Tag: Teachers

Honoring ALL Women on Mother’s Day

Today’s a new day! On this Sunday in May we take the time to celebrate all the mom’s out there. I want to say Happy Mother’s Day to all the amazing mothers. But among all the celebrations, let us not forget today can be a really hard day for many.

For those who have lost their moms…

For those who have absent or broken relationships with their moms…

For those who have lost babies or children…

For those facing infertility issues…

For those going through the long adoption process…

Also, let’s not forget the following group of amazing women:

Those that have chosen to be fur baby moms…

Those that have been blessed with the title of aunt or god-mother…

Those that have decided not to have children.

Let me just say to all of the amazing women out there, you are loved and valued by the community around you, regardless of your current motherhood status.

I personally believe on this day that we celebrate all the beautiful mothers out there, we can also remember to hold a special space for those who find this day hard for various reasons as well.

And I believe there is a way to widen our definition of a ‘mother’ to make this day more expansive and inclusive too.

I have been personally blessed to have a great mom and to be part of a whole family full of beautiful strong women, but I’ve also been equally blessed by so many other women in my life who I am not personally related to.

My friend’s mom’s, teachers, spiritual moms, mentors and friends to name just a few.

I am truly grateful for all the women who have made a huge difference in my life over the years. So on this Mother’s Day, let’s remember that there is more than one way for women to be a “mom” to someone in this world. Happy Mother’s Day! ~OC

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Take a Minute Today

Today’s a new day! As we reach the end of another week, I would encourage each of you to take one minute and think about the people who have helped you become the person you are today. The people who invested time into helping you grow as a person. If those individuals are still alive, I would encourage you to reach out to them and say thank you. For those life investors who have passed away, I would encourage you to spend some time reflecting on the lessons they taught you. ~OC

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Labels

Today’s a new day! What label are you wearing today? Labels? Am I wearing a label? What does it say? Who gave you this label? If you’re wearing a label and it doesn’t reflect who God says you are, then it’s time to rip it off.

I remember when I was in 1st grade, the teacher Ms. Deer sat what she perceived as the “Smart Students” in the front of the class and the perceived “Not So Smart Students” in the back of the class. Without really knowing me, Ms. Deer placed me in the back row. There it was. The “label” I did not ask for, but that was the one that was placed on me. Ms. Deer had no idea that in that one moment, she would define who I was as a student for the rest of my academic career. As look back, I remember always sitting in the back of the class. That “label” Ms. Deer slapped on me may have been invisible to everyone else, but I saw it. I felt it.

We have to be so careful about the labels we slap on people. Because without knowing it, those labels can follow people the rest of their lives. Those labels can end up defining a person.

I am thankful, that I would later have teachers and professors that put a lot of time and effort into pushing me past that “average” label. But I must admit, that label was always in the back of my mind all of my academic career.

I am grateful that God does not look at me and slap on a “average” label. No, God looks at me and all of us and sees masterpieces. God takes the time to look past all the labels the world has put on us and sees that masterpiece. But we need to discover who we are in God. To truly believe who God says we are. Then we need to declare it. Take out that megaphone and shout it out to the world. ~OC

“As surely as I live, declares the Lord, I will do to you the very things I heard you say.” ~Numbers 14:28

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A Love of Reading

I love to read. My reading journey is a beautiful story of a teacher’s love. A wonderful story of a summer that forever changed my life. Here we go.

I did not always love reading. It did not come naturally for me. Putting words together was very frustrating. But one summer, a neighbor and family friend made it her mission to help a young kid learn how to read. Not just to read, but come to love reading. That person was Mrs.Speirs. She and her husband were both dedicated teachers, who lived two houses down from my parent. I was great friends with their daughters. That summer, Mrs.S took it upon herself to help increase my reading skills. So Monday through Friday, I would walk down to her house for tutoring. Mrs. S, knew I loved sports and used that to her advantage. Upon arriving for tutoring each morning, Mrs. S would hand me the sports page and have me pick out an article, which we would read together. She was very patient as I struggled through the article. Mrs. S would always encourage me and let me know she believed in me. What a gift she had for shaping young minds. After reading the article, Mrs.S would have me explain what I had just read. Once again, she had a lot of patience. As the summer flew by, something amazing happened. Mrs. S did not have to sit with me as much. I began reading the articles on my own. I started sharing what the articles were about without Mrs. S prompting me. The words began jumping off the page. I found myself getting lost in the words. The stories became so real to me.

That summer literally changed my life. From that summer on, reading became a passion. I could not read enough, and books became a huge part of my childhood. I would escape into the stories as I read the words. That love of reading followed me into adulthood. I love to sit around with a good book and let the words flow. Nothing like a great book that puts you right in the middle of the story. I love a book that challenges me to be a better person or one that ignites me to action. That is what reading can do for you. It can change your life.

I am so thankful Mrs. S took precious time out of her summer break, to help a young boy fall in love with reading. ~OC

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Adopt A School

As school districts debate on whether they should open up in the Fall or not, I would encourage everyone to adopt a school to pray for in your area. You could take one day a week, to drive by the school and pray for the students, teachers, administrators, staff and parents. This will be another tough and unique school year for everyone. They could all use our prayers. ~OC

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My Prayers and Thoughts

Good morning! So as I sit in this hospital room, here are some of my prayers and thoughts.

I pray my beautiful bride is resting and wakes up feeling great.

I pray that some dear family and friends who are sick, will experience complete healing.

I pray for all the Caregivers taking care of a loved one.

I pray The Holy Spirit will take over South Florida. Revival come!

I pray I will be the best husband, friend and disciple of Jesus that I can be through Him.

I pray for everyone in the military and all First Responders. And their families.

I pray for peace.

I pray for all the leaders. I pray their hearts and minds would be changed by God.

I pray for the victims of human trafficking. I pray they will be rescued and their lives will be completely restored. I pray for all the organizations fighting this horrible crime. I pray their needs will be met. Most importantly, I pray their hearts and motives are pure.

I pray for all churches, pastors, missionaries and ministries. May they truly be the hands and feet of Jesus.

I pray God will allow me to do more for everyone I come in contact with during the day.

I pray for all the patients, nurses, doctors and staff at Good Sam. Give each the strength they need today.

I pray for our schools, students, teachers, staff and administrators. I pray God would bless and protect each.

I pray I will not get in the way of what God wants to do in my life.

Here are some of the thoughts going through my crazy beautiful mind this morning:

What races will I run in 2020, if God allows me to run again? It has been almost 11 years since I last ran.

If God blesses me with the ability to run again, that means I could return to the workforce. Where would I work? Who would hire a 50 something guy who has not worked in almost 11 years, but has an incredible crazy beautiful story? Would I go on the speaking circuit? Would I look at working at a church or ministry of some kind? Would I work at a school or university? Would I be a Greeter at Walmart?

Yes, those are some of the crazy thoughts that go through my mind a lot of morning’s. I just want to be ready for whatever God has prepared for me. Even if that means never running another race or never being able to return to work, I will be obedient and thankful.

Have a wonderful and blessed day. ~OC

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