Quest For Perfection

 

Quest For Perfection

I've been blessed with terrific teacher's aides, including Vanessa Ramirez for the past three years. (Vanessa  graduated from WCS eight nights ago.) This is about another of my aides, the incomparable Minna Wong. It's from August 21, 2014.

In my seventeenth year now at WCS, I have been incredibly blessed with amazing teacher's aides, both in basketball and in the classroom. My basketball assistant coaches started with Ugo Ihekweazu, leading to Brandon Greene and Sean Coleman to Amber Glenn, from Fallon Ellis to Sonja Vuong, from Tiffany Davis to Devin Chance, from Marie Bailey to Christian Chevis. My classroom aides,  have ranged from Kelly Spriggs to Nancy Barrera, from Chelsey Villarreal to Hanna McAdams, from Betsy Kelly to Gloria Oyekanmi, from Samaria Mouton to Karla Zelaya, from Beverly McDonald and Bouba Matuzcek and Viri Maldonado to my amazing aide the past two years, Megan Elizabeth Hill. (Forgive me for I am sure I left someone out!) This year, my classroom aide is Minna who decided in 8th grade she wanted the position which comes with no pay but a Bible for Christmas and a sterling college letter of recommendation! Not great perks but there is always the reward of being idolized by a bunch of eighth graders!

Minna is off to a good start. She has taken over the role of matching my shirt and tie with the proper color of pants/shoes/belts. She has solid reviews from my students and believe me, I am terrible at coordinating my clothes. She also has redone my bulletin board flawlessly as I knew she would. But there is a small glitch in Minna's schedule. The only time she can be an aide is 8th period and I have a class of eighth graders during that final time slot of the day. It makes it more difficult as she has to perform her routine while I teach. I lay out what I need her to do when she comes in- she's always first to arrive- and she immediately begins her duties. Minna, an amazingly talented young lady, is so quiet I sometimes forget she is in the room. She is a terrific organizer and alphabetizer, a big plus in this job. In a normal year, she would call grades and I would log them into Renweb, our school communication system with parents, but we cannot do that when I am teaching. Twice already in this young school year, Minna has stayed after the final bell so we can get all the grades for the day entered- not many are willing to go that extra mile. A great aide makes a teacher's life easier and my beginning for this term has been smooth.

As soon as the final bell rings, I go stand in the confluence of our two upstairs' hallways to help with crowd control and make sure the kids exit smoothly and I did so today. I came back to Room 258 seven or eight minutes later and Minna was still there. She had several stacks of paper laid out and I could tell she was flustered. She had come up with the idea of writing all the grades down on a roll sheet after alphabetizing the quizzes...but someone forgot their name in sixth period and she could not figure out the culprit. Also, some of the kids had neglected to put a final grade on their quiz so she couldn't mark down their mark. Then there was the matter of my third period class quizzes which she could not find- I had neglected to tell Minna I had already graded and recorded them myself earlier in the day. Right then, her friend, Amara, also one of my all-time favorite students, came in to check on Minna. And these words came out of Minna's mouth.
"I'm trying to make this perfect since I can only be in here during a class."
If you know Minna, now a senior, you know she has been here since four year old kindergarten and that she is universally loved by all her teachers and classmates. She is a wonderful student and artist, musician and soccer player. And she was blaming herself for a class schedule that neither of us can control or modify. I told her how grateful I am for ALL she does and how she is doing an incredible job for all of my students and that the schedule absolutely does not matter. (I also told her this would show up in a blog!) Amara chimed in and I think we made Minna feel better. I just hope I haven't done anything to make her feel guilty!

We're all like Minna at times. We try to work harder and be creative and be perfect and hope God will accept us. We get frustrated with our meager efforts so we try to work even harder to make Him proud of us but that has never been a requirement for His love. We will never reach perfection .....but Minna tries. Did I tell you she volunteered to take all the graded memory verses and quizzes home and recycle them in her neighborhood? That's about as close to perfection as you can come as an aide but she doesn't have to go that far. Every other teacher would love to have her as their helper but I'm the blessed one this year. We'll work all this out but next year's going to be tough on me! People  like Minna only cross our paths on rare occasions..... and when we are very fortunate.

Applicable quote of the day:
"Gold cannot be pure, and people cannot be perfect."
 Chinese Proverb

God bless,
Steve
Luke 18:1

The Pill Bottle

 

The Pill Bottle

We haven't finished counting our Honduras/Haiti money yet this year! This is from May 26, 2018.

I know this is my fourth entry related to our Honduras and Haiti project in the last several weeks but please bear with me. All four have this in common; the focus is on one of our students so each has a different perspective. Several days ago in this last week of the school year, I was walking down our lower school hallway. The classrooms are glass enclosed and when Mrs. Johnson saw me, she gestured. She came to the door and said she had some change for me. I was surprised as we don't start our collection until K-5 and she teaches K-3. But, I never pass up pennies/nickels/dimes/quarters so I stepped into her room. What she gave me was not one of our normal bank bottles, which are a new version every year, or even an older model from years' past. No, it was the pill container you see above filled with an assortment of coins. Mrs. Johnson told me it came from David, a little boy in her class. But that wasn't story- the background of the medicine bottle was. You see, David's mother is from Haiti. She wanted David to be involved as is his brother, Matthew, a WCS first grader.  So, Mom made her son his very own bank bottle and although it looks slightly different than the pale blue version the rest of our students used, it was the most unique receptacle turned in this year or maybe any other year.

I'd like to meet David's (and Matthew's!) mother. I have no idea when she moved to the US or her age at the time. But I'm sure of one thing- she knows the need in her homeland. I spent a week in Haiti so I have a clue.... but she knows. My time in Port-Au-Prince and the surrounding area was life changing....... but I was safe in my nice apartment seven days later. From my brief discussion with Mrs. Johnson, it's evident this mom wants her sons to be compassionate and aware of the importance of helping the less fortunate. Even though David is only three, or maybe four by now, he is being given the best education ever, the one that begins at birth in the home. Jesus told His apostles, when they were chastising Mary for her lavish gift of perfume that, "the poor will always be with you." That's as accurate as any prophecy in the long history of prophecies. Who knows where David's change will go? Food for the kids in the orphanages? School supplies or clothes? Medicine? After all, it came in a pill bottle and Jesus was called the great physician!  As for David? Well, the Biblical version was called a man after God's own heart. Our Kindergarten David has a way to go to be considered a grown up but his mom and dad are putting him on the right track. Big things come in little packages and sometimes pennies can be at least a small prescription in the horrible sickness that is poverty. Someday, David, too, will understand.

Applicable quote of the day:
Poverty is a very complicated issue, but feeding a child isn't. 
Jeff Bridges

God bless,
Steve
Luke 18:1

Coach Hawley's Most Excellent Adventure!

 

Coach Hawley's Most Excellent Adventure!

Last Thursday night was our WCS graduation. I have been blessed to teach most of the newest alumni and many of them twice, in both middle school and as juniors. In three months, we start all over again! This is from August 20, 2014. PS One of my this year 8th graders, Evelyn, who was my  student AND basketball player, still calls me "MOST EXCELLENT COACH HAWLEY!"

We had our first quiz of 2014-2015 yesterday in my two eighth grade Bible classes. Our almost-graduated-from-middle-schoolers spend the entire year studying the Gospel of Luke and the assignment on Tuesday was Luke 1:1-25. There were sixteen questions and the grade results were not what I had hoped. I am happy to state that many of the youngsters were also unhappy with their marks, a sign that grades and aptitude matter. It was the first Bible quiz ever for some of our kids as they are new to WCS and they will adapt. If you are not well acquainted with the book of Luke, it is the longest Gospel and was penned by the man it was named after, who was a Gentile doctor. It is written to Theophilus, whose name translated means Friend Of God. That's a pretty good name to have, especially if it's accurate!

As we begin reading Luke chapter 1, we find that Luke addresses Theophilus as most excellent. We talk about how we would address Queen Elizabeth should we meet her as Your Highness. I'll tell them how we as Americans came to address our president simply as Mr. President. I'll tell them how the most excellent is dropped by Luke when he pens the book of Acts, again to Theophilus, and how some scholars believe Theophilus must have become a Christian between the two discourses. We'll get to all that. But we still have the issue of a low grade in the meantime. So, I came up with a possible solution. I might be persuaded to add a point to their test grades next week if for the next five days they refer to me in speech as ''MOST EXCELLENT COACH HAWLEY!'' Not surprisingly, the response has been overwhelming! Today, I heard it in the hallways, in the cafeteria, in the gym, and in my classroom. It even showed up on a number of memory verses this afternoon, as in "Nice tie, Most Excellent Coach Hawley!" This too will pass, albeit in five or so days.

This is what I like. The kids are laughing and smiling when they say it. They know it's silly but they can kid me with no repercussions and they want to improve their grades. I think anybody can respect that. We know in Christ we are equal and that no one is more excellent than anyone else. We are a royal priesthood and we don't require a title to prove it. Ten chapters ahead of where we are now, Jesus told His disciples they should rejoice because their names are written in heaven. I can only hope that our names are listed alphabetically in the sacred Book of Life; Theophilus would come right after Steve! And there would be only one possible response to that good news: excellent!

Applicable quote of the day:
"It is not titles that honour men, but men that honour titles.”
Niccolò Machiavelli 


God bless,
Steve
Luke 18:1

You Wear It Well

 

You Wear It Well

Teaching teens and barely teens, I see quite a few kids who aren't sure who they want to be or at least who they want others to perceive them to be.  Sometimes, we find it uncomfortable to be ourselves and I find it refreshing to see folks who know who they are and accept it.  Once a  year, when I talk about Jesus and His authority as something people recognized, I show an episode of The Andy Griffith Show.  Here is something amazing: many of my students have never heard of The Andy Griffith Show...which means they have ever heard of Barney Fife. You could teach Bible lessons from Don Knotts' character and some people have. We all have flaws and Barney's were often glaring but that's why we loved him. The following is from 2-28-06.

I don't believe in omens but for three straight days, I heard Rod Stewart's hit You Wear It Well on 107.5 FM radio. It seemed like a great title for today's entry so here goes. You can't turn on television or open a magazine without seeing weight loss ads. It might be through diets or supplements or exercise but the goal is the same. One common theme these advertisements share is old clothes. In before and after pictures, we see how the dramatically slimmer customer no longer fits into former wardrobes. It's amazing to see the transformation. We go through life wanting our clothes to fit and suddenly, we are overjoyed when they don't. God bless those who struggle to maintain a certain fitness level. It isn't easy for everyone. Part of us always wants to be changing into the new and improved us. Plastic surgery and cosmetics can change our outward appearance. The inside is harder to deal with.

Don Knotts died this week at eighty-one. To generations, he was simply Barney Fife, the role he perfected in his years on The Andy Griffith Show. The winner of five Emmy Awards for Best Supporting Actor, Barney was the show to me. He had bumbling down to an art form. We knew he had a good heart and tried to do right but he always messed up. He was so human, a representation of Average Joe. Even when he played in other TV series or in the movies, he played the same role. Oh, the name of the character would change from job to job but he was still Barney Fife. That's what I admired about Don Knotts. I never saw him play a romantic lead or an avenging hero. He knew who he was and he wasn't ashamed of it. He was a nice guy who was brilliant at what he did. In the words of Rod Stewart, Don Knotts wore it well. I saw a cable network is running a 48 hour Barney Fife marathon. I can't think of a more fitting tribute to the only actor who could make "Nip it in the bud!" one of the most memorable lines in television history.

What do I learn from Don Knotts? He was typecast but is that so bad? Isn't that what we want people to see in us, consistency in our life? I would prefer others knew what they were getting when their lives crossed mine and not have to predict my unreliable behavior. I would also hope that I could accept who I am and not be embarrassed by my strong points. Many coaches, especially young ones, mimic famous coaches to the degree they never develop their own style or personality. Christians do that, too. We model ourselves after other Christians instead of being who we are, a child of God. Barney wasn't Andy and when he tried to be, he failed miserably. On the other hand, Andy wasn't Barney but he recognized the gifts and passion that his deputy did have... and honored them. Most of us would rather be Andy than Barney but the world needs them both, just like the world needs you and me.


Applicable quote of the day:
"If there's anything that upsets me, it's having people say I'm sensitive."
Barney Fife

God bless,
Steve
Luke 18:1

Dave And Kaeden

 

Dave And Kaeden

 Kaeden is now a rising sophomore!, This entry about Kaeden is from May 23, 2018!
We're almost finished counting our Honduras/Haiti money for the 2018 collection. I said ALMOST because it keeps coming in! A first grade angel named Reagan brought her bank bottle to my door this afternoon accompanied by her teacher, Mrs. Sarah Romain, who happened to be my student a few years back! As she walked out, Sarah lifted Reagan up to touch our LUKE 18:1 sign on the door, a tradition we've had for close to two decades. Reagan looked back at me and asked if she could bring her bottle back if she acquired some more pennies. Of course! But I also reminded her that she can save it for next year. Tomorrow night, Ryan and Jo Lynn are going to bring their daughters and their bottles for the fourth year in a row! Ryan is a WCS alumnus and even though his and Jo Lynn's two girls go to another school, they are integral parts of what we do in this annual project. So, if they bring it, we will count it!

That brings me to Kaeden, who is only seven years old but has already been the subject of two of my previous blogs. He's a Westbury Christian first grader and his three sisters are our students as well. On top of that, his dad, Kenneth, teaches and coaches for us and his mom, Lynnette, is the head of our PTO! Do you remember that beverage commercial with The Most Interesting Man In The World angle? That's Kaeden, substituting Child for Man. He acts like I don't exist and yet there is obviously a thought process going on that isn't always evident to grown ups. Two weeks ago, Kenneth related some things to me about Kaeden and his Honduras/Haiti bottle. It was so intriguing and touching, I asked Kenneth to write it out and allow me to print it in a devotional. Here it is:

During Christmas when Kaeden was three, I gave him three envelopes that came from a Financial Peace Jr. Kit by Dave Ramsey.  The envelopes were titled "Give, Save, Spend".   I showed him that when we get money we are to divide any it into the envelopes in the order of give, save, and then lastly, spend.  He works off of commissions in the house, meaning that if he works, he gets paid and if he doesn't work, he doesn't get paid.  He will do certain chores around the house as well as extra things like, clean the car, or flatten boxes to recycle for a dime a box.  It has taken time to build some consistency using the system, but he is starting to get really good at it now at age 7.  The whole purpose for teaching him this is for Kaeden to be able to use money as a tool to further the kingdom of God, and not let it enslave him as it has done many in this world.  I also want him to have the discipline of giving because that is what Jesus did, and I want him to become more like Him.  A few weeks ago I had a real proud dad moment when Kaeden asked "Daddy, can I put all the money that I earn in the Honduras bottle?"  I was touched as a father because he was genuine in his request.  He really wants to help those who are in need.  He may not understand fully what he is doing now, but I pray that he will continue to have this attitude as he grows and matures as a man of God.

WOW. I've penned several entries about Dave Ramsey, a financial planner who puts the Lord at the head of all his advice. Several schools where I've taught have used his materials to teach wisdom in money. I've never heard a child as young as Kaeden being trained this way and like Kenneth says, it's a process. (One of my blogs about Kaeden from two years ago was about his trying to hide money he was supposed to put in the collection plate!) But for a child to have the unselfish heart Kaeden is displaying is just amazing. I've found little ones are much more generous with money because they know their moms and dads will provide for them, sometimes with the parental alter ego of The Tooth Fairy. Shouldn't we have at least that much faith in our Father? Jesus told us that your Father knows you need them.  Them is the necessities of life. Kaeden gets it. And so, youngsters in Haiti and Honduras that Kaeden will never meet will be blessed. Maybe that's why the Savior preached that the kingdom of heaven belongs to little children. I'd say it's in very good hands with Kaeden.

Applicable quote of the day:
“It is the heart that does the giving; the fingers only let go.”
Nigerian proverb

God bless,
Steve
Luke 18:1

Ninety-nine Isn't One Hundred

 

Ninety-nine Isn't One Hundred

School is out but we still have some pennies to count! This is from May 22, 2018!
Last Tuesday, as I do at the end of each school day,  I was standing in front of our upper school office in one of my unofficial roles of crowd controller. As often happens, I was standing with my colleague who fills the same unpaid role. I enjoy the five minute assignment; we get to say good bye to the kids for the day as well as remind some of missing homework/tests. We're often asked questions as well. Cindi fields inquiries about her availability to proctor make-up tests which is perhaps her most important task involving our student body. I get feedback from my classes as well as interactions with the kids who have moved past me to higher grade levels. On Tuesday, a young man stopped to speak with me about what was on his mind. It didn't have anything to do with a quiz or a memory verse. Actually, it had to do with something considered insignificant to many. What was on his mind was pennies. Truthfully, it might have been only one. Let me explain.

I hope this is not monotonous as I mention this several times in blogs this time of year but our WCS family has helped build and sustain Christian orphanages in Honduras and now Haiti for two decades. We collect loose change beginning in January and the kids turn their pennies/nickels/dimes/quarters in to me at the beginning of May. My students do all the sorting and counting before we deposit what we amass in plastic bank bags. That Tuesday morning, we had been counting pennies in that young man's eighth grade class. We didn't count much- only seven dollars worth of pennies to finish a bag of $25 which the previous class had not quite completed. That's what my student had on his heart. He had some problem formulating the words but he was afraid he might have miscounted his container of 100 pennies. Here's what is interesting. This youngster is the most careful, most deliberate student I've taught in years. My guess, based on his nature, is that he was perfectly accurate but in his mind he wasn't totally convinced. I reassured him of my confidence in his accuracy and he seemed to moved past it. When we counted again later in the week, he was back to being his same careful self. My prayer is that he never changes. 

When we start counting each May, I make a big deal about cheating. If we are under one penny/nickel/dime/quarter in a bag, we cheat the bank. If we are over one penny/nickel/dime/quarter in a bag, we cheat the kids we are trying to help in Honduras and Haiti. My goal is to get the kids to be aware of what they are doing. If we are intentionally silly or careless, there is a sense we are being dishonest. That struck a nerve with this young man. He wasn't being silly- he's very mature for a middle schooler. Mistakes happen, even honest ones, but he didn't want to make even the understandable kind. Jesus taught when we display trustworthiness in small matters it will lead to greater matters. With that in mind, I know a soon to be freshman who seems destined for amazing things. I'm counting on it.

Applicable quote of the day:
Conscience is the authentic voice of God to you. 
Rutherford B. Hayes

God bless,
Steve
Luke 18:1

Ask And Ye Shall Receive

 

Ask And Ye Shall Receive

Do you ever wonder if the Lord gets tired of forgiving you, especially for the same things? In spite of the scriptures many references to the Father's longing to forgive His children, guilt can override our desire to be recociled to our Maker. The following, from December of 2005, is about the value of ASKING!

I learned a lesson today. I rarely use my MasterCard. (I do contribute back to my alma mater, Harding University, with each use!) My only consistent bill is the $20 monthly fee for my book's website. Somehow, probably because of Thanksgiving, I was four days overdue with my payment. My bill came in several days ago with a $15 late fee, pretty steep when the original charge is only $20. Trying to do what I believe is my Christian obligation of being a good steward and getting every penny back I am legally entitled to, I asked Jean Adams, our school accountant and a CPA, if the late fee could be written off as a business expense. She wasn't sure but she did say there was an alternative. Jean suggested calling MBNA, the parent company, and ask if they would waive the late fee because I pay my bills on time. Her idea terrified me. I am the least confrontational person you'll meet and the thought of asking for debt forgiveness made me shake. I mean, the person on the other end of the line might get mad at me. But, fifteen dollars IS fifteen dollars so I bit the bullet. Of course, I sat in Jean's office for moral support- she even dialed and pushed the option buttons. A voice came on the other end, the unknown, unseen Debra. Guess what? She looked at my record and was happy to do it- I mean she almost acted thrilled! It was like I was doing them a favor by my request! She went on and on about what a valued customer I am- and remember, my total debt works out to less than 60 cents per day. I was glowing when I hung up the phone. It was so easy. What was I so scared of? Just think; if Jean hadn't brought it up, I would have let it keep eating at me.

I know you know where I am going with this. Most of us need forgiveness from someone but we won't ask. We have a million reasons so we let it go and it never solves itself. It might be a relative, a co-worker, a neighbor, or most importantly, the Lord. It's there- go for it! Maybe my task today is being for you what Jean was for me. It's only a phone call, an e-mail, a knock on the door, or a prayer away. Go on! To quote Jean, what do you have to lose? The answer-GUILT! Happy forgiveness!

Applicable quote of the day:
"The glory of Christianity is to conquer by forgiveness." 
William Blake

God bless,
Steve, 'The Forgiven'
Luke 18:1