People in Darkness Could See a Great Light

It is amazing how blind we can be to truth while thinking we know truth. Then, when the light goes on, truth becomes so evident that not seeing it is unthinkable. Example: for many years in our church choir, the tenors sat on the north (left) end of the back row and the bass singers sat on the south (right) end of the back row. The piano sat at the south end of the choir. We had a tremendous piano player who always played except during the choir’s special number. He had a beautiful tenor voice, and every week, year after year, before the choir’s number, Steve went out the south side door, around the back hall, and into the north side door to join the tenors. I don’t know who turned on the light of wisdom, but someone suggested changing the places of the tenor and the bass singers. After that, Steve just stood up, took two side steps and was with the tenors. It revolutionized the choir’s preparation time. Wow!

I have been in education for over 40 years and have seen programs come and go. The zeitgeist (my new word) has moved toward an education mandated to produce equal abilities in all students. NCLB has demanded that all schools produce all students to perform at a pre-determined level. If not, the schools are punished. The nation has poured millions of dollars into a program that said excessive testing produces smart students. Poppycock! Does a cavity go away if a dentist just examines the tooth frequently?

Today I read an article that turned on the light or put into words what I have believed for a long time. There are factors outside of the school that are far more responsible for a student’s difficulties than are negligent schools or poor teachers. It mentioned things I had never thought of but that make so much sense—prenatal influences, inadequate medical, dental, and vision care, food insecurity, family relations, family stress, and neighborhood characteristics to name a few.

We have not sought to fix what was broken, but rather put band-aids on the symptoms and blamed schools, teachers, districts, or anyone other than the real problem. I see the problem as our population moving away from godly principles and toward each person just looking out for #1. The plan that has long worked was for fathers and mothers to love each other and their children, to work to provide for them, and to bring them up to know the God that our nation was founded to worship. I think the Genesis serpent sold our society the same bill of goods as Eve, “Let me show you a better way.” Some better way!

Think beach

One of our favorite places!

Come Monday, it'll be all right

Mondays get a bad rap. Fats Domino sang “Blue Monday, how I hate blue Monday.” The Mamas and the Papas sang that “Monday Monday, Can’t trust that day.” The Carpenters sang, “Rainy days and Mondays always get me down.” Okay, maybe you don’t remember those people? How about the Bangles, “Just Another Manic Monday” or Jimmy Buffett, “Come Monday,” can you at least sing those? Come on, you can sing, “I spent four lonely days in a brown L.A. haze and I just want you back by my side” even if you’re not a parrot head (Buffett fan).

I explained on my Saturday post why I need to love Mondays as well as Fridays or Saturdays. But beyond that explanation, Monday is a time for thanksgiving--we made it through the week and have the privilege of starting another one. Monday is a time for new beginnings, even small ones. Zechariah tells us not to despise small beginnings. Mondays are clean slates and we can write words of our choosing on those slates. Okay, I’m ready to write (pause). “Come Monday, it’ll be all right. Come Monday. . .” Once I get a song in my head, it just plays over and over. (Did you know there was a parrot head cruise called “Off to See the Lizard”? How funny is that!) Here’s my pen, now where’s that slate?

No More Snow?

Sunday's Paradoxes

I thought that spring was here to stay, but I remember my mother and how she used to say, “It always snows on the blooming forsythia.” Sure enough, the forsythia is blooming and I saw snow flurries blowing around. Though the flowering trees and shrubs of spring looked beautiful, a cold, wet wind felt more like winter.

This morning at church, we heard a tragic story about a baby dying and a happy one about a baby planned to be born tomorrow. We heard of cancer returning and of partial blindness being healed. There was both rejoicing and tears. For the tears, there is comfort in knowing “He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." That new order of things sounds far better.

Also this morning, we saw 28 darling little pre-school children sing songs and recite memory verses. Their faces shone as they jump, jump, jumped into the light; and ran, ran, ran away from what’s not right.

Evidence?

It’s Saturday. You know at my age, I should not look forward so much to the weekends as when I was younger. Psalm 139:16 says that “All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.” Do you think that might be an argument against abortion? If you’re not sure, read the two sentences before that. But back to my point, I should not be wasting time or just biding my time until Saturday.

So, how am I going to spend the days ordained for me? I have an idea. It came to me as I was listening to a song by Steven Curtis Chapman on my IPod at work yesterday afternoon. (I am trying so hard to be techno-savvy, thus my IPod, blogging, Blackberry.) The song was Fingerprints of God. It’s about having fingerprints on us and our lives that are obvious to all around.

You know on all those TV shows about crime scenes, they find fingerprints to prove who was in that particular world and who touched the things in that room. Observers can tell just what the perpetrator did in that room by those fingerprints. We also hear that each set of fingerprints is unique and easily identifiable. So I wondered, is it obvious who has been touching my world?

Chapman sings, “I can see the fingerprints of God when I look at you.” Isaiah 64:8 says “We are the clay, you are the potter. We are the work of your hand.” Clay pots have fingerprints all over them as they are being molded into the design by the potter. Do I have God’s fingerprints on me and my life? Or do I have fingerprints from the kingdom of self? Chapman goes on to sing, “You're covered with the fingerprints of God.” That’s what I want. That’s what I want you to see when you see me.

Carol

Day 2 - Lunch Hour Thoughts

I listened to the Weather Channel this morning because when one is married to a farmer especially near planting season, checking the weather frequently is important. I didn't watch closely past what the high temperature was projected for me. I also vaguely heard that out west, there was going to be snow and possibly blizzard conditions and in the south, there would be rain and severe weather.

Now, as I look out my window, I see beautiful sunshine, and I smile as I eat my yogurt. My thoughts are not on the blizzards or tornadoes that others are facing. And then it came to me--how easy it is to be caught up so much in my own life that I don't see the hardships of others. How easy it is to lead a self-centered life! How "natural" it seems to limit my focus on me, on my, on mine.

A few weeks ago, a tornado hit Oklahoma City and struck very close to some friends' home. Suddenly, the hardship had faces and just as suddenly I cared.

I have learned to pray when I hear a helicopter at the hospital even when I don't see a face. I believe I should develop that same habit when I learn of others facing hardships. Perhaps if we all did that, we would see heaven send even more help.

My Genesis of Blogging

I have been wanting to become a blogger for some time now, and I have two goals in doing this. I love to read something that captures exactly how I feel--whether it be a song, a poem, a narrative, or a Hallmark card. That is my first goal in blogging saying something someone needs to read.

The second goal comes from my age, my past experiences, and my love of studying the Bible. I hope to be able to pass on some wisdom to help others along the way. Jesus said in Luke 22:32 to Peter that after he had been tested and come through it, he should strengthen the brethren. Maybe I can do that.