What Was I Thinking?

This is my third attempt to write a blog entry in the past two days. The previous entries vanished into the digital void. Perhaps that was God's way of saying, "Try again, Dan. You'll get it right eventually." I have been trying to write about how busy spring is at our school with all the field trips, graduations, outreaches, concerts, exams, sports, and other special events. This time, I will let that thought be expressed in summary as, "Pray for us (the staff and students), the weather, transportation, and our impact upon our community." There's so much to squeeze in between now and June 8th, and we are going to be sprinting like mad for the finish line. I have been conducting formal observations of our teachers these past weeks, watching each one teach a lesson and show me what they've got, and I must say that I have been impressed. Maybe I am biased, maybe I am looking for good teaching, but I have seen some lessons that I would call examples of ...

It is a little after six o'clock this Easter morning. My shades are drawn, so I cannot see what kind of day it is going to be weather-wise, but already my heart is filled with expectation for a beautiful day. I just finished reading a newsletter sent to me by my friend, Tain Palanun, former GGCA teacher now living in Seoul, Korea and teaching in a Christian school there. The newsletter was filled with beautiful testimonies written by the students he took to Thailand with him and members of the Korean church for a conference and times of evangelism. Something about reading the students' first-time experiences winning souls both thrilled and broke my heart; they were discovering how to share their faith with total strangers, giving out tracts, sharing in song, and ministering through drama. For me, it is the day after the Easter play here in Baltimore has ended. After a month's worth of concentrated effort, my life will begin to return to it's normal routine. I won't ...

I looked up the meaning of the word champion in the Webster's 1828 dictionary just now and I was happy to see it mean what I thought it would: A man who undertakes a combat in the place or cause of another (championess being the female equivalent). In the Old Testament, David was the champion of the Israelites that was sent out to combat the Philistine champion, Goliath.   Over the last two weeks, GGCA has sent out some champions and championesses to contest some basketball games against opponents from other schools. The young men won league and state title victories and they are to be commended along with their coaches for these accomplishments. The young ladies did not fare as well, but they represented our school with grace and dignity and have nothing to be ashamed of.   I think that there is a Finished Work perspective that we can derive from the old meaning of the word champion. Our student athletes are already champions the moment they put on their uniforms, because the...

I have been hoping for an opportunity to sit down and write about this topic I have had on my mind for a while now, and today the opportunity has arrived, because Stacey McCarter is in the office for the day to relieve some of the burden that has happily fallen upon us of responding to all the recent inquiries about our wonderful school. In his capacity as registrar, Nathan McFarland has been extremely busy responding to all these inquiries and Jen Lynch has a very busy job already, so Mrs. Lange and I have been doing a little front desk duty and some substituting for sick teachers as well as our usual "stuff" and my blog has been ignored. Today I plan to remedy this. There has been a lot of buzz lately in and out of educational circles about the effect of digital technology on our young people. A recent issue of an educational periodical I subscribe to used the term 'screenagers' to describe adolescents who spend hours a day online, on their phones, on in front of a ...

This past Friday I went to the office of Stanley J. Miller, M.D., P.A. for some Mohs micrographic surgery on my left temple where a basal cell carcinoma had been identified. Dr. Miller said that this kind of skin cancer was not the kind that could spread to other parts of my body, but that it did have roots that could grow down below the surface of my skin and do damage to the muscle and bone tissue below. He removed the affected area, checked it under a microscope, pronounced that he had gotten all of the roots, then sewed me up. I really didn't need another hole in my head. I tried to imagine what these roots looked like. I have done my share of uprooting trees and other plants in my lifetime, so I know what those kinds of roots look like, and I know how difficult it can be to completely remove them. I remember pulling up the roots to some sort of weedy plant only to discover that the roots had spread all throughout the yard and were connected to other weedy plants that needed to...

Yesterday, I wrote about the necessity of being an active participant in a child's education. I have a few thoughts that I wish to add to this topic, now that I have had some time to converse a bit with teachers and parents on this topic. I think that every child wants to know that his parents (and the other significant adults in his or her life) care. What does this mean in a practical sense? I think it means giving time and attention, asking questions and showing interest. It means persisting. Do my dad and mom care about me? * Does he come to see me play my games? * Does he look over my homework or ask about the book I am reading for school? * Does she check my grades on the computer and try to help my solve my problems? * Does he notice when I am not myself and sit and listen when I need to pour out my messy thoughts and emotions? * Does she stay on my case even when I tell her to leave me alone, because she knows that, left alone, I can't help myself and things will only g...

"And we're back!" That's what they say to hosts of live broadcasts to let them know that the commercials have they can be seen and heard by their viewers. The Christmas holiday break has ended and now we're back - back to the business of school, working to finish the second quarter, to bring the first half of the school year to a close. Tomorrow may be one of those, "We interrupt this broadcast" kind of events, better known here in Baltimore during the winter as a snow day. The forecasters are calling for a few inches of the frozen white stuff, so regularly scheduled programming may be preempted by sledding and other snow day activities. I am preparing to teach a Bible college class called Essentials of Teaching. My first class is on Monday, and I am still waiting for the "Eureka!" moment of revelation when God tells me exactly what he expects me to teach that day and all the Mondays to follow. In my mind, I hope to give my students the most es...