Educators, take care of you! No matter where you educate children there will always be challenges and rewards. For you to give children what they need, you have to be at your best. I've learned this the hard way. I thought I could go, go, go, and leave the resting piece for those "who need it." Boy, was I wrong! Now, I'm paying for it with a few health issues. Thankfully, they can be corrected!

The first area is your spiritual self. No matter how you believe, this is the most important component of your person. I believe in Jesus Christ, my Saviour. My relationship with Him is one of joy and peace. However, when I neglect the daily disciplines of communing with Him and getting into His word, my joy and my peace suffer. And it affects every other part of my self.

The next area is your emotional self. I believe your mindset and perceptions of the world around you influence the emotions in your body. We are not robots. We have feelings, but we have to keep them in check and valid. However, our hormones can impact that as well. When your hormones are low or depleted, it can totally change who you are and how you respond to the world around you. We must also base our perceptions on what pleases God, not what other people think about us.

The physical body's condition has a major impact on how you can serve those children and adults around you. Whether it is hormones, lack of sleep, eating the wrong foods, not getting exercise, or our emotional or spiritual state affecting us, we should keep all in balance. The body is not invincible. But some of us have tried to act like we are! Sooner or later, the way we treat our bodies will determine how healthy we are when the stressors have come and gone.

Just wanted to encourage everyone to take care of you today! You're important and the work you do in educating children is very important. Slow down. Take a deep breath. Reflect. Recharge. And go again!