Speaking Boldly...

Speaking Boldly...12-16-2025

Ephesians 6:19, "And also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel," In this world today, many Christians are persecuted for their beliefs. I have never worried much about this being in the United States, that is until now. At this time, we are seeing more persecutions toward those of faith than ever before. In this chaos, I am inspired and uplifted by those who are speaking boldly for Christ.

I promised my students last year that I would have a pizza party for any student who worked their hardest and scored proficient or advanced on the state mandated assessment. They all questioned whether I would make sure that I would include them whether they went on to high school, took a college class, or were in my Advanced Biology. I assured them I would include them all. It started as a "will you buy us pizza" and without thinking, I said, "Of course". The next thing I knew, I was providing almost 60 students with pizza. Now, mind you, I am not complaining. They worked for it. The best students that I could have asked for in their effort, attendance, and behavior. I often tell others they did very well inspite of me, not because of me. That is my attitude and I'm sticking with that.

I planned our reward party for this past week. I wanted to treat them before they left for the holiday. I bought the drinks and cookies. Once they all were served, one of the students stopped and stood up. She said, "Is there anyone here who is an atheist?" The room was instantly silent. She said, "Can we pray?" Oh, my heart about exploded. I said, "Of course we can. Do you want to lead, or would you like me to?" Now, my students know me. If you think children don't listen to their teachers and pay attention to them, you are sadly mistaken. Teachers are a major influential figure within the lives of students. This can be either in a positive or negative way. The young lady asked me to pray. We bowed our heads, and in my classroom, in a public school, we prayed. Yes, we still pray in public schools. We still play music with Chrisitian lyrics. We still have Godly teachers who are quietly portraying the love of Christ. You don't have to be loud to allow others to see the Lord within you. We don't have to make a bold statement from the rooftops to spread the Gospel. We just need to live our lives for Christ. We need to let others see Him within us. My students know my faith. My coworkers know my faith. This past Friday was a stark reminder for me that what I do matters.

Ephesians 4:1-, "I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— one Lord, one faith, one baptism..."