Christine Smith

I’ve got some heavy duty work to do today and tomorrow and, if I can’t get it all done by then, part of the next day. Some of you are facing some enormous challenges over the next couple of days so I wanted to pray for both of us in case you could use it. Gracious and merciful Heavenly Father, you told us through your Son Jesus Christ to ask and we will receive, to seek and we will find and to knock and the door will be opened to us. So here we are, your children, asking, seeking and knocking at your door in the name of your Son, our Lord. We need strength. Not human strength but divine strength. YOUR strength. Your power. The continuously sustained filling of your Holy Spirit. Gift us, Lord. Place your hand upon us and grant us favor. Grant that it would be so obvious to us that, even in the process of doing the work, we will be startlingly aware that you are infusing us with holy unction. I ask for both of us that the work will be strangely energizing to us rather than exhausting. Make it a joy to us. Cause us not only to do the work but like and love the work because we are doing it, whatever it may be, in your name and to your great glory. Oh Lord, you have been so good to us. Your loving kindness endures forever. Bring us the endurance of your Holy Spirit this week. And grant that we would not forget to thank you even in the process. We are grateful for the privilege to work, whether in our homes or our offices, whether taking care of our families, a sick loved one or laboring over a work project. We give it to you, Lord. We dedicate our labor to you. We give you everything we have like those few loaves and fishes and now we ask you to multiply them by your power and not only give us everything we need but overflow in an abundance of energy that leads to praise and even laughter over the marvel that is our faithful God. We have sought you and we are certain because of your promises that we will find you. In the glorious and holy name of Christ Jesus, our love and our life, amen.

A discipline I’m trying to learn to practice: Sort it out with the Lord before you speak it out in public. If, after sorting it out, the compelling remains to speak it, speak it in its sorted form. Sorted doesn’t mean fully understood or settled. It means filtered by Jesus.

This was helpful, hopeful encouragement for me today. Thank you @d_mulder Selfies and Bookshelves, by @d_mulder open.substack.com/pub/drdave/p/s…

Love this definition of waiting: hopefully doing without.

The beauty of pre-ordering books...not taking time to know when it comes such that it is a happy surprise when it does. #booklover #spiritualformation

To heal, mad has to give way to sad. #goodword

@BethMooreLPM Thank you, Beth, for leading us through Scripture and sharing powerful, honest words to help us grow and heal. Thanks to the worship team for leading and thank you fellow sisters for demonstrating faith through being there with attention and open hearts.#changed #blessed

Home from living proof live in Seattle. 1st this year. We do local Bible study in Jan-Feb so we don’t start events til March. Oh man, the Lord lent us the most fabulous group of women to serve! We had such a great time in the Scriptures. Living words that just never get old.

Grade 6 drawings of redemption and restoration=joy and peace for me.@SurreyChristian #snowday #assessment

@RebeccMcLaugh Thank you for speaking at this conference. I was very impacted and encouraged by your words. Your knowledge, humor, biblical teaching, statistics, and vulnerability were all so appreciated. Praying for strength, continued courage, and rest for you.

I have the privilege of talking to 1000 Christian educators in Vancouver today. I'm covering a lot of controversial ground. I'd welcome prayers that I'd speak faithfully & that the conference would strengthen people in their faith & witness.

Thanks @d_mulder @beim_m @DeGrootAbby @jarielbailey for a fascinating and compelling discussion on Hallway Conversations that convinced me to buy this. Can't wait to read it!

The Gateway of Hope is in need of blankets as fall approaches! If you have extra blankets and would like to donate them. We would gladly accept them! 👍

My daughter had talked for several years about how much she loved her 5th grade teacher. When I finally asked her what she liked about that teacher, this was her response: “She liked US!” So simple… yet so profound. Kids gravitate to the teachers that like them.

Fun or flop? Using potato heads with 6th graders to introduce storyline = fun! One body, many parts, many gifts... #storyline #TfT @SurreyChristian

I keep putting things in the microwave and God keeps putting them back in the crockpot. Whatever is distracting you today, give it a little more time.

Leading a diverse church in Queens, I’ve had to remind myself & others that our ultimate goal is not DIVERSITY. Our ultimate goal(s) are communion, curiosity, solidarity, justice, and love. Diversity is a beautiful gift, but we can have diversity and none of these other things.

Week 1 TEACHER ACTIVITY #2 Have fun building relationships and community in your classroom. (Directions in video) 🍎Group Teams or 1v1 🍎Note Cards and Cups stacked 🍎Pull 1 or all at once 🍎All drop =1pt 🍎3-5 minute rounds to see how many pts groups can get. HAVE FUN!

Glad to serve the church in our time in all its moral brokenness with this book coming out @LexhamPress on June 15 (can preorder). Every pastor and elder should have one, not because I wrote it, but because I believe it can help recover the church’s moral integrity. @RegentBks

Such a great night @SurreyChristian. There was so much beauty in the music and the people. #thankful

@DeGrootAbby Definitely! More discussion indeed. The pandemic certainly did not help staff/parent relationships either. So glad parents are allowed back in schools!

@CAMuellerSmith Great question, Christine! I wonder if we as adults need to do a better job of modeling these questions ourselves inside our Christian communities.

This was very encouraging and timely. Students are having the conversations anyways so we should have parents and teachers joining them as trusted guides. Fully agree @DeGrootAbby, identity achievement preceded by crisis and questioning is healthy and good.

I think talking to parents about preparing kids for the future rather than just protecting is beneficial but must be balanced with somewhat agreeable age appropriate boundaries.

My question then is this: how does a Christian school build trust between staff and parents so that these conversations are welcomed rather than feared?