As a childless woman, what is my purpose? Why did God give me this tremendous love for children that seems to have no place to go...

20 Bible Verses about PrayerTomorrow is the National Day of Prayer in the U.S. and all week here at FaithGateway we are featuring articles by popular Christian authors and verses about prayer to provide you with encouragement to pray for our nation and your local communities. To kick off our commemorations, we’ve colle

The truth of your story is your victory and the enemy’s defeat!Choosing to share the story of your scars makes you able to share the story of your Healer.

“Did we meet? I don’t remember you at all.” Wrote the editor of a large publishing house in a curt, rude email. We had met just a few weeks before but obviously, I failed to make a lasting imp…

Our bodies are very skilled at communicating with the brain. However, some may have more trouble than others. Learn about what interoception is and how you can improve yours.

As educators, we are mandatory reporters, and that means that we must be competent in all forms of child abuse. Knowledge is so important, and I believe that as educators, we owe it to our students to continually learn and grow in our understanding of complex issues such as psychological abuse. Today, I would like to talk about one form of abuse that is effecting students around the globe each and every day—Parental Alienation. First, I would like to preface by saying that I am not a psychologis

A degree should be worth your monetary investment. Is nursing school worth it? Let's deep dive into 7 truths you should know before you...

What happens when an INFP is mad? Do INFPs even get mad at all? The quick answer is, of course, we do! Anger is a natural human emotion that exhibits strong disapproval or disappointment. Things don’t always go our way, so even for the most gentle personality types such as INFP, anger is inherent. Although… Read More »INFP Rage: How Do INFPs Show Anger?

Did you know there are actually many different kinds of empaths, all with individual differences, abilities, strengths, and sensitivities? If you're curious about your empathic abilities, then this quiz is for you!

How does cognitive defusion work? Use these defusion techniques to reduce the intensity or change the impact of distressing inner experiences.

Do you really understand the Sabbath? What is it? What does it mean? Should we go to church on the seventh day, the Sabbath of our Lord?

Haarlem is a small city about 30 kms west of Amsterdam. It is such a charming place that we instantly loved! It's close proximity to Amsterdam makes it a really great place to stay while still being close to everything in downtown Amsterdam. Here are 5 reasons to visit Haarlem in the Netherlands to hopefully

Which & How Much do Women Need? If you’ve ever been confused about or scared…

It’s the last week of Hero Training! Woo! What a blast! This week is all about being truthful. I don’t know about you, but in our family telling the truth is very serious business. K knows that lying will get him in big trouble, so it was great to use this time to dig a…

We are bombarded in our day with so much information. Focus is huge! Here are 7 truths, 7 important truths all Christians should believe.

Which & How Much do Women Need? If you’ve ever been confused about or scared…

Welcome to our comprehensive guide on stylish ideas for men over 50, where we delve into the world of timeless elegance and fashion for the distinguished gentleman. As a leading authority on men's fas

You know these funny little pictures you see floating around Facebook and Pinterest, we see them and we laugh and nod our head. Well I'm hear to tell you it is true and it really isn't a laughing matter. Think about it- what other profession has to have a substitute when the employee is sick. If I worked at an office, my co-workers would just have to pick up the slack, or my job just doesn't happen and all my work is still piled up waiting for my return. If I worked at the grocery store, the lines might be a little longer due to one less checker. When teachers are sick what happens.? Stage 1 Denial First we pretend we aren't sick. We tell people it's allergies. We then say, I feel fine, I just sound terrible. Stage 2 The Little White Lie We tell people we aren't contagious. We lie and say, 'it's just a cold". Stage 3 Admitting We Are Sick There comes a point when we've gone too far. Our body is shaking because we feel like we are in a freezer. There is a loud pounding in our head as if we were at a Bon Jovi concert. Finally we admit it. We say those 2 awful words every teacher can't stand to say... I'M SICK! What happens next is so different for us teachers than it is for anyone else. We can't just say those 2 little words and crawl into bed. Stage 4 Panic This is when we start to panic. We have to get a substitute teacher and prepare lesson plans. Sometimes we even have to go to school and set everything up. I've been there on a Sunday night in my pajamas, almost falling over because the world was spinning, but I couldn't let my kinder kids down. I had to leave plans. #thestruggleisreal Now if you are lucky, you might have a regular substitute or two that you can depend on. When I know in advance I will be out, I have an amazing substitute. It has gotten to where I can literally leave her a post-it note. I don't have to make special sub plans. She knows my kids, my routines and how I do things. To make it better, she even knows to grab my iPad and snap photos of what the kids are doing. BUT… what happens when she can't come at the last minute. This is usually when I relapse into Stage 1 DENIAL--I tell myself just go in you can make it through the day, because I know the alternative could be tragic. Let me paint you a picture of a few options I have. Option #1, is me with my head on the desk, begging the kids to not write too loudly. Option #2 THE SUB FINDER. This is our system. We get on the computer, check a few boxes and then it begins calling the 5 people on our preferred list. They of course either already have a job or don't want it. Next, it randomly calls people on our district sub list until someone excepts the job. Stage 5 Anxiety From the comforts of my couch I keep checking the system to see if the job has been filled. My fear is that no one will take the job. Then it happens a name appears and you feel even worse because you know your room will be destroyed, nothing will get done and your teaching partners will be texting you all day to tell you what is going on. Before I go on and tell you my tragic stories of substitute teachers- I will say that I have a lot of respect for those who are guest teachers. I used to be one, so I know how hard the job is. After my very first day of being a sub, I went home and cried and said I don't want to teach ever again. Now that the shoe is on the over foot, I also know how to prepare for a sub. I teach my kids to be on their best behavior when I am gone and I don't expect everything to go smoothly. I expect the sub to do their best to follow my plans, but most of all, take care of my babies. So why do I worry when the sub job goes to a random stranger? It has nothing to do with a stranger teaching my babies or being in my room and snooping through my drawers. It has to do with the fear that my babies might not be taken care of. Let me list some of the "Guest Teachers" I've had in the past. #1 Mr. Rubber Rain-boots and Piccolo: Yes- the first thing he did was enter the room, take off his rubber boots and proceed to play the piccolo. #2 Here's Jack: According to my colleagues he looked like Jack Nicholson from The Shining. At one point he took one of my girls to the office and told the principal to talk to her about her behavior. Of course my principal wanted to know who was with my class if he was in the office. No one was with them they were just left alone. Oh and my room has no windows and there is a lonesome hallway before you enter my door. #3 I Don't Follow the Lesson Plans: I'm not really a teacher, I just signed up to play one; it's easy money. This person doesn't have any idea of how to work with kids, they just let the kids have free choice and hand out the assignments without ever explaining them. #4 The Homeless Looking Guy: According to my colleagues they thought he was a grandparent because he was waiting outside the door with the kids. He looked homeless and smelled a bit. I know that at another school they gave him a t-shirt to wear and keep. #5 Mrs. Zero Tolerance: I'm fine for coming in strong, showing the kids you're in charge, but there is a limit. You can't just farm all the kids out to my colleagues to make your day a little easier. Stage 6 Acceptance and Healing At some point after the bell rings we have to accept the fact that we won't be going in. We have to put our phone on silent and ignore the texts and missed calls from colleagues and begin to heal. If we spend our time worrying and checking in all day how are we going to recover quickly. After all, the goal for staying home when you're sick is to recoup and make a speedy recovery. I know I'm not the only one with crazy substitute tales. I also know we've all been through these 6 stages of being sick. I invite you to share your tales with me and my readers. It's simple, Link up below and use the image to link back here. An InLinkz Link-up

Lifting of hands is part of worship in many churches. Worship involves our bodies as well as our hearts and minds. Our posture tells a story. It makes a statement to God and to others

A few weeks ago I attended a women’s bible study. As we discussed the fruit of the spirit, “goodness,” we dove into the scriptures. One of them being, Psalm 23:5 “He will prepare a table for me in the presence of my enemies; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all […]

Does it feel impossible to pray even though you know you want to? Click to find out why and 3 simple tips we can do to find breakthrough.

Shame. You know. That gut-wrenching feeling in the pit of your stomach that makes you secretly hate yourself. Those memories of all the times you've messed up in the past. That you're dirty. Or unloved. Or unworthy of love. It seems there is an epidemic of feelings of shame in our socie

Which & How Much do Women Need? If you’ve ever been confused about or scared…

Ever wondered why 'feelings are not facts'? Dive into this game-changer and unlock a brighter, wiser YOU. Let's take a look together.

So, how can we overcome difficult obstacles? Here are twelve biblical truths to help you overcome obstacles and walk in victory.

We get a lot of questions about empathic traits, signs and tendencies, and this article (below) has a really good list of some very common traits that many empaths share, along with some of the pitfalls along the path as well!

What are microplastics? How do they impact your health and the health of our planet? The answers might surprise you.

Which & How Much do Women Need? If you’ve ever been confused about or scared…

I read a post on Pinterest the other day that made me stop dead in my tracks. It was an infographic type image comparing a wife's needs vs a husband's needs. To say I was

These 6 ADHD Resources are really helping my kids right now. When I find something that works, I want to shout it from the rooftops! 2 of these resources really help with homework battles and 1 is great solution to sit without wiggling. We love our weighted blanket to get to sleep fast - and stay asleep! Plus the best book for ADHD Parenting!

3 Christian Resources for Current Events in Morning Time that will help kids think critically and compare the news with truth of the Bible.

Tales from the secondary classroom of a passionate English educator

Many readers approached us after reading our Quick Tips: How to Dress for Your Body Type article with questions like, “What body shape am I?” or “What’s my body shape?” It can be hard to know how to answer these questions on your own. While the shape names can be intuitive, it is difficult to discern how to determine if you are one shape over another. The truth is: you can actually be multiple shapes and women often fluctuate from one shape to the next. A little weight loss or gain can change your shape quite easily. There are ways, however, to determine which category you fall under. That’s why we have created Which Body Shape Am I? Quick Tips for the Perfect Fit. Just read through the descriptions, compare them to your current shape, and you will be on your way. Sign Up For More Free Patterns >>>