Almost each week the principal of the John Calvin Christian College publishes a little message that gives parents and the school community something to ponder on. To provide more lasting value to these ‘gems’ and make them easily accessible, we are publishing them here. Please note that they may be slightly edited to make them suitable for online publication.
You may have come across this story: One day, Alexander the Great was resting when a soldier in the Macedonian army was brought before him on a charge of cowardice. Alexander heard the charge and then asked the man, “What is your name?” In a barely audible voice, the man replied, “Alexander.” “What is your name?”… Continue reading Reflecting our name
There is no one within the College who says they don’t need God. No one who will say that God is irrelevant, insignificant or unimportant. No, it is rather that the opposite is true. We acknowledge God, love Him and seek our security and life’s direction in Him. It is the fool who says, “there… Continue reading Foolishness and wisdom
Do you know anyone who has had a heart transplant? Anyone who has had significant work to their heart? Some people receive the news of heart surgery ‘out of the blue’. They go to the doctor with what they consider to be a small ailment, and the next thing they know, there is bypass surgery.… Continue reading Heart transplant
We’ve heard this before. “No! no! I can do it!” And we watch as a little child struggles to put on her shoes, left on the right and right on the left. We put out our hand to help, but “No! I can do it!” When it comes to the shoelaces, she doesn’t have a… Continue reading I can do it!
You know how it goes! You decide to plant a garden, clear the ground, bring in new soil, add some compost, plant the seedlings. If you can, you connect it to an automatic sprinkling system and then you sit back and expect it all to happen. In a few weeks you’ll be reaping your broccoli,… Continue reading Keeping the weeds out of your relationships
Your children are out of their nappies, have learnt to read, are past the stage of the daily home reader, can pack their bags for school, make their own lunch each day. They monitor their own homework requirements (or say they do), disappear to school each day and return in the evening. They are in… Continue reading How independent are your kids?
“The beginning of wisdom is the desire for discipline.” That’s a bit of a strange statement, because we have been schooled from childhood that the “fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom.” I guess that this is why the statement jumped out in the first place. However, the context was not a scriptural… Continue reading Beginning of wisdom
Upstander. I like this word. Funny how it’s been around for a few years, and it takes a comment at the John Calvin Schools Conference to bring it into the spotlight. But it’s great to meet it, and even better to use it. Upstander: one who stands up for what is true. We know how… Continue reading Upstander
Ever feel like you are on an island? Our children can be really good at making us feel that way. There is that one dreaded sentence which they toss out at us too often: I am the only one!, or, you are the only ones that…! I am the only one in my class who doesn’t… Continue reading Islands?
“I was talking with one student and this student said that if she sat down for 4 hours doing homework, it was quite possible that in total about 2 hours were spent chatting and using google hangouts. Her parents just thought that she was doing homework the whole time.” Sound familiar? So students, how many… Continue reading Doing homework – yeah right!
Tall poppies = Snip! Ever seen one in ‘poppy life’? A real one, tall gangly and somewhat awkward looking? They stick out above the rest of the flowers, often supported by a stem that’s gawky and misshapen. If you plant a mass of them, the tall poppy looks out of place and it doesn’t take… Continue reading Snip conversation
Sometimes we’ve just had enough! The struggle goes on and on. It seems like it’s a struggle that no one else has. Everyone around us looks like they’ve got it together; they’re happy, content, confident, loving and caring, with nothing to worry about. Everyone! Except me. This is not about the struggle of sin per… Continue reading Struggle of M&M – manipulation of the mind
We’ve all met him or her. This person doesn’t understand the importance of compromise in a relationship. Nor does he really care about you, and you end up being used. This person doesn’t understand what sorry really means and doesn’t take time to reflect on that either. It’s all about them; their feelings, their achievements,… Continue reading Self-less wisdom
We are thankful for God’s protection over the two week break; it was good to be able to welcome the staff and students back to school last Monday, particularly in relation to the dramatic rescue off the Ningaloo Coast. With the understanding that the result of this drama could have ended differently, we considered God’s… Continue reading Accepting good and adversity from God
Identity. Who am I? Who am I really??? The short answer to this question is quite simple: I am God’s child. And this should always be the starting point when we give ourselves the luxury of internal self-seeking. This needs to be the rock-solid truth that we come back to over and over again, also in… Continue reading Who am I?
Something that crossed my desk this week: Why do students lie? Now, the short answer is obvious. I don’t want to get in trouble, and so I tell a lie. I minimise the effect of what I did, shift the blame on others, and if push comes to shove, simply say it wasn’t me. I… Continue reading Why do students lie?
Ever listened to the way we speak? Ever thought about our conversations and how we phrase things? Have you ever considered what would happen if we turned some of our sentences around? “I really like Sam. She’s such a giving person and friendly, but…” And then we hear what we really think about her: “But she’s… Continue reading Applying the ‘holy but’
How do you know? How can you be sure? Let’s be honest, most parents don’t know, and most are not sure. They like to think they are, but deep down, there’s this nagging doubt: is my child safe within the ICT world? You can’t stop it, nor turn the tide. Most of us don’t want… Continue reading How do you know? How can you be sure?
This story is nearly 80 years old. And has been retold many times, and worth telling again: In August of 1949, fifteen men parachuted into a mountainous area of Montana to put out a growing fire. Within minutes, the fire exploded out of control, spreading at 660 feet per minute and threatening to consume the… Continue reading Take action or run?
Today we find ourselves midterm, and with the Labour Day holiday on Monday it might be a good idea to STOP and take stock of how the year is going. Stop: we live in a fast-paced world and find ourselves moving from one thing to the next. There is always the next thing on our… Continue reading STOP and take stock
