Superintendent's Thoughts Unknown

This week I had the privilege once again to be a part of our
High School graduation ceremony. It never fails to inspire me to see these young men and women poised and
ready to move on to God’s calling for the reminder of their lives. This is often a huge step in their
quest for independence. From this time forward their relationship with their
parents changes. It is an
important juncture where the past and the future separate in ways that other
than when someone is getting married seldom occur in one’s life journey. If future plans include further study,
more graduations are also possible but those are often more about launching a
career than experiencing separation from your roots. I do not want this to sound like a bad thing; it is a normal
part of the rhythm of life when young folks are ready to spread their wings and
try to solo just a bit more. Clearly the ties to friends and family from their schooling years remain
connected and important, but the boundaries extend a bit further and the
familiar is not as apparent. Again,
these are all good things that will test us as parents to trust even more in
God’s faithfulness, care, and strength and will test our children as their
faith and world view are opened for others to examine and for them to
strengthen. So, is this the
beginning or the end? I think it
is both, the beginning of many things and completion of many others. What a great night! It was a celebration of just how these
young men and women have prepared themselves for God’s service.




Three reflections from the graduation ceremony:



I was amazed once again at the confidence with which each of the students who spoke presented themselves and also with the articulate manner in which their ideas were expressed. I am very sure that when I was in high school I would not have been prepared or equipped to do what these young men and women did at their graduation. I believe this is the result of having an educational journey that requires our students to defend their thinking, to express themselves clearly, and to thoughtfully reflect about the impact that others have had on them and how they have impacted those around them. This was not just one person or one year. This has been the case with every student who has made a presentation at graduation in the past decade. What is more amazing is that I know that we had just 4 or 5 student speakers involved but we could have many more do the same thing just as well. As a matter of fact I am convinced the vast majority of our students could have shared their thoughts with a different story but the same impact.

The person selected by the class to give the commencement address was a local retired pastor, which says something already about these kids. Ren Broekhuizen has been one of the favorites as a chapel speaker at all of our schools for quite some time. His genuine passion for kids is so apparent that they will give him their full attention for as long as he wants it. They know Ren will always help them to learn something they did not know about themselves or about God and His Word. Tuesday night Ren challenged the class to be people of integrity, that their actions and words match, and that they are the same people when they are observed by others or are alone by themselves. Clearly that is a very important message today for young men and women who are ready to be more independent. The temptations are not going to let up; as a matter of fact, the more you proclaim yourself as Christ’s servant the greater the temptations will be over the coming years. The easiest route would be to not resist the general flow of the stream but that is seldom the best route for a follower of Jesus.

One phrase that Pastor Broekhuizen used that struck me as crucial for all of us. He said many people feel that the purpose of a Christian education is to learn how to fit Jesus into our lives. But he went on to say that that is a mistaken notion. The real purp

Another Lesson
Learned

After quite a few years of living and learning I have
discovered that life lessons can be gleaned from both unusual and unexpected situations. For that reason, in every moment that
God gives us breath we must open eyes, ears, minds and hearts to recognize when
and where God is leading us through the people and happenings that he brings
into our lives.

In the winter months I enjoy doing jigsaw puzzles and I am
constantly on the lookout for challenging ones. I don’t just look for puzzles with a lot of pieces but also
those that have but some unique characteristic that set it apart from others –
maybe fewer colors or repeated patterns or blended scenes. These puzzles help me relax my mind
from the stress of the day yet challenge me to stay more focused than reading,
especially when I am tired. In
addition, I can work for a period of time and can actually measure if I have
accomplished something, which is not always true with my work at school.

Recently I found a puzzle that was 2 sided. The same scene was printed on both
sides of the puzzle but with a 90-degree turn. So you could not tell as you held a piece if it was upside
down or right side up. Because of
the way the puzzle was cut there were always two pieces that were nearly
identical but fit in two different places of the puzzle. One piece needed to be placed
diagonally opposite from the other. Needless to say, this was a very time
consuming process until I created a system to sort out the pieces more carefully. I also discovered that I could place a
piece in what appeared to be the correct location, but if it were actually
placed upside down it would not fit exactly how it should. It was just a very little bit off;
sometimes I would not even know it did not fit until I tried another piece
adjacent to it that also did not fit.

So what is the point of this lengthy story? I’ve probably told you more than you
ever wanted to know about jigsaw puzzles! What I recognized in these puzzle pieces is that if you find yourself in
the wrong place your entire picture can be incomplete. It seems to me that as Christians that
should be the description of us. Not
fitting exactly should provide a lesson about how we have been called to live
our lives every day. The colors
are right, the scene has the correct details and features, but something just
does not fit. We have been called
to be world changers not world conformers. That does not mean we will look differently than everyone
else but there must still be something that just does not fit. We are called to be different, called
to be transformers of culture. That does not mean we shy away from culture but we must be careful to
not have it fit us like a glove. If the fit does not feel right or even if it fits too well we maybe have
to determine if we really belong in another part of the puzzle or if we are
here in order to make other pieces fit better. I must be careful not to try stretch this analogy too far but
I hope you get the simple point - not fitting is not a bad thing. In many situations we as followers of
Christ should not fit. That does
not mean we do not have a role to play in the bigger picture but maybe it is
not in that certain spot or time or situation. A wise teaching that I have not heard for a while is that we
must be “in the world but not of the world.”

So how do you fit? Too well? Take a look around you. Are you really where you belong or should you be somewhere else? Do you not fit well at all? Take a look
at yourself. Is your discomfort by
choice or is it because of an awareness that you have sacrificed some values to
be where you are? Those are not
easy questions but they are important questions that have to be asked over and
over.

When a new year begins, especially this year at the
beginning of a new decade, we always grow a bit nostalgic. As we look back and reflect we also
look forward. I am sure by this
time you have heard and read enough about the woes of the past decade, referred
to by some as the most difficult decade in the U.S. since the Great
Depression. Agree or not, this
certainly has been a decade of change, with wide swings in the economy as well
as governmental policies.

Someone shared an editorial with me from the Wall Street Journal written by Peggy
Noonan. I know very little about
Ms. Noonan, but I found her insights to be important. It is her premise that institutions that were designed and purposed
to “hold us together” as a nation, the glue of commerce and living, have
struggled, floundered and even failed this past decade because they had
forgotten their mission. According
to the article government, banks, Wall Street, even churches and schools have
lost their way. They have forgotten
or abandoned their mission for the sake of profits or individual gain. They have failed to first serve the
communities they are in place to support and worried primarily about the
possible advantages strictly from a personal or individualistic point of
view. I think there is a great
deal of truth to that insight. Noonan is calling for the watchwords of the next decade to be “repair,
rebuild and return.” This is good
advice for our nation, our businesses, our local governments, our churches, and
our schools. Holland Christian is
no exception to that charge to make sure we have not lost sight of our mission.

I am pleased to relate, as I have a few times in previous
pod casts, that the leadership of Holland Christian is neck deep in that very
effort. We are carefully
evaluating if we are remaining guided and directed by our mission. Are we fully aware of who we are as a
school and what sets us apart from other schools? Are we still doing business in the same manner as we have
always done it because it is easier or because it remains the best way to
govern and direct the school? Do
we know our priorities? Are our
limited resources being used in such a way that they match our priorities? Are we caught up in things that favor a
few but do not serve the entire community well? Are we making choices that are expedient but not sustainable
in the long term? These are
difficult but very critical questions that we must be asking constantly,
especially right now as we see institution after institution crumbling from
inside because they did not pay attention to their mission.

This is not a new idea. As a matter of fact we have been called to be repairers and
rebuilders in Scripture. Isaiah 58
tells us that the Lord will guide you always and He will satisfy your needs if
you will rebuild the ancient ruins and raise up the foundations, and then you
will be called Repairers of the broken walls. There are great lessons we can learn from the physical
attributes of being builders, repairers, and restorers. We must work as a community to rebuild
the walls on those foundational principals that have guided us for over 100
years. But that will not happen by
sitting on the sidelines. The time
for action is now; we can wait no longer. As a nation, as a community, as a school we must rise up together and
make absolutely sure we are returning to be being rebuilders and repairers of
God’s kingdom here on earth. It
starts with each person, each family, each business, each church, and each
school. Are we still doing what
God has called us to do? Are we
doing it as well as we can? The
promises are great if we are faithful to that call.

Corrective Vision



We hear a lot about “vision” today. People will frequently have a Vision Statement
regarding their own future and calling, churches have a vision how they desire
to do ministry in the community, and businesses have a vision how to grow their
market share or their customer base. Vision in these arenas has to do with planning for the future and goal
setting. When we hear the term
“casting a vision” we might even have a mental picture of someone throwing out
a net to capture a snapshot of the future.



Vision can also refer to sight. This has recently taken on additional meaning for me since I
just went through surgeries to have cataracts removed from both eyes. This is quite a simple procedure today
that can profoundly impact your vision. I did not realize how poor my vision was until I was blessed with new
“lenses.” My sight has never been
this good! Things are better
defined; they have edges and are crisp and colorful. Your vision is a gift more appreciated when you realize it
can be lost.



My vision wasn’t bad, it was just fuzzy. That can happen to the vision cast for
institutions and for individuals as well. The edges can begin to dissolve and the focus can become blurred. If that happens, it is important for us
to clear it up, to challenge ourselves to refocus our vision. I am pleased to say that the Board and
Administration for Holland Christian is doing that right now. We are checking our vision for the
future and trying hard to determine our priorities as we move forward. We need to put in new lenses and see
where we should make changes, where we should consider a new design, and even
more importantly, where we should not make any changes at all. We want to have a process for our
school family to develop a much clearer vision regarding who we are, gaining a
better understanding of what it is that we have been called to do and how we
can be best equipped to fulfill that calling. This is important work and even more critical today as
resources have become more limited and difficult choices must be made.



Casting a vision for the future and talking about restored
sight are all well and good but in this season of the year there is an even
more important interpretation of the idea of vision. If we think about the story of Christ’s birth, it was really
a series of visions that led to this amazing event. Zachariah had a powerful vision of the birth of the
Messiah. Elizabeth had a vision
about the role of her son preceding the Savior. Mary had a vision about her amazing calling as the mother of
the Christ-child. Joseph had a
vision to help him understand the unbelievable. The wisemen had a vision about the guiding stars. The shepherds had a vision about the
birth of the Savior. It was one
incredible vision after another that predicted the future: first the birth,
then the life, the death, and the resurrection. Each one of these things was essential in our victory over
sin.



Our attempt to develop a vision for this school pales in
comparison to the visions forecasting the birth of a Savior. The world has never been the same
since. Indeed any vision of the
future that we might want to advance must be linked to the visions first told
in the story of Christ’s birth. May you and your family have a blessed Christmas filled with the
precious gifts of hope and love that we have been given through the birth of
Jesus Christ. May you experience
first-hand this Christmas season the corrective vision we now can enjoy as a
result of those gifts of love and hope.

As the leaves fall and the air cools, we just feel the
changes that surround us. It is
more evident every day that a new season is approaching and another season is
closing down. As we look at our
calendars and plan our coming weeks, Thanksgiving and Christmas are just around
the corner!



Thanksgiving is an interesting time; we set aside a day and
time to be especially thankful. We
recognize and celebrate God’s blessings in our lives, our families, our
relationships, and in our work and play. Without question it is a good thing for each of us to do as individuals
and as collective groups. Maybe
our class, our church, our youth group, our family, or our school could and
should actively find ways to express and demonstrate gratitude to God.



Saying “thank you” is an important habit, often embedded
into our vocabulary and our conversations at a very early age. All of us know immediately what the
answer is to the question expressed by an adult to a child when they ask, “What
do you say?” We have discovered
even when we are young that a quick thank you, even though it might lack
sincerity, is less painful and more acceptable than to resist or express our
true feelings at the time, which actually might not even be close to
gratitude. Please understand that
I am not encouraging us to forgo good manners and to be impolite or
unresponsive, but I do think we rush past the words without much thought put
into what we are really saying or wanting to say.



I find it ironic that we have become satisfied as a nation,
particularly as Christ-followers, with a day of gratitude as opposed to the
“life of gratitude” outlined in the Scriptures. It seems that we have once again settled for an easier
approach and unfortunately we are passing that onto the next generations.



I don’t believe Christ views gratitude and thankfulness as a
part-time activity. So what should
living a life of gratitude look like? What would be different about us - our work, our relationships, our
families, our friendships, our communities, or our response to God - if we
really believed we should be thankful in all things and at all times.



It seems to me living a life of gratitude should obvious in
our words. Every word out of our
mouth or in our actions, those things we do and the manner in which things are
done should be filled with a more grateful spirit. Our lives should be packed with joy-filled service for
others. We should be more open in
our acknowledgement of God’s care and blessings. Without hesitation we should recognize every time and with
great passion just who it is “from Whom all blessings flow.” Our daily walk should be filled with words
of praise for God and with encouragement for those around us. We should never hesitate in expressing
our appreciation or being a grace-filled person as we interact with
others. Compassion should not be a
decision but a lifestyle; tenderness and kindness are guiding principles that
are not viewed as a sign of weakness but signs of God’s presence in our lives. To be aware of our need to be grateful
is a gift and must shape us every day.



As you can see, living a life of gratitude and thankfulness
is not easy. It is certainly not a
part-time activity nor can a single day or even a season of time be sufficient
to express our gratitude to God. It
is a full-time task that has no beginning or end. There should be no limits on how gratitude should be
demonstrated or to what extent thankfulness must influence how we live each day
of our entire life.



As Thanksgiving Day comes around on the calendar this year
let’s try our very best to not have to make it a day different than any other
day of the year because we are already living every day as great gift from God;
a day we can fill with our gratitude, praise, and thankfulness.

Cleaning Up


A colleague of mine shared an interesting and insightful
acronym regarding relationships, particularly regarding responding to the
relationships in your life that have become, for lack of a better term, messy.I love people, I love to be with
people, but involvement in any relationship means that we must make ourselves
more vulnerable, and when that occurs we are at risk of being hurt.Sometimes we get hurt by our own
actions and sometimes we get hurt through the actions of others.When that occurs, relationships become
messy and they require our attention to make the necessary repairs if we expect
the relationship to have a chance to be restored.The acronym that my friend used was CLEAN UP.It’s a good reminder about how to both
restore broken relationships and avoid messiness in the relationships that fill
our life.

C – is for Communication


Most relationships: friendships, partnerships, etc. break
down because of a lack of communication.True feelings get suppressed or things said in love can unintentionally
be harmful but when relationships get off track the worst plan is to stop
communicating.

L – is for Listening


Along with good communication we also need to stop and
listen.Scripture tells us to be
quick to listen and slow to speak.This is very good advice.If we really listen, many conflicts and misunderstandings can be
corrected that were often caused by not listening in the first place.But don’t kid yourself, being a good
listener is very hard work.

E – is for Equanimity


It’s interesting what words we can discover when we are
working on an acronym that we like!Equanimity is a call for keeping balance in our relationship.Things like stress can put us out of
balance; in that situation, maintain your poise and don’t make a bad situation
worse.

A – is for Amnesia


Choose to forget when someone wrongs you.Don’t try to get even.If forgiveness is modeled by the Master
teacher, how can we think it is ever the wrong thing for us to do?

N – is for Naps


Rest is important in avoiding situations that could harm a
relationship.A lot of energy is
required to clean up a messy relationship.If you are not ready and rested don’t try to go in and fix
things. Also, slow down.People who are too busy are unable to invest the time and energy needed
in relationships to keep them positive.

U - is for Umbrella


You must shelter yourself from a certain amount of
conflict.There is a time to let
conflict and falsehoods bounce off your protective umbrella.Know what to take on and when not to
take something on directly.

P – is for Power


This refers to the power of prayer.Too frequently our first inclination
when things get difficult is demonstrate our rage.This is really the point at which we need the most self
control.We need the gifts of the
Spirit to keep us from anger, to be the more spiritually mature person and
apologize first.But before you
can do these things you first need to go to the Lord.

When you find yourself dealing with a difficult and messy
situation or relationship I would encourage you to just think about you how
might want to go about cleaning that mess up.When you do, remember this little guide.I think it might help.