Good morning, God! It's Monday, and it's the start of a new week and a new work week. Many things are going to happen to me and around me and because of me this week, and I hope that you'll be there with me, strong in my mind and spirit, so that any decisions that I make, any actions that I take, will be a reflection of love and caring and compassion instead of self-interest or fear.
You know, as each week starts I feel something similar--I wonder if what I'm doing is making any sort of difference at all. Am I contributing in positive ways to the education and well-being of my students, or am I just doing a job for pay? Am I giving enough of myself? Am I treating the kids well? All of them? And I guess that the most important question that I can ask is whether or not what I'm doing will have any sort of lasting value, or if all that I do is simply forgotten at the end of the year.
It's very different teaching the freshmen and sophomores who really don't have any idea of the importance of what we do in class, and who for the most part don't care much about the education they're receiving. To them, class work is something to get through, period. Am I making a difference? I know that I'm fully aware of the fact that I'm in a field in which most of the gratification is long deferred, and very often never even seen by the teachers. But sometimes it would be nice to know that in some way I am making even the slightest difference.
A reply:
You know already one of the most important principles in life: if you do what you do with love, then you are making a positive difference in the lives of all those who come in contact with the work you do. While sometimes the feeling of love may not be there, you know that you do love what you do and that you do love the students who are there in your class, so no matter where your heart or mind may be at any given moment, you are still there in love, and you are still acting in love.
The love is the part that does allow you to "make a difference." For some students, they may not retain much of the subject matter at all, but they'll remember that they were treated well in the classroom, and they'll appreciate that fact very much. In that way, yes, you are making a difference. And remember the email from Rebekah, in which she told you that she didn't realize until she left just how much she appreciated the way you treated her.
And most of the students will retain much of what you do in class. For them, too, you are making a difference, because their work will be much easier in future classes. For them, the papers that they write in the future will come much more easily, and you'll be contributing to the lack of stress in their lives. They'll certainly appreciate that.
You do know this already: You're in a field in which most gratification is deferred, and much of it is never manifested. Because of this, you have to trust more than many others--trust that what you're doing is positive, that it has positive effects, and that it is a positive contribution to the lives of those who are touched by your teaching. Are you the best teacher in the world? Probably not. The most effective? Probably not. But because you teach from a place of love and compassion and respect, trust me--you're way, way up there, and you do make a difference.
Monday, February 4, 2013
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
Reading signs
Good morning, God! A new day is here, and I get to use it trying to help students to understand a novel, all of the intricacies and details that normally would go right by them--if I do it well. I would much appreciate your presence there so that I can stay focused in ways that will help them.
As you know already, there's a situation at school that's somewhat ridiculous, and that makes me very frustrated. It truly makes me wonder if I made a mistake in coming here to teach, as the lack of organization and vision here are truly difficult to deal with. I don't understand often how people can not do things that they're supposed to do, and then not see any problem with not having done it. This school, I think, is going to lose several teachers next year, and that's going to mean another difficult year of transition. And the loss won't necessarily be for good reasons. Oh, well--I'm trying to look at the signs and decide whether this place is a good fit for me, and whether I'm a good fit for this place. I know that the way it is, the school and I are not a good fit. I always look to the ways that it could be, though, if I need to make important decisions.
I'm not asking for a reply this morning, obviously, since I need to live soon. But I do know that sometimes you can help me to see things more clearly, or with less bias. And that's what I ask for as the window for my decision comes closer--discernment. Please help me to see things in different ways, in clear ways, in helpful ways.
As you know already, there's a situation at school that's somewhat ridiculous, and that makes me very frustrated. It truly makes me wonder if I made a mistake in coming here to teach, as the lack of organization and vision here are truly difficult to deal with. I don't understand often how people can not do things that they're supposed to do, and then not see any problem with not having done it. This school, I think, is going to lose several teachers next year, and that's going to mean another difficult year of transition. And the loss won't necessarily be for good reasons. Oh, well--I'm trying to look at the signs and decide whether this place is a good fit for me, and whether I'm a good fit for this place. I know that the way it is, the school and I are not a good fit. I always look to the ways that it could be, though, if I need to make important decisions.
I'm not asking for a reply this morning, obviously, since I need to live soon. But I do know that sometimes you can help me to see things more clearly, or with less bias. And that's what I ask for as the window for my decision comes closer--discernment. Please help me to see things in different ways, in clear ways, in helpful ways.
Monday, January 28, 2013
Preparedness
Good morning, God, and thank you very much for this new day and this new week. I have ahead of me many new chances to accomplish major and minor things, and I do appreciate the opportunities.
I'd like to ask you about my difficulties in being prepared--or rather, my perceived difficulties in being prepared. Sometimes I get extremely stressed out because I feel that I'm unprepared for something, yet it usually turns out that I'm fine--that I've done all I needed to do in order to be ready for the situation. This is especially true in teaching. Every Sunday and every Monday morning I feel a strong sense of stress, even though I know that I'm usually okay, and that nothing's going to go wrong during the week.
I guess the bottom line is that I put a lot of stress on myself with my imaginings of failure or folly, the way that I see possible disasters occurring when no disaster is actually looming. I'd like to change this habit, but it seems to be sticking with me even though I know of it, I recognize it, and I accept it and try to deal with it.
A reply:
Every one of you on this planet is reliving your childhood over and over again. Most of you have moved on far enough so that you're reliving only a small part of it, only minor portions that usually have to do with your greatest fears. Growing up in an unstable household in which alcohol addiction played a major role, you--as you know already--are dealing with many issues that are typical of adults who grew up as children of alcoholics. The two issues that affect you most--as you also know--are the fear of relationships and the fear of failure, of being criticized for not doing what you were supposed to do.
The most important steps for dealing with these issues have been taken care of--you recognize them, and you accept them. But now you want to banish them from your life, which is completely understandable. How can you banish a fear that seems to arise on its own? How can you banish a thought that comes unbidden?
Your fears, of course, originate in your thoughts. And really, that's all they are. For you, the best way to deal with the fears has been to be completely prepared, for then you know that there will be no problems making class work. And that's one way that you can take care of the fears before they happen--trade time that you normally would spend doing something else, and use it to prepare for the things that stress you out the most. You know how you spend your time--where can you find time to prepare for the things that give you the most stress.
Remember that very often, you're not stressed because you're not prepared, but you're stressed because you didn't use time that you had available to do the work that needed to be done before you did other work. Certain work on certain things can wait until after the grading is done. Other work can wait until after your lesson plans are done. It's always a trade-off.
Ask yourself very clearly and give yourself an honest answer: Do these thoughts result because of the situation itself, or are they a part of your life because of the ways in which you've prioritized?
I'd like to ask you about my difficulties in being prepared--or rather, my perceived difficulties in being prepared. Sometimes I get extremely stressed out because I feel that I'm unprepared for something, yet it usually turns out that I'm fine--that I've done all I needed to do in order to be ready for the situation. This is especially true in teaching. Every Sunday and every Monday morning I feel a strong sense of stress, even though I know that I'm usually okay, and that nothing's going to go wrong during the week.
I guess the bottom line is that I put a lot of stress on myself with my imaginings of failure or folly, the way that I see possible disasters occurring when no disaster is actually looming. I'd like to change this habit, but it seems to be sticking with me even though I know of it, I recognize it, and I accept it and try to deal with it.
A reply:
Every one of you on this planet is reliving your childhood over and over again. Most of you have moved on far enough so that you're reliving only a small part of it, only minor portions that usually have to do with your greatest fears. Growing up in an unstable household in which alcohol addiction played a major role, you--as you know already--are dealing with many issues that are typical of adults who grew up as children of alcoholics. The two issues that affect you most--as you also know--are the fear of relationships and the fear of failure, of being criticized for not doing what you were supposed to do.
The most important steps for dealing with these issues have been taken care of--you recognize them, and you accept them. But now you want to banish them from your life, which is completely understandable. How can you banish a fear that seems to arise on its own? How can you banish a thought that comes unbidden?
Your fears, of course, originate in your thoughts. And really, that's all they are. For you, the best way to deal with the fears has been to be completely prepared, for then you know that there will be no problems making class work. And that's one way that you can take care of the fears before they happen--trade time that you normally would spend doing something else, and use it to prepare for the things that stress you out the most. You know how you spend your time--where can you find time to prepare for the things that give you the most stress.
Remember that very often, you're not stressed because you're not prepared, but you're stressed because you didn't use time that you had available to do the work that needed to be done before you did other work. Certain work on certain things can wait until after the grading is done. Other work can wait until after your lesson plans are done. It's always a trade-off.
Ask yourself very clearly and give yourself an honest answer: Do these thoughts result because of the situation itself, or are they a part of your life because of the ways in which you've prioritized?
Sunday, January 27, 2013
Today
Good morning, God, and thank you for this new day in our lives! Where we are, the wind is blowing very strongly and it's raining, a combination that makes for a lovely Sunday morning. I like the cloudy weekend weather in the winter--it gives me an excuse for staying indoors and enjoying the day in a very relaxing way.
It's very, very hard for me to believe that it's almost February. By the end of this week we'll be in the new month. And of course, I see life in a day-to-day fashion, but the months going by are a nice reminded of the fact that this all will end, relatively soon. A new month arriving reminds me to take care of things I want to take care of, to do things I want to do, to stop neglecting things that I've been neglecting. At my core, I don't even believe in time, but since I'm here and we're all using it, I do pay attention to it as much as I need to.
I have no big issues at the moment, but maybe soon. I just wanted to say thanks for the day, and thanks for days of rest!
A reply:
You're welcome. And thank you for taking advantage of it, and not squandering it!
It's very, very hard for me to believe that it's almost February. By the end of this week we'll be in the new month. And of course, I see life in a day-to-day fashion, but the months going by are a nice reminded of the fact that this all will end, relatively soon. A new month arriving reminds me to take care of things I want to take care of, to do things I want to do, to stop neglecting things that I've been neglecting. At my core, I don't even believe in time, but since I'm here and we're all using it, I do pay attention to it as much as I need to.
I have no big issues at the moment, but maybe soon. I just wanted to say thanks for the day, and thanks for days of rest!
A reply:
You're welcome. And thank you for taking advantage of it, and not squandering it!
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
Let me show love. . . .
Good morning, God, and thank you for this new day in our lives. On this day I'll be going out there once more, doing my best to be the best person I can be, and doing my best to be a positive influence on the other people with whom I come in contact. And since most of those people are young people, high school students, I hope that the influence that I'm able to have is a good one, one that reflects the love with which you created us, the love that we're all here to experience and spread. If I could ask one thing for this new day, I would ask you to help me to spread that love unconditionally, whether spreading it means encouraging, correcting, helping, listening--whatever. And please help me to recognize the best ways of sharing with all of the different individuals with whom I have contact.
Thanks!
A reply:
You're welcome. I will be with you. Stay focused on the work that you're supposed to be doing, and you'll find that by fulfilling your calling, you're doing just what you ask here. And everything else that seems to be above and beyond the calling--the encouragement, the kind words, the caring--really are part of your calling, too, whatever that calling may be.
And I thank you for wanting to spread the love that's so important to me, to the world, and to each individual soul who is spending time on your planet.
Thanks!
A reply:
You're welcome. I will be with you. Stay focused on the work that you're supposed to be doing, and you'll find that by fulfilling your calling, you're doing just what you ask here. And everything else that seems to be above and beyond the calling--the encouragement, the kind words, the caring--really are part of your calling, too, whatever that calling may be.
And I thank you for wanting to spread the love that's so important to me, to the world, and to each individual soul who is spending time on your planet.
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
Tuesday
It's Tuesday today, God, and I thank you for this new set of hours, this new day with light and fresh air and colors and laughter and even stress and problems. I have a new set of hours to work with, a new set of experiences and opportunities, so thanks very much.
It's good to wake up in the morning and not be stresses about work. It's good to have a more positive perspective on work, since that's where I have to be all day each day, and where I do the most of my giving to the world. If the negative feelings had continued, then I'm not sure how things would have gone.
I don't have any pressing questions at the moment, just a thanks for the day. I do ask you to be with me during the day so that I can make decisions that are positive and life-affirming, and so that I can react to students in loving, caring ways, ways that will be most beneficial to them. Help me to see clearly so that I can recognize things like pain and fear rather than seeing them as defiance or trouble-making. Help me to be a calming influence rather than someone who brings out the kids' fears. With your presence all day long, I can be a much more positive influence on all the kids, and I thank you for that possibility.
Have a great day! I'll do my best to do the same!
It's good to wake up in the morning and not be stresses about work. It's good to have a more positive perspective on work, since that's where I have to be all day each day, and where I do the most of my giving to the world. If the negative feelings had continued, then I'm not sure how things would have gone.
I don't have any pressing questions at the moment, just a thanks for the day. I do ask you to be with me during the day so that I can make decisions that are positive and life-affirming, and so that I can react to students in loving, caring ways, ways that will be most beneficial to them. Help me to see clearly so that I can recognize things like pain and fear rather than seeing them as defiance or trouble-making. Help me to be a calming influence rather than someone who brings out the kids' fears. With your presence all day long, I can be a much more positive influence on all the kids, and I thank you for that possibility.
Have a great day! I'll do my best to do the same!
Thursday, January 17, 2013
A New Day
Hello, God, and thank you very much for this new day. I have many more opportunities for many things in my life today--new connections with people, new ideas to learn and ponder, new things to read and to see and to enjoy. Of course, there will also be new problems arising, but I'm sure that I'll be able to deal with those.
I do have a question for you today--sometimes I ask you in the morning to be with me throughout the day so that you influence me more than my stress or other people or my fears influence me. Then the day starts taking on its own life, and that prayer is no longer a part of my conscious self--instead, it sinks to the depths of my mind, and I don't even remember it until much later, if at all. And sometimes as I reflect on the days that have gone by, I wonder if you really were there with me, or if I just went about doing things my own way (as I'm often wont to do). In my contact with my students, were you a big part of it, or was that contact all me? I'd like to think that the former is the case, as I think there would be more love and compassion present in the interactions, but I can't be sure. Perhaps I'm looking for surety, which of course isn't possible, but even if I am, I don't think there's anything wrong with that.
I guess the simple question is this: If I ask you to be there with me the whole day, are you there the whole day? Are you a strong part of who I show to the world, or a weak part? Must I keep you in the forefront of my mind all day in order for you to be present in my thoughts, deeds, and actions?
A reply:
This one is simple: I am always with you. Always. Sometimes you get so caught up in the life that you're living that you don't access all that I offer, but I'm still there. Always.
Remember, prayer is for your sake, and it's something that allows you to focus--and stay focused--on higheer ways of doing things, of better and kinder ways to approach life. I don't punish you for not praying, but you do feel the effects of not accessing such a positive part of who you are--me. I do have many gifts for you, and I do offer peace of mind and heart, and I do offer direction. Always when it's asked for, and sometimes when it isn't asked for.
For most people who do trust in me, the asking doesn't have to be conscious, and it doesn't have to be constant. Yes, if you ask me to be with you all day in the morning, then I am with you all day. You have accessed my presence and my gifts and my abundance. It's not so much that I'm with you all day, but that you've opened the door to me all day, and you do have access to me all day long, as I have access to you all day long.
I do have a question for you today--sometimes I ask you in the morning to be with me throughout the day so that you influence me more than my stress or other people or my fears influence me. Then the day starts taking on its own life, and that prayer is no longer a part of my conscious self--instead, it sinks to the depths of my mind, and I don't even remember it until much later, if at all. And sometimes as I reflect on the days that have gone by, I wonder if you really were there with me, or if I just went about doing things my own way (as I'm often wont to do). In my contact with my students, were you a big part of it, or was that contact all me? I'd like to think that the former is the case, as I think there would be more love and compassion present in the interactions, but I can't be sure. Perhaps I'm looking for surety, which of course isn't possible, but even if I am, I don't think there's anything wrong with that.
I guess the simple question is this: If I ask you to be there with me the whole day, are you there the whole day? Are you a strong part of who I show to the world, or a weak part? Must I keep you in the forefront of my mind all day in order for you to be present in my thoughts, deeds, and actions?
A reply:
This one is simple: I am always with you. Always. Sometimes you get so caught up in the life that you're living that you don't access all that I offer, but I'm still there. Always.
Remember, prayer is for your sake, and it's something that allows you to focus--and stay focused--on higheer ways of doing things, of better and kinder ways to approach life. I don't punish you for not praying, but you do feel the effects of not accessing such a positive part of who you are--me. I do have many gifts for you, and I do offer peace of mind and heart, and I do offer direction. Always when it's asked for, and sometimes when it isn't asked for.
For most people who do trust in me, the asking doesn't have to be conscious, and it doesn't have to be constant. Yes, if you ask me to be with you all day in the morning, then I am with you all day. You have accessed my presence and my gifts and my abundance. It's not so much that I'm with you all day, but that you've opened the door to me all day, and you do have access to me all day long, as I have access to you all day long.
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