In 1993 God was flourishing my ministry with more speaking engagements than I could handle. My wife and I both sensed the Lord leading me to resign my position as a public teacher and devote myself full-time to writing and speaking. We asked the Lord to confirm this direction through our parents and through the elders of the church we were attending. He did that so thoroughly that we had no doubt this was His leading and simply our own good idea.

With that in mind, we agreed I should accept more invitations than I normally would, and I ended up traveling nearly every weekend during my last few months teaching school. It was so fulfilling to invest in godly families and sense the Lord’s pleasure in it all.

Over the years the Lord expanded and deepened my message, and also broadened the opportunities to share it. My seminars now included two full days (typically Friday and Saturday) with a day of travel before and after. As a general rule I purposed to not accept invitations on back-to-back weekends, which allowed me to maintain a pace of being gone for four days, and home for ten days before the next trip.

For many years we recommended a registration fee for the seminars, and sold recordings of my messages. This, along with contributions from folks who supported our ministry, enabled us to flourish financially, get out of debt, and even build a house without debt. Then at one point I sensed the Lord’s direction to stop even suggesting a registration fee, and simply trust Him to supply for the travel expenses and support. In most cases, hosts and attendees were quite generous, and still purchased recordings, which became our primary source of support.

Then, several years back, the Lord spoke to my heart to stop selling our recordings, but to simply make them available to those who asked. We still let folks know what our actual materials costs are, and most cover at least that. And many have been exceedingly generous in supporting the ministry as the Lord led them.

Eventually, opportunities for international ministry opened up, and I found great fulfillment in ministering in Australia, and then India, China, and several African countries. Ministry in the third-world countries, however, was always something we had to finance without any expectation of financial help from those receiving the ministry, as the folks in such countries seldom are able to give much.

Over the last few years we saw invitations for seminars begin to dwindle, and began looking for other ways to finance the ministry. Faithful contributors were continuing to support us generously, but I began wondering if the Lord was changing the season for us. Still, the last direction I had heard from Him was the confirmed direction in 1993 to devote myself to speaking and writing.

We ended up getting back into debt (an entirely different story I’ll likely write about another time). Then the economy began to sour. Last October (2008), the Lord used various influences to cause me to more overtly seek Him for definite direction. I was surprised to sense His leading to return to teaching in public schools. I resisted this for some days, but finally acknowledged it to my wife and children, and then to the brothers and sisters I walk with. I almost felt I was the last one to know, as one after another confirmed that they had sensed this direction for me previously.

I wished that I had listened more closely earlier. By October, the 2008-09 school year was well under way, and schools had already hired and assigned their teachers. Still I filled out and submitted numerous applications, anticipating that God was going to show Himself strong in some unusual way. I purposed to make myself as a substitute teacher until that happened.

During the 15 years out of public education, I had allowed my administrative credential and one of my teaching credentials to lapse (the other is a lifetime credential that never expires, which they no longer issue). In the past, additional coursework was required to reinstate lapsed credentials. However, I was thankful to learn that recently a change was instituted that allowed me to simply pay a small fee and have my credentials renewed.

One of the applications I submitted happened to be for a "Home and Hospital" teaching position tutoring students who, for medical reasons, aren’t allowed to attend regular classes. It turned out that the director of this program was a Christian brother I had actually hired as a teacher years ago when I was a public school principal. This position was not a contract position, and I would only be paid an hourly wage when students made the sessions. But I saw the hand of the Lord in this as I was hired. Very quickly my workload increased to the point that I was able to earn a nearly adequate income.

However, I sensed the Lord directing me to continue seeking a more permanent salaried position somewhere. In my search I saw that the teaching positions most in demand were in Math, Science, and Special Education. Because I have interest in children with Special needs, and already had some academic background in Special Education, I began particularly focusing on that possibility. I don’t have the required Special Education credential, but figured I could qualify for what used to be called an "Emergency Credential" and work on earning the credential while working. But virtually all the open positions I learned about would have required my family to relocate.

In early January 2009 I learned of an opening with the Tulare County Office of Education for a temporary, part-time teacher in Yettem (90 minutes from me) serving severely handicapped pre-schoolers. I was not interested in this, but still felt that as a matter of faithfulness I needed to apply. I was surprised when I was contacted for an interview. I was tempted to decline, or intentionally blow the interview, but sensed the Lord’s rebuke and prodding to simply be faithful and trust Him. I figured if I got the position, I could then move on to something more in line with my interests later.

About half-way through the interview, the administrator conducting it stopped and said, "This position really isn’t for you, is it?" I tried to assure her I would be happy to throw myself into it faithfully. But she surprised me by saying, "I think we have a situation we haven’t even advertised yet, that would be a better fit for you. We need a full-time Special Education teacher at a Middle School in Strathmore. Would that interest you?"

Wow! Strathmore is only 30 minutes from my house, and this would be full-time, rather than part-time. I acknowledged that I would find this much more fulfilling. The administrator immediately stopped the interview process and told me I was hired. Over the next several days I learned that the only negatives were that I would not be assured of a position next year, would not receive benefits, and would only be paid as a starting teacher because I did not yet have the proper credential. I appealed the matter of no benefits and being paid as a beginning teacher. God gave me favor with these folks, and I was granted benefits and ten years of service credit. (I was still not given credit for graduate training, because I don’t yet have the Special Education credential.)

I came back several days later to be introduced to my new supervisor. I gave two weeks notice to the supervisor in the Home and Hospital program (although I continued serving two students part-time the rest of the school year in the late afternoon/evening). I began in the position of "Resource Specialist" (Special Education Teacher) at Strathmore Middle School

The Lord seemed to give me special grace with both the students I was teaching, and the other staff members, and right from the beginning it was evident that the Lord gave me favor with my supervisor. She patiently coached me through the learning curve of the paper-work, and when she came to observe my teaching, was effusive in her praise of my handling of a particularly difficult student.

Over the few months I have held this position, the county psychologist, the Special Education Administrator, and others have remarked that it seemed I was given an inordinate number of difficult transfer cases--reportedly more than all the other Resource Specialist in the county together. In the process I became quite proficient at writing Individualized Educational Plans (IEPs). My supervisor repeatedly encouraged me that I was doing an exceptional job.

With California’s economic crisis, schools are having to scale back. Some of the juvenile court schools in our county are cutting back teaching positions, and my supervisor explained that any openings with the county would most certainly be taken by these folks who have seniority. So as Spring proceeded, I was applying with various school districts for positions for next year. When I mentioned to my supervisor that I was interviewing with a district, she encouraged me, but then said, "Don’t sign any contracts until you talk with me." The meaning was obvious and encouraging.

In the end, an opening with county did come about, and my supervisor urged me to apply for it. Apparently there were over 30 applicants for the position, but based on my performance (by God’s grace) this year, I was offered the contract, subject to participation in a Special Education Internship program, in which I have enrolled.

I was disappointed to learn that my assignment will not be at the same school, Strathmore Middle School, where I’ve been working this year. As a County Office of Education employee, they can assign me to any school that the county provides Special Education services to. But then I learned I’m being assigned to Springville Elementary School, the very closest public school to us. My commute will now be cut from thirty minutes to ten minutes! And I’ll likely have greater opportunity to develop more personal relationships with parents and students in our own community. Praise God!

I am so thankful to have seen the hand of the Lord confirming the inner guidance He has given over the last year. The changes have been difficult, and the schedule has been stressful. But His grace has been evident.

My schedule next year promises to continue to be taxing, as I will have to be attending graduate classes two nights each week in teaching Special Education. At the moment my sense is that we are to scale back the reach our homeschool program (CPSI), but continue making it available for those who find it a blessing. I will likely not be conducting seminars or teleseminars as often as in the past, but currently sense I am to leave that possibility open. We intend to continue offering our recordings to those who request them, and this summer I hope to get the duplication of our CDs back on track.