Uncategorized

by

A Teacher’s Thoughts on Senseless Evil


Sometimes, teachers and students can complain about the security measures that have been implemented in schools in response to the world in which we live. Locked doors, key cards, surveillance cameras, safety drills, student uniforms and staff IDs to help identify outsiders. Today reminded me that horror and senseless evil happen regardless of the safety measures we put in place. But we don’t just say, “Why bother?” As parents, as teachers, as adults who love the kids in our lives, we will do whatever it takes to do all that we can to keep the kids we love as safe as possible.

So that is why we keep doors locked and make visitors sign in and have video cameras and do safety drills. Because days like today happen in a broken world, and we want to be as prepared as we can be to deal with the senseless actions of broken people. As a teacher, every time we have an intruder drill, I remind myself that, as the adult responsible for my kids, I am responsible for being willing and able to lay my life down for them if it is required.

Just this week I studied John 10 with my 10th graders, and we studied about Jesus, the Good Shepherd, who was willing to lay down his life for His sheep. As teachers, our kids are our sheep, and many today gave their lives to try to protect their sheep.

We are brokenhearted for the teachers, students and parents in Conn., we will pray for all involved, we will keep our own kids a little closer, we will take our own safety drills a little more seriously, and we will remember that God is near to the brokenhearted. I pray for their comfort and peace.

For parents looking for ways to talk to your children, here is a good article.

For believers looking for ways to talk about a good God and an evil world, here are some good thoughts.

by

“Before I Was Even Born?!?”


This is the very first book I bought for Arwen. I bought it for her at the Smithsonian while on a school trip, the week before she was born. I’ve never been nervous to travel. In fact, I have a dose of wanderlust in me that can be difficult to contain at times. But this particular week, I was terrified to travel. Terrified because my sister-in-law’s due date was quickly approaching and I did NOT want to be in Washington, DC, while my niece was coming into this world. I called every day to check on progress and effacing and dilation and had back up plans for flying home if needed.

But I made time to buy her a book. And not just any book. An Alphabet book of cool paintings and weird animals. A wicked expensive book because I bought it at the Smithsonian. Her first book.

Tonight I was hanging out with her at her house. She knows I love books as much as she does, and we straighten up her bookshelves and talk about her books and read a few of them every time I go over there. At the bottom of the shelf I found this, and it made me smile thinking about how long it took me to find the first book for the firstborn of the next generation of Masons.

I spent nearly a half hour looking through all the options they had. I read them and thought about which one I wanted to be a family heirloom. I pondered the quality of the books, thought about how it should really be gender neutral so it be enjoyed by all other future kids. It needed to be educational, not just entertaining, special and not hokey, and as theologically sound as a book can be when you’re buying it from the Museum of Natural Science at the Smithsonian. Thus the reason we ended up with a hardback Alphabet book.

As I held the book in my hands, Arwen came and sat in my lap and said, “That’s my animal alphabet book.” I told her, “I know! Did YOU know that it was your very first book?”

“My very first book?” she replied in complete amazement.

“Yes,” I said. “I bought it for you before you were even born.” And I then proceeded to tell her the whole story about being in DC, about taking SO much time to pick out the perfect book, just for her, about the snow storm that threatened to keep up snowed in up in DC, and about how nervous I was that I wasn’t going to get home in time to be there when she was born.

She sat perfectly still (a RARE feat these days) and listened to the whole story. When I finished, I fully expected her to, with all the depth and reflection and appreciation of a two year old, to just ask me to read it to her.

Instead, she looked at the book, looked back up at me and said, “You bought it before I was even born?”

She was absolutely dumbstruck that I thought about her before she was born. Not only that I thought about her, but that I took the time to pick out something just for her.

Before she was born. She was loved. Thought about, planned for. Dreams were dreamed for her. Lives were imagined. Books were bought. She was chosen and loved well before she was born. And she simply couldn’t believe it.

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you…”
~Jeremiah 1:5 ESV

She was loved before she was born. But so was I. And so were you. And not just by your family. Before you were born you were loved. You were set apart. You were created with a specific and unique calling. You were chosen. Thought about. Looked over. Anticipated. Before the foundation of the world, the God of the universe knew your name, numbered your days, considered your ways and set them before you. Before you were born.

I am dumbfounded and amazed by that, and sometimes, like Arwen, I simply can’t believe it. But as much as I poured all the love and affection I could muster into that present for that child I had never met and yet loved, God has loved me with an infinite, unending, unwavering love, from before time began.

She was amazed by the love shown to her through a book. I am amazed by the love shown to me through a Book, too.

by

An Alexander Sort of Day and Recognizing Your Own Sin


Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day was one of my favorite books growing up. Looking back, it’s probably because I can be incredibly self-absorbed (like Alexander) and I’m an expert complainer (also like Alexander), so I think I just related to Alexander a lot.

Today was an Alexander sort of day for me. I spent the weekend at an incredible, Gospel-soaked conference put on by the Christian Counseling and Education Foundation, so it would make sense that today would be a “coming off the mountaintop” sort of experience.

Or maybe just spending time soaked in the Gospel made me more keenly aware of my own sinfulness and need for a Savior.

So, for the sake of transparency, and because I need to be reminded to laugh at my own ridiculousness, I thought I’d share my day.

I overslept, so I didn’t have time to shave. Normally not a big deal (and probably TMI), but tonight was our Run for God “big group” run and so I’d need to be in shorts. So hairy legs were a problem.

It’s my carline day, so oversleeping messed up the whole routine. I didn’t get to make my coffee before I left for carline. So it wasn’t ready for first period like I like for it to be. I like routine.

Or I have a control issue.

I wore my new sock monkey hat to stay warm, but it messed up my hair. My 9th graders laughed at me. I may be 32, but I still don’t like to be laughed at.

I’m prideful, and don’t like people judging me. Even 15 year old girls.

Let’s just say that the messed up beginning of the routine threw off my thought process and it was a less than stellar teaching day. I could say that I strive for excellence and it was an off day, but I’m really a perfectionist and I failed to meet my own standard.

My lunch bag fell off my filing cabinet and my favorite soup mug shattered. I’d had that mug since college and have eaten countless bowls of Ramen noodles (or Thai rice noodles in recent gluten-free history) and soup, and I loved that mug. And I broke it.

I love things. Silly things like soup mugs. I’m a materialist. Though I claim with false humility that I’d give it all up to go live somewhere with nothing for the sake of the Gospel, a broken mug made me mad.

I received less-than-complete information about an ASAP meeting of the High School faculty, and instead of asking for more information, I made up a story in my head that ended with a dear friend and colleague, who had left earlier in the day with a migraine, having suffered a brain aneurism.

Turns out, we get to go to a high school playoff football game on Friday.

I don’t like being in the dark. I crave knowledge, and I make it up when I don’t have it.

So, back to the no shaving and running thing; I got home to change and couldn’t find any of my running tights, so I had to run in pants.

I have a “winter gear” box that I keep in the back of my car, but it wasn’t there, so I didn’t have my ear warmers.

I left my Ironman watch in the car so I couldn’t keep my time.

I stepped in dog poop and smelled icky the rest of the run.

At this point, I attempted to self-correct my equally icky attitude by reminding myself of people who have had a SO MUCH worse day than me: my mamas in Uganda, those along the East Coast who are digging out from under the rubble of Hurricane Sandy.

Behavior adjustment because I’m a legalist. Bad attitudes are bad. Change it.

But it didn’t work. In fact, my attitude got worse. Which made me mad.

Because I’m a perfectionist.

In my own head, I had a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day.

In my head.

Where I have control of my thoughts.

Where I can take my thoughts captive and make them obedient to Christ.

His mercies are new every morning. Tomorrow is a new day, with new grace for a new attitude.

Because, after all, some days are like this. Even in Australia.

Or at least that’s what I’ve been told.

But I wouldn’t mind going there myself, just to be sure. 🙂

by

Thinking Aloud About Praying in Public


Thinking out loud can get a person in trouble. Me be the person doing the thinking can add to the trouble; I tend to start my train of thought in a very different train station than the average person where I live.

But this whole war over public prayer with the Freedom From Religion Foundation really has me thinking about prayer, especially public prayer. The issue was reignited in the Chattanooga area in August when the Foundation filed complaint against a local football coach.

Then there was an issue over prayer at UTC football games. Now UTK has issued a statement to inform the public that, per legal advice, they have no reason to discontinue prayer before ball games.

My first, fiery response to the whole thing was decidedly redneck and all things that are wrong about tradition and religious culture. “We pray at ball games down here! No one has a problem with it here. Why don’t they go back to Wisconsin and leave us alone?” There’s my moment of confession; everything redneck and Southern Confederate heritage oozing out of the overflow of my heart. Massive heart check required.

But that thought made me think a little deeper; why do we insist on praying at public events?

Is it because it’s tradition?

Is it because we have a superstition that someone will get hurt if we don’t pray?

Is it because we want to summon our god to be on our side?

Southern redneck public prayers don’t exactly have the best track record of displaying the glory and majesty of the God we serve.

Jesus had some things to say in Matthew 6 about praying in public:

5 “And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward.
6 But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.”

Just some food for thought as I’m thinking through the Freedom From Religion yuck.

What’s being proven with making a stink about praying before a ball game?

Are we reducing prayer to a magic charm when we insist it take place a certain way?

What’s wrong with observing a moment of silence? That’s what UTC decided to do, and it seems to be a mutually respectful compromise.

I understand that some people see this as further encroachment upon our religious freedoms and this is the issue at which some have chosen to draw the line of saying “no more.” I’m just not sure which religion people are practicing that requires they pray at the beginning of public events. Sometimes it feels as if this whole fight is based not upon protecting our religious freedom, but about insisting our religion is right.

But what causes us to think that we have the “right” to pray in public at all? Is having a moment of silence preventing us from practicing our religion?

My questions are based more on the global perspective of knowing the friends and family of people who have died for their faith around the world. Knowing the loved ones of martyrs changes your perspective of the term religious freedom.

What would our nation be like if we spent on private prayer all the time we spend filing litigation to protect our right to pray over public events?

What will Americans do if we are ever really faced with the loss of religious freedom?

by

Cooperation without Conformity


I’ve had a lot of people in the last couple of days ask me why I have such a problem with the Chick-Fil-A Appreciation Day. As an isolated, political event, I don’t really have a problem with it. Yesterday showed that an interestingly diverse group of people can rally around a common ideal (free speech) and draw attention to social ills in a peaceful manner.

But yesterday wasn’t a single, isolated event. In fact, there’s no such thing as a single, isolated event. All events have a cause and an effect, and my concern lies within the big picture of which the CFA Appreciation Day is a part.

Using our political freedoms to exercise our faith can be a tangled, complicated mess. It’s a mess worth making, but we must be careful not to confuse faith and politics. CFA Day was a political statement, and the support was shown, by Christians, for a brother in Christ. For many, it was both a political AND a faith statement. And that’s ok.

But here’s the thing to recognize: Organized boycotts and support events tend to accelerate and polarize. The cycle becomes a cold war of revenge, and that’s an attitude and action of the world, not of Christ.

Let’s just look at the CFA Day as an example:

1. Dan Cathy makes a statement about his support of biblical marriage.

A Christian using his American right of free speech.

2. Gay activists take offense and decide to boycott Chick-fil-a.

A political/social rights group using their American right of free speech.

3. A couple of politicians declare that Chick-Fil-A will not receive any more building permits in their cities.

Politicians abusing their political power in an attempt to legislate their personal opinions.

4. Even the most liberal of newspapers and political commentators denounce the decisions of politicians and lawsuits are filed claiming the blocks on permits are illegal.

The American systems of free speech and the courts work! Freedom and democracy survive to live another day.

It could have stopped there. But instead of decelerating the situation, backing away, watching and seeing how things worked out, an Appreciation Day was announced. The situation is instead accelerated. Here’s where the problem begins.
Yesterday could have been a great day of unity and support and fun, and from what I understand, that’s exactly what it was for most people.

But for some, that’s not enough, and their political idolatry bent has been exposed. Yesterday wasn’t just about supporting a brother in Christ; it was about one upping the “enemy.” This morning, Mike Huckabee didn’t post a “Thanks for Supporting Free Speech and Dan Cathy” post on his Facebook page.

He posted this:

Talk about loving support of a brother in Christ. Looks more like an arrogant “We win, you lose” baiting of an enemy on the playground. Might as well have stuck his tongue out at the political left.

This is political gamesmanship, not Christian humility and brotherly support. Do not confuse the two.

Before I go further, let me be clear that this is not a personal attack on Mike Huckabee, nor is it a political attack from a ticked off liberal. I’m a card-carrying Republican, supporter of small government and personal responsibility. And in this case, personal responsibility means engaging others in a responsible and Christ-honoring manner.

Back to the post:
Since a politician made a political move, no one should be surprised that the left has responded in kind.

There’s a Same Sex Kiss In planned at Chick-fil-a restaurants on Friday.

Where does it stop?

Apparently not here.

Because now, instead of Christians participating in a worldly system in a Christianly manner, some Christians are adopting worldly systems to express moral displeasure with businesses.

And when it comes to boycotts, we don’t fare well. In fact, it usually just brings mockery to the name of Christ. Remember the Disney boycott declared by the SBC? Million Moms against JC Penny’s when they named Ellen as their spokesperson? Some are now threatening to boycott AMAZON.

When we play the the world’s game, the world doesn’t back down, graciously accept defeat and walk away. The world reacts and further accelerates the situation. As believers, will we continue to play the game, further polarizing people, trying to only do business only with those who believe just like us?

As believers we should use the systems put in place by God for our benefit and for us to benefit others without falling into the ugly and broken portions of the system. Government is ordained by God for our good and can be used for the good of all. Political gamesmanship is a negative use of government and Christians should have no part of it.

When Israel was in captivity in a foreign land, God gave them strict instructions to be active participants in the culture in which they lived. He told them to build houses, plant gardens, do business.

“Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat their produce. Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons, and give your daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters; multiply there, and do not decrease. But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the LORD on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.” Jeremiah 29:4-7

And they were to do this, cooperate with the people of Babylon to build a mutually beneficial culture, without conforming to the behavior and beliefs of the Babylonians. They were to be in the world, but not of the world.

As believers in the political realm, we should do the same. We can cooperate without conforming.

Think that is an impossible goal?

There’s a tiny island off the coast of Tunisia that proves you wrong. I used to show this short video to my geography classes as a conversation starter to discuss the ways that government and culture enable us to peacefully cooperate with those who disagree with us without conforming to their religious or cultural beliefs.

We could all learn a lesson from Djerba Island.