Blog+2008-2009

TBA
 * June 8, 2009

May 8, 2009 Reflections on Being a Beauty Creator

April 7, 2009 Refelction on Being a Creation Enjoyer

March 2, 2009 Random musings

February 28, 2009**  An excellent web page on child safety on the internet and digital literacy awareness for students ages 5-18. Coincidentally, this site was accidently banned in Scotland for being part of a cult. Enjoy [|**http://www.thinkuknow.co.uk/Default.aspx?AspxAutoDetectCookieSupport=1**]

Reflections on Being a Community Builder** //We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools.// //Martin Luther King Jr.//  If you have planted yourself in front of the T.V. on any given Friday in the last few months you will no doubt have discovered the  television mini-series //Crusoe. //Based on the classic book //Robinson Crusoe//, this is the blueprint for our modern adventure melodrama that tells of one man story to survive in a very hostile environment. The story has a serious side as it asks the important question about the nature of our life and our relationships? Crusoe, struggles with depression, anxiety, and fear of the unknown and finds comfort only in his aboriginal friend Friday. Blogger, Tim Challies comments that the Crusoe’s story speaks to a basic human need – that of community. Humans were created to be in community, both with each other and with God. //We have seen that community is a foundational part of God’s design for humans. It should then come as no surprise that it is also foundational to the church. Church, when done the way God intends, gives us just a taste of the perfect community. //  The challenge we extend to our grade 8’s is the same challenge that we as adults face, how do we create meaningful and godly community. The only answer to this is not to look for more likeminded same thinking people, but to be creators of common spaces that invite others who do not have enough community themselves in. That is the only way to be kingdom community builder!
 * February 16, 2009

Reflections Upon Servant Working - Youtube - Are you a Servant?
 * February 2, 2009

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January 5, 2009 Reflections Upon Idoltry Discerning** John Piper** As a Social Studies teacher, I am very interested in the patterns of consumption in our world. Did you know that 3 billion people in the world had a cell phone at the start of 2007? Did you know that in the two years since then, many people have replaced their cell phone not once, not twice, but three times on average? What can possibly rationalize people to want three cell phones in two years? (Other than my daughters who have broken or lost four phone just by themselves.) The entire economic system is held together by the premises that people need to consume goods and services. As Adam Smith, the author of Wealth of a Nation stated, “That it is not the benevolence of the butcher of baker where we find our dinner. But it is their concern for their own dinner” Companies like Visa, understand the human desire for consuming by providing a service that exasperates a societies tendency to indulge. This is so central to Visa’s existence that they have recently pushed into brand recognition among children 8-12 years old to gain a competitive edge over their competition. Idolatry is any tendency in the human heart to dethrone God for the sake of something else, whether that be money, ambition, power, pride, or something as seemingly innocuous as respectability. Idols, and the worship of them is a serious sin, it breaks the order in our life from focus on God; turning our attention to the issue of self indulgence. When we begin to lose our contentment in Christ, We put our confidence in the promise of “things” and “stuff” and whatever money can purchase, believing the lie that there is a depth of joy and quality of life in it/them that can’t be found in God. 
 * //Idolatry is desiring something so much that you lose your contentment in God//** **

Reflections upon a Christmas Season
 * December 21, 2008

December 7, 2008

November 21, 2008**
 * "It was the worst of times; it was the best of times."**

As Charles Dickens’s penned these famous introductory words of "A Tale of Two Cities", he had in mind the large cultural gap that existed between the worlds of Paris and London around the time of the French Revolution. A very topsey turvey world, where normal was turned on its head and people did what they had to do to survive.

When I use them, I hardly have such a grand perspective of a violent and revolutionary world. My reflections of the preperation of the Christmas Carol's preparation make me feel as if this is the best and worst of times this year so far.. The Grade 8 production is coming along well, lines are being learned, scenes are set, and parents are hard at work helping get the stage ready for the big production.However, with the preformance looming in three weeks, I can't help but feel a little nervous about all the details that still need to be accomplished.

We have 27 days left and would appreciate your prayers and any assistance you can provide. Thanks already to so many of you that have put in countless hours.


 * November 8, 2008

What will our Furture Identity look like?**

Today marks the 25th anniversary of the car accident that took my father's life in 1983. Upon reflecting on that day, I can’t help but remember the last few months together and some of the lessons I learned from him. Despite the grainy remembrances of his spirit, I remember he was a hard working man, a funny man, and an engineer and automotive mechanic who build a small business for himself after an industrial accident forced him to leave the love of his life, the CNR.

It was shortly before his death that I took up a pair of wrenches and helped him one summer in the garage. I could sense my father looming fear in 1983 about the future. His fears were obvious, as an auto-mechanic, he saw that his way of doing things was about to become obsolete. Cars and machinery were being outfitted with small diagnostic on board computers. That meant that mechanics were not needed to problem solve any more, and the era of the backyard mechanic was coming to an end. He feared the day when there would be no more need for his profession.

My dad never came to know that inevitable day. He didn't have to consider how he’d adapt to the changing world around him. That is not the case for our students who are facing a world of change. (Not to ride too much on the US president elects slogan) Our current reality is that change is forced upon us, whether we are ready for it or not!

If I had any wisdom as a grade eight student myself, I’d have told my dad that auto mechanics were not going anywhere, nor where farmers, plumbers, electricians, or teachers for that matter. What was going to change was the way we work and interrelate with each other. As many look with a certain apprehension of the future, fear should not be our mind-set. I believe our attitude toward change should be that of a society on the edge of a great transformation. Learn lessons quickly and never compromise our character, reputation, or faith. As my wife tells me, learn to work smarter, not harder!


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October 31, 2008** **What does it mean to be an image reflector?** 

When you see the full moon on a cloudless night, it isn’t the moon’s light we see, but a reflection of the sun. It is possible that the moon will reflect enough light that a person can see clearly enough to enjoy the nighttime. But once the sun is up, there is absolutely //no comparison// between that light and the reflection of the moon! As glorious as the moon looked, shining in its full glory during the dark of night, it is nothing at all compared to the full glory of the sun!

Early last month, we discussed what did it mean to be an image reflector? We discussed that we are a diverse, vibrant, and multifaceted reflection of God’s truth, love mercy, compassion and justice in the world today. Instead of using a mirror to demonstrate a reflection we found a disco ball which we have displayed in our class all month to remind us that we don’t merely reflect simple images, but we cascade light all over.

In Corinthians we are told that we are being transformed into the glory of //His// likeness to reflect his glory! The question is how do we do this? We understand that His purpose in creating is to create the character of God in us. God creates circumstances in which we receive the experience of being confronted with choices according to the will of God. He wants us to learn to react according to His plan. He wants us to experience, analyze, gain knowledge, deduce, understand, and finally decide to do the right thing. He puts us in circumstances <span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">to force the issue—to make us choose. <span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;">God puts us circumstances were we can make a choice, to reflect or distort His image in the world.

What are 21st Century Skills?**
 * October 20, 2008

The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. Intelligence plus character - that is the goal of true education. Martin Luther King Jr.

<span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; msofareastfontfamily: 'Times New Roman'; msoansilanguage: EN-CA; msofareastlanguage: EN-US; msobidilanguage: AR-SA;">While talking to a co-worker a few days ago, it surprised me to hear her share that at a recent meeting with other School Resource Teachers, the idea of technology use in the classroom came up. During that discussion, the question of "why do we need to be using it so much?" was asked. I must admit when I heard the remarks I was taken aback, thinking how could someone even think this? How could they be so backward thinking? It eventually hit me, most adults use a PC less than one hour a week. Most adults older than 35 use Facebook to keep in touch with old friends, not make new ones. A Podcast to someone over 50 is still produced by a major media outlet like CBC or TSN. It might seem foolish reasoning to them to invest in technology when those of us 35 and older see it still as something to consume and not some place to create. The truth is that technology and it ramifications will make many significant impacts in our students life by giving them the canvas and paint brushes to create master pieces we only dreamed about when we were Jr. High students ourselves. We must remind ourselves, that we are not teaching students the simple skills needed to operate a computer, they already know that.. We are teaching them 21st Century skills! We are foremost concerned with mastering character and community regardless of what tool we use to do this. I believe that these are more than 21st Centuries skills, but building essentials for God's kingdom. Take a look at these videos, they explore the use of technologies as tools to build character and strengthen community. After you watch, jot down something’s that answer these questions are we doing enough? What else should we be doing to prepare our students for the future?


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October 12, 2008** A Thankful Heart

“Blessed are those who give without remembering. And blessed are those who take without forgetting.”
<span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA;"> It is common for many people to remember to be thankful at this time of the year. It is after all called thanksgiving. However, the challenge for all of us is to live in a state of constant thankfulness. To carry an attitude of gratefulness despite the difficulties of everyday is our hope. The challenge reminds me of the story of the boy that could only say three words, sorry, please and thanks. This boy was known throughout the town he lived in as a child that would beg for food and money on the street corner in this very industrial setting during the late 1920's. He would stop passers-by with a held out hand and say, sorry, please? He always said thanks, regardless if he received something or not. The boy was known as the "three word wonderboy". One day during the bleak of winter, the wealthy owner of the town's largest factory arrived and passed by the corner where the boy often resided. He heard the three words clearly before he saw the boy that so many others seen every day. The man's attendants try to dismiss the personal intrusion and hurry the man of prominence along. The man, known as a logical and hard man, stopped and asked an obvious question with a smile of his face, "Why should I help you?" The boy returned the smile and said "Because I am your burden of thanks". The man thought the remark strange, and the smile slipped slowly away. He seemed unimpressed with the boy’s response and reasoning. He quickly looked sternly to the faces of the men he traveled with and uttered to the boy, "burden of thanks? Are you implying that I must give you something". "No" replied the boy, "but by helping me, you remember that we are not put on earth for ourselves, but are placed here for each other. If you are there always for others, then in time of need, someone will be there for you". The man, moved by guilt, threw what change he had in his pocket into the outstretched hand of the boy and walked away. Years later, the wealthy man ran upon hard times himself; during the Great Depression, found himself ruined and on the street begging for food himself. One day, he found a long bread and soup line. After waiting for what seemed like an eternity, he'd came to a server and said, "Sorry, please?" As he looked into the face of the serve he remembered the three word wonderboy from the street corner. The boy had aged and weathered a bit over the past decade, but it was still that same person he dismissed so many years ago, now serving him what he needed so badly. With that same boyish smile, he looked him in the eyes, and said "no problem, like I told you long ago, we're here for each other". The man overwhelmed by his own arrogance years before, asked the server to forgive him his greed and pride on that faithful day. The server replied "there is no need to dwell on the past, now we are now each others burden of thanks - aren't we?”

**October 5**
When science and art don't mix..... enjoy

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Spring Program... Oops, I Mean Christmas Program
That wise person was the legendary Vince Lombardi, famed coach of the NFL's Green Bay Packers. He knew a thing or two about being successful; he certainly knew a thing or two about hard work. He was the person who coined the phrase "you play like you practice".
 * A wise person once said, "that the only place you find success before work is in the dictionary".**

We have limited time over the next 2 1/2 months to pull our Christmas Program together. It is going to be an excellent opportunity for all our students to show off their God given talent and put CCS best foot forward. However, if any of our students believes that they just show up on the day of the performance and knock it out of the park (sorry about so many sports cliche), they are fooling themselves.

It is my hope that all of our students will work hard over the next 75 days in preperation for this worthwhile program.

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Justice -Seeking Students**
 * September 20/08

Over the last month we have looked at the topic of Justice Seeking in our Monday Morning Celebrations. I am often concerned about my own inability to make a difference with those around me, I have also been concerned for the way our society looks at issues of piracy and illegal downloads. These way not seem like huge issues of injustice compared to war crimes, human slave trafficking and the oppression of poverty, but they lie at root of these bigger problems. That root is not caring enough about others to see how our actions impact others.

For years, Martin Luther King, struggled against injustice in the American South. He has been immortalized for many quotes, one of those guotations stated that "injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." Injustice doesn't always look like an oppressive monster, it often looks like selfishness and white lies that we tell to ease our conscience when we can not be bothered to consider the implications.

In a global community like our in the 21st Century, we as Christians must constantly engaged in discussion that account for our own lack of compassion and insensitivity. Today, like every other day is the day that we must stand up for those how can not stand for themselves, raise our voice for those that can not speak, and advocate for the marginalized as we strike a blow against injustice around us locally and around trhe world.

[|www.freerice.com]