The Casualties of Idol Worship

Idol worship is rarely obvious at first. It happens gradually. We make money. Buy nice things. Spend time with amazing people. Dedicate ourselves to our work, gifts, crafts, and families. And in the midst of all those things, sometimes, we neglect God. This is a problem and totally unacceptable. However, God has a way of dethroning things He allows us to be blessed with. Some of us lose jobs, which impacts our income and lifestyles. He strips away different people and relationships we cherish – even ones we never imagined would end. He allows a child to get sick, a family member to pass away, breakups, a separation and/or divorce to be final, and other relationships to fade away because He's God and can do whatever He wants. He loves us too much to allow us to esteem ourselves, a position, income, relationships, or material things above Him. Exodus 20:3-5 reads, “You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God…” Is there anything or anyone you’ve been idolizing in your life that needs to be dethroned? If so, do it before God does. I used to worship friendship. I love having valuable and meaningful friendships in my life, but I no longer worship them. In the past, I experienced the repercussions of doing so and it was painful. One by one, I watched God dismantle different friendships I had, leaving me with open wounds and a broken heart. Being handled by God changed my entire approach. He doesn’t mind us having nice things, positions, or people in our lives, but He doesn’t want any of those things to completely have us or come before Him. Never forget that.

A Year Of Being Ghosted

Ghosting: the practice of ending a personal relationship with someone by suddenly and without explanation withdrawing from all communication. I’ve been ghosted by every guy I’ve met within the past two years. About six to be exact. · The first guy pursued me and then got shady whenever I asked him about what he did for a living and where he lived. When he started dodging and avoiding questions, wouldn’t initiate dates, and slowly stopped keeping in touch with me altogether, eventually, all communication ceased. · The second guy was someone I met through a family member. He was super cool, very smart, handsome, and funny, but didn’t want to be in a relationship and acted like he didn’t want to be seen with me publicly. When we had plans to meet for an outing, he didn’t show up, and then texted me about a week later with an apology. We chilled at my place a few times, had a few phone conversations, and exchanged occasional texts, but eventually he stopped responding to me

Teacher Table Talk: When Parents Attack

As an English teacher, a core belief I’ve held close since the beginning of my career has been the importance of relationship building. I believe that if great relationships between teachers, students, and parents are established at the beginning of the school year, everything else will fall into place. Authentically modeling, practicing, and establishing mutually respectful and professional relationships within my classroom has been the bridge for effective communication, solid classroom management, and creating a safe and effective learning environment that fits each of my student’s needs. And though I’ve seen and experienced the benefits of great relationship building, unfortunately, there have been times when some students and parents have not been receptive or interested in my efforts to establish connections that would best serve all parties involved. I’ve also noticed and shared spaces with other educators, school counselors, and administrators who’ve experienced the same. And

How To Respond To A Nasty Email

Technology has made many people bold, rude, and incredibly messy. Often to the point where some may hide behind words they’ve typed instead of verbally communicating a message they want to convey. Such can be the case when it comes to sending emails. Ah, emails. You know what they are. Electronic messages that can be quickly drafted, sent, and misinterpreted (because you can’t always interpret tones or emotions through them). Which is why it’s key to know how to respond to nasty emails if they should ever come your way – especially in the workplace. As a working professional, there have been plenty of times when a coworker or superior sent an email my way that was petty, mad disrespectful, and unprofessional. And before I learned how to properly utilize email etiquette, my first instinct would always be to clap back. I just felt the need to respond and to communicate that I wouldn’t allow anyone, no matter who they were, to disrespect me. And while I haven’t taken things too far

Making Waves