Most of us have a story about shortcuts that didn’t work so well. Not only did they not save the time hoped for, but they sometimes end up causing other serious problems to the vehicles used or we run into unexpected obstacles. One time when I was in high school in the frozen country of […]
How are you with New Year’s Resolutions? Some of us are keen, thoughtful resolution makers. Others of us rush in putting together a list out of the obligation of the season. Some of us guiltily make a list due to memories of repeated failures year after year. And a few have just given up the […]
Last week we looked at the mystery of the Incarnation — Immanuel — “God with us.” We discussed how the reality of the incarnation, God the Son becoming a human being, becoming near to each of us, was a powerful comfort and encouragement to us. We also discussed how our intentional choosing to be near […]
Every year when we return to the celebration of history’s greatest event, the Incarnation of Jesus Christ amazes, stuns, thrills, challenges and encourages me! The idea of God Himself becoming a human being and the expanding implications of it was a topic I could speak to year after year in my Advent sermons. This past […]
God Esteem vs Self Esteem — debunking a cultural icon. I am old enough to remember that we suddenly shifted education and parenting over from loving and teaching kids well to affirming and building up a child’s self esteem. The idea was that children did not succeed because they had low self esteem. If they […]
If my G&C 700 class is any measure for the rest of the students in the school, then our students are excited for Thanksgiving Break. First on the list — no homework! Next is family. Food is not too far down the list. May I recommend that we cultivate another highlight for the week? Since […]
Last week we looked at our call to raise our children unto the Lord and for HIS purposes. We questioned whether we should have a Protection-First mentality or an Empowerment-Focused approach. We saw that the Protection-First mentality was not true to God’s call on our children’s life. (or ours for that matter) However, I did […]
To Protect or to Empower? Have you ever stopped to ask, “Why did God entrust me with my child(ren)?” We know in our heads that we are just stewards of our kids, we only get to train them for a short time, etc., etc. But what is the point of our stewardship? For some of […]
“Are you haters? Do you train your students to be haters?” the young millennial asked after having read our Statement of Faith and the Veritas Position on Marriage, Gender and Sexuality. I would have laughed except I realized that this was a very serious question from a person who really liked our school, but needed to […]
After securing an untold number of subs over my five years as HOS, yesterday was my turn to need one for my Sunday school class at Christ Community Church. Of course, as I was planning my Fall Break trip weeks ago, I thought, “I won’t need a sub for Sunday, Oct. 16, I have plenty […]
I always felt that was a loaded question when I was a senior pastor or the Head of School. Since one of the primary parts of my job was to stay on top of and fix problems, my brain would sometimes be focused on the negative. How’s “everything” going usually awakened in my consciousness the […]
“Taste and see that the Lord is good,” is the encouragement we receive in Psalms 34:8. Here and elsewhere, God invites us to Himself. He wants us to know Him directly and to grow in our experience of His goodness. Many of us have grown in our knowledge of God, our knowledge of His attributes, […]
As I network with parents, whether spontaneously on campus or a planned appointment like coffee or a home visit, I often pick up little words of wisdom from all of you. When that happens, these often form the core of a CC like this one. One of our military dads shared the thought above. As […]
Last week we looked at the overvaluing of knowledge and undervaluing of wisdom in our culture. We saw that knowledge is indeed at our beck and call. While watching a football game or a movie, I touch a button and ask the genie inside my phone “For whom did the new Bears coach play?” or […]
Last week a prominent critic of our current culture was bemoaning the fact that we overvalue knowledge and undervalue wisdom. He thought that our access to knowledge was at our fingertips, literally, with our smartphones and laptops. However, wisdom is very rare. The Bible also highly values wisdom and considers it rare. One place that […]
It is harvest time; the time when we can see the results of all the hard work that all of you have done, students and parents alike. This is especially true for the senior families! Last night we saw this in full at the Baccalaureate Service. (A worship service to give thanks for and celebrate […]
As parents it seems like it takes forever to find out if what we are endlessly teaching our children is having any impact. So often it seems “in one ear and out the other.” For some siblings, one of the problems that seems most protracted is sibling rivalry and bickering. Nothing seemed to bother my […]
Closing in on the final 5 1/2 weeks of school! That’s hard to believe isn’t it. Depending on what grade level your children are in, they are facing smooth sailing to a good finish, a steep climb with some big challenges, or a steady run to the finish line. The smooth sailing group have been faithful, […]
It is expensive to NOT give your child a Christian education. When I lived in Illinois in the early 90s, there was no such thing as tax credits. (They’re still not available in IL to this day.) Therefore, when parents were thinking of pulling out of the public schools, they were thinking of paying out of […]
You are walking along when suddenly you see a man running toward you wildly. As he gets closer he is shirtless and barefoot, yelling loudly, and waving his arms erratically. You are disturbed and clearly this man is more than disturbed. But as he gets closer, you understand that he is yelling, “Lion! Lion!” And […]
Why did you choose a classical education? Was it your goal that your child would graduate with super high academics and outstanding college entrance test scores? These can be dangerous goals. This can backfire and produce proud people, those who think they are better than others and look down on others. I was reminded of […]
Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone. Colossians 4:6 One Sunday night I dutifully posted the lesson plans for my Composition class online. I uploaded a worksheet and everything. On Wednesday, I got an email from a parent asking me where the […]
When my 9-year-old granddaughter Ainsleigh heard that Aunt Kathy was not expected to live, she came to her mother Hope and asked, “I want to talk to you, but not as my mother. I want to talk to you as a Christian. I have a serious question.” Hope held her breath and encouraged her to […]
Over a long break, it is interesting what one might run across on TV. My wife told me this part from the Andy Griffiths Show: When a hobo told Andy he should just let Opie “decide for himself” how he wanted to live… He had these words of Mayberry wisdom. “No, I’m afraid it don’t […]
Every now and then I stumble across a movie that resonates with me and makes me see some issues in a new light. One such movie is King Richard, the true story of Richard Williams, the father of Venus and Serena, the all-time top-ranked women singles tennis players. One of the things that impressed me […]
Staying Off the Rollercoaster — Have you ever felt that trying to keep up with your child’s moods and behaviors is like riding on a rollercoaster? I remember the old-time rollercoaster. Slowly the car would climb to the top of the first peak. Even though it was slow, we knew the inevitable plunge was coming, that […]
When I attended a Trauma Informed Care workshop on Friday, I discovered that I did something very right by accident just the day before. In the morning Virtue Lauds, I was so happy to see the 5th & 6th graders after Fall Break and no lauds on Tuesday due to Picture Day, I just looked […]
Like with so much of life, the fact that human beings are creatures of habit is a double-edged sword. My wish to weigh less is outweighed by my habit to munch on the same things at the same times everyday. If I am not thinking, I have a precise order in which I grab a […]
In numerous places in the New Testament, it is stated that we are predestined to be conformed to the image of Christ (Romans 8:29 for example). This transformation is from one degree of glory to the next into His likeness (1 Cor. 3:18). This becoming is God’s work in us by the working of His […]
I think this statement after my first home visit was meant as a compliment. The Mom quickly added that she had no idea what to expect and wasn’t sure why I wanted to come by to visit. The second Mom admitted that when she saw my earlier note and saw I would be in her […]
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