We're done!!!

Yay!!! We're done! If you listen closely you'll hear the sounds of teachers cheering for joy!! I know I'm not the only happy teacher out there! I love my kids, but it was time for all of us to have a break! We had a great party today, and I received lots of great gifts. I am so glad that we have a two week break ahead of us! I can't believe Christmas is next week!!!

Daily Verse

Today's verse:

"So also, the tongue is a small thing, but what enormous damage it can do. Sometimes it praises our Lord and Father, and sometimes is breaks out into curses against those who have been made in the image of God." James 3:5,9

I've heard it said many times that the tongue is an evil thing. It can cause such damage. It's scary to think how "two faced" we can be: like James says, using our tongue to both praise and tear down. I know I don't think about that very often. What's even more scary is to think that the Bible tells us that "from the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks." (Luke 6:45) We can't blame our tongue for talking. We speak from our hearts. I hope that my tongue does more praising than tearing down. That's my prayer.

Daily Verse

I'm reading through James right now, so you'll notice most of the verses are from there.

"So you see, it isn't enough just to have faith. Faith that doesn't show itself by good deeds in not faith at all -- it is dead and useless." James 2:17

Claiming to have faith is more than just saying you believe in God. When we experience true faith, we are transformed. We can't help but be, act, and look different. Once we are saved, our actions should confirm our faith and commitment to Christ. James uses Abraham as an example. His faith in Christ gave him the willingness to sacrifice his own son, and he was rewarded for it. I wonder if I have that kind of faith. I don't want to simply say I believe. I want my life to reflect that.

Daily Verse

Ok, I'm setting a new goal for myself. In addition to simply blogging more, (since I've been recently told how pathetic I am), I'm going to try to post a daily verse. Now, I know "daily" is a pretty big leap from someone who hasn't blogged since August. So, we'll see how good I do.

Micah and I are trying to be more diligent in the amount of time we spend during our daily Bible reading and quite time. So, I thought this might be a good idea. It'll give me a chance to share what I'm reading, and possibly reflect on what God's showing me.

So.... today's verse:

" Dear brothers, whenever trouble comes your way, let it be an opportunity for joy. For when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be strong in character and ready for anything." James 1:2-4

I'll be the first to admit that I don't look at my "troubles" as joy. However, this is a great challenge! Maybe I'd be a lot better off if I'd use the "troubles," however big or small, that I walk through as opportunities to grow and learn, instead of always having a negative attitude towards things that don't go my way. Something to think about....