Stay strong to the end...

One of the things I have been talking with my students a lot about lately is how to remain strong to the finish. Quality of work has been slipping. Good behavior has taken a nose dive. Attention spans are minute. So we have similar conversations each day...
Boys and girls... is this your best work? Are you honoring the Lord in everything right now? Even your handwriting? I expected complete sentences at the beginning of the year and the middle of the year... I do expect complete sentences at the end of the year. Make sure you are studying your memory work and history every night! I can tell who has studied and who hasn't based on your scores, and a lot of you aren't spending time!

One thing that we have talked a lot about is how JESUS stayed strong to the finish. I imagine that things were intensely difficult for him at the end. He knew what was coming. He knew the pain that he would suffer. He knew that he would be separated from his Father. And yet he pressed on. He did his best all the way to the end. He sought to glorify his Father in everything, all the way to the finish. Can you imagine how things would have turned out if he had faltered? If he had said, "But I'm so tired!" or "I just don't want to do this anymore!" I, for one, don't WANT to imagine that. It would have meant inescapable death for me if he had stopped, even for a moment, doing his best. I am so very thankful for his perfect work. Because of that perfect work of his, the punishment for my laziness and imperfection is completely covered.

That is what we have been talking about each day the past few weeks. To be honest, I have been having this conversation not only for my students' good, but also for my own good. I am tired. Worn out. Exhausted. Fatigued. Just ready to be done. But I MUST press on! I must finish well! Pray for me. Only 2 1/2 days left, but they seem to be stretching out in front of me like Lake Michigan.

My car is all better now. The problem was the master cylinder and so they had to replace that. I told them I'm only planning on keeping the car until October, and so they tried to do everything as cheaply as possible and told me that I didn't really need to do anything else on my car right now... it should hold until autumn. I'm thankful to have found this mechanic.

I appreciate your prayers. I miss all my midwestern friends and family! I wish I could be there for a good, midweek prayer meeting with you all tonight. I'll join you in about a month. :)