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!

Secular or Sacred?

by Dick Buckingham, Administrator

For some time now, our culture has tried to insist that there is and ought to be a definite line between what we refer to as sacred, having to do with God, and the secular, just about everything else.   We like to feel that we are in control of our lives and our destinies, and we want to be able to choose God when and if we desire.  Of course, many choose to leave God out of their lives entirely, which is believed to be our free choice.  This issue is more than just whether we choose to attend a church service.  Whether we realize it or not, there is not a decision made or thought we have that does not present itself at the juncture of sacred and secular.  In reality, the only distinction that exists between the two is an artificial division we choose to impose on our lives.

Since the fall of Man in the garden, our sinful human nature has tried to find any way possible to put God in a place where we can bring Him out when it is convenient for us.  We want to make sure that we maintain our independence from Him even though such a concept is foolishness.  In Paul’s speech before the Athenian Areopagus, he makes it clear that our dependence upon God is certain and significant.

The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands.  And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else.  Acts 17:24, 25

Though man may declare independence from God, it does not change the very real fact that we are utterly and completely dependent upon Him for everything, including our next heartbeat and breath.

Nowhere is this understanding more important than in the area of our thinking and knowledge.  From our perspective, it seems we can think freely and can choose to include God’s ideas or not choose them.   Yet, in reality, every thought is either in agreement with God’s or it is not.  Our government schools have tried to make it nearly criminal to bring thoughts of the sacred in the discussions of information and knowledge gleaned from any source.  Like it or not, the young minds in such institutions are being trained to think that there is a lot of our lives, if not all, that can be independent of God and even the very thoughts of Him.  Not only is such an approach untrue, it is eternally dangerous to every soul that would follow it.   When we try to divorce God from our thoughts and our practice, we automatically choose that which is contrary to His divine direction for living.

One of the most important arguments in favor of Christian schools is that we are endeavoring to erase the notion of a line between the secular and the sacred.  God is everything and in everything, including and especially our thoughts and understanding of the world He created.   By training students to consider all knowledge in light of what God has revealed to be true, we are helping them to “take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ,” (II Corinthians 10:5).

This should be the desire of every Christian parent who is seeking to bring their child up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.  I am fully aware of the sacrifice it takes to enroll a child in a Christian school.  There is a sacrifice of time and money and more.   However, I urge you to consider the sacrifice you are making by placing the children God has given you to steward in a government school.  Is the sacrifice of the soul greater than the sacrifice to put your child at a Christian school?

Joy!

by Meridith Borta, Elementary Principal

“I’ve got the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart. Where? Down in my heart. Where? Down in my heart. I’ve got the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart. Where? Down in my heart to stay. And I’m so happy, so very happy. I’ve got the love of Jesus in my heaaaart….“

Well, you get the idea.

This was one of my favorite songs as a child. As an adult, though it is sometimes difficult, it is one of my greatest desires to be able to wholeheartedly sing this song with the same passion and truth as I did back then. As a believer in Jesus, I have every reason to be joyful--my God has overcome the world!

The Bible tells us time and time again to rejoice. Psalms 96:11-13 says, “Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice; let the sea roar, and all that fills it; let the field exult, and everything in it! Then shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy before the LORD, for he comes, for he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples in his faithfulness.”

Psalms 47:1 says, “Clap your hands, all peoples! Shout to God with loud songs of joy!”

Do you have this joy? Or have you allowed your circumstances to fill you with anxiety, despair, sorrow, or a downright bad attitude.  

One of my favorite quotes on this topic comes from Charles Swindoll. He writes,

“The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, the education, the money, than circumstances, than failure, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company... a church... a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice everyday regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past... we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude. I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% of how I react to it. And so it is with you... we are in charge of our Attitudes.”

It seems a little easier said than done at times. Face it. Life is hard. How can we turn our bad attitudes to joy? How can we keep the circumstances from robbing us of our joy?

First, we must answer the question, “Are we really called to rejoice during those hard times when nothing seems to be going right?”

Well, Philippians 4:4 tells us, “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!”

Notice that the Bible does not tell us to rejoice only when things are going our way. It says ALWAYS! And then it says it again. . . Rejoice! It must be important. 

James 1:2-4 says, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”

Regardless of what is going on around us, we can rejoice in our circumstances. We are reminded again in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 to “Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.”

Is it time you got the Joy, Joy, Joy, Joy BACK down in your heart?