A few years ago, my wife and I decided to change our view on resolutions based on I Thessalonians1:11, “…that our God may  make you worthy of His calling and may fulfill every resolve for good and every  work of faith by His power.” All these years, we had been making resolutions for ourselves, rather than for the Lord. We had to change our mindset and begin praying before the start of the new year and asking the Lord, “What do you want for the new year? Show us your way. Teach us to learn your heart. Help us focus our minds on you through what we see and hear, and to discern your calling for our lives.”

This is my favorite time of the year because when I see the heightened sense of enthusiasm from our students—especially as it is focused on the true meaning of the season—it causes me to be filled with the same sense of wonder and enthusiasm. It reminds me that while we educators spend a great deal of time pouring into our students, they also pour into us. And for that I feel abundantly blessed.

As a Christian school, we strive to nourish the soul and educate the mind—to ground our students in a living and vibrant love for Christ and his Word, and to cultivate within them a thirst for truth and wisdom. What I have learned over the years is that we cannot effectively do one without the other. Our Creator is a God of love and of truth. As creatures designed in his image, we have both a heart and a mind. It is because we prioritize developing a student’s relationship with Christ, that our students in turn can be successful academically.