2012-The Year of the Blog?

It feels like forever since my last post. In fact, its been almost a year. Working from several different laptops, netbooks, and tablets, I had lost access to this account. Now everything is up and running.

My hope, though not a resolution, is to write and reflect more frequently this year. Being a parent to 8 children ranging in ages from eleven weeks to eighteen years, the husband to one wife for twenty-two years, a K-8 school principal, and most importantly, a fully devoted follower of Christ, I find myself with much to write and reflect about. I am hoping to use this as a tool to do just that. If anyone can benefit from my experiences, then the benefit will be doubled. If you have thoughts, insights, or other words of wisdom to share in your comments, those would be appreciated as well.

As for New Year's Resolutions, I had not given them much thought until my friend and colleague, Mark Britz, asked me if I had any. My response was: Continue to seek God's will for my life AND Be less egocentric and more echocentric (others-centered). I am just excited to see what God has lying ahead this next year. I am sure that tears will be shed, both of joy and of sorrow, but through it all, God IS Good.

Giving Up Our Good to Get God's Great

I shared the following this morning during the dedication service for New Life Community Church-

Giving up our good to get God’s great

As the time drew near for the merger of Sunrise and SBC, I was afraid. I was fearful of losing things. At Sunrise I was comfortable, I led music during the English service, I sang in the Spanish service, I was familiar with all of the families and the youth. I liked what we had, and, if it wasn’t broke, why fix it? What could merging with SBC bring besides the possible loss of some of these things? Why would we, as a church, choose to give up things that were going “good”?

Since our first Sunday together, God has been teaching me a key significant lesson, and maybe some of you have experienced this as well. Sometimes, we have to let go of good things to experience the great things he has in store for us. Sometimes those good things are taken from us, and we grieve the loss of those good things, BUT, if we pay attention to what HE is doing, we find that He has allowed those good things to be taken away in order for us to experience HIM more fully.

How many people here today would say that your current church experience is just the same as it was before January 2, 2011? We are in a different place. God is moving here (gesture to church) and God is moving here (gesture to heart).

Just like the hoarders we see on TV, there are things I wasn’t willing to give up. Although my hoarding was mental, emotional, spiritual, like those physical hoarders, it was just as unhealthy and destructive to me personally as well as to my relationship with God and others.

You see, the piles that filled my heart and my mind did not just go back to my time at Sunrise, I spent 25 years at SBC beginning when I was in third grade. When you look around this room some of you see a large room, with blue carpet and peach colored pews. I bring memories, like crawling through the attic with Pastor Ken Stevens to run some wiring that hadn’t made it into the final plans, a Ford Pinto parked on this platform while the building was still just a steel frame. Three large Christmas trees filled with lights and singers. Dave Berkey Jr. wandering around the stage and being crucified on a cross portraying Jesus in an Easter pageant My bride walking down that aisle, looking like an angel. Standing holding my baby, who is now 17 for baby dedication.

Some of my piles are of happy times, some are times of pain and sorrow. What they are really does not matter. God came in and is cleaning out some of that stuff I was hanging on to, and He is filling me up with a fuller experience of Him.

Just like the rose bush, that, in order to develop its most beautiful blossoms has to be pruned, so do we, both individually and corporately have to allow God to remove those things which, by our logic and standards might be really, really good, but are not the GREAT that He has planned for us.

Spotlight on Success Presentation

The following is an excerpt from a presentation I made to a group of peers at yesterday's principals' meeting.

This I believe…sometimes, in order to sustain change, you must keep things the same.

As most of you know, in July of 2008, I moved into the principal position at Laird. At that time, Laird had a reputation as a strong Reading First site, with several grade levels K-3 frequently ranking at the top of the Reading First project data. Laird also found itself showing well in TD3’s Comprehensive Achievement Analysis. For all intents and purposes, under Dr. Klajda’s leadership, Laird had “turned around” and was showing academic success that “beat the odds” given its level of “at-risk-ness”. As I prepared to take this role, I shared my concerns with some of my colleagues, “If you go into a school with data that is in the toilet, the only direction you can go is up. When you assume the reins of a high flyer, there is always a risk of crashing the plane.”

Often times, we, as leaders, when assuming a new role, are anxious to make it “ours”; that temptation was there for me during my first year. We must be cautious, however, to do a systemic assessment before we rush into any change. Where research-based leadership, instruction, intervention and assessment systems are in place, we need to analyze their effectiveness prior to performing a radical overhaul.

During my first year at Laird, based on an analysis of their data, I chose to do everything in my power to keep the momentum going, while assessing and analyzing site needs and available resources. Instruction and intervention systems remained in place, weekly leadership team meetings continued to be held with a focus on student data. Weekly grade level team meetings for (alternately) reading and math continued. Intervention systems remained in place. Walkthroughs and coaching across K-7 in reading and math was ongoing.

Even with these constants, there were still changes. Not only had the principal role changed, but there were new staff members in kindergarten, fifth grade, sixth grade and seventh grade as well as in the Language Arts coach position. This was the first year Laird housed a seventh grade. As a first year principal my level of effectiveness as a leader and as an instructional coach was not as strong as I would have liked it to be.

The result, we saw gains in our data, but not to the extent we would have liked. Our status, although remaining in the top tier on the CAA, dropped. A couple of grade levels showed a decrease in their effectiveness. All in all, we stayed the course, and successfully added a seventh grade to the mix.

During year two I began to refine, build, and scaffold those areas that were rough, had gaps, or started to fall off. I also began to identify the gaps in my own skill set that needed support in order for me to help Laird move forward. Math grew as a focus while maintaining the gains made in reading. More new staff joined the Laird team. Teachers demonstrating less effectiveness were challenged to step up. Eighth grade was added to the campus. Reading systems continued to receive the support for sustainability. Intervention systems for reading remained in place.

The result, our reading data remained solid across all grade levels except for second, where we continue to see a dip. All grades made AYP for math outright except for 7^th and 3^rd. Math will continue to be an area to target for improvement.

As I move into year three, I have made the most significant changes. The only grade level staying the same in regards to staffing is 4^th. Instruction and intervention systems, leadership team meetings, grade level team meetings and data driven decisions remain an integral part of Laird’s culture. These are areas of systemic change that need to continue to be refined, but must remain in place in order for Laird to maintain its current level of success.

The lesson for all of us, especially Ken, maintaining systemic reforms that have led to achievement gains are more important than putting our personal leadership stamp on our schools. When we are placed into new leadership roles, we must sustain the positive changes that have happened before us while continuing our quest to improve. As we bring on new principals to existing sites, we must also support them in maintaining and sustaining areas where systemic change has already happened.

My Modest Proposal

In the spirit of Jonathan Swift...

It has come to my attention that there is a criminal element in the churches of America that needs to be addressed. Whether it be local officials, such as county attorneys, state attorneys general, or even the federal government, someone must do something about this soon. Might I even suggest a Congressional inquiry? This activity has been going on for decades and it must be stopped.

Churches across America have been funding criminal activity on an international scope. Smugglers and rebellion leaders have been sent into countries with the full intention of breaking the laws of that country. Even if appropriate documents had been secured to enter the country, once inside, the criminal activity began. Contraband was handed out to the country's nationals, often times, contraband that was funded, or even purchased by the American churches. Illegal meetings were held covertly, behind closed doors, with the intent to encourage the nationals to recruit others into this illegal activity as well.

A quick online search tells me these activities are still going on today. There is even an organization founded by one of the famous early smugglers that brags about this illegal activity. I myself was subject to propaganda in the form of a comic book that made this early smuggler out to be a hero.

What should we do about this behavior? Should there be financial sanctions? Should criminal charges be filed? Whatever the case, I know that my brothers and sisters in Christ condemn any criminal activity, and will be anxious to stop this behavior immediately.

Lost OR Found

I'm not entirely sure how I got to where I am at this moment. There were a lot of events leading up to my current state, but I think the final step can be summarized like this... I was sitting in our church "office", a rented house in a neighborhood not far from my school or my home. The room was filled with brothers and sisters in Christ, some of them English speakers, some of them Spanish speakers. Were any of them concerned about the effects of SB1070 on their families? Probably. Two blocks away, two thirteen year olds and one eighteen year old sat in front of a laundromat. All three have been using drugs recently. Some, if not all, are also dealing. At least one was in a gang fight last week that sent one child to the hospital fighting for his life, and another family on the run from the authorities.

I sat there, singing, asking myself, what are we doing here? Are we reaching the real needs of the neighborhood? When we meet together on Sunday morning, what is our purpose? Yes, I am fully aware of the importance of gathering together as one body and worshiping our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, giving glory to God the Father, the Maker and Creator of all things. However, at what point do we go beyond building and equipping and start winning souls? Are we reaching the lost?

Which brings me to the other thing that has me troubled. Why are we, as Christians, even talking about illegal vs. legal, documented, vs. undocumented. Is that how our Father sees the world? OR Does he see us as lost or found? I'm sick of all the conversations about SB1070. It doesn't matter whether you are a resident or alien when it comes to the US of A. What matters is whether you are a resident or alien in the Kingdom of God. AND if you are a resident in the Kingdom of God, you are an alien EVERYWHERE on this Earth.

So, as a conservative, white, suburban born and raised, Christian, registered Republican, I choose to love you, cry for you, pray for you, and desire your salvation whether you are documented or undocumented, saint or sinner, upstanding citizen or convicted felon. I refuse to let politicians, rhetoric, the media, religious leaders, or even my friends define who you are. I ask and pray that every day, the Holy Spirit will allow me to see you through my Father's eyes.

Is it dangerous to pray?

Ok, so I probably shouldn't post this until after I checkout the prayer discussion on the Sunrise Church Facebook page. Anyhow...

A couple of weeks ago, things seemed to be going REALLY well. I was receiving lots of words of affirmation from just about everyone in my life. Knowing pride is a weakness, I quickly prayed and gave thanks and glory to God for all of those positive things and also asked that He would keep me humble.

So...a couple weeks later and things seem completely overwhelming. I find myself close to tears for at least the third day in a row. I seem to be on an emotional roller coaster.

In less than 48 hours, my son will be my son legally, forever. The joy that comes in thinking about that cannot be captured in words. Yet, still, I struggle.

My purpose, my point, in posting these ponderings... I asked to be kept humble and my prayer was answered. Shall I give Him thanks for that? Shall I rejoice in my struggles? Shall I...surrender?

The Least of These

For those of you who know Cathy and I well, you know we are passionate about making a difference in the lives of children. In our family, this plays out in our desire to save the world "one child at a time". Just like the boy throwing starfish back into ocean, we cannot make a difference for every child, but will do our best to make a difference in the lives of the children who come into our home.

Of course, as an educator, I have 550 children that I am responsible for from K thru 8th grade. Although "one at a time" would be inadequate to meet the needs of all these students, each child's individual needs must be met if all of them are to succeed.

I was very proud of my wife when she recently struggled with an assignment that included a response to A Modest Proposal by Jonathan Swift. In this satirical commentary on western life in the 18th century, Swift, proposes children be eaten as a solution to both poverty of the mother and overpopulation. Today I am struggling with the fact that Swift's commentary on society's value of children is as applicable today as it was then.

Yes, crimes against children are against the law here in the US and in many parts of the world, the problem is, they still happen and they happen way too frequently. Today I found out that it is highly probable that four of the boys from the streets of Uganda that folks from our church recently worked with on a missions trip were kidnapped and taken to Europe to be part of the sex trade. Not only does this make me sick for these for boys, it makes my heart break that this is such a regular occurrance that without knowing what happened to them, we can assume what happened to them. These children have no value in society, in Uganda and in Europe, and can be harvested like stray animals.

I know that if you are reading this post, you are probably one of my Facebook friends, and share my value of children. You may be asking, "What can I do?" The advice given to me tonight by our pastor that went on this trip and knows these boys...pray that wherever they are, they will find redemption, both for their lives, and for their souls.

Its hard for me to leave something like this in God's hands. It really makes me want to go out and do some ass-whoopin.

So, that's my reflection, no resolution, just frustration and a knot in the pit of my stomach.

However...it does make me stop and ponder the value and sanctity of human life. Even though all of you are willing to sacrifice for children and are appalled at what I've shared, do you really value all human life? Really? Yes, I am asking a trick question here. Many of you would never take the life of anyone else, and those of you that would, only under certain cirumstances, ie: the health and safety of others. My question is, do you value YOUR life? If you are like me, somedays you may get down, feel like you have failed, even wallow in self-pity. Do you know that someone cares about your troubles just like we are concerned about the troubles of children? Human life gets its value not from what society thinks its worth. The doctor and the street urchin are just as valuable in God's eyes. He loves those boys from Uganda, He loves those 550 students in my school, He loves my family, He loves me, He LOVES YOU!

Today's news about these boys, coupled with some sad news regarding the health of one of my students has taken me through a roller-coaster of emotions. Knowing God loves them and loves me is the only thing that will allow me to sleep tonight.