Shotguns in the Hands of Children

The following blog is a summary of Friday morning's "Coffee with the Headmaster" discussion as requested by those who were in attendance...


But immorality or any impurity or greed must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints; and there must be no filthiness and silly talk, or coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks.    -Ephesians 5:3-4

OK...not a .410 shotgun, but it was the best picture I could
find to help make the point!

Growing up in a very rural, wooded area, I was introduced to hunting at an early age, around eight years old.  When I turned 12, my father gave me my own gun, a .410 Shotgun, a deadly weapon.  As I look back on those days, I wonder if that was a wise choice on my parents part, and would I do the same thing now with my son?  My answer is, "Maybe, but only with the proper precautions".  By the time I was 15, I was actively hunting by myself.  I would go out early on Saturday mornings, or sometimes after school until dark.  Fortunately, during the three year span from the original gift to the independence, there was a great deal of training and accountability. 

I was never allowed to use the gun without my dad being present.  I was required to keep the safety engaged until the moment I was ready to pull the trigger.  Even with the safety engaged, I was required to always point the gun at the ground while walking through the woods.  I was never allowed to take a shot without knowing exactly what I was shooting at, and what was in the distance behind that target.  He taught me all the safety procedures of firearms, along with how to maintain the weapon, so that it would be most effective, and so that I would be a good steward of the gift I had been given.  And, of course, there were constant warnings that if I was ever caught using the gun in the wrong way, I would lose it forever.  The potential risks were simply too great for Dad to ignore. 

Whatever we expose our children to, whether we are talking about guns, cars, internet, cell phones, school, sports, or going to the movies, the bottom line is that parents must take the lead in investigating all the potential risks, and then act proactively in preventing disaster before it sneaks in the back door.  Our children are, after all, children.  They are typically clueless on the big picture.  However, they are keenly aware of the moment, and they know exactly what they want to maximize the moment, regardless of what ramifications it might bring later in life. 

This is why we should be extra careful with the modern cell phone and Facebook issues with our children.  Like that shotgun, we are handing over a very dangerous object to our kids, and we often leave them unsupervised "with the safety off".  The risks can be much greater than we realize.

When any of us recall our middle school years, we probably remember much of it as times of social positioning, cliques, fashion statements, selfishness, and major chemistry changes within our bodies.  The same girl who was detestable to me in 5th grade, now is suddenly very, very intriguing.  The group that I hang around with defines me as "cool", "nerd", "jock", or some other label that tends to stick through the majority of the remainder of the school career.  Once those groups form, there are often accusatory words that flow between them that are intended to raise the social status of one at the expense of the other.  It was, and is, a difficult and potentially cruel period of life.  The same tendencies that we had at 12-15 years old are alive and well in today's adolescents.  The nature of the flesh has not changed.  Unkowingly as parents, we often hand them instruments that are specially designed to enhance these early teen tendencies. 

Think about it.  Facebook enables us to choose or reject friends, just like picking teams for football when we were young.  There is increased social status when the popular guy or girl accepts my friend request, and humiliation when they reject it.  In addition, we can post pictures of the party we held over the weekend, where we invited only certain friends, for everyone to see whether they made the cut for the party or not.  If I buy a new fashionable outfit, or if mom and dad get me a nice car, I can show it off immediately to everyone who didn't get such things.  If I have a conflict with someone else, I can speak derrogatory things about her with all my friends in the comfort of my own home, without the possibility of a face-to-face exchange.  To a lesser extent, texing can do many of the same things.

This is not to mention the void of "real" communication skills which our children are missing by primarily speaking with one another electronically, or the fact that having my face buried in a device, while other flesh and blood people are trying to have a conversation with me, could be considered very rude or disrespectful.  Culture is certainly changing on these things.  Additionally, I have not mentioned the possibilities of open access to the internet at a young age, and the impact that is having on how our society views itself and how people view each other.  We have become a restless people in constant need of noise, entertainment, and stimulation. 

Now, I am not saying that it is inherently wrong to send texts or Facebook messages.  I text all the time. My wife has a Facebook page. What I am saying is that the negative attributes of the human flesh can be easily accentuated through these social media, and have the potential to cause much damage to the psyche of others, especially in oversensitive adolescents.  The difficult social aspects that you can remember from middle school have become daily routine with the click of a button in the 21st century.

As parents, it is our job to study all the aspects of Facebook and cell phones before we hand them over to our kids.  Much like that shotgun, if we don't train our children how to use these things wisely, they can be psychologically lethal in the wrong hands.  Just watch the news to see the consequences of kids being cruel to other kids.  The wave of technology has hit us like a tsunami over the past 20 years, and most adults are totally unprepared to handle it with wisdom because they simply do not know the potential risks.    This kind of stuff did not exist when we were growing up.  We tend to treat it like our parents treated video games back in the day.  My mom and dad simply thought they were buying me a toy to play with.  While most of it was harmless, there were things to avoid that they were generationally blind to. 

Similarly, we hide under the guise of giving our kids a cell phone or Facebook to increase our own communication ability or for them simply to have a new "toy" to enjoy, but fail to see what it does to affect their communication with the rest of the world.  I encourage you to open your Bible to Ephesians 4:25-5:7 and read what God says to us about good, Biblical communication with one another.  After you read that passage, open any Facebook page you would like and see if it mirrors that scripture.  If your child has a Facebook page or texts regularly, I doubly encourage you to do this.  It is a great teaching time for them to examine their own words, and hold them up against the light of scripture. 

"Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear." - Eph. 4:29.  Can Facebook and texting accomplish the purpose of this scripture?  Absolutely!  Does it usually?  Absolutely not.

Parents at HCA, let's unite together in holding our children to a higher standard than the world has to offer.  Who cares what the popular trends are in the world, if they do not line up with God's Word?  Texting and Facebook are modern conveniences that can make some of life's communication needs much more convenient.  But please understand that convenience must always be trumped by holiness.  If my convenience leads me to act or speak in un-biblical ways (again, read the scripture in Ephesians), then I am better off being inconvenienced. 

I shared the following statistics at Friday's meeting:

National Statistics*

·         95% of kids 12-17 years old are regularly online.

·         80% of those are using a social networking site (primarily Facebook).

o   64% post pictures and video of themselves

o   58% reveal where they live

o   10% post their cell phone numbers online

o   31% pretend to be older than they really are

·         84% of 15-18 year olds own a cell phone. (up from 45% in 2004)

·         60% of 10-14 year olds own a cell phone.

·         22% of 6-9 year olds own a cell phone. 

·         Within three years, nearly 60% of 8-12 year olds will own their own cell phone.

Of teens who own a cell phone…*

·         54% have received spam and unwanted texts (12-17 year olds).

·         52% regularly talk on the phone while driving (16-17 year olds)

·         34% regularly text while driving (16-17)

·         26% have been bullied or harassed through texting (12-17)

·         15% have received sexually explicit (“sexting”) text messages (12-17)

Pornography*

·         79% of youth pornographic viewing happens in the home.

·         The largest group of online porn viewers are 12-17 year olds.

At HCA (survey of current 8^th graders [14 year olds])

·         87.2% of 8^th graders own their own cell phone (34 out of 39)

·         The average age at which they got their first phone was 11.5 years old.

·         38% have internet access through their cell phone.

·         82% have a Facebook account

·         93% post pictures of themselves online

·         55% list an age that is older than reality

·         23% post their actual address or phone number

·         24% say they have been harassed or bullied through Facebook or texting

·         69% say they have seen other kids harassed or bullied through Facebook or texting

·         40% say they have accessed websites that their parents do not approve of

As you can see, our kids struggle with the exact same issues that other kids struggle with.  Let's not pretend that Christians or Christian school kids are immune.  We must expect that children will act like children, regardless of their environment.  The real question is whether adults will act like adults.  Our hope is that at HCA, we adults can be more proactive and provide more accountability as we parent and teach our children and to "train them up in the way they should go, so that when they are old, they won't depart from it."

It is my honor to work with your kids, and to support you in training them according to true biblical principles. Your children are a blessing to me. Please let me know if there are ever needs or concerns along the way. 

God Bless!

The Sound of Angels

Praise the Lord in song, for He has done excellent things; Let this be known throughout the earth.  -  Isaiah 12:5

Our Grammar students (Preschool - 5th grade) blessed us with a great Christmas program yesterday.  Thanks to Stephanie Case for her work and love with these kids.  Everyone did such a fantastic job.  We really have some outstanding singing talent at HCA!  Isn't Christmas a wonderul time of year?  Even moreso when it is presented through the eyes of children.  Here is a little taste of their presentation of praise to the Savior.  Merry Christmas!

What it is really all about

For we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing.   -  2 Cor. 2:15

Following last night's fall athletic banquet, I was thinking about the role of athletics at a Classical Christian school.  To a large percentage of people, athletic experiences were (are) the pinnacle of their school career.  While we all know the right words to say when asked to rank the important parts of getting an education (academic preparation for college, social training for the "real" world, organization, obedience, spiritual development for Christian school kids, etc.), many of us would have to admit that sports are what really gets us excited.  I have found myself living vicariously through my own kids on several occasions, dreaming of the professional sports career that I never achieved, or thinking of the thousands of dollars they will save me with their impending college scholarship.  No doubt that we live in a world where sports can be our god, a delicate balance that many Christians struggle with.

But, when listening to the HCA coaches talking about their teams and seasons, I was reminded that school sports can be used for the greater purpose of the gospel when approached properly.  Everyone would agree that HCA is in a position to positively influence the community around us, but we rarely pinpoint athletics as being the way to do this, even though it is by far the most frequent way by which we encounter those from other places.  In other words, a Christian school athlete can be a missionary who takes about ten short-term missionary trips per season to live out the gospel of Jesus Christ to strangers who are watching him intently.  The reputation of HCA, Christian education, and Christian people in general is reinforced each time these athletes get on a bus to travel to another school. 

A couple weeks ago, our varsity soccer team played at Trinity Christian School in Durham in the 1-A state playoffs.  The game was very tight and competitive the entire time, and eventually went into overtime.  There was a point where our guys scored in the overtime, only to have the goal erased by a controversial offsides call.  We eventually lost a heart-breaker, and the season was suddenly over.  If there was ever a time to sulk, fuss, and complain, this was it.  However, our "missionaries" did just the opposite.  The next day, I received the following letter from a parent from the opposing team, describing the moment from the eyes of someone who doesn't even know any of our names.  I wanted to share this letter with you as a testimony for our team, but even more as a rallying cry for HCA to continue to promote Christ-likeness above all else.  May EVERYTHING we do bring glory to the Father.  Remember, the world is watching us.

Dear Tracy and Toby,

My son plays for Trinity's soccer team. We just played your soccer team this afternoon in the second round of the State playoffs. It was an even, hard-fought game, the type of game that you hate to see anyone lose. There was a disputed call or two, the sort of call that is really difficult if you're on the tough end of the call/game, which you were.

We didn't know much about your school or team, given that Hickory is a tad west of the Triangle and we play in different conferences. We know a lot more about your school and kids now.

 Your team played with such class and intensity. Their character and the chemistry of your team were evident from the onset. We play in some rough games, as I'm sure you do. I've surmised that the attitude on the field flows down from the top. For example: a recent match was full of trash talking and dirty play. After the game the boys told me that the other team's coach was leading the charge from their bench, both in attitude and language. It is no surprise things unfolded on the field as they did. 

So when a team plays this way it not only reflects on the players, but the coaches and ultimately the headmaster and parents. Actually it reflects Christ.

I would like to say that every Christian school plays this way, but this is not the case. So when encounters a team like this, for the first time, it makes quite a statement.

I speak for the parents around me: you are an impressive lot, both athletically as a soccer team and also, more importantly, in character. It was a tender scene watching your team huddle up together afterwards. I then watched as parents applauded their sons and strolled out on the field to console them. But honestly, by that time, both of these were exactly what I expected to see from your school. If you stop to think it, a response like this in a loss is clearly stunning. There are ample reasons to be mad, sad, and bitter, and I'm sure this loss was really hard after your championship last year, but despite the disappointment what flowed from the scene tonight seemed to be love, pride, and a sense of community. It is, I suspect, the miracle of the gospel at work through the coaches, families, school, and kids.

I hope we see you in various competitions in different sports around the state. We serve a beautiful Christ together. Thanks for helping us see some of Him at work in you all this afternoon.

Rick Hove

Trinity Parent

To whom much is given, much is required.  Thank you to everyone at HCA for keeping the standard high. 

Our Greatest Need

pray without ceasing - I Thess. 5:17

What does a Christian school need to succeed?  Is it money?  More students?  Wise leadership?  Active parent volunteers?  Students with a solid Christian foundation when they arrive?  High rates of college acceptance?  Great victories on the athletic fields?  More public exposure?  Of course, all of these things would be wonderful for any school, and HCA (and Mr. Robinson) have fallen into these lines of thought on several occasions over the years.  It is so easy to do. 

And, make no mistake about it, there are great material needs at HCA.  Our teachers deserve more pay than they receive.  We need updated curriculum in many areas.  We need athletic fields of our own.  Mrs. Lambert and Mrs. Sturgess would love to own their very own kiln for the art classes.  A working kitchen would be great.  We will need more classrooms, athletic fields, and parking spaces as we grow into the future.  All of this relates to dollar signs. 

However, while more of any of these things would be great, we have to be careful that they do not become what drives us.  Jesus asks us the haunting question, "What does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his own soul?" (Matt. 16:26).  We all intrinsically know that there are much more important and pressing things in this world, but we don't often act that way do we?  Again, I am as guilty as anyone.   

John D. Rockefeller is the richest man in the history of the world (at least in modern times).  When you take into account the value of the dollar in his day, he was about 10 times richer than Bill Gates is today.  His personal wealth was nearly 2% of the total gross domestic product of the entire United States of America!  He could have anything he wanted at any time he wanted it, but when someone once asked him "How much is enough?", he famously answered "Just a little bit more".  When "stuff" or acclaim are our goals, there really is no limit, is there?

There are certainly things of great value that we are to dwell on as we walk this path of life.  God clearly tells us that He has blessed us with with a spouse (Prov. 5:18), blessed with children (Psalm 127:3), blessed with friends (Prov. 17:17), blessed with food, clothing, and basic necessities (Matt. 5:25-34), and blessed with knowledge, which begins with a healthly fear of the Lord (Prov. 1:7).  These are the things that we need to focus on, treasure in life, protect, and be thankful for. 

Parent prayer groups in front of the school

This morning, we were so blessed to be able to thank God for His lovingkindness toward each one of us.  Almost 100 parents met together as school began to lift up prayers of thanksgiving and to form a "hedge of protection" around our kids and their school.  HCA will always be a target of spiritual attack if we continue to strive to know God and to be obedient to His calling.  These attacks necessitate an effective defense.  Without it, we will lose the battle, and nothing else will matter. 

As Paul commands us in Ephesians,

"in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one...With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints" (6:16,18)

The "hedge of protection" surrounds the building

If you were here, thank you for your time sacrifice and for the specific prayers of protection for HCA.  It is our greatest need.  If you were unable to be here, please rest in the fact that your child was covered by a multitude of prayers this morning, and that we will try to have more of these types of gatherings in the future.  Until then, please be on your knees, pleading to God to continue to protect His school and our children, and for us to keep the right values and perspective as we move forward together. 

There will be a time to give to the school materially...don't worry.  But the prayers of the righteous can accomplish great things, meaning every day is the right day to pray for our kids and their teachers.  They are certainly worth the effort.

The Great Blackout of '11

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.  -  Romans 12:2


I entered the world of professional education in the fall of 1992, after five years in college, which had followed my K-12 education.  Looking at it from a certain perspective, I have been in school pretty much non-stop for nearly 40 years!  How things have changed from those early days. 

My first year of teaching was spent in a public high school, teaching math and science.  I had a chalkboard (not a dry erase board).  At the end of each week, my student of choice had to go outside to clap erasers, kicking up a cloud of dust that made that end of the school a light, pasty yellow color over time.  Each time I dropped my chalk, it shattered into about four pieces, so I would have to write with a little stub that was short enough that my fingernails would scrape the board and freak out all my students.  Ahhh...memories. 

Back then, we made copies on the mimeograph machine, which printed in a light lavender color, and emitted ink fumes that killed the brain cells we were relying on to pass the very test we were handing out.  Those of you who are under 35 might not know what I am talking about, but the rest of us can still smell that aroma can't we?

And, believe it or not, there was no internet, no personal computers in the classrooms, no cell phones, no texting.  We actually had to go to the library, do some manual research, and teach exclusively with books, pull-down maps, and words.  Higher technology was having an overhead projector with a turn-crank that could pull the transparency across the light, meaning I only had to clean it once per class period. 

The Apple 2e.  This is where all this insanity began!

As I type this, I am feeling like I am describing the one-room schoolhouse on Little House on the Prairie (a popular TV show for those who remember any of the things I have mentioned above).  But, in reality, I am describing a school where I taught only 19 years ago! 

The speed in which our world has transformed in under two decades is nothing short of phenominal thanks primarily to people like Bill Gates and Steve Jobs.  Now, we teach with laptops and projectors, or even "Smart Boards" in class.  Virtually all research is done through the internet while sitting in my living room in lounge clothes.  I can send documents anywhere at any time.  I can communicate with anyone at any time.  When I use Skype, I can even see the people on the other end.  Now, my phone can even search the internet and create documents. 

The funny thing is that for the majority of my life, most of these things were not available, but it seems as if they have been here forever.  This became evident this morning when we all arrived at school to find the phones, copiers, and internet dysfunctional.  We had some sort of power surge yesterday afternoon, which destroyed the delicate components of our internal communications systems.  All of a sudden, we could not send an email, make a call, or copy a paper. 

Around 30 minutes after the bell rang for school to begin, the administrative staff found ourselves standing in the main office, staring at one another.  This led to actual voice-to-voice conversation, and eventual laughter at the realization of how much we have become addicted to the screen.  All of a sudden, we were back in 1992.  What do we do?  Can life go on like this?  Will the food supply run out?  Seriously, we were only about a half step away from putting on miner hats and tunneling our way out of the building to safety!

As I walked the halls of the school, there was only one question..."when?"  When will my computer work again?  When will I be able to escape this desert island of non-communication?  When will this madness ever end? 

As I sit in front of the dim glow of my laptop, due to the failure of my normal office computer, I am thinking that this day has been a fresh reminder of the importance of people, relationships, and words spoken through lips (as opposed to words spoken by thumbs).  In some small and weird way, we all felt like we were in a crisis today (sad isn't it?), and needed to band together to get through it.  There was a puzzle to solve, and we were given the task of finding the answer.  And, it required human beings, standing in the same room, using our voices to do so. 

My prayer is that HCA never gets so technologically "advanced" that the people within all just become an email address or a Twitter account.  May God allow us to be the exception, even to this irresitable rule.  Obviously, I am not opposed to technology.  And, to some extent, I am hypocritically using it with you right now.  But, it would break my heart if it all came down to this type of communication...because people are important.  Not only keeping them updated on the latest news, but paying attention to their emotions, needs, prayers, and dreams, which can often get overlooked electronically. 

That's why human teachers are still important, instead of just online classes.  That's why handshakes are still important, instead of just texting.  That's why Jesus came to earth.  He could have just tweeted a message that said, "U R Savd 2 day".  Aren't you glad He did it in person?

Our favorite day of the month

Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people.  And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved.                    - Acts 2:46-47

Thank you, thank you, thank you. 

On the first Wednesday of each month, our parents provide lunch for the faculty to enjoy.  Coincidentally, this is also the day that we have our combined faculty meeting each month, so I suppose the food makes an hour of listening to Mr. Robinson more bearable! 

Over the years, we have had Italian, Mexican, hoagie sandwiches, soups and salads, and more.  This week, our meal was breakfast food.  Around 10:30, the smell of sausage, eggs, and bacon began to waft through the halls of the school.  Obviously, this does little to enhance the efficiency of the working environment, but it sure makes everyone happy!

The "kitchen"



On my 11th or 12th trip (I can't remember) to supervise the spread on the table in the teacher workroom, I noticed Carol Johncock in the office conference room with several bowls, loaves of bread, cartons of eggs, and a griddle.  She was making French toast for the faculty.  It was a reminder of several things:  God is good, we have some amazing servants at this school, and HCA needs a kitchen.  For those who have never seen this with your own eyes, I made sure we got a couple pictures so that you could see what it looks like to cook breakfast in a school office. 



The chef



 

To all the parents who participated in this lunch, or any other in the past or future, we are so grateful for your generosity and encouragment.  HCA is great because of the collection of wonderful people whom God has placed within our walls.  Just like the close-knit "family" of the early church, we consistently see commonality, sacrifice, prayer, praise, changed lives, and lots of food.  What an awesome place to work!



p.s  - And, as you know from the extensive research done on this subject, the better fed the teachers are, the higher the education level.  Really...if you don't believe me, you can test it yourself!



Don't fret...there is still hope for the future

Let no one look down on your youthfulness, but rather in speech, conduct, love, faith, and purity, show yourself an example of those who believe.  -  1 Tim. 4:12

I cannot adequately express how wonderful the kids at HCA really are.  I am referring to all of them, but on this occasion, the high schoolers.  I had the awesome privilege of accompanying our 9th - 12th grade students on their annual retreat to Lookup Lodge in Traveller's Rest, SC last weekend.  The three days were full of activity, laughter, and singing.  From the silly games to the genuine worship of our Savior, these kids really demonstrated their desire to be different from the modern teen world.  When I look back at my spiritual condition at 15-16 years old, and then see how mature these students are in the Lord at thier age, I am thrilled at the potential they have to make an eternal difference in this world.  It is an honor to work with them, talk with them, and learn from them. 

There is no doubt in my mind that we are in the toughest time to be a Christian in the history of America.  The introduction of technology at our fingertips over the past two decades has opened the door to a whole new world of pitfalls.  Teens today are not tempted in different ways than their parents were.  The flesh is the same.  However, their access to sin and their ability to act on that temptation is infinitely greater.  I am convinced that the average Christian teenager today cannot spiritually stand on his own (with a few extraordinary exceptions).  That is why Christian schools are so important.  They provide a spiritual support group and accountability. 

Of course, every student at every school has sin to deal with.  But, how many schools have 16 year-olds who are willing to look another student in the eye and encourage them to stay strong in the Lord, and to not give in to the world?  That is the type of stuff I saw last weekend, and continue to see in the halls at school each day.  Again, they are still young, and do dumb things at times, but the average kid in the high school at HCA has a spiritual maturity that I don't think I had until I was 25-30 years old.  God, thank you for building a strong foundation in these young adults.  Please enact your perfect plan in their lives, and use them for your glory!  I continue to be blessed beyond measure...


A few visual highlights:


Group Bible Study





Unity Building



Paddle Boat Races



 



Sydney Kaiser, Mr. Maier, and Kailey Hunter tackle the "big swing"

  

The hope for the future