• Home
  • About
  • Contact

The Book Chamber

~ J Clay Norton, Ed.D.

The Book Chamber

Category Archives: Jesus

The Victory of Christ

14 Thursday Apr 2022

Posted by The Book Chamber in Easter, Jesus

≈ Leave a comment

Screen Shot 2022-04-07 at 9.57.11 PM

If you would like to download a printer friendly version of this with the above picture as a washout watermark, click here: The Victory of Christ

The Victory of Christ


Eden's thorns twisted into a crown,
A cruel symbol of death,
Placed upon His head - in mockery.
The crowds calling him King,
Not knowing that He really is.

A walk none of us could make,
A walk to the wondrous cross.
A cross none of us could ever carry,
A cross to death…
Into the presence of God.

Knowing He would face death,
The Lamb, slain before the foundation of the world.
Doing something we could not do,
Taking back life from death.
Because He lives, I live!

We search for peace…
A peace the world cannot give.
A peace found only in Jesus,
"Peace be with you..."
For it is.

His sacrifice,
We are made Holy.
Our trust in Him…
Gives forgiveness of our sins.
Drawing near to God without fear.

Losing much because of sin,
Gaining more because of Christ.
His death, His resurrection…
The restoring power of God's grace.
…The Victory of Christ…

Happy Easter

© J Clay Norton, 2022


For previous Easter thoughts, click the link…

2021 resurrection-morning2

2020 The Lamb’s Precious Blood

2019 The Cross I See…

2018  The Cross and The Grave

Go be a great educator and leader today… Our future needs it…

Remember… Think Leadership and Be For Others…

©2022 J Clay Norton

Want more Leadership Thoughts? Follow me on… Twitter @thebookchamber or follow the blog directly.

Want to share this leadership thought with others? Click on one of the social media sharing buttons below and help spread the good…

Share this:

  • Tweet
  • Email
  • More
  • Print
  • Share on Tumblr

Like this:

Like Loading...

Deliverance – Coram Deo “The ‘Living’ Presence of God

17 Friday Dec 2021

Posted by The Book Chamber in Christmas, God, Humility, Jesus

≈ Leave a comment

Merry Christmas everyone…

Manger in Stable

If you would like to download a printer friendly version of this year’s thoughts with a washout watermark background, click here: Deliverance

Deliverance 
Coram Deo – “The ‘Living’ Presence of God” 

Promised in Genesis,
Foretold in Isaiah,
The Seed, The Messiah!

O Holy Night it was,
An interruption of Heaven on earth,
A cosmic event changing time.

Traveling far, so we could be near,
The Love worth giving came down,
Arriving in a stable’s manger.

The Nativity brought to life,
A perpetual sight to be remembered…
An essence to stir hearts.

God the Son - in His majesty,
Took on flesh,
To tabernacle with mankind.

Sent by God to a world He loved,
To save us from ourselves,
The everlasting presence of Christ…

Mindful of us…
Our sin and error pining,
A visit of intimacy for our souls.

The Gift of the Father,
The clarity of Immanuel,
The sealing of the Spirit.

God with us indeed.

What we find at Christmas time,
Is Christ, our thrill of Hope,
A weary world rejoices.

…Merry Christmas…

© J Clay Norton, 2021

To view previous year’s Christmas thoughts, download here;

2017 In The Fullness Of Time

2018 Born As A Babe

2019 Let There Be Light… The Light of the World

2020 Our Gift of Truth

Go be a great educator and leader today… Our future needs it…

Remember… Think Leadership and Be For Others…

©2021 J Clay Norton

Want more Leadership Thoughts? Follow me on… Twitter @thebookchamber or follow the blog directly.

Want to share this leadership thought with others? Click on one of the social media sharing buttons below and help spread the good…

Share this:

  • Tweet
  • Email
  • More
  • Print
  • Share on Tumblr

Like this:

Like Loading...

My… “A Charlie Brown Christmas” thoughts and its tree…

03 Friday Dec 2021

Posted by The Book Chamber in Charlie Brown, Christmas, Jesus

≈ Leave a comment

The other day, Heather was getting her Christmas decorations out for her office at school… When Heather came home that afternoon, she said she brought the Charlie Brown Christmas tree home to let me know she almost threw it away. But… in her mind, she heard me say, “Noooooooo!”

Upon inspection of the tree, the brown wrapping for the “tree look” was coming undone, the music button playing Linus and Lucy didn’t work, the blue blanket was dirty, and the red ornament was missing… At that moment, I knew exactly how Charlie Brown felt when he picked the tree out in the show…

For those who do not know… I’m a huge Charlie Brown fan. For me, it doesn’t get much better than Charlie Brown. Charles Shultz had it going on with A Charlie Brown Christmas.

Anyway… My three take-a-ways…

Sometimes we need to see beyond what the surface shows.

Charlie Brown infamously selects the worst looking, saddest, bristles falling off, limp limbs tree in the lot…

Look at this dialogue between Charlie Brown and Linus at the tree farm…

Charlie Brown: This little green one here seems to need a home.

Linus: I don’t know, Charlie Brown. Remember what Lucy said? This doesn’t seem to fit the modern spirit.

Charlie Brown: I don’t care. We’ll decorate it and it’ll be just right for our play. Besides, I think it needs me.

Much happens between that scene Charlie Brown picks a Christmas tree and afterwards. To make matters worse, he is reminded of it by all his friends except for Linus. However, by the end of the show, the tree is decorated, bringing everyone together A Charlie Brown Christmas — Ending Restored!.

Be the person who sees what others cannot or do not want to see. The value that we can bring someone by doing just that, many times will show others our heart.

We all need a Linus in our lives. 

Ever notice how Linus is always there for Charlie Brown. Linus is the voice of reason, advice for what it is worth and what Charlie Brown needs to hear. As Charlie Brown takes the tree home to decorate, he stops by Snoopy’s 1st place award-winning dog house and places an ornament on the tree. Still, even then, to make matters worse, the tree sags and droops to the ground due to the weight of the ornament. Talk about being deflated… but, Linus comes along and says, “I never thought it was such a bad little tree. It’s not bad at all, really. Maybe it just needs a little love.” I never thought it was such a bad tree… Yea, we need a Linus in our lives, if for nothing else, to help us remember why we need to do stuff for the right reasons.

Lastly, what might be the best question Charlie Brown asks, Linus is able to answer…

Charlie Brown: “Isn’t there anyone who knows what Christmas is all about?”

Linus recites Luke 2:8-14:

And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this [shall be] a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men.

When Linus finishes that last line, he says, “That’s what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown.”

That scene just might be the best 1 minute 25 seconds in animated history. Linus and the Christmas story

I love Christmas… it stirs emotions that should be stirred more often. A Charlie Brown Christmas is a good reminder of what we need to do and have in our lives.

tempImagef4I922Back to my Charlie Brown Christmas tree… I taped up the brown “tree look” paper, put batteries in so the Linus and Lucy theme would play, found an ornament, straightened the branches, and cleaned up the blanket. A few of the wires are still showing, but I did what Charlie Brown did, “This little green one here seems to need a home” and “Besides, I think it needs me.”

Go be a great educator and leader today… Our future needs it…

Remember… Think Leadership and Be For Others…

©2021 J Clay Norton

Want more Leadership Thoughts? Follow me on…

Twitter @thebookchamber

Want to share this leadership thought with others? Click on one of the social media sharing buttons below and help spread the good…

Share this:

  • Tweet
  • Email
  • More
  • Print
  • Share on Tumblr

Like this:

Like Loading...

Resurrection Morning

01 Thursday Apr 2021

Posted by The Book Chamber in Easter, Jesus

≈ Leave a comment

what-the-resurrection-of-jesus-teaches-us

If you would like to download a printer friendly version of this with background, click here: resurrection-morning2

Resurrection Morning


Our nature…
At enmity against God.

Sin brought division,
Iniquities caused separation.

Crucified and buried,
Deepest of sorrows.

Three days…
God’s Word, Jesus - thought silent.

Sorrowfulness turned to joy…
When? 

Resurrection morning!

Our sins now put away,
Our understanding opened.

A reason to rejoice,
For a peace that is real.

A privilege in sharing,
With Him in His reign.

Bringing comfort and joy,
Worshiping and praising.

The Truth of Christianity,
Foundational of our belief.

Without it,
We have no hope.

Jesus, seen by the eye of faith…
Author and Finisher!

Resurrection morning…
The Lord is risen indeed!

Happy Easter!

© J Clay Norton, 2021

For 2020 Easter Thoughts click here: The Lamb’s Precious Blood
Continue reading →

Share this:

  • Tweet
  • Email
  • More
  • Print
  • Share on Tumblr

Like this:

Like Loading...
← Older posts
Follow The Book Chamber on WordPress.com

Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Follow me on Twitter

My Tweets

Archives

  • May 2022 (3)
  • April 2022 (5)
  • March 2022 (3)
  • February 2022 (4)
  • January 2022 (4)
  • December 2021 (3)
  • November 2021 (3)
  • October 2021 (5)
  • September 2021 (4)
  • August 2021 (3)
  • May 2021 (3)
  • April 2021 (5)
  • March 2021 (3)
  • February 2021 (3)
  • January 2021 (4)
  • December 2020 (3)
  • November 2020 (3)
  • October 2020 (5)
  • September 2020 (4)
  • August 2020 (2)
  • June 2020 (1)
  • May 2020 (3)
  • April 2020 (4)
  • March 2020 (1)
  • February 2020 (4)
  • January 2020 (4)
  • December 2019 (3)
  • November 2019 (4)
  • October 2019 (4)
  • September 2019 (4)
  • August 2019 (3)
  • July 2019 (1)
  • June 2019 (1)
  • May 2019 (3)
  • April 2019 (4)
  • March 2019 (4)
  • February 2019 (4)
  • January 2019 (3)
  • December 2018 (3)
  • November 2018 (4)
  • October 2018 (4)
  • September 2018 (4)
  • August 2018 (4)
  • July 2018 (1)
  • June 2018 (1)
  • May 2018 (4)
  • April 2018 (4)
  • March 2018 (4)
  • February 2018 (4)
  • January 2018 (3)
  • December 2017 (4)
  • November 2017 (3)
  • October 2017 (4)
  • September 2017 (5)
  • August 2017 (3)
  • July 2017 (1)
  • June 2017 (4)
  • May 2017 (19)
  • April 2017 (9)

Categories

  • Achieve
  • Actions
  • Advantage
  • Adventure
  • Affection
  • Agenda
  • Align
  • Amazing
  • Amnesia
  • Anchored
  • Appreciation
  • Assist
  • Attention
  • Attitude
  • Authentic
  • Balance
  • Bitterness
  • Brand
  • Captive
  • Change
  • Character
  • Charlie Brown
  • Choice
  • Christmas
  • Circumstances
  • Clarity
  • Classroom Leadership
  • Classroom Management
  • Clear
  • Communication
  • Company
  • Compassion
  • confidence
  • Conflict
  • Connections
  • Conscience
  • Consistency
  • Contentment
  • Conversations
  • coronavirus
  • Counseling
  • Courage
  • COVID-19
  • covid19
  • Craft
  • Crisis
  • Culture
  • Deciding
  • Decisions
  • Decline
  • Desire
  • Detox
  • Dignity
  • Distance
  • Distance Learning
  • Distractions
  • Dr. Seuss
  • Drift
  • Easter
  • Education
  • Educational Leadership
  • Effective
  • Embrace
  • Emotion
  • Encouragement
  • Engagement
  • Entertainment
  • Essence
  • Expectations
  • Experience
  • Expertise
  • Expiration dates
  • Facade
  • Family
  • Focus
  • Foundation
  • Freedom
  • Friendship
  • Future
  • Gift
  • Giving
  • God
  • Grace
  • Gratitude
  • Grit
  • Heart
  • Heroes
  • History
  • Honest
  • Humility
  • Idealist
  • Ideals
  • Illusions
  • Importance
  • Influence
  • Insecurity
  • Inspiration
  • Integrity
  • Intentional
  • Intentions
  • Intolerance
  • Jesus
  • Kindness
  • Know Your Why
  • Leader
  • Leadership
  • Legacy
  • Legislators
  • Lesson Plans
  • Light
  • Listening
  • Love
  • Mandates
  • Manipulation
  • Mask
  • Maturity
  • Meetings
  • Memories
  • Message
  • Momentum
  • Motivation
  • NERDLE
  • New School Year
  • Obedience
  • Observation
  • Opinions
  • Opportunity
  • Passion
  • Passive-Agressive
  • Patience
  • Peculiar
  • Perception
  • Perceptions
  • Perseverance
  • Pet Peeves
  • Pitfalls
  • Power
  • Preparation
  • Presence
  • Present
  • Pride
  • Promotion
  • Purpose
  • Reading
  • Reality
  • Reflection
  • Relationships
  • Rest
  • Sacrifice
  • Sensitive
  • Servant
  • Sincerity
  • Sinkholes
  • Spring Break
  • Standard
  • Students
  • Teacher Appreciation
  • Teachers
  • Team
  • Technology
  • Thankful
  • Thanksgiving
  • Time
  • Tolerance
  • Transactional
  • Transfer Portal
  • Transformational
  • Transparent
  • Trust
  • Uncategorized
  • Understanding
  • Unity
  • Useful
  • Value
  • Vision
  • Whole
  • Word
  • WORDLE

Blog Stats

  • 20,583 hits

Blog at WordPress.com.

  • Follow Following
    • The Book Chamber
    • Join 643 other followers
    • Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
    • The Book Chamber
    • Customize
    • Follow Following
    • Sign up
    • Log in
    • Report this content
    • View site in Reader
    • Manage subscriptions
    • Collapse this bar
 

Loading Comments...
 

    loading Cancel
    Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
    Email check failed, please try again
    Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.
    %d bloggers like this: