When the time was right...

When the time was right,

the sea parted,

the walls fell down,

the lions went hungry,

the sun stood still,

the star appeared,

the waves were calmed,

the stone was rolled away,

the Lord ascended...

And when the time is right,

the King of Kings will return.

SharB~TTSD
#TakeTheScaffoldingDown

23rd Psalm - Revisited

Have you read the 23^rd Psalm?  I mean REALLY read it.  Not simply recite it from memory but I mean have you read it, absorbed it, digested it…it is GOOD!  Read it with me here again…

The Lord is my shepherd;
I shall not want.
He makes me to lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside the still waters.
He restores my soul;
He leads me in the paths of righteousness
For His name’s sake.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil;
For You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You anoint my head with oil;
My cup runs over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life;
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord
Forever.

This psalm is written by a shepherd who served as King (David) about The Shepherd, the King of Kings (Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ).

The job of a shepherd is to take care of and lead sheep. 

Sheep are known for not being the smartest animal and therefore need a shepherd to take care of them.

Psalm 100:3 says that We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.

We need to be cared for by The Shepherd also.

The 23^rd Psalm declares the goodness of God as the Shepherd caring for and providing for us, his sheep.  As we trust God for our cares, we will not need anything.

• He provides us green pastures – not dry, barren wasteland
• Still waters yet not stagnant or rough stormy but fresh, spring water to quench our thirst.
• Restores my soul as opposed to leaving me down and lost.  He restores us, revives us, refreshes us.
• Shadow of death – there is no need to fear a shadow, it cannot hurt you.  Even at the end of our days, we have no need to fear because God has promised his comfort and protection.
• Prepares a table in the presence of my enemies – although it may seem we don’t have all we want, we do have all we need.  Our necessities are provided.  People or situations that seek to destroy us will not succeed because again, He is our protection. 
• Anoint my head with oil- the oil symbolizes the most precious gift for the VIP and that is you and me!
• My cup runs over – not just enough to get by but blessings, comfort, and protection more than we expected or anticipated or probably even deserve.
• Goodness and mercy – our guardian angels are always with us throughout every day of our life. 

Those are just a few points that struck me as I read this psalm again…for the first time.  Did something strike you?  Did God reveal something fresh to you through this?  Share your thoughts…I look forward to hearing from you.

SharB~TTSD
#TakeTheScaffoldingDown

The Prospective Teacher

This was published in our Sunday bulletin in appreciation to all of our teachers...I chose to share this here in my blog:

After being interviewed by the school administration, the prospective teacher said:

Let me see if I've got this right.

You want me to go into that room with all those kids, correct their disruptive behavior, observe them for signs of abuse, monitor their dress habits, censor their T-shirt messages, and instill in them a love for learning.

You want me to check their backpacks for weapons, wage war on drugs and sexually transmitted diseases, and raise their sense of self-esteem and personal pride.

You want me to teach them patriotism and good citizenship, sportsmanship and fair play, and how to register to vote, balance a check book, and apply for a job.

You want me to check their heads for lice, recognize signs of antisocial behavior, and make sure that they all pass the final exams.

You also want me to provide them with an equal education regardless of their handicaps, and communicate regularly with their parents in English, Spanish or any other language by letter, telephone, newsletter, and report card.

You want me to do all this with a piece of chalk, a blackboard, a bulletin board, a few books, a big smile, and a starting salary that qualifies me for food stamps.

You want me to do all this, and then you tell me...I CAN'T PRAY!


Indeed all of this and more is happening daily in schools across our nation.

We MUST improve our education system.
We MUST invest our every child's future.
We MUST pray.


"The effective fervent prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective." James 5: 16b (NIV)


Thank you for reading...I welcome your comments.


SharB~TTSD
#TakeTheScaffoldingDown

Education...Let's Make it Better

Continuing my discussion on education…this subject is near and dear to my heart.  Why does it seem that many aspects of our education system are continuing on a downward spiral?  How employable are the children who we continue to advance from grade to grade?  What is one contributing factor to the success or lack of success in our children’s education? 

Parent involvement.

Students have shown greater motivation, fewer behavioral problems, and overall improved success when parents are actively involved in their child’s education.  I often hear parents say they do not understand a particular subject but I hasten to say that it is not so critical that the parents have full understanding of the curriculum but it is critical that the parent show an interest and become actively involved.

Parental involvement can be accomplished by simply reading a book to their child, having a conversation with them perhaps at the dinner table regarding the day’s activities, and even sharing personal stories with their children.  We have become so enthralled with technology and I agree totally that the technological advances have proven so beneficial; however parents we need to limit the time our children spend on the computer, television, and video games.  Success in school has often been related to household income or race.  Regardless of race or income students will be successful because their parents put more effort into guaranteeing their child’s success.

Just a few of my thoughts on education (more to follow)…what are your thoughts?  I welcome your comments.

SharB~TTSD
#TakeTheScaffoldingDown