I Want to Be Like Howard

Tony Evans

Andy Stanley

Chuck Swindoll

Joseph Stowell

David Jeremiah

Bruce Wilkerson

Chip Ingram

These men are contemporary Christian leaders with various ministries, but they all have something in common -- this man:

Dr. Howard Hendricks is a professor at Dallas Theological Seminary.  His students have the utmost respect and love for him as a teacher, role model, and mentor through the years -- just read that link to see what some of them have to say.

When Christians hear the names of the men in the first list, they immediately think of books or radio programs, but you won't meet many people who know the name Howard Hendricks.  And that's probably just fine with him.

I pray I can be like this...leave a legacy like this...pouring into others, humbling myself, making sure I am living a life worth copying and imitating, just as Paul suggests in the New Testament. 

Can I encourage someone to love their husband and children the way I do? 

Spend their money like me?

Pray and study God's Word the way I pray and study?

Drive like me?? 

Oh dear.

I'm sure Dr. Hendricks is not perfect.  I'm sure he's utterly baffled by the way God has used him.  But he was obedient to his call, kept his focus pure, and allowed God to do the rest. 

May we strive for the same!

The School Wars

I had the privilege of being a part of a panel today about education at a MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) Group.  I represented Christian school along with another mom, and then there were 2 moms representing public schools and another 2 moms as homeschool representatives.

Can I be honest here?

  I was scared to death. 

I hate conflict.  I hate that gut-wrenching feeling I get when people are getting testy and angry ....I didn't want this discussion to turn into defensive, angry opinions or criticism.

I LOVE my Christian School, y'all know that. 

And I think it is a fantastic option for many, many Bible-believing Christians. 

 But I also recognize the fact that education is not a one-size-fits-all situation. 

The beautiful thing about this talk today was how our entire panel spoke with grace, love, and encouragement to these moms who are at the very beginning of the journey.  I was excited to see all 6 of us recognize the fact that we all want the best for our kids and it takes prayer, humility, and wisdom to select the education scenario best for each child. 

We are our children's first and primary teachers.  Always.

If our children do not know the word of God or Who He Is, we cannot blame anyone or anything else except ourselves. 

Shame on us if we hold others responsible for our children's view of God. 

We all agreed that no matter where or how your child is educated, you must be extremely involved in their school/classroom.  Don't trust their opinions -- get in there and get to know the kids and the teachers.

There is no cookie cutter recipe for turning out godly, mature young men and women.  I have seen positive and negative aspects of EVERY educational option!  I'm sure you have, too. 

Here is what I think it comes down to:

1.  Pray for wisdom months and months before your child even reaches school age.  Ask the Lord to make it clear to you how your children should be taught.

2.  Talk to your husband and pray together.  (Hopefully you talked about it before you even got married!)

3.  Search what the Bible says about knowledge and wisdom.

4.  Know your child!  How does he learn best? 

5.  Don't let others' opinions sway you from doing what God has called YOU to do.  There are negative people in every camp - that's life.

What about you? How do you decide your children's education? What are your fears/worries?

Top Ten Reasons I Love Teaching

10. I get to carry a pointy stick like this one and wield it like a ninja. 

      Not really, but I'd love to try this sometime.

9.  Shopping for school clothes.  For myself.

8.  Getting birthday and Christmas presents from students. 

7.  Talking about my favorite books and getting paid for it.

6.   Having a spectacular library across the hall.

5.   Office supplies rock my world. 

4.   I'm much better at decorating my classroom than my own home.

3.   It's kind of like doing stand-up comedy everyday.  Especially when I'm teaching grammar. 

      It's a riot.

2.   Fire Drills!!  It's like extra recess!

1.   I know, you think I'm going to say "June, July, and August."  Not so, Nemo. 

      The answer is:  students.  They make me happy.  They make me laugh.  They make me food. 

      I love them.