It is my hope that you’ve all had a good Summer. Let me encourage you to soak up as much of the sun as possible as we approach the end of July with renewed excitement for a new school year. Yes, it is that time of year again as the stores fill up their displays with fresh, new notebooks, unsharpened pencils, backpacks and trapper keepers. Athletes wrap up their Summer workouts as their upcoming season seems to creep closer and closer. As a teacher and coach these thoughts bring some great memories to mind and also challenge me to be a better educator this year. I’d like to share with you some tips and challenges I’ve learned in my experience as we return to school. They are applicable to every day but especially school days.

Today I stood in the place where a many of great men have stood. I stood in a place of pioneers. I stood in a building where, prior to the Civil War, slaves and masters sat together in one house. I walked through a cemetery where soldiers were buried. Possibly some who were killed in the Civil War. Some graves, unmarked even now, are believed to hold the remains of Union soldiers killed far away from home. Some soldiers buried there were not physical soldiers but great armor bearers of the King of kings. They had preached faithfully the gospel that changed lives. One marker was formed into the shape of a pulpit with an open Bible atop.

One of my favorite writers is Mitch Albom. In his book, For One More Day, He said, "There's a story behind everything. How a picture got on a wall. How a scar got on your face. Sometimes the stories are simple, and sometimes they are hard and heartbreaking. But behind all your stories is always your mother's story, because hers is where yours begin." I don't know why that line strikes me so hard, but it does. Our life is a story.

It is disturbing but not shocking that in recent years the power of prayer has been under attack. The enemy is cunning and can use good hearted people to undermine this most powerful avenue of communication even in the information age. It stems from Christians, specifically those in leadership roles saying in response to suffering “You just need to pray more.” There are two issues with this statement that I agree are unhelpful. First of all, we all need to pray more. Paul encourages us to “Pray without ceasing” in his first letter to the Thessalonians. Second, the word “just” is unhelpful because it implies that no other route of assistance is necessary.

The time has come. Some of us are trying to figure out what to pack for ourselves. Some are trying to determine what to send with their kids. It can be similar to when your mom asked you to go outside and pick the switch she was going to spank you with. You have to weigh so many options. With the switch is was whether she would send you back out for another one when you came in with one too small or if the larger one you picked was going to do too much damage—you had to find the perfect fit. With camp packing you are fluctuating between whether this looks too bad to wear in front of 250 other people or if its too nice to risk losing when your kid leaves it hanging on the line or at the pool. Or worse yet, will the smell of camp ever fully come out of it?

In the last month I have visited Prince William Sound in Alaska and Perdido Key, Florida and I can tell you that God’s handiwork is on full display. Those locations are over 4,000 miles apart and the reason behind those travels is the body of Christ. The same can be said for the rest of our travels this Summer. Whether it be Gospel meetings, VBS or camp, the purpose is to worship the Creator. The supernatural outcome of worship is to encouraged and to be encouraged by fellow believers. Our goal is to honor God wherever our feet may be and to do that we love those around us (1 John 4:20).

So the gauntlet of emotions may be felt this week as the world celebrates fathers. As with Mother’s Day, it is not a day intended to hurt but to honor and to reflect. It is a day to challenge ourselves as men to either be like our fathers or to do better. In many cases it is both. We model the good characteristics and we learn from the more negative ones.

Sometimes we just don’t understand each other. We either do not clearly communicate what we are trying to say or the other person has just failed to really listen to hear. Those are what we might call misunderstandings. They are frustrating and can certainly lead to problems. But, sometimes it is more egregious than that. Sometimes husbands, wives, and friends use harsh words to get their points..

There is much about the creation of the world and the development of that world that cause me to stop and stand in wonder and amazement at all that God has done. I’ve had the opportunity to see first hand the majesty of the Himalayas with Mount Everest standing tall as their king. I’ve stood on the beaches of the Philippines and marveled at how those islands rise out of the vast ocean that covers much of our planet. I’ve explored old castles that dot the horizon throughout Scotland. Rivers, mountains, valleys, plains, and oceans all have their beauty and wonder.

Connection. I suppose if you were searching for one word to describe mothers on this special day then the word connection might be it. Sure, I know we usually use words like loving or gracious to describe her personality. Other words like discipline and hospitality are sure to come up when describing her work. I know also that some of you haven’t had that experience with your own mother. So, that is why the word connection seems to be the most appropriate word. Regardless of the relationship, there is an undeniable connection that every living being has to a mother. Long before you knew her and years before the relationship could be developed or strained there was connection—physically and emotionally.