Merry Christmas!

The Manger and The Cross

by Dick Buckingham
Administrator

If your home is anything like mine, you probably have a nativity set or two set up to celebrate and remember the birth of the Savior of the world.  In my home, we have three.  The first is just a large Mary, Joseph and Jesus made out of plaster.  These were decorated by our sons a number of years ago and given to us as a precious gift.  They still find their place underneath the Christmas tree.  

Another is a hand-painted ceramic set that my wife carefully crafted for our family many years ago.  It is fragile and shows the wear of many Christmases.  The donkey’s ear is broken off and one of the kings is missing his hand.  Yet it is a wonderful set that I greatly enjoy putting out each year as it is unique in that the camels are large and beautifully ornate.  It is given the honored place of the mantle of our entertainment center, easily viewed but not likely to be bumped.  

The final set we found a few years ago is made of plastic and is specifically for little hands to pick up and examine and enjoy.  If you press down on the angel atop the manger, the strains of “Away in a Manger” are played.  This one we display at a level where the grand kids can see and feel free to explore.  We have this one on the bottom shelf of a table we have in our living room that is in full view.  It is one of the first places our grand kids visit when they come to our home at Christmas time, because it is there for them. 

Each of these sets is special and precious to us.  The last two, in addition to the holy family, are complete with heavenly host, shepherds, sheep, a cow, a donkey, camels and three kings adorned and bearing gifts.  The one for the children even includes a border collie and a west highland terrier, the two most recent pets we have had in our home.

But there is one thing in our manger scenes that you don’t typically find in most manger scenes.  Each year, after I have arranged all the pieces just so, I add the final piece to our scene...a cross.  Yes, a cross.  Now I am fully aware that we most often think of the cross at a different time of celebration: at Easter time and specifically Good Friday.  So why put a cross in the manger scene?  The manger seems so lovely as we celebrate the Infant’s birth.  Why put a symbol of death, and a particularly cruel death at that, in such a wondrous scene of joy?

I think that Christmas is a very appropriate time to think of the cross.  After all, why else would the world celebrate this birthday?  The church has not set aside December 25^th to commemorate His birth just because he was born in a lowly manger.  Nor is it because a host of angels attended or that he was visited by humble shepherds and wise men from a distant land.  We do not sing carols of this event because He lived a sinless life, even though He did, or performed many miraculous signs and wonders.  It is not because of His incredible teaching that we recognize the One in the manger.  

There is one act and one act alone that is the reason we celebrate this birth.  The angel announced it to Joseph (Matt. 1:21) and the host proclaimed it to the shepherds (Luke 2:10-12).  This One’s birth was important for one and only one reason.  This Baby born to the virgin Mary would save His people.  Save His people.  And this He did on that cross.

And that is why you will find a cross in my nativity scene.

We at Faith Christian School would like to wish you the most blessed and wonderful season of celebration this Christmas.  May you come and adore our Savior, Christ the Lord!

Urgent!

by Meridith Borta
Elementary Principal

With Christmas sneaking up on us and the hustle and bustle of the season beginning to swirl out of control around us, you can literally feel the sense of urgency in the people around you. In the stores, shoppers are searching anxiously for the perfect gift for their loved ones while others scurry frantically about gathering food and other trimmings for their holiday parties. These observations got me thinking about how often we are led by that sense of urgency—by something that just has to be done right now.

(Now if you have been reading my past blogs, you know that I have written about STRESS, HURRYING and WORRYING, and TIME. You may be wondering if this blog entry is going to be much the same. While this holiday season definitely has a place in each of those blogs, don’t worry, this is something new.)

First, what should we really have a sense of urgency about? We rush and rush trying to find gifts that our loved ones may or may not even need, when as Christians we hold the key to life! We have the good news of a Savior that should create in us such a sense of urgency to tell others, that we can hardly contain our excitement (like the anticipation we feel when we know someone is going to just love the gift they are unwrapping.)

Why should we feel such a sense of urgency to share?

James 4:14 (ESV) states,  “yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.”

Psalm 39:5 "You have made my days a mere handbreadth; the span of my years is as nothing before you. Each man's life is but a breath."

Proverbs 27:1 "Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring forth."

Knowing that we are not guaranteed tomorrow, how important it is that we tell people the good news while we (and they) still have breath. What greater sense of urgency should there be than to tell people about our indescribable Jesus.  While we may not know how God will move in the lives of the people we share with, we DO know that we cannot stay quiet. We can tell dying people how to have life!  That is something that calls us to act.

If we truly lived like tomorrow was not guaranteed, we would surely live our lives proclaiming God’s love to the people around us. This holiday, as you feel yourself getting swept into the hustle and bustle of all of the urgent things you need to accomplish, remember the urgency of sharing the good news of Jesus Christ to those around you. After all, Jesus IS what Christmas is all about.  

The Meaning of Advent

One of my favorite things to teach in English class is etymology - it is the study of the parts of words.  If you know your etymology, you can define a lot of words without ever looking them up in the dictionary.  So, how would we define "advent" with etymology?  "Ad-" means "to or toward" and "vent" means "to come" - therefore, "advent" means "come towards."   Advent is a very special time as we "come towards" Christmas.

However, because our society can be so materialistic this time of year, it can be difficult to keep our children's eyes and hearts focused where they belong: on the celebration of the birth of our Savior.  Here are some ideas that will remind your children of the reason for the season throughout the month of December.

Many make a paper chain that kids tear off throughout the month.  Why not make a paper chain of Scriptures?  Read one each night.

Implement a family devotion every night you can (and don't ever feel guilty about the nights you can't).

• My family is doing Max Lucado's "Celebrating Christmas with Jesus" - a devotional I found on sale after Christmas last year.  They are very short and one of us reads it at dinner each night.  
• If your family likes music, a friend of mine recommends  the "Behold the Lamb of God" CD by Andrew Peterson. Her family has done their own advent with different songs each night and this year they have the new advent book that goes along with it. On Christmas Eve they usually watch the whole concert on DVD.
• If a devotional isn't handy, read one chapter of Luke each night.  It has 24 chapters - perfect for the advent season!

One year my grandma made a tree full of Jesus symbols.  If you have an extra small tree laying around, make it your "Jesus tree."  Have your children make ornaments that represent the names of Jesus or symbols that represent them.  Here is a link I found that shows you how to make easy names of Jesus ornaments: 
http://www.biblestoryprintables.com/BibleCraftsChristmasNamesJesus.html

I was researching what "Elf on a Shelf" was as many of my friends were talking about it.  As I did, I came across a Christian elf on a shelf tradition. Cyndi Spivey would hide Mary and Joseph somewhere in the house for her children to find - they are on their way to Bethlehem, but make various stops along the way.  Come Christmas morning, they should be found with Jesus.  Here's the website if you want to read more about it:  http://cyndispivey.com/2011/12/02/my-christian-version-of-the-elf-on-the-shelf/#comments

Another of my friends had a wonderful idea centered on the nativity set.  Don't set out the nativity all at once.  Wrap each piece and count down to Christmas by unwrapping one piece each night.  Attach a scripture about that piece to the outside and read it before unwrapping.  For example, attach to Mary a verse about her, such as Luke 1:30:  "Do not be afraid Mary, you have found favor with God.  You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus.  He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High."  Save Jesus for Christmas morning!

As Christmas cards come, open them over dinner and take turns reading them.  Then pray for each person or family.  We have just started this tradition with the first card that came last week.  It was a very sweet time praying for part of our family that we never get to see.

Does your family have a unique tradition that helps keep the focus of Christmas on "coming toward" Jesus rather than a bunch of presents?  Share them in the comments below!

The Stool of Education

by Dick Buckingham
Administrator

Educating a child is much like a three-legged stool, with each leg being critical to the success of the student.  The first leg is the child themselves.  The student must have a desire to learn and a willingness to put in adequate effort in study, memorization and practice to accomplish an adequate level of learning.  There is at least an equal amount of responsibility that the child bears for their success as a student.  The old adage, “you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink,” is certainly true in this matter. 

The second leg is that of the teacher.  It is important, almost essential, that there be someone to lead and direct an education.  Without it, the student would wander into whatever he or she felt important and would likely miss what truly is important.  Teachers are critically necessary to make sure the things that align with truth are studied and that a broad area of knowledge is pursued.  The concept of one who has the knowledge gained by years of preparation, study and experience overseeing the education of a youngster is very ancient and across all cultures.  It is the natural tendency of every parent to try to impart a measure of knowledge about life in general to their child.  We all prefer to learn something we don’t know from someone who does.  If someone has more experience than we in a certain area, we look to them as somewhat of a teacher to assist us in our growth. 

The often overlooked leg of the stool is the parent of the child.  This person is critical to the child’s education as one who helps the student understand their responsibility and assists the teacher in making the applications of knowledge that was learned.   Parents aren’t expected to teach the details, but to be able to support what the teacher has given and encourage the responsible response of the student.

These three legs are necessarily tied together and the “stool” of the child’s education will topple if they are not.  Sometimes, we see an adversarial relationship develop between the child’s teacher and parent.  This only has dire consequences for the student and their progress.  Invariably, this child is struggling, perhaps even failing, mostly because the bond between the teacher and the parent is broken.  Often, the child is not held responsible for their part in the education and all three legs fail at once.

So how do we keep these legs tied together to work for the success of the child?  What can a parent do to support the teacher and school in its effort to educate their child?  Below I have compiled a list of things that I have seen over the years that great parents have done to support the school.  The result has been successful students.  This list is not meant to be exhaustive or complete.  There may be many other things good parents do.  Please feel free to respond to this blog with other ideas or success stories.

1.    Remember teachers are adult professional educators who have worked hard to be prepared to effectively teach students.  They have the same goal and desire that you do with your child: success.

2.     Show respect.  While we may not always agree about everything there is no reason to show disrespect toward an individual that is laboring to help your child.  There is too much of a mentality in our society that it is right and appropriate for a parent to defend his or her child against any one no matter if the child is right or wrong.  We need to remember we are on the same side and working toward the same goal.

3. Don’t assume you have the whole or correct story from your child.  As with all fallen humans, we tend to “modify” the truth that we might look more favorable in its light.  This seems to be certainly true in the case of students.  Particularly when a negative report is given by our student about their teacher, we must avoid the temptation to assume it is fully and completely true.  Wait until you hear the other side of the story before you make conclusions and respond.

4.     Realize that teachers are a wealth of information about parenting.  Not only have many of them experienced parenting first hand, but they have also had close contact with a number of other parents through the school and can share good ideas, and warn of bad ones.  I have had many parents seek me out for advice about things other than academics.

5.     Remember teachers are imperfect and do make mistakes.  Even with the best intentions, teachers will err like the rest of us.  Just as we desire grace in matters such as these, so does your child’s teacher.  Offer grace generously as did our Lord to all of us who are saved.

6.      Life has become very hectic for parents.  Please consider putting down the remote, leaving the clubs in the garage on a Saturday morning and getting rid of other distractions in your life so that you can parent your child.  The one thing they need from you most is your time.  As the father of three grown men, I can attest to how quickly these years pass by when they are young and most in need of my attention.  There will be time later for those other things if they really are important.

7.      Life has also become hectic for students.  They want to be involved in many activities outside of their academics and often they get overwhelmed.  While there are many wonderful things students can participate in, they need help in prioritizing what is truly important and what they need to spend their time doing.  For some students, school may be all they are able to handle.  A parent should not feel like they are withholding some important experience from their child if they are unable to handle karate, soccer, and basketball, piano and dance lessons on top of school work.  Put the extra stuff in its proper place.

8.      Simplify your child’s life.  Many times our students are running constantly from one thing to another.  Or they feel it is necessary to give large portions of time to socializing on their phones or computers.  Look for ways to make life simpler for you and your child.

9.     Don’t stress over grades.  I am fully aware of how our society likes to measure everything on a 100 point scale.  But grades are at best a snapshot of how a child is doing on a few things and doesn’t really reflect how a child is doing over all.  For an in-depth evaluation, talk to your child’s teacher.  They can give you a clearer idea if your child is working hard, showing respect, paying attention, and doing everything they can do to succeed.  Sometimes this will also be reflected in their grades, but not always
.

Make that stool as strong as it can be for the educational success of your children!

Time

by Meridith Borta
Elementary Principal

Isn't time a funny thing?

There are always 60 seconds in a minute, 60 minutes in an hour, and 24 hours in a day. It doesn't matter what you do, that will always be the case. And yet, have you ever looked at the clock and been amazed at how quickly time has flown by? Is it just me or does it always seem to fly fastest when you just need a little more of it?

And then at other times, you look at the clock and it seems like time is literally crawling along. Is it coincidence that this happens when you cannot wait to get out of something or are excited to go somewhere?

In the hustle and bustle of life, it seems like time is something always just out of our grasp. Especially with the holidays approaching at an alarming rate, we begin to realize that no matter how fast we go or how much we try to hurry to cram everything in, we can always use more.

We all know this feeling, right? And we are all familiar with little quips like “If you’re not 5 minutes early, you’re late” and “Time waits for no man”. As I was writing this entry, I thought I’d research some quotes about time. I can’t say I was surprised that my simple search turned up 1164 quotes. Below were some of my favorites:

 “How did it get so late so soon?”
― Dr. Seuss

 “Time is what we want most, but what we use worst.”
― William Penn

“You will never find time for anything. If you want time, you must make it.”
― Charles Buxton

“Time is an equal opportunity employer. Each human being has exactly the same number of hours and minutes every day. Rich people can't buy more hours. Scientists can't invent new minutes. And you can't save time to spend it on another day. Even so, time is amazingly fair and forgiving. No matter how much time you've wasted in the past, you still have an entire tomorrow.”
― Denis Waitley

As I read those quotes, I was struck by two things in my life regarding time.

1) How often I tell my children, “Hurry up! We’re late!” I've even begun to realize that I say it sometimes when we aren't even running late. There is always a sense of go, go, go! Is it okay to just slow down a little bit? It is possible to leave the house calmly without forcing the last person to leap into the moving vehicle as it screeches out of the driveway? I say YES!

2) How often we say, “I didn't have time.” Of course, as a teacher I have heard this excuse many times (usually pertaining to homework, studying, or some project that was assigned 6 weeks prior to the due date), but I know I am guilty of claiming the same when a deadline has come and gone. Chances are there really WAS time, but we simply didn't chose to MAKE the time necessary to do that certain something. We are faced with numerous opportunities each day to choose how to use our time. Do we always make the best choices?  

Psalm 39:4-5 tells us, "Show me, O LORD, my life's end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting is my life. You have made my days a mere handbreadth; the span of my years is as nothing before you. Each man's life is but a breath".

My point is this. Denis Waitley may have stated in his quote above that each of us still has an entire tomorrow, but how important it is to remember that tomorrow is not guaranteed. We all know that time is precious and that we will never get it back, but do we really treat the time that God has given us like we believe this? As we head into this busy holiday season, let’s value the time that we have and use our time in a way that will glorify the Lord.

Ephesians 5:15-16a, “Be very careful, then, how you live-not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity.”

Trusting God

by Jennie Smith
Assistant Secondary Principal

It exploded!  At 10:00 pm, last Tuesday, my Facebook news feed exploded!  I have never seen anything like it!  It was rapid fire.  I watched as second by second a new post popped up.  My friends were reacting to the results of the election.  Some were rejoicing.  Some were angry.  Some were peaceful.  But my favorite post was this Scripture from Isaiah 14:24-27:

 "The Lord Almighty has sworn 'Surely as I have planned, so it will be, and as I have purposed, so it will stand...'  This is the plan determined for the whole world; this is the hand stretched out over all nations.  For the Lord Almighty has purposed, and who can thwart him?  His hand is stretched out, and who can turn it back?"

It reminded me that in any uncertain time - financial challenges, family hardships, illnesses, marriage unrest, hurricanes, political strife - God is still on the throne.  He is sovereign.  He is aware.  He is the author, creator, and He is at work.

While I was in college, my grandma and I together studied the book Trusting God: Even When Life Hurts by Jerry Bridges.  It has long impacted my life and my walk with God.  It helped me to see the real character of God, taught me why He is worthy of my trust, and encouraged me to live a life fully confident in the Sovereign God.  Let me share my three favorite ideas from the book with you...

First, trusting God becomes easy when you know how much He loves you.  "Psalm 145 speaks of His 'abundant goodness,' of His being 'rich in love' and 'good to all,' of having 'compassion on all he has made,' and of being 'loving toward all he has made' (verses 7-9, 17)" (Bridges, 136).  When you know that someone loves you and has nothing but the best in mind for you, it is easy to trust them.

My grandma's favorite visual image of Isaiah 40

My grandma 's favorite image of God's love for us comes from Isaiah 40:10-11.  "See the Sovereign Lord comes with power, and his arm rules for him...He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young."  What a tender image of how much the Lord truly loves us!

Secondly, I will never forget that both the good and the difficult circumstances in my life occur for two reasons:  for my good and His glory.  Jerry Bridges writes "These two objectives are never antithetical; they are always in harmony with each other.  God never pursues His glory at the expense of the good of His people, nor does He ever seek our good at the expense of His glory" (p. 25-26).  What confidence I can have!  No matter the situation "we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose"  (Romans 8:28).

The third idea that has stuck with me for years is that worship is the most appropriate response to both joyful occasions and adversity.  Bridges points out that as soon as Job received the news of his tremendous losses "He fell to the ground in worship..." (Job 1:20).   This act of worship and thankfulness is an outward demonstration of our inward trust in God.  Later, the song "I Will Praise You in the Storm" by Casting Crowns dramatically emphasized this idea in my heart.  "I will lift my hands/for you are who you are/no matter where I am."

This book is not only an excellent read, it makes a wonderful study book.  There is also a discussion guide that can be purchased that encourages a group or an individual to wrestle with the Scriptures in the book, and also asks the hard questions and challenges one to really lean on the Author and Perfecter of our faith.(As a P.S., there is a fantastic chapter that is titled "God's Rule Over the Nations."  A great encouragement if there is uncertainty about our great nation).

We can have complete, total dependence and trust in the One who loves us unconditionally, knows what is best for us, and in his sovereignty has the power to bring it about  (Bridges, p. 18 ).  Let's explode the news feed on Facebook with that joyous confidence!

Bridges, Jerry.  Trusting God: Even When Life Hurts.  Colorado Spring, Colorado:  Navpress, 1988.

A Judgment Call

by Dick Buckingham

Administrator

In our society, we are called upon to make value judgments all the time.  Which laundry soap produces the best smelling clothes, which  fast food restaurant has the best fries, which auto insurance is the best and most reliable, and on and on.  It is a part of life and we all do it based upon a broad variety of factors, some of them having to do with personal tastes and opinions.  Many times, we do it simply because we have accepted the hype provided in the commercial or advertisement.  Most of these kinds of judgments come with little consequence other than we have to live with our decision and may actually miss out on the best item because we never tried it.  No biggie.

However, there are judgments that we make at times, quickly, without any real fact checking or understanding of circumstances that have grave consequences.  These judgments involve other people.  We have been reading through Job in our faculty devotions and I am reminded once again of the judgment passed on Job by his friends Eliphaz, Bildad, Zophar and Elihu.  Each in their turn attempts to convince Job of the serious sin that must have been committed to result in his incredible measure of suffering and loss.  Much of what these four expound on is good Biblical truth about the calamity that is in store for the wicked.  The problem was, they made the assumption that because Job had experienced calamity, it was certainly the result of his wicked behavior, in spite of there being no evidence.  In other words, they were quick to pass judgment on another using scripture and truth without fully investigating the circumstances surrounding Job’s situation.

How quick we are to pass judgment on others.  I find myself squirming as I even say that because I know this is one of my own besetting sins.  But I know I am not alone in this practice.  It is easy to pass judgment on those outside of Christ.  We know that there is no good in them without the redemption and sanctification that can only come from Christ.  Yet we use the same casual approach upon those in the family of God to criticize and critique anything and everything they do.  Some of you are probably saying right now, “Yeah, I have been treated like that by others in the church!  Finally someone sees it as I see it!”  We probably have all been victims of this kind of judgment at one time or another or on many occasions.  But I also feel that we need to acknowledge that we are the perpetrators of this spiritual crime.

Job’s friends were not commended by God for their judgment of him.  Though the words they spoke were in general true words, God was not pleased with how they had applied them in judgment of another.  Job 42:7-9

Can you think of someone right now that you are judging in this fashion?  Have you really taken the time to examine all of their circumstances?  Do you fully know their heart and their motive?  Are you rushing to judgment because it is easier to do and makes you feel somewhat justified because you see what you perceive to be the error of another?

Remember what Jesus said,

“Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?  How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your won eye?  You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.”  Matthew 7:3-5

We all need (especially me) to be clothed with humility toward one another.  “All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another…”  I Peter 5:5

Am I a Watch?

by Meridith Borta
Elementary Principal

Our elementary students took a field trip to a farm a few weeks ago and had a great time! They got to learn about life on a dairy farm, see a newborn calf, hold a chicken, feed the farm animals, take a hayride, pick their own flavor of milk, and various other activities that made the trip a wonderful learning experience for all. However, as the farmer was giving his presentation about the cows and how they are fed, cared for, etc., he stated on several occasions that the “humans are animals just like the cows”. I was immediately disturbed, but thought at first that he was trying to be funny and help the kids connect with how cows have to be cared for too. But he made the same point several times. “Did you know that you are an animal? You have 2 eyes just like the cow.”

Really? If that is logical thinking, then am I a watch because I have two hands?
This got me thinking about the distortion of God’s truth that we frequently see and hear about in today’s society. We live in a day and age where the distinction between humans and animals is many times minimized, and the roles that they play in our world, are being blurred.

Celebrities carry their pets around in designer bags that cost thousands of dollars. There are full aisles in the grocery stores devoted to stocking every kind of gourmet pet food imaginable. (They eat better than WE do at times). And what about those sappy commercials that show the cutest and most pathetic abandoned animals you’ve ever seen. You know the ones. The sad song playing in the background. Those sad eyes and depressing little whimpers that pull on every heart string we have to donate money to the rescue foundations. Don’t get me wrong. I love animals! I have 2 cats who act like royalty and a dog that does little to pull his weight (okay, overweight) around our home. I have also been known on occasion to get a little teary-eyed at those commercials with those sad eyes begging for my financial help.  Let’s set aside the fact that many hearts soften more at times toward the plights of our 4-legged friends than to the plight of human beings, and focus on the fact that God’s Word makes a clear distinction about humans and animals.

Genesis 1:26-28 (ESV) states,     
Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and ever every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”

So God created man in his own image,

in the image of God he created him;

male and female he created them.
And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”

Wow! Human beings are SPECIAL!
Biblical support can be found for a lengthy list of differences between animals and man.  Here are just a few of the differences:

• God communicates to human beings through the Bible because He has given us the intelligence to understand and learn from it. Animals have no ability to do this.  

2 Tim. 3:16,17, “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”

• God’s Word calls mankind to study His Word and holds them responsible to study and obey it. Animals are not held responsible for this.  

Ecclesiastes 12:13-14, “The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil.”      

•  Jesus died to save mankind—not animals! Isn’t this the most important distinction of all?!

 Titus 2:11,12-For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age.

Is the following letter long overdue?

Dear Fluffy and Fido, 

It’s time we got a few things straight. Thanks for the companionship, loyalty, and devotion you have shown me over the years. I love you dearly (and God cares for you too). However, I know that He made me special. I’m sorry to break it to you, but we are not equals. Some things may be changing around here . . . .
              Sincerely,
                God’s prized creation

Cause God Said So

by Jennie Smith, Secondary Assistant Principal

One of the more common questions I'm asked as a teacher is: (can I get  a drum roll please?)
Why do I have to learn this?

This question can take many forms.
     When will I ever use this in my real life?
     What is the point of learning this?
     Why, Mrs. Smith, why, why, why?! 

Have you ever been faced with that question from your kids?  In the midst of a challenging project or homework assignment, you may find that your children wonder what the purpose is of learning and school.  I'll tell you the top two Biblical reasons I give to my students and children - feel free to use them as needed with your own kids.

The first reason comes from Genesis 1:28.  The New International Version reads like this:  "God blessed them and said to them, 'Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.' ”

God commands Adam and Eve, among other things, to subdue the earth.  The King James Version uses the word "dominion" - Adam and Eve are to have dominion over the earth.  The idea of dominion is to have control or rule.  My question to my students is: how can you have dominion over something you know nothing about?  Imagine someone becoming a CEO of a company, but he has no knowledge of what the company does or how to run a business.  How successful  can that boss be?  God has called us to subdue the earth and the first step of doing so is learning about it. 

So, reason #1 to the question "Why do I need to learn this?" is "God says so."
Reason #2 to the question is "Jesus did so."

We don't know too much about the childhood of Jesus.  But from the small portions we do know, we see that Jesus had a desire to learn.  When his parents couldn't locate him when he was 12 years old, they found him in the temple learning from the rabbis.  Luke 2:46 says "After three days they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions" (NIV). It follows to say that Jesus "grew in wisdom and stature." (Luke 2:52, NIV).  So, if Jesus grew in wisdom, and sat and learned and asked questions from the teachers of his day, so should the rest of us.


God said so and Jesus did so -  two good reasons to do just about anything, including learning the tough stuff. 

You Can't Take It With You

That is what they say.  And I, for one, am glad for it.  After spending the last couple of weeks moving to a different home, I find myself overwhelmed by the sheer amount of “stuff” we accumulate.  My wife and I would not by any stretch be considered hoarders, but we are frugal people who have known times when we had little and had to scratch hard for everything we did have.  Saving that screw or bolt or plastic fork meant we didn’t have to go buy one the next time we needed one.  This little piece of scrap 2 x 4 may come in handy in my next project.  And on and on it goes until there is a house full of leftover, nearly useless items that require a great deal of effort to remove.

So I am thankful today that there will come a day when we can’t take it all with us.  Jesus said, “In my Father’s house are many rooms.  If it were not so, I would have told you.  I am going there to prepare a place for you.” (John 14:2)  Isn’t it a comfort to know these things?  First of all, there is a place for us.  In looking for a home, my wife and I spent the best part of a couple of weeks searching Craigslist and any site we could find for available properties.  Our criteria included location, size, pet-friendly, how big is the pantry, how close is it to the nearest Fry’s Food store, Walgreens and Dairy Queen.  Then we tried to arrange meetings to look at a few possibilities every evening.  We saw from “not likely” to “great!”  Some we liked were not available when we needed.  Others found us in competition to multiple suitors who liked it as much as we.  It was a challenge and exhausting.  When I think about my eternal home, the one I shall never have to move from again, how thankful I am that my Father already has a place readied for me.

Secondly, we are told that Jesus has gone before us to prepare that place.  Because we don’t like the thought of wallowing around in other people’s dirt, we decided to clean our new home from top to bottom while it was still empty.  It seemed to me the best way to do that was to hire a company to come in and do a deep cleaning.  So, once again I scoured the pages of Craigslist, searching for just the right company to entrust with this important task.  Finally found one with all the “right” credentials and arranged for them to send out their best team.  On the appointed day, my wife meets the expected cleaning crew at the new house and texts me, “it’s a he.”  Just one.  And it’s a “he.”  Now, please understand, I am a man, and I know that some men are exceptional cleaners.  But many are not.  The one I hired wasn’t.  So afterwards, we spent the next couple of days doing what he should have done for the deep cleaning price we paid.  Jesus is preparing a place for us.   We won’t have to lift a finger to set up our eternal home.  Jesus has done it for us.

 

Then came the move day.  Or should I say days.  One load, two, four, seven, ten.  At writing we are still making daily trips between the two houses for one more load.  I am certain there is some sort of evil multiplying taking place over there in our absence.  Maybe our neighbors are secretly throwing their excess over the fence knowing we will have to cart it away.  Little by little we are getting it done.  What a merciful Father we have who says, “Leave it.  You don’t need any of that stuff here.  Come on, and enjoy what I have prepared for you.”  Oh how I long for that final move.  It is going to be the best ever!

In the meantime, if I hear one more time, “It’s in a box…..somewhere…..”

Is Jesus Really My BFF?

by Meridith Borta

Elementary Principal

My sisters and I grew up in the San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles, and as embarrassing as it may be to admit now, we were stereotypical “valley girls”. If you are not familiar with some of the basic valley girl characteristics, we’ll start first by mentioning that we said “like” every other word. We also went through a period of time where we called everyone “dude”.  (Dare I even mention that we were also all blonde cheerleaders?)

I can still remember the day that my sister Laurie answered my mom by saying, “Okay, Dude.” My Mom’s response is one that my sisters and I have recounted on many occasions as we’ve reminisced about our childhoods. My mom looked at my sister and said, “I am not Dude, I am your Mother!”

I mention this story because I fear we are living in a society that has forgotten that we serve the God of the universe and has started calling God “Dude” 

We see t-shirts that read “Jesus is my BFF”. Some have taken the idea so far as to write songs like, “Beer with Jesus” which paints Jesus as your best buddy—just a regular Joe who is “cool” enough to sit down and have a drink with you at the local bar. Another singer excuses the bad behavior in her song by saying that Jesus would understand and they’d get along just fine.

Yes, those are country songs, but even the church is not exempt from this attitude. I’m sure we’ve all sung the popular chorus “I am a Friend of God” on more than one occasion.

So, aside from the absurd “anything goes” mentality of the country songs I mentioned above, is there any truth to this idea that Jesus in our friend? The answer is YES! John 15-12-17 says:

“My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. ¹³ Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. ¹⁴ You are my friends if you do what I command. ¹⁵ I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. ¹⁶ You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you.”

How truly unbelievable it is that our heavenly Father calls us friends and wants to have a personal relationship with us! Perhaps it is knowledge of this amazing truth that sometimes results in a warped perspective of who God is. Are we calling our Savior “dude” or are we giving him the respect, admiration, and authority in our lives that he deserves?

Jesus calls us to recognize him as so much more than our BFF. The following is an excerpt from a famous sermon by Reverend SM Lockridge. I pray this helps you remember and stand in awe of the indescribable KING that we serve.

Video Link

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yzqTFNfeDnE

Link to the Sermon Text

http://thatsmyking.wordpress.com/words/

Studying for Spelling Tests

by Jennie Smith
Secondary Assistant Principal

The dreaded weekly spelling test - in my household studying for the spelling test can become a knock-down drag-out-free-for-all.  So when one of my sons began struggling with spelling in the first grade, this mama/teacher had to reach deep and get creative.  Our resource teacher was super helpful and gave me some great hints for creative studying practices and now I share her ideas and some of my own with you.

Play hangman - your child chooses a word from his or her spelling list and you try to guess before the man hangs.  This helps them to focus on letter placement and they are looking at the word every time you guess a letter.

White board - I don't know why, but my son loves to write his spelling words on the white board.  If you ask him to write it on a white paper, there is weeping and gnashing of teeth.  Change the paper to board and life is exquisite.

Alphabet blocks - Use the old fashioned alphabet blocks and have your child build the word.  This can also take the form with the magnetic letters you put on the fridge.  Don't have either of those?  Make your own letters with scrap-booking stickers or markers.

Storytelling - Have your child write a story, but they have to include 10 of their spelling words.

Puzzles - write the words on index cards and cut them into puzzle pieces.  Have your child put their spelling word puzzles together for extra practice.

Paint - My son loves using the computer.  So I open up the "Paint" program and he creates the words with special colors.  Print them out and hang the masterpieces around the house - every time he looks at them, he's studying.


Love Notes - One week, try sending a new note in the lunchbox.  Try to use as many spelling words as possible.  Or leave a message in the bathroom for her to find.  Some students who are very visual will benefit from seeing the word over and over.

The Test - Have your child test YOU.  They are hearing and seeing the word at the same time. Be sure to make some intentional errors  to make sure they are paying attention. 

Do you have any ideas for creative studying?  Leave them in the comments below.  I always need new ones!