Wisdom for Wednesday - Get out of the boat!

Hey there! Happy Wednesday!

Is anyone else feeling like their to-do list is longer than the summer break they have left?

I mean, I'm looking ahead at my July calendar and seeing August will be here before I know it. And I know my mind will immediately shift to my back-to-school to-do list and all these unfinished summer projects will become...ahem...Christmas break projects (maybe).

Anyone with me? Anyone? ;-)

Oh, well. It is what it is!

Let's get on with today's bit of wisdom.

I love this phrase! In fact, it might be my favorite chapter title from my Bible study, There's a Fly In My Tea! (affiliate link).

This summer I'm going through my study with some ladies in a Facebook group. It has been a great refresher to me (yes, I can still be convicted by my own writing ;-)) and so fun to interact with these ladies as we strive to grow in our walk with the Lord. 

We covered this chapter a couple of weeks ago, and I found myself once again thinking, "Get out of the boat!"

The phrase came from the passage of when Peter walks on water in Matthew 14:22-33. Instead of just focusing on how Peter began to sink when he took his eyes off of Jesus (which is a great lesson), the study includes a portion celebrating that "at least he got out of the boat!"

Getting out of the boat is being obedient to what God asks us to do. Maybe it is steps of simple obedience--spending time with Him in prayer and Bible study--or maybe it is something bigger. 

One of my bigger "getting out of the boat" moments was the writing of the Bible study which I share in the book. Another was when I decided to go back to school and become a teacher. 

This year, I'll be "getting out of the boat" and starting a new position at my school. 

Reading specialist. 

I'm extremely excited...and a little nervous. Sure, I could have stayed in the comfort of my boat (2nd grade classroom), but I knew God was calling me to something different. Stepping out in obedience can sometimes be uncomfortable and a little frightening, but so worth it in the end!

Here's  another quote from the chapter that I love:

I know I'm writing to an amazingly talented group of people--we're teachers after all! So tell me...do you need to get out of the boat? :-)

P.S. I'd love to have you visit my author website and/or Facebook page if you're interested. :-)

Wisdom for Wednesday - Obedience

Good morning! 

Thanks for stopping by for:

This week's quote is easy for us to see in our students and children...

…but what about us?

It reminds me of my daughter when she was little…about 3 or 4. She was always easily distracted. I would send her to do something, and she would come back several minutes later having not even started on the assigned task.

One specific example…she had been told to pick up her room. Several minutes later when I got onto her, she said, "How can I possibly clean my room when I can't find my shoes?"

Obviously, I explained that she didn't need her shoes in order to pick up her room and sent her back to work on it.

That day the Lord brought to mind how my excuses sound to Him when I don't obey His Word and His leading. Much the same as my daughter's silly excuse for not cleaning her room, I'm sure.

"Obey right away," became a common phrase in our house. 

We later added, "…and with a right heart."

Two simple things we teach children, but what an impact they can have when applied to our own spiritual lives!

Have a blessed day!