Good Monday morning, everyone!

We had another topic in mind for you this morning, but life kind of intervened the way it sometimes does. It reminds me of Chapter VI in our One God, Two Voices book that is entitled, “People (and Sometimes We) Just Don’t Understand.”  We delve into several topics, but the main focus is on the tremendous toll the loss of a student takes on teachers. As Deidre (Voice I) said, “Another thing that people just don’t understand is that teachers can and do bond with their students in many positive ways . . . after countless days of teaching and interacting with a particular student, you can build a rapport that can last a lifetime.” We both go on to discuss the loss of students we have taught to death and/or bad circumstances, including prison.

Well, the “Downs” from the title in this blog post is that I am lifting Deidre, my sister in the Lord, co-author, and best friend, up in prayer today as she ministers to a student body who has lost one of their own – a Senior in the school where she counsels/teaches – to a tragic accident this past weekend. Even though she has experienced this type of loss before, no one is ever fully prepared to experience it again with a new group of students who are shocked and initially inconsolable. This is someone they knew, with whom they perhaps walked down the halls or sat beside in classes at their school. Death is for old people; not someone their age! There will be many tears and possibly hysterical sobs as these young people come to grips with the reality that death is no respecter of age. Children die, teenagers die, college students die . . . but that fact is not really brought home to anyone unless you experience it yourself. I would appreciate prayers for my friend as she deals with a very difficult situation and tries, with God’s help, to comfort those who are mourning.

Moving onto the “Ups” in the title, Deidre will move from a troubling experience to an exciting one, when she meets me in Orlando this week. The Two Voices are participating in our very first event as we exhibit our book at the Florida Association of Christian Colleges/Schools (FACCS) annual convention. I hear that the Orange County Convention Center is HUGE, so I expect to be overwhelmed and lost! This will be the first time that we have books to sell to the teachers/others who attend this yearly meeting, and we are looking forward to meeting as many of them as we can. Prayers for safe travel and a good result are also requested from our readers.

I know that God will move in the Ups and Downs of our lives. I have seen Him do it before and He will not fail us now. That’s what we meant in our previous blog about trust. It is so freeing to know that He is in control.

Wishing you a blessed week. Enjoy the colors of the season – it’s beautiful in the Whited Woods!

Sue – Voice II

Have you ever experienced a situation that caused you great worry and felt that possibly your prayers were going unheard or unanswered? Of course, you have as this is a human experience. Depending on the severity, I expect many of us have this happen from time to time. What do I do? What do you do? Are we able to pray and just “let it go?” That’s what we’re told to do repeatedly in the Bible. For example, “I trust in you, Lord; I say, ‘You are my God.’ My times are in your hands” (Psalm 31:14-15), “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths (Proverbs 3:5-6), and “Cast all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you” (I Peter 5:7).

Recently, something very important to me and for which I had worked very hard, was in danger of not happening. My natural response in situations like this is to work harder! However, I know in my heart that the best thing to do is to pray harder. In this situation, a combination of the two worked and the “desire of my heart” (another phrase from the Bible) worked itself out with the help of some very talented people. When things like this happen, I am reminded that answers can take time, require patience, and always teach us something. Sometimes it feels impossible to just WAIT, but that is what we must do.

Do you trust in yourself, your spouse, or in the Lord? I know which one is the most reliable, and I have to remember in the tough times, that He wants more for me than I could ever imagine. It’s really just an issue of trust.

Sue – Voice II

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not to your own understanding….” (Proverbs 3:5-8), is definitely one of my life scriptures. In other words, it is one of the scriptures that I attempt to apply daily in my life, and I consistently share it with others as well. This scripture has gotten me through so many difficult times. One day I was reading it, and I began to talk to God in my heart and mind. I began to think about how I do my best to trust God, but I honestly knew that I did not always trust in God as His word commands. Soon, I began to audibly say, “God I want to trust in you with my whole heart. Please help me to do that.” Shortly after praying, I flopped my entire body down onto (and into) the couch in our family room, and I heard the Spirit of God say, “That is how I want you to trust in Me, just fall back and don’t even question whether I will catch or hold you because I am right there. Just like you believed and had faith in that couch to hold you, let go and allow me to catch you, even before the fall comes.” WOW! That was a powerful lesson the Lord revealed to me on that day. John 16:5 -15 reminds us that one of the missions of the Holy Spirit is to teach us all things.

Question: If we can trust in concrete items and inanimate objects like cars, chairs, and bikes to support us, carry us, and hold us without giving it a second thought, then how much more should we put that same amount of trust in the Creator of everything and everyone?

A Thought to Ponder: Nothing or no one deserves 100% of our heart’s trust but God because He will not fail us. It is only our own inabilities to trust in Him with our entire heart that will cause us to fail. Life will teach us how to trust or mistrust people, but a relationship with Christ allows us to practice putting ALL of our trust in Him. Please practice.

Deidre – Voice I

It’s been a couple of weeks since we posted something in the inspirational vein, so this week we want to encourage you to remember that when life is hard, you don’t have to do it alone. Since the “voices” on this site are best friends and teachers from different racial/cultural backgrounds who are not just authors, but Christians, we felt it was time we encouraged you with a Word from above.

Sometimes it seems that life is very difficult without adding to it the daily challenges of five or more classes with a total of over 100 students to inspire and teach, or 25+ elementary-aged munchkins needing constant attention. Right now I am in the retirement stage of life, busy with things I choose to do. My contemporaries are mostly free from child-rearing and are enjoying grandchildren instead. But the problems and heartache can still come – sometimes from out of nowhere. For example, one couple from my church has repeatedly asked for prayers this past week for their grown son who was involved in a very serious accident. They are spending countless hours by his hospital bedside, not knowing what the outcome will be. Several months ago, another retired couple lost their grandson to a ATV accident and had the difficult task of consoling their child over the loss of their own grandchild. A member of my family is watching and supporting her husband as he battles a serious cancer, hoping and praying that he defeats this disease and is able to watch their daughter grow into adulthood. As the title of this blog says, sometimes life is just hard.

As a Christian, I want you to know that God loves you and will help through the rough spots of life. I can personally attest to this because my husband and I lost our youngest son in 1999. Instead of losing my sanity and my faith, I was able to hold onto the teachings of the Bible and rely on my Heavenly Father to comfort me in my loss. Of course I asked “why,” but my prayers also asked for strength and courage to put one foot in front of the other while waiting for my emotional healing to come. The prayers of many others uplifted me through the days, weeks, and months following this personal tragedy, as I continued to teach and be there for other people’s children. My encouragement for you is to trust God to help you through the most difficult circumstances in life. He is just a prayer away. I found a recent post on Facebook by one of my favorite authors, Max Lucado, that perfectly illustrates what I’m trying to say: “Our prayers may be awkward. Our attempts may be feeble. But since the power of prayer is in the One who hears it and not in the one who says it, our prayers do make a difference.”

Another wonderful example for those of you who enjoy music videos is Colton Dixon’s “Through All of It.” Max, Colton, and I want to encourage you today with the truth that God is there for you when you need him.

May God bless you in the good times and the bad.

Sue – Voice II

Talk about hardships! Right now the doctors have told my family that my Mom is soon to die. She suffers from Parkinson’s Disease and her heart is very weak. Regardless, she told my oldest brother, who is also my family’s pastor and leader, “When God calls for me, I am ready to answer.” This gives me great joy and peace because God has the final say in her timetable and the “joy of the Lord is my strength” (Nehemiah 8:10)

People may look at you and never realize the weight of the struggles you are carrying. As Christians, we know we have to “cast our cares upon Him” (I Peter 5:7), but this is not always easy to do. The reality in our lives is that we will have trouble here, and if we don’t rely on God to help us through bad times, we will suffer even more. Recently, October 1, was a normal day for families in Roseburg, Oregon. It quickly turned into a tragic day when a shooter killed and injured many at Umpqua Community College. My hope is that those families affected will turn to Him for help and comfort.

Everyday we look at each other and don’t realize the struggle/story behind that face. Through it all we must continue to trust in Jesus, for that is the best thing we can do. “It is still well with my soul,” and I will continue to lift Him in praise in all circumstances.

Deidre – Voice I

Life happens to teachers, just like everyone else. In one of the last chapters of our book, I relate some emotional and physical challenges I experienced over a two-year period while I was still teaching. Regardless of what was happening in my life, I was still expected to open my classroom door every day and teach my classes with enthusiasm and creativity. Some days it was a welcome distraction to interact with and teach my students, but on others, it was very difficult to maintain a professional demeanor. During the days when life has thrown you a curve ball, you have to reach deep down and pull up an extra dose of patience to survive.

It’s amazing to realize that students, parents, and large segments of society really don’t understand that teachers have personal lives that can sometimes be very draining. The stresses that come from outside the classroom can be difficult to put aside as you try to deal with other people’s children in a professional and caring manner. I always gave it my best, but some days it was difficult. I’ll let Deidre continue with some examples.

Sue – Voice II

Students oftentimes don’t realize that teachers are people, just like their parents or themselves. I remember telling one class to remain quiet while I stepped out for a restroom break. They looked at me in shock and disbelief as I added, “Yes I do that too.” The quietness was interrupted by infectious laughter! Once they were quiet again, I dashed out quickly and thought how nice it would be to be able to take a break whenever I wanted. It seemed I was always in a rush because one wrong word or tossed pencil when I was not in the classroom could result in a catastrophe, and I would be at fault for not being there while taking care of a basic need. This is the life we have chosen to lead as teachers, but many do not realize it. A bathroom break is a luxury for a teacher – something many people in other careers just take for granted.

Teachers get hungry, just like you. Thirty minutes may sound like a sufficient amount of time, but when you factor in walking your class to and from the lunchroom (five minutes each way), getting your lunch, running a few extra copies, returning a parent’s phone call, etc., that lunch time is gone and ends up being a snack. You are really never off the clock in the teaching profession. These types of things add up to a long, exhausting day.

Teachers get sick just like you, are divorced or have marital problems just like you, grieve lost family members and suffer pain in their bodies while still having to be in that classroom, on the front lines for their students. Many people are quick to criticize teachers, never understanding that teaching is one of those professions where personal needs have to take a “back seat” to others every day. To our fellow teachers, we understand your situation and hope that others will try to “get it” too.

Deidre – Voice I

OK, teachers, here’s the scenario: you are hired to teach in a new school location which houses students in Kindergarten through grade 12. Your certification is for multiple subjects in grades 7 – 12. All of your school belongings have been moved to your new room, its walls decorated with new, colorful posters, and the first week’s lesson plans are written and placed on your desk. All that remains is for you to meet your students.

After day #1 is finally completed and you realize that your early morning excitement has now turned into early evening exhaustion, you also contemplate that this has been a good day. Everything went very well for your Block A classes. Hopefully, this should be a good year if the Block B students that you will meet tomorrow are as cooperative and well-behaved as your students were today.

Up and off on day #2, you have barely begun to prepare for your students, when you realize that the youngsters entering your class are just that – young, very young – they are Kindergarteners! No one has mentioned to you that you would be teaching introductory computer skills to little ones. Your room is not prepared for students that size, you are not certified to teach that age, and your experience is with older students. You might be teaching about computers, but in reality, nothing about this situation computes! Why weren’t you told about this class before school began, or even when you interviewed for this position? Talk about going from the “sublime to the ridiculous!” You need your job and you love to teach, but something about this just isn’t right.

Have you ever heard of a situation like this? What would you do if this happened to you? Do you believe all things happen for a reason? I wonder how many similar events have “surprised” teachers at the start of this new school year? Unexpected challenges for new and experienced teachers are one of the topics Deidre and I discuss in our book. Sometimes the hurdles placed before you by other adults in the building are much more difficult to overcome than anything the students bring into your classroom. What do you think? Please share with us.

Sue – Voice II

I can remember as a new teacher being overwhelmed with three subject preparations using nine different textbooks. Added to that, no one told me that I was expected to be the cheerleader advisor as well. That entailed daily practices and attending each home and away game, which resulted in long days and long nights, sometimes ending at 10:30 pm or later. I got home exhausted, only to have to make final preparations for the next day’s classes. Talk about being surprised!

Each year new teachers experience being overwhelmed by additional responsibilities they didn’t expect with little to no support from administration or veteran teachers who may also be overloaded. Nothing in your college curriculum or student teacher experiences can prepare you for this professional reality. No one can really help you through it, but with time and experience you learn how to deal with all the “extras.” School is an environment that requires teachers to “wear many hats” every day. The load doesn’t diminish, but your ability to make it work does improve. Don’t allow the extras to discourage you or drive you away from your first purpose: the students and the classroom. You will improve with time, and that’s why we’re here to encourage you!

Deidre – Voice I