February 23, 2024

Dear friends,

I hope your 2024 is off to a great start! It has been a busy one for me. I’ve been in some school districts already; been to a good many basketball games; and caught some nice Marlin, Dorado, and Amberjack in Cabo San Lucas on a long weekend! But the highlight for sure was helping Grace Presbyterian Church in Corpus host its first ever Christian Women’s Conference a couple weeks ago. Imagine sharing a stage with Shelia Walsh and Jill Siler. No pressure, right? What an incredible blessing this was.

The Bible study book I wrote as a companion to my pastor, John Roberts’ book, is available for purchase: Caught Red-Handed: Little Moments When God Showed Up Big.

I am scheduling now for summer and fall 2024! Keynotes, convocation addresses, a particularly timely Reading and Writing Across the Curriculum training for all grade levels and content areas, and of course, many trainings for English teachers and Instructional Coaches are all available to book. Email me to get on the schedule now before it’s completely full!

In May I’ll be speaking to TASA superintendents at the Small School Summit in Port Aransas, as well as out in a few school districts. I’m heading to East Texas in June; TEKSCon, Amarillo, and Victoria in July; and of course, I’ll be all over the state in August, hoping to ignite and inspire educators as they get ready to do the work that really matters for one more year.

Unfortunately, we will not be hosting the traditional Teach Rhymes With Beach Conference in 2024. Bootcamp at the Beach, though, is an incredible summer training opportunity for ELAR teachers that you can bring right to your own campus or district! Contact me for a quote and to check dates . I’d love to get out and present for your district this summer or fall.

Finally, I am offering Classroom Instructional Coaching.  For this service I go into English classrooms and observe, participate as a student, or co-teach; and offer feedback in areas such as management, instructional strategies, increasing rigor, student engagement, or differentiation.  It is assistive, not evaluative, and has been well-received by teachers as just another set of veteran teacher eyes helping our students learn and grow.  Plus, we laugh a lot. I provide verbal and written feedback, and always acknowledge and am in awe of your compassion, heart, and many strengths! 😊  If you want to get that booked for Fall 2024, please do it as quickly as possible. I’m booking a limited number of these jobs, so I can chase my favorite 14 year old basketball player around the state as well.

You may email me for more information on any of these services, and to check available dates.

Don’t hesitate - I am booking up fast! Please email me today! melter215@aol.com

Continue to check out my recent FB posts (Melanie Mayer Inspire) for classroom ideas, thoughts, and inspiration.

Many blessings and so much respect, and now, a sneak peak into my latest book:

Catching God Red-Handed: A Workbook Companion to Caught Red-Handed

Introduction

 When John first started writing Caught Red-Handed, we talked about it a lot.  I understood his purpose: He wanted to leave a series of vignettes that would be a legacy for his family, of the times God showed up in his life, sometimes in the most ordinary – other times in extraordinary – ways. He wanted to tell these stories in such a way that lay people would realize they, too, have seen this God – and He is good, all the time.

John’s message is simple: God is already here. We just must pay closer attention.  

As John went through the writing process, I was blessed to read many of his chapters in progress. But it did not strike me until the book was complete, what a great resource it would be for a Bible study class.  In each chapter, John describes “little moments when God showed up big;” but there were also habits and practices that positioned him beforehand to be able to experience God in these ways. What if I could teach a class that would enable and equip other people to position themselves in the same way?

If Jesus’s first miracle was at a wedding, why wouldn’t we invite Him into our relationships? If Moses encountered God in a burning bush, why shouldn’t we expect to see Him in a twig in a bike? If Jesus served Peter (who denied Him) and Judas (who betrayed Him) at the Last Supper, wouldn’t we be welcome at the table, too? Wouldn’t everyone? God spoke in dreams to many of the saints of old – is He still speaking in dreams today, to me?

My mom lamented to my dad once, “Remember how I used to sit right by you in the pick-up? You would put your arm around me, or your hand on my knee. We would sit so close and it was so sweet.”

To which my dad replied, “I never moved.”

What if it is not God who has moved, but us?  What if God still speaks and moves in much the same way, but we are too distracted, too cynical, too practical, too bored, too stubborn, too prideful, or just too busy to hear him?

I began to study – and to teach - the scriptures, the action steps of Biblical heroes, and especially the words and actions of Jesus, that are foundational for each chapter in Caught Red-Handed.  The goal was for everyone to understand the character and nature of God; desire to imitate the heart of Jesus; and recognize the leading of the Holy Spirit in their lives. Then we all could experience God on ordinary days, in deeper ways.

 The class grew, week after week. People want to know and experience God in their daily lives. It also became apparent our weekly lessons were turning into another book. John approached me with the idea to publish my notes so others outside our small group could have them; and Catching God Red-handed was born.

When you read a chapter of John’s book, you will be left thinking. It is my hope that when you read it in combination with the same chapter in this workbook, you will be left doing. You will learn how to live into the kind of “even if” faith, obedience, and grace that Jesus had; and then live that out with others. As Dallas Willard said, “Deciding to fill our minds with God is how we keep our hearts.”

I very much want this workbook to be a blessing to all who read it. But I am certain that I have received the greater blessing from my faithful friends, my brothers and sisters in Christ, the 1:30 Bible study class at Grace Presbyterian Church in Corpus Christi, Texas. This workbook is dedicated to you. Thank you for loving me and supporting me just the way I am; and for making me want to be better.

Thank you to my pastor and friend, John Roberts, for writing Caught Red-Handed and giving me the opportunity to contribute to its ministry in some small way. You are a gift, my brother. You have challenged me to consider things differently. Your congregation laughs at your lengthy sermons. But we are laughing with you. Preach on. It matters.  I am so happy our paths crossed. The day God led me to Grace, He showed up big.

The words of Paul in Ephesians 3 are a perfect summation of why I wanted to write this book; how I have grown during the process; and my prayer and hope for you, dear readers. Whatever has been holding you back, give it up. And get ready. God is already here.                                                                                                                   

“14... for this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15  from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. 16 I ask that out of the riches of His glory He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. Then you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 will have power, together with all the saints, to comprehend the length and width and height and depth 19 of the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

20Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, 21to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.”