{"id":5204,"date":"2015-09-08T09:20:41","date_gmt":"2015-09-08T13:20:41","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/?p=5204"},"modified":"2015-09-09T09:35:15","modified_gmt":"2015-09-09T13:35:15","slug":"a-prayer-for-those-first-days-of-school","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/?p=5204","title":{"rendered":"A Prayer for Those First Days of School"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Blog<\/a>\"Blog<\/a><\/p>\n

Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it. – Proverbs 22:6<\/a><\/p>\n

Today, in these parts, kids are returning to school. We live in a neighborhood across from a middle school. It’s get out early or be waiting a long time on buses and cars delivering their kiddos to their first day back to school.<\/p>\n

We homeschooled ours at first (that first day of school – August 24, 1992)\u00a0. Even today, my throat still tightens thinking of our little ones and their friends in those days, heading off to a big world. It doesn’t take long and then they are grown.<\/p>\n

\"Blog<\/a>\"BLog<\/a><\/p>\n

Only a few years home schooling, and we went overseas. First to Cairo where\u00a0they rode across town to a small American school for many years of their education.\"IMG_0016<\/a>\"Blog<\/a>\"Blog<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Blog<\/a>\"Blog<\/a>\"Blog<\/a><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/a>Then\u00a0we moved to Morocco, where one by one, they graduated high school. We were so proud of them and at the same time sad to see them launch. Just being honest.\"June<\/a>\"Blog<\/a>\"NA<\/a><\/p>\n

I want to join you in your prayers for your little guys, and not so littles, as they return to school (or as they start another day of school).<\/p>\n

God, Thank You, for the gift of children. Whether ours or someone else’s. What a stewardship you give us to raise them in Your nurture and admonition (Ephesians 6:4<\/a>). They are Yours, after all, as are we.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Help us to instill courage and joy in them as they head into their day. Remind them of how You will never leave them or forsake them (Deuteronomy 31:6<\/a>). Help them feel Your nearness to them today. May they sense their purpose in school today – not just to be about the job of learning but to also be a friend, helper, and true community member. Empower them to reach out to others with honor and kindness.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Father, we thank You for the teachers (some of them Moms and Dads themselves), the administrators, and those who work in assistive roles (from drivers\u00a0and cafeteria workers to janitors and security guards). Give them strength for the day. Help them see the largeness of their work. The impact they will have on these young lives. Lord, I pray especially for those classroom teachers. These have been given charge over the precious ones You’ve given us.\u00a0May these teachers have such love for their students that they\u00a0can lead their class well. In such a way that they don’t have to wait until November to smile<\/a>. Give them vision, too, to see their students as You see them and how they will impact their world…Some day AND today.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

We pray for grace for ourselves as parents and grandparents. Grace just to get through these first days of school, trusting You. Show us ways to serve these teachers and staff that they will see You in us – that we would be received as considerate, insightful partners in the education of our children. Help us not to be a burden to them, but a help. May these school be lights in the community.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Lord, we think of others –\u00a0children, parents, teachers –\u00a0around the world who are about this great work of education. It is much more difficult for some than for us. Remind us that they are all precious in Your sight, and You blessed us, as Your people, to bless the nations. Help us to\u00a0discover pathways to help those whose current situations hinder them from having what You desire for them –\u00a0in our city and across the world.<\/strong><\/em>\"Blog<\/a>\"Blog<\/a>Photo Credit: bpnews.net<\/a><\/p>\n

Thank You again, God…for firsts. First day of school. First graduation. First job. First baby. First day of school for her in 5 years. The years go by, and we are grateful for all we find of You in those years.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

In Jesus’ name. Amen.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

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YouTube Video – Veronica-Pooh Nash Poleate – Tips and Tricks for Teachers <\/a><\/p>\n

Praying especially, too, for this one, as he enters his first week teaching guitar in a local middle school. – Nathan Mills<\/a><\/p>\n

\"2011<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it. – Proverbs 22:6 Today, in these parts, kids are returning to school. We live in a neighborhood across from a middle school. It’s get out early or be waiting a long time on buses … Continue reading A Prayer for Those First Days of School<\/span> →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_s2mail":"yes","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[690,1435,317,888,433,55],"tags":[465,1977,1978,30,227,578,1839,648,1976,311],"class_list":["post-5204","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-babies-children","category-growing-up","category-lessons-learned","category-memories","category-pray","category-transitions","tag-courage","tag-first-day-of-school","tag-firsts","tag-growing-up","tag-kindness","tag-nathan-mills-guitar","tag-pray","tag-prayer","tag-school-days","tag-stewardship"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pauPAB-1lW","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5204","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=5204"}],"version-history":[{"count":19,"href":"https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5204\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5250,"href":"https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5204\/revisions\/5250"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=5204"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=5204"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=5204"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}