What do you know.....child development

Effective Teaching in Christian Education

“What do you know…”
(Sept 2003)

 By David B.

            Every human being goes through a life series of changes and growth development. In each stage there are new discoveries of life and various personality marks that form. The basic four age groups include preschooler, elementary children, youth, and adult. Of these four there are wide ranges of characteristics that will show the steady increase of age and bring the person from child to adult.

            The first age group begins with the child as it is born and enters into a new world of discovery and preschool. It is in these early years of development that the child is just starting out with new sights, sounds, and smells. Every new sensation and touch is something to take in fully but the child’s attention span can only take in so much at a time. They express curiosity in everything as they explore the limited amount of space they can realize.

            Preschoolers are commonly reserved in social climates when it comes to strangers and new unidentified people. Most children of this age group feel insecure when their familiarity is taken away or something changes. They have a strong need for routine and do not find repetitious habits boring or tedious. To every child the world is only seen from their eyes and theirs is the only right perspective. They do not mentally look for several meanings but focus on whatever aspect appeals to them.

            In the mind of the preschooler there is a limit to what they can do and usually seek to attain far more then their skills allow. Their time frame is always now centered and logical answers to their endless questions are difficult to understand. What they think and feel about the world is in a literal perspective often best depicted in pictures. As they grow and discover new things their excitement continues to reach far beyond their capacity. Preschoolers will soon develop patterns, which slowly take them from their age into the age of elementary children.

            This second age group, elementary children, has a fading line from preschool but becomes clear as their character develops. As the child’s muscles coordination and height level begins to grow so does their ability in other development. The child’s elementary years are a series of growing and discovering new things as well as being able to mentally determine and make choices for themselves. Their attention span slowly increases but still requires the need for various activities. In the span of years learning is a growing desire for the child as they begin to think more and use more decision making in situations. It is a great age for memorization as they will acquire much and be able to display almost accurately what they learn.

            Emotions and feelings are slowly developing throughout the elementary years. A child will begin to make more friends and cling onto social relationships. Their feelings are held out to the world and most easily hurt. Because of their growing need for acceptance it is important to instill confidence and assurance into the child’s life. As the child watches and feels the love from parents and teachers they are able to understand the feeling better and experience the difference between emotions. A child’s enthusiastic behavior is often overpowering and they lack the ability to know how to control themselves.

            As the elementary years continue on the child will develop more and more patterns seeking adult hood maturity. They watch adults and mimic them hoping to soon be bigger. In the growing of a child comes the search for self-identity and worth in the world as each new day new things are discovered. The child develops the understanding of right and wrong and seeks to maintain positive behavior and emotional balance. There is a strong dependence on friends and seeking strong relationships with others. Interests grow and strengthen the child’s personality and character.

            With the growth of the child comes more evidence of intellectual development. It is the age when the child groups’ people and can distinguish between various types. There is still a struggle with abstracts as the mind tries out new forms of thinking. Creativity is high in the elementary child and they have the ability to come to logical conclusions with help. Often the child can be critical of adults as they struggle for the answers and rebellion spurs.  Their sense of right and wrong along with ability to seek God as a loving friend continues to strengthen. Knowledge of responsibility and personal conviction will grow more as the child continues to develop out of the elementary years. 

            As the child approaches the third age group, youth, the slow growth speeds up rapidly. These are the days of early adolescence when everything about their body, their social world, and their feelings begins to change. There is a great amount of development that occur during the years of this group which prepare it for adulthood while tearing it away from childhood.

            Energy levels are among the many things, which increase in the youth. They have a fast train of thought and experiment with adventurous risky behavior. As this takes place their bodies begin to change from children into adults and this causes them to feel new things and experience new desires which are often scary to them. The youth goes through changes, which affect their social and emotional style as well.

            Since there is an increase in change the youth becomes more aware of their body and outward appearance. Youths desire to blend into their group on part while seeking their own individuality. They develop attraction with one another and have higher interest in the opposite sex. The changes, which take place, cause many questions and searches for answers.

            There is a strain on the youth to find his or her personal identity and be able to make something out of their life. Each stage in their development through Jr High and High school years takes the youth from stage to stage in emotional growth. It is the age of youth where faith is taken personally and worth can come from what others and think. The growth of the youth reaches closer to adult maturity as they seek to fit in socially and become emotionally balanced.

            Adulthood comes as the last of the four stages of development. It is this stage where the child is now a man or woman and has a defined self-impression of their world and place. The adult has come along away from the years of preschool and continues to learn on the basis of personal experience and growth.

            The life of an adult starts in the mid 20’s after they have grown out of childhood and matured to an understanding of the world around them. Throughout their days there is much more stress and frustration as age progresses and responsibility increases. Their need for goals and to deal with life issues is stronger in adulthood. As age progresses so does the need for support from others who have experienced the same life issues.

            Adults never outgrow the need to learn nor the desire for knowledge and wisdom in any age. They continue to seek out understanding of things that have been kept with them for years and they seek to teach the younger generations. Every need varies on the adults individual social and economic status in the world. Their age, health, martial and other such things affect the adult in great ways throughout their age. They continue to seek close friends and will gather around support and encouragement groups as needed.

            Throughout the four age groups there is a great deal of development and learning taking place. Each new age slowly increases the persons overall character and personality in every physical, emotional, social, and spiritual way. What can be learned from seeing how the individual develops is the defining sense of change and the power of experience in all of lives stages. 

Exodus 20:1-7 in the light of Exodus 19-24

            After taking Israel out of slavery the Lord God makes with them a covenant relationship. This covenant is created partly in the form of the ancient covenants of that day. In it there is an introduction, relationship, stipulations, and a sacrifice of blood given. Israel comes into a covenant with Yahweh by a sacrifice made to show what would happen if the covenant was broken. Exodus 20:1-17 breaks down into two categories: Israel’s relationship with God, and Israel’s relationship with itself. But first is God’s proclamation of Himself.

            The Lord begins speaking with the people directly by reminding them of His past deeds. He is the one who delivered them from the land of slavery and because of this Israel is obligated to obey the stipulations of the covenant. The rest of the passage is usually referred to as the Ten Commandments, when the word command is not even mentioned. “The ten words are commands, nor are the couched in command (i.e., imperative) language. They are simple future indicative verbs that indicate the future action that is expected consequences of the preceding prologue” (Mendenhall 1184). The words given to Israel were expected to be followed because the Lord is their deliverer.

            Yahweh goes through the first four words in telling how Israel should behave before Him. Unlike other ancient treaties of this kind there is no mention of other gods as witnesses. The reason for this is that there is only One God and the people are His witnesses. There is no other God and Yahweh makes that clear as well as making sure they do not form idols. Idols were a big part of the ancient lands and Israel was not to be a part of those practices.

            The Lord makes it clear that they are to treat His name with respect and not use it in an unworthy manner. He does this because He is a real God opposed to the worship of false gods that was done throughout the lands. His worship was to be pure and the way they sacrificed was to be holy. Chapters twenty-one through twenty-three give stipulations of the covenant that expound on the original ten words given in chapter nineteen. The last word given in how the people should relate to Yahweh is to treat the Sabbath day holy. This word could be taken in the second part of the passage but related more to the first. It is the day of Yahweh and should be remembered by resting.

            Verses twelve through seventeen outline the remaining six words of Yahweh to the people of Israel. These deal with the relationship between Israelites with each other. The first five are direct outward actions made toward other people. These actions are prohibited and not detailed more in chapter twenty. In the chapters following there are many other stipulations given that relate back to each of the words including these last six. The final word is a prohibition of inward desires that Israel might have. They are told to not desire something of their neighbor’s to the point of coveting. After that word is given the text goes on to give more laws to Israel.

            The Lord gives blessings for what He will do for Israel if they follow His laws. Then in the last chapter, twenty-four, there is a sacrifice to ratify the covenant. This ceremony involves sacrificing the blood of an animal. The blood was then thrown on the altar and the people. “The latter was a symbolic action in which the people were identified with the sacrificed animal, so that the fate of the latter is presented as the fate to be expected by the people if they violated their sacred promise”  (Mendenhall 1185). If then one of the people of Israel failed to keep a law they would be subject to death as a penalty. The salvation of a person would be by the blood of an innocent animal. But even before the law was given there was a relationship Yahweh set up with His people, Israel. Therefore there is relationship before law, and law brings forth salvation, and salvation is a response to that law. The purpose of the law is to bring people to the need for the blood sacrifice because they will fail to keep the law. In Yahweh there is law and salvation.

 Bibliography

1. Mendenhall, George E. and Herion, Gary A. “Covenant.” In The Anchor Bible   Dictionary. Ed. David N. Freedman. New York: Doubleday, 1992. Vol. 2: 1179-1202

Twenty five years of Water of Life

My earliest memories of Water of Life include going to the Terra Vista building for services and soon relocating Sunday mornings to the Ruth Musser Middle School gymnasium. The high school continued to meet at the Terra Vista building while I was attending. I cannot remember the exact date we first went to WOL, but I know it was in the middle of my Jr. High school grades from 1994-1996. It was both a major transition time for the Church and for me personally.

Previous to Water of Life my family attended another large non-denominational congregation we had been at since moving to California in 1987. There were several reasons why the Lord was leading us to a new church, one which was that I needed a good youth group to start attending once I hit high school. It is hard to believe now looking back that it has been that long. Water of Life is celebrating twenty five years this year, I am about to turn thirty-four years old. Time goes so fast.

In the wonderful miraculous journey that the Lord took the church on during those years, from the inheritance, to the land at East Ave. I can remember praying over the Inherit the Land and Possessing the Land campaigns, which included walking around the property and praying. We sought God for His rich blessings to flow on the land, and on the people who would be ministered to in that place.

In the summer of 2003 I moved away from Water of Life and California to the east in order to get married and start a family. For several years I still listened to sermons coming from the church and Pastor Dan Carroll. I continued to email him regularly to keep him updated on what God is doing with me. I still listen regularly to the messages via the church website and podcast. Every week I am anxious to hear more about what God is doing in the Church and what God is speaking to me through the messages.

We serve a mighty God who is madly in love with people. This is something which I have learned and witnessed over and over again throughout the years. I praise Him for all He does. I think about the prayers we prayed over the land, seeking God’s will and work to be done. There are thousands touched every week in that Church and around the world through outreach missions. God has all the glory for everything. It is a constant reminder to keep praying by faith, even for the things we cannot see or understand right now. We do not know what He has in mind. He is still doing amazing things at Water of Life and doing amazing things in my life.

In the great divinely crafted tapestry of my life, I am thankful every day for Water of Life and the work of those individuals who served and continue to serve God’s Kingdom. I am continually blessed and marked for life having WOL woven into my story. I know whatever He has planned for me now in the place He has planted me will be full of purpose. So I strive forward to what is ahead for all that He wills. 

My teaching philosophy

Every child is a unique individual capable of learning, understanding, and responding to education. Children come from all different backgrounds, and are placed in with a mix of others who are all in the same way going to respond to everything in their own way. I have always believed it is important to understand what a child is saying and respond to them with respect and kindness. 

There really can be no other way as a teacher, as teachers are called to teach and guide.

Elementary education is the very roots of the rest of a persons’ life. As that child grows up to be an adult what they learned while young will have greater influence on them as anything else they experience. Kids are going to take the things they learned growing up, from the classroom environment to the home environment and use those lessons to become who they are in the world. One of the most vital skills a child will take from school is not just the ability to read but the enjoyment of reading.

As every child is an individual learner, there are a multitude of ways to help them understand reading. For those kids who learn through visual or spatial means, it might be as simple as learning to read instructions to play a game. Naturalistic learners can find animal facts an interesting thing to discover. With each child there is a way to present the love of learning and the desire to continue in the skill.

With each new child I teach I will look at them as an individual, deserving my attention, along with all of their classmates, and acceptance that they do not know everything yet. I can be confident in what I know and am able to teach them. I will be ready; knowing everything I do is a reflection of what I believe. When there are challenges to be faced, and there will be, I will handle them with sensitivity. It is important to me that the kids learn how to love reading and writing so they will be successful adults and enjoy all of the wonderful worlds contained in books.

All my life I have always had a creative mindset when it comes to accomplishing a task. I am always on the lookout for any tools near me which might be of help. This makes me more of the stage manager when it comes to playing and teaching children. As a child myself I was the one who came up with the creative ideas for the neighborhood kids. I would grab empty buckets and some wood beams to set up obstacle courses for one example. This creative aspect of my nature will enable me in the teaching world to help aid children in the art of learning while playing. As long as I have the resources I will enjoy watching the children learn and discover along with me.

My goal is to be the teacher the children remember later in life as the one who had the most fun ways of learning new things. There is so much to learning then simply reading in a text book and answering questions. Real life is hands on, so the children should have as much hands on learning as they can. The best memories I have from early elementary school are those involving special project assignments. When a teacher takes something and helps it come to life with the kids it holds a special meaning.

As I grow as a teacher all of the different roles will manifest at one point or another. I like the focus of a stage manager, as they present the various pieces or props, for the children to work with and learn from. I imagine it is very much like a science lab in a sense as I present the children or subjects with tasks to preform and watch what they and I learn from them. There will never be a time when I am not learning as much as the kids are. All teachers have to be open to allow the kids to teach in return even as they are learning.


It will be my responsibility to present the children with the learning material in a fun and creative way every day. I want my kids to talk about what they are learning and doing in my class even when it is not obvious to them what they are gaining. It will take a lot of effort on my part but I look forward to gaining more skills and knowledge so the future children I help will benefit.  

Review of “Understanding eating disorders”

One of the major disorders known in Psychology today deals with eating and the problems people have with eating to much or too little. The article from Psychology for Living by Vicki K. Harvey deals with this issue. The article is called “Understanding eating disorders” and goes into a discussion about anorexia and bulimia. Both of these disorders greatly influence the world we live in.

            The purpose of the article is to get a better understanding on eating disorders, to find their cause, and know what to do about them. The author gives an example of a fictional girl who developed a disorder and shows how it affected her life. The disorders affect the person both physically as well as emotionally and can take years to get away from. The cause usually comes from girls or guys who are insecure about the way they look and feel they must do something to look better. The author explains the best approach to this disorder is to be very careful and open to the one who is suffering from the disorder.

            As one who is about to go into the ministry full time this article is giving me a better understanding into a disorder I will come across often. It is important that we not ignore the existence of these bad food habits of many young teenagers who are in need of support and help. Loving them and knowing how to treat them is a vital part of to helping them get through the period of their lives that is causing them pain. I have known and do know people who have experienced this disorder in their lives and I feel it is good to know more about it so I can understand what they went or are going through.

            The article made a lot of good points in the area of eating disorders. The author describes the world of an anorexic or bulimic as hellish which helps to better see how horrible it really is to go through. They also remind us that millions of people suffer from the disorders and many of them have been women; men are beginning to show up more as well with symptoms. Most of the time girls will start to compare themselves to super models and try to make themselves look thin. A lot of the time girls who are already skinny still think they need to lose weight and this can be devastating and highly dangerous for them. These disorders must not be ignored or taken lightly. People who have them already feel bad about it and do not want anyone else to know they have the problem. It is always best to be concerned and open with the person who is suffering so you do not push them away.

            In this world it is important that we do not overlook people who are suffering from eating disorders. It is also important that we know how to deal with those who have problems eating that have deep rooted reasons. All in all anorexia and bulimia are very serious disorders and must be taken seriously and handled carefully. 

Personal reading history

Reading has always been one of my favorite hobbies both for learning and pleasure. One thing that is amazing about books is their ability to take the reader into new worlds and allow them to experience adventures they would never imagine on their own. I believe those things we read as children shape who we become as adults. From the earliest days of reading all the way through to college, I have used reading as a tool to help me relax as well as give me new things to think about. My reading adventure continues to be just as much fun as when it first began.

                

Memories of my oldest sister reading to me are some of my earliest and fondest. She would hold me in her lap and read to me from the latest favorite story book. I remember when she wrote my name down in the inside cover how good it made me feel to be the owner of that book. She taught me how to read along with the education I received from school.  In the school I attended we had reading centers which allowed the students the chance to go and spend some time in books. One option for students was a read along cassette tape player, for those students who wanted to follow along in the book. I enjoyed those as well as sitting alone reading in a good book. I always had a new book from the reading list to work with and enjoyed it greatly. Every morning I would start out the day reading portions of the Newspaper, mostly the comics section. My teachers always encouraged us to look up difficult words in the dictionary, and to start using them as new vocabulary.

                

Once I was in middle school my love for books had expanded to owning a full library of them in my bedroom as well as borrowing as many as I could. Much of what I read was involving adventures between family and friend groups. Since I have two older sisters, much of their books were on my reading list as well. I remember reading almost all of “The Babysitters Club” books. I read for fun and I read when I had to for school. I believe my enjoyment of reading books also carried over to doing well academically, as I enjoyed reading for information.  My junior high language arts teacher liked to decorate her room with a comfortable area for reading so it would feel as if you were at home enjoying your favorite book. She would read to us and have us write in a reading journal at the end of the day. We also had books to read at home which we would then write about in our journals. I still have a couple of my journals which I enjoy reading.

                

High school reading was mostly involved around school text books, which was the same for college as well. I do enjoy reading for knowledge and wisdom collecting, I even read twenty books the year before I got married as to prepare myself to be the best I could be. At the same time I make room for fictional stories as well and have continued to be the book worm I was growing up; always enjoying a new novel or story.  

               
From the earliest memories to the most recent I have always enjoyed reading. There are so many wonderful books to read, I could almost read all day every day. A lot of time if I am alone I will even read aloud just to see if I can match the mood of the books’ characters. I also enjoy using observation skills to examine what is being read and see how it can be used to teach life lessons as well. I enjoy reading for pleasure and for education, and will always push people toward a love for reading, so they will enjoy it as much as I do, and love reading.

Article review “Is Mental Illness Catching?

People with psychological problems are always considered in a class to themselves as emotionally different then others and have mental handicaps. An article called “Is Mental Illness Catching?” introduces through scientific studies that mental problems may be just as common and no more unusual then any other disease.

            The purpose of this article is to bring to light some recent studies that have shown people who seem to get mental problems from strep throat and other infections. Kids have begun to suffer from mental illness after having sickness. They appear to develop symptoms of different disorders.

            This article concerns me because it does not go into greater explanation about how to handle the illnesses. They give a great deal of scientific cases and introduce the topic really well. There does appear to be a link between psychological disorders and mental illness. Not everyone with a disorder can say they got it from a common sickness at any time in their life. Many get sick and never experience symptoms of mental problems. Even with the date to confirm the possibility of these being disease it is still hard to put in perspective with apparently hereditary problems passed on down the family. The article does not go into the subject in depth enough to fully understand the topic.

            I have personal experience in my own life and family of a psychological disorder being passed down from generation to generation. Linking such disorders to childhood infections seems to me far fetched. However, the article does support the claims well and gives reasonable examples. When I go into the ministry I will be coming across mental problems from time to time and it will be good to understand how they came about better. It may very well be that the problems people suffer from are not just mental and emotional but also physical.

            The author of the article talks about three different mental problems, that appear to come up after infections in children. The first one is obsessive–compulsive disorder  has developed in children who have gotten ill and suddenly show symptoms of it. There have been cases of pregnant mothers catching colds and coming up with children who have mental disorders. Such facts are proven and are used to try to link illness to mental problems. Depression  and schizophrenia are also described in the article to apparently occur after a child has a flu or other sickness. Before these it used to be thought that abuse was the reason for OC disorder and is not a abnormal response of illness. Schozophrenia was thought to be from bad parenting and is not factors of biology and environmental. Depressed people were thought to be able to just get happy anytime but are not seen to have chemical imbalances.

            I agree with a few of the points of the article, that much of what we see as mental problems are chemical biological ones. The article is good at introducing the thoughts and giving examples for each. The mental disorders we now face may very well be grouped in the same category as cancer or diabetes.  

Article review “Insights on Anxiety from Charles Spurgoen”

A great problem we all deal with from time to time is being anxious. An article called, “Insights on Anxiety from Charles Spurgoen” written by Elizabeth R. Skoglund gives us some help with fear and anxiety. We will see five things Spurgoen has to say about anxiety and facing the fears.

            The purpose of this article is to get a better understanding of what anxiety is and how it related to the Bible and Christians. It is also important to know how to face the fears as they are real fears of real people. The author wants to help us to see what the famous preacher, Spurgeon, has to say so we can we can understand how we should look at fear and seek to overcome it.

            Since we all face fears and periods of anxiety I thoroughly enjoyed this article. It is relevant in a time when things are getting tense and seems like fear is greater these days. There are a lot of “what ifs” in life that we have to go through. The author is good at telling us who to go to when facing those fears. God and Christian friends are the best way to handle what life brings our way. Fear is not always a sin, as is not trusting the Lord. The article gives examples of King David being afraid, and even Jesus experiencing fear on the night of His betrayal. The Bible even tells us to have a fear of the Lord. Having a holy fear of the Lord is a good thing but fears of doubt and confusion are not. It is easy to let fear control you but we must not let it, we must seek to control fear.

            The Author gives us first an introduction using examples of people with fears in their lives. She then tells us how fear is a part of everyone’s lives including that of the great preacher Charles Spurgoen. From there five points are highlighted to talk about anxiety. First is a reminder that even God’s greatest followers have been afraid throughout history and in the Bible; King David is the example. Second we see that Jesus went through a period of fear in the Garden before His death on the cross. If our own Lord could be afraid then we sure cannot expect we will never suffer from anxiousness. The third distinguishes between being afraid sometimes and living in anxiety, the latter is worse because it can harm a person. The fourth point shows us that not all anxiety is sinful but we must also realize some is sinful. It is important to try not to be anxious, but expect it will happen. The final point made is that the fear of the Lord is good cause God commands us to fear Him. The last things the article talks about are causes of fear and facing those fears. The message of the article was good and informative. It helped me to have new insight into the psychological problem of anxiety.  

Evolution of a Rumor

Information, statements, and briefly uttered phrases are the very early stages of rumors and the heart of their beginning. Rumors themselves are just another form of communication passed on from one source to another, slowly weaving into the fabric of society until they have become complex creations, which are given life by the continuation of human emotion. Rumors, from the beginning of their existence, thrive upon the hopes, fears, and desires of mankind as they make sense of a difficult and confusing world.

To study the reasons why rumors spread so well, you begin first with the anatomy of a rumor. Rumors themselves are often merely pieces of information. Nicholas DiFonzo in his paper on, “How Rumors Help Us Make Sense Of An Uncertain World”, states that “rumors are unverified information statements that circulate about topics that people perceive as important (DiFonzo 375).” At the heart, a rumor is simply a passing phrase or comment formed by thought and introduced through communication from one person to another. These pieces of information are considered important enough to those who hear them to pass them along. Cass Sunstein, points out in his paper, “Rumor Cascades and Group Polarization,” most rumors involve topics on which people lack direct personal knowledge, and so most of us defer to the crowd (Sunstein 389).” Rumors do grow. They spread from person to person, feeding off of human emotion, helping them to continue to develop and spread.

Human beings are often driven by their passions and emotions even more than their need for physical survival. A person can be eating well, exercising every day to stay fit, but still be in need of something. They desire peace, knowledge, or some type of gratification to put the heart to ease. Rumors feed off of the desire people have to understand the environment in which they are living.  In a way, rumors can thrive, depending upon the strength of that desire. “Rumors express and gratify the emotional needs of the community in much the same way as day dreams and fantasy fulfill the needs of the individual (Knapp 360).” Rumors can slowly evolve or change as they are passed along from person to person. The evolution is each individual’s adaptation to the rumor based on his or her environment. Such changes can involve intense events, or the amplification of current opinions and ideas.

Every day in our media there is a new event, whether it is a tragedy or new a scandal involving high-level celebrities or authorities. Rumors are especially prevalent around the times of war and conflict. They can utilized by the government to help deflect attention from what is really happening or what they would rather the public not pay attention to at all. Rumors can be used to encourage people to deal positively in potentially threatening situations (DiFonzo 378). Such types of communication are also known as a “pipe-dream” or “wish rumor,” and quench the human need to feel at peace or to overcome stress in the midst of difficulty (Knapp 361).

Conversations from one person to another perpetuate the rumor simply and informally but the information often changes as it continues on through various social circles. Rumors, especially negative statements, have the potential to impact the central core of a person, thereby, giving rise to false ideas and theories, which, help to create negative thoughts and aid destructive emotional desires. The rumors themselves will adapt and change, as needed, depending on those who hear and further transmit the information. With each new set of ears comes a new set of perceptions, which, in turn impact how the rumor continues.

Another type of rumor that can elicit a powerful human emotion is the wedge driver. These are rumors are formed from the conflict between multiple sources and the tension among groups, especially peer groups. Wedge driving rumors do just what their name suggests, they put pressure between two groups by spreading negative information. “These rumors serve a purpose—to justify negative prejudice toward the rival group (DiFonzo 382). Another expert defines this form of rumor in the following statement, “so termed because of its effect in dividing groups and destroying loyalties; its essential motivation is aggression or hatred (Knapp 361).” Human emotion can be the main driver of wedge rumors because this type of rumor plays on anger, fear, and the anxiety people have toward other groups of people. These anxieties are typically rooted in groups and social circles rather than individuals. However, the rumor can target specific people in groups as a way to attempt to sway public opinion.

Once a rumor is in full swing and is growing among the masses it thrives based on the continuation of its initial statement. A rumor is usually something simple and precise. Often there are pieces of a rumor which remain unstable and are subject to change. “There are abundant examples of rumors circulating in different totalitarian nations, all of identical plot, yet each employing the names and places familiar to the local populations (Knapp 362).” Such rumors have adapted to the environments culture and social climate. Numbers change, names alter, and rumors continue to take on characteristics necessary for survival.

Rumors require people in order to exist; and people in large groups only further aid their growth. Stemming off the desire for people to make sense of life, rumors are often found in the mist of the questions and ponderings regarding circumstances and life events. “The successful rumor, to thrive, must adapt itself to the immediate as well as to the traditional circumstances of the group; it must ride the tide of current swings in public opinion and interest (Knapp 360).” Conversations taking place in social networking have grown a great deal more since the creation of internet discussion groups. These groups are comprised of any number of individuals seeking to make sense of the world around them. As more information is sought, discussions continue to grow. “Despite the apparent chaos and confusion, these discussions are colorful and purposeful interchanges that—collectively—proceed in s fairly predictable fashion around the central task of sense making (DiFonzo 386). Rumors themselves are popular because they feed off of the interest of larger groups.  People who have a common belief often share rumors. This form of social networking or persuasion is what one author calls a conformity cascade.  “In a conformity cascade, people go along with the group in order to maintain the good opinion of others—no matter their private views or doubts (Sunstein 393). The passing of the information amongst the groups of people in large masses is what changes and enhances a rumor while the emotional desires of each individual is what allows it to survive.

Every day there is a new event or tragedy worth discussing or talking about. With each new event mixed with the human need for understanding and truth seeking, a rumor is formed. The rumor begins as a simple statement and idea passed along from one person to another. Growing off of the desire to make sense of things, the rumor continues forward gathering momentum. As it grows and spreads it becomes virtually impossible to ascertain the original source or the original information. The rumor has adapted to its new environment so well that those who are passing it along do so without question of its intent or original purpose. Rumors can provide the glimmer of truth or at least the hint of hope or the answer to the questions every individual has about their own lives. With these rumors life continues on and people converse and attempt to make sense of the world in which they live. 

Works Cited

DiFonzo, Nicholas. “How Rumors Help Us Make Sense Of An Uncertain World.” Writing and Reading Across the Curriculum. 12^th ed. Ed. Laurence Behrens and Leonard J. Rosen. Boston: Pearson, 2013. 375-87. Print.

Knapp, Robert H. “A Psychology of Rumor.” Writing and Reading Across the Curriculum. 12^th ed. Ed. Laurence Behrens and Leonard J. Rosen. Boston: Pearson, 2013. 360-63. Print.

Sunstein, Cass R. “Rumor Cascades and Group Polarization.” Writing and Reading Across the Curriculum. 12^th ed. Ed. Laurence Behrens and Leonard J. Rosen. Boston: Pearson, 2013. 388-96. Print.

Coming to Terms with Internet Addiction

Coming to Terms with Internet Addiction

            Today’s generation has advanced in its extent of technological achievements bringing the internet into the hands of almost everyone. Easily accessible via laptops, tablets, smart phones, and even television, the Internet is a powerful and almost necessary part of daily life. However there is a growing and alarming rate of people developing unhealthy addictions toward daily internet usage. Even with all the glamor and usefulness of the World Wide Web, the internet can still be a dangerous tool if not handled correctly and moderately.

            Internet addiction is a growing problem which has been the cause of many social and personal problems. Mustafa Koc in his research essay, "Internet Addiction And Psychopathology,” states, “Internet addiction, also described as pathological internet use, is defined as an individual’s inability to control his or her use of the internet, which eventually causes psychological, social, school and/or work difficulties in a person’s life.” (Koc 143) Those who have become addicted to internet access have gone from controlling their use of the internet to being controlled by their use. Users are no longer in control and it causes psychological, social, school and/or work difficulties in a person’s life. Net addiction is much like other forms of addiction only without the toxin in the blood stream; it is purely mental. Several types of internet addiction include: sexual addiction to adult chat rooms or cyber pornography; relationship addiction to online friendships or affairs that replace real-life situations; extreme compulsions to online gambling, auctions, or obsessive trading; increasing excess to habitual web surfing or databases searches; and computer addiction to game playing or programming. Further problems result from internet addiction such as little sleep, poor eating habits, limited physical activity, and the disruption of daily study and the life of the individual (Koc paraphrase). All such problems come from the overuse of one of the world’s greatest inventions. It is important to understand the possible problems the internet can bring in order to avoid them in the future.

            Like any habit, the internet can useful but it can also be overwhelming and easily abused. What may seem like a harmless amount of time on the internet via smart phone or laptop, can carry on to extended periods of time locked in an imaginary social environment. Many research studies have gone into understanding the significance of overusing the internet for personal pleasure and gain. Internet addiction has been compared to other forms of addiction. Chou, in his article on the subject explains several results of spending too much time on the internet, “Tension, anxiety, depression, withdrawal, guilt, mood swings, etc. or psychic and physical dependence such as dishonestly, manipulation, irresponsibility, etc. may occur because of Internet addiction”  (4). The internet provides a certain amount of personal fulfillment and enjoyment. Chou points out that, the pleasure experience makes people feel happy, content, delighted, and certain degree of enhancement of self-existence” (6). While there is nothing wrong with looking for satisfaction and happiness it is important to not over indulge in the internet any more than the many other habits popular for pleasing the mind.

            Time management is a good solution toward the problem of over extending use of the internet. Since one of the many issues connected with net addiction is involved with the user’s lack of getting important things done, it is an indication that the tweaking of priorities is a good solution. Chien Chou, in his research article, "An Exploratory Study Of Internet Addiction, Usage And Communication Pleasure,” explains. “Eighty percent of the respondents indicated at least problems such as failure to manage time, missed sleep, missed meals. etc., suggesting that such patterns are in fact the norm. Some respondents reported more serious problems because of Internet use: trouble with employers or social isolation except for Internet friends; such troubles are similar to those found in other addictions” (Chou 5). Psychologists are concerned about the effect of the internet on the mind and the mental capacity of those given over too much to the computer. The addictions are powerful and consuming:

“Between 5% and 10% of Web surfers suffer a Web dependency, according to experts like Maressa Hecht Orzack, director of the Computer Addiction Study Center at Harvard's McLean Hospital. They experience the same cravings and withdrawal symptoms as, say, a compulsive gambler waylaid en route to Vegas. She refers most of her Net-addicted patients to psychiatrists for prescriptions for antidepressants and anti- anxiety meds.” (Goldman 54)

Understanding the reality of internet addiction allows people to come to grips with ways of not being deeply hooked.

            Nothing is inherently wrong with getting on the computer daily to get a task accomplished, whether it be shopping, paying bills, or simply checking the news. Internet groups full of non-addicted members are just as frequent as those addicted to the internet. The difference in the amount of time spent by addicted internet users is vastly outweighs the non-addicted. Mustafa Koc’s research on social networking yields some information on internet communities, “Because addicted internet group; preoccupation with internet, need for longer amounts of time online, repeated attempts to reduce internet use, withdrawal when reducing internet use, time management issues, environmental distress (family, school, work, friends) and deception around time spent online mood modification through Internet use.” (Koc 148)

            “The strong influences of computer technology and the emergence of new varieties of domestic hazards are likely to continue as computing technology makes further inroads into households.” (Oravec 320) There is a growing number of computer related technological advances coming out every year. Everything from the dashboard in the car, to the cell phone and computer access available through a cable company, provides the internet more readily than ever before. As the last decade would show to be true, there is much ahead in regards to internet accessibility. Families become the number one area where the internet is driving wedges in the home.

A new form of counseling is forming around the notion of helping those families having social dysfunctions based on their internet usage. Computers enter the lives of the family unit and everyone can retreat into their own virtual world without being forced to interact. JoAnn Oravec, in her article, "Internet And Computer Technology Hazards: Perspectives For Family Counselling." States:

“Parents who bring Internet access into their homes today are encountering a wide range of problems that the parents of the previous generation did not have to face. Often, the problems are only partly defined and solutions to the problems are seemingly unavailable…. In the course of counselling, families as a unit can gain a better sense of their situations in the context of the large-scale cultural and economic changes that they and other households are facing, as well as explore potential solutions.” (320)

            Families have the important choices to make in how the internet will be allowed into the home and into their lives. The more society begins to box itself into the internet social sphere, the less it tends to interact in the physical reality. As Jo Ann Orvec points out in her article, “Families that restrict their definition of neighbor to those with whom they can interact face-to-face may thus deprive themselves of vital interpersonal resources. Families are also receiving more of the assistance they need for their healthy functioning through the Internet, either through websites, support, or on-line counselling.” (311) When it comes to needing a helpful hand from a neighbor, it is more common to post for the need on a message board than to walk down the road and ask. The internet makes getting out and getting to know people in person much more uncommon.

            Social networking is not really as new a term as it sounds when it is used in the context of the internet. Groups of people have been networking socially since their beginning. Interactions may have included written notes back and forth between parties as writing became popular, but in the modern era everything is digitally typed and electronically mailed. Emre Cam, and Isbulan Onur in their paper, "A New Addiction For Teacher Candidates: Social Networks" explain, “Social network applications now provide communication only and intend to meet almost all the requirements of the users by use of many branches such as games, knowledge acquisition and searching. Thus, people who can find almost everything they look for on a social network will not need another tool” (14). Finding information online has become so much easier than going out and looking for that information personally. Attaining knowledge firsthand becomes a great deal more difficult.

            Studies over internet social networking sites and personal excitement levels have shown how much mental pleasure the internet brings. There is a direct link to how being noticed online makes the person feel good and important. Often the simple acknowledgement of a post on a social site is enough to make the author feel excitement. “Users, even though they think that they will socialize by sharing notifications, become unsocial and prone to avoiding real social relations because they are prevented from the time that the brain has made for socialization.” (Cam 15) Mentally the mind is so wrapped up around the idea of virtual satisfaction and acceptance it clings toward the internet sphere as a place of connection and rest. “The fact that an addict who does not keep in touch with his own relatives says “hello” to those on his friend-list every morning and converses with them, trying to solve their problems points to a serious contradiction.”  (Cam 15) Serious reflection should be done for everyone taking the use of the internet social networking world to find friends and keep up with the latest news and gossip. By itself as a tool these things are fine and useful but without moderate use the internet can be dangerous.

            Resolving the issues of internet addiction are often based on simply acknowledging the existence of the problem and coming to terms with ways of avoiding over consumption. “For example, creating and reviewing time logs of family members’ computer usage is a beginning step in understanding and resolving problems such as computer addiction and information overload; these logs expose many patterns and trends that may not immediately be apparent.” (Oravec 318). Internet use is a vital tool in society all over the world, and it will only continue to advance in relevance and importance. “The internet has positive aspects including informative, convenient, resourceful and fun, but for the excessive internet users, these benefits turn out to be useless. Most individuals use the internet without negative consequences and even benefit from it, but some individuals do suffer from negative impacts.” (Koc)

            Internet addiction is a scientifically proven mental problem which can easily affect anyone who uses a computer daily. It is vital to the health of every individual to be aware of such a danger as overuse of social networking, online shopping, and other forms of communication. Making use of the internet to better the world and one’s own individual life is the overall goal. Seek the resources of both the virtual and physical worlds without allowing an over dependence to be built on for either.

Works Cited

Cam, Emre, and Onur Isbulan. "A New Addiction For Teacher Candidates: Social Networks."     Turkish Online Journal Of Educational Technology - TOJET 11.3 (2012): 14-19. ERIC.      Web. 13 July 2014.

Chou, Chien, Jung Chou, and Nay-Ching Nancy Tyan. "An Exploratory Study Of Internet           Addiction, Usage And Communication Pleasure." (1998): ERIC. Web. 13 July 2014.

Goldman, Lea. "This Is Your Brain On Clicks." Forbes 175.10 (2005): 54. TOPICsearch. Web.    13 July 2014.

Koc, Mustafa. "Internet Addiction And Psychopathology." Turkish Online Journal Of      Educational Technology - TOJET 10.1 (2011): 143-148. ERIC. Web. 13 July 2014.

Oravec, Jo Ann. "Internet And Computer Technology Hazards: Perspectives For Family Counselling." British Journal Of Guidance & Counselling 28.3 (2000): 309-24. ERIC. Web. 13 July 2014.

Rapunzel, by the Brothers Grimm

Both visual longing and verbal acknowledgment are used to express the emotional pathos appeal of the fairy Tale, Rapunzel, by the Brothers Grimm. Throughout the tale the author uses cues which trigger both the mind’s eye and heart. In the beginning of the story there is a woman longing to be a mother, and her desire is turned toward a Rapunzel plant in a forbidding garden. Such longing can be easily understood by many, even those who maybe not for children, but for other desires have deep misery. Through the eyes of Rapunzel we see her fear when she first encounters the prince, and then hope and longing to be loved and cherished. Even the enchantress gazes at the prince with hatred knowing she does not have someone to love her like the prince loves Rapunzel. Near the end of the story the prince loses his eyesight and wanders in misery but eventually finds his bride and children in the desert. Throughout the tale visual words are used with each character seeing something and stirring emotion for the reader to feel as well. Along with the visual cues there is also spoken and heard songs and voices. The voices of love and hope contrast with the voices of rage and pain. All together the emotional appeal to the reader is to seek out not just someone to love you, but to sacrificially love someone else first.

Sacrifice is a key to love and companionship as is displayed in the fairy Tale, Rapunzel, by the Brothers Grimm. The claim of the story is, for love to exist, it requires the selfless involvement of people toward each other. In the beginning of the tale the parents of Rapunzel loved each other very much, and the husband was willing to risk anything to make his wife happy. Midway through the tale the prince is also willing to do anything because of his love for Rapunzel and his desire to free her from her enslavement to Dame Gothel. In contrast to the others Dame Gothel shows through her actions, greed and jealously do not equal love. All of the characters support the main idea of giving of oneself against all odds is the answer to showing true love and care. The prince in the story sees the danger and trouble Rapunzel is in and how she is locked away in the tower. Curiously as a prince it would almost seem he should have more authority in rescuing Rapunzel. Rather than using any such authority he may have though, he personally puts his own life on the life not as the prince, but as a man who loves a woman. Overall the tale and story speaks volumes to love, hope, and desire. The tower is the live of the trapped soul, while the Dame is the deceiver who convinces the maiden she is better off away from the world. The prince is hope and true sacrifice which must be embraced and once it is, proves faithful despite misery and wandering in the desert for a while. In the end the assumption then is that in order to find joy and love in another person, you must first be willing put all selfish motivation aside and care first for their desires.

Influence of Authority

Baghdad’s Abu Ghraib prison was the location of a military abuse scandal in 2004, during the American: Operation Iraqi Freedom. American military soldiers were accused of crimes of abuse, neglect, and intense rage against the Iraqi prisoners. Photos of the abuse brought further shame toward the American military personnel responsible for the prison. Individual’s response displayed similar behaviors as studied in both the Stanford Prison and the Milgram shock experiments. "At root, the fundamental point is that tyranny does not flourish because perpetrators are helpless and ignorant of their actions. It flourishes because they actively identify with those who promote vicious acts as virtuous.” (Haslam) The abuse and neglectful behavior, which occurred during American involvement in Iraq, raises questions regarding the higher influences of authority, and the natural tendency toward obedience, regardless of the circumstances.

The various crimes which occurred in Iraq hold many comparisons to previous wars and American events. In her work, "The Tortured Body, the Photograph, and the U.S. War on Terror," Julie Hernandez wrote an article regarding the atrocities allegedly performed by the military personnel at the prison to the captive men, and women. Hernandez makes the analysis: "The U.S. re-embodies itself around the Abu Ghraib scandal, swallowing most of the evidence and appearing even more righteous and fortified than before; what remains in the official wake are emasculating images of the alleged terrorists." Her paper examines the documentation from Iraq, Afghanistan, and the Civil War era. She indicates that the lines crossed over by the United States are regularly ignored through the advancement of control and power. The US will always feel a level of higher promotion over all countries and enemies of freedom and peace. People in position of higher authority understand their personal duty to perform at their best.

Among the other factors relating to the abuse at Abu Ghraib is the lack of proper leadership. The commanding officer who should have been on sight keeping everyone in line with proper conduct was rarely seen at the prison. Other officials have testified to a lack of clear direction leaving the soldiers to assume the conduct was considered approved upon. This form of leadership has social and organizational effects on the attitude of all individuals. The proper influencing forces were highly lacking (Bartone). There may have also been a lack of training and overall poor discipline in the standard of behavior.  Essentially the lack of standards of conduct laws, regulations, and orders were the major problems. With no clear direction or encouragement from higher powers, morals quickly dissipate. "If soldiers lose the conviction that their daily work is making an important contribution to a larger, positive mission, they can become alienated and detached from their surroundings.” (Bartone)  

            In his work “The Perils of Obedience,” Stanley Milgram states: “For many people obedience is a deeply ingrained behavior tendency, indeed a potent impulse overriding training in ethics, sympathy, and moral conduct.” (631) By nature, people are understanding of rank, position, authorities and the rights of those in command to have respect. When the events of the Iraq Prison scandal at Abu Gharib were bought to the attention of national media, they horrified everyone. A major lack of positive authority is nearly as bad as the presence of a negative authority pushing the same question of moral code. Haslam and Reicher wrote an article describing Milgram’s experiment, “Contesting the ‘‘Nature’’ Of Conformity: What Milgram and Zimbardo’s Studies Really Show.” The authors state, "All participants proved willing to administer shocks of 300 V and 65% went all the way to 450 V. This appeared to provide compelling evidence that normal well-adjusted men would be willing to kill a complete stranger simply because they were ordered to do so by an authority.” (Haslam) Stanley Milgram placed one person in authority, and one who was giving commands under the guise of the betterment of science. Milgram summed up his experiment as designed, “to see how far a person will proceed in a concrete and measurable situation in which he is ordered to inflect increasing pain on a protesting victim.”(Milgram 632)

The Stanford Prison Experiment gave people the chance to behave in an authoritative position with the absence of a higher power in command. Zimbardo who was in charge of the experiment influenced the guards to the point of advising them to do whatever they had to do to make the prisoners feel helpless. Zimbardo’s conclusion from this, was even more alarming than Milgram’s. People descend into tyranny, he suggested, because they conform unthinkingly to the toxic roles that authorities prescribe without the need for specific orders: brutality was ‘‘a ‘natural’ consequence of being in the uniform of a ‘guard’ and asserting the power inherent in that role (Haslam). Milgram's study on the other hand was more about people believing in the importance of the scientific experiment. Direct orders were given, but they were given under the guise of what is best for further understanding human behavior.

Out of the scandal of the Baghdad prison came the realization that a lack of positive influences has a detrimental effect on the actions of the individuals left in command. The response to the Stanford prison experiment in a similar way displayed how groups of people in a social setting will conform to certain acceptable behavior to justify the means of maintaining control. Milgram’s experiments further shows how, for the benefit of science, people will obey orders through the understanding of the overall benefit

Positive influences are essential in maintaining social and ethical order in the world. Negative influencers have the opposite effect and tend to create destructive behavior. Individuals are prone toward obedience even to the point of committing atrocities. Ethics and morality are trumped by authority and command. History has seen its share of leaders being obeyed, resulting in the death of millions. Such crimes during World War II involved the German Nazi military. Soldiers listened to the commands of officials and followed through out of respectful obedience. Nazi commanders not only believed what they were doing was right but also desired to go beyond expectations to please their commanders. Situations do not drive men to commit immoral acts as much as they are driven by approval of those acts (Haslam). Individuals are capable of whatever they believe is for the overall benefit of mankind.

            Immoral and unethical actions are brought upon by negative influences surrounding the individuals. With the Stanford prison experiment the events showed how dangerous it can be to allow people with twisted moral views, the ability to have control over others. Stanford predicted the same kind of crimes done in the Iraq prison by showing how easy it is for men and women to fall in line with social crimes against other people. Milgram’s experiments taught the same lessons of morality versus obedience to authority. Each of these events showed the same basic lessons of authority and influence. There is a natural tendency toward obeying a higher authority beyond the self. The reason war crimes, and other abuses of humanity occur is that good influences cease from speaking louder than the negative and evil influences. Both kinds of influences hold power and authority, and the evil must not be allowed to go unchecked in our society. In order to maintain a structured, healthy growing society it is imperative for everyone to direct themselves toward the positive influences and hold onto a higher moral code of conduct to rise above such terrible capabilities of mankind.

Works Cited

Bartone, Paul T. "Lessons of Abu Ghraib: Understanding and Preventing Prisoner Abuse in          Military Operations." Defense Horizons. November 2008.

Haslam SA, Reicher SD (2012) Contesting the ‘‘Nature’’ Of Conformity: What Milgram and Zimbardo’s Studies Really Show. School of Psychology, University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Australia. PLoS Biology (Impact Factor: 12.69). 11/2012; 10(11):e1001426. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.1001426. Source: PubMed

Hernandez, Julie Gerk. "The Tortured Body, the Photograph, and the U.S. War on Terror."

CLCWeb: ComparativeLiterature and Culture 9.1 (2007): http://docs.lib.purdue.edu/clcweb/vol9/iss1/8.

Milgram, Stanley. “The Perils of Obedience.” Writing and Reading Across the Curriculum. 12^th ed. Ed. Laurence Behrens and Leonard J. Rosen. Boston: Pearson, 2013. 631-643. Print.

Place of ministry

It occurred to me while sitting here sharing my last blog post, my blog has been quite abandoned for a few months. Believe me it is not because I have had nothing to say, for I even bore myself with all the talking I do every day. Actually since August my days have been full bouncing between working and taking on four online classes at the University. Since much has changed perhaps I will now quickly update those who are interested; all seven of you.

Currently I am enrolled at the University in town working toward a degree in Elementary School education, so I can be a teacher. Since there are many classes ahead of me to take I decided it would be best to take on as much as possible. The class load is great but it is necessary to push through. I trust this is the path I am set on by God in this time. He knows. So between running my daycare, school, and family life is pretty full and busy.

Every blog post really should have a theme or a given point to why its being written. After all you are taking the time to read so you deserve nothing less. So maybe the theme tonight is just to remind you to keep pressing ahead. My last blog post was an open letter I wrote to Bible school students who are looking ahead at starting a new path. It really was good for me to read because being 8 years out now, having graduated in 2005, I sometimes wonder if I am still on the right track. And as long as God is with me, then He has me where He wants me.

Is there is one thing I learned about working customer service all those years, is life is really about helping other people. Jesus taught lessons of service all through His ministry. Story after story is about giving time, energy, the little you have or the great, whatever it is you give it to the Lord. We need people, we need each other to get us through everything in life. Every day of the week I spend with my kids, and three daycare kids. Each of those little ones remind me of how important the message of God’s love is for everyone. They teach me compassion, grace, sharing, mercy, patience, trust, so many lessons I thought I already understood. For now my place of ministry is to my little Doodle bugs. And that is the place I will give myself while I study to be a school teacher. Looking forward to the days ahead.

Life Pacfic University Alumni Letter

Where will you be in the next five years? Ask yourself this question continually as you begin the first few classes of your college freshmen life. You are embarking on a incredible journey which will take you soaring through the Scriptures, embracing your professors and fellow classmates, and help mold you into a new person when all is said and done. In the end you will discover a new beginning, one which will keep you reaching back to those days in Bible school for inspiration and encouragement. Now there are several important things I learned I would like to share with you as you begin this adventure.

You are in Bible school to learn the Bible! I know this sounds like a no brainer but you would be surprised how much else you will learn along with the Scripture during your days at Life. One thing you will not be learning is the experience factor and intimate make up of what will make you a Pastor, worship leader, or educator depending on your program. This amazing life giving book you will carry to class with you every day can never be placed on the shelf as a text book. True it is used in just about every class, even Algebra if you end up with the same teacher I had. But your main focus should be the Bible this is why your degree path is Biblical Studies.

When I graduated my major was Biblical Studies with a secondary in Pastoral Ministry. Perhaps I felt the two being the other way around makes any difference in the real world. Shouldn’t the Bible already be the main area of everyone in ministry regardless of occupation? Artists, bakers, mail clerks, should all regard the Bible as important as Pastors, worship leaders, and missionaries.

Remember a five year degree at Life Pacific College or any college does not guarantee a job as soon as you graduate. This may come as a great life altering disappointment to many who think this piece of paper is a ticket to a paycheck. If you think about the whole scope of what a Pastor is and does in this world, shouldn’t it be harder to take on that responsibility?  The one standing in a ministry spotlight is to be a very example of Christ Jesus and the life should bear fruit of His work. Your degree does support the backbone of knowledge you will expand from but do not forget you need other bones, blood cells, tissue, and all that stuff to make a body. Your knowledge of the Bible will not come to an end when you are handed your degree, it is only the beginning. It should be the start of a lifetime relationship with your Creator and His Word.

Secular schools really do not care where you come from, Bible school is no exception. Start planning ahead now, beyond five years into what you hope to have after you complete your Biblical degree plan. If you want to attend State schools later make sure you research now what classes will be covered.

Carry the torch as Paul tells his protégée Timothy in his final letter appropriately named Second Timothy. Paul has given Timothy years of education and leadership plus much life experience to help carry him through the young Christian life. Timothy went on after Paul’s death to be the Bishop of Ephesus, or so we believe by tradition. We do know enough that the wisdom he gained would have kept him going as a messenger of God’s love and the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus on the cross for our sins.

Jesus Christ the same yesterday, today, and forever. His calling has not changed either. You are where you are for a reason and this must never be forgotten. Get a journal and write down why you are attending Bible College in the first place. Believe me you will be reading it again if not during your first finals week, definitely afterword! His call on your life does not change, but sometimes there is a period of waiting as we grow. You may or may not end up right in a pulpit after you leave school. Some people really are not meant to be there, but are to use the time at school to learn who their God is and go into the world as a light!

A few of my professors often commented to me on the importance of the work and call ahead. But a common phrase was, “if you can do anything else other than be a Pastor, do it!” I regret listening to this because there can be no greater gift then to follow a calling and no greater regret than losing track. This world is full of many, many, Bible school grads who are now discouraged since their degree is doing nothing but sitting on a wall in the spare bedroom. Maybe it comes in handy when talking to a friend about the Word, you know, “I have that degree so you should listen to what I have to say!” The degree means nothing if your heart is still living in the world.

There is nothing worse than a Pastor living outside of God’s will! A wonderful man of God said this from his pulpit shortly after leaving our town’s large Baptist church for another one in the city. He may take you through rough patches from time to time. It may be years before you even find yourself in a "ministry" role. Do not get discouraged; keep pushing forward into His will for you. We are all called into the ministry of God's Word and His love to people. This ministry displays itself through different ways from every individual.

It is my hope you take this degree path seriously. Do it for the fun of getting to know your God more. Do it for the sense of accomplishment. Do not think it means churches will be lining up out the door to get you hired. God appoints man to his positions, not man. You are a child of God and your knowledge of ministry and work only begins here. Experience is found in the real world.

 It is outside of the classroom you really find out who you are called to be in Him. When you are counseling friends who are going through marriage or relationship struggles, dealing with issues of forgiveness, having your own mud slinging battles with yourself, its when you learn what ministry is, it is about people. People are what matters to God. He wants you to know how to love them, how to show them His love. He wants you to lose judgmental attitudes and embrace kindness. Jesus went down on His own knees many times to show us humility comes before anything.

Lastly I want you to remember who called you to Bible school. If the answer is not God, leave now. Do not turn back. Only God could get you to give yourself to this call and work. Only God Himself could give you the divine task of learning His Word in order to teach it to others. He would not have you endure such a challenge if not to use you as a river into someone else’s life. I pray you make an impact on this world. I pray He uses the gift of the degree to empower you and strengthen you. I pray even more He encourages you through this letter from someone who is ministering for Him every day outside of a Church pulpit. What I do for God is to day by day live for Him. It is what I am supposed to be doing now while I learn more of whom I am and who He is in me.

Life Pacific Alumni
David B  Bowlby

August 6th 2013

Parent and Teacher Partnerships

Benefits of teacher-family partnerships  

Families in today’s world are much like they have been since the beginning of mankind. Man was given woman as a helper and companion and together they were given children to continue the human race and multiply into the world. The centuries as seen through the history books and Biblical accounts have shown families to exist in the same pattern. We classify the family unit as several people of similar backgrounds and common identity who love and care for one another. They are not necessarily living in the same area, but share a bond together. This bond grows deeper than blood lines because many families include adoptions and multiple marriages.

Teachers in a very real way create a piece of the family unit for each child they encounter in the classroom. They become a leader and guide to the child, and also a person to be looked up to and admired. For some students their own home life might be awkward and chaotic but at school they can find a common ground with a stable teacher student relationship. It is important that a bond be established between the teacher and the parents in order to better understand how to lead the students who are placed in the teachers care.  

Parents and teachers become partners in the growth and maturity of the student throughout the school year and in turn place another rung on the ladder of their learning and development. It is critical for teachers to work with the parents as the students need a consistent learning environment both in school and at home.

Methods for developing partnerships

It can be difficult to look at the amount of children you have in a classroom and the amount of parents and believe you can ever achieve a level of partnering with them all. At the starting point it is important to remember having a healthy relationship between teachers and parents is for the benefit of the students learning and the teacher’s ability to educate to the needs of the children individually and collectively.

Parents will not always feel connected into what is going on in their children’s lives. Teachers can help by sending daily or weekly reports on what is being learned in the classroom along with tips and ideas for the kids to do at home as a family. Such tools help aid the process of learning and school work becomes homework.

Teachers need to know a little about what is going on in the lives of the kids they are teaching every day. This knowledge helps them to develop lesson plans and strategies designed to specifically hit points the kids will understand and want to learn. Not everything in the classroom will be fun for every student, but the teacher can work to make sure everything is presented in ways to engage the imaginations and excitement of the students.

A classroom is a community of individuals brought together for a year to learn and develop new skills. The teacher is the leader and head of the group and is in the place of getting to know the kids and being able to help them learn more. Students who know they are appreciated as individuals will function better in the group. Once they know they are a partner in the overall learning plan, it gives a kid -confidence and assurance they are not alone.

Making partnerships work

Several factors go into making partnerships work in the world of business as well as education. Parents and teachers essentially are similar to that of a workforce partnership. The overall agenda is for the student to learn and develop into the person they were created to be. You can never know from the point a person is young what they will achieve in life and who they will eventually become.

Mutual trust between parties is a key to any successful business arrangement. As the teacher and parents come together there is an unspoken belief the parents will be open and honest about concerns and be willing to ask questions. Nothing can be accomplished or changed if people do not communicate and share ideas. A teacher should have the trust that the student will take the homework home and complete assignments. Parents should also trust teachers to inform them when there are learning concerns.

Partnerships need to be built on a common ground, providing for the overall development of the student. Focus always on the good done for the student and there will be a solid work accomplished done. Anytime something is starting out there will be conflicts and pressures. Teachers face pressures just as much as the parents. Both are going to require a focus. You are not just taking the student to the school so they have somewhere safe to hang out and hopefully learn. And teachers have to remember that they are influencing lives daily by giving the students time and attention while teaching.

Schools are making it easier for parents and teachers to have more time to interact. There are positive programs and more are needed, which bring the parents to the school for more than just pick up and drop off time. Students need more than just an annual parent teacher conference for them to be understood and taught correctly.

Anytime you bring people together for a common goal, it is important to keep that goal in mind. With teaching and parenting alike the students overall development path should be the main objective. As parents and teachers develop partnership relationships they will also grow as individuals themselves. There is much learning to be done for all three parties involved in the school system. Parents are the lifetime teachers of their own kids. Teachers have the ability to be constant in the lives of the kids for a season. And the kids themselves will be able to grow from both individually and learn to respect and admire themselves as well as their parents and teachers.