Category Archives: Joy

Rejoicing in the Mourning of The Empty Tomb

17 Thursday Apr 2025

Posted by in Easter, God, Hope, Jesus, Joy, Love, Mercy, Passion, Purpose, Sacrifice

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If you would like to download a printer friendly version of this with the above picture as a washout watermark background, click here: Rejoicing in the Mourning of the Empty Tomb

Rejoicing in the Mourning of The Empty Tomb

To feel the weight of what was lost, to stand before a world fractured by sin,
bent beneath the curse, longing for release – It is good to mourn…

To see the sorrow etched in every face, to know that something is missing;
something only Heaven can restore – It is right to be sad…

Creation groans beneath its burden, subjected to futility, longing for freedom,
bound in the chains of corruption – Look around…

The earth trembles in the pains of childbirth, straining toward redemption’s dawn,
aching for the stone to be rolled away, for we know that Salvation awaits…

We are meant to be rejoicing people… for redemption has come in flesh and blood,
for the cross is victory, and the grave is empty!

Yet even in resurrection’s light, our joy is mixed with tears,
for this world is still a battlefield, and our hearts bear the scars of war.

To mourn is to see clearly, to name the fight within,
to confess the war we wage each morning, the weight of temptations that greet us at dawn.

There are enemies unseen, whispers of doubt, shadows of fear,
sin that lingers, pulling at our heels… Yet mourning does something holy.

It turns our cries toward Calvary, our sorrow toward the empty tomb,
our weakness into a desperate plea… For the risen Savior’s touch.

Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
Not with fleeting peace but with a risen King who conquered death.

Comfort in knowing… The price has been paid,
forgiveness is won, the stone is rolled away… forever.

So, we mourn, and we hope. We grieve, and we rejoice.
We weep, and we wait… For that day when Jesus will make all things new.

Happy Easter

© J Clay Norton, 2025

For previous Easter thoughts, click the link…

2024 The Symbol of Love’s Greatest Story

2023 The Walk

2022 The Victory of Christ

2021 Resurrection Morning

2020 The Lamb’s Precious Blood

2019 The Cross I See…

2018  The Cross and The Grave

As you step into your role today, remember that you are not just an educator and leader but a shaper of the future. Your actions and decisions profoundly impact the lives of those you guide. Go, be the great educator and leader that our future needs.

Remember… Think Leadership and Be For Others…

©2025 J Clay Norton

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

A Leadership Thought with Amazon’s Smile Logo…

13 Friday Dec 2024

Posted by in Attitude, Christmas, Circumstances, Joy, Kindness, Leader, Leadership, Relationships, Smile

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Ever notice how many Amazon trucks, vans, and third-party Amazon distributors are on the road? And now that it’s December, they seem to be everywhere. I even see them in my sleep. I think one of their drivers lives in my neighborhood; I see him so much. Do any of you have the same thought? But it’s not the truck or the van I see; it’s the smile logo from A to Z. Logos are meant to create mental images and thoughts. They are brands that sear into our minds. So, the Amazon logo…

A cheerful arrow that smiles from A to Z. As leaders I believe we can learn much from Amazon’s iconic design logo. It’s a reminder that leadership, much like online shopping, is about delivering on promises with a smile, even if the smile sometimes hides the chaos behind the scenes.

From A to Z, it catches every letter in between, from beginning to end. What if we replace the A to Z with the idea of January to December, with all the months in between, keeping that smile all year long as the Amazon logo inspires us?

January gives us a “new year, new me” mentality. December gives us last-minute, I hope it gets here by Christmas, Prime orders :). But at every stop in between, each month gives us a year-long leadership adventure. By the time Christmas is here, the year is basically over. Christmas offers us a time to begin reflecting on the true leadership gifts we have been given and those we’ve provided; time, guidance, understanding, compassion, etc., and just maybe the occasional opportunity to bring in a dad joke…

As December is upon us, and we do reflect, how many of the above were we a part of, not just in the Christmas season of December but all year long? Leadership, like Christmas, thrives on connection. Just like the Amazon logo, leadership delivers a smile that should be January to February. More importantly, it delivers joy and results.

So, as the year wraps up, channel your inner Amazon logo: keep that smile going from January to December, from everything where kickoffs begin to year-end wrap-ups. Remember, a leader who smiles inspires others to do the same. And who couldn’t use a little more joy—especially when unwrapping life’s surprises?

As you step into your role today, remember that you are not just an educator and leader but a shaper of the future. Your actions and decisions profoundly impact the lives of those you guide. Go, be the great educator and leader that our future needs.

Remember… Think Leadership and Be For Others…

©2024 J Clay Norton

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

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It’s That Time Of The Year: Gifts That Keep On Giving In Education…

01 Friday Dec 2023

Posted by in Actions, Christmas, Classroom Leadership, Communication, Conversations, Culture, Decisions, Education, Educational Leadership, Encouragement, Joy, Leader, Leadership, Light, Students, Teachers, Unity

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It’s December 1, and Christmas time is officially here. With the season in full swing, as educators, we are presented with a unique opportunity to foster a sense of unity, joy, and growth within our schools for three weeks. With diversity in schools, Christmas is sometimes celebrated differently due to cultures, or if at all, in student households. However, Christmas is a festive season, a time for celebration, and a period with immense potential to wrap up the first semester by creating an enriching and supportive environment that can help jumpstart and motivate for the second semester.

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Christmas time offers a sense of belonging. One thing is certain: in education, we foster a community for many students who have the need for belonging and need acceptance. As we lead in our schools, we might be the only ones offering belonging…

Communication is key to belonging. Educators can use this time to communicate, as stated in the beginning, to convey a sense of joy, unity, growth, and many other characteristics that may not be explicitly seen during the different times of the school year. A simple gesture of gratitude telling a student thank you might do wonders for their self-esteem (everyone enjoys this, by the way).

As we all know, educators remain a crucial piece of the jigsaw puzzle in setting the tone for a positive and inclusive atmosphere, welcoming all (why would we not?). How we decide to do this helps light the candle, brightening the season’s spirit. It starts with each one of us. Lighting someone else’s candle is hard if yours is not burning.

Educational leadership during Christmas is an extra opportunity to create a nurturing and vibrant learning environment. Throughout the school year, educators can make a lasting impact on students. Still, there are times, as now, when this impact can be even more relevant. As we celebrate the season, let us remember that the spirit of Christmas extends beyond festivities—it is a time for joy, unity, and growth. These are gifts that keep on giving (and no, not the jelly of the month club gift, Cousin Eddie).

Let’s go fight the good fight of leadership. Someone has to…

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

Remember… Think Leadership and Be For Others…

©2023 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…

Knowing Joy Beats Someone Telling Me I Should Be Miserable…

02 Friday Dec 2022

Posted by in Actions, Attitude, Christmas, Deciding, Decisions, Emotion, Encouragement, Inspiration, Intentions, Jesus, Joy, Kindness, Leader, Leadership, Misery, Thankful

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Ok… I am always excited when I learn something new, and boy, did I? The other day listening to talk radio on the way to school, I heard a segment on the reporting of the US Misery Index. I was like, what? Are you serious? There is an index out there that is supposedly going to tell me if I am miserable or not? Maybe not me specifically, but our nation as a whole.

So, I got to school and looked it up. Guess what? It’s real. Here’s the website: http://www.miseryindex.us

In short, here is the description… “The misery index was initiated by economist Arthur Okun, an adviser to President Lyndon Johnson in the 1960’s. It is simply the unemployment rate added to the inflation rate. It is assumed that both a higher rate of unemployment and a worsening of inflation both create economic and social costs for a country. A combination of rising inflation and more people out of work implies a deterioration in economic performance and a rise in the misery index.”

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Yes, inflation is high. I’m not going to get into the unemployment rate and all of the other political stuff. However, inflation does not discriminate. I don’t like the price of milk and eggs right now, but I’m not going to make myself miserable over it. I like money in my pocket just as much as the next person. What I don’t need is an index gauging my thoughts for it. But… ultimately, I decide if I am miserable or not.

So, where’s the leadership in this? It all depends on you, I guess. My joy depends on these things – family, close friendships (that circle grows smaller as I get older), enjoyment of my work, and when it does not rain on Saturdays (so I can play golf), and foremost, my relationship with Christ.

As we are now in the Christmas season, if we listen to everything out there, we almost have no choice but to make ourselves miserable. Some small part of me believes that is what society wants; for us to be miserable, so we will depend on someone or something else. I am not going to sign up for that. You shouldn’t either.

Regardless of what the US Misery Index says, at any time of the year, I’m going to choose joy. Now, I have bad days; I’m sure we all do. However, the joy we should feel at Christmas, we should feel all year. Especially knowing the reason for Christmas, for that brings “Joy to the World” within itself.

And as for leadership… I get to choose that also. I get to decide what type of leader I want to be. I definitely do not need an index for that, either. As we begin the month of December and the Christmas season, focus on the joy that we have. If you have a chance, which we all do, spread some of it around.  It sure beats being miserable because somebody said, “Misery loves company.”

Let’s go fight the good fight of leadership. Someone has to…

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…