“Group project.” I loathed these two words during high school and college. There was very little that brought me more anxiety. I was a good student. I was diligent. And I worked hard. I was not the smartest, but I knew what I lacked in intellect, I made up for in my work ethic. However, when it came to these assignments, I knew that one of two things were bound to happen. 

1. I would end up doing all the work.

2. My quality of work would be inhibited by my peers’ work. 

I could not see the benefit of working and collaborating with others. It was a heavy weight on my shoulders that was not lifted until the project was completed. 

Fast forward to the start of my teaching. Prior to being at VCS, I taught at another school for seven years. As a new teacher, I sought out people for support, guidance, and encouragement. In my enthusiasm and excitement, I attempted to establish and build relationships with the parents of my students. I knew in order to be successful in my profession, I needed the insight of these parents to know how to best educate their children. Even though I did have parents who were on board, and ready to help and support, I faced a lot of opposition from others. These individuals who I thought were my teammates, were often disengaged or waiting for me to make a mistake. After enough failed attempts at establishing a relationship and cultivating trust with certain parents, I started to give up. Yet again, I was resigned to the fact that I was better working alone. 

A couple years ago, when I was approached about the prospect of teaching at VCS, I was told a great deal about this school’s vision and hope; how they were structured, and how they operated from day to day. The board member who approached me shared that VCS was a collaborative model where the parents shared the teaching responsibility. Collaborative? While many aspects of classical education appealed to me, active collaboration with parents was not one of them. After having many poor experiences with collaboration in the past, I was hesitant to say “yes” to this new position. Thankfully, the Lord, who knew what was best for me, my heart, and our family, led my husband and I to accept the VCS job. 

When I started at VCS, I felt overwhelmed: a new curriculum, a new teaching model, and a new group of parents to work with. I was still very unsure of what this “sharing” of teaching would look like. Very quickly, the Lord began to soften my heart to this unique model of collaboration. He used my co-teachers to illustrate the beauty of how the Body of Christ works. Being new to VCS, I made some mistakes, and I sometimes felt lost, which I am sure is a common experience for new teachers and co-teachers alike! However, instead of judging me or disengaging, my wonderful co-teachers showed me grace, offered their support, and most importantly they prayed for me. Not only were these co-teachers not a burden, but they were encouraging, supportive, and loving during a time of uncertainty and weakness. I did not have to do it alone, and it was a beautiful thing. 

Since being at VCS, the Lord has continued to shape my perspective on working alongside others, and the amazing way He uses the Body to bless, support, encourage, and most importantly bring glory to His name. As I work with co-teachers, the Lord continues to demonstrate truths about who He is and how He created me to be.

One thing I’m reminded of is how my weakness allows God’s power and strength to be revealed and proclaimed. As Paul states in 2 Corinthians 12:9-10,

 “‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” 

Instead of declaring my greatness, or my competence in educating well, I should be professing God’s glory and goodness in how He uses me to accomplish great things. If anything I do is done well, it is because of the Lord’s strength and faithfulness. 

Another realization that has brought great peace in working with others is that it is a blessing for me to share the load with my brothers and sisters in Christ. This adventure of teaching, of shepherding hearts and minds, is a difficult one. It can be discouraging and disheartening. But it can also be beautiful and filled with joy. On the days where I feel my strength is failing, I can reach out to my co-teachers and ask for their prayers and encouragement. When my co-teachers are feeling overwhelmed by their home days, I can step up to the plate and cover them in prayer. A beautiful picture of this can be found in Exodus 17, when Moses instructs Joshua to fight against Amalek. While the Israelites fought, Moses, Aaron, and Hur went to the top of the hill. Moses had the staff of God in his hand. Whenever he raised his hand, Israel prevailed. However, if Moses lowered his hand, Amalek prevailed. As it says in verse 12,

“But Moses’ hands grew weary, so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it, while Aaron and Hur held up his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side. So his hands were steady until the going down of the sun.”

Moses was tired. His brothers in Christ stepped in and physically supported Moses in a time of great need. Because they shared this load, the Israelites were victorious. I can think of many times where I have exhausted all my resources and feel that I have nothing left, and God brings someone alongside of me to help fill the gaps. My Father leads me to victory, not because of myself or what I have done, but because of what He is doing.

As we go through this last quarter, may we all be reminded of the beautiful nature of collaboration to teach these students. Whether it be a bad attitude, a messed up math lesson, or a failed Latin quiz, may we remember that God is bringing us alongside one another to share in these burdens, and to turn our hearts and minds back to Him. By acknowledging our limits and our weaknesses, let us encourage one another to go back to the cross, surrender ourselves to God, and put our trust in Him.

I opened the door one Monday evening to find two strangers on my couch: a young woman in tight fishnet leggings and a middle-aged man in the widest brimmed Baltimore Orioles baseball cap I have ever seen. I have always been notorious for wearing my thoughts all over my face. I did my best to stifle my surprise and to act cool. Real cool. WHO ARE THESE PEOPLE IN MY HOUSE AND WHERE DID THEY COME FROM? Praise the Lord for my dog Buddy. He acted as if he had known them his whole life, and the Holy Spirit prompted me to follow suit. Still reeling inside from the surprise and grouchiness I feel as an introvert whose space has been invaded by strangers, the Holy Spirit reminded me that everyone loves chips and salsa. They’re basically spiritual food, kind of like manna, just drier and crispier. Anyways, I pulled out the Tostitos and prayed a desperate version of “Jesus, Take the Wheel” (if you don’t appreciate country music from the early 2000s, you will not understand). I would love to tell you that a deeply spiritual prayer popped into my head, but I would be lying. Definitely just panic and Carrie Underwood. 

Let me explain before you accuse me of forgetting to lock my front door. My husband and I moved to Tennessee this past summer for his first year of Family Medicine Residency. A few weeks after we moved, one of my co-workers from the lab I worked at in Roanoke moved in with us, along with her four-year-old daughter. Without a doubt, this has been one of the biggest blessings and challenges that the Lord has EVER dropped in my lap. I had no idea what we were in for, but the Lord has knit our little crew together like family. Daily sharing your space so intimately is frustrating and sanctifying (wailing tantrums, disappearing phone chargers, the mystery case of who shut the cat out in the rain), but I also think it is a preview of the marriage supper of the Lamb. My co-worker has become a dear friend and, very recently, a sister in Christ! This entire journey over the past six months has catapulted me into thinking about gospel-centered hospitality. How do I share my life--my house, my food, my time, and my relationships--with another image-bearer in a way that puts Christ on display? Foundational in my processing of this question is the book The Gospel Comes with a House Key by Rosaria Butterfield. She outlines 3 principles that I love and would like to reflect on with you. 

1. “Radically ordinary hospitality reflects that the words you speak reveal that you are owned by Christ.” If you know me, you know I am a control freak. I plan everything out. I know exactly how much milk is in the fridge and exactly how long I plan for it to last. Then Jesus tossed in a wild card--a four year old consuming cereal...and this can, at times, require half a gallon of milk?! WHAT? My precious apple cart of control must come tumbling down. I am not my own. My home is not my own. My fridge is not my own. All are for the use of the Kingdom. Now, I am not saying there are no boundaries. What I am saying is that if I really believe “you also have died to the law through the body of Christ, so you may belong to one another, to Him who has been raised from the dead, in order that we may bear fruit for God” (Romans 7:4), then my desire to have things my way must be nailed to the cross . 

2. “Radically ordinary hospitality sanctifies us by putting us in a sacrificial posture of service to others.” Ouch. My time is so precious to me. My time with my husband is so precious to me. However, the Lord has given me the unique opportunity to use my time this year to serve my friend and love her daughter. “For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself’” (Galatians 5: 13-14). Control Freaks like myself plan strategically for maximum efficiency when it comes to the use of time. However, Jesus never approached life or people this way. He said, “The Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve and to give His life as a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:28). There is an aspect of service that is the giving of your life, of yourself, to a world that is starving for love and belonging that can only be felt in Christ. Hospitality always requires hands, heads, hearts, and messiness, weakness, and sacrifice. Always. 

3. “Radically ordinary hospitality is part of our spiritual armor, allowing us to access people’s broken hearts, allowing the Spirit of God to work through us in spite of our limitations.” And that is exactly what was happening that Monday when I opened the door to find complete strangers on my couch. My co-worker’s highschool friend had been struggling to find work, which had led her to a path she would not have chosen. She had not told my coworker she was coming, and out of desperation had ended up in my house seeking comfort from her friend. As they grieved together, I realized God was granting access to brokenness that needed a space of safety and hope. 

I am learning that gospel-driven hospitality is about the business of making people want more of Jesus. Sin cannot harm Jesus. In fact, I was entrenched in it when He saved me. Weren’t we all? The gospel says to fellow image-bearers, “You are welcome in my home. Come as you are. I am not leading, I am following. Jesus is leading.” This means I must bring others into my mess. I do not have to have it all together before I open my home. People will die from loneliness and a life apart from Jesus much faster than they will die from the dog hair that is in my food. In the book, Rosaria Butterfield asks a question that really wrecked me, “Have I made myself safe to unbelievers where they can share the real hardships of day-to-day living, or am I still so burdened by the hidden privileges of Christian acceptability that I can’t even see the daggers in my hands?” This was a punch in the gut. Am I safe? Or am I constantly trying to make sneaky evangelistic raids into the sinful lives of those around me? For unbelievers to see Jesus and know the truth of God’s love, I must be close enough to be seen in transparent and vulnerable ways. 

God is calling us to make sacrifices that hurt sometimes so that others can be served...and maybe even saved. In our post-Christian world, I am convinced our words are only as strong as our relationships. My best spiritual weapon? An open door, a space at my table, and lots of Kleenex for the tears that may come. So what do you do when your unbelieving coworker lives with you and her friend (who dances for a living) is on your couch? You reach for the chips and salsa, lean hard on the Holy Spirit’s guidance, and remember, “The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” (John 1:5). 

I begin every campus day with my kindergartners in the same way. When everyone settles into their neatly arranged rows, I greet them by saying, “Good morning, class,” and they respond, “Good morning, Mrs. Strange.” I ask them, “Are you ready to learn?” to which they reply, “Yes, ma’am!” Some are more enthusiastic than others with an occasional emphatic salute, and sometimes it takes a few tries before everyone is awake and truly ready. 

When I know I have everyone’s attention we fold our hands, close our eyes, bow our heads, and pray this prayer together:

Dearest Lord, teach me to be generous.

Teach me to serve You as You deserve.

To give and not to count the cost,

To fight and not to heed the wounds,

To toil and not to seek for rest,

To labor and not to ask for reward,

Save that of knowing I am doing Your will,

Through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.

This beautiful prayer was given to me the first year I began teaching at VCS. It was simply called Opening Prayer along with a different Closing Prayer in our curriculum. I had said it with my students more than a hundred times before I became curious about its origin. I assumed it had been written recently by the administrators at our mother school, Trinity Classical School in Houston, Texas but they directed me to Memoria Press who published the curriculum we use for language arts. When I couldn’t find the name of the author from their website, I turned to Google and typed in the first line to see what would turn up. What I found was a deeper, wider history than I ever expected.

It turns out that many scholars have attributed the Prayer for Generosity to St. Ignatius of Loyola who lived during the time of the Reformation, even though no reference to the prayer has been found before 1897. Whether or not he actually wrote it, it is universally agreed that it is Ignatian in style, form, and content. The imagery in the prayer has always conjured up for me a soldier preparing for battle, and now I know why. 

Ingatius was born in 1491 in the Basque region of Spain. At seventeen, he joined the army. He loved the military exercises, the fancy uniform, the code of chivalry, and the excitement of living out the stories he loved from El Cid to the knights of Camelot to the Song of Roland. But his successful military career came to an end when his leg was shattered by a cannonball at the Battle of Pamplona in 1521. He was forced to return home for a long recovery.

For months Ignatius underwent several surgeries and was confined to bed. The only books he could get his hands on were stories of Jesus, the history of the saints, and other religious texts instead of his usual tales of knights and battles. It was here that he had a spiritual conversion and felt called to give his life to ministry. 

When he could walk again, Ignatius made a pilgrimage to the Holy Land and later enrolled at the University of Paris to prepare for a life of service to God. Interestingly, John Calvin also studied there at the same time, although it is not recorded that he ever met Ignatius. Ultimately, the two men ended up on different paths. Calvin went on to write the first systematic theological treatise of the reform movement. Ignatius of Loyola went on to found the Society of Jesus, or the Jesuits, a religious order of the Roman Catholic Church.

The Jesuits were devoted to education and scholarship and were committed to bringing their message to other cultures through missionary endeavors. They were known for being as devoted to the Pope and his orders as soldiers are to their commander. Apparently, Ignatius’s love of the military never quite left him and in fact the opening lines of the Jesuits’ founding document said that the society existed for “whoever desires to serve as a soldier of God to strive especially for the defence and propagation of the faith and for the progress of souls in Christian life and doctrine.” The society was nicknamed, “God’s soldiers,” and “God’s marines,” due to their willingness to serve in any condition. 

After reading about Ignatius and the early years of the Jesuits, the Prayer for Generosity made more sense to me and the rich, deep history now provides a colorful backdrop and a stage for its imagery. It reminds me of Ephesians 6 in which Paul uses the picture of putting on armor to prepare for battle. He admonishes his readers to remember that the fight is not against flesh and blood. Our battle is against the schemes of the devil, the present darkness, the spiritual forces of evil, and flaming darts of the evil one. Our weapons and defense are the Word, the Spirit, prayer, truth, the righteousness of Christ, and the gospel of peace. 

Every day in my classroom, we do battle. We fight against the darkness of this age and we fight our selfish flesh to seek instead the truth, beauty, and goodness of Christ. Every book we read, every lesson we tackle, every fact we memorize, every letter we form with beauty and excellence is an offensive move against our enemy. May our Lord do more than we can ask or think to uphold us in the battle.

Sources:

https://www.ignatianspirituality.com/teach-me-to-be-generous/

http://www.jesuits.org

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ignatius_of_Loyola

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Society_of_Jesus

Latourette, Kenneth Scott, A History of Christianity: Beginnings to 1500, Volume I, Prince Press, 2005, Peabody, Massachusetts.

Growing up, I loved Christmas (maybe you can relate).  I looked forward to it with Advent candles, counted down to it on my calendar, and spent hours brainstorming and hand-making presents for every single member of my family.  Christmas is a break from the ordinary.  It gives us a reason to rest (from the usual) and to celebrate -- a season worth anticipating.  

But every year that Christmas comes, it ebbs away again.  You find yourself back in the day-to-day.  The routine.  The work.  The cold, at this time of year.  What had been The busy, bustling, much-anticipated holiday season dwindles as life picks back up and school starts again.  

It’s empty.  

It’s quiet.  

I’ve heard it called the ‘doldrums’ of the school year.  

I will be honest with you; I don’t like doldrums.  As an introvert, I don’t mind quiet, but by January, I can start to feel an emptiness seeping into my soul.  Do you feel it too?  You thought you wanted more blank space (or, less holiday craziness) in your life until, all of a sudden, you get a flood of nothing but the usual, and you find yourself dreading the silent stretch of winter before you.  

Doldrums, according to Google, are: “a state or period of inactivity, stagnation, or depression.”  As I’ve wondered about this season of doldrums, two questions have come to mind.  

Question 1:  Why is it that our human hearts are so quick to link ‘inactivity’ to ‘stagnation’ and even ‘depression’? 

Why don’t we like stillness?  Why do we get uncomfortable at the thought of nothing but routine marching straight before us for the next month?

In thinking about this, God has pointed out a few roots of my own doldrum dread.  Maybe these will resonate with you, too.

• I’m afraid of what might be exposed in the quiet.  Will I see ways I have missed the mark?  Will I hear answers from God that weren’t the ones I wanted?

• I’m afraid the season of inactivity is somehow my fault because of my own lack of productivity.  What if I am missing something or dropping a ball?  What if I just keep checking the same things off the list?   Who am I if I cannot measure my worth by what I’m getting done?  

• I’m afraid that holding still means I’m held back (when I want to be moving forward).  What if I’m missing on the excitement somewhere else -- there was plenty a month ago after all?  Does God realize where He last left me?

God answers these questions with His quiet rebuttal. From page one of Scripture (Genesis), a void does not mean He is absent.  In fact, He speaks into voids and creates life. He is not afraid to reveal our inadequacies to us because He will fill it with Himself.  The Scriptures we’ve looked at this past semester have shown us God’s character in that regard -- He chooses the least of people to be His (Deuteronomy), He walks with us through our valleys of shadow and makes our cups overflow (Psalm 23), and He makes barren wombs leap with joy (the Christmas story).  “Do not fear.”

Question 2:  If we don’t dread the doldrums, how do we approach them?

First, a theological answer:  Let the quiet be a gift.  See the doubts the doldrums expose and receive the mercy in Christ.  Recognize that a dreary routine can be redeemed into a gentle rhythm.  January is the Sabbath of the year.  Start your year the way we start the week -- resting in the grace of what God has done and remembering that He is good.

Also, a practical answer: I am not a homeschooling parent, but as a homeschooled alum who watched her mom wrestle through the doldrums each year, here are some thoughts you can implement hands-on.

• Lean into the regularity -- you can finally keep something of a normal schedule with December over!  

• Tackle indoor house projects, considering you can’t be outside as much.  

• Make room for snow days (or snow half-days).  

• Plan something fun of your own to shake up the monotony like a quick family trip.  For example, Colonial Williamsburg offers Homeschool Days in February.  

• Incorporate a simple craft project like paper snowflakes into a Friday’s school load.

• Find opportunities to plug into community beyond your usual sphere.  For example, homeschool groups often offer winter encouragement events.  

• Think of something your family enjoys doing and make a mini adventure out of it! 

Yes, winter is quiet and cold, but that stillness is not something to dread.  May the January doldrums prove to be a gift that strengthens your heart and your family with the echoes of God’s faithfulness -- a whisper you have room to hear.

At the end of each campus day, all the students and staff of VCS gather for a final blessing. It's one of my favorite times of the day. We sing the Song of Blessing by Sara Groves:

“May God give you eyes to see, 

All that is good, all that is good.

The courage for anything, 

May you be strong, may you be strong.

May God give you ears to hear, 

His loving voice, his loving voice;

 Speaking all around you, all around, and deep inside.”

I often tear up while we're singing this simple song because it holds several of my deepest prayers for the students at VCS. 

We and the world we live in are out of joint. There is evil, there is sin, there is temptation, and there is just pure brokenness. Things don't work the way that God created them to function. Our sin and others' sin throughout time has affected and still affects every tiny bit of our world. The older I get, the easier it has become to dwell in all of this sadness. I am tempted to only see the brokenness and not all of the good gifts God has given us, or how He has reached down into our broken world in merciful ways to mend the shattered pieces. But the ability to see glimmers of God's goodness in the midst of our brokenness, and then to ultimately see the promise of the final mending Christ brought when He entered our broken world to save us from our sin - that is the hope that Christ gives us. Our desire is that as VCS students in 5th grade read about the merciful ways God works to mend the brokenness of disease and illness through the painstaking and exhausting work of scientists like Joseph Lister and Louis Pasteur, and as VCS students in 6th grade read about how God provided the imperfect person of Alfred the Great to lead the Britons to safety from the Vikings, they begin to see this hope. This practice of looking for the good that God gives us and being mindfully thankful - of being hopeful - that is an ability that we hope God blesses our community with.

And in this dark world, we all need courage; righteous courage. We don't know what God is going to call each of us to today, tomorrow, or next year. But we do know it will be interacting with a broken world. We know it will be part of His work in us and part of his redeeming all things back to Himself, bringing peace, defending the defenseless, caring for the needy, and proclaiming His name. And therefore, we know that it will be hard and possibly dangerous. C.S. Lewis wrote, “Since it is so likely that they will meet cruel enemies, let them at least have heard of brave knights and heroic courage.” Our hope is that VCS students begin to know what righteous courage looks like, tastes like, and feels like from the literature that we read, the history that we study, the scientists we examine, and the scripture that we memorize. But since being righteously courageous requires not just making one decision to do what is right, but making a string of many, many decisions to bravely stay on the path of righteousness, we train for what pressing further on and further in feels like. It's hard to persevere! But, the more that any of us taste what digging deep yields, or gather muscle memory on what it feels like to push through the hard and difficult things, the more that we have the courage to try it again. 

And in all of the work that God gives us to bring peace and light to our broken and hurting world, we all need to hear His loving voice speaking truth and grace to us inside and all around. We need His voice telling us that He is our God and we are His precious children. He is our shepherd and we are His beloved sheep. Just as Aslan's breath heals, so does God's voice bring healing to our souls. This is one of the reasons that the truth that we're all hearing, memorizing, and proclaiming during morning assembly is so important. These truths are some of the ways God will speak to us and our children now and in the future. Truths of who He is and who we are and of how much He loves us and what He has done for us. This truth brings courage, it brings wisdom, and it brings healing. 

These precious souls that sit in the hallway and sing this song with me every week; we pray that God's hand of blessing will be firmly on them all of their lives. We want Him to care for them, protect them, to grow them and bless them. We want them to see God's goodness, to have the courage to be part of God's goodness to our broken world, and to know God's voice saying "you are my child, whom I love". Singing this together at the end of the day is a way for us all to be reminded of this hope and prayer. 

Above lyrics taken from the music video by Sara Groves performing The Song of Blessing (Audio). (C) 2017 Sponge Records http://vevo.ly/tYteIX.

I have a confession: When I first found out that our fall semester scripture was Deuteronomy, I audibly groaned and complained. Why Deuteronomy? How will I be able to teach this book of Old Testament laws to eight year olds? Since I was already reading through the pentateuch this summer, I found myself in Deuteronomy by August. The graciousness of God was immediately apparent, and Deuteronomy captured my attention and heart right away. The funny thing about complaining about the living, breathing word of God is that you’re just asking for the Holy Spirit to speak to and humble you! With that in mind, these are my reflections: my surprise at the depth and richness found in Deuteronomy, and finding the Gospel where I wasn’t expecting it. 

So much of what I’ve learned about Deuteronomy this year has been fresh and new, even though I’ve read it many times. For example, merely learning the definition of the word “Deuteronomy” helps inform much of the meaning of the text, and it has helped place me in the story on a personal level. The Greek word for "Deuteronomy" means "second law," or, rather, a renewal of the law.  This definition brought to my mind the speech Moses made to the Israelites as they were about to enter the Promised Land. It is a passionate and desperate plea to remember God’s promises and faithfulness, and a call to renew their own commitment to the covenant (see Deuteronomy 1-4). What a weighty moment! I started to get a sense of the gravity of these words for the people of Israel: at long last, they are on the cusp of the promise, the good land they will possess. I wondered how many of them did not fully comprehend what was really happening. How many of them just coasted around, growing up in the wilderness, knowing the stories their parents told yet not sensing how much they had been through, the cost of their parents’ disobedience, or their own potential to disobey? This makes a renewal of the Law that much more necessary, and if you listen closely to Moses’s words, that much more desperate. A renewal will help them remember, and to remember will keep them from disobedience. So I feel the desperation in Moses’s voice as he leads them in this renewal: “Remember what God did for you! Remember that you were slaves! Hear oh Israel! Listen and obey! ‘The LORD our God, the LORD is one” (Deuteronomy 6:4).

In the middle of Moses’s desperation, there is a sense for why the laws are so necessary: God wants his people to flourish! They are a mass of people going into a new land to stay and dwell. To set up a prosperous nation, they need laws, commandments, statues. This makes sense, because without order you have chaos. The Ten Commandments are purposeful and important.

One day as I was preparing to teach, it was as though the gospel lit up the page. In Deuteronomy 5, the Ten Commandments had just been restated. And in chapter 6, the Greatest Commandment had then been said: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart.” (Deuteronomy 6:5-6). The greatest commandment is greater than all the do’s and don’ts of the Ten Commandments, greater than all the systems and rituals to follow: You shall LOVE. The Greatest Commandment is not a rule, it’s an affection! Thinking in this way, if the statues and rules are to keep the nation in order, the greatest commandment is to keep their hearts in order. 

To rightly order their affections toward God is the first and greatest commandment. Do this, and God heaps blessings upon blessings. They shall order their affections towards God, “that it might go well with them and their descendants forever!” (Deut. 5:29). 

We know the way Israel rebels, and we know the way we too fail to order our hearts rightly. Yet I love how immediately following the renewal of the Law in chapter 7, Israel is reminded of its utterly unique identity as God's chosen people. They are “chosen… for his treasured possession” (v. 6). but not by anything they had done, or anything that was special about them. “They were fewest of all peoples, but it is because the Lord loves you and is keeping his oath that he swore to your fathers…” (v. 8). The gospel is so vivid here! Just as Israel did nothing to earn their treasured status, neither do we, and we do earn it despite our sinful rebellion. 

At this point, I place myself in the shoes of an Israelite listening to Moses.  This highly regarded set of laws is being read aloud again, at the cusp of battles and of stepping foot at last into the Promised Land. The rule-follower in me earlier would have been nearly trembling at the weight of the covenant being asked of me. But the gospel shines through again: “The Lord your God will keep with you the covenant and the steadfast love that he swore to your fathers. He will love you, bless you, and multiply you… You shall be blessed above all peoples” (Deuteronomy 7:12,14). Yes, there is a high call to love God, but the people are bound within GOD’S covenant to them! The covenant of old, from generations past, is where the gospel shows up in Deuteronomy - God is the promise-keeper! He promises to perfectly keep the covenant Himself, and then sends Jesus to perfectly keep the Law. Nothing will sway the covenant he made to their fathers. He will keep them with his steadfast love. They are asked to remember, and to love him in return.

Almost all my life I’ve known it to be true that the gospel threads throughout every book of Scripture, but it was still the sweetest joy to find it in this Old Testament book, in a place I thought was full of old, outdated laws. But the Holy Spirit, through his kind work, gave me fresh glimmers of his beauty as I saw new facets of his precious truth in the gospel: God is the promise-keeper. He asks us to love him above all else, but only because He keeps, protects, and holds us in his promises first. 

“I have inclined my heart to perform thy statutes always, even unto the end.“

Psalm 119:12

For several weeks this past winter, my husband had taught the devotional for our teenagers at church.  We have often talked about what he had presented and it has resonated in my thoughts for weeks. He had tried to impress upon the teens that the choices they make become their inclinations-what they will probably continue to do in their lives.  How important it is for us to make sure that our hearts are inclined to the Lord. Our standing with Him will often determine what we do and who we become.

Of course he talked about several examples of characters in the Bible and how their choices affected them.  Two that my thoughts keep returning to are Lot and Daniel. Two different men with different inclinations.  Lot had returned from Egypt with Abram.  Both men had prospered and had great flocks.   When they returned to Bethel, they were not able to dwell in the same place.  Abram told Lot he wanted no strife between them and their herdsmen, so Abram told him to look over the land and take the section in which he wanted to live.  His inclination was to look for the best, to see what was “good”, to see what he could gain and therefore pitched his tent toward Sodom. It wasn’t long before he was sitting at the gate with the men of the city.  In Genesis 19:7 we see that Lot had become so corrupted by the lifestyle of Sodom that he called the men at his door “brethren”.

Daniel, on the other hand, purposed in his heart to serve the Lord.  Daniel, with Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah were brought to Nebuchadnezzar’s palace where they were expected to eat the king’s meat and drink the wine which the king drank.  Daniel 1:8 tells us that Daniel purposed in his heart that they would not defile themselves with the king’s meat or wine. Because of this choice, God gave these four men knowledge and skill in all learning, and Daniel was given understanding in all visions and dreams. Because of Daniel’s faithfulness in following and serving God, he was later able to interpret Nebuchadnezzar’s dream.  All four of these young men were given roles of leadership in Babylon. Their faithfulness could have ended there in these high and important positions, but they chose to remain faithful to God and continued to purpose in their hearts to do right.

Later we read that Nebuchadnezzar made the golden image and required that all bow down to it.  Daniel’s three friends would not worship this image. They all had purposed to obey and honor God before any of these things occurred.   Because of their decision, they were thrown into the fiery furnace that had been heated seven times hotter than it had been.  They believed God would deliver them.  When Nebuchadnezzar looked into the furnace, he saw four men, the fourth being in the form of the Son of God.  God was walking with them through this trial. Their faithfulness in serving God caused Nebuchadnezzar to make a decree that every nation and language would not speak against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.  Had not these Jewish men purposed to obey and honor God, the ending would have been so different. These men inclined their hearts to God.

The word “incline” means to lean, tend, or become drawn toward an opinion or course of conduct.  God in His Word tells us to incline our hearts unto Him. We do that by knowing His Word and what He is saying to us.  His Words are precious and we need to treat them that way. We need to open our hearts to what He is saying to us. We need to be ready to obey His commands and do His will as we hear from Him.  Learning from scripture, hymns of the faith, and teachings of those who love and know God, help us to incline our hearts to Him.

So, why am I sharing these two stories of men of the Bible?  It is because of what we do at Valley Classical School. Each morning we meet in worship to our God, the God of creation, salvation, and grace.  We learn scripture which will settle into our hearts and be a weapon against the threats of Satan. We will have God’s Word deep in our beings to remind us of His goodness, leading, and deliverance when our hearts are inclined to go the wrong direction.  We will have beautiful hymns teaching the doctrines of the grace and the debt we have to Christ for that wonderful love gift given at Calvary. When our hearts are “prone to wander,” we can call upon the Lord to renew our relationships with Him and be drawn back to Him.  We have Bible Truths that remind us that we are sinners and sin’s penalty is death. Yet, even in that sin, we have a redeemer who endured the painful and shameful death of the cross that we might live in and through Him. We have a wonderful God who wants to draw us back to Him when we wander.  He wants our hearts to be inclined to Him, His Word, and the truth of that Word. He wants us to know that we are His through salvation, He loves us, and wants to bless us as we walk with Him.

Our second quarter hymn, “O Love That Wilt Not Let Me Go” reminds us that we can rest in Him, be drawn back to Him when we go astray, and be stronger through His grace because of what we go through.  

“O Love that wilt not let me go,

 I rest my weary soul in thee;

I give thee back the life I owe,

That in thine ocean depths its flow

May richer fuller be.”

Teaching of, pointing to, and exemplifying Christ to our students is a privilege we have. God is on our side.  He has given us the tools to walk worthy of His calling. We seek to partner with our children’s parents to help the children be built up in the faith, to give them the courage to stand firm, and to be inclined to follow Jesus no matter what they face in the future.

Proverbs 2:1-5 says:  “My son, if you receive my words, And treasure my commands within you, So that you incline your ear to wisdom, And apply your heart to understanding; Yes, if you cry out for discernment, And lift up your voice for understanding, If you seek her as silver, And search for her as for hidden treasures; Then you will understand the fear of the LORD, And find the knowledge of God.”

Let this scripture resound in our hearts, and the song below be what we team together to instill in the lives of the children God has entrusted to us.

"The Song Of Blessing"

May God give you eyes to see

All that is good, all that is good

The courage for anything

May you be strong, may you be strong

May God give you ears to hear

His loving voice, his loving voice

Speaking all around you

 All around and deep inside.

1.  Scripture taken from the ESV Bible

2. O Love That Wilt Not Let Me Go by George Matheson  1842-1902

3. Above lyrics taken from the music video by Sara Groves performing The Song of Blessing (Audio). (C) 2017 Sponge Records    http://vevo.ly/tYteIX.
,

Prospective parents considering VCS rightfully have many questions about the Classical curriculum, how the collaborative model works on campus, and what to expect on home days.  We have also found that many are curious about the Pre-K program and wonder if it would be a good fit for their child. Below, several Pre-K families share about their experience at VCS, and answer some of our most-asked questions.

There are many options for preschool.  Why did you choose VCS?

Sammi L. : For us, we absolutely love the classical education model! We plan to continue that model throughout our children's educational careers and so it makes sense to start as early as we can! I'm so glad that my child is one of nine in a classroom rather than one in a sea of children's faces. The kids all know one another and their teacher knows them.

Lucy B. : There was no question where we would send our daughters. VCS provides the spiritual and character development that we have hoped for, and the "lightbulb" moments have been wonderful to watch. She has learned ~55 verses already this school year, and so many of the memorized catechism questions/answers are applicable for even a 4-year-old. I love having the opportunity to teach, watch her learn, and be a part of her education already in Pre-K.

Erin Y. : We've always wanted to homeschool our children, but when VCS opened, we loved the collaborative model, and we saw it as an opportunity for our children both to grow in maturity by learning from other adults and to make new friends with others who homeschool like us.

What is your child's favorite thing about PreK?

Sammi L. : My son loves the tactile approaches to math - geoboards and using shapes for patterns.

Lucy B. : Definitely the crafts. On campus and home days, it's her favorite part. When she can be in a room surrounded by her peers doing CRAFTS....she is beside herself! We all enjoy the curriculum "sharing", and at home, we sometimes even repeat the crafts.  PE class with Mrs. Kirstan is outstanding. She's energetic and fun, and our daughters both love the creative games she comes up with that really mean ... exercise!

Erin Y. : My son loves spending time with the other children and teachers.  His favorite things are recess and PE.

Would you share a little about the teacher/co-teacher relationship you've experienced at VCS?

Sammi L. : Mrs. Anderson has been wonderful! Our son started out slowly, struggling to adapt to a classroom setting. Mrs. Anderson was in communication with us constantly about his progress even going so far as to send a weekly email update for him so that we could all do what it took to help him succeed.

Lucy B. : From the very start, I knew that our campus teachers were praying for our children. It is so comforting knowing that the people that we drop off our daughters with love Jesus even more than our children. We haven't had our children in an educational environment up to this point. I feel very comfortable emailing the campus teachers about anything, even about things/behaviors happening at home that may or may not be seen at school. They are quick to respond, and I really appreciate the guidance about home day homework or such. It is sometimes easy to think of myself as just the mom, homework nagger, etc. But everything I do helps our daughters succeed on campus days. So we really are co-teaching with our campus teachers.

Erin Y. : Mrs. Anderson has been amazing.  She has been very helpful at giving me a vision for what Pre-K should look like and what I should expect from a four-year-old.  Any time I have a question, she quickly responds to my emails.

What are home days like for you?

Sammi L. : Home days are some of my most and least favorite times. It's a challenge and a delight to be the person responsible for educating a child. But whenever I'm able to see the light bulb go off or to witness him complete a new task successfully, I get to share in his joy first-hand.

Lucy B. : Fun, challenging, easy, relaxing, crazy, enjoyable. :) Pre-K is often easy to incorporate into our daily lives because so much of the curriculum is stuff we already do. Read, crafts, Bible time, music, etc. Most challenges come from her sibling's school work -  more involved work to do each home day. So if I don't focus on the Kinder work first, then it makes things difficult later in the afternoon. Our Pre-K daughter does a great job working on the Kinder worksheets for fun while I'm working with the Kinder student. Or she'll work in her Alphabet and Numbers book mentioned in the lesson plan. We also come up with fun ways to review/learn some of the skills.The other two sisters participate and enjoy the activities also. Plus, always fun to have recess and PE time at home. One warm day last fall, we even had "recess" and "PE" in the baby pool in the back yard.

Erin Y. : We usually review phonograms, the abacus, and the numbers learned that week, and we always read the World Discovery book for that week.  This is one of my son's favorite activities. We often also do the optional worksheets for the letter and number learned that week. We try to keep it short and interesting so I can maintain his attention.

In what ways has PreK challenged your child?  In what areas have you seen your child grow?

Sammi L. : I've seen Marshall grow in his ability to interact with others and also in his ability to understand social norms. All the while learning in a safe and positive environment where his peers and the VCS community cheer him on and celebrate his wonderful personality.

Lucy B. : Our daughter has grown in her compassion towards others. Already a very tender, generous girl, but she has expanded that in so many ways. As parents, we care much more about her love for and knowledge of God than educational success. That being said, academically, she has soared these months. VCS has made it possible for her to learn beyond what she's expected to, and it's much more than I could've independently provided her to at home.

Erin Y. : My son has really grown in his confidence and ability to communicate with others.  He has also really grown in his ability to recognize letters and to begin writing them on his own.

What advice would you share for a family considering VCS PreK for their child?

Sammi L. : If you are lucky enough to be able to participate in the VCS community, it is certainly worthwhile to check it out! There is so much joy in being an integral part of your child's education and the bonds of your family will only strengthen as your children learn elements of academia while simultaneously learning depth of character and a love for the Lord.

Lucy B. : Pray for discernment about the decision. Ask to meet with some VCS families to ask questions similar to these. If you decide yes, pour into it - get involved, serve when you can, get to know the other co-teachers/families, and even though some of the Pre-K may only be recommended, try to do as much as possible because it's helping the children/campus teacher with everything you do. It is worth it.

Erin Y. : VCS PreK is an excellent place for your child to get their first taste of school, to learn what it will be like in the classroom, and to begin making new friends in a safe environment without having a huge amount of work for that age level.  In a nutshell, VCS PreK makes learning fun and playful, while teaching them how to interact with both children and adults alike.

We hope this helped provide insight into the Pre-K program here at Valley Classical School. If you’d like to know more, we encourage you to attend an Info Meeting or our upcoming School Tour! You can find more information on those events here.

Lately, I have found that I struggle to truly enjoy the everyday tasks of life. Instead of remaining present where I am, my desire is to rush through whatever I am doing so that I can move on to something more pleasant or exciting. Whether it is washing the dishes, tidying up the room, or running through Latin vocab the night before before class, I am finding it difficult to maintain an attitude of joy when I am working. I am becoming increasingly uncomfortable with moments that seem mundane. Rather than recognizing these moments as opportunities to serve my wife and others, and I treat them as if they are merely boxes I need to check off, in order to get on to the next thing.

I know that in many ways, this is simply a part of our culture. More and more, it seems to be a struggle for people to remain present in moments that fail to live up to their expectations of entertainment. I find this troubling. I don’t want to simply make it through all of the day to day experiences of my life. A large portion of life is made up of doing things that are not particularly exciting to do, but that doesn’t mean those moments aren’t worth experiencing. I want to be able to recognize God’s beauty and purpose in all of the moments of my life. When I tune out moments that are difficult, awkward, or even just boring, I’m choosing not to recognize God’s holiness in each moment.

Part of why this has been on my mind recently, is because I have been thinking about the ways in which I want my students to approach their tasks. I genuinely wish for my students to view their studies in a way that shows a true joy for what they are doing. When my students fill out a grammar worksheet that they may find repetitive, I want them to do so with the knowledge that working with integrity and a good heart is just one small way that they can point to God’s glory. I want them to recognize and respect authority when they are being reprimanded or corrected, not out of fear, but out of an assurance of love that stems from God. I want them to live worshipful lives, and I believe that part of a worshipful life is performing even the smallest of tasks with a joyful heart.

Recently, my wife Kristian and I lost water in our apartment for several days while some necessary work was being done on the pipes. Thankfully, given that we live in such a privileged area, this was no more than a minor inconvenience. We were able to get by well enough with the help of some kind friends, and the showers at our gym. What it did mean though, was that doing the dishes and cooking elaborate meals was no longer a possibility. For the better part of ten days, I was relieved of my normal responsibilities of managing the kitchen. At first, I was thrilled to swing by Cookout for my Kristian and I on my way back from work, and just throw away the egregious amounts of styrofoam and tin foil that was left when we were finished eating. Pretty soon though, I started to miss the creative outlet that cooking provides for me. Even though I may not feel like doing it every day, cooking stimulates my brain in an important way that is healthy for me. Likewise, cleaning the kitchen after dinner is one of the ways that I can most regularly serve Kristian. Beyond just being a necessary chore, it is a small action that I can take to show my love for her. I should complete duties with a thankful heart, rejoicing in the gifts that I’ve been given.

I think we often overlook the importance of small, menial tasks. They can often be the richest parts of our day, and they provide us with opportunities to bless one another. So I hope that within our school we are modeling this for all of our students. Real and lasting joy comes from God, and doing work with a happy heart is one way that we can honor Him.

It’s Sunday morning as I write this, and I am home because overnight we had a nasty blast of icy snow that has left my driveway a sparkling sheet of white. While I should have spent this extra time at home doing restful things that quiet and enrich my soul, I decided to sweep/vacuum the whole house, organize everything that looked disheveled, and revise future lesson plans. This is not necessarily a bad thing—I am a scientist who firmly believes in the second law of thermodynamics and the proliferation of microbes. But let me explain.

Our rescue dog, Buddy, has been acting weird lately—I’m suspicious he is starting to go blind. He is older, and has always been a low-key, people-loving lab. But now, he avoids steps, got very stressed at his favorite friend’s house, and won’t walk on the tile in our kitchen. While I was vacuuming this morning, he followed me like a shadow. While I was typing lesson plans, he kept trying to climb into my lap. Naturally, I got very frustrated because my productivity was being hampered. Like a true Millennial, I switched tabs and googled, “what to do when your dog is being extremely clingy,” immediately followed by “how to help an old blind dog.” How thoughtful and responsible of me.

Website after website explained the causes of separation anxiety, why you should not rearrange your furniture, and how to dispense dog treats using positive reinforcement. Yikes. Then, I stumbled upon this instruction, “Remember: older dogs still need attention. Make effort to spend time with them. Play with toys, take them on car rides, or just sit on the floor touching them.” So, I got out of my desk chair, laid down next to Buddy, and stroked his back. He nuzzled my face, leaned back, and instantly drifted off to sleep. I sat there and sobbed.

The Holy Spirit’s conviction pierced my soul. All Buddy needed was two minutes of simple presence. It reminded me of a line in my dad’s favorite Christmas song, O Holy Night.

“Long lay the world in sin and error pining, till He appeared and the soul felt its worth.”

That’s what Buddy (and all of us) are craving: the knowledge that we matter, someone sees us, and that we are loved. And the knowledge of this worth comes from the presence of Christ himself. I felt the weight of my sin twofold.

1) I spent my Sunday morning rushing around and cleaning because for years I have never been able to shake the lie that my worth comes from what I do, and

2) How many glimpses of God’s grace and unconditional love have I missed because I could not slow down and be present? How many times has my husband, my mom, or a friend called and I put them on speaker and rushed around doing other things (trying not to make too much noise so that they won’t suspect anything)? How many times have I said “yes” to something that wasn't mine to do—and left Buddy’s precious little face peering out the window as I drove off to go try to prove my sense of worth to myself or someone else. No, I’m not obsessed with my dog, but he has certainly taught me more than I ever thought was possible.

It doesn’t matter how cleaned up things look on the outside if on the inside I am aching and exhausted from trying to prove I matter and that my value comes from what I can produce. Christ has come. God looks at me and sees the finished work of Jesus—that means I am enough. This grace is sweet. It gives me permission to cuddle happily with my dog, laugh earnestly at my students’ jokes, listen intently to my husband’s stories, and sit quietly in worship of my Creator. No more rushing, running, bull-dozing, and flying around trying to convince myself (or anyone else) I am worth something. I am already enough—because Christ is more than enough. Thank the Lord for His sufficient grace...and my old pal Buddy.

“What more can He say, than to you He hath said…to you who for refuge to Jesus have fled.”