In Elementary chapel this week, I told a story of a dog named Charlie who thought he should be a cat. All of his friends were telling him he should be a cat, and that it might fit him better and be more fun. This led him to a very confused and sad state of searching out who he was. He tried to purr instead of bark, play with yarn instead of a ball, and run from visitors instead of chasing them! When Charlie was finally told the truth that he was a dog and was released to be what he was created to be, he found joy and satisfaction in fulfilling God’s design.
I shared with students how easy it can be to listen to many of the lies that the world tells us. Lies like “God isn’t real”, or “you are not good enough”, or “believe in yourself” and “you choose who you are.” These lies can lead to confusion by putting ourselves in the place of God. The truth is that God is real, and that we are made in His image, and therefore we have infinite value as His children. He is the potter, and we are the clay, and we cannot and should not attempt to change how God created us. And while the sin of the world and the sin of our flesh may cause struggles at times, these circumstances always point us to our Savior Jesus who came to reconcile us to God and shine through our imperfect cracks. Our JH/HS students heard the testimonies of Brad and Roberta Shimomura, missionaries to Japan. They shared how God began speaking to them in high school about how to surrender their lives fully to God. In very relatable ways, they described the process of pursuing the voice of God, and the process of choosing to follow His call. As Japan is mostly unChristian (less than 1%), students were challenged to begin to consider what “they are doing on Earth for Heaven’s sake!” Continue to hold our leaders, teachers, and students in prayer as we partner every day to spiritual transformation in our lives and the loves of others! The changing of the year often initiates the reflection of our habits, especially any poor ones. Habits involving diet, sleep, and exercise are often considered. For example, my college daughter wants to develop habits of drinking more water and not sleeping in as much. Some of these habits we simply choose to adjust, while others we choose to altogether eliminate.
We should also consider what new habits to introduce. The apostle Paul instructed his protege Timothy “for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come” (1 Timothy 4:8). This week in elementary chapel I talked about habits. There is so much power in the habits we choose. I am so grateful for the daily discipleship training my children have received through Christian schooling. But the greatest fruit came as they individually took their faith and made it their own. That is, they took all of the habits their loving parents and teachers and Pastors have taught (and required of) them, and began to choose habits of following God on their own. The beginning of a new year is a great time to commit to spending time daily through prayer and reading His Word. You may have noticed some new faces helping with morning carline duty this week. Our Junior High boys basketball season just started up. I am coaching one of the teams, and most of our practices are in the morning before school starts. It’s nice to get the practices done for the day, but it also has interrupted my morning devotional routine. And unfortunately, my brain just doesn’t work near as well in the evenings! God is the author of seasons, and He may call each of us to various seasons of life that provide various opportunities to spend time with Him. Still, may we each consider this year how God is standing at the door and knocking, and we just need to take some time to open the door and let him in. *We greatly appreciate those of you who gave generously to our Teacher End-of-the-Year bonuses. We are able to bless all of our staff with a special gift. Your support is greatly appreciated! These are perhaps two of the most underrated words. When I hear this pair of words directed at me, I am always surprised by how deeply it impacts me. Sometimes I hear it after a math lecture with our upperclassmen. Other times I hear it after teaching in one of our chapels. Or it might be spoken to me after guiding students across our busy crosswalk. Occasionally, the words are connected with a tasty treat, which not only deeply impacts my soul but also my stomach!
The words themselves are rather quite trivial, but the intentionality when one uses them is significant. In today’s culture, the pursuit of personal fulfillment is on the rise, and the practice of gratefulness is on the decline. Each one of us is not immune to the influences of this cultural trend. But as disciples of Jesus Christ, these weaknesses can be replaced with the power available through our faith in God. We cannot escape the world, but we can do our little part to be ambassadors of the transformation God is doing inside of us. Gratefulness is an area in which I often cry out, just as Paul did in his letter to Timothy, “I am the chief of sinners.” I wish I was a more grateful person! I am so blessed with the family, friends, school teammates, and community that God has placed around me. Yet my intentionality in saying “Thank you” often comes up short. As God continues to replace my weakness with His power, can you do me a favor? As you prepare to meet with our teachers during Parent-Teacher conferences, join with your spouse and prayerfully consider how grateful you are for your child’s teachers. And then take those “good thoughts”, and make them “good actions”, by giving them a “Thank you” for all the seen and unseen service to this community. *Ironically, after writing this article, but before sending it out, a parent and student brought in a thank you card and donuts for all of the teachers! And this happens regularly! Thank you! |
Adam Kronberger
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