Give Thanks!

Give thanks to the LORD and proclaim his greatness.
Let the whole world know what he has done.
Sing to him; yes, sing his praises.
Tell everyone about his wonderful deeds. I Chronicles 16:8,9 NLT

PRAISE REPORT!

Every year, the Harper Woods Band Boosters hosts a wonderful event at the high school. This year, we celebrated hosting our 22nd Band-O-Rama!

This was my second year coordinating the event and though not everything was smooth sailing, we still had a wonderful day. God provided us with just the right weather to be outdoors--with sunshine and cool temperatures.

The community provided us with assistance from former band boosters which included the CFO of the school district and his wife, Kohl employees who volunteered and a number of students.

We enjoyed watching great band performances from local schools that ranged from 50 band members to over 200 and it was delightful!

Since this is our biggest fundraiser of the year, we try to make this event as profitable as possible, but reasonable enough for all to enjoy great food and I was told--repeatedly--that our grill master "was the bomb."

Considering the fact that we never know what the weather will be from year to year when we plan this event, I can say--unashamedly--that I stayed in communication with my Daddy--I prayed for good weather, for cooperation with others, and participation from other schools and for everything to be the success He would have it to be. God never disappoints us when we know all things work for our good.

So, this morning, I'm a bit tired, but grateful--for all who contributed to this success and for meeting some really wonderful people to whom I am indebted to love for the rest of my life.

Our God is an awesome God and I know--as long as we continue to please Him--He will hear and answer prayer.

I'm thanking Him for giving me strength to endure and courage to persist in doing all things well and hearing and answering our prayers.

Giving thanks for all He has done, is doing and will do for all who love Him and live according to His Word.

Wisdom Works For The Wise!

Counsel is mine, and sound wisdom;
I am understanding, I have strength. Proverbs 8:14 NKJV
Wisdom is too high for fools; in the assembly at the gate they must not open their mouths. Proverbs 24:6 NIV

Whenever there is foolishness and rash speaking, we know that wisdom does not exist in that immediate arena. Though there are many who believe what they believe to be wise--the evidence--the truth of the matter--resides in whether the wisdom exercised is from God or mere mortal.

Promoting the use of guns in a nightclub by attendees and saying that shooting someone between the eyes is a "beautiful sight" is not wise and therefore we can conclude--wisdom does not reside in the speaker's mouth.

The gun control issue has revealed a great deal of angst between those who believe people should own as many guns as they want and any kind of gun and between those who believe wisdom is key in gun ownership and no one needs to have an arsenal at their disposal. At least not any sane person. Insanity runs rampant among those who believe it's okay to gun down innocent people who have done nothing to them personally--but because they exercise their free will choice to live how they live or because of their beliefs or the color of their skin.

Let me be clear--no backpedalling here--For anyone to hate another person just because they won't live according to "their standards" or because they were born with skin color that is different or they believe differently about "anything," that is the epitome of INSANITY.

No one person--on earth--has a right to dictate to anyone how they should live or think or believe--people make choices and we may not like their choices, but the consequences of those choices is on them--not us. But when people make "overgeneralized comments" and decisions about people because of the color of their skin--something none of us has any control over--then insanity reigns deep in the hearts of the haters.

There are a number of things I do not support as a matter of Godly principle and I offer no apology for my beliefs--they are mine! I do not support same-sex marriage or the practice of homosexuality; I do not support anyone having access to weapons--whatever they are--that are designed to kill and not for hunting or the defense of home and family; I do not support killing innocent people to "maybe" shoot a killer; I do not support lying and thievery; I do not support the legalization of drug use; I do not support bigotry of any kind--regarding race or gender; and I do not support people who hate--just because.

What I would love to see more than anything is for people to learn to love one another (not lust after one another)--in all Godliness and learn to accept our differences and embrace one another as human beings. If we are not able to do that--we prove our foolishness because history (all the hatred because of being different) will continue to repeat itself until we learn the lesson well. Hatred breeds contempt, confusion and chaos and eventually destroys lives.

Everyone reading this has a right to accept or reject or refute or ignore. It's an individual choice and I respect that choice. And it is my choice to address a matter that is about to erupt into a situation of violence--like we've never seen before. We must stop the hate! The only way we can stop the hate is to replace it with LOVE! Love causes no harm to anyone, sees beyond faults and works to create community between all--human beings!

Refuge!

"The LORD helps them and delivers them; he delivers them from the wicked and saves them, because they take refuge in him." (Psalm 37:40 NIV)

Who does the Lord help and deliver? The righteous--those in right-standing with God can count on The Lord helping them and delivering them from all that attempts to hold them bound by the temptations influenced by evil. He delivers them from the wicked and saves (those in right-standing with Him) because they seek refuge in Him.

Every community should be a "safe haven" for those who live in it, but we know that does not always happen. Evil lurks, seeking whom it will attack and devour in our times, just as it did with the walled cities of old. The difference then is the cities had the watchmen walking the walls, looking for the attempts by others that meant danger to those who lived inside. When danger was seen, the alarm sounded and everyone knew what they had to do.

In addition to the walled cities for the majority of the occupants in a region, there were also cities built as a place of refuge for those who had been estranged from their place of origin or for those seeking shelter from the harm of others because they had accidentally killed someone (Numbers, Joshua).

I remember that in one neighborhood where I used to live, my home became the apparent refuge for children seeking shelter from harm by those living there who were certainly not law-abiding. There was drama unfolding on one particular evening and I looked out the door to see my porch full of children who were trying to get out of harm's way. Most of these children participated in my "porch" bible study during the summer and I was glad they felt my house was a safe haven--a refuge from harm.

In the midst of stormy weather, we are told to seek refuge in low-lying areas and for those of us who have basements--to run to the basement for shelter. In the Midwestern regions--open ranges, they have storm cellars in which they seek shelter from the storms.

In the storms of life, filled with uncertainty and confusion, Our God is our refuge--a place where we can go and no one can harm us. When we are in right-standing with Him, there is nothing we cannot expect from Him--safety from those who would harm us, deliverance from things that would distract us, provision when we are unable to provide for ourselves, wisdom when we lack it and ask for it, mercy and grace we cannot earn, and love overflowing--when we are emptied out and need replenishing.

If ever there was a time we needed to know where we can find refuge, that time is now. Dangers are all around us--bone-chilling weather, icy road conditions, mindsets in opposition to God's Word--all dangers that should cause us to run to The Lord, seeking refuge in Him to avoid the consequences of staying on the path of the wicked.

Don't linger in the face of danger--RUN to the Lord and seek shelter in Him!

What Will It Take?

What will it take to stop the foolishness?
Young men "punching" older people, just because.
Young women having sex with anyone and everyone, just because.
Old men seeking the favors of young women and being duped, just because.
Old women thinking younger men really want them for their bodies, when it's really about the money, just because.

And we wonder why--
Crime is rampant in our neighborhoods,
Education is not important to our children,
AIDS is becoming more prevalent in every ethnicity and sexual orientation and age group,
Fewer and fewer people even know how "to train up their kids" so they'll know what to do when they get older,
Politicians never do anything for the people for whom they are supposed to serve.
And Americans are hated and America a target for all fools,
Yet, Everyone wants to come to America to escape the foolishness in their own countries,
Just to start the foolishness all over again, here.

"We'll rise to challenges" so people will notice us, but
We won't read a Bible in the privacy of our own homes.
"Without Christ in our lives we are nothing, can do nothing, and will be destroyed
By the enemy--who hates all God has created--and we simply sit around, waiting
For the end that is inevitable--the destruction of mankind, because we do not want to obey God!

What will it take for us to figure this out?
When all our loved ones are lying, bleeding to death in the streets and gutters,
Or when we see the hopelessness and despair in all the eyes of people,
From every walk of life--knowing that the end is truly near--and all hope is gone?

What will it take?
"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son so whoever believes in Him, shall not perish, but have everlasting life."
And again, I ask--what will it take for us to do the right thing in God's sight and not our own?

Educating Our Future!

Some schools--depending upon where one lives--are already in session for a new school year. Others are going back soon! What are the students going back to do?

Speaking from experience with Detroit Public Schools, many of the inner city students are going back to chaos--overcrowded classrooms, overused testing, and demoralized, unhappy teachers. None the chaos is the fault of the students, but they are the ones who will be negatively impacted by it the most.

First of all--PARENTS--get your act in gear and teach your children to respect authority and property of others. One of the reasons for the overcrowded classrooms is the budget allocation for textbooks which students either take home to keep or deliberately desecrate with profanity--making them inaccessible to others. The other reason for much of the chaos--ill-mannered, ill-behaved students who interfere with the process of learning. They have never learned to do school and when a teacher meets some of the parents--they know the apple truly did not fall far from the tree.

If parents truly want a quality education for their children, they need to engage in the process--get actively involved with the schools and the legislators making decisions about the schools.

The Detroit Public School district has had an assigned Emergency Manager for five years now that has not made a difference in the debt accrued. Why? Too many people coming into the system with the sole purpose of "lining their pockets" and totally forgetting about the kids they are supposed to help educate. This would not happen if we had anyone with integrity having oversight of the Detroit Public Schools. For those who know the power of prayer--it's prayer time--pray for all Emergency Managers to develop a conscience and do their jobs--not line their pockets with the funds that should be spent on educating the children. Everyone needs to get out and vote--getting rid of all those politicians who are only interested in promoting their own--self-serving agendas--not the benefit of all the people.

EDUCATORS--FIGHT BACK--and stop the testing nonsense and spend the time--TEACHING your students. Students do not learn anything from over-testing; they learn from educators who have time to teach them the skills for which they are being tested. If they have not been taught, why are they being tested? A little common sense is needed here.

ADMINISTRATORS--grow a pair--and move out of the way of those teachers who are "still interested" in teaching children what they need to know to survive in this world. Using threats, being demeaning, humiliation and coercion will not accomplish anything other than unhappy, rebellious staff who will only do the minimum required to get you off their backs.Abusing your staff does not make you a great administrator--understanding what your staff needs and supporting them in their efforts will get the job done. If you are an administrator and are only a doormat to the district--resign! Get out of the way so our children can learn!

From observation and research, I know there is a conspiracy afoot to keep students from Detroit in a rut--for manual labor only and everyone who is involved in the system and is not willing to change the way we do education in Detroit is guilty of being a participant in the conspiracy. Our students need to know grammar--for conversational purposes as well as for writing. When the District decided that grammar did not need to be taught (almost 20 years ago)--that should have been a signal for all to understand the complicity in keeping our children--illiterate. Now, we graduate functionally illiterate students who cannot read above the seventh-grade level. Where do they get to work? Fast--food restaurants and anywhere they do not have to think or read with comprehension. Just take a look at the cash registers being used today and you'll understand my point.

So now, what are you going to do? Get mad at me or do something about educating our future?

You can read more in my book, If Parents Cared Enough, Johnny and Juaneshia Could Read  found here: http://www.amazon.com/Mary-M-Hall-Rayford/e/B00BAW31CQ/

Get mad, but get busy when you get over being mad!