Ten years ago, as we were preparing to move our family to Haiti, my mom found an opportunity monthly to pull me aside to voice some new objection.  It was usually something she was certain I had not thought through. My favorite was this one: “You do remember that you have children, right?” I understand, of course, that this was born of a grandmother’s concern for the safety of her grandchildren.  I only wish I could show her now what an incredibly positive impact Haiti had on our children – their characters, their values, and their faith.  Even if there…

Today I completed a three month meander through the gospel of Matthew during my morning Scripture reading. It has been incredibly edifying for my faith – daily I have seen things that had never before struck me as significant. And with my new perspective, I am left with a true head-scratcher.  You know, I am sure, that Matthew ends his account with what we call The Great Commission, the last words Jesus says to his disciples before his ascension to heaven: “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all…

I am anxious to start my new work when I return to Indiana after my classes end on Friday. But I am not sure I will be able to shake the concern I have for the students I am leaving behind. And I am doubly unsure that I OUGHT to try.  Discipline among the students was a mess. And by discipline I mean everything from classroom conduct to work ethic to study habits.  The issues are not solvable in the classroom and while the problem manifests itself in the classroom, the problem is much bigger than the school.  This is…

 I met about twenty classmates today face to face for the first time. (We have shared Zoom meetings since October, but that is nothing like talking in person.)  We spent the day with Dr. Matt Friedeman, discussing the church’s obligation to serve the poor in our communities and around the world. Lots to digest. A very good day.  Dr. Friedeman used a phrase that I want to record here so that I don’t lose it: he spoke of two times in his life when he was in the presence of true men of God. He was so in awe of…

 An unusual day.  It was my day to fully and finally transition from teaching to learning.  I started the day cleaning out my classroom at Hauser. I wanted to make sure I got my furniture and old papers out of the way for whoever might be starting as the new 8th grade English teacher there on Wednesday.  I got back to our house a little after 9 am and finished packing my clothes, grabbed Sarah, and started our ten hour trek to Jackson, Mississippi. I am spending the week in classes at Wesley Biblical Seminary and Sarah is visiting her…

I was on the road early this morning, driving back from the Cincinnati airport* and tuned into a podcast by Mel Robbins. (Who is hilarious – you should check her out on YouTube sometime.) As I listened, I had an epiphany regarding habits. I have been thinking of habits purely in terms of physical activity: flossing teeth, reading the Bible, daily exercise, etc.  It seems to me that it could be useful to consider an entire second category of habits: habits of thought.  No doubt others have made this connection, but for me it opens up new possibilities to explore:…

One of the top lessons I learned this year was how to start and maintain a new habit. I used to drive myself a bit crazy the week between Christmas and New Year’s Eve because I have long been a believer in New Year’s resolutions, but I also tend towards indecisiveness. Each year as December rolled to an end, I just knew that if I failed to identify a potential new habit by January 1st, I would end up doing nothing at all. I leaned heavily on having a firm start date and on making public pronouncements in order to…

In the back of my mind throughout the month of December, I was low-key dreading today.  Today was the due date for my third 6-page paper – on a book comparing four different theological views on the Lord’s Supper.  Not only was the paper daunting, I knew from early in the month that life was going to get extra busy and the majority of my December classwork would still be waiting for me after Christmas day.  I was right. When Sunday came, I still had 350 pages to read and a few smaller assignments … and this paper. Anyway, the…

Like thousands of other motorists on a daily basis, each time I get off Interstate 65 and head toward Columbus, I soon pass a small house with a big white sign out front that never fails to make me sigh.  The sign has to be at least five feet wide and three feet tall, and it has been permanently and prominently installed in the yard for all who pass by to see its message: “Out on a Limb Tree Service, Andrew B______ is a thief! Takes your money and runs!” It looks professionally made. The homeowner sees it every morning…