This week I attended a study where we discussed Psalm 23, thinking on the calming nature of God's presence as our shepherd.  To call ourselves sheep means to take a pretty humble stance before Him:  are we stinky, sometimes unintelligent, stubborn, needy, and helpless without a leader to guide and protect us?  And yet, God loves us, pursues us with His mercy and goodness all of our days, never letting us stray too far from His fold, never leaving our side through the heavy shadows of life, but walking alongside us all the way. W orship the God who calls Himself our shepherd What a gift; what wonder that You, the King of the Universe, would choose to lay down your life for a simple-minded sheep like me, oh Lord. That You want a personal relationship with me and made a way so that I could know You. I worship You today as my tender, caring shepherd, who is also fierce and protective. John 10:14-15 “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know ...

   For our first day of inservice this fall my superintendent showed the funny commercial where cowboys are riding around in the fields herding cats.  Some days, that's definitely what this job feels like if you've ever tried to teach a cat to obey (dogs love to do tricks; cats not so much!).   But I think a more apt description of my job (as a school leader) is that of a shepherd.  I read John 10 this morning thinking about how much I appreciate the imagery of God as my shepherd: John 10:2 - 3 The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep.   The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. The first thing I notice about Jesus as my shepherd is that He KNOWS me and I know Him.  We have a valuable relationship and I trust that He has my best interests at heart.  He knows my name and He leads me individually even as a part of the whole flock. ...