Vacation (No Internet) Day 3

If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.

Play to your strengths.

Which perspective is more useful?  There are times that society demands perfoming outside our areas of skill (especially in school).  But as adults, we have far more flexibility.

Is it true that kids don’t know what they’ll do when they’re older?  That’s a common line when explaining why kids need to take classes they dislike.

I wonder…a longitudinal study tracking middle schoolers’ preferences through, say, people’s early 30s, might yield some interesting results.

(When I get back online, I’ll return to a more typical pattern of posting.)

Vacation (No Internet) Day 2

Follow-up?  Jesus got exasperated with the lack of understanding his disciples showed sometimes.

I struggle with what to do when someone–a friend, a peer, a pupil–doesn’t “get it.”

In spiritual matters, how much is my responsibility and how much is the Holy Spirit’s?

What is predestined and what is influenced by human effort?

Vacation (No Internet) Day 1

Oops!  I forgot to look for the next book (won’t do “follow-up”) OR maybe I should…what is follow up?  What do they mean?

Witness = 2 or more verifiers of truth.

Exodus 23:1-9

This passage about social justice simply reminds God’s people to say and do the right thing, even when it’s inconvenient or difficult or not profitable.

1 Timothy 5:19-20

The Bible teaches clearly that more than one person must be consulted before accusing someone in charge of wrongdoing.

However, once a charge is verified, a public rebuke is recommended.

Keep this in mind as you craft a new set of discipline policies for summer school classes.

Witness Humility

Yesterday, I was on the top of the world.

Today, after receiving back local final exam results, I was reminded of my weakness.

Fortunately, my colleagues and I were able to come up with a reasonable solution, but it was important that I be compared to my colleagues for a reminder that I’m not “all that.”

Professional Witness

The New York State No Child Left Behind test results were published online earlier today.

I am tempted to believe that the exam was graded on an easier scale this year. However, in comparision to other schools, my grade level and school building did particularly well.

This is very encouraging.

Such a large amount of statistics make it possible to generate meaningful comparisons, and this is a form of quantitative witness.

Ecclesiastes 12:13-14

Solomon concludes his reflection with the reminder that life is all about respecting and obeying God.

When we appear before God at the end of time for judgment, there will be no need of many witnesses.

Jesus himself will be sole witness and defense attorney.

Jesus’ Betrayal

The two or three witness rule was broken when Jesus faced trials and execution.

The only thing that they could agree on was that Jesus had claimed he would destroy “this temple in three days.”

This was a referral to his death and resurrection, but they twisted it into a threat against the State.

Today, not unlike 2000 years ago, false witnesses game the system.

Deuteronomy 17:6

One witness in isolation is not sufficient to prove a case.

The Bible requires at least two or three witnesses to agree to prove a case.