Language is beautiful, and powerful. We use our words to communicate in all sorts of different ways: story telling, songs, poetry, text messaging, even in our work emails! But what happens when you cannot communicate in those traditional ways? Does that mean we lose connection to those around us? During my ten years as a teacher in special education, I saw how communication extends beyond simply speaking and listening. Teaching the deaf and hard of hearing, I had students whose communication style did not match my own. They relied on their capabilities and strengths to communicate and conne ..read more

“Thank you so much.” Was that my 12-year-old son who just said that? Without being told? Did he really just spontaneously say thank you to some random person who only indirectly served our family? “Thank you so much.” I’ve since caught him doing that just about everywhere. Weird, right? Now, like most parents, I can’t tell you how many times we’ve worked with our kids over the years to say their “please and thank yous.” Sure, that matters, keep doing that. But that is less about gratitude, and more about following socially acceptable manners. Again, that can be a good thing, and there’s over ..read more

SUMMARY STATEMENT A Lead Teacher at Awesome Kids Preschool loves children and has a heart for teaching children about Jesus. They have a CDA, AA or BA in Early Childhood Education or have previous experience at an early childhood center. They are excited to craft a daily curriculum that is developmentally appropriate and engages learning through play. A lead teacher is a good communicator with families and works collaboratively with the Awesome Kids Preschool staff and Assistant Teacher. POSITION: Preschool Lead Teacher REPORTS TO: Director of Awesome Kids Preschool STATUS: Part Time ..read more

“Pray More; Worry Less”. In our kitchen we have a spoon rest that sits to the right of our stovetop with this simple phrase printed on it. I see it when I cook,  wipe the counters, or whenever I am in the kitchen. Sometimes it’s the first thing I read in the morning. It was a gift from a friend that I didn’t like at first but has become one of my favorite items in our house. It reminds me throughout the day what I often forget: we have God’s listening ear at every moment.  We have God’s presence every moment, and his vast and unsearchable knowledge includes knowing about every mom ..read more

One of my favorite things to do in Kansas City is visit the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art.Every time I visit I am drawn to a particular painting that depicts God sending an angel to encourage the prophet Elijah. This is one of my favorite stories in Scripture and the more I have studied the passage, the more I realize that I identify with Elijah. But that identification is not with the positive aspects of Elijah’s character but rather the unfortunate deformation that is taking place in his ministry.     Elijah’s Encounter with God Before God sends his angel to Elijah in 1 Kings ..read more

A Kaleidoscope of Personality Assessments I’m a big fan of personality assessment tools. DISC, StrengthsFinder, Working Genius, Myers Briggs. You name it, I’ve done it. I’ve found them to be a helpful tool on the journey to discovering who God made me to be. I’ve also found them to each have various strengths and weaknesses, which means they become exponentially more helpful when viewed as part of a whole. DISC helps me communicate more effectively with others. Working Genius helps me see where I fit on the team and within the project life cycle.  And the Enneagram? Well…that one sort o ..read more

Something I’ve been wrestling with in the last few years is the complexity of being a perpetual stranger in the country that has been my home away from home. I have lived in the United States for 17 years! Yet I still feel like a stranger in the place where I have forged most of my adult life. I have attended graduate school here, I work, pay taxes, and vote here, I serve the church here. But somehow, that feeling of otherness, of never belonging, does not go away. Why is that?    The perils of navigating intertwined identities in a culture that loves labels I am Puerto Rican. Tha ..read more

SUMMARY STATEMENT An Assistant Teacher at Awesome Kids Preschool loves children and has a heart for teaching children about Jesus. They come alongside the Lead Teacher in the classroom to assist with the day-to-day education needs. They are great at supporting and collaborating with the lead and other teachers, and are engaging and encouraging with the children and families. POSITION: Preschool Assistant Teacher REPORTS TO: Director of Awesome Kids Preschool STATUS: Part Time CLASSIFICATION: non-exempt The Assistant Teacher has the primary responsibility for general support to th ..read more

By Natasha Layman  The call came on a rainy, chilly afternoon when I was preparing for oral surgery the following day. A woman who had mothered me as a young adult and continued to love me generously and steadfastly collapsed suddenly and was on life support. I took a deep breath and turned my attention to Jesus, placing myself in his loving presence. Another phone call came a few hours later. She had passed away. In this loss, I experienced as I never have before the safe, strong, and deep tender love of God as he held me close and invited me to run to him and feel. God invites us to e ..read more

In Matthew chapter 15, Jesus performs a miracle. He feeds 4000 people from seven loaves of bread and “a few small fish” (Matthew 15:34).  And yet, somehow, if you’ve been reading through Matthew, the miracle seems almost unimpressive. After all, just one chapter earlier, Jesus fed a crowd of 5000 people from five loaves of bread and two fish! (Matthew 14:13-21). As a reader, I’m thinking, Jesus, I’ve seen this miracle already, and it was better last time. I’m only kidding that the feeding of the 4000 is unimpressive. But it does make me wonder: why did Matthew include these two miracle ..read more