The Face And Voice Of A Company

The Face And Voice Of A Company

It was just one of those days! This is from March 15, 2013.
Do you ever feel the Lord sent someone just to you? Like there was one perfect person to get you through the predicament you were in and they just appeared? That happened to me today and not just once, but twice. I awoke this morning to find my Internet not working. Sometimes it's slow getting kicked into gear but after several hours, I knew there was something wrong. I mentioned I upgraded to a cell phone six days ago which required some changes to my Internet service but it stayed with AT+T. Two days ago, there was a notice on my door that a guy named Sam had come by and connected me back up. Since it worked fine, I thought end of story but it's never that easy. Sam kindly left his name/number on the notice so this morning, I called him. He was in the neighborhood so he stopped by. He explained I needed a new password and had to register my new account  Since he was there, he did it for me, explaining as we talked that he has been with AT+T for thirty-two years, a rarity these days, and why my Internet was so slow in the morning- my shutting off the modem every night . I thought that was all she wrote but when I came home from working out this afternoon, the Internet was out again and my laptop kept directing me to an AT+T site which took me fifteen minutes to go through, telling me something I didn't understand. I wasn't frustrated, just resigned that all the stuff I need to get done tonight and tomorrow would be interrupted by trying to figure out how to fix the problem. Well, maybe I was feeling sort of sorry for myself but I prayed about it and called the AT+T tech support line. I was connected to a wonderful lady named Elizabeth. For the next forty-five minutes, she walked me through a series of fairly complicated sequences on my laptop and not only restored my service, but corrected several issues I was having which I didn't even know I was having. I asked her if she worked from a script with all these scenarios written out but she told me she simply has them memorized. Here's the amazing thing- Elizabeth acted like I was doing her a favor for allowing her to help me. Before we hung up, which I guess you don't actually do with a cell, I profusely thanked her repeatedly. My Internet had been restored but so had some faith in corporate America.

You may disagree and that's your prerogative but I don't think it's coincidental my path coincided with that of Sam(uel) and Elizabeth today. You might say they were just doing their jobs but if you know anything about my lack of even the most basic tech skills, you know that not just anybody can help me sort things out. Then there's the name thing. You Bible scholars are way ahead of me. You know that Samuel's mother, Hannah, prayed for a baby and he was the answer. You know Elizabeth prayed for a baby and the result was John the Baptist, even being announced by the angel Gabriel to Zechariah! The Bible says both Hannah and Elizabeth were barren but these two women of God produced two men of God who were essential in the story of the Messiah, and both life long Nazirites! (I know all my students can effortlessly list the five parts of taking this ancient vow.)You know, the world may not care about a Bible application to this story but it might about customer service in an age of lowered expectations. I mean, I'm the one who thanks the employees at the grocery store and fast food chains when good business practice teaches it should be the other way around. But now, when I think of this huge corporation, I'll associate AT+T with Sam and Elizabeth, whose last names I don't know and in her case, I can only go on a voice. Come to think of it, that might be a good application for Christians. No one knows everyone in a church but they might know you or me and they could judge the group, and maybe even the Savior, in the impression we make in our interactions. We will make an impression: make it a good one. I saw two pretty good examples myself today.

Applicable quote of the day:
"It's easy to make a buck.  It's a lot tougher to make a difference." 
Tom Brokaw

God bless,
Steve
Luke 18:1

Theory Of Relativity

 

Theory Of Relativity

I can usually tell who has put the time in before taking a test. This is about a girl who always studied. It's from from 12-6-05.

Life is relative. The first thing Todd Burnett, one of my students, said to me this morning was "It sure is cold!" The temperature in Houston was 38 degrees, which for where we live is frigid. Thirty-eight degrees in many places in December is considered evidence of global warming. One Christmas, we visited my sister Cece who lives in Montana. The temperature one morning was 30 degrees below zero. It was so cold, it hurt to breathe. Now that's COLD!

I attempt to help my students understand the relativity of certain matters. I'll ask if a girl who is five feet in stature is short or tall. The invariable answer is 'short', to which I reply, "Not if she's in kindergarten." I'll choose a young man who is 6'3" and ask if he is tall. When they assert that he is, I state, "Not if he's in the NBA." Comparisons show discrepancies in any number of areas that we deal with. Most of my players and students think they work hard. There is always someone working harder.

Her first name was Elsa and she was a Copeland. It seemed like half the kids at the school were Copelands or related to Copelands. I taught her for three years in history classes and was blessed to be her coach her senior year. Elsa was driven. Life was full throttle for her. She was a student in an elective US History class which was unlike any I have ever instructed. The kids were beyond competitive in their test grades. The exams were simple, usually only two essay questions, but they would write non-stop for the entire period and beyond. Elsa was always extraordinarily prepared. She always made a perfect score. Curious to find out how much it meant for her test to be flawless, I asked, "Elsa, how much extra would you study to make a one hundred on your test instead of a ninety-nine?" Notice, I didn't ask how much would she study but how much EXTRA; she was already putting in hours the night before. She thought and her reply was "Five hours." That blew me away. The difference between 99% and 100% is minuscule. On top of that, we were on the A-B-C-D-F system. A 99% and 100% were the same grade. Elsa was such a perfectionist that the one point, which would never show up on her transcript, was vitally important. That May, at graduation exercises, guess who gave the valedictory address? There was never any doubt it would be Elsa.

Most don't understand hard work. When I tell the story of Elsa, my students are incredulous. Her study habits, according to them, were out of line with rewards she might reap. We have a conflict- we want to be good but we don't want to do what it takes to get there. I had a young lady who played basketball for me as an 8th grader and a sophomore. Last season, she made the NCAA All-Tournament team and her Baylor Bears won the Women's Final Four. Her name is Emily Niemann. I believe she was the best shooter in the country. In class, I asked one of my middle school basketball girls if she wanted to be as good a shooter as Emily. Her quick reply was "Yes!" Then, I described the countless hours which Emily spent on becoming a tremendous shooter; how she would come in an hour and a half before school in 8th grade, go through both MS and high school practices, lift weights, and then find a pickup game against guys. I described how as a 10th grader, she told a FOX reporter in a TV interview how she had played basketball everyday since 4th grade. After going through Emily's story, I asked my player if she still wanted to shoot like Emily. When she saw what it took, she changed her answer to "No." We are all like that. Jesus had people say they would follow him but they did not know what it entailed. I have to love you more than my family? My possessions have to be sold and given to the poor? What's this about carrying some cross daily? We haven't changed much. We talk a good religious game. We want to follow Jesus sort of. I have my classes write letters to the seriously ill or grieving. When a student asks, "How long does it have to be?", they are asking, "What's the least I can get by with?" That describes our spiritual lives at times- the minimum effort to still be considered a Christian. I don't see in myself the dedication I see in those who gave up all and followed Jesus. Elsa would dedicate five extra hours for one point. What is worth five hours for me?

Applicable quote of the day:
"A man sits with a pretty girl for an hour, it seems like a minute. He sits on a hot stove for a minute, it's longer than any hour. That is relativity."
Albert Einstein

God bless,
Steve
Luke 18:1

The Prize

 

The Prize

"Where our treasure is, our heart is." What was that guy's name who said that? Starts with a J, I think! This is from June 26, 2014.

We ended camp last week at WCS for 2014. I always count down the ninety hours of the three weeks in my head- it can get repetitive- but I miss the kids when it's over. I've seen several of my campers this week in other camps our school offers and I'm always happy when they are excited to see me. There is something about being around little children that makes you feel young even when you aren't any more.

Several years ago, we started having a Team Of The Week contest in our younger kids' sessions which are in the morning. The teams are divided usually by gender and always by age and they choose their own names, often in a category like zoo animals. (My A.M. squads this summer were the Cheetahs, the Panthers, and the Monkeys.) The morning campers range from about five to entering fourth grade and compete for WOW Points, which are awarded for winning Musical Triple Threat or Coach Says or which team mimics best in a shooting game or which group cheers the loudest. To be honest, it's easier for girls to win because they tend to be better at these things than elementary age boys. The totals are kept on a chart on the wall and are the topic of much discussion when updated. One of my campers, Catherine, mentally kept track of the score and was astonishingly accurate! Trey Austin, as did previous camp director Russell Carr, tells the kids that the members of the winning team will get a prize but never reveals what it actually is. Well, this past week, my team won and as I recall, it was a landslide. Like I said, girls have a distinct advantage when it come to WOW Points.

We always end morning camps on Friday with two traditions, Slip And Slide and Roasted Watermelon imported from Nicaragua. (The Roasted Watermelon tastes suspiciously like the regular variety in case you were wondering!) Right before we all went outside, Trey awarded the Monkeys their prize for capturing the Team Of The Week contest. The hardware? Each girl received one of the blue and gold plastic WCS commemorative basketballs shown at the top of the page, the kind cheerleaders often toss into the stands during high school games. (I was playing with my picture filter and that's why the ball is black and white- artistic license.) Other years, the prize has been a WCS basketball wrist bracelet or a WCS water bottle, nothing expensive but definitely filled with school spirit. I was intrigued with the response of one of the young ladies on my team after she had taken possession of her trophy, and I quote:
Is this all it is?  
She appeared very disappointed but I can guess why. She has been a student at WCS since kindergarten and has seen these prize basketballs constantly, perhaps even owning one herself. She wasn't ungrateful, just let down. To her, it simply was common and nothing to celebrate. I let it go- she's really a wonderful little girl.

As we went outside and were eating our watermelon, a young man saw me holding my prize- coaches get one, too- and exclaimed to no one in particular, 
"Man, I would give anything to have one of those basketballs!"
You see, this camper, who is about third grade age, doesn't go to our school and had never seen one of these balls before. I could actually detect an ache in his voice. Part of me wanted to give him the ball but that would go against what we told the kids plus I'd have to give one to every other child. Truthfully, the ball means little to me as well; I think I'll give mine to Dat in Vietnam if I can fit it into my luggage.

Funny how one man's trash is another's treasure, or at least that's what they say. I would guess the girl, who is generous, would have given her basketball to the boy if she had only known he wanted it. Abundance seems to breed indifference. I read a book this week about Christians in China desperately wanting a Bible and sometimes facing torture for their hunger. (On my first trip to China, I gave my Bible to an army officer.) In our society, we leave Bibles laying around like they have little value; after all, many American Christians probably have five or six scattered around their houses. My only dilemma is figuring out which translation to read from today or if I feel like logging onto my laptop and taking advantage of www.biblegateway.com. The Word of God is precious and powerful and in our culture, abundantly available. In other lands, the Scriptures have been smuggled in and treated as precious as jewels. Here, even in the Bible Belt, we take it for granted. This prize should never be taken for granted especially by those of us who should realize its eternal worth. Lives are on the line in this contest.


Applicable quote of the day:
Friendships born on the field of athletic strife are the real gold of competition. Awards become corroded, friends gather no dust.

Jesse Owens

God bless,
Steve
Luke 18:1

The Internet, Mrs. Harris, And Sarah

 

The Internet, Mrs. Harris, And Sarah

This is about one of my favorite students and her favorite teacher! It's from October 9, 2018.
Sometimes in class, I ask random students what they will be doing at 3:25 PM when the last bell of the school day rings. The answer is always along the line of play practice or basketball workouts or going home. My reply is always, "You don't know. None of us knows." I then quote James saying we should preface our intended plans with if it's the Lord's will. That's how our day started at WCS. An electric outage yesterday caused an interruption of Internet service for the first three class periods today. Since everything I had planned in my Bible classes-everything- requires being connected online, I had to be flexible. My 8th graders could not prepare for their quiz over Luke 6:1-16 because we use biblegateway.com instead of paper Bibles and that option was taken away. So, I had them write a sequel to Johnny Lingo, the short movie about self esteem we watched last week. But, that still left some time left over so I did something I haven't done for years- I read to my students. I read to them three short stories from the wonderful book shown above by John William Smith, one of my favorite writers and speakers ever. I told the kids about Doris Harris, my best elementary teacher and maybe one of the best two or three teachers I ever had on any level. Mrs. Harris taught fourth grade at Willard School in York, Nebraska and she was amazing. What I recall most was that every day after lunch, she would read to us from The Little House On The Prairie series and that was the very best part of my day. She fostered a love for reading that my folks had kindled- Mrs. Harris set it on fire. I'm eternally grateful for her gift to me that year I was blessed to dwell in her classroom. 

By sixth period, we were fully functional again. As you may know, I put a bonus question worth one correct answer on each quiz or memory verse. After explaining the value of Doris Harris to my education, I told the juniors in my Gospels' class that the following was their bonus for the quiz which covered Luke 6:17-36:
In several sentences, tell me who your favorite teacher of all time is AND why.
There were a number of excellent responses but I particularly like Sarah's. Here is what she wrote:
My favorite teacher of all time is Mrs. Warner in first grade. She was a very old widow. She would always tell us to be creative and would always tell us stories. She always would smell like vanilla when I would hug her. She was by far my strictest teacher but I know she loved me the most. She taught me to love poetry and reading. She first introduced me to chapter books and poetry. I miss her a lot.
My guess based on my own experience is that Mrs. Warner was probably not as old as Sarah remembers. I love her memory of her scent and that Mrs. Warner let Sarah hug her. Teaching is so much more than just imparting facts; it's about imparting love. Jesus taught in Luke 6:40 that, 
The student is not above the teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like their teacher.
I hope in some small way that I've turned out like Mrs. Harris. And I've no doubt, no matter what career she chooses, that someday, Sarah will be like her beloved Mrs. Warner. That would be a fitting final chapter in the book of learning Mrs. Warner inspired, wrapped up neatly with the lasting fragrance of vanilla.

Applicable quote of the day:
I have come to believe that a great teacher is a great artist and that there are as few as there are any other great artists. Teaching might even be the greatest of the arts since the medium is the human mind and spirit. 
John Steinbeck

God bless,
Steve
Luke 18:1

Uwem And Ancestry.Com

 

Uwem And Ancestry.Com

This entry, from October 7, 2018 is about a kid I loved having in class!
Uwem is one of the favorite kids I've had in class. Now a junior, he's on his secobout a kid I loved having in class!nd tour of duty in my Gospels class after surviving 8th grade Bible three years ago. Last week, we had recruiters from West Point on campus at lunch. They had a table set up with no takers. I told Uwem I'd give him two points on our test that day if he went over and spoke with the lady and gentleman. I bragged on him to our guests, telling them that Uwem is gifted in athletics and the fine arts as well as being smart. He spent a good fifteen minutes with the recruiters, time he could have spent eating and socializing. Later in class, I asked him what he learned. His reply? "Coach, it's really hard to get in there!" It is but I told him it's not out of the realm of possibility!

That brings us to Wednesday. Each day on our quizzes and memory verses, I ask a completely random question with eight possible answers, all posted on the screen. On Wednesday, the question was, "Where does Michael rank in most common boys' names in Nigeria?" (The correct answer is second!) As I posted the question, I made the statement that Uwem and his family along with myself and others had enjoyed celebrating Nigerian Independence Day which was this past Monday. There was some giggling and I asked, "Are you saying Uwem and his family aren't Nigerian?" The response was along the line of we don't mean Uwem, Coach. (Uwem and his family are in fact Nigerian.) My rejoinder was, "You do know my grandfather was from Nigeria, don't you?" The silence instantly became deafening. I let them sweat for about five seconds and then told them I was kidding. I am pretty sure I heard some sighs of relief from the kids as we went on to take our memory verse which was Ephesians 3:20-21.

I found it fascinating that not one of the kids challenged what I said about being Nigerian. We have spoken in class that my heritage is Danish, Irish, and English.They knew I'm not Nigerian deep down and yet.... My guess, born out by their nods when we discussed it, is that they might have been perceived to be slighting my ancestry if in that 1 in 100,00 chance my statement was true. Plus, these kids have been raised to believe authority figures and I have always stressed honesty with them, making some point in truthfulness almost every in class. Once I told a class that a problem with being left handed is that it's very difficult to find a left handed tennis racket or baseball bat- no rebuttal at all. About the only time I've been even mildly questioned is when I've shared that I once was engaged to Shakira. No such luck for her!

When do we speak up and when do we let something slide? Some things are, of course, minor and innocent mistakes. What time class lets out on SCHEDULE D or what's on the lunch menu today would be examples. There is zero harm associated with those instances. Some things are opinions and most have no real bearing on anything. How about a rumor that is both false and harmful? Jesus said He was the way, the truth, the life. He also said the truth will set us free. In the spiritual realm, we take the Word as our source of truth; that's why the Bereans were considered praiseworthy for making sure Paul was telling the truth in his sermons. We have to be able to discern what is true before we can take any next step. But truth doesn't come by osmosis. It takes effort and time and maybe someone to guide us along the path, ie the eunuch and Phillip. Then, we choose time and place to take our stand. Peter reminded us that our dealings should be handled with gentleness and respect, not easy in this contentious society but vital. Buy the truth and sell it not, we're told in Proverbs. That's still a great mantra for life, even thousands of years later! And one more thing- Happy Independence Day to all my (for five seconds) fellow Nigerians!

Applicable quote of the day:
You don't stumble upon your heritage. It's there, just waiting to be explored and shared. 
Robbie Robertson

God bless,
Steve
Luke 18:1

Time In A Bottle

 

Time In A Bottle

Some of the kids I wrote about here are now in their forties! The following, from May 22, 2007, covers an exercise of remembrance for my students.

We've been making time capsules in my Bible classes as the end of the school year looms. I guess the term time capsule is kind of a stretch. I have all the students in a period sign one of our Honduras bank bottles with a Sharpie. On a sheet of paper, they jot down their favorite memory/memories of the year in class. Some write a sentence and some use an entire page. The papers are folded and stuffed inside the plastic bottle and deposited in the bedroom closet in my apartment. Lord willing, I'll pull them off the shelf in ten or fifteen years and reminisce through the eyes of young men and women. When I read them again, these kids will be on the adult side of twenty..... or thirty.

It's been a good year in Room 258. Part of the reason I'm upbeat about the past nine months is the group of seniors enrolled in my Life Of Christ classes, normally reserved for sophomores. There is a huge difference between a sixteen and eighteen year old. Life is about to get very interesting for the group picking up their diplomas in ninety-six hours. What will the upcoming twenty-five years hold for the Class of 2007? Like any of us, it can go two ways. Just ask Jerry Ambrozuk. In 1982, the eighteen year old Canadian and Dianne Babcock, his eighteen year old girl friend, rented a plane and flew across the border into the United States to start a new life. In attempting a water landing, the small plane sank in a Montana lake and Babcock drown. Ambrozuk disappeared and has been living in Texas under an assumed name since the crash. After being featured on America's Most Wanted, the Canadian expatriate was captured and this week was in court receiving a suspended sentence from a plea bargain and the dropping of negligent homicide charges. Ambrozuk testified he tried to save Babcock but was unable to pull her from the plane. Do you know how they finally tracked down Ambrozuk? An unpaid water bill! It just seems fitting. What a way to spend a quarter of a century. My prayer is that none of our seniors end up dying prematurely or evading the law for decades. I pray their steps lead them on righteous paths and their legacy is one of excellence in the Lord. I pray when I open those time capsules in the distant future, the good memories they have penned will match my recollections of their lives as teenagers and ultimately, as adults.


Applicable quote of the day:
"We seem to have a strong compulsion these days to bury time capsules in order to give those people living in the next century or so some idea of what we are like."
Alfred Hitchcock

To listen to the incomparable Jim Croce sing Time In A Bottle, please copy and paste link below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dO1rMeYnOmM

God bless,
Steve
Luke 18:1

The Evidence

 

The Evidence

Who is watching us? WE NEVER KNOW! This is from September 26, 2013.
As you might remember, I get up very early to exercise. This time of year, I wade gingerly into our apartment pool about 5:30 AM or so and swim for 21+ minutes. When it gets too cold, and it's increasingly brisk lately, I'll go back to Chancellor's, my fitness club close to WCS, and swim there before school. My schedule will become more complicated November 1 when a local high school squad will use Chancellor's for their 6 AM practices so I'll have to swim in the afternoon after lifting weights. I wear pool shoes because I run in the water along with swimming and the pool has a concrete bottom which is rough on even the tough skin on our soles. Let me tell you, the early morning dark dip is a terrific way to gun your body's engine, especially when it's cold. Four years ago, I made it to the weekend before Thanksgiving before the frigid water became more than I could take. I think I've got at least 3-4 weeks in me this autumn!

My apartment complex has about 500 units but I'm ashamed to say I only know six residents by name, not including people I work with. I do know quite a few folks by face but I'm at school all day and travel during our vacation times and apartments have a transient nature. That's why I was taken aback yesterday at the outdoor community mail box center. An elderly man I did not recognize was standing there when I unlocked my mailbox and he said something that caught me off guard.
"I see you went swimming this morning."
I really didn't know what to say so I said something along the lines that I had not seen him. His reply?
"I saw your footprints in the hallway."
I don't know what time he got up but I was out of the pool by roughly 6 AM. As I followed him out of the mail area, I saw he went into a doorway that indeed is on my path to and from the pool. I never knew anyone noticed.

Our lives are under constant scrutiny without our being aware. I hate to make another Person Of Interest reference but it's almost like that with human surveillance instead of electronic monitoring. The gentleman knows me and I have no clue who he is. People notice what we wear which often in my case is clothes bearing the logo and title of my place of employment where we profess to be believers even in our name. I've had others mention the cross around my neck which I often forget I'm wearing. And as I've written lately, people will comment about my shoes, particularly the orange Adidas pair! But we don't have to be physically present to be noticed. What we do and the report of how we conduct ourselves is carried through the voices and opinions of those with whom we may not share any apparent connections. One of the last acts of kindnesses Jesus performed on the far side of His crucifixion was humbly washing the feet of those in His circle, even the betrayer. We don't make a big deal over the beauty of feet but they are indispensable to the ability of living what most consider a normal life. And every step we take leaves an imprint, even if it dries up quickly. The footprints of those who change our lives forever, though, will never evaporate. The funny thing is that we might be those footprints to others and in out naivete, never be conscious of our influence. Watch where you step.

Applicable quote of the day:
"If you really want to get your feet wet, you have to first have the courage to step in the water."
Eugene Nathaniel Butler 

God bless,
Steve
Luke 18:1

Precious Memories

 

Precious Memories

Dad died in April of 2008. The following was written shortly after his passing. It is from October 5, 2008.

I have found myself missing Dad quite a bit lately. It hit me that it is only ten days from the sixth month anniversary of his death. I find myself playing a song by Jerry Jeff Walker (Desperadoes Waiting For A Train) on you-tube because it talks about the passing of an old man. ("The day before he died, I went to see him. I was grown and he was almost gone.") This morning as I led our Chinese congregation in communion, I mentioned my sadness, mixed in with the happiness of the memories of Dad, comparing those feelings to Jesus' directive that the purpose of the Lord's Supper was to remember him. During the sermon, Linda handed me a note. Linda and her husband, Buddy, are wonderful Christians who also work in our Chinese ministry. Several years ago, their daughter was murdered, a pain for parents I doubt most can ever fathom. Here is the note Linda wrote to me, shared with her blessing:

"Steve, you mentioned memories of your father and the sadness. The following is just one of the many memories that I have and I become sad over the loss of her beautiful soul and presence. When Natalie was a teenager, I went to visit her at her job. She was very busy polishing the brass rails at the pizza shop. She was so proud of the fact that the rails shined so beautifully. Natalies's little hands and fingernails were dirty and rough looking. So, now when I see brass rails, I think of Natalie and how hard she worked and the pride that she took in perfection."

I thanked Linda for the right word at the right time. My pain is that of a son who lost an elderly father. Hers is the pain of a mother who lost her child decades too early. Imagine what our Father in heaven felt as His son went to the cross for us. I know He felt Linda and Buddy's grief and carried them through the worst time in their lives. He hasn't forgotten how it feels.

Applicable quote of the day:
"Take care of all your memories. For you cannot relive them.”
Bob Dylan

God bless,
Steve
Luke 18:1