Undercover boss

I don't watch much TV, but I have started watching a show called Undercover Boss. The premise is that the "boss" of a company goes undercover (thus the title) in his/her company to see how things really work and to learn more about the lives of the employees. Invariably, the boss is enlightened to the life struggles of the workers. You witness them gaining insight into the frustrations, fears, hurts and also the successes . They see workers who are passionate about their careers, even though they may be pretty low on the company ladder. Occasionally, there is a worker who is not performing at a high level or showing integrity. Of course, those workers are not so delighted when the revelation is made that their coworker was really the head of the company. At the end, the experience enables the boss to empathize with the employees and intervene on their behalf in better meeting their needs and honoring those who pursued excellence.

Two life lessons I see here:

1. If my "boss" were to walk around with me all day, disguised, would he/she see a pursuit of excellence in everything I do? Would I be upholding the values and integrity of my school in all of my dealings with students, parents, other teachers, custodial staff, etc? Would my passion for teaching and learning be obvious? contagious? My school is nationally recognized as a leader in boys' education. Am I giving 100%, all of the time?

2. I teach Bible and am a committed Christian, so ultimately my boss is Jesus Christ. He was the ultimate "Undercover Boss". John 1:14... "the Word became flesh and dwelt among us." He left His throne so that He might work alongside us, experiencing our human struggles, frustrations, heartaches, and fears. He disguises Himself daily in the form of the needy I encounter (or maybe avoid-which is a bigger problem). He is working undercover as the coworker that gets on my nerves, the high maintenance friend, the ungrateful child, the inefficient clerk at the grocery store... the list goes on. Mother Teresa said, "The dying, the cripple, the mental, the unwanted, the unloved- they are Jesus in disguise." What does He think about my performance on the job He has given me? Is my love and passion for Him and His purpose in my life obvious? contagious?

I fall miserably short on so many things. But Praise God that I serve a God of new beginnings and second chances! And today..and tomorrow... and for all the tomorrows to come, I will work to please my "Boss" out of gratitude for His endless grace in my life.

"Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men. Col. 3:23."

I am Second

I said that I would share stories and things that have encouraged and/or challenged me. This website is one of my favorites, iamsecond.com It is a great source for videos for chapel, Sunday school and youth groups, too.

This is what it says,

Inspiring the Revolution of Second.

I am Second is a movement meant to inspire people of all kinds to live for God and for others. Actors. Athletes. Musicians. Business leaders. Drug addicts. Your next-door neighbor. People like you. The authentic stories on iamsecond.com provide insight into dealing with typical struggles of everyday living. These are stories that give hope to the lonely and the hurting, help from destructive lifestyles, and inspiration to the unfulfilled. You’ll discover people who’ve tried to go it alone and have failed. Find the hope, peace, and fulfillment they found. Be Second.

Go on the site and check out some of the videos. Amazing, inspirational, and transforming.

Inside the Belly of the whale

My Kindergarten classes have been learning about Jonah and obedience. I was trying to help the boys (my school is all boys) imagine what that must have been like and why God chose to do that. This picture shows my creation! The boys loved it! We all crawled in the whale's mouth, sat in the dark and I told the story. One little boy said, "I think I know why God sent the whale. It was kind of like a time-out so Jonah could think about what he had done and pray to God." It made me think of those times in my life that I seem to be in a holding pattern or things seem to have totally fallen apart, maybe God has put me in a "time-out" so that I will think, pray and seek. Only the amazing word of God teaches us a different lesson each time it is read.

Using Wordle in the Bible classroom

One of the fun things I have done with my Second grade classes this year is using Wordle. It is so much fun to play with! You copy and paste text from anything- web page, Bible verse, word document, etc. It makes it into a word picture that makes the most frequently used words bigger. Play around with it!
This Christmas, I got everyone in my family to write 20 words to describe our family. We printed and framed it and gave to my husband as a gift.

Go to Wordle.net and make one!