The Boss

I have students who don't know why others struggle to like them. They might get some insight if they read what is posted tonight. The name of the student in the entry below comes up every year in my classes as I explain the artists who painted the mural of Jesus on our classroom wall. You will understand why after you read this entry from 1/11/06.


Our mouths get us in trouble. We say things we don't mean and we speak before we think. Our electronic age has added to our woes. Athletes, politicians, and entertainment celebrities are recorded constantly. I listen to Houston's 790 AM radio, an ESPN affiliate. This week, the morning hosts were kidding ESPN football analyst Sean Saulsberry for something he said on Stephen A. Smith's TV show. In response to Joe Theismann's prediction that Washington would be in the Super Bowl, Saulsberry promised that if the Redskins did make it that far, he would walk naked from Bristol, Connecticut to Washington, DC in January. You know what has happened. The Redskins now have a shot of making it and Saulsberry is backtracking. He says in that eventuality, he WILL walk from Bristol to the nation's capital but it will be in the spring, he will be clothed, and the event will be used to raise money for charity. Good save- most people can't get out of it that easily! A big controversy this week is whether James Frey, the author of the bestselling A Million Little Pieces, fabricated or embellished parts of his book. Random House today announced they will refund the purchase price to consumers who wish to get their money back. The Senate is undergoing contentious "Advise and Consent" hearings in the confirmation of Judge Samuel Alito's nomination to the Supreme Court. Every spoken or written word from this judge in the past thirty years is open for debate and interpretation. A jurist leaves a paper trail that can come back to haunt him or her. We are talking about Jesus' teaching on speech in my 10th grade Bible class. The Savior taught that our words should be few. In Matthew 5:37, on the topic of oaths, he put it this way:
"Simply let your 'Yes' be 'Yes' and your 'No,' 'No;' anything beyond this comes from the evil one."
We talked about lying and having to tell a lie to cover a lie you told followed by a third lie to cover up the cover up lie. Lying is complicated! The truth is simple. The more we talk, the more we get into trouble, whether with honesty issues or with words leading to anger. In James 4:4, we are told that, "no man can tame the tongue." Some come closer than others in the taming process.

In the music world, 'the Boss' is legendary rocker Bruce Springsteen. In 1974, Jon Landau of Rolling Stone Magazine penned this prophetic line: "I have seen the future of rock and roll and its name is Bruce Springsteen." Landau was correct- Springsteen contributed classics like Born To Run and Born In The USA to the American musical landscape as well as scores of other hits over thirty years. At Westbury Christian School, Boss carries a different identity. Suphanut Chansangajev is a WCS sophomore. He is from Thailand and he is brilliant. Because of difficulty in pronouncing his names for native English speakers, he simply answers to Boss. My limited knowledge of Thailand and its culture leads me to believe the Thai people as a group are very reserved, at least to western standards. If so, Boss would seem the model Thai young man. He excels academically, never gets in trouble, and plays football for our Wildcat squad. I've never had a lengthy conversation with Boss. He is the quietest student I've ever taught. He smiles constantly and is a great artist. One characteristic sets Boss apart from most of the human race: EVERYBODY LIKES HIM! He is universally admired and loved by faculty and student body. I asked my 10th grade Bible class why this was so. They knew the answer. "Boss never says anything to make anybody mad." They are absolutely right. There have been times when I almost had to force him to speak up but it was the product of shyness, never disrespect. The kids know that Boss never has an unkind word for anyone and never lies about anyone. He has the teaching of Jesus down to an art form, the 'yes and no' clause. Most of our problems with others are caused by words. When we limit what we say, we don't have to remember what we said. Sometimes, kids want to know why nobody likes them. I have a counseling solution. I'm going to tell them, "Go see the Boss!"

Applicable quote of the day:
"The speed of the boss is the speed of the team."
Lee Iacocca

God bless,
Steve
Luke 18:1
http://www.hawleybooks.com/
E-mail me at steve@hawleybooks.com

Monday, Monday

Tomorrow is Monday- what will it bring??? This is from November 18, 2013.
I don't like Mondays. Mondays are by far my least favorite day of the week, during the school year and during the summer. Even after many years of teaching, I never feel I can be ready for the new week. Monday is when grades are to be updated on RENWEB, our grading Internet link with parents and students, and that includes the previous Friday's assignments. (Every other week, I give 110 tests on Friday that must be graded and entered by Monday.) Lesson plans for the week are also due Monday on RENWEB and I try to have all of my tests and quizzes sent to the incomparable Jennifer Zalud for printing as well. Factor in the normal daily preparation to teach that Monday and it can be overwhelming, especially for less experienced instructors. Hey, even The Carpenters lamented 1/7th of the week in their mournful hit Rainy Days And Mondays...and if you don't know the song, the next line is always get me down.

The Monday Syndrome carries over to basketball practice as well. We are in our fifteenth week of school and every Monday has seen a less than stellar practice first period, which is our time slot. (I should note that I consider the Tuesday after Labor Day and Columbus Day as Mondays in that it becomes the first day of the week.) I think there are logical reasons. First and foremost, my players are sixth-seventh-eighth graders and they are social. Usually, they have not seen each other in more than sixty hours and they have some catching up to do. As a group, they are more easily distracted and less focused on Mondays and maybe they just dread it a little like I do. Like coach, like player, like maybe.

So guess what happened today? WE HAD A TERRIFIC PRACTICE! There was nothing to predict it would be a great one and yet, that's the way it turned out. I added two new drills to work on areas of struggle and we repeated another new drill the kids really like. We were coming off a Friday night game that we lost but which left the kids feeling better about themselves as a team. It started a little slow as I got on them for being silly in the pre-practice prayer but we straightened that out and then, wow. I wish we could bottle it but you can't. Mature teams are consistent but even adults and coaches are inconsistent. Why is one day better than another, one practice better than another? I'm not sure but I do know that we enjoy them too little and despise them too much. Psalm 90:12 makes this point: 
"Teach us to number our days that we may gain a heart of wisdom."
Too often I endure days instead of numbering them. What seemed like a never ending year back on our first practice of the year, on a Monday, has now dwindled to the place where the sand on the bottom of the hourglass is almost equal to the sand on top. My time with these kids will run away quickly and there will be no more days, Mondays or otherwise, to be together as a team and learn lessons that will endure after the basketballs have been put away for the last time. By my calculations and discounting the weeks of finals, only nineteen more Mondays in the 2013-2014 school year. I'm already emotional.

Applicable quote of the day:
“So. Monday. We meet again. We will never be friends—but maybe we can move past our mutual enmity toward a more-positive partnership.” 
 Julio-Alexi Genao

To hear The Carpenters' classic Rainy Days And Mondays, click below!http://youtu.be/F42VVAwa6tA

God bless,
Steve
Luke 18:1
www.hawleybooks.com
E-mail me at steve@hawleybooks.com

My Mother And Alzheimer's

Mom with Dad and Scott 

My mom was the sweetest and most Godly lady whose very existence was shattered by Alzheimer's. This is from November 24, 2005 and was my first discussion of her situation.  You'll notice one of the comments was left by my dad.


My mother has Alzheimer's. That is one of the hardest admissions I've ever made. My realization of her condition was gradual. The first I remember her struggling was six years ago. We had a reunion at her childhood farm in Arkansas and since I had not made that drive since college, I called and asked her for directions- she couldn't tell me. At the same gathering, a cousin asked Mom for her address to update the family information list and Mom didn't know what it was. It has been a steady decline since then. My father had all the tests done, put her on the latest medications, and rededicated his life to fulfilling his marriage vows- the better or worse, sickness or health part. It's hard on the kids but the strain is on Dad. We see her on holidays and in the summer but he has to be aware of her every minute. The balance between maintaining dignity and assuring safety is a tight rope for those providing the care for the Alzheimer's patient. Dad walks it every waking moment and probably even in his sleep. Mom has no stress- the wear and tear is on him.

When I taught psychology at Friendship Christian School, Ron Welch would speak to my class on Alzheimer's. His father-in-law, a former college professor, had the disease and Ron would tell about the way it was manifested in his life. I was fascinated by the rituals and what seemed to be bizarre behavior. Little did I think some day I would tell my own stories. How could I know that I would watch my mother pour Italian salad dressing on Wheaties instead of milk and not be able to tell the difference? Who could guess that she would not know which of her siblings and cousins were still living or deceased? Mom was always a servant and still tries to be helpful. She constantly rearranges things and puts them up to the point where Dad's expensive hearing aid disappeared and was not found for weeks. We are fortunate. Her health is good and she still knows us somewhat. She is incredibly sweet, while some Alzheimer's victims become belligerent. While she cannot tell you what day, month, or year it is, she still remembers the old hymns at worship services by heart. The best way I can describe Mom is that it's her but it's not her. I hope that makes sense.

Let me tell you about my mother. She was an incredible elementary teacher who balanced work with family. She was a preacher's wife who stayed above church politics, if there were any. Mom was never too busy to comfort us when we hurt, correct us when we were rockheads, pray for us when we were in trouble, and keep us more than adequately clothed and fed on a minister's salary. She found time to be a Cub Scout den mother and became surrogate mom to many young ladies who lacked what we took for granted. Later, she became a noted speaker in marriage seminars and taught younger women, as the scriptures command, to love their husbands and children. Mom has influenced many to be what the Lord wants and expects them to be. She could get her feelings hurt. Once, I gave away a food processor that she had given me. It was impractical for my needs and it was taking more time than it was worth to use but it crushed her when she found out and she cried. (I learned from my mistake!) That's the mother I remember, not the one who Dad has to tell, "It's Steve" when I call so she won't have to figure it out. Not the lady who asks, "What do you think?" when I ask her who came over for supper because she doesn't know and she tries to hide it. Not the woman who cuts up every tomato, apple, or potato that Dad leaves on the kitchen table, trying to maintain her usefulness. Not the woman who couldn't understand why she was not allowed to drive anymore for the safety of everyone on the road and herself as well. Not the woman who has to wear an identification bracelet in case she gets lost.

If your mother has good physical and mental health, count yourself blessed. Tell her you love her at every opportunity and for no reason at all. Thank her for making you make your bed when you were little. Be grateful she enforced the family rules even when it hurt her more than you. Hug her because God gave her to you. And while you are at it, thank God, too.

Applicable quote of the day:
"In Alzheimer's, the mind dies first: names, dates, places. The interior scrapbook of an entire life fades into mists of non-recognition."
Matt Clark

God bless,
Steve
Luke 18:1
www.hawleybooks.com
E-mail me at steve@hawleybooks.com

Dad And The Statler Brothers

This is about the death of our father. It's from April 14, 2013.

In about seven hours, we'll pass the five year anniversary of Dad's death. In the early morning hours of April 15, 2008, Roger Wayne Hawley went home to be with the Lord. The last five days of his life were unlike anything I've ever experienced. We gathered in St. Louis, told him how we much we loved him, and planned the funeral. Through the magic of the Internet, I was able to send out constant updates on his condition. Here is the last one before he died:

Dad is hanging on. His speaking and moments of awareness are becoming fewer and fewer. The St. Luke's staff remains caring and empathetic. As pain and agitation increases, we can increase his dosage of morphine. The doctors told Dave that it is incredible how Dad has even survived this long, considering the litany of debilitating traumas he has faced in the past nine months. A hospital is a microcosm of the world. As Dave and I entered an elevator, a couple got on as well. They were about to become great grandparents as their grand daughter was about to give birth to a baby named McKenna. Scott and I also passed a room several down from Dad's where a very elderly man lay in his bed with no one there to comfort him. (We made a vow to visit him tomorrow if we see he is still without company.) Hospitals mirror the joy and pain of our daily lives. So many have e-mailed and we greatly appreciate it! Thanks for your unceasing prayers for Dad. Please pray his suffering will go away.

Dad hung on about five more hours or so. As I read that above update, I thought that there is a little girl named McKenna who should be celebrating her fifth birthday tomorrow, unaware of who we are or how our paths crossed. I was filled with sadness as I re-read about the old man, dying alone and question what I do to help the lonely. I pondered what pictures to use as well. All came from our Grandpa Hawley, the picture taker in our family. I picked none of Dad by himself because Dad, the best people person I've known, was rarely by himself. In the lower shot, Dad has just baptized an unnamed young man at Nebraska Youth Camp. Dad was always the evangelist up until his death. He and Mom always held Bible studies in their home no matter where they were living and Dad preached the Gospel all over the world. (Any of you NYC alums know who the new brother in Christ is?) The other three photos had to be with Mom. Without Mom, there was no Dad but that is simplistic. I never knew a couple who while being very different fit together more perfectly. When Mom's world caved in around her with Alzheimer's, Dad's collapsed as well but taking care of his beloved might have been the best sermon he ever preached. His complete dedication to her probably hastened his death but what a way to go.

I wonder how long you keep making notes of anniversaries like these. I never heard my mother mention the anniversary of  the death of her mother who died very suddenly when Mom was pregnant with me. We watched as Dad took care of his dad in the months leading up to my Grandfather Hawley's death and it once again hits me how life is a cycle, a circle. We all have little memories towards the end. Mine is the saddest question I've ever had to answer. On one of my trips to St. Louis shortly before the end, I visited Mom in the nursing home and then went to St. Luke's to see Dad. When I told him about seeing Mom, in a wavering, hopeful voice, he asked, "Does she ever ask about me?" I had to tell him no but that she always loved him and he loved her more than words can ever tell. And so on the almost fifth anniversary of his death, I'm going to dedicate one of the greatest love songs ever to my father in his memory and his bride of fifty-nine years, The Statler Brothers' I'll Go To My Grave Loving You. Thanks for everything , Dad. You were the best father we could have asked for. God blessed us with you.

Applicable quote of the day:
"He didn't tell me how to live; he lived, and let me watch him do it."
Clarence Budington Kelland

To watch and listen to the Statler Brothers sing I'll Go To My Grave Loving You, click or copy/paste the link below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5mcqEkjURnM

God bless,
Steve
Luke 18:1
www.hawleybooks.com
E-mail me at steve@hawleybooks.com

Over Charged

I need to charge my phone, my camera, my electric razor..... This is from January 9, 2011.
I'm running out of outlets in my apartment. In one electrical socket, my Water Pic is getting charged. I'm typing as my Compaq laptop is plugged in and staying at 100% power. My Black and Decker Dust Buster vacuum is getting replenished in yet another outlet. In the opposite wall's outlet, my pre-paid cell phone is being juiced up from an extremely low battery and right above the phone, my brand new Sonic Care Electric Toothbrush is maxing its charge. All of these modern conveniences have the wonderful quality of mobility. But, they also have the downside of being rendered useless if too long removed from their power source. I think there is a Bible school lesson or sermon illustration in that scenario somewhere!

Let me go back to that Sonic Care Electric Toothbrush for a minute. It was a Christmas gift to me from Dave and Sally who are satisfied customers of the product. I brought it back from Kansas not having used it and opened the box in Houston. The directions said to charge it for twenty-four hours before initial use. So I charged it for twenty-four hours, which became forty-eight, which became seventy-two, etc. The truth is, it's been eight days and that electric toothbrush is fully charged and still charging..... but never used. Aren't we like that, sometimes? We want to serve and we recharge our spiritual batteries and recharge some more and some more....and we leave the work of the kingdom undone. We're so concerned about being ready that we do nothing, and sit on the table just like my brand new Sonic Care Electric Toothbrush. It's charged, it's ready, and it's idle. Well, maybe tonight or at least tomorrow. In John 4, the story of the Samaritan woman at the well, Jesus DID NOT tell his disciples that sometime in the future the crops, meaning the lost, would be ready to be gathered. In verse 35, the Master told his men that, "They (the fields) are ripe for harvest," while the Samaritans from the village of Sychar were coming out to hear what He had to say. His first two words in verse 36 were, "Even now." I need to add those my words to my spiritual vocabulary....and probably to my dental vocabulary as well. That toothbrush is as charged as it ever going to be.

Applicable quote of the day:
"Waiting is a trap. There will always be reasons to wait...The truth is, there are only two things in life, reasons and results, and reasons simply don't count."
Robert Anthony

God bless,
Steve
Luke 18:1

www.hawleybooks.com

E-mail me at steve@hawleybooks.com

Of Capri Suns And A Trophy

Jordyn has retired from basketball but her little sister who is in kindergarten has taken up the hula hoop! This is from October 6, 2013.
Like all of you,  I often have ideas. I break mine down into two categories; the good ones, which come from the Lord, and the bad ones, which come from my own imagination with I suspect, some help from the Evil One. About ten days ago, as I was falling asleep, the thought came to me that we should give an award on my team at regular intervals. The next morning, I sat down with our four returning players- Sydney, Lizeth, Madison, Jenna- and my student assistant, Marie, and hashed out the details. They liked it. I asked each of them to give me one descriptive characteristic on which we would base the honor. Including mine, this is what we came up with:
-hard working
-improving
-good listener
-determined
-perseverance 
-kindness
We decided to give it once a week although I think we will have to adjust that as the school year goes on. Each week, one of the four veteran players- and one of the vets is all of eleven- will sit down with Marie and me and we'll pick one girl deserving of a little special recognition. We decided to give a trophy which the honoree would get to keep in her school locker until her successor is named. I went up into the school attic and found a 15 year old trophy, covered with dust, but it has a basketball player on top. With a little Endust and my student classroom teacher aide, Megan Hill- just nominated for Homecoming Queen!- doing some renaming the trophy with a label maker, we were set to go. 

The coronation day and the name of the trophy are related. We came to the conclusion that we should do it on Friday and we should call it The Capri Sun Player Of The Week. I'm not really sure how it started but about five years ago, I began bringing Capri Suns, fruit juices in a pouch, to celebrate the end of the week of practice every Friday and we practice every first period of the year. It might seem like a small thing to an adult but traditions loom large for youngsters. And then, there was the matter of choosing the first recipient. We had a ceremony at the conclusion of Friday's practice attended by two teachers, Mrs. Turner and Miss Fontenot, and our varsity coach, Josh Bailey. By acclaim, the winner was ..........Jordyn! I really like Jordyn! When she was only a first grader, we were in a wedding together as I was the minister and she the flower girl hand picked by Miss Kristina, now Mrs. Kristina Irizarry! She is going to a basketball camp on the weekends and always tells me about it on Monday. We only have one team and aren't in a position to suit everyone up for games but how about this: Jordyn asked me if she could be the student manager when we play! Let me tell you as a coach, that is a rare attitude! This will tell you what you need to know about this young lady- she loves everybody and everybody loves her in return. Her locker is going to be crowded for the next week or so but I think she'll manage. In Romans 13;7, Paul spoke of giving honor where honor is due. That's what we'll try to do; not to glorify scoring or  athletic ability, although those are not bad traits! We will try to recognize the qualities that hopefully mark us as a team...and we'll wash them down with Capri Suns. That's a winning combination in any league.

Applicable quote of the day: 
"Dignity consists not in possessing honors but in the consciousness that we deserve them."
Aristotle

God bless,
Steve
Luke 18:1
www.hawleybooks.com
E-mail me at steve@hawleybooks.com

Tie Game

Jean went on to become my teacher's aide last year as a senior.... and was awesome! This is from September 11, 2013.
Before school this morning, I was in my classroom reviewing Lyanne for her makeup test with Maggie coming along for moral support. Lyanne missed Friday's exam while in Cozumel for a family wedding and wanted a refresher before she took Test # 2. We were about half way though when Taylor came in. Taylor, one of my former players and the lead in this fall's musical, Oklahoma!, as Laurie, had decided to wear a blue and gold striped tie with her Wednesday school oxford uniform. Her twin brother, Stephen, had attempted to tie it but his effort had gone awry so she came to me for help. That's logical- I have approximately 250 ties, including one that was a gift from Taylor. She was dumbfounded when I told her I don't know how to tie a tie and that all of my ties have been knotted by our WCS middle school administrator, Mike White. I saw her later in the day and she had persuaded her Bible teacher this year, Preston Hill, to tie the tie for her, completing her look which was terrific and stylish, not always easy to pull off with a school uniform!

All that leads us to Jean. I can't say I know her well yet except she's one of those students you immediately like. A wonderful young lady who spent her elementary and middle school days at the Catholic school next door to us, Jean enrolled in WCS as a freshman in August and sits front and center in my fourth period Bible 1 class. Last Friday, I noticed her tennis shoes, blue in color, were covered by a pattern of white doves. I told her I had a tie with the same white dove/blue background theme and I would wear it Monday and we would be twins. I did and we were. Of course, I asked her Monday what tie she wanted me to wear on Tuesday and she answered green, and I fulfilled her request. Yesterday, she told me a red tie with a white shirt would be nice and I complied today, to the chorus of a number of compliments. This morning, she gave me instructions for tomorrow- purple tie with blue shirt. Yes ma'am- laid out and ready to go. And when she saw me in the hall at the end of the day, she gave me marching orders for Monday- yellow tie, pink shirt. (Friday is jeans/school spirit day.) I got a kick out of one of her classmates who was standing there asking, 'Why can't I pick out your tie?' Without missing a beat, my new fashion guru replied, 'Because I started it.' There you have it- my fashion world in a nutshell now in the control of a fourteen year old girl I only met last month. And when she says, 'Three Stooges tie with a pinstripe shirt,' well, I'll be ready for that, too.

You might think all this is silly but I don't. One, I don't have to make many wardrobe decisions in the short term and if Margaret, the fifth grader who grades me every day, doesn't like it, I can just blame it on Jean. But teaching isn't about ties- it's about connections. I've mentioned before that I taught with a teacher fresh out of college who told me he didn't want to be a role model or an example- he just wanted to teach and go home. Guess how long he lasted? Guess how long it took for the kids to see through his personal mission statement.... and he was smart and he was not a bad guy. He just had no clue about teaching. People loved my parents who were both teachers because they took the time to find out the lives of those who they came in contact with. And so, even though I have to get help from my students with my computer which confounds me and my desk is messy in spite of the lovely Megan Hill's best efforts, I still can ask Armani everyday about his grandmother who just had a stroke. Or inquire of Lowell about his sister who played for me and went into the military. Or find out if Nichole, an awesome young lady from China, is playing the piano after school in the front lobby. Or question  Kaitlyn on the latest One Direction news. Or converse with Kayla on how her older awesome sibling Giselle is adjusting to college life. Or commiserate with Bruse that we still have two weeks to wait until the return of the best TV show ever, Revolution. They never taught me that in my student teaching and I know I've been a slow learner. It's been a process for me but I've discovered from my many years of teaching that subject  matter matters but student connections make it stick. You see, it all ties together- just ask Jean.

 Applicable quote of the day:

''Guys are lucky: We can wear a suit over and over, just with different shirts and ties.''
Ryan Reynolds

God bless,
Steve
Luke 18:1

www.hawleybooks.com

E-mail me at steve@hawleybooks.com

Noah Senior and Junior

Today is Noah's eighth birthday. This is from December 30, 2014.
I'm back, leaving Wichita at 2 AM this morning amid snow flurries but no accumulation. My eleven days with my brothers' families, punctuated by a two day excursion to Oklahoma, were over too quickly. As I mentioned in an earlier post, I was able to spend time with the smallest ones in my clan, crossing paths with the two youngest for the first time. Yesterday, all the adults but me went shopping so I was entrusted with the care of Noah and Addy, the children of my nephew, Seth, and his awesome wife, Lauren. Addy was napping as eighteen month girls often do, so that left me and five year old Noah with the run of the place. While Noah and I share some DNA, we don't share the same talents. He is a pint sized engineer. He loves taking stuff apart- in the upper shot, he is disassembling a worn out VHS player and explaining the process to me as he progressed. In contrast, I require others to put their phone numbers in my cell because I have yet to master that skill. After taking apart the tape player, he wanted to begin construction of the LEGO Fire Station he received for Christmas. We found a spot and went to work. By we, I mean I opened the numerous bags containing the 300 pieces of the set and sorted them into piles by color and Noah set out to construct his masterpiece. I was amazed how he could glance at the box and know which piece he was looking for. When I said my goodbyes last night, the fire station was taking shape. Rome wasn't built in a day...and I just pray Noah can get along without my expertise.

For once in my life, I'm working ahead. This evening in Houston, I sat down in my apartment and read Day # 3, or January 3rd, in my One Year Bible. Guess what my reading covered? God's call to Noah to build an ark to save the world. I found several things very interesting as I became reacquainted with the narrative in Genesis. God's instructions, at least as recorded, were not very specific. Also, nowhere is it stated that anyone, including his three sons, helped in the least to build this 450 foot floating zoo. But do you know why God chose Noah to save the human race? It wasn't because he was an architect- it was simply because Noah was righteous. Maybe Noah wasn't skilled at all and had to redo much of his work. I've heard countless times that people ridiculed Noah but the Bible never says that. I do think he could envision the finished product while his friends and neighbors and family only could see a very big pile of gopher wood. And Noah's steadfastness in finishing his project is the reason you and I are around tonight to discuss a Lego toy. My great nephew will finish his project, too. When I looked at the pile of stuff spread out over a formerly unoccupied piece of carpet, I just saw several mountains of colorful plastic pieces. But Noah sees an amazing creation with every bell and whistle a little boy could dream of; he just has to put it together..... and he will. That's why guys like the two Noahs change the world. It's my job to re-tell their story.

Applicable quote of the day:

I think when you are named Noah, you are destined for a certain way of life.

Noah Wyle

God bless,
Steve
Luke 18:1

www.hawleybooks.com
E-mail me at steve@hawleybooks.com

Unpolluted, 2017 (8th grade version)

Last week in my classes, we memorized James 1:27, one of my favorite verses. It says:
Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.
We do a pretty decent job on the orphans and widows part but the polluted part, well, that's the kicker. Each student was assigned to write a paragraph about the dilemma. These responses tonight are from eighth graders. All are used by permission. Boys are in blue, girls in pink.

I think being unpolluted by the world means to always be happy and to be Christlike in everything you do. I think Ms. Moody is an unpolluted teacher. She always has a smile on her face, even when she is not feeling well. She always finds a way to cheer everyone up. You never know when she is having a bad day because she always shares happiness and is always joyful!
     Vanessa

Being polluted by the world means letting the evil ways of man become your ways. You become polluted by the world when you allow yourself to compromise with man's wickedness. I say this because compromise weakens the resolve. Things that pollute you can be as simple as cursing one time, and it might be accidental, but that one little sin just polluted you. Ways we can avoid being polluted are not listening to bad music and not hanging around the wrong crowd.
     Heaven

To keep yourself from being polluted by the world is to not let others get in your way and not letting others influence you to do something that's bad. You can do this by being yourself, no matter what people say. You can also stay positive, not letting others bring you down. Being yourself and not being around poor examples is what you have to do to keep from being polluted.
     Jaylin

What I think it means to be unpolluted by the world is to know what you should and shouldn't do and to try to do what you should. If you hear a bad word in a song or see someone do something they should not do, that doesn't mean you have to repeat what they did.
     Alexandria

If I ever have kids, I would try to keep them from being polluted by the world by waiting until they are mature enough to use electronics. I would check their history and make it to where everyone could see their screen. But no matter how hard I tried to keep them unpolluted, I would fail because they would be around polluted people every day- I can't keep that from happening without making them introverts or basically holding them captive. I would set rules and punish them when they do bad things so they'd know not to do them again.
     Haley

I think not being polluted means always having a good attitude, no matter the situation. We should always be respectful to people, always polite. Then, they can respect you and do things to help other people. They will follow you and you can be an example!
     Aaron

God bless,
Steve
Luke 18:1

www.hawleybooks.com

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He Should Have Gone To Jared

Boys and girls are wired so differently! This is from October 1, 2013.
We talked last week in class how Abraham, when finding a wife for his son Isaac, sent his servant back to his homeland and to his relatives. Abraham prayed the Lord would send His angel ahead of the chief servant who was commissioned to bring home the new wife of the heir. The servant prayed the Lord would identify the girl as the one offering to water their camels. Providentially, the first young lady met by the servant was the beautiful Rebekah, the great niece of Abraham. As soon as the servant was certain, he gave Rebekah gifts of jewelry and was taken home to meet the rest of the clan. After the servant made his case to the family to allow Rebekah to return to marry Isaac, he once more bestowed lavish gifts on Rebekah, her brother, Laban, and her mother. The following day, Rebekah accompanied the servant back to Isaac and the next step in the formation of the nation of Israel and the genealogy of Jesus was put in place. How did they ever do it without E-Harmony.com?

As our discussion wound down, I asked the class why the gifts so lavishly flowed in the marriage arrangement. The answers commonly given were to sway the bride's family and to cement the deal, both of which I agreed with. Then I asked if we buy brides in our culture today. Everyone said no. So, playing devil's advocate, I asked a number of the girls if they would marry a guy who proposed marriage if he did not include an engagement ring in the proposal. The universal response was, as you might guess, a resounding NO! Of course, I parried with the line that men do buy their wives in 21st century America. The predictable response was 'That's different!' Why? I asked. Because, I was told repeatedly, a guy who will not buy you a ring is not committed to you. If he isn't willing to go out at least partially on a financial limb, my female students believe he is less likely to stick around. That makes sense to me. Girls look at life more long term even as 8th-9th-10th graders than boys. And as they map out out lives, they overwhelmingly see their future children and the inevitable need to be have a mate who will able to support the family financially.

Still, I got the best reaction of the year today from my girls about love and romance and marriage but it had nothing to do with rings. We quizzed over Genesis 29, the story of Jacob meeting Rachel and agreeing to work seven years for her dad in return for her hand in marriage, terms Jacob in fact authored. As we graded the quizzes, I told them the answer to #11 was the sweetest verse we will read all year about human relationships:
So Jacob served seven years to get Rachel, but they seemed like only a few days to him because of his love for her.
There were smiles galore and I thought I detected a few sighs. I asked the girls if there was any chance Jacob would leave ever Rachel and the response again was a resounding NO! Why? Well, you don't even have to answer that one. I've heard the same radio commercial a number of times advertising a jewelry story, usually around Valentine's Day if memory serves me correct. The spot  goes like this:
You can say it flowers or prove it with diamonds......
I'd add a small addendum:
Or really prove it with seven years of your life.
Now, that's a commitment. 

Applicable quote of the day:

My mother says I didn't open my eyes for eight days after I was born, but when I did, the first thing I saw was an engagement ring. I was hooked.

Elizabeth Taylor

God bless,
Steve
Luke 18:1

www.hawleybooks.com

E-mail me at steve@hawleybooks.com

Unpolluted, 2017

Last week in my classes, we memorized James 1:27, one of my favorite verses. It says:
Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.
We do a pretty decent job of the orphans and widows part but the polluted part, well, that's the kicker. Each student was assigned to write a paragraph about the dilemma. These responses tonight are from juniors All are used by permission. Boys in blue, girls in pink.

Being polluted by the world means to go with the trends of the world and put aside the word and instructions God left for us. However, in today’s society, it is harder to stay unpolluted due to social media and television which causes teens and children to become desensitized. From a parent's perspective, they probably do not enjoy the idea of snapchat, instagram, or even the Internet due to the access provided just at the tip of your fingers. God expects us to keep ourselves from being polluted, however, it is now much harder for pretty much everyone.

Sydney

I think that there’s a difference between being polluted by the world and being around the world. We should be experienced in the world so that we know how other people feel and act in their culture. Even if their culture is secular, it shouldn’t be avoided like a taboo to us. Eventually, he will have to deal with people in the world, so it is essential to know how they want to be treated and to act around those people. However, to be polluted by the world takes a different meaning. To be polluted would mean to be changed by it, similar to peer pressure. By being influenced by the world and influenced by it to do things that he know we shouldn’t, that is when we fail.

Lanz

To be polluted by the world, means to not differ from what the world does as to what a Christ follower should do. It is when as a person you start taking in what people do such as listening to bad music, saying bad words, treating people badly, but to be able to not be polluted by the world, you should surround yourself with people who encourage you to be a better person and not people who lead you to wrong doing before the eyes of the Lord. Finding friends who have the same beliefs as you is better than having to find friends and then trying to change their beliefs, because you risk being changed yourself. Overall pollution is being completely overtaken by a world lifestyle.

Gaby

Most people would say “don’t do this and that”, but the ignorance is bliss mindset is unhealthy and will hurt you in the end. My opinion is that once you believe that you are mature enough, get close to the things that will pollute you. Don’t exactly do these things, but understand the harm behind it and use common sense. A lot of sheltered kids when they go out on their own go wild and do the things that they were missing out on because they were not exposed to this.

Sebastian

To be polluted by the world is to allow the world the change your character, and to follow the world’s ways rather than your own. It is extremely difficult to keep yourself from being polluted by the world, but you could start by staying away from people, places, and things that tempt you to sin, but you can’t shield yourself from everything, so we have to remember to channel Jesus through our actions. Parents should slowly allow their child to experience more things, but teach them how to battle them in Godly ways.

Morgan

We want to get closer to other people, get closer to the world, and there are many temptations. We have to keep ourselves from these temptations; we need to know what is good and what is bad. We also need to understand what the consequence will be if we chose to get polluted- if we choose to sin. Today in chapel, Andrew Archer said something that really made me think a lot - “we are humans and we can choose whether to sin or not”.
Euphe
God bless, Steve Luke 18:1
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Life From Death

The following is about a young lady I never met but from what I read in her obituary, I wish I had. It is from July 11, 2009.

Michaela Leigh Thomas
Melbourne, Florida resident, 21

Michaela Leigh Thomas, 21, of Melbourne, Fla., died at Holmes Regional Medical Center in Melbourne, June 28, 2009. She was born March 1, 1987 in Lansthul, Gemany. Her parents are Mike and Pellie Thomas and Kathy and William Yockey. She was a May graduate of Florida State University with a Bachelor of Science degree. She was active in Calvary Chapel and Relay For Life. Surviving are her parents, Mike and Pellie Thomas and William and Kathy Yockey; brother, David Thomas; grandparents, Al and Judy Thomas. Funeral services were held July 3, 2009 at Davis-Seawinds Funeral Home in Melbourne, Fla., with Cleave S. Frink officiating.

From the Ashes: Michaela Thomas was a 21-year-old woman who had just graduated from Florida State University in May. If she was laughing, you were laughing too, an infectious smile and a personality that allowed her to comfort people she didn’t even know. Michaela was set to start her masters degree at the University of Central Florida in August, but she died after being in a car accident on June 28. I am her father. She always took the outcast and unpopular and befriended them. She was the light in a dark room and had incredible talent, tireless work ethic and limitless potential. She was adamant about being an organ donor, her body was in perfect condition after the accident, her organs and tissues helped over 40 people to live even as she died. As my wife and I sat on the hotel patio watching the helicopters coming and going, whisking my little girl’s organs to people in desperate need, tears were rolling down our faces. I imagine there were 40 people with tears of joy rolling down their faces as their prayers for life giving organs were answered. My baby girl found a way to give comfort in life and life from death. Please become an organ donor . . . the life you save may be somebody you can’t live without.

The obituary above was in my hometown newspaper on Thursday. I could not find any connection between the young lady and York, Nebraska but there must have been one. I was struck by several things. The first was a remarkable likeness to one of my former students. Another would be the brevity of life for this wonderful young lady. The third was the heartfelt plea by her father for any reader to become like his little girl and declare themselves to be an organ donor. In her death, she brought life to others. Many families are eternally grateful she did. I can't comfort her family in their grief but I can do this: I can pass on the example of Michaela. The rest is up to us.

PS: Ten days after this ran, I received a very nice note from her mom- someone had forwarded the piece to the family. The connection to my hometown was that many of her relatives on her dad's side were from York.

God bless,

Steve

Luke 18:1

www.hawleybooks.com

E-mail me at steve@hawleybooks.com