Battle Lines!

Well, I've completed a three day week of school and it was great! I can't tell you how good it was to get back into the classroom. I love my classes and am looking forward to the rest of the year. I know it's early, but i got great feedback from my students. We spent most of the week building relationships and developing CLASS RULES. I do this WITH the students. One of their rules was to allow "Random dancing while in class" . So, I included that rule, with a minor exception. They can't do it when it interferes with instructional time. Not sure any other teachers have a rule allowing dancing in the classroom. In college teachers used to be taught not to smile until Thanksgiving or they would lose control of their classroom. Many teachers develop rules that are more like BATTLE LINES than rules. Don't do this, don't do that, or else!

Learning is a cooperative effort, not a battle. I'm sure I will have students who won't cooperate at some time this year. How a teacher deals with that is more important than any rule they can come up with. We need to choose our BATTLES. FIGHT THE RIGHT FIGHT! It's not us against them. Life is the same way. We need to choose our battles, love more than hate, share our joy! Concentrate on the positive !

Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else. (1 Thessalonians 5:15 NIV84)

Being Reasonable

Being reasonable seems to be a dying art. Our politicians don't know how to be reasonable. Being reasonable goes along with common sense and logic. It might have something to do with my mathematical background, but I think you can REASON through anything. Science and Math are built on this idea. Yet, many scientists and mathematicians aren't followers of Christ. That just doesn't make sense to me. As a mathematician the idea of probability alone should lead you to the fact their is a God. What are the chances that I could be created by random chance. Lee Strobel wrote a book I holy recommend, "THE CASE FOR CHRIST". What a great book for the skeptic.  I am confident you can reason and even prove the existence of God, but I also know how he has worked in my life. The things that have happened in my life can not be by chance. They aren't luck and they certainly aren't because of who I am. The blessings and answers to my prayers have come from a God with power and grace.

I don't think you should test God. But, I have a challenge for you. Tonight when you're by yourself, ask God to reveal himself to you. He will. Don't tell anyone. Just privately ask him. You will be amazed at his presence in your life. The only thing you have to do is look for it. God is always there. He is just waiting on the invitation. Be reasonable, HE IS WITH YOU!

Prayer for GKB

Today notes the official start of the school year for the faculty and staff at GKB. The next two days will be spent finalizing the preparation for students on Wednesday. I have been praying for this staff and want to share that prayer today.

"Dear Lord you have graciously blessed our school and community. We are blessed with great school facilities including a great new high school. We thank you, deeply, for those blessings. We have also been blessed with great leadership through our school board, superintendent, and principals. The staff at GKB including teachers, office staff, and support staff were selected by you. We thank you for bringing such a great group of people together to teach the young people of our community. Bless the teachers with your grace and patience. Give them the rest they need and give them time to enjoy each other.  Please guide the decisions of our superintendent as he leads our district. Give him a special wisdom for the difficult decisions he must make. Be with our Principals as they work with the teachers and staff to do what's best for our students. Help us all to enjoy the time we have together.

We ask your blessings on the students and staff during the upcoming school year. Help us to overcome obstacles together and to model positive attitudes and actions even through adversity. Please guide the teachers as they prepare lessons and build relationships with the students. Protect us with your mighty hand and guide us with your love.

We love you Lord and thank you for the blessings. I personally thank you for allowing me to be a part of this great community and school. May we all grow closer to you this school year. Amen!"

My Team!

I am pretty passionate about the New York Yankees, Miami Dolphins, IU, and the Garrett Railroaders! This past Friday night I was cheering for my Grandson playing for his high school team. This is the second year for cheering for his team. It's different when you are cheering for an individual that you know and love. It's way beyond cheering for some professional or college team. I want my grand kids to have great experiences. I know they won't win every game or race. I know they're going to have bad days and experience heartfelt losses. I want to be there for them and congratulate them when they are up and support them when they're down.

What kind of life would this be if we treated our friends and coworkers like they were on our favorite sports team? What if we just wanted to share their successes and losses as a HUGE  supporter? As a Christian we need to be the best FAN of our coworkers, friends, and families. We don't have to coach them, we don't have to give grand advice, or judge them. We just need to be there and cheer for them. We need to be there and available for them whenever they need us. We need to love them regardless what comes!

God does that. He is there cheering for us and he IS our biggest fan.


What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? (Romans 8:31 NIV84)

Priorities!

Mom's across America "Ready or not, here it comes!" Friday night football games started last night. Volleyball, soccer, cross country are all well under way. School begins this wednesday for GKB and Mom's taxi service will run a frantic schedule. For the lives of Americas families, fall is the beginning of the crazy season. That season runs non stop throughout the school year with just a few smll rest stops.

Our schedules are so busy. We train our kids to be busy and it starts with the crazy, nonstop schedules during the school year. Our kids have full time jobs at school, prat time jobs with extracurricular activities, another part time job with homework, and then we add church activities. Kids have very little down time. When do they have time to pray, study the bible, or even think about God. When kids grow up, they keep the same schedules.

It all comes down to priorities. What are yours? DO you REALLY take the time you need for yourself? How much quiet time do you take? Where does God fit in? We make room for things that are important? What's important to you?



Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. (Joshua 1:8 NIV84)