Treasuring Him - DWYL Sermon Jam Video

Prayer for work

"A prayer to be said before doing one's work" by John Calvin

Our good God, Father and Savior, since You have pleased to command us to work to meet our needs, by Your grace may You so bless our labor that Your benediction may extend to us: without it we cannot continue to live. And may Your favor serve us as a witness of Your goodness and presence, that by it we may recognize the fatherly care You have for us. Moreover, O Lord, please grant us aid by Your Holy Spirit, so that we may faithfully work in our place and vocation, without any fraud or deception; may we pay attention to following Your ordinance rather than satisfying our own lust for gain. And if it please You to prosper our labor, may You also give us the heart to support those who are in need according to the ability You have given us - but always without our wishing to set ourselves above those who have not received such generosity from You. And where You choose to give us greater poverty and lack than our flesh would like, You, O Lord, grant us the grace to acknowledge that You always feed us by Your goodness, so that we may not be tempted to defy You. But may we wait with patience for You to fill us not only with Your temporal graces but also with spiritual ones, so that we may always have greater reason and occasion to thank you and to repose entirely on your goodness alone. Hear us, most merciful Father, by Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord. Amen.

I wrote this in my 20's

“The purposes of a man’s heart are deep waters, but a man of understanding draws them out.” The most challenging adventure is to touch and captivate the minds and hearts of students, reaching them where they are. I want to teach because the prize is so great! I have learned that the reward of pouring out you life for others is of much more worth than mere material wealth. You gain delight and joy. Yes, it is a struggle. Yes, you suffer, but you gain delight and joy. As a teacher you impact the lives.

I also want to teach, because so often the children of today have forgotten the beauty, the passion the hidden treasures, and the adventure there is to learn and discover. They are drawn in this society and persuaded to love things that are fading, to love things that do not touch their minds or their hearts. They are taken captive by propaganda and advertisement and live in this instead of beauty and truth. They have forgotten to think for themselves. They have much knowledge but it is not based in thought. They lack learning skills. They lack discipline. They need to be led in the way they ought to go.

I want to teach children how to face this world. I want to teach the truth without bias, so that they might be grounded, to face what ever comes up against them. I want to teach with variety, interest, vigor, stimulating them to seek out knowledge. I want to teach them where they are, how they learn, who they are. I want them to be able to know how to think and learn. I want them know beauty. I want them to live passionate lives.

I am a very simple person. I want to teach because I like beauty.