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I distinctly remember the first time I called 9-1-1 from my home phone (a landline at the time). In our late 20’s, my wife and I had a 2-year-old daughter in anaphylactic shock after eating a snack. At the time, I didn’t even know what that was. But what I did know was my daughter was in trouble. She had hives all over her body, swollen lips, and a swollen tongue, and was confused and frightened, as were her parents. Stripped down to her diaper, I remember holding her up in my hands, raised to the sky like The Lion King. I wanted to make sure that the sirens of the nearby fire truck knew exactly which driveway was in desperate need of help.
After a shot of epinephrine, our daughter was doing much better in a matter of minutes. It took much longer for Mom and Dad! It obviously changed our lives substantially from that day forward. We identified a couple of potentially deadly food allergies, along with dozens of other concerning allergies. We always made sure that an EpiPen followed our daughter around. We had to become an expert in reading labels. We rarely went out to eat (friendly on the budget and waistline). To her credit, my daughter Brooklyn seemed to take it all in stride. Despite missing out on tons of tasty treats she saw her friends eating, she was rarely bitter or angry. A steady supply of substitute Skittles also helped. Now finishing her second year of college at Northwest Nazarene University, she texted me and Mrs. K. a picture this week of her first taste of Sushi. She was so excited to be carefully expanding her dietary horizons. The young woman she is becoming, of whom we are very proud of, was shaped very much by her childhood challenges. I know in heaven, if there is food to be eaten, she will want to enjoy some peanut butter for the first time! The apostle Paul had some unknown “thorn in His flesh.” It was significant enough that He asked God to take it away from Him multiple times. But God confirmed that His “grace was sufficient” for all of Paul’s needs. In fact, He revealed that “God’s power is made perfect in our weakness!” When Paul heard that, he began to “gladly rejoice in his weaknesses, so that Christ’s power could rest upon him.” All of our children have their own unique weaknesses. What an opportunity to allow God to use them for His good! May we help our children to understand the immeasurable power of God. As they embrace their weaknesses, and allow God’s power to work through them as a result, Jesus Christ becomes not only their Savior, but their Lord as well! I love road trips. Whether it's a vacation or driving to see family, it’s a nice change of pace. When I’m driving, I love the time to simply think, listen to a podcast, or enjoy some music. Playing games and chatting with the family is also a blast. But when I’m not driving, there is only one thing I like to do.
Sleep! This creates a little friction as my wife only wants to drive if I will talk with her and keep her awake. What I like about sleeping on road trips is the time portal it puts you into. You close your eyes, and then the next thing you know, you are at your destination! The disciples were on a road trip once, though it was in a boat on the Sea of Galilee. The waters were getting rough, and Jesus was not in any passenger seat. Then the disciples saw him approaching the boat, walking on water. He told them not to be afraid and jumped in the boat with them. In the book of John, he writes that once Jesus climbed in, the boat immediately reached the shore across the lake. Wow! How many times have you been on a long road trip and wished the same? Wouldn’t it be great to pick up Jesus walking along the highway, and once He closed the door, your car was at its destination! I think this story is recorded for us for many reasons. So often, we go on journeys in our lives, short and long, and forget to invite Jesus to go with us. Especially when the going gets rough, and the waves begin to crash, we tend to lean on things of this world. But when we bring Jesus into our troubles, in His perfect timing, we reach the correct destination much more quickly. Inviting Jesus into our journeys requires a relationship with Him. If we only talk to him when we are in crisis, our relationship is shaky, not on solid ground. But spending time with Him on a regular basis, in the good times and the bad, builds a solid foundation. When this closeness exists, Jesus is no longer a hitchhiker but a constant passenger. And when I hand over driving duties to Him, maybe then I can get some sleep! While it seems spring has not yet sprung, the produce aisle at the grocery store is showing new signs of life. Due to the advancement of global shipping, “fresh” produce is often available year-round. But our taste buds still know the difference between fruit that has ripened in a dark shipping container rather than grown a state away and shipped the next day.
Usually, my eyes can also see the difference, but not always. How disappointing it can be to bite into a large bright red strawberry only to realize the inside does not match the outside! Various methods can be used to produce their eye-pleasing exterior, though the ripeness of the strawberry is still lacking. We so often can do this as teachers and parents with our children. We are fond of methods that produce a shiny presentable exterior. As both a parent and an educator, well-behaved children make me feel proud to think that I am doing a good job. But just like the disappointment of an artificial strawberry, artificial fruit in the lives of our children is equally disappointing. Fruit cannot ripen from the outside in but from the inside out. Our discipleship training should always focus on heart transformation above behavior modification. Behavior modification is often necessary in the moment for simple safety and respectful order. But lasting good works, the good works that God has prepared beforehand that we should walk in, must come from the heart. Just like truly ripe fruit takes time, true heart transformation also takes time. Time to slow down, invest in the moment, reference God’s truths, and train up our children in the way they should go. And while fruit from the vine is seasonal, discipleship training should be continuous in our homes, classrooms, and hallways. “Let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.” Galatians 6:9 We did it! Three unique mission trips, in three different countries, with 137 high school students, staff, and parents. We are ready to celebrate! Come join us Monday, April 10th at 7 pm in our Sanctuary for a 1-hour celebration. We will provide brief summaries of all three trips, along with personal testimonies and pictures. Come hear how God is moving in His Kingdom and in the hearts of our students!    I was standing on the corner of Marion and High Street in downtown Salem under grey skies. It was my first experience with our local missions trip week, and I was terrified. I had been given an opportunity to speak to strangers about Jesus, and I was not the most thrilled about it. Still, my heart was soft, and I began a dialogue (or argument) with God. An elderly woman was approaching me on the sidewalk. God was clearly asking me to greet her and pray for her. I was clearly not interested in complying with his request.
So God asked me, “Are you ashamed of me? Are you ashamed of the gospel?” Ouch. Now He had my attention. And in God’s grace, He was appealing to my faith convictions, helping me overcome my fear. I pulled my shoulders back, and shouted to God (in my head), “No! I am not ashamed of You! I am not ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ!” So meekly, I shuffled over to the woman on the sidewalk, introduced myself, and had an amazing conversation and encouraging time of prayer. Almost 10 years later, I still remember this small experience that had a large impact on my faith. I learned how much room I have to grow, and how much power belongs to God. Our high school students will experience similar life-changing opportunities this coming week during their mission trip. Would you add our high school, and any individual names you know, to your daily prayer time? These eternal opportunities for our own students, and the people they engage with, carry tremendous value in God’s Kingdom. “For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be glory forever. Amen.” (Romans 11:36)  Last night our 10th-ranked CCS Eagles Boys Basketball Team upset the 2nd-ranked Nixyaawii Golden Eagles at the OSAA State Championship Tournament! Tonight they play 3rd-ranked Open Door Christian at 6 pm. If you don't want to make drive to Baker City, you can watch the game on the NFHS Network (with a paid subscription) or Radio Broadcast (free).
In 2009 Crosshill Christian High School opened with 9 freshman students, all boys. Four years later, and 10% bigger, the graduating class of 10 had its first State Champion. Will Comerford won the state title in the 300m High Hurdles. Since then, we’ve enjoyed 19 State Championship experiences in Cross Country, Volleyball, Boys Basketball, Band, and Track & Field. This includes a run of 4 straight Boys Basketball State Championship experiences, culminating in the 2017 Oregonian Cup (now called the OSAA Cup). That year our school was recognized by the OSAA with the highest rank of overall excellence in academics, activities, and athletics. It has been quite a journey from our elementary school opening in 1992! We have a healthy pride in the State Championship experiences our high school student-athletes have achieved. A lot of time and energy goes into those opportunities. They are a testimony of what hard work, dedication, and passion can provide. Still, the accolades quickly fade into memory. Much more important is the growth in maturity that these experiences require. For us at Crosshill, the primary purpose for investing in these activities is to train disciples. The hours that our coaches and student-athletes spend together, built upon a Christian worldview applied to their experiences, provided much fruit. It's fun to see our names in the newspaper. Even more fulfilling is growing in Jesus, making Him famous, and leading others to Him. I love the exhortation: "Share the gospel. And if necessary, use words!" “It is like God is up there grating parmesan cheese on us!”
This declaration came from one of our students as they passed me at the crosswalk this week. Surprise snowflakes were landing on us before school started. What a terrific and tasty word picture! And what a fantastic default worldview! The Psalmist writes that the whole earth is filled with awe at the wonders of God. Do you quickly give God the glory for all the regular wonders we experience daily? Outside of parenting in the home, Christian schooling is the most effective medium for discipleship training. We train our students to choose to surrender their lives to God’s leading regularly. This type of surrender requires a maturing faith. A faith that is authentic and fully integrated into every area of life. And our classrooms intentionally connect the creation we study with the Creator we worship. Discipleship training at Crosshill helps students establish their faith through learning and growth activities. God authors all truth, and the investigation of His creation always points back to Him. And even this world's brokenness affirms our need for a Savior who has redeemed us! So whether it is the crosswalk, the classroom, or the kitchen table, allow the daily wonders of His creation to point us to God's glory! This week I was summoned into one of our Kindergarten classrooms. The students had been learning about local government and were practicing their skills in democracy. The small gathering of Junior Senators had passed a measure (almost unanimously) declaring every Thursday as Ice Cream Day for their class. The measure was being presented to me, the residing “President” of Crosshill Christian School, for final approval.
I regretted informing them that the measure could not be signed into law as written. While I am a huge fan of Ice Cream and Kindergarteners, I am also a big supporter of learning and limited sugar hysteria. As I prepared to VETO the measure, the young politicians jumped in to stop me. They had prepared an amended measure just in case! Rather than demanding Ice Cream every Thursday, the compromised bill simply declared next Thursday as Ice Cream Day for them. After the cabinet of lawmakers assured me there would be enough ice cream to share with me next week, I quickly signed the legislation into law! Even with ice cream, human governments mostly leave us wanting more. The shortcomings of earthly systems, and the brokenness of human character are inadequate to provide inerrant guidance for citizens. Fortunately for us, God never intended our lives to be patterned after this world. “Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; 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 This Old Testament command, partnered with the New Testament gospel, provides a principle worthy for our homes, schools, and churches. His truth, founded from His love for us, only provides freedom and life. While the ruler of this world always vetos God’s legislation, any community of families can override this veto through unified faith. May we not grow weary in doing good. God is on the throne! |
Adam Kronberger
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