A Modern Parable

Our daughter Solveig shared the following article she found on the internet.

After being interviewed by the school administration, the prospective teacher said:

“Let me see if I’ve got this right. You want me to go into that room with all those kids, correct their disruptive behavior, observe them for signs of abuse, monitor their dress habits, censor their t-shirt messages and instill in them a love for learning. You want me to check their backpacks for weapons, raise their sense of self-esteem and personal pride. You want me to teach them patriotism, good citizenship, sportsmanship and fair play. You want me to teach them to register to vote, balance their checkbook and apply for a job.

You want me to check their heads for lice, recognize signs of antisocial behavior and make sure that they pass the final exams. You also want me to provide them with an equal education regardless of their handicaps. You want me to communicate with their parents in English, Spanish and/or any other language by letter, phone, newsletter, email and report card. You want me to do all this with a piece of chalk, a blackboard, a bulletin board, a few books, an old computer, and a salary that qualifies my family for food stamps.

You want me to do all this and then you tell me I can’t pray.”

Pray for our public school educators. They are among our best and our brightest.

Attempting to connect the dots…

Wayne
Romans 1:16

Quotable:
“An education isn't how much you have committed to memory, or even how much you know. It's being able to differentiate between what you know and what you don't.”
~ Anatole France

Amazing

What is the main reason person will attend a church for the first time? It is not location, doctrine, name, worship style or even denominational affiliation or lack thereof. The main reason a person attends a church for the first time is amazing: someone invited them.
Imagine the power of a simple invitation. The power to influence a person’s life for eternity, the power to bring about positive change as a person comes under the influence of the gospel, the power to be a blessing to your church family by introducing a new friend or the power to be a blessing to your friend by introducing him or her to your church family. All of this can happen because of a simple invitation.

Do not underestimate your influence in the lives of others. People are observing you as you faithfully live for Christ. They take note of your attitude. They scrutinize your response to challenges. They study your behavior. As you live out Christ in your delay life it creates a powerful opportunity to influence others for Christ and His church.

Recently one of the people who trusted Christ in one of our services commented to me that the reason they had attended was “they had observed something in the life of their friend (a church member) and wanted what they had.” They eagerly attended church when invited.

You may be thinking, “I invite people and no one ever comes.” Paul’s admonition to the church at Galatia was, “And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.” There are people who will bless you for eternity if you will simply invite them to attend church with you this week. Amazing!

Attempting to connect the dots…

Wayne
Romans 1:16

Quotable:
“To the world you may be just one person, but to one person you are the world.”
~ Unknown

Attitude can Make the Difference

Bing Crosby had a hit song titled, “Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate the Positive.” Below are the lyrics. This would be a good song for any Baptist church to learn.

"You've got to accentuate the positive

Eliminate the negative

Latch on to the affirmative

Don't mess with Mister In-Between

You've got to spread joy up to the maximum

Bring gloom down to the minimum

Have faith or pandemonium

Liable to walk upon the scene

(To illustrate his last remark

Jonah in the whale, Noah in the ark

What did they do

Just when everything looked so dark)

Man, they said we better

Accentuate the positive

Eliminate the negative

Latch on to the affirmative

Don't mess with Mister In-Between

No, do not mess with Mister In-Between

Do you hear me, hmm?

(Oh, listen to me children and-a you will hear

About the elininatin' of the negative

And the accent on the positive)

And gather 'round me children if you're willin'

And sit tight while I start reviewin'

The attitude of doin' right

(You've gotta accentuate the positive

Eliminate the negative

Latch on to the affirmative

Don't mess with Mister In-Between)

You've got to spread joy (up to the maximum)

Bring gloom (down) down to the minimum

Otherwise (otherwise) pandemonium

Liable to walk upon the scene

To illustrate (well illustrate) my last remark (you got the floor)

Jonah in the whale, Noah in the ark

What did they say (what did they say)

Say when everything looked so dark

Man, they said we better

Accentuate the positive

Eliminate the negative

Latch on to the affirmative

Don't mess with Mister In-Between

No! Don't mess with Mister In-Between"

Attempting to connect the dots…

Wayne
Romans 1:16

Quotable:
“I can do all things through Christ which strengths me.”
~ Apostle Paul