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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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.

The Masters: A Comparison of Augusta and the Leadership Needed in Education

11 Friday Apr 2025

Posted by in Actions, Classroom Leadership, Decisions, Education, Educational Leadership, Emotional Temperature, Intentions, Leader, Leadership, Patience, Teachers, The Masters, Wisdom

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Leadership always has many comparisons. But, for my golfing and leadership friends, comparing the two to each other brings about time-tested leadership skills. Navigating leadership in education and playing in the Masters Tournament may seem unrelated at first thought (and oh, how I wish I could get on the course). Still, both require focus, adaptability, and a deep understanding of strategy. Both settings demand high performance under pressure. In the end, it’s about delivering results in the classroom or on one of golf’s most demanding courses.

Educational leaders, like PGA golfers, are constantly analyzing their environment. At Augusta, players must read the slope of massive, undulating greens and adjust to changing wind conditions. Likewise, schools and educational leaders must understand the shifting of student needs, curriculum changes, broader social dynamics, and any other nuance thrown at it. Every decision, whether selecting what club to hit or an educator’s instructional strategy, carries weight and long-term impact where feedback is immediate.

Both roles require preparation and foresight; think of it as an ongoing scouting report. A golfer walks the course, visualizes (paints) each shot, and practices relentlessly every part of their game. Similarly, school leaders plan, implement, and reflect, constantly learning and improving. Vision matters, and so does consistency. Just as a player can’t rely on a great round, educational success isn’t about one strong lesson but sustained excellence over time.

There’s also a personal component. Both educational leadership and golf demand emotional intelligence and resilience; weak-minded individuals need not participate. How one responds when things go wrong, a double bogey or a failed initiative is everything, and the ability to stay calm, breathe, refocus, and remember what happened but not dwell on it while pressing forward defines true leadership and separates the fakes from the rest.

Finally, both disciplines celebrate growth. While winning the green jacket of the Masters is the goal, it’s also about mastering oneself. In education, leadership is measured not just by test scores but by the growth of teachers, students, and the learning culture. Both arenas reward those who lead with integrity, remain coachable, and never stop learning. Those who can and do usually end up winning.

Ultimately, whether walking the fairways of Augusta or the halls of a school, leading well means playing the long game with patience, purpose, and heart, creating “A Tradition Unlike Any Other.”

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.

The Gradual Decay of Leadership: Lessons from Mississippi’s Drought-Stricken Pines…

04 Friday Apr 2025

Posted by in Actions, Decisions, Decline, Education, Educational Leadership, Facade, Leader, Leadership, Teachers

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Have you seen any dead pine trees lately? It doesn’t take long to see them everywhere you look…

It’s the South, it’s hot, it’s Mississippi, and the drought last summer has devastated pine trees that once stood strong and full of life up and down our highways and roads. Now, many stand lifeless, discolored, brittle, and unable to fulfill their purpose. The slow, gradual decay… decay reflecting what happens when leadership begins to die, often long before anyone notices.

The Subtle Beginning: Stress and Decline

Drought doesn’t kill a pine tree overnight, incrementally weakening its defenses. The tree struggles to absorb nutrients to thrive; its needles begin to yellow, the bark sheds, and the top branches snap and fall. Neglect, ignoring problems, failing to adapt, and losing sight of vision (that should be shared) are the starting points for dead leadership. Leadership under self-inflicted and/or outward tension may stop investing in their team’s growth, becoming reactive instead of proactive.

The Unseen Transition: Vulnerability to Invasion

Once weakened, pine trees become prime targets for pests like the southern pine beetle. Have you seen what they can do to a tree? These wood-boring tree-killer invaders finish what the drought started, killing from the inside out. Similarly, weak leadership allows toxicity to spread. Poor communication, mistrust, and disengagement take root, eroding the culture from within. Without outside intervention, the leadership structure becomes hollow, a façade…

The Inevitable End: Structural Collapse

“The sky is falling.” No, those are dead pine trees falling. Eventually, a dead pine tree will not be able to stand. The wood dries out and erodes with the right pressure; time takes over. When it can no longer stand, it falls; when it does, it destroys anything it hits. Dead leadership follows the same path. When leadership lacks vision, integrity, and adaptability, it cannot and will not weather storms. Leadership decisions will become erratic and often moody, leading to plummeting morale and collapse, and ignoring certain situations will become all the easier.

But, there are preventative measures… Unlike dead pine trees, there is a chance to restore leadership before it reaches the point of no return. The preparations you would use in a drought to save a pine tree (watering, fertilizer, insecticide sprays) are great comparisons that can be used for leadership; awareness, renewal, and intentional action can bring fresh life. Great leaders recognize stress early, address vulnerabilities, and build resilience.

The question is—are you, in your leadership, a thriving pine or a dead pine tree waiting to fall?

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.

The Educational Need To Return To Educating The Whole Child…

28 Friday Mar 2025

Posted by in Educational Leadership, Knowledge, Leader, Leadership, Learning, Purpose, Students, Teachers, Testing, Useful, Value, Whole, Wisdom

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This might be a controversial blog post, depending on where you land with the following thoughts, and that’s ok…

Education was once about cultivating the whole child, nurturing intellect, creativity, character, and critical thinking through a well-rounded liberal arts approach. However, this vision has been overshadowed by overemphasizing standardized testing in recent decades. The goal was to produce workers and cultivate virtuous, thoughtful citizens who could engage the world with wisdom and integrity. Schools now prioritize data-driven performance (which is neither wrong nor bad) over holistic development, often at the expense of creativity, curiosity, and a love of learning, by narrowing the focus to what is easily measurable rather than truly meaningful.

Educating the whole child recognizes that education is not just about producing test scores but about shaping individuals to be well-rounded, who can think critically, communicate effectively, and contribute meaningfully to society. Subjects like music, art, philosophy, and history were once considered essential in developing a student’s ability to analyze, innovate, and understand the world. In today’s educational setting, these subjects are frequently marginalized as schools spend more time and resources preparing students for high-stakes tests in various subjects.

The educational shift that we have now embraced has consequences. Many teachers feel pressured to “teach to the test,” limiting the depth and breadth of instruction and missing out on many teachable moments. So much of education now has students who experience anxiety and burnout, seeing education as a series of hurdles rather than a discovery journey, leading to creativity and problem-solving. The journey of discovery highlights intellectual, physical, spiritual, and social growth, each essential to the definition of educating the whole child. When education neglects these essentials, it fails to prepare students for a life of service, leadership, and moral responsibility, where in an ever-changing world, these vital skills to function in society are taking a backseat to memorization and test strategies.

Education, now and in the future, needs a teaching environment that can complement the shift we have now gone to in education. A shift that can ensure students they are not just test-takers but also promote and encourage them to become thinkers, creators, and lifelong learners. A balance is needed where we continue to provide opportunities for students to engage in lessons that promote the arts, explore humanities, and develop emotional intelligence. Returning to whole-child education does not mean that education must abandon accountability; it allows redefining it.

Is education more than test scores? I believe it is. Education should be about shaping individuals who can engage meaningfully with the world, to become productive citizens in a society that needs some resemblance of what is right. Students are not just future employees but whole persons with souls that need nurturing.

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.