Dawn Renee Stephens's Blog, page 14

Merry Christmas and Our Plans for an Exciting New Year

I want to wish CCA families & friends a very Merry Christmas and wonderful New Year.

2011 has been a great year for Central Christian Academy. We began this year with a 25% increase in enrollment from 2010.  Our teachers continue to impress with me their knowledge, skills, and endless effort at creating the best school in our area.  I still sit in awe of all that God is doing in and through each of us. It has been such a blessing to get to know each of you better and grow spiritually with you.

As we look ahead to 2012, I want to share with you some of the goals I presented to the teachers yesterday at our staff meeting. We have plans to:

Grow closer to Christ so we will be ready to handle the things that come our way both personally and professionally.
Participate in a new Bible study by Jennie Allen. – There will be classes for everyone and you are all invited to join us on Wednesday evenings at 7pm during Awanas
In February we will gain further training at the Creation Museum in KY and the HRACS convention.
Host some very impressive Literacy Events
Score amazingly on our Terra Nova tests – May 7-11
Planning some fun and exciting STEM lessons
Have another successful Book Fair: April 18- 25 and bring in Christian Author, Jenny Cote to get our children excited about Christian books and teach them how to be better writers.

In February, we will begin our re-enrollment campaign for next year and I will be revealing to you a way that our Saints tile program can reduce the cost of your child's tuition for next year. I look forward to adding the 2012 student tiles to the wall too and unveiling it again the Academy Awards on May 31.

We have such exciting things coming up in 2012. It is going to be a very happy new year!

“I’m so happy the potter is using me!”

Two years ago I wrote a blog about Haiti and the coloring book project that God had placed me in. This was before the earthquake. We updated the blog and shared a video last year.  Finally….these books are in the hands of the children in Baptiste, Haiti. The original 2500 books we printed stayed in the Operation Blessing Warehouse in Port-au-prince for nearly 2 years. Between the earthquake, cholera breakout and civil unrest due to the elections. The doctors and the Operation Blessing team had many setbacks. This entire process has given me an opportunity to grow patience and faithfulness. God works on His own time table for sure. Sometimes things move slower than I’d like and other times I just feel overwhelmed by how fast He has moved. The picture with the children holding the books says it all. It is an awesome feeling to know that God used me.

As Little Pot always says, “I am so happy the potter is using me.”

"I'm so happy the potter is using me!"

Two years ago I wrote a blog about Haiti and the coloring book project that God had placed me in. This was before the earthquake. We updated the blog and shared a video last year.  Finally….these books are in the hands of the children in Baptiste, Haiti. The original 2500 books we printed stayed in the Operation Blessing Warehouse in Port-au-prince for nearly 2 years. Between the earthquake, cholera breakout and civil unrest due to the elections. The doctors and the Operation Blessing team had many setbacks. This entire process has given me an opportunity to grow patience and faithfulness. God works on His own time table for sure. Sometimes things move slower than I'd like and other times I just feel overwhelmed by how fast He has moved. The picture with the children holding the books says it all. It is an awesome feeling to know that God used me.

As Little Pot always says, "I am so happy the potter is using me."

If I Could Ask God Anything

How many of us say, "When I get to heaven, I am going to ask God ________."?

Some questions we might just have to wait until we get to heaven to get answers to.

However, the book, If I Could Ask God Anything, by Kathryn Slattery contains "awesome answers for curious kids" (Slattery).  The book is divided into eleven sections on:

God
Jesus
Holy Spirit
The Bible
Christianity
Prayer
The Church
Christian Seasons and Holidays
Being a Christian Here and Now
Being a Christian Forever and Ever
Big Questions

Each section contains specific questions that I am asked all the time by children. Each page contains one question, and a very easy to understand answer with scripture to back it up.

I have found this book to a great resource in the principal's office at our school.  Whenever I am talking with students and they have questions about God and the Bible, we look at this book together. They find comfort in knowing other children have questions like theirs and many times we find their exact questions within the pages of this book.

As the principal of a Christian school, I share this book regularly with children and teachers alike.

If Only I had a Green Nose

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Today at Central Christian Academy, we had green noses. (Well, at least the cool people had them) Or so we thought. The teachers had green noses and we invited any student who thought they might be cool enough to wear a green nose too. Almost all the students chose to get one. Many of our students didn't come and get one at first. Then when more and more students in their class got them, they gave in and followed too.

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Then at chapel we read the book If Only I had a Green Nose by Max Lucado. It is another story about Punchinello, the puppet. In the story Punchinello really doesn't want a green nose, but he finally gives in to the peer pressure and gets one.

After he does though, the Wemmicks (the other puppets) decide green noses are not cool anymore and they all begin to repaint their noses to another color. This continues and becomes exhausting to Punchinello. He realizes that he just wants to be exactly how Eli (His maker) made him.

In Chapel we then talked about how we should be proud of how God made us. It is easy to give into peer pressure and want to be like everybody else. But God made each of us unique and thinks we are special and beautiful the way we are. We can keep trying but we will never feel that we "fit in" with the world. And, that is perfectly ok. God will always help us to be the person He created us to be.

It hurt a bit for Punchinello to let Eli sand the paint of his wooden nose. Sometimes it hurts a little when God has to "sand off" the worldly stuff we've added to our lives too. But, He will and in the end we are so much happier being exactly who God wants us to be.

This book is available in our school library or can be purchased here:

You Are Special

This morning I walked around the school giving the students and teachers "DOT" stickers. Other students and teachers I gave "STAR" stickers. I gave a "STAR" sticker to the ones that I thought were great and fabulous. I gave "DOT" stickers to the ones that were just OK. If I didn't like what they were doing, I stuck more "DOT" stickers all over them.

Then we all went to Chapel wearing our stickers. In Chapel we read a Punchinello story by Max Lucado. It is called, "You Are Special". In the story the little wooden puppet named Punchinello is given dots by all the other puppets (the Wemmicks).  He then meets another puppet named Lucia who does not have dots or stars on her. She explains that what others think of her will not "stick" because she meets with Eli (their maker) every day. She invites Punchinello to meet with Eli too and when he does he realizes that Eli loves him because he made him. Punchinello's dots begin to fall off and he learns that he is special because he was made by God, not because of what others think of him.

Before we left Chapel the boys and girls determined to not let other peoples' remarks "stick" to them. We read Galations 1:10 and all agreed to live a way that pleased God, not others. They pulled off all their dots and stars and threw them away as they left the room.

Our students can check this book in our library or it is available here:

God’s Choice

 

As I was working with our Bible Study this past week, I thought about our students.

In 1 Samuel 16:1-13, I read about the prophet Samuel anointing David.

Several things stuck out to me as I read these verses.

1. The first was that the anointing seemed to be more for Samuel’s sake then David’s. In verse one, God tells Samuel to stop mourning over Saul and go anoint a new king. God always had the plan and was never worried over what was taking place with Saul. Samuel was the one who was distraught about the current leadership situation.

 

2. The second was the time table that God was working with. God gave Samuel a plan to go anoint a new king, and when he arrives at the home of Jesse, both he and Jesse assume it is going to be one of the sons who are older and ready to take over the kingdom immediately. But they were not thinking on God’s time table. God’s choice is the boy, David. David will be anointed in this chapter and will not actually be king for another 22 years.

 

3. The third was that David was selected based on his heart.

 

These points made me consider our Central Christian Academy students and how God already knows what their lives will be twenty-two years from today. He is at work choosing them for the tasks and needs we have today. The choices He makes are based on their hearts. I thought about what we can do to help keep their hearts pure and ready to serve God.

 

This week’s lesson is going to look at the characteristics of David’s heart that made it one that God would consider worthy of His choice. I’ve been preparing the lesson and considering not just my own heart, but those of the CCA students. We have a responsibility as teachers and parents to prepare our students for the calling God has on their life.

 

 Tomorrow afternoon and Wednesday evening, we’ll look at five of those characteristics.

God's Choice

 

As I was working with our Bible Study this past week, I thought about our students.

In 1 Samuel 16:1-13, I read about the prophet Samuel anointing David.

Several things stuck out to me as I read these verses.

1. The first was that the anointing seemed to be more for Samuel's sake then David's. In verse one, God tells Samuel to stop mourning over Saul and go anoint a new king. God always had the plan and was never worried over what was taking place with Saul. Samuel was the one who was distraught about the current leadership situation.

 

2. The second was the time table that God was working with. God gave Samuel a plan to go anoint a new king, and when he arrives at the home of Jesse, both he and Jesse assume it is going to be one of the sons who are older and ready to take over the kingdom immediately. But they were not thinking on God's time table. God's choice is the boy, David. David will be anointed in this chapter and will not actually be king for another 22 years.

 

3. The third was that David was selected based on his heart.

 

These points made me consider our Central Christian Academy students and how God already knows what their lives will be twenty-two years from today. He is at work choosing them for the tasks and needs we have today. The choices He makes are based on their hearts. I thought about what we can do to help keep their hearts pure and ready to serve God.

 

This week's lesson is going to look at the characteristics of David's heart that made it one that God would consider worthy of His choice. I've been preparing the lesson and considering not just my own heart, but those of the CCA students. We have a responsibility as teachers and parents to prepare our students for the calling God has on their life.

 

 Tomorrow afternoon and Wednesday evening, we'll look at five of those characteristics.

Back for the First Day

After an earthquake, a wild fire, and a hurricane, the first day of school arrived. As the teachers and I prepared, God reminded us once again that He is in control. We were so thankful that we were still able to open on schedule. Some of the area is still without electricity. However, our little school made it through the storm. Seeing all our families and students arrive this morning with smiling faces was such a blessing.

So today's post is better watched instead of read. Welcome Back to school CCA.

 

Back from Summer Vacation

I returned to school today after a week of vacation. I had a great time with family. We visited theme parks and beaches in Florida. But vacation was over and it was time to return back to work. As I went through my mail and looked over my "To-Do List", I felt a sense of panic. I have only seven working days before the teachers will be back and twelve working days before the school has to be ready for students. Suddenly every item on my list seemed bigger and felt as if it would require more time than I had. I wasn't sure which item to tackle first and each time I began one, I was needed to answer questions regarding something I missed while on vacation. Was taking time off really worth all this? I should have been rested and relaxed, but found I needed "God-Time" more than ever. So I took a few moments and set aside everything and reached for my Bible. There on top of my Bible was another book I'd been reading that goes along with the new Courageous movie. The book is called The Resolution for Woman and I had been reading the first part of the book about being satisfied and content with yourself. I've read slowly through this book intentionally. I know this is an area I have struggled with throughout my own life. It is a part of what drives me to greater success, but it also causes me to not be as effective in the specific area God has placed me in while I'm there. The page that was open was titled "The Balancing Point". I thought, "That's it! I need balance!" I read several pages and still felt panic at the things I needed to get done. "This wasn't helping!" I put the book aside and finally picked up and the Bible. I then prayed, Lord, slow my thoughts down guide me through these next couple of weeks. Of course God came through with verse after verse. His peace settled in and the panic subsided. Again, He reminded me. He had all this.

I still have more to do than what I can possibly accomplish in two weeks. However, I do not have to accomplish it. God does. All I have to do is remain willing to be used by God and not panic. He's is able! What an awesome God to serve.