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Changes Ahead

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I came across a quote recently from podcast host Jamie B. Golden that resonated with me so strongly.   Regarding making plans for the future she said, “I don’t have a five-year plan.   God’s word is a lamp unto my feet, not my football field.” Three years ago, I stepped out of my job as a classroom teacher to pursue an opportunity for full time staff with Loudoun Fellowship of Christian Athletes.   It was a difficult decision to make because I truly believed it was a permanent change and I came to realize in the months after I left teaching just how much of my identity was wrapped up in my career.   If there is a theme to my journey of walking with the Lord, though, it is continually surrendering my plans in order to trust in God’s.   Over the past year, I have spent much time in prayer regarding my role as an area representative with Loudoun FCA and, upon evaluating the gifts and passions God has given me, I have prayerfully made the decision to return to teaching, this time at my
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Thankfulness and Being a Teammate

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Recently I have been reading my way through Joe Ehrmann’s book InSideOut Coaching .   It’s a book we often recommend and gift to coaches as we pursue our goal to minister “to and through the coach” and it challenges coaches to answer such questions as, “Why do I coach?” and, “What does it feel like to be coached by me?”.    Ashamedly, though I’ve been on staff for two years now and have given out several copies of the book, I hadn’t actually read it for myself until recently.   I can now see why this book would be so impactful for coaches of all levels – from rec league to high school and beyond.   Chapter 6 of the book is titled, “Community: A Team Without Walls,” and includes a list of statements that differentiate, “Being on the Team vs. Being a Teammate.”   A few of the statements on this list include: ·          Being on the team benefits your personal goals and ambitions.   Being a teammate benefits the goals and ambitions of your team and your teammates. ·          Being
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What's it like to work with Loudoun students?

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Over the past two-ish years since I started this FCA journey, I’ve had the opportunity to meet FCA staff from all over the United States and the world.   It’s always interesting to talk to people who are doing ministry in different places.   There are times when it’s helpful because you learn that many people face similar challenges to do ministry in their places.   But there have also been times when I realize how different Loudoun County is from other parts of the US (and even other parts of Virginia!).   Virginia might be considered a southern state in the general sense, and parts of Virginia definitely fit into “Bible-belt” culture, but Loudoun County certainly does not.   Compared to other counties in the southern part of the state, Loudoun is far more diverse, affluent, and highly educated.   It is not the norm to call oneself a Christian here.   Our schools have a wide variety of cultures and religions represented, and although that can create some challenges for ministry, it’
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Fall Ministry Update

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The last several weeks have been a bit of a whirlwind for us at Loudoun FCA so I figured I’d take a moment to share some quick updates: Huddles have kicked off!   We have relaunched huddles at Rock Ridge High School (12 students at our first meeting last week), Dominion High School, and Eagle Ridge Middle School (kicking off this week) after participation had petered out last year.   Several other schools in the county are continuing to have strong attendance at their huddles which started up and grew in strength last year, including Park View High School, Brambleton Middle School, and Seneca Ridge Middle School.   Whenever parents or students ask about huddles at a particular school and why they don’t have one or it’s not well attended, I always explain that it largely depends on student leaders.   As an area representative for Fellowship of Christian Athletes, I can’t force my way into a public school.   However, if we have a few enthusiastic leaders who are willing to help
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An Open Invitation

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People ask me often if I miss teaching and if I’d ever go back.  Believe me, there are times that the structure and security of a set schedule and salary (where I don’t have to raise support) is enticing.  But I don’t want to be the kind of person who quits just because something is hard.  I have led an incredibly blessed life.  School always came pretty easily growing up.  I wasn’t a star athlete or musician, but for the most part, I always got to be a part of the activities in which I wanted to participate.  I got accepted early to my top choice for college and, on the brink of recession, got hired to teach right out of school.  So it hasn’t been until more recently that I’ve had to really learn about perseverance.  I’ve been struggling a lot lately with questioning where God has me – job, city, life stage.  One minute I’m ready to leave town and pursue teaching or writing (or both) in a brand new city.  A minute later, I’m scared about what my life would look like if I moved
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Free of Labels

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During my first year of teaching, one of my favorite classes was an Algebra 1 class.   This group consisted of mostly sophomores who tended to struggle in math; many had learning challenges or were English Language Learners.   Because it is such a foundational course, if a student doesn’t understand Algebra 1 very well, he or she is going to struggle with every other math class throughout high school.   This class happened to take place during the last block of the day, so kids were already pretty tired by the time they got there.   That, combined with the fact that I had quite a few characters in that class, made for some very entertaining interactions.   One afternoon, I was passing back a quiz that I had graded the night before – the grades were fairly average, typical for this group that tended to struggle a bit.   As I walked around the room handing back the quizzes, I prepared myself for the onslaught of questions and complaints amid the inevitable, “Whatdyaget? Whatdyaget?”
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September Ministry Updates

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Loudoun FCA is  off and running in this new school year.   Here are some ministry updates from the past few weeks, specifically on the eastern side of the county: This past Tuesday was our last of four huddle leader training events that we held all over the county over the past two weeks.   Students from just about every school in Loudoun attended these trainings to learn about Gospel clarity and how to run a huddle.   They left equipped with sample lessons, games, and supplies to engage students on their campus with the hope of Jesus. Huddle Leader Training in Sterling on 9/9 Huddle leader training in South Riding on 9/11 Potomac Falls High School kicked off their huddle with games, Chick-Fil-A, and introductions on Friday, September 7.   Last week they started a series on the Gospel starting with God as the Holy Creator, led by one of the new sophomore leaders.   He and another sophomore started attending the huddle last year as freshmen when an upperclassman and
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