What was I supposed to remember again?

 “I've a grand memory for forgetting.”

-- Robert Louis Stevenson

For those of you avid followers of this blog, you may have noticed that a blog was not posted last week. Yes. It was my turn to write the blog and I totally forgot. While this wasn’t intentional and could probably be chalked up to “pregnancy brain”, it led me to the topic of today’s blog on FORGETFULNESS! Please tell me that I am not the only one to deal with this. Luckily I can say for certain that I am not. 

Just yesterday, I asked my husband to run to the store to grab 2 things. Just 2. By no means a lengthy list. And yet, when he returned home with several bags of groceries, I was met with the realization that he had only gotten 1 of the 2 things. I’m sure we could fill this comment board with similar situations. 

You must be able to relate. How many times have you gone into a room and totally forgotten why you went in there? Some of us even try to help ourselves out by making a list, but by the time we pick up the pen to write it down, the thought has completely escaped us. Or what’s worse, we actually write the note down on the paper and then can’t remember what our cryptic message even meant! People try to put strings around their fingers but forget what the strings are for.  They create pneumonic devices to help them remember lists. They write songs to help them memorize Scripture or other short passages. They play popular “memory-strengthening” games. And yet, we find ourselves remembering things from 20 years ago in specific detail, yet cannot find the keys that we just put down 5 minutes ago. How is this possible?!

According to Paul Reber, professor of psychology at Northwestern University, “The human brain consists of about one billion neurons. Each neuron forms about 1,000 connections to other neurons, amounting to more than a trillion connections. In comparison, if your brain worked like a digital video recorder in a television, 2.5 petabytes would be enough to hold three million hours of TV shows. You would have to leave the TV running continuously for more than 300 years to use up all that storage.”

Maybe it makes me feel a little better knowing that there is sometimes a lot of “footage” I have to sift through to find what I am looking for in my brain. Nonetheless, we know that forgetfulness is a part of life. Sometimes the consequences are minor, but sometimes you forget a deadline or a bill that was due, and the result sends some rather unpleasant shockwaves. Of even greater concern is when we get so involved in the hustle and bustle of life that we begin to forget that God is in control. What many forget most often is God’s presence and help in times of trouble or great need.

The Bible is full of stories that tell us how God remembers His people.  One such story that our school has connected with this year is the story of Samuel and the Israelites in 1 Samuel 7. After a miraculous victory in battle, “Samuel took a stone, placed it between Mizpah and Shen and named it Ebenezer. He said, "The LORD has helped us this far." I Samuel 7:12. When we start forgetting what the Lord has done for us, maybe an Ebenezer rock is more of what we need than a string around the finger.  

I can only imagine that my memory will get worse with age (or with the insanity that will surely come with having 4 children). But here is my ultimate comfort.  God always remembers the things that need to be remembered and always forgets the things that don’t!

Hebrews 8:12 gives us the following promise, “For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more." Praise the Lord! Knowing how prone we are to forget, God gave us His Word as a reminder of His great love and provision for us. Ultimately, His story of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross is the ultimate reminder of this.

I may forget deadlines and dates, but may my words reflect those found in Psalm 77:11, “I will remember the deeds of the LORD; yes, I will remember your wonders of old.” 

Remind someone today what a faithful God we serve!

Where is the Hope?

by Jennie Smith 
Secondary Assistant Principal

One of my favorite novels to read and to teach is Alexander Dumas' The Count of Monte Cristo.  At the end of this classic, the main character tells the reader "Live, then, and be happy, beloved children of my heart, and never forget that until the day when God will deign to reveal the future to man, all human wisdom is contained in these two words - wait and hope."

I've been thinking a lot about hope lately.  As is true for many Christians living out their lives in this world, I have recently faced a season of adversity which just last week included the death of my beloved Grammie.  Many times I would hear from those comforting me that I have hope to see her again or I don't grieve as one with no hope.

My Gram often proclaimed God's truth into my life.  One of her last with me was on the topic of hope.  I was asking her to pray about one of my trials and explained to her my disappointment saying, "I didn't just lose out on an opportunity - I lost hope in changing these circumstances."  We hung up the phone, and it wasn't long before she called me back.  She pointed out to me that, in this trial, I was putting my hope in the wrong location. Opportunities, circumstances, even people will disappoint me if I put my hope in them.  My hope can only reside in the One who never disappoints.

The Scriptures are full of encouragement to put our hope in the right place:

Psalm 31:24  "Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the Lord."

Psalm 33:20  "We wait in hope for the Lord; he is our help and shield."

Psalm 42:11  "Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God."

Isaiah 40:31  "...but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint."

Psalm 62:5 "Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from him."

Lamentations 3:25 "The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him..."

Micah 7:6 "But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me."

Look how much we gain from placing our hope in the Lord!  We can be strong, receive help and protection, have our strength renewed so that we can run this race without becoming weary.  We receive rest for our souls, He hears us and He is good.  What victorious promises those are!  In the trials you are facing today, where does your hope lie?  May you too be encouraged from the words of my Gram...Put your hope in the Lord alone.

Finishing Strong

by Dick Buckingham, Administrator

II Timothy 4:7 “I have fought the good fight.  I have finished the race.  I have kept the faith.”

The apostle Paul, in arguably his last letter to his protégé Timothy, makes this interesting and profound statement: I have finished the race.  Paul often uses the race analogy when referring to the lives we are living for Christ.  In I Corinthians 9:24 he says,

“Do you not know that in a race, all the runners run, but only one gets the prize?  Run in such a way as to get the prize.”

This verse has been the theme verse for our students this year and we have focused on running the race of

our lives with passion.  Passion is that element that often separates one racer from another, between getting or not getting the prize.  One of the things we love to see in an athletic contest is someone who gives it all in order to go a split second faster, or jump a fraction of an inch higher.  We seem to intuitively know that giving our all is the right and best way to live and we admire someone who does it, and does it well.  Many a race has been lost by pulling up too soon.  Every good coach knows to impress upon his athletes the importance of running hard through the tape before slowing down.  They push this just as hard in practice races as they do the actual race.

I often remind my students that we are given opportunities throughout life to practice finishing strong and we should use them to make it the pattern of our lives to give it our all, all the way to the end.  Such opportunities are things like school years which end each May.  Students can practice doing their work and being faithful to their studies at a time when they feel more like coasting and sitting by the pool.  Many a parent (and teacher) knows how difficult it is to motivate children with “Spring Fever.”  We may be able to look back and remember how difficult it was for us to focus and stay motivated and keep going strong to the end of a school year.  We may want to give our children a pass and feel like the school ought to take it easy on the students as the year winds down.

What I want to impress upon you as a parent is that there are some lifelong implications to how we finish things.  The way we practice the race is the way we will run the race.  If it is our habit and pattern to coast as we come to the end of the school year, we may likely do that in college.  When we could have received high grades, our grades are satisfactory or even mediocre.  We may tend to take it easy as we transition from one job to another or one position to another within our company.  Instead of giving our all for as long as we are employed, we may see our effort begin to wane as we approach retirement age.  We all know what a lame-duck politician is.  They are in their last term of office and the closer they get to the end, the less they accomplish. 

More importantly than all these, there are spiritual implications as well.  Instead of remaining steadfast all our lives and serving the Lord every day of our lives until he calls us home, we may begin to take it easy in our walk and not be so concerned about the Lord’s work as we once were.  Our place in heaven may be secure, but our reward will be affected.

The apostle Paul left nothing on the table.  He gave every effort up to the very end of his life to serve the Lord and others.  He was able to say without apology, “I have fought the good fight.  I have finished the race.  I have kept the faith.”

Once in a while, we see this kind of commitment in people we know.  My mom went to be with the Lord just about two weeks ago.  She was 81 and lived a life of service to the Lord.  Though weak and frail and prone to illness, she never ceased to pray for others, to encourage others in the faith, and to do whatever she could to serve others, up until just days before her Savior called her home.  She is one who can with Paul say, “I have fought the good fight.  I have finished the race.  I have kept the faith.”  As a result, she is now hearing the “Well done, good and faithful servant,” from her Lord.

What about you?  If your life on this earth came to an end today, would you be able to make that proclamation?  How are you finishing?  Are you finishing strong?  Are you encouraging finishing strong  from your children?  Are you leading them by your example?

Just Keep Digging

As someone who accepted Jesus Christ as a child, I could arguably claim that I have a firm grasp of Scripture. In my 34 church-going years, I have heard and rediscovered the stories contained in the pages of the Bible, studied the various themes throughout, and spent years listening to sermons, attending small groups, and working my way through all sorts of devotionals and Bible studies. Over the years, I have taught Bible lessons in various forums, memorized Scripture, participated in debates and discussions about Biblical topics, and read the Bible cover to cover.  And yet, the more I dig and study, the more I discover how much there is still left to learn about God’s holy and inspired Word. I still find myself saying, “I don’t remember that being in there” or “Have I read that before?”

There are very few books that I have ever read more than once in my life. Regardless of how much I love a certain book, I rarely return to it. For one, books are time-consuming. I would rather invest those hours of my life exploring a new world rather than return to one I already know. And yet, I always find the Bible is the greatest exception to this unspoken, self-imposed rule. No matter how many times I read a passage, God’s goodness and love and faithfulness and mercy and grace hold some greater measure of understanding and application than they did before.  That is what makes the Bible so unique and what allows God’s Word to be living and active in our lives. 

Just recently, a series called “The Bible” has been airing on the History Channel. This series has received world-wide acclaim. There are churches that are not only encouraging their congregations to watch it, but hosting “viewing parties” for their members. As one that can be a bit skeptical about Hollywood’s “take” on Biblical events, I was interested to watch and discern what aspects were true and which were fabricated for entertainment purposes. What a great challenge it has been to test what I really know and use my Bible as a tool to verify or dispute the movie’s portrayals. 

Some scholars have devoted their whole lives to reading and studying God’s Word. Let's face it. It is easy sometimes to get intimidated by others who know so much more than we do. We may be tempted to just leave the studying and the digging to them. Let us not be satisfied with just knowing the stories. Let us ask questions and dig deeper ourselves.  What an amazing journey we are missing out on if we do not make this effort, asking God to give us wisdom and understanding as we read.   

James 1:5 says, “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.”

I Corinthians 2:10, “These are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God.”

Whether you have been a Christian for many years or whether the Word of God is a new world you are just beginning to explore, I hope you are struck anew, as I am, at how much there is still left to learn.  May it be the desire of your heart, as it is mine, to jump in and dig deeper, and see what God will show you.

The Heart of Anger: A Book Review

by Jennie Smith
Assistant Secondary Principal

It's Spring Break...and that means spring cleaning in the Smith household.  I decided I would start with the most neglected room of the house - it's what we call the "den," but should really be referred to as "the dumping ground."  I started with the bookcase and thought I would dust and sort through the books.  Then, in true bookworm fashion, I found a dusty book off the shelf, was intrigued by it, and stopped cleaning in favor of reading.

The book was The Heart of Anger by Lou Priolo.  I had originally bought it as a summer reading assignment for the teachers of the school many years ago, probably before I even had children.  But with a pre-teen and a pre-teen wannabe in my household, I was caught by the title and then, as I read, I was convicted as a parent.

Lou Priolo begins his book by first dealing with the plank in the parents' eye before touching the speck of dust in the child's eye (Matthew 7:3). He, first, challenges parents to have a God-centered home, rather than a child-centered home.  Here is the comparison he makes:

Child-centered Home Children: interrupt adults when they are talking, use manipulation to get their way, are entertained out of a bad mood, demand excessive time and attention from parents to the detriment of the other biblical responsibilities of the parents, speak to parents as though they were peers (pg. 24).

God-centered Home Children are taught:  to joyfully serve others, to cheerfully obey parents the first time, to understand they will not always get their own way, to suffer the natural consequences of sinful behavior, to esteem others as more important than themselves (pg. 27).  These ideas are now prominently displayed on our refrigerator door - as a guide for the parents and the children that reside here.

Secondly, he thoroughly addresses this powerful verse of Scripture:  "Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger; but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord."  Ephesians 6:4 (ESV).  He mentions 25 ways that parents provoke their children to anger, and I was surprised by how many I allow to go on in my own heart and home. Some of these 25 things are easy to remedy;  for example, asking forgiveness from our children when we sin against them is an easy way to bring peace in our homes.  Some take more of a deliberate effort on our part, like being consistent in discipline and knowing how much freedom your child should be allowed.  But in this section, I appreciate how Mr. Priolo gives biblical support for each way we can avoid provoking or exasperating our children.    

The second half of the verse from Ephesians "...but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord..." is addressed in the latter half of the book.  One of my favorite chapters is "How to Conquer Disrespect and Manipulation."  In this chapter, Mr. Priolo challenges parents in to be biblical in their response to disrespect and manipulation.  He encourages parents to examine their motives, examine their lives, maintain a spirit of gentleness, and choose the right words - the words that point the child back to the Lord and what He has for them. 

The Heart of Anger is now off my bookshelf and has taken residence beside my bed.  I have found so many nuggets of wisdom that I plan to implement in my parenting and know that I will be re-reading this book multiple times.  Are there parenting books that you've found particularly helpful?  Share them in the comments below.  Now, I best get back to the cleaning of "the dumping ground."  I wonder what nuggets of treasure I can find today!

You are Mine

Have you ever been introduced to Punchinello? 

If you haven’t, it’s about time you meet a little wooden Wemmick who never seems to get it quite right. You are Special, You are Mine, and Best of All are three little children’s books written by Max Lucado that have a powerful message for all ages. I bring these books up today because they are wonderful reminders of our Creator’s love and plan for us. Each book has its own unique message to share, but You are Mine speaks specifically to the issue of contentment. 

In this story, the silly little people of Wemmicksville become totally consumed with collecting boxes and balls to show how “important” they are. Punchinello, wanting to fit in, sells everything he has to accumulate boxes and balls. Not only does he have to purchase boxes and balls to be a “good Wemmick”, the boxes and balls had to be just the right kind—the newest, biggest, and brightest. Just when Punchinello thought that he had everything he needed, the Wemmicks started competing to see who could make their toys the tallest. Eventually, they try to race up a mountain to reach the highest point in the city, but fall off the path because they can’t see past all of their toys. [Surely you must be seeing the connection by now to real life and the human race.]

Punchinello wanders off the path and ends up at the home of his maker, Eli, the wood-carver. Although the boxes and balls had cost Punchinello all he had, ultimately, they cost him much more. Punchinello realized that he was trusting in toys to make him happy and not his creator. However, Eli’s response to Punchinello was this, "You're special - not for what you have but for who you are. You are mine. I love you. Don't forget that.”

What a powerful and convicting message from this simple children’s book! How many of us find ourselves trying to find importance and value in the things that we have?  Even as I write this I see the Sprint commercial playing with the motto, “More is better.” We are surrounded by this idea that happiness is directly related to the amount of things we collect. Yet, God’s word tells us otherwise. 

Luke 12:15 ESV 

And he said to them, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”

Hebrews 13:5 ESV

Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” 

 

Are you spending your life trying to collect boxes and balls that in the end are robbing you of your happiness? What is the real cost of all of your efforts? The next time you find yourself stacking your toys so high you are wandering off the path, remember  "You're special - not for what you have but for who you are.” And hear your Creator say, “You are mine. I love you.”