God doesn’t tell time as we do. He does remarkable things, regardless of our time of day. He will leave our particular Red Sea absolutely closed, without an opening, without a sign, until He has finished teaching us the lessons we need to learn.
From 1 Chronicles 16:27: “Honor and majesty are before Him; strength and joy are in His place.”
God sometimes does His work with gentle drizzle, not storms.
From Deuteronomy 32:2-3: “May my teaching drop like the rain, my speech condense like the dew, like gentle rain on grass, like showers on new growth. For I will proclaim the name of the Lord, ascribe greatness to our God!”
John Newton (1725-1807) was an English pastor who also was a writer of several hymns, including the beloved “Amazing Grace.” His early life is filled with contrasts, when compared to his later life. He served as a ship’s captain during the slave trade, but later renounced his work after his conversion to Christianity. He became an outspoken opponent of the slave trade later in his life.
From 1 Peter 2:2-3: “Like newborn infants, long for the pure, spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow into salvation—if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.”
Infancy of man’s faith
Absent righteous skills
Fed with Word’s nourishment
Holy Spirit fills
Grappling divine lessons
Bread of Life above
Christ breathes as Living Word
Grace imparts with love
Learning faith’s elements
Son of Man preaches
One parable each time
Our Lord’s Word teaches
Practicing what is learned
Holy design’s growth
Faith in Word progresses
Maturity’s oath
Accepting Word’s goodness
Darkness now ignored
Righteous living obeys
Mercy comes on board
From Hebrews 5:13-14: “For everyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is unskilled in the word of righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, for those whose faculties have been trained by practice to distinguish good from evil.”
Welcome to “Behind the Scenes.” Today, we have returned to visit with Richard, the creative voice behind the writing journey of Big Sky Buckeye.
Welcome back Richard. It is a pleasure visit with you again.
You have mentioned previously that much of your previous teaching experience takes place in Montana. It would be wonderful to hear more about your journey from those years.
With 40 years in the classroom, a total of 29 take place in Montana. Here’s a narrative about the first of four stops under the Big Sky.
My teaching career starts in the southeastern corner of the Treasure State. Nestled in the quiet hillsides and prairie, Plevna will be my home for three years (1978-1981).
The community’s economic lifeline is tied to farming and ranching. Founded in 1909, this small town in Fallon County provides a home for about 200 citizens, and it is situated about 80 miles from Miles City. Bulgarian railroad workers on the Milwaukee Road line will name the town after one in their home country.
Being one of the rookies on the staff, here are some interesting details from teaching in Plevna:
Despite its small size, Plevna is home to four churches: Congregational, Baptist, Catholic, and Lutheran.
In future posts, I will write more about my other Montana teaching stops.
We have appreciated spending time with Richard from Big Sky Buckeye. Look for more “Behind the Scenes” in future postings.
There is no escape when our Lord speaks. He always comes with an arrestment of the understanding.
From Hebrews 4:12: “Indeed, the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing until it divides soul from spirit, joints from marrow; it is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”
Oswald Chambers (1874-1917) was a Scottish evangelist and Christian teacher. Following his death from an illness while in Egypt during World War I, his wife took on the task of transcribing the detailed notes she had written from his lectures and sermons. Gertrude Hobbs Chambers’ efforts resulted in the publication in 1924 of MY UTMOST FOR HIS HIGHEST. I frequently read from this devotional, and it has greatly deepened my faith and understanding of God’s Word.
The student is infinitely more important than the subject matter.
A sense of responsibility in teaching pushes us constantly to think about and promote the best interests of our students.
Nel Noddings (1929-2022) was an American educator and philosopher. Her teaching career included 17 years as an elementary and high school teacher along with serving in administrative positions. Before retiring in 1998, her career moved into teaching and administrative positions at Stanford, Columbia, and Colgate universities.
Chosen by Jesus
Harvest love’s fruit from His vine—
Sharing with others
Embrace God’s commands
Filled with Holy Spirit’s love—
Walking with Jesus
Love one another
Watching out for each brother—
Christ’s chosen tenet
Called
By Christ
Servants to all
Graced as faithful witnesses
Christ-like
Waiting
For God
Resting with quietness
Lord’s refuge and strength
Patience
Goodness
Holy uprightness
Stands blessed Father
Steadfast love and faithfulness
Teaching
Goodness
And uprightness
Stands the Lord
Steadfast love and faithfulness
Teaching
Called
By Christ
Servants to all
Graced as loving witnesses
Christ-like
Waiting
For God
Resting with quietness
Lord’s refuge and strength
Patience
Lord, my God, hear this prayer
Bless the students in my care
Together, we’ll face each day
Overcoming times of gray
Bring patience to this classroom
Allow these young minds to bloom
Create a safe learning zone
God with us, never alone
There may be days not at school
Find ways to make learning cool
Cover colleagues with your love
Devotion, to be proud of
Send families gifts of grace
May we all stand and embrace
Loving each child in my care
Walk together in prayer
It seems there are nearly infinite challenges to educating our youth (both in schools and universities). My own daily prayers include significant time for teachers, students, and families during these challenging times. I especially reach out to my former colleagues who are still teaching as well as two of my daughters who teach. I may be retired from the classroom, but my heart still misses all whom I served and worked with.
Big Sky Buckeye 