Math God's Way

 Once I had a young student who was mildly dyslexic. She struggled with it, thinking she was stupid. Sometimes though she came up with astounding insights, things that I remember to this day.

She was working on her math homework one day and I noticed the subtraction problem she was working on. The problem read 8 - 5 =___. Her answer was 13. 

I tried to help her work through the math using an image of M&Ms. I asked her, "If you had 8 M&Ms and you gave your brother 5 of them..."

She quickly responded, "I would never do that!"

I smiled and went on, "Well, let's say you did. Would you have more M&Ms after you gave them away than you had to start with?"

She gave me the biggest smile and told me, "Yes. God would give me more."

I was astounded. It occurred to me take maybe her checkbook would never be balanced, but she wouldn't ever run out of money.

Think about it. God is a generous Father. All He wants is our love and trust.

Thanks for visiting with me. 

God bless us all.

Kathi

Teacher Thought #2

 Proverbs 18:21 “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits.” (KJV)

Words have lifelong influence on children. I’m seventy-two years of age and still have my parents’ voice, especially my mother’s, in my head.

“Wherever you go, you carry our family name with you.”

“Always hand someone a pair of scissors handle first.”

“Make sure your bed is made before you get on the bus.”

Some words were more important than others, but they all carried weight in my life, even things my parents didn’t remember telling me.

Making my bed wasn’t a hard thing to do, but I wasn’t especially careful about it. The lumps and bumps in the covers resembled a topographical map.

Finally, my mother took me to the bedroom and said, “If a ladybug walked across your bed, it would get seasick.”

I was horrified. After that conversation, I made my bed with much more care. I didn’t want any ladybugs to throw up on my bed.

 Words change people.

When I became a teacher, I experienced this issue in my students’ lives. More than one student come into my room believing they were stupid. Either a parent or another teacher had called them dumb – and they believed it to be true.

It takes a long time, months, to help them understand that they are useful and valuable and smart.

One word can tear them down. It takes many words and time to build them back up again.

Are you sending out life or death with your words?

Teacher Thought # 1

 My Empty Heart

 

Ephesians 3:16-17 I pray that out of His glorious riches He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. NIV

 

When I taught in a Christian school, I often wore a heart-shaped locket. No pictures adorned its interior.

A second-grade girl noticed this jewelry and asked what was in the heart. I let her open it so she could see.

When she looked inside, she gave me a somber look and, with the wisdom that comes from young children, said, “It’s not good to have an empty heart.”

Later, I noticed she was concentrating on a project at her desk.

Between classes, my young student brought me a tiny paper heart with the name of Jesus written on it. She gave it to me as a gift so my heart wouldn’t be empty anymore.

It’s been many years, but I haven’t forgotten her words. “It’s not good to have an empty heart.”

How is your heart? Empty or full of Jesus?

Thank you for visiting with me.

God bless you always.

Kathi

Something to Say

 It looks like I quit posting on this blog around the time I got Covid. It wasn't terrible for me. I had a fever of 99 degrees and I blew my nose more than usual. Having natural immunity at that point got me through the rest of the pandemic without incident.

I wish I had kept writing, especially as the library was closed for a fairly long time and I could have written more.

Instead, I cleaned the house down to its toenails and got rid of things I never use.

Now that I've retired I'm writing more seriously. My first book in a while is finished and online at Amazon. I'm including my affiliate link here.

https://amzn.to/3tOcDFV

The second book is in the editing/clean up process. Another hundred pages and I can hand it off to my formatter/cover designer.

It will be called Stories They Don't Teach in Sunday School: Wanderings.

Everything in the Old Testament points to Jesus in the New Testament. Each piece in the Tabernacle foreshadows Jesus. The rock that gave water to the people in the desert actually was Jesus. I can prove that by something Paul tells us in the Epistles.

The cover design will be like the first book but it will be red, like the Red Sea and the blood waters of Egypt, and like the Passover Lamb.

I'll be sure to let you know when it is available...if we're still here.

Thanks for visiting with me.

God bless you and may Jesus come back soon.

Kathi