Welcome back, I'm grateful you're here! Today's letter dives into a bit of cultural context I wish I had known earlier in my career as a Christian educator. I hope it gives food for thought, no matter your role or experience, because this is the stuff your teacher training may not have shared or connected to your day-to-day work. When Teacher Training and Experiences Collide with School Culture I attended public schools throughout my childhood and undergraduate studies (many moons ago for...
27 days ago • 5 min read
Hello, Dear Educator, I am so thankful and honored that you are reading this, especially in the busyness of the new school year. I pray it blesses your day! I began writing this newsletter edition from the recliner in my mom’s hospital room while waiting for her return from surgery. After a year of frequent 911 calls and multiple hospital visits, we are hopeful this procedure will revive her health and restore the energy she so longs for. My mom, who is almost 83 years old, is why I first...
about 1 month ago • 4 min read
Start Simply with Time and Space Dear Reader, Last time, I shared my journey with the Bible growing up and the clarity I discovered once I could visualize the entire story through the plot diagram. I still smile when I think of how Jesus revealed himself to me through a concept I had known my entire career. He's like that, though, isn't he? Scripture shows us over and over again how God meets us where we are and then shows us the true version found in Him. Looking back, this personal...
about 1 year ago • 3 min read
God's Greater Narrative Dear Reader, I recently read a fantastic piece written by Paul Kaak (2024) on faith integration in higher education. He notes that shifts in Christian culture, including a long decline in biblical literacy within the church and society, have influenced teaching and learning in Christian schools. I know this all too well. Growing up, my own experience with the Bible felt like trying to assemble a million-piece puzzle without the picture on the box to show how the pieces...
about 1 year ago • 2 min read