I had to confiscate a phone today. In Texas, there is a new law that says students are not allowed to have their phones at all during the school day. If they are, we as teachers are required to take the phone and turn it in to the office. A girl in my 5th period was on her phone, so I had to take it. After class, she begged me not to turn it in. She knows the rules; she knows what I'm required to do, and she knows I’m not going to change my mind. But she kept asking—over and over again—for me not to turn it in. After telling her repeatedly that my hands were tied, I finally had to tell her to stop asking—I wasn't going to break the law for her. I was initially upset with the expectation of mercy —the idea that she thought she shouldn’t have to suffer any consequences for breaking a law, and she wanted me to be the one who gave her that mercy. Then I started thinking about how so many of my students beg for mercy—for their grades, for me to not take late points off, to...

“You didn’t write this—you copied this from another student,” I told one of my 10th grade English students. He emphatically denied it. I showed him the other student’s paper. I read them both, side by side. He still denied it. The truth  was sitting right in front of his face, and he still held on to the idea that he didn’t cheat. Unfortunately, I’ve had this same type of conversation with numerous students. Now that AI has made it so easy for students to cheat, these conversations happen more and more often. What baffles me is not just the lack of academic integrity, but the lying in the aftermath of getting caught. These students hold on to their lie, and they refuse to take accountability. And the more I’ve thought about it, the more I’ve realized that this isn’t just a student problem—it’s a human problem. Identity Sometimes, refusal to take accountability in the face of truth has to do with our skewed view of ourselves. If your identity is rooted in something othe...

It’s a simple question, but the answer is surprisingly...we don't know. Obadiah was a minor prophet in the Old Testament, and he wrote a book that is only one chapter with 21 verses. We don’t know his background; we don’t know where he came from. We don’t know his family, his occupation, or even exactly when he lived. His name means “servant of the Lord,” and beyond that, Scripture gives us very little. And yet, his message is anything but small, which is ironic. A man we know virtually nothing about was chosen to deliver a message about pride. A man whose identity fades into the background is the one God uses to confront a nation that had made everything about themselves. Edom was a nation defined by pride. They believed they were secure, untouchable, elevated above everyone else. When Israel was attacked and in distress, Edom didn’t step in to help. They stood back and watched. They even joined in the attack by looting the Israelites and blocking their escape routes (1...

I first read the novel Redeeming Love years ago, and like so many people, the story drew me in immediately. It's emotional, compelling, and deeply moving. It's the story of a man who refuses to give up on the woman he loves, no matter how many times she walks away. It’s a story that stays with you, and for many readers, it reshapes the way they think about love. But over the years, I’ve noticed something about how people often apply this story. People don’t just see it as a powerful illustration of God’s love—they begin to see it as a model for their own relationships. The takeaway shifts from “this is how God loves us” to “this is how I should love someone else.” And that is where things start to go wrong. The book—and eventually a movie—is based on the story of Hosea. God commands Hosea to marry Gomer, a prostitute who is unfaithful to him. Over and over again, she leaves. Over and over again, God tells Hosea to go after her. It's uncomfortable, and it's p...

I was adopted at the age of 5 weeks old, and about two years ago, I found my biological mother. What I thought would bring clarity and closure instead brought complexity, confusion, and a relationship that has been anything but easy to navigate. It has stretched me in ways I didn’t expect, and at times, it has left me questioning what God was doing in allowing this door to open in the first place. But as time has passed, I’ve begun to see something I couldn’t see at the beginning. God doesn’t always reveal His purposes in the moment. In fact, most of the time, He doesn’t. We walk through situations thinking we understand what we’re stepping into, only to realize later that what we thought was the point...wasn’t the point at all. I thought finding my biological mother would be about her, but it wasn’t. It was about my mom. It was about God showing me—in a way I had never seen so clearly before—that He had been orchestrating every detail of my life long before I ever und...

Last week, I caught a student cheating on a project. His girlfriend had completed the project for him, and he turned it in with his name on it. When I confronted him, he refused to admit it, even though I had his handwriting sample and the girl’s handwriting sample. She had even used the same pen on both assignments. What stood out to me wasn’t so much the cheating, but rather his response. Instead of taking accountability, he had the audacity to be offended that I would accuse him of cheating. That reaction is what got me thinking. It wasn’t that he didn’t understand what he had done. It wasn’t that there was a misunderstanding or a lack of evidence. The truth was clear. But instead of accepting it, he rejected it. More than that—he was offended by it. And the more I thought about it, the more I realized how often we do the exact same thing. A few years ago, I wrote about taking offense —about how often we assume something is directed at us when it really isn’t. Most of the...

We hear the phrase “facts over feelings” often, usually in arguments or debates, but Scripture presents that idea in a much deeper and more personal way. Feelings are real. They are not something to ignore or dismiss. But they are not always reliable, and they are never meant to be the foundation of truth. When Jesus was on the cross, He cried out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” in Matthew 27:46. In that moment, Jesus was expressing something very real. He felt the weight of separation, the depth of suffering, and the anguish of what He was enduring. But what is often overlooked is that Jesus was not just speaking from emotion—He was quoting Scripture. Those words come directly from Psalm 22:1. Psalm 22 begins with despair, but it does not end there. It moves from anguish to trust, from suffering to victory. Even in the middle of His pain, Jesus anchored Himself in truth. His feelings were real, but they were not the full picture. And that is where we often s...

My favorite short story is The Scarlet Ibis. It's a story about Doodle, a little boy who was born with severe disabilities, and he defies the odds to learn to walk, talk, run and almost become a normal boy, just like his brother always wished he would be. The story is told from the brother's point of view, and as he thinks back about Doodle, he says, "I did not know then that pride is a wonderful, terrible thing, a seed that grows two vines, life and death."  When I teach this short story in my English class, we talk about how pride can be a great thing when you have accomplished something you've worked hard at. When pride gives you motivation to become a better version of yourself, it gives you life. However, pride can be destructive when it breeds arrogance and selfishness. When pride causes you to damage those whom you love, it brings you death. What stands out to me more and more each time I teach this story is not just that pride can destroy, bu...

I absolutely love my backyard. It’s large, with mature trees and a covered deck with Edison lights hanging from the crossbars. There are hammock chairs to relax and kick your feet back, and a fire pit to roast s’mores. We put in an above-ground pool, with tiki torches surrounding it. There’s also a gravel walkway lined with solar lights leading to a garden along the back fence. There are multiple flower beds, with amaryllis, lilies, and sunflowers. It’s truly an oasis in the hot Texas summers. Inevitably though, every spring, I have to fight the weeds. Even though there is a weed barrier under the gravel walkway, weeds still pop up all along the pathway and in the cracks of the porch. I have to spray them and pull them every spring. Last week, I went out to the backyard to start pulling the weeds. However, some of the plants growing in the walkway didn’t look like weeds. I used Google Lens, and it told me that these plants were sunflowers. About 10 plants, not yet budded—jus...

My absolute favorite thing about teaching high school students is when I get to have real, genuine conversations with my students. Today, my students took their state exams, so at the end of the day, I put on a movie, and I let the kids talk, hang out, and relax a little.  A boy who sits near my desk was finishing some of his late work, and I overheard him talking to another boy about this girl he's been talking to. After a particularly funny comment one of them made, I looked over at them with wide eyes and asked if he had gotten in trouble with his mom for what he said. One thing led to another, and we started talking about relationships.  This boy conveyed that he didn't want to put his all into a relationship with this girl, because he was afraid if he put his everything in, what if she broke his heart? A wise thought from a 16-year-old boy.  It got me thinking about relationships, brokenness, and how important it is to put God at the center of every relation...

  On November 30, 2022, seven-year-old Athena Strand was at home in Paradise, Texas, when a FedEx contract delivery driver arrived with a package—Christmas presents Athena’s step-mom had ordered. What should have been an ordinary moment—a package delivery—turned into something unimaginable. Tanner Horner, the FedEx driver, kidnapped Athena and later murdered her, taking the life of a child who should have been safe at her own home. After years of court battles, Horner stood in court today and pled guilty to the charges. The reality of what happened to Athena has once again come to the surface, which forces us to confront something we often try to avoid: the presence of real, undeniable evil in the world. There is no way to soften what happened, and there really is no reason to try to understand. Maybe it's because it happened so close to home, or maybe it's because I've known the Strand family my whole life. Maybe it's because I'm the mom of two girls, o...

I recently watched a TikTok of Kent Hovind, an evangelist who talks about how God transcends time, space, and matter. He argues that the "trinity of trinities" of time, space, and matter necessitate an all-powerful creator. While Mr. Hovind's theories are controversial in the scientific community, it got me thinking about how our material world trinity is representative of the Holy Trinity of God. Similar to the Holy Trinity, time, space, and matter are not separate, independent concepts that can exist on their own; they are deeply interconnected. In fact, remove one, and the entire framework of existence begins to fall apart. Time is what allows events to occur. It is the dimension in which change happens, where cause leads to effect, and where movement is even possible. Without time, nothing could happen. There would be no sequence, no growth, no motion—only a frozen, meaningless state. Time gives existence its progression. Space, on the other hand, is the...

When we hear the word “trans” these days, our immediate first thought probably has something to do with transgender. That’s what we hear most often in pop culture and political debates. But the prefix itself transcends the current debate.  The prefix trans- comes from Latin meaning across, beyond, or to the other side of something. Once you understand that meaning, a whole group of English words becomes more clear: transform, transport, translate, transfer, transgress. Each of these words carries the same basic idea—movement from one place, condition, or state to another.  Trans words run all throughout Scripture. The Bible repeatedly describes the work of God as moving people across something—from darkness into light, from death into life, from separation into reconciliation. God is constantly bringing people from where they were into something entirely new.  Transform One of the clearest examples of this prefix appears in the word transform. In Romans 12...

For years, I prayed that God would change my ex-husband. I prayed that God would soften his heart, make him kinder, make him easier to co-parent with, or for God to help him become the kind of man I believed he could be. I prayed that God would convict him, transform him, and bring him to a place of repentance. After all, Scripture tells us in Matthew 19:26 that “with God all things are possible.” If God can part the Red Sea, raise the dead, and transform Saul the persecutor into Paul the apostle, surely He could change the heart of one man. So I prayed. And prayed. And prayed some more. For a long time, nothing changed. Or at least nothing changed in him. And that created a tension in my faith that I didn’t quite know what to do with. I watched all these women who had prayed their husbands into a relationship with God. So why not mine? If God can change anyone’s heart, and I was faithfully praying for that change, why wasn’t it happening? Was I not praying hard enough? Wa...

In my English class, I teach my students Greek and Latin roots. My theory has always been that if students learn the roots of words, they can usually figure out the meaning of unfamiliar words on their own. Instead of memorizing hundreds of vocabulary words, they learn the building blocks of language, and suddenly their vocabulary grows with much less effort. One of those building blocks is the prefix re -. It’s a prefix that means “again” or “back.” When you know that meaning, a whole group of words suddenly becomes clear: renew, revive, refresh, rejoice, restore. The Bible is full of re- words. This small prefix appears again and again in Scripture, and the message behind it is deeply encouraging—that God is a God of restoration. He does not simply create once and then abandon what has been broken. He restores. He renews. He revives. Over and over again. Rejoice The command to rejoice appears throughout Scripture. In Philippians 4:4, Paul writes, “Rejoice in the Lord alwa...

Most people wouldn’t be able to recognize it if they saw it. It’s not a cedar of Lebanon; it’s not an oak of righteousness. It’s not an olive branch or a Rose of Sharon. It’s a small, scraggly plant that grows out of rocky soil in the Middle East. And yet, God chose it.   God doesn’t waste details. When something appears repeatedly in Scripture, especially at pivotal moments in redemptive history, it’s there on purpose.  In Exodus 12, the Israelites stood on the brink of freedom. Egypt had been devastated by plagues, and Pharaoh’s heart was hardened beyond reason. One final judgment was coming, and it would divide life from death with terrifying precision. A lamb would be slain, and its blood would be the difference between preservation and destruction.  But God did not tell the Israelites to admire the lamb, nor did He even tell them to simply believe that its blood was powerful. He instructed them to take a branch of hyssop, dip it into the blood, and apply it ...

Arguably, we live in the most divisive times in political history. Our nation is sharply divided by red and blue. Demonstrations and protests are a daily occurrence, and the sentiment toward our current president is unprecedented. There has never been a president so loved, yet so hated at the same time.  Regardless of how you feel about Trump politically or personally, God commands us to pray for him. I Timothy 2:1-2 says, “I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people—for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. Who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.” The command here is clear—that we are to pray for our leaders. Godliness does not determine if someone is worthy of our prayers. Whether our leaders are godly or not, we are to lift them up to the Lord. When voting for the president, it is important for Christians to rem...

I'm a member of a couple mom groups on Facebook, and one of the most common mom complaints is about other children "bullying" their children. Many of these posts admonish other moms, telling them to "teach your children how" to behave, to treat others, to not bully, etc. In these posts, the moms usually lament the schools, teachers and administrators who are idly standing by while their child is relentlessly being bullied. Threats to take action to the school board or even the local news station abound.  I always want to respond to these posts, but I usually refrain, because most parents would not want to hear what I have to say: Get over it.  While on the surface, this may seem insensitive, or as if I think bullying is ok. I don't quite mean for it to come off that way. I know there are situations where children experience real abuse or sustained harassment, and those situations absolutely require intervention. That is not what I’m talking about he...

Inks Lake and the Frio River are probably my two favorite places in Texas. Inks, a small lake in the shadow of larger Lake Buchanan, is just about an hour northwest of Austin. It has clear, cool water, great fishing and a spot called "The Devil's Watering Hole." The Devil's Watering Hole is a quiet cove where you can swim, float and jump off a 20-foot-high rock into the water. There are hiking trails, a small river to float, and natural rock slides that send you splashing into the water below. The views on the water rival anywhere in the world. The Frio in Concan is about an hour and a half west of San Antonio. The Frio is an amazing, cool river to float down. You pack up drinks, snacks and a waterproof speaker into innertubes and just let the water take you downriver. If you'd like, you could choose to swim all day long, too. There are swimming holes, rocks to jump off of, and a giant slide that may or may not toss you a little too quickly into the crisp riv...