Happy New Year!

Yup, Happy New Year.  You see for Teacher's our years are based from August until July.  August marks the start of a new year, school year.  I am driving away from the beach, my summer vacation.  I start teaching again today.  This year I am only teaching 2 classes on Monday.  I haven't been looking forward to it, actually complaining and dreading it.  But as I have been praying today and after yesterday's message I realized that I have an incredible opportunity today.  I am going to have the next generation, those high school age teens who are daily bombarded with the world and so many temptations, come into my classroom for 2 hours and listen to me talk!  What an opportunity I have this year to speak into the young students lives.   To the generation that will be leading our churches and even our world in the future.  After Benny's message yesterday I have been really convicted to reach out to my students, to "do hard things".  I know they are easily drawn into the world and most likely are getting "drunk" without even realizing the seriousness of what they are doing.  As a teacher I have the unique opportunity to be allowed, being paid, to teach not only my particular subject but they encourage talking about God.  I can preach the gospel as much as I want to my students!  Wow, I've never thought about it this way.  It is kind of sad because this is my 3rd year teaching.  I would encourage everyone to listen to Benny's message here.  It was VERY good.  So, now I am getting excited about starting the new year today.  I look forward to sharing stories of the relationships I've formed and hopefully lives I've impacted for the gospel.

"What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you?  Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you?...Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God?  Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God...Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you...Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you."  James 4: 1, 4, 8, & 10.