teaching

Field Days

This past summer I had the honor of serving with Kaleo, a missions organization that partners with church plants (like Swerve Church) in select cities and states to help impoverished communities through various outreach efforts (i.e. assisting with school organization, food pantries, shelters, street evangelism, prayer walks, community clean-ups, etc.). In a nutshell, we spread love and share the gospel.

Kaleo hosts church youth groups (junior/high school) from all over the United States interested in serving, and they chose me (and a couple of others) to lead these groups that were arriving weekly to serve in Brooklyn (Bushwick). Such a great honor and experience. The harvest was and still is plentiful! May God bless the workers still there and send more according to His will!

Now I had originally planned on keeping my followers updated often throughout my time there, but I ended up only documenting a little on my Instagram stories (now highlights) and on a couple of posts. Between our long, sweaty days of serving and leading debriefs, it honestly wasn’t a high priority for me to talk to anybody but God (ha!)…’cause your girl was so tired! Just being honest.

I did, however, share a bit of my heartfelt perspective over on Kaleo Missions’ Blog that I wrote during my deployment. Though I was there for only a season, my investment was eternal.

In case you’re wondering what I’m doing now on this adventure with Jesus…welllll, my calling remains, folks! I will forever work with youth in some capacity, and I’ve recently adopted 22 little 4-year-olds. What can I say?! I am now crazy for Pre-K! 🤗🤪

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“If you think my hands are full, you should see my heart!”

©2019 • Chan’tel Nikole Grayson

If #Poetry #RudyardKipling #TeacherAppreciation

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Today I was thinking…

Sometimes it doesn’t take much to make an impact, and often what we personally consider as not much is indeed tons to another. All it took was one year of investment to change my life forever. I was in 7th grade, attending a private school and I had the best teacher ever (Pastor Sharon Christopher). I love her so much and am grateful to have been able to say “thank you”. She loved the Lord and us and showed it every single day. Such a prime example of how a woman should be! I thought about this poem she had us memorize today that I love! Just thought I’d share it. There’s so much depth we didn’t understand then but I’m grateful to remember and understand today. Enjoy 🙂

If

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too:
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or, being lied about, don’t deal in lies,
Or being hated don’t give way to hating,
And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise;

If you can dream—and not make dreams your master;
If you can think—and not make thoughts your aim,
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same:.
If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build’em up with worn-out tools;
If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings,
And never breathe a word about your loss:

If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: “Hold on!”

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with Kings—nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much:
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,
And—which is more—you’ll be a Man, my son!

Rudyard Kipling

#Teach and Be Teachable

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Good afternoon motha lovas 🙂

Today I slept in and I’m feeling yum yum gooday! I started my new job this week which consisted of lots of training – the first two days my head spun. Gratefully, each day I adjusted more and more and now 1 week down..whoo! I’ve learned so much and will learn even more as I continue training these upcoming weeks. That’s what’s going on the outside..

Now the inside…
I’m re-learning about me. I’m organized, I’m a planner, I’m a snacker, I enjoy people time, I enjoy me time, and am uneasy when I crave either of those and don’t get. I’m spontaneous, but between certain hours that I’m aware of in advance lol…I’m beautifully, yet simply…complicated ha! You’re probably thinking the same haha.

Lately I’ve been experiencing frustration from time to time with last minute requests or with others making assumptions that I’m available..being asked favors that really don’t leave room for me to respond with a “no” answer.

Busy or not, I don’t like anyone but me or God planning my day. *shrugs shoulders* It is what it is.

I love loving and giving and don’t like being taken advantage of (who does?) but when I realize..or FEEL that I am being taken advantage of, I shut down..I cut people off, I shy away…I sow discord. You see…the enemy knows how I am too…and know just what to throw at me. This time I’m not gonna catch his curve balls..I’m going to set boundaries – this is what I can do…this is what I can’t…this is how I feel when this happens because this is how I am…

You teach people how to treat you. Instead of pointing fingers (which the enemy would like me to do..again) I’m learning to be a better teacher and the Lord is showing me what to teach. Good stuff. You’re certainly always welcome to help me with my coursework for this season by praying for a sista! There’s never a time not to pray.

Remember on both ends of a situation not to make any assumptions. Be sure. Communication brings clarity which leads to harmony.

Clear your heart and share what’s on your mind. Don’t let the enemy steal your smile 🙂

“Arrogant know-it-alls sow up discord, but wise men and women listen to each other’s counsel” – Proverbs 31:10

xo,
Nu*