Blame

"Fathers shall not be put to death for their children, nor shall children be put to death for their fathers; each one shall die for his own sin."
-2 Kings 14:6

You only have yourself to blame may be one of the tough-love lessons to take away from this verse. Too many children (and adults) blame their parents for everything. Parents are certainly influential. So if a parent is one who leaves the mother with the kid, there will be an effect on the kid. If the mother gets involved with another man, who fathers another child, and then also leaves, there will be an effect on the children. If that mother leaves the kids with the grandmother, only to come back into their lives periodically, raising their hopes, staying long enough to undermine the grandmother's authority, and leaves again, the children will have a lot to deal with. All of this may explain why the child is the way he is, but the real world isn't going to excuse him for being a jerk because of it. He needs help to overcome the obstacles that have been put in his way and avoid the path of his parents. There's no glory in being a failure and being able to blame your parents for it. It would be much better to become a success and be able to take credit for it (or give the credit to God).

Tonight marks the end of my summer. I return to school tomorrow to get ready for my junior high students on Wednesday. We were able to get kid number one through successfully last year. His brother starts the junior high this year. Hopefully, my prayers and others' will continue pay off for him and his family.

Right Pride

"Draw your strength from the Lord and from his mighty power."
-Ephesians 6:10

The last time I went to Confession and the priest helped me make a better examination of conscience, one of his questions to me after I shared the sins I could recall was whether I had a problem with pride. Some of the other questions he posed I answered with a simple, "No." But with this question, I added, "No, but I make a conscious effort to keep that in check because I am good at a lot of things, but I know all good things come from God, so my confidence lies in Him."

The priest responded with, "Praise God."

The fine line between sinful pride and healthy confidence doesn't lie so much in the amount of self-esteem a person has, but where that self-esteem comes from. If you think you can do anything because you're all that and then some, you're wrong (sinful pride). If your faith tells you that you can do anything because all things are possible with God, you're right (healthy confidence). God will help you do anything to accomplish his plans. If your plans are different than his, like if you want to play for the Celtics in Boston instead of teaching 7th grade math, you probably won't get to take the easy road and play for the Celtics, but he'll give you an even more amazing experience in a small classroom in the Plum suburbs of Pittsburgh.

Of course, a lot of you are anxious to read my book when it comes out, but the road to publication could take three or more years for one like this. We are trying to drum up as much buzz about it this month as we can by getting as many reads at http://www.scribd.com/doc/50323329/Chapter-14-Praying-for-the-Dead by the end of this month. So you can go there now and I hope to see you back here again. God bless you.

College Peer Pressure

"So do not be associated with them."
-Ephesians 5:7

With a number of my former students heading off to college for the first time this month, this quote caught my attention. I don't know how many of them are considered followers of this blog, so hopefully they don't need to be told this, but a lot of smart kids do dumb things in college trying to fit in with kids dumber than they are because of peer pressure. Now I like to belong, maybe not as much as the next guy, but at some level I like to fit in with those around me. However, I've been fortunate to go to school and work in places with like-minded individuals and didn't have to try to fit in with those whose short-term priorities didn't mesh with my long-term priorities. Before leaving my high school summer job as a janitor, my boss's advice to us was don't be afraid to be a nerd in college. I told him that shouldn't be a problem. I found a few other "nerds" freshmen year, who were with me all four years as we saw the others disappear after first semester or freshmen year. Even today, I tend to associate with like-minded people who "pressure" me to be my best and let the others do their own thing if they don't want to join us. So whether you are starting college or somewhere else on your journey, I hope those you call friends are making you better.

Joel Osteen

"And he gave some as apostles, others as prophets, others as evangelists, others as pastors and teachers, to equip the holy ones for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of faith and knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the extent of the full stature of Christ, so that we may no longer be infants, tossed by waves and swept along by every wind of teaching arising from human trickery, from their cunning in the interests of deceitful scheming."
-Ephesian 4:11-14

We all have a role to play in a plan as big as God's. We can't do everything ourselves. We need eachother and we need him. Otherwise, we may be mislead by half-truths.

The prosperity gospel preached by evangelists like Joel Osteen, who is coming to my town next month, is the truth, but it is incomplete. God does want to meet our needs, but he defines those needs differently than some of us do. I can't say I listen to Joel Osteen often because I read his book on a recommendation from a friend and it frustrated me more than any other book I can recall. The parts that stick out in my mind most is when God wanted him to have a bigger house and when he was embarrassed about not dressing up better to go to the grocery store and was seen by some of his followers. Physically, God wants everyone to have appropriate shelter and clothing, but once we use the money God has given us to meet our needs, perhaps we should use his money to meet others' needs and not meet our wants, even though our wants may not be bad in and of themselves. Which is the better good: buying fancier clothes for yourself or donating the money saved to charity to clothe others? I believe I should donate to charity to meet others' physical needs and help meet my spiritual needs, which are more valuable than the physical needs emphasized in the prosperity gospel.

The prosperity gospel seeks happiness. The gospel seeks joy. The temproal things of this world can bring temporal happiness, but they remain dependent on circumstances. True joy goes deeper than circumstance because it comes from God, deep within, which circumstances can't take away from you. No matter what situation you find yourself in, if you accept that Jesus died for your sins and you are saved, it's hard to be down over something so little as whatever earthly situation you find yourself in.

Garage Sale Theology

"I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that he may grant you in accord with the riches of his glory to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in the inner self, and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the holy ones what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God."
-Ephesians 3:14-19

First of all, I wonder how many five verse sentences are in the Bible. But more importantly, I thought it was interesting that every family on earth is named after the Father. As such, we should make him proud in everything we do, public or private. When reading about online behavior, the article's advice was if you wouldn't want your grandparents to see your profile, make it private. Perhaps better advice would be to not do it at all if you don't want your grandparents to know. Although we may not think of it at the time, God knows everything, even if you never get caught (and you're going to get caught eventually anyway), so if it God would be upset by it, don't do it.

This could come into play today at our neighborhood garage sell. Most people put out some things that aren't good enough for them anymore. If it's not good enough for you, why would it be good enough for someone else. One example was one of those blinds that go in a car window to keep the sun out of a baby's eyes. The police told us those are dangerous in an accident, so we thought about selling it, but if we're getting rid of it because it's not safe enough for our kids, why would we want another family to have it (let alone pay to have it) just because they didn't know it wasn't safe like we did when we bought it. Another example was a pillow that we ended up with that had a saying that we didn't agree with and didn't want in our house. Again if we don't want it in our house, why would we want it in someone else's house? Of course, people that wanted such things could get them elsewhere, but at least we're not enabling them to do so. That makes God a little happier.

Called

"When you read this you can understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to human beings in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit, that the Gentiles are coheirs, members of the same body, and copartners in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel."
-Ephesians 3:4-6

So if you must be either Jew or Gentile, that means that all are coheirs, members of the same body, and copartners in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel. Today we have many more divisions like Muslim and Buddhist along with Christians and Jews (and even divisions within those divisions). Nevertheless, everyone is called to do their part in God's plan. Whether they answer the call or not is another story for another day.

Peace

"He came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near, for through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father."
-Ephesians 2:17-18

It's hard to say whether I was one of the ones far off or near. I know some who seem to have been farther off than I was, but know others who have always seemed closer than I have been. No matter where you feel you stand, you're never too far for peace and never too close to judge others who seem not to be.

Capital Punishment

When the Arameans came down to get him, Elisha prayed to the LORD, "Strike this people blind, I pray you." And in answer to the prophet's prayer the LORD struck them blind.

Then Elisha said to them: "This is the wrong road, and this is the wrong city. Follow me! I will take you to the man you want." And he led them to Samaria.

When they entered Samaria, Elisha prayed, "O LORD, open their eyes that they may see." The LORD opened their eyes, and they saw that they were inside Samaria.

When the king of Israel saw them, he asked, "Shall I kill them, my father?"

"You must not kill them," replied Elisha. "Do you slay those whom you have taken captive with your sword or bow? Serve them bread and water. Let them eat and drink, and then go back to their master." The king spread a great feast for them. When they had eaten and drunk he sent them away, and they went back to their master. No more Aramean raiders came into the land of Israel.
-2 Kings 6:18-23

So how does this story apply to today? We certainly shouldn't kill prisoners if we already have them captured. Police would only have to do that if a criminal is on the loose and firing shots at people, for example. One would think that since the majority of Americans are Christian, it would be obvious that capital punishment is wrong. However, since the majority of those Americans can't see that abortion is wrong, something deeper has to be addressed first before anyone can really deal with the glaring symptoms on the surface of our society. Whatever it is, those closest to Jesus are going to have to be as they can be to allowing his power to work through them to conquer evil like this.

Eucharist

The prophet sent him the message: "Go and wash seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will heal, and you will be clean."

But Naaman went away angry, saying, "I thought that he would surely come out and stand there to invoke the LORD his God, and would move his hand over the spot, and thus cure the leprosy. Are not the rivers of Damascus, the Abana and the Pharpar, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them and be cleansed?" With this, he turned about in anger and left.

But his servants came up and reasoned with him. "My father," they said, "if the prophet had told you to do something extraordinary, would you not have done it? All the more now, since he said to you, 'Wash and be clean,' should you do as he said." So Naaman went down and plunged into the Jordan seven times at the word of the man of God. His flesh became again like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.
-2 Kings 5:10-14

Do we sometimes expect more to be done or expect more to be asked of us for so great a reward as salvation? With an act as seemingly simple as consecrating the bread and wine to turn it into the body and blood of Christ, many take it for granted. I try to remind myself everyday what the Eucharist really is, so I can be cleansed internally the way Naaman was cleansed externally in the story above.

Feeding the hungry

A man came from Baal-shalishah bringing the man of God twenty barely loaves made from the first fruits, and fresh grain in the ear. "Give it to the people to eat," Elisha said.

But his servant objected, "How can I set this before a hundred men?" "Give it to the people to eat," Elisha insisted. "For thus says the LORD, 'They shall eat and there shall be some left over.'" And when they had eaten, there was some left over, as the LORD had said.
-2 Kings 4:42-44

I must have forgotten that God was doing this kind of thing long before he sent his son. I only remember hearing about Jesus multiplying the bread and fish on two occasions in the Gospels. Reflecting on what I am supposed to get out of a story so simple, the fact that there is always something left over has grabbed my attention. It seems wasteful because there are people going hungry in today's world. Perhaps it wasn't so wasteful then because their system didn't leave one group with an abundance and another in want. It seemed like the harvest was good for everyone or there was famine for everyone. Forgive me if I think aloud further. The only time people traveled from one land to another for food was when Joseph had stored up food in Egypt. Egypt was also getting poor harvests, but was relying on what it saved.

There's more than enough food today to feed everyone. It's just not getting to them and they aren't able to come to it. Now some organizations have figured out a way to feed a certain area in need and they extend their area of service as funds allow. If everyone pitched in, organizations like these could feed the rest of the world in need. We can't control what everyone else does, but we can do our part.

The two organizations I like most are CrossInternational.org and AmazonRelief.org. Cross International provides the most bang for your buck in the poorest communities in the world because food is cheap and they only have an overhead of about 2-3%. The two things I like about Amazon Relief is that even though food costs a little more in Brazil than other parts of the world, they have 0% overhead and serve a population where jobs are available to break the cycle of poverty. This is a great way for us to perform the corporal work of mercy of feeding the hungry.

Parents Influence: Good or Bad

"He did evil in the LORD'S sight, though not as much as his father and mother."
-2 Kings 3:2

It was not so much this quote as others that made me think of all the times the Bible refers to children being punished for the sins of their fathers. It's not so much God punishing the children as allowing punishment to take place. From all the children I have worked with over the years, I appreciate how hard it is to overcome a rough upbringing...the most extreme example being a boy watching his mom shoot his dad and run away when he was three and his sister was one, leaving them to be raised by their grandparents. The boy is a handful, but knowing the background makes you feel more sympathy than anger towards him when he acts up. It helps me think twice before I pass judgement on any other kid since I may not know his or her background as well.

The good news is that the effects of good parents last for many more generations than the effects of the bad ones according to Scripture. Occasionally, a prodigal child seems to go astray for a period of time, and it may seem like a long time when you are going through those times. However, the positive influence that has been shown into that child's life will usually bear good fruit in the end.

So no matter what kind of parents you had (and I had great ones), God will give you the grace needed to be that good "parent" that leads to good children growing up to be good "parents." Parent(s) was put in quotation marks because we are all called to take care of God's children and some people without children of their own are great "parents" to the children in their lives. God bless you all.

Answered Prayers

"Give thanks to the Lord for his mercy endures forever."
-2 Chronicles 20:21

No, I didn't get the job I spoke about in the last post. I don't know if I'm getting called back for a second interview yet or not, but it's clear it's not the job I thought it was. I'm thankful it was made clear now before I found myself trapped. So for the time being, I'm sticking with teaching for the district and will try to help the district as much as I can from that position.