Thank God (literally)

I was baptized at 32.

I was doubter, questioner, I guess agnostic up until then, so I guess I don't get it.

I see it in my family of people who have grown up in the church and I see it in others who grew up in the church, this callousness that we can develop with cynicism.

Jesus becomes a fall back, an emotional entity when we feel compassion. He's not an every day, want to live for entity.

And I guess that's why I don't get it.

What I don't get is the consistent lambasting and arguing of believers online. I mean, seriously, what difference are we making? In fact, we're probably turning more people away by behaving that way. We may feel better about ourselves, but we're just tickling the ears that agree with us and angering those who disagree.

And in that group, there may be someone leaning one way or another and your interaction can push them one way or another.

Look, I am not perfect, in fact, I am as far away from it as you can probably get and still be legal. I am too emotional sometimes especially when someone or something I love is attacked. Call it the small town Indiana in me, but I have a chip on my shoulder. But in the old days, I would keep a list of enemies in my head of people I would have nothing to do with anymore. Now, I realize I have probably failed in many ways and I try to ask for forgiveness.

But in a very real world that we live in, people are hurting. People are struggling mentally and physically and I don't want to add to it....intentionally.

So when it comes to illegal immigrants, Muslims, LGBTQ, atheists, etc, etc, etc...I have an opinion. In fact, I have many thought out opinions that probably most of you or many of you would disagree with and I am ok with that. And I am really ok with keeping those opinions off social media. Face to face, we can have a talk, I am good with it, but I am not going to turn people away from Jesus because of...well, me and my behavior.

All of those above groups and every other group from divorced people, people in prison, murderers, rapists, child molesters, every single person on this planet, I am going to love and hope that they ask for repentance because I believe that no one is outside the grace of God through Jesus. And I truly believe that we all need is to accept that grace.

My issue is I do not want anyone to reject Jesus because as a follower of Him, I have given them a reason to not want to be in the "club" when we all need that club in our daily lives and for the life after this one here on Earth.

We have laws in this country, yes, I believe that, but there are people here legally, illegally, I don't care, I am going to help and love them if I can. My job is not to enforce the law, my job is to enforce the love of Jesus. I support our lawmakers, I support the laws being enforced, but I do not support or enforce the dislike or hate of the law breaker. 

I can't

Because I am a law breaker too.

Thank God (literally) for Jesus!

I have been asked and written about this before, but I give money to the homeless on the street, I will give money to people who ask me at a gas pump for help to get to wherever they're going and I know, absolutely know that I have been taken advantage of before.

My belief is that what I do in that situation is between me and God, what they do with my help is between them and God.

I'd rather be taken advantage of 100 times and be right once, than to be taken advantage of 100 times and be wrong that one time when I could have helped.

I write this to remind you, and me, that we need checked from time to time, that we need to look in the mirror and figure out are we being consistent? 

Are we being consistent on what we say we believe and how we live that out.

I wish you well.

I Got a Flyer in the Mail Today

I got a flyer in the mail today. 

It was from a local public school trying to recruit my two student-athletes to their corporation.

I got one the other day, too, and the month before that also.

Two were from public schools/corporations, one was from a private school.

These schools were trying to recruit my student-athletes.

By the way, I live right next to my kids schools. I mean, you walk around a fence and I am on Silver Creek school property.

Yet, I got flyers in the mail about attending other schools.

I didn't have to move, the flyers read.

There would be a bus to pick them up, the flyers read.

They had great academics, the flyers read. 

Oh...and their athletics teams/facilities were top notch, the flyers read.

Yet, my kids who live next to their school (literally) are getting flyers in the mail to attend other schools and I see the shiny pictures of their great facilities on the flyers. Heck, some nights I can even drive by a couple of schools with their lights on showcasing their athletic facilities.  

You could almost argue that my kids are being recruited for sports because they're both pretty good athletes, or maybe not. Maybe it's Indiana is a school choice state and all schools are trying to get students from all over the area to attend their school/s.

I realize that everyone in my neighborhood got the flyers, many without children, but still....

You can't have it both ways.

You can't.

You cannot have rosters filled with student-athletes that do not live in your school district and complain that others do the same...or I guess you can. It's a free country.

I had a coach here say a great line and it is so true from what I know, what I've seen, and what I've seen done..."a lot of dirty hands around here throwing dirt on our name."

I Just Want...

I just want to do good and not be criticized for it. Especially when I have done nothing wrong.

I just want to help other people and laugh/tease them without their feelings getting hurt, and my misreading the situation and saying the wrong thing.

I just want to make people feel better, help people and not have others think there is an ulterior motive.

I just want to help and have people recognize it and reinforce it, not drag me down for it.

I just want to not let things said or done hurt so much.

I just want to fight the good fight, but not have to.

I just want to be in a good mood, keep proper perspective no matter the arrows that come my way.

I just want to look to God when the lions are milling about.

I just want for my family not to hurt because of health issues.

I just want for my family not to hurt because of mental health.

I just want for my family to appreciate more and criticize less.

I just want to not feel mentally fatigued when wrongly attacked.

I just want to be bold enough to apologize first when rightfully criticized and not feel the need to attack.

I just want to feel wanted, needed, and appreciated.

I just want to know that I don't need to feel wanted, needed, and appreciated to do good stuff.

I just want to not take things so personally when attacked.

I just want to go and live in the middle of nowhere North Dakota with no Internet, cell phone or social media.

I just want my kids to be happy, healthy, and great at what they want to do.

I just want to not think so much, so often and so detailed and deep as it is exhausting.

I just want to be rich to help those less fortunate.

I just want to be famous to bring joy to people's lives.

I just don't want to be rich and famous and be joyful in what I am.

I just want to enjoy life and not let all of the negativity to enter my life, but more importantly to not enter my mind.

Brave New World in Indiana

I live in Indiana.

Indiana has school choice for K-12 schools.

That means that you can attend any school you want to attend, but you may (may) have to provide your own transportation.

Those students who attend your school and do not live within that school's district are called transfers.

In Indiana, the money follows the student and where they attend school. So each student is actually worth around $10,000 for the school.

Which means the more transfers the more money coming from outside of your district to better your schools.

Many schools have benefitted from transfers and many of these students play sports, participate in co-curricular programs and often benefit the school which they attend.

When these students enroll and attend our school, they are now Silver Creek students. 

They are not "false" students, they are Dragons. No more and no less than someone who transferred in while attending elementary school, 7th grade, or high school.

They are not students taking away opportunities from other students, they are raising the stakes for the current students are steering them into something else here at school.

Many schools in this area have benefitted from transfers, some who ended up being pretty good athletes, but no recruiting has occurred. If there has been, it's been the school or the sports program recruiting for itself. It's parents after being asked about the school and the community selling the school that their children attend and they want to share that experience with others.

In fact, our school board has approved sending school buses into other districts to make it easier for students in other school districts to attend our schools which is a great idea.

It's a brave new world and not many like it...I get it.

I've worked at schools who struggled to get out of district transfers and I work at a school who doesn't struggle with it.

But perception is reality, and you're going to hear negative thoughts from outside of your school, but when it happens within the school it is very disappointing. And when your name is slandered...makes it even worse.

I am thankful for the out of district transfers because they've helped me make more money as a teacher. I am thankful because I have met a lot of really cool kids from the surrounding areas. And I have enjoyed watching my school and others benefit from recognition by its students who are both from inside and outside of their "school" community.

You don't have to like how the system works, but it is the system and what is your school doing to market itself?

Again, you may not like it, but it's important in today's world

Or....

They don't have to do these things and that is ok, too.

Philosophically Confusing

Traditionally, people of faith tend to be a little more questioning of Darwinism than non-believers. Darwinism, simply put, is the idea of evolution through the survival of the fittest. Change from one species to another probably gets the most attention, but change within species (also Darwinism) is measurable and verifiable.

But let's get back to the whole "survival of the fittest" and people of faith, and let's pick on specifically evangelical Christians. Many new creationists (they believe that the world is 6,000 years old) are appalled at Darwinism and will tell you there has not been enough time for all the species to evolve. Many old world creationists, often argue the same thing, but will sometimes concede Darwinism evolution does occur within species.

Yet, over the last two years, I have noticed something rather interesting. Many people of faith, including evangelical Christians, have become Darwinist in their beliefs with Covid-19. What do I mean by that? Tell me if you have heard some of these terms in your church: "There is risk in living"; "We are all going to get it anyway"; "Masks and quarantining should not be mandated", and I am sure there are other examples. These comments are Darwinist evolution in nature (lol). The idea that there is risk inherent in living assumes survival of the fittest as does assuming everyone will get Covid-19, and finally that masks should be optional.

Now, I am not arguing for or against these comments, in fact, I probably agree with most of them, but this virus has revealed in us ideas we may not have always agreed upon before.

And I am not just going to pick on the faith groups either. The Darwinists have become oddly worried about the "weaker" of us in society. These people usually believe that evolution is a fact, that's it's happening and that is has made society and animal groups better and stronger. Yet, they seem to be concerned with those in society that don't want to be vaccinated, don't want to wear masks, don't want to shut schools down, and overall pose a greater risk to dying.

Sure, you could argue that those evolutionists want to protect themselves, but a natural thinning of the herd would often be considered good by those in that group. In fact, the thinning of the herd would occur in groups that they often do not agree on most any issue. So what's the problem?

The last two years have definitely been frustrating and a lot of growth and learning has taken place for me personally. I happen to fall into the class of the Darwinist here because I guess it follows more under free will and choice. I am vaccinated, I wear a mask, and I try to be somewhat smart, but if you choose to not do those things, well, I believe that freedom is for everyone even those that disagree with me. Even those who potentially want to harm to me.

So, in the short term we will move on arguing, getting sick, dying, and disagreeing over what is right with Covid-19. But here's what I believe, too. In the long term, those same thing will keep happening and I am not sure that it isn't time to live our lives freely with some intelligence...if you choose to.

But what do I know? I am just a regular person with an opinion who makes no decisions for others...and I kind of like it that way.

Hall of Fame Visits...9 years apart.