The kind of old lady I want to be

Recently, I told my brother that I want to be the kind of old lady who says whatever she wants. Unapologetically. Just strip away the decorum and tell it like it is. 

In the middle of a wearisome conversation:

“I believe I’ll take a nap.” 

When the salesman doesn’t get the hint:

“No reason. I just don’t want to.” 

A straight shooter. What freedom! What fun!

The more I thought about it, though, what I really want to be is Miss Clara. You know, the 80-year-old prayer warrior from the film, War Room:

My favorite Miss Clara quote:

“You’ve done it again, Lord! You’ve done it again!”

But how do you become the kind of person who prays without ceasing and praises through anything? The kind of person who causes other people to want to do the same? Who preaches the gospel and lives it too?

I think the key word is become, and it’s a word I’ve been thinking about a lot lately. 

How do you become the kind of person who:

• Loves God with your whole heart, soul, mind and strength
• Lives as a true neighbor, loving others as self
• Speaks the truth in love, even at great personal cost
• Exudes generosity, giving extravagantly and sacrificially
• Responds from a place of confident trust and rest in Christ
• Acts as a pipeline of God’s grace and peace
• Follows the leading of the Holy Spirit, bearing His fruit consistently and abudantly
• Walks worthy of your calling—serving God and others purposefully, powerfully and humbly

How do you become the kind of person who will be blissfully happy in eternity with Christ, simply because you’ve fallen so deeply in love with Him that everything else pales in comparison?

You become.

By the grace of God and the power of His Spirit, you become more and more like Christ—more in Christ, over a lifetime of living in His presence and learning to treasure Him above all else.

“And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.”–II Corinthians 3:18

The kind of old lady I become will be determined by the purity of the glory I’ve been beholding. Am I fixated on Christ’s unsurpassable glory or my own attempts at an inferior, man-made substitute?

When it comes down to it, I do want to be the kind of old lady who says whatever she wants. 

I want to become the kind of person who wants to say what Jesus would say–one who wants to do what Jesus would do. What freedom! What fun!

—————

A note for those who read this blog regularly:

I’ve been sharing my heart in this space for years, and it has become a record of the work of God in my life. When I look back, I am astounded at His faithfulness. Through every high and low, our God has been so very good to me. Thank you for being here for the journey.

For the last year, I have also been preparing to lead Wise Christian School in partnership with my home church, The Rock Church in Bridgeport, Texas. WCS is not a prep school or a public school copy with a little Bible sprinkled in—it is a place wholly dedicated to helping students become all that God has called them to be. Joining with families and churches, our mission is to nurture hearts that seek Christ fervently, minds that think rationally, hands that reach out compassionately, and lives that preach the gospel courageously. 

From Bible study to Math, from chapel to science, and from discipleship groups to extra-curricular activities, WCS students will spend 1,232 hours this year in an environment that is centered on Jesus Christ. Some will attend full time and others will join us as part-time homeschooled students. My prayer is that each one will flourish and grow in a community that exemplifies the Great Commandment: loving God wholeheartedly and loving neighbor as self (Matt. 22:38-40). My heart’s cry is for Wise Christian School to become a living example of the truth and power of the gospel—drawing unbelievers to Christ and believers deeper into relationship with Him.

Wise Christian School is located in Wise County, where too many public schools are declining, despite the efforts of incredible teachers and administrators. These educators struggle beneath the burden of a failing system. Having grown up in rural West Texas and after spending much of my teaching career in a wonderfully small school in Stamford, I took the privilege of living out my faith in the classroom for granted. Teachers here are far less likely to have that luxury. In interview after interview, they tell me how much they crave the freedom to communicate the love of God to students in meaningful ways.

Forty-five percent of students served by the local school district are economically disadvantaged. If we relied on tuition alone, Wise Christian School would have to turn away many of the students who need us most. Numerous families sit across my desk or wait with hope on the other end of a phone call—seeking a kind of help that our local public schools cannot offer. I see the tug-of-war behind their eyes and am pained to hear one disheartening story after another. So many want more for their children but cannot take on the full cost of tuition (see note below).

In short, we have a desire to welcome every student who wants to join the WCS family for the purpose of growing in Christ-–head, heart, hands and habits. We have the support of an incredible church, and we’re building, not only a school, but a place where students can become all that God has called them to be. 

I want to open the doors of Wise Christian School to students who need tuition assistance, and I am asking you to consider helping me close the gap. We have created a monthly sponsorship initiative for the dual purpose of: 1) connecting every student with a sponsor who will support them through ongoing prayer and encouragement 2) building a strong financial aid program so that WCS is accessible to families, regardless of financial circumstance.

All of the money received through the sponsorship program will benefit our financial aid fund (see note below). For reference, a monthly gift of $500 would provide full support for one student, partial support for two students needing 50% assistance, and so on. Any amount helps! 

To become a sponsor, visit wisechristianschool.com/donate. I am happy to answer any questions that you have. Thank you for allowing me to share about a ministry that is close to my heart. Know that any financial contribution you make is seed planted in good soil. I am grateful for your prayers and your generosity too!

*We set tuition at $6,000, as this is the cost of providing a quality education for each student. With the help of The Rock Church, we were able to discount tuition to $5,000 for the 2025-2026 school year. Additionally, SB2 was recently signed into law. As a new school, we may be able to accept vouchers from some students in 2027-2028; however, we will be monitoring the situation to ensure that doing so would not invite government overreach and hinder our mission.

**Because we take stewardship seriously, we ask families to apply for financial aid through a third party which provides WCS with a number that represents each family’s need. Our financial aid committee uses this information to award available financial aid to eligible students.