Blended Life of an Educator

Beautiful Hope Darwine Glover Expectant Hope Darwine came bounding into my life August 2014 as a bright eyed 11 year old all-the-frills GIRL. She was (and still is) all about the beautiful feminine side of life- "the complete outfit," the make-up, the hair, preparing the party plan, the grand entrance... and leaving for "a night on the town" with her friends... still is, and I love that about her! Upon first meeting, Hope compared me to a famous model, which of course made me feel fabulous and ready to accept this expectant child's fantasy of having a beauty queen for a Bonus Mom the following year. I could do wrong with this girl; she was elated her dad was smiling again-- ear to ear. Literally. Although the transition in our relationship when we officially became related, didn't go as I'd dreamed, this determined young woman's name reminds me everyday of the One who is after our heart's affections (whether we are ready to receive His Love, or n...

Creating culture has been on my heart. Culture in my mind is the ways we do life-- what we were taught as right and wrong, what's appropriate in certain situations, how to communicate with others, maybe even how to make particular meals, etc. within the homes and communities in which we were raised. Culture shapes our vernacular, how we refer to ourselves and others, what we wear, what we eat... even how we view the world and those who are not part of our culture. Culture, in my opinion, shapes our view of success and what we're capable of as women and men. Culture is defined (from an Anthropology perspective) on  dictionary.com  as "the sum total of ways of living built up by a group of human beings and transmitted from one generation to another." It's also "the quality in a person or society that arises from a concern for what is regarded as excellent in arts, letters, manners, scholarly pursuits, etc." And "the behaviors and beliefs characteristi...

Isn't it funny how we focus on all that is NEW each January? It feels like it's a new era even though December 31st and January 1st are literally side by side. Our circumstances may even look the same, literally; but when the stroke of midnight arrives all is considered new. Like all that was connected to the previous year is now gone and we've moved through a window of opportunity to leap into all that is fresh, untouched, and maybe even NEW. Some jump for better health. Others look for ways to improve their finances. And many look to accomplishing things that they've put off-- projects, travel, physical feats, or even relationships.  Have you ever stopped to think about how our thought-life truly impacts how we view "our" world? It's really our thinking that helps create the popular thought of NEWNESS that rings in each new year. Out with the old and in with new. Yes, we're all born with different lenses-- very often shaped by the attitudes and moral...

It's Time!  Fresh Revelation from Papa God's Heart for You  & Your Call  to Change the Course of History this School Year Your presence makes a difference  because you carry LIGHT, Himself!  Sons and Daughters of God,  it's time to SHINE. Our Kingdom Inheritance In my last blog I talked about how we are sons and daughters of the King Jesus, if we call Him our Lord and Savior. In the King's domain what He says goes; in other words, what He says is received as a mandate. We don't choose which scriptures we accept from the Bible or which we leave out. His word about us is our identity! That's actually really freeing because on some days none of us feels like "lights on a hill" but Jesus says we are and His words remind us that we carry His truth, His light inside of us no matter how we are feeling or what we are choosing to believe on a particular day. In other words, I know that my feelings don't always tell me the truth about my identity; only H...

You were made for this , but you were never meant to do it alone.  Within you is the ability to release the power of God in your classroom. It all starts with knowing who you really are as a son or daughter of God. You’ve been designed for such a time as this to rewrite the face of education and leave behind a legacy that will have lasting fruit. As intentional teachers we must focus our minds on things above.   We've been raised with Christ and our lives are now hidden in Him (Colossians 3:1-4). We don't belong to the thoughts, the world systems, or the reasoning of this world.  What you believe about yourself determines the impact you will have, so l et's dig into what the truth is about you, the Kingdom Educator.  First and foremost you are a citizen of God's Kingdom, if you call Jesus your Lord.   His Kingdom is everlasting; it doesn't end (Daniel 7:27). And as citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven we are subject to the mandates of our King Jesus. A king's mand...

Dear Thoughtful Educator:  ⁣ When it comes to transforming our minds, we’ve been told we need more discipline and willpower. ⁣ ⁣This is the world’s lie because this approach leaves us defeated and ashamed every time. ⁣ ⁣ We can’t fix ourselves on our own. We need spiritual strength, insight, and wisdom from heaven.  When I began teaching I was like you I had a big vision for changing the world and within the first month of school I realized that the “job” was going to be a lot more complicated than I had dreamed. My colleagues were on the comparison train and I was the youngest and least worthy of a voice than any who had earned their right at the table. But as I pressed into God’s vision for my school and my region, He began to unlock a whole new view of my role in education. He was teaching me who I was called to be, but I needed to make some changes first in my thinking about myself. It was at this pivotal point that I chose to submit my mind and he...

This is a blog entry from 2 years ago... It's exciting to look back and see the progress I've made with the Father about how I see myself and also how I view the NOW moments of motherhood, and the importance of my role as a mother to my children-- both chosen and bio. This entry also helps me to pause, even now, to remember that the intentionality of my thoughts is a learned habit. That's why we are reminded by Paul in in 2 Corinthians 10:5 to purposefully "demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." I have to make the active and intentional choice to reject the thoughts that object to God's truth about my identity, my call, my purposefulness as a mom and as an educator. I also need to demolish thought patterns that say my children won't change, my relationship with them will never breakthough their hard protective heart-shells. I need to...