2008-2009 school year

i have many ideas in my head about the next school year, what type of teacher i will be, what i desire for my students and from my students, and the relationships i will form with my fellow teachers. all of those depend somewhat on me and partly on others. i was frustrated the other day with all my plans because i did not know how i would fit them in. i decided to take a break and read my Bible, which i am getting better at doing on a more regular basis. i am still reading through 2 timothy and i often forget where i was so i read the same passage more than once (can't hurt right.) it was in chapter 2 and 3 that i found my "motto" or reminder for the next year. 

2 TIMOTHY 2.22-3.17 So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. Have nothing to do with foolish, ignorant controversies; you know that they breed quarrels. And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will. But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy,  heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. 

Avoid such people. For among them are those who creep into households and capture weak women, burdened with sins and led astray by various passions, always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth. Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these men also oppose the truth, men corrupted in mind and disqualified regarding the faith. But they will not get very far, for their folly will be plain to all, as was that of those two men. You, however, have followed my teaching, my conduct, my aim in life, my faith, my patience, my love, my steadfastness, my persecutions and sufferings that happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, and at Lystra—which persecutions I endured; yet from them all the Lord rescued me. Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.  All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.

the first half has the verses i will focus on. i want to be a person of righteousness, faith, love, and peace; not quarrelsome, but kind, able to teach and patient to endure evil. i pray for wisdom in handling quarrels and knowing when to step away from ignorant controversies. hopefully ending with the Lord granting them repentance that leads to a knowledge of truth. 

please check this passage out and tell me what you think. what are your thoughts? i want to know. this was written to timothy and i feel right now i am in a position that could be similar (obviously no one will put me in prison right now for teaching but i do hope i can be bold and include the gospel in my teaching all the time.) please pray for me as the school year begins and tell me what i could pray about for you (really, tell me and i will try to pray for you). 

have a great day and remember that all scripture is God-breathed