    The children crowd around one desk, coloring with the beloved Sharpies. They chatter excitedly and put the marker lids on their fingers for fingernails. The topic of conversation today is how the identical twins switched jackets and everyone got them confused. Sadly, their teacher did as well which was not amusing to the one twin. 

    “Miss Miller! Miss Miller! Look! It’s snowing!” The picture out of the window looks slightly blurry due to the white blur floating down from the sky. The weather has not been very January, but in recently days has suddenly turned sharply colder. The snow coats make an appearance once again. It was feeling quite springlike, but now there is talk of snow, ice, and skating. 

    During a game of Monopoly: “I am absolutely the richest dude in town!”

    A wise piece of advice from a 2nd grader to a 3rd grader after that Monopoly game: “It doesn’t really matter if you lose or win. It isn’t fun to lose though.”

    Sometimes, Thursdays are a little draggy; so on this particular Thursday, I took a page from my sister’s teaching manual and we wrote thankful lists. The beautiful morning sunshine poured in the windows and there was the pleasant sound of pencils scratching on paper. After each respective student had written down ten respective thankfuls, they each went around and read one thing from their list. I was throughly impressed by what they had come up with. A free country, a calico cat, Heaven, and the one that I was impressed by life. Am I thankful everyday for life? It really was the coolest thing and I hope to do it again soon with my precious students.

    While making pasta snowflakes for art, one student was heard saying, “Who knew pasta could be so entertaining?” The pasta was inevitably all over the floor. “The vacuum will be full of pasta!” “It will have a good dinner!” 
   

Catching inspiration through song. (pt. 2)

    “What a wondrous salvation I’ve found in my Lord, power to save and to keep me from sin. If to love and to praise Him, my only reward, I shall never cease worshipping him. For He gave me a new beginning, broken pieces He made to mend. Took the pieces I shattered and made them anew. I will never cease worshipping Him.” It has been awhile since I awoke with a song on my heart. This particular song is swirling around in my head one Saturday morning. 

    “Flying through storms or soaring in sunshine, who knows what life will bring. God is my refuge. God is my strength. He’s the wind underneath my wings.” Monday morning singing is particularly fun this specific Monday. No matter the storms or the sunshine, He’s the wind underneath my wings. 

    “Walking on heaven’s road gonna lay down my heavy load. Jesus said He’d walk along with me. Praise God! Glory hallelujah! I’m singing all the way. I’ve got sunshine in everyday. Won’t you come along and join me on that heaven’s road?” The tune is upbeat and the children all sing out when it reaches “Praise God! Glory hallelujah!” They may not understand the exact words of the song, but their faces reveal the “sunshine in everyday”. 

    “So build your house on the Lord Jesus Christ. So build your house on the Lord Jesus Christ. So build your house on the Lord Jesus Christ and the blessings will come down. The blessings will come down as your prayers go up. The blessings will come down as your prayers go up. The blessings will come down as your prayers go up; so build your house on the Lord.” There is joy shining from one first grader’s face. She is singing with all her heart and her hands go up with the prayers and down with the blessings. Her childish excitement over the song brings me excitement too. 

    “Lord, I stand in wonder at Your saving power. In Your grace that bought me, I rejoice this hour. Now in deepest gratitude I pledge my days, as a living sacrifice of praise. May the life I live resound and sing in deep adoration to You, my King. I present my life as a sacrifice, living offering praising Your name.” The school rings with the song. “…How You saved my life by your sacrifice freed my soul forever to sing.” Something in the words to the song filter into my heart. What a sacrifice so that I could live a joy filled life! Am I doing all to live my life as a living offering, praising God’s name? 

    “You can’t add days to your life, but you can add life to your days.” 

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