Memorial Day is a time to remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom. We honor their courage and legacy today and always. 🇺🇸

Q: Why do Christians observe Ash Wednesday? A: Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent, a season of repentance and reflection. It reminds us of our mortality and our need for Christ. Q: Why do people have ashes placed on their foreheads? A: The ashes, in the shape of a cross, are a visible sign of repentance and a reminder of the words spoken: “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” Q: Isn’t it strange to have ashes smeared on our heads? A: It may seem strange, but it is a deeply meaningful act. From baptism onward, we daily practice dying to self, and Ash Wednesday is a public acknowledgment of that truth. Q: Didn’t Jesus say we shouldn’t disfigure our faces when fasting (Matt. 6:16-18)? A: Yes, but his warning was against hypocrisy, not visible signs of faith. If applied to Ash Wednesday, it would also forbid outward Christian marks such as cross necklaces or Bible-verse clothing. Wearing a cross—whether on our forehead, our neck, or in our front yard—is a way of proclaiming that we belong to Christ. Q: What does Ash Wednesday teach us about life and death? A: We remember that we, mortal creatures, beset by sin, weak and failing and falling apart, will one day join those innumerable others who have gone before us, whose bodies now lie beneath the soil. We live in repentance and faith, knowing that one day, to dust we shall return. Q: Is Ash Wednesday only about death? A: No. The ashes also remind us of Christ’s sacrifice. Just as the cross is traced on our foreheads, a crown of thorns was placed on his brow as he bore our sins. Q: How does baptism relate to Ash Wednesday? A: The same heads that bear ashes today were once washed in baptism. We are dust, but we are dust that has had water poured upon it, Spirit breathed into it, so that in Jesus we became the ever-living, ever-forgiven, ever-beloved children of our Father. Q: What makes Ash Wednesday both strange and beautiful? A: It is a day of contrasts—mourning our sin yet rejoicing in salvation, acknowledging our death yet remembering eternal life in Christ. It is a day to repent, reflect, and rest in the love of God.

Lent Reading: Feb. 18, 2026 - John Prepares the Way and Baptizes Christ ccca.biola.edu/lent/2026/joh…

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What if we dared to push back against the widely seen, the popular, and the pixelated, by choosing the smaller things? -Kaitlyn Bouchillon incourage.me/?p=253186 @incourage

🙌 It was a successful day with Taylor Dennis (Algebra I) and Al Riney (English II) at NSHS as they covered classroom procedures, content, and materials across 4 blocks. The faculty at NSHS is BLASTING OFF into the new semester! 🚀 Thank you for keeping #KidsFirstAlways! 📚✨

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Lou Holtz said, "Without self-discipline, success is impossible, period." Discipline means holding yourself accountable. • It means prioritizing. • It means doing the work. • It means making tough choices. 6 Facts about Building Discipline👇

Leaders: your job isn't to motivate your team - motivation is internal. Your job is to give them a vision worth pursuing and an environment that activates them to unlock their potential.

5 Considerations for Making Decisions: 1. Clarify your priorities: - What matters most to you? What are your non-negotiables? 2. Assess the request: - Does it align with your priorities and values? 3. Check your capacity: - Do you have the time, energy, or resources to say "yes" without compromising your well-being? 4. Communicate clearly: - If you need to say "no," do so respectfully but firmly. 5. Offer alternatives if appropriate: - Can you suggest another solution or compromise? Remember, saying "no" is a muscle you need to exercise. Start small and work your way up to more challenging situations. With practice, you'll find it becomes easier and more natural.

Feeling nervous doesn't mean you're unprepared. It means you care about something beyond your control. Anxiety is a caricature artist. It magnifies flaws and minimizes strengths. Gaining confidence is not about denying what could go wrong. It’s about recognizing what might go right.

Doing what’s expected of you isn’t special, it’s average. It’s what the majority of people do. Unlocking your potential requires extra work, extra time, extra sacrifice, extra intentionality. Let your effort match your ambition.

#TNSapphireTOY2024 ⁦@KCS_DBHS⁩ Congratulations!!!

#TNSapphireTOY2024 #HappytobeHere

Growth is when you take the new things you discover and integrate them with who you already are — your values, relationships, and loves.

We live in a drive thru culture that wants immediate results. Growth isn't like that. Culture isn't like that. Progress isn’t like that. There is no quick fix, hack or shortcut. It takes time, perseverance, patience, belief and a lot of work. Keep showing up. 🪵🪓

Schools can work hard and not produce breakthrough performance. Working hard is not enough; you must work on the right thing. Identify the metric most important to your schools success. Then focus on removing the obstacle preventing you from achieving it. That’s the right thing.

My wife and I were on a plane from New Jersey back home to Texas yesterday. When the plane touched down, we turned on our phones and saw the reports about the attempted assassination of former President Trump in Pennsylvania. On the long drive home from the airport, we listened to the ongoing news coverage. I scrolled through social media and saw, on full display, the variety of reactions. My wife and I shared our own emotions with each other, and wondered aloud what others were going through, especially those who were directly impacted by the shooting. I wondered, too, how does the Christian community respond to this? I would urge in at least these three ways. First, with ongoing prayer. We pray for our Lord Jesus to have mercy upon former President Trump and others who were injured; mercy upon the loved ones who now grieve; mercy upon those who are frightened, angry, and confused; and mercy upon the community where this happened and upon our nation. Second, as those who are first and foremost citizens of the kingdom of God, and secondarily citizens of this nation and others, we strive to exemplify calm and peace amidst the cacophony of other voices that urge unrest and strife. “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear,” no matter what (Ps. 46:1-2). Third, we remember that our Lord has placed each of us in this world in our own callings, our vocations. On these occasions, there is the ever-present temptation for individuals, overnight, to become outspoken experts on governance, police protection, and every other aspect that touches on the events that transpired. I will stay in my vocational lane; I urge you to do the same. I will redouble my efforts to be a faithful husband, father, and teacher of the Scriptures. And I will leave the unique responsibilities of investigation, protection, and governance to those whom God has placed in those vocations, and pray that God give them wisdom and guidance. Peace to you all.