The Truth About Christmas

So let me get this straight.  Mary and Joseph make a quick trip in late December over to Bethlehem in a Dodge Colt - no wait, it was a donkey, right?  Every innkeeper in town turns them away - how rude!  They get stuck in some stinky stable with a bunch of mooing cows, braying donkeys, and clucking hens, and that night Mary delivers Jesus, who never cries and is the perfect baby.  Meanwhile, in another part of town, - or was it over the hills and through the woods? -  a choir of angels puts on a splendid concert in the park for the surprised shepherds, who quickly run to the stable to see the baby.  That same night, three kings on camels follow the star all the way from the "East," (China I think) bringing toys for the baby, which is why we give toys to our kids now on Christmas morning.    I think that's about it. I hope I got it right, because I know it is really important.

Well, I 'm afraid that it's not quite right. It seems that over the years, some strange and not very Biblical things have happened to the Christmas story.  Here are some examples:

• That quick trip was about 80 miles and took at least a week, probably entirely on foot, as no where does the Bible indicate that Mary (or Joseph for that matter) rode on a donkey or any other kind of animal.
• Jesus was likely born in late September or early October.  December 25 was actually the date of a festival honoring the sun.  The early Catholic Church wanted to replace this festival with a Christian holiday, and thus set the date as the day to celebrate Christ's birth.
• Innkeepers are not even mentioned in the Christmas story (though they are in almost every Christmas play performed since then!).  In fact, the word often translated as "inn" can also be translated as "guest room,"  meaning that Jesus may have been born out back behind the house of relatives who had no more space in their guest room. 
• The Bible does not mention the words stable or barn or even cave.  We just know that Jesus was laid in a manger, so we can assume that there were animals around.
• The Bible says that "while they were there" Mary gave birth.  They may have been in Bethlehem for weeks before the actual delivery.
• The Bible does not say that Jesus never cried, though it makes for a nice Christmas song.
• Neither does the Bible say that the angels sang. In fact, it says instead, "Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel praising God and saying,  “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests."
• And one last thing, the Bible does not talk about kings from the east, but wise men, or magi. Nor does it mention camels.

It isn't hard to see how some of these misconceptions crept into the Christmas story.  Many of them "make sense."  But the Christmas story is not really about shepherds, wise men, donkeys, camels, innkeepers, stables, mangers, angels, or even Mary and Joseph.  It is about Jesus, and the wonderful, amazing, incredible, and mind blowing fact that God became man and lived among us, and then died as a sacrifice for our sins. I can put up with a few misconceptions as long as we don't lose the wonder and awe that accompanies such an astonishing and miraculous thing.  When you get overwhelmed this Christmas season - and you probably will - just reflect back on the simple yet astounding fact that Jesus became one of us so that he might bring salvation for all of us. What a story!  What a Savior!

The Lord Takes Away

We all know that verse in Job.  You know, Chapter 1, verse 21.  Job, who has just lost most of his family, his possessions, and his dignity as well, says (in a spirit of worship, not despair),  
“Naked I came from my mother’s womb,
   and naked I will depart.
The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away;
   may the name of the LORD be praised.”

Many people have no idea what it means to have something important taken away.   When we were evacuated from Zaire in 1996, we lost almost all of our earthly possessions.  Despite that, I feel very much like the person who has no idea what it really means to lose something, for I left the country with my wife and children, all of us safe and unhurt.  We were grateful, for we knew we could have lost so much more.

Others have had a different experience.  Just last week, close friends of ours lost their 15 year old daughter in a car accident which involved all four of their children.  With their daughter dead and three children in the hospital struggling for life, our friends chose to live by faith, quoting Job 1:21 in a defiant act of worship of our God. Not because they necessarily felt like saying it, but because their faith enabled them to say it.

God gives and he takes away. We have no problem with the giving, but we struggle greatly with the taking.  It is absolutely necessary to allow the Giver of life the right to also take things from his children.  This is where our faith comes in.  This is where we trust.  This is where we allow God to be God, and where we recognize that we are not.  And this is where, above all, we say in worship "The Lord gives and the Lord takes away. Blessed be the name of the Lord."

Formula 4:09

Christian schools have always played an important role in our community.  The problem is, it is not always obvious or agreed upon what that role is. Historically, the Christian school has been viewed as one of the three legs of a stool, along with the church and the home.  The analogy is fairly accurate, but falls short in one important area.  While the three legs of a stool are equally important and exactly alike, church, home, and school, though equally important, are most definitely not exactly alike.  What is the role of the school then?  I have argued in the past that because we are a Christian school we must place even more importance on developing Christian character than academics (which is saying a lot, since we place a tremendous amount of importance on academics!).  We are responsible to our students, our parents, our staff, our community, and above all, our God, to do all we can to produce academically strong students who have been challenged to demonstrate, grow in, and share their faith.  Sometimes this means that we will need to discipline our kids when it is apparent that the choices they have made are not only wrong but also detrimental to themselves and those around them.  While clearly the home and the church take the lead in this area, the school has a tremendous responsibility to all of its students to respond in a way that is best for the entire student body and for the school in general. Clearly everyone will not agree on what is best, or even what is good.  But here is something we can agree on: it takes the church, the home, and the school working together to give kids the best chance to grow spiritually and academically.  Ecclesiastes 4:09 says Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor.  In this case, three is also better than one.  I call it my Formula 4:09. May it remind us to work together to make Providence Christian High School all God wants it to be.

Equal Footing?

I morphed again. Wow, that sounds like a really bad thing when you say it that way.  Like something a teenager would do to get attention.  But it's true.  I've changed.  Not long ago I wrote these words: "We will develop Christian character in our students, and lead them toward growth in their walk with the Lord.  This is on equal footing with our desire to be academically excellent, for without it we are worthless as a Christian school" (emphasis added). It's the equal footing part that bothers me.  I know why I wrote that. It is difficult as a school to make anything more important than academic success.  Academic success validates us and, in many cases, defines us as a school.  But ask yourself this question: "When I stand before God, will he be checking my academic pedigree?  Will he want to know my high school grades or my college degrees?  I know, it matters how we use the talents God has given us.  If he has given you a great mind, you had better be using it for his glory.  I also know that we are a school, and that other components of the Christian community (e.g. the church and the home) contribute to faith building.  But I keep thinking about the fact that we have direct influence over our students for 50% of their waking hours during their high school years.  Where should we be putting our emphasis?  Remember, how effectively you use your mind for God will not save you; what will save you is your personal faith in Jesus Christ.  How then, can a Christian school put academic success on equal footing with the development of Christian character, or more importantly, growth in (or formation of) a saving relationship with Jesus Christ?  My belief is that it can't, and that it shouldn't try.  Instead, we must strive for and maintain academic excellence while making growth in the Christian faith our top priority as we develop relationships with our students. Then we move beyond being a school with a Christian focus to being a Christian school with an eternal focus.

Morphing 101

From time to time my wife Stacy and I  recall, with some embarrassment, our early thoughts on raising a family.  It went something like this: start young, finish young, then enjoy the empty nest.  We had no trouble with step one, as our first four children were all born before we reached the age of 30.  Simple math put us as empty-nesters by our mid 40s.  What a brilliant plan!  Fortunately, it wasn't God's plan, which became clear to us when we welcomed two orphans into our home.  As God made changes to our plans, our view of family also changed.  In fact, it's probably more accurate to say that we changed, rather than our views.  We were no longer looking forward to our kids being out of the house (though there are still those days!), but instead we began to understand that God was using us to shape and mold our children, His children actually.  What a blessing and responsibility! Now we cherish every day with our kids, with a less than eager expectation that some day we actually will be empty-nesters.

In his book The Life You've Always Wanted John Ortberg reminds us that we need to morph.  We need to be willing to change, and more importantly, to change according to God's plan, becoming all He wants us to be. Stacy and I have most certainly done some morphing over the past 25 years.  In fact, I have recently morphed into the grandparent stage, and now I have an entirely new perspective on family!  Yet I feel that I have so far to go in order to be all that God wants me to be.  Am I still open to his leading?  Am I willing to do what he wants, despite any difficulties it may cause me?  Can he really have his way in me, or are those just words that I sing in church?  Ultimately, the question is, am I allowing him to be Lord over every aspect of my life?  Am I still morphing?  Are you?

I'll Sing the Words

The other day in chapel one of our teachers told a great story. She said that in her family, when they get together for Christmas to sing carols, they always discuss at great length what parts each member of the family will sing. While they were presumably fighting over the best parts, her husband, who some might say is musically challenged, chimed in with one of the most profound lines I have heard in a long time. He simply said, "I'll sing the words."

His words challenged me. We don't want to be out of tune; we want to blend in with the choir. Why are we so worried about how we look or how we sound? Why can't we just sing the words? Why can't we just do what's right? Why can't we just follow Jesus wholeheartedly, even though the road is narrow and difficult? If the "words we sing" are the actions that define who we are and what we believe, why do we so often forget the right lyrics?

Jesus said you will know a Christian by his fruit. James said that faith without works is dead. Am I singing the right lyrics? Am I more worried about a charming melody than truthful words? Will people know me by my words and actions, or by how well I fit in with the crowd? Last Tuesday, 30 students gathered around the flag pole to pray. They were singing the right lyrics. Yesterday, 15 students, staff, and parents sang the right words by helping distribute food to the needy at our food truck. Those actions are "singing the right words" for all the world to hear.

Our musically challenged teacher likes to say, "Make a joyful noise!" Amen to that. Let's make that noise, even when the world tells us that it sounds awful or it makes them uncomfortable.

What lyrics will your life sing?

Another School Year? Bring It On!

It might be just me, but there are few things in life that I feel less prepared for than fall. I know, it’s a nice time of year. Temperatures are cooler, leaves are falling, and football is being played every weekend. Super. I’m pumped. Can you sense my excitement? I’m sorry, but I just love summer. It’s not because I don’t have to work (because I do), it’s because I love not having to bundle up to go outside, or snow blow my driveway, or scrape ice off my window. The problem with fall is not the weather; it’s that it signals the weather to come. I can’t help it that I spent 8 years living near the equator. It does something to your body, I think, and two years back in Michigan has not yet cured me. In time, maybe.

Now let me tell you the truth: I may not be prepared for fall, but I am still very excited about the new school year! My pessimistic side says “NO!! I'm not finished with summer yet! I'm not ready for school to start! But my optimistic side says “Thank you Lord for another school year, and another chance to work with kids!”

This is a school. I could make a long list of current and potential problems for the upcoming year. What is it that gives me confidence as we move ahead? Why can I, and each of you, be optimistic? Here are three simple reasons, and some scripture to back them up:

1. With God, all things are possible (Mark 10:27)
2. Jesus Christ is the creator and ruler of all (Col. 1:15-17)
3. We can do all things through Christ (Phil. 4:13)

Now, tell me, how can you be pessimistic about this year, or about your situation, or about your kids, or about anything? We have so much to be thankful for, including being loved by a savior who created the earth and everything in it, who gives us strength to do all things, and a God who can do the impossible. Another school year? Bring it on!

When Perfect Isn't

I try not to talk about baseball too much, but today I can't help myself. Last week, a pitcher for the Detroit Tigers threw a perfect game... well, almost perfect. In a perfect game, a pitcher retires all 27 batters in order - no walks, no hits, and no errors. It has happened exactly 20 times in over one hundred years of professional baseball. In last night's game, Armando Galarraga retired the first 26 batters he faced, only to give up a hit to the 27th. Only it wasn't really a hit, as the batter reached first base only because the umpire made the wrong call, a fact he admitted to after watching the video replays.

Did Armando Galarraga reach perfection in that game? One might argue that he did, as the only flaw belonged to the umpire. But the record books will show a one-hitter, not a bad accomplishment, but short of the immortality that goes along with a perfect game.

I'd like to think that Galarraga’s game was perfect, even if the statistics show otherwise. He will not likely ever throw a no-hitter in his career, let alone a perfect game. That game was probably as close as he will ever get. I say we just change the call and make it all good, but I know that will not happen. The truth is, he was not, technically, perfect that evening, so he should not be rewarded for something he did not attain.

This week we end our school year. Our year was not "perfect." We made plenty of errors, allowed way too many runs, and sometimes even tripped over first base. At other times, we might argue, the umpires made bad calls. But through it all, we had to keep playing. Despite our inconsistencies, we still keep trying to throw perfect games. But even a "perfect game" is pitched by a completely flawed pitcher, playing with flawed teammates, a flawed manager, and the aforementioned flawed umpire. We will not reach perfection until we set foot (or will we fly?) into heaven.

I am directed by God to keep trying for perfection, though I will not attain it in this life. As a school, we are commanded to reach for it as well, though we know reaching it is impossible. We keep trying because we are not allowed to give up. We keep trying because God put us here to make a difference, and who are we to quit when the left fielder makes an error, the other team hits three consecutive home runs, or the umpire blows a call? We need to play hard every inning, until the last batter is out and God turns off the stadium lights and shuts down the concession stands. Our Manager expects nothing less.

That's how it always is with God

I used to remark "The older I get, the faster the years go by." While the years continue to fly by, I have stopped remarking about it. Unfortunately, it has become the norm now, something I have grown accustomed to, though I don't necessarily like it. There are some benefits, however, to time flying, such as:

• Christmas gets here quicker (Does it come twice a year now?)
  
• My upcoming vacation will get here faster than I can say "Myrtle Beach." (Unfortunately, it will also be over before I can say "Where'd it go?")
• Children spend less time in diapers (Wasn't he just born? And now he's graduating?)

Another school year has passed, and of course it seemed to go by very quickly. But the issue really isn't how fast the year went by, but what we did with the year we were given. You see, each year is a gift from God, whether it seems to crawl by like a snail or flash past like lightning. Whether it is wracked with pain, is full of triumph, or seems to contain some of each. Those who use every moment for God and his glory will receive a double benefit: they will have a better life, one lived in accordance with God's plan, and with each passing day they will have moved another step closer to the day when they will see God clearly, face to face, in his glory.

Ecclesiastes 3:14-15 reads (in The Message) "I've... concluded that whatever God does, that's the way it's going to be, always. No addition, no subtraction. God's done it and that's it. That's so we'll quit asking questions and simply worship in holy fear. Whatever was, is. Whatever will be, is. That's how it always is with God. "

This year was a good one. Sure, it had its ups and downs, like any year. In the end, there is one thing that is inevitable, and another that is optional. Getting a year older is inevitable; getting a year wiser is optional. I'd like to think that our students, our teachers, our board, and our parents all did both. I believe that we are learning to recognize that all things are done in God's timing, not ours, and all things are done just exactly the way he wants them done. May God bless you as you finish up this school year. Have a great summer, and we'll see you (except for our seniors!) back here at PCHS next fall.

Got Education?

My brother, who is a dairy farmer, can easily relate to the farmer who said "The problem with cows is that they don't stay milked." The life of a dairy farmer is one of consistency and repetition: twice a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. When you get a day off, it isn't because the cows aren't getting milked, it's because someone else is doing it.

I hesitate to refer to our students as cows, but there is some similarity between cows and milking, and students and educating. I guess you could say, "The problem with students is that they don't stay educated." They forget what they have been taught, or at least "misplace" the wisdom that we have given them over the years. They seem to develop their own ideas of how things should be done, paying little attention to our concerns and advice. It's hard to blame them really; they are young and the world is at their doorstep. They live with gusto and enthusiasm. They sometimes think they know it all, when really they have so much to learn.

"The problem with students is that they don't stay educated." Maybe it's not really a problem after all, at least not entirely. There is, tucked somewhere between the unbridled joy of seeing students learn and the pain of seeing them make poor choices and even fail, a blessing in not staying educated. It causes us to grow and mature, to develop a more reflective perspective on life, and to be constantly reminded of our reliance on God.

When a milk cow stops being milked, her usefulness in life is, for the most part, over. We too become less useful when we stop being educated. So, here's to education, not only in school but also (and especially) in life. May we (students and adults) keep learning and growing so that we can keep loving and serving. After all, I'm not yet ready to be put out to pasture!

Thoughts on an 80 MB Hard Drive

It was the early 1990's, though I don't remember the exact year. I was at a friend's house, and he was telling me about how he had recently upgraded his computer. He had doubled his hard drive space, and now he had 300 MB! Yes, 300 megabytes! My computer was limping along with 80MB, but truthfully, that seemed to be enough. I will never forget my comment to him: "300 MB? What will you ever do with that much storage space?" Talk about a lack of vision!

Today is May 21, 2010. With hindsight I can see how shortsighted my comment was. I focused on what was on my hard drive, not what could be on my hard drive. I focused on the present, with no thought to where I could be in the future. It is almost humorous to think now of how far we have come since the days of 80 MB hard drives. Now we speak in terms of gigabytes and even terabytes. Megabytes have become like pennies; sure, they are still part of the currency, but who really takes the time to count them?

There is always a tension between the reality of the day and our vision for the future. I am a very practical person, and I insist that things work in reality, not just in theory. Yet today I make a plug for vision. Twenty years ago my 80 MB hard drive was working fine, thank you. I didn't need anything bigger. Yet in today's world I would have trouble fitting my vacation photos on the drive, let alone the program needed to view them. At Providence we are often caught between the reality of today and our vision for tomorrow. It is important that we do not neglect one for the other, for they are both critical. As we finish up what has been a challenging yet very good school year, I am compelled to look ahead and dream of where we might be in two years and five years and ten years. And when I do look ahead, I am encouraged, for the same hand of God that has guided for eight years will guide for eighteen and for eighty. We will change, but he will not. And in that reality we begin to understand why we must have vision, for even when the shadows of the day make it difficult to look ahead, we clearly see our God, like the pillar of fire that led the Israelites, in front making all things plain.

Losing a Friend I Never Met

See! The winter is past;
the rains are over and gone.

Flowers appear on the earth;
the season of singing has come,
the cooing of doves
is heard in our land. (Song of Solomon 2:11-12)

Every spring for what seemed like a hundred years, legendary Tiger broadcaster Ernie Harwell opened the baseball season with those words from the Bible. Ernie, a devout Christian, died this past Tuesday evening, and part of me died too. My childhood and even adult summer memories are filled with his soothing call of a Tiger game, and I actually shed a tear for a man whom I never met, yet who was somehow my friend. As others have recalled their memories of Ernie, they usually have nothing to do with how he called a game, though he did have some well-known lines. Almost always it comes down to who he was, how he cared for others, and his humility. It is the humility part that seems to amaze most observers. How many famous people remain humble? Yet to the last of his 92 years he put God first and others ahead of himself. He said repeatedly that he was ready to meet God; I have a suspicion that God was pleased to welcome Ernie to his new home.

I wonder how I will be remembered. Will others look at my accomplishments or my character? Will people care that I simply gave, or that I gave because I cared? We are blessed at our school by many people who give of time, talents, and resources because they care, not because they are looking for earthly glory or praise. May we all, like Ernie Harwell, serve our community with humility, so that when we are “looooong gone,” others will remember us not for what we did, but for who we were.

A Ministry of Injustice

I have often thought it would be a blessing if each human being were stricken blind and deaf for a few days during their early adult life. Darkness would make them more appreciative of sight; silence would teach them the joys of sound. - Helen Keller

In recent weeks in the country of Morocco, Christians have come under attack for sharing their faith openly. Even in a country where witnessing for Christ blatantly has for many years been a cause for expulsion, and where sharing your faith at all is risky business, the news is startling. In one particular situation, orphanage workers were expelled from the country with only 24 hours notice, leaving their adopted children behind in the care of who knows who, even though the orphan ministry had been operating in the country in much the same way for over 50 years. Their crime? They raised the orphans (who, by the way, are the outcasts of society which no one else will care for) in Christian homes, with full approval from the government. Why the change? A new Minister of Justice has taken it upon himself to strictly interpret the law, with an apparent lack of concern for human rights. In this case, it is the children who will suffer the most.

Meanwhile, here in the US, we take for granted so much of what we have. We have the right not only to share our faith openly, but to operate Christian schools. The school I was a part of in Morocco could not be Christian! We have the opportunity here to speak truth into the lives of our students, to share the love and the light of Christ with them. Students, staff, and parents alike too often take it for granted! If students attended my school in Morocco they would begin to long for a Christian environment! We are blessed, to be sure, but if we are not careful, our freedoms will continue to erode, until one day we wake up to a new "Minister of Justice" who will impose injustice on those who wear the name Christian. May we not only enjoy our freedom, but also protect it!

High School Sports and Life

Life is full of firsts. Your first birthday, your first tooth, your first steps, your first day of school, your first trip to Disneyworld, your first time behind the wheel without mom or dad in the car, your first kiss, your first job, your first car, your first child. Recently the Providence girls’ basketball team gave us some new firsts: our first district title in basketball, our first regional victory, and our first win over Western Michigan Christian. Not bad for five days of work!

I am writing this on Thursday afternoon, five hours before our girls will take the court in our first ever regional final game. I do not plan on doing any rewriting tomorrow based on whether we win or lose tonight, for I can honestly say that I am just as proud of these girls today as I will ever be, no matter how much further they go in the tournament. For, in one of the greatest exhibitions of toughness and determination that I have ever seen, our girls showed in their win over WMC exactly what high school sports should be all about. They laughed and cried, but always together as a team. They fought through plenty of adversity, enough to make many teams quit before ever starting. They persevered through overtime after their opponent tied the score at the buzzer in potentially demoralizing fashion. And in the end they celebrated their victory with hugs and smiles, probably not fully understanding that one day they would look back on this season and smile again.

I love high school sports and you should too, even if you don’t really enjoy sports in general. For high school sports are more like life than perhaps anything else we do here, and the more kids participate, as players and as fans, the better prepared they will be for the life that lays ahead of them.. Go Storm!

Viva la Lefties!

My wife and one of my daughters are left-handed, meaning that exactly 25% of my family writes with their left hand. This is almost double the percentage in the general population, which is around 13%. If it is true that left handed people are the only one's in their right minds, then I guess my family has been doubly blessed. But most of the time my wife does not consider it a blessing to be left handed in a right handed world (despite the fact that she can celebrate with her left handed friends on August 13, International Left Handers Day). While 13% of the population might be left handed, 99.9% of the world is designed for right handed people. I found this out when I hurt by right thumb a couple weeks ago. Try starting your car with your left hand! You have to be a contortionist just to reach around the steering wheel. The doctor who stitched up my cut was left handed but was trying to cut the stitches with a right handed scissors. It is not easy being left handed at school either. How about adapting to a right handed desk, a right handed pencil sharpener, and even a right handed mouse. For Pete's sake, even potato peelers are right handed.

We may not have very many left handed students in our school, but we do have some who often feel like they are left handed in a right handed world. What seem like simple learning tasks to most of us just don't come easily to them. It isn't any easier for them to do the math or read the story than it is for a left handed person to write with their right hand. They try to cope, but every day is a struggle. What can we do to help?

That's a tough question. Here's something we should not do. There was a time, not so long ago, when left handed people were forced to be right handed. Left handedness was actually seen as a disease that needed curing! Struggling in school is not a disease, either! So, don't treat it as one by trying to fix it with a miracle cure. In all likelihood it will take considerable time and effort, just as it would for me to learn to write with my left hand. I believe that given enough time I could learn, but if you judged my first attempts and compared them with others who were writing with their dominant hand, you would first laugh and then you might give up on me!

PCHS is not here to turn left handed students into right handed ones. We are here to help students develop the gifts God has given them, and use those gifts in service to him. So, here's to left handedness and the uniqueness God gives to each on of us!

Giving Thanks in All Circumstances

Last night one of our students, a freshman named Kyle, was hit by a car while crossing M-82 just east of the school on his snowmobile. The car was traveling an estimated 55 miles per hour, hitting Kyle's snowmobile directly on its right side. Kyle was thrown from the snowmobile, hit the windshield (smashing it completely), and was thrown 15 feet into the ditch. Miraculously, Kyle had absolutely no serious injuries and may even return to school this afternoon. When the accident happened, there were many students still in the building. As you can imagine, tension was high as students waited for word on his condition. They prayed and they cried as they waited, and, like all of us, sighed with relief and gave thanks to God when they heard that he was going to be fine. Later in the evening, their Facebook posts indicated not only their thankfulness to God, but their sure and unwavering belief that it was God who protected Kyle. How could someone doubt the existence of God after hearing of God's obvious protection of Kyle? They are right, for God's saving of Kyle's life was certainly miraculous. But what if God had not protected Kyle? Would God's existence have then been doubted? Would his goodness have been questioned?

This morning, a substitute teacher at our school told the heart wrenching story of her mother's battle with cancer. She told of the pain and the heart ache, the physical and emotional anguish that the entire family went through, and the ultimate loss of her mother's life. Her testimony of how God worked in her life through her mother's illness was at the same time encouraging and heartbreaking. Why did God allow this to happen? Why did he choose not to heal? Is he really there? Is he still good?

God is good all the time, and all the time God is good. Fifteen years ago we used to say that a lot in church and in other Christian "circles." Though it is no longer a common expression, we know it is still true. God is good... sometimes he gives us everything we hoped for; All the time... sometimes the pain in our lives is almost too much to bear. All the time... sometimes he miraculously protects; God is good... while other times we are not spared from injury. God is good... sometimes he heals; All the time... and sometimes - dare I say often - he lets the disease take hold and bring death. I have no deep theologically sound explanation for why this is. I just know that it is. But I also know that God is good all the time, and that my gratitude to him is not and cannot be dependent upon my circumstances. If it were, my life would be a yo yo, moving with monotonous rhythm as each passing event yanks me up, then down, then up, then down. I refuse to live like that. Instead, I will be radical in my gratitude, giving thanks to God in all circumstances, for he alone is good, and he alone is God. Today I give thanks to the God who saved Kyle's life and the God who allowed cancer to take the life of Carissa's mom. I thank him not for these events, but for the fact that he was in control of these events, and that he is in control of all events. Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. (I Thes. 5: 16-18). The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised. (Job 1:21b)

To Haiti and Beyond

By now, everyone has heard about the devastation caused in Haiti by a massive earthquake. Disasters of this magnitude don’t happen everyday (and we should be thanking God for that), so it is natural that our attention should be drawn to an event that is so cataclysmic that the death toll is estimated to be at least 50,000 people and the capital city has practically been leveled. We typically respond quickly to these types of events, as we should (see Give Your Age for Haiti in the Storm Bulletin to see how PCHS is responding and how you can get involved.) The truth is, however, we live in a country where almost without exception the physical needs of those far from us are greater than the needs of those close to us. This is the reality of living in America. To put it simply, we have and much of the world has not. Acting as the hands and feet of Christ should exemplify who we are, not only how we respond when someone’s cry is loud enough. Reaching out to Haiti is what we should be doing today; reaching out to the world is what we should be doing always.

On Donating Blood

Today I tried to give blood at the PCHS blood drive. Last night I almost gave blood while driving. In both cases, not a drop was shed. Today I was disappointed, last night I was relieved. I guess that has something to do with how the blood would have been shed.

Today, I would have gladly given a pint of my blood so that others could have the blood they so desperately need. Despite the fact that my blood is worthy of such sacrifice (at least in my humble opinion), the Red Cross did not see it that way, and told me to come back in 18 months, when there would be enough time between blood donation and my former life in Africa. I have to admit that it is a little sad to really want to give blood, but be refused. I was not alone in this rejection, as I saw other fine people also being turned away.

Last night I was in a car accident on M-120 when another driver pulled out in front of me and I couldn't stop. The front end of my poor little Fusion was demolished, but my seat belt and air bag protected me well, and I went home with just a few scratches and bruises. The other driver was only slightly more injured, having a few cuts on his head, which is somewhat miraculous considering I hit him almost directly on the driver's side door. I did, in all honestly, ask the question "is this the end" in the 1.73 seconds between realization of impending impact and the actual collision. At the same time, I felt a strange sense of peace, knowing that I could be very close to seeing Jesus. But it clearly was not my time, and I'm grateful to have the continued opportunity to serve Jesus right where I am. That's because He made the ultimate blood donation, the one that paid the price for you and for me, and that gives us all the incentive we should ever need to serve others.

When we donate blood at a blood drive, it is an act of service to those in need. When Jesus donated his blood on the cross, it was the one act of service that gives meaning to all the others.